Burden of Proof

By Richard Mabry

[red = could be deleted; blue = my comments]

Chapter One

Dr. Matt Newman was running on fumes. His eyes burned. His shoulders ached. His mouth was foul with the acid taste of the coffee. Night call was for someone younger—much younger. But all that was about to change, and he could hardly wait.

As Matt moved from the brilliance of Methodist Hospital’s Emergency Room into the mottled semi-darkness of the path to the parking garage, he felt the weight of responsibility begin to slip from his shoulders. The hissing of the pneumatic doors closing behind him was like an auditory exclamation point. In another few hours, this night on call would end and so would his time in private practice. Then maybe Diane would stop carping at him for the missed dinners, the evenings when an emergency page interrupted a movie. Maybe this would make her happy. Maybe.

It wasn’t hard for Matt to spot his beige Toyota Corolla sitting in the darkest corner of the deserted garage. There weren’t many cars still there at two AM. And soon there would be one fewer [less—fewer sounds like it should refer to more than one]. He fished his keys from the pocket of his white lab coat and thumbed the remote. He was reaching for the door handle when something yanked him backward and cut off his air in mid-breath. He dropped the keys and reached up with both hands, his fingers prying without success at the arm he felt around his neck.

Before he could say a word [His air was cut off. We don’t expect him to be able to speak.], Matt was slammed to the garage floor. He was sure he felt a rib crack. His cheek burned as it scraped across the coarse concrete. The smell of rancid motor oil filled his nostrils. He winced as a knee pinned him to the ground like a butterfly on a specimen board. Fire shot through Matt’s shoulders as his arms were yanked together. He struggled, but the result was more force, more pain. He heard a quick rip of tape. Seconds later, his wrists were bound tightly behind his back. He tried to lift his head to look around, but stopped when something hard pressed against the back of his neck.

[The above paragraph is where everything starts happening. It’s crucial to the story—the inciting incident. But the action doesn’t flow. It feels jerky to me. There are a few problems that I see.

1. The action-reaction sequences are out of order. You have Matt’s reaction (a wince, pain) before we see the action that caused it. The action has to come first to play out logically. But when I rewrote that paragraph simply reversing the order where it was needed, I still didn’t like it. Why?

2. The second problem is sensory overload. For action this fast, Matt is experiencing too many sensory details. It seems logical that panic and adrenaline would numb him to some of the things happening. Plus, there’s a fine line between allowing the reader to get inside the character’s skin so the scene comes alive, and loading action with so many details that it sinks instead of flowing.

3. Phrases like, “He was sure he felt a rib crack” are too detached and analytical.

I haven’t had the time to come up with a version I really like. But this is a beginning to point you in the right direction:

The assailant slammed Matt to the garage floor. He tried to draw breath for a scream, but his lungs were immobilized by the pain exploding along his rib cage. A knee pinned him to the ground and his arms were yanked together. His struggles only tightened the grip and intensified his pain. He heard a quick rip of tape and his wrists were tightly bound. He tried to lift his head to look around, but stopped when cold metal pressed against the back of his neck.

Even if my version isn’t much better, the principals I laid out hold true. Use those as your guidelines to fix this action sequence.]

“Hold still.” The words came out as a low rumble, the menace behind them unmistakable.

Matt figured what he felt was a gun. Finding out for sure could be fatal. [Seems obvious already.] He lowered his face onto the cement and went limp, feeling his hope escape like air from a punctured tire. He lay, submissive, as his ankles were bound together.

There were murmurs above him, the words indistinguishable. [Try “The murmurs above him were indistinguishable,” to avoid starting a sentence with “there were”.] One voice a high-pitched singsong, the answer a harsh rasp.

“Why not here?” There was a faint Hispanic accent to the whining tenor.

[You say that the words were indistinguishable, then go on to tell us what they’re saying. One or the other should be cut.]

“Shut up and do it my way.” The growling bass spat out the words so forcefully that Matt felt spittle spray his neck. He had no idea what was going on, but it couldn’t be good.

Again the shrill whimper. “Okay. What now?”

“Let’s get him into the trunk of his car.”

Matt gave a shrill cry as uncaring hands lifted his head by the hair. [Again, fix the action-reaction.] Three quick turns of tape around his head muffled his voice and turned the world black.

Now Matt couldn’t move, couldn’t see, couldn’t speak. [I’d rather hear how this made him feel, instead of just the stark facts.] He strained to hear the murmurs above him. Only the last words came through clearly enough to understand, but they were enough to drive his heart into his shoes. “Get rid of him.”

Matt heard a jingle of keys [Sounds too passive. Instead of just “heard”, have him angle his head to catch the sounds—it’s the only sense he has left, he’s going to try to use it to the full.], two beeps from a security system, followed by a sharp click. Hinges squeaked. He had a momentary sensation of floating as he was lifted, carried, dropped. His head struck something hard. The world began to spin, [He felt as if he were spinning—the world spinning implies sight.] splashes of red flashed behind his closed eyelids, then vanished into nothingness.

Matt struggled back to consciousness like a swimmer emerging from the depths. How long had he been out? Hours? Minutes? A few seconds? At first he had no idea where he was or what was happening. He tried to open his eyes but there was no light. He tried to speak, but his lips were sealed; he cried out, but the result was only a strained grunt. Finally, he heard the faint sound of voices, a menacing rumble and a high-pitched whine. That was when he remembered.

He was on the way to his death. And the trunk of his car was the coffin.

* * *

"Let's get out of here."

Lou slammed the trunk closed, clambered behind the wheel, and started the engine. He had the car moving by the time his companion scrambled in. He reversed out of the parking slot, stopping with a screech of brakes. Then he slammed the gearshift into drive, stomped on the gas and sent the Toyota screaming down the ramp. His rear view mirror showed him a glimpse of parallel strips of black rubber, the only trace of what had just taken place.

Beads of sweat stung Lou’s eyes. He blinked them away and peered into the night. He slowed as he began to navigate the narrow streets behind the hospital, but his mind was working full-speed.

“So what now?” Edgar’s whining words interrupted Lou’s thoughts.

Lou shrugged. He steered the car through a stop sign with only the slightest tap on the brakes. “Next we find the other one.”

Beside him, Edgar fidgeted but, for once, kept silent. [Too many interruptions. It would flow better as, “Beside him, Edgar fidgeted but kept silent. For once.”]

Lou clutched the wheel and stared into the night, following the headlight beams through the warren of dark streets. The lights of downtown Dallas rose up ahead of them, bright in the inky sky. Lou took a sharp left, away from that glare.

The neighborhood’s few functioning streetlights only accentuated the gloom beyond their dim glow. He rolled by bars, strip clubs, hole-in-the-wall stores peddling XXX rated videos, all of them silent now, most secured by burglar bars or steel shutters. The streets were deserted, and rightly so. He figured that nobody in his right mind would be here at this hour of the morning—at least, not without a gun.

He saw the pothole too late to steer around it. The car bounced crazily before settling down on protesting springs.

“Hey, watch it.” He heard a click as Edgar fastened his seat belt.

“Shut up.” Lou slowed and scanned ahead for more holes in the pavement.

“Do you know where we’re going?”

“Yeah, but whoever laid out these streets must have been drunk. Let me concentrate.” Lou squinted to read the street signs in the faint light. Finally, he found the one he wanted and steered the car in a sharp turn. It lurched as one wheel bumped the curb.

“Did you hear something back there?” Edgar asked.

“Relax. He’s not going anywhere. This is his last ride.”

* * *

Interview: Maureen Lang

Today’s guest is Maureen Lang, whose book I recently reviewed. Her book sparked my imagination so much that I was full of questions when I was done reading. She was kind enough to answer them.

The two timelines mesh so well in this book. They're independent stories, and yet they reflect each other. I'm curious as to how you wrote it. Did you get one story done completely before you started on the next, or did you write back and forth between them?

I had an idea (a rather vague idea, actually!) of both stories before I even began. I’m the typical seat-of-the-pants writer, who has a sort of destination but the journey along the way is full of surprises. I wrote the book pretty much as it appears, alternating stories one chapter after another. I did have to go back and re-read the previous chapter with the same characters, just to make sure the flow was working. But I thoroughly enjoyed going back and forth — there’s no room for wandering attention, sagging middles, or unnecessary rabbit trails. My favorite kind of book to read, and the easiest to write!

I’ll also say that with this story, as with any story I write, there is a theme. Something the reader will (hopefully) remember and associate with that book. For The Oak Leaves it was unconditional love, for On Sparrow Hill it’s servanthood. For my previous books it was loyalty and patriotism, (Pieces of Silver and Remember Me) and for the book I’m working on right now it’s forgiveness (My Sister Dilly, due out later this year from Tyndale). If a book has two storylines, the theme is what holds it all together — it’s what makes it sensible to have two storylines instead of just one inside the same cover.

In the historical thread, Berrie teaches mentally handicapped children. You did an excellent job in describing conditions such as Down Syndrome and Autism that they wouldn't have had the names for back in 1852. Tell me a bit about your research. Were you able to look at hospital records?

First, some of my research comes with my own every day life, living with my son who is cognitively challenged. And, since I’m part of the disability community, I’ve met a larger number of people with disabilities than most people are privileged to meet. A lot of my descriptions of the students at Berrie’s school came from hanging around my son and the other kids he goes to school with. (Which can be a great joy, actually!)

And secondly, as far as the historical research, I read many books about institutions of that time. There was a great philanthropic movement during the Victorian age, and helping the handicapped was emerging as one of the new areas of attention. Up to that point such people were often shut away with criminals and paupers, wherever they could find room in prisons or workhouses. History holds so many sad facts, but this attention was a true step forward in dealing with the mentally infirm.

Some of the books I read did include student records, but they weren’t the actual hospital records. Such books talked about various patients, their treatments, challenges, legalities, and so forth. I found it all fascinating and tried to fit in as much as I could, but of course the story comes first so much of my research is still unused in my notebooks!

I love researching historicals. I can get lost in libraries and, thankfully, my local research librarians are extremely helpful! I normally prefer books to online research, since the books have been scrutinized for authenticity (more so than online sources). But I use the Internet for visuals. For example, the inspiration behind the historic Hamilton/Hollinworth Estate in On Sparrow Hill was taken from a picture of an existing estate in England that I first found in a travel book and then looked up online.

I was horrified to see that Berrie had to answer to something called the "Lunacy Committee". They probably didn't see much difference between being insane and having a disability. So were they able to distinguish between different types of mental disabilities, or did they lump them all together?

According to the research I did, persons with mental retardation were generally looked upon as a result of some sin or wrongdoing by one or both of the parents (but usually they blamed the mother!). Some of my notes indicate that for older people who developed problems (such as those who, as an older child or adult might develop a bi-polar condition) they sometimes blamed the person’s own sin or sometimes the environment (especially if it was considered a sinful environment!). In Victorian times, they were just beginning to understand the possibility of genetics.

One report I read tracked the legitimate versus illegitimate offspring of one highly respected and influential man, and his illegitimate offspring had a much higher percentage of producing children with some sort of deficiency. Sometimes this was due to lack of nutrition or to excessive drinking (what we understand today to be fetal alcohol syndrome), while the legitimate offspring had many more opportunities and were in general more healthy due to the environment.

Initially one of the differentiations made for persons with cognitive disabilities were by age at the onset of problems. They would consider whether or not a person was “sane” at one time and then became “insane”. This was the difference between the legal terms “lunatic” which stood for those who were once sane but “lost” their sanity, or an “imbecile,” someone who never had a mind to lose. Admittedly, when I first came across these terms I chafed. They have such a horrid connotation now. But it occurred to me that our language is always evolving, and one of the reasons is because of the negative uses that develop over the years. Calling otherwise healthy people an imbecile has made that term derogatory, the same way calling someone “retarded” who is otherwise healthy today carries the same insult. So we think of new ways to label the same old condition.

The only other differentiation made during the Victorian times, in general, was whether or not a person was dangerous, to himself or to others.

It was all fascinating to study, but as a parent of a child who is considered profoundly mentally handicapped, I was so grateful to be alive now rather than a hundred and fifty years ago!

You’ve mentioned your son a couple of times now. It wasn’t until reading the author’s note that I learned of your very special inspiration to write The Oak Leaves and On Sparrow Hill. Tell us a bit about how having a son with Fragile X syndrome changed your life.

Thank you for asking! Yes, my son is the inspiration behind both of these books. I had no idea I was a carrier for Fragile X Syndrome, the leading cause of inherited mental retardation. He was the first to exhibit any limitations in my family, even though I’m one of six kids and I had at least a dozen healthy nieces and nephews before he was born. When I spoke to a geneticist he told me the sad statistical truth was my son had only a 10% chance of being born as severely affected as he is. The message was very clear: God wanted my son to be born exactly as he is.

And let me tell you, there are some blessings. He’s very happy, he’s easy to please, and is generally a pleasure to be around if you don’t mind a bit of noise and the occasional diaper change!

But so few people have ever heard of Fragile X, I knew I would write a book about it. I thought it would be something I’d do when I was more comfortable about the whole thing, once I could say thank you to God for this and really mean it. But I felt nudged to write these books before I had it all “together.” And I can honestly say they’ve helped me to put things into perspective. I searched for — and found — many things to be grateful for, to appreciate about living with this challenge. I honestly cannot picture my son any other way than how he is, and with his near constant smile I’m just not sure how I’d react if he were any other way. Not that I wouldn’t accept a cure in an instant; he’s missing out on so much, and I ache for him because of that. But I know, in Heaven, we’ll sit down and talk (something he can’t do here) and we’ll have a great time finally communicating!

Any other thoughts you'd like to share about this book, or writing in general?

I consider myself first and foremost an avid reader. I just write whatever it is I feel like reading. With The Oak Leaves and On Sparrow Hill, (especially with The Oak Leaves) I used some of my own experiences to tell a story.

If you have an event or life experience you think just has to be told, I encourage you to put it in a book. My own choice would be to fictionalize it rather than a memoir, if only because fiction is so freeing. You’re free to imagine and heighten things that would enhance your story, to draw others in more easily and not be bound by what actually happened, but have the freedom to explore what realistically could have happened. Fiction based on fact can be very compelling, especially when we, as the author, are so passionate about the subject. I’ve learned one of the most important things about a successful book is the passion an author brings to the book. If s/he is passionate, it’s easier for others (like agents, editors, sales staff and finally other readers) to get excited about it, too!

In case anyone would like to see a book trailer for On Sparrow Hill, they can visit my website (www.maureenlang.com), scroll down to the first book cover on the homepage, and click on that to play. It’s fun!

Thanks very much for having me, Tina!

And thank you so much for your time. It’s been a pleasure.

Tough times

I hope to find the time to make a couple of posts next week. I do have some content, but my head is swimming in the midst of a hard time in our family right now.

The first post will be an interview with Maureen Lang. I like this interview because it's the first one I've conducted myself. The others I've posted were pre-done for me out of necessity--I hadn't yet read the book.

But I enjoyed Maureen's book (On Sparrow Hill) so much that I contacted her for an interview, and she graciously answered my questions. I'll try to get that up Monday.

And I actually have a critique to post. I have some finishing touches to do to the critique, but I hope to have that ready this week as well.

In the meantime, if you think of it, say a prayer for the Helmuth family.

National Sanctity of Life Week

Here's a little something different. I didn't even realize it was Sanctity of Life Week until I received the following press release. It doesn't quite fit in with the theme of this blog, but who cares? I'm here to support my fellow writers in whatever way I can. And honoring the week is something I wanted to do.

HOLLYWOOD MAMA DRAMA How Babies Have Replaced Bling as the Cool Fashion Accessory and Why You Need to Know What to Do if Your Friend Buys Into This There's a baby boom in Tinsel Town, and many of its biggest stars are taking part. Already this month, singer Christina Aguilera and her husband welcomed a son, and Nicole Richie, girlfriend of rocker Benjie Madden, gave birth to a daughter. Others are mamas-in-waiting, proudly showing their expanding bellies and giving interviews on when their engagement may take place. Still others allow the media to guess who the father might be. Popular magazines cover every moment of their pregnancies and likely would have sent reporters into the delivery room if allowed. Designer diaper bags have replaced designer purses as the cool new Hollywood accessory. Baby showers take precedence over wedding showers, and the wedding does not necessarily come before the birth. It all looks so glamorous and exciting. Who wouldn't want a beautiful bundle of joy to lavish love and kisses on? And yet, sometimes that bundle arrives under circumstances that are not God's best. Take, for example, Jamie Lynn Spears. One moment she was a squeaky-clean teen television sensation and star of Nickelodeon's Zoey 101. The next, she's in the news not for her acting but for being a pregnant teenager. With one decision, her reputation is now in shreds and her television show is under the threat of cancellation. One decision; huge dilemma. This week is Sanctity of Life week. And because of the Hollywood Mama Drama, it is also a perfect time to understand that mama drama doesn't only happen in Hollywood. Every year nearly 1 million teen girls find themselves pregnant, and unlike Hollywood stars who have the money and fame to carry them, these girls wonder what they should do. Many choose abortion, and because of this they not only sacrifice the life of their child, but this decision also brings heartache they must carry for the rest of their lives. Perhaps YOU can be the one who can make a difference. Who was the first one Jamie Lynn Spears turned to when she found out she was pregnant? Not her mom. Not her sister. She turned to a friend. What if you were that friend?

As a teen what can YOU do when a pregnant friend comes to you for advice? Remain calm and loving. Your friend most likely feels alone, frightened and extremely sensitive about her pregnancy. The most important thing you can offer is your continued friendship. Show God's love and forgiveness. Your friend may have been looking for love by giving herself intimately to a guy. Now she might feel ashamed and unworthy of love at all. Point her to God, who loves her unconditionally. Celebrate life. She may consider this baby a "mistake"--a barrier between her and "normal" life. Lovingly remind her that no matter how the baby was conceived, he or she is a gift from God. Be available to share ... and to listen. Your friend has big decisions to make, and although you can't make those decisions for her, you can be available to help her consider her options. Share information you've discovered on fetal development and on the physical and emotional trauma of abortion. Most of all, be willing to listen to your friend's deepest concerns. Find help. Your friend is most likely in need of more answers than you can give. Visit a local crisis pregnancy center with your friend, or call CareNet for help at 1-800-395-HELP. Encourage her to tell her parents and to seek the counsel of a pastor or youth pastor.

Partner with her to make better decisions in the future. My Life, Unscripted (Thomas Nelson) is a book for teen girls and encourages teens to script their lives instead of being caught up in the drama and emotions of the moment. Read it together. Talk about the importance of making good choices. Give her a book to help her face her unique issues, such as Life Interrupted: The Scoop on Being Young Mom (Zondervan). _________________________________

Of course teen pregnancy isn't the only drama young women face. If you or someone you know has made a positive decision as a teen, Tricia Goyer wants to hear about it. ***Video Contest for teens. Watch the video for the contest here! Here's the scoop! Attention TEENS! Want to win an iPod? Yeah, me too! (Just kidding.) Tricia Goyer, author of the teen non-fiction book My Life, Unscripted (Thomas Nelson) is hosting a video trailer contest! My Life, Unscripted uses the metaphor of screen writing to challenge young women to "script" your lives, rather than be blown along by the next emotional drama or temptation! (Been there, done that!) You could be one of three lucky contestants to win an iPod! All you have to do is make a short (or not-so-short) video trailer sharing concepts shared in the book: My Life, Unscripted ... such as: how you've overcome temptation, or survived peer-pressure, or dumped the Loser boyfriend, or restored a relationship with your parents, or found your strength in Christ! Be creative ...interview your friends (or even better, make them wear dorky costumes) and add some cool music. Then just post it on GodTube (video must be approved by GodTube before it is broadcasted, which takes a few hours) or YouTube! You also must include three things in your video: 1) the book title: My Life, Unscripted 2) the author: Tricia Goyer 3) and these words: "Check it out!" After you finish the video, email your name, age, video link, and your address to: bookmarketing@triciagoyer.com The winning videos will be the top three with the most views as counted on GodTube or YouTube on March 31, 2008 at 11:59 p.m. This contest is open to young women ages 13-19. So go ahead, tell your friends, your teachers, your youth leaders ... and your parents friends to check it out! ***Videos with inappropriate content as decided by Tricia Goyer will be disqualified (G-rated please). For your best chance to win, only upload videos to either GodTube or YouTube. Choose one. We will not add totals from more than one site together. Three winners will receive an iPod Nano 4G.

Tricia Goyer writes articles for national publications such as Focus on the Family and is a columnist for teen moms through MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International: (www.mops.org/teen) For more information, go to: www.triciagoyer.com

Book Review: On Sparrow Hill

As I said, I'll be doing the occasional book review. So here's the official start to that chapter of my blog.

On Sparrow Hill by Maureen Lang
Publisher: Tyndale

Two eras intertwine in this tale—present day England, and Victorian Ireland.

Rebecca is the commercial manager of Quentin Hollinworth’s estate. The biggest challenge her job affords is trying to forget the childhood crush she had on Quentin. For twelve generations her family had been servants to Quentin’s family. Although class distinctions aren’t supposed to exist anymore, it’s not so easy to forget a history she comes face to face with every day. Besides, as a member of the dying aristocracy, Quentin makes regular appearances in the tabloids. Rebecca’s duty is to protect his reputation, not provide more fodder for the paparazzi.

When an American contacts Rebecca, claiming to be a relative of Quentin, she searches the vault for proof of the connection. There she comes across letters written by Beryl Hamilton in 1852, which lead us to the historic storyline.

In Beryl’s role as headmistress of a school for the mentally handicapped, she faces many obstacles. She has to deal with a justice of the peace who thinks women in general are feeble-minded, a population who thinks her students are beyond help, and the brother of one of her charges who all but accuses her of kidnapping his sister.

The two timelines are placed in alternating chapters. I found this added suspense, and kept each story fresh in my mind. I also appreciated the fact that the two tales were left to unfold independently. What I mean is that only once in the book do we see someone actually sitting down to read a letter. After the first chapter, it’s left to our imagination that Rebecca is finding time to read Beryl’s letters.

I highly recommend On Sparrow Hill. Each storyline was so compellingly told that I started every chapter eager to see where that particular thread would go next. Even though this was a sequel to The Oak Leaves, it stands on its own very well. I haven’t read the first book—yet—but I didn’t feel I was missing a piece of the puzzle. This was a touching and romantic story I won’t soon forget.

Sharon Souza interview

AN INTERVIEW WITH SHARON K. SOUZA

Author of Every Good and Perfect Gift

About Sharon:

Sharon and her husband Rick have been married 36 years. They live in northern California, and have three children and 6 grandchildren. Rick travels the world building churches, Bible schools and orphanages. Sharon travels with him on occasion, but while Rick lives the adventure, Sharon is more than happy to create her own through fiction.

Your debut novel Every Good & Perfect Gift is releasing this month from Nav Press. Can you tell us a little about the book?

DeeDee and Gabby have been friends since the sixth grade, when headstrong and courageous DeeDee began mapping out their lives. But after twenty years with her husband DeeDee changes her plan. Nearing forty years old, she wants a baby - now! Two years of infertility, prayers, and outrageous behavior finally results in the birth of DeeDee's demand.

Gabby is present for all of it, noting the increasingly strange behavior of her lifelong friend after the baby's birth. Then comes a diagnosis that threatens to shatter their world. Gabby must find the strength and faith to carry DeeDee and herself through the dark unknown, but is she up for it?

What inspired you to write Every Good & Perfect Gift?

I wanted to write a book about a "Jonathan and David" type friendship between two women, knowing that I was ultimately going to tell the story of a young woman who is diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's. I have a close friend who, at the age of 42, began to exhibit many of the symptoms portrayed in the book. Since completing the book I've learned that another close friend has been diagnosed with EOA. What are the odds?
In determining what course the friendship between Gabby and DeeDee would take, I asked myself: What is the greatest way one woman can express friendship to another? The answer: By helping her have a child if she's unable to, which one character is willing to do if it comes to that.

You've incorporated two major issues in Every Good & Perfect Gift: infertility and Early Onset Alzheimer's. Why not focus on one or the other? Why both?

The theme of Gift is extraordinary friendship. The foundation for the friendship is established between the characters in their childhood, tested through the issue of infertility, and exemplified through catastrophic illness. Infertility was the catalyst to get to that level of friendship expressed because of the illness. One character's growth was accomplished because of infertility, while the other character's growth came as a result of the Alzheimer's.

What are your feelings about egg donation and other modern solutions that help women overcome infertility?

There are some things I might not personally opt for, but infertility was never an issue with me. If it had been I might have been willing to try anything. As it stands, I'm not opposed to in vitro fertilization or sperm donation, things of that nature. I don't find anything in Scripture that would cause me to be against it.

What are your feelings about a couple's decision to intentionally not have children?

Again, that wasn't my experience. I had three babies in quick succession and would not have done anything differently. But not every adult is cut out to be a parent. If an individual or couple realizes that they aren't equipped for parenthood, or if they feel their lives are full as they are, I don't' believe it's a sin not to have children. In fact, I think it's wise. That's not to say a person's feelings may not change in time, like it did for DeeDee. Then it's up to the couple to make the choice that's right for them.

What do you want your readers to take away from this book?

I spent several years in my early adulthood without a close friend. When the first one came into my life, I realized what I had missed and truly saw her as a gift from the Lord. But beyond that, I've experienced the truth of Proverbs 18:24: ". . . there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." In her darkest moments, Gabby learned that the Lord reaches out to us in compassion, spanning the gap between our need and His provision. That's been the case in my life over and over.

Do you base any of your characters on real people?

The concept of the story was based on a real situation in regards to the Early Onset Alzheimer's. But the characters are not based on real people. I do typically use people I know/have known and then take their personality traits/quirks to extremes--almost like a caricature--in order to make the character as interesting as possible. Almost always my daughters will recognize something of themselves in my make-believe world. It makes for fun conversation.

If the characters are primarily fictional, what about the setting? Is that someplace known to you?

I actually wrote the entire story in a fictional setting, without ever naming it. I just placed the town in the San Joaquin valley. My editor suggested I nail down the location, even a fictitious one. As we talked back and forth, I decided to use my real "home town" of Lodi. I grew up in the Sacramento area, but have lived in or around Lodi since my husband and I got married. There's some debate about whether or not "our" Lodi is the subject of the 1969 Credence Clearwater Revival song, "Stuck in Lodi." Right or wrong, I choose to think it is. But not for a minute do I feel stuck. I love Lodi.

What is your purpose in writing inspirational fiction?

I've had well-meaning friends ask why I write fiction at all. If I want to share the Gospel, why not write "the truth." Two answers come to mind. First, that "burning fire shut up in my bones" (Jer. 20:9) finds its release in fiction. Second, when Jesus wanted to get a heavenly truth across, He didn't deliver a three-point sermon. He told stories. My desire in writing inspirational fiction is that women who read my books will find them easy to share with other women who haven't yet come into relationship with Jesus, and that those women will be directed to the One who loves them with an everlasting love.

Every Good and Perfect Gift

Checking in

I wrote a little over 300 words yesterday. That doesn't exactly give me bragging rights, but I wrote. It's the start of getting back into the swing of things.

Just this morning I read yesterday's comments, and I appreciate them. Christina Berry gave me the kick I asked for, which couldn't have been easy--she's still recovering from knee surgery.

Some of you may remember that toward the beginning of August, my newly acquired agent sent the proposal for my other WIP to 9 publishers. So far, I've gotten 5 rejections and I'm waiting to hear from the others.

I would have thought by now I'd be running out of patience. But honestly, it's not something that's very much on my mind. I've heard stories of responses taking a year or more. Why fret now? I'm prepared for 4 more rejections, but I'm not discouraged by that at all. Instead, I'm relishing this time of freedom.

Lately I've been focused on eating healthier, which I hinted at in the refrigerator post. (By the way, I had to laugh at some of the comments. The cottage cheese isn't the healthy food in my fridge--it's my junk food! The first week of my new way of eating, I had both produce drawers plus the bottom shelf of my fridge crammed with green vegetables. And we ate all but one thing--I found I didn't care for kale.)

Anyway, that was just an aside to say where the rest of my focus has been lately (other than sick family). And I tend to have a limited ability to focus. One thing at a time for me. But now my eating habits don't require as much attention, so I can turn my focus back to writing.

And I do believe I'll write again today. Imagine that.