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Wednesday, July 12, 2006ICRS  I've made it home from ICRS in Denver and have no voice whatsoever. I arrived on Friday, started talking and never stopped for six days. (Writers don't get out much.) ;-)The other thing I did the whole entire time was eat. I had to have gained five pounds in just that one week. My first event was sharing dessert on Friday night with some booksellers from the Parable Group. Saturday I was coached/trained by a media expert. She taught me how to be successful in front of the camera. Took her four-and-a-half hours, bless her heart, but I learned sooooo much. Late Saturday afternoon I shared some chips and salsa with Dave Long's (my editor's) wife, Sarah Long. She's also an editor for Bethany and I hadn't seen her for over a year. We talked and talked and talked until we had to go and get ready for the Christy's. The MC for the Christy award ceremony and dinner was Dan Balow from Tyndale. He was hilarious. I'd met him briefly before, but didn't realize what a great sense of humor he had. My manager, Ron Smith, came with me. We sat at the same table as my dear friend, Patti Hill and her husband Dennis, and her agent Janet Kobobel Grant. Also at my table was Sarah Long and two of her authors--Tracie Peterson and Stephanie Grace Whitson. After dinner, Bret Lott gave the keynote speech. He called for the CBA authors and publishers to generate books with realism and candor. He said that when we color our books in pastels and then smudge the edges, it keeps us from reaching out to the secular audience and a great majority of the Christian audience. I really enjoyed his speech. Good stuff. Then, it was time for the Christy Awards. They go category-by-category and announce the finalist. Then, instead of saying "the winner is," they read the first two or three lines of the winner's book and then announce the author and title. So, for Bride, they started with "'Saints above, girl. What are you doing here?' the shackled man hissed."  I glanced over at the table next to me and saw my editor, Dave Long, (see photo on right) smiling. I went up, accepted the award and said a few words. I thanked Bethany House. Told a quick story about Dave, then thanked him profusely. I also thanked my editorial editor, Julie Klassen, who pours over my manuscripts with a fine tooth comb and draws the very best out of me. She wasn't able to attend, and I really missed having her with me. The 2006 winners are (from left-to-right):
 Everyone had a really early (and long) day planned on Sunday, so no official celebrating goes on after the ceremony. But Ron (see pic on right) took me out for a big ol' piece of cheesecake. I had chocolate-coconut and he had strawberry-shortcake.So, that's it for now. I'll wrap the rest of the show up next week. Thanks so much for all your congratulatory comments and encouragement. Y'all are the best!!
posted by Deeanne at 10:18 PM
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11 Comments:
Thanks for the fun update and the great pics. And congratulations again! I'm so happy for you.
Can't wait to read Bret Lott's speech. Has anybody seen it posted anywhere?
3:05 PM
Funky-cool top there Miz Dee! I wanna know how such a youthful-looking guy as Mr Long got such a big title? He must be one of those guys who was always top of his class! And do you keep the Christy at your place, or do you time-share it with him somehow, so all the peoples at Bethany House can oo and ah over it while he beams?
7:35 PM
Dave is older than he looks, but I think it would be safe to say he is "top drawer."
The Christy goes home with the author, though it doesn't seem quite right when it is such a team effort.
But, I'm not complaining! ;-)
8:47 PM
You'll hafta show us an at-home picture of you with it sometime, maybe wearin' your cowgirl boots too???
9:14 PM
Hey, congratulations, Deeanne! What an exciting night.
3:30 PM
Thanks for posting about your Christy win, and also the pics.
Congratulations to you.
9:20 AM
Dee, I'm reading "Bride" right now. Loving and laughing as I read. Makes it extra special now that I know you won the "Christy". It was a well-deserved award, let me tell you. Bride is one of the best I've ever read. (And you SHOULD take home the award. You wrote the book, girl--not your editor or your agent, or all those other wonderful folks that made the book happen.) Take joy in that!
10:10 AM
COMPLETELY OFF TOPIC: I noticed in your "Favorites" you listed LaVyrle Spencer's book "Years". That was my all-time favorite book of LaVyrle's too! Don't you just love her writing style? Why, oh why would she retire from writing? I've read every one of her books, and when she announced after Then Came Heaven that she was done, I actually grieved the loss. At least I have YOUR books to look forward to reading! Glad I discovered you. hee-hee
Anyway, just thought I'd mention LaVyrle. Yes, she's in the secular market, but I so enjoyed all her books.
Have a great day!
10:30 AM
I liked Years, and loved Morning Glory, but some of Spencer's others I've found to be...disturbing. At least for my tender little soul. Too bad that she retired, but now we have Miz Dee's books to read! Yaaaay!
11:09 AM
LaVryle's definitely at the top of her class. I, too, hated to see her retire, Shar. Have you tried Pamela Morsi's historicals? She's another oldie-but-goodie (also secular). I've not read any of her contemporary women's lit, so I can't recommend one way or the other on those.
Morning Glory is definitely a fabulous read, Barb. I know what you mean, though, about some of her other books. She was willing to put her characters through some lose-lose situations. And they may have been disturbing, but her craft was superb.
Thanks, Kristy & Matt!
12:49 PM
I agree, Barb and Dee, about your post regarding some of LaVyrle's more questionable storylines. I will confess that, although I said I read ALL of her books, there were a few I passed over. (I've often sneaked a peek at the endings...I know, I know, that's a no-no.) A couple of LaVyrle's plots didn't set well with me (the married man giving his prother the right to sire a child for him...WHAT A RECIPE FOR DISASTER!) That one I did NOT read. Another one where the woman fell in love (had an affair) with a man her son's age. Didn't read. I discovered I enjoyed her historicals much more than her contemporaries, but that is usually the case with me. As a general rule, I find historical fiction (romances) less racey than contemps. I am a sucker for the historicals that have a couple marrying first and falling in love afterward. Like Dee's "Bride". I LOVED THAT BOOK!
Yes, Dee, I've read all of Pamela Morsi's historicals. Not as wild about her contemps.
Anyway...on with my own WIP. As usual, I'm procrastinating again!
Love and Blessings to all!
Shar
7:50 AM
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