Have you ever been driving through a parking lot, maybe going just a little too fast, and WHAM! you hit a speed bump? That's what my last week was like. Cruising along with all sorts of kid activities, watching the crazy weather coming into Texas (ice storm) and trying to finish my current work-in-progress, not to mention all the house projects we have going on right now and WHAMMO! a call at 6:30 in the morning changed my week. My dad was in the hospital. Some of you know that he's been fighting prostate cancer (which has gone into his bones) for the past few years. They changed his pain medication the previous week and suddenly he wasn't coherent and could barely walk. The medicine overwhelmed his one good kidney and dehydrated him. He's home now, very weak. We're grateful a crisis was averted but we know how serious the situation is. If you think of it, please pray for my folks as they may have to make a decision in the coming weeks about dialysis.

1,000 years ago (or so it seems some days), I taught school. One time I was having a discussion with a parent about her child's behavior (never a good thing), and she said, "Well, what am I supposed to do? At dinner, the kids throw food at each other." Believe me, I could very well see this child throwing food at his sister and smiling with glee over it. He was out of control.

Well, I've turned into that parent. Believe me, I'm not proud of that. My newest child (a 4 month old labradoodle) is out of control. I did finally learn what will stop her (sometimes). I put coins in a container and shake it when is misbehaving. It works. Most of the time. But yesterday, nothing seemed to work. She was in one of those wild, crazy modes. And it was too cold and damp to take her for a walk. She was running circles through the house. I was sitting at my desk (which looks across the foyer and into the dining room) when she launched herself at the dining room table. And yes, in less time than it takes to blink, she was standing on my dining room table.

Now, this isn't my first puppy. She's my 4th to raise. Two of my puppies were small, but I've also raised a lab. But I've never seen a dog able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. It must be those long poodle legs.

So, there you have it. My confession for the week. It isn't pretty. I'm trying to corral this beast, but if you have any suggestions ... I'm listening!

It's for book trailers! And it's a lot of fun, so check it out. Especially because Lookin' Back, Texas is reviewed today!

http://booktrailerpark.blogspot.com

Boy, I hear that a lot lately. There's a tax break, and someone wants to know, "What's in it for me?" Your mother said, "Do your chores," but you asked, "What's in it for me?" Have you ever asked yourself, "What's in it for me?" concerning my e-newsletter?

Of course you have! So I made a list to help you out:

1. You want all the secret scoop on my books.

Not good enough? Okay, well try this one:

2. You're obsessed with this quirky writer from Texas.

Yeah, I wouldn't join either. So how about:

3. Contests!

4. Winners!

5. Fun!

Each month, I'm giving away books, either one of mine or a book I enjoyed reading. Each time I have a book coming out (and I have one coming out in April!), I run contests, giving away a copy of my book and also fun items that relate. My upcoming release is Ruby's Slippers, so just imagine the fun we're going to have with Wizard of Oz trivia. So, if you haven't joined my e-newsletter, do so today! Before it's too late. Before you miss out. Because there's something in it for YOU!

www.leannaellis.com

Many have been anticipating this inauguration day for a long time. And many are dreading it. Our country is torn in half. Which makes me incredibly sad. But yesterday as I was sharing with my children about inauguration day, preparing them for probably the first one they will remember (they've witnessed several via television but were too young to pay attention or care), they asked me about the first president I watched sworn into office. So I began to think and my first recollection was Jimmy Carter. But there's a memory before that ... a different type of inauguration day ... it was the summer I was ten. My family was in Colorado on vacation, and all the adults at the YMCA Camp of the Rockies were suddenly swarming around the only television in the camp. President Nixon was giving his speech from the Oval Office, resigning. Gerald Ford then took the oath and became President of the United States. Not under the best circumstances.

I'm not sure that's a great memory for my first inauguration. But that's how it is.

But I have many memories after that ... of Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter walking down Pennsylvania Avenue. Wasn't he wearing a blue sweater? I can't forget Ronald Reagan taking the oath with Nancy at his side. Then, George Bush, and Barbara telling the press corps before the big balls, "This is as good as it gets." I just love her. Then, of course, the Clinton years. And, George W. Bush, with his gracious wife, Laura.

It's that graciousness that I'm thinking about today, how many rotten things have been said about our current president, and yet in spite of it all, the Bush family has been gracious hosts to the Obamas. And it will be so today. We live in a country where there is a peaceful transfer of power every four years. What a blessing. I am praying for our new president and his family, for their safety, for wisdom and discernment. I am praying for our country.

And welcome back to Texas, George W. and Laura Bush. If I see you in Dallas, I will be proud to thank you for the work you have done to keep our country safe. And to the Obamas, may you stand guard in the White House with the same determination as your predesessor.

So, what are you thinking about today? What is the first inauguration that you remember?

If you haven't seen the trailer for Ruby's Slippers, I hope you'll check it out:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cySRAfOdWaI

Let me know what you think!

Have you had one those? Or twelve hundred? I seem to be having over my quota this week. On Monday, our garage door broke. The big spring that lifts the door snapped in two. My husband was growling. He couldn't get to work. I had to call someone in our neck of the woods who goes to the same school (30 minutes away) and see if they could take my kids. Then rush, rush, rush to find someone to fix the door, so we could get our cars out!

The rest of the week has been craziness with all these home projects we're doing. The reupholstered chairs are supposed to be coming. My cat needs to go to the vet for maybe a UTI. Ugh. And ka-ching! The painters are coming on Monday and I couldn't decide on a paint color for the kitchen. More rushing to and from the paint store.

Deep breathing exercises would be good about now. Anyone else have those days?

A book club from Michigan contacted me recently to set up a time when they could ask me questions about my book, Elvis Takes a Back Seat. It was a lot of fun talking to these ladies who were all retired teachers. Love teachers! Anyway, it was interesting hearing their insightful questions about my characters and discussing the writing process. I've really enjoyed speaking to book clubs during the last year. I think I learn more than they do! Anyway, if you have a book club and want to discuss one of my books with me, via telephone or in person, please contact me and we'll try to work something out.

My son was five when he took his first fencing lesson. He left the club with a huge smile on his face. When we climbed into the car, I said, "How'd you like it?" He said, "Mommy, I'm living my dream." Wow. That we could all say that, right?

It's almost 6 years since that day, and my son loves fencing just as much as he did then. He works hard at it. His coach would tell you that he always gives 110% to every practice. He is usually the last one to quit fencing. Often I have to say, "It's time to go." Has he won every tournament? Nope. But he has won some medals. But those tournaments are few and far between. When my son started fencing, he fenced once a week. He didn't even own any equipment for two years. Finally, when it was obvious that he was serious, we bought the equipment he needed. Eventually, he began fencing twice a week and now he fences three times a week. He is quite serious about it. But the joy of living his dream has never left.

It makes me wonder about myself. I too am living my dream. I'm a writer. And I love to write. I'm so blessed to be contracted, especially in these difficult economic times. But do I give 110% every time I sit down to write? I'm not so sure about that. Some days, I'll admit, I just want to punch out my page count and call it a day. Some days, I groan on my way to the computer. Oh, feeling very convicted. I let the day-to-day drag me down into the mire of doubt. I let the business side irritate me. But it's my attitude. It's my heart that needs changing, not the circumstances. I need to find the joy in the day-to-day grind of living my dream. I need to find joy in finding the right word, in putting my characters in danger, in completing even one sentence. There is joy to be found if I'm willing to look and see.

How many of you are living your dream? How many of you are still searching? Or still waiting for that day to arrive? May I encourage you to start living your dream today.

This is the time, right before a book comes out (April in Ruby's Slippers case) that makes me somewhat nervous. Reviews start filtering in. I never know what day I'll get one. But this one arrived yesterday and made my day. This book was the hardest I've ever written, so knowing that it worked well was such a relief.


Ruby's Slippers by Leanna Ellis is a haunting story of a woman's quest to know her earthly father and in doing so discovers her Heavenly Father. Dottie Meyers has lived her entire life on the same small Kansas farm where her mother and grandmother were born. Her sister Abigail fled their small town for the bright lights of Hollywood and only returns to the farm when she wants something. So Dottie isn't completely surprised to find Abby searching through their mother's things during one of her visits and then leave without a word the following morning. She doesn't have time to consider the mystery, because a tornado whips through the farm destroying everything and leaving Dottie in a three month long coma. When she wakes up, she sees things in surprisingly bright colors, starts humming songs she can't remember the names to, and finds a pair of ruby slippers by her bed that were left by her long-lost father. Dottie takes the slippers and goes on a quest to find him and to discover why he abandoned their family over thirty years ago. On the way, she picks up three friends with journeys of their own. Ellis very cleverly plays on the conceit of the title. The slippers are supposedly from The Wizard of Oz, and several themes from the movie are used throughout the book, including Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. I found myself looking for specific plot elements from the movie and was completely delighted with how Ellis used some of them and twisted others making them all her own. The book never becomes a parody or silly; Ellis handles the similarities carefully to please fans of the movie without annoying anyone who isn't. While Dottie doesn't exactly discover there's no place like home, she learns what the word really means. I loved how Ellis writing reflects whatever Dottie is going through, from the no-nonsense style in Kansas to almost dreamlike when she first wakes up to clarity as Dottie makes personal discoveries. This powerful novel brought a smile to my face.

Christy
www.christysbookblog.com

Happy New Year! Today is filled with yummy desserts and fattening dips that I will regret tomorrow when I begin working out again. Recently I've been sharing some recipes with those on my newsletter list and I have received so many emails thanking me for the sweet potato casserole that my family eats every Thanksgiving and for the peanut butter fudge recipe that I fix every Christmas for my family. The first year I made the peanut butter fudge, my son and husband ate 5 batches! So if you'd like some updates on my books and just life in general and possibly some yummy recipes and the possibility to win a free book, then go to my website www.leannaellis.com and join my newsletter.

I hope the New Year brings you and yours many blessings!