Ken Burns' PROHIBITION is Coming!

(Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress)

I am ridiculously excited about this upcoming documentary, set to air on PBS October 2nd-4th. Directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, Prohibition is a three-part, five-and-a-half-hour documentary film series that tells the story of the rise, rule, and fall of the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the entire era it encompassed.

Ken Burns has a way of making history come alive and his films frequently spark a reawakening of interest in specific time periods for our popular culture. I am thrilled that his newest project tackles the era featured in my current novel, First Impressions. If you are a fan of history, make sure to check your local listings.

Highlights from ACFW 2011

I had an amazing time at the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) 2011 conference in St. Louis--talking with editors, dining with my agent and rubbing elbows with some of the most talented writers in the business. Does that sound like I'm bragging? I don't mean to, I'm just always amazed at what happens at national writing conferences. There is little or no distiction made between published and unpublished writers. I love it when I sit down at a meal and I don't know if the person sitting next to me is someone just starting out or whether they have written multiple best-sellers.

I didn't always feel this way. At my first conference, I was a little unnerved by it. I remember thinking, "They ought to wear special hats or something, so the rest of us don't embarass ourselves."

At ACFW, I did notice that published authors wore a special ribbon on their nametag. Since everyone had some sort of ribbon and some folks had up to five or six (I had two--first-time attendee and NW Zone), I found it distracting to try to read them all and decided to just look each person in the eye. What a joy. As the days went by, I was less concerned about whether they were published/unpublished or an industry professional, I just found myself enjoying get to know them as individuals.

That was challenging as there were nearly 700 attendees at this year's conference. But I did meet quite a few new people and had the pleasure of seeing many writers that I recognized from OCW (Oregon Christian Writers) or Mount Hermon. I have to admit, I probably clung to a few of them at tines when I felt lost in this sea of unfamiliar faces.

If you want to learn more about the 2012 ACFW Conference, including the trends noted about current Christian fiction, check out this new Publisher's Weekly article posted on September 28th.

So will you be at ACFW 2012? It will take place in Dallas next year with Michael Hyatt as the keynote speaker. I'll have to check my finances, but it sure sounds like fun!

I'll attach a few photos of my trip, but if you'd like to see even more, check out my album on FaceBook.

Karen Schravemade, (agent) Rachel Kent, Jenny Hale and myself back from dinner on the town.

With author Tricia Goyer at the awards gala.

Listening to announcements from our endlessly-entertaining emcee, Brandilyn Collins.

What it looks like when nearly 700 authors get dressed up and wait in a hallway for dinner!

Friday Book Pick: Falls Like Lightning by Shawn Grady

Summer is drawing to a close, and with it comes news of wildfires raging throughout the West. In his newest novel Falls Like Lightning, novelist/firefighter Shawn Grady describes the life of one of the our country's unsung heroes--the smoke jumper.

Here is the plot summary, courtesy of Bethany House:

Smokejumper Silas Kent never expected to see pilot Elle Westmore again. In fact, reuniting makes him realize what a mistake he made all those years ago. But before he has a chance to try to make amends, he's called to lead a new crew into battle against a massive fire in the Sierra Nevadas.

And then things go very wrong, very quickly.

A suspicious engine explosion forces the crew to parachute early while Elle barely survives a crash landing. Silas reaches the ground safely, but in beginning a desperate race to reach the downed plane, he soon realizes he has more to fear than just a raging forest fire.

Falls Like Lightning is an action-packed story from beginning to end that I found difficult to put down. As with his two previous novels, Through the Fire (see Book Pick Sept. 10, 2009) and Tomorrow We Die (see Book Pick July 9, 2010), Grady so expertly weaves his firefighting experiences into the stories that you can practically feel the heat of the flames.

My only disappointment with his newest novel is that it ended so quickly. The plot and the characters are so intricate, I would have liked to spend more time with them. Falls Like Lightning was a wild and enjoyable ride!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from Bethany House for the purpose of review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”