River Jordan || Author, Speaker, Radio Personality

Yes, the rumors are true. I hit not one, not two, but three deer on the way home. My husband kept asking - 'Didn't you see them?'

'They were ninja deer I tell you. They appeared from nowhere."

And so they did. I've been watching deer all my life on these rural southern back roads. And every other wild creature that dared to run out my way. I swear I brake for field mice, low flying birds, squirrels, and all manner of furry beast. But this time the deer got me. Or, you might say, I got them. All three. At once. Mama says I should call Ripley's.

The funny part is - and if you are vegetarian skip this part please -
My husband's first question was "Baby are you okay?" And I told him I was waiting on the police to file a report and that I was shook up but okay but that the beautiful jeep that everyone knows I love so much was hurt. He says - 'Don't worry, everything will be alright. We'll buy another freezer if we need to. I'm on the way to get the deer.' Really he does. Now, 1. I'm married to a grouper slaying mountain man who thinks about survival a lot. I know this because I once asked him if he got down to his last five dollars what would he do with it. He said - save it. 'Save it? till when?" "Till I had to spend it." 'On what?"
"Bullets to kill something to eat."
Hmmm, my last five dollars would be spent on a latte and something chocolate. Or I'd give it to the first homeless person I saw. Survival wouldn't be anywhere near my mind.

Okay - so the mountain man is seriously in his big truck to come get what I consider the Bambi's. We are not in survival mode mind you - I had just been to the grocery store and there is food in the jeep that now needs to be towed. But he is there for the deer and just about having to fight another man off who wanted to take those deer home himself and he got there first. I think husband pretty much said - my wife, her kills, my deer. Whatever cave man talk was needed the poor deers ended up at a neighbors house (yes, husband - thank you for not bringing them home to this tofu eating woman) where they became healthy food and part of the circle of life. I think husband then called all his friends to brag about the fact that I had bagged more deer at one try than they had all year. Trust me. I am so hoping this is the last time he is ever able to brag with such glorious passion.

For those of you who read this blog you know the jeep was a surprise after a long stay on the road where the old Nissan gave up the ghost and died and I had stayed hidden in a cabin infested with scorpions to write The Miracle of Mercy Land. Finding the jeep wrapped in a big, red ribbon when I came home was mighty good medicine for my tired soul. (And husband has such a great story of driving all through the night to the cornfields of Iowa to find just what I'd been wanting all year.) I named her Angel and hit the road again. And I have to say Angel and many more Angels were doing a

great job of protecting this woman who made it home shaken and sore but alive. Three deer? Three? Wiped out and me left to tell about it. Well, you know I'm a thankful, thankful woman.

This happened later in the week after having a great social media jam session with some book people at the Nashville Pubic Library including writers JT Ellison, Darnell Arnoult, Susan Greg Gilmore, and Matthew Paul Turner. Agent Greg Daniel joined us to share his views of why agents think that authors should participate in social media and Counselor Ken Edwards wrapped the session by giving authors some great tips on still writing in the middle of all the social media distractions. Then we all walked to Demo's for a little face-to-face social grace. (ftf). Breaking bread together is still one thing we can't really do through the Internet. All Skype accounts aside.

Nashville has received a beautiful strange snowfall and the mountain man has grabbed a snow board to go hit the hills. I'm curled up thinking about words and road trips. About new radio shows, guests, and all the possibilities the year is bringing with it. About that new book cover I love for The Miracle of Mercy Land due out September 2010. And about the importance of relationships in my life be they developed through the graces of social media or with strangers on the street.

Keep reading, and keep believing.

River

Breathless.
I just returned from the 10 Anniversary annual Pulpwood Queen Girlfriend Getaway Weekend and that's just exactly how I feel. Breathless with exhaustion.

Breathless with elation. Breathless with Thankfulness.
Few opportunities come around in life to celebrate anything so fully as those that Kathy Patrick and the Pulpwood Queens offer. Maybe a wedding feast that continues for three days and nights solid. My head literally swims with the rich images of authors such as Pat Conroy, Ad Hudler, Jamie Ford, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Patti Callahan Henry,

Kerry Madden, Janis Owens, Jenny Gardiner, Nicole Sietz, Robert Leleux, Elizabeth Berg, Deeanne Gist, Linda Busby Parker, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Karen Harrington, Mary Kay Andrews, Sam Barry, Melissa Conroy, Lauretta Hannon --- the list goes on for miles

and miles and can be found on the website at Kathy's site Beauty and the Book - the only living, breathing beauty shop and book stores in America.

Pat Conroy presented the Doug Marlette award for a lifetime of supporting literacy to Mary Gay Shipley of That Bookstore in Blytheville. An incredible moment as the work and support of literature of three great people came together. (And Long live our beautiful friend author, Doug Marlette who passed on but is well loved and remembered. )

Pat Conroy made a memorable entrance by serving at the Thursday night author dinner - yes he did - and being one of the

most giving, accessible, cheerful, supportive authors I've ever met. I've passed Mr. Conroy at numerous events but this weekend gave me ample time to watch this great writer treat other others with great support and understanding. Then he gave one of the best speeches I've ever heard. Funny, heartwarming, truthful, revealing. The good news - I ordered

Saturday night Pulpwood Queen chapters from Coast to Coast dressed up their finest creations representing different aspects of the Rainbow and the characters from the Wizard of Oz. If that wasn't enough - each of the chapters decorated their tables with completely original theme creations. These were the kind of things that you see in Manhattan created by professional companies that spend months planning events. And who left their camera at home? Me, me, me! For shame. I went as Rainbow Glitter Dust. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Seriously - you can't tell from any of the pictures but I am one thick moving cloud of glitter. I'm still trailing dust everywhere I go. The authors presented Kathy Patrick with a special gift of our appreciation - the beautiful, original artwork of the Wizard of Oz featuring the signature of the last, living cast member.

I had picked up writer Susan Cushman in Memphis to join the Pulpwood trip and on the way home we listened to Stranger Than Fiction produced by Kathie Kamen Goldmark and available at Amazon. What a treat to hear authors such as Stephen King sing Stand By Me. We'd stop the cd and Susan would read the liner notes about the next author song coming up and then we'd hit play. What a wonderful way to ride home from a great book event.

Now the funny part is - I don't do this kind of thing. Ask my family. Ask my husband. I'm not even that much fun. I tend to wear black a lot. I don't glitter and I sure don't costume. But now I'm already trying to figure out if I can make it back to Pulpwood Queens next year - and take my sister for a true, memory making sister bonding road trip experience.

The event came to close Sunday morning as Kathy Patrick invited authors to join her at the First United Methodist church for services. Those of us who didn't have to catch a plane in the early AM remained and did just that. Author Judy Christie gave a wonderful message. It was a great note to end on sitting in that pew, surrounded by authors and Pulpwood Queens, pausing and giving thanks for all that we had joyfully experienced the weekend. For the renewing of old friendships, the pleasure of making new ones, and the great celebration of literature that had just taken place.

This past year I embarked on only one resolution. Just one tiny thing really. It was to pray for a stranger every day. Just someone I passed, or encountered on this great road trip we call being human.

Somewhere along the way it occurred to me that sometimes, not always, but sometimes I should tell the person I saw that they were my stranger. That I was praying for them, for blessings in their life. The chronicle of the reaction by these people and of the entire journey of this resolution, has been something that has been close to my heart all year. The images of those strangers, those faces, their hearts and fears and needs, are well grafted into my spirit. I will never forget them and I hope the little thing that I did made a difference in their lives. I know it certainly had a major impact on mine.

2010 has started off with an exuberance from people across the Internet. In spite of frigid - and I do mean frigid temperatures everywhere, people seem to really be rolling up their sleeves and getting back to work after the holidays with a gusto. I don't remember this exact same feeling last January. This feeling in the air, this mind to work. As a matter of fact, if anything, I remember a kind of Oh, do we have to go back to work already attitude prevailing. But now, everyone has reminded me of the line in the Book of Nehemiah 'for the people had a mind to work.' This has given me a great expectation for the coming year. There are people creating new blogs focusing on the positive, people stepping out to volunteer for the first time in their lives. Sometimes it just comes down to you have to make up your mind to make a difference in your own neighborhood. The kind of difference might be as independent as the man I saw walking down our country road with a garbage bag cleaning up the side of the road. On his own. No community service coordinator in sight or needed. Then I heard about the man that was going out on his own to buy paint to paint over gang graffiti. No committee, no town approval.

In this year I believe the smallest of seeds , of our being positive, of our reaching with compassion, with our willingness to roll up our sleeves, to say a prayer, to make a difference, will produce incredible fruit for all of us.

What I realize after my year of praying for strangers is that what matters to you, on the most basic of human levels, matters to me. What happens to you - happens to me.

I am wishing you great blessings for the coming year, love that is boundless, and a passion to embrace your dreams.

Keep reading and keep believing!

River Jordan