Pray for Conference

Day 11--For us to mourn with those who mourn

Rom. 12:15b-- . . . and weep with those who weep

Father, God, I pray that You complete Your perfect work in us as writers and as Your children, fulfilling the hopes and dreams You've instilled in us.
But there are times when life does not go as we hoped and in those times we mourn our losses. So when we meet those who are mourning, help us to be sensitive to their sorrow that we may, with sincere compassion, weep with those who weep. The mourning process can be physically, as well as, emotionally exhausting, but we've been created to lean on You, because this is where we will find our real peace and fulfillment.

In surrendering our disappointments, confusions, rejections and grief to You, we always grow stronger than we were before. May we all come through our periods of mourning better people and better writers so we may glorify You in all we do.

In Jesus Precious name we ask,
Amen.

Pray for our conference Dallas 2007

Day 12--For us to rejoice with those who rejoice

Rom. 12:15a--Rejoice with those who rejoice . . .Precious Father,

You are the Great I Am, the Creator of all that is good, the epitomeof all truth.


Lord, we pray you would fill our hearts with rejoicingin you and your presence. We pray for all those attending theconference to rejoice together as one in the unity of your Spirit.Let us rejoice in one another's successes, celebrate even the tiniestof victory, and share freely our hearts and knowledge. Bring ustogether as your church, unified by your Son Jesus, and restore to usthe joy of your salvation.

In Christ's Holy Name,
Amen

Prayers for our conference. . .

These are the ones I missed.

Day 20--Conference Veterans
Eph. 6:8--With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.
Father God,We lift up the conference veterans to you. We pray they would leave the conference with more than they expected. We pray you meet them spiritually, mentally, emotionally and meet any physical needs they may have. We ask for you to continue to direct their writing paths. Help them to recognize your plan for them. Give them the next step. Help them to know what to focus on. Set up divine appointments for them with publishing professionals they are to cross paths with.Also lead them to newcomers who feel lost in the crowd and who need an encouraging word. Speak to their hearts in that moment and give them compassion. Help them to remember what it's like to be new and unknown.We ask for you to be known through their actions and through their words, both at the conference, and in their future writing endeavors. Direct them to those in dire need of mentorship and place in them the heart to do so. Bless their time and multiply their productivity and ability to juggle home life, church activities and writing. Grant them very clear direction for their careers. May they always write as worship. May they receive and give encouragement to and from newcomers to the conference.Help them to be led by your spirit to pray for things and people on your heart. Keep them alert to what you are doing at the conference and in the hearts of those around them at any given time. Help them to join your plan in prayer and thanksgiving. Bless each of them.
In Jesus' name, amen.

Day 19--Those attending as they get into final preparations

James 1:5--But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives toall generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Father, we come to you today in confidence knowing that you're a generous God who delights in answering our requests. Today, conference is in sight. Pressure is building as we tweak our final plans and preparations for pitches and packing. We ask that you keep us calm, give us those last-minuteinsights to make preparation smooth, and keep our enthusiasm from being smothered by our necessary duties.

As we prepare for conference, let us remember to take one thing at a time.Make the details of leaving home come together, Help us to pack simply, without forgetting the necessary items. Give us the words to smooth out our pitches and one-sheets. Keep us calm and enthusiastic about our upcoming conference, realizing what an opportunity we've been given. Amen.

Day 15--Bookstore workers
I Thess. 1:2-3--We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers.
Father God, we're amazed at the depth of caring we see demonstrated in the lives of ACFW members, and especially the volunteers who expect and demand nothing, not even gratitude. Please bless the diligent, tireless bookstore workers who spend so much time on their knees, pawing through boxes of inventory, and on their knees in prayer for successful sales for Your authors. You know best what they need, Lord. Energy. Insight. And the assurance that the hours they're giving up for You and their brothers and sisters in Christ will be returned to them a hundredfold for their own projects.

As they engage the bookstore customers, Lord, shine through them. As they set up and clean up, Lord, shine through them in their relationships with the other workers. May they, according to Your Word, have time enough for all things. And may their joy in serving erase any strain that tries to tag along.

In the precious Name of Jesus we pray,

Amen.

Apprently I've missed a few other, but please just keep us and the conference (every aspect of it) in your prayers. I'll be doing some new things, like getting up in front of people and (gulp) talking--if I don't faint, lol--and giving evaluations (only good ones, Thank you, Lord!).

I have the feeling that something awesome is going to happen though. The enemy is fighting us heard, hitting us where it hurts, family, time for writing, our pocketbooks, so we need to cover in prayer and be covering other Christians in prayer.

All hands to battlestations! Calling all warriors to pray! Who will answer the call?

God bless you all.

Now THIS is a booksigning!

Do you love Christian fiction? Then join us for the ACFW booksigning on September 22nd from 1:30-2:30 at the Dallas Addison Quorum Marriott, 14901 Dallas Parkway, Dallas. Click on the picture below to see the flier. Hope you can join us!

Pray for our conference

Day 13--For the hotel staff

I Cor. 9:19, 23--For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

Father, help us be a servant to those who will be in place to serve us during the conference.

May we lighten their load. May we be you to them. May our lives give witness to what we believe and the Truth we live for – even as we face the challenges and opportunities you put before us.

Increase our hearts' sensitivities as we interact with the hotel staff so that we can offer them the Breath of Heaven in all we say and do. We want to see you in each face. Hear you in each voice. Be you in all we do.

In Jesus' name,
Amen.

Pray for our conference-Dallas 2007

I'm so behind on these. I'll get you all caught up though. Thanks for praying.

Day 14--For worship pleasing to God2 Cor. 5:9-Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.Gracious Lord, we ask that you bless this writer's conference and those who attend.


May our ambition be not to exalt ourselves and our works, but to glorify You. We lift up prayers for the Worship Team who are working so hard to present praises to you in song. May the music enrich those who hear it, and may it be pleasing to You.


Bless the staff and those who have given of their time to put this conference together. May these efforts also be receive by You as a hymn of praise to who You are. Thank you for the gifts of music and writing.


We exalt You in our voices, in our writing and in our hearts

In Jesus Name,
Amen

The Restitution by M. L. Tyndall

Book Three of the Legacy of the King's Pirates Series

A scorned woman longing for wealth, position, and the return of her son. . .

An obsessed pirate craving the love of the lady he once ravished. . .

A twisted nobleman seeking to capture a spurned woman's heart. . .

And the intricate plot of vengence that weaves their lives together.

Lady Isabel Ashton gave birth to her illegitimate son, Frederick, the product of a pirate's violent attack. Spurned by family and society, Isabel clings to the hope of marrying a nobleman and returning to her privileged social class, but then her baby is kidnapped.

Captain Kent Carlton, determined to win the heart and forgiveness of the woman whose purity he pirated, searches every port for Isabel. What he finds is Richard Sawkins, a nobleman who informs him of Frederick's existence and kidnapping and the whereabouts of Isabel.

Will Kent forsake all his treasures, power, and dreams of becoming the Admiral of the Bretheren of the Coast in order to unite Isabel and his son? And will Isabel finally realize that title and wealth are meaningless when compared to the riches in Christ. Can she allow her heart to love a penniless pirate?

Pammer here: This book is fabulous. I didn't think I could like it near as much as I liked book two (which I didn't think I could like better than book one, lol), but I did. Wonderful characters, story, oh, so hard to put down.

As a special treat I have M. L. Tyndall as a special guest today.

(Pammer plops on her pirates hat.)

Hi! It's great t' have you on me blog with me today.

Thanks so much for having me, Pammers!

Can you give us one line that describes your newest release?

When Isabel Ashton’s baby is kidnapped, can she trust the boy’s father, the man who ravished her, and only man that can help her rescue her son—the fierce pirate, Kent Carlton?

How did you get t' idea for pirate stories?

Pirates have always been a passion of mine, and after the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie came out, I couldn’t help but think how cool it would be to create a Christian pirate. I mean, what a grand dichotomy between profession and beliefs!

I love pirate stories (even have a funny pirate in one o' me historicals) but never thought I could write them under a Christian brand. Was it easier or harder t' describe their spiritual journies?

For me, because of my own past B.C. (Before Christ) it is much easier to describe a spiritual journey of someone coming out of the slough of the world, than it would be to describe someone who had been a Christian their whole life. Hey, maybe that’s why the Lord had me write about pirates!

I don't want t' print any spoilers, so I will just ask a general question. How did you get that emotion on t' page?

Wow, first of all thank you. Before I write an emotional scene, I really try and become that character and ask myself how would I feel at that moment? Not just how I would feel, but what would I be doing, saying, looking at, touching? I try and use all the senses to express emotion as well as describe what it is doing to the inside of that character. Listening to the right music while I’m writing also helps. Sometimes, I can bring myself to tears during a scene I’m writing. (I know, I’m weird.)

Not that weird. :) What do you consider t' theme o' this book?

The major theme of this story is taking your dreams, your hopes, your idols and laying them at the foot of the cross.

How was writin' this one different from t' first two in t' series?

Besides totally different characters and a totally different theme? LOL I think this story was more of a drama involving intricate relationships than the other two, even though there is still quite a bit of action in this one as well.

Is thar a book four in this series? If not be you workin' on somethin' new?

No book 4 planned at this time. I’m currently working on another adventure/romance set in 1803 London about a French girl spying on Britain for Napoleon, entitled The Falcon and the Sparrow. It is scheduled to be released next September.

I like the sound of that! What be your favorite "research" story? (T' strangest thin' you tasted or did for t' sake o' research, or t' most fun, either way.)

I sailed aboard a pirate ship down in Key West. The entire crew was dressed as pirates and they were drinking and firing off their cannons. During the cruise, a real wedding was preformed on board by the captain. It was an experience I’ll never forget!

Thank you so much for visitin' me blog today.

’Tis been me pleasure, milady!

If you haven't read MaryLu's latest book, The Restitution, what be you waitin' for? Argh, time be slippin' away.

Sushi for One?

I've been excited about this book for a really long time. I've been telling people about it and nearly making them promise to buy it as soon as it was out.

Holding it in my hands was so emotional. (Yes, I know it's not MY book, but it's one of my best bud's and how can you not love that?!) I got chills all over and ran to each of the guys (who adore Camy, btw) to show them. The youngest one (whom Camy "affectionately" calls twerp, snicker) took it away from me and took it to show his friends. He even announced he was going to read it. My son, the NON reader! My niece is in line after him.

This is a fabulous book. I read it, so I'm not just saying that. :) I think everyone should own a copy, SOOOOOOO

I am going to give away a copy. If you leave a message here, I will put your name in a drawing for a copy of Sushi for One?. I'll give you a week. Next Monday, September the 10, I will draw the lucky winner. So check back then for the winner.

Now, here is my guest blogger, one of my best bud's and Fab Four member, Camy Tang.

I’m really excited to be here on Pammer’s blog, because she and I have been friends for a long time. We first met online, and then we met in person at our first ACFW conference in 2003 in Denver, Colorado. We had agreed to be roommates, and I had the best time talking with her in our room at night.

Pammer always gives me solid spiritual advice. She’s like a spiritual sister to me, and she’s helped me over the bumps in my writing career with her calm head and cheerful encouragement. Since I was contracted, she’s been my one-woman marketing crew, telling everyone and their dog about my book.

She’s been a great critique partner, too. Every critique partner picks up on different things in a manuscript, and she’s caught mistakes that no one else has. It’s been good to get her feedback, and also to have the chance to encourage her in her own writing.

She’s also been a wonderful prayer warrior for me. Along with some other friends, she’s lifted me up to God whenever I needed it, whether for deadlines or for personal problems. She always has time to talk to me, always has time to pray for me.

I think that every author needs a Pammer in her life. Someone who always has time for them, who helps keep them spiritually grounded amidst the busy-ness and business of the publishing industry. I don’t know what I’d do without her. :)