Friday, January 27, 2006

New Books

I've discovered I'm not too good at this blogging thing. Someone told me it was addictive, but not so far. Sorry to be so sporadic.

Anyway, I just finished the first book in a new three part series for Love Inspired titled A BROTHER'S BOND. This first one, A SEASON FOR GRACE will be out at Christmas. Tonight I started the second book, A TOUCH OF GRACE. I love the emotion in these stories and hope I can do them justice. The tag line that Love Inspired came up with perfectly charactizes the series: " Separated as boys, reunited as men." I've wanted to write these stories for a while and I'm so thankful God has given me this opportunity.

On another book note: I have a new one out right now. One of my last for Silhouette Romance, SOMETIMES WHEN WE KISS. I hope you'll check it out and let me know what you think.

Saturday, January 21, 2006

More on Hosting

I'm still not sure how to sum up the two weeks we had with Sasha. They were stressful but also wonderful. This little girl, who's probably endured more hardship that most of us will ever understand, is a survivor. She was funny and smart, stubborn and difficult, and completely endearing. We fell in love with her.

Hosting an international orphan can be done several ways: through an adoption agency who then expects you to use their services, or through one of several groups whose only agenda is to give a child an amazing vacation. Of course, if the child finds a permanent home in the process, all the better. You can find a number of these groups on the web. It costs, of course, but if you are fortunate enough to live in the same state as the hosting group, the cost is not bad. If, like me, you live in the boonies, the cost is pretty high. But the end result is feeling that you've done a good thing. That you've made a difference in a child's life. The hard part is saying goodbye, not knowing if you will ever see that precious little person again.

Sunday, January 15, 2006

I'm baaaaaaaack!!

Linda Goodnight

Oh, my goodness! I've done it. I'm here. And now I can publish some of the things that have been happening lately. Here goes:

During the Christmas holidays we (meaning my husband Gene and I) did something unusual. At least it was unusual for. We've never known anyone else personally who has hosted an international orphan child, and boy, were we in for a surprise that has changed our lives forever.

It all began when we started studying the book of James in the Bible. Suddenly, all the scriptures about orphans and widows and the needy started jumping out at us. So we began donating to orphanages and other compassion ministries. But that didn't seem to be enough. Then this opportunity to host a child, to give a child a wonderful Christmas, came along. And we took it.

The road to getting our little 61/2 year old Sasha here from the Ukraine was rocky to say the least. She was due to arrive on Dec. 20 in Denver. I was on my way to the airport to fly to Denver to pick her up when the phone call came. Sasha had a passport glitch and was not on the plane. We were saddened that she wasn't coming but just couldn't stop thinking that something good would come out of this. Three days later, we get another call. Sasha can be on a plane that morning but I have to pick her up in NYC instead of Denver. (Eat two nonrefundable airline tickets.) We agree to this, though the cost is staggering and way more than we intended to spend. Well, more bad news. We can't get out of NYC on that day. Finally, another couple who is hosting agrees to meet our child and take her to Detroit. My daughter Sundy jumps on a plane and heads for Detroit. Christmas Eve, four days late and exhausted but determined to be chipper and sweet, Sasha arrives.

Linda Goodnight

Linda Goodnight

Okay. So, I am forever and eternally techno challenged. So much so that I have not been able to get into my own blog for more than a month. Sigh. I have so much to tell you. Hopefully, I'm really, finally back. Time will tell.