BJ Hoff's GRACE NOTES

Off-Site

Away from the blog next week...

Some medical stuff with my husband to attend to early in the week, and then the entire clan is heading for the hills for our annual run-away-from-home outing for a few days. Daughters, husbands, grandsons. Fun. Chaos. And I love every minute of it. (Well...most minutes.)

Though I won't be blogging, I should have e-mail. I'm hoping the break will give me time to set up the new MacBook I've been eyeing for over two weeks now but scarcely touching because of the crazy schedule. That has been difficult to say the least. I also hope I wasn't blessed with one of the "few" (according to Apple) MBs exhibiting some overheating problems. Especially since I'll be in the middle of a forest.

Be well, stay safe, and God bless.

BJ

Low-Fat Blogging

Just so you'll know...for the rest of the summer (at least), I'll be blogging lean: mostly updates, news I think you can't live without, and maybe an occasional thought you'd rather live without. In other words, time is tight. Very tight. But filled with good stuff I want to do: Finishing up one series and preparing to start another. Some on-site research in the Canaan Valley area. Research for another project farther yet into the future (think several books away). Some think-tank and retreat time. And, of course, ongoing "family fun."

Given all that, I'll be in and out here. But one thing we can count on: you'll never run out of blogs to visit. By the way, a new one just arrived: Brad Whittington's Eating Fred, Texas --promises to be fun. Also, a group of authors are collaborating on a new historical fiction blog: Favorite PASTimes (love the wallpaper here, ladies!) And don't forget about Charis Connection-- Angie Hunt is up today.

Let me leave you (for today) with this profound old Irish blessing:

"May those who love us, love us; and those that don't love us, may God turn their hearts; and if He doesn't turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles, so we'll know them by their limping."

BJ 

In Praise of Typewriters and Extended Warranty Contracts

It's not exactly the worst of times, but it surely isn't the best either. There's nothing like computer woes to make me cast an appreciative eye toward the old IBM Selectric dinosaur that graces my office. It's immortal. The hard drive has never crashed, and it's endured much abuse with never a virus or a worm or even a glitch. It doesn't freeze up, never drags along in slow motion, but is always on time...every time. It never gets even with a blue screen of death when pounded too hard.

It does envelopes without formatting software, and you can zip a 3 x 5 in and out of it in a sec. If you err, you use the correct key. If you do it right the first time, it doesn't ask you if you want to make another copy. It just sits there and looks proud of its own endurance and dependability. Steadfast, it is.

Although I tend to be a bit of a gadget nut, I've never stopped appreciating things that work. So when a friend was about to consign this faithful machine-with-a-heart to the great electronics graveyard a few years ago, I spoke up just in time to save it.

As for the big black box on the desk (no, of course it's not my Mac...Macs don't come in black, surely you know that...and I've yet to have one crash...they just work)--I have this irrational compulsion to keep a Windows machine on hand for a couple of reasons, neither having anything to do with affection or efficiency. But one more week like this past one, and I'll probably forget what those reasons are. The best thing about it at this point is that I did have an extended warranty--and although those things usually turn out to be a colossal waste of dollars, in this case it paid for itself. At least until next time.

As for you kids who wouldn't know a typewriter from a garbage disposal, the former doesn't hiccup, throw up, or give up. Nor does it require an extended warranty that will set you back for a third of its sale price.

But for now...back to the computer. 

BJ

Tell Me a Story

The Columbus Dispatch ran an article today about the importance of storytelling. One early childhood expert speculated that included among the many reasons for telling stories to children is the fact that storytelling is still the best way of conveying what it means to be human. "We understand the world through the stories we tell and the stories we hear." (Karen Crockett, Ohio State University)

And yet storytelling is increasingly becoming an endangered art. Consider the competition, for example, at bedtime: sports and extra-curricular school activities; video games; cable television; homework. Busy family schedules often make it a challenge to create a slot for the "bedtime story," and it’s especially difficult for single parents to set aside a quiet time for storytelling or reading every night.

But video games eventually become old stuff. Television offers less and less of anything of real value. And while sports events are great for physical well-being and learning teamwork, nothing else can engage a child’s imagination or nurture his dreams or enlarge his understanding of the world in which he lives and the culture of which he’s a part like the story. And in addition to the obvious contribution to literacy, the fostering of a love for reading, the opportunity for asking questions and making observations, "story time" also helps to make "bedtime" something to enjoy, a time to anticipate, rather than a late day tug-of-war session. Especially when storytelling becomes a creative, interactive experience, it can go a long way in problem solving and stress elimination.

In America, the storyteller has never been held in as high regard as in some other countries. I suspect that's because we're such a young nation and peopled with such diverse cultures. In some countries, those with the gift of telling stories are revered and, in some cases, even sponsored financially. For generations, the Irish Seanchai (the Storyteller) was greatly esteemed. Every door was open in welcome to him as he traveled around the country, taking the oral tradition of story and poem with him to share along the way. To not offer hospitality to a Seanchai would have been tantamount to shunning royalty. (Well...in Ireland's case, far worse, since shunning "royalty" was an okay thing to do, so long as you could run fast enough to escape the repercussions.)

When our daughters were small, we read to them or told them a story almost every night until they reached the age where they wanted to take over for themselves. Then they read to us. They loved to embellish certain stories, add characters, and plant surprise endings. As adults, they still love stories and still recall their favorites from childhood.

There’s something about reading to a child and telling stories that tends to become a tradition, and when you see your children carrying on that tradition with their families–well, that’s when you realize that among the mistakes you undoubtedly made as a parent, you also did a few things right.

Don't believe it when someone says that "nothing lasts a lifetime." A good story will endure.

BJ

A Note about Newsletters

For those of you who receive my newsletter--a change has been made. I'm no longer doing "mass mailings," neither by e-mail nor snail mail. You can still read the most recent newsletter at the web site or right here on the blog, by using the "News" link.

My way of saving a tree, saving time, saving postage--and fighting against our increasingly crammed mailboxes.

BJ 

Thanks to Lisa...

I have the multi-talented Lisa Samson to thank for the striking new Celtic banner for Grace Notes. I don't have an ounce of technical ability when it comes to web sites or web logs, so good friend that she is, she designed, "customized," and then published this for me. Whatta gal!

Thank you, Lisa. Lovely job!

BJ

Happy Easter

Wishing you the joy and light and promise of Easter in your heart and in your world...

God bless you.

BJ  

Update

Told you I might drop in from time to time with an update. For those who have asked: yes, I just submitted the manuscript for Book Two of  the Mountain Song Legacy last week (The Wind Harp). Maggie is all grown up in this one, and so are her problems! It's scheduled for release in August.

Thanks again for all the e-mails you continue to send--I appreciate it. And by the way, I'm posting today at the Charis Connection -- so drop by and say hello.

BJ

A Dark and Stormy Night

Thanks to Jack Cavanaugh's post for today, there's some fun going on over at Charis Connection.

If you'd like to play too--go visit.

BJ

Links for You

Just so you're aware...and since I have nothing interesting to say today...

Dan, at Cerulean Sanctum,  is beginning what promises to be a very interesting five-part series on the "21st Century Church." Thoughtful, well-written, and important.

Angie Hunt posted an intriguing list of current Christian novels and the social problems being explored by each. Have a look at A Life in Pages.

And the "Fiction Pick of the Week" at Christianbook.com is here.

BJ

A Distant Music...again

More about A Distant Music...

If you're interested, I'll just point you to the recent christianbook.com interview.

BJ

Watch Your Back

Do you notice trends?

Writers are privy to two schools of thought when it comes to trends: study trends to see what the market wants or--ignore trends for fear we might end up writing to the market.

The kind of trends I'm referring to, however, have to do with book covers, not text. It takes only a few years in publishing before writers begin to notice certain trends in book covers. Writers are drawn to covers, after all--good ones and bad ones, but especially those that virtually shout to the consumer "buy me, read me!"

Over the years trends blow in and fade out. The bodice rippers of the romance novel a few years ago have grown more tame--many covers in the same genre now feature a far more subdued look. Floral was big for a time in romance and women's fiction, but seems to be losing to less busy art. Sepia tones and what I think of as a "surreal look"--a kind of mist-laden, dreamy appearance--still seem to be popular. And remember the Gothic cover? Lovely young woman running away from a forbidding mansion perched on a cliff above the river. Or sometimes running away from the brooding male figure also perched on a cliff above the river. Then there were the "head portraits" that reigned in historical CBA fiction for years. We still see a good deal of portrait art, but now it's more lifelike and appealing.

One trend that seems to be wildly popular both in CBA and in general market fiction as well is that of the "back of dress" shot, especially if there's a full-length mirror nearby. During my last few visits to the fiction section of  both general bookstores and Christian bookstores I've come across this trend so often it's almost amusing. There are covers with the backs of old fashioned and contemporary wedding gowns, prom dresses, cocktail dresses, sundresses, country ginghams, young professional attire, etc. Some tie, some button, some zip, some ... ah...gap.  Usually we see a head on the dress (the back of the head, that is, with long, wavy or curly hair) but not always. Sometimes it's simply the back view of a dress. Some poses are sassy, some are solemn, some--even though there's no face to convey the mood--are tragic...you just know the poor girl is being decked out for no good end. Some have bustles, others are flowing, and a few look precariously flimsy. For some reason almost all are worn by blondes, with the occasional redhead. Whatever the hair color, there's something about the pose that says "strong, feisty heroine who's also easy on the eyes."

Oh--I almost forgot the hands. If you see the model's hands, they're always beautiful hands. Well-manicured, slender, with long, graceful fingers. They are not the hands of a gal who's seen much in the way of hot dishwater or cold winters, and she has definitely not been pulling weeds or mucking out stables.

Fortunately for us all, this particular trend does not extend to hospital gowns.

BJ

Not-So-Favorites of 2005

Since a large part of the blogosphere seems to be devoted to the highlights of 2005–"Best Book I Read in 2005," "My Favorite Movie," "Favorite TV Show"–all the "bests" and "favorites--" I decided to take a different tack. For those of you just holding your breath to hear about my personal faves of the Old Year, instead I give you some of the downers:

Least Favorite Book–The Historian. Long-winded trek through awkward, rambling storyline that includes vampires and dark rooms. Gothic, maybe. Horror, possibly. But "historical fiction" (as it was billed)–not. Yawn.

Worst Movie/Video–It's All About Love. Sean Penn with the worst hairdo and briefest time on camera in his career. Joaquin Phoenix looking startled and stricken for the entire length of the film. Claire Danes, cloned several times for some unknown reason. Possibly trying to get rid of her bemused expression that never varied throughout the movie. Art meets sci-fi in a flick that gives new meaning to "disaster movie." Still scratching my head and trying to figure out why stars of this stature would involve themselves in such a ridiculous project. A number of reviews insist they must have been blackmailed. For once, the reviewers might just be on to something.

Used-To-Be-Favorite TV Show–There was a time when I wouldn't miss Lost. But if the writers don't make up their minds this season what genre they want to play in–and stop "reviewing" fifteen minutes of each previous week's show–it won't be a favorite much longer.

Least Memorable Moment–Well, there were a number of forgettable ones, but I forgot which tops the list.

Person Most Definitely Not in the Running for Man of the Year–A tie between Howard Dean and Ted Kennedy. Need I say more?

Most Over-Rated Story of the Year–Brad and Jennifer. Does anyone really care?

The Personality Who Talked Most and Said Least–Another tie: has to be between Britney and Paris.

Most Annoying Christmas Song--"All I Want For Christmas Is a Hippopotamus."

Much-Ado-About-Nothing Award–Brokeback Mountain.

The One I Can Always Count on to Make Perfect Sense out of Life When Nobody Else Can: Clever Trevor. The handsome dude with the tennis ball in his mouth pictured above. (You'll want to enlarge the photo so you can fully appreciate this guy.)

Happy New Year to all!

BJ

Seven Sevens

Cindy at Notes in the Key of Life  tagged me for the Seven Sevens meme. Okay--I'll play, though I may have to leave a few blanks.

Seven Things to Do Before I Die.

1. See both daughters married to the men God chose for them. (Done ... thanks be.)

2. Go to Germany and Austria with my husband, per his special request (and his agreement to stop over in Ireland on the way home).

3. Complete my St.Clare trilogy so I'll stop getting e-mails from readers telling me to complete my St.Clare trilogy--or else.

4. Read all the books in my to-be-read stack. And if I live to be 150 or so, I might just be able to check this one off the list.

5. Add a calico kitty and an Irish wolfhound to the family.

6. Live in the mountains.

7. Write my magnum opus (and live to see it published with an accompanying CD that features U2, Andrea Bocelli, and the Chieftains.)

Seven Things I Cannot Do

1. Play cards. My brain is not wired to play any kind of cards. I detest card games.

2. Ditto to Cindy's answer on this one: "Play any kind of team sport without looking like an idiot."

3. Play the violin. Yes, I did try. Once. The orchestra director threatened to resign unless I gave up the entire idea.

4. Balance my checkbook. It's such an exercise in futility.

5. Cindy–we are so much alike! "Program a VCR or DVD player"

6. Drive a stick-shift.

7. Listen to Elton John, Josh Groban, or Whitney Houston.

Seven Things that Attract Me to My Husband [romantic interest, best friend, whomever]

(not necessarily in this order!)

1. His good looks. (Why is it that men get better-looking and oh-so-classy as they get older and women get .... oh, never mind.)

2. His total unselfishness.

3. His genuine goodness and integrity.

4. His passionate love for music.

5. His fidelity.

6. His sense of humor.

7. His inspiring relationship with God.

Seven Things I Say Most Often

1. Indeed.

2. You think?

3. Brilliant.

4. God bless us all.

5. 'Tis, 'tis.

6. Here's the thing ....

7. There's that.

Seven Books (or series) I Love

1. The Bible.

2. Anything by A. W. Tozer.

3. To Kill a Mockingbird

4. Trinity

5. Jane Eyre

6. The Short Stories of William Trevor

7. Rebecca

...and I'm AddingSeven More

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Wuthering Heights, Little Women, Captains and the Kings, Snow in August, Winds of War ,War and Remembrance.

Seven Movies I Would Watch Over and Over Again

1. To Kill a Mockingbird

2. Gettysburg

3. The Sound of Music

4. Rebecca (Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine)

5. Jane Eyre (the old classic, with Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles)

6. War and Remembrance and Winds of War (Made for TV series)

7. Michael Collins

Seven People I Want to Join in Too:

Angie

Lisa

Robin

Jim Bell

Alton Gansky 

Gina Holmes

Brenda Coulter

BJ

Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays

Saw our first snow yesterday! Not much–but enough to remind me that time and the holidays beckon ... and so does my deadline. Taking a necessary break to do those things we love to do and those we need to do. I'll check in to say hello when possible, but for the most part I'll be absent throughout the season. I'll leave you with the following, which is from last year–but some things don't change.

~~~~~

I’m thankful for the God who saved me, the family who loves me, the home that shelters me, the friends who believe in me, a church that welcomes me .... For seasons that change and truth that doesn’t, for music that stirs and soothes and heals and speaks of feelings beyond those I can voice, for a country that values freedom and is willing to pay the price to preserve it for ourselves and others .... I’m thankful for countless books to read, and for those readers who read the books I write, for the editors who make the books better, and for the publishers who make the books possible .... I’m thankful for small furry creatures that make me smile when nothing else can, for the sturdy oak trees in my back yard that grew up with my children and now give sanctuary to my memories .... I’m thankful for every gift of goodness that brings me gladness, every trial that takes me to my knees, and every prayer uttered in my behalf that made a difference, though often unknown to the one who cared enough to pray ....

And I’m thankful for you, every one of you, that you trust me enough to ask me for an answer or a word of encouragement or a prayer.

I wish you a thankful, prayerful, joyful Thanksgiving and a holiday season that blankets you and those you love with amazing grace and enduring peace.

God bless you.

BJ

Little o' This, Little o' That

A Distant Music

I was away for a few days and came home to a nice surprise: getting a peek at the new book's cover for the first time. I think it's beautiful--I absolutely love it! Thanks to Harvest House for sharing my vision for A Distant Music, the first book in my Mountain Song Legacy series--and for their continuing efforts to fulfill that vision.

(Release date: January, 2006)

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Here's a Wee Tip for You Mystery/Suspense Writers Out There:   

Fox News had an intriguing (though disturbing) story today about a bridge in Scotland from which, for many years, as many as a hundred dogs or more have jumped to their death. The very few who have survived soon make their way back to the same bridge--and jump again.

I don't know about you, but I'd like to know the story behind this. (At least I think I would.)

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For the first time ever--and I've belonged to numerous cats (and dogs) most of my life--I've learned that (according to our local paper) cats can't really see in the dark at all. They supposedly can see a little, but not well. Anyone know if this is true?

BJ

Contentment

Someone asked me not too long ago what spells contentment for me. I had to think about that. And even though I finally came up with a fairly close reply, I’ve been thinking about it off and on ever since.

I discovered that what came to mind first, before anything else, was what doesn’t spell contentment: noise; hectic schedules; looming deadlines; media news; music without melody; cell phone ring-tones in a public place; hospitals; heat waves. 

Contentment for me (ideally) looks like this: a winter evening with my husband in a room filled with books and a chair by the window, with snow falling outside and a light wind stirring the trees; a Celtic CD on the stereo; our Golden Retriever dozing nearby; candle glow; a cup of fresh-brewed coffee.

A daughter’s hug. A grandson’s smile. A few hours in which to forget a war-ravaged world. A quiet peace in my home and in my heart. God’s love.

How do you spell it?

BJ

Links and Stuff

I've had e-mails from two or three of you telling me that you can only get to the blog through the web site, that the direct link to the blog doesn't work. Well--yes, actually it does. The new link to this blog looks a lot like the former link--but they're different. Typepad set it up with a new link, couldn't use the old one.

So if you're having trouble, check your link. The old link ( www.bjhgracenotestypepad.com ) will not work. Here's the one you want: http://www.bjhoffgracenotes.typepad.com

You can still get here through the link on the home page of the web site also.

BJ

Blogging Redux

So--for those of you who have been asking if and when, here we go again.

As most of you know, I put the blog on hold a couple of months ago while my husband was recuperating from surgery and because I needed all the extra hours to meet my book deadline. (More on the new book later.) I would have thought you'd forgotten about Grace Notes in the meantime, but your e-mails and notes have let me know that wasn't the case--and it was nice to hear. Really.

I'm going to try to restore at least a few of the earlier posts from the original blog, but I'm not sure how much success I'll have. If you're interested in those, be patient--I'll have to work with them just one or two at a time, whenever I have a few minutes to spare. But I didn't necessarily want to delay opening up the blog again until I had all the odds and ends tied up. Feel free to just keep checking on the "old stuff."

I was pleased to see that TypePad had added some cool new features, including new templates and colors. Because I'm HTML challenged, I depend on TP to furnish the goodies. Who knows, though, how many times I'll change styles and colors before I get tired of experimenting?

In the meantime, welcome back.

BJ