Good-bye to a Friend

Hi and welcome back. The wind has been crazy here the past several days. Maybe best if we sit inside today. The dust will get in your eyes!

A few months ago, I promised a friend I would send her a copy of my manuscript as soon as it was finished. Since it is a western, I thought she would be a great person to preview the story before I sent it out to an agent or publisher.

Today, I received a phone call telling me my friend had passed away. My heart is heavy with sadness and regret. Barb was one of the sweetest people I ever had the pleasure to know, not to mention the most avid fan of Gunsmoke there was.

I met Barb when I went to Los Angeles in 2001 to attend Jim Arness’ book signing at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage. Barb, known as “Brooklyn” because she made her home in Brooklyn, New York, and her unmistakable accent broadcast it to everyone, was probably the most excited of all of us. She had been sending Jim fan letters and special items, some of them hand-made, for years. I remember her telling us “I hound the man constantly!”

Brooklyn developed cancer a few years back, and when Jim Arness heard about it, he called her personally to wish her well with her treatments. She was so thrilled that she called all of her Gunsmoke buds to tell us about that phone call.

The second time Brooklyn had a bout with cancer, she asked us to send her a hat or cap that she could wear during her treatments. That way, she would be reminded of her Gunsmoke buds. I sent her one of my 1980 Winter Olympic caps, very fitting since the Olympics were held in Lake Placid, New York that year.

Brooklyn sent me cards and notes about three or four times a year, on my birthday, Easter, Christmas, and they always had a Gunsmoke or western picture on the front. I treasure the photos she sent me of her Gunsmoke room, which contained hundreds of items of Gunsmoke and James Arness memorabilia.

I will miss Brooklyn so much. Every time I sit down to watch Gunsmoke, I will remember her. And, yes, I will finish that novel. I’m writing it for all those out there who are just like Brooklyn, who love westerns!

Jim Arness celebrated his 85th birthday on May 26th. Go to www.bkjackson.blogspot.com. Arizona Inspirations has a great tribute to him and Gunsmoke.

Contest Announcement

Everyone loves to win something in a contest, right? If you're a reader, you especially like to win a free book. So, I'm going to accomplish two goals with this contest. One is to draw folks to my web site. The other is to decrease the ever growing number of books in my house.

All of my books are dear to me. Most of my Christian fiction books have been written by friends I have come to know through my contacts at writer's conferences or through email and membership in various writer's groups. However, there is no way I can keep all of these books. If I did, my husband and I would have to move into the garage!

So, I'm going to promote my favorite authors and their wonderful stories through this contest. Some are Christian, some are secular. Be the tenth (this number will change every month) person to send me an email through my site and I will send you a list of the books I need to give away. Granted, they are not "brand new", but most of them have been read only once and remain in excellent condition. You get to choose which one you would like. You are welcome to email more than once, just like the radio contests where you have to be the sixth, ninth, or whatever, caller to win the prize. You don't need to make the message elaborate. A simple "enter me in your contest" or "hi, it's me" will suffice. However, if you wish to leave comments about the site or anything else, I'd love to hear them.

The only stipulations are that you enter the contest through the web site contact page (www.pattishene.com) and not through comments on my blog. The other thing is contact information, although if you email me through the site, I believe your email address will automatically be provided.

Good luck!

Home Again

There has been quite a change in the weather since you last visited. It’s already sixty degrees here this morning with the nineties predicted! That’s pretty warm for May. So, put on a pair of shorts and come on over for a visit.

Before I forget, let me direct you (after you read this post) to www.bkjackson.blogspot.com. My writing friend and fellow western lover, Brenda, interviewed me on her blog! Imagine someone wanting to interview me! I was quite honored. Go on over and see what I had to say in answer to her questions.

I have so much to tell you about my writer’s conference in Estes Park! I love to attend the CCWC (Colorado Christian Writer’s Conference) for a variety of reasons. Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, God’s handiwork surrounds you with a stark majesty that can’t be ignored. This year, even though we woke up to snow on Thursday morning, it warmed up before we headed to breakfast and stayed in the 70’s and 80’s for the rest of our stay. The sun shining on those snow-covered peaks is a sight to behold.

Marlene, the conference director, puts her heart and soul into this event. She provides an atmosphere of learning, encouragement, and spiritual refreshment for accomplished and aspiring writers of both fiction and non-fiction who want to get the gospel message out. Her line up of authors, agents, and editors is outstanding. I am always amazed that these people so willingly take time out from their busy lives to teach, motivate, and guide new writers along the journey to publication. Dynamic speakers at the morning worship and evening general sessions provide inspirational messages that challenge us as authors to strive for excellence in our work, sharpen our writing skills, and fulfill our mission.

It’s always wonderful to see friends from previous years and make new ones. Some people are those with whom I’ve established an email contact over the past few months, and meeting face to face for the first time is fun. There is pure joy in being surrounded by dozens of people who understand your love of your characters, share your excitement about your story idea, and pray for you to reach that goal of publication.

I was so fortunate this year to be accepted into Jim and Tracie Peterson’s unpublished fiction clinic. Jim was the first person I had a one on one appointment with at the first CCWC clinic I attended in 2003. I was a bundle of nerves, but Jim put me at ease right away. I’ll never forget (even though others have done the same since) that Jim took my hand at the end of our meeting and prayed for my writing. He and Tracie are so knowledgeable in the craft of writing and the information they share is invaluable. Tracie is the author of some 90 books ( and how long have I been working on one?) and Jim is an expert in the field of research. Then, there is their daughter Jennifer who is well on the way to making a name for herself in the publishing world. She already edits for some of the major publishing houses. The five sessions we spent with the three of them provided a writer’s gold mine of tips.

Another workshop I attended was entitled “No Pat Answers, Please!” It was very powerful and addressed the standard answers that Christians give to hurting people. Things like “it was God’s will” or “she/he’s in a better place”. “you can always have another child”. Lissa Halls Johnson and Mick Silva are two incredible teachers who have a heart for bringing healing to hurting people.

One evening, I sat in on a round table discussion about what young people are looking for in Christian fiction. There were three sophomores there, fine young adults who shared openly and honestly what they are hungering for. They challenged us as writers to deal realistically with the hard issues our young people are facing today. Our teens are in trouble, and if we don’t give them some truthful answers about life’s struggles and how to deal with them, they will be forever lost.

Despite the wonderful time I had at the conference, it’s great to be home! I miss my husband when I’m away, my daughter, my granddaughter, our two dogs and our cat, my small town, the folks in the corner convenience store, the cattle grazing in the field next to our house, my own bed. Speaking of bed…..

It’s late for me. I worked last night (11 PM to 7 AM) and had every intention of going to bed the minute I hit the front door. Then I connected with my son on messenger and we’ve been having a great discussion about the conference and about writing while I prepared this blog entry. I averaged about four hours of sleep a night while at the conference, so staying awake at work last night was tough. Guess I better go on to bed. But first....

Upcoming attraction: I’m reading “Promises, Promises”, my web designer, Tiffany Stockton’s first book. As soon as I finish it, I’ll post a review. Post a comment on my blog or get in touch through my web site contact page and you become a contestant for a free copy of the book. It’s a Heartsong Presents romance, so if I have any guy readers, this may not be your thing. Still, if you win, I’m sure a lady friend, a sister, a mom, maybe a coworker would enjoy it! Just be sure and leave me contact information so I can get in touch to let you know you won! It’s frustrating to have a contest winner and no way to contact them.

Ok, now I'm off to get some sleep. Feel free to stay and finish your coffee. Oh, man, I forgot to bring out the donuts! Here ya go! Enjoy!

WELCOME TO MY NEW HOME!

I have news. I’ve moved! My home on the web has moved, that is. Come on over to Patti’s Porch at http://www.pattishene.com/ and have a look. I’ll be waiting with a cup of coffee. Sorry, I just have the regular stuff with old-fashioned milk and sugar (or diet sweetener). My taste buds just won’t get accustomed to those fancy flavors. I’m afraid Starbucks would go out of business if they had to depend on me.

Thanks to Tiff Stockton of http://www.eagle-designs.com/ for designing and creating my site. I’ve been going to start one for the longest time, but once again, I’m ever the procrastinator. Since she is a member of my ACFW chapter here in Colorado, she nudged me to finally take the necessary steps.

The site, being new, is still in the stages of fine-tuning. Like moving into a home for the first time, I have some “new furniture” to buy, “pictures” to hang on the walls, and maybe some wallpaper to add here and there. However, thanks to Tiff, the foundation and basic structure are well in place.

I plan to add a little blurb about the three novels I have in progress, maybe a short story or poem once in a while, and more writing tips. I may even share some of the software secrets I’ve discovered about Office 2007. I had it installed on my brand new laptop. I definitely have intentions of replacing those pictures. My daughter-in-law took great photos when she and my son visited and will be sending them when she can. She’s got a full plate right now, so I don’t want to rush her. When they get here, I’ll get them posted.

These next few days, I will be attending the Colorado Christian Writer’s Conference in Estes Park. I’m very excited because I’ve been accepted into Jim and Tracie Peterson’s unpublished fiction clinic. I know I will learn a lot from the two of them.

For those of you who have not read my previous blog posts (they will also be accessible at my web site in a few days), you will find that I like to post about a little bit of everything. I like to write about my family. I enjoy doing author interviews and book reviews and hope to take my readers along with me on my own journey to publication.

So, come on over and porch sit with me for a while so we can visit. If you already know me, I’d love to see you. If you’re a stranger, come on over so we can get to know each other. Bring a sweater. It’s a little chilly and overcast on the Colorado plains today!

Homecoming

I could hardly contain myself for the excitement I was feeling last Saturday morning. It was the day my daughter-in-law’s mom and I headed to DIA to pick up my son and her daughter. They were returning home after almost a year away in New York City.

Airports are a fascinating place to me. I enjoy the roar of jet engines, the throng of excited people waiting for loved ones, the bored businessmen embarking on yet another trip, keys furiously clacking on laptops, the smells of food, the variety of tourist-snagging shops that catch the eye and lighten the wallet.

My friend and I chatted, made a couple of phone calls, and squirmed nervously, wondering if we were sitting in the right place as we waited for the kids to arrive. When a custodian came by with his mop and bucket, we inquired, only to get a strange look from him. “The passengers arrive over by the fountain,” he replied in response to our question.

Well, of course. That’s probably why there were so many people sitting over there and the chairs in the hallway where we were sitting were sparsely populated. We took seats in the front row and waited with eager anticipation as throngs of people ascended the stairs and poured out of two doors.

Would we see them first? Or would they see us? Would Jason still be sporting his goatee? Would Jaque’s hair be long or short? I pictured the shirt my son would be wearing. I was right, the black shirt with the red design.

Hugs were exchanged, a few unshed tears, and then we moved to the baggage claim. Jaque is a photography buff, so of course she had brought her camera and tripod along. All their luggage arrived except the tripod. I mentioned that it might be located in the oversized baggage area, but my son didn’t think so. Guess where we found it. Mom was right!

We hooked up with a friend of the kids’ in Denver and enjoyed a great meal at Papadeaux. Seafood. Oh yeah, my type of fare! It was delicious, but of course, way too much, so I brought home leftovers.

We didn’t get home until almost 3 AM, but I was proud that we all got up and went to church in the morning. J & J attended our pastor’s youth group when they lived here in town, so they wanted to see him and some of the young people they know form the congregation. It worked out well as there was a fellowship coffee after services.

The time is flying by much too fast. Our kids are no longer “kids”. They are adults who have faced a great deal of hardship and frustration over the past few months. They live in a poor section of the Bronx, where Jaque teaches school to a low income segment of the population. Kids who don’t care about learning, don’t have any respect for anyone, and are probably headed to jail. A good percentage of them anyway.

They had the opportunity to speak to a group of seniors at the school here in town where they graduated. The main focus of their talk was moving on, grasping opportunities, and seeking what’s out there beyond the confines of a small town. They were perfect for the assignment. Who would have thought that two young people who graduated from a school in a town of less than three thousand would move to New York City?

We went out to a place called red rocks the other day, a perfect place for Jaque to get photos of Southeastern Colorado. I hadn’t been out there in 25 years. There is a huge expanse of rock that probably trails all the way to New Mexico if a person were to follow it. We had a great time, running around on the rocks, exploring, finding interesting things, some left by nature and some by man.

Jason and Jaque left on Wednesday evening to spend a few days in Colorado Springs. They have kept in contact with former coworkers from up there and wanted to get together with them.

Prior to that, though, we drove out into the country, far enough away from light pollution to where she could take some time lapse photos of the stars. Our six-year old granddaughter went with us. She was fascinated by all the stars. “I didn’t know there were so many stars up there, mom!” she exclaimed, her eyes full of wonder.

It’s kind of neat to relate to your kids as adults. They have their opinions about politics, the environment, life in general and the world. Their experiences no longer mirror ours. Our son is certified in computer networking and avidly studying to advance even further. Jaque, after she acquires her masters in teaching, is hoping to someday own a small photography business on the side. She could probably do it, too. She is a bright young lady and her photos are awesome.

They will be back today for a few hours before we all head up to the airport early tomorrow morning. Their plane leaves at 9:10 AM, which means check-in somewhere around 7:30. We’ll be hitting the road around 3 AM.

Homecomings are fun. They stir up memories of the past and help us make new ones.

Thanks for reading my blog!