Hi Everyone!

Boy has it been a busy summer. I've been writing furiously on the four Mule Hollow books that will be out in 09! So I've basically been a hermit and was more than ready to head off to San Francisco in July to the National Romance Writers of America conference. When I go to conference I'm like a kid in a candy store hanging out with my fellow Love Inspired authors, meeting with my editor and seeing readers. This was a wonderful conference in part because my good friend and fellow author Linda Goodnight won the Rita Award for Best Inspirational (the Rita is like winning the Oscar for romance writers so it was just a wonderful time for us) We are celebrating after the award in the above picture. Left to right Debby Giusti, Lenora Worth, Janet Dean, Missy Tippins, Linda Goodnight with Rita, behind her is Alley Pleiter, Me--Debra Clopton, Pamela Tracy who was also up for the award, and Merrillee Whren. If you real Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense then you will know all of them! They are a great bunch of ladies. After this picture was taken we headed up the elevator to the top of the Marriott so we could look out over the lights of SF. It was gorgeous!



Also, my book OPERATION: MARRIED BY CHRISTMAS was awarded Booksellers Best in the Inspirational category. I loved winning this award but was just happy to be nominated with such a wonderful group of talented authors. I was totally shocked when they called my name.





I came home and again disappeared as a deadline for one book was due and the proposal for another and I got them both finished just in time to head to Minneapolis Minnesota for the National conference of American Christian Fiction Writers just last week. It was a great conference and we had a huge book signing at the Mall of America with over a hundred Christian authors. And again, Linda Goodnight won The Book Of The Year in the Inspirational Category for the second year in a row, and my editor Krista Stroever won Editor of the Year for the second year in a row!



Now I'm home again and--you guessed it I'm buried in the 3rd book of next year with the deadline looming. But the book is looking good and I also just saw the cover for the two in one book I'm doing with Janet Tronstad for next year and can I say--IT IS BEAUTIFUL! Janet and I have really worked hard on these two novellas that will take two cousins on journeys to falling in love. My book takes place in Mule Hollow and Janet's takes place in Dry Creek so for all of you fans of the two series I really think you will enjoy this collaboration with Janet.

Okay it's back to work, God bless y'all!
Debra