You Tube video of Ronda Hinrichsen

Lu Ann Worley of Rockin' Book Reviews interviewed me about my writing process and posted it here on  You Tube.  Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm8OaWJ2cF4

A Blog Award

Becki Clayson, a good friend of mine, gave me this sweet award and asked me to list seven random facts about myself, so I think I'll list "sweet" things:

1. I went camping this week.

2. I think I'm a bit too addicted to chocolate.

3. I love the combination of fruit and chocolate, especially in ice cream.

4. I love babies' sweet smiles.

5. I love to hear my daughter's laugh.

6. My favorite sounds are my children talking and laughing together.

7. My husband. :)

And now for the challenge. If you can think of seven sweetly random things about yourself that you'd like to post, take this sweet award then pass it on. Oh, and if you'd like to tell me you've "won," leave me a comment. I'd love to check out your post. :)

A Blogger Award--TAG!

I've been feeling a little blue the last couple of days. I know I should be "Over the Top!" with excitement about the release of MISSING--and I am--but I'm nervous , too. It reminds me a bit of when I was the soprano soloist for our local presentation of THE MESSIAH. I felt honored and excited by that opportunity, but so nervous that I'd mess up. No matter how many times I perform, or have performed over the years, I still get nervous. I usually calm down after I get into whatever it is I'm doing--speaking, singing, or performing in some other way, but I haven't yet overcome my initial nerves. Se-la-vi. Sigh.

Anyway, I'm telling you this because I wanted you to see how grateful I was that Josi had awarded and "tagged" me today. Her kindness boosted my spirits, but I have to say . . . whew, that's a lot of questions! But I'll give it my best shot--from the hip. :)


1. Where is your cell phone? In my purse. The problem is, it's on silent, so I'll never know if someone calls me. One of my issues. :)

2. Your hair? Basically clean, but it hasn't been combed since before I went to church this morning.

3. My mother? Beside herself with excitement that my book is coming out.

4. Your father? Calm, wise, good.

5. Favorite food? Way too many to choose from. But the "healthy" one is Maddox's seafood salad.

6. Your dream last night? I was stepping on bugs in a basement, when a daddy long leg suddenly became aggressive and came after me. I ran. It became a boy that looked like Opey Taylor on "Andy Griffith," but still it chased me. I tried to get out of the room, but the door was locked. Finally, the boy shoved a stick that looked like a wand into my gut and held out a daddy long leg. I looked away, but when I looked back, the boy was turning into a giant spider. I woke up then, thank goodness. Hmm. I wonder if I can use this in a fantasy novel?

7. Favorite drink? Mine's boring, like Josi's. It's water.

8. Your dream/goal? A happy family where we've all reached our personal goals.

9. What room are you in? The computer room.

10. Your hobby? Music, reading, watching old movies.

11. Your fear? Heights

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? With my family in our "finished" house.

13. Where were you last night? At home.

14. Something you aren't. Perfect.

15. Muffins? Too many to choose from, but I usually choose blueberry.

16. Wish list item? Updated software.

17. Where did you grow up? Rexburg


18. Last thing you did? Played Uno with my daughter for FHE.


19. What are you wearing? Blue sweats, green t-shirt covered by a black sweater, blue flip-flops. This is definitely not something to be proud of. Just comfortable. :)


20. Your tv? In the other room. Sadly, it's on, but on mute. What's the point in that?


21. Your pet? A dog, 4 goats, and a bunch of cows. The cows, though named, will eventually be eaten, however.


22. Your friends? Dearer to me than I can express. I wish I was better at letting people know how much I care for them.


23. Your life? Very blessed. Very hectic.


24. Your mood? As I said when I started this post, I'm both excited and nervous, and trying to hold on to that feeling inside me that says everything will be all right.

25. Missing someone? From time to time, I miss those I love but have passed on. Even yesterday, I attended the funeral of a dear "neighbor."


26. Vehicle? CNG cavalier.

27. Something you're not wearing? Socks.


28. Your favorite store? I don't have one. I hate to shop, actually. To me, it's a necessary evil, like cleaning the bathroom.

29. Your favorite color? Blue

30. When was the last time you laughed? A few minutes ago, when my daughter complained because I was winning Uno and she wasn't. I rarely win. She kept asking me what I'd done with her mother.


31. Last time you cried? Yesterday, at the funeral.

32. Your best friend? JC and ny husband.


33. One place that I go over and over? To bed. Every night. If I can help it. Seriously, though, we go to different places all the time so we can see new things.


34. One person who e-mails me regularly? Mostly just groups--facebook, Author's Inc, David Farland, critique group, etc.


35. Favorite place to eat? I have several favorites, though I don't eat out much. Tonight I'll choose--Maddox. :)


Now for the five I've tagged to receive this award:



1. Karen Hoover: For persistence, kindness, and self-assurance in the face of condescension. I won't say when and by whom, but suffice it to know, I was watching, and I was impressed.

2. Cindy Beck: She's a stalwart supporter of her fellow writers and always makes me smile. More than once I've relied on her advice.


3. Nicole Giles: Everything about her says "compassion" and "goodness." She also keeps Author's Incognito in line.

4. Heather Justesen: She has a book coming out in a couple of weeks, but one of the amazing things about her and this chance in her life is she is actively looking for ways to include others in her promotions. Very smart, very kind.

5. MICHELLE: She doesn't include her last name on her blog, so I won't add it here, but she was my laurel advisor back when I was a laurel. She loved writing, and so did I, so that was one of the things we shared. I lost track of her shortly after I married, but a year or two ago, I ran into her at an LDS Storymaker's Conference. It was so great to come so far and see we were both still plowing toward our writing goals.


Hey, you five, if you answer this tag, let me know. I really want to read your answers. Thanks.

I've Been Tagged

Tag time again, folks. This one's called "Crazy Eights." I was tagged by my fellow Author's Incognito friend, Christine Bryant. I'm usually a bit nervous to take part in these because I feel like I might be giving out too much information to the identity thieves out there. This one looked fairly harmless, so I succumbed to her pleading--jk--and, well, here goes . . .

Here are the Rules:
1. Mention the person who tagged you.
2. Complete the list of 8's.
3. Tag 8 other bloggers.
4. Tell them they have been tagged.

Eight Things I Look Forward To:Attaining Best-sellerdom.
Getting my first book published--this year (grin!)
Completing my second book--the rough draft's almost finished!
Finding an agent.
Getting my second book published.
Both my boys returning from their missions
Going back to Austria
Continuing to live Happily Ever After

Eight Things I Did YesterdayGroaned over how I'd ever find the time to answer this tag.
Went on a walk
Worked on my Power Point for my presentation at the Teen Writer's Conference
Wrote a page on my newest novel
Went to work
Washed dishes
Fed the calves
Went to the farm implement store, gave them an empty box, and said, "My husband needs three of these."

Eight Things I Wish I Could Do (I copied some of Christine's. I couldn't help it. They were to "right on.")
Be perfect
Visit the settings of my books again
Be a better wife and mother
Be more computer literate
Snap my fingers and our house would be finished and paid for.
NOT haul hay again.
Visit Australia
Be a better writer

Eight Shows I WatchI actually don't watch much t.v.--who has time? And when I do, I gravitate to the good movies. Here are some shows I watch from time to time, though.
Andy Griffith
Bonanza
Home Improvement
American Idol
Dancing with the Stars
Passport to Europe
News

Eight Friends I Am Tagging:
Becki C.
Anne C.
Josi K.
Cindy B.
Michelle E.
Stacie H.
Joyce D
Hazel J.

And there you have it! Crazy Eights!

Tag with a Twist!

I've been tagged, but the "twist?" I'm answering with a purpose in mind. First, pretend I'm the reader (Maybe an editor? A reluctant reader?) you most want to "catch" with a story you've written (or if you don't have one, use a published novel). Next, study my "tag" to find out what most interests me:

My Reading: My favorite books are those that grab my heart and keep me turning the pages to the very end. Usually, that means "Gothic romances" which are filled with real romance--not explicit sex, suspense, and themes that make me think. In other words, I like the kind of books I'm trying to write, which is romantic suspense with "meat."

The best examples I can think of are "Jane Eyre" and "Rebecca." Yes, they're old, and yes they might be hard to read (the old writing style, you know), but they are soooo romantic, soooo suspenseful, and soooo thought provoking. Fortunately, there's a modern Gothic I love, too: Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series. Whoever thought the "much older hero with a haunted past" could come back to thrill us all?

Total number of books owned: Like every other author I know, this is nearly impossible to calculate. Books are not only our life blood, but also our "study guides."But if I had to guess, I'd say somewhere up to a hundred or so (but then, I have no idea how many are packed in the basement). I know this might be a small number compared to some of you out there, but remember, as I said before, I like books with "meat," so I don't just buy books because they're books. I buy books--both fiction and nonfiction--that I think will enrich me in some way. The only nonfiction I tend to buy, however, are "How to Write . . ." books. The rest is fiction.

Last Book I Bought: I haven't read it yet, but because it's in my desired "market," I bought Brad E. Hainsworth's "Revenge and Redemption." Just prior to that, I bought "Eclipse" and "Austenland."

5 Meaningful Books:
1)- "The Book of Mormon" and all the scriptures. Not only do I rely on them throughout all of my life, but also in my writing. I can't even describe how many "inspirations" and "you must do this" messages I've received through reading them.

2)- "The Outsiders," because it was the book my 6th grade teacher was reading to my class when its "golden" words caught my heart and filled me with the knowledge I would be a writer.

3)- Shakespeare and all the classics, both fiction and poetry, I've read that have left their imprint on me.

4)- "Twilight" series. It's meaningful in ways I previously mentioned, but also because my own writing has improved as I've studied and mimicked her sensual--using all the senses--style.

5)- Jane Austen's books. I love her wit, her eye for romance, and her uncanny understanding of human nature. Somehow, she knows how to tug a girl's heart, even through the most "boring" of scenarios, like "Mansfield Park," all the way to the last page.

Third, and here's the challenge, "pitch" your book to me. Make me want to read it. If you'd like, you can use the following pattern:

When (character's name) faces (character's challenge/goal), he or she overcomes (these obstacles) and learns . . .

Hint: Try to keep your pitch limited to three sentences, AND it would be a really good thing to mention the romantic lead.

Finally, I tag: Stephanie Humphreys & Aneeka.

Have fun, all!