Let Me Give It To You Straight Up, OK?

A while back—maybe five years ago now?—I sat eating lunch with my good buddy, Nancy Moser, an author in the Christian market whose books we chatted up a couple weeks ago.

At that time, I’d read all of Nancy’s books and all of George MacDonald’s—the wonderful Scottish preacher and novelist of the Victorian era whose stories have been edited for the modern reader by Michael Phillips. (Never mind that I grew up with a father from Scotland, and listened to an unedited version of his thick brogue every day.)

I’d also consumed everything by Brock and Bodie Thoene, whose historicals taught me more about WWII than I’d ever have learned otherwise. They even produced a lovely four-book Irish series, much to my delight.

“Who should I be reading?” I asked Nancy. “I’d like to write for this market, but I’m not finding authors whose books do it for me. Is there anyone writing anything…different?”

Nancy suggested a number of authors to me, but the one whose name stuck all the way until I got to the bookstore was Lisa Samson.

“You’ll love her,” Nancy said. “She’s funny and quirky and…just trust me, you’ll love her.”

Of course, little did I know that I would eventually be privileged to know Lisa in person. First we emailed, then we became blog buddies, then we met in Baltimore with our hubbys for a lovely night in Little Italy. Last month, we reunited at the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in Dallas. Here’s the two of us, looking gorgeous.

I’ve read every Lisa book out there now (except the early romance novels because, well, I’m just not into romance novels) and last night I finished perhaps the most ambitious one of them all—Straight Up.

Do you remember that kid’s song from the eighties, wherein the children sing, “I am a great big bundle of po-ten-ti-al-ity”?

That describes Lisa’s main character, Georgia. Her parents were all that and she was seemingly destined to follow in their footsteps. She had musical talent to beat the band and attracted a husband second to none. But when not one but both of her parents died too young, Georgia pushed away love, risk, success, motivation, God—in fact, pretty much everything but booze.

To describe her as a late bloomer would be, well…an insult to late bloomers.

What happens in the end is guaranteed to keep you up all night, examining your own conscience for sins of omission—those pesky areas in which you’ve somehow failed to show up for your own life.

Whatever you do, don’t fail to read Straight Up, straight away. One of the commenters on this post will be chosen to receive a free copy of the book, too! So don’t be shy.

Posted by Katy on 10/25/06 at 06:58 PM

Fallible Comments...

Oh! I hope you pick my name! I've loved everything Lisa has written, but I haven't read Straight Up yet. Love that photo of you two!
Posted by Deb Raney on 10/25/06 at 11:14 PM
Oh Katy! Thanks so much! I'm so relieved you like it.

(Hi, Deb!!)
Posted by lisa on 10/26/06 at 12:02 AM
Deb--Well, then, I'm rooting for you!! Just tonight, I was looking at "A Vow to Cherish" on Amazon. (LOVED the movie, and you gave me your book at ACFW, and it is nearly to the top of the TBR pile!) Anyway, I saw the link to the pics of your writing studio, which I'd seen pics of before, but I had to see them again. It is such a serene, beautiful space.

I got all inspired to make myself a space like yours and then clicked over here, and here you are!

Lisa--Girl. I loved it. I feel too much like Georgia for comfort, but I'm workin' on it. I really am. Congrats on a wonderful story!
Posted by Katy on 10/26/06 at 12:57 AM
I've heard such lovely things about this book. So count me in. Though Deb Raney's a sweet gal too.
Posted by relevantgirl on 10/26/06 at 05:37 AM
You don't have to add me to the drawing because Straight Up is already on my TBR pile, but I just had to stop by and say hi anyway. Great photo, great memories of a fun bunch of people at the dinner!
Posted by Meg Moseley on 10/26/06 at 09:30 AM
So I guess it would be a good thing for me to comment. Hee hee...

I hope I am a late bloomer, otherwise I'll have no excuse!

So cool that you get to go to these conferences and meet other writers. I bet it's a great encouragement to meet people who not only love to write, but also share the same faith. Lovely photo - the two of you do, indeed, look gorgeous!
Posted by Sunflower on 10/26/06 at 09:35 AM
Katy, don't put me in the drawing because I have a copy, but I wanted to say that I agree with you. Lisa is an awesome author and I loved the book.
Posted by Suzan on 10/26/06 at 10:46 AM
Thanks a lot, Katy . . . now Paula Abdul is running through my head and I can't get her out. "Straight up, now tell me . . . " :)
Posted by Amber on 10/26/06 at 01:17 PM
RelevantMary--If I weren't an impartial contestant picker, I'd have a hard time choosing between the sweetness of you and Deb! ;) I physically tear up little pieces of paper, write names on them, and draw one out of my hand. Doug watches to make sure I don't cheat. Ha.

Meg--I am only leaving you out because you said to. I wouldn't have two copies myself except that I couldn't wait for my "influencer" copy, broke down, and purchased one on Amazon. Must share the wealth! Looking forward to our accountable session during November's smack-down writingn session....

Sunflower--I predict you will LOVE Lisa Samson's books. Maybe ESPECIALLY this one. Christian fiction has come a long way, baby.....do you have much of a selection in Malaysia?

Suzan--If you insist, I will leave you out of the drawing. It would be fun to get a winner who is new to Lisa's books, wouldn't it?

Amber--Is Simon Cowell chasing her through your head? I think I've had a dream like that. Or maybe he was chasing me, can't remember.... ;)
Posted by Katy on 10/26/06 at 01:29 PM
Amber, I have that blasted song running through my head all the time now that the book's released! It's horrible. I see a copy on the table, and here comes the song. I get on a friend's blog, see the cover, and the song comes again. It's driving me crazy, I feel like I'm caught in a hit and run!
Posted by lisa on 10/26/06 at 03:15 PM
Pick me, pick me!!!
Posted by Craig on 10/26/06 at 04:10 PM
Oh! DON'T pick me! LOL! I went out to my mailbox this morning and there was a copy of Straight Up! I'd totally forgotten I had a copy coming. Yay! Now there's one less name in the hopper. ; )
Posted by Deb Raney on 10/26/06 at 04:13 PM
Oh I need a new book to read! Love you Katy!
Posted by Nancy Wood on 10/26/06 at 05:33 PM
I'm in Canada, so I might not be eligible for your draw. The book sounds fascinating, though!
Posted by Sabine on 10/26/06 at 08:37 PM
Katy - thankfully Simon was absent from the runnings in my head!

Lisa - I can't imagine the agony . . . you've just been added to my daily prayer list. ;-)
Posted by Amber on 10/26/06 at 08:55 PM
For the record, I just purchased my first Lisa Samson novel not more than 30 minutes ago! (It was on clearance but I'm fully confident that it would be worth paying full price as well. . . I'm just a poor twentysomething trying to pay for car repairs after an accident, and needing to get my friend a birthday present . . . It sounds great! And I'll get to borrow it when she's finished!)
Posted by Amber on 10/26/06 at 10:44 PM
Oh, please, please, please pick me. I have been salivating over this book. It was sold out at ACFW (surprise, surprise). I have now read 2 Lisa books. No, that's not entirely true. I just became the main character of 2 Lisa books. The voices of these characters still echo in my ear and in my heart. When reading The Living End, I sobbed nonstop and told my husband every 2 minutes that I love him. He wonders why I read books that make me hurt!
So, did I mention my <i>need</i> for this book?
Posted by Heather Goodman on 10/26/06 at 11:00 PM
I would be ecstatic if my name were chosen. The Living End is my favorite Lisa Samson so far (I've only read 3), but I would love to read Straight Up.
Posted by Amanda Varnell on 10/27/06 at 01:14 AM
Katy: Pickings in Malaysia are pretty slim. We have the Left Behind series, of course (yeech) and Francine Rivers... Truthfully, I hardly look at the fiction section when I enter a Chrstian bookstore because it's usually teen fiction (think love stories with an element of God thrown in).
Posted by Sunflower on 10/27/06 at 01:45 AM

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Personal blog of christian writer & fallible mom Katy McKenna Raymond in Kansas City, Missouri Katy is represented by Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary Read more Katy at LateBoomer.net Follow Katy on Twitter Follow Katy on Facebook 123 Recent Posts Try Becoming Brenda Starr Off Beat Scattered That’s It So I’ve Finally Signed With An Agent. Now What? The Spoon Sciatica Sweetheart A Woman’s Train of Thought Has No Caboose However much we own, we are all still living on borrowed time After all, when restaurants shrink portions, they don’t shrink prices. As with everything in life, balance is key. Slow down, you move too fast… Yeah, I know. I have issues. Search Advanced Search Syndicate Login E me at katy @ ngenius.com	Let Me Give It To You Straight Up, OK? A while back—maybe five years ago now?—I sat eating lunch with my good buddy, Nancy Moser, an author in the Christian market whose books we chatted up a couple weeks ago. At that time, I’d read all of Nancy’s books and all of George MacDonald’s—the wonderful Scottish preacher and novelist of the Victorian era whose stories have been edited for the modern reader by Michael Phillips. (Never mind that I grew up with a father from Scotland, and listened to an unedited version of his thick brogue every day.) I’d also consumed everything by Brock and Bodie Thoene, whose historicals taught me more about WWII than I’d ever have learned otherwise. They even produced a lovely four-book Irish series, much to my delight. “Who should I be reading?” I asked Nancy. “I’d like to write for this market, but I’m not finding authors whose books do it for me. Is there anyone writing anything…different?” Nancy suggested a number of authors to me, but the one whose name stuck all the way until I got to the bookstore was Lisa Samson. “You’ll love her,” Nancy said. “She’s funny and quirky and…just trust me, you’ll love her.” Of course, little did I know that I would eventually be privileged to know Lisa in person. First we emailed, then we became blog buddies, then we met in Baltimore with our hubbys for a lovely night in Little Italy. Last month, we reunited at the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in Dallas. Here’s the two of us, looking gorgeous. I’ve read every Lisa book out there now (except the early romance novels because, well, I’m just not into romance novels) and last night I finished perhaps the most ambitious one of them all—Straight Up. Do you remember that kid’s song from the eighties, wherein the children sing, “I am a great big bundle of po-ten-ti-al-ity”? That describes Lisa’s main character, Georgia. Her parents were all that and she was seemingly destined to follow in their footsteps. She had musical talent to beat the band and attracted a husband second to none. But when not one but both of her parents died too young, Georgia pushed away love, risk, success, motivation, God—in fact, pretty much everything but booze. To describe her as a late bloomer would be, well…an insult to late bloomers. What happens in the end is guaranteed to keep you up all night, examining your own conscience for sins of omission—those pesky areas in which you’ve somehow failed to show up for your own life. Whatever you do, don’t fail to read Straight Up, straight away. One of the commenters on this post will be chosen to receive a free copy of the book, too! So don’t be shy. Posted by Katy on 10/25/06 at 06:58 PM Fallible Comments... Oh! I hope you pick my name! I've loved everything Lisa has written, but I haven't read Straight Up yet. Love that photo of you two! Posted by Deb Raney on 10/25/06 at 11:14 PM Oh Katy! Thanks so much! I'm so relieved you like it. (Hi, Deb!!) Posted by lisa on 10/26/06 at 12:02 AM Deb--Well, then, I'm rooting for you!! Just tonight, I was looking at "A Vow to Cherish" on Amazon. (LOVED the movie, and you gave me your book at ACFW, and it is nearly to the top of the TBR pile!) Anyway, I saw the link to the pics of your writing studio, which I'd seen pics of before, but I had to see them again. It is such a serene, beautiful space. I got all inspired to make myself a space like yours and then clicked over here, and here you are! Lisa--Girl. I loved it. I feel too much like Georgia for comfort, but I'm workin' on it. I really am. Congrats on a wonderful story! Posted by Katy on 10/26/06 at 12:57 AM I've heard such lovely things about this book. So count me in. Though Deb Raney's a sweet gal too. Posted by relevantgirl on 10/26/06 at 05:37 AM You don't have to add me to the drawing because Straight Up is already on my TBR pile, but I just had to stop by and say hi anyway. Great photo, great memories of a fun bunch of people at the dinner! Posted by Meg Moseley on 10/26/06 at 09:30 AM So I guess it would be a good thing for me to comment. Hee hee... I hope I am a late bloomer, otherwise I'll have no excuse! So cool that you get to go to these conferences and meet other writers. I bet it's a great encouragement to meet people who not only love to write, but also share the same faith. Lovely photo - the two of you do, indeed, look gorgeous! Posted by Sunflower on 10/26/06 at 09:35 AM Katy, don't put me in the drawing because I have a copy, but I wanted to say that I agree with you. Lisa is an awesome author and I loved the book. Posted by Suzan on 10/26/06 at 10:46 AM Thanks a lot, Katy . . . now Paula Abdul is running through my head and I can't get her out. "Straight up, now tell me . . . " :) Posted by Amber on 10/26/06 at 01:17 PM RelevantMary--If I weren't an impartial contestant picker, I'd have a hard time choosing between the sweetness of you and Deb! ;) I physically tear up little pieces of paper, write names on them, and draw one out of my hand. Doug watches to make sure I don't cheat. Ha. Meg--I am only leaving you out because you said to. I wouldn't have two copies myself except that I couldn't wait for my "influencer" copy, broke down, and purchased one on Amazon. Must share the wealth! Looking forward to our accountable session during November's smack-down writingn session.... Sunflower--I predict you will LOVE Lisa Samson's books. Maybe ESPECIALLY this one. Christian fiction has come a long way, baby.....do you have much of a selection in Malaysia? Suzan--If you insist, I will leave you out of the drawing. It would be fun to get a winner who is new to Lisa's books, wouldn't it? Amber--Is Simon Cowell chasing her through your head? I think I've had a dream like that. Or maybe he was chasing me, can't remember.... ;) Posted by Katy on 10/26/06 at 01:29 PM Amber, I have that blasted song running through my head all the time now that the book's released! It's horrible. I see a copy on the table, and here comes the song. I get on a friend's blog, see the cover, and the song comes again. It's driving me crazy, I feel like I'm caught in a hit and run! Posted by lisa on 10/26/06 at 03:15 PM Pick me, pick me!!! Posted by Craig on 10/26/06 at 04:10 PM Oh! DON'T pick me! LOL! I went out to my mailbox this morning and there was a copy of Straight Up! I'd totally forgotten I had a copy coming. Yay! Now there's one less name in the hopper. ; ) Posted by Deb Raney on 10/26/06 at 04:13 PM Oh I need a new book to read! Love you Katy! Posted by Nancy Wood on 10/26/06 at 05:33 PM I'm in Canada, so I might not be eligible for your draw. The book sounds fascinating, though! Posted by Sabine on 10/26/06 at 08:37 PM Katy - thankfully Simon was absent from the runnings in my head! Lisa - I can't imagine the agony . . . you've just been added to my daily prayer list. ;-) Posted by Amber on 10/26/06 at 08:55 PM For the record, I just purchased my first Lisa Samson novel not more than 30 minutes ago! (It was on clearance but I'm fully confident that it would be worth paying full price as well. . . I'm just a poor twentysomething trying to pay for car repairs after an accident, and needing to get my friend a birthday present . . . It sounds great! And I'll get to borrow it when she's finished!) Posted by Amber on 10/26/06 at 10:44 PM Oh, please, please, please pick me. I have been salivating over this book. It was sold out at ACFW (surprise, surprise). I have now read 2 Lisa books. No, that's not entirely true. I just became the main character of 2 Lisa books. The voices of these characters still echo in my ear and in my heart. When reading The Living End, I sobbed nonstop and told my husband every 2 minutes that I love him. He wonders why I read books that make me hurt! So, did I mention my <i>need</i> for this book? Posted by Heather Goodman on 10/26/06 at 11:00 PM I would be ecstatic if my name were chosen. The Living End is my favorite Lisa Samson so far (I've only read 3), but I would love to read Straight Up. Posted by Amanda Varnell on 10/27/06 at 01:14 AM Katy: Pickings in Malaysia are pretty slim. We have the Left Behind series, of course (yeech) and Francine Rivers... Truthfully, I hardly look at the fiction section when I enter a Chrstian bookstore because it's usually teen fiction (think love stories with an element of God thrown in). Posted by Sunflower on 10/27/06 at 01:45 AM Page 1 of 1 pages Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. Next entry: You Only Have Until Friday Morning, Eight Central Time! Previous entry: It's NaNoEdMo For Me! << Back to main


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Personal blog of christianwriter & fallible momKaty McKenna Raymondin Kansas City, Missouri

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Let Me Give It To You Straight Up, OK?

Personal blog of christian
writer & fallible mom
Katy McKenna Raymond
in Kansas City, Missouri