Tricia Goyer Writes

This years conference was wonderful because it seem like a mix of "returning" and "taking the next step."

The returning happened because I was able to room with my dear friend and mentor, Robin Gunn. ( Pictured left with Sarah Sumpolec (left) and myself--very serious here!) I met Robin at Mt. Hermon in 1993. I was 22-years-old. I'm not sure why but Robin chose to care for and mentor me. We became part of an intimate prayer group. She encouraged me and gave me wise advice many times over the years.

During the first worship service, the tears came. My heart filled with thankfulness to God as I thought about where I was then and where I was now. I thought about my role teaching the Historical Track ... and being in the position of helping others as I was helped. In fact, I introduced Robin to one person I've mentored as "this is your literary granddaughter." Is that cool or what?!

But Robin's smiling face wasn't the only one I was excited to see. There is a group of Gen Xers who have helped me extensively on my books--giving me input and editing either my non-fiction, fiction, (or in Cara's case) both! It was awesome to hug my cyber friends Cara Putman, Allison Wilson, Michelle Sutton, Amy Wallace, and Gina Conroy for the FIRST TIME face-to-face. And ... there were many, many others who I met whose DAUGHTERS gave me input for My Life, Unscripted and the teen version of Max Lucado's 3:16.

Then there is the joy of seeing my amazing agent Janet Grant and my other fun writing friends like Sarah Sumpolec, Susie Warren, Meredith Efken, Jim Rubart, Julie Carobini, Camy Tang, and Ocieanna Fleiss ... and dozens more I can't even begin to list!

So, of course, more tears came during the next worship service as I looked around at the faces of my friends. I literally had to close my eyes, because every time I noticed another face in the crowd the tears of joy would come again. (And I'm not usually a crying person!)

The advice I always give to new people attending conferences is NOT to focus only on the editors and agents. While they are WONDERFUL ... I've developed some of the deepest friendships of my life with those who I've met through God's divine appointments.

Of course, "the next step" part of it was the teaching. It's the most I've done at one conference and I had a FANTASTIC time. I had the best class ... seriously. They were so warm and receptive. Historical Fiction writers ROCK!

Camy Tang!

Julie Carobini

Cara Putnam, Michelle Hutchinson, Amy Wallace, Gina Conroy, Me!

Mary DeMuth, ME, Robin Gunn!

Robin Gunn and Janet Grant!

Susan May Warren

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My Life, Unscripted

CONTEST!

YOU CAN WIN A $25 iPod GIFT CERTIFICATE

Here's what you have to do. Read My Life, Unscripted by Tricia Goyer, and then write a review on her book and post it on your blog, myspace, shoutlife, or amazon.com. Sounds easy right? It really is. (Please forward this contest to any teens you think might be interested!) To obtain a copy of My Life, Unscripted you can visit amazon.com, Barnes and Noble or check into your local Christian book store.

My Life, Unscripted explores relationships in every teenage girl's life--with herself, her friends and enemies, her parents, guys, and with God. Real-life scripts, screenwriting terms, and timely topics, make this an interesting read for teen girls as they delve into their own inner struggles and outward relationships. They'll also learn the importance of "scripting" their own responses BEFORE challenging life-situations arise and are able to think about, pray about, and consider how to face these situations before the scene begins. By contrasting real-life with TV or movies, teens will understand they don't have to get caught up in the drama. In addition to the review, you may also include how you, too, have overcome temptation.

Many will enter

only Three will Win

Contest Begins NOW!

***contest ends 11/30/2007***

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My mind is so full of everything I want to share that I thought I'd share a few things at a time ... there is so much!

First of all, my most meaningful moment was not centered on writing, but on our adoption. We've been doing paperwork to adopt for China for 1 1/2 years. It's been slowed down by crazy things like a lost homestudy (the immigration office moved mid-paperwork) and unsatisfactory fingerprints. On Thursday Susan Downs, who has been praying for me, found me and told me she was continuing to pray. It was awesome to know that there was someone there who knew my heart and continued to pray for me.

Then, Saturday after the banquet, and fun time with my friends, I discovered my husband had been trying to reach me. He'd called 5-6 times. I called him and he excitedly told me our paperwork was in! It had been mailed that day Susan was praying!!!

We are approved for one or TWO (if there are twins) babies from China. It was awesome because I was able to go around (at midnight!) and tell my wonderful agent Janet Grant and some of my friends.

It was a special, and unexpected, gift--both the paperwork and that God chose THERE to let me hear the news and share it face-to-face with those who have been praying!

The process is still 2 more years, but I know God's timing is perfect!

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People think I'm crazy ... seriously they do. I can't tell them about all the book ideas I have or possible projects coming down the pipeline ... otherwise they'll start hyperventaling.

People may wonder why I write. Is it to get famous? No way. Because I enjoy living by one crazy deadline to another? Uh, no. Is it because I really enjoy asking my husband to pick up pizza on the way home ... or perhaps just as a way to make sure I never get a coffee date with friends? Not even close.

I write so much--so many different things--because I am compelled by the love of Christ. In fact when I was doing my Bible Study today one verse especially resonated with me:

"For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels me ..." 2 Corinthians 5:14 (Amplified)

That's not to say I love God more and so I write more. (Not even close!!!) BUT when I get a new idea--and when an opportunity comes up to write something that will glorify God, share His love, and encourage others in their relationship with Christ--I HAVE TO say Yes. I HAVE TO follow. My whole soul burns within me until I do. I know when God is asking me to join Him ... and it would be disobedient not to do so.

This is my path and mine alone. It's a path of obedience to the messages He places on my heart. A path of desperation, because I can't write ONE WORD without Him. It's a path of connecting with the family of God, as God brings others alongside me to help me. (And, boy, do I need help!)

It's also on this path on which I've experienced God in amazing ways, mostly become I'm expecting and anticipating Him to show up ... and He does! He always does.

I was studying my Experiencing God workbook this morning when I came upon this phrase, which is talking about quiet time with God: "I keep that time alone with God, not in order to have a relationship but because I have a relationship."

And even though writing is TOUGH, I truly feel it's an extension of my alone time with God. I don't write to make God happy, to get published, to drive everyone around me crazy, but rather because I have a relationship and the messages burn within me. As I just recently started telling my agent ... "I have been overcome with words!" They're words of hope, of healing ... words that are an outpouring of my quiet time with God.

So if I'm crazy, I'm in good company. In fact, I totally understand Paul when he said, "For if we are beside ourselves [mad, as some say], it is for God and concerns Him; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit, for the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us ..." 2 Corinthians 5:13-14 (Amplified).

So go ahead ... call me a crazy [mad] woman. I'll completely agree! Just please remember to pray for me, please :-)

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Live Laugh and Love

I am sure that these photos will make even the sternest of people smile.

My sister and I (Lesley.... I must specify) have this 'thing'. We throw our heads back and laugh. For no reason really, other than the fact that we have a camera in our face.

First we do the fake laugh but it ALWAYS turns into a full fledged tailspin of a laugh attack where we end up in tears because we are laughing so hard.

a little of the fake laughs to get us started

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

starting to become real

bring on the true giggles

has it ended.....?

nope

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I have a new website!Check it out! http://www.triciagoyer.com/! I'm so excited about all the new features!

Stop by and let me know what you think!

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I have to say that I'm having way too much fun for this to be work ... as the photos show. Today I taught two hours on Historical Fiction. It went great ... the class was AMAZING. I wish we could meet weekly or something. What a great group of people. I've also connected with many, many friends. It's like a reunion. I only get to walk five steps before I find someone else to hug. Last night the keynote by James Scott Bell was great. If you write fiction be sure to check out his book Plot & Structure. The only hard part ... is telling myself to sleep. I stayed up until 3:00 a.m. chatting with my roommate Robin Jones Gunn and waiting for my sister Melissa to have a baby. I have a new niece!!! Danielle Susan Renner. Welcome Danielle! Okay, I think I'm going to try to take a nap before the partying begins again ... I mean before I have to get back to work.

Meredith Efkin and me

Michelle Sutton and me

James Scott Bell, Sarah Sumpolec, Robin Jones Gunn, and ME!

Sarah, Robin and ME (just in case you couldn't tell!)

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Hi, Meet my friend Jeff.

He runs a web site called My Tween Central. I'll let him tell you a little about who he is and what he does at his website.

Tell me about you and your family:

I met my wife at Milligan College in Johnson City, TN, and we have been married for 8 years. We have a beautiful 16 month old little girl named Savannah. Together my girls are the highlight of my life. We like to go play at the park in the warm evenings or drive over to Sonic, lay a blanket down in the back of the truck and eat ice cream. We have seen the faithfulness of God in our lives more than ever during this past year. Starting your own business is a very difficult task, one that requires sacrifice, patience, hard work, and trust in the Lord.

How did you get the idea for MyTweenCentral?

I had some experience in online retail which had allowed me to work on promotions for several Disney artists.

However, as I did some research, I didn’t find very many websites outside of Disney that were appealing to tweens that also had a retail element for parents. The sites I saw that were geared towards tweens often featured content that was not age-appropriate. A friend of mine, who is now a business partner, had asked if it would be possible to start our own company. As I became more familiar with the tween demographic, it just made sense to move in a direction towards kid-safe entertainment. I have been blessed to have some ‘mom’ experts like Stacey Kannenberg from CedarValleyPublishing.com ( http://www.cedarvalleypublishing.com/blog) who have provided advice, suggestions, and a perspective that has helped us build and shape MyTweenCentral.com.

What benefits do you hope to provide for families?

The main thing that sets us apart from almost every other online retailer that sells music, movies, and books is that we have limited our selection of titles to only carry those products which would be considered ‘mom-approved’ and safe for kids. Parents can have the peace of mind knowing that their kids are safe on MyTweenCentral.com to view CD covers, read product overviews and track listings, and check out any of the featured content we may have from time to time. So much of what is marketed today as ‘kid-friendly’ is really not, so we are making a concentrated effort to be a trusted website for tween-safe entertainment. As we grow, we will have even more features for kids that are safe and age appropriate.

What exciting opportunities do you have coming up for MyTweenCentral?

The biggest for MyTweenCentral.com right now is our partnership with Hollywood Records for the official online pre-sale of the Cheetah Girl’s new album. We are really excited because hopefully it will generate a lot of awareness to parents about MyTweenCentral.com.

We are also looking at ways to add more content, games, and interactive elements for kids. Something we have in mind is a spotlight section that highlights the creative talents and abilities of every day tweens.

Every person that comes across MyTweenCentral.com is extremely excited to have found us. This includes other websites and companies that share a similar vision. I am very geared towards partnerships and doing things that are mutually beneficial to each party involved. I really believe that more can be accomplished by working together with others than trying to do it all by yourself. Plus, at the end of the day, it feels a lot better to know that you may have played a small role in helping someone else’s company grow. All that to say we are looking at several opportunities with other websites that should continue to help get the word out about MyTweenCentral.com.

What bonus do you have for my readers today?

Thank you so much for sharing our website with your readers.

Here are a couple coupon options.

#1: 15% off when you pre-order the new Cheetah Girls CD through the official pre-sale checkout

http://www.mytweenstores.com/cheetahgirls/index.php Coupon Code: tcg07

#2: 15% off your next order placed for any product on MyTweenCentral.com

Coupon Code: mtc07

Fun! Thanks so much Jeff!

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This week I'll be on the faculty of the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writer's) conference where I'll be teaching a continuing track on Writing Historical Fiction. Last night, I was out to dinner with my husband and I told him, "Honey, do you realize that this week I'll meet many of my friends for the first time face-to-face." It seemed an odd concept. These are women who know all about me, and I know all about them. We critique each others' writing. We pray for each other. We offer encouragement. And many of them I've never met in person! When I was younger have one pen pal was cool. Today, most of my associates are like pen pals ... or would it be key pals? The generation connects in ways that we've never seen before. Personally, I know my life is better because of it. These women have made it better. Hopefully by the end of the week this blog will host many photos. Photos of best friends ... hugging for the first time.

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Has Begun!

Fans are giddy with excitement, My Life Unscripted is arriving in homes across the country!

Check out this stop on the tour from Home Steeped Hope:

You pick up a book, scan the back cover and it either grabs you or it doesn’t. When my influencer copy of My Life, Unscripted from Tricia Goyer arrived, the back cover copy jumped out at me and seconds later I was sinking into my couch, stealing enough time to confirm that this book is a definite keeper! Wait! Scratch that, it was SO good I made it a huge priority to finish before my niece’s 18th birthday party that weekend. I knew I had to pass it along. And as I read, I kept thinking of different teenage girls–nieces and friends–that would benefit with this warm and personal, yet hip, mentoring of Tricia’s in their hands.

What a Great Start! Thanks!

Here is the schedule for the rest of the tour!

MLU Blog Schedule

9/15
Tamera
http://www.tameraalexander.blogspot.com/

Christa
http://www.cballan.wordpress.com/

Mary
http://www.homesteepedhope.com/

9/17
Ruth
http://www.xanga.com/christianfictionqueen
http://www.myspace.com/bookwoman

Trish
http://ordinarylife.typepad.com/books/

Jennifer
http://somanybooksblog.blogspot.com/

9/18
Martha
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Martha/

Sherry
http://www.dreamersb.blogspot.com/

Lauren
http://www.wrenspilgrimage.com/reviews

9/19
Shari
http://whatnottowearworkshops.com/cgi/wp/

Angie
http://godusesbrokenvessels.blogspot.com/

Gina
http://refreshmentrefuge.blogspot.com/

9/20
Elizabeth Ann
http://eclecticandexquisite.blogspot.com/

Jessica
http://cavanaughclan5.blogspot.com/

Jake
http://www.risefromyourslumber.blogspot.com/

9/21
Tiffany
http://www.writingcareercoach.com/

Karla
www.roadstoeverywhere.com/blog.html

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We all know that first opinions are made in just a few seconds. It's scary to think that no matter what we do for marketing that it too will be judged quickly and decisively. Could this count for business cards, too?

This week I'll be heading to the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference in Dallas Texas. Since I was out of business cards, this was one of the things on my list. I knew I wanted to do something different ... something that would stand out. So I asked my photographer friend to help out. This is what Jessica came up with. You can click on them to get a better view.

These are "folded" business cards. That means when they are folded they are the size of a normal business card. But when they're open they can actually be used as a bookmark! (What could be more perfect for a writer?)

I'm going to be super nice. Not only am I tell you about my COOL design ... I'll let you know how you can get them.

To order your own template. Go to:

http://www.jvbordersnmore.com/marketingdesigns.htm

Or if you could like Jessica to design a card for you, email:

jessica@jessicasvision.com

Enjoy!

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I'll be chatting today about writing and books.

Friday, Sept. 14th. 8:00 p.m. Central. http://www.athomewithchristianfiction.com/

Click on "Live Chat" or it may say, "Enter My Chat Room." (Above Tricia Goyer's photo.)

Once you've entered the chat room, all you need to do is type in your name (Only the first name is necessary.) and click "Chat." You don't need to enter a Profile.

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Jill at The Christian Work at Home Mom's blog tagged me with a "Nice Award"! Check it out here!

And so did Julie Carobini, here!

“This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world."

Really, that is too sweet! I'm not that nice!

My turn...

My assistant Amy because she is the cape, wires, and wind on my superwoman costume.

My friend Cara because she reads all my books as I write them and always encourages me.

My friend Robin Lee Hatcher because she is a awesome role-model and friend.

My sister Lesley because she always tells me I'm cute. (Maybe it's because I look like her.)

My friend Jim because he also reads all my books and is a great-undiscovered writer who cares for others above himself.

Thank you my dear friends and fellow "nice" people!

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I interrupt my work to drop a short note ... I can juggle! Seriously I can!

Currently, I'm working on not one, not but TWO Galleys. (A galley is the pre-published version of a book in which the author and editors work on the last tweaks.) I'm working on galleys for 3:16 Teen Version (Max Lucado) and for Generation NeXt Marriage. I also got edits back for my next novel A Whisper of Freedom.

Oh, oh, oh ... and just this week I received author copies of A Shadow of Treason AND My Life, Unscripted. It was wonderful to hold these books in my hands!So just call me the juggling author ... of course the only way I can do this is with the strength and wisdom of God. He keeps me afloat!

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A Shadow of Treason

A Shadow of Treason is in stores NOW!

Book 2 in the Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War series. Sophie discovers that nothing is as she first imagined. When Walt, the reporter who helped her over the border, shows up again after Guernica is bombed, Sophie is given an impossible mission. She must leave behind the man she has fallen in love with and return to the person who betrayed her. Another layer of the war in Spain is revealed as Sophie is drawn into the international espionage schemes that could turn the tide of the war and help protect the soldiers from the International Brigade ... she must find a way to get a critical piece of information to Walt in time.

We're putting together the blog tour now, so if you'd like to join, email my assistant Amy (amy@triciagoyer.com)!

Here's the first Chapter! Enjoy.

Chapter One

No one told the rescuers not to talk, yet instinctively they sifted through the bits of brick and shards of glass as quietly as possible, alert for the slightest sound of human life beneath the rubble of the tailor shop.

Deion Clay paused for a minute and wiped his brow with a soot-blackened handkerchief. He refused to look at the other buildings surrounding him, reduced to heaps. The sight caused a deep ache in his gut. All he knew was underneath this pile a few families had taken refuge in the basement.

Deion had been walking through the streets sometime in the night, offering help to the injured, when he heard the cries for help. And although they had fallen silent for the past few hours, he clung to the faintest hope. It was all he had.

Though hundreds of rescuers had swarmed the area last night, fighting the flames, most citizens from Guernica had since bundled up every meager possession they could scrounge and headed out of town with oxcarts carrying the children and old women. Perhaps twenty still worked alongside Deion, their skin made even blacker by soot than his natural color. They con