|
October-November,
2009
|
 A
This 'n That Note from Ginny!
Dear
Friends,
Autumn is here! I don’t
know about you, but I’m glad to put this summer behind
me. It’s been a tough one. I’m probably a little unusual
(okay – I’m a lot unusual!), but when I see the
leaves start to turn from green to golden yellow, or
rich orange, or brilliant red, I don’t think of them as
dying. The vibrant colors of fall speak to me of
maturity, and a new phase of life. The Creator has given
the trees a new song to sing. Long months of drinking
deeply of sunshine and rain are bursting forth in a
glorious crescendo designed by God’s hand.
 I’ve
been thinking a lot about new songs lately. In Psalm 40,
David talks about waiting patiently on the Lord, who
lifts him out of the slimy pit and places a new song in
his mouth. It’s a song of praise, a song born from
gratitude for his redemption from the mud and mire. I’ve
been splattered with a bit of mud myself in recent
months, but like David, I’m singing a new song. My
experiences have deepened the vibrant colors of this
season of my life. God is good.
Enjoy the brilliant
colors in your unique autumn, my friend. May you sing a
new song with a heart full of gratitude.
Virginia Smith
P.S. A special thanks
to my friend, Mike Joyce, for the picture of the colors
in the mountains, and of his 650 Suzuki. Isn’t she a
beauty? |
|
|
|
|
 If
you’re a fiction lover, you probably know about
DearReader.com. It’s
an online book club where the over 350,000 subscribers
receive a daily excerpt of featured books in their inbox.
I’ve been a subscriber for several years, so I was thrilled
to discover that Age before Beauty, book two in the
Sister-to-Sister Series, was the Good News book selection
the week of September 28 – October 2.
If you haven’t read Age
before Beauty yet and would like to try out
http://www.DearReader.com, it’s not too late. After
you’ve signed up for
DearReader.com’s Good News book club, you can visit
this page
to view the sections you missed for up to two weeks
after the book is featured. So you can not only read the
daily dose of Age before Beauty, but also the
previous week’s book -- Exposure, by Brandilyn
Collins.
Now would be a really good
time to catch up on the Sanderson sisters’ stories in
Stuck in the Middle and Age before Beauty. The
release of the third and final book in the Sister-to-Sister
Series, Third Time’s a Charm, is just a few months
away!
Not long ago I received the
phone call every writer loves – I’ve been given a new book
contract! I’m really excited about this book, because the
theme is so much fun. As you probably know, I’ve been a
scuba diving enthusiast
for several years now. Since being certified in 2002, I’ve
logged over fifty dives. Not bad for someone who lives over
a thousand miles from the ocean, huh? My twelfth book is a
romantic suspense title, in the same style as Scent of
Murder and Murder at Eagle Summit. But it has a
scuba diving theme!
Dive into Danger,
as it is currently called,
takes place partly in Key West, Florida,
and partly in Cozumel, Mexico. Both locations are among my
favorite places to visit, so I’ve got a bit of personal
experience to draw upon as I write. The book will be full of
the tropical feel of the islands, the culture of the locals,
and the unique thrill that can only be found eighty feet
below the surface of the turquoise waters of the Caribbean.
I might even throw in a few sharks, just to keep things
exciting!
A release date for Dive
into Danger hasn’t been set yet, but it will probably be
late 2010. I’ll keep you posted on the book’s progress. (I
think a research trip is totally called for, don’t you?) |
|
|
My Journal has received hundreds of visitors in the past
couple of months. The page isn’t set up to allow comments
(mostly because I don’t have time to moderate them, and I’m
cautious of the ruthless cyber stalkers who have hijacked
some of my friends’ blogs!), but enough of you have taken
the time to send a note through the Contact page of my
website or Facebook that I know you’re reading. I really,
really appreciate hearing from you when you read something
on my Journal. If you’ve missed my recent posts, here’s
what’s been happening over on Ginny’s Journal:
Personal and Inspirational Entries
On Not Winning – my thoughts on ACFW’s Book of the
Year Award
The New TV Season – I reviewed several season
premieres, including House, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, and
Grey’s Anatomy
Hope in the Midst of Tragedy – my thoughts on the
loss of a dear friend in a tragic parasailing accident
The Suffering Spectrum – Get Me to the End! – God’s
faithfulness in the midst of some of the hard times I’ve
experienced recently
Rest for the Weary – have you had any “Sabbath
Moments” lately? Here are pictures from a few of mine
Book Reviews
The Great Christmas Bowl,
by Susan May Warren
In the Arms of Immortals,
by Ginger Garrett
Lost Mission,
by Athol Dickson
Fear Not Tomorrow, God is Already There, by Ruth Graham
Guardian of the Flame,
by T. L. Higley
Daily
Devotions on TheChristianPulse.com
TheChristianPulse.com is
a free online magazine with tons of uplifting articles and
instruction for Christians. They offer daily devotions by a
variety of writers on the topics of Family, Life Topics,
Personal Growth, Worship, and Humor. Beginning in October,
I’ll be writing a few devotions for
TheChristianPulse.com each month. I encourage you to
click over and check out the offerings on this terrific
website.
Reader Fun
Have you seen the
Reader Fun page of
my website? If not, click over and check it out. I give away
tons of books – mine as well as others. Next on the list is
a copy of Ruth Graham’s latest book, Fear Not Tomorrow,
God is Already There. After that I’ll give away Athol
Dickson’s excellent book, Lost Mission. And when I
receive author copies of my newest books, like Third
Time’s a Charm coming in January, I always give away
preview copies. It’s easy to enter the drawings – no blog
comments or anything like that, just fill out the entry form
on the page. Simple as pie!
Upcoming
Appearances
November 7, Kentucky Book Fair - One of my favorite book
signing events of the year is coming up in November – the
Kentucky Book Fair. On Saturday, November 7th, more than a
hundred authors will converge on the convention center in
downtown Frankfort, Kentucky (my hometown!) for the state’s
premier literary event of the year. Thousands of readers
will attend for the opportunity to meet some of their
favorite authors, to chat with them, and to buy autographed
copies of their books. I’ve met tons of readers at this
event, and every year I make new friends to treasure. If
you’re within driving distance of central Kentucky, the
Kentucky Book Fair is an event you won’t want to miss! While
you’re there, be sure to find my book table and say hello. I
will give a special little gift to everyone who mentions
that they’re a subscriber to my newsletter. For more
information visit
www.kybookfair.com
On December 27th, the Sunday after Christmas, I’m honored
to be presenting the Sunday morning message at the United
Methodist Church in Eureka, Utah. If you’re in the area, I
know you’ll be welcome.
On April 9-10, 2010, I’ll present a continuing class on
writing fiction at the Quad Cities Christian Writers
Conference in Elkridge, Iowa. I hope to see you there!
On June 11-12, 2010, I’ll be the keynote speaker at the
Kentucky Christian Writers Conference. Mark the dates on
your calendar, and plan to meet me in Elizabethtown.
And Finally... |
If you're enjoying my
newsletter, I hope you'll forward it to your friends and
family. And if you have any suggestions for cool content,
you can reply to this e-mail or visit the Contact page of my
website to send me a message. If someone has forwarded this
newsletter to you, I hope you'll subscribe yourself. It's
easy – just
Click Here.
I promise I won't SPAM you, or fill your inbox, and I’ll
never share your information with anyone. You can
unsubscribe at any time through that same link.
|
|
Subscribe
& Unsubscribe Information: You are receiving this
eZine because you shared your email address with author and
speaker Virginia Smith.
Please click here to Subscribe or Unsubscribe from Virginia
"Ginny" Smith's eNewsletter.
We will never
share your email address with anyone - ever.
This eNews
is published by Virginia Smith Books,
P.O. Box 70271, Salt Lake City, UT 84170
www.virginiasmith.org
|
|
