My Wedding--Debra Clopton

I just wanted to let my readers and friends know that I was married to Chuck Parks on Sept 18 in a wonderful ceremony at our church. Here are a sample of the photos provided by my photographer--I'll update later when I have the edited photos! I loved everything about the wedding. It was simple--my two sons walked me down the aisle, my two best friends stood beside me while Chuck's sons stood beside him. Our parents and about 300 friends and family, including my daughter-n-law and granddaughter and Chuck's sister and brother-n-law and their newborn triplets gathered at the church to celebrate with us. It was beautiful and so very special. We were blessed to go to Kauai Hawaii for our honeymoon and I'll update the blog later with photos from both the wedding and Kauai :) Until then, live, laugh and seek God with all your hearts,

Debra Clopton-Parks

RWA National Conference

Hi Everyone,

I just arrived home from the Romance Writers of America National Conference in Orlando Florida. It was as usual a fantastic conference. There are so many great reasons for me to go to this conference. Let me list a few....meet with my publishers--my editors a really great and wonderful thing...also to hear from our publisher on how Love Inspired is doing in the market right now (which is they are doing awesome!!! thanks to you the readers choosing to pick up our books and read them) and then of course to go to workshops put on by the fantastic list of authors such as Debbie Mccomber and other top authors in the industry. All authors must continue to listen and learn in this industry. Other reasons I need to go is it is just plain good for me to get out of the house and be in the action. It automatically recharges my battery to be among 2100 women who love to read and write books! And then of course there is the RITA AWARDS that comes on Saturday night. And my fellow author and good friend Irene Hannon was up for the award as was my good friend Linda Goodnight. Sadly they didn't win but just to be nominated is such a wonderful thing...and did I mention they've both won the award before! I got to sit with Irene at the awards table and had a great time.

Okay so did you think I was forgetting about my fellow LI author? Oh no, they are one of my most important reasons for going! Seeing them in person and hanging out with them is so very important. They are my gals, we help each other through good and bad times and too get together and have a good time is so very fun. I have to tell you if you enjoy their books its because they are so awesome as women.

I had a blast! Learned a lot and came back ready to write, write, write....OH and last but not least by any means I was told that Men of Mule Hollow is doing GREAT in sales and I have to thank you all for buying my books!!! Without you I'd not be doing what I love. YOU are making my Mule Hollow series a hit and you didn't stop when I came out with the mini series Men of Mule Hollow. Stay tuned for whats next because I'll be working very hard to make the next Mule Hollow books reads you won't want to put down.

Until next time live, laugh and seek God with all your heart!

Debra Clopton

The Carol Award: I'm a double finalist!

I'm so pleased to say I'm a double finalist in the American Christian Fiction Writers contest THE CAROL AWARD! (formally The ACFW Book of The Year Contest) A MULE HOLLOW MATCH is in the novella category

And HIS COWGIRL BRIDE is a finalist in the short contemporary category.

I'm thrilled to be on the list with such a great group of authors. I'm attaching the list of all the books and categories below. Congratulations to all the authors. The awards will be announced at the annual American Christian Fiction Writers conference Sept 17-20 but I won't be attending--I'll be getting married that weekend! YAY.

Debut Author

Bonnie Grove - Talking to the Dead (David C. Cook Publishing)

Liz Johnson - The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn (Steeple Hill)

Kirk Outerbridge - Eternity Falls (Marcher Lord Press)

Jill Eileen Smith - Michal (Revell)

Dan Walsh - The Unfinished Gift (Revell)

Contemporary Novella (6 Finalists due to a tie)

Barbara Cameron – One Child (Thomas Nelson)

Barbara Cameron – When Winter Comes (Thomas Nelson)

Debra Clopton – A Mule Hollow Match (Steeple Hill)

Susan May Warren – The Great Christmas Bowl (Tyndale House)

Beth Wiseman – A Change of Heart (Thomas Nelson)

Beth Wiseman – A Choice to Forgive (Thomas Nelson)

Historical Novella

Victoria Bylin – Home Again (Steeple Hill)

Vickie McDonough – A Breed Apart (Barbour Publishing)

Vickie McDonough – Beloved Enemy (Barbour Publishing)

Janet Tronstad - Christmas Bells for Dry Creek (Steeple Hill)

Carrie Turansky - A Shelter in the Storm (Barbour Publishing)

Long Contemporary (6 Finalists due to a tie)

Christina Berry - The Familiar Stranger (Moody Publishers)

Mary Ellis - A Widow's Hope (Harvest House Publishers)

Joyce Magnin - The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow (Abingdon Press)

Susan Meissner - White Picket Fences (Waterbrook Press)

Marlo Schalesky- If Tomorrow Never Comes (Multnomah)

Susan May Warren - Nothing But Trouble (Tyndale House)

Long Contemporary Romance

Candace Calvert - Critical Care (Tyndale House)

Denise Hunter - Seaside Letters (Thomas Nelson)

Jenny B. Jones - Just Between You and Me (Thomas Nelson)

Beth Wiseman - Plain Promise (Thomas Nelson)

Cindy Woodmsall - The Hope of Refuge (Waterbrook Press)

MysteryA.K. Arenz - The Case of the Mystified M.D. (Sheaf House)

Mindy Starns Clark - Under the Cajun Moon (Harvest House Publishers)

Darlene Franklin - A String of Murders (Heartsong Mysteries)

S. Dionne Moore - Polly Dent Loses Grip (Heartsong Mysteries)

Janice Thompson writing as Janice Hanna - Pushing up Daisies (Heartsong Mysteries)

Long Historical

Deeanne Gist - A Bride in the Bargain (Bethany House)

Robin Lee Hatcher - Fit To Be Tied (Zondervan)

Maureen Lang - Look to the East (Tyndale House)

Siri Mitchell - Love's Pursuit (Bethany House)

Allison Pittman - Stealing Home (Multnomah)

Long Historical Romance (8 Finalists due to a tie)

Amanda Cabot - Paper Roses (Revell)

Mary Connealy - Cowboy Christmas (Barbour Publishing)

Mary Connealy - Montana Rose (Barbour Publishing)

Laura Frantz - The Frontiersman's Daughter (Revell)

Ann Gabhart - The Believer (Revell)

Julie Lessman - A Passion Denied (Revell)

Janice Thompson writing as Janice Hanna - Love Finds You in Poetry, Texas (Summerside Press)

Kathleen Y’Barbo - The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper (Waterbrook Press)

Short Contemporary

Debra Clopton - His Cowgirl Bride (Steeple Hill)

Myra Johnson - Autumn Rains (Heartsong Presents)

Vickie McDonough - A Wagonload of Trouble (Heartsong Presents)

Mae Nunn - A Texas Ranger's Family (Steeple Hill)

Glynna Sirpless writing as Glynna Kaye - Dreaming of Home (Steeple Hill)

Short Contemporary Suspense (6 Finalists due to a tie)

Jill Elizabeth Nelson - Evidence of Murder (Steeple Hill)

Sandra Robbins - Final Warning (Steeple Hill)

Virginia Smith - Murder at Eagle Summit (Steeple Hill)

Virginia Smith - Scent of Murder (Steeple Hill)

Jenness Walker - Double Take (Steeple Hill)

Lenora Worth - Code of Honor (Steeple Hill)

Short HistoricalLyn Cote - Her Patchwork Family (Steeple Hill)

Laurie Alice Eakes - The Glassblower (Heartsong Presents)

Laurie Kingery - The Outlaw's Lady (Steeple Hill)

Lynette Sowell - All That Glitters (Heartsong Presents)

Dan Walsh - The Unfinished Gift (Revell)

Speculative (includes Science Fiction, Fantasy, Allegory -6 Finalists due to a tie)

Kirk Outerbridge - Eternity Falls (Marcher Lord Press)

Donita K. Paul - The Vanishing Sculptor (Waterbrook Press)

Steve Rzasa - The Word Reclaimed (Marcher Lord Press)

Stuart Vaughn Stockton – Starfire (Marcher Lord Press)

Fred Warren - The Muse (Splashdown Books)

Jill Williamson - By Darkness Hid (Marcher Lord Press)

Suspense/Thriller

Terri Blackstock – Intervention (Zondervan)

Colleen Coble - Lonestar Secrets (Thomas Nelson)

Brandilyn Collins – Exposure (Zondervan)

Harry Kraus - Salty Like Blood (Howard/Simon & Schuster)

DiAnn Mills - Breach of Trust (Tyndale House)

Women’s Fiction (7 Finalists due to a tie)

Julie Carobini - Sweet Waters (B&H Publishing)

Kathryn Cushman – Leaving Yesterday (Bethany House)

Sara Evans & Rachel Hauck - Sweet By and By (Thomas Nelson)

Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay - Never the Bride (Waterbrook Press)

Deborah Raney - Yesterday's Embers (Howard/Simon & Schuster)

Deborah Raney - Above All Things (Steeple Hill)

Lisa Wingate - The Summer Kitchen (New American Library/Penguin)

Young Adult

Shelley Adina - Who Made You a Princess? (Hachette FaithWords)

Brandilyn & Amberly Collins - Always Watching (Zondervan)

Jenny B. Jones - I'm So Sure (Thomas Nelson)

Jenny B. Jones - So Not Happening (Thomas Nelson)

Booker T. Mattison - Unsigned Hype (Revell)

The Carol Awards will be presented at ACFW's Conference in Indianapolis, September 17-20.

My first Grandchild: God is sooo good!

Hi Everyone! I wanted to share my joy! This is a photo of me and my granddaughter Taycie! God is so wonderful. I've started a new chapter of my life and am thrilled.
Isn't she beautiful!!!!! Iam blessed.

My new book HER FOREVER COWBOY

Hi Everyone,

LOL well this is a new year and I haven't gotten any better about doing a great job with my blog. I'm still behind as you can see. But I'm here now and thrilled to show you the cover of my January release HER FOREVER COWBOY. Isn't this a great cover? I love it. I thought the art department out did themselves on it. The lighting detail glinting off of him just makes it wonderful...of course it doesn't hurt to have such a handsome cowboy too.

So far the reviews for the new trilogy have been great and readers letters have been so encouraging. I hope if you haven't read it that you'll grab one off your local Walmart's shelves or other store where you shop and that you'll send me a note when you've finished. This was a fun book to write.

Here is the blurb: HER FOREVER COWBOY By Debra Clopton

Mule Hollow, Texas, is full of handsome cowboys, all ready to say "I do." So veterinarian Susan Worth moves in, dreaming of meeting Mr. Right.
He's most certainly not gorgeous rescue worker Cole Turner, a sixth-generation Mule Hollow rancher not likely to settle down. But Susan is determined to make him her forever cowboy.

excerpt from: Her Forever Cowboy by Debra Clopton Published by Love Inspired Steeple Hill Available:ISBN-13:copyright: 978-03738145102009