Gail Kittleson – Characters and April Fools

Characters and April Fools

by Gail Kittleson

“Humor is an affirmation of dignity, a declaration of man’s superiority to all that befalls him.” –Romain Gary, French diplomat, novelist, film director and aviator   

So I guess this philosophy elevates April Fool’s day to a day of victory. That is, if we have the presence of mind to remember it’s April first and not let anyone get the better of us. After all, jokesters lurk everywhere. I live with one, and concur with Gary—laughter is definitely the way to go.

A quick glance through lists of pranks played through the decades amazes me—people go to a lot of thought and effort to successfully fool others. Because my WIP hero is a World War I vet, one practical joke especially piqued my curiosity.

A French aviator dropped a bomb in German territory in 1915. German soldiers  scattered. When no explosion occurred, they cautiously approached the object, only to find a football with a note attached—“April Fool!”

What a great scene, don’t you think?

This caught my attention, because during the past month, I’ve been getting to know my WWII era hero, a fifty-something veteran of the Great War. I see him everywhere I go, if you know what I mean, and last night when my husband and I watched a movie filmed right in the trenches, my hero hovered everywhere. He played a sneaky prank on me, too.

Sometime in the night, I realized he holds a secret from his action in the Great War—I ought to say clutches it to his chest. He’s a widower, yet never divulged this wartime experience to his deceased wife. But buried in his subconscious, the surreptitious truth lives on, and every once in a while, arises to stake its claim on his soul.

Truth lives within us, like our family genes. We can’t change the fact that heart trouble or weak hips or hernias “run in our family.” We can take lots of preventative measures these days, but still, those genes will have their say.

My challenge? To discover my hero’s secret, and facilitate its appearance at all the appropriate times. At this point, I’m not sure if it’s a positive or negative secret. Did he do something heinous, or make a choice that caused loss of life and limb to others? Or did his heroism, albeit denied, save soldiers? Did a romantic liaison lead to a birth he’s kept secret all these years to protect his stateside family? One thing I know. He’s a great guy, so his character caused him to shove the questionable event into the depths of his being.

But somehow, it’s important to the story for my heroine to find out about this—or significant for him to trust her enough to divulge it. Both of them will become stronger and they’ll appreciate each other more in the telling, even though I don’t yet know how all this will occur.

We’ll see. I’m the kind of writer who has to stay open to what my characters have in mind. That may sound a bit bizarre—or not. But one thing I’ve learned, what is, is—no use fighting it. Characters come to me full-blown. Plots, not so much. I’m already well into this particular WIP, and just now learned about Al’s secret.

So what encouragement does this blog offer writers? We can work through our WIP’s with an open mind. Our hero/heroine may have a thing or two to teach us as we plod along. While this theory may seem like an April Fool’s joke to what we call plotters, or those with a mathematical approach, it isn’t. Secrets have power. When we recognize one in our characters, we’ll transpose their strength into our plot. We’ll pause every once in a while to listen to what they’re whispering.

Meet the Author:

Gail believes our stories are our best gifts, and she can’t seem to write much w/out an empowerment theme. The past three years, she’s been making up for lost time, blooming like a dahlia – a little later than some other varieties. She’s an avid reader, walker, gardener, and grandmother, and just plain loves writing. She and her husband live in northern Iowa, and spend part of the winters in the Arizona mountains. This summer (2013), WhiteFire Publishing will release Catching Up With Daylight, her nonfiction inspirational for women.

gkittleson@myomnitel.com

gailkittleson.blogspot.com

 

Angela Breidenbach – Peaceful Pre-release Planning

Peaceful Pre-release Planning

by Angela Breidenbach

Learning about new release marketing is a bit like standing under a pounding waterfall. The deluge can push an author off the ledge and into a deep pool of churning chaos as she tries to keep up with all the demands. How can an author begin to make sense of it all?

One thing that helps me manage it all is to learn one thing at a time. As a learner (one of my Top 5 Strengths from the Strengths Finder 2.0 testing) digging in and absorbing new information is fun to me. I want to learn everything I can until my curiosity is satisfied. I’ve tried to learn one new thing until I know it well rather than scatter myself over the surface of everything. But a few weeks ago I stumbled on something from Amazon I hadn’t heard of in new release marketing. The huge behemoth sells pre-order books at nearly 50% off the retail cover price. Barnes & Noble and Christianbook.com follow with pre-order sale specials. Whoa! I had no idea about this practice.

I didn’t know about this regular marketing event until I accidentally hit a link while writing a blog post. The link shot me over to my book page. Stunned, I saw the major discount. Excited, I tweeted it and began asking friends to tweet for me too. Something amazing happened. The Amazon algorithm shot up. But I wasn’t sure if it was my social media or a fluke. So I repeated it and could pin point each time the spike happened. My book’s rating went from the millions to as high as 37K and change.

I contacted my publisher, Abingdon Press, and asked if they had any knowledge of the length of the promotion. My marketing director, Cat Hoort, said it was an Amazon choice. My editor, Ramona Richards, found the rating movement interesting as well.

Another interesting thing happened. My Amazon author rating spiked. But again, I wondered if it was a fluke that my pre-order book was scaling the Amazon ratings on a book that hadn’t even released yet. I stopped tweeting. Partially because I had a speaking event over a weekend and partially because I wanted to know if I did nothing, what would happen? The numbers dropped significantly. I began tweeting again, the numbers moved upward exponentially. It’s been a very fun roller coaster experiment.

I didn’t want to only promote one seller. I checked as many online retailers as I knew and found two others marketing pre-order specials. Barnes and Noble copied the exact 46% discount while Christianbook.com set their price about $1 above, but still on a major discount. It’s not as easy to watch response on the other retailers, but I felt sharing options for readers would benefit people who preferred one retailer over another.

One more surprise waited for me. Two weeks before my new release date, I found the Kindle version on sale as well. I’ve started tweeting—and the same results. I’m delighted and looking forward to how these specials affect A Healing Heart long-term.

So how do you manage it all? Are you supposed to get obsessive over the Amazon ratings? Not at all. With advance knowledge about pre-order specials, it’s easier to pre-plan a social media campaign by scheduling tweets through hootsuite. Put a reminder in your calendar. Watch your book starting at a month out for the pre-order special sale. When it happens, copy the link into your social media scheduling program like hootsuite.com. Weave the tweets through the month in varying times between other reader friendly tweets so you’re not perceived as hard sell. Notify friends to tweet and retweet with you. Use hook lines and hashtags to market the specials. Here’s a sample of one I used:

Angie Breidenbach ‏@AngBreidenbach  #Amazon A Healing Heart by Angela Breidenbach http://ow.ly/idjNn  A workaholic’s heart attack forces her to trust the 1 man she can’t!

Remember by letting your readers know about the pre-order specials, you’re really offering a great savings and a service. The blessing for you as the author is excitement over your new release in the month prior.

Another tip for pre-planning a new release? As you write guest posts and interviews, pre-load those links into hootsuite (or your favorite scheduling tool) to save the frazzled stress as the guest posts and interviews go live.

How would I encourage an author going into the hectic time of a new release? Preplan instead of standing under the waterfall drowning. With a little warning, you can enjoy the time and the results.

Meet the Author:

Angela Breidenbach is a speaker, coach, and author of A Healing Heart, April 2013 from Abingdon Press in the Quilts of Love series. Her family tradition is to create the life story on a photo memory quilt for each graduating senior. She is certified in mentor/peer counseling as a CTA life coach, as a Stephen Minister, and a weight loss/nutrition coach. Angela serves as an assisting minister (worship/prayer leader) for her congregation in Missoula, MT.

http://www.AngelaBreidenbach.com

Twitter: @AngBreidenbach

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/AngelaBreidenbachInspirationalSpeakerAuthor

Click the pic below for info on buying Angela’s latest novel.

About A Healing Heart: What would you do if your heart broke both emotionally and physically?

Workaholic, Mara Keegan, must heal her heart from loss and a heart attack before she can love again. But she has to trust her business to the one man that tried to destroy it.

A heart attack has stopped Mara Keegan in her tracks, leaving her daughter’s unfinished photo memory quilt hanging by a thread. Little does Mara know, this quilt—and the memories it bolsters—are the key to her rehabilitation. But Mara’s heart needs to be healed in more ways than one. And Joel Ryan is fraying her last nerve. With her daughter’s graduation fast approaching, even Mara starts to wonder if she—and her faith—can mend in time. Will Joel’s photo find a place on the quilt… and in Mara’s heart?

A Healing Heart, Abingdon Press releases April 1, 2013 as #6 in the Quilts of Love Books series.Where can you buy it? Your local book store or online at many of these retailers: Christianbook.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon

Catherine Castle – Discovering the Books of Your Heart

Discovering the Books of Your Heart

by Catherine Castle

Have you ever begun writing something that didn’t work for you?

That’s what happened to me with my book The Nun and the Narc. When I originally started it the heroine was a missionary. But as the book progressed I began having trouble with it. The words wouldn’t come. The plot kept failing, and I got stuck. Then, one of my critique partners suggested I make the heroine a nun.

I knew if I changed my heroine to a nun the book would be a harder sell in the Christian market than if she had a more generic, evangelistic faith or if she was an Amish heroine. And it has been a hard sell because it didn’t fit the traditional inspirational market. But the more I thought about the suggestion, the more I liked the idea.

I have always loved stories about nuns. The Sound of Music starring Julie Andrews, who had the voice of an angel, was one of my favorite movies. I even played one of the chorus nuns in a high school production of The Sound of Music. I loved the television series The Flying Nun and never missed an episode with Sister Bertrille, a nun at the convent San Tanco in Puerto Rico, whose oversized headgear allowed her to fly. And as an Elvis fan, of course I had to see the film A Change of Habit starring Mary Tyler Moore and Elvis. As a journalist I had the opportunity to interview nuns who had left their orders because they fell in love. These stories of women who had committed themselves, or were about to commit,  to a “marriage” with God, yet fell in love with a man, intrigued me. I realized I had an innate curiosity about the subject that would carry me through the story. I wanted to know what made these women tick. I wanted to know about the struggles they had to go through to make their decisions. And so, The Nun and the Narc was born.

What’s the moral of my little anecdote?

Write the book, or books, of your heart. If your work in progress isn’t working, consider whether or not you really love what you’re writing about. Does it excite you? Are you anxious to sit down at the computer and tell the story? Is it a book of your heart? If not, can you change something about it to make it a book of your heart? It may be as simple as changing your character’s vocation, or avocation. It may be something that requires more thought or more change. Or you might not be able to salvage it…this time.

The point is, if you don’t love your story how can you expect an editor or a reader to love it?

Are you writing the book of your heart? What is it?

Thanks, Tamara, for having me as a guest blogger today.

Meet the Author

Catherine Castle is the romance author pen name of Catherine Hershberger, a published poet and freelance writer whose non-fiction work, for children and adults, has appeared in the secular and Christian markets. Her first published inspirational suspense romance novel, The Nun and the Narc, from Soul Mate Publishing, will be released as an e-book April 24, 2013.

Catherine began writing stories and poems almost as soon as she could string words together on paper. When other students groaned at essays and term paper assignments, she relished the chance to research new things and write. Poetry was her first love. Then she tried her hand at fiction as a teenager, writing her first book in longhand on lined paper. It was an awful story of teen love showered upon her favorite teenaged actor. She still has it and, no, you cannot read it. J But you can find samples of her poetry and other writing on her website.

When she’s not writing or working on a writing project with her husband, whom she also coauthors with, you can find Catherine reading. She owns hundreds of books and magazines, on all kinds of subjects, that constantly threaten to overrun the house. She’s trying to control the book habit with her Kindle. It’s not working so well; she may need a second Kindle to keep up. So many books—so little time.

Catherine also likes traveling, singing, and attending theatre, as well as being onstage in the spotlight. In the winter she loves to quilt and has a lot of UFOs (unfinished objects) in her sewing case. In the summer her favorite place to be is in her garden. She’s passionate about gardening and even won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. For weeks after receiving the award she went around the house, wearing a smile big enough to crack her face, saying, “I’m an award winning gardener!” It was—besides marrying her high-school sweetheart, the birth of their daughter, being an ACFW Genesis contest finalist, and receiving her book contract with Soul Mate Publishing—one of the best events in her life.

In Catherine’s Ohio garden you’ll find flowers from friends and from her mother’s gardens that have been moved from house-to-house, city-to-city, and state-to-state. Like stories, which are meant to be enjoyed and passed on, Catherine believes flowers should be shared. If you come to her home when the garden is blooming you’ll leave with a big bouquet.

You can see Catherine’s excerpts from her upcoming book, pictures of her garden, read her poems and blogs, connect with her, and follow her at http://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com. She also blogs on the Soul Mate Author Group http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/ the fourth Tuesday of the month.

Releasing Soon:

The Nun and the Narc

Where novice Sister Margaret Mary goes, trouble follows. When she barges into a drug deal the local Mexican drug lord captures her. To escape she must depend on undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Jed’s attitude toward her is exasperating, but when she finds herself inexplicable attracted to him he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them, because he is making her doubt her decision to take her final vows. Escape back to the nunnery is imperative, but life at the convent, if she can still take her final vows, will never be the same.

Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor—at least that’s what

Jed Bond thinks. She hampers his escape plans with her compulsiveness and compassion and in the process makes Jed question his own beliefs. After years of walling up his emotions in an attempt to become the best agent possible, Sister Margaret is crumbling Jed’s defenses and opening his heart. To lure her away from the church would be unforgivable—to lose her unbearable.

The Nun and the Narc, will be released as an e-book from Soul Mate Publishing,  April 24, 2013.

It will be available from www.soulmatepublishing.com , www.barnesandnoble.com, and www.amazon.com

Lillian Duncan – 3 Steps to Publication-Guaranteed!

As I’m sure you know all stories have a beginning, a middle, and end. If you want to get published you need to write the BEST BEGINNINGS, MARVELOUS MIDDLES, and EXPLOSIVE ENDINGS.

Succeed with those three easy steps and you’ll have a contract before you know it. OK—maybe they aren’t all that easy. It took me years to learn the writing craft (and I still am!) and it may take you that long as well.

The writer’s first task is to hook the reader. Starting with a murder is always good, but it’s not the only way. The key is to arouse the reader’s curiosity so they will want to turn the page to see what happens next.

BEST BEGINNINGS for any novel, but especially mystery/suspense starts with action—action—and more action! Today’s mystery/suspense readers don’t have time or patience for characters sitting and pondering life’s heavy questions. They want action!

The important thing is someone must be doing something interesting and it can’t be a dream or a nightmare. Why not? Two reasons—first, it’s tricking the reader into believing something is happening that’s not. And more importantly, many editors list novels starting with a dream as one of their pet peeves. Why risk irritating them on the very first page?

Once you’ve written your best beginning, it’s time to tackle the hard part—avoiding the sagging middle syndrome. But how? Here’s a few ways to ensure MARVELOUS MIDDLES:

1. Introduce a new character. If they have a secret—even better!
2. Blow something up (or have another murder).
3. Add a ticking time bomb to the original problem.
4. Add a red herring, give the reader several choices for the murderer.
5. Keep the tension high.
6. Avoid all that back story you are dying to write. No matter how much you love it—it doesn’t move the story forward.

Whew! Now you’ve got your best beginning and a marvelous middle, so on to that EXPLOSIVE ENDING that will wow that editor and have them clamoring for your manuscript.

One of the keys to creating an explosive ending is to resolve all the story plots, not only the major one. Readers have invested time and emotion in your story. Don’t cheat them by not giving them the resolution they want and need to enjoy it.

A famous quote from Mickey Spillane says it all. The first chapter sells the book. The last chapter sells the next book. Your ending will either give you a satisfied reader who will recommend it to others or one who won’t read another book you write—ever.

Many books actually have two endings—mine usually do. Often the crucial resolution scene (stopping the murderer—rescuing the damsel in distress) happens in the next to the last chapter and the final chapter is used to tie up all the other story lines in a happy little bow. Nothing wrong with that. It’s a good plan.

And there you have it—the perfect formula for the perfect murder mystery/suspense novel. BEST BEGINNINGS + MARVELOUS MIDDLES + EXPLOSIVE ENDINGS = Great Story (and a book contract). Now, get busy writing.

Meet the Author:

Lillian Duncan…Stories of faith mingled… with murder & mayhem.

Lillian is a multi-published writer who writes the type 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.  She also has a devotional blog at: www.PowerUpWithGod.com  as well as her personal blog, Tiaras & Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com

Click on pics for info on buying Lillian’s novels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ann Shorey – Is There a Nurse in the House?

Is There a Nurse in the House?

by Ann Shorey

Many thanks to Tamera for inviting me to be a guest blogger today!

My Sisters at Heart series is set in Missouri shortly after the end of the War Between the States. When I worked up the proposal for this series, I had my characters and their occupations set in my mind. In the first book, Where Wildflowers Bloom, I wanted Rosemary Saxon, the main character’s best friend, to be a nurse during the war, and then follow the same occupation afterward.

Well, surprise, surprise. When I began to research nurses in the Civil War, I learned that very few of them were women, and the ones who were female were generally older and/or widows. For a young unmarried woman to touch men’s bodies, even to tend to their wounds, was considered vulgar. Throughout the war, male nurses outnumbered female nurses 4 to 1. The general public believed women would only be a distraction and get in the way of the doctors.

Where female nurses were allowed, they were required to be plain-looking women. Their dresses were to be brown or black, no bows, no curls, no jewelry, and no hoop-skirts. The last prohibition is the only one that makes sense, since the hospital aisles were narrow.

So, where did this leave my Rosemary, who was to be the protagonist in the second novel in the series? Using my artistic license, she’s attractive, not plain, but I did make her “old.” She’s twenty-seven. J In addition to her God-given gift of mercy, she’s also determined to the point of being headstrong. She needs to be to stand up to the prejudice she encounters.

As writers, we try to avoid rabbit trails in our stories. You know, the fascinating tidbits we uncover that lead us away from the main plot. Yet, my latest novel, When the Heart Heals, came about directly because of a rabbit trail. What if I’d decided, “Oh, well, she can’t really be a nurse. Too unlikely,” and decided to make her a governess or seamstress because that would be “easier”?

I’ve learned there’s a time and a place for rabbit trails. If what you discover will deepen your plot or create a more interesting character, chase that rabbit! Even if you don’t end up using the information, store it away for a future novel.

And please don’t choose a character or a subject because you think it will be “easy.” I recently participated in an Author Fair in a nearby community. The writer at the table next to mine told me she decided to write a fantasy novel because that way she wouldn’t have to do any research! All I can say is her novel is self-published, and few people stopped at her table.

If you skimp on your writing by avoiding research or ignoring rabbit trails, most likely you’ll produce a skimpy book. And none of us want to do that.

Meet the Author:

ANN SHOREY has been a full-time writer for over twenty years. Her writing has appeared in Chicken Soup for the Grandma’s Soul, and in the Adams Media Cup of Comfort series. She made her fiction debut with The Edge of Light, Book One in the At Home in Beldon Grove series for Revell, followed by Books Two and Three, The Promise of Morning and The Dawn of a Dream. The Sisters at Heart series, beginning with Where Wildflowers Bloom, is her latest offering from Revell. Book Two in the series, When the Heart Heals, released on February 15.

She may be contacted through her website, www.annshorey.com,  or find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AnnShorey.

Click on the pics below for info on buying one of Ann’s books.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dan Walsh – Feeling Weak and Overwhelmed? A Great Place to Be

Feeling Weak and Overwhelmed?

A Great Place to Be

by Dan Walsh

I feel weak sometimes. No, I feel weak a lot.

I wasn’t always like this. For many years, I felt strong and confident. As it turns out, it was an illusion. I was like the Emperor in that Hans Christian Anderson story, “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” He isn’t wearing anything but, blinded by pride, he doesn’t see it.

Now I do see it, and it’s made me aware of my weakness on a regular basis.

Here’s an example: I’m beginning to write my 10th novel this week. Seven of the other nine are already published by major publishers (Revell and Guideposts). Novels eight and nine are in the pipeline, due out in 2013. I’ve already won three Carol awards (book-of-the-year). All of my novels have received rave reviews in magazines, blogs and on Amazon. I’ve been asked to co-author a fiction series by a mega bestselling author (Gary Smalley). My most recent novel has been optioned by a movie producer who has made several Hallmark films.

You’d think I’d feel confident inside as I set out to write a novel #10. But I don’t. I feel weak. I have doubts about whether I can do it again. What if I can’t? It’s my livelihood now. People are depending on me. What if the well runs dry? What will I do then?

Where does such weakness come from? Was something missing from my childhood? Have I experienced some traumatic things as an adult that have eroded my self-confidence? The answer to both of these questions is “yes.” But that’s not why I feel weak.

The real reason I feel weak, I believe, is a kindness from God. It’s not something I should dread but something I should celebrate. God, in His mercy, has lifted the veil of false confidence and self-sufficiency to help me see my true condition before Him.

By design, I was made (you were made) to walk in a dependent relationship with God. It was Adam’s fall that created the illusion that we can make a success of things on our own. The truth is, God created us for intimate fellowship with Him. This need we have for Him is built-in, intended to continually draw us toward Him.

We are hard-wired for dependence. And that is why we feel weak, when we feel weak. The good news is, because of Christ, the strength we lack is continuously available and in abundant supply. But we won’t benefit from this if we continue to walk in the illusion of strength (or should I say delusion of strength). We must learn the secret Paul learned, learn to become content with this feeling. In fact, woe to us if we ever lose the sense of weakness, because it’s the very thing that draws us near to God.

Here are two scriptures that quickly come to mind:

“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:8-10, NLT)

“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Phil 4:11-13, NLT)

How about you? Feeling weak and overwhelmed lately? Where does your heart go when you feel this way? May I suggest you go where Paul suggests? I’ve tried to make this my habit now, and it’s made a HUGE difference in my life.

Lord, thank you for creating us this way, as dependent needy creatures. Help us not resent it but see it from Your perspective…as the very thing that draws us closer to You. Thank you for every situation–including the difficult people and circumstances–that make us more aware of our need for You. Fill us with your love and peace, and Your strength. Strengthen our grip on Your Hand. Thank you for always being there, day or night, no matter what. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Meet the Author:

I was born in Philadelphia in 1957 (guys don’t care if you know their age) to a mostly blue-collar, hard-working Irish family. My Dad was the first person on either side of the family to earn a college degree. It took him nine years, working during the day, going to college at night, using the GI Bill from his war days in Korea. In the mid-sixties, General Electric hired him as an engineer for the Apollo space program. We packed up and moved to Florida, which is really where I grew up.

I spent my childhood years playing basketball and surfing. We attended church every Sunday, but I never clearly understood the gospel until my senior year in high school. In that year, my entire family came to know the Lord. In the spring of that same year, I met the woman who would become the love of my life, Cindi. We dated for a brief period, but I knew my search was over. I asked her to marry me and, to my great surprise, she said yes. We were married near the end of 1976.

During a retreat a year later, I experienced a call to pastoral ministry. I began studying and preparing for the next several years. In 1985, I was ordained as a pastor and served in the same church for 25 years, until I retired from ministry in August 2010. In 1984, our daughter Rebekah was born. Six years later, our son Isaac. Both are now grown and married (we already have our first grandson, little Caden). I’ll always be their Dad, but now we’re also good friends.

And for the last several years (and hopefully many more to come) I get to do something else I love to do…write books. I began writing fulltime in 2010. I have five novels out with Revell and a 6th will release in September.

Revell has signed me to write 2 books a year for them through 2013, including a 4-book fiction series with bestselling author and relationship expert, Dr. Gary Smalley.

Dan Walsh Blog

3 Men Walk Into a Blog

Click on the pics for more info on buying Dan Walsh’s Books:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carrie Fancett Pagels – Attention to the Small Things and 2 Giveaways

Attention to the Small Things

by Carrie Fancett Pagels

God gives us small things to test us. Don’t despise the small things in your writing life.  This could mean working in a service position in your local group.  Could mean a blog with few readers but that you faithfully work on. My first blogging was on ShoutLife and no one read my blog posts.  Then a few people did.  I was so excited the day that I saw 9 people had read my little post!!!

Don’t be “too good” to work on a small project. Or to have too little time for a newbie.  I’m not saying to have boundaries, but don’t go into writing life with the notion that you won’t be one of those “worker bees” as I have heard some writers describe the very people who assist in their writing organizations!

I recently had a multi-published author ask me how I had connected with another well-known best-selling author who she hoped to contact—the question came from someone with a couple of dozen books out. Simple—the Overcoming With God gang asked the well-known best-selling author on our blog.  We prayed first because we were a pretty small blog but our reviewers loved this person’s books and I loved her heart and testimony. And I got to meet her at a conference and spend some time with her. My little step, from God, was to ask for her interview. So sometimes that “little step” of swallowing your pride and risking someone might reject your request may result in an ongoing writerly friendship.

The main thing is to keep God at the center of your writing life and to do what He asks you. Pure and simple.  He tells you to ask about guest posting on a ginormous blog—do it.  He tells you to spend an hour helping someone whose writing is a 1 on a scale of 1 to 5—do it.  For Him.

Faithfulness in those little tasks will result in God giving you bigger projects to work on for Him and His glory. And that’s what it’s all about.

Meet the Author:

Carrie Fancett Pagels (www.carriefancettpagels.com) writes “romantic” historical fiction.  Carrie’s upcoming release “Return to Shirley Plantation: A Civil War Romance” is part of a multi-author anthology headed up by Murray Pura. Carrie is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary Agency and is owner/administrator of two group blogs: “Colonial Quills” (http://colonialquills.blogspot.com) and “Overcoming With God” (www.overcomingwithGod.com). Carrie was a psychologist for twenty-five years. She is a contributor to a nonfiction anthology God’s Provision in Tough Times by Cynthia Howerter and La-Tan Murphy, releasing in May 2013.

Facebook Author Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carrie-Fancett-Pagels/317053071710640?fref=ts

Facebook Personal Page http://www.facebook.com/carriefancettpagels

Twitter https://twitter.com/cfpagels

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/carriefpagels/

GoodReads http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5548131-carrie-pagels

LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=131454255&trk=tab_pro

I have an upcoming ebook releasing in April 2013. This is part of a multi-author anthology through Helping Hand Press. Murray Pura heads up this project and is also the editor. Contributors range from short story (7000 words) up to larger novella (25,000 words). As my husband has reminded me, this is not a full book length publication.  But it is a start.  And I will not despise the smaller things God gives me. For if I am faithful in the little things I pray I will be faithful in the larger.

Question: What about you?  Are you a writer who has been holding out and are only interested in writing trade-length book projects? Ask God to show you if you should pursue shorter writing projects or other writing-related tasks.

2 Giveaways:

Carrie is giving away a packet of beautiful notecards depicting Shirley Plantation’s many charms and a PDF copy of Carrie’s upcoming release Return to Shirley Plantation: A Civil War Romance.  Leave a comment answering the following question by next Friday to enter.

Question: What is one thing you wish Civil War romance writers would leave out of their books?

Carrie’s Soon to Be Released Books:

Cry of Freedom: An American Civil War Series, Volume 1

Return to Shirley Plantation

A Civil War Romance

Abducted against his will, Matthew Scott is conscripted into the Confederate army because of his Copperhead father’s political leanings. Injured at Malvern Hill, Matthew is taken by the Union army to Shirley Plantation in Virginia where he is tended by seamstress Angelina Rose, a freed slave. Given an opportunity to leave the South and start a new life for herself, Angelina remained for the sake of her sister’s orphaned twins who are still enslaved. Will Matthew’s return to Shirley Plantation settle a mystery concerning his father’s past? And help Matthew find the family he longs for.

Karen Wingate – Write What You Know

Write What You Know

 by Karen Wingate

One of the first pieces of writing advice I ever received was “Write what you know.”  It was good advice, for it gave me confidence that I did have something to write about.

Like any adage, this bit of advice had its limits and left room for misinterpretation.

At first, I thought writing what I know meant I should write personal experience stories and illustrations about myself. To tell the truth, there are parts of my life I don’t want to write about. If a writing ministry means writing nothing but tell-alls, forget it.

Writing what you know is much broader than merely writing about your experiences.  As writers, we have the pleasure of talking about subjects we feel most comfortable with, sharing the lessons we’ve learned in life and compiling information we gather through research and interviews.  Big sigh of relief.

I’ve discovered that writing what you know is only a starting point in becoming a great writer.  After twenty-five years in the writing industry, my best advice is this: learn to reach beyond what you know.

Here’s how you can do that.

1. Determine your starting point.  Draw a coat of arms, then, in each of the quadrants, list your interests, hobbies, passions, and life experiences.  This is your initial deposit in your data bank.  Your job as a writer, is to expand your investment.

2. Learn to write out of your experience, not just about your experience.  What do I mean by that? As I mentioned above, you don’t have to write about the painful events of your life.  Instead, journal or list what life lessons you have learned from those experiences.  Then research illustrations from history, current events or other people’s lives that validate those points.  This will make your writing much stronger and more appealing.  Use your own experience sparingly, just enough to show that you are not merely regurgitating information found on the Internet; you’ve lived it.

A national magazine wanted me to write an article on forgiveness.  To share how I knew about forgiveness would be more private information than I wanted the public to know and would hurt members of my family.  But, because of certain events in my life, I’ve learned some lessons about forgiveness.  I asked myself, what event exemplifies the same principles about forgiveness that I had to learn.  I came up with the story about the Amish schoolhouse shooting in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania.  My readers could identify with the story because they had already heard the story. It became a powerful introduction to my article.

2. Observe. Become a people watcher.  Listen to conversations.  Pay attention to the news.  Watch how people react.  This is especially true if you write fiction.  Increase your knowledge base by watching how other people react to life.

3. Learn to interview.  This is an essential skill for any kind of writing. When I wrote devotions for a national company, I got to choose my topics from a theme list they provided.  Of course, I chose themes with which I was most comfortable.  It wasn’t appropriate to talk about myself all the time so I would think of someone who had a similar experience then ask to interview them.  I discovered people are often more than willing to share their stories with a writer.  I treasure some of those interviews as some of the most profound moments of my life.

4.  Keep your audience in mind  How would someone else react if they had gone through your experience? Would it be the same?

I’m visually impaired.  I’m also a fighter. I quickly forget that not every visually impaired person will have the same stubborn streak that I do.  So, if I write about visual impairment without thinking about my audience, I can quickly become harsh and judgmental, sounding, like I’m telling my reader, “I overcame, why can’t you?”  By rubbing shoulders with other visually impaired people, I learn even more about other coping mechanisms, daily living strategies and humorous moments in the life of a visually impaired person.  Suddenly, I know a lot more and can write with greater credibility.

To be a great writer, you must be willing to be a life-long learner. I think what I enjoy most about writing is the chance I have to learn about the world and the people in it.  Admitting I don’t know enough about a subject propels me to learn and discover. The more I learn, the more I have to draw from and the more I have to write about.

That sounds like a win-win scenario to me.

Meet the Author:

Karen Wingate has written for The Lookout, Christian Standard, Clubhouse, Decision, Christian Home and School, and Children’s Ministry.  She is currently working on her second novel, a historical fiction set in eastern Ohio.  Check out Karen’s speaking topics and blog at www.graceonparade.com.

Carole Brown – Never, Never Give Up!

Never, Never Give Up!

by Carole Brown

2012 started out with my determination to become published.

I was already going through a discouragement period, and I felt little change as the months passed. Tidbits of things should have given me a hint that change was in the air. Or maybe better said, in my heart.

Friends encouraged. One special friend figuratively sat me down (although actually we were standing for most of the conversation) and gave me a “talking to.” What did I take away from that?

Quit beating myself up.

I have talent; use it.

Believe in God.

I’ll have to admit, my faith was weak at this point. Yet I’ll have to admit too: I think I had to get into this “slough of despond” for God to gain my attention. I had to get to the point where all I could say was, “God, I believe. Help my unbelief.”

I put the words on my desktop. Every few days they would catch my attention. Every few days I’d repeat them like a mantra; a prayer from a heart with little faith.

Then a writing conference.
A meeting with an editor.
A manuscript request.
Work. Editing.
A send-in.
Waiting.
Waiting.
More waiting.
Calls from my agent. Emails.
Contact.
BIG News.
I’d been offered a contract.
December 17: date signed.
I became an author!

Elation. Happiness. Satisfaction. Relief.

All this.
And more.

Peace.

Because throughout this year I learned in my own way to let go and let God. My faith might be weak, but God is strong. My faith might be little, but God works through little and weak and deformed and broken.

I couldn’t make it happen, but God did. In his own time.

It’s his book, his novel, and whether he blesses it in a mighty way, or a small one, it is his.

Meet the Author:

Author Carole Brown’s debut novel, The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman, will hopefully be out by the end of 2013. She’s also published four children’s books that are used in Christian schools and VBS. She’s written various magazine articles, served as editor and co-editor of many newsletters, has helped to develop advertising brochures and has received several awards for her poems. She has a Bachelors Degree in Religious Education, an Associate in Computer Software and has completed several courses in fiction writing.

Carole is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Central Ohio Fiction Writers, Sisters In Crime, and the founder of Circle of Pens (a writing group to mentor beginning writers). She is the ACFWOhio coordinator, ACFW Bookclub discussion leader, a Suspense Zone reviewer, a member of the Barn Loft Interview Team, and runs her own blog site at http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/ 

Carole lives in Ohio with her husband, and co-labors with her husband in ministry, nationally and internationally.

To connect with her, go here:

Blog: http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carole.brown.7315

Twitter: https://twitter.com/browncarole212

Soon to be Released:

The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman

• Can Dayne’s prayers and love straddle the gulf of anger and bitterness Cara harbors before she goes too far to experience redemption?
• A contemporary women’s fiction with strong elements of suspense and romance
• Good for anyone who has been abused or for those dealing with abusive situations
• A passionate book, not for the weak hearted, but for those who want to be reminded, touched, and stirred.

Contests:

I’m also holding at least one contest a month to promote the upcoming release of my book, The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman. Details can be seen at my blog if you’d like to join in the fun! http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/ or on Facebook. January had THREE books as prizes; February had SIX different prizes; March’s had FIVE books.  

Kathleen L. Maher – How to Encourage an Author – One Bite at a Time

How to Encourage an Author

One Bite at a Time

by Kathleen L. Maher

In the Civil War, untried troops had an expression about going off to war. They called it going to see the elephant.  A writer confronts the elephant of story with her puny pen, mincing it down to bite sized tasks. It might take a month of Sundays, but if I focus on one task at a time, I can write! And so can you.

I have yet to stare down deadlines, multitask one story in plotting stage whilst market a new release whilst writing yet another. But I fear not this wild herd, because the process is the same. You tackle one elephantine story at a time, cutting each pachyderm into the following steps: Brainstorm. Plot. Outline. Rough draft.  Edit. Critique. Edit again. Bite sized chunks.

Brainstorm: In my earliest days of writing, I found forums on agentquery.com where I could submit an idea or two and get really good, honest feedback. Later I discovered ACFW.com, and met my brilliant and invaluable partner Debbie Lynne Costello (sorry, fellow elephant hunters, she’s taken) through their critique groups. Scribes is a terrific resource for a brainstorming and critique partner. As you brainstorm, you must think GMC—goal, motivation, conflict. There is something your character wants more than anything, a reason why he wants it, and a conflict preventing him from getting it. (see http://www.debradixon.com/books/gmc.html)

Plot: Your characters have a journey to take. There are five legs of this journey: Introduction, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution. If you have this, you have a basic skeleton of a story. There will be a dark moment when all seems lost, like in Lady and the Tramp where Trusty recovers his sense of smell and races after the dog catcher’s wagon. That awful howl , and him laying in the muddy road. And then there is that heartwarming ending, watching Lady’s puppies frolic and cavort around Jock and Jim Dear and Darling and Tramp and. . . yes, a mellow and doting Trusty, who keeps up with the whippersnappers despite a cast on his leg.

Outline is tying all of this hard work into a cohesive shape, and writing the rough draft adds sensory flesh to the bones. Sight, sound, taste, smell and touch.  Edits involve taking out weasel words, (http://www.examiner.com/article/weasel-words-1 )and adverbs, or adding in a subplot  and power verbs. You correct spelling, grammar, watch for homophones. Read it aloud for flow. This is where your critique partner becomes pure gold to you, because everyone has a blind spot. Maybe you have a pet word or phrase.  Do a global search to find every usage and cut!

None of these steps sounds hard by themselves, right? That’s because they’re not. It can be done. The most gargantuan task can be accomplished by picking it apart into smaller units. Now go. Eat an elephant.

Meet the Author:

Kathleen L. Maher writes historical romance and is represented by Terry Burns of Hartline Literary. She has a novella Bachelor
Buttons coming out in May through Helping Hands Press, part of a Civil War novella collection. A repeat finalist in several writing contests, she won the 2012 ACFW Genesis with her Civil War historical, Closer than a Brother. Kathleen lives in upstate New York with her husband, three kids and two Newfoundland dogs.

A Cry to Freedom

A Civil War Series, Volume 3

Bachelor Buttons

A Civil War Romance

The daughter of immigrants who fled the Irish Potato Famine, Rose Meehan longs for a better life than the tenements of New York City. Courted by two men–a young doctor who represents material security, and a poor violin instructor who has captured her heart–she must choose between a life of advantage-grabbing or a life of faith. When Manhattan explodes in mob rule following Lincoln’s unpopular draft, the heroic action of one suitor brings provision for those she loves, and reveals God’s plan.