Happy Birthday Elvis Book Giveaway!

A lot of you know that I love Elvis. I have since I was a little girl and my grandma used to play his records on her record player. I'd sit in the floor next to the speakers and be lulled to sleep by his smooth voice.

When I decided to write a book series set in Memphis, I HAD to tie Elvis in somehow:

In All Shook Up, the main character works at Graceland. The characters even run in the Elvis Week 5K that I run each year!

In Can't Help Falling in Love, one of the characters has some interesting Elvis memorabilia.

Such fun to put a little Elvis into those books!

And since today would've been his birthday, I'll celebrate by giving away a set of books to one lucky winner!

To enter, just leave a comment telling me your favorite Elvis song/movie/story and be sure to leave your email address. I'll choose a winner on FRIDAY, JANUARY 11.

Release Day for Rainbow's End

My newest release is in stores and available online now--including on Kindle and Nook!

Rainbow's End is a fun collection written by four authors (Valerie Comer, Cara Putman, Nicole O'Dell and me) and centers around the Rainbow's End Treasure Hunt, a geocaching hunt that lasts for two months near Missouri's beautiful Lake of the Ozarks. The book contains four stories that run concurrently. Very fun!

Here's the back copy:

It's always an interesting group of strangers who show up for the annual Rainbow's Ed geocache hunt, and the spectacular scenery along the bluffs of the Lake of the Ozarks is just one reason...

Lyssa, hoping she can get over her fears and point folks to the treasure found in Jesus, is startled to find her former college professor among the group. Will he upset her mission?

City girl Madison is annoyed that her sister signed her up and then bailed--but now she's been paired with a complete stranger! Worse, he's one of those outdoorsy types.

Reagan has always played it safe, doing everything by the book. And then she meets her brother's frat brother, a guy who's got his life mapped out, too.

After winning her life-long battle to get fit, Hadley can't wait to meet people who didn't know her "before." But Brad is that species of guy she has no experience with: a player.

God only knows if this adventure in the woods will lead to heartache...or love.

My story in the collection is Beneath the Surface:

When Madison Wallace’s sister signs the two of them up to participate in the Rainbow’s End Treasure Hunt, Madison is less than thrilled. She isn’t the most outdoorsy girl in the world, so spending two months traipsing around the Ozarks isn’t her idea of fun. Especially when her sister has to back out at the last minute. Grant Simmons loves the outdoors. He jumps at the chance to participate in the treasure hunt with his grandfather, but when the elderly man’s health takes a turn for the worse, Grant is without a partner. When Madison and Grant find themselves teamed up for the treasure hunt, their differences quickly rise to the surface. Will Madison be able to break through Grant’s walls and get him to open up? Can Grant look past Madison’s polished exterior to see that beneath the surface is a heart of gold? If these polar opposites can find common ground, they might find a love worth treasuring.

To celebrate the release of Rainbow's End, my co-authors and I are over on Seekerville today talking about the process of writing the collection as well as giving away some copies! Hope you'll stop by and check it out!

Celebrating Fun Contract News!

I know, I know. My blog skills stink.

Never mind that one of my New Year's resolutions was to blog regularly. Like three times a week. And here it is, nearly mid-March and I've posted ONCE in 2011.

That Beck song just jumped into my head. (I'm a loser, baby...)

But I'm not really a loser. I've been busy. Very busy. Super busy. Unbelievably busy.

Excuses, right?

To make up for my lack of blog posts, I want to share a bit of FANTASTIC news. So fantastic that I feel the need to use all caps, which is the typing equivalent of shouting from the rooftop.

I've signed a few new book contracts over the past few months. And while a few people know about them, I haven't really made an "official" announcement.

Until now.

So here goes:

Love Finds You in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania will be releasing in just a few short months (July) from Summerside Press! (remember when I said I was very busy, super busy...well, I've been busy writing this book!)

For those of you who read Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio, you will (hopefully) be thrilled to know that we get to peek in on how Emma and Abby are doing today. And even better, Love Finds You in Lancaster County, PA, revolves around Lydia Ann--you might remember her as being Emma and Abby's widowed cousin. Here's a blurb:

Starting over in Lancaster, Amish-born Lydia Ann soon finds a second chance at love with woodworker Simon Zook. But will his secret cause her even more heartbreak? And when her friend---Southern belle Caroline---starts a low-key romance with reporter Michael Landis, the paparazzi suddenly start stalking her again. Is he to blame?

All Shook Up, the first in a three book Heartsong series is (I believe) scheduled to release in January 2012. I'm SO excited about this series because it is set in Memphis! Here's a blurb:

Wedding planner and Memphis native Suzanne Simpson finds love with writer Nick Taggert after a chance meeting during Elvis Week at Graceland. But Suzanne’s past mistakes and Nick’s penchant for keeping secrets may prove to be more than their relationship can withstand.

A Wedding to Remember in Charleston, South Carolina part of a new line from Barbour, will release in February 2012. And if you read Love is Grand and remember the elderly sisters, Mary and Mavis, you'll be happy to know they make a guest appearance in this book! I loved them so much I just had to include them. Here's a blurb:

An estranged couple, an impending hurricane, and a motley crew of stranded tourists come together for a wedding like no other.

Summer Nelson’s life is spinning out of control. She and her husband, Luke, have been separated for three months—and as far as she can tell, there’s no hope of reconciliation. Summer feels like a complete failure. To make matters even worse, her once-successful wedding planning business is on the verge of going under—thanks to an overactive hurricane season.

Luke Nelson has always been taught that history repeats itself, so he isn’t surprised that his marriage is on the rocks. After all, he’s no different than the other men in his family—and successful relationships have always eluded the Nelson men. Luke knows that walking out on Summer was the biggest mistake of his life—but he has no idea how to fix it.

As a hurricane churns toward them, Summer and Luke find themselves trapped together at the location of one of Summer’s weddings. Can they reconcile their differences and come through the storm a strengthened couple? Or will the stress of a crisis further tear them apart?

Rainbow's End, a novella anthology I'm doing with Valerie Comer, Nicole O'Dell, and Cara Putman that should be out sometime next Spring. I'm so excited about working on this one!

Treasure seekers unite at the Rainbow's End geocache hunt along Lake of the Ozarks, but some soon discover more challenges than they expected. Can Lyssa discover life and love exist even in the midst of ministry? Can Hadley let go of her insecurities and raise her expectations? Can Reagan step out of her comfort zone, making life-changing decisions on her own? Can Madison let down her guard and learn to listen to her heart? Join them as they seek to uncover life's true treasures.

Beneath the Surface (my story in the anthology)--When Madison Wallace’s sister signs the two of them up to participate in the Rainbow’s End Treasure Hunt, Madison is less than thrilled. She isn’t the most outdoorsy girl in the world, so spending two months traipsing around the Ozarks isn’t her idea of fun. Especially when her sister has to back out at the last minute. Grant Simmons loves the outdoors. He jumps at the chance to participate in the treasure hunt with his grandfather, but when the elderly man’s health takes a turn for the worse, Grant is without a partner. When Madison and Grant find themselves teamed up for the treasure hunt, their differences quickly rise to the surface. Will Madison be able to break through Grant’s walls and get him to open up? Can Grant look past Madison’s polished exterior to see that beneath the surface is a heart of gold? If these polar opposites can find common ground, they might find a love worth treasuring.

Well...what do you think? Do any of those sound like books that will go in your "to read" pile? I hope so! I'll be talking about each of these projects more individually--especially when I get to share the covers with you!

Love is Grand has officially released!

The "official" release day for Love is Grand was Friday, October 1! I'm SO excited for this book to reach the hands of readers. When my last book released, I shared with you that a book release is like a first date...and I still feel that way! I'm always so nervous when my book starts shipping--and when I see it on the shelf for the first time, it makes me want to do the Snoopy Dance right there in the aisle. :) 

And I'm thrilled to say that Romantic Times gave Love is Grand 4 stars! (out of 4 1/2 stars) I love what they had to say about it:

Daughety has created a story full of strong characters, incredible visuals and a well-plotted storyline mixed with humor, friendship and biblical truths. The love triangle creates a twist to the romance; real moments make the characters feel like people you already know.

For those of you who haven't read the first 2 books in the series yet...don't worry! These books stand alone so you won't feel lost if you read this one first.

I'm going to have some fun giveaways and contests on here very soon...so keep checking back! And in the meantime, click here to read a preview of Love is Grand--and consider ordering your own copy! :)

ACFW Conference Recap

I was in Indianapolis recently for the American Christian Fiction Writer's Conference. Such a great time visiting with fellow writers and meeting with editors and agents. This was my 4th year to attend and I honestly think it gets better each year.

Highlights from Indy:

1. Visiting with friends I only get to see in person once a year. My editors are in this number. Emails and phone calls are great--but visiting face-to-face can't be beat!

2. Being surrounded by people who understand how it feels to have a story inside, wanting out! These people get it! They know the madness of writing around the clock, the friendship of a character, and the way turning in a finished manuscript before your deadline (okay, at midnight on the day of your deadline...) makes you feel a thousand pounds lighter.



with fabulous author and friend Rachel Hauck

3. This year is the first year I've had multiple books out. And the first year I've had the honor of having budding writers ask me for advice--or tell me they read (and liked) one of my books!

4. Having my love of writing renewed. I walked out of a couple of sessions with a fire to write. After a year of deadlines and uncertainty, it was nice to feel that "this is what I'm supposed to be doing" feeling wash over me.

5. Not writing related, but I found a crazy-amazing bargain at the mall that was attached to my hotel. I hadn't intended to wear a "fancy" dress to the awards banquet. I've worn formals in the past. But this year, I was just going to wear a plain old dress. Nothing special. But as I wandered through the mall, I went to a department store that I'd never heard of. And in the back of the store, there was a rack marked "85% off the sale price." So, bargain hunter that I am, I flipped through the rack. Believe me there was a REASON that stuff was on the rack! But then...I came across the most beautiful dress. A formal. Slate blue. In MY size. You can guess the rest. Now normally I think telling how much stuff costs is tacky...but believe me when I say that my sharing this with the world is just me bragging about my savvy shopping. The dress--tax and all--was $19. Amazing.



Me and my bargain rack dress!

And as with anything, there were also some lowlights....(is that even a word?) Some of these I'm not particularly proud of, but in the spirit of sharing, I am going to tell them anyway...

1.   People kept asking me if they could buy my books in the bookstore. Sadly, I was the loser who missed the deadline for filling out the required paperwork to get my books in there.

2. At dinner the opening night of the conference, I found myself seated at a table with the keynote speaker, Tim Downs, as well as the president of ACFW, one of my editors, and several authors. I had a great time chatting and talking to all of them. Until I got back to my room to see that there was something stuck in my front teeth. Classy. I think it was asparagus--which we seriously had at every meal...

3. I admit that I missed breakfast all but 1 day. It is SO early. I'm not in a networking mode at 7 a.m. (6 a.m. Memphis time).

4. I also admit that I had my iPhone set to send me ESPN alerts during the Arkansas/Georgia game. And when Georgia tied the game with 2 minutes left...I left the session I was in and went to my room to watch. Judge me all you want to...but honestly by that point in the day my brain was fried anyway. And Arkansas won...

5. To show you just how fried my brain was...the following afternoon, I taped an interview with Christian Retailing. Where I was asked what 3 books--besides The Bible--that I would recommend everyone should read. My choices: Gone with the Wind, What a Girl Wants, and Eat, Pray, Love. Now, I'm not sure what everyone else said. But in hindsight, I'm betting their choices were probably things by Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, Max Lucado, or Beth Moore. Clearly, I'm all about girly books. But you know, I wouldn't change my answer even if I could. Because those are 3 books I love and that I can read over and over.

Overall, it was an awesome week. Full of friends, old and new. And although all the sessions left me with information overload, they left me excited. I'm ready to get to work on my next book...okay, books! :)



Home of the Colts!



Dedicated to the One I Love...

I'm working on final edits for my October release, Love is Grand. I know some authors don't enjoy edits, but I do. This is my final chance to make sure I have chosen the right words to tell my story.

And I love this story. For those of you who've read the other books in the Walk in the Park series, you're familiar with Ainsley and everything she's gone through. Here's the tentative back cover copy:

Ainsley Davis had it all. . .

. . .a job she loved

. . .a husband she adored

. . .a baby on the way

But after her husband’s unexpected death, she left her job and retreated to the safety of her parents’ home. Two years later, Ainsley is still there, raising the baby alone and envisioning danger around every corner. When her position as a park ranger at the Grand Canyon reopens, she realizes God may be trying to tell her to return—if she can face the fears that hold her captive.

Fellow ranger Dustin Cooper is thrilled to have his old friend back. But Ainsley isn’t the fearless girl he remembers. Even so, Dustin pushes her to put her trust in God and jump back into her life.

Policeman Jake McGuire fled to the Grand Canyon after an on-the-job mistake. He’s determined to live a stress-free, anonymous life. Until he meets Ainsley. Suddenly he realizes he’d like to be a hero again—if only in her eyes.

Can Ainsley regain her zest for life—despite the risks—and find the right man to walk alongside her? If so, she may be surprised to find that even the second time around, Love is Grand.

Well? What do you think? Sound like a book you want to read? I hope so!

In addition to edits, it's also time to pen the dedication. I find dedicating the book to be very difficult. I read somewhere that a book dedication was kind of like a tattoo--once it was inked, there was no turning back.

So far, I've dedicated books to both of my parents, both sets of grandparents and three of my best friends. I have a couple more days to settle on the dedication for Love is Grand. I have an idea for the dedication, but I'm not sure yet.

How about you? If you wrote a book, who would you dedicate it to?

Love is Monumental has officially released!!

Discover how the Washington Monument attracts more than tourists when a shy park ranger serves as guide to a handsome professor. Love is Monumental is the second installment in the Walk in the Park series.

The official release date of Love is Monumental was May 1, but with all the tornadoes/floods/etc., I'm just now posting about it!

I'm so excited for this book to get into the hands of readers--I love the characters, flaws and all! So far, the book is getting a good response from reviewers too!

I'm hopeful that readers will enjoy a little glimpse at Washington DC and all the monuments along the National Mall. It was fun to pick out interesting bits of information about some of them to include.

I'm scheduled to do a few blog interviews/giveaways over the next few weeks, and one of the questions I often get is about the characters--who would play them if the book were ever (dare to dream) made into a movie.

So here's a sneak peek at my choices for the main characters:

First, park ranger Vickie Harris. Vickie is always well put together. She's a bit of an over-achiever and the epitome of a perfectionist. Her quest for perfection causes trouble in her personal life--because no one can ever live up to her expectations. Despite being a park ranger, Vickie is not very outdoorsy--and knows nothing about sports! She loves fashion and has an affinity for 80's movies. We meet Vickie on the cusp of her thirtieth birthday--an age she's always dreaded. I think Ginnifer Goodwin would be perfect to play Vickie.

Dr. Thatcher Torrey, a college history professor, is in his late thirties. He is a classic workaholic--never giving any thought to his personal life--or lack thereof. Thatcher is content to focus on his classes and spend his weekends tucked away at his fishing cabin. He'd rather be outdoors than anywhere else. Thatcher despises technology--he doesn't own a cell phone and thinks social networking is the downfall of society. His past is a bit of a mystery, but let's just say he's been hurt one too many times and is determined not to let himself become attached to anyone ever again. I'd cast Noah Wyle for the role of Thatcher. I think he can pull off the right mixture of studious and masculine.

Finally, Katherine Wyatt is the third point-of-view character. I suspect the addition of Katherine's point of view will be a surprise to most readers, as they will wonder how Katherine's story connects with the main storyline. Rest assured that she is an important character. Twenty-year-old Katherine deals with her mother's terminal illness for much of the book. She's seeking her place in the world with the unsettling knowledge that soon she'll be facing life alone. I struggled with the right actress to portray Katherine and finally settled on Miley Cyrus.

So there you have it! My cast of characters for Love is Monumental. If you've read the book, I'd love to hear your thoughts on who you would cast! And if you haven't read the book, you can purchase a copy here! (shameless plug, I know, but a writer has to eat...and pay rent...ha!)

I'm Giving Away a Copy of Love is a Battlefield!

The Battle of Shiloh took place on April 6-7, 1862. In honor of the 148th anniversary of the battle, I'm giving away a copy of Love is a Battlefield! As most of you know, Love is a Battlefield is set at Shiloh National Military Park and was inspired by the time I spent as a ranger at Shiloh.

If you've never visited Shiloh National Military Park, this weekend would be a great time to visit! There will be living history demonstrations all weekend, which are always really interesting to see. Visit their website for more information.

If you haven't had the chance to read Love is a Battlefield or you have a friend who you think would like a copy, answer the following question between now and midnight Friday for the chance to win a copy:

If you could visit any National Park this summer, which one would it be?

As for me--I can narrow it down to three! If I could visit any National Park this summer, it would be either Yellowstone, Gettysburg, or Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty.

Can't wait to hear where you'd like to visit! Just leave your answer in the comments and I'll randomly select a winner on Saturday!

Love is a Battlefield Has Arrived!

Okay, I am the world's worst blogger! But I have the best intentions!

Two weeks ago, on October 1, Love is a Battlefield officially hit the shelves!! It is the first book in my Walk in the Park series. Each book will be set in a different National Park. (Coincidentally, the Ken Burns National Park series premiered the same week Battlefield released...and I am hoping everyone has a renewed interest in National Parks!)

Things have been a bit of a whirlwind lately--I went to ACFW Conference last month in Denver. Fantastic time! In fact, that was the first time I'd officially seen Love is a Battlefield in real book form! My editor, Becky Germany, held up a copy on Thursday night in front of the entire room full of conference attendees. I thought I was going to bounce out of my seat! I was so excited to hold that book--it was seriously years in the making. The next night, Barbour passed out copies of Battlefield at the author reception, which then turned into an impromptu book signing. Very cool.

Photos below are me right after I got the book for the first time and then signing at the author reception:

Denver was really fun. I even met Ted Dekker (who gave me advice about writing: once you've turned in a project, stop thinking about it and look ahead to the next one...don't look back.)

Here we are, and I'm still holding Love is a Battlefield like a trophy! haha

And now, Battlefield has been out for two weeks. Hard to believe! I'm learning that once the book releases, the hard part begins! You see, I love this book. I want you to love this book. I want your grandmother and your mailman and your slightly annoying co-worker to love this book. But I realize that everyone isn't going to. And that's kind of hard. :) But I am dealing.

The song of the day...could it really be anything else??

Love is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar

First Book Signing!

There's just something about "home" isn't there?

I did my very first book signing Sunday afternoon in my hometown. The ladies at the Woodruff County Monitor hosted the event at the local newspaper office, and I was really touched at how many people came.

I had lots of family there, which was cool. And several people from my mom's church. Some high school friends and former teachers. Lots of people who have known me since I was a baby. It was really neat. In all, I signed nearly 60 books!

I tried to explain it to someone later and this is the best I could come up with: (and Carrie Bradshaw made this same point once, so I know I'm not crazy--haha)

I'm not married (yet) nor have I had children (yet) nor do I own a home (yet). So I've not had a wedding shower/wedding/baby shower/house warming. And you know, after you graduate from high school, if you remain single and childless, there aren't many celebrations for you. Sure, there's the occasional birthday get together, but not anything major.

So it was a little weird for me to be the center of attention. Each time I'd look around and realize all those people were there to celebrate me I was really shocked. And happy. It was nice to feel so loved.

I have to thank everyone who stopped in and encouraged me to keep writing and told me how proud they were of me. I can't thank all of you enough!

The song of the day is My Town by Montgomery Gentry--it has always reminded me of home.

Photos from the day:

Megan, Elvis and me:


Me and my grandmother:



Mom and me with my display of books:

Milestones

Being a writer is an odd thing sometimes. At this point in my fledgling writing career, each milestone I come to is worthy of a call to my closest friends and family members to tell them about the latest "neat" thing that's happened. I'm not sure at what point that novelty will wear off. Maybe never, so I'm hoping my family and friends will continue to clap and cheer and jump up and down with me when I need them to. :)

My biggest news right now is that I have 2 books releasing back to back--one in September (Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio) and one in October (the first in my 3 book Walk in the Park series, Love is a Battlefield)! I am beginning to get excited about the releases. I think for so long, it didn't seem real, while I was caught up in writing, deadlines, and edits. But now things are starting to pick up--I'm scheduling book signings, interviews and even have an author page on Amazon.

The other day, something happened to make it completely real. I received my first box of books. My books! I am not (too) embarrassed to say that when I pulled the first copy from the box, I literally sank to the floor and cried. I'm not an overly emotional kind of girl. But I expect that when I hold the next one in my hand, I will have a similar reaction. And possibly when I see them on the shelves at stores come September and October. I'll be the weepy girl doing the Snoopy Dance on the book aisle at your local Wal-Mart/Barnes and Noble/etc. Just fair warning. :)

One of my biggest lessons throughout the process has been finding out that writing is truly a labor of love. It's wonderful when the words are coming easily, the plot is coming together and I'm meeting my word per day goal. But then there are those days when the words don't come at all, and the deadline seems like it is creeping closer. The nights when I'm up writing and it is 2 am and I know I have to be at the office the next day (I have a full-time job, after all!). Those are the times when the love really kicks in. Otherwise it would be too tempting to walk away and claim it to be too hard.

I'm working now on Love is Monumental the second book in the Walk in the Park series. It will release next May. I'm leaving Thursday morning for a research trip to Washington DC, and plan on posting lots of blogs/pictures while I'm there, so stay tuned!

Song of the day is This Time of Year by Better than Ezra--favorite song, favorite band. Saw them in concert this past Friday night with 3 friends from college. I'm pretty sure that for a few songs we were 22 again. :)