WOOHOO! Check out the trailer!

I'm so excited to share with all of you the book trailer that B&H has for NO SAFE HAVEN!

It would thrill us beyond belief :) if you could help us get the word out by passing on the links to everyone. They can either view it here on our website, Kim's Website or on - Kim's YouTube channel under favorites

NO SAFE HAVEN releases in March of 2011 - and will be up for pre-order in a couple of months! We are very excited about this book and hope to get the word out!
Thank you - Kim and Kayla

Spider Bites and TV ... Random Monday

What a week...
I had a crazy one, that's for sure. We had a big event for our kids' swim team, Kayla and I are in the middle of revisions, and I don't know what shows aired when, but I received over 4500 emails through my website... AND... I got bit by what we think must have been a spider.

My random thoughts about this?
-I don't like spiders.
-I really don't like being bit by one.
-It really itches.
-It REALLY hurts.
-It made my arm swell up to twice its size.
-The diameter of the area grew up to 8 inches.
-Yes, I measured it.
-WebMD doesn't have enough information on spider bites.
-My arm had a fever for 4 days.
-My arm also looked like it had a sunburn on steroids.
-It made all the muscles in my arm hurt.
-It's still there. But it is getting better.
-I really don't like spiders.
-I really, really, REALLY, don't like being bit by one.

Now back to email...and revisions...

Spider Bites and TV ... Random Monday

What a week...
I had a crazy one, that's for sure. We had a big event for our kids' swim team, Kayla and I are in the middle of revisions, and I don't know what shows aired when, but I received over 4500 emails through my website... AND... I got bit by what we think must have been a spider.

My random thoughts about this?
-I don't like spiders.
-I really don't like being bit by one.
-It really itches.
-It REALLY hurts.
-It made my arm swell up to twice its size.
-The diameter of the area grew up to 8 inches.
-Yes, I measured it.
-WebMD doesn't have enough information on spider bites.
-My arm had a fever for 4 days.
-My arm also looked like it had a sunburn on steroids.
-It made all the muscles in my arm hurt.
-It's still there. But it is getting better.
-I really don't like spiders.
-I really, really, REALLY, don't like being bit by one.

Now back to email...and revisions...

Alaska Adventure #2...

As we continued our amazing research trip into the interior of Alaska, we had the privilege of seeing one of Alaska's (and the United States') most incredible sights. The Alaska Pipeline.







And another part of our interior Alaska trek was North Pole, Alaska. Here's a great picture of Julee at Santa Claus' House hugging a giant stuffed Polar Bear.




North Pole, Alaska is where our characters' are from in NO SAFE HAVEN. This deliciously yummy croissant french toast is from a little cafe' in North Pole and probably the best french toast I've ever had!




Guess what this is? Any idea how much mail they receive here every year? Take a guess...



Julee, myself, and Karen at the Cafe' North Pole - which will be featured in Book #2. The research was oh, so hard...




This trip was full of great memories, but more than anything - great friends. This is one of my best friends, Leah. I miss her.



Keep watching for more pictures and fun stuff from our trip back to our beloved Alaska...

From Kayla's Perspective #4 - REVISION RAMBLINGS

UGH!! Revisions, schoolwork, swimming, crit group chapters. Where has the day gone?

As we travel down this amazing-ly busy, terrib-ly funny, tiring-ly draining, and genuine-ly crazy path, (since this is a blog I can use all the “LY” adverbs I want, LOL) I realize what “not enough time in the day” really means. (“Sleep? What is this sleep you talk about?”)

Also, now Mom and I have a new challenge, a puzzle: Taking apart and then putting back together our story. (Duhn, duhn, duhn, duh!) Otherwise known as, REVISIONS.

“Let me splain… No, too much, let me sum up…” (Come on, you’ve gotta love The Princess Bride) we’re each making a separate document for our character's scenes so that we can re-tweak them, finding out where to add new scenes, which then means going back and labeling all the old ones. Whew.

Confused? Don’t worry, so am I! But I’m just going along with it, Mom knows what to do, so I’ll just follow her. Again, LOL. (It's a good time to only be 12+1 years old. I don't have to have all the answers.)

Being a writer is hard work, which is why I always keep my stash of M&Ms close by. FYI-M&Ms work magic when writing! And sweet tea, sweet tea’s great too. You’ve gotta be prepared when going onto the battle field, right? (Just go along with it.)

Then again, every once in a while it’s nice to sit back and relax, ya know? Most of the time that means watching a movie (like Bolt, Up, or The Ultimate Gift) or reading a book (like one of The Dragon Keeper Chronicles or The Chronicles of Narnia).

But no matter how relaxing that is, it’s still a job to do revisions! (Revisions themselves aren’t the bad part, the bad part is when you over-do your editing and destroy your scene. How do I know? Just trust me, I know.)

But, it’s always fun when Mom comes into the room (In that moment it’s like angels start singing the Hallelujah chorus) and she starts making me laugh.
(Just a little piece of valuable info here, Mom and I are both very silly and love to laugh at each other’s mistakes, for instance as I was writing “Most of the time that means watching a movie or reading a book” above, I put “watching a book or reading a movie”.) Hey, you’ve gotta at least chuckle!! Come on, chuckle… you can do it… come on…

I guess that’s just how life is though, full of surprises, trials, laughs… and confuzzling sentence skeletons (Ick). But, at least I know that I’ve got God, so what am I worried about? I may do horrible in my worst subject, (English, are you surprised?) but I guess that’s what perseverance is for, right? (Nod your head so I know you’re paying attention.)

Little voice inside head also known as Holy Spirit: BE THANKFUL!
Me: Yes, sir.

Oh! I think I hear lunch calling me, it’s saying “Kayla… eat me…” echo, echo, echo. (Have I succeeded in making you smile yet?)

I guess I’ll go eat lunch and then get to my Revisions, Math, and English (woop-a-dee-doo… hint, hint).

Have a wonderful day and God bless!
-Kayla
Remember: Bad things aren’t the only things that happen in life so thank God for your blessings (yes, English included), even when you’re down in the dumps.

Random Monday Questions...

Well, since the furious writing of No Safe Haven, the research trip to Alaska, speaking, book signings, and then Sales Conference at B&H - and of course the recovery from said trip (LOL!) - I've been just a tad bit off schedule. (Understatement, I know.) But, I am pleased to say that even though my crazy life continues, the random Monday blogs will resume...

Today, it will be all the questions floating in my mind in the next 90 seconds. Here goes:

-I wonder how many people are drinking a Dr. Pepper this morning just like me?
-Why do weeds grow better than my carefully tended flowers?
-Why haven't they come up with something useful to do with weeds?
-Why can't we make money off of growing weeds?
-Does anyone else wish that time would slow down for just a little bit?
-Why does my husband like to fish so much? Especially in the heat...
-Where did I put my black jacket with the pink stripes?
-Was that the dryer that just beeped?
-How many yards will the kids swim at swim team today? 4000? 5000? 6000?
-Will I ever feel caught up?
-When is the A/C guy supposed to come tomorrow?
-I wonder who I just received email from... the iPad has dinged 15 times during the writing of this...
-Can I have a day off?
-What would people do if I answered the phone, "Hi, this is Kimberley the Author, what's your favorite color?"
-Does anyone know what movie that's from?
-Will anyone try to answer my questions?
-Why can't I turn off my brain like my husband and "go to my nothing box"?

There you have it... Random Monday...
Now where did I put my daytimer?

Book Cover for NO SAFE HAVEN!!!!!!!!!!

WOOHOO!! Check out our amazing cover for Book #1 - No Safe Haven - releasing March 15, 2011 from B&H Publishing Group!

Off On Another Adventure...

Alaska here we come!
Be watching for pictures and updates as Kayla, Josh, and myself take a research trek back up to our beloved Alaska with editors Karen Ball and Julee Schwarzburg. I'm SO looking forward to learning and growing as a writer under these two amazing women.

Now that No Safe Haven (first draft) is done, we're havin' a ball working on the details for book #2. Lots more details to come, but we are excited to share our writing journey with you all.

So... Stay tuned! We'll have LOTS to share with you all in the next few weeks...

LLJL...Can We Do It?

Does anyone remember that song, "He's Still Workin' On Me"? That's what's running through my head right now. Yesterday, Good Friday, the kids and I had a long time of reflection together. Reflection on what Christ did for us. And it made me think once again, about how selfish and self-serving we are.

I talked to the kiddos about how the teeniest-tiniest little sin (in our own minds, because sin is sin) still nailed Jesus to the cross. And He did it willingly, lovingly. And that one person that drives you up a wall or annoys you to death or you even hate? God loves them just as much as He loves you.

You see, how many times have we looked down on someone because of what they wear, where they live, what they do for a living, how they look, how they talk, who they voted for...? Do you think that's honoring to God? Don't we realize that He loves that person just as much, that He sent His Son to die for that person just like He did for you and me?

Ouch. It's heartbreaking to me to think of how many people I've done that to over the years of my life. (Even very recently.)

But I'm workin' on it. :) Here's an illustration of how God is working on me:
On our book tour last fall, the kids and I started doing something a little different. The economy stinks right now and there are more people homeless and jobless than ever. My kids are of the age where they notice all of this. And they hurt for people. They're not hardened by years of opinions and prejudices. (Praise God!)

Driving through state after state, we couldn't help but notice how many people were on the interstate... walking. With everything they could carry strapped to their backs. Signs taped to their packs said things like, "Need a job. Please help." or "Will work for food." You get the idea.

Since we were pulling our RV - we were stocked up with food for the entire trip. But the more people we noticed, the more my heart would break. I'd hear the kids talking about how we should help them. And at first, I was a little worried. Worried about our safety if we were stop to help. Worried that if we gave away our food, we might run out before the trip was over... Whatever. :) But then I realized that everything I have is God's anyway. He provided it. He would supply. And if we got to the point where we only had cheese and crackers left, then, so be it. We'd eat cheese and crackers.

So, we stopped. Several times. The kids and I would pack up a grocery bag of food and give it to the person (sometimes a whole family) and tell them how much God loves them.

Now, I can already hear some of your responses - believe me, I heard lots of them on the trip. People telling me that was "stupid" or "wasteful" or "don't you know they could be a scam artist?" or worse yet, "It's their own fault they don't have a job..."

The kiddos and I had several discussions about this. Yes, there are people who will take advantage of others.

But is it MY place to judge that person's heart? NO.

It IS my place to show the love of Christ to everyone. To spread the gospel, to spread His hope and His joy.

Josh and Kayla picked up on this. They understand that the world is not a safe place, that I'm very protective of them. But they were the ones that saw these people for what they were.
People.
Just like you and me.
And God loves people. Even in our broken, dirty, sinful ways... He loves us. No matter what.

We've given food to people on the side of the road for many years on a whim, but now, we're more prepared. I try to keep snacks and sometimes a few dollars handy when we go out because there might be someone who needs help. Again, it's not my place to judge them. It's not my place to wonder if they're just going to go buy cigarettes or alcohol or drugs.

I think the world has seen more than it's share of judgmental people. Especially those who claim to love the Lord and yet don't love the people around them. People who are hurting, suffering, and dying. People in need of the Savior.

Many years ago, I wrote the song, "You Are" - when I share at places, I like to tell the story behind that song. God had to get me to the point where I realized that I didn't NEED anything. Not food, not clothes, not a roof over my head, not a car...

My only true need is my relationship with Jesus Christ. Because the rest of it isn't of eternal value. When we die here, we're not taking any of this junk with us. But we will be facing eternity.

And I'm trying to remember that lesson every day.

We need to take the judgmental blinders off our faces and see people the way Jesus does. It doesn't matter what they look like, what they do, what they wear... or even why they may be standing on the side of the road. We need to stop expecting people to know right from wrong when they've never even seen God's love displayed through another person. Kinda like expecting someone the first time they walk into church to know exactly how they should act or dress!

I'm sorry, but that's not how our God works. He wants us to come as we are. Blemishes and all. Because He knows exactly where we've been. He doesn't want the facade - He wants our hearts.

Let's start a revolution - to love like Jesus loves...

Well Done... My Slightly Good and Partially Faithful Servant?

***Note from Kim:
Kayla wrote this blog last night and it blew me away. Out of the mouths of babes... has no better meaning than this. I pray that you are blessed, encouraged, and hopefully even have your toes stepped on. I known mine have been. And I'm thankful for it. Remember, this was written by Kayla, not me. She's twelve. I hope I continue to learn from her. Wow.
***

Have you ever wondered why God made you? Have you ever questioned Him about His intentions and motivations??

There’s no need to question God about these things… you just need to ask yourself them. We know that God knows what He’s doing. But what are WE doing each and every day?

What are your intentions?
What are your motivations?
Why are you on this earth?

But the biggest question (that will basically answer the rest) is:
WHO ARE YOU LIVING FOR?
On my personal blog, Dragon Claws, Dog Paws, Swimming Laws… I told of an adventure of my heart that I had, ever since then I’ve been trying harder to live FULLY for God.

I mean, think about it: EVERY thought and EVERY motive and EVERY action is, whether we want to admit it or not, for ourselves. We're selfish.

Really, think about it.

If you were to die right now, or if Jesus were to come this very minute, would He be able to say, “Well done my good and faithful servant” or would He say, “Well done, my slightly good and partially faithful servant?”

Really dig deep inside of yourself and, like I said, question your motivations and intentions.

Did you think about it?

Now, I’m not going to go into detail about how and why you should live for Christ, I’m sure you already know. (If you don’t, then try reading the Bible) :) But I am going to say this:

If you are not FULLY and COMPLETELY DEVOTED to Christ, you cannot truly call yourself a Christian. Most people call themselves Christians because they go to church or simply because someone in their family is one, but seriously. We all know that’s not true. The thing that everyone in this world misses is:
WE ARE NOT ON THIS EARTH FOR OURSELVES.

We are here for a loving God who was kind enough to not only create us but also give His Son as a symbol of faith, assurance, love, righteousness, and devotion.

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you”
Or in other words
“Devote yourself to God and He will devote Himself to you”

If you give God the chance to rule your life moment by moment and step by step, I can guarantee that your life will become that much better. (Not easier. But better.)

And you will have an even happier life in heaven because you can live up to God’s “Well done”.

It’s okay if you’re scared to give everything to God, we all want to grab onto our earthly desires and wishes and hang on, but I can assure you that life will be SO much easier if you just give God your EVERYTHING. After all: when you invite someone into your house, do you leave them standing in the foyer or do you invite them in to talk to them and feed them and welcome them?

If you give devotion to people, how much more devotion should you give to God?
I challenge you today to devote your life FULLY to God.

Trust me, it’s not going to be easy.

You’ll have to ask Him almost every moment of the day to take your life again and mold your life and heart into what He wants it to be.

But, like I’ve said before… IT IS SO TOTALLY WORTH IT.
At least try it, even for a few minutes. I am positive that those few minutes that you give to Him will be the best few minutes of your entire life.

I hope God uses some of the words in this blog to change you. I just typed what He put into my mind, so…
Have a nice day, and God bless.
-Kayla

New Hearts at Home Releases - You Don't Want to Miss These!

Hearts At Home is an amazing ministry, and very dear to my heart. Please take a moment to read these great interviews and to check out these great books.


Today I'd like to welcome Jill and Mark Savage. Jill and Mark's newest book Living with Less so your Family has More just released and I've invited them to share a little bit about this great resource!


Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

We have been married for 27 years…17 of them happily. After finding ourselves in a marriage counselor’s office around year 8 or so, we realized that we really didn’t know how to be married. We worked hard to turn things around and now we like to share that hope with other couples.

We have five children ranging from 13 to 25. Our oldest three are married. Anne (25) and her husband, Matt, live in Zion, IL, and are expecting our first grandchild in April. (We are very excited!) Evan (22) and his wife, Julie, have been married a year and a half and they live just a few miles from us. Erica (19) married her husband Kendall last September. They live in Augusta, GA, and wherever else the Army takes them.

We have two teenagers still at home. Kolya just turned 16. He’s learning to drive and we’ve nearly worn a hole in the carpet on the floor in the passenger seat trying to find that non-existent brake pedal. Kolya is the newest member of the Savage family. We adopted him at the age of nine from Russia.

Austin is 13 and in the 8th grade. He wants us to make sure and tell the world that this “living with less” life is a real bummer because he’s the ONLY kid in 8th grade who doesn’t have a cell phone.

Tell us about your newest book Living With Less So Your Family Has More?

The world screams the message that bigger is always better, but we have found that is not often true. When it comes to raising a family, less materially can actually result in more relationally. Children don’t need the best houses, the best lessons, the best cars, or the best clothes. What they really need is the best home life and the best family relationships we can give them.

Why did you want to write this book?

We didn’t start out with the “less is more” mindset. We started as a double income family wanting to have the “best” of everything. Then Mark decided to pursue ministry. We went from the “high life” to the “frugal life” very quickly as we moved to another state for him to go to Bible College full-time.

That experience introduced us to the concept that less is more. We definitely had less money, but we had more time. We had less stress and more peace. We had less activities and more fun.

Since that experience, we’ve continued to live primarily on one income for the past twenty years. We’ve had to battle cultural peer pressure and make different decisions for our family than many other families in our neighborhood have made. But we’ve never felt that we were materially depriving ourselves or our kids…instead we’ve focused on what we’ve actually been able to provide for them emotionally and relationally.

What do you hope your readers will gain from this book?

We hope the reader is encouraged to evaluate how they are living their life, spending their money, and thinking about family matters. Our goal is to introduce families to the “less is more” concept and then equip them with the attitudes and actions to actually make that happen.

For families that are already committed to less is more, we hope to bolster their resolve and help them stay focused on the long-term goal of providing relationally for their kids.

In today’s economy, there are many families being forced to live with less. We want to help them see the opportunity they have with this unexpected downsizing they’ve been forced to do.

And for those who have just been a little discontent with their life and saying things like, “I’m tired of the rat race of life,” or “Is there more to life than drive-thru meals for dinner?” we hope to help them see other choices they have and how they can lead their family in a different direction.

What unique elements will the reader find in Living With Less So Your Family Has More?

For couples who want to read the book together, we’ve included discussion questions at the end of every chapter. This helps move the readers to discussion and eventually actions. Even a single parent can use the discussion questions for personal evaluation.

Readers will find this book a practical guide to changing your attitude and your actions to live a successful “less is more” life. They’ll find our writing style to be a warm, casual, honest discussion where we not only share our victories but our mistakes along the way. We are an average couple living successfully on an average income who want to help others to see the possibilities before them.

This is a Hearts at Home book. What is Hearts at Home?

Hearts at Home is an organization that encourages, educates, and equips women in the profession of motherhood. Hearts at Home encourages moms through annual conferences, our extensive website (www.hearts-at-home.org), a free electronic newsletter, a radio program, and an entire line of books designed to meet the needs of moms all over the world!

Any closing thoughts?

It’s healthy for parents to occasionally pause and evaluate their vision for their family and the choices they are making. We hope this resource will help them do that together and that it will lead them to live a life of little regret.

Today I'd like to welcome author and speaker Susie Larson. Susie's new book Growing Grateful Kids has just released and I've invited her to share a little bit about this great resource.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

My husband and I have been married 25 years and have three grown sons (all in their early twenties). Our oldest son Jake works on the business side of the Christian music industry. Our middle son Luke is married to his beautiful wife Kristen; he works full time at a bank and part time as a worship pastor. Our youngest son Jordan is studying to become a surgical nurse. My husband Kevin is a commercial construction manager by day and manages my ministry by night (and weekends). Bless his heart.  I am an author, speaker, and an on-call radio host for Christian talk radio. Together, Kevin and I serve as advocates for justice on behalf of modern day slaves and human trafficking victims.

Tell us about your new book, Growing Grateful Kids: Teaching Them to Appreciate an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Places.

Even when economic times are tight, our children enjoy an abundance of material possessions. Yet, amidst all this wealth, discontentment and competition seem to be on the rise. Instead of teaching children virtues such as gratefulness and patience, many parents are bending over backwards to get their children the latest and greatest item - or feeling guilty when they can't. In spite of the currents of materialism and entitlement that flow so strong, it is possible to raise children who are simply grateful. Though teaching perspective and gratitude to our children is critical, it is not difficult.

Why did you want to write this book?

To be completely honest, I never wanted to write a book on parenting. I wanted to protect my kids’ privacy and give them time and space to become the men God wants them to be. But in the last few years, I have been especially burdened with the level of selfishness, entitlement and disrespect I see among children today. Furthermore, moms seem more stressed than ever. When I asked my sons their thoughts on writing this book, without pausing they all said, “Do it, mom; that book needs to be written!” I think I wrote a book that not only equips young moms to raise humble, grateful world-changers, but also one that nourishes the soul of the reader and encourages her personally.

Throughout the book you remind the reader that we cannot impart what we do not possess. Can you explain?

If we never deal with our own fears, insecurities, and hang ups, but we try to teach our children to believe in their divine value, over time, our words will not ring true to them. First God wants to do His work in us before He does it through us. They say that lessons are more often caught than taught. If we parent from a place of conviction and real freedom, our children will be affected by what we teach them.

One of your chapters is titled, “Take Time to Play.” How does taking time to play teach our kids to be grateful?

To me, taking time to play says a lot about the level of faith we possess.

If our children hear us confess that we love and serve a BIG God and yet they see us striving and straining through life, they will come to believe that more is on our shoulders than on God’s. If we can trust God enough to step away from our busy-important lives, to make a fort in the basement, or play a game with our children – even in the most desperate of economic situations – we will give our children a sense of much needed security and that all is well in their world.

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

To answer this question (I hope you don’t mind), I would like to share an endorsement from one of my sample readers. She expressed my deepest desire for my reader:

“Growing Grateful Kids is such a great source of conviction, encouragement, and inspiration to spur me on to finishing this parenting race well and not sputter out along the way. This book compels me to submit my own character to the refining of the Holy Spirit that I may be equipped to impart those lessons onto my children. Thank you, Susie, for taking the time, for submitting in obedience, and writing this down for a generation in desperate need of this kind of parenting book!” –Gail Miller

This is a Hearts at Home book. What is Hearts at Home?

Hearts at Home is an organization that encourages, educates, and equips women in the profession of motherhood. Hearts at Home encourages moms through annual conferences, our extensive website (www.hearts-at-home.org), a free bi-weekly electronic newsletter, a radio program, and an entire line of books designed to meet the needs of moms all over the world!


Any closing thoughts?

I am very excited about the message in this book. It is my prayer that every one who reads it will be nourished, encouraged, and equipped to parent from a place of fullness, conviction, and confidence. Raising grateful, confident kids will be one of the most heroic, important things you do in your lifetime. God’s blessings to you!

From Kayla's Perspective #3

From Kim:
So many people contact us on a regular basis about how Kayla does certain things with her rare nerve disorder. Well, this past month was no exception. Kayla and I are writing our novels together, and she overheated a few weeks ago (which can be life-threatening.) But, I'm thankful to say that she is recovering well. She's still really tired, but her sense of humor is still intact. She's amazing. Here's a little note from her perspective about the ups and downs of writing when you hit a speedbump:

From Kayla:
Once again, I learn how much of an adventure writing can be within the tight confines of life. (Especially when you have a rare nerve disorder and overheat at swim team.) {Smile.}

As you might’ve already guessed, life is a wee bit crazy at our house. You should have seen us when Holly lived here, but that’s another story.

Anyway, the fact is that when you overheat at swim team—when you’re not even working all that hard-- things get a little bit strange. (Especially when you can’t feel pain and can’t tell your mom how it feels.)

Yes. I know this from experience. A few weeks ago this fascinating event happened. LOL Since then, we, my Mom and I, have been attempting to write while I try and get some rest. Again, LOL. But, it’s just a little weird trying to write when you’re tired, or in some cases even asleep. (I don’t suggest attempting the latter. Doesn’t work well.)

One thing’s for sure: when I overheat, I get really tired. Which means sleeping for eleven to fourteen hours at night and then taking a two-three hour nap that evening.
Like I said, I don’t sleep-write. Personally, I don’t really think anyone does. {Smile.} Although if I did, I would probably come up with some very interesting stories, don’t you think?

So I guess I’ll just stick to writing while I’m awake, if that’s okay. Jesus, writing and swimming, what a life. {Smile.}
-Kayla

I Fell Down

It has been a wild couple of weeks. Kayla overheated a few weeks ago and that really turned things topsy-turvy. And while there is a post coming up about that intense situation, today I was reminded about falling down.

There are lots of ways we fall down. Sometimes we are tripped by someone or something. Sometimes it's because we just don't have the strength to go on. Sometimes we're knocked down forcefully by the world around us. Sometimes we fall because of our own foolishness or stupidity.

Last March, I fell in the Grand Canyon (not literally inTO the Grand Canyon, but at the Grand Canyon.) I was even wearing my sturdy hiking boots! That fall was unpredictable, it blindsided me. Just one uneven stone and down I went. In front of dozens of other people who wanted to gaze upon the majesty and beauty around them. I turned an ugly shade of pale white (so I'm told) and had to stick my head between my knees because of the intense pain. My pride stung from it. I wondered why I had to fall basically while walking, when I'd just been jumping from rock to rock and hiking all over the place? And then, I had to get OUT of the Canyon. With a severely sprained ankle. (Yeah, that was fun.)

Then in September, I took another tumble. (No, I am not normally this clumsy, but thanks for asking.) Only this time, I was attending a professional writer's conference. Assisting a friend of mine, I was walking backward out of an elevator when my heel caught in the little groove between the elevator car and the actual floor of the hotel story we stayed on. This time, however, I was in a business jacket and skirt and three inch heels. Pretty picture, huh?

There was one big difference between the second fall and the first. (And I'm not talking about footwear.) The second time, I was willing to sacrifice all pride and decorum to protect my ankle. I didn't care who saw me. I didn't care how ungraceful I looked. The only thing I could think about was making sure I didn't injure that ankle again. It took months for it to heal the first time--I wasn't going to go through that again if I could help it.

I fell down.
But, I learned something.

And surprisingly, I wasn't hurt at all. My friends laughed with me, and I'm sure it gave them quite a sight and story to tell others, but the end result was an un-injured ankle.

My point? Every time we fall down, literally or figuratively, we can learn something from it. Yeah, yeah, you might want to get angry and blame everyone or everything for the fall. But, what good does that do? How does that really matter? Once you've fallen, you've fallen. It's not like you can change the past. What matters is what you do AFTER you fall.

Are you going to sit around on the ground and cry and whine about how the fall was not your fault? About how horrible it is on the ground? About how hard it will be to get back up?

OR...

Will you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, bandage the wounds, and face the future with an appreciation for falling down--and the beautiful chance to get up. Begin again. Keep going.

Life is an adventure full of learning. Don't dwell in the past. Think positive. Look forward.

From Kayla's Perspective #2...

God works in mysterious ways. He creates us each unique and different for His own special purposes. When I was younger, I had no clue that I would become the youngest-published-full-length-novelist ever. (Try to say that ten times fast!)

Writing is an adventure, let’s just get that straight right now. But I wouldn’t trade it in for the world. By pursuing what you want to do, you learn, you grow, and you laugh your head off. Plus, if you’re like me, you get grumpy sometimes. (LOL)

Each week I learn new things. For example:
-This week, I learned about the “uh ohs” in author intrusion when writing in first person.
-When you write on the computer, it helps to use the synonym thing-a-ma-bob and the spelling correcting whatcha call it.
-Don’t write when you’re about to fall asleep.
-And always get a good book (as a reward) to push you toward finishing your goal, (such as Isle of Fire by Wayne Thomas Batson), even if your goal is 15,000 words for over the weekend.
-I’m a weird person and listening to music while I write helps me think.
-It especially helps me block out the click-a-tick-a-boom-boom of the keys as I type.
-Of course, I use my headphones so I don’t drive Mom crazy by listening to End of the Beginning (by David Phelps, the best singer EVER) over and over and over and over and over (etc).
-It’s fun to write blogs too. I love coming up with stories for my blog, Dragon Claws, Dog Paws, Swimming Laws. . . I mostly love to get ideas back from other kids.

But I’ve got to admit that I didn’t know what to write about for this blog. But thanks to our friend Mrs. Lori (whose son Austin home schools with us) I decided to kind of wing it and see what happened as I wrote. {pats the computer} (I’m not trying to offend you little blog post, please don’t take that the wrong way.) But thankfully, God gave me the words to type. (Smile.)

As you probably know I’m only twelve, (and am NOT going to turn thirteen, we’re going to skip my next birthday. Thankfully. LOL) and I’m kinda new at this whole writing thing, (That will explain it, if you're bored) but I promise to get better.
Eventually.
Hopefully.
Maybe.
Anyway.

I guess you could say that the theme-thing of this blog is write, write, write, re-write, re-write, re-write, and re-write some more until God says its good.
Well, we’ve got to go do school, (not sarcasm; I LOVE school! It’s fun!) So. . .
Adios and see ya!-Kayla

Monday Morning Madness...

*This blog is cross-posted on our blog sites*

Out of all the blogs I've posted - I've received more email and responses on these random blogs. So, here ya go - every random thought I've had in the past 60 seconds:

-my doctor friend thinks it's funny that I always ask questions like, "how long would it take someone to die from... ?" (I promise I only kill characters, not real people)
-but I hate to kill bugs. huh.
-however, I do kill bugs - (with great flare, I'm sure) - because I can't stand to have unwelcome visitors in my home.
-thankfully, Colorado doesn't have many bugs.
-my friend Chris once climbed onto a table and called me to come kill a spider for her.
-maybe I scare people?
-I wrote 10,000 words yesterday.
-my brain is tired
-my husband will probably wonder if I have any words left today.
-nah. He knows me better than that.
-I wonder who ever thought it would be "fun" to climb the highest mountain in North America in January?
-My feet are cold.
-I love to take pictures.
-The Grand Canyon is amazing.
-The rangers laughed at me when I asked, "How many people die here every year?"
-I told them I really wasn't that morbid - "I'm a writer."
-Someone actually wrote a book about people dying in the Canyon.
-It's called, "Death in the Grand Canyon" (Imagine that)
-Yes, I bought a copy.
-We brought home our organic cow from our butcher this weekend. Since we split it with a friend, my husband came up with the name, "Half-Calf Moocha"
-Last year, our beef's name was Sherbert
-My friend gave me a weird look the first time I told Josh, "Go get a couple pounds of Sherbert out of the freezer..."
-All of a sudden, I'm in the mood for a hamburger.

Let's Get Together... Yeah, Yeah, Yeah...

There are so many things I would've missed out on had Kayla and I not started writing together. (And I'm not just talking about book contracts...)

It's funny how you don't realize these things until you are in the midst of them. Kayla may be only 12, and will be the youngest published full-length novelist, and she has opportunities placed in front of her that a lot of us would have dreamed of having at her age - but she's also been through more--persisting through the tough times--than most of us have had to deal with our entire lives.

Writing together has brought us even closer together. Our creative brains just feed off each other - brainstorming and plotting take on new meaning. And the laughter is doubled - (and we laughed a lot before, so this is significant!)

It's also been fun to understand a little more about her. She's so precious, and we've always been close (I'm really close to both of my kids) - but this novel-writing journey has opened up more ways for me to understand Kayla. And because of her nerve disorder, it's sometimes eye-opening to see her describe how she "feels" things. She's learning, and I'm learning. It's an incredible experience.

Other things I've learned? Well...
-she's faster at writing than I am (and I'm pretty fast)
-she's faster at finishing her edits than I am (sigh)
-she's got a crazy sense of humor, and more depth than most adults I know
-she knows who she is, and rests in God's direction each day (I wish more of us could do that)


Now Josh loves to write as well... but the thought of writing with him scares me to death. Why - you may ask? Because frankly, his creativity is so off the charts, I'd never be able to keep up -- and I think I would constantly ache from all the laughter. (You should hear him and Kayla when they are working on a story together - just wait - that duo could definitely be something to watch.)

So for now, I'm content to learn from and with my kids, and enjoy this precious writing journey.

Ah, the Joys of Writing... and Taxes

It's that time of year. Tax season.

Tomorrow morning, I have an appointment with my amazing accountant for all my business related (writing/author)"stuff." He's been handling all this for several years, and as the business has grown, I've had to learn A LOT. Last year, he told me that it was a good idea to purchase QuickBooks Pro for my "stuff."

This is what has happened since:

I went straight to Costco and purchased said program.

Six months later, I realized I better figure it out to input the mountain of receipts/deposits/inventory... i.e. "stuff."

Looked at it.

Decided it was complicated.

Went and brainstormed a new book instead.

Looked again at pile of receipts.

Felt guilty.

Called a QuickBooks expert trainer to come teach me. (Thankfully this person still likes me after that craziness.)

Was so proud of myself after getting everything into the amazing program.

Then... I went on a six-week book tour.

Returned mid-November to face unpacking, laundry, the holidays, homeschool, and several more speaking/appearances.

Avoided the monstrous pile awaiting entrance into QuickBooks.

Moved my office, re-organized, scrapbooked, wrote, blogged, wrote some more, i.e. - avoided my "stuff."

Today, there was no avoiding it. And after my amazing assistant and I discovered that I had input over 200 duplicate receipts, I spent hours deleting all the doubled-up entries.

I whined and complained. Dented my desk from banging my head on it. And then moved my purple "complaint free world" bracelet several times for my behavior.

Daughter Kayla - and my writing partner on our suspense series set in Alaska - came in smiling with a hug for me and said, "Mom, I wish I was old enough to help you, you're working too hard."

What an encourager. Sigh.

Wait a second... I'm imagining a new and complex math project for the kids for school...

No. That would be cruel and unusual punishment.

***
for more information on the "complaint free" bracelet check out
A Complaint Free World

From Kayla's Perspective #1

Note from Kim:
As we dive into this new year and new stories, Kayla and I are blogging about our writing-together-adventures. I'm already behind (thanks to a lovely sickness I started my year off with) - so bear with me, as I try to catch you up. If you are reading this on my website kimberleywoodhouse.com then Kayla will be blogging on Tues. and I will be blogging on Thursdays about this fun adventure. (Other blogging will continue there as well.)If you are reading this on our website together kimberleyandkaylawoodhouse.com this is what our blog is about. And don't forget that Kayla has her own website and blog for kids over at kaylawoodhouse.com

Now I'm going to hand it over to Kayla - my 12-yr-old, amazing daughter.
Thanks for stopping by!
Kim


From Kayla's Perspective #1--
Howdie and Welcome!

My mom and I love to write, but the problem is that when my brain starts to work, I can’t stop it! First I think about a tree, then a bird, then a song, then a pool, then the tree starts to talk to the singing bird that’s in a pool and . . . wait. Wasn’t I talking about something else? Oh yeah!

Things get a little crazy around our house with school, swim team, and writing, but it’s always fun. I don’t know how my mom does it, but she seems to make me laugh at any time of the day. (Or night!)

We’ve also discovered that I love the word “S. . .L. . .O. . .W. . .L. . .Y”. My coach, (Coach Tristan), even said that we were being too “S . . . L . . . O . . . W” one day when we were swimming. Made me think of all the times I used the word.

And I love to use the same word over and over again. I do that a lot. :) Mom says that she does that too, but I don’t believe her. (She’s the perfect writer!)

I also love writing “duhn duhn duhn duh!” moments, they’re really fun, especially when mom is brainstorming (She can create one of those moments out of thin air. Probably just to say, "duhn duhn duhn duh") Whew! Let me tell you this: It’s an adventure!

Writing is so much fun, I love it. But there are sometimes when I feel like Mike Goobian from Meet the Robinsons when he said:
“Look what I found! It’s a stick! Now what did you find?”
In other words, my stories are ridiculous, everyone else's are wonderful.

My writing is nothing compared to Mom’s, although she would never admit that. :)
I love our crit group partners as well, they’re great. And funny. And I'm learning A LOT.

Ms. Carrie was the finder of my Slowlys. And the Dark Darkness. But that’s a whole other story. Maybe someday we’ll tell you THAT one.

Hmmm. I was just thinking. . . . What if the singing bird talking to the tree who was in the pool had a pet elephant named Buttercup, who had a cousin monkey named Ter, who had a sister donkey named Shish-Kabob?! That would be one big family tree!

Well. Sigh. I guess the singing bird talking to the tree who was in the pool who had a pet elephant named Buttercup, who had a cousin monkey named Ter, who had a sister donkey named Shish-Kabob will have to wait. Right now my mom and I are writing suspense Alaskan style, maybe next time it can be the animal kingdom.
Adios!-Kayla

Random Thoughts for a Monday Morning

The crazy rabbit trails of a writer's mind. Best shown on a Monday. All this took place in less than sixty seconds:

- I wonder how many Dr. Peppers I could drink in one day if I was REALLY stressed...
- In doing research for current novel, I talk to the Rangers a lot. Discovered there are three people on (climbing) Denali right now. In the dead of winter, in the dark. My thoughts? They're missing a few of their marbles...
- The Rangers are very cool. I like them a lot.
- I wonder if they think I'm crazy.
- I miss Alaska.
- I miss heated garages.
- It would be nice to have a garage that "Little Gracie" (my Expedition) could actually fit in.
- I love it when my husband grills.
- I love it when my husband grants me an entire writing day by doing all the laundry!
- I love teaching my kids. I love homeschooling.
- I'm an author and English was not my favorite subject in school.
- The English language sometimes, (okay - well, LOTS of times), drives me nuts.
- My suggestion to fix it? Make a rule and stick to it.
- I like consistency. A lot.
- Making lists make me happy.
- Checking things off the lists makes me even more happy.
- My kids are the coolest kids ever.
- I spend a lot of times at swimming pools.
- My kids swim miles every day.
- I wonder if my computer can handle all that chlorine day after day.
- I used to need quiet to write.
- now I can write while coaches are yelling, "Go!" "Faster!" "Shoot!" "Up!" "Kick" "Take Your Mark"
- I love Christmas.
- We had sixteen Christmas trees in our house this past year.
- Sometimes, I go overboard.
- I love the smell of coffee.
- My family is the coolest.
- I have a guardian angel bear on my desk to protect my characters.
- Just thought of a great math project for the kids. And it's really hard. Mwa-ha-ha-ha (evil laugh)
- Need. More. Dr. Pepper...

Until next time...

Gotta Keep Up...

So - most of you know that Kayla and I are hard at work on our novel together.
Brainstorming, researching, writing, laughing... it's been awesome.

But I have discovered that there are sometimes hindrances. Things that show up, happen that weren't on my list for that day. Case in point: getting sick.

Last week, that happened to me. My poor list flew out the window as I realized I was too weak to even stand. Frustration mounted in my mind, "But I can't get sick! I have a word count goal to reach, blogging to do, a family to take care of. There just isn't time to be sick!" To which my body replied with evil laughter, "We'll just see about your list." Yes, it mocked me. I finally accepted that I couldn't convince my body to heal immediately, and stayed in bed. For days.

You know when you finally feel better, because your brain begins its whirring and wheels are turning. Then reality hits and you realize how much you have to do to catch up. Exhaustion soon takes over again, and you pray for the quietness of sleep to suck you into its oblivion so you don't have to face the "list" that has now taken on a life of its own...

Okay, so yes, that has been my week. I'm sitting here, with the list beside me, laughing at my own craziness. I'll never be able to keep up. Oh, I'll try - but I really don't think it's humanly possible. For me, at least. And when I say "keep up" - I mean to my own expectations. My goals are always higher than I can attain, but it makes me work harder, stretch myself.

Kinda like writing with my 12-year-old. She's really great at this (I can't imagine how good she'll be when she's my age!) And fast (she sometimes writes faster than I do!) And I'm being stretched as we work together. She keeps me on my toes. And I love it.

Well, gotta get back to writing... we've got planes, snow, and mountains to tackle...