I was nine or ten when I got my first chain letter, but I remember it well. It started out with a story about a girl who'd received a version of the very letter I held in my hand, copied it carefully, passed it on to five friends, and then found a $20 bill that she got to spend on candy! However, the letter continued, her best friend broke the chain and was cut in half before her little sister’s eyes when she rode her bicycle directly into a buzz saw. (Okay, so maybe I don’t remember the story exactly, but that was the gist of it.) I copied the letter! I didn’t find $20, but I wasn’t cut in half either, so I figured it ended well enough, all things considered.

Twenty years later, the chain letter going around in my group was for a "recipe club." If you copied the letter, added a recipe, and sent it to five people, you would receive 2345728345 delicious cooking ideas in return. If you didn’t, well, all your bundts would burndt—or something like that. (I am again hazy on details.) Since I didn’t really cook, didn’t have a favorite recipe, and didn't particularly want anybody else’s, I broke the chain. That curse surely caught up with me; I haven’t made a successful bundt cake since. (Nor, come to think of it, have I tried.)
This year I received an invitation to a blog version of the chain letters of yore. Like its predecessors, it came with a promise—more readership—but no curse. (Unless it’s in fine print; I never read the fine print.) The friend who passed it to me is Debra Erfert, and since I know her, really like her, and am totally looking forward to her new books, I was pleased to link up. The day she gave me to post is December 12, so here I am! I’ll carefully copy the letter first, then fulfill my part of it, then ‘fess up as to how/why I’m probably cursed anyway.
Here’s the letter:
Before Twilight, Stephenie Meyers was just another unknown writer. (Me: So unknown they spelled her name wrong in the version Deb was sent. I fixed it here.) And before Hunger Games, I had never heard of Suzanne Collins. It stands to reason that there are thousands of fantastic stories out there waiting to be discovered, some published and some still being written. (Me, again: So true!)  
This blog hop is like a big game of tag, and I was tagged by Debra Erfert. I jumped at the chance to give my little blog more readership and to give Deb’s Firestarters a shout out. You can read more about Debra Erfert and her book HERE . (Me: Her site is also a great place to join the blog hop, already in progress. Check out the other authors. I was impressed by several of them!)

This blog hop includes ten questions to help you learn more about an author’s current work in progress, so here’s a little info about my current project:
What is the title of your book? My “book” is more like a leaflet since it’s a short short story, but it’s called For God So Loved the One.

Where did the idea come from for the book? It’s a true account of a life-changing experience I had as a new Relief Society president. (A real Christmas miracle!) It’s also story I’ve long wanted to share, so I’m grateful Covenant gave me the chance this year.

What genre does your book fall under? Creative nonfiction and inspiration. Creative because I changed peoples’ names and made up dates that I couldn’t clearly remember. Inspiration because the only part that matters – my conversion and that of a woman who became a dear friend – are absolutely true.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?  Since I was young at the time it happened I’d cast . . . um . . . Amanda Seyfried. There is no resemblance whatsoever between us then or now, but she’s adorable.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? The title: God truly does love the one – every one.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? It was published by the best LDS publishers on the planet: Covenant Communications, Inc.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? About an hour--and it was the only draft of my manuscript. But I’m sure my wonderful editor (shout out to Samantha!) spend muchmore time fixing it!

What other books/authors would you compare this story to within your genre? It’s not dissimilar from a book I published last Christmas: Angels Bending Near the Earth. (I’m anxiously awaiting a miracle this Christmas. If it doesn’t happen, next year I’ve got nothing!)

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? I love that I tend to sell them in sets of 5 – 25 because so many people read it then want to give copies as gifts. I also love that Covenant made them so they they fit into standard social envelopes and are inexpensive to mail. This makes them more economical than any Hallmark card on the market – and you can give friends and family a whole story in a Christmas card!

Here is a list of authors who will be joining the hop for week 26. I hope you’ll visit their blogs next week and learn more about their books. Maybe one of them will become your new favorite author!  This brings us to the part where I’m supposed to tag five more writers. Unfortunately, the writers I know would all fit in my living room, and most of them have already been tagged by somebody else. Add to my predicament that it's only a handful of days until Christmas and my list grows shorter than . . . um . . . insert metaphor here. I’m still waiting to hear back from a couple of people, so maybe I won’t break the chain . . .
. . . but what if I do? Will my computer crash and burn? Will my little Christmas books sit on a dusty shelf in a dark, dank warehouse somewhere, alone and rejected until the end of time? I guess I’ll just have to hope for the best – and steer clear of buzz saws!
In the meantime, go check out the authors on Deb’s site! I’ve read – and loved – their blogs, and their books!