I was shocked last week when I got the news that Sara’s husband had a heart attack at only forty years old and passed away. Please join me in praying for Sara and her three young children. I can’t even imagine the pain that they must be experiencing.

Sara is a tremendous author. Her first book, Miss Fortune, starts the tale of Allie Fortune, private investigator in the 1940s. The series continues with the newly released, Miss Match. Please consider ordering one or both of these titles. You won’t be disappointed.

**** The first person to order Miss Fortune and leave a comment saying you’ve made the purchase, will win a copy of Miss Match. Make sure to leave me your email address in the comment.

Miss Fortune – They Call Her the P.I. Princess. It’s 1947 and Allie Fortune is the only female (and probably the best) private investigator in New York City.Her work is a welcome distraction from her own past and she’s just been hired on by a client who isn’t telling the whole truth. Mary Gordon’s claims of innocence don’t fit with her ransacked apartment, being shot at, and the two Soviet agents hot on her trail.Meanwhile the FBI is working the case because a legendary and mysterious treasure has gone missing again. The only catch for Allie is her new “partner” Jack, an attractive, single agent who knows how to make her smile.As Allie and Jack chase after the gold they must contend with the Soviets who also want the priceless treasure back-after all, they stole it fair and square.

Miss Match – FBI agent Jack O’Connor receives a letter from Maggie, a woman he used to love, saying she’s in trouble in Berlin. The FBI refuses to get involved, so Jack asks Allie Fortune to help him investigate. Allie and Jack pose as a missionary couple who want to bring orphans back to the United States.

A child finds important documents that everyone in the city—Soviets and allies alike—want for themselves. Maggie refuses to tell Jack what the documents are, saying if things go wrong, they are better off not knowing.

Through the course of the search, Allie’s past has been brought back to her, half a world away from home.

Exciting news came in the mailbox today. Okay, it really wasn’t news. I signed the contract eight months ago but today I receive a check. Not just any check but my very first payment as a writer. Yep. I still can’t believe it. We’re not talking million dollar advance here but I’m thrill non-the-less. It’s not really about the money, it’s just very rewarding to have someone say my work is worth paying for. So, stop what you’re doing and take a moment to join me in a little happy dance.

Have a great day!

Christina

It is officially March. Each year I look forward to March because the flower start to poke their colorful heads out of the soil and there are always a few bright sunny days. About two weeks into March the harsh reminder of what the month means to the rest of my family sets in.

March Madness.

This disease has spread rampantly through our home. I seem to be the only one immune. Of course it may be that I’ve avoided the dreaded germ solely from lack of exposure. My dear husband is so distracted that he went to the store last night to pick up some creamer for my coffee he lost it somewhere before getting it to the refrigerator. Seriously, did he stop at any of your homes last night to discuss the games? Maybe my creamer is in your fridge.

As I write this my oldest son and oldest daughter (14 and 9) are at the table pouring over last years tournament results and speculating as to who will be victorious this year. I’ve lost the next generation.

So, as we move on to spring, I stand alone. Think of me. Stop by. Give me a call.

It should be a good writing opportunity!

I’ve been wanting to get to a Portland area ACFW meeting for a while now. The conflict always comes when I consider the distance from my home. Ya, it’s only about two hours, but when you think about driving there, driving back, the time the meeting gets out and the fact that I get lost a least once each time I go farther than ten miles from my house, you see it’s a big undertaking for me.

The February meeting was scheduled for President’s Day so I took three of the kids (Joshua’s school was making up a snow day) and we trekked off to a day at OMSI. We took in an Omnimax show about adrenaline highs and risk taking, then the kiddos were off to Grandma and Grandpa’s house while I continued on to Battleground, WA. I’m pretty sure that’s where I was.

Well, the drive was worth it. I felt refreshed and encouraged by the great company and the speaker.

Sandra Bishop of MacGregor Literary spoke and answered questions. I’ve found myself tossing her comments around in my head many times since the meeting. It seems that she and other agents are experiencing increased volumes in queries. What do you suppose is causing this? Is it tied to the economy? My guess it that it is. She reminded us that our work needs to be ready and as perfect as possible before submission. I think that should be true no matter the level of competition.

So that brings me to a question. As writers, when do we feel that our manuscripts are ready to be seen? Do we ever? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

If you’re interested in the Portland Area ACFW, check out their new blog.

Portland ACFW blog

Have a great week.