October 6, 2007

Christian Authors ROCK!!

Christian Supply in Portland hosted Christian Fiction Day today for some of our own Oregon authors. What a treat! I got to meet Patricia Rushford, Melanie Dobson, Cindy Hannan, Robin Jones Gunn, Randy Alcorn, Melody Carlson, Jane Kirkpatrick, Bonnie Leon and Leslie Gould.

I spent 2 hours asking some of them about writing and their journey to getting published, and pretty much babbling about myself. What a great bunch, they all nodded, smiled and listened. I found out that Melody Carlson and I own neighboring mounds of dust and sagebrush in Central Oregon. It's good to know there are a few folks who know the best place to hunt sage rats.

I found out where Glenbrooke Oregon REALLY is. (he he he)

I also found out that Bonnie Leon is one cool lady! Check out her story (link to her site on the right). Check out her numerous books for a good read, or check out her "for writers" page for some helpful writing advice. Keep it coming, Bonnie!

It was exciting to talk to these gracious Christian authors. I came away with a couple autographed books and some encouraging words. Hey, it's no small wonder that Christian Fiction is the fastest growing genre in the book market in recent years.

I left feeling ready to press on with my novel, and then remembered all the intelligent questions I forgot to ask. OH WELL. I also remembered with a sense of utter satisfaction how I told Robin Jones Gunn that I 'write like her' (I honestly did) and like that other lady . . . what's her name? Yeah, I 'write like' someone whose name I can't remember. I spit out a few syllables of nonsense and she guessed Karen Kingsbury. Yes! Thank you. That's the one.

(By the way, I didn't actually mean to say I WRITE like Robin or Karen. But, unfortunately, I really have NO CLUE what I meant to say. If I were to actually compare my writing style to anyone, just for the sake of illustration, I'd have to say Nicholas Sparks meets Dennis Miller from Weekend Update.)

DO you ever open your mouth and hear nonsense flowing out freely? Is there a cure for this?
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4 comments:

Bonnie Leon said...

I love to hang out with people who make me smile. :-) You are one witty gal. I knew you were fun.

Thanks.

Bonnie

October 7, 2007 at 3:48 PM
Camille Eide said...

Touche'!

October 7, 2007 at 6:41 PM
Melanie Dobson said...

It was SO great to meet you, Camille! Thanks for coming, and I hope you enjoy all the books.

~Melanie

October 8, 2007 at 1:15 PM
Camille Eide said...

Thanks - it was great meeting you too! I can't wait to read your book and since it's mine, I can highlight it all I want!!

Thanks for answering all my questions. I am amazed at the grace I find among Christian writers! Everyone seems to want to help each other out! Imagine that! See what hanging around Jesus does to people!

October 8, 2007 at 3:14 PM

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ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF. . . .

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:

I've published five novels and 2 novellas (more about those on my website.) I've been writing all my life, but decided in 2007 to get serious about being published.

I love action movies and Jane Austen. (she’s dead, I know. I found that out when I tried to get her to endorse my novel)

They let me play Bass guitar and sing in a worship band.

I can produce 4 dozen homemade cinnamon rolls in a flash for a crowd of drooling young adults. Or publishing house editors.

I used to have a Harley. Now we have seven grandkiddos. Decent trade, really.

I am a proud Grammy. Don't even think about taking candy from my babies.

I hate shopping (Yes, I'm aware that I'm a girl)

MY ROOTS:
I've lived in Oregon all my life, spent time in Eugene (Go DUCKS!), Springfield, Reedsport, and Smith River. Which is not really a town, but a river, about 70 miles long, a tributary of the Umpqua River in southwest Oregon.

Although it's not a town, it is a community with a strong sense of pioneer history. It's cool to say you've lived there, especially if you lived there during the days when you had to take a boat to school. No joke! The old farmhouse my grandfather and my mother grew up in still stands, nestled into a narrow, pasture carpeted valley, complete with a swimmin' hole and its own 'crick'. It may turn up in one of my novels.

There's a rumor that my ancestors had a connection with the Mafia back in Sicily. I used to fantasize as a kid about a big black limo with tinted windows pulling up and whisking me away from school. Ahhh. So THAT'S why I'm having so much trouble conjugating my dangling participles now.

NOT RANDOM: I am challenged by the truth and amazed by the grace of God. And it's either in spite of or because of that grace that I hold a PhD in Learning Stuff the Hard Way.