Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Or maybe Dutch?

Just wanted to share a very exciting thing that appeared on my doorstep yesterday.

If you'll take a look at the cover on the right, you might notice that it's the cover for Ransomed Dreams. But this isn't a misprinted copy.

It's in Dutch!

My family and I thought it was German the first time we read the cover, but a nifty certificate accompanying these cool new books says that Gospel Literature International and Multnomah present this new edition of Ransomed Dreams in Dutch.

I'm so excited and honored that Ransomed Dreams is now reaching another language!

And I was able to share this fun news and enjoy my very first TV interview on Family Net's Mornings show today! Thanks so much for your prayers!!! God was there and I had a blast.

If you check out this Family Net link in the upcoming week, you should be able to see the audio and video of the interview.

Not only did I have a great time, but my awesome hubby put in a special guest appearance. It was super wonderful to share this exciting time with him.

When you check out the video, would you let me know what you think? Being my first time on TV, I'm sure some of you great folks have a few pointers and tips for how to improve. I'd really appreciate them!

Thank you again for your prayers!

Abundant grace and lots of heart chocolate joy from me to you!

Hot Chocolate

Here's a story I hope will warm you inside out and all the way from your toes to your heart...

Hot Chocolate

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.

Offering his guests some refreshment, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said, "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

"The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate.

"In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups. And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

"Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate. Your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define the quality of life you have. But sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us.

"God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have."

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

And enjoy your hot chocolate.

Reluctant Smuggler

Ready for another great read? Here's a recommendation especially for romantic suspense fans: Jill Elizabeth Nelson's third To Catch a Thief novel, Reluctant Smuggler.

If you've followed Desi and Tony's story of art , antiquities, and great FBI action like I have, then this book will capture your heart as well. Full of toe-curling romance and a fascinating FBI story, Reluctant Smuggler is sure to please.

Story summary:

Looting of archaeological sites is big business in a thriving art and antiquities black market. When a desperate foreign government hires Desiree Jacobs’s security company to stop the hemorrhage, she runs afoul of a deadly art-for-drugs operation. Tony Lucano risks his rising career in the FBI to dive into the international underworld after her. Before either of them can come up for air, they must navigate through a deepening murk of ruthless looters, hair-trigger DEA agents, crooked government agents, and innocent bystanders caught up in an illegal trade beyond their understanding. Even if a miracle delivers Desi and Tony from evil, will their love survive the test?

Complete with a reader’s guide, this third book in the To Catch a Thief series explores the power of hope in the darkest of circumstances.

Author Bio:

Jill Elizabeth Nelson graduated with a degree in literature and creative writing from Southwest State University in Marshall, Minnesota. She served for three years as the senior inspirational reviewer for Romantic Times BOOKclub magazine and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Christian Writers Group, and Christian Authors Network. In 2004, she served as a Christy Award judge in the romance category. Nelson and her husband have four children and live in Madison, Minnesota.

Something new

I'm giving a shout out today to my incredibly talented hubby for an amazing website design, and sharing this very cool site for Family Net. This cable TV and radio network has a new look for their place on the web where you can find information about fun and informative live programming and classic family-values entertainment.

Please check out the awesome Family Net website! And be sure to look for the station in your area~ especially this coming Wednesday at 8 AM! I'll be doing my first live TV interview for the Mornings show and I'm super excited. I'd love to know some friendly faces are watching!

What kind of writer are you?

Just about everyone has a story in them. What type do you have inside?

You Should Be a Film Writer

You don't just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind. You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life. Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling. And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

Getting to know you

Well, it's the middle of January and I have little deep and philosophical to say, so I thought I'd share some quizzes that I enjoyed.

So jump into the fun and find out a little more about yourself. ;-)

You Are a Banana Split

Fruity, flavorful, and diverse. Who can beat a true superstar?

What Kind of Sundae Are You?

Here's a very important quiz to take! ;-)

You are Milk Chocolate

A total dreamer, you spend most of your time with your head in the clouds. You often think of the future, and you are always working toward your ideal life. Also nostalgic, you rarely forget a meaningful moment... even those from long ago.

What Kind of Chocolate Are You?

Happily Even After

Mary is my awesome mentor who has taught me to bleed into my work all that God has done in my heart. She's also a mom I admire and a beloved friend. I'm excited to share with you a great book, the third in the Sassy Sistahood Series: Happily Even After.

One thing I will say of Mary's characters, when they pray I'm in the presence of the Lord, feeling Him at work in my heart. Not only that, Mary's writing is beautiful, funny, and full of heart and soul.

Do your heart, mind, and spirit a favor and pick up a Marilynn Griffith novel today!

Happily Even After (#3 - Sassy Sistahood Series) by Marilynn Griffith

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Happily Even After (#3 - Sassy Sistahood Series)
(Steeple Hill January 1, 2008)
by
Marilynn Griffith

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marilynn Griffith is mom to a tribe, wife to a deacon and proof that God gives second chances. While best known for her colorful novels about friendship, family and faith, Marilynn is also a speaker and nonfiction writer.

Her nonfiction has been included in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE CHRISTIAN WOMAN'S SOUL and several other devotionals and magazines. Currently, Marilynn is editor of the SISTAHFAITH:BELIEVING BEYOND SHAME anthology. She is also the founder of Faithchick.com, a blog for faith fiction readers.

Marilynn is the author of six novels dealing with issues such as teen pregnancy, AIDS, abstinence, stress relief, single parenting and marriage. Her recent fiction titles include TANGERINE and IF THE SHOE FITS.

Marilynn has served as Vice President and Publicity Officer of American Christian Fiction Writers. She speaks to youth, women and writers about believing beyond boundaries and daring to reach dreams.

Marilynn lives in Florida with her husband and seven children whom she taught at home for seven years. When not chasing toddlers, helping with homework or trying to find her husband a clean shirt, she can be found scribbling furiously on her next novel.

To book Marilynn for media interviews, speaking engagements, Serious Fun fiction parties or book club call-ins, please contact her thru her WEBSITE.

ABOUT THE BOOKS:

Superwoman doesn't live here!

I marry a gorgeous executive, have a baby, lose all the weight (most of it), and move to a fine house in the suburbs with a welcoming new church. Wait...did I say welcoming?

One teeny waaah! and new mothers and their crying babies are exiled to a separate room. At least there's some enlightening conversation. Like about my husband and issues I didn't even know about!

And then there's my aptly named mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, who can't stand me.

I'm about to lose my mind! So it's high time for a visit to the Sassy Sistahood for some much-needed advice about men, marriage and motherhood!

The Sassy Sistahood: They get by with a little help from their friends.

What kind of coffee are you?

Since coffee and chocolate are the mainstays of a writer's life, I thought this was a pretty cool quiz...

Let me know what kind of coffee you are in the comments!

You Are a Cappuccino

You're fun, outgoing, and you love to try anything new. However, you tend to have strong opinions on what you like. You are a total girly girly at heart - and prefer your coffee with good conversation. You're the type that seems complex to outsiders, but in reality, you are easy to please

What Kind of Coffee Girl Are You?

Best of 2007?

There's been tons of lists for folk's favorites of 2007. I was thrilled to be among a few of those lists for favorite books.

But today my awesome agent passed on a link I hope you all will check out. It's the ChristianMusicPlanet.com's link for their first CMP Fan Awards. It includes four BOOK categories -- FICTION author/book, and NON-FICTION author/book.

So if you have a favorite book of 2007 (It'd be super awesome if Ransomed Dreams comes to mind as you fill out your CMP Fan Award ballot.) stop by http://tinyurl.com/2sa9e4 and cast your vote.