Christina Berry: Posting with Purpose

Christina's First Proverb

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:38:00 +0000

I'm working on an edit for a client tonight and REALLY enjoying his story, so not a lot of time to blog, AND I'm going far too slowly to make my self-imposed deadline. But I wanted to share a little proverb I came up with in the shower this morning while pondering a fact I learned at the BiMart checkout counter. Seems that the two most heavily shop-lifted items are teeth whitening strips and Oil of Olay products. Stores now have to keep them back behind the main cash register. Yep, like tobacco products.

We've been going verse by verse through Proverbs at Lake Bible. And so, in a flash of wisdom, I came up with the following:

He who whitens his teeth with stolen strips hides the stain of sin;
she who beautifies with stolen facials masks the ugliness within.

Want to take a crack at writing your own?

Whomp-wh-wh-whomp!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 05:18:00 +0000

Is it a huge helicopter right over us? A stuttering giant? The whole city of Portland has indigestion at the same time?

Josh and I walked out of OHSU to the most interesting sound. The whole world vibrated with it. We'd just finished 3.5 hours of testing as paid participants in an ADHD study, but this was a real life test. What was the noise?

www.free-images.org.uk

Once we made it through the maze of buildings to the parking garage, we were able to lean over the railing and peer into the road below. Hundreds and hundreds of motorbikes--big burly Harleys and such--powered along the street in a parade. Many riders wore Santa hats and some of the riders were very hairy. Very hairy! As in, strapped in between these tough looking characters were soft, fluffy teddy bears and the largest sock monkeys I've ever seen.

Unbeknown to us, we had happened upon the annual ABATE/Shriner's ride. Josh and I perched up in the parking garage and watched the bikes for quite some time. Then, I looked up ... and almost got choked up. The main hospital was directly across from us and in floor after floor, in almost every window, a patient looked down. It was one of those moments I thanked the Lord for. An unexpected moment of serendipitous blessing.

Operation Kitchen Faucet: Before and After

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:38:00 +0000

Last night, as Josh rinsed his plate after dinner, he yelled, "MMMOOOOOOOMMMM!" And Andrea began yelling too. Don't know what your experience is, but two kids screaming for their mother isn't the best of signs around here. I rounded the corner to the kitchen to see the faucet handle out of place and water pouring into the sink.

Blessedly, I knew where the whole-house shut-off was in the garage. I ran out, flipped that, then turned the water off under the sink and restored water to the rest of the house.

The dilemma: do I leave the kids home for a few minutes until Daddy/Dave gets home from work while I run to the store OR do I stay home and try to catch up on the edit I had JUST opened when catastrophe struck? I wanted to edit, for sure, but how could we function without water in the kitchen? After a little sob on Dave's shoulder (after he got home) about breaking things--one of our expensive shower rings flew off and split in half AND our fruit drawer in our 8-month-old fridge cracked--I decided to stay home and deal with it in the morning.

Andrea helped cart water from the laundry room sink for us to finish the dishes and fill the teapot and coffeepot for the morning. She, in her delightedly optimistic manner, declared it like camping. :)

The Before:

Taking off the water filter was one of the hardest parts. I had no idea until I Googled the installation manual (to get a clue about uninstalling) that it was a $127 piece of kitchen help. We filter through our fridge and it the sink filter had been left by the previous owners, so we really didn't need it taking up precious sink space. Once I got that unit out, I focused on the actual faucet. The install of the new one went quickly, along with a providential donation from a plumber that I will discuss in a future post, and I felt very capable as I've never done any other kind of plumbing project.

The After:

The highlight: This week, I used The Oregonian's flour tortilla recipe and made my own. I never even considered that they could be made at home! Now, to add plumber to my resume ... pretty awesome feeling.

The lowlight: When the cat, who kept crawling in to the sink to keep me company, let a toot.

My Why-I-Waited-to-Have-Sex Tell-all Interview!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:06:00 +0000

For those of you who know me, you know I'll answer pretty much any question without even blushing. My great friend, Angela Ruth Strong put that to the test! hehe We both divorced around the same time and re-married around the same time. AND we both waited to have sex until we could call our loves husband.

She has a blog/ministry to the Abandoned Wife and is doing amazing things. In fact, she even landed an interview with Steve Arterburn, author of Every Man's Battle, for next week.

Please come by Moving On After He Moves Out and read the interview. Where else will I ever quote both Dr. Phil and Captain Barbosa?

Funny? Maybe ... or Maybe Not

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:09:00 +0000

I was cleaning out yet another box--I always think I found the last one from the move and then another one appears--when I found notes I'd jotted down in a comedy class at OCW. We were coming up with one-liners for something , I think job-related jokes ... I have to censor the first one out as it made me cuss accidentally in my mind and I must help keep you pure around here, but that doesn't mean the others are in good taste!

~Dior Durant made quite a good living as an armpit musician, though sometimes concerts were a little hairy.

~Steve enjoyed working as a stand-up comedian at the Wheelchairers of America meetings.

Maybe it was better when I wasn't blogging?!

Laughing Alone? Newest Newsletter!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 01:49:00 +0000

If you think it's been a long time since I blogged, you should know that I went more than a year between newsletters! The newest can be found on the link on my sign-up-form page of my website. There's the introductions to Dave, wedding pictures, my IQ test results, and much, much more.

Ya know what? Since I love you all so much, I'll post the whole thing here. Pass the link to all your friends and change the world!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Infrequent, Humorous Newsletter

Motto: Infrequent and humorous, but never infrequently humorous.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

November 2011 (Issue #13)

Yes, it's been more than a year since our last issue, but there is HUGE breaking news, so stay tuned ...

In this issue: the aforementioned Breaking News, important photos, good food, and a few software tools to better your life.

If this is your first newsletter, you can view the archives on this page of my website.

Membership Update

Only two souls short of 1200 subscribers. (Or one soul with two email addresses.)

Remember, you can win the drawing for free autographed books for the life of my writing career OR a 4GB iPod Shuffle OR a Kindle Touch. Forward this on to all your friends and family, urging them to sign up now. Each subscriber and each referral gets another entry. Only 800 people to go before I give a big prize out again!

If you happen to have The Familiar Stranger on your Kindle, you may go to Kindlegraph.com and request my electronic signature and usual message.

Breaking News


Mere moments after question popped

A wonderful man named Dave Tarabochia stole Christina's heart and asked for her hand in marriage. He took her to Chart House, overlooking the Willamette River. After they both ate a scrumptious meal, he made her close her eyes to guess how many boats lit the water. "You know I'm going to love you for the rest of my life, don't you?" he murmured, and she opened her eyes to find a gorgeous ring winking at her from a velvety box in his hand. She said Yes, as she's no dummy. The two love birds plan to marry--Wait! This happened way back in January. We interrupt this romantic account for ...

More Breaking News

Christina and Dave married, blending their family of five children and moving to Tigard, Oregon. Christina and twelve-year-old Andrea returned from their mission trip to Mexico less than a week before the wedding, but things went amazingly well.

The whole family comprised the wedding party and built a seven-piece wooden statue during the ceremony as a symbol of the building of their new life on the foundation of the Lord.

Afterward, the guests boogied to love songs from the 50s and 60s until showering the couple with prayers before they departed for a US Virgin Islands honeymoon and--

What?! That was clear back in April? So it's not really breaking news? Okay ...

Trying this breaking news thing again

Um, I'm in a really, really yummy cookbook? Yeah, let's go with that. Author Nicole O'Dell, the instigator, describes it as "a collaborative recipe book bringing your favorite Christian authors and their favorite foods together. Sixty-three of your favorite Christian authors have come together in this first-of-its-kind e-book, sharing more than 120 recipes that connect to their books or their characters."

The best part of it all is that, as readers of the best newsletter in the world written at this very nanosecond, you can download this cookbook for FREE! Go to Nicole's website, click Buy Now, and enter "christinaberry" in the discount code box. Easy as pie, which might be one of the recipes in there.

The Name Change

The Artist Formerly Known as Prince changed his name back to Prince because he knew he would really always be Prince in his fan's minds. We've now changed our name from The Ashberry Lane Newsletter to The Infrequent, Humorous Newsletter, but we still know who we are.

There are two parts to this decision. The first part and the second part. Of the name.

See, the "Ash" came from Ashcraft and the "berry" came from ... um, Berry. Sherrie is no longer writing parts of the newsletter--which I bet you could tell already by the decrease in quality--and Christina is no longer a Berry. Just please don't think this is some kind of salty canned "meat" just because your email won't say Ashberry Lane anymore.

What if you are only hanging around here in the first place because you love Sherrie, and who is this Christina girl anyway? Well, if that's the case, hang around awhile longer. Sherrie's busy being a totally cool women's director at her church and writing meaningful, short non-fiction, yes, but--and this but isn't very large as it's been doing Zumba--she might reappear in any issue.

Now that we've got that out of the way I can stop referring to myself in the ubiquitous third person and let you in on a little secret: it's just Christina now, folks. I am so, so sorry for you all.

More Name Stuff

Taken today!

Let's go back to Prince ... we have to deal with my name change now. I'm keeping christina [at] christinaberry [dot] net as my email because it's easy for you all to remember, and everyone and his monkey is in my address book and folders. I'm submitting all new projects to editors as Christina Berry as well, as that's how I am known in this industry and have spent almost a decade building my "brand" on that name. However, I am a Tarabochia through and through. What a blessing God brought me in Dave and I am proud to wear his unpronounceable name.

Try to say it. Tarabochia. Nope. It's ter-uh-bach(more like the brilliant composer than the sound a chicken makes)-ee-uh. Ok, maybe some of you did get it right. If so, treat yourself to a piece of your kid's Halloween candy that you've been hiding.

On the Book Front

This is probably the most exciting time possibility-wise right now since back when I signed my contract for The Familiar Stranger three years ago. Numerous houses have expressed interest in, and are currently reviewing, two different projects of mine. Even if rejections flow in from ALL of them, it's still exciting, as I wrote the first chapter to yet another book last month. This new story of intrigue gives me an outlet to tell a foster care story, one of the passions of my heart.

The Familiar Stranger continues to sell slow and steady, with ebook numbers rising to a quarter of my total sales. Paperbacks can make a great Christmas gift, though. Especially if an author will 1) sign to whomever you want, 2) gift wrap it, and 3) ship it anywhere in the Continental United States for only $14.50 like I will. :) Email me if you'd like to take advantage of this opportunity!

Also, people keep reading the book, which makes sense, since people are still buying them. On Monday I'll be visiting an assisted living facility and discussing my book with a group of senior citizens that have been reading it over the last few months. Even they admit that the length of time between reading and meeting might make the discussion a little vague, but there will be coffee and cookies, so we'll all be happy. Remember that where five or more gather to discuss The Familiar Stranger, I will be present in person or via phone. That is, if you ask me to. I won't randomly stalk book clubs or anything.

Odds & Ends

~When my kids call me loudly, it tends to wake me up, but when a nap loudly calls my name ... ZZZZ. Ironic, isn't it?

~My son recently had testing done to participate in a longitudinal study at Oregon Health & Sciences University. What I didn't realize was that they would be running IQ-testing-ish questions on me as well. I was given "remorse" to define.

"Regret."

"Can you expand on that?"

"Uh, wishing to undo something ... or when Morse code doesn't work the first time 'round and has to be re-sent."

Not sure what that did for my IQ right there.

A Few of My Favorite Things

~I drool over Macs, I really do, but it doesn't look like I'll be buying one anytime soon. A computer guy my sweet honey (that would be Dave, in case you missed the breaking news) has used in the past set all our PCs up with two things that make it run much faster. CCleaner.com and Auslogics Disk Defrag. These programs seem to work better than any that are preinstalled for cleaning up and organizing the computer. Try them at your own risk, but I've been very happy with the improved performance of my PCs.

My cleaning sickness extends so far that I enjoy watching the defrag work and clean up all those nasty red dots on the screen.

~Dropbox. It's my new best friend. It's as if I have a personal assistant scurrying around making sure all my PCs have the same up-to-date version of files, that my pictures and video are accessible everywhere, and that my editing clients can see their latest edits in a shared folder immediately without worrying about downloading. It doesn't bring me coffee, but I don't drink coffee, so we're still a good fit. No more worrying if I'm using the old chapter or the chapter I changed last week. No more stopping mid blog or mid email so I can switch to a different computer to find the right attachment. No more stress.

And when I can finally afford a Mac, all my stuff--every file and every pic--can be downloaded to the new computer at one time with a few clicks of the mouse.

But my favorite thing of all this time of year is Veteran's Day. And not just because we get the day off school. Last night I was able to take the four younger kids to hear Les and Eva Aigner share how they survived Kristallnacht 73 years ago, and how veterans are their heroes as their lives were saved by our armed forces. A heartfelt thank you to all you amazing veterans!

Where to Find Me

You might find it hard to believe that I blog almost every day. Evidence to support your disbelief could be found at my blog, where there are hardly any entries since the breaking news began. This is because I'm having trouble getting all the blog posts I write in my head while driving or exercising actually ONTO the computer. But rest assured that I draft many a mental blog. I'm looking forward to more of a set writing schedule next year when my youngest is in a school class that seems to last more than twenty minutes. Still, I think you might find my frantically funny road rage episode a worthy read. Also, my Novocaine-fueled author reading is racking up a few views on youtube and making my ston(short for step-son) very proud of his "famous" stom.

You can find me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter. My daughter asked why I text random stuff to Twitter. "Why, honey, that's what it's there for!"

Get Me Outta Here

If you don't want to be bothered with any other works of genius from Christina (Berry) Tarabochia, please click the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of this email and, after much wailing and gnashing of teeth, I will remove your name. Wait, that's what I did before I found the great service of Your Mailing List Provider. Now they do it immediately and then I gnash my teeth.

2011 Carol Award Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 23:49:00 +0000

Debut Author
Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes (Tyndale Publishers - Kathryn Olson, editor)

Long Contemporary
Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group - Dave Long, editor)

Long Contemporary Romance
Plain Paradise by Beth Wiseman (Thomas Nelson - Natalie Hanemann, editor)

Long Historical
Sons of Thunder by Susan May Warren (Summerside Press - Susan Downs, editor)

Long Historical Romance
Love Finds You in Homestead Iowa by Melanie Dobson (Summerside Press - Rachel Meisel/Connie Troyer, editors)

Mystery
The Camera Never Lies by Elizabeth Goddard (Barbour Publishing - Rebecca Germany, editor)

Novella
A Trusting Heart by Carrie Turansky (Barbour Publishing - Rebecca Germany, editor)

Romantic Suspense
The Silent Order by Melanie Dobson (Summerside Press - Rachel Meisel/Susan Downs/Ellen Tarver, editors)

Short Contemporary
A Father for Zach by Irene Hannon (Love Inspired - Melissa Endlich, editor)

Short Contemporary Suspense
Night Prey by Sharon Dunn (Love Inspired Suspense - Emily Rodmell, editor)

Short Historical
Her Healing Ways by Lyn Cote (Love Inspired Historical - Tina James, editor)

Speculative Fiction
König’s Fire by Marc Schooley (Marcher Lord Press - Jeff Gerke, editor)

Suspense/Thriller
Predator by Terri Blackstock (Zondervan - Sue Brower/Dave Lambert, editors)

Women’s Fiction
Beaded Hope by Cathy Liggett (Tyndale Publishers - Jan Stob/Lorie Popp, editors)

Young Adult
Anything But Normal by Melody Carlson (Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group - Lonnie Hull Dupont, editor)

Name that Kitten!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 05:52:00 +0000

We brought home a new addition to the family ... as if five kids weren't enough action for us.

Our friends own an animal hospital and called us about adopting some kittens that had been left on the doorstep. So we weren't even looking for a pet, but not forty-eight hours after the first contact, we had a sweet, feisty boy in our house.

But what should we name him? You can imagine that everyone has a vested interest, so these are some of the suggestions so far:

Kaboodle -- get it? Kittten Kaboodle

Charlie -- so when he's nipping, we can say, "Charlie bit me!"

Stripey -- self-explanatory

Pinky -- from the youngest member of the family because she likes pink things

Toots -- so that everyone will love him immediately. This family loves to talk about toots and I always have to say, "No toots at the table," so it seems to fit ;p

Starkiller -- I nixxed this Star Wars name because I couldn't imagine calling that from the doorway at night. "Starkiller! Here, killer, killer!"

But we're leaning toward Casey. No idea where that name came from for the cat, but once Andrea said it, it felt like it fit.

So ... what do you think? Is this spunky little thing a Casey?

Broken Kindle--Amazon to the Rescue!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 21:08:00 +0000

Andrea and Josh went to Hermiston to visit their dad's family and they packed a boatload of things to do while they were driving. Hmm, guess that would be a carload, actually.

Last night, Andrea's Kindle fell off her suitcase just as her brother walked by, which meant that it fell right under his foot. I got a frantic, teary phone call at 10:20 PM. Josh had reassured her he would but a new one, thinking they were $14 instead of $114--turns out that won't work so well with a 10-year old's bank account balance.

I called Amazon as soon as they came home. A live person answered within one minute, and he offered a generous deal: they would send out a new Kindle already loaded with her books; I send the broken one back in the package with a pre-paid label. All this for only $65!

And so one of my fears of buying an ereader was erased. Super Amazon, duh-duh-duh-dun!

Pitching Over Meals at Conferences

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 02:00:00 +0000

I shared this on the ACFW Course Loop, but since so many people are getting ready for conferences, I thought it was worth repeating.

I've pitched many times over tables at ACFW and OCW, where I'll be next week. Honestly, it is a little nerve-wracking to talk about your baby in front of a table of other people who want to talk about their babies as well.

Etiquette matters! If everyone does their part, it can be a fun experience. If one person monopolizes the conversation, it can be awkward. Be conscious of the time you take. Have a short spiel, then be prepared to answer any questions the editor or agent might have. Encourage other writers at the table. Be genuine.

Two table stories: Last year, I accidentally threw asparagus on Allen Arnold's lap during a meal. Could have been disaster, but turned into a great email conversation starter when we began communicating about my new project.

In 2008, I sat at Andy McGuire's table. He'd asked for my agent for the first chapters of Undiscovered a few days before, so when it got to my turn at the table, I had no idea how to pitch. I gave a two sentence description of the story and mentioned he'd asked for the pages. "Yes, I got them," he said. Then ... crickets. Deciding I didn't need an oral rejection in front of eight other people, I motioned for the next person to go. Not a month later, he'd signed me for a contract with Moody. The Familiar Stranger has since been nominated for a Christy and won a Carol.

Just goes to show that you never know what might happen during a meal!

Unfortunate Coincidence

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:02:00 +0000

Had to get four fillings today. No, I haven't been brushing my teeth with cotton candy. In fact, I haven't had a cavity for more than a decade ... and that was the problem.

All my fillings were old and worn down, so the dentist replaced them. I had the choice of doing them over a period of days, but I would rather get it all done at once.

Unfortunately, this was the first day of the filming of my video/audio version of my book. You know how the entertainment business is, though--the show must go on!

Here's what we ended up with. You might want to grab your copy and follow along. (I also had great fun calling Dave and leaving him a loving message.)

2011 Carol Award Finalists

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:07:00 +0000

Put all of these books on your summer reading list:

Debut Novel:

The Preacher’s Bride by Jody Hedlund (Bethany House - Dave Long/Sharon Asmus, Editors)

Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes (Tyndale Publishers - Kathryn Olson, Editor)

Rooms by James L. Rubart (B&H Publishing - Julee Schwarzburg, Editor)

Long Contemporary:

The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher (Revell - Andrea Doering, Editor)

Red Ink by Kathi Macias (New Hope Publishers - Randy Bishop, Editor)

Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate (Bethany House - Dave Long, Editor)

Long Contemporary Romance:

Plain Jayne by Hilary Manton Lodge (Harvest House - Kim Moore, Editor)

Anna’s Return by Marta Perry (Berkley - Ellen Edwards, Editor)

Plain Paradise by Beth Wiseman (Thomas Nelson - Natalie Hanemann, Editor)

Long Historical:

Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs (Waterbrook Press - Laura Barker, Editor)

Petra: City in Stone by T.L. Higley (B&H Publishing - Karen Ball, Editor)

Sons of Thunder by Susan May Warren (Summerside Press – Susan Downs, Editor)

Long Historical Romance:

The Husband Tree by Mary Connealy (Barbour - Rebecca Germany, Editor)

Love Finds You In Homestead, Iowa by Melanie Dobson (Summerside - Rachel Meisel/Connie Troyer, Editors)

Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz (Revell - Andrea Doering, Editor)

Mystery:

Mirrored Image by Alice K. Arenz (Sheaf House - Joan M. Shoup, Editor)

Muslin Mystery by Vera Dodge (Guideposts - Beth Adams, Editor)

The Camera Never Lies by Elizabeth Goddard (Barbour – Rebecca Germany, Editor)

Novellas (Contemporary and Historical were combined into one category):

The Prodigal Groom by Vickie McDonough (Barbour – Rebecca Germany, Editor)

Ride With Me Into Christmas by Rachael Phillips (Barbour – Rebecca Germany, Editor)

A Trusting Heart by Carrie Turansky (Barbour – Rebecca Germany, Editor)

Romantic Suspense:

The Silent Order by Melanie Dobson (Summerside Press - Rachel Meisel/Susan Downs, Editors)

Don’t Look Back by Lynette Eason (Revell - Andrea Doering, Editor)

Pursuit of Justice by DiAnn Mills (Tyndale Publishers - Karen Watson, Editor)

Short Contemporary:

The Wedding Garden by Linda Goodnight (Love Inspired - Allison Lyons)

A Father for Zach by Irene Hannon (Love Inspired - Melissa Endlich, Editor)

Winter’s End by Ruth Logan Herne (Love Inspired - Melissa Endlich, Editor)

Short Contemporary Suspense:

Night Prey by Sharon Dunn (Love Inspired Suspense - Emily Rodmell, Editor)

Legacy of Lies by Jill Elizabeth Nelson (Love Inspired Suspense - Emily Rodmell, Editor)

Firestorm by Kelly Ann Riley (Love Inspired Suspense - Tina James, Editor)

Short Historical:

Her Healing Ways by Lyn Cote (Love Inspired Historical - Tina James, Editor)

Promise of Tomorrow by S. Dionne Moore (Barbour - JoAnne Simmons, Editor)

The Columns of Cottonwood by Sandra Robbins (Barbour - JoAnne Simmons, Editor)

Speculative Fiction:

The Wolf of Tebron by C. S. Lakin (AMG Publishers - Rick Steele, Editor)

Rooms by James L. Rubart (B&H Publishing - Julee Schwarzburg, Editor)

König’s Fire by Marc Schooley (Marcher Lord Press – Jeff Gerke, Editor)

Suspense/Thriller:

Predator by Terri Blackstock (Zondervan - Sue Brower/Dave Lambert, Editors)

Fear No Evil by Robin Caroll (B&H Publishing – Karen Ball, Editor)

Medical Error by Richard L. Mabry (Abingdon Press – Barbara Scott, Editor)

Women’s Fiction:

Beaded Hope by Cathy Liggett (Tyndale Publishers - Jan Stob/Lorie Popp, Editors)

They Almost Always Come Home by Cynthia Ruchti (Abingdon – Barbara Scott, Editor)

Beyond Summer by Lisa Wingate (NAL - Ellen Edwards, Editor)

Young Adult:

Anything But Normal by Melody Carlson (Revell - Lonnie Hull Dupont, Editor)

Healer’s Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson (Zonderkidz - Jacque Alberta, Editor)

Katy’s New World by Kim Vogel Sawyer (Zonderkidz - Jacque Alberta, Editor)

Kids Bowl Free--My Summer Public Service Announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 22:06:00 +0000

I've been a bit busy this summer with five kids, nieces, a nephew, and untold neighbors in and out of the house, but I've finally gotten to the bottom of the paperwork on my desk. Found a treasure there: a program that lets kids under 15 bowl TWO games A DAY for FREE all summer long. It's all over the nation, and even some bowling alleys in Canada are participating.

Super fun, and we added the Family Pass for $24.95. That allowed four adults for all those times as long as you are with a Bowl Free child. Added both sets of the Tarabochia parents.

If you haven't heard about this, check it out at Kids Bowl Free. If you did know, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME???

Terrified behind the Wheel

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 22:46:00 +0000

Yesterday I had a bunch of running around to do. The bank, the dentist, Dollar Store for greeting cards, home for shopping list, and then grocery shopping. Winco was stuffed to the brim, but I graciously let carts go in front of me, didn't take corners too fast, chatted with the clerk as she checked out my massive order, giggled as people gaped at my super-full cart dragging me across the parking lot ...

In short, I made the chores fun and enjoyed being in the moment. Counted my blessings like having money to put in the bank, having dental insurance, a fun car to drive, great kids to eat all that food, and so on.

Only three turns from home, I was stopped on a green light on a left turn yield. A car drove straight past me from the other direction as another made a right turn opposite me in their designated right turn lane. I had eggs in the car. This is important because everyone know you drive more cautiously when you have eggs in the car! Another car was just entering the right turn lane and I saw a decent-gap, so turned.

The guy laid on his horn, almost making the car in front of me get in an accident while it pulled over. I waved to them as I passed, signally I didn't honk at them. It struck me that the red car behind me thought I had cut it off. I had EGGS in the car! Uh-oh, I thought, but we weren't close to an accident at all.

I'm the one you honk at because I'm too conservative at rush hour to take a spot in the traffic. I get made fun of for signaling on lonely driveways and in parking lots. I've never had a ticket. I HAD EGGS in the car!

So I make my next right turn, signaling and driving just as carefully as I normally do. The red car follows me. Wait, is he FOLLOWING me????!?!??! I didn't make another turn for a while, so I couldn't really tell. Then a right and quick left. Yep, still behind me. Now I'm hyperventilating. Freaking out. Having all the news stories run through my mind of road rage with sudden appearances of guns. I'm praying, "Lord, please keep me safe!"

Should I keep driving past our street? Lead him down the mountain? How long will he follow me? [Here's where you can tell how out of my mind I was because this next part seemed logical then.] No, I decided, I have ice cream in the car. (with the eggs) I'll just pull into the garage, stay in the car, until the garage door shuts, then call the police if he comes to the door.

I pull around the trees into our driveway and, miracle of miracles, Dave who lifts weights almost every day is cutting cardboard for the recycling with a box knife! I zoom in, brake, put my window down, and say in a shaky, shaky voice, "IthinktheguybehindmethoughtIcuthimoffandhe'sfollowedmeallthewayhomeandIthinkit'sroadrage!"

I cowered in the car while Dave, knife in hand, went to meet the car. The guy seemed pretty calm, told Dave he'd almost hit me when I cut him off, and that I needed to know I didn't have the right of way. Dave told him that those roads are pretty tough to get around on when they are this busy, happens to him all the time, and that I was a safe driver with no tickets.

I wobbled out of the car, grab a few grocery sacks, and yelled, "I HAD EGGS IN THE CAR!" Ok, really I said, "I'm sorry if you thought it was too close but I felt like I had plenty of room." Then I hid in the house until he left.

The fight-or-flight was so high in me that all I could do was wander around scattered-brain, hugging Dave, thanking him for being home with a knife, and berating myself for showing where I lived. Even if I did cut him off, his horn honk was enough of a warning. NEVER should he have followed me.

I've played it over and over in my head. I still think I had room. Maybe he looked down after he got in the lane, saw me when he looked up, and assumed there was less room because of the surprise. Maybe he thought I was a teenager in the car alone with my bangs and my sunglasses and wanted to good-heartedly make sure I knew the rules of the road. Maybe God was warning me to stay extra cautious and alert with all these big-city drivers. Maybe he had no socialization skills to know how UTTERLY TERRIFYING it is to be a lady in a car alone being followed by a strange man.

That's my favorite theory. I play the whole thing out. He walks into the kitchen, tells his wife he was almost in an accident and followed the girl home to tell her how to drive. Then his wife says, "You did what??" and hits him repeatedly with a dish towel. "She probably had eggs in the car!"

FUN Dear Editor Questions

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 22:21:00 +0000

Elaine Stock, one of my favorite editing clients--but aren't they all??--did an interview with me. It's over on her blog, Everyone's Story. She also has a never-before-seen karate wedding picture. ;p

Please stop in and leave a comment, which makes you eligible to win a book. I spend FOUR hours working on my answers. Which made Elaine feel bad, but it shouldn't, because it just means that all five kids were home and kept "needing" me. I would just get one train of thought on its track and--DERAILMENT, aka kid.

Also, I took a long time answering because I wanted to make sure to give answers of value. So jump over and tell me what you think. Did I succeed in giving you something new to think about as a writer or reader?

Why Post Contest Winners?

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:39:00 +0000

1) They deserve more recognition for their hard work. We all love an accolade.

2) It's an easy-peasy blog post for me.

3) The real reason I post them, actually, is that you can't go wrong by reading a book from the list. In this economic climate, you probably don't want to waste money buying a book you don't like.

2011 Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award Winners

*Long Contemporary*

1) Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes (Tyndale)

2) Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio by Serena Miller (Summerside)

3) The Six-Liter Club by Harry Kraus (Howard)

*Short Contemporary*

1) White Roses by Shannon Taylor Vannatter (Barbour ˆ Heartsong Presents)

2) Rodeo Redemption by Teri Wilson (White Rose)

3) Tender Mercies by Mary Manners (White Rose)

*Long Historical*

1) The Preacher’s Bride by Jody Hedlund (Bethany House)

2) A Memory Between Us by Sarah Sundin (Revell)

3) Abbie Ann by Sharlene MacLaren (Whitaker House)

*Short Historical*

1) A Matter of Character by Robin Lee Hatcher (Zondervan)

2) Walker’s Wedding by Lori Copeland (Harvest)

3) The Substitute Bride by Janet Dean (Steeple Hill)

*Women’s Fiction*

1) Plain Paradise by Beth Wiseman (Thomas Nelson)

2) Chasing Lilacs by Carla Stewart (FaithWords)

3) The House on Sugar Plum Lane by Judy Duarte (Kensington)

*Romantic Suspense*

1) Too Close to Home by Lynette Eason (Revell)

2) Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze (Waterbrook)

3) Nightshade by Ronie Kendig (Barbour)

*Novella*

1) Once Upon a Christmas Eve by Anita Higman (Summerside)

2) A Bodine Family Christmas by Marta Perry (Steeple Hill)

3) The Snowflake by Jamie Carie (Broadman and Holman)

Happy reading!

Danger, Christina Tarabochia, Danger!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:48:00 +0000

Sometimes technology is good.

Sometimes it can be a little dangerous.

On our way to church yesterday, I snagged my two-week-old phone from my purse to turn the sound off. I always keep my phone in the side pocket of my three sectioned purse. The same section which now had a HOLE BURNED through each wall!

(Best picture I could get ...)

I was sure the phone had gone into some rogue, radioactive hot flash. Do cell phones go through menopause? I talked to Sprint, who said it would be extremely unusual. I asked them for the cost to replace my purse. Luckily for them, it's a $15 Walmart purse, instead of a top-of-the-line Coach! So ... they offered me $5. Better than nothing, I guess

But then I started wondering ... how did the burn get to be so circular. Could it be from my bluetooth?

So I come to you, my blog readers and facebook friends. What do you think? Was it the phone or the piece of technology that's supposed to make talking on the phone safer?!? Ever heard of anything like this?

Happy Father's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:42:00 +0000

What? Yep, it was yesterday, but I was so busy enjoying our first Father's Day as a new family I didn't have time to post this picture of the happy clan. :)

Okay, maybe more than one. Trying to get everyone smiling. No luck!

I'm blessed to see one of the best fathers in the world take care of his children and mine. Plus, I have an amazing dad. Love you, Dave. Love you, Dad. What a wonderful life!

Gaston, OR: The Jumping-off Spot for Fame!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 01:25:00 +0000

Think of all the famous people who came from Gaston, Oregon! Like. . .well, there's me. . .and a couple other author you might never have heard of.

Wait! There are famous vineyards; wines gaining acclaim worldwide.

Then there's Zuma, Zuma.

An acrobatics group from Kenya, they performed on America's Got Talent. Never before have I seen an act or heard a voice live that's been on one of those talent search shows. But once the guy started jump roping, double-dutch, using only his gluteus maximus, I recognized the group.

Where had I seen this strong, high-energy men before?

At a Gaston Elementary school assembly, of course! Just wait 'til you see what they can do with chairs.

And if you're looking for fame, trying booking a gig in Gaston.

The Death of Stephen Bly

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 03:31:00 +0000

I was saddened to hear of the passing of cowboy novelist Stephen Bly, who rode out of this world and into the most glorious sunset on June 9. In 2008, he spoke at OCW and gave fantastic keynotes. I'd met him a few years before, but that was the first time I got to spend time with him and his lovely wife, Janet. He shared about his cancer diagnosis and I remember being struck by how he continued to live his life. His tender love for his wife impressed me as well.

OCW has a great sense of humor, so that year Mom and I added Villianous Mustaches to the editor and speaker's baskets.Steven also had a great sense of humor, so he wore won to deliver a keynote.

To me, this is his legacy: a committed writer, a pastor and community leader, a man not afraid to have fun, a creative plotter, a family man. A man chasing after God's own heart on a valiant stallion. His verve for life rubbed off on others, like ... well, like his mustache did. (This is Bethany House's Karen Schurrer and Agent Extraordinaire Sandra Bishop.*)

*And just so I can't be accused of embarrassing industry professionals, I'll use the blackmails photos against myself.

Can you imagine the magnificent fields through which he lopes a wild Mustang? Can you see the glints of wheat flying up in the sunshine behind the horse's hooves? Can you see him doff his hat and lift his head to bathe in the light of the Lord? How he leads a saddled, riderless horse behind him, waiting for sweet Janet to join him in heaven?

Stephen, we will miss you. Thank you so much for sharing your life with us.

You Never Know How God Will Use You

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:45:00 +0000

I don't know if I've ever been so unexpectedly touched by a post. Please read it.

Do you know how odd it is to read something and then realize suddenly that the writer is talking about you? I can't do it justice by description, but it's the perfect example of God using us beyond what we have any clue about ...

Great Romance Talk

Extra info:

~We spoke the first year about following our dreams; the second, about being thankful in really hard things, namely my divorce and other hard family situations. This year we spoke on the Great Romance, trying to look at 1 Corinthians with a new eye, new heart.

~I think Darlene has the most beautiful hair, smile, and spirit.

~I sat at her table when she had stepped away for a moment, so she didn't notice me do it. ;)

~I don't judge people's spelling when they pour their heart into a post.

Thank you, Dar!

Book Review Blog: New giveaway! Win an all expense paid Florida vacation that includes a Caribbean Cruise to the Bahamas!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:55:00 +0000

Book Review Blog: New giveaway! Win an all expense paid Florida vacation that includes a Caribbean Cruise to the Bahamas!

I know I've not been blogging lately, but I wanted to share this great contest. When I get a spare moment, I will officially document WHY I've not been blogging. Of course, most of you already know! :)

Louise's Amazing Story--Operation Share the Love: Part Two

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 06:58:00 +0000

Recap: I received some nasty one-star rating on amazon.com back in January. In the midst of them, Louise, a Canadian fan, wrote me a letter raving over The Familiar Stranger. Part of my letter back included this paragraph:

I've gotten to the point over the last few days where I've given up trying to understand WHY they wrote such mean things, and focused on the fact that I wrote the best book I knew how to and God sees that. He's the only one I should desire to please, though praise from fellow humans is a great thing too. :)

Days passed. The world continued to turn as if my bad reviews didn't amount to more than one tear in the oceans. Then I got another email from Louise.

Hi Christina:

I've been thinking about you and wondering how you are. Are you feeling any better after having to suffer through those few not so nice reviews? Just remember, it doesn't matter what those people, or person thinks, you know deep down in your heart that you wrote a FANTASTIC story and so does your publisher and so do people like me who've read it.

Keep your head held high and be proud of what you've accomplished with The Familiar Stranger!!! Christina, it IS an EXCELLENT story!!!

"What a sweetie!" I thought. But I had NO idea how truly outward-focused and giving this lady was. I'll let you recognize it for yourself in the condensed/edited email I got from her next:

I usually read a book a day so I do consider myself somewhat of a good judge of books, so if it's any consolation to you at all, yours IS GOOD.

How can I read a book a day you might be wondering? I'm totally housebound and have been for the past 5 years. I was an RN but was attacked by a mental patient back on August 24, 2004. I ended up with 3 herniated discs at L3-4, L4-5 and S-1, a tear in the annulus which is a tough fibre like material that surrounds the discs and my right S.I. (sacro iliac) joint is unattached.

I've had two surgeries to no avail, needles in my spine, physio-therapy, hydro-therapy, acupuncture etc. None of the doctors I've seen can do anything, so I'll be like this the rest of my life. I was only 46 at the time.

I cope with severe pain every minute, of every day and live on Percocet, Oxycontin and hydro-morphine just to deal with the immense pain. I cannot sit or stand for longer than 15 minutes at a time, I haven't been inside a store in 5 years, can't go for a walk, can't do housework, laundry, vaccum, change beds, cook etc. The ONLY time I leave this house is once a month to attend the doctor's office to have my prescriptions renewed. This lazy-boy chair in our livingroom has become my life, but I keep myself busy. I read, as you know. I have my laptop, I and I have 9 pen pals all in different countries.

I've also been married to the same wonderful man for 30 years AND we grew up next door to each other, were in the SAME classes all through school together. We have two boys, one currently in Grade 12. So, with no one home all day through the week, I'm allowed ample time to read a book a day!

Anyway, keep your chin up Christina and KEEP WRITING!!! I want to read another novel penned by YOU!!!!!!

She tells me to keep my head up! Just in case you missed it, a woman living in severe pain doublechecked on me, a healthy young thing whose biggest problem was a nasty review. Picture living in her situation. Never leaving the house for pleasure, never sitting up without being acutely aware of her body. Personally, I might harbor some resentment against the man who caused my injury. I could sit there everyday, embittering myself by dwelling on all my losses.

I asked Louise how she felt about all that. Here's what she said:

As for "forgiving" the patient who attacked me...I have forgiven him Christina, it wasn't really his fault in one way as he was a very, very sick man, mentally. He didn't ask to be born that way and wasn't in control of his emotions. I couldn't imagine going through my life the way he did, full of rage, not understanding where the rage came from, why he acted out the way he did and actually being "afraid" of everyone who approached him. He always thought we were trying to poison him, or that the medications we were trying to give him to control his rages were actually "death pills" as he called them.

Imagine living in his world everyday and missing seeing all the beautiful things we see. He didn't see the same things we do...the beautiful birds, the colourful flowers, the bright sunshine and cloudless sky. All he saw was people who were trying to kill him, people who kept him in a room and at times 'restrained' (for his own protection). He really was a sad case and when I learned he had passed away (two years ago) I was happy for him because for the first time in his life he would be free. He would be "normal" with God in his Heavenly kingdom!

The hardest part for me was accepting that I'd NEVER be able to work again. I still miss my patients to this very day and it still makes me cry if I think about it too much. Sometimes on my days off, I would take some of the patients to Wal-Mart or out for lunch because they didn't have any family or friends. I would take my cat "Snoopy" to see one favourite patients who pined almost daily for the cat she had to leave behind when she came into care.

So, although my injury has been extremely difficult on me physically and emotionally, I thank God everyday that I still have my brain, my eyes, my hearing and the ability to create and choose what I will do and what I will and won't accept. I only had two choices, Christina...sit and wallow in self pity or grit my teeth through the pain and find ways to occupy my time whilst sitting in a lazy-boy chair 24/7.

Finally, in a nutshell, the one thing that I still struggle with from this injury is the fact that it not only changed my life, but my family's life. We can no longer go away on family vacations, and they won't go anywhere because I can't go and that makes me feel terrible. Just because my life has changed, I don't want it to change theirs. I've tried and tried to encourage them to go away for a weekend together but no, they won't go without me.

Maybe you, my blog reader, are facing the start of a hard year. If so--or even if not--I believe we'll all experience a life of joy and fulfillment if we emulate dear Louise's attitude. Pray for her and her family. Allow her life to put yours in perspective.

For example, let's say I'm stuck in traffic on my way home from work. How much praise is built into that! I have a car. I'm healthy enough to drive. I have a job. My family awaits me at home. I have enough provisions for gas and insurance.

Try it. See if thinking like Louise will better your life

Next post: the overwhelming response to the launch of my secret Operation Share the Love.

Operation Share the Love: Part One

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 09:48:00 +0000

Way back in January of this year, I received a letter from a woman who had just read The Familiar Stranger. With her permission, I'd like to share the letter minus plot spoilers.

I don't know if you'll remember me but it wasn't that long ago that we emailed. I was trying to convince the chicks at "She Reads" to choose YOUR book for their pick to read. Unfortunately, my one lonely little name in Ontario, Canada wasn't enough clout for them I guess. I also promised you that as soon as I saved enough money to purchase a copy of 'The Familiar Stranger' that I would. Well I saved, I bought, and I read and what a read it was!!!

Christina, I sure didn't expect _____________________!!!! That was THE BEST surprise in a novel that I've read in a long while...way to go!!

The characters were well drawn and most of all REAL. I felt like I'd been transported from my chair into the pages of the book, melting my way into the words so that they became my reality. I was there, walking alongside Denise as she struggled her way through the nightmare she was living. I kept wanting to 'tap' her on the shoulder and giving her advice, but of course, that wasn't possible so I had to be patient and wait until she came to some of the conclusions herself. However, on the other hand, I was nine times out of ten, glad I "couldn't" tap her on the shoulder because my advice would have been dead wrong!! lol

Ooohh, the lies and the secrets that people create only drag them further into the abyss of deceit. What's that old saying: "Oh what tangled webs we weave when we practice to deceive." But alas, our faith in God and the power of forgiveness is our saving grace. Not to be misused or abused as one must be a believer, one must have a deep faith and a deep understanding of God for He truly knows what is in our hearts and our minds.

The Familiar Stranger is a testament to the power of Christ and the forgiveness He offers us. I was captivated from the first page of this novel and found myself reading faster and faster, flipping pages quicker than leaves blowing off a tree on a windy fall day. Christina, you've written one of the BEST debut novels I've read in years and hope that you are currently penning a second?? Thanks for reminding us through the words in this story that forgiveness is a powerful tool when used with deep thought and heartfelt meaning.

Now PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE tell me you're writing another novel????

Oh, and by the way, you do realize that "I" am your NUMBER ONE FAN IN CANADA??!!!! I've already emailed 12 of my friends about The Familiar Stranger and was even nice enough to type out the synopsis from the back cover in the body of their emails just to entice them a little more. lol And rest assured, your book is now part of my PERMANENT COLLECTION!

Suddenly, the dear woman named Louise became one of my favorite people in the world. You see, what she had no idea of when she wrote that encouraging email was that there had been a rash of 1-star reviews on amazon.com and I was feeling more discouraged about the book than ever before. I had no clue why they were appearing after months with none. Was it because my book was in airport bookstores? Was listed as New & Noteworthy in the Kindle store? Were people reading it without "proper" warning of the Christian content and then striking out? Was it some stalker writing fake reviews? Or, worst of all, were they legitimate bad reviews?

Louise's letter was a gift straight from God, but it wasn't until I emailed back and forth with her a few times that I realized what an amazing story Louise herself had to tell.

Continued tomorrow...(probably)

My Son and His Bible

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Tarabochia (formerly Christina Berry)) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 07:42:00 +0000

I'm sure some of you thought when I said I'd be posting a heartwarming series starting "tomorrow," that I actually would be posting the start of the series within the next 24 hours. Sorry, I should have specified that "tomorrow" means "the day Christina can find enough time to write the first post." So, so close, but it's always important to be specific.

Instead, during the time I'd set aside in my mind to write said post, my son is asking if we can read our Bibles at the same time together. This is not a usual occurrence, lest you think we're the spiritual equivalent to the Brady Bunch. (Ya know, the Berry Bunch?) Instead, him reading a whole chapter last night in bed and taking his Bible to BASKETBALL practice today was strongly influenced by a cute, not very corny, meaningful movie called The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry. If you haven't seen it, watch it while in a mood to celebrate the simple, yet important, things in life.

Also, I did a live 1-hour radio interview with Julie Gorman this morning. One might describe it as a series of unfortunate events, which began with her latest emails going to my junk folder with the schedule for the interview, echoy lines before the show started, my phone (land line) malfunctioning TWICE, kicking my water over during one such malfunction ... which to me says it just might be an interview worth listening to. At times, the more important the message, the bigger the impediments. Listen to my life story and a discussion about The Familiar Stranger.

I'm off to read my Bible with my boy ....