A New Life

We had a great weekend, baptizing Armando on Sunday down at the bay. Besides the crabs Mariah hates :-) it was such an encouragement for all of us.

Today, we took David and Emily to the beach for our day off and to celebrate his birthday. It was such a refreshing change from the sweltering heat further inland. The Indian Ocean is stunning with its deep blue tint and warm waters, definitely an added blessing of living here!

Lisa


Photo of the bay behind our house

Publishing Insights

I've had a number of questions asked me this past week about the publishing world, so I thought I'd put them in a post in case there are other newbie authors or readers interested.

1) Does Love Inspired accept unagented authors? Did you start with an agent?

Because I live overseas where it’s hard to do some of the aspects of the business, even with the Internet, I use an agent, but there are still a number of publishers, like Love Inspired/Steeple Hill, who will accept manuscripts from unagented authors. If you are writing a certain genre and targeting a particular publisher, you can usually find out their writer’s guidelines by going to their website. It’s crucial to follow these guidelines precisely. Here’s the link for Love Inspired Suspense, for example if you would like to check it out.

2) About how many books do they print of a first time author?

This all depends on the publisher. Book clubs, like Heartsong Presents and Steeple Hill, will normally have a higher print run for a first time author.

3) Did you start with an editor of your own and then did Love Inspired connect you with an in-house editor?

All major houses have their own editors, both in house and freelance. Through the editing process, there will be a number of separate edits done, and then a final chance for the author to read over the manuscript before it goes to print.

Starting last year, because of my busy schedule and full time writing commitments, I started hiring a freelance editor on my own to polish all my manuscripts before I send them to my publisher. Editing is not my strength, but I still want to turn in the best possible manuscript that I can. I also have critique partners who are fantastic in catching a lot of mistakes and for brainstorming with. After they have gone through my story, the editor I hire then can read over the entire manuscript to ensure there are no storyline issues, etc. If you are looking for an wonderful editor who can polish your manuscript and charges reasonable prices, you can check out her website here.

4) Should I join an organization like RWA or wait until I sell a book? Is this where many of my questions would be answered?

If you are serious about writing, I would definitely join a writing organization like RWA (Romance Writers of America) or ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). The resources available from ACFW in particular (I know more about them because I am a member) are phenomenal. There are online resources and classes, yearly conferences, critique groups, and chapter organizations you can join on a local level. It’s well worth the yearly membership fee.

5.) Does Zondervan set the deadlines or do you have some say?

Typically an editor, when wanting to contract a new book, will come to me and ask me if I can get it done in X amount of time. If there did happen to be a problem on my end, my agent could negotiate a longer deadline. When Zondervan offered me a contract in September, the book was already written. My editor then gave me until this March 1st to make a number of changes we discussed in detail that would make the story (set in Africa) more marketable for an American audience. Each publisher is different, but they gave me about five months to make the necessary changes for them.

After this, the book will go through a number of different edits, including content edits and line edits that will take place over the next year until the book is released in March 2010. So as you can see, the editing process is a long and involved process. During this time, the marketing team and those involved in cover art are working as well.

6.) What's the process like for making a book cover? Does the author have any say in what it will look like?

Again, all publishers do things a bit different, but I've been able to give input on many of my covers. Most publishers have a form for the author to fill out. In this form they ask for information about the hero and heroine, setting, secondary characters, etc. They will often ask you for any cover ideas you have as well. The cover above is for a three-in-one historical romance with two other others that will be released this summer. I didn't have any say on that cover, though I think Barbour did a great job with it. The sketch below is for my third cozy mystery also being released by Barbour. They asked me for cover ideas and then have always shown me the preliminary drawing as well for my approval.

Feel free to contact me with any more questions and I'll try to answer them on a later post!

Blessings,

Lisa

Shopping

I thought I'd post a couple more photos of the market. I actually need to pick up some eggs, bread, and fruit, but with the heat index at 113--Believe me, I'm feeling every degree--I'm waiting until later this afternoon.

The heat has been pretty bad the past few days. I had to move a bunch of boxes this morning and literally could wring out my shirt when I was finished. It looks as if it's going to rain, so maybe that will cool things off a bit. At least I can always hope.:-)

Blessings,

Lisa

Figuring it all out. . .

One of the challenges of moving to a new country is figuring out the day to day life--things like language barriers, cultural differences, and discovering what goods are available. It can be a fun challenge--most of the time. :-)

For example, we've had a lot of visitors here since our arrival, so one of my biggest challenges has been making sure everyone is fed three times a day, something's that's not always easy when there is no quick take away or instant meals at the local store. This was further complicated when all the delivery trucks from the capital took off the month of December, which quickly emptied out the store shelves.

But in the process, I've met some neat people as I learn what I can buy here as far as food is concerned. Women, selling fruit and vegetable, sit in long rows in the open market with their goods scattered in front of them on wooden tables. Behind them, a row of Indian sellers, with various spices and canned goods, stack up their wares, while those selling tourist stuff lay theirs on the ground to catch the visitor's eye.

I've spent a lot of time visiting all the various shops to see who sells what. For example, I buy apples in the open market from Rebecca and tomatoes and onions from Ceceila. I can find yogurt, eggs and juice in the Indian shop near the market, and cheese and (clean) rice at Nersia's shop. Pineapples and mangos are plentiful from most of the sellers, as is garlic and ginger. So while I admit to missing a lot of the conveniences I'm used to, I've learned to roast my own peanuts (I'm going to try honey roasted this week), cook using coconut milk, and how much I love making curry chicken and prawns.

My internet is acting up, so I'll plan to post some more photos tomorrow.

Blessings,

Lisa

Tower of Giraffes

We stopped for a brief visit to Kruger last week on our way to drop of our Brazilian friends off at the airport. After two hours to get through the border in scorching weather and an emergency wheel bearing problem, we finally made it into the park for a few hours. It was actually out of the main park, though, where we saw these giraffe, standing in the road in the rain with no particular place to go. I had never seen so many, so close up, so it was an amazing experience for all of us. When I have time, I'll post some of the video footage we took.

Blessings,

Lisa

Thank you!

I've had a few computer problems as my wireless went out, but I'm up and working again finally. The past few days have been busy as we've started our new year of school here in South Africa and I've been working to finish up edits on my historical for Summerside Press. I'm getting excited about the story, one that deals with revenge and forgiveness, as I feel as if it is finally coming together.

Scott has had an amazing time at the conference he's attending nearby and has been encouraged to see David, one of our leaders, really catch the vision of discipleship training. We are so excited to see what God is going to do in the coming weeks and months. David was blown away to see so many Christian leaders gathered together in one place and to see that our vision reaches far beyond our small corner of the world.

I wanted to end by saying thank you to Ricardo, Melissa, and Julia for staying with us during these past few weeks and for the love and encouragement they were to our family. Not only were they a huge boost for my Portuguese, but I loved getting to know them better. We will continue praying for you as you seek God's will in your lives!

Coming next. . .an interesting roadblock outside Kruger. . .with nine giraffes.

Blessings,

Lisa

On the road again. . .catching up

We're back on the road again for a few days, and I've been off-line. We had to return to SA briefly to bring our Brazilian friends back to the airport, and then Scott will be participating in a discipleship conference near where we used to live starting Monday. He will be coaching David, one of our African leaders from Mozambique and is very excited about the opportunity.

I came so we could pick up the kids new school books and stock up on some supplies. I'm thrilled because the kids can't wait to see their new books later this morning. They will also get the chance to spend some time with some of their friends. I'll be busy reading through my galleys of my third cozy mystery (the final copy of a book before it goes to print) and finishing up another book deadline for next week.

I've got some great photos I'll be posting in the coming few weeks I think you will enjoy, but for now. . .it's off to work!

Blessings,

Lisa

Inhambane Bay

We took our friends across the bay in one of the sailboats you can hire. One of the men started bailing water toward the end, but otherwise it was simply a relaxing and beautiful ride.

We took the fast boat home, a motorboat that is actually a lot cooler because you are sitting under a tarp instead of in the sun. The bay isn't very deep, but if you notice the life jackets in the video, well, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't help much.

Blessings,

Lisa

Day of Prayer for Rosie

This is Rosie, a sweet four year old that we've known since just after she was born. Her parents worked for us in South Africa and in the past few years we've seen God take them on an amazing journey of faith. When we first met her father, David, he wasn't interested at all in learning about Jesus, but I remember telling Scott, that one day he would become an evangelist his own people in Mozambique. It took over a year for God to change their hearts, but three years ago, he and his wife became Christians and have since then grown tremendously in their faith.

When God called us to Mozambique, we asked them to come with us. Emily had no desire to move to Mozambique and told us that. I told her that honestly, I didn't want to go either, but God had called us and because of that we were going. She stood up and said if you are going because God has called you, we will come as well. This has been their heart ever since, to reach out to the people here.

During the last few months since our arrival here, God has brought people to their doorstep who want to know more about the Bible. We firmly believe that it is our job to train up solid leaders, because they are the ones who will be able to reach the people here the best.

We've spent a lot of time praying for David and Emily's daughter during the past several years. She quit talking when she was two and has showed some signs of Autism. We went through the process of having her hearing tested along with several other things, and while she has improved with her interaction, she still isn't speaking. Resources are limited here, but we are in the process of making arrangements to take her to a neurologist in the next few weeks (six hours away) as well as a pediatrician we found nearby.

David and Emily are already praising God for the changes in Rosie, but she has a long way to go. We've set aside today as a special day of prayer for her and her family and will be gathering with several of the Christians this evening to pray over her. Please pray for this sweet family as they seek to follow God and raise their daughter.

Blessings,

Lisa

Visit with the Orphans

On Sunday we visited the orphanage and took with us eight of the Christians. It was a moving experience to see these young men holding these sweet children on their laps and coloring with them. Ricardo, the Brazilian who's visiting with us, led them in songs which they loved. We'll definitely be doing this on a regular basis.

While it was a joy to see their smiles, it's also hard to walk away knowing that these children need love and family. It also made a huge impression on my kids, making them realize, at least to a degree how much they have. And not just in material things, but in having a mom and a dad, and a home of their own.

Blessings,

Lisa

Happy New Year

It's hard to believe that another year has passed, and a new one has begun. I think we all love new beginnings which is probably why we love a new year. It's a chance to start afresh, to make new goals, and to dream of what we want for our future.

I spent this morning with my family, talking about the past year. We made a list of all the answered prayers and blessings God placed in our lives in 2008. It was important for me to see all the ways God worked in our lives, in spite of the many challenges and difficulties we faced. Here are just a few things we listed today.

1. Blessed us with new friends in Brazil and Mozambique
2. Found us a good house
3. Unexpected time with family in the States
4. No malaria!
5. Sold my African series
6. Survived our first year home schooling (and the kids did great!)
7. Watched our ministry begin to expand
8. Living here has given us more time together as a family
9. Growth in Portuguese
10. Saw the Amazon

What about you? I know that many of you have had times of celebrations during this past year, while others of you have faced tragedy with the loss of jobs and loved ones. My prayer for each one of you is that this coming year will be full of peace and joy, but even more importantly, a deeper understanding of our Heavenly Father and His will for you in your life.

Wishing you a very blessed 2009!

Lisa

Do you Twitter?

It's been a hectic week with guests from Brazil, final exams for Gabriel, and a writing deadline tomorrow. Add to that, the humid weather is like a sauna and makes me want to do everything in slow motion!

For those who have asked for an update about Emmanuel in Zimbabwe (he was in a serious car accident last week), we Just received news that he is doing well and the great news is that now he can "feel when someone touches his legs"!!! He still cannot move them (or very little), but the physical therapist said that he will be working on his legs soon. So, keep up your prayers for a complete recovery. Also, Pastor Nyandoro successfully delivered corn to all the rural districts. AOM is planning on sending more food relief funds to purchase another consignment of corn in the near future. God is good!!

Lastly, do you Twitter? If you'd like to receive short, mini-like blogs from me (very short and fairly frequent) about my life in Africa, you can go here to sign up. This is a fun, real-time way to keep in touch. Check it out.

And while all of you are enjoying your snow and hot chocolate, here's a photo of our summertime beach.

Blessings,

Lisa

Expecting the Unexpected. . .

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Christmas! I've been enjoying the photos of snow several have sent me, and am dreaming of snowball fights and sledding.

We'd planned a quiet Christmas at home, with a few friends, but our "quiet" holiday turned into a bit of an adventure. I woke up about 2:00 Christmas morning. Instead of catching a glimpse of Santa and his reindeer, I walked across our bedroom and stepped into a half an inch of water.

Now the rains began Christmas Eve, and we had been a bit aprehensive because it was a bad storm with lots of rain and heavy winds. SInce this was our first heavy rain, we had no idea if the house leaked. Well, in the middle of the night, we quickly found out. Rain, gushing in from the south side of the house, poured down the walls and into some of the rooms. Our room didn't end up being too bad (only about a quarter of it), but Gabriel's entire floor was covered in water. (Thankfully, I make him keep under his bed clean!) The kitchen had some water, but the back veranda was the worst. Scott mopped up about 15 gallons of water the next day.

Almost forty-eight hours later, it's still raining, though for now we are staying dry. Many of the houses around us are made from reeds, and they are having trouble keeping dry. Something that's not easy. After soaking up all the water in our house, and making barriers with towels, I've hung them all up to dry on my wet veranda, but until the sun comes out again, nothing is drying.

The weather seems to be effecting the electricity as well. It's become a bit of a game for all of us. When the power goes off, we have to run around and unplug everything, so a power surge doesn't blow anything when it comes back on. And when it's on, I have to charge my computer so I have enough power to work on my deadline when the electricity goes off again. We've got candles, matches, and flashlights set out as you never know when it's going to go out.

The good news, though is that the temperature has dropped with the rain, something I'm really thankful for! I can actually move around without sweating!

Have a blessed day!

Lisa

Rainy view from my window.















Trying to dry laundry.

Elephant Encounter

Wishing all of you a very merry Christmas and God's greatest blessings upon you in the New Year.

Here's the elephant video I promised. (This is for you, Ronie!)

Blessings,

Lisa

To the least of these. . .

I think I mentioned last week, that one of our house churches decided to visited the orphanage in town as a way to show love to the community. Yesterday, I baked two cakes with two of the christian women. We also gathered clothes to give to them. Unfortunately, I came down with a nasty cold last night and wasn't able to join the group as they went out today, but from Scott's report, it was a blessing to everyone.

There are about twenty-five children living in this house, from small babies to teenagers. One of the babies is four months old but looks like a newborn. Probably due to AIDS. The children literally grasped on to Scott and the others and wouldn't let go. They have such a need for people to love them. Mariah and Gabriel took colors and paper and drew with the children, and of course they all LOVED the chocolate cake.

I think everyone was blessed by the experience. The christians who visited, these who regularly care for the children, and the children themselves. We're planning to return a couple times a month to play with them and simply show them God's love.

Blessings,

Lisa

The making of a cover

UPDATE: First of all, I'm grateful to report that Emmanuel made it through surgery and that it was a success. Please continue to prayer for a complete recovery, and especially that he will be able to walk again. Thank you for all your prayers and the contributions that are being sent in to pay for the surgery and food for the community.

On another note, I've always been interested in how book covers are created. To be honest, the cover is a big selling point to me. If I don't like the cover, I'm less likely to buy the book. And the opposite is true as well. A fantastic cover can convince me to buy it over another book.

Typically, the author fills out a number of forms with information regarding the main characters as well as the overall theme of the book to help the artist create the cover that you see in the book stores. Right now, I'm working on one for Zondervan for my new suspense series. They ask a large range of questions from the color of the heroine's eyes, to elements that could be featured on the cover, to a list of already published covers the tone I'd like to see.

In the end, it's the publisher who chooses the final cover. I have, though, been asked for my opinion on early sketches of the cover and have been allowed to ask for slight revisions when the cover didn't fit a certain aspect of my book. Thankfully, I've always been very pleased with my publisher's choice on covers.

In the past couple days, I've got to see two of my covers that will be released next year. It's always fun to see what the cover artist comes up with. What do you think? Does a cover really sell a book?

Prayers for a people in need

PHOTO: 25 billion Zimbabwe dollars. . .enough to buy a loaf of bread.

As many of you know, along with our work in Mozambique, we are also actively involved with both leadership training and orphan care in Zimbabwe. The past few years have shown the decline of a country that once was called the breadbasket of Africa. Today, the situation continues to deteriorate. Inflation is over 230 million percent, and the people are facing both starvation and the spreading of cholera.

Two weeks ago, AOM sent money to our churches in Zimbabwe for the purchase of corn to distribute to the families in Bulawayo and in the various rural districts. The leaders were able to purchase 500 x 25 pound bags of corn to distribute.

As some of the pastors were traveling out of Bulawayo to distribute the food, tragedy struck. Pastor Nyandoro's multi-ton truck hit a large pothole as they were approaching a bridge. The truck hit the bridge and the chassis and cab were completely destroyed and all the fuel for the entire trip was lost. But, the most tragic part of this situation is that one of our senior pastors, Emmanual Mwale, seriously injured his back. He is in need of immediate surgery to prevent being paralyzed. He has a decompression burst fracture of L.1 (lumbar) with severe spinal chord compression. His back needs internal stabilization and fusion.

Please pray for the difficult situation facing these people and especially for Emmanual's healing. If you are interested in learning more on how you can help financially, please contact me here. All funds will be used toward Emmanual's surgery, repairs on his truck that was being used to serve those in need, and to purchase more corn that will be distributed to throughout the rural districts.

Blessings,

Lisa

Expecting the Unexpected

We returned home last night to a bit of a surprise. Both water and electricity had been off during the day, the water for about twelve hours. What we didn't realize was that the bathroom plug had fallen into the drain and the taps left on. So by the time we got home, the bathroom had flooded, (there's a two inch step down into the bathroom) and was already spilling into the hallway.

The good news is that we have both water and electricity today!

Count your blessings,

Lisa

Even in the short time that we've been here, it's exciting to see what God is doing. While I've spent most of my time working with the kids to finish up the school year and get the house running again after our absence, Scott's been out spending time with our disciples. Our goal is training them through life-on-life which means a lot of time out with the people we are working with.

























And the kids are catching this vision as well. Yesterday, Mariah agreed to teach English to two of the neighborhood boys. Today, they showed up and school began. I was amazed to see that she'd prepared a lesson plan, had pens and notebooks for them, as well as her "classroom" set up. We'll also show an English Bible film from time to time. Jayden's also found a student to work with and is excited to start teaching him.

Gabriel made plans to go fishing with some friends and told us he wanted to disciple them as well. We talked about what that meant and was excited to see them realize that we're here not to fulfill a job requirement, but to live the life Jesus has called us to live.

And we're casting the vision to our new Christians as well. We want the community to see that we are different that we love and care about them and want to show that through everything we do. Scott challenged them last week to come up with some ways for us to reach out to the community and simple show them our love. Several great examples were given and today we plan to set times to get together as a group and reach out.

Pray for the new Christians here and wisdom for us as we try to serve the community here.

Blessings,

Lisa



Mariah teaching English

Wild Animal X-ing

Enjoy!

Lisa

It's been one of these crazy weekends. Since we've returned, either the power or the water has been out. Today the electricity was down about twelve hours. We had company last night, so of course the power was out then as well. Seems to be something that goes hand in hand. I've learned to light a few candles and laugh a lot.

Then Gabriel cut his finger badly while working on his tomato plants. A friend of ours, who works for the hospital, took him there to have it taken care of. He's going to be fine, but it's going to take a lot of effort on my part to make sure he keeps it clean and covered until it heals.

And this afternoon, our neighbor brought over Mariah's new cat. We paid about 30 cents for her and while she's scrawny and timid, Mariah is thrilled to finally have her own pet. Patches, as she's now called, did fine until we took her outside to go to the bathroom. She tore up Scott's fingers trying to get away, so there I was back playing nurse again.

The powers on for the moment, so I'm going to quickly send this out before it cuts off again.

Never a dull moment, is there?

Blessings,

Lisa

There's no place like home. . .

We finally made it home after along twelve hour trip--the final leg of our journey. Border crossings are always a bit adventurous as you never know exactly what you might encounter. Just before reaching the border, we stopped to get fuel, make a handful of peanut butter sandwiches, and change out our cell phone chips. The group of ladies sitting in the first photo under the tree are there to exchange money. They walk around with large purses, ready to make a deal with any interested customer.













Once we made it to the border, we started the navigation of lines, people, passport stamps, and police inspections as we left South Africa then entered Mozambique. This time, to our surprise, they didn't inspect our cars until Scott left the last post in his car (we had two cars this time) and the officer decided to pull me over and search my car. With the passports in Scott's possession and a car full of luggage, we were a bit worried, but thankfully the man wasn't interested in anything more than a quick glance into the back of the car.

Maneuvering through Maputu is even more challenging than the boarder crossing. The road is flanked by scores of people, taxis, and sellers until the obstacle course gets even worse a few hours north with the paved road literally filled with pot holes.















A few more hours north and we stopped to fuel up the cars again, this time hoping we can beat the sun as it begins it's decent. Driving at night something we avoid as the narrow roads, many with no lines or reflectors, are extremely dangerous. Something we encountered first hand. As we drove in the dark, we came across a bus that had overturned on the side of the road, marked only by a row of branches. With no reflectors anywhere on the vehicle, it was a miracle we didn't slam into it.

With pounding hearts--and thankfully no further incidents--we made it the rest of the way home.

But of course being back home has brought with it it's own set of adventures. The water cuts out at night, there are no lights in the bedrooms and kitchen, and an intense heat never seems to let up. Add to that, the stores shelves were half empty in town, we believe because of the excess number of tourists here for the beach. We decided to drive to the nearest town about forty-five minutes away only to find out that there was a city-wide holiday and everything was closed.

So while feelings are naturally a bit mixed, I'm still very glad to be back. We've seen team mates and met with friends, greeted the ladies from the open market who were excited to see us back again, played with our puppies, and even made home made root beer as a treat tonight.

No, there really is no place like home.

On the Road Again

We are waiting a few miles outside Kruger Game Park for our car to be serviced before returning home. Not a bad place to wait around if you ask me! Thought I'd quickly post a video of few of the highlights from today's game drive.

Enjoy!



Lisa

Summertime

We're still in South Africa, waiting to get our car serviced--one of those inconvenient necessities. In the meantime, the kids have decided to take advantage of grandpa and grandma's pool. It's been a bit of a shock coming from a very chilly autumn to the middle of summer. The mosquitos are buzzing and the humidity's on the rise, but the grass is green and the flowers are stunning.

There is always a few things that strike me when I return to Africa after being away for a while.

The throng of people walking along the side of the road.

Groceries stores with wall-to-wall customers and no air-conditioning.

A breeze sifting through the open windows of the house.

Birds and insects chirping in the early morning hours.

Bright blue, cloudless sky.

Neighbors music playing in the background.

Smell of jasmine lingering in the night air.

Ahhh. . .it's good to be home.

So for those of you living above the equator, here's a bit of summer help with those ice cold days.

Enjoy!

Lisa

A Day of Thanks

I feel as if I slept through Thanksgiving this year. Seventeen hours on a plane followed by a five hour car trip tends to knock some of the energy out of me. And we're not even home yet.

But despite missing Thanksgiving-at least on Thanksgiving Day-I have stopped to think about all the things I truly am thankful for. Here's just a couple for starters.

I certainly would never recommend spending your first year of homeschooling on three continents and four countries, but we did and not only have we finally almost finished the year--we go January through December--the kids have done terrific.

Because of our move into Mozambique, we decided not to take our furlough this year, but God had other plans and we had to return temporarily. What a blessing it was to spend the past two months helping out my family and spending time with them.

I mentioned the living on three continents above, but believe it or not, I'm the kind of person who would love to just settle down in one quiet spot. But then I think about the experiences we've had, and the people God has brought us together with and I know I wouldn't have it any other way. We've met so many great people this year from Brazil, to Mozambique, to the good 'ol USA.

And so, in spite of the horridly humid weather this side of the world, there are so many other things to say thanks for. A supportive husband, three beautiful children, friends and family, a house with toilets that work, new contracts with Summerside and Zondervan, good health. . .

So what are you thankful for this holiday season?

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 107:1

Be blessed today!

Lisa

PS I had to share this photo of Gabe with his grandpa. He drew this motorcycle, framed it, and gave it to him for Christmas. Not sure if the photo does it justice, but he's one talented kid. (Even if the complement is from his mama!)

Safari 2008

Here's some video footage of our last trip through Kruger, including our encounter with a pride of lions.

Enjoy!

Lisa

Countdown. . .

It's hard to believe it, but we're into our last week in the States. Scott has arrived, we've celebrated an early Thanksgiving/Christmas, taken family photos, and I've just about finished all the last minute details of mom's move.

Whew! It's been quite a whirlwind.

While all of us have mixed feelings about leaving family and friends, I'm looking forward to returning to our new home and getting back into a regular schedule. Instead of hot chocolate, turkey dinners, and Christmas lights, we'll be heading in a very hot summer, days off at the ocean, and building sandcastles in the sand with the kids. If only I could skip the seventeen hour flight home--followed by a ten + hour drive.

Thanks so much for all your prayers and emails during this time!

Blessings,

Lisa

Don't believe everything you read. . .

While I rarely surf the internet, there are a few nights when it's too early to sleep and I'm too tired to write when I find myself wasting time on the internet instead of coming up with some great prose for my editor.

Like tonight. I thought I'd google my name just for fun.

One of the first things I found out about my name was that I had a book published I never sold. In fact, when this cover was first posted on the internet, I wasn't even published. Well, you guessed it. I just found out that this cover is still online at a couple places with my name on it. When someone told me about it years ago, I quickly contacted the publisher and they fixed it. But you can still read the teaser for my story--which was rejected--here.) Can you guess which one was mine?

Of course, with a common name like mine, that hasn't been the only online mix up. There's another author who writes secular romances and at one time used my name as a pen name. Now even while this author isn't me, you can find lists of books with hers and mine all together under "Lisa Harris." I long ago decided I'll never be able to correct this, so I've given up on worrying about it even though I've wondered if her covers might shock some of my readers.

So like they say don't believe everything you read.

As for me, I'm off to finish my word count for the day. (Yes, I really am. . .)

Blessings,

Lisa

Love Finds You. . .

I've just signed a contract with Summerside Press for Love Finds You in Revenge, Ohio, a historical novel that will be released next Summer. If you love to read, check out Summerside Press's new line of books. Here's what they have to say.

"The LOVE FINDS YOU™ series gives readers a taste of local life across the United States. The novels—uniquely titled after actual American towns with quirky but intriguing names—inspire romance and fun. Each fictional story draws on the compelling history or the unique character of a real place. Stories center on romances kindled in small towns, old loves lost and found again on the high plains, and new loves discovered at exciting vacation getaways."

The covers are fantastic and they have some great authors lined up. You can visit them here for more information!

Blessings,

Lisa

Home made vs. Store bought

One of the biggest changes for me while in the States is cooking. In Africa, everything is done from scratch. But while I'm here, I have to admit to doing things the easy way, throwing away the cookbook, and using mixes as much as possible. And not only is it easier, it tastes just as good. Right?

Maybe not.

The other night I made Sloppy Joes which is one of my kids favorites. But instead of gobbling it down like normal, Gabriel asked me what it was.

"What is it? Sloppy Joes of course," I told him.

"These don't taste like your Sloppy Joes," he said.

"That's because they aren't what I regularly fix. The sauce came from a package."

"But it taste like spaghetti sauce. . ."

Needless to say, he wasn't impressed. Which actually made me feel good. Because before long, we'll be back eating my home made Sloppy Joes. . .and Gabe will be happy.

Blessings,

Lisa

(ABOVE PHOTO: Jayden just hanging around at the Fall Festival)

Win a Taste of Africa!

I'm getting ready to hold another drawing for my yearly Taste of Africa contest, and this year, I've decided to choose three winners! I'll be drawing names from my newsletter list, so if you aren't signed up, it's simple. Just go here and follow the directions.

Each winner will receive a personalized box including some of the items you see here, like tea, chocolate, bookmarks, and spices, all from the heart of Africa, as well as a signed copy of my latest book, Final Deposit.

So sign up today!

Lisa