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You're Never Too Old by June Foster

2012-03-07T09:54:00.004-08:00

Thanks to June for stopping by today!

You're Never Too Old

Believe it or not, I didn't start writing until I was 67, two years ago. Who would think I'd be able to begin writing fiction at that age - and learn some major life lessons? God probably did.

After I retired from my career as a school teacher, I noticed a story along with several characters lurking in my head. I could even see them, hear what they were saying, and visualized what they were doing. I know, that happens to lots of writers. But what about someone who never had the desire to write fiction? I firmly believe it was a "God thing."

So at my advanced age, I started pounding away on my Toshiba laptop, took time to read my "how to" books, and joined a couple of Scribes critique groups through ACFW. All I knew was that I had stories and characters in my heart telling me they wanted to come out.

Okay, I finished a couple of novels, but what was the next step? Publication, right? But wait. The agents and publishers I was sure would snatch up my work weren't interested - kind of grated on the tender skin of my sensitive feelings. You know. You've heard the expression wearing your feelings on your sleeves. That was me.

My first life lesson as a writer. Toughen up your "skin" and keep on trying. Sure I've got a file full of rejection letters, but I also trust God to open up the doors.

And when God decided it was time, He did open doors. After two years, I received contracts for my trilogy, the Bellewood Series though I still have all those rejection letters for my other novels.

Now I have to begin the long journey of publicizing my novels. Who me? I hate to toot my own horn. Life lesson two - don't be afraid to promote your own work.

So I firmly believe we are never too old to learn. At any age, a writer can take this advice: keep on writing no matter how high the rejection letters pile up and believe in yourself enough to endorse your own work.

June Foster is a retired school teacher with a BA in Education and a MA in counseling. She writes full time and travels in her RV with her husband Joe. June has contracts for four novels with Desert Breeze Publishing. The Bellewood Series, Give Us This Day - February 1, 2012, As We Forgive - September 1, 2012, and Deliver Us - April 1, 2013, and Hometown Fourth of July - July 1, 2012. June loves to write stories about characters who overcome the issues in their lives by the power of God. June uses her training in counseling and her Christian beliefs in creating characters who find the freedom to live godly lives.

June's blogs:

http://junefoster.blogspot.com

http:infinitecharacters.com

June can be found on Face Book.

Rebecca Carey Lyles: The Winds of Wyoming

2012-03-04T23:30:00.000-08:00

Book Look by Carol McClain

Winds of Wyoming – A Kate Neilson Novel

Fresh out of a Pennsylvania penitentiary armed with amarketing degree, Kate Neilson heads to Wyoming anticipating an anonymous newbeginning as a guest-ranch employee. A typical twenty-five-year-old woman mightbe looking to lasso a cowboy, but her only desire is to get on with life on theoutside—despite her growing interest in the ranch owner. When she discovers aviolent ex-lover followed her west, she fears the past she hoped to hide willimprison her once again.

Meet Rebecca Carey Lyles

Debut novelist Rebecca Carey Lyles grew up in Wyoming.Her nonfiction titles, both available on Amazon, are It'sa God Thing! Inspiring Stories of Life-Changing Friendships and On aWing and a Prayer - Stories from Freedom Fellowship, a Prison Ministry. Currently,she and her husband, Steve, live in the neighboring state of Idaho. She enjoysthe creativity and beauty that abound throughout her adopted state as well asopportunities to hike, camp and cross-country ski in the midst of God’sgrandeur. http://www.beckylyles.com; http://www.widgetwords.wordpress.com

What inspired you to write Winds of Wyoming – A Kate Neilson Novel?

I love living in the West and always wanted to write abouthow good life is here. However, I didn’t come up with a plot or a heroine untilI wrote a book about a Colorado prison ministry (On a Wing and a Prayer–Stories from Freedom Fellowship, a PrisonMinistry) and later became involved in prison ministry in another state.

Is there one character that intrigues you more than anyother? Why?

Many readers are intrigued by Dymple, a feisty seniorcitizen who mentors the heroine. That could be because she’s funny or becauseshe’s loving and wise. Or all of the above. Dymple is a combination of several resilient,perceptive women I’ve known over the years, including my grandmothers, who bothraised large families on rugged, wind-blown, Wyoming homesteads.

What do you hope your readers gain from this work?

I’d love for readers to gain insight into how much our Creatorloves us and how he longs to shepherd our lives. One version of Exodus 34:14b(NLT) says, “He is a God who is passionateabout his relationship with [us].” He loves us more than we can fathom. AsZephaniah wrote in the Old Testament, God takes great delight in us and rejoices over us with singing.

What would you say the main theme is?

Forgiveness— receiving God’s forgiveness, forgiving ourselves,and forgiving others.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I’m nearing the end of the sequel, Winds of Freedom. Thank you so much for this opportunity to talkabout Winds of Wyoming!

Frivolities Series by LoRee Peery

2012-03-02T14:42:00.005-08:00

Thanks to LoRee for stopping by today! There's nothing quite like a series of books!

Frivolities Series

By LoRee Peery

When I began working on Moselle’s Insurance, I had no idea I was writing the first book in a series. My focus was on Moselle’s reunion with Eric, and the kooky shop the women had established. Fellow writers and critiquers commented along the way how much they enjoyed the secondary characters portrayed as Moselle’s mother and aunt. And one writer friend really liked the hero’s ex-wife.

I tucked those remarks away.

Something sparked when I typed Rainn saying, “If the daughter looks anything like the mother, you’ve got a good thing going here.” From then on, Geneva became flustered in Rainn’s presence and I started taking notes for the next story. When Lanae, Moselle’s aunt, said he could rain on her parade, I had the second title: Rainn on My Parade.

Sage and Sweetgrass evolved once I finished Geneva and Rainn’s story. And, I have to admit how easy the words often flowed because I knew Lanae so well after presenting her in two earlier stories. What romance reader doesn’t like a cowboy? For Lanae’s back story, I’d already placed her on a ranch with her deceased husband, so I really didn’t consider anyone else but a cowboy, haunted by his past, as a match.

Beth, the ex-wife from the first story, kept popping up. She was introduced as Moselle and Eric’s high school friend, a wild child. She metamorphosed into a likable soul, and romantic suspense lover that I am, I came up with a more detailed, darker history for her in Found in the Woods.

I wasn’t ready to leave these strong women alone, and since writing a novella was on my goals list for 2011, I wrote Lezlie’s Lifeline, which has been submitted to my editor. Lezlie is Sage’s daughter, who had kept her son’s father a secret.

Writing books in a series reminds me of the sensation of sliding into a favorite pair of jeans at summer’s end, or putting on house slippers after being in heels all day. Familiar. And I am thankful to White Rose Publishing foravailing that familiarity to readers.

LoRee Peery writes Christian romance, where characters learn through spiritual struggles how to come to terms with the Lord’s will. She is a country girl who attempts to see God’s presence every day. That glimpse often comes as a gift from nature. LoRee is most relaxed in the outdoors.

www.loreepeery.com

https://www.facebook.com/LoReePeery

http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/

Ruth's Redemption by Marlene Banks

2012-02-26T23:30:00.000-08:00

Book Look by Carol McClain

Ruth’s Redemption

Marlene Banks-Benn. Moody, $14.99 trade paper (304p) ISBN 978-0-8024-0217-2

Bo Peace, a free black man in pre–Civil War Virginia, meets his future bride, Ruth, on an auction block. In her debut Christian historical novel, Banks-Benn expertly immerses readers in Ruth’s painful past as the former slave is transformed by her husband’s deep faith and love. The narrative pivots quickly through the homes of slaves, like Mara, who is jealous of Bo’s marriage, or Ephraim, who risks his life to save Mara from immoral slave catchers who threaten the uneasy stability of the free blacks living on Peace’s land. A violent confrontation seals the couple together in peace, though the rebellion of Nat Turner unwittingly provides a new start for the Peace family that leads them on a journey beyond the confines of their former lives. Banks-Benn’s writing is vivid and engaging, with some familiar tropes related to the tenuous relationship between slavery and Christianity woven into the narrative. While redemption, forgiveness, and freedom inform most of the novel, its central love story is both familiar and unforgettable.

About the Author:

MARLENE BANKS resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Along with being a prolific writer she has an associate degree in Theology from Rhema Bible Institute in Keysville, VA and is currently studying to initiate a Christian counseling ministry. Marlene is a member of Bethel Deliverance International Church in Wyncote, Pennsylvania. Her work resume includes thirty plus years in nursing and over eight years in business as a coordinator and administrative assistant. She considers her writing a means of evangelizing and relating Christian principles through fiction. It is also Marlene’s goal to bridge the gap between faith-based and secular literature. RUTH’S REDEMPTION is her debut fiction novel.

What inspired you to write RUTH’S REDEMPTION?

The Holy Spirit is my main Source of inspiration. What the spirit stirred was a desire to write a historical romance, then I wanted to write about slavery and include the Nat Turner Rebellion in the story.

Is there one character that intrigues you more than any other? Why?

Hopefully I crafted all interesting characters but Naomi is especially dear to me. She embodies characteristics I found in my African American females I knew. She was loving, wise, sassy and loved the Lord. She was the voice of reason and the voice of hope but most of all she was strong.

What do you hope your readers gain from this work?

I would like this novel to stir their spirits, emotions and their mind. Make them think and ask questions about violence being the solution to social issues. About man’s inhumanity to man and all the implications that culture brings about. Also to examine GOD;s roll in every part of our lives.

What would you say the main theme is?

Believe and trust GOD no matter what you’re going through.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I enjoyed writing RUTH a great deal. It was very loosely built on the Book of Ruth from the bible.

June 1, my second novel, SON OF A PREACHERMAN is released.

October 1,GREENWOOD and ARCHER the sequel novel to SON OF A PREACHERMAN is released.

Trailer for Ruth's Redemption by Marlene Banks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzmw2wVBQzM

Do Suspense and Humor Mix? by Peggy Blann Phifer

2012-02-24T12:18:00.003-08:00

Thanks to Peg for stopping by today!

Do Suspense and Humor Mix?

by Peggy Blann Phifer

Noun: suspense su`spen(t)s

Apprehension about what is going to happen
An uncertain cognitive state - "the matter remained in suspense for several years"
Excited anticipation of an approaching climax - "the play kept the audience in suspense"

I write romantic suspense. I have a sense of humor. The strangest things just tickle me. So, does humor have a place in a suspense novel? In mine it does. I couldn’t write without it.

My ‘tag line’ is Heat, Heart, Hope, and Humor. The title of my current book series explains the heat part: Desert Faith series. Heart, of course, is the romance part. Hope should be self-explanatory, and humor, for me, just comes naturally, at the right places, for a little comic relief.

Oddly enough, I never thought of myself as a humorist. I’m not funny. Oh, maybe accidentally when I tangle my words up. Spoonerisms seem to be the funny stuff that comes from me and once started, it seems to create a chain reaction. But deliberately writing humor? Nuh uh.

So, as I write, and the tension mounts, I guess I instinctively know we need to lighten things up a little and the words just . . . appear. It may be just a sarcastic aside. For example, in the second scene of the first chapter, my female lead, Erin, and her friend are preparing a special dinner for Erin’s husband. Magie, Erin’s friend, is making a salad and looking for the zester, opening all the drawers in the kitchen. Erin opens the utility drawer and hands Magie the zester. Magie accuses Erin of changing the drawer. Erin denies it . . . waits a beat before quipping “Can I interest you in a memory enhancement program?”

Granted, this is the first part of the book and, as far as Erin knows, everything is going according to plan. Except . . . her husband is late.

Okay, back to the humor. There are little scenes here and there where my mischief, or rather, Erin’s, pops up in unexpected places. Unexpected to me as much as the reader. Yet, it works.

By now you’ve gathered that To See the Sun is not dark, heavy suspense. Neither is it a lighter, cozy-type mystery. My life has been full of laughter, so it’s only natural that my fictional characters like to laugh, too. That’s just the way I’m wired.

Peggy Blann Phifer is an author and columnist, whose work has appeared on various Web sites and writer periodicals both in print and online. She is also an avid reader and loves to escape between the covers of a good book. A retired executive assistant, Peg now makes her home in southern Nevada with husband Jim.

TO SEE THE SUN is Peg’s debut novel, released January 2012

Read the first chapter at: http://peggyblannphifer.com/my_books.htm
Find To See the Sun at: Amazon.com
Visit Peg’s blog at: http://www.whispersinpurple.com

Authors and Business Structure by Karen Baney

2012-02-22T14:10:00.001-08:00

Special thanks to Karen for stopping by today!

Authors and Business Structure

By Karen Baney

Many authors eventually ask the question of how they should set up their business when they start selling books, whether traditionally published or self published. What are the different options? How can I know what’s right for me?

Well, let’s look at some of the different types of businesses.

1. Sole Proprietorship – this means the author is the owner and only member of the business. The author assumes legal liability. The author is taxed against their personal SSN.

2. Partnership – this means the author and another individual or entity are in partnership (perhaps the author and spouse).

3. Limited Liability Company (LLC) – This is a legal entity which can be formed. The taxation for this type of business is different from its legal structure. There are several different options for taxation when going this route (please consult your CPA), such as sole proprietorship, partnership, or S-Corp. One advantage of going with an LLC is that personal assets are protected in case of a law suit.

4. Corporations (S-Corp / C-Corp) – In most cases setting up this type of business entity doesn’t make sense for authors. But, to be sure it doesn’t, please consult your CPA or an attorney.

Each of the above types of legal entities have different pros and cons. Most importantly they have different tax implications. We strongly encourage authors to seek professional advice from a CPA to decide which entity is right for you.

Other Considerations

Here are a few other considerations when deciding what type of business structure to use:

1. If you are self published, will your distributors (Amazon, Barnes & Noble) allow you to change your tax ID? This can affect whether you start out as one type of entity with the intent of changing to a different entity later.

Note: Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (for self published authors) does allow you to change the tax ID. Barnes & Noble’s PubIt program does not allow you to change the tax ID associated with an account. This means that if you start out as a sole proprietor using your personal SSN and you decide to change it later, you will have to re-publish any self published books set up through B&N. Why is this bad? You would lose any sales ranking and possibly lose reviews associated with your book.

2. Are you concerned with protecting your personal assets (home, auto, etc.) from potential lawsuits?

3. How much do you earn as an author? Has your income as an author changed from when you first started selling books? Your CPA may advise you differently depending on the answers to these questions.

4. If you’re married, how would you want your books and royalties to be handled if you passed away? Certain legal entities make it easier to default to your spouse while other may make it more difficult.

I hope we’ve given you some things to think about related the different types of legal and tax structures available to authors. Because each situation is unique, it’s best to consult with a CPA and/or an attorney before making a decision.

Self-published author, Karen Baney, enjoys sharing information to help authors learn about the Business of Writing. She holds a Masters of Business Administration from Arizona State University and has worked in various business related career fields for the past 20 years. She writes Christian Historical Fiction and Contemporary Romance novels. For more information about Karen’s books, visit her Amazon Page and for more great articles by Karen, visit her blog at Everything Author.

How to Have A Successful Launch by Jennifer Slattery

2012-02-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Jennifer Slattery for stopping by to talk about marketing!

How To Have A Successful Launch

by Jennifer Slattery

As a publicist, I get a “bird’s-eye view” so to speak of marketing and sales. Or more like the “fly on the wall” perspective. I spend a great deal of time watching my clients’ sales, listening to bloggers and readers, and gauging marketability. Some clients soar while others trudge up hill, and often, after putting in the same amount of work.

Here’s why:

Authors with a larger following earn more sales.

It’s so much easier to work with a client who’s already been making the cyber-rounds. Especially if they’re writing for the CBA market. There’s numerous reasons for this:

1) They’ve earned name recognition. This is HUGE. If you’re an unknown, you haven’t earned reader trust. For nonfiction, this can easily break a marketing campaign. Evangelical readers are cautious about what material they allow to fill their minds, and rightly so. With so many contradictory messages out there and so many books to choose from, they’d prefer to read works from authors they know and trust.

2) They know how to blog and utilize social media. This isn’t hard, but it’s a learning curve. An important one! Successful authors live on Facebook and Twitter (still the two most effective social media sites, in my opinion) and know how to blog. They know how to make these important tools work for them. As a result, they consistently draw new readers from Google and social media sites.

For example, on my personal website, each day I receive perhaps 20% of my page views from people looking for information via search engines. Stop and think about this for a minute. That’s a 20% increase for the same amount of work. It also guarantees views on the days I don’t post new content. So, in essence, my site continues to work for me even when I don’t.

Facebook brings me an additional 20-30% of my views, and often from posts that have been “reshared”. Again, this is a large increase for the same amount of work. And I don’t just post to my own wall. If I write something applicable to moms, I post to women’s groups. If I write something I believe would benefit writers, I post to writing and reviewing groups. I interact with other readers and writers on FB, and as a result, receive friend invites daily. This is a free and easy way to increase my networking contacts.

**But please, don’t spam! Posting your author page and links to your books on other people’s wall makes you look bad and irritates readers. Not a great way to get sales. When posting a link, make sure it’s of value to the people of the group or site you’re posting to. Keep it *others centered*.

3) They’ve stored a reservoir of blessings.

Again, this is HUGE! Right now I have a client, Fay Lamb, that has spent perhaps a decade pouring into the lives of other authors. She leads a large critique group where she consistently gives more than she receives. She’s mentored numerous writers, encourages others, prays for people. She’s the ACFW secretary. I could go on, but in a nutshell, her life is summed up in one word: servant. As a result, when her debut novel launched, bloggers were anxious to help her succeed. Even those who don’t normally host guest bloggers made exceptions. Why? Because she’d blessed them.

For example, there are a few authors and editors who’ve blessed me in my journey. As a result, I write myself reminders to pop in on their FB wall to see if they’ve written a blog post I can reshare or have a release I can highlight.

4) They are creative thinkers.

Effective marketers keep their readers and blog hosts in mind. They know how to spin a press release, post, interview, to fit the situation. This takes some creative thinking and forethought. Even a highly Christian work can get secular press space, if you know how to write it. When crafting a title, think in terms of sound bites. And remember, newspapers, bloggers, and magazines don’t care about you or your novel. They care about one thing: their readers. What does your article, press release, interview, or blog post offer their readers?

5) They plan ahead.

There’s nothing more frustrating than having a client contact you days before a release. Reviewers often need six months or more to review a book, and quite frankly, reviews can make or break a sale. If a reader happens upon a post, follows the link to Amazon, and sees minimal reviews, they may be hesitant to buy the book. Especially if they don’t know the author. If, however, their are a large number of good reviews, they’ll be more apt to fork over cash.

Many bloggers book months out. In addition, writing guest posts and answering interview questions take time. An author who wants a successful launch will begin working on launch details months in advance. They’ll schedule book launches prior to release date, will invite readers, will ask the press to cover it, and will have press releases ready. A press release really isn’t newsworthy if it’s offered months after a book or novel’s been released.

6) They spend the time necessary

According to a recent post written by best-selling author, Gina Holmes, when she launched Crossing Oceans, she spent up to four hours a DAY on marketing. And it paid off, with long-term benefits.

Some authors spend a certain amount of time each day working on marketing. Others set aside one day per week. They participate in reading groups on Facebook and Goodreads. They post links to Facebook pages like Reviewers Roundup. They visit related blogs and leave fun or insightful comments. They continually build their contact list. They write articles for print media and send press releases and newsletter blurbs out. They pay attention to the interviews and reviews posted on or about other authors, follow the links, and make new connections. Basically, they continually find ways to expand their reach, beginning well before their book releases.

What about you? What are you doing each day to actively increase your reach? Think you don’t have time? In my opinion, creating a marketing base is just as important as writing a great book. Be accessible, be visible, be intentional.

How about if you choose one thing you can do this weekend? And share your thoughts and ideas with us! We’re all learning. Like iron sharpens iron, right?

Jennifer Slattery lives in the midwest with her husband of sixteen years and her fourteen year old daughter. She writes for Christ to the World Ministries, the ACFW Journal, Internet Cafe Devotions and Jewels of Encouragement. Visit her online at Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud.

Resurrected Love by K.M. Daughters

2012-02-12T23:30:00.000-08:00

Book Look by Carol McClain

The loss of their baby to SIDS and their broken marriage are agonies of grief that Beth and Jack barely survive. Separated the past three years, will a journey to the village of miracles draw them closer to the Resurrected Love of the world that He might heal their broken spirits?
Jack and Beth Dunne travel separately to Valselo on a good-will pilgrimage to support a local orphanage. Jack uses philanthropy as an excuse to see Beth again after bitterness and grief separated them following the funeral of their five month old son three years ago. Forever soulmates, despite the seemingly impenetrable barriers they have erected between them, will they find the courage to forgive and fix their marriage? Or will they selflessly love enough to let each other go?

About K.M. Daughters...
K.M. Daughters is the writing team of sisters, Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare. Their penname is dedicated to the memory of their parents: Kay and Mickey Lynch - “K” and “M” Daughters. The Daughters are wives, mothers and grandmothers. K.M. Daughters writes romantic suspense, inspirational romance, and contemporary romance.

I had the priviledge to interview Pat and Kathie.

What inspired you to write Resurrected Love?

The inspiration for our Gospa Journeys novellas and twofull-length novels, all set in the fictional Adriatic village, Valselo, stemsfrom meditating in a Eucharistic chapel in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Wejoined a tour group for a pilgrimage to this remote site of contemporary Marianapparitions after having visited other historic Marian sites, Fatima andLourdes. While praying in the chapel, Kathie received the compelling directionto write fictional inspirational novels based on our “real-world” experiencesthere. And our “Gospa Journeys” began.

Is there one character that intrigues you more than anyother? Why

Our Lady of the Roses intrigues us the most. Gloriouslypresent in all our spiritual journeys, as writers and women, but invisibleexcept to our three fictional visionaries, and in this installment ourmysterious orphan child, She speaks for the Most High. In characterizing OurLady in our stories, we researched Her Medjugorje messages, rather than presumeto put words in Her mouth. It stunned us that out of thousands of documentedmessages, those fitting our stories’ spiritual conflicts emerged when we neededthem.

What do you hope your readers gain from this work?

Foremost we hope our readers enjoy the people who populateour story and remain so real to us – to entertain, inform, touch thememotionally and deepen their faith. The burdens of devastating grief weighheavily on our main characters – destructive, unbearable, paralyzing. Only Godcan guide through the darkness of losing a child. Faith and love can overcomeany obstacle.

What would you say the main theme is?

The theme of all our novels/novellas is, love heals.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

The miraculous nature of events depicted in our GospaJourneys series derives from similar occurrences associated with Marianapparitions throughout time, around the world. Maybe our stories might invitereaders to explore these phenomena on their own. That would make us happy Gospa“disciples”.

Buy links: http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=K.M.+Daughters&x=0&y=0

http://www.amazon.com/Resurrected-Love-Gospa-Journeys-ebook/dp/B00750B8M2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328281394&sr=1-1

Deborah Malone Talks Writing

2012-02-10T11:23:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Deborah for stopping by and answering some questions about her writing journey!

Deborah Malone Talks Writing

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO START WRITING?

I've always loved to read. I think I was a teen-ager when I first tried my hand at writing. I didn't finish, but I guess that could be considered my first attempt at writing.

WHAT AUTHORS HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?

My genre of choice to write is cozy mysteries so cozy writers have had the most influence. A few would be Anne George, Patricia Sprinkle, Kathy Trocheck, Alice K. Arnez, Dana Mentink, just to name a few!

The one writer who influenced me most on Christian writing would be Margaret Daley.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING AUTHORS?

We always hear: go to conventions, read writing books, etc. and all of this is good. But the main thing that helped me was encouragement from other authors on "not to give up." It takes a while to get published and every author has a story about their journey. You have to hang in there for the long run! These are three books that helped me the most: Write in Style by Bobbie Christmas, Goal, Motivation and Conflict by Debra Dixon and after you're published Stress Free Marketing by Renea Winchester.

YOU TAKE AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHS. HAVE YOU EVER BASED A SCENE ON A PHOTOGRAPH YOU’VE TAKEN?

Thank you. I've had to take many photos for my research for my magazine articles so I've used them several times for scenes. That was a great question!

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR LATEST RELEASE.

"Death in Dahlonega" is my debut cozy mystery. It is based on two friends who find themselves in a bit of a scrape. Trixie is a magazine writer and she is on assignment in Dahlonega, Georgia and her friend Dee Dee has tagged along. Dee Dee owns an antique shop and this will be the perfect place for her to shop for antiques and other goodies. The girls are watching a film at the gold museum when Dee Dee has to go to the bathroom - this is not unusal for Dee Dee. While she is nosing around in the rooms she happens up on a dead body. She automatically pulls out the pick axe and winds up being the main person of interest. The handsome sheriff is ready to retire and run for mayor, so Trixie doesn't think he's trying very hard to find the real killer. So she and Dee Dee take matters in their own hands. The question is will they find the real killer before Dee Dee ends up in the slammer?

I am working on my next two releases with Trixie and Dee Dee the first one is "Murder in Marietta" and the second one is "Terror in Tybee Island."

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND IN RESEARCH BEFORE YOU WRITE A STORY?

I like to visit the area and take lots of pictures as well as interview people that are familiar with the area. Then I continue to do research throughout the whole book to keep it fresh in my mind. I don't really know how much time, but it is a good bit. Research is imperative.

WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING THING YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM YOUR RESEARCH?

Well, I don't know about what I learned, but I do have a funny story. When I went to the gold museum and talked with the real ranger about taking pics/interviewing them etc. for the book she hurriedly called her boss and then preceded to tell me I couldn't write about their security system. Of course, I didn't know about their security system so it was funny to me. I really don't think she knew what a cozy mystery was.

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO SPEND YOUR TIME WHEN YOU'RE NOT WRITING?

Now that I've been published I don't have as much time to do other things, but I like to take photographs. I'm enjoying meeting people through my marketing of "Death in Dahlonega."

HOW CAN READERS CONTACT YOU AND/OR LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR WRITING?

You can contact me by going to my website deborah-malone.com. I would love to hear from my readers and if anyone wants a signed copy I'd be glad to do that and my email is debbiejeanm@gmail.com. Thank you for having me on your blog!

Back Cover: Winner in American Christian Fiction Writers' Category Five writing contest!

A friendly adventure turns to murder and mayhem in the north Georgia mountains. Historical writer Trixie Montgomery is asked to cover Gold Rush Days in the picturesque Georgia mountain town, Dahlonega.

Trixie seizes the chance to mix business with pleasure and asks her best friend, Dee Dee to tag along. Their well laid plans go awry when Dee Dee is discovered standing over the lifeless body of prominent citizen, John Tatum - the very man she'd had a run in with earlier that day - holding a bloody pickax in her hands.

Can Trixie find a way to finish her assignment and keep Dee Dee out of the slammer?

Bio: Deborah has worked as a freelance writer and photographer, since 2001, for the

historical magazine “Georgia Backroads.” She has had many articles and photographs published during this time. Her writing is featured in “Tales of the Rails” edited by Olin Jackson. She has also had a showing of her photographs at Floyd Medical Center Art Gallery as well as winning several awards. Her debut cozy mystery "Death in Dahlonega" is now available. She is a current member of the Georgia Writers Association, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She has an established blog, Butterfly Journey, where she reviews Christian Fiction

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The Trouble with Inspiration from Scripture by Regina Jennings

2012-02-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Regina for stopping by today! Be sure to check out her book! It's a great one - for more of my thoughts on Sixty Acres and A Bride, you can check out my review of it on my personal blog.

The Trouble with Inspiration from Scripture By Regina Jennings

Even the title sounds heretical, doesn’t it? But what do you do when you want to use a storyline that’s similar to a Bible story? Are you required to acknowledge the source? If you admit that the story is based on a historical happening or character do you have to stick with the exact events? How much creativity are you allowed in a retelling? The same choices must be made with any historically inspired story, Biblical or secular, and they can catch an author off guard. To be honest, I didn’t realize how deliberate I had to be in these decisions when I started writing Sixty Acres and a Bride.

Sixty Acres and a Bride began when I was asked to write a Christmas play for my church. The theme they’d chosen was “Redeemer” and I was to put together a handful of sketches that demonstrated that concept. Immediately I thought of the Ruth and Boaz story where poor widow Ruth is spoken for (redeemed) by her late husband’s nearest kin. It’s a beautiful love story in which the heroine secures her man in a most shocking fashion. Because I live in Oklahoma, and because the Christmas play already had a Bethlehem nativity scene, I decided to set this redemption story in the Old West.

In a sketch that only lasts fifteen minutes, there’s little time to stray from the story line. The action flew quickly and it was done, but as I began to craft a 368 page novel, difficulties arose that I hadn’t foreseen.
First off, these are God-fearing folk in Texas in 1878. When Naomi arrives in town with her widowed daughter-in-law, aren’t her friends going to point out the similarities between her situation and the Bible story? Won’t her nephew Bo realize what Ruth is going to do? (I’m thinking he’d sleep in a barn every night waiting for her to make her move.)

In my first draft I thought it was enough to say this was like a Ruth and Boaz story, but I soon found that I needed to be more precise in the set-up. If I named these protagonists after their Bible counterparts, I’d have to stay very close to the original source. If I changed their names and didn’t mention the Book of Ruth, readers might feel cheated that the connection wasn’t acknowledged. There seemed to be three options available:
Characters are the actual Biblical characters, whether in their original setting or a different setting. If a more current setting is chosen, the characters are unaware of any similarities between themselves and the Bible story.
Characters and the plot are inspired by the Bible story. Even though they do not directly portray the Biblical characters, they are an archetype. Davy and Sheba who live in the penthouses of Chicago are representing the stars of Second Samuel. Characters are unaware that there’s a story similar to theirs.
Characters are completely unrelated to the Bible characters, but they find themselves in a situation that is the same. They might or might not be aware of the parallels.

After talking it over with my editor and agent, we settled on the third choice. The Ruth and Boaz premise is definitely present, but this story is about Rosa and Weston. Rosa suffers from guilt because she tricked a good man into marrying her. This marriage of convenience was forced by her scandalous actions. Since the Bible doesn’t address this stage of Ruth and Boaz’s relationship it didn’t seem right to draw the parallels too closely. And what about a Victorian woman sending her daughter-in-law to a man’s bed in the middle of the night?

Was it plausible behavior for this era? That’s where one of the character’s awareness of the Bible story comes into play—but you’ll have to read the book to see how that comes about.

Using Bible stories (or any well-known historical event) as the basis for a plot creates an instant connection for readers, but authors need to be clear how close of a connection is intended. Fiction allows for creative license, but we don’t want to misrepresent the people whose stories have been preserved for our benefit.

What Biblical fiction or Biblically inspired novels have you enjoyed?

Regina Jennings is homeschooling mother of four from Oklahoma. She graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University and has worked at The Mustang News and First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows.

website: www.reginajennings.com/blog

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ReginaLJennings

Twitter: twitter.com/#!/ReginaJennings

The Unwilling Bride by Candy Little

2012-02-05T23:30:00.000-08:00

Book Look by Carol McClain

Setamid political unrest in 1789, Caitlin Gallagher finds herself in an arrangedmarriage. She hates the idea of marriage and loathes the man that is now herhusband. With all the turmoil in her life, she starts to doubt her faith. CanCaitlin find faith in God and love in the arms of her enemy?

DillonCade’s quiet life is turned upside-down when he agrees to marry a young maidento protect her. As he uses his newspaper to fight President Adams’ seditionacts and help Thomas Jefferson get elected, he must now also deal with anunwilling bride. Can Dillon tolerate her behavior long enough to win her trust?

About the Author

Candy-AnnLittle grew up in a small town in Ohio, but now resides in Michigan with herhusband and two teenage kids. She is a substitute for paraprofessionals andteacher assistants in the public schools, mostly working with the autisticprogram and kids with learning disabilities.

She also enjoys helping with churchactivities. Her favorite things to do besides writing are reading, cooking andbaking.

My favorite aspect of this blog is the personal interview. Read on for my chat with Candy Little

What inspired you to write The Unwilling Bride?

Fifteen years ago, I had a stillborn daughter. To ease mygrief I started writing in a journal. I found freedom and peace from myjournaling. This also sparked another interest of mine - reading. I hadn’t reada book since I’d gotten married and had kids. When God decided to join thesetwo loves, I sat down and plotted out my first Christian romance. I’ve beenwriting ever since and let the love for God flow through me into the words ofmy stories.

Is there one character that intrigues you more than anyother? Why?

I’d have to say that Caitlin is my favorite. Although she isspoiled and immature in the beginning, she grows and matures as the story movesforward. I like that she is spunky and sassy, especially for 1798. I guess youcould say that she is my Scarlett O’Hara!!

What do you hope your readers gain from this work?

That God is always in control of our lives even when wedon’t understand what He is doing. Every book I sell or give away is likegiving the reader a piece of my soul.

4. What would you say the main theme is?

I know it’s a cliché, but love conquers all. Caitlin seesGod’s love demonstrated through Dillon’s quiet actions. Dillon is only able tohold on to the marriage because of God’s love. In the end, she is able to findher faith because of God and Dillon’s love.

5. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

We must always trust that God has a better plan for ourlives.

Sweeten Your Story with Romance by Ann H. Gabhart

2012-02-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Ann for stopping by and talking about romance! If you'd like to be a part of Pentalk email us at pentalkcommunity@gmail.com

Sweeten Your Story with Romance

by Ann H. Gabhart

“Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze.” (Amanda Cross, American writer and Critic)

What is the one ingredient that you find in nearly all bestselling books? Or see in the most popular movies? Romance. Readers love romance. Movie-goers love romance. It doesn’t have to be the whole story. The main characters can be racing time or events to save the world, but most of us like it better when those characters meet up with someone of the opposite sex while on their fictional quests. But other times, boy meets girl or conversely, girl meets boy, is the sole reason for the story. Each word drips romance. Each obstacle tries to trip up the love growing between the characters. We cheer the characters on. We want them to win in the end so that we can sigh with contentment when the hero and heroine embrace and admit their love.

Love and romance – we love reading about them. We love writing about them. But as Shakespeare warned us “the course of true love never did run smooth.” Then again, you have to remember Shakespeare was a writer trying to attract a few readers or an audience for his plays. He knew that true love running smooth wasn’t going to make readers stop everything and turn the page or sit enthralled through several acts of his plays.

My new book, Words Spoken True, is the most romantic book I’ve written for Revell Books. History is exploding in the background with some dramatic events. The newspaper presses are cranking out the news, but all that just seems to make the improbable romance between Adriane and Blake that much more compelling.

I think of Angel Sister as a parallel story. On one plane we have the family story. On a second plane we have Nadine and Victor’s love story. I enjoyed writing their romance. Victor loves Nadine so very much. That’s why he feels such despair because he realizes he’s letting her down by not being strong enough to fight back his demons. Nadine, on the other hand, thinks her love should give him whatever strength he needs. They both have more to learn about love and where true strength comes from. In my Hollyhill books, the romance between Jocie’s father and Leigh was fun, but it was only one story thread among many threads in those books. I wove together the family story, the small town story, the church story, and the romance to bring my town of Hollyhill and its citizens to life for readers. My Shaker books have centered on Shaker history and are definitely romances. My characters in those books have to decide which paths to set their feet upon. One that allows romance or the Shaker path that says such feelings are sinful. So while I get my main characters romantically inclined, the Shaker setting makes romantic scenes a bit harder to work into the flow of the story.

But in Words Spoken True, romance steps up to take a starring role. Adriane and Blake strike sparks off one another, but I certainly remembered what Shakespeare said about true love and didn’t let their course run smooth. What is a person willing to give up for love? That’s what Adriane has to figure out.

Romance is such an important ingredient in most of our stories. A reader may know from the very first chapter, perhaps even the first page, which two characters are going to end up kissing and living “happily ever after.” But it’s the journey that makes us keep reading. We want to see how it happens. And we want to experience the thrill of the conquest. Charles Dickens is credited with saying love makes the world go around. But I like the twist Franklin P. Jones adds. “Love doesn’t make the world go ‘round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” Plenty of times it’s what makes the read worthwhile.

A reader likes having to brush away a tear or two when a story touches her or his heart. Guys like romance too – even when they won’t admit it. We like living a romance with the characters. We want love to conquer all. But we do want to feel it. We want the words of each romantic encounter to convey emotion. As readers, we don’t want to be told that character A loves character B. We want to live the romance with A & B while the words in front of our eyes disappear and we’re there in that romantic scene with the couple in love. So throw out all the stops. Bring love into the picture. Let romance spill into your stories like water flowing over a waterfall. Your readers will love you for it.

“Romance has been elegantly defined as the offspring of fiction and love.”-- Benjamin Disraeli

Ann H. Gabhart has published over twenty novels for adults and children including her bestselling Shaker novels. Ann and her husband live on a farm in Central Kentucky. They have three children and nine grandchildren. Ann’s latest release Words Spoken True is set in 1850s Louisville and is very romantic. Her book, Angel Sister, is a nominee for Best Inspirational Book of 2011 by RT Book Reviews Magazine.

You can keep up with Ann on her website, www.annhgabhart.com; her blog, One Writer’s Journal, www.annhgabhart.blogspot.com; Facebook author page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-H-Gabhart/132862247566, or follow Ann on Twitter, user name annhgabhart.

ONE YEAR BIRTHDAY!

2012-02-01T12:40:00.000-08:00

That's right!

It's been a YEAR since we first launched the Pentalk Community Blog.

I am continually amazed at the bloggers who come visit us for a day or two, those who submitted their books to Carol McClain for the Book Look spots, and who have joined us on our Pentalk Facebook pages.

In the last year, we've had over 20,000 page views. In the last few months, we've been averaging about 2000 per month and that number continues to rise. Not too shabby for a group that didn't exist 18 months ago! Especially since we only blog three times a week.

This week, we've also seen a couple of new initiatives over on our Facebook pages.

First, the new Pentalk Critique Group. Founder Linda Rondeau put it this way:

Welcome. This group is for those who'd like to find a critique or mentoring partner. Simply make a post. Include a brief description of your project and your writing goals.

And second, Pentalk's first workshop! You can find it in the Notes section of the Pentalk page.

Critique or Consequences

A teaser from the Introduction:

You join a critique group and want so much to offer meaningful and helpful suggestions to your partners. You want to add more than simply correct grammar and spelling mistakes. You want to be more than a copyeditor. Yet, at the same time you want to value your partner’s efforts, be an encourager for the long road ahead.

It’s possible you are new to writing. How do you help a partner who has been writing for many years?

In this course we hope to go over the basics of what a critique partner should be looking for in a partner’s manuscript. You will find that these lessons will also be helpful to you as you self-edit your works in progress.

We have two Facebook pages where you can find support and answers to questions or encouragement. Your one-stop shop for all things writing related!

Pentalk Facebook Page

Pentalk Facebook Group

So how can you get involved?

Join one - or all - of the Facebook groups! Comment here on the blog! Be a guest blogger!

We're always looking for writing related blogs. Besides the 150-200 hits each blog post gets, there's also those who subscribe via feed reader or email.

We have openings as early as this month, so send an email to pentalkcommunity@gmail.com to make arrangements to be a part of our second year!

Thanks to all of you - because without you, we wouldn't be here!

Deep Screams by G.R. Holton

2012-01-29T23:30:00.000-08:00

Book Look by Carol McClain

In the year two-thousand-one hundred-forty- five, Earth had finally gotten past its differences and the Earth Coalition was formed. The Coalition has decided that a space station would be launched into deep space to find a new Earth. The team would be on a twenty year mission to find other planets outside of their solar system that could be inhabited.

After they had been in space for six years, all of the signals from the Omega Space Station had suddenly stopped after being engulfed by a strange red cloud formation. Not knowing what might had happened, the Coalition called for a new crew to intercept the space station and ascertain what had happened. They were to do whatever was necessary to bring the station back online.

The new crew found the Omega, but little did they know it was not the space station that was dead and they were not to be alone. It seems that the spirits of two of the original team members were still on the station. One benevolent spirit just trying to get off the ship. But the other, a quite evil spirit, was out to destroy them all.

Take a ride along with them as they bring the station back on line and try to stay alive in the process.

I had a chance to ask G.R. about his book.

What inspired you to write Deep Screams?

This novel, like my other works, came from a dream. The difference with this dream was that it was an all out nightmare. I dreamt of a space station with all kinds of bodies all over the place. I wasn’t able to walk anywhere without finding another dead one. When I woke up in a fit of sweat and tears, I couldn’t believe what had happened. After a day or so past, I realized that this was due to a conversation with a friend earlier in the week about whether ghosts existed.

Is there one character that intrigues you more than any other? Why? Commander Derek Milton is the main character and I was so locked into his way of thinking. I can honestly say that I would have handled the situation much like he did. First having doubts about what was transpiring and then giving into whatever was needed to be done to end the problem. He is quite level headed, but also showed that he had a heart. Most people can barely handle one or the other.

What do you hope your readers gain from this work?

The main thing is that genres can cross over easily. I loved that this was a science fiction novel that could also intrigue people who liked horrors and paranormals. It is a balance of all three and people who have read it commented that they weren’t a science fiction reader or either of the other genres, but they enjoyed the story.

What started you writing?

I love answering this type of question because I have such a deep respect for the man who started me out on this journey of becoming an author. In 2005 I was deemed unable to work anymore due to severe Bipolar Disorder. I spent many a day fiddling around on the computer and watching television. In 2009, that all changed. I was playing a game on Facebook that had a chat capability. It was a farming game and I had a huge cross of flowers in the middle of my computerized farm. One day I met a woman named Marlene who was a devout Christian and we became great friends quickly. She told me her husband Derek also had a farm and invited me to work on it. I did so and come to find out Derek was a Screenwriter and Movie Director. After a few weeks of talking to him he gave me the opportunity to read a couple of his screenplays. This is something that I had never done. I was immediately hooked. I had to try it! Within a week I had a dream of three teens in a cave searching for something. That was it, I had my first story to write. The rest is history. But the bottom line is that anyone with or without a disabling illness can become anyone they want as long as someone believes in them.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I have written four books; “Soleri”, “SQUAZLES!”, “Guardian’s Alliance”, and “Deep Screams”. I also did the design work on a fifth book called “Cameron’s: A to Z: A Habitat for Humanity Project for an amazing young man. For this book, all proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity." All of these books are available on Amazon and the rest of the internet book sale sites and also on my website www.grholton.com. In closing, I always like to leave with my quote, I hope you enjoy reading my dreams as much as I had in dreaming them.

Gold Trap by Lilly Maytree

2012-01-22T23:30:00.000-08:00

Book Look by Carol McClain

Book Description…

I simply wanted to step out of my ordinary lifeand find the Divine Appointment God had planned for me. I'd read about MaryKinglsey, and it occurred to me that if I truly wanted to share an historicalbiography with my students, hers was it. So (with much trepidation) I bookedthe cheapest tour I could find to visit the Dark Continent of Africa. Who knewI'd meet a psychic named Vidalia (after the onion?) - not that I should havebeen surprised (after all, Bremen Tours specialized in "Voodoo relics ofthe Dark Continent," or so it was emblazoned on their carry-alls, one ofwhich I owned).

But life got really strange when I met a mad (orwas he drunk?) professor, a dashing prince (or possibly, the villain), avillage headman (the warrior king? Or the prince of thieves?) and a witchdoctorwho was neither witch nor doctor, but rather the sinister embodiment of acharlatan who preyed on tourists...and let's not forget the man who started thewhole mess-an embezzler-turned-kidnapper...of me! And that's not to mentionfloating down a river full of crocodiles, two boys who wanted to hold me forransom, an earthquake, a cave-in, the leopard in my bed, and a pinkhippopotamus. In the end, my Divine Appointment from God held mystery,excitement and a whole lot more. Enjoy my adventure, Dear Reader, because Idid!

GOLD TRAP short excerpt…

A Face in the Rain

"Monsieur is brave, bright, andfascinating..."

Mary Kingsley

Thereis a sidewalk cafe in Paris where they say you will meet someone you know,wherever you come from in the world. Not that Megan Jennings was the type tochase after such things. But it seemed fitting that on the eve of her greatadventure, she should set out with a bit of fanfare. If such a thing did occur,she would take it as a confirmation that for the first time in her life, shewas truly on the right track.

Ofcourse, she had no intention of changing her plans if the little enchantmentdidn't happen. The die was already cast. She had put on a black vintagetraveling suit that one might have seen on the likes of a long line of famouslady adventurers from the Victorian era. She even had an antique broach pinnedto the high-neck collar. But most importantly, she had chosen a pair of darkriding boots with laces, which were about as close as she could come to jumpinginto the shoes of that amazing and intrepid explorer, Mary Kingsley. And Megwas prepared to let them carry her as far back into time as it was humanlypossible to go…

Bio for Lilly Maytree…

Lilly Maytree has many homes. Sometimes she livesin her cabin in the woods in Alaska, sometimes in a sailboat on the ocean, andoccasionally in a tent when she is exploring wilderness places. It has evenbeen said that she time-travels, but that is probably just a rumor. You can getin touch with her through her web site at www.LillyMaytree.com. It might take afew days if she is adventuring far away... but she always comes back sooner orlater. She loves hearing from readers!

Amazon buy links:

Paperback…

http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Trap-Lilly-Maytree/dp/1611161053/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323801141&sr=8-1

Kindle…

http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Trap-ebook/dp/B005QSS6DO/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1323801141&sr=8-1

You can also get in touch with Lilly Maytree bysending an email to…

LillyMaytree (at) .com

Simplifying Historical Fiction Research by Amanda Cabot

2012-01-20T13:56:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Amanda for being here today and sharing her tips on making research for historical fiction easier!

Simplifying Historical Fiction Research
by Amanda Cabot

Have you ever become bogged down in research? I have. One book leads to another, or if you’re on the Internet, one site leads to another. Before you know it, you’ve spent days – maybe weeks – reading, but your book still isn’t started. How can you avoid getting caught in that sinkhole? One answer is the KISS principle (keep it simple, sweetheart). For me, that means working with five different research tools.

Historic diaries and letters. What I like about diaries is that they tell you how real people lived, and as such, they’re a valuable source of details. For example, when I was researching Summer of Promise, which is set at Wyoming’s Fort Laramie, I read excerpts from an officer’s wife’s letters. In them I learned that the dried potatoes the post store sold were considered virtually inedible. An interesting fact, and one you can be sure made its way to the manuscript.The children’s section of the library. When I wrote for the secular market, one of my publishers asked me to write a trilogy set during World War One. At the time, what I knew about that time period could be described in two words: not much. The adult section of the library had huge tomes, detailing each day of the war. I could have spent weeks reading them, but instead I went to the children’s section. The books I found there were considerably shorter. Even more importantly, they gave me the basic information that I needed to plan the trilogy, namely the causes of the war and the major battles. Later, when I knew exactly when each book would take place, I consulted the ten-pound tomes to see what was happening on specific key dates. I didn’t have to read the whole book. Instead, I was doing what I call ‘targeted research,’ looking only for key information. What a time-saver!

Costume books. Readers want to know what people wore. Oh, they don’t need to have a gown described down to the last furbelow, but knowing that women wore bustles in the 1880s and that there were five to seven petticoats under those bustles helps you add authentic details to your story. To get those details, I find costume books, particularly those with extensive illustrations, valuable. There is also a growing number of web sites with pictures of clothing from various eras.

Recipe books. Like diaries, these help you understand what people ate during your chosen time period. Just as importantly, they provide clues to what people did not eat. If you don’t find a recipe for ragout, it’s probably because the term wasn’t used then. To be true to the period, simply call it stew. And that leads me to what I consider one of the most important research tools.

Dictionary with date of first usage. I hate anachronisms. For me there’s nothing so jarring as to be reading a book set in the Middle Ages and see, “The sword slid off his shield as if it were covered with Teflon.” Admittedly, that was an extreme example, but my trusty dictionary saved me from the error of using ‘camouflage’ in a book set in the 1850s by pointing out that the word came into usage during World War One.

Why worry about anachronisms? They brand you as a sloppy writer. Consider this: checking a word’s first usage is simply another form of research. That’s why, although I may use the other tools only once when I’m writing, my dictionary is always open.

So, there you have it: Amanda’s hints for simplifying historical research. I hope they help.

Differences in Writing Historical vs. Contemporary by Karen Baney

2012-01-18T13:34:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Karen for being with us today! Check out her newest release Nickels - I absolutely loved it! And today it's free for Kindle*!

Differences in Writing Historical vs. Contemporary
By Karen Baney

Writing in different time periods can be both fun and challenging as an author. There are some key differences between writing contemporary novels and writing historical novels.

Language

How did people speak? What sayings did they use? Slang? Did they use long, complex sentence structures and flowery language?

To understand how people spoke for my historical novels, I spent some time reading firsthand accounts of events of the day. Reading someone’s diary from the

With a contemporary novel, it’s easier. You already know how people talk. True, you might have to do some research for a specific regional dialect or slang. But, for the most part, you live and breathe the language nuances every day.mid-1860’s gives you a good idea of the complex sentence structures used during the time frame. Once I have a good understanding, I try to incorporate some aspects of the language into the novel. Since I want to be careful not to alienate modern audiences, I make some style choices, like using contractions even though they didn’t.

Mindset

What is the prevailing mindset of the timeframe? Were there different attitudes and thoughts towards different ethnic groups? Were women seen differently? Men?

One of the things I did to better understand the mindset from the 1860’s was to pick up books specifically on the attitudes in the West. I found this great resource that explained a key gender difference on the wagon trains west. Men marked the journey by miles and women marked it by the number of roadside grave markers. That’s a very different mindset than what we experience today.

Today’s mindset is probably engrained in your own attitudes and outlook on life. Even if your views differ from that of your character, you have a good idea of what is generally socially acceptable. Things, like harassment in the work place or racial slurs, are considered socially unacceptable. This will likely take little to no research for a more contemporary work.

Technology

What modes of transportation were used? What would a typical household kitchen contain? How did people heat their homes or get water to drink?

If you’re writing a contemporary novel, chances are you already have a good idea of the answers to these questions. In my kitchen, I have a blender, microwave, stove, coffee maker, electric can opener, etc.

For a historical novel, these are all things to research to add depth and flavor to your novel. One of my favorite kitchen finds of all time was something called a meat juice press (I even have pictures!!). In the 1800’s, a common way to treat cold symptoms was extract the juice from a piece of meat by pressing it with this device (very different from beef broth). Many homes had one. So, in my current WIP, I incorporate this little nugget into the story.

Language, mindset, and technology are just a few examples of the differences to research for historical novels that you may already know for a more contemporary work. I hope this gives you some ideas on how to improve research for historical novels and encourage you to add that same spice to your contemporary works.

Karen Baney, in addition to writing Christian historical fiction and contemporary novels, works as a Software Engineer. Spending over twenty years as an avid fan of both genres, Karen loves writing stories set in Arizona.

Her faith plays an important role both in her life and in her writing. She is active in various Bible studies throughout the year. Karen and her husband make their home in Gilbert, Arizona, with their two dogs. She also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Arizona State University.

*Be sure to double check the price before purchasing.

Deliver Me From Evil by Kathi Macias

2012-01-15T23:30:00.000-08:00

Book Look by Carol McClain

Deliver Me from Evil introduces readers to Mara, an eighteen-year-old girl who has been enslaved for nearly ten years, having been sold by her parents in Mexico and then smuggled across the border into San Diego where she was forced into sexual slavery. Readers will also meet 18-year-old, Bible-college-bound Jonathan and his 16-year-old sister, Leah, whose paths cross Mara’s and who become involved in her dramatic rescue. Interwoven between the stories of Mara, Jonathan, and Leah is the heartbreaking story of another young woman in captivity in the Golden Triangle of Thailand, whose past life mysteriously connects to the young people in San Diego.

BIO:

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored more than 35 books and ghostwritten several others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences, and won the 2008 Member of the Year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association), as well as Golden Scroll Award’s Novel of the Year and Carol Award Finalist from ACFW, both for Red Ink . Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al.

You can learn more about Kathi at www.kathimacias.com

Writing Stories of Faith... Mingled With Murder and Mayhem by Lillian Duncan

2012-01-13T14:26:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Lillian for stopping by again today!

Writing Stories of Faith...Mingled With Murder And Mayhem

By Lillian Duncan

Really? Christian Fiction and murder/suspense novels. On the surface the two don’t seem to go together. After all, how can a book where murders, mayhem, and bad guys abound promote Christian values?

Oooh. Oooh. My hand’s raised. I know the answer to the question. Pick me. Pick me.

Real life isn’t all sweetness and fluff. It would be nice if it was. But, alas, it’s not. Life can be difficult, sometimes because of our choices and sometimes through no fault of our own. Jesus even warns us that we will have troubles.

So, that’s what I do. I write about the troubles—the more trouble the better. Then I show my characters learning and growing from their adversity. I show their faith becoming stronger in spite of the difficult circumstances they find themselves in.

In my latest novel—DECEPTION, a high school guidance counselor finds herself in more trouble than she could ever have imagined. After receiving a phone call from a niece she knew nothing about, she discovers her estranged twin is missing.

She has a choice—do the right thing or pretend it’s none of her concern. She makes the right choice but that leads to more danger. Each step on her journey puts her in more danger, but it gives her the opportunity to grow as a person and a Christian.

To me that’s the way Christian fiction should work. A good story with characters who are at different points on their spiritual journey, just as we all are. Each choice we make has consequences. And that’s just as true with the characters in my books.

I don’t usually know what the spiritual message is when I begin writing a new novel. It’s actually an amazing process. As I write the story, the characters’ spiritual struggles reveal themselves to me. Sometimes, the spiritual theme is only a whisper in the first draft but it gets stronger with each subsequent draft.

For example in DECEPTION all I knew was that the main character (Patti) was estranged from her twin sister to the point of not knowing she even had a niece. I didn’t know why they were estranged, but once I discovered that the missing twin was the reason Patti’s wedding was canceled years earlier, the theme of forgiveness quickly took root as part of the story.

Jesus used stories to teach Biblical truths. We call them parables. He knew that people naturally respond to a story and are willing to learn from someone else’s problems rather than an in-your-face approach.

When readers identify with the characters of the book, they feel their joy, their hope, and their pain. If they feel Patti’s despair about not forgiving someone she loved when she had the chance, they might decide to call that mother, brother, or friend they’ve been angry at for some time.

At least, that’s my hope.

To celebrate the release of my new suspense novel-DECEPTION-I’m having a great contest on my website with a Nook as the grand prize along with other cool prizes. No purchase necessary, visit: www.lillianduncan.net for the details.

Bio:

Lillian Duncan lives in Ohio with her husband, four parrots, one Jack Russell, and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She’s been a Speech Pathologist for over thirty years.

She writes the types of books she loves to read, suspense with a touch of romance. Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech pathologist, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word.

To learn more about Lillian and her books, visit: www.lillianduncan.net.

Her blog—Tiaras & Tennis Shoes can be found at www.lillianduncan.wordpress.com. Her most recent releases are PURSUED and DECEPTION.

Putting Our Babies on a Diet or How to Cut the Fat from Your WIP by Gina Conroy

2012-01-11T17:49:00.000-08:00

This anthology is one I can't wait to get my hands on! Check it out - and check out Gina's advice for cutting the fat from our WIPs!

Putting Our Babies on a Diet or How to Cut the Fat from Your WIP

by Gina Conroy

When I contracted my novella and had to cut 36,000 words off my WIP, I knew it was going to be hard. In fact, I almost bailed on submitting the anthology because I knew that would mean cutting more than half of my story. The pain of deleting my brilliant prose aside, I knew it would be difficult to edit this mystery whose characters and clues were tightly woven together.

But I signed that contract, took a deep breath, and said a prayer. I could do this!

The first 10,000 words went easily when I realized there were a lot of unnecessary words I could cut. Then I started messing with my characters’ voices and that hurt. So I moved on to the boring, not so important scenes. Found a few of those. Cut out a couple of fun, but unnecessary characters and started the whole process again.

This went on for months until I was down to the last 8,000 words. I wrote to my agent telling him I was having a hard time swallowing this elephant. I couldn’t see how I could cut the last 8,000 words. He very wisely told me that when the ark is sinking, I should throw the elephant out first. In other words, find big chunks I could cut.

Problem was, I did that. Over and over again. Or did I? Sure, I got rid of the easy stuff, then the scenes I could live without, but now 8,000 words shy of my goal I had to take a closer look at my story and go chapter by chapter salvaging the voice and heart of my story as well as cutting the stuff my book could live without. Notice I didn’t say “What I could live without!”

Was it easy? No, but I got my story down to 21,000. Here are some things I learned along the way, so it won’t be so difficult for you next time your baby’s put on a few too many pounds.

Don’t Show Everything

I know it’s been drilled into us to show don’t tell, but a wise author once said that refers primarily to emotions. I learned that I could “tell” how a person got from point A to point D and skip the details in between. Not only will it make your story move, but it will cut the word count.

Cut the Unnecessary Words

You know that word or phrase your character ALWAYS uses all the time JUST like my character DOES. JUST cut it out ALREADY! JUST do a search for those words and CAPITALIZE them, so when you go BACK through you WIP, they jump out at you. I cut several thousand words this way!

Cut the Double Talk

I admit I’m wordy. Editing this story made me realize I often say the same thing a couple of times in different ways. For example, I might have internal dialogue and external dialogue that say similar things or my character might ask himself a question when it was already expressed in another way in a previous chapter. Not only can it be annoying to the reader, but it slows down the action. Just cut it out, no matter how much you’re in love with all the creative ways you’ve said it.

Resist the Urge to Explain (RUE)

In an effort to make my character’s motivations clear, I often tried to explain them through internal dialogue, external dialogue or both. Then I started asking myself “Does the reader need to know this now?” If the answer was no, I cut it and looked for a shorter way to weave in the motivation later. I learned, most times it was unnecessary. I had packed the scene enough that I believe the reader understood without me telling them.

Pick Your Adverbs, Adjectives, and Conjunctions Carefully

Most times, if your writing is strong, you don’t need many adverbs and adjectives. Sometimes you do. I noticed my adjectives would sometimes come in pairs. That’s when I chose one over the other. When it comes to starting a sentence, I seem to favor AND and BUT. I’m not sure why, but now that I know, I can go back and keep the conjunctions that add to the story. And I’m not talking word count.

Get Rid of Prepositions
Trying to cut those last 8,000 had me looking closer at my sentence structure and prepositions. I learned by cutting out some prepositions I could save two words. For example. Instead of “the pieces of the telescope” I could say, “the telescope’s pieces.” With the search and find feature, I could track down these pesky prepositions and send them packing.

Cut the Scene Short

I like to wrap up a scene sometimes with a cliff hanger, often times with internal dialogue. But I found that if I cut the last sentence or two from the scene, it still works. Often times it was better.

Contractions are Your Friend

This might not work for time period pieces, but since mine WIP was a contemporary, anywhere I could use a contraction, I did. Unless your character is “proper” or foreign, most people talk in contractions anyway.

Editing our babies is one of the hardest things we do as authors, but it’s necessary especially if you’re contracted for 20,000 words and have a story that’s 56,000 words. So did I get my word count down? I knew my anthology partners were a little shy of their word count so I did go a bit over…and got a note back I needed to cut another 700. How did I do it? By going back through the list above.

How do you get your word count down and what techniques have you found to make it easier?

Gina Conroy used to think she knew where her life was headed; now she's leaning on the Lord to show her the way. She is the founder of Writer...Interrupted where she mentors busy writers and tries to keep things in perspective, knowing God's timing is perfect, even if she doesn't agree with it! ;) She is represented by Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary, and her first novella, Buried Deception, in the Cherry Blossom Capers Collection, releases from Barbour Publishing in January 2012. On her blog Defying Gravity and twitter she chronicles her triumphs and trials as she pursues her dreams while encouraging her family and others to chase after their own passions. Gina loves to connect with readers, and when she isn’t writing, teaching, or driving kids around, you can find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Montana Match by Merrillee Wren

2012-01-08T23:30:00.000-08:00

Book Look by Carol McClain

NEWCOMER ONTHE RANCH

Nanny tosix-year-old twin girls isn’t exactly the position Brittany Gorman is lookingfor. But she needs a job. And the twins’ struggling single dad, rancher ParkerWatson, needs all the help he can get. Soon Brittany is not only assisting thegirls, but also helping Parker make peace with his past. It seems Brittany’sfinally found a place to belong. And with two little matchmakers on the loose,there’s no telling what the future holds. As her time on the ranch runs out,can Brittany and Parker find the strength to face that future—together?

Merrillee Whren is an award-winningauthor who writes for Harlequin Love Inspired. She is the winner of the 2003Golden Heart Award for best inspirational romance manuscript presented byRomance Writers of America. She has also been the recipient of the RTReviewers’ Choice Award and the Maggie Award. She is married to her ownpersonal hero, her husband of thirty plus years, and has two grown daughters.She has lived in Atlanta, Boston,Dallas and Chicagobut now makes her home on one of God’s most beautiful creations, an island offthe east coast of Florida.When she’s not writing or working for her husband’s recruiting firm, she spendsher free time playing tennis or walking the beach, where she does the plottingfor her novels. Please visit her Web site at http://www.merrilleewhren.comconnect with her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/merrillee.whren.

I had the pleasure to talk about Montana Match with Merrillee.

What inspired you to write Montana Match?

Three of myearlier books, The Heart’s Homecoming,Love Walked In and The Heart’s Forgiveness were set in a fictionaltown near Spokane, Washington, where I lived when I was in high school. The heroine of Montana Match, Brittany Gorman, was a teenager in Love Walked In and in The Heart’s Forgiveness. Since I wrote those books, I wanted towrite the stories of theteenagers from those earlier books. I plan to write stories for Max ReynoldsandAmanda Reynolds,who were also teenagers in that series.

Is there one character that intrigues you more than anyother? Why?

Although theinspiration for the story came from my desire to write about Brittany, I became

more intriguedwith the hero, Parker Watson, because of his back story. He is a man who is

struggling withforgiveness and the loss of his faith in his fellow man and in God.

What do you hope your readers gain from this work?

A good take awayfor the reader is learning that holding onto hurts and bitterness is not good

for one’s healthor soul.

What would you say the main theme is?

Forgiveness

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

If a reader hasn’t read the older books in this series, itisn’t necessary, but might be fun to read the older books first to meet Brittany when she isyounger.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/merrillee-whren

http://www.christianbook.com/montana-match-merrillee-whren/9780373877195/pd/877195?item_code=WW&netp_id=953176&event=ESRCG&view=details

http://www.amazon.com/Montana-Match-Love-Inspired-ebook/dp/B0068470FU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1323279752&sr=8-4

Creating Tension by Elizabeth Byler Younts

2012-01-06T13:37:00.000-08:00

As novelists we are always being taught to create TENSION. Sometimes this is laughable because, seriously, do we really need to learn this.

I had tension at dinner time when my daughter was throwing her food.

And what about earlier this week when I realized I need 2 washer & dryers in order to get enough laundry done in an afternoon.

Sometimes our lives don't need ANY. MORE. TENSION!The Major and I are considering how our first deployment is going to go in a few months.

But, {sigh} alas we must.

Watch any reality show and you'll learn what you need to know about tension. Producers are amazing at this. They find the spark and BANG...that's not only the clip that gets into the preview but you, as the watcher, are waiting...waiting...waiting for it. Like who's Project Runway design looked like a Halloween costume instead of super expensive & chic? (by the way, last week it was JOSH's awfully pretty in the front awfully awful in the back get-up that he designed!)

Or on Design Star who's paired up with who and complaining about not being the leader or hates the color on that person's wall. Or the person who CONSTANTLY is talking about EVERYTHING they are good at and what they've done for the past 15 years. Seriously...that makes me tense just thinking back to the last season.

It's why we watch, right? Okay, maybe not the ONLY reason why we watch, but it definitely helps the stakes to be high enough that we want to see WHO WILL WIN!

So as a writer, it is what I must do. Raise the stakes. Give the characters something to lose and the reader something to invest in. I'm learning. I'm learning. I'm learning...

YOUR TURN: It's all about tension! Don't you hate a scene that has chit-chat...uh, how are you? I'm fine. You? Yep, I'm good. BORING! What's a pet peeve of yours when you read and it seems like the tension is a flop. Tell me. Tell me. I really want to know!

Cheers,

Elizabeth

Elizabeth Byler Younts is the author of Seasons: A Real Story of an Amish Girl, which is about her Amish grandmother’s girlhood through the Great Depression. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers. She is an Air Force Officer’s wife with two young daughters and makes her home wherever her family is stationed. You can find her at her website www.elizabethbyleryounts.com.

Pentalk: Looking Back and Looking Ahead for 2012

2012-01-03T20:16:00.000-08:00

Hi...this is your friendly founder, Linda Rondeau, with a look behind and ahead. Thanks for joining me today.

Pentalk’s History

In late 2010 I felt the urge to start a Facebook group for writers. Oh, there are already a bunch of those. But I found these groups were genre specific or ideologically specific. And even within those parameters, groups splintered as to a particular aspect of writing such as craft or marketing. I wanted to form a group that would be inclusive, regardless of the writer’s experience and/or belief system. I hoped to form a place where editors, publishers, established authors and newbies could come together to support one another. So a networking forum was started, Pentalk Group.

Soon it became evident that some members didn’t want a networking site and did not want to be inundated with emails. So, a second page was created, Pentalk Community. I intended for this page to replace the group page but too many members wanted to keep the informality benefit found in the group page. Ergo…two Facebook pages were created to provide choices. (That is why some of you will see duplicate posts on these pages but only administrators’ posts are emailed on Pentalk Community page).

Our wonderful artist, Dan Waltz designed a book cover album as its banner. It also became evident that we needed something more to help us grow as writers. Enter Pentalk Community Blog, edited by our wonderful Carol Moncado. The blog continues to attract new readers on a steady basis. Its contents include the great Book Look, edited by our own Carol McClain, and helpful hints on improving our craft as well as articles submitted by our members.

What’s next?

As you may note, I do not advocate arbitrarily signing folks up for the group site unless that individual has expressed an interest. I’d rather our members be willing participants. That being said, our growth is dependent upon members inviting their friends and writing associates. You are welcome to do so. We only require that members respect one another’s belief systems and refrain from posting graphic material or using foul language. Posts should be writing related. We welcome your blog posts and links with the expectation that for every post you make you share two others. However, it is my hope that Pentalk, both pages, will be much more than a brag board. In this vein, I have made two important goals for Pentalk in 2012:

1. Utilizing the Community page to provide forums and workshops to help us develop our craft from the newbie to the multi-published.

2. The development of mentoring and critique groups. Pentalk has fostered good friendships between writers and I hope this will continue to be an outcome of our efforts. It seems only logical that the next level would be to support one another in our craft development.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be gathering information from the group as to what types of forums and workshops you would like to see, obtaining a list of willing teachers and perhaps a course coordinator. If anyone is interested in this position, please email me at lindarondeau@gmail.com.

As for critique groups, this I hope will develop over time. Within the next few weeks, I’ll post a document with guidelines for requesting critiques from our members. It is my hope that mentoring groups will develop naturally from these events.

As always, I welcome any suggestions to make Pentalk better and more useful in your writing pursuits. Email me at lindarondeau@gmail.com or pentalkcommunity@gmail.com.

Best wishes for a fruitful writing journey in 2012.

Award-winning author, LINDA RONDEAU, writes for the reader who enjoys a little bit of everything. Her stories of redemption and God’s mercies include romance, suspense, the ethereal, and a little bit of history into the mix, always served with a slice of humor. Walk with her unforgettable characters as they journey paths not unlike our own. After a long career in human services, mother of three and wife of one very patient man, Linda now resides in Florida where she is active in her church and community. Readers may visit her web site at www.lindarondeau.com.

Available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com, and Pelican Book Groups and brick and mortar stores by request.

After the Cross by Mike Lynch

2012-01-01T23:30:00.000-08:00

Book Look by Carol McClain

At an archeological dig site in Istanbul, a discovery ismade that is poised to rock Christendom to its very foundation—an 800-year oldletter which makes the astonishing claim the cross of Jesus still exists, andhas been safely hidden away.

Thisexplosive news is kept quiet at the behest of Vladimir Zarco, a Ukrainianbillionaire whose illegal business activities are threatened by the document’sdiscovery. He hastily convenes a team ofexperts in an effort to discredit the manuscript’s authenticity, but when theiranalysis points to it as being genuine, a bomb destroys the researchcenter. Zarco shuts the project down,and orders the surviving researchers to leave. Two of the linguists, Drs. Mallory Windom and Colton Foster, have otherideas. Once bitter enemies, they decideto hunt for the cross on their own, even though sinister forces seem bent onstopping them at all costs.

Malloryand Colton follow a trail of clues described inthe letter, eventually leading them to Israel, where they find themselvesbattling against time, hired mercenaries, and each other. Despite the obstacles thrown at them, Malloryand Coltonpress on to an ancient Jewish town where the Cross has allegedly beenhidden. They soon discover, however, thefiercest battle is not from without, but from within, testing their beliefs,their ethics, and their growing love for one another.

I had a chance to ask Mike a few questions:

1) Where did the inspiration for this book come from?

I have a passion for history, and regularly watch the History Channel on cable. Several years ago there was a documentary about Helena, the mother of Constantine. He was the Roman emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. When Helena converted to Christianity, she had a desire to visit those places she read about in the Bible, and decided to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem around 327 A.D. While she was there she allegedly found what she considered to be the cross of Jesus. It was kept in Jerusalem until it was captured in battle in 1187 A.D. by the Muslim general, Saladin. Nothing is said about the cross after that. Watching that documentary got me thinking about the cross, and what would it be like if it somehow still existed, and what would happen if it were found in our time. And thus the story was born.

2) How does one co-author a novel?

The process Brandon and I have set up for ourselves is quite easy. We first come up with an idea for the story, the characters, their backgrounds, etc. Once the major details have been agreed upon, one of us writes the first chapter, let’s say it’s me. I then send it to Brandon so he can critique it. He then sends the chapter back to me filled with all his comments, to which I critique his critiques. Once we’re both happy with the chapter then he works on chapter 2. And the whole process repeats itself until we’ve finished the entire novel.

Though Brandon and I have developed a good working relationship, we also know co-authoring a story is not for everyone. The creative process is very personal, and some people have a hard time receiving negative feedback from someone else. But that is what needs to happen if they are to have any chance of finishing their novel.

For us, there have been the inevitable disagreements along the away, such as deciding on the structure of a particular scene, the way a sentence should be written, or the kinds of personality traits we want for a character in the novel. In the end, the overall vision for the story is what mattered, to make it as exciting as we possibly could. That always trumped the other’s feelings about the way a scene should be written or what to leave in or cut out of the story. Usually, when one of us shared our reasons for why a certain part needed to be a certain way, especially when he felt pretty strongly about it, the other would usually defer to him, and then we would move on. In the end, the story always ends up being that much stronger because we both embrace the collaborative effort.

3) What do you want your readers to get out of the book?

The cross is a very powerful symbol that has represented the church for 2,000 years. People have many different views of what the cross means to them. In our story we have one person who sees the cross as the instrument by which the sins of mankind were forgiven so we can have a relationship with God, another sees it as the means of healing his wife who is dying of cancer, another sees it as a threat and wants it destroyed, and another who sees the cross as her ticket to fame and fortune. I think people generally view the cross in roughly the same way. In the end, Brandon and I focus on the simplicity of the cross, and the message it represents—that God came down in the form of a man, lived a sinless life, and through His death and resurrection on the cross, made salvation available to all mankind. It’s not the actual cross that did this, but what Jesus did on it.

4) Which character is your favorite, and why?

If I have to choose one, I would say Mallory Windom. Her journey in the story is the longest for all the characters. She is a deeply wounded person who has had a tough life, and keeps everyone at arm’s length as a result. Mallory is in the hunt for the cross because of the opportunities it will afford her. She’s in it for the money and fame. As the story unfolds, she finds herself slowly discovering the true message of the cross, and recognizes many of the mistakes she has made in her life, and what they have cost her. At the end of the story, without giving away the big climax, she must decide between her past and her future, and whether or not she will open her heart to everything God has for her.

5) If Jesus' cross were ever found, what kind of impact do you think it would have on people?

That is an interesting question indeed. If Jesus’ cross somehow survived, and we could somehow verify its authenticity, it would be a momentous discovery indeed, perhaps eclipsing the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The problem for us will be what happens after that. Where would the cross go? Who would be the caretaker of it? The Catholic Church? The Orthodox Church? A neutral entity? Would it go to Rome, Jerusalem, or some other place? It is an artifact that many people would claim as its own, and I’m afraid it would divide people more than it would unite them.

On a personal level, I think it would drive many people closer to God. Can you imagine what it would be like to actually see, and perhaps touch, the actual cross Jesus sacrificed himself on so that man would be reconciled back to God? It would be a powerful moment indeed. Of course, I believe many others would contest the authenticity of the cross, or the purpose it served. And so in the end, it comes down to what each person believes the purpose the cross served, and its place in their lives.

Bio

Mike Lynch's first book, Dublin, came out in 2007, followed by When the Sky Fell, American Midnight, The Crystal Portal, and After the Cross. He has also published numerous short stories in various magazines. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two children.

The book can be purchased at:

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/After-Cross-Brandon-Barr/dp/0982624204/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1

Kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/After-the-Cross-ebook/dp/B005I6547K/ref=kinw_dp_ke?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/after-the-cross-brandon-barr/1101042506

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/after-the-cross-brandon-barr/1101042506?ean=2940013433915&itm=1&usri=after%2bthe%2bcross

Ellechor Publishing: http://www.ellechorpublishing.com/ellechor-bookstore.cfm

A Spring of Hope Through the Years by Ann H. Gabhart

2011-12-30T13:43:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Ann for reminding us to count our blessings!

A Spring of Hope Through the Years
By Ann H. Gabhart

Here we are on the doorstep of 2012. Years ago, when I began seriously trying to get published, I started counting not only my personal blessings in my New Year’s journal entries, but also noting what was happening in my writing life. It’s truly been a rollercoaster ride with deep lows and exhilarating highs. Perhaps these peeks into my journal will encourage you to persevere and write on.

Jan 4, 1978 – It seems appropriate that I waited till now to write in this year of ’78. I’ve waited so long and now I’m almost without words. It got an offer. Specifically Warner Books likes Kentucke Dream and wants to publish it. She (my agent) says she’s not entirely satisfied with the terms but wants to know how I feel. What am I going to tell her? Of course I’m satisfied. I don’t know anything about advances. To me, it sounds like a fortune, a miracle, an answer to prayer.
Dec 31, 1978 - I’ve written on so many New Year’s Eves since I began journal writing as a young teen. Sometimes, in ways, that seems such a long time ago. In other ways, it’s only a soft twirl of days. This passing of the old year to the new is a time to mark accomplishments, to count successes and mourn over failures. This has been an exciting year full of newness. Seeing my book (retitled A Forbidden Yearning) on the stands was a definite high.
Jan 3, 1983 – I didn’t write on New Year’s Eve. Guess that is indicative of my mood. I hate to keep reiterating my failures, and that’s all 1983 held professionally. Rejections and even worse than that – no rejections. Only silence. So I won’t write much about 1982. I’ll let it roll over me and turn loose of it. I’ll realize I’m still able to work. I still want to write even if the words seem elusive and difficult. So what if my drawer is full of rejection slips. It’s all part of learning and growing and getting better. Pray God I am getting better and 1983 will hold something good in the wings for me, the writer.
Jan 14, 1985 – A new year. New hope. I keep trying anyway. I’m almost finished with Shane. (A Chance Hero) I got a nice letter from my agent. She said my “lack of sales” was no reflection on my writing ability.
Jan 2, 1987 – This time last year we were just realizing Dad was sick, and now he’s gone. I can’t review the year. Too many sad memories. Maybe I’ll stick with work news. I did sell 3 books, a record for me.
Jan 3, 1989 – Life brings us both joy and sadness. I personally have been gifted with many good things… my family, my talent, the chance to do what I love. So many blessings and gifts. Perhaps I shouldn’t forget my spring of hope that sustains me when I’m discouraged. The next book. The next idea. The next editor. I have only to believe, to continue to try, to step forward.
Jan 3, 1991 – I love it when I can think positive. I want to have a whole year of positive thinking. “You can do it” stuff.
Jan 17, 1994 – A new year. Guess I didn’t search for time to write about my year because it’s been such a sorry one in regard to writing successes. You might even say it was a low point – a valley I haven’t even begun climbing out of.
Jan 12, 1995 – It’s a funny thing trying to chase after a story idea. And today so futile I thought I’d write about it. It’s as if I’ve blanked out my mind and I’m stumbling around searching for a way out of the blankness, hoping I’ll bang into something that will suggest some possibilities. But right now it’s a white-out blizzard of nothing. Another way to describe it? It’s like I’m out in a huge field. Nothing but flat ground and grass. I’m lost but not really worried. I know that one direction will lead me to some trees or perhaps a house or something interesting – maybe even a hole I can fall into. But which direction? Where’s the story?
Jan 21, 1998 – I want to do something fresh, something that will inspire me and make me proud to say I’m a writer again. Maybe I’ll be a writer again. Now I’m just going through the motions and doing a poor job of that. I need a new story. I need a story. Period, exclamation point.
Jan 14, 2003 – It’s hard to believe, isn’t it? Here we are starting the fourth year of the 21st Century. I haven’t worked the way I’d like. I keep dragging my feet. Letting things interfere. Falling to sleep at the wheel (or keyboard). Afraid of failing. I’m still working on Jocie’s story. (The Scent of Lilacs) I like it, but will anyone else? I don’t know. But I am going to push through to the end. If I fail, I fail. But Ive failed already if I don’t try.
Jan 3, 2005 – Of course, the year’s highlight workwise is selling my book. I’m so excited about that I shouldn’t even think a depressing thought.
Dec 27, 2005 – Time spins away from us in great circles. One day it’s the first of the month. The next the end. Christmas has come and gone. A new grandbaby girl has come into the world. A beautiful perfect miracle of a child. Blessed beyond imagination.
Jan 3, 2008 – So long ago I started writing in a journal. So many private words. Yet it continues to feed my soul. Words on paper. Thoughts and ideas. Gripes and complaints. Praises and joys. Worries and troubles. Happiness and love. So many things to record over the years. I started my first journal when I was 13. I’m not 13 anymore. But I’m still here. Still writing. Still having joy and worries. But pray God, always more joy.

Happy New Year, everyone! May the year ahead give you many joys to record in your journal of life!

Ann H. Gabhart has published over twenty novels for adults and children including her bestselling Shaker novels. Ann lives on a farm in Central Kentucky with her husband, Darrell who sings bass in a Southern Gospel quartet. They have three children and nine grandchildren. Ann’s latest releases are The Blessed, her fourth Shaker novel, and Angel Sister, a novel inspired by the stories her mother told her about growing up during the years of the Great Depression.

Frustrated With Do-It-All-Yourself Promotions? Grace and Faith Author Connection by Staci Stallings

2011-12-28T13:04:00.000-08:00

Check it out! A great way to help figure out this marketing thing! As a part of G&F myself, I can attest to how well it can work! Be sure to check it out! Carol

Frustrated with Do-It-All-Yourself Promotions?
By: Staci Stallings

Imagine you're going to build a house. From scratch. You've only seen blueprints in passing and have never been in a hardware store. You know nothing about plumbing and less about framing. But you've been tasked with building this house and you're on your own.

"That's crazy!" you say.

You're right. It is.

However, I'll bet that as an author you're trying to do exactly that with your promotions. You don't know how to market, but you're supposed to. So, what to do? Do your best, right? You get started on Twitter or Facebook, but you've never been to either. You sign up with Christian Chirp and Shoutlife because those hit your target audience. You start a blog because that's what people say you're supposed to do.

Suddenly you have all this STUFF, but no clue how to use any of it much less integrate all these pieces into a Marketing Strategy. Then people tell you that you should be doing interviews on blogs and guest posting. But how do you do that, and where do you find blogs willing to host you? Worse, you're supposed to put together a Blog Tour. Where do you even start with that?

Then it gets even worse, you realize that although you've been writing your blog, no one is reading the thing. So you try different kinds of posts--like author interviews and reviews, but where do you go to get authors to interview or review?

Ever feel like that Do-It-All-Yourself house builder standing in the home improvement store wanting to cry?

Well, I'm right there with you! Or at least I was.

I did all of these things and more trying to market my books, and then I read an article about authors who had joined forces to cross-promote each other using whatever social media outlets they had. That's when the idea for the Grace & Faith Author Connection was born.

Although it is vast and there are multiple ways to use the group, here are a few basic ways this Christian-based cross promotion group can help you.

#1 You're no longer alone. We've got tutorials to help you learn to write great Twitter tags. We've got articles to help you with marketing strategy. And we've got bloggers who are ready to help you carry that strategy out by hosting you for interviews, doing book reviews, and hosting you for guest blogs.

#2 Post to the group and we will help you get the word out through our social media outlets. If you have 500 followers on Twitter and you post a link to your book. 500 "eyes" might see it. But if that same post is then Retweeted by 3 G&F Authors, now you have 2,000 eyes. If 20 RT it, now you have upwards of 10,000 eyes. We now have 60 members. You do the math.

#3 Do what you like to do and let others post your info on their social media sites. You don't have to be on everything. Twitter about others in the group if you love to Twitter. Post things on FB if that's your social media strong-point. And others will do likewise for you. You no longer have to be good at everything to have a shot at getting people to see what you have to offer.

As I said, there are many other possibilities for building your promotion house with Grace & Faith. All we require is that you are a Christian-based writer--even if all you write is a blog! So ttop trying to build it all yourself. Let us help.

Staci Stallings is the founder of Grace & Faith Author Connection. To join the group, send your Name, Email Address, Twitter handle (if you have one), and/or Facebook page to staci_stallings at hotmail dot com (altogether!) with the subject: G&F New Member, and Staci will let you know what your next step is. I hope you will join us for this new and exciting marketing adventure!

Fatal Reality by Jonathan Wakefield

2011-12-25T23:30:00.000-08:00

“Grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go.” James Scott Bell--Former trial lawyer and bestselling author of Try Dying, The Whole Truth, No Legal Grounds, Deadlock, and Sins of the Fathers

When media celebrity Kyle Borders wins a spot on Extreme Mortality, the biggest reality show ever, he’s determined to use the opportunity to live out his faith before the worldwide audience.
Daniel Vats, the show’s creator, has never killed anyone, but he can hardly wait to start. Kidnapping the contestants, he thrusts them into a fight for survival of the fittest, forcing them to run a perilous race to the death—televised on live feed before the world—on a remote South Pacific Island.
Who will live? Who will die? And why is Daniel so vehement about proving Kyle a phony? The shocking revelations will stun the watching audience.

JONATHAN WAKEFIELD
Jonathan has always loved thrillers that pack an emotional and philosophical punch. Combining this with his intrigue of the cultural impact of the reality-show industry, Jonathan thought it would make a fascinating story to thrust a Christian into a reality show featuring a diverse cast of strong characters.
An IT professional, Jonathan holds a degree in Biology from the Univ. of Richmond. A Craftsman graduate of the Christian Writers Guild, he has trained under authors Jerry B. Jenkins, John Perrodin, James Scott Bell, Jeff Gerke, and Douglas Hirt. Jonathan’s short stories have appeared in The Rose & Thorn and The Messenger, and he has written articles for various magazines and journals, including New Man, Men of Integrity, Live, The Gem, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Fatal Reality was a finalist in the 2009 Operation First Novel contest. Jonathan, his wife, and two sons live in Virginia.
www.jonathanwakefield.com
For more info: Ramona Tucker, Editorial Director, rtucker@oaktara.com • (630) 464-3909
OakTara, founded by Jeff Nesbit and Ramona Tucker, two veterans of the publishing world, creates opportunities for new, talented writers and established authors.
OakTara • P.O. Box 8 • Waterford, VA 20197 • Phone: (540)-882-9062 • Fax: (540) 882-3719
www.oaktara.com

White Christmas by Tanya Stowe

2011-12-22T23:00:00.000-08:00

Book Look by Carol McClain

This week Tanya Stowe shares an excerpt from her novella, White Christmas

Now he remembered her. She always wore her hair tied back in a bun and secured with combs. She’d been so business-like, so informed and capable. Her curls and her embarrassment over the nickname made her human and real.

“Your secret is safe with me,” he said, laughter still in his tone. “I won’t remind you or rub it in. Especially after all the nice things you said about my work. I want to keep you on my side. In fact, I’m thinking of asking you to be my campaign manager.”

Suddenly, the laughter left her eyes and she gazed up in all seriousness. “Will there be a campaign? Is that why you refused another term in the assembly so you can run for Senator Rizzi’s seat when he retires next year?”

Chad caught his breath, wondering how he’d let that happen. He never spoke out of turn or let information slip. But they’d been talking like old friends and it just happened. What was it about this young woman that made him so comfortable? Before he could gather his thoughts and come up with a reason, she held up her hand.

“Don’t answer that,” she said, closing her eyes. “I’m sorry I even asked it. That’s none of my business and I don’t know why I said it. I--I just feel like I know you.”

Chad smiled, thinking how her words echoed his feelings. “We do. We’ve even worked together.”

Tessa opened her eyes and stared at him. A slow, sweet smile spread over her lips and made her blue eyes sparkle. He thought it just might be the prettiest smile he’d ever seen.

That’s when the alarm bells started going off.

Suddenly, he noticed that it had gotten dark and Aunt Nell still hadn’t shown up. He looked around. “Well, it was nice talking to you.”

He stopped short of saying Tessa. The name had taken on new meaning for him…untamed strawberry curls and a sweet smile. Now, it sounded far too personal.

“My aunt’s waiting for me, so I’d better get back,” he said rather shortly.

She nodded. “My grandmother’s waiting, too.”

Her tone sounded disappointed and those blue eyes that had sparkled all night lost some of their shimmer. She gestured across the street. He turned and saw Aunt Nell sitting on a park bench. Beside her was another little white-haired lady. They both smiled and waved.

“Wait a minute,” he said beneath his breath. “You’re not-”

He turned back around.

Tessa smiled and held out her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Sophie’s granddaughter.”

. My family inspired me to write White Christmas. I’d seen too many movies about Christmas and bad family relations, I was so ready for a good one. Christmas is my family’s favorite time of year. I have 18 grandchildren so it’s a noisy, crowded gathering but the good overrides the difficulties.

2. And I think that is the underlying theme! Families challenge us to grow, hold us accountable and protect us when we need it. They love us. To me that’s the real story of Christmas. God so loved us He sent His only begotten son to redeem us.

3. My favorite character is Aunt Nell. She is so wise, funny and no nonsense…just how I want to be when I reach her age. An anchor in the storm for my family.

You can find more info at my website www.tanyastowe.com.

You can read posts on my writing blog, www.creativewritingforces.blogspot.com

you can read about my travels and life in the Middle East at www.tanyastowe.blogspot.com.

I’m also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tanya-Stowe-Fan-Page/118775154853276

5. White Christmas is available for pre-order at Pelican Book Group at http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/tanya-stowe?DescOrderBy=ASC&keyword1=&keyword2=

You can buy White Christmas here:

http://www.amazon.com/White-Christmas-Holiday-Extravaganza-ebook/dp/B006G5EH2K/ref=pd_rhf_dp_shvl7

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/white-christmas-tanya-stowe/1107871506?ean=2940013480124&itm=5&usri=white+christmas

Goodbye Noel by Nike Chillemi

2011-12-18T23:30:00.000-08:00

The first body is found under a trimmed Christmas tree,the second as they ring in the New Year (1947), the third goes head long out awindow. Will a young pediatric nursedetermined to make it on her own be able to care for an infant whose mother wasmurdered and escape the killer who has struck again? Can she trust the stalwartvillage detective with her life and her heart as he works to catch this killerbefore somebody else dies?

Pediatric nurse, Katrina Lenart, grewup strong willed and independent minded, while sharing her mother's flair forhigh fashion. When the police chief gives her an orphaned baby to care for, hermaternal instincts take over and she's willing to fight anyone who might nothave the infant's best interests at heart, even the man she's growing to love.After an attempt is made to kidnap the baby, she and the resolute village detectiveteam up and do some sleuthing, undercover at a cult as well as at a fancy ball.

Detective Ian Daltry is a widowerwith a child and is not interested in a new love. Hunting a killer who stops atnothing has placed him in the position where he must protect a beautiful youngwoman he's drawn to. Is there's something he's overlooked in analyzing thecase? Will he find out what that is before this ruthless murderer kills someonehe loves?

Excerpt:

Katrina wanted to throwDetective Daltry into a snow bank. The nerve of him, barging into their housetwice in two days, demanding she bundle the baby up and take him into the cold.How could that man not recall their harrowing, nighttime drive through thestorm of the decade? She tossed her hair back over her shoulder, and with greatdifficulty held her tongue.

Momma apparently had nosuch reservations. "Detective, what you are doing is very wrong."

Katrina came up besideher mother, to show a united front. "This is outrageous." Her eyesnarrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. She hated the tone of hervoice, but this baby wasn't a ping-pong ball to be batted back and forth as thedetective moved forward with his murder case.

He ignored her andcontinued addressing her mother.

"I'm sorry,ma'am." He removed his fedora. "Chief Ferguson has already made thenecessary phone calls and arrangements have been made. I must take Leslie JanosBauer with me to the home of his aunt in Bay Shore. The chief would prefer yourdaughter come along in an official capacity as a nurse. It's up to her, but Ihave to take the baby."

Momma's face flushedbeet-red, a sure sign she'd become enraged. "This is not good for him…this hustle from place to place."

"With all duerespect, ma'am, a child belongs with his family, if at all possible." Thedetective took a step toward Katrina. "Now, will you please fetch thebaby." It wasn't a request.

Katrina made sure shestood tall. "Yes, I'll get Leslie." She clenched her fists at herside and jutted her chin. "This is disgraceful. You are using this infantto solve your murder case. Perhaps your own tragic life experience clouds yourjudgment?"

His mouth fell open andhe took a step back.

"If you have itwithin your heart, give me one minute. I'll get him ready and get my coat andboots on." Without giving him a chance to reply, Katrina turned andstormed up the stairs.

Leslie lay sleeping inthe baby-doll cradle Poppa had made for her when she was a little girl. Poppahad that kind of talent. He could make anything. In her heart she knew, he'dfigured it would be her baby's bassinet. At least now, it had a real purpose.She ran a finger over the hand carved leaves in the headboard.

"Milachku, time to wake up." Shetook the infant into her arms inhaling the smell of baby, sweeter than the mostexpensive imported perfume.

Leslie yawned and shesnuggled her nose in the soft folds of skin between his head and shoulder,kissing his neck. He cooed, so safe in her arms.

She brought him to herheart, holding him, rocking him and spoke softly to her reflection in themirror above her bureau. "Fat chance I'll ever walk down the aisle or havea family of my own with the man shortage since the war." Something deep inthe core of her female-self rebelled, a throbbing turbulence, from which deephunger erupted.

She stroked Leslie'scheek and made a funny face. The softness of his skin melted her heart.

He smiled at her andkicked.

"I'm so sorry. Ipromised I'd protect you and I can't." She forced a smile and madeclucking noises.

He grabbed her hair andyanked.

"Ouch." Shelaughed, removing strands of her hair from his little fist.

A tear escaped and randown the side of her cheek. "I can do this." She lifted her chin,sucked in a long breath, wrapped Leslie in a heavy quilt, and picked up histote bag.

Nike, Why did you write GOODBYE NOEL?

I wrote it to give hope. The story isset at the close of WWII, a time when the nation was recovering from the greatand devestation losses of the war. And yet, it is a time of great courage andoptimism in America. The people of that time were a get up and go generation.They strove to make something of themselves and of this nation. I hope mycharacters reflect the spirit of that era. Right now this country is facing avery difficult time. I hope this story transmits a little bit of can do spiritof an earlier era.

Is anything in this book based on real lifeexperiences or is it all purely imagination?

Most of it is pure imagination. Though certainChristmas traditions seem to come from my life. My paternal grandmother wasCzech and all the baking comes from her kitchen. Katrina is sort of like me interms of a Christmas decorating philosophy: more is definitely more. Katrina isa fashionista and something many in the Christian publishing world might notknow is my career before writing was in the fashion industry. I'm a graduate ofthe Fashion Institute of Technology and I worked in the bridal industry. Itraveled to bridal fairs in Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Las Vegas and of coursein my hometown NYC.

GOODBYE NOEL will be released December 15^thand will then be available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, the Sony ReaderStore, and Christianbooks.

PurchaseLinks:

DesertBreeze Publishing http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/NikeChillemi/Page.bok

NikeChillemi ~ Crime Fictionista http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/

Did I Create My Characters... or Did My Characters Create Themselves? by Nancy Herriman

2011-12-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Nancy for stopping by today!!! I've got an influencer copy of her book sitting in my TBR pile and can't wait!! And what wonderful topic! It's one I wonder about all the time! Be sure to check out her Facebook and Twitter - Nancy is great fun!

Did I create my characters...or did my characters create themselves?

By Nancy Herriman

I love my characters. Well, on a good day I do. A day well after I have finished the first draft of my manuscript. Probably a day after the second or third revision, actually. Some characters have been born fully formed. Some have required a little more help.

But let’s start with Joe, a secondary character in The Irish Healer. A few of my advance readers have commented how much they enjoy him. Sent by my hero to pick up the heroine, Rachel, when she first arrives at the St. Katherine’s Docks, he is a scruffy Cockney boy whose street sense and wit provide most of the book’s humor, a necessary antidote to the grim realities of London in the grips of a cholera epidemic. But did I create Joe, or did he create himself? I needed a male servant to drive the carriage that would fetch Rachel, but why not some gruff old retainer or an unremarkable footman? Characters like those, however, didn’t ‘feel’ right. In this instance, I might answer Joe created himself. His dialogue, his mannerisms, his actions were among the easiest to write. This has been the case for other secondary characters I’ve written--the murderous steward in a romantic suspense I penned ages ago (long consigned to the dustbin), the ill-fated Turkish boy in an unfinished young adult novel, the hero’s spoiled but well-meaning sister in my current manuscript. They simply breathe, simply exist on their own as if they’ve been wandering about, seeking pages to inhabit.

Around this point, I usually begin to congratulate myself on my brilliance as a writer.

And then I write the next scene.

It’s a scene somewhere in the middle of the book. One featuring the hero or heroine without my clever secondary character who has a life of his/her own. Heavens to Betsy, it’s probably a scene with the hero and heroine together. Alone. The sweat beads on my forehead and I struggle to remember why I wanted their story on paper. Or why I even liked them in the first place. I know I had a reason for these people, a reason why my heroine in The Irish Healer is supposed to be a displaced Irish girl who has sworn off God. Why the hero needs to be a troubled physician burdened by misguided guilt. But beyond that, I want to throw up my hands and screech. I have no idea why the hero is acting aloof, no idea why the heroine just stalked off in an ill temper. Clearly, she has not been wandering about looking to inhabit a book, all of her actions making sense. I’m forced to grudgingly admit I might not be so brilliant. It’s time to review my character development sheets and reexamine their Goals/Motivations/Conflicts. If I created these characters, then I had better understand them more completely. The real work starts.

There are many excellent resources available that I have used when my characters don’t walk, fully formed, onto the computer screen (and frankly, most of them don’t). Donald Maass’s Writing the Breakout Novel has an entire section on character development. The Complete Writer’s Guide to Heroes and Heroines, Sixteen Master Archetypes is a great book for creating characters with built-in conflict. Deb Dixon’s book on Goal, Motivation and Conflict is an invaluable resource. Lastly, a quick internet search for ‘character interview’ yields any number of websites with thought-provoking questions to ‘ask’ a character and learn more about them.

So, perhaps to answer my question - Did I create my characters or did they create themselves? - I would have to say, it’s a bit of both. In the end, that fact makes the writing fun and challenging, at least for me. I try to enjoy the process, relax, and hope that every so often one or more of my characters will be a bit like Joe.

A blurb about The Irish Healer:

Acquitted of murdering a child under her care, Irish healer Rachel Dunne flees the ensuing scandal and vows to never sit at another sickbed. She no longer trusts in her abilities—or God’s mercy. When a cholera epidemic sweeps through London, though, she is forced to nurse the dying daughter of the enigmatic physician she has come to love. James Edmunds, wearied by the deaths of too many patients, has his own doubts about God’s grace. Together, they will have to face their darkest fears...and learn what it means to have real faith.

Bio:

Nancy Herriman abandoned a career in Engineering to chase around two small children and take up the pen. She hasn’t looked back. Her debut novel, The Irish Healer, will be published by Worthy Publishing in April, 2012. When she is not writing, or gabbing over lattes about writing, she is either watching history shows on cable TV or singing. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and sons, and wishes there were more hours in the day. You can learn more at her website, www.nancyherriman.com, where you will also find a link to the opening chapter of The Irish Healer.

You can also join her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Author.NancyHerriman or on Twitter (Nancy_Herriman)

Researching Your Contemporary Novel by Pamela S. Thibodeaux

2011-12-14T14:51:00.001-08:00

Researching Your Contemporary Novel

Guest post by: Pamela S Thibodeaux

Historical novelists and those writers who set their books in exotic locations know the value of researching their novel, but what about contemporary novelists?

Nothing irritates me more than to pick up a novel set in contemporary Louisiana and see us Cajuns portrayed as backwater hicks – alligators, pirogues and fax machines just don’t mix!

Now granted, Hollywood (and especially reality TV) has not done us any favors in portraying Louisiana as a contemporary state with paved roads and honest-to-goodness vehicles in which to travel—but trust me we do have these amenities!

Here are a few tips on researching your contemporary novel:

1: The Internet; almost every city and town in the United States as well as other cities/countries has a website. If your location is a fictional town in a real state, search for a town or city in the general area you want to set your story. This will give you plenty of information to paint your scenery.

2: Tourist Bureaus; call or write the tourist bureau in or near the location of your story and ask for brochures and pamphlets on the town. Again, if you are using a fictional town, locate someone in the general area.

3: Contact the newspapers, libraries and radio & television stations in the area where your story is set for help.

4: Visit the area. Nothing beats firsthand experience. Find a writer’s group in or near your location, spend a weekend at a local Bed & Breakfast or resort. Take lots of photos and interview the locals. People love to talk about their hometown so find someone willing to talk. These expenses may be tax deductible too!

All of these resources helped to make the setting of my stories more authentic but the most fun I’ve ever had is in researching my debut women’s fiction novel, The Visionary. The premise of the book revolves around the restoration/remodeling an old run down house from a one-story bungalow to its original grandeur as a two-story plantation style home. Since the property where the home is set was once in my family, I enjoyed delving into the research which I then attributed to my heroine. Reading about my ancestors was something I’d never considered until this point although I had visited the old family dwelling once and was able to accurately portray much about the structure.

The Visionary: A visionary is someone who sees into the future, Taylor Forrestier sees into the past but only as it pertains to her work. Hailed by her peers as “a visionary with an instinct for beauty and an eye for the unique” Taylor is undoubtedly a brilliant architect and gifted designer. But she and twin brother Trevor, share more than a successful business. The two share a childhood wrought with lies and deceit and the kind of abuse that’s disgustingly prevalent in today’s society. Can the love of God and the awesome healing power of His grace and mercy free the twins from their past and open their hearts to the good plan and the future He has for their lives? Find out in…The Visionary ~ Where the awesome power of God’s love heals the most wounded of souls. Available now through your local bookstore or online @ Amazon.com & BarnesandNoble.com

These are just a few ways you can make the setting of your story more authentic. I’m sure if you use your imagination you can come up with a few more!

This post is part of a month-long virtual book tour where 4 autographed copies of The Visionary will be given away. Follow the entire tour (list of stops on my blog http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com) and leave a comment on each one because the more times your name goes in the hat, the more chances you have to win!

Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” Website: http://pamelathibodeaux.com

Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com

Bahama Breeze by Eddie Jones

2011-12-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

Book Look by Carol McClain

Aninterview with Sonny Cay, star of the tan and sandy romance, Bahama Breeze.

Sonny, given your aversion to working withunknown authors and screenwriters, why did you agree to star in Bahama Breeze?

Honestly,I needed the work. Not that I’ve made a dime off this project, yet. But theauthor assures me the royalties will begin arriving any day. Of course, this isthe same guy who earns his living by making up stuff, so I’m not holding mybreath. Except when he’s hovering over my shoulder, of course, because as itturns out he has a really bad case of gingivitis and halitosis.

So you were desperate for work, is thatwhat you’re saying?

Whoisn’t? Have you looked at the unemployment numbers lately? Shameful what’shappened to the middle class. But I’m not here to discuss our government’seconomic policies or how messed up our electoral process is: though I definitelyhave some strong opinions on these issues. What I am here to discuss aredreams.

Dreams?

Yeah,Carol, dreams. Everybody has them. Or did, until those aspirations becamecrushed in the pursuit of financial security and left as road kill on theHighway of Life. Maybe your dream is to become the next Miss. America, usher inworld peace, and find a cure stress-related acne.

What is your dream, Sonny?

Me? I alwayswanted to write a novel. But my English teacher suggested I peruse analternative line of work: one that didn't involve pronouns, prepositions, ordangling participles ¾ which atthe time I thought was a small organ attached to a frog’s intestines. "Sonny,there’s a good chance you won’t even graduate from high school,” myteacher warned. “Much less go to college.”

So is that why you left Anna? Because youwere afraid of failure?

By Anna,you mean Anna Fortune, my high school sweetheart and the real brains of thestory. No, I did not leave her after graduation because I was afraid offailure. But I knew a C-minus trombone player and part-time defensive tacklewas never going to make her happy. She deserved better. All women do. But untilGod comes up with an alternative for male homo sapiens we men will have to do.By the way, did you know homo sapiens is Latin for "wise man?" Sortof makes you wonder about the intelligence of our predecessors?

So you skipped college and did what? Tooka job selling toilet paper?

Naw, thejob at the paper company came later. First I joined the Army. Ended up inKorea. I won’t give away a lot of what happened over there because some people…okay mostpeople, haven’t read the book. What Iwill say is that the author, like God, put me in tough circumstances. Thiscreates tension in the story and forces the character grow or whither. Aboutthree quarters of the way into the book, I had a heart-to-heart with the authorof Bahama Breeze and asked if he would back off on the trials. He explainedthat every story is like a track heat. You start out of the blocks strong. Thenin turn one you confront your first hurdle. It’s usually small and easilysurmounted. Shortly thereafter there is another, and another. Until finally on theback stretch the journey is nothing but one hurdle after another and eachobstacle is more difficult than the one before. Pretty soon the character inthe story can hardly land before he’s forced to jump over the next barrier. Theidea is to build hope in my heart but create such intense opposition that Ibecome convinced I will fail.

Did that happen to you in Bahama Breeze?

Oh yeah.At first all I had to worry about was trying to sail a rented sailboat in themiddle of a tropical storm while dealing with a terminal disease, but then theweather and circumstances deteriorated. Next thing I know I’m lockedup for destroying a golf cart, chased by a deranged Cuban terrorist, accostedby a presidential candidate polling in the single digits, tossed intoshark-infested waters, stranded on a deserted island, forced to surf hurricaneswells and dropped from the eye of the storm onto a Russian submarine.

I thought you said Bahama Breeze was a romance?

Did Imention that I got to kiss my high school sweetheart under the stars, hold herhand on a porch swing, sail into the sunset, and here those immortal words, “Iforgive you?” Besides, I’m a guy. What do I know about romance?

I’m afraid to even ask this, but does Bahama Breeze have any significantunderlying message for its readers?

Oh sure.Like I mentioned earlier, it’s about pursuing your dreams. It’s about takinglife by the tail and trying not to get bit too hard and often. Look, even whenyou think you've failed, you have not. Long before the book was finished, the manuscript took first place at awriter's conference. The award put a THOUSAND DOLLARS in the author’s pocket.Note, I didn’t receive a penny, but as a character in the book my job is tobring glory to the author, not shine the light on myself. As it turns out, it’sa good thing the book won first place, because when the author returned to hiscampsite later that evening his tent had collapsed and lay soaked by the rain. Soyou see, no matter how bleak things look, no matter how much you fear failure,you should pursue the dream that the Author of your life has placed in your heart. That’sthe theme of Bahama Breeze.

Eddie Jones is co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries and a three-time winner of the Delaware Christian Writers’ Conference. He is Acquisition Editor of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas and has written over a hundred articles that have appeared in 20 different publications. His Middle Grade / Tween novel, The Curse of Captain LaFoote, won the 2011 Selah Award in Young Adult fiction. Eddie’s latest romantic suspense, Bahama Breeze, is available where ever books are sold.

http://www.facebook.com/BahamaBreezeNovel

check out the trailer
http://www.youtube.com/embed/4-ca0FNZ8vE

Pearl Harbor Day Special: Interview with Lauren Tarshis by Maggie and Jadyn

2011-12-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Carol again! Today it is a wonderful privilege to welcome award winning author Lauren Tarshis to the Pentalk Community Blog!

Today is Pearl Harbor Day. We remember those who gave all seventy years ago when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, marking the entrance into WWII for the United States. We also remember those who have sacrificed so much, before and since. The Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, Marines and their families who have given so much to protect us and our freedom.

Ms. Tarshis' latest book is I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941. When scheduling for December, I noticed the date and wondered if she'd be interested in doing a blog post for us. She did that, and more! She agreed to let my daughter, Maggie, and Maggie's best friend, Jadyn, send her ten interview questions! In late October, Maggie and I went to visit with Jadyn and her mom and came up with the questions below.

Thank you to Ms. Tarshis for taking time out of her very busy schedule to be with us - and to make the year for two 4th graders!

Questions About the "I Survived" Series

1. What gave you the idea to write books about kids who survive tragedies?

I have always been interested in disasters, but not just the facts about them, the people who survive them. Often it is just a question of luck. Other times it is strength and ingenuity and hope that enables people to get through these events. The kids in my book always grow and change through their experiences. That's what makes the books interesting to me.

2. How do you do your research and how long does it take you to research a book?

I read, read, read, read, and read some more. I read books and historical articles, and when possible I interview people who have been through events similar to those I am writing about.

3. How long does it take you to write a book?

A VERY LONG TIME!!!! Many months, sometimes longer. I have a full-time job and a family, so the writing often takes place early in the morning and late at night. It is a huge personal challenge to get these books written.

4. Do you work closely with Scott Dawson? How does he know what pictures to draw?

I have never met Scott! The art director at Scholastic works with him. He uses my manuscript and creates sketches, which the art director, my editor and I see. I am so impressed with him. He creates scenes that seem to come straight from my imagination -- or beyond.

5. Will any of your main characters in the "I Survived" books be girls?

I am working on a story now that has a boy and a girl as the main character. I would probably not do ONLY a girl because I feel in general there are so many great books with girl main characters, and not nearly enough for boys. Also, I think we girls are open minded and will read books starring boys. Often boys are resistant to reading about girls.

6. Have you thought about writing an "I Survived" book about any of these events:

a. 9/11 – we saw the story of Michael Yakubov, who was 9 on 9/11, and wondered if you might write a story about someone like him.

I am writing I Survived 9/11 now. It is not about Michael (I have not read about him!) It's about a boy named Lucas whose Dad is a rescue fire fighter for the NY Fire Department.

b. 2011 Joplin Tornado – we live about an hour from Joplin and have heard many stories about survivors [Carol here: we believed there was still a tornado on the ground when the storm passed about 10 miles south of us; it was a very scary late afternoon].

Oh my gosh! I can't believe you went through that terrible tornado. I am sure I will write an I Survived book about one of the major tornado outbreaks. Tornadoes are particularly terrifying -- so much force in such a short time.

c. The Chicago Fire – Jadyn's mom sings a song about this – The Chicago Fire Song

I can't wait to hear Jadyn's mom's song! I think this is also an excellent topic and one that I have discussed with my editors.

Questions on Other Topics

7. Which of your books is your favorite?

I actually love all of the I Survived books. Each is very different. And each of the characters is very close to my heart.

8. Maggie and Jadyn are both writers. Do any of your kids like to write?

My older two sons enjoy writing, but not fiction. I did not begin trying to be a fiction writer until I was 30, so they have time!

9. What books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

I love to read a wide range of books -- I love narrative nonfiction, memoirs, and of course novels. I love the author Alice Munro. who writes short stories. I'm lucky enough to know many of my favorite children's writers -- there are so many beautiful books out. I guess my favorites for young people are the Little House books.

10. Can you tell us three things about yourself that you think your readers would find interesting?

Let's see. When I'm stressed out (usually because of a book deadline) I bake cakes. My best is a chocolate. We have a new puppy named Roy, who is a poodle, but very shaggy and not poodle-like. My daughter, Valerie, is sitting here with me and she says to tell you hello, and that she loves your picture.

I send you both my very best, and much love. Thank you for this opportunity to connect. Maybe we will meet in person one day. Say hi to your Moms from me!

THANK YOU!!!!!

Lauren Tarshis often wonders how she came to spend most of her waking moments thinking about disasters, as the author of the children's historical fiction series "I Survived." Each book takes readers into the heart of history's most thrilling and terrifying events, including the sinking of the Titanic, the Shark Attacks of 1916, Hurricane Katrina, the bombing of Pearl Harbor and (coming soon) the San Francisco earthquake. Writing these books often makes her feel very nervous, as though at any moment a volcano could erupt right outside her window. Then again, she has learned a thing or two about avoiding being eaten by a shark.

Lauren is also the author of the the award-winning Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree and its sequel, Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love. She lives in Connecticut with her family. For more information, go to her website: www.LaurenTarshis.com

Maggie Moncado on National Novel Writing Month and Her First Interview

2011-12-05T13:01:00.000-08:00

Carol here with a very, very special guest. The special-est guest we've ever had! Of course, I might be a bit biased ;).

Wednesday, in honor of Pearl Harbor Day, we'll be posting an interview with Lauren Tarshis, popular middle grade author. Her latest book, I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941 is available now. My daughter and her best friend were able to interview Ms. Tarshis and we'll be posting that interview Wednesday.

Both Maggie and Jadyn are writers. Unfortunately, schedules conspired to keep the BFFs apart this weekend so we weren't able to get an interview with both of them, but here's Maggie and her thoughts on her 3rd National Novel Writing Month's Young Writer's Program challenge and their interview with Ms. Tarshis.

Below we included a picture of her working hard at Panera, her and a 'friend' having milkshakes - which she'd much rather do with Jadyn! - and a couple pictures of her trip to the museum.

Maggie on National Novel Writing Month

What was your book about? A girl named Holly who had no friends who sailed on the Titanic.

What was your total word count? 5188. For the Young Writer's Program, your Mom or Dad gets to set your word count goal. Mom set mine at 5000 words. The minimum recommended for a 4th grader is 4000, but Mom knew I could do more.

Who's your favorite character? I kind of liked Thomas Andrews and Henry. Henry is a boy whose parents died on the Titanic. He was adopted by Holly's parents. Note: Thomas Andrews was the shipbuilder of the Titanic. He went down with the ship.

Who is your least favorite character? I didn't really like Sam, Holly's little brother.

Did you learn anything new about the Titanic? No, I already knew most of what I needed to know, but I did look stuff up to make sure I had it right. Mom here - yeah, she knows way more than you can imagine, sitting through documentary after documentary with me, asking me to find more and reading every book she can get her hands on. But, no, for those of you thinking it - she's ten and hasn't watched the Leonardo DiCaprio/Kate Winslet version ;).

What was your favorite part of research? Going to the Titanic Museum with my grandma.

What was the hardest thing? Trying to figure out what to do when my story ended but I didn't have enough words [and Mom said I couldn't do 1000 words of facts...]

What was the most fun? Coming up with new ideas.

What did you learn about writing while doing NaNo this year? That you have to start a new paragraph every time a new person starts talking.

Do you write an outline before you start or do you fly by the seat of your pants? I just go. Uh... like mother like daughter – I'm a total pantser!

Maggie on the Interview with Lauren Tarshis

What did you think when Mom told you about the Lauren Tarshis interview? I wanted to scream but it was at school in front of my librarian.

What question were you most looking forward to finding out the answer? We asked her about possible future books and I couldn't wait to see what her answers were.

Who helped you with the interview questions? My best friend, Jadyn, and her mom, Sherry, and my mom. We all came up with them together.

Which is your favorite Lauren Tarshis book and why? Either the one about the Titanic or the one about Hurricane Katrina. I'm always interested in the Titanic and I loved the facts and her characters. I liked Katrina because I was interested in how Barry survived a terrible hurricane.

What did you learn about Pearl Harbor in her most recent release? I didn't know anything about it beforehand. I just heard from my friend, Kolby, that it was terrible. I learned that the Japanese really didn't hit the hospital. That was good because it's where the wounded were taken.

What did you like about it? I liked it when she puts it [the beginning] in the present time, like it was really happening and leaves it hanging and then goes back to before the actual tragedy and builds up to it.

Your step-great-grandpa served during WWII. Did you have a chance to talk to him about it? No, but I would like to the next time we see them.

Maggie is a fourth grader who loves to read and write. She also loves playing outside, chocolate, Mt. Dew, Dr. Pepper and [usually] her brother and two sisters.

This is her first time to be interviewed for a blog and Wednesday is her first interview.

Center of Influence by Tom Blubaugh

2011-11-30T14:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Tom for stopping by and sharing how our books, and our lives, can affect many.

Center of Influence
A point of origin, as of influence, ideas, or actions that produces an effect without any apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of command.
Does the above definition sound like you? I assure you it does. It is a perfect
description of you. Every thing you do influences someone or something in some way. Have you ever tossed a pebble into a river? Did you notice how the impact of the stone moved a circle of water out until it finally returned to the calm apparent before the incident? Your words and actions are like that of the stone. They cause a “ripple effect” and literally move things around you. Whether the effect is good or bad depends on you.

Have you noticed?
* How an action in the Middle East causes the stock market to move?
* How an accident on the freeway backs up traffic for miles?
* How a stuck stoplight disrupts traffic?
* How an injured player stops a game?
* How a comedy scene makes a whole audience laugh?
* How an unkind word in a crowd can bring all those who hear become silent?
We could go on and on and on.
Take a piece of paper and draw a small circle in the middle. Write your name in the circle. Then draw a circle for every person with whom you have a relationship. Place their name in the circle. These don’t have to be close relationships. Include family members, friends, fellow employees, neighbors, people you do business with, church members, other organization members, and so on. Then connect all of those circles to the number of other circles representing people with whom they are connected. You will be amazed at your circle of influence.
Do you notice how many of them are people you like or love? Can you see how every word and action affects this vast number of people? I say vast because most weddings and funerals have approximately 200 people in attendance. I say 200 people is a vast number because 200 x 200 = 40,000. Amazing isn’t it? And that is only about two ripples in the water.

Tom Blubaugh is a freelance writer living in Southwest Missouri with Barbara, his wife. They have six children and fourteen grandchildren. Tom has written non-fiction most of his adult life, but has recently written a historical fiction titled Night of the Cossack, published by Bound by Faith Publishers. This is Tom’s first novel. He co-wrote a devotional journal in 2009 for Barbour Publishing titled The Great Adventure. His other writings include articles for a denominational magazine and an insurance publication. He also self-published a book, Behind the Scenes of the Bus Ministry in 1974.
Tom started writing poetry at the age of fourteen. His vision of turning them into lyrics for rock and roll songs for popular artists didn’t develop. He considers writing to be a God-given talent and feels led to develop it. His first novel was published at his age of 69. Tom says it’s never too late. He is now writing a sequel.
Tom spent twelve years as an insurance agent and eleven years as a financial planner. He is the past president of Jericho Commission, Inc., and still serves on the board of directors.

Other Side of Darkness by Linda Rondeau

2011-11-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

Book Look by Carol McClain

It is my great honor to welcome Linda Rondeau, founder of Pentalk and long time friend, as featured author on Book Look. For years Linda has mentored other writers, and her first release is The Other Side Of Darkness.

Theseare the things I will do; I will not forsake them. I will lead the blind byways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them (Isaiah42:16).

After setting out on a forcedvacation, and literally running into a moose, Manhattan Assistant D.A. SamanthaKnowles finds it’s not so bad being stranded in a quirky but intriguingAdirondack town. But when her three-year prosecution against convicted killer,Harlan Styles begins to unravel, she’s thrust into a whirlwind of hauntingmemories, fear, and danger. And suddenly, Haven isn’t so safe, after all.

With no future in Haven, and no way to escapethe small town, teacher Zack Bordeaux fears he’s doomed to a life ofmediocrity. Haunted by the deaths of his wife and son, landscape artistJonathan Gladstone feels bound to an estate he both loves and loathes. But whenZack and Jonathon meet Samantha, their lives take on a different course.

Three lives intertwined, tiedtogether by dangerous circumstance and the faint echoes of an elusive hope. Tomake it through, each must find their way to the Light that’s found only on theother side of darkness.

Trailer Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0Me_jOBFVM

Blogs

You can order The Other Side of Darkness at:
http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/the-other-side-of-darkness-softcover

It is also available at Amazon in both ebook and hard copy.

Linda and I chatted, and she shared some interesting thoughts.

What motivated you to write this particular story?

I’ve long been intrigued with the Southern Adirondack area, its history and beauty. When I conceived of acharacter whose life would be impacted because of an accident that stranded herin this area, I knew it had to be set here.

Why did you choose a moose for Samantha Knowles to hit?

The moose began as a plot device. I needed her to hitsomething larger than a deer that would total her car. I saw pictures of amoose accident and the whole scene took shape. Before the story was completed,I had a near run in with one. A writer friend thought the incident prophetic.

What would you say was the major theme of The Other Side of Darkness?

The story is about forgiveness…not just for the wrong doneto us by others but forgiving ourselves. Sadie Golden talks about a backpack ofguilt we strap on ourselves, guilt that God has already forgiven us for andburied in the sea of His forgetfulness. Secondarily, the book is about findinggood from the pain of our lives.

Has one character in this work captured your heart more thanany other? Can you tell us why?

I think my favorite character is Sadie Golden, agood-hearted woman with secrets. She’s loving and industrious, but why does sheskirt on legalities with the operation of The Lighthouse Lounge?

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

What can I say? My life is in a whirlwind at the moment.Several months ago, I packed up what I could fit in my little Ford Focus andheaded to Jacksonville,Fl. I didn’t know for how long. But, we sold our house in Malone and bought ahouse here. Now all that’s missing is my husband who can’t retire until June.It has been a growth experience for sure. I’ve been challenged in ways I neverthought possible. Everything has become new…and God threw a book contract intothe mix.

What is the greatest lesson your writing journey has taughtyou?

To be committed to the story and get myself out of it. Foryears, it was all about the words, showing off my love of turning a phrase or poeticdevices. Then I realized that readers aren’t as interested in the mechanics asthey are the story itself. What an eye opener.

You are the founder of Pentalk. Can you tell us whatinspired you to start this particular group?

When talking to a writer friend at a local writerconference, I was hit with the concept of a mixed group. There are so manygroups that are geared to a particular aspect of writing, such as marketing orcraft development, genre, or religious or general market. Some groups deal morewith critique or information. I wanted to develop a group where writers couldsupport one another as well as learn about the craft, a place not only to“brag” or post their accomplishments, but a place to ask questions and receiveguidance from writers who have traveled a little farther on the road. I thoughtof Walmart…a store that is a one-stop shopping place. I wanted to develop awriter group with that in mind. A place where writers can have it all.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with aspiringwriters?

Don’t give up on your dreams. They are a part of your uniqueself. To sacrifice your dream is to deny who you are as a person.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Thanks to all the writers who have encouraged me along thispath. To name each and everyone would take more cyber space than we’re allowed!

You can contact Linda and read more of her work at the following locations:

Follow Linda's blogs:

A Little Something for Everyone

Back in the Daze

This Daily Grind

Visit her at www.lindarondeau.com or find her on facebook, twitter and google+

Finding Your Blogging Niche by Suzanne Hartmann

2011-11-25T15:53:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Suzanne for joining us again today!

Finding Your Blogging Niche

Finding your niche is more of an art than a science. That means you’ll have to feel your way around. It won’t happen overnight. Unless you’re an expert at something and everyone wants your advice, you will probably fall into your niche by trial and error. In my case, it took more than a year; for many it takes longer, but there are some guidelines that will help you along the way.

Start at the beginning. Set up your blog. Don’t worry about a theme or a focus. Just do it. At this point, it’s more important to get started than to know where you’re going. When I jumped into the blogging world, I had no idea what I was doing, so I focused on the basics. I worked my way through the design process until I had something that looked presentable. Okay, so it didn’t have any content, but it at least looked like a blog and was ready to go.

Write the first several posts. What should you write about? Write about anything and everything. What caught your attention this week? What do you like to write about most? What has been on your heart lately? Since I wanted to present myself as an author, I focused on writing. My posts about my writing journey were a mishmash of writing, inspiration, and a journal. Your posts may be all over the place to begin with, but that’s okay. You’ll start wide, then narrow your focus.

Invite your friends to follow your blog. Post your articles as notes on Facebook. Tweet about them on Twitter. See which articles get the most comments. Find what you feel most comfortable writing about. Use the feedback to narrow your topics. If the only thing people comment on are the articles about the funny things your kids do, write more of them. If you get no comments on a particular subject over several weeks, try a different topic. For my blog, the posts that got the most response were the ones that explained grammar rules. So I wrote more of them. As I learned more about the craft of writing, I shared the lessons with my readers. They responded, and I eventually earned a reputation as someone who can explain grammar rules and writing guidelines in a simple, just-the-facts-ma’am style that’s easy to understand.

There are only 2 rules:

#1 - Post consistently. That may be only once a week to begin with, but that’s fine. Then people know that if they check every week there will be a new article to read. If they keep checking back and the same article is there several times, they’ll eventually quit checking.

#2 – Keep your posts short, no more than 500-800 words. Reading on the computer is harder on the eyes and not as comfortable as snuggling up on the couch with a good book. So people have a tendency to lose interest quickly. If your posts are longer than that, break them into more than one post and make it into a series.

Ease into your niche. It takes time to find your niche, so don’t feel like you have to rush it. Feedback and your interests will direct you towards your niche, but don’t rule out serendipity and heavenly guidance. Listen to your own instincts as well. Keep narrowing your scope. Occasionally try something new and different. But most importantly, keep blogging. Eventually you will ease into your niche.

You never know where your blogging will lead you. Blogging might begin as a chore, but sometimes it leads to unexpected places. For me, it has lead to writing a book about the craft of writing. The Top 10 series of articles I wrote for my blog were so popular that I consolidated them into an easy-to-use book so authors can have the information at their fingertips as they write and revise. This is something that never entered my mind when I started my blog. Keep an open mind and your blogging may lead to surprising places.

Enjoy the ride. No matter where you are in your blogging journey, relax. Don’t pressure yourself to find a niche. Take your time and let yourself fall into your niche. If you keep at it, you will find it.

SUZANNE HARTMANN is a homeschool mom of three and lives in the St. Louis area. She loves spending time with her wonderful husband, and treasures the opportunity to train up her children in the way they should go. To relax, she enjoys scrapbooking, reading, and Bible study.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Composition & Linguistics from Western Illinois University. She began writing fiction when her children were young, and four of her short stories were published in a Milliken Publishing reading workbook. PERIL: Fast Track Thriller #1 is her first novel.

On the editorial side, she is a contributing editor with Port Yonder Press and operates the Write This Way Critique Service. She enjoys encouraging other authors and working with them to improve their writing..

Through her blog, Write This Way, Suzanne has become known as an author who can explain writing rules and techniques in easy-to-understand terms. Her popular Top 10 series of articles formed the basis for her e-book on the craft of writing, Write This Way: Take Your Writing to a New Level. She also blogs about homeschooling at Bloomin' Plumes.

Find Suzanne on the web at:

BLOG – Write This Way (http://suzanne-hartmann2.blogspot.com)

WEBSITE – Fast Track Thrillers (http://fasttrackthrillers.blogspot.com)

Learn more about her books at:

WRITE THIS WAY: Take Your Writing to a New Level (http://suzanne-hartmann2.blogspot.com/2007/01/write-this-way-take-your-writing-to-new.html)

PERIL: A Fast Track Thriller (http://fasttrackthrillers.blogspot.com/)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T22:48:00.003-08:00

From our family to yours - Happy Thanksgiving!

We're thankful for all of you!

What are you thankful for?

A Log Cabin Christmas, NYT Bestselling Authors Share Their Stories

2011-11-23T08:20:00.001-08:00

Today we have SEVEN very special guests! These lovely ladies, along with two others, hit the NYT Bestseller list earlier this year and have stopped by to tell us a little bit about it. Extra thanks to Erica Vetsch for helping organize it all!

Also included in this collection are stories by Kelly Eileen Hake and Debra Ullrick, who recently lost her father. Our prayers remain with her and her family.

So here, in no particular order, except the order they appear on the cover... The authors of

A Log Cabin Christmas
A New York Times Bestseller

From Wanda Brunstetter:

Wanda had just returned from a month-long book signing tour when she got the news that A Log Cabin Christmas had made the NYT Best Seller list. To top off that wonderful news, she also learned that her newest release, The Healing also made the NYT Best Seller list that week.

Bio: Wanda Brunstetter is an award-winning romance novelist who has led millions of readers to lose their heart in the Amish life. She is the author of almost 50 books with more than 5 million copies sold. Many of her books have landed on the top bestseller lists, including the New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and CBD. Wanda is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre, and her work has been covered by national publications, includingTime Magazine and USA Today.

Margaret Brownley:

Margaret’s story: Snow Angel

I heard the exciting news at the ACFW conference. I received Rebecca Germany’s message on my phone while waiting in the lobby to meet with my publicists and agent. Just then my agent, Natasha Kern, walked up and I blurted it out. Natasha was still jumping up and down when the publicists arrived. There we were, four adults in the lobby of the hotel, acting like kids on a trampoline.

News traveled fast. A week later I attended church and my pastor announced a celebrity in attendance. I glanced around to see who it was and much to my shock it was me!

Margaret Brownley
Author of The Rocky Creek Romance series

More Love and Laughter from Margaret Brownley
Available now: A Vision of Lucy
A Log Cabin Christmas Collection/Snow Angel
Coming in March 2012; Dawn Comes Early

Bio:

Thrills, mystery, suspense, romance: Margaret penned it all. Nothing wrong with that—except she happened to be writing for the church newsletter. After making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, her former pastor took her aside and said, "Maybe God's calling you to write fiction."

So that’s what Margaret did. She now has more than 25 novels to her credit, including bestselling, RITA finalist A Lady Like Sarah—not bad for someone who flunked 8^thgrade English. Just don’t ask her to diagram a sentence. www.margaretbrownley.com

From Jane Kirkpatrick:

To be honest, I attributed the NYT honor to the other authors and not me! The Courting Quilt is my first novella and Log Cabin Christmas my first chance to be part of a collection so I'm giving credit to all the other authors who have written novellas and romances and written them well. Wanda had another title on the list as well so her fans must be commended for noticing good things! I love being in the company of these fine writers. An email from Wanda Brunstetter forwarded by the editor is how I learned of the news. When I announced the NYT listing at a signing I had for another title of mine, the crowd applauded and then they bought the book! That was a delight! Jane Kirkpatrick

Bio:

After 26 years living, writing and commuting to work on an Indian reservation from her remote ranch in Oregon, Jane and her husband last year moved to small acreage near Bend, Oregon with their two dogs and a cat. She continues to write there and has just completed her twentieth book, and 17th novel. Most of her titles are historical novels based on the lives of real people. She's been a Christy finalist twice, an Oregon Book Award Finalist twice and a WILLA Literary Award winner twice as well. The Courting Quilt, the novella in Log Cabin Christmas is based on an actual quilting story from the 1800s that she set in Brownsville, Oregon in the Willamette Valley.

From Liz Johnson:

Like several of the other authors in this collection, I was at the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in St. Louis. I'd just had two nerve-wracking appointments with editors I was pitching books toand was just feeling the weight of those meetings lifting when I bumped into a fellow Barbour author and friend Kaye. As I approached, she introduced me to her friends as "New York Times bestselling author Liz Johnson." I laughed off her comment and told her she must be mistaken. She assured me she wasn't.

After a few minutes of mostly stunned silence, I ran to call my mom, who has been a major cheerleader for me since I began writing. When I told her that our book had hit the NYT list, she said in classic mom mode, "Is that a big deal?"

I laughed. "Yes, Mom. It's a very big deal."

Bio:
Liz Johnson is the author of four novels and a full-time marketing specialist
based out of Nashville, TN, where she loves exploring the history of the area,
watching a good movie, and daydreaming her next book. Follow her misadventures
in publishing at www.lizjohnsonbooks.com.

From Liz Tolsma:

I had the pleasure of finding out about the best seller’s list from our wonderful editor, Becky Germany. She discovered me talking to a friend at the ACFW conference in St. Louis and tapped me on my shoulder. With a grin, she said she had some exciting news and then told me we had made the list. The rest of the day, my friend announced my news to everyone we met. What a thrill!

Bio:

Under His Wings, part of A Log Cabin Christmas, is Liz Tolsma’s debut work. She is a long-time member of American Christian Fiction Writers and loves to mentor new writers. When not at her computer, this Wisconsin woman keeps busy with three children, a husband, gardening, walking, camping, kayaking and reading.

From Michelle Ule

I’ve written my own blog post about the experience here.

But I'd be happy to talk about it again, Erica. It makes me laugh every time I think about it--the incongruity of the whole thing.

My local book stores won't have book signings, and the Christian book store won't even stock the book--though last night while I was praying it occurred to me if I went in and showed a copy to the earnest young woman who WANTED to stock it, and told her about the NYT list, she might get her superiors to reconsider. :-)

I was at ACFW with Erica and Liz (and didn't see Margaret) when I got the news and that was WAY too much fun. I was able to pull up the list on my I-touch and show people; watching their jaws drop . . . delicious..

Of course since this was my first published work, many have been asking how I'm going to follow up. I've been saying, "Maybe hit #33?"

:-)

More joy came when one of my Navy wife pals bought a copy at the military exchange yesterday. Now I know I've hit the big time. Thanks, colleagues! :-)

I'm having a party with our church friends next month, am speaking to a writer's group in Bakersfield next weekend and will be at Reboot with Margaret on the 17th. I'm Skyping in with a book club run by Jeane Wynn of Wynn-Wynn media--I took her publicity course at Mt. Hermon last spring and she helped me come up with a marketing plan. Trish Goyer is trying to figure out how to have some of us on her radio show--I need to contact her as well, soon.

Other than that, I'm just enjoying myself, sending signed bookplates to friends far away (which I made out of large labels decorated with a photo of the cover) and laughing with joy. What a blessed Lord we worship!

Blessings to you all,

Michelle

Michelle Ule is a long-time follower of Jesus Christ who lives in northern California. A native of San Pedro, California, she graduated from UCLA where she marched in the clarinet section of the band and wrote for the UCLA Daily Bruin.

A retired Navy wife, she has a terrific husband, four brilliant children, two perfect daughter-in-laws and three adorable grandchildren.

Michelle teaches Bible study to a group of precocious women, counsels women in crisis at a local pregnancy counseling center, and works at a landmark literary agency. In her free time, she travels, writes and reads.

A noted genealogist in some of the more obscure corners of the Internet, she’s the author of Pioneer Stock and Travels with Jeanette, along with several other genealogy books and traveler’s tales. Her debut novella, The Dogtrot Christmas, was published in Barbour Publishing’s A Log Cabin Christmas Collection, September 2011 and appeared on The New York Times best seller list on October 2, 2011.

You can read her musings at www.http://michelleule.wordpress.com

From Erica Vetsch:

I was attending the ACFW conference, and Becky Germany met me in the hallway. She said “Congratulations!” and I couldn’t imagine what for. Then she said Log Cabin Christmas had made the NYT list! Standing with Becky were the amazing Lynn Coleman and Tracie Peterson. They both congratulated me, and I got a hug from Tracie! Squee! It was a moment I won’t soon forget.

Bio: Erica Vetsch is a transplanted Kansan now residing in Minnesota. She loves history and reading, and is blessed to be able to combine the two by writing historical fiction set in the American West. Whenever she’s not following flights of fancy in her fictional world, she’s the company bookkeeper for the family lumber business, mother of two terrific teens, wife to a man who is her total opposite and soul-mate, and avid museum patron.

How PERIL Got Its Twist of NASCAR by Suzanne Hartmann

2011-11-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

We're happy to have Suzanne with us today! She's talking about how she incorporated NASCAR into her brand new release! Out today! Be sure to check out the tidbit at the end - right before the back cover blurb and her bio - with some very exciting info.

How PERIL Got Its Twist of NASCAR
By Suzanne Hartmann

Writers get their ideas many ways. In the case of my first novel, PERIL: A Fast Track Thriller, boredom motivated me to create stories to entertain myself while I sat through my kids' violin and piano lessons and baseball and soccer practice. Over a couple of years, what started with a simple question— "What if I could..."—eventually became a set of detailed stories revolving around one main character: they mysterious Lady Anne.

The idea for a twist of NASCAR came after my daughter decided she liked watching stock car races and one day announced that she had chosen a favorite driver. I knew nothing about NASCAR at that point, so I had no idea if this driver was someone we should encourage her to root for. I decided I’d better educate myself and started paying more attention when my husband watched a race (instead of taking a nap).

After a few months of watching the races and pestering my husband with questions. I realized that stock car racing was more interesting than I thought. Eventually, I couldn't resist placing some of the stories I had created at a racetrack. And that naturally led to the addition of a main character who was a NASCAR driver.

At the time I did all of this, I never intended to write a novel. I just had fun thinking about my stories, tweaking them, and adding to them. It wasn’t until I was thinking about one of the stories while taking a walk in our neighborhood one day that a thought popped into my head, “Why don’t you make these stories into a novel?” I fought the idea for a week or so, thinking maybe I was having a premature mid-life crisis or something, but after much prayer, I realized God was nudging me. So in spite of the fact that I had very little experience writing fiction, I set out to weave my stories into a novel.

Although I didn’t do it intentionally, the twist of NASCAR made my novel unique. Not many books incorporate NASCAR into their stories, and most of those that do are romances, not suspense novels. So the blend of NASCAR excitement with the thrills and mystery of the suspense genre that originated with my daughter’s interest in stock car racing shaped my novel into something special. I may not have known what I was doing, but God knew exactly where He was leading me, and it’s something I give Him thanks for daily.

Suzanne sent me this info this week and asked me to make sure I included it! Just in time for Christmas you know ;).

KINDLE GIVE-AWAY

To celebrate the release of my debut novel, I am giving away a Kindle to one lucky winner!

The contest will be open from the release date (Nov. 18) through the end of the blog tour (Dec. 16), and I will announce the winner on Sat. Dec. 17.

To enter, click here: WIN A KINDLE (http://fasttrackthrillers.blogspot.com/2007/01/kindle-give-away.html)

PERIL: A Fast Track Thriller:

A top secret agent with enhanced strength must use her extraordinary abilities during several high-profile assignments, from the White House to NASCAR tracks, while escorting the first Muslim king to convert to Christianity. When unwanted publicity threatens to expose her, she herself becomes a terrorist target, with danger surrounding her on all sides.

“Plenty of action and unexpected twists.”

Foreword by Jimmy Makar, GM of Joe Gibbs Racing

PERIL is now available at Barnes and Noble, Christian Book Distributors, Amazon and OakTara Publishers. And be sure to check out the book trailer! PERIL at YouTube

Suzanne Hartmann is a homeschool mom of three and lives in the St. Louis area. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Composition & Linguistics from Western Illinois University. To relax, she enjoys scrapbooking, reading, and Bible study. She began writing fiction when her children were young, and four of her short stories were published in a Milliken Publishing reading workbook. PERIL: Fast Track Thriller Bk. #1 is her debut novel.

On the editorial side, Suzanne is a contributing editor with Port Yonder Press and operates the Write This Way Critique Service. Through her blog, Write This Way, she has become known as an author who can explain writing rules and techniques in easy-to-understand terms. Her popular Top 10 series of articles formed the basis for her e-book on the craft of writing, Write This Way: Take Your Writing to a New Level.

Find Suzanne:

My Website – FastTrackThrillers (http://fasttrackthrillers.blogspot.com)

My Blog - Write This Way (http://Suzanne-hartmann2.blogspot.com)

Facebook – Suzanne Hartmann – Author http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Suzanne-Hartmann-Author/45955180933

Twitter - @SuzInIL (http://twitter.com/#!/SuzInIL)

Collaborating with Other Writers: Board to Death by Tracy Ruckman

2011-11-16T07:34:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Tracy for stopping by again today! Can't wait to read this book!

Collaborating With Other Writers

By Tracy Ruckman

Thanks for welcoming me to Pentalk once again, Carol and Linda.

Carol asked me to specifically discuss writing Board to Death with others –how we worked together, how the book came together.

I’ve always said that I learn best by doing, and Board to Death is a perfect example of that. Sometime in 2009 or early 2010, I got an idea about a murder mystery involving board games. I was having separate e-mail conversations with Amy Barkman and Debbie Roome at the time, and I tossed them the idea just to get a reaction. They had their own ideas so we decided to write a book of novellas, each one with a different game. We brainstormed briefly, then went our separate ways to start writing. Originally, we were going to use real board games, but could not get permission to do it from the manufacturers. So we created and designed our own board games. (We used those designs in our book trailer, and in the book as section dividers. If we ever strike oil, we’ll manufacture the games and set up a cottage industry! LOL!)

But just a few weeks after we began creating, life hit all of us hard in different ways. We ended up putting Board to Death on hold indefinitely.

Then, earlier this year, spring fever hit me and I asked the ladies if they’d be interested in starting again on the book. Both were eager. Debbie had almost finished her story, Amy was about halfway done with hers, and I, of course, still just had the framework. (I work well on deadlines, not so well without them.) So, again, we brainstormed a little more, and decided that Amy’s story would go first, to set up the connection to the other two stories. Debbie’s story would go next, and mine would be last, so I could tie them altogether.

When they finished their stories, they sent them to me, and then I realized we had a problem.

My story was much too similar to Debbie’s! We had used the same kind of set-up on the murder, with similar clues, and even one of our characters shared the same name. A week before deadline, I had to rewrite my story.

But it’s funny how that worked out. Amy read the first version and then when I finished, the second version. She wasn’t sure what I had changed to make it different, but I did, and the stories are not alike at all. I discovered during rewrites that much of the foundation was already in place for me to make the necessary changes without requiring major cutting. A few details changed the entire story.

Two aspects of our stories caught us by surprise. Amy’s has a strong spiritual theme in Victim – so much more than mine and Debbie’s that she actually removed an entire scene to balance out the book a bit more. Then, the romance element caught us all by surprise. Each story has a wonderful and unique hero that we all fell in love with. One reader commented that it was nice to see Baby Boomers find romance the way our characters did.

We’ve already begun work on Hands of Death, the second book in the Dangerous Games Series. Here’s what we learned from writing the first one:

Brainstorm more than we think we need.
Discuss the overall plot, murder, clues, weapons, and even character names in advance.
Leave enough time before the deadline to make major changes if needed.

The one thing we excelled at while writing the book was having fun. We all love each other dearly and bouncing ideas off one another seemed natural. The whole venture has been fun, and reviews are proving that it shows in our stories.

If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them.

About Board to Death:

Baby Boomers Polly Nichols, Lindsay Wilson, and Gretchen Anderson may live worlds apart, but they have one common hobby – a penchant for board games.

Polly’s serene Kentucky campground turns sinister when the manager is a VICTIM of murder. In New Zealand, Lindsay’s life is turned upside down when MIND GAMES and evidence drag her into a murder case - as a suspect. At the Kettle’s On Campground in Georgia, Gretchen matches wits with a murderous wordsmith intent on winning the latest game of SENTENCED.

You’ll love the games, the characters, and the stories – and we promise, you won’t be BOARD to Death!

Board to Death is available in print and digital versions at:

Amazon (print) (Kindle)

Barnes & Noble (print) (Nook)

Smashwords

Visit our Websites:

www.AmyBarkman.com

www.DebbieRoome.com

www.TracyRuckman.com

Remembering You by Tricia Goyer

2011-11-11T07:04:00.000-08:00

Pentalk Community would like to extend our most heartfelt thanks to all of those who served - past and present - to keep us safe and free. We honor you and will never forget the sacrifice you have made. And thank you, too, to the mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, children and all the others who struggled at home to allow our military to do what they do to keep freedom free.

Today, we welcome special guest, Tricia Goyer. Tricia has honored our vets, particularly those from WWII, in her work. I dare you not to get chills or even tear up as you read the story she chose to share with us today. Thank you, Tricia!

Remembering You

By Tricia Goyer

In the last ten years since I started interviewing veterans for my WWII novels, most have passed away. Some of them—realizing their days on earth were coming to an end—returned to Europe one last time with their family members to walk along paths they've never forgotten. Those trips inspired my most recent novel, Remembering You (http://www.triciagoyer.com/contemporaryfiction.html#RememberingYou).

One of the most amazing experiences was when I received an email from a woman named Hana. She'd heard of my book and knew I'd interviewed some of the veterans. She asked if I'd interviewed any medics. Then she told me an amazing story. Hana was born on a cart just outside of Mauthausen. Her mother had survived being a prisoner of another camp and was transported to Mauthausen at the end of the war.

Hana was just three weeks old when the Americans arrived, and she was very ill. Because of the filthy conditions she got a skin infection and sores covered her body. No one expected her to live. Yet one of the medics saw the small baby and knew he had to do something. Even though it took most of the day, he lanced and cleaned all Hana's sores, saving her life. Over the years she'd wanted to find the medic, but didn't know where to start.

I was amazed by Hana's story and told her I knew one medic—maybe he remembered who that man was. I gave Hana the contact information and I soon heard the good news. My friend LeRoy “Pete” Petersohn was the medic who'd saved her life! The two were soon reunited! After all these years Hana was able to look into the eyes of the man who saved her and thanked him. After all these years Pete was able to meet the woman he saved. “Baby!” he called out when he met her.

Remembering You is a work of fiction, but the experiences of the men are true. The experiences of the main character, Ava, are also true-to-life. I was busy with life when God pointed me to an amazing story, and to even more amazing men. I'm so thankful I took time to listen and care. I'm so thankful I allowed these men to share what … and who … they remembered most.

Tricia Goyer is a homeschooling mom of four and an acclaimed and prolific writer, publishing hundreds of articles in national magazines. She has also written books on marriage and parenting and contributed notes to the Women of Faith Study Bible. Tricia's written numerous novels inspired by World War II veterans, including her new release Remembering You. Tricia lives with her husband and four children in Arkansas. You can find out more information about Tricia at www.triciagoyer.com.