.

April 30, 2012

Visuals are important

In my writing world visuals have always been important to me.  While writing In Between Goodbyes I always had at hand the painting I had done that would be the cover and a crudely drawn plan of the basement apartment.  Because I knew the lay of the land where In Season was set I could always visualize where my characters were milling around.  The Shepherd's Image was a bit different  but I St. Francis was a place I knew intimately in my youth and, of course, General Seminary is always in my heart.
So now Adelaide is back in my life and I am visualizing all sorts of churches around Turner City.  The below (which I hope will become the cover) is how I see St. Peter's, a church on the reservation overlooking Turner City.

April 29, 2012

Truth in fiction

I think I resemble this idea:


"A writer is congenitally unable to tell the truth and that is why we call what he writes fiction." - William Faulkner

April 26, 2012

Caught ya





Just waving at my students when they visit.

April 22, 2012

Hippity Hop

Well, the blog hop is over and I would like to congratulate Joy, Cathy and Liz on winning copies of my books.  I hope you enjoy your reading!

April 9, 2012

Authors In Bloom Giveaway Hop/Enter to Win A Nook/Enter to Win a Kindle!



So here I am hopping around a blog hop…the first time I’ve participated.  I’m asked to offer you a gardening or cooking tip.  Arrrrrruuuuughhhhh.  Because I am sort of a gardener and not much of a cook I decided on gardening.

Actually I am a gardener of some note if you count successful gardening in a space the size of a large tabletop (3’ by 3’) characterized by 6 inches of soil under laid by a particularly impermeable layer of clay and shale and getting a total of 52.5 minutes of sun every day just before sunset as an accomplishment.
But I also like my tiny patio and every year I try to follow my philosophy and work with what I have.  My Buddha over looks it and I try to accessorize him with potted plants that save him from the sun.




In the small garden space I plant herbs.  Actually the oregano plants itself every year.  If I’m really lucky my pumpkin from the previous fall will grow where it is buried when it becomes too mushy to stay in the house.
Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.  I believe in creating my quiet space so that it pleases me, not for the judges who come around every year to judge the condo’s best gardens.  As I plant the shady herbs that are the only things that will grow in my damp, dark space I find that I am pleased by their subtle aroma and green texture.  Flowers are nice but they don’t calm me the way my herbs do.


So thank you for visiting.  I am giving away one hard copy of each of my books, In Between Goodbyes, In Season and The Shepherd’s Image or the Kindle equivalent if you so desire.  In order to enter this giveaway you must do two things.  The first is to visit my website at http://www.christinawible.com and peruse the descriptions of the books on the tab marked BOOKS and decide which book you prefer to have if you are chosen to receive a book.  The second thing you must do is go to the CONTACT tab of the website and send me a request.  You just have to enter your first and last name, your email so I can contact you if you win and in the body of the message include the name of the book that you would like to read.  Please note if you want a hard copy or Kindle edition.  On the day after the giveaway ends I will notify the winners. (I will ask that the winners review my book after reading it on Amazon.com but it is not a requirement of the giveaway.)  I really am not willing to ship internationally so this contest is for US READERS ONLY.

Don’t forget to visit the other authors involved in the hop, conveniently located on the Diane Vanetta's page.



Finally I guess you want your phrase:

Line 68: Seek instead the gardener who nurtures.

April 7, 2012

Coming Events

This year I will be participating in the Authors in Bloom blog hop.  Tune in here on Monday to see what goodies you can earn by continuing to be a bunny.

April 3, 2012

Buying vs BUYING on Amazon

If you haven't explored the intracacies of Amazon.com some of you may not realize that when you purchase a book through the NEW/USED other sellers portion of the listing for the book on Amazon it is the same as purchasing through a used book store.  Not bad when you see some of the prices that are offered but from the rarified perch of an author, not so good. 
You see, an author gets nothing* when you buy those used books.  This might not be a problem for JK or John G or Stephen K. but it is a definite problem for authors who can count their monthly sales on their fingers and toes.
Several friends of mine have emailed me "I just bought your book on Amazon."  I look at my stats.  Nothing.  They may have bought my book but I'll never see the revenue.

*So I have learned to be crafty.  I am not only a primary author on Amazon, I am a secondary seller.  When you see the cheapest price for my book on Amazon from a NEW/USED seller that seller is probably me.  As yesterday's post warned.  Watch it.  I may deliver it to your doorstep.

April 2, 2012

Greed will get you into wierd situations

This is my (music in the background) Twilight Zone moment of the day.  You see, the greedy b* that I am I not only have Amazon sell my books but I am always the lowest price secondary seller of my own books in that section of Amazon.  I'll give you a sec to get your mind around that.  Ready?  Today I got a notice from Amazon that one of my "used/new" books had sold.  When I pulled up the address to mail the book...it was a friend right here in town.  Question: Should I show up on her doorstep tomorrow, book in hand?