The Homecoming - In Stores Now!!

My 2nd Novel is finally here. I checked the online stores; they all have it in stock now (Amazon, B&N, Christianbook.com). People have called or emailed me and said it's starting to show up in retail stores. Should be in all of them this week. Not sure when, but it should start showing up at Sam's and Wal-Mart, too.

Times like these, it's hard not to feel overwhelmed. So many people would love to see a novel they've written get published someday. Now I have two. And the third one, The Deepest Waters, is finished, making its way through the publishing pipeline (you should see the cover...the best so far). It's supposed to be out next Spring. This weekend, I've finished my 4th novel, another Christmas story, set in 1980. I'll be polishing and tightening it for the next month or two before sending it in.

Thank you God, and thank you Karen Solem, my agent; Andrea Doering, my editor at Revell, and the whole Revell team for making this possible.

Booksigning at Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando

Just confirmed with my publisher yesterday, I've been asked to be part of a book signing at the Southern Baptist Convention's Annual Meeting in Orlando next month. The convention will be held at the Orange County Convention Center. Lifeway Christian Stores will be running the conference bookstore.

I'll be there on Monday, June 14th at 11am to sign copies of my novel, The Homecoming (due out June 1st). They may also have a new paperback edition of The Unfinished Gift there also. I'll check and see if anyone can come or just those attending the convention. If it's open to anyone, hope to see some of my Orlando friends there.

If you're attending the convention, hope you'll stop by the bookstore and say hi.

It's a Book, pass the cigars!

The Fed-X driver dropped off a package about an hour ago. After a year of writing, re-writing, editing, revising, seeking endorsements, reviewing and approving artwork...and a ton of work from my wonderful team at Revell, the first copy of The Homecoming has arrived!

Holding that first copy in your hands, I'd say is the author equivalent of holding your newborn baby for the first time.

It also means thousands of copies are now being shipped to stores all across the country, including I'm told, Sam's and Wal-Mart this time. Officially, it doesn't release till June 1st. But I wouldn't be surprised to see it showing up on shelves a week or two early.

Hope you all enjoy it. If you've read my first book, The Unfinished Gift, I'm sure you will. But even if you haven't...in the words of the reviewer from RT Book Reviews magazine: "While this is a sequel to The Unfinished Gift, it could easily be a stand-alone novel."

Two Great Links for Christian Fiction readers

Wanted to make my readers and fans aware of 2 great resources for checking out the best Christian fiction has to offer. One is a Facebook site, the other a website.

First, we'll start with the website (the pic to the right is their logo). It's called Fiction Finders, sponsored by ACFW, a large group of Christian fiction writers. You don't have to join. They created it as a resource to help readers find the best of what's out there, be able to read about different authors and see all their various books in one place. The authors themselves update it whenever new books are released. Click here to check it out.

The second is a Facebook site, called "Family Fiction," and moves at a FB pace. Lots of info coming at you...new releases, new reviews, and a chance to interact and leave your own comments. Click here to check it out.