Before I dive into any book, I read the author’s dedication. Maybe you ignore it–flip right past it. That’s fine. But for me, it opens a window into the author’s heart. I love writing dedications, too. They’re the last thing I write, usually after at least a round or two of edits, and I think long and hard about who I’m going to dedicate that story to. Of course, my first book had about 70 names in it … mostly because I wasn’t sure I’d ever publish another book.

My most recent novella in A Log Cabin Christmas Collection has these words:

For Judy and Ann, first readers and faithful friends.
Thank you for your encouragement, kindness, and example of joy.

I’ve known Judy for years. Well … at least I knew of her. We’d gone to the same church since I was a kid, and her kids are about my age. But it wasn’t until I wrote my first book that we became real friends. When I asked my mom for feedback on the manuscript of The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn, she suggested I send it to Judy, a retired teacher. Judy graciously agreed to read the book, but I’m afraid her feedback was pretty minimal. It consisted mostly of “I love it!”

By the time Kenzie arrived on bookshelves, Judy was my strongest supporter. She’d also been diagnosed with cancer. Again. I remember clearly on the day of my first booksigning at our church back in Yuma, that she handed me an envelope. She’d been in pain the night before and unable to sleep, so she’d stayed up on the computer and printed off every online review and mention she could find of me and my book. She’d also asked her brother-in-law to paint the cover of my book. It’s one of the most amazing gifts I’ve ever received.

By the time my second book rolled around Judy and her mom Ann were full-fledged fans of my books. But I was just plain fans of theirs. They had embraced me and my family, given my mom a friend she desperately needed, and treated my nieces and nephews like their own family. Despite her frequent trips to San Diego to see her oncologist, Judy remained a fantastically upbeat and filled with joy.

When it came time to write the dedication for my Christmas novella (a story that Judy and Ann had both read and approved), I wanted to show them just how much I cared and do what I could to reciprocate the love that they’ve shown me.

And then the books arrived. So beautiful and with that inscription just for Judy and Ann. I begged my mom to take Judy a copy of the book as soon as it arrived. Mom asked if I wouldn’t rather wait to give it to her myself, but I said no. I wanted Judy to see it as soon as possible. Ann says that Judy showed that book to every single person who walked into her house in the next week.

Less than two weeks later, Judy took a turn for the worse, and I didn’t get to see her again. She passed away last Monday.

I’m so sad to have lost a friend, but I am so grateful to have known her and to know that we’ll meet again in eternity. She loved God dearly, and that love flowed to everyone she came in contact with. As I’ve reflected on our friendship this last week, I’m reminded of her amazing example. Despite her pain and prognosis, she lived with joy, a joy that overflowed, spilling on friends and strangers alike.

And I’m so glad that I took the opportunity to say thank you to Judy before it was too late.

Who do you need to say thank you to today?

I’m so excited to share with you about a new book by my friend Betsy St. Amant. As you may recall, I’ve interviewed Betsy in the past and shared with you about some of her other books. Now available is her most recent, Fireman Dad.

Betsy continues her trend of sweet romances filled with relateable characters and unique situations. In this book widowed mother Marissa Hawthorne’s little boy wants to be like his new hero–firefighter Jacob Greene. But Marissa and her son lost too much to firefighting when her husband was killed in the line of duty. No matter how attractive Jacob might be, Marissa can’t afford to lose her heart to another fireman. And Jacob has to fight his own attraction to Marissa, as her father is her boss.

Underlying all the romantic tension is a very real threat to Jacob’s job and his family, as the fire department has been downsized, and Jacob’s brother has lost his position. This adds a reality to the story, as so many cities are facing similar cutbacks. In fact, Betsy shares at the end of the book that her own husband was downsized by the fire department in their city a few years ago. And you can feel the depth of her understanding of this struggle throughout the book.

This is a great read for anyone who knows and loves a fireman. A heartwarming tale of learning to trust God and allowing yourself to fall in love. You can pick it up at a Walmart near you or online here if you like. Thanks to Betsy for sending a review copy of her book. It’s always a pleasure to read her books.

This year, I challenged myself to read all 6 of Jane Austen’s books. How hard could it be? I have many friends who’ve read all of her books and loved them. And I’ve seen nearly every movie version of her books from Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice to JJ Fields as Henry Tilney. I’ve watched and rewatched these love stories, falling in love as much as any of the characters. And I’ve considered myself a fan of the venerable Ms. Austen. I’ve even read some of the spin off books–like Beth Pattillo’s Jane Austen Ruined My Life, which was superb, and seen movies like Becoming Jane and The Jane Austen Book Club.

So why is it that a book-lover and romantic like myself can’t seem to get through these 6 books?

I have a theory. One that I shared with my friend Katie, who challenged me to write this blog. Maybe the book isn’t always better …

When Jane’s books were first published in the early 19th Century, the understanding of and appreciation for novels were still growing. Many belittled the practice of reading novels, as Jane herself explains in Northanger Abbey, when she spends 3 pages writing about how she’s not one of those authors who refuses to let her characters read novels. Thus Catherine Moorland, our heroine, indulges in the very thing that Jane hopes her own readers would do. Enjoying novels.

By taking the time to do this, Jane breaks every rule of modern novel writing. As a student of modern fiction, I see how Jane’s books conform to her own ideals and the current trends of her time, not ours. I also see how many of the movie versions have modernized some of Jane’s stories to fit with our ideas of drama and conflict.

Let’s take Mansfield Park, for example. I just finished listening to the unabridged audio version of the book. And I didn’t like it. At all. And I hated myself for not liking it. How could I not?  To start with Fanny Price, the so-called heroine of the story, is weak and never really grows throughout the story. The one opportunity for her to assert herself comes when her uncle tells her she ought to marry the duplicitous Henry Crawford. She tells him that she won’t. He says she must. She tells him no. And that’s pretty much the end of the conflict.

Compare this with the 1999 movie version staring Frances O’Connor, where Fanny is a smart young woman, who holds her ground even when her uncle demands that she marry Crawford or be sent back to her parents’ home. The conflict is much more acute in the movie version, and it makes me feel for Fanny’s plight rather than feel as though she is a petulant child.

Many of the movie versions of Austen’s classics have modernized the characters–not by placing them in a different time, but rather by strengthening and changing the characters and conflicts in such a way that they fit more in line with modern ideals than they do with the original release dates. This is why many Austen purists dislike the films. Not only do they trim plot elements for timing, the movies sometimes change the entire conflict of the novel.

But for me, the change seems to be mostly for the better. When it comes to Ms. Austen, I must say that I think I far prefer to the movies to the books (at least the nearly 4 books that I’ve read all or parts of).

Please feel free to disagree. Just don’t do it by throwing stones. 🙂

With just a week until my 30th birthday, it’s high time to check in on the official 30 by 30 list. SPOILER ALERT! I’m not going to finish it all. But, you know what? That’s okay. I’ve pushed myself to do more things than I would have done without this list. Without further ado … here’s the most recent update to the list.

1. Complete the Nashville Rock and Roll ½ Marathon – so this didn’t happen! And when I finished the 5K on the 4th of July, I thought I was crazy for ever thinking of doing a half marathon. But I did finish a road race, and I’m going to begin training for another soon. It’s much more fun than I thought.
2. Write 2 novels – Um … nope. Didn’t even come close. 🙂
3. Read all of Jane Austen’s Books – Not so much. But I have some insights that I’ll share with you all later this week.
4. Go to an NFL game – As previously stated, the game went out the window due to a work-related trip, and I went to see Garth Brooks instead.
5. Save $1500 toward a trip to Scotland/Ireland – Well … all of my travel savings are going toward another trip to Prince Edward Island! This one with my mom and my sister. Pictures to come in the next month or so.
6. Finish Caleb’s fire truck cross stitch – my poor nephew still doesn’t have a cross stitch for his nursery, even if he is 14 months old. Some day … maybe …
7. Visit 3 Civil War battlefields – Done! Carnton, Carter House, and Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN. Amazing history!
8. See Brandon Heath in concert – Yuppers!
9. Visit Boone Hall in South Carolina (Mount Royal Plantation) – Nope. But maybe next year.
10. Donate $1000 to World Vision for Micro-loans – There ended up being some needs closer to home this year, but I still really love this program and will make a plan for next year.
11. Get a contract for a 3-book deal – I haven’t given up hope yet. 🙂 I have a week to hear back about a 3-book series proposal that I sent to my editor 2 months ago. Pray hard for me, if you think of it.
12. Find a place to serve at my new church – I didn’t get to this. And I’m full of excuses as to why, but I’m not giving up on it.
13. Take a cooking class at Whole Foods – I missed the Whole Foods classes, but I have signed up for a cupcake decorating class on July 24th! I’ll post pictures of my masterpieces … erm … cakewrecks.
14. Give away 20 of the books on my shelves – Done!
15. Buy flowers for a friend for no reason – Why have I not done this? It’s so easy! I’ll do that this week.
16. Eat something with mushrooms – Pizza with mushrooms eaten. Check and check.
17. See a show at TPAC – Katie and I saw Dave Barnes there at Christmas! He was wondefully funny!
18. Read the Bible in a Year – Yet again, I haven’t managed to do this, but I read more than I would have if I didn’t have this goal. I made it through several books including Ruth, Luke, and Genesis.
19. Take an adult beginner dance class – Hmm … I didn’t do this … next year?
20. Visit the Harry Potter theme park at Universal Studios in Orlando – I’m so sad that I didn’t make it there this year. 🙁 My friend Jess and I had plans to go but they just work out. Definitely on next year’s to do list!
21. Catch up on the TV show Chuck – Yay! I love Chuck and totally caught up on all the dvds that are out so far. I wasn’t disappointed. 🙂
22. Volunteer at least 10 hours at a local food bank/shelter – I found my volunteer hours donated to other places than a food bank and shelter but between being a fairy godmother and other activities, I had a great time volunteering this year.
23. Read a #1 New York Times Bestseller when it’s #1 – Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo
24. Go a week without eating out – Done!
25. Host a dinner party for at least 4 friends – Yes! Had a great dinner party for my friend Heather’s poetry book release.
26. Write a Christmas short story – It’s coming out in 6 weeks. More details to come!
27. Drop 2 dress sizes – Not quite. Actually not even a little. 🙂 But the training for the road races sure makes me feel good. So I’ll keep at that.
28. Sing karaoke in public – I could squeak that in this week. Right?
29. Drink only water for 2 weeks straight – Hmm … I kept forgetting about this one, and now it’s too late.
30. Vacation on Prince Edward Island – Done and nearly done a second time! 🙂

By my count, I’ve completed 17 of the items on my list (or a comparable item) in the last 51 weeks. And I think I can complete at least 1 or 2 more this week. Not too shabby. 🙂 I’ve definitely done some things this year that I wouldn’t have without this list. But I think my next list will include a few less things that require travel or money. Vacation time and spare change is hard to come by these days.

What do you think should be on my next list?