Pretty in pink...

The mountains here on Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska, are beautiful any time of day or night, all year long. But when I looked outside the other night to see the setting sun painting the snow-covered peaks a pretty pastel pink, I had to take pictures. To add to the grandeur, the moon was almost full and its gauzy, fragile beauty added a touch of elegance to the scene.

Granted, it's not always spectacularly beautiful up here. (Notice how I never post dreary shots of foggy skies or rainy days?) But on any given day, there is something of beauty to celebrate no matter where we are. The Lord has filled our world with objects of incredible beauty--some are magnificent and hard to miss, others are tiny to the point of being nearly invisible. But since He took the time to create each and every one of them, shouldn't we take the time to look for them, to admire His handiwork, and thank Him for thinking of us long before we ever came to be?

Until the next time...

Living in the moment

I've spent the last few days marketing my new story, Laramie and the Law. Somewhere in there, it dawned on me that I'd better start thinking about working on the third installment. (The second will be published on April 1, 2011.) I've become caught up in the neverending game of the "done" and the "yet to be done."

Life is like that sometimes. We get so caught up in something in our past (or looking to the future) that we forget to live in the moment. This morning I woke up and noticed the glorious sunshine the Lord has seen fit to bless us with for the last several days. The snow-covered mountain peaks are etched against the startlingly blue skies, the snow covers the ground like a huge white blanket, and the icicles that melt during the day magically re-form overnight as the slow process of thawing out for another year progresses.

In a few weeks, this will be gone. Yes, I'll love the warmer temps, the green grass, and springtime flowers. But I shouldn't lose sight of the beauty that God is giving me this very moment. I have lots of "yesterday moments," and plenty of "tomorrow moments"--but I have only one "right this minute" moment. I need to savor each and every one of them.

Until the next time...

Laramie and the Law now available!

It's here!

Laramie and the Law, the first installment of my six-part series  (Laramie on the Lam), published by Echelon Press is now available for Nook download at http://barnesandnoble.com/. It's a steal at a mere $.99 per download! It will also soon be available (at the same low price) on Amazon for Kindles and other e-readers, through apps on the iPhone, and at other online outlets, as well.

Laramie and the Law was written for kids between the ages of 8 and 11, but younger ones would love to get in on the adventure--especially if Mom or Dad or an older sibling reads it to them.

The second installment, Laramie and the Land of Liberty, will be available for download on April 1, 2011. Follow Laramie Wyoming and his best friend, Maestro the black lab, as they solve mysteries  and dodge the bad guys while they travel across the United States in a motorhome from one cool place to another.

It all starts with a bank robbery in his hometown of Laramie, Wyoming. Read more about it here:

You know you're in trouble when you see your picture on the front page of the newspaper and discover you're wanted by the local police for robbing a bank—all because you were just trying to be polite!

Laramie Wyoming always (well, most of the time) does what his mother tells him to. But what happens when an unsuspecting sixth grader holds open the door for three men leaving the bank?

The police accuse him of robbing it. What kind of a deal is that?

The next thing Laramie knows, his mother is ready to scalp him, the police are hot on his trail, his dad's going to blow his top when he gets home, and he and his dog Maestro are holed up in the tree house. Oh, and there's the $30,000 in his backpack he didn't have the day before. Worst of all, the robbers want it back.

Life gets complicated for Laramie Wyoming of Laramie, Wyoming, and he's got a lot to do if he wants to clear his name, get the police off his back, avoid the bank robbers, and ever see the inside of his house again.


I'd be tickled if you'd take a look and pass this information along to anyone you know who has kids who love wholesome adventure, faithful dogs, and mysteries just waiting to be solved!

Until the next time...