California Highlights

Here are the highlights from our trip to Anaheim last week, including three days at the RWA (Romance Writers of America) National Conference for me!

1. Spending time with family

2. Being at Disneyland (the Cars racer ride was my favorite!)

3. Seeing the ocean (I love the mountains I live near, but being a California-native, there's a real love for the ocean too)

4. Meeting my fabulous agent, Jessica Alvarez, in person (Yes, I'm cheesing it here, but it was 11:00 p.m.)

5. Dancing five feet away from Nora Roberts at the Harlequin party (Sorry, no picture of this one)

Any fun plans to squeeze in before summer winds down? Are you a mountain/lake person, an ocean-lover or both?

*Be sure to check out my web site at http://www.stacyhenrie.com/!

How I Read a Book

I thought it would be fun to share "how" we each read books!

Here's how I read:

Format: I don't own an e-reader yet - gasp, I know - maybe someday. So I read hard copies.

Time: The best reading time for me is at naptime or bedtime.

How: I read pretty piecemeal, meaning in starts and stops, a little at a time. On rare occasion, I may stay up to finish a book. But I need sleep so that doesn't happen very often.

Where: I read on my bed - it's the most comfy spot.

Secret: I sneak and read the ending! That's probably more shocking than not having an e-reader, right? :) But when I can't stand not knowing another minute how the hero and heroine are going to get together - or if I want to find out if a good kiss is coming - then I totally skip ahead to see what happens. Once I know, I'm good to go back and keep reading!

What about you? E-reader or hard copy? Day-time reader, night-time reader or stay-up-until it's finished reader? Where's your favorite reading spot? Do you ever sneak a peek at the ending or patiently wait for all to be revealed?

*Photo from here.

Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo

*In an effort to spread the word about my favorite type of book - inspirational romance - I'm doing Christian Fiction Fridays here on my blog where I share my recommendations for books in this genre.

Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo

What It's About:
English professor Emma Grant has always done everything just the way her minister father told her she should -- a respectable marriage, a teaching job at a good college, and plans for the requisite two children. Life was prodigiously good, as her favorite author Jane Austen might say, until the day Emma finds her husband in bed with another woman. Suddenly, all her romantic notions a la Austen are exposed for the foolish dreams they are.

Denied tenure in the wake of the scandal and left penniless by the ensuing divorce, Emma packs up what few worldly possessions she has left and heads to England on a quest to find the missing letters of Jane Austen. Locating the elusive letters, however, isn't as straightforward as Emma hoped. The owner of the letters proves coy about her prize possessions, sending Emma on a series of Austen-related tasks that bring her closer and closer to the truth, but the sudden reappearance of Emma's first love makes everything more complicated.

In the end, Emma learns that doing the right thing has very little to do with other people's expectations and everything to do with her own beliefs. Laced with fictional excerpts from the missing letters, Jane Austen Ruined My Life is the story of a woman betrayed who uncovers the deeper meaning of loyalty.

My Thoughts:
Don't you just love the title and cover? :) I finally got my hands on this book, which is the first in Beth Pattillo's contemporary series based on Jane Austen and her novels. I really liked Emma - she was a great heroine and her journey to self-discovery was believable and heartwarming. I absolutely loved the ending of the first chapter - you'll have to read it to see what I mean. But it was laugh out loud funny and Adam is such a great character. The author has definitely done her research when it comes to Jane Austen, but I also liked her speculation on the story behind Jane Austen's possible true love. The ending isn't typical of a romance - more like women's fiction - but it is happy and there is promise, so I was satisfied.

Find this book here on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

A Look Back

This past weekend, our family made a quick trip up Bear Lake, in Northern Utah, which is one of our favorite vacation spots. We typically go there at least once in the summer and again in the fall. I love the change of pace, the pretty scenery, the time outdoors.

The last time we were there was last October  - eight months ago. At that time, I brought our laptop along to "work" because I was jamming to rewrite Lady Outlaw to send it a second time to Harlequin.

This weekend I was thinking back to that time and all that's transpired since. I had no idea last fall that in January I would get "the call" about my book or that almost a year later I will have that published book in hand.

Would I have wanted a glimpse into the future as I madly rewrote my book, feeling both hope and trepidation? Do I wish I could have known what was to come this year? I don't think so. It would have robbed some of the sweetness from those moments.

As much as I sometimes wish I knew what lay ahead in life, I'm grateful we rarely get to see very far down the road - that we have to walk in faith and trust. Because then we don't shy away from the hard things that make us strong and help us learn, and the our victories and accomplishments are even more rewarding.

Do you wish we could see into the future, to know what lies ahead? If you were granted a glimpse at what was to come, what would you hope to see? Do you have a favorite vacation spot you visit every year?

Lessons from Arches

Last week I went camping down near Moab and Arches National Park with some youth from my church. This was my first time ever visiting that part of the state, and what an adventure!

I learned a lot about myself and what I can do, even when stretched beyond what I think are my abilities. One of the days there we went on a fairly rigorous hike. We started at nine in the morning and didn't return to our cars until 5:30 that evening. We hiked in hot sun and occasional shade. We hiked through sand washes, over slick rock and up a steep incline. We rapelled down a canyon, including a thirty-foot free fall that was exhilarating.

I was never at the front of the pack. Typically I stayed in the middle or near the rear. I wasn't as fast as our trail-setters, but I tried to maintain my own steady pace. Most important, I didn't quit. Not one of us did. Our entire group, despite running out of water near the end and hiking in high summer temperatures, all made it to the end.

And that to me is the lesson I hope never to forget.

In life we may not feel like the trailblazers with all their pep and talent. We might even be coming along at the rear, but we're coming. There are times of blistering sun and challenge, but there are also moments or seasons of cool shade and rest. No matter our pace, no matter our circumstances, the important thing is to keep pressing onward. Don't quit, no matter how tough things may get. It's not how fast or well we come along; it's that we keep going, one footstep at a time.

Have you ever been to Arches National Park? Do you like camping? What life lessons did you learn this week?

To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer

*In an effort to spread the word about my favorite type of book - inspirational romance - I'm doing Christian Fiction Fridays here on my blog where I share my recommendations for books in this genre.

To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer

What It's About:
Having completed his sentence for the unintentional crime that derailed his youthful plans for fame and fortune, Levi Grant looks to start over in the town of Spencer, Texas. Spencer needs a blacksmith, a trade he learned at his father's knee, and he needs a place where no one knows his past. But small towns leave little room for secrets...

Eden Spencer has sworn off men, choosing instead to devote her time to the lending library she runs. When a mountain-sized stranger walks through her door and asks to borrow a book, she steels herself against the attraction he provokes. His halting speech and hesitant manner leave her doubting his intelligence. Yet as the mysteries of the town's new blacksmith unfold, Eden discovers hidden depths in him that tempt her heart.

Levi's renewed commitment to his faith leads Eden to believe she's finally found a man of honor and integrity, a man worthy of her love. But when the truth about his prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way to win back the librarian's affections?

My Thoughts:
This is definitely my favorite of Karen Witemeyer's books, which is saying a lot, because I liked her other two as well. I loved the unique characters - a blacksmith with a speech impediment and a spinster librarian. Both of their pasts come back to haunt them, which provides great conflict. I loved the ending - or rather the clever climatic scene near the ending. The writing is fluid and lovely, and the faith elements are naturally woven in.

Find this book here on Amazon or here at Barnes and Noble.

Cover Reveal!

I'm excited to share the cover of my book LADY OUTLAW. The art department at Harlequin did such a fabulous job - they captured Jennie and the essence of the book perfectly! The tag line is "She'd break the law to save her home."