Waiting for the Release

Within days A Ranch to Call Home will be out. I am excited and hope everyone will be on the lookout for the book. This book starts a new series for me, Rodeo Heroes. Captain Brenda Kaye is the heroine in this book. She returns home after spending months in the hospital recovering from wounds caused by a suicide bomber. It's been years since she's been home and she gets there she finds an unknown cowboy, Caleb Jensen, minding the ranch. He recognizes her, but she has no idea who he is. When she asks him about her family, he tells her they are at the hospital. Thus begins "Kaye's" journey to make peace with her past.

In the coming days, I hope to share how I came to know these characters and they have some of their own opinions they want to express. Hopefully, you'll check back every few days and leave questions for the characters to answer.

It's a touchdown.

It's been one month since I had my last chemo session. Halleluiah.  I've had all the follow up tests and my doc tell me I am cancer free.  What a relief.  Looking back on the last six months, it seems like it happened to someone else.  The Lymphoma  never seemed to touch my soul.  It never became part of me.  I think the Lord shielded me during this time and was my strength. 

Now, except for going to the oncology center, I have not been anywhere since May.  I am ready to go out shopping and have lunch with friends--except now the flu is tearing through our area, making lots of folk sick and some are dying.  Well, at the tender spot I'm in, I guess I'll be in the house until March.  But I need that time to finish the book I'm working on.  Chemo brain has faded and starting Monday, I'm at the computer and working.  I've missed my characters.  The story is book 2 in my Rodeo Heroes series.

March 2014

Joel Kaye was introduced in A Ranch to Call Home.  He's finally living his dream of being on the rodeo circuit and finds life at 32 is a little different than life at 18.  What you put up with when young changes as we get older.

His sister's story, Captain Brenda Kaye is told in A Ranch to Call Home.  I hope you'll enjoy it and come back to the blog and see the characters opinions and behind the scenes comments on the book.

What is your favorite Christmas Carol?

I love Christmas music.  The old carols bring back wonderful memories.  Of course, the way they were sung when I was growing up isn't the same way they are sung today.  Progress is great, and I know there's a new generation of kids we need to appeal to, but some of us who've been listening a long time would like a couple of carols done the way they were written using the tempo the author intended.

I will say one of my favorite Christmas albums is Repeat the Sounding Joy by Phillips Craig and Dean. (1996)  Okay, it's a little old, but the songs on that album still resound with joy and glory.  The song I love the most is Come, Oh Come Emmanuel.  The song touches my heart every time I heard it.
O come, o come Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mours in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears

O come, Thou Dayspring come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to fight

Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanual
Shall come to Thee, O Israel.

O come, Though Wisdom from on high
And order all things far and  night
to us the path of knowledge show
And cause us in her ways to go.

Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanual
Shall come to Thee, O Israel.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease
And be Thyself our King of peace.

Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanual
Shall come to Thee, O Israel.

Christmas Eve 2013

Merry Christmas.  This will be the most unusual Christmas I've spent, but it will be very joyous.  I have finished all my chemo for the lymphoma, and things look good. I have to thank my wonderful doctor, and the nurses and staff of Texas Ontology in McKinney.  They have faithfully worked with me and taken blood, given chemo and never once was anyone down or less than encouraging.  They are truly angels in uniform.

Now, I'll admit, I don't feel so hot.  I'm not going to wrestle any alligators in the coming weeks, but I am looking forward to writing again.   I haven't been writing because I'm in that stage of chemo where you get 'chemo brain' and can't think too clearly.  But my editors at Love Inspired have given me extra time to finish this second book in my Rodeo Heroes series.

Unfortunately, my numbers are too low to go to Christmas dinner with my family, but my husband will bring home a plate from the dinner. We have done a smaller version of decorating. My daughter

and husband brought us small tree so my husband doesn't have to go into the attic and get the big tree.  It works and I am thankful.
And here is my new cover for my March 14 book.

The Final Stretch

On Tuesday I finished my 8th chemo, which leaves on 4 more to go.  I can see the end, for which I am grateful.  It will be nice to be able to get in my car and drive myself to the grocery store (something  I never thought I'd say) and buy groceries.  During chemo, my red and white blood cells count has been so low that I can't go out and be in public.  The last time I went out in public was May 18th.

Of course, all sorts of things come with the chemo as you go on.   Mouth sores, things that taste strange or can't have at all--pizza (tomato sauce), and swollen feet,.  My feet haven't been that puffy since I was pregnant with my oldest, which was a few years ago.  And losing eye lashes and eye brows.  I was okay with the hair on the head, but--

While I am on this journey, I am reading the book Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler.  It is a devotional and letting me explore the different aspects of His character.  Elohim-Creator, El Roi - the God who sees me, El Shadday- God Almighty. I am only a third of the way through the book but look forward to learning more about Him, for He has been El Roi- the God who sees me.

Happy Labor Day

I hope you've had a wonderful Labor Day.  This is the official end of summer, which has been a trip though wonderland for me, as I've gone through my chemo treatments for the lymphoma.   The body has responded well.  Most of the lymph nodes behind my ear are a normal size.  I am in awe.

Next, I will say that all the nurses at the center where  I go are amazing.  They work their hearts out, taking care of their patients.  I'm sure that there are days when they go home exhausted and discouraged.  I do appreciate them.

After this last round out chemo, my numbers all dropped, but again the nurses have helped me through the situation, letting me know about Ensure and giving me fluids.  My doctor has been great, too.

We can wonder and question why this type of thing happens.  That hasn't been my reaction.  What I wonder is what I need to learn in this situation.  God is walking with me, so  I need to pay attention.  I've order the book, Praying the Names of God, by Ann Spangler.  I am looking forward to learning how to walk closer with God.

I want to thank all the friends and family that have provided meals and prayer.  Y'all are a treasure.

PS.  A good friend, Mindy Openhaus has her first book out this month.  She is blogging at http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/
Please go and take a look.

A New Adventure

On May 22 of this year, my husband and I celebrated our 42nd anniversary.  (Mind you, I was 5 when I got married.)  It didn't go quite the way we planned.  Instead of "Star Trek" and a nice dinner I was in hospital having a brain tumor removed.  My neurosurgeon said to my hubby, "Happy Anniversary.  I got it all."  When we went to have the staples removed from my head, we expected her to tell us that the tumor had been benign.  Well, it wasn't.  It was Hodgkin's Lymophona.  So now I am in the chemo stage of this experience.

In the midst of this madness, God has been there a steady source of peace.  And our friends and family have come around us and lifted us up in prayer and provided meals and prayer.  The out- pouring of love has amazed me.  I have been humbled by the actions of my friends, family and church.  Sometimes we don't know what seeds we plant until the harvest.

I am in in the midst of shedding my hair, (I'm out-doing my daughter's lab and her shedding) and discovering all the side effects of chemo, but my God is greater than any cancer and I take each day with joy.