August 27, 2015

Do You Dare Hope?

Sue, the main character in Like a Love Song, finally dares ask God if he is really there. The thing is, she didn't doubt his existence before, she just didn't want proof. The idea of a giant, invisible father was always abhorrent to her. But a little bit of hope had slowly replaced just enough fear to bring her to ask, in spite of her fear of what she would find and fear of gross disappointment. So the simple act of asking was not simple at all.

I know. It was the same life-changing question that I once asked.

Hope empowers. And it doesn't take much. Have you lost hope? It's never too late to ask God to make himself real to you. He is Father to the Fatherless, defender of the weak. Have you struggled to believe? I have. It takes a measure of Faith to reach out and put your trust in an unseen Person. But fear not. Faith is a gift from God and he is happy to supply.

August 5, 2015

I Almost Forgot! I'm a Finalist! Winners Announced Aug 12!

If you haven't already heard, my first novel, Like There's No Tomorrow, is one of 3 finalists in the Contemporary Published Novel category in the Oregon Christian Writer's Cascade Writing Contest. I'm very excited and just honored to be counted among such fine authors.



*****************UPDATE*************

2015 OCW CASCADE WRITING CONTEST WINNERS 
(IN BOLD - MORE TO COME...):
Published
Published Contemporary Fiction Book
Like There’s No Tomorrow by Camille Eide
Pure Evil by John Lawe (aka Don Crabtree)
All My Belongings by Cynthia Ruchti

Published Historical Fiction Book
I Was There: Eyewitnesses at the Foot of the Cross by Peter Falconer Hansen
Vow Unbroken by Caryl McAdoo
Out of the Ruins by Karen Barnett
Forget Me Not by Miralee Ferrell

Published Memoir
God and Grandpa: Lessons Learned on the Road Trip of a Lifetime by Justin Farrell
Those Were the Days by Mary Catherine Martin
Surviving Henry: Adventures in Loving a Canine Catastrophe by Erin Taylor Young

Published Nonfiction Book
Naked and Unashamed: How the Good News of Jesus Transforms Intimacy by Robert Toornstra
Persevering Parent: Finding Strength to Raise Your Child with Social, Emotional or Behavioral Challengesby Karen Crum
With God . . . on a Tanzanian Safari by Annette Friesen Cone

Published Children’s Book
Catch Me Doing Something Good! by Janie Berry
A Trip for Mrs. Claus by Laura Lee Scott
Little Beth of the Forest by Cheri Turk

Published Speculative Fiction Book
Blood for Blood by Ben Wolf
A Time to Endure by Kyle Pratt
The Republic of Texas 2022: Texas’ last stand for faith and freedom by Gary Bray

Published Young Adult/Middle Grade Book
The Snowball Fight Professional by Angela Ruth Strong
A Gentile in Deseret by Rosanne Croft
The Water Fight Professional by Angela Ruth Strong

Published Articles, Columns, Blog Posts
“Some New Growth Just Needs Time” by Dorcas Smucker
“They’re Watching” by Rebecca Olmstead
“In God We Trust” by Linda Jett

Published Devotional
“The Gift” by Heidi Gaul
“Treasure Keeper” by Andi Hines aka Andi Lee (pen name)
“Pork Problems” by Laura Bradford

Published Flash Fiction or Short Story
“Except for My Dog Tags” by Jeanette-Marie Mirich
“Lost and Found” by Roberta Hegland

Published Poetry
“Poet’s Song” by Gayle Carlson
“When the Soul Felt Its Worth (A Poem on Christmas)” by Jason Hague
“Sojourners” by Lynn Hare

Unpublished
Unpublished Contemporary Fiction
Blood for Blood by Leanna Hollis
David King by Pamela McDavid
Twining Vines by Rebecca Cuadra George

Unpublished Historical Fiction
Trusting a Thief by Joanna Davidson Politano
No One Would Know by Kathleen Freeman
Nom De Plume by Joanna Davidson Politano

Unpublished Children’s
I’ll Tuck You in Mama by Kim Conolly
Little Flame Shares His Light by Tina Louise Gollings
Sofia and the Golden Cage by Becky Cuadra George
The Thudding Footsteps by Cheryl Secomb

Unpublished Memoir
Grieving Gumdrops: The Sweeter Side of Grief by Daphne Greer
Intimacy with God: One Man’s Journey by Rob Oberto
Remarkable by Larry Lent

Unpublished Nonfiction
Up Against the Chalkboard by Karen Dorsey
Healing Words for Hurting Women: Ten Women Find Healing in the Words of Jesus by Bethany Hayes
The Gift of Social Anxiety by Julie Rajnus

Unpublished Speculative Fiction
Rebirth by Amy McNew aka Amy Brock McNew (pen name)
The Heir of Draven by Dana Black
Aalok & the Coming Future by Glenn Turner aka Glenn Turner and Angel Torres (pen name)

 Unpublished Young Adult/Middle Grade
Pursued by Megan Menard
Rebuilding Shelby Merritt by Ashley Mays
Caught in Flames by Sarah Tipton

 Unpublished Articles
“Hurry to Goodbye” by Patti Lee
“Surprised by Squash” by Abigail Schreiner
“Limitless God” by Kelly Fritz

 Unpublished Devotionals
“Into His Presence” by Shari Caroll
“Sleeping with Parakeets” by Carole Harmon
“The Birthday List” by Karen Alban
“Flying Blind” by Shari Carroll

Unpublished Flash Fiction/Short Stories
“The Judge” by Rachel Baugh
“A Gift of Straw” by Dan Campbell
“Rose” by Connie Edwards aka Stephie Joans (pen name)
“Not Again!” by Sandy Zaugg

Unpublished Poetry
“Winter” by Debbie Kees
“Smooth Stones” by Jane Reid
“Maybe, Just Maybe” by Victoria Kenow

August 1, 2015

And we have a WINNER in the Hearties Quote a Line Giveaway!! 

#14 (number drawn by RandomResult.com) =

Michael, Amy & Emma:
"The best part of arguing is the making up." :)


Congratulations, Amy! Fish Flix will be sending your prize!

~Camille

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.