Novel Rocket

Shine and Soar with Bethany Aleshire

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Griep) — Sat, 04 May 2013 01:00:01 PDT

Here in the frozen tundra of Minnesota (yes, it's still snowing in May), most teenagers hunker down and play video games. Not Bethany Aleshire. This sixteen-year-old single-handedly developed, produced, and publishes a new online magazine called SHINE & SOAR. Grab a cup of java, sit back, and have a chat with this talented young lady.

Bethany Aleshire

Why would a teenager take on such a huge task for no pay?

Making a magazine fulfills all the passions I have (okay, maybe not my passions for eating caramels and snuggling with puppies, but still!): designing, writing about all things God, life, and entrepreneurship, connecting with other creatives, coming up with ideas, and working with/making beautiful photographs. Honestly, it’s like creating your own little world.

It also gives my team and I pressured accountability and space to practice skills that we need to hone. From working on leadership development to finding our writing voice, and from working on our design skills to being creative on a deadline…all skills that we need in our careers that we’re aiming for.

Where did the idea come from?

I've had the name "Shine & Soar" in my idea book for a while as a name for a movement/conference for entrepreneurs. I was planning that I would bring it to life down the road when I was "ready” (aka when I felt like my life was together enough and I had "made it” enough with my business). But in 2012 God showed me that that time would never truly come. I will always feel like I’m not good enough or influential enough to start my crazy ideas and I just need to push through those feelings and DO it.

The magazine part came as I started graphic design classes last fall and was exposed to the programs that are used to design a magazine. It opened my eyes to see that I can actually design a magazine. Little, young me. But how could I possibly design and lead and run this magazine all by myself AND put it out more than once a year? I couldn’t, so I needed a team. That’s when I sent a very long email to Ciera, Mackenzie, and Sarah (girls that I met the month before at a retreat for young Christian women photographers) pitching them the idea and asking if they’d be on board for it. They were all beyond the moon ecstatic about it! And from there, we were off running.

What is the biggest challenge in putting out a quarterly ezine?

Gathering up content. It is a worthy challenge to manage 15+ writers and photographers (myself and my team included). Deadlines and time management don’t really jive with the right brain. The hour before we launched, I was still editing my main article I wrote, because it just didn’t seem right. But my team and I have to remind ourselves that it is progress not perfection that counts. Every masterpiece, book, creative venture, could’ve been better…but the point is that they launched it. We’re working on making the process more streamlined for our creative contributors and ourselves for the next issue and beyond.

In putting together Shine & Soar, what's one thing that surprised you about the process?

How hard it is to keep things consistent and of quality when you have a variety of writers and photographers contributing to it. My team and I saw other magazines that looked all over the place design wise and the quality of their articles bounced from great to not so much. We decided to go for quality over quantity and keep a consistent feel to the magazine…which is easier said than done. Even though I do love our Spring Issue a lot, we still have to learn how to make the magazine feel entirely cohesive while retaining the unique spin of each article.

What piece of advice would you give to other aspiring teen writers?

Put yourself out there! Share your work. You can have thousands upon thousands of words and a million ideas stored on your hard drive, but no one except you will know they exist. You don’t get paid to be your own client and reader, so you need to share your work. And the best way to share your work right now is to blog. You’ve got ideas inside you that no one else has, and the world needs to see them. Just remember, it’s about progress not perfection. Keep practicing and excellence will come.

What piece of advice would you give to aspiring teen writers' parents?

Support them in their pursuit of their passion, but know when to pull them back from it. Subconsciously, we’re hardwired to want our parent’s approval and it hurts a lot when we don’t get it from them. So definitely give it.

But, on the flip side, as writers and creators, we can get consumed with our work. Yes, it feels great to do our passion, but there is more to life than work. As a parent, you can help instill that balance in them now. Maybe it’s saying to your daughter after she’s been working a lot on her writing lately, “Hey, take a break from your work for a couple of days,” or “Let’s do something not related to writing tonight.” There are going to be some times when we need to meet a deadline or have an energy spurt for a couple of days and we pound out a lot of work, but there is a difference between working well and working too much. Give (and thus show) your kids the benefit of having a life outside of work. Building relationships. Going on little adventures around town. Being silly with the family. That is where true life happens.

What's your goal for Shine & Soar?

To reach, inspire and challenge young women, deeper than ever before. We just want to keep helping them and making a difference in their lives. For now, that means doing the magazine and blog on a consistent basis, but in the future we're hoping to bring it to print, host a workshop, and accomplish some other big dreams we have up our sleeves.

Thanks for stopping by today Bethany and readers. Great nuggets of wisdom and very inspiring...even to us old folks!

Blog or Website—Which Does a Writer Need?

noreply@blogger.com (Edie Melson) — Fri, 03 May 2013 01:00:00 PDT

I do a lot of teaching at writing conferences across the country and lately I’ve been reminded that not everyone knows the difference between a Blog and Website.

So, blog or website—which does a writer need? Today I thought I’d give you an easy way to decide which you should have and begin the evaluation process for your specific situation.

As many of you know, social media and blogging aren’t a one-size-fits-all proposition. Far from it! But the almost endless array of choices can leave anyone feeling uncertain what’s needed.

Before we get into the choices and how to decide, let’s make certain we’re all clear on the definitions.

A Blog

The word itself is a relatively new invention. Its usage began in the early 80s and comes from the words Web and Log—Blog—and was originally envisioned as a sort of online journal. Occasionally I still run across someone who doesn’t realize blogs haven’t been online diaries for many years.

Having a blog used to be thought of as the amateur way to have an online presence. Again, this hasn’t been the case for quite a number of years. Many well-respected sites are in actuality, blogs.

Enough history, here is an up-to-date definition of a blog:

An online site, with regular, frequent updates that encourage interaction through comments and sharing. It can be a single-page site or a multi-page site. But its primary purpose is interaction.

A Website

In contrast, a website is much more of a static site, where much of the information remains the same. It doesn’t usually have a place for interaction—although there is almost always a contact form somewhere so visitors can interact if necessary. It's almost like a yellow pages ad or a billboard.

A website can also be a singe-page or a multi-page site. But more generally it has several pages. Often times, one of the pages is a blog. Websites are most often built by website designers or those willing to learn HTML code. Even though a lot of folks use a template to build a website, they are almost always customized and use a lot more code specific design.

As you can see by the definitions, blogs and websites do tend to overlap in their intent. But, and this is VITALLY important to understand, they are not the same in the way they’re developed.

Take WordPress products for example. WordPress has a lot of great options, for blogs and for websites. But, blogs are built on the WordPress.com site, and websites are built on the WordPress.org site. Why two different sites? Because websites and blogs are very different in the way they’re constructed.

Think of WordPress like a car company—say Volkswagen. Even though the VW Bug and the Jetta are both built by Volkswagen, they are very different cars. A mechanic doesn’t fix them with the same parts or even necessarily the same tools. It’s the same for WordPress Blogs (the free version .com) and WordPress Websites (the paid version .org). Even more than that, just because someone has their own WordPress website doesn’t mean they know how to help you with WordPress blog. Be very careful here, the plug-ins are not always the same!

Generically speaking, a blog isn’t better than a website and visa versa. But specifically, there are times when one choice is better than another.

When to Build only a Blog

I recommend new writers always start with a blog and here are some reasons why:

They’re easy to work with. By that I mean, it’s easy to learn the basics if you stick with a reputable platform. I recommend Blogger, WordPress, or TypePad.
They’re free. Blogger is completely free. WordPress.com is free, but also has some upgrades available for purchase. And TypePad has a small monthly fee, depending on which version you choose. It may surprise you to know that my favorite, hands down, is Blogger. Blogger offers more options for personalization and it has the added benefit of being owned by Google, so you get good search engine results if your site is well done.
They can be tweaked and changed as your career grows and focuses. Just because you begin writing devotions, doesn’t mean you won’t one day end up writing fiction. It helps if you don’t have to start over and build a whole new product.

When to Build a Website

I recommend an author with multiple books, and the means to pay someone to keep it up, invest in a website…with a blog. Now don’t get me wrong, I know a lot of writers who’ve built their own websites. Some of them like to tinker with code (not many) others just want to save money. Personally, my passion is writing, NOT website building.

Here are the reasons to build a website:

You are more than one person, commercially speaking. For example, my friend and critique partner Vonda Skelton, is an author, a motivational speaker, an actress, and a womens ministry leader. She needs a website to have multiple pages under each of the four categories.
You’re ready to have someone else run that part of your business and can afford to pay for it. Make sure you have someone who comes highly recommended and who has time to make changes you need in a reasonable time-frame.
You have multiple books and need more room to promote/engage your readers.

All of that said, even the biggest and best websites can benefit from having a blog somewhere within the site. In today’s publishing climate readers like to engage with authors. At this point, a blog is still the best way to do it.

Now it's your turn. If you have an questions about which is best for you, leave them in the comments section below. Also, for those of you with websites, we'd love for you to chime in recommending good website designers.

Edie Melson is the author of four books, a freelance writer and editor with years of experience in the publishing industry. She’s the co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, as well as a popular faculty member at numerous others. She’s also the social media columnist for Southern Writers Magazine and social media mentor for My Book Therapy. Connect with her through Twitter, Facebook, and her popular blog for writers, www.thewriteconversation.com.

Character’s Relationship with His Setting

noreply@blogger.com (Ane Mulligan) — Wed, 01 May 2013 01:00:13 PDT

Meg Moseley is still a Californian at heart although she's lived more than half her life in other states. Holding jobs that ranged from candle-maker to administrative assistant, Meg eventually contributed human-interest columns for a suburban edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Contemporary fiction remains her real love. The author of When Sparrows Fall, she lives in Atlanta near the foothills of the Southern Appalachians with her husband.

NR: To be entered in a drawing for Meg's book Gone South, leave a comment. The winner will be announced on Novel Rocket's Facebook page tomorrow. Be sure to like us there! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Novel-Rocket/129877663761335?ref=hl

Making the most of a character’s relationship with his setting

I’ll never forget this classic advice from Donald Maass: Make it worse. If you want to hook your reader, ramp up your story’s tension by making things worse for your protagonist. Don’t let her get too comfy.

For a long time, I focused almost exclusively on plot events to add tension and conflict. I would dream up twists and turns. Action. Disasters and mini-disasters, preferably stemming from the character’s choices. Those are all good and necessary in the right doses, but lately I’ve realized that a story’s setting can be a very helpful tool in the “Make it worse” toolbox.

Let’s differentiate between small-picture settings (a cornfield, a boudoir, or a cantina) and big-picture settings (Nebraska in 2014, Paris in 1910, or the planet Tattooine). Although small-picture settings can also offer plenty of challenges for your characters, the big-picture setting can be fertile ground for story-size conflicts and tension.

Consider the wealth of material you’re given to work with in a story’s setting. Setting is more than time and place. It includes the social context or culture of the story as well as physical factors like climate, landscape, and the flora and fauna of the area. Combined with your other story elements, the setting can be a dynamic power that exerts pressure on your character and changes him.

At the same time, your character can and should affect the setting too. It goes both ways, and it may vary greatly depending on your character’s relationship with the setting.

Has he been there for a long time? Is he a native son? A contented native son or one who’s desperate to leave? Is he a critic of this place or is he one of its defenders?

Or is he an inmate of his setting? A character doesn’t have to be locked up in a literal prison to be a prisoner. He could be trapped in an abusive relationship, a rigid belief system, or a miserable job.

Or maybe your character is a newcomer to your setting. What kind of newcomer is she? Is she there on business, with no emotional connection to the place so far? Or is she a refugee who’s grateful to have escaped a worse place?

Maybe she’s an invader instead. An invader might change the setting more than the setting changes her. An example of this is Tish McComb, the protagonist of Gone South. A Michigander who moves to a small town in Alabama, Tish soon realizes she’s not exactly welcome there because the locals see her as one of those know-it-all Yankees. When she tackles the problem, she becomes a catalyst for change in the town.

Half the fun of writing the story was seeing the locals from Tish’s perspective and seeing her from theirs. Their opinions were decidedly different because each character had a different way of experiencing and processing the world they lived in.

Part of a character’s point-of-view may be dependent on his role in the story’s setting: native son, invader, or prisoner, for instance. He will perceive everything through his very individual POV, not strictly through the physical senses but also through his emotional filters. The reader will be influenced too, as he identifies with the character, so a character’s POV is more than just his “camera angle.” It’s also the reader’s window into the story world and into the character’s heart as he faces new troubles at every turn.

Many, many elements go into a novel, but I love the interesting combinations that unfold when I play with setting, character, and POV. They’re inseparable and interrelated.

The big-picture setting is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your character. It’s the world he’ll live in for several hundred pages, so you’ll want to be sure—before you’ve written forty thousand words—that it’s the most appropriate world for him. A world that gives you every opportunity to make things worse.

Gone South

Leaving frosty Michigan for the Deep South was never a blip in the simple plans Tish McComb imagined for her life, dreams of marriage and family that were dashed five years earlier in a tragic accident. Now an opportunity to buy her great-great-great-grandparents’ Civil War era home beckons Tish to Noble, Alabama, a Southern town in every sense of the word. She wonders if God has given her a new dream— the old house filled with friends, her vintage percolator bubbling on the sideboard.

When Tish discovers that McCombs aren’t welcome in town, she feels like a Yankee behind enemy lines. Only local antiques dealer George Zorbas seems willing to give her a chance. What’s a lonely outcast to do but take in Noble’s resident prodigal, Melanie Hamilton, and hope that the two can find some much needed acceptance in each other.

Problem is, old habits die hard, and Mel is quite set in her destructive ways. With Melanie blocked from going home by her influential father, Tish must try to manage her incorrigible houseguest as she attempts to prove her own worth in a town that seems to have forgotten that every sinner needs God-given mercy, love and forgiveness.

Interview with Author Sharon Srock

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Conroy) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 03:00:18 PDT

Today we welcome author Sharon Srock. Sharon Srock lives with her husband, Larry, and two dogs in Rural Oklahoma. She is a mother, grandmother, and Sunday School teacher. Sharon has one and three-quarters jobs and writes in her spare time. Her favorite hobby is traveling with her grandchildren. She is a member of the ACFW and currently serves as treasurer for her local chapter. Sharon’s debut novel, The Women of Valley View: Callie released in October 2012. The second in the series, The Women of Valley View: Terri releases in April 2013.

Why do you write?

Seems to be a God thing. I never “dreamed of being a writer”. It took me by as much surprise as anyone. I’m a pretty goal driven person, but with 2 jobs other than the writing, my life was already busy. I’ve never pursued anything with the single minded do-it-yesterday mindset that the writing has produced.

Why do you write in this genre?

We’ll have to blame God for that as well. These are the stories that are in my heart. When I started on the first book, I didn’t know that “women’s fiction” was a genre. I’d never read anything like what I was writing. I’ve read some very good women’s fiction since then, but it still is not my genre of choice when I go book shopping. I tend to lean more to romantic suspense, and courtroom drama. Can’t imagine writing either of those. Is that weird?

Tell us about your new release

Despite a bustling day care center and a new foster child, Terri Hayes hungers for a family of her own. Then a plumbing mishap leaves her homeless and questioning God’s plan. Steve Evans’s gracious offer of his basement apartment as a temporary solution is an answered prayer. Steve is a successful writer and a good father, but Terri is horrified when Steve’s book research leads him to a harsh confrontation with the parents of her foster child. She needs to distance herself from Steve, but her efforts fall short as his two scheming daughters plot to make Terri their new stepmother.

Will harsh words and sneaky plans drive Kelsey’s family further apart and put a wedge between Terri and Steve? Or does God have another plan in store?

Where did you get your inspiration for this character?

When I started the first book I wanted my characters to appeal to a wide range of women. Callie was mid fifties, and a working woman. Karla was 60 and newly retired. Pam was my 40 year old, on her second marriage and still raising her family. Terri was 29, single, and longing for a husband and family. When Steve Evans came along, A successful single Hunk…it was just a match made in heaven.

If you could visit anyone of your characters who would it be and why?

That’s like asking a mother which of her children is her favorite. The answer is going to vary from one day to the next. All of my women have good and bad traits. Right this second I’d choose Samantha, but that’s just for now and driven by the fact that I’m writing her story and would love to be in her head better.

How do you balance your writing time with family and any other work you do?

s I mentioned, I have two paying jobs, I have a husband, daughters, and grands and great grands. They all like a hunk of my time on occasion. I write in lunch and break time snatches, a lot on weekends, and I try to work in some after work bits and pieces as well. My husband is pretty good with a fend-for-yourself night if I really need time at the computer. Example: Last Friday night was Terri’s facebook launch party. Friday is our weekly night out, but he left me at the computer, undisturbed for 3 hours, brought me food and drink, and cleaned up the kitchen after I crawled into bed.

Is there anything you would change about your writing journey?

I wish I had started earlier. I knew 25 years ago that this is what God called me to do. The best and worst part about being a writer...Best, finally feeling like I've found my place in God's plan. Worst--the never ending waiting. I'm not a good waiter.

Is there anything else in life you’re passionate about? Other hobbies you’d like to pursue someday?

Right now I’m into traveling. About 9 years ago my husband decided he didn’t care for vacations much. I started taking each of my grandchildren on a special trip, just me and them, working my down from oldest to youngest .We’ve been to Hawaii, The Grand Canyon, Cozumel, Disney, and several cruises. This year is my last grandchild trip. My youngest granddaughter and I are taking a Bahamas cruise and spending a couple of days at Disney. God has truly blessed me with the desires of my heart in allowing me to do this for each of them. The memories we’ve made are one of my treasured possessions. Next year the adult vacations start. My eldest daughter, a friend, and I are doing an Alaskan cruise.

Thanks so much for joining us!

Connect with Sharon here:

Blog: http://www.sharonsrock.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SharonSrock#!/SharonSrock
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/SharonSrock
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6448789.Sharon_Srock

Marveling at Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Author Sandra D. Bricker) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 06:27:45 PDT

Let’s really marvel at Jesus this week. Let’s marvel at the fact that Jesus changed how the world expresses compassion, that he shaped education, revolutionized art and changed political theory. In him, we find hope and the one and only path to God.

For centuries, people lived distinctly divided lives. Identity remained defined by the group into which each person was born or married. Then Jesus taught people about God, himself, and the Holy Spirit that would reside within them after his death, and he gave them a new way to define themselves. Jesus presented an idea of community that no one had ever seen. In this community, all manner of people, wealthy or poor, Gentile or Jew, slave or free, were welcome.

Think of all the dissimilar people that Jesus brought together! People like C.S. Lewis, Bono, Joel Osteen, Denzel Washington, and Tim Tebow; all of them united because of one man—Jesus Christ!

We are all one body united in Christ. As sinners and broken people, whether we are black or white, Asian or German, tall or short, single or married, parents or children, hip or nerdy, new believers or spiritual authorities, we are one community. Only one thing matters: Our identity is found in Jesus Christ, and he lives in all of us. Jesus brought us all together. He gave us hope through community. Who else could do that?

One of the most predominant principles shared in most westernized societies is the right of citizens to obtain an education. From about five years of age until around age eighteen, it is expected that children will attend school and be taught the knowledge, skills, customs and values necessary to shape them into productive members of society. This has become such a common occurrence that it’s pretty much taken for granted. But it wasn’t always so.

The life and teachings of Jesus would radically alter the “status quo” of education being a privilege only for the elite and would shape the foundation of education. Jesus, the ultimate Teacher of all time, set the precedence for making no distinction between fishermen, women, rich, poor, outcasts, young or old. His classroom was on mountaintops, in boats, synagogues, roadways and private homes. He taught one-on-one, in small and large groups, both privately and publically. He used methods that everyone could understand through parables, stories and everyday life occurrences and examples.

Jesus revealed to us the mysteries of God; of His immeasurable truth, love, mercy and grace. Through his teachings, Jesus gives us the hope of a relationship with God and his death on the cross. His burial and resurrection make that relationship a certainty.

In Mark 3:17, Jesus taught that we are to follow the rules laid down by government while still surrendering to God all that belongs to God...which, of course, is everything else. In his time, Jesus’ statement was an abomination because he pointed out that, while government is an important element in our lives, there is also another realm, a second and ultimate authority by which we are governed. The Pharisees realized that, under this man’s reign, their dominion could be profoundly limited, and they were having none of it! But even by killing him, they couldn’t change what Jesus had set into motion.

From that time until now, disciples of Christ have been standing on these precepts. When it came time for our forefathers to design a governing document for this new world, they purposefully based it on the teachings of Jesus Christ: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and have been endowed by their Creator with certain rights…”

Jesus was also the architect of our global concepts toward human rights and dignity. He delivered a fresh perspective, and Galatians 3 reported that, in Christ Jesus, there is no longer a distinction between people, and that we are all one our servanthood to him. In this election year, it’s important to remember that this powerful perspective grew sturdy legs throughout political history. Martin Luther King, in fact, was inspired by scripture at The Mall in Washington, D.C. when he began to quote the Book of Amos and ultimately moved forward to declare to the gathering crowd: “I have a dream...that one day…”

# # #

Sandra D. Bricker is a best-selling and award-winning author of laugh-out-loud romantic comedy for the Christian market. Her most recent book, Always the Baker Finally the Bride is the final novel in the Another Emma Rae Creation series from Abingdon Press Fiction. Check out her website at www.SandraDBricker.com.

Sandie leads a team of writers in creating the Living It Out daily Bible study for CedarCreek Church. Today's devotion is borrowed from the Living It Out study on HOPE. If you enjoyed it, feel free to check out the daily studies by e-mail or audio podcast by clicking HERE.

Five Reasons I Reject Manuscripts

noreply@blogger.com (sally apokedak) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:48:40 PDT

It's apparent the writer hasn't actually read books in the genres in which she is writing.

If you have ever been tempted to think, "My first love is horror, but I'll write sunny children's picture books because I heard an agent say that was the hot market now," slap some sense into yourself, please.

I've had writers tell me they have never read a YA book, but they are writing YA because YA sells. The same goes for romance. They don't like romance—they think it's rather silly and they are sure they can write a silly romance in two weeks with one hand tied behind their backs.

Hear me: When you hold genre books in disdain but figure you'll knock out a few to support yourself while you work on your literary novel, it will show in your writing. I'm not saying you can't write a romance while you work on your 800-page fantasy. I'm saying if you want to write romance, you need to read and understand romance.

The writing is full of grammatical errors.

Has anyone ever read your stuff and thought that English was your second language?

I hate to write this because I am sure that tomorrow or next week, I'll be scanning this very post and I'll find typos and/or other errors. Every time I get snarky about someone else's shortcomings, God allows me to fall flat on my face. Nevertheless, I have to say it: If you can't write well, in a technical sense, you need to hire an editor. Pay attention to your crit partners, learn from the things they mark, and if you still can't figure out how to stop switching between present and past tense, hire an editor.

The writing feels wooden.

Vary your sentences. While writing, you should vary your sentences. Before sending a proposal to an agent or editor, read over your manuscript, checking to see if you've varied your sentence structure. Varied sentences make the work more interesting to read.

And...slavishly following rules makes our writing feel wooden, too.

Too much showing.

He went to the car. He opened the door. He sat in the driver's seat. He turned the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life.

This is the kind of writing we get when we pay too much attention to the rule about showing instead of telling.

Just tell me he hopped into the car and sped out of the drive. I don't need to see him turn the key—I know how to start a car. Don't describe the expressions on a person's face or the feelings of despair in his gut so often. Sometimes it's OK to say she was happy instead of painting the wide smile that filled her face like the sun coming over the mountains.

I don't care about what happens to the characters.

If the writing is clean and flows well, I still will reject a story if I don't care about the characters.

I don't mean to say I dislike the characters so I turn the books down. It's that I don’t like or dislike them. I simply don't care about them one way or the other.

This is kind of a personal thing.

For me to care about a character, she must be vulnerable, smart, and conflicted. She also must be willing to act to make her life better. A character with a good sense of humor is attractive to me. And a character that is humble. I really love characters that are generous and suffering unjustly. Give me Cinderella, any day. Sweet and hardworking, and her troubles were not of her own making. She's been wronged and I want to see her get her own back.

But I don't think we're all attracted to the same characters. I could not read Gone With the Wind, but look at how many people cared about what happened to Scarlett.

What about you? What makes you automatically reject a book and what attracts you to a character?

photo credit: davemc500hats via photopin cc

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sally Apokedak is an associate agent with the Leslie H. Stobbe Literary Agency. She's in the process of of building a dynamite list of authors. She is also active in the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

We're Thrilled to Announce: TWO Rocketeers Sign New Book Contracts

noreply@blogger.com (Ane Mulligan) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:49:00 PDT

Novel Rocket's own Michelle Griep signed a contract with David C. Cook Publishing for A Heart Deceived and ... Edie Melson signed a two-book contract with Thomas Nelson.

CONGRATULATIONS, ladies!!!

Writing Advice You Should ALWAYS Follow

noreply@blogger.com (Edie Melson) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 03:53:01 PDT

by Edie Melson

Several weeks ago I wrote a tongue-in-cheek post about Writing Advice You Should NEVER Follow. Today I want to share writing advice you should always follow. Now, like ninety-nine percent of publishing rules, take these with a grain of salt. Writing is rarely a one-size-fits-all proposition.

1. Keep a regular schedule. Notice a said REGULAR schedule, not normal (and I didn’t say write every day). Your schedule may be writing on the bus everyday to work, or from midnight to 2 a.m. or even only on the weekend. Whatever works best for you, stick with it. Small bites are the best way to devour a huge task.

2. Don’t stop learning. Even if this weren’t an industry that’s ever changing, you’d still need to keep honing your skills. I don’t care who you are, or how long you’ve been writing, you never arrive.

3. Plug into a supportive team. You’ve often heard that writing is a solitary pursuit. Yes…and no. The act of putting words on paper is rarely a team sport. But producing publishable work is not. It takes a good support system to help you cover all the bases.

4. Build your platform BEFORE you get published. Yep, you read that right. So many writers put off building their social media networks until they sign with an agent or a publisher. I’m telling you that’s too late. Start building now and you’ll find yourself more attractive to editors and agents.

5. Don’t let the voices in your head derail your progress. As a whole, we writers are an insecure bunch. And most of our insecurity starts in our minds. We convince ourselves to fail before we even get started good. Who am I fooling, I can’t write. That editor/agent didn’t mean it when he said to send him a proposal. I don’t know why I bother, none of this is any good. Any of these sound familiar?

6. Learn the rules so you know how to break them effectively. Part of developing as a writer is knowing when to break the rules. It’s hard to do if you don’t know them to begin with. For example, you’ll hear the advice to get rid of repeated words. In most cases that’ good advice, but there are instances when you’ll want to repeat a word for emphasis.

7. Don’t EVER talk bad about anyone in the industry. Publishing is a small family, and people move around a lot. An agent at this company today, may be at a different company next year. The person sitting next to you at a conference, could be your editor. You get the idea.

8. Take critique, but don’t let it silence your voice. It’s important to develop a tough skin in this business. That means learning from tough critiques. BUT and this is vital, remember that a critique is just someone’s opinion. If you incorporate every critique into your WIP you’ll lose that distinctive thing called voice. This means sometimes throwing out advice from people you trust, and breaking some rules.

9. Write what you love. It's tempting to try to follow what's popular, but it rarely works out well. Life's short, spend it doing something you love.

10. Don’t quit. I’ve been around this business a long time. I’ve learned that while talent is good, perseverance will get you a whole lot farther. You’re going to have bad days, bad weeks, even bad months, but that’s still no reason to quit.

I’ve given you my best advice. Now I’d like to hear from you. What is the best writing advice you’ve ever gotten?

Taking the Suspense Out of Mystery Writing

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Conroy) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:33:00 PDT

When I started my first suspense about eight years ago, I didn’t know the difference between writing a mystery and a suspense. I went back and forth from a strong mystery thread to a strong suspense thread. Half way through and several rejections later, it soon became clear that I was confused. So I shelved that book and to this day it remains, waiting to be dusted off and restarted. Since then I’ve published two mysteries. Looking back on my first suspense novel, I see the problems and understand my genre confusion. I think a lot of new mystery/suspense writers may be confused as well. Hopefully, I can help clear things up and send you on your way to writing a strong mystery or suspense.

The first thing to realize is that there is a distinct difference in writing a mystery and a suspense. Knowing the differences in both genres and the expectations of the readers will help you craft the best novel possible and satisfy the readers of each genre. Mystery readers want an intellectual puzzle to solve while suspense lovers want to be taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotion. It’s that simple. The primary question mystery readers want answered is “Who did it?” In a suspense, the reader wants to know “Will the hero survive?”

In a mystery, the hero is in control and processes and understands information those around him can’t. The crime he is trying to solve is usually outside his personal life, and it’s up to the hero to connect all the clues into one complete puzzle to find the culprit. Traditionally, the mystery detective doesn’t undergo much character growth, but with modern mysteries that has changed. In the course of unraveling the crime, today’s amateur sleuth may undergoes an inner transformation by solving their own personal problems in the course of the mystery. But the core of the mystery is still the sleuth solving a mystery outside of her own personal situation.

In a suspense, the story is about the hero and his transformation to becoming a true hero. He is not the calm sleuth of the mystery novels who analyzes clues to solve the crime. Instead, the suspense hero is thrown around by life threatening circumstances, experiences emotional ups and downs, and is unable to control his fate.

Now that we know the difference between the two genres, let’s talk about some basics of mystery and suspense writing. We’ve already established that mystery readers are looking for a puzzle to solve. The thrill for the mystery reader is the tension which is created from discovering missing information and clues, then piecing them together to solve the crime.

In a mystery, the main crime happens off stage before the book starts or at the very start of the book, and the reader must stay two steps behind the detective. Why? Remember the reader wants a puzzle to solve. By having them stay two steps behind the detective it gives them the opportunity to solve the crime before the sleuth does. One of the cardinal rules of mystery writing is the writer needs to play fair with the reader. That means they must allow the reader to investigate along with the detective by discovering clues when the detective does.

Knowing how to drop clues without being too obvious is the trick of mystery writing. We want our readers to get to the end and think, “I should have seen it coming!” But writers need to avoid making the mystery too difficult that there’s no possible way the reader could solve it.

In a suspense, the reader is looking for an emotional rollercoaster ride which is created by supplying the reader with information and allowing them to see the danger. Tension is created when the reader is two steps ahead of the hero. The reader sees a clear and present danger to the hero, a danger the hero doesn’t see coming.

The thrill for the reader comes when the hero is buffeted by fate and waivers from trust and safety to suspicion and calm, then back again, several times through the course of the novel. The key to a good suspense is upping the stakes for the hero until character growth is achieved. In the end, the suspense hero will realize he’s journeyed through a perilous situation, learned new coping skills, and survived.

Of course, there’s a lot more to writing the mystery and suspense, but knowing about your hero and the nature of the crime can help you determine what direction you should take your story and how to please your audience.

Can you write a story that has both mystery and suspense? Yes, but know which genre is dominant. Mysteries can have suspense elements and suspense novels can have mystery threads, but readers of both genres have specific expectations. Knowing those reader expectations is the key to writing a successful mystery or suspense. Mystery readers want a puzzle to solve. Suspense readers want an emotional rollercoaster ride. Fail to meet those expectations and you let the reader down.

Gina Conroy is founder of Writer...Interrupted and is still learning how to balance a career with raising a family. Represented by Chip MacGregor, she finds time to write fun, quirky mysteries in between carpooling and ballroom dancing . Her first mystery Cherry Blossom Capers, released from Barbour Publishing in January 2012, and Digging Up Death is available now.

THE PASSIONATE PEN - by Christine Lindsay

noreply@blogger.com (Yvonne Lehman) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:00:09 PDT

Christine Lindsay writes inspirational historical novels with big love stories, and she is proud of her Irish roots. Her great grandfather and grandfather worked as riveters in the Belfast shipyard, and one of the ships they helped build was the Titanic. Another ancestor served in the British Cavalry in India, seeding Christine’s long-time fascination with the British Raj and became the stimulus for her series Twilight of the British Raj, and her debut novel, SHADOWED IN SILK. Her current release CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT is Book 2 of that series.

THE PASSIONATE PEN

I started drafting my article for Novel Rocket on the following, and then decided to scratch it out: What’s a writer to do? Work for years to get noticed by a top-notch agent, then a big Christian publisher? Self publish? Send your manuscripts to smaller presses? The new consensus is that all of these choices are good to develop a writer’s career. But most especially write for the market.

Thing is—the above is an excellent topic, but it’s been done by experts. So today, I’m going to tell you instead about my passionate pen. Because I’ve seen God do more with my passion than in what seems to work for the market.

But we have to look first at what your goal is—what do you consider success? What is your passion? Do you want God to pave the way for your ministry/career, or are you out there to be the next Francine Rivers? I say this with all love and respect because Francine Rivers is a lovely, Godly writer, and I’m a huge, huge fan. If you ask anyone who reads Christian books they will mention her Mark of the Lion series as the greatest in Christian fiction, and in many ways Francine’s novels busted out the whole genre of Christian fiction. But Francine also sold a lot—a lot—of books. She’s famous.

So here’s my question to you—do you want to sell books like Francine Rivers?

Or do you want to be like Francine Rivers, the author with “The Purified Pen”?

A number of years ago I read an article written by Francine Rivers in the Charles Stanley monthly devotional magazine In Touch. My dog-eared copy of that article—which I cannot locate at the moment but I’m sure is in a box of old books somewhere—has stayed in my mind for years.

In that article, Francine talked about her romance writing career up to the point where she felt God calling her to purify her pen and write for Him. She also spoke of how she and her husband would wake up around 5 a.m. each day and start things off by reading the Bible and praying together.

It’s amazing how some things stick in your head. All these years after reading that devotional article, I continue to think so often about how early Francine Rivers gets up in the morning to start her devotions with the Lord. But this passion on her part to put God first is my measure of a successful author. God called this humble woman to a specific path of work, and she responded in love and obedience.

What is God calling you to do?

Write Christian novels?

Have a successful ministry/career?

Or is He calling you to love Him? And if you love Him, are you doing what He asked? Are you feeding His sheep? Feeding His lambs?

These thoughts are on my mind a great deal these days. With my second book out I was eligible to join Christian Authors Network, and I’m learning so much about marketing from a bunch of awesome, talented, but oh-so-generous, authors. I’m making friends with people left right and center through Book Club Network, another bunch of truly lovely Christian people who want to promote Christian Fiction. I’m a long time member of ACFW and am currently judging the Genesis. Also I’m working about 80% of my time on marketing, so there’s little time left to actually write the next book.

Whew. Stop. I’m running out of breath just talking about all that.

It’s time to be still . . . and know that He is God. What is God calling me to do? What is my passion?

As I take time to be quiet and listen, to truly love Him, I turn around and find that He has helped me with the marketing in some aspect I could never have imagined. I’m not a big name out there. I still don’t make any money. After I do my taxes I’m still in the red as an author. But I’m at peace.

It doesn’t matter if I sell as many books as our beloved Francine Rivers. Maybe I only sell one, and that one book leads a soul to Christ. That would be a treasure greater than all the book sales in the world.

I’ve even said a number of times in my prayers, “Lord, if you were to make me the next secular blockbuster novelist, and I earned millions, and failed to obey You, it would all be worthless.”

And, Francine Rivers may blush when she reads this, but it’s true. I’ve even said to the Lord, “If You made me the next Francine Rivers in becoming a great Christian author—a noble aspiration—and I had a line of books that preached the gospel message, and I failed to love You first, even that would be worthless.”

Thank you, Francine Rivers, for being such an inspiration to so many. Thank you for being obedient to our God, and for being such a good example to Christian writers everywhere.

Our passion must be our love of God. Don’t let our wonderful ministries (maybe the very thing He’s called you to do) come between you and Him. Don’t let the passion for your work overshadow the passion for your God.

He may even ask you one day, “Put down your pen, dear one, and pick up another tool for another kind of work.”

Do you love Him enough to obey, to give up your passion to write? Don’t worry, whatever He calls you to do, you can be sure He will provide the passion.

And if He wants you to keep writing, let your pen become purified like Francine River’s, and let it become a passionate pen for Christ.

Captured by Moonlight

Prisoners to their own broken dreams…

After a daring rescue goes awry, Laine Harkness and her friend Eshana flee to the tropical south of India…and headlong into their respective pasts.

Laine takes a nursing position at a plantation in the jungle, only to discover that her former fiancé is the owner…but fun-loving Laine refuses to let Adam crush her heart like he had years ago.

Eshana, captured by her traditional uncle and forced once more into the harsh Hindu customs of mourning, doubts freedom will ever be hers again, much less the forbidden love that had begun to flower.

Amid cyclones, epidemics, and clashing faiths, will the love of the True Master give hope to these searching hearts?

A Tickle from Your To-Do List

noreply@blogger.com (Yvonne Anderson) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:57:00 PDT

Don't forget about our Launch Pad Contest, now in full swing.

The judges are currently reading and critiquing the entries for the first category, Suspense/Crime/Mystery/Thriller, and we'll announce the winner of that group on May 13.

Meanwhile, we're still taking submissions in all the other categories: General Fiction, Nonfiction, Middle Grade/Young Adult, Romance, and Speculative Fiction. So if you're an unpublished novelist -- or a never-before-published author of book-length nonfiction -- there's a place for you here!

Check out the complete rules on the Launch Pad Contest tab.

Don't delay for long, though, especially if you're interested in entering the General Fiction category. As you may recall, we've changed the categories a bit, merging Women's Fiction and Contemporary Fiction under this General Fiction heading.

Also, since we've eliminated the Historical designation, we're accepting historical pieces in different categories. So if you've written a historical romance, that now goes under Romance (there's no longer a separation of historical from contemporary). What if you have a historical drama about, say, Clara Barton, or the story of a young boy in ancient Rome? That's now included in General Fiction.

The official rules elaborate: "These are the stories that don’t quite fit the other categories and can include westerns, dramas, inspirational stories of personal growth, as well as comedy/humor. The setting can be either contemporary or historical."

Why are we nagging you about this? Because the submission deadline for this category is coming up right quick: May 10, 2013. And if we don't remind you, who will?

So if you've been thinking about entering but haven't quite decided, now's the time to jump down off that fence, cowboy!

Questions? Email us at NovelRocketContest at gmail.com.

We're looking to hear from YOU today!

Editors v. Beta Readers

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Duran) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 21:00:04 PDT

So I was speaking to someone in the publishing industry about my unpublished Urban Fantasy novel, and how my agent and I are preparing to shop it. "So what's your next step?" they asked. I told them that I was torn between taking time to gather some good beta readers or just waiting and letting an editor get their hands on the book. "Which way are you leaning?" they asked.

This was more difficult to answer.

I totally respect beta readers, especially when they

Are familiar with the genre
Take their task seriously (as opposed to just wanting to get a "sneak peek" at an unpublished novel, and
Are willing to make honest observations (as opposed to just lather the author with praise).

Good beta readers can do wonders for an author and a book.

On the other hand, I feel like this project is tight enough to pass up beta readers and go straight to a professional. In fact, I said something like, "I'd love to have a professional editor dig into this story."
Hopefully, those words don't come back to bite me.

Anyway, I turned the question around and asked this individual what they thought. The answer they gave me was a bit of a surprise.

"From my experience, a good editor will catch a lot more things and have far more insight into improving a novel than beta readers will."

This surprised me, not because it could appear like a diss of beta readers, but because it jibed with how I feel.

A good editor is worth their weight in gold.

I'm one of those oddballs who still respects the "old school" editor. Sure, they've taken some heat as of late. What with self-publishing being all the rage, many authors have seemed to rely less on the industry professional, and more on readers' perspective. After all, your book should appeal to readers more than simply survive some editorial checklist. As a result, the beta reader has replaced the editor in many authors' minds.

Perhaps it comes down to experience. Thus far, my experience with editors have been great. They have definitely improved my stories and made catches that were sorely needed. On the other hand are writing friends who have horror stories about working with unrelenting editors who required huge, unrealistic changes to the story. So maybe it comes down to ones personal experience.

All that to say, this individual's opinion about editors catching a lot more than beta readers really resonated. Sure, at certain stages in a book's life, beta readers may be valuable. But I can't imagine anyone being as important to the production of a good story than a professional editor.

Your thoughts?

* * *

Mike Duran is a monthly contributor to Novel Rocket, and is represented by the rockin' Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary. Mike's novels include The Telling, The Resurrection, an ebook novella, Winterland, and his newly released short story anthology Subterranea You can visit his website at www.mikeduran.com.

WIngs of Glass Kindle Sale $3.99 THIS WEEK ONLY

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Holmes) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 05:22:06 PDT

For this week only, my latest novel, Wings of Glass, is only sale via Kindle. 21st through the 27th. It's discounted for nearly 2/3rds off.

Wings of Glass is the story of a young wife who feels trapped in an abusive marriage until two women from two very different worlds help open her eyes to the truth of who she is, what she deserves and lend her a backbone until she can find her own. I think it's my best novel yet.

I'd appreciate it greatly if you could help me spread the word of the sale by posting a mention on your blog, website, twitter, pinterest, facebook, etc.

Grace in a Public School - M. Laycock

noreply@blogger.com (Marcia) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 22:00:04 PDT

It had been a sleepless night full of worry and fear. Our daughter had gotten herself into a life-threatening situation and I felt helpless. I didn’t know what to do. It seemed that any course of action we took would end in disaster. I went from wide-eyed worry to pleading with God to keep her safe.

The next morning when I dragged myself out of bed I realized I had to teach religious education at a local public school. As I drank my coffee I decided there was no way I could do it so I went to the phone to call the school and cancel. That was one of the few times in my life that I felt God say a very definite "No." I tried three times to pick up the phone but couldn’t do it. Then I got mad. Mad at God.

I was angry that he had allowed my daughter to get into this mess she was in, angry that he hadn’t protected her, and angry that now he demanded that, in my distracted and sleep-deprived state, I should go and teach a fourth grade class about Him. I told Him I couldn't do it, but I got in my car and drove to the school, ranting all the way, telling God He was going to have to show up big time because I was in no mood for this.

It was a pretty normal grade four class – some of them were attentive and easy to teach, others weren’t so much. But that morning, when I walked into the room I knew immediately something was different.

Their eyes were glued to me and before I could even begin to teach the lesson, they started asking questions – very simple, basic, little kid questions like, Is God real? Is he really with us all the time? Does God really hear us when we pray? Does He really help us? And as the answers formed on my lips my heart received the truth and the joy of His presence, His desire to bless me, His deep deep love for me and His amazing, overflowing grace.

He showed up in that classroom and demonstrated what Paul must have felt when he said in Ephesians 3:8, "Although I am less than the least of all the Lord's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ..."

We writers have all been charged with this task, to "use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." (1Peter 4:10)

Sometimes we don't feel like it. Sometimes we're just not in the mood. And sometimes we're mad at God. But if we move forward in obedience, no matter what, He will show up and pour His grace through us onto the pages we write and into the lives of His people.

****

Marcia Lee Laycock writes from central Alberta Canada where she is a pastor's wife and mother of three adult daughters. She was the winner of The Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone and also has two devotional books in print. Her work has been endorsed by Sigmund Brouwer, Janette Oke, Phil Callaway and Mark Buchanan. Marcia's second novel, A Tumbled Stone has just been short listed in the Contemporay Fiction category of The Word Awards. Abundant Rain, an ebook devotional for writers can be downloaded here Visit Marcia's website

A Rose By Any Other Name

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Griep) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 14:21:22 PDT

Names are important. Think about it. Would you want to be named Benedict Arnold? Immediately brings to mind a traitor, right? Or what about Adolph Hitler? Super villain, hmm? Well, the same holds true for your fictional characters. Choosing names is a huge part of character development.

Charles Dickens is the best of the best when it comes to this technique. What kind of personality do the following names foreshadow when they're first introduced?

Wackford Squeers
Uriah Heap
Charity Pecksniff
Dick Datchery
Kit Nubbles

Personally, I don't think there's a hero in that bunch. Here's a grouping of names taken from my own writing. Who are the heroes?

Clive Witherskim Ethan Goodwin Nigel Thorne Alexander Moore

You got it: Ethan & Alexander. Pretty easy, eh? And all accomplished with two little names.

But sometimes it's more complicated than cracking open a baby name book and running your finger down the page. Different genres call for different tactics. For instance, in writing historical, specifically in the regency era, I can't have a character named Zuba Starshine and have it be believable. That would be more of a 1960's hippie kind of name. And what if you're writing a pirate series? How to come up with something more original than Blackbeard?

I came across some great name generating sites for help in situations such as these. Stop by and check them out even if you're not currently looking for character ideas...they're a 'Heap' of fun.

Ethnic Name Generator

Pirate Name Generator

Fantasy Name Generator

Nerd Name Generator

Jedi Name Generator

Hip Hop Name Generator

Celebrity Baby Name Generator

Mafia Name Generator

And those are just a few. Next time you need to name a character, do a little research and give it some meaning. It worked for Dickens (every one of his books is STILL in print). It can work for you.

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas…professionally, however, for the past 10 years. Her latest release, UNDERCURRENT, is available by Risen Books. You can find her at: Writer Off the Leash, www.mmgriep.com or on Twitter, Facebook, or

Pinterest.

Congratulations to Jim Rubart!

noreply@blogger.com (Ane Mulligan) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:19:56 PDT

Novel Rocket is proud to announce our own Jim Rubart has been nominated for a Christy Award for Soul's Gate (Thomas Nelson, a division of Harper Collins Christian Publishing)

CONGRATULATIONS, JIM!!!

Author Interview ~ Beth Wiseman

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Klepfer) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 22:00:03 PDT

Tell us a bit about your current project.

I broke into the publishing world writing Amish fiction. I think that after fourteen books in one genre, it was just natural for me to want to spread my wings. I’m fortunate that my publisher has allowed me to do that. The House that Love Built is a romance, but it’s so much more than just ‘boy meets girl, and they live happily ever after’. I write the way I like to read, which means a story that touches on all of the emotions, that’s real, character driven, and with a few twists and turns. I love how God puts people in our paths for a reason, although we seldom see His reasoning at the time. In The House that Love built, it is a community of people—some with little in common—who find their way to each other in some unlikely instances. It’s a love story filled with strong secondary characters, redemption, forgiveness, and hope. The locale is the quaint Texas town of Smithville—where movies such as Hope Floats and Tree of Life were filmed. Without a doubt, I feel like this is my best book.

We are all about journeys...unique ones at that. How convoluted was your path to your first published book? Share some highlights or lowlights from your path to publication.

Many years ago, I knew I had the writing bug, but I didn’t spend the time necessary to develop the craft. I thought that a good enough story would be snapped up by an editor or agent, then they’d work with me to whip it into shape. Wrong. Editors and agents expect you to have a basic understanding about writing for publication. So, I lost a lot of years not doing my homework. But a couple of years before my agent sold my first series, I set out to learn about the craft. I was busy learning and writing when my then 15-year-old son became very ill. I spent a month at Texas Children’s Hospital with him, fearing the worst since he was diagnosed with a rare tumor in his adrenal gland. I was a broken woman, and I prayed like I’d never prayed in my life. I offered God everything I had to give—my life, my dreams, hopes of ever being published, and anything else I could think of. I am quite sure that the Lord looked down on me and said, “Now you are ready to work for Me.” My son made a complete recovery, and no one in the medical field could explain to me what happened to the tumor. “Medicine is not an exact science,” they’d said. But the tumor was gone, and the power of prayer gets the credit.

At that time in my life, I had never considered writing Christian fiction. But my very first Christian story sold to Thomas Nelson Publishing (now HarperCollins Christian Fiction) from only the first three chapters. I was in a different place spiritually, and since then, God keeps blessing me with stories to tell. And a lot of them are based on life experiences, things that happened in my past that I could have never foreseen the purpose.

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work, or struggle in a particular area such as writers block or angst driven head-banging against walls? Please share some helpful overcoming hints that you’ve discovered.

I’ve never had one single day of writers block, nor have I ever done any head-banging, lol. But I am often consumed with self-doubt. And for that…I pray a whole lot!

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication? Or to narrow it down further what’s something you wish you’d known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

I could paper my walls with rejection letters from the early days, and as I stated earlier—I didn’t take the time to learn the craft.
What is your favorite source for finding story ideas?

In that regard, I’m truly blessed. The stories find me. They come in my dreams, while I’m driving, and sometimes in the most unlikely of places, lol. J

With the clarity of experience what advice would you offer up to the wet-behind-the-ears you if beginning this writing journey today?

Learn the craft. Take care of yourself. Know when it’s important to say no, and when it’s important to say yes.

What event/person has most changed you as a writer? How?

Every single book I write ministers to my own soul, so it’s always my hope that my stories will minister to others as well. The event that changed me as a writer and as a person was when my son was sick in the hospital (see comments above). The person who most changed me was my very first editor who rode with me on the ride for five years. Natalie Hanemann.
What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why? (Doesn't have to be one of your books or even published.)

That would have to be my current release—The House that Love Built. It encompasses everything I love in a story, and I feel blessed to have been able to pull that off.
Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

I can’t think of a one. J
Share a dream or something you'd love to accomplish through your writing career.

I’m blessed to be living my dream. I wanted to write one book that would change one life. I’ve received an incredible amount of emails and letters from readers who say that my books changed their lives. And that’s what it’s all about.
What gives you the greatest writer buzz, makes the trip worth the hassles (besides coffee or other substances, or course)?

Those letter/emails I just referred to.

Describe your special or favorite writing spot or send a picture if you'd like.

I have a brand new office, and for the first time in five years, I seem to have found my spot. I’ve worked in a study, but it was too close to the kitchen. I’ve tried to write in a small sun run, but it was too crowded. Until my Hubby redid a downstairs bedroom and made it into the perfect office, I’d been writing in my recliner. I love my new space. I have a small recliner, which is where I like to write my first drafts. Then, I do revisions and edits at my desk. I always have a candle or some other smell-good device going, and I even have a television in there in case I want to watch the news at five o’clock. It’s my perfect space. And since it’s new, it’s organized. We shall see how long it stays that way. J

What aspect of writing was the most difficult for you to grasp/conquer? How did you overcome it?

I think that every author has heard at some point in their career, “Show, don’t tell.” My editor drilled that into my head…even though I was a bit thick about it.

What is the first thing you do when you begin a new book?

I like my life to be in order—bills paid, house clean, food in the frig, and a general feeling that I’m caught up with other things.

Writing rituals. Do you have to sit somewhere specific, complete a certain number of words, leave something undone to trigger creativity for the next session? Some other quirk you’d like to share?

I have several writing rituals. I like to sit in the small recliner in my office when I’m doing the first draft. I sit at my desk for all revisions and edits. And I never end a chapter without at least typing one sentence for the next chapter, so I don’t lose my thought. That sentence isn’t necessarily going to be in the book. It might be something like, “Start in John’s POV, have him thinking about what he’s done and yelling at Patty.”

Plot, seat of pants or combination?

Seat of the pants…100%.

What is the most difficult part of pulling together a book? Ex. Do you have saggy middles, soggy characters, soupy plots during your first drafts…if so, how do you shape it up?

After seventeen novels/novellas, I’ve learned to recognize my weaknesses, so I keep notes about what I will have to go back and clean up. It’s usually repetitive words or beats. My characters smile WAY too much, for example. I always have to go back and do a ‘search’ to fix words or phrases that are repeated.
Have you discovered any successful marketing/promo ideas that you'd share with us?

There are so many social media sites available. I think you should pick your largest platform and focus on that, as opposed to wearing yourself too thin by trying to do Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Shelfari, or any number of other sites and/or blogs.

Parting words? Anything you wish we would’ve asked because you’ve got the perfect answer?

I guess I would like to mention my next project because it is so far out of the box from anything I’ve ever done. It will take readers far away from Amish Country and small Texas towns to a dangerous place across the world. My next book was inspired by a true story, and while I can’t say too much yet, I can tell you that it is very close to my heart and will be a surprise to my readers. And thank you for having me here. J

Beth Wiseman is the best-selling author of the Daughters of the Promise series and the Land of Canaan series. All of her books have held spots on the ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) Bestseller List and the CBA (Christian Book Association) Bestseller List. She is a recipient of the prestigious Carol Award, two-time winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and an INSPY Award winner. Her first book in the Land of Canaan series—Seek Me With All Your Heart—was selected as the 2011 Women of Faith Book of the Year. Beth is contracted with Harpercollins Christian Publishing into the year 2015.

Beth has a deep affection for the Amish and their simpler way of life, and while she plans to continue writing Amish love stories, she is also branching out into other areas. Her first non-Amish, contemporary—Need You Now—released in April 2012 and landed on the CBA Bestseller List. She enjoyed writing the story based in a town near where she lives, and she’s chosen another small Texas town for her next non-Amish contemporary—The House that Love Built—which is based in Smithville, the same quaint town where movies such as Hope Floats and Tree of Life were filmed. This novel just released. In between her contemporaries, she will be writing more Amish novellas.

WRITING INSPIRATIONL ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

noreply@blogger.com (Ane Mulligan) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:38:43 PDT

Margaret Daley, an award-winning author of eighty-four books, has been married for over forty years and is a firm believer in romance and love. When she isn’t traveling, she’s writing love stories, often with a suspense thread and corralling her three cats that think they rule her household. To find out more about Margaret visit her website at http://www.margaretdaley.com.

WRITING INSPIRATIONAL ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

An inspirational romantic suspense has three main elements: suspense (and sometimes also mystery), romance and faith element. For me that means I have to juggle three aspects of a story within a 250 page manuscript for my shorter Love Inspired Suspense. In my longer books for Abingdon Press in The Men of the Texas Rangers Series, I have at least a third more book but the plot is more complex. Not an easy task and one that requires a lot of planning and thought whether a long or short romantic suspense.

In suspense, pacing is so important. A reader expects to be taken on a merry ride where the hero and heroine are threatened, running for their lives, trying to solve something, trying to save someone. In a mystery, which I call a whodunit, the action might be more sedate but not necessarily. My stories often combine the elements of suspense and mystery. However in romantic suspense, the suspense must be stronger than the mystery.

A romantic suspense is usually fifty percent suspense and fifty percent romance. So often the problem arises when you are working your way through the suspense part of your book and forget to have your hero and heroine fall in love. It can be harder to show it when they are being threatened or running for their lives. But if you have a furious pace throughout your book, it will overload your readers. I have read many romantic suspense books, and there should always be moments of down time. That can be when you build the romance between your hero and heroine. Even when they are running for their lives, it is a good thing to keep them emotionally connected and aware of each other.

In an inspirational romantic suspense, you must also delve into the spiritual growth of your hero and heroine. I find it is easier in a romantic suspense because of the heightened action and often the life and death aspect of these type of stories. We turn to the Lord in times of trouble and when we need Him. This can feed very naturally into your story.

But again I will stress because you have to juggle faith, romance and suspense, you must plan. In a lot of stories, you will need to give false information and clues as well as real ones. Readers like to have a chance to figure out who is behind all the commotion in your story. I do realize in some suspense (not mystery) books the reader will already know who the villain is and that is fine. An example is the heroine being stalked by an ex-husband or ex-boyfriend. She knows who he is, but she is in grave danger.

So where do you start? The first thing I usually come up with is a premise for my story. Sometimes it can be something as simple as a favorite setting like the jungle in Heart of the Amazon or an occupation in Saving Hope (Texas Ranger) and in Guarding the Witness (a female bodyguard). In Scorned Justice I came up with the premise how far would someone go to get revenge. Or in Vanished, the premise was what would happen if a sheriff had to be both lawman and father when his daughter is kidnapped by someone from his past. Usually it is easiest to come up with some kind of concept and build a story from there.

The Men of the Texas Rangers Series from Abingdon Press has three books out now: Saving Hope (March 2012), Shattered Silence (October 2012), and recently Scorned Justice (March 2013). The fourth book in the series will be out in October 2013 called Severed Trust. My next romantic suspense from Love Inspired Suspense is Guarding the Witness. Visit my Web site at www.margaretdaley.com to see more articles about writing and to read about my upcoming books. Also visit my blog at http://www.margaretdaley.com/margarets-blog/ to read author interviews and have an opportunity to win a book in weekly drawing.

Scorned Justice

Texas Ranger Brody Calhoun is with his parents in west Texas when an unexpected attack injures the brother of Rebecca Morgan, Brody's high school sweetheart. The local sheriff, a good friend, asks for Brody’s help. At first, it seems like an open-and-shut case.

As Brody digs deeper, he realizes the attack may be related to an organized crime trial Rebecca will be overseeing. With Rebecca's help, he compiles evidence involving cattle rustling, bribery, and dirty payoffs that shatter the entire community and put Rebecca directly in the line of fire.

Brody expects to protect her. What he never expects is to fall for Rebecca all over again, or for a murder to throw the case wide open. Is Brody's faith strong enough to withstand not only deep-rooted corruption and cattle rustling, but also love?

Do Awards And/Or Nominations Cause You To Buy Novels?

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rubart) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:00:05 PDT

Yesterday I found out my latest novel, Soul's Gate, made the shortlist for the INSPY awards in the spec category. (They have a long list of nominees and then narrow them down to five finalists.)

I'm honored, but I've often wondered if nominations and awards translate into people reading the nominated and/or winning books.

Fellow Novel Rocketer, Ronie Kendig also made the short list for her excellent novel, Trinity: Military War Dog.

Help me out. Do these nominations make you more apt to read Ronie's or my novel?

Marketing research says someone needs to hear about an offer three to seven times to act on it. Does an award or nomination counts toward that three to seven number in your life?

For that matter, do reviews on Amazon make you more likely to buy a novel or do they matter? With the wave of false reviews on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, does that make you skeptical of reviews altogether?

And if awards don't influence you, and you're skeptical of reviews, how do you decide to try a book? Recent stats show Goodreads is one of the most influential sites on the web. Do they influence you?

But now that Amazon has purchased Goodreads, do you think that will taint their reputation?

Lots of questions. Ready for your opinions.

James L. Rubart is the best-selling, award winning author of ROOMS, BOOK OF DAYS, THE CHAIR, and SOUL’S GATE. During the day he runs Barefoot Marketing which helps businesses and authors make more coin of the realm. He lives with his amazing wife and two sons in the Pacific Northwest and loves to dirt bike, hike, golf, take photos, and still thinks he’s young enough to water ski like a madman. More at www.jameslrubart.com

5 Things Fiction Acquisition Editors NEVER Say with Ramona Richards

noreply@blogger.com (Author Sandra D. Bricker) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:22:13 PDT

Ramona Richards, fiction acquisitions editor for Abingdon Press, started making stuff up at 3, writing it down at 7, and selling it at 18. She’s been annoying editors ever since, which is probably why she became one. She’s edited more than 400 publications and has worked with such publishers as Thomas Nelson, Barbour, Howard, Harlequin, Ideals, and others. She’s the author of 9 books, including the recent Memory of Murder from Love Inspired. An avid live music fan, Ramona loves living in the ongoing street party that is Nashville.

1-That’s such a pretty manuscript, I want to buy it.

I’m not in this business to pay typesetters to write novels. I don’t care how much experience you have with layout and design; keep your manuscript simple. There are several reasons for this.

1) Special fonts are distracting; I just want to read a good story. If the story isn’t there, all the fancy layouts in the world aren’t going to make me want to buy it.

2) Special fonts, artwork, etc. take up space and are likely to trigger spam alerts.

Unless your receiving editor tells you something different, use Word. Double-spaced with one-inch margins. One document with one section. A running header with your last name, title, and page number is as elaborate as we need it.

2-Fiction is exactly like non-fiction; any good editor will do.

I’ve lost track of the people who’ve told me that their novel has been “professionally edited” by the copy editor at the local newspaper. Or their English professor. Or the non-fiction writer down the street.

Editing fiction is NOT like editing an article or a trade non-fiction book. I hire professional editors who have a successful background editing a specific genre of fiction. They have a very particular skill set that includes a knowledge and understanding of plot, character development, and the expectation of a particular genre. Not all romance editors make good suspense editors.

Save your money and join a good critique group of fiction authors. Or ask around. There are a number of good fiction editors out there.

Just remember: No matter what you’ve done to it before it’s submitted, your manuscript will STILL be edited by the in-house team.

3-Fiction is exactly like non-fiction; no platform equals no sales.

A fiction author with a platform may be golden, but please remember one thing:

STORY IS KING

Type that out and pin it up next to your writing place. Abingdon publishes several successful authors who seldom do more than online blog interviews. Platform is far more important for non-fiction folks. A fabulous story can still find readers. A platform will HELP sell the book to readers, no doubt. A good platform makes an author more attractive. But I would never turn down a remarkable book just because the author is not “out there” yet. This is about trends. Would I like to find the next trend that will fly out of booksellers' doors? Of course! Do we publishing Amish books? Of course! Would I buy a badly written book just because I’m desperate to publish in a popular trend?

No.

4-It's Amish, so I want it.

Just because you’ve written an Amish or historical romance or whatever’s hot, that doesn’t mean I’m automatically interested. The craft, the story, the reader engagement still has to be on the page.

Remember: STORY IS KING. Yes, I said that above.

5-I’ve never seen a book like this before, so I’m not interested. Editors often get accused of looking for the same old, same old. In part, that’s true. My side of the desk is all about finding great stories that live up to reader expectations. And if readers are still buying and craving a particular genre, we’re going to keep publishing them. That doesn’t mean that the unique or “never before” story doesn’t get our attention. Unfortunately, most of the “never befores” I’ve received are poorly conceived and executed. But when one stands out, I’m game.

When I received the manuscript for The Dog That Talked to God, it was definitely something we hadn’t seen before. Likewise, the follow-up book The Cat That God Sent. But they were well written, engaging, and they both made me cry like a baby. They sold to me, and they sold to our readers. So far Dog is one of our best selling books.

Anytime someone gives you a “never” about what editors do or don’t, take it lightly. We get paid to track this strange sea-change business of publishing, and we know one thing: What’s true today may be different tomorrow. But the one thing I’ve not seen change in more than thirty years is almost every editor’s bottom line: Story is king.

Our Calling is Connected to OTHERS

noreply@blogger.com (Author Sandra D. Bricker) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 00:00:05 PDT

It’s refreshing to know that God called us to be connected to others; think of how lonely you would be otherwise!

Your calling, the assignment, purpose, vision or dream that God has for your life, is connected to other people. It is impossible to fulfill your purpose in life by yourself. Apart from others, we cannot succeed in our calling.

Pastor Rick Warren emphasizes, “Calling and community go together. You cannot be what God wants you to be…fulfill what God wants you to fulfill…enjoy your destiny on your own. You have to do it connected to other people.”

Think about the different parts of your body. An eye can translate the world into beautiful pictures for your brain to store as memory. An ear can bring you the sounds of the ocean or the voice of a friend. A hand can write, fix things, or support a friend. But an eyeball outside of the socket cannot see. An ear lopped off cannot hear. A hand removed cannot pick up a child. Apart from the body, each part is worthless—powerless, talentless, purposeless—because they are not connected. You have to be connected to the body to fulfill your calling.

There is a similar example in nature. The beautiful and grand redwoods are magnificent trees that commonly grow to between 200 and 275 feet tall. The tallest one currently measures 368.6 ft. And as tall as redwoods are, they have a comparably shallow root system. How is it that they so rarely fall?

The redwoods’ root systems reach out for great distances and are intertwined with one another, literally holding each other up.

We are a church family—God’s family. In order to reach our full potential, we need to support each other and hold one another up!

"Brothers and sisters, you are holy partners in a heavenly calling." Hebrews 3:1

# # #

Sandra D. Bricker is a best-selling and award-winning author of laugh-out-loud romantic comedy for the Christian market. Her most popular series (that started with Always the Baker Never the Bride) will conclude this spring with Always the Baker FINALLY the Bride, which is now available for pre-order at Amazon.

Sandie leads a team of writers in creating the Living It Out daily Bible study for CedarCreek Church. Today's devotion is based on the Living It Out study on the importance of community within bodies of believers. If you enjoyed it, feel free to check out the daily studies by e-mail or audio podcast by clicking HERE.

Protecting Your Reputation

noreply@blogger.com (sally apokedak) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 03:00:10 PDT

Recently someone posted on one of the email loops I belong to, saying that a few agents are honest, but most agents steal from their clients.

Since I am an agent, that comment made me stop and consider. Was what this woman said true?

I'm not sure how we can know. Unless we actually know all the agents and then look at all their books and see if they're stealing from their authors, we can't really say that most steal. And we can't say most don't steal, either. We simply can't know what percentage is stealing.

So if I can't prove the claim wrong, and the writer of the email can't prove her statement, why give any more thought to the issue?

Because I think it's sad that this woman, who I'm sure wants to help newer writers by warning them, is damaging her reputation. If you make wild claims and have no proof to back up those claims, you look dishonest or lazy at worst and not very bright at best.

I am not saying this because the wild claim under discussion negatively impacted agents. The claims could have just as easily been against people I don't like all that much. You may say the presidential candidate I didn't vote for is a liar, for instance. If you are just passing on info that you heard somewhere and you have no proof to offer, I'm not going to think highly of you.

We're all sloppy in our communication at times. I know I've posted too fast more often than I care to remember. I've spewed harsh and/or careless thoughts that should have been stated more gently or carefully. I hope people can forgive and forget when I do it and I try to offer the same mercy to others when they slip up.

So I'm not trying to threaten or engage in fear mongering. I’m not saying that a few mistakes will ruin your career. What I'm saying is that if you are usually careful and fair, then if you slip up every once in a while, you'll probably be forgiven. But if you're consistently making accusations you can't prove, you're going to hurt your career.

Even if you plan to self-publish and you never intend to sign with an agent or a royalty-paying publisher, it would be best for you to gain a reputation for being fair and honest and careful. If you have a bad reputation, others will distance themselves from you.

So here are some things to ask yourself before you post on your blog, at Facebook, or in an email loop:

Why am I posting this? Do I need to protect others, or am I posting it because it makes me feel good to expose sin in others?

Is it true? Have I heard from more than one reliable source?

Have I given others the benefit of the doubt?

Have I given the guilty party a chance to explain or defend himself before passing on harmful information about him?

Have I prayed for the person I'm exposing/accusing?

After answering those questions, give yourself a time buffer. Make a solid rule that you won't post anything negative immediately after writing it. You must let it sit for six hours before you hit the "send" button.

I confess: I have not always followed my own advice. But now that I'm an agent, what I post reflects not only on me but also on my clients. So I'm committed to being more careful. If I get a bad reputation, then I'm hurting my clients (even if I'm not stealing from them). And it works the other way around, too. If they get bad reputations, then they are hurting me and, by association, my other clients. Because we're all connected. When one succeeds it's good for all, and when one fails we all have to carry a bit of the burden.

So, no, I won't be signing any clients who make unsupported claims and wild accusations. I love to argue and I love truth, but I don't love to hear gossipy accusations that can't be proven.

What about you? Are there things that others post that make you know you don't want to work with them? What things bother you most?

photo credit: Dano via photopin cc

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just Doing It ~ Classic Advice from Tess Gerritsen

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Klepfer) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 22:30:06 PDT

Tess Gerritsen left a successful practice as an internist to raise her children and concentrate on her writing. She gained nationwide acclaim for her first novel of medical suspense, the New York Times bestseller Harvest. She is also the author of the bestsellers Life Support, Bloodstream, Gravity, and The Surgeon. Tess lives with her family in Maine. (PHOTO CREDIT: Paul D'Innocenzo) --as appeared her blog.

Motivation...Doing It

Tess Gerritsen

Originally appeared Dec 17th, 2009

I just turned in my latest manuscript (my 22nd!), so I’m feeling a bit adrift today. Thought I’d address an emailed query that I received recently, because it addresses exactly what my brain has been so thoroughly occupied with over the past few months — writing, and finishing, a book.

A reader/writer asks:

I was wondering if you would discuss on your blog what your process is, from starting a book through your final edits. Do you write a certain number of words per day? Do you write your books straight through, or do you skip around? Do you put it away for a while after you finish your first draft?

The writing process is something every writer evolves on her own. After having completed this 22 times, I’ve grown to learn what works for me.

First, above all, comes the idea. It’s amazing how often aspiring authors tell me they’ve got a great idea for a novel, and my reaction to it is “ho-hum.” Great ideas aren’t easy to come up with. Just saying “my book is about sex trafficking of Russian girls” isn’t really what launched VANISH. What really launched it was the idea that Jane Rizzoli is in labor and gets taken hostage. The sex trafficking angle occurred to me later. Notice where I found the excitement — in the predicament of the character, not in the machinations of the plot.

For my most recent book, ICE COLD (THE KILLING PLACE in the UK), the idea I had was this: Maura gets trapped during a snowstorm in a remote Wyoming village where everyone has vanished, leaving behind dead pets and uneaten meals. The explanation for why it happened is where the plot takes her, but the thing that really grabbed me was the idea of being trapped. In a blizzard. And every attempt at escape ends up in worsening horror.
So my number one piece of advice for a writer is, find an idea that focuses on a character’s predicament. Not on generalized concepts like sex trafficking or serial killers or global catastrophe. Start your story in a very personal place, with a character who is facing a crisis.

Once you’ve got that, your story will follow what happens to that person. My next job is to find out why is it happening? Maura’s in a weird little town, trying to get out, and she doesn’t understand what happened there. That’s where the plot and detective work comes in. What clues will she find? What worse things will happen? And meanwhile, how will Jane Rizzoli try to find her missing friend?

During my first draft phase, I try to write about four pages a day. I know that I’ll get through a first draft in about eight months, on that schedule. I don’t stop to revise — I just forge ahead, through thick and thin, and through some really rough work. Some of it is horrible. That’s okay — I’ll come back and fix those scenes. Since I don’t outline ahead of time, I don’t always know the solution to the mystery. So I’ll wander in the wilderness along with my characters, until I get about 2/3 of the way through and I’ll be forced to find answers. And then I can finally write to the end.

May I repeat: I don’t stop to revise during the first draft. Because it’s all going to be changed anyway, when I finally figure out what the book is about.

The second draft is pure hell. It involves going back, seeing how horrible the first draft is, and re-writing the entire thing. But by then, I know where the story is going. I know where the solution lies, and I know who my secondary characters are.

The third draft starts to look a little better. Here’s where I try to hone the logic and the motivations, where I try to make the dialogue more subtle. My first draft dialogue tends to fall like a sledgehammer. Characters say exaggerated things, or have exaggerated responses. That’s because I’m painting with broad strokes, just to help define the emotions. The later drafts are about keeping those emotions intact, but allowing the characters to express them in less overt ways.

When I finally get to around draft four or five, I don’t let it sit around and season, because I’m usually bumping up against a deadline. Besides, by then I’m sick of the whole thing and don’t want to look at it again. So, for better or worse, it usually goes off to the editor. And then comes the wait as she comes up with the editorial letter suggesting changes.

Every book is different. Every book has given me high anxiety. Every book has been agony to write, and has made me question why I’m in this profession.

What's it worth?

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:30:02 PDT

From the moment you make the decision to write a novel to the time you work through each page of the story, chances are you've entertained some psychological exercises ranging from huge dreams to fear of failure and everything in between. At some point during the process, you are forced to decide what it's all worth to you and exactly what you hope to achieve by delving into writing a novel.

Those of us who are innately drama queens - and kings - envision fame and fortune, our novels made into blockbuster films, and our names or books claiming a residence in most homes. Those of us who are recluses imagine the goal of being the mysterious and unidentified author of bestselling literary novels or hotly pursued (pun intended) romance novels. Our imaginations gone wild can produce all kinds of fabricated success stories before "The End" is typed on a final page.

Although success stories for novelists vary as much as our prospective ponderings, what happens to our finished work is unpredictable. It's been said more than once by different professionals in publishing - from authors to editors - that perseverance and persistence outweigh talent in this industry. In fact we've all read books that attest to this.

So what's it worth to you to get that traditional publishing contract? Will you jump through every hoop presented to you? If that means changing the heart of your story to satisfy an editor, will you do it? How long will you persist until an agent or an editor takes an interest in your work? How many conferences will you attend to gain connections? How many dollars will you invest to promote your story?

The reality of writing and finishing a novel comes down to questions and answers that aren't always easy to assess until you're in the middle of the journey. The question will eventually present itself to you: What's it worth?

Nicole Petrino-Salter writes love stories with a passion. Raw Romantic Redemptive

Shopping for Your Character’s Homes

noreply@blogger.com (Ane Mulligan) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 01:00:11 PDT

Pamela S. Meyers lives in the Chicago suburbs, an hour’s drive away from the Southeastern Wisconsin setting of most of her stories. With three books out now, when she isn’t busy marketing or writing her next novel, you can find her coordinating the ACFW Genesis Writing Contest for Unpublished writers. You can find more information on Pam at www.pamelasmeyers.com or on Facebook.

Shopping for your character’s homes can be almost as much fun as looking for your own home!

I’m very excited to guest post here at Novel Rocket because ever since I began writing fiction, I have wanted to write a story set in my beautiful hometown of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. And this month my dream came true. Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (Summerside Press) has released!

The town of Lake Geneva is tucked into the southeast corner of Wisconsin next to beautiful Geneva Lake, a large spring-fed lake carved out by a glacier eons ago. First inhabited by American Indians, it didn’t take long for the 19^th Century Chicago wealthy to discover the lake and its heavily wooded lakeshore was ripe for good hunting and fishing. After the Great Chicago Fire, many of these same men bought up property and built lakeshore mansions for their families to occupy while Chicago was rebuilt.

They came because of the fire and stayed because the nearby area it was a beautiful place to escape the city heat. Many of those mansions, like the one pictured here that was originally owned by the Swift Meats family, still remain. During the summer, excursion boats take folks around the 22 miles or so of shoreline to see these beauties.

When I first began plotting Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (LFYLG), I knew I wanted my hero Jack Wallace to live on the lakeshore, but not necessarily in a grandiose mansion. I chose instead to place his family’s summer lake house in an enclave of small properties known as the Elgin club. Larger than many houses in the nearby towns, but far from mansion status, these summer homes still stand today, some handed down from generation to generation from the original family patriarch.

Lake Geneva is unique in that a public shore path that circles the entire lake ensures people access to all of the lakeshore and an up-close-and-personal view of the magnificent homes. The shore path through the Elgin Club property winds through tall trees that give the walkway welcome shade on hot summer days.

Last summer I walked the shore path until I came to the house I’d already chosen for Jack’s home and was elated to find that even up close it had the very details I’d imagined and had already written into the story. Certainly, a bit larger than my heroine Meg Alden’s home in town, but not mansion-status.

Later, when I found a picture of the same house taken around 1900, I was elated to see nothing on the outside had changed. I could describe the cupola and the stone porch and know that they looked the same in 1933 as it did over thirty years earlier, and remains the same today.

Although it is during the Great Depression, Meg’s father is an attorney and I wanted a house that was solid but not too ritzy. I settled on a two-story house one block north of the lake on one of Lake Geneva’s original streets. Later, I learned the house’s first occupant was James Simmons, one of Lake Geneva’s founding fathers and author of The Annuls of Lake Geneva, one of my primary resources I used while writing this story.

I had been tempted to knock on the door and ask to see the inside, but refrained. Last year the house was on the market and the real estate company posted a virtual tour. It’s layout is totally different than the one I imagined in my head. I’m glad I didn’t try to see the inside. I like my floor plan much better!

I didn’t have to shop for a building to use for the weekly newspaper where Jack and Meg both work. One of my sources, a former editor of the paper, told me where it was located in the 30s. The building’s storefront has long been reconfigured, but once I figured out the placement of the front door, I was good to go.

An interesting piece of author trivia is that when I was a little girl, our family dentist was on the building’s second floor. The same floor the paper’s printing presses once churned out the weekly paper. Below is a picture of the building as it appears today, its second and third floors looking pretty much as they did back then.

The conflict begins when Jack arrives as the new reporter for the paper, the job Meg covets. They are at odds over that, but the one thing Jack and Meg hold in common is their love for Lake Geneva and the new recreational building going up at the lakeshore. The Riviera still stands today and is the centerpiece of the lakefront.

To learn more about Lake Geneva and what happens with Jack and Meg, you’ll just have to read the book!

Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Will she lose her heart to the man who stole her job?

A young woman wants to work in a man’s world. It’s 1933, the height of the Big-Band era, and beautiful Lake Geneva is already well established as a summertime playground for Chicago’s elite. Local girl Meg Alden works at the town newspaper, but she aspires to be a reporter—a job given only to men. When a position opens up, Meg spies an opportunity to break into the business. That is, until Jack Wallace, the son of a big-city newspaper magnate, is hired instead. Jack is drawn to Meg and suggests they combine forces to uncover a local scandal. But how will Meg be able to work with the man who stole her job…and makes her pulse race?