It is a new day, still a new month and a new time for me, hopefully, for you as well.

Thank you for your patience as I have not posted in a while. August was an incredibly busy month-preparing for September. The American Christian Fiction Writers 2010 Conference starts next week on Friday, September 17. I have been saving money for this conference for almost a year. Earlier in the summer, my husband and I looked at everything going on in my life, and he felt I should not attend the conference this year. Disappointed does not begin to describe how I felt, but I wanted to be obedient so I agreed not to go. A few weeks after the decision was made, a friend, also a member of ACFW, called to see if I was going. She and others were looking for a fourth person to share the ride and the hotel room. I told her I would talk it over with my hubby and let her know. The end result is I am now registered to attend! At almost the last minute, this same friend (thanks Dianna!!) talked me into scheduling an appointment with an agent and an editor.

In July, I attended the 2010 She Speaks Conference, where God had spoken to me about writing my story and other non-fiction books. This was not the first time God and I had discussed this situation. It meant a total change for me, and one I was not sure I wanted to make. In the end, however, God won and I'm changing my goals and my thinking.

So when Dianna mentioned "pitching" to an editor and an agent, my reply was "They're not interested in non-fiction. This is, after all, a fiction group." (Major sigh of relief)Dianna replied, "Yes they are. There will be agents and editors at the conference interested more in non-fiction than in fiction." Short period of relief!

The last two weeks have been spent frantically "tweaking" blogs I wrote last Advent Season, and developing an "elevator pitch" and putting said blogs in an order that would make sense in a book, and writing a "one-sheet" and wondering if I've lost my mind. If you're not familiar with publisher-speak, an elevator pitch is a description of your book that you can recite in 30 seconds or less. My first thought when realizing I would have to create an elevator pitch was "how in the world do you condense a book into a 30 second, one-to-two line summary?" A one-sheet is an expanded elevator pitch. The sheet gives a more in-depth description of the book, who the book will appeal to, and a short bio of the writer.

I've finished both the elevator pitch and one sheet, have the blogs in order and ready to print out the introduction and first three blogs to take to conference along with the copies of the one sheet.

I've even read two books that I had committed to reviewing. One review will be posted tomorrow and the other review on Friday. Come back tomorrow - that book will be offered in a drawing.

So most of what I have to do before leaving next Thursday is done. A few minor things, but I think I can handle those.

If you think about it this week, please pray for me to accomplish the remainder of the to do list! And next week, abundant prayers would be greatly appreciated! Prayers for safe travel, to learn much and that God would schedule God-appointed divine appointments with people He wants me to meet!

Blessings and have a wonderful Labor Day - what's left of it!!