The Power of Gratitude

Miss Humbug Airs on the Writer Show

Joan Hetzler of "The Writer Show" interviewed me a couple weeks ago and the interview will air Sunday, December 4th. Here are the details she sent out:

BAH HUMBUG!

At least, that's the idea in Marnie Pehrson's new ebook, "Miss Humbug," a new twist on old Scrooge.  Marnie visits to talk about her Christmas story of a young woman who hates Christmas but has to find the true Christmas spirit quickly or face dire consequences.  Available at www.misshumbug.com, the ebook is free but does offer a chance to buy Miss Humbug's Homemade Fudge (Marnie's husband is a chef) and a print version.  Marnie talks about how she markets her work online and develops her writing career through online contacts rather than the traditional publishing route.

The show airs this Sunday, December 2, at 1 pm EST through live internet streaming at www.wawl.org and in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area on 91.5FM.

Also, a special Christmas edition of The Writers Show with local and regional writers and storytellers will air on Christmas Day at 11 am and 7 pm.  Look for a future announcement.

For more information about The Writers Show, visit www.geocities.com/thewritersshow/thewritersshow.html  or contact Joan Hetzler at thewritersshow@yahoo.com

Musical Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving next door at my sister's house with our parents, nieces, nephews, siblings, etc. As usual, the food was fantastic and the conversation stimulating. But, my favorite part of the evening was the music. My nephew Noah Collins and my brother-in-law Chris Kline played guitars and sang. I recorded 5 videos and put them up on his web site (and youtube).

So stop by www.NoahCollinsMusic.com and listen to my talented nephew. Then come back and tell me which song's your favorite. I think mine is "Mississippi Woman." It's a real toe-tapper. :)  I also like what he's done with this version of "Long Distance Call." Of course, there's also "Hannah" which is the song he wrote to sway the heart of the girl of his dreams. It worked too! He sang it for her at the Mountain Opry (without even dating her prior) and she married him 2 months later! That's a whirlwind romance that's begging to be turned into a future novel.

If you listen to Noah's music and like it, be sure to join his mailing list so you can find out when his next performances are and when he'll have his CD out.

Walk to Chickamauga Creek - Scene from Rebecca's Reveries

It's been beautiful here for the last few days - in the 70's, clear and perfect for walking. Yesterday I set out for a walk to the Chickamauga creek and decided to take my camcorder along with me. I thought it would be fun to film the walk and send it to a few of my friends. When I got back and added Jody Norris' Ghost of Shiloh (a Civil War ballad) to the background of the video, it made me think of a scene from Rebecca's Reveries.

The book is set on our property in the 1880's - after the Civil War but before the Battlefield was turned into a national park. In the book, Rebecca Marchant (who has led a sheltered life) is inexplicably drawn to the home of her father's youth (our property which used to be the Battlefield Stables). Surrounded by the historical landscape of the Chickamauga battlefield in Georgia, Rebecca finds herself plagued by haunting dreams and vivid visions of Civil War events. As Rebecca walks a mile in another girl’s moccasins through her visions and dreams she learns about compassion, forgiveness, temptation, the trauma of war, and the power of true love.

So the final video I came up with includes my reading of a scene from Rebecca's Reveries where Rebecca first meets her love-interest, Mitch Garrison, at the creek. It may be a bit cheesy, but I thought Rebecca's Reveries fans might enjoy seeing the inspiration behind the story.

Putting Up the Christmas Tree

Our family putting up the Christmas tree:

Reading Still America's Favorite Pastime

Link: Media Life Magazine - 'Enough of the gizmos. I'd rather read.'.

Here's some interesting results from the recent Harris Poll, "As it turns out, for all these different toys, these wonderful new technologies, reading tops the list of things Americans would most rather do, given the choice, and by a large margin.

Not only that, reading is higher on that list than ever. Watching TV is No. 2, but a more distant No. 2. Reading is slightly more popular today than it was back in 1995."

Overstock Inventory Book Sale

Wow! It's almost Thanksgiving! Where in the world did 2007 go? For small businesses like ours, the end of the year means bookkeeping and inventory and all that yucky stuff. To make our lives easier, we're closing out our inventory of books. So if you're looking for a Christmas gift for a friend or just something to read yourself, this is a great time to for you.

Here's how it works ... order any of our overstock inventory items (some of which are at reduced prices) and you'll pay NO SHIPPING within the U.S. while supplies last! We have both fiction and nonfiction titles available as well as a 3-CD set from my recent "Faith Precedes the Miracle" workshop. To see what's currently available, visit http://www.marniepehrson.com/closeout.php

Oh, and to sweeten the deal, order any 5 items or more at once and you'll receive a Free 1 pound box of "Miss Humbug's Fudge" (the smoothest, creamiest, dreamiest fudge on the planet) to enjoy while you read!

The Parable of the Acorn and Activating Grace

The workshop on Saturday went really well. A couple groups of ladies came up from Atlanta and another group came up from the Gainesville, GA area. It was fun to meet everyone and see friends I haven't seen in a while. But I must admit I'm relieved to have a break from the planning and preparing. I slept for 11 hours that night!

Next up is a quick revision of "Savannah Nights" which is slated for a Valentine's Day Release in Granite's Love Notes Series. I just need to make it a bit longer. I also have some revisions to make on "An Uncertain Justice"and am doing a big media push for "Miss Humbug." It just hit Amazon and Barnes and Noble today.

I do have a couple video clips from Saturday's workshop and I hope to have it available on a DVD shortly. If you're interested in a copy, email me.

Overcoming Your Fears

The Parable of the Acorn and Activating Grace