Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Time's Almost Up


Don't forget, if you'd like to be a part of the new Harvest House Book Club, which will be featuring My Sister's Prayer as its first selection, you'll need to apply by tomorrow.

Limited to just 25 members, the club will feature a fun discussion with other readers, insider info, and interaction with the authors. Best of all, you get the books for free. :)

Click here to apply or to learn more about it.

Hope to see you there!


Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Writing Wednesday: Not Again!

Back in January, I posted about what it's like to be on a writing deadline and how my brain gets so consumed with my fictional story that I do all sorts of stupid things in real life. Back then, I  had accidentally somehow washed a box of large kitchen trash bags with my laundry.  You'd think it couldn't get worse than that...

...Until the other day.  Once again on a deadline, this time for the galley edits of the same book, I did something even dumber: I left the refrigerator door open all night long. Worse, said fridge apparently has some sort of energy-saving shut-off feature, because by the time I came downstairs the next morning and found it that way, the entire interior was downright warm.

The sight that greeted me in the morning

Even worse, my husband had JUST done the grocery shopping the day before, so it was packed from top to bottom with fresh food.

Even worse than that, so that I wouldn't have to worry about fixing any meals until after the book was done, I had used some of those groceries to cook up a huge batch of homemade vegetable soup.

Even worse than that, it was no ordinary soup. Rather than using cheap stew meat for the base, I had sacrificed a steak so that the whole thing would be extra savory. Talk about heartbreaking!

Homemade vegetable and deviled eggs, all ruined


It was the soup, in fact, that did me in.  Unlike the trash bags in the washer, which will forever be one of life's great mysteries, I know exactly how this happened.  Once the soup had cooled, I ladled it into various containers and stuck them in the fridge–then I simply turned and walked away without closing the door.  Don't ask. These days, it's par for the course whenever my mind is fully immersed in a story.

In the end, my only choice was to throw out every single thing in the entire refrigerator. Lest you think I overreacted, trust me, I tested stuff first. The definitive moment was when I found a stick of butter from deep inside and gave it a squeeze to see if it was less than completely hard.

To my surprise, it was practically melted. Like I said, it wasn't just not-quite-cool-enough in there, it was actually warm, probably thanks to the interior lightbulbs, which shone all night long.

What a waste–of food and time and, sob, an amazing batch of homemade vegetable soup.

Oh well, at least I got my edits in on time.  Sniff.

Monday, May 23, 2016

A Special Message from Harvest House Publishers

Here's what you'll see if you click on this link to apply to become a member of the new Harvest House Book Club:


Book Club for "My Sister's Prayer"
Hello fiction lovers! We’re so excited that you’re applying to be part of the first ever Harvest House Book Club! Our first Club will feature "My Sister's Prayer" by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould. This exclusive club is open to 25 participants. Thank you for applying! 
Requirements: 
• You must have a Facebook page to participate.
• You will be asked to post an honest review of "My Sister’s Prayer" on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other websites.

Participants will receive: 
• A free copy of "My Brother’s Crown" (book 1 in the Cousins of the Dove series)
• A free pre-release copy of "My Sister’s Prayer" (book 2 in the Cousins of the Dove series)
• Access to an exclusive Facebook group with discussions and interactions with the authors.

Below that is a simple form for you to fill out. The 25 lucky members who are chosen will be notified by June 10th.

I think it's going to be a lot of fun--but be sure to apply soon because applications will only be taken until June 1st. Hope you can join us!

Monday, May 16, 2016

Fun News

In celebration of my next book, My Sister's Prayer, which will be out in a few months, Harvest House Publishers has decided to host a special online book club for 25 lucky readers.

To learn all about it, or to apply, click here. Applications opened today and will close on June 1st, so don't delay.
Hope to see you there!