Friday with Friends (and chance to win a free book)--Tiff Stockton

Tiff and I met at the first ACFW Conference  in 2002 when she was Amber Miller. Now, one husband and two children later, she writes as Amber Stockton. I have enjoyed reading several of Tiff's books, both in draft form and published form as we used to critique for each other. I'll let her tell you the rest.

SMALL TOWN LIVING

by: Tiffany Amber Stockton

I’m sitting here staring at my computer screen and loving the header graphic on Rose’s site. She invited me to come here and spend a little time with you today. As Rose will attest, she and I have traveled this long journey toward publication almost from the start. Her first book released in August this year and mine released in 2008. But many years ago, we started out as critique partners through ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). Btw, my name is Tiffany, but I publish under my middle and last names of Amber Stockton.
So, my latest book takes me back to my home state of Delaware and the small town of Brandywine. My first series during the Colonial era was set in the small town of New Castle, but at the time it was the center of trade and commerce. For Bound by Grace, I jump forward a little over 100 years and connect my characters to the family I featured in the Liberty’s Promise trilogy. It was a lot of fun returning to this setting and linking the stories. Many of my readers asked me if I would do that at some point down the line, and I’m happy to be able to answer with a resounding “yes!”
Now, a “small town” for a lot of people wouldn’t include many areas on the East Coast. That’s likely because so many big cities exist there. Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Baltimore, D.C., Richmond, Atlanta, etc. And this area has often been called the Megalopolis stretching from Boston to D.C. But while it’s true the interstate allows you to get from one end to the other of these cities in about 7-1/2 hours, if you zip along that highway, you miss all the charming small towns you pass along the way. You never know what little treasures could be tucked in those nooks.

That’s the focus of my first series, and now this current series. Far too often I hear folks assuming Delaware is in New England, and I almost always have to correct them by saying that’s Rhode Island. Delaware is actually a little state occupying most of the DelMarVa Peninsula right smack in the middle of the Mid-Atlantic states of Maryland and Virginia. There is a unique culture here, but most drive right on by on their way to one of the bigger cities.
When I sold my first book, the editor told me I had 3 hurdles to jump as a new historical author: 1) a unique setting (check); 2) a unique time period (check); and 3) good writing. I can check that off now, but it took a little work at the onset. Nevertheless, the editor was impressed with the story and loved the setting, so he was eager to acquire it for the line.
As much as he loved the story, though, my readers have written time and time again to thank me for opening up their eyes and taking them on a journey to an area of the U.S. they wouldn’t think to explore. In one reader’s words, I “take you into the world of an influential little state most people blink and miss." I “offer a history lesson without being boring and blend the lives of the characters seamlessly into the history of the region.”
Needless to say, this series and my first occupy quite a significant chunk of my heart, and I’m thrilled to share those stories with you.
So, when you think of small towns, what areas of the country come to mind, and why? Are you a small town kind of a person, or do you prefer the sprawling areas of suburban dwellings? Share your thoughts in the comments for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of my latest book, Bound by Grace. And visit my web site to read about this as well as my other 10 books. (http://www.amberstockton.com/) I will draw the name of the winner in one week.
Thank you for dropping by today.
* * * * *
Tiff

Bio:

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood. Today, she is an award-winning author, speaker, social media consultant, and a freelance web site designer who lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, in Colorado. They have a daughter and a son, and a vivacious Flat-coated retriever named Roxie. She has sold 11 books and 1 novella to Barbour Publishing with more on the horizon. Three of her novels have won annual reader’s choice awards, and in 2009, she was voted #1 favorite new author for the Heartsong Presents book club. Read more about her at her web site: http://www.amberstockton.com/.

Wow, Tiff, I feel like a slacker since you have 10 books already out! You know I am very happy for you and all your success. And, I love this cover! When Tiff mentioned the DelMarVa Peninsula it reminded me of a trip my husband and I took and Tiff came to visit us at Chincoteaque Island during the running of the ponies, an annual event there. We had a fun day in spite of all the walking in the rain we did! Memories!

Fridays with Friends--Tom Blubaugh

Happy Friday. I hope you will enjoy this article about networking by Tom Blubaugh.

Centers of Influence by Tom Blubaugh
A point of origin, as of influence, ideas, or actions that produces an effect without any apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of command.

Does the above definition sound like you? Apply to you? I assure you it does. It is a perfect description of you and everyone you know. Everything you do influences someone or something in some way. Have you ever tossed a pebble into a river? Did you notice how the impact of the stone moved a circle of water out until it finally returned to the calm apparent before the incident? Your words and actions are like that of the stone. They cause a “ripple effect” and literally move things around you. Whether the effect is good or bad depends on you.

Have you noticed?
* How an action in the Middle East causes the stock market to move?
* How an accident on the freeway backs up traffic for miles?
* How a stuck stoplight disrupts traffic?
* How an injured player stops a game?
* How a comedy scene makes a whole audience laugh?

We could go on and on and on.

Take a piece of paper and draw a small circle in the middle. Write your name in the circle. Then draw a circle for every person with whom you have a relationship. Place their name in the circle. These don’t have to be close relationships. Include family members, friends, fellow employees, neighbors, people you do business with, church members, other organization members, and so on. Then connect all of those circles to the number of other circles representing people with whom they are connected. You will be amazed at your circle of influence.

Do you notice how many of them are people you like or love? Can you see how every word and action affects this vast number of people? I say vast because most weddings and funerals have approximately 200 people in attendance. I say 200 people is a vast number because 200 x 200 = 40,000. Amazing isn’t it? And that is only two ripples in the water.

This ripple affect works when you see a good movie, eat at a great restaurant, and read a good book. You pass positive comments to your family, friends, and neighbors. Who are the centers of influence in your life? On Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn? Have you shared your book with them? Your blog? This is networking at it’s best.

Tom Blubaugh, Author of Night of the Cossack--Read the first chapter get a signed copy by ordering here. FREE shipping in USA. Published by Bound by Faith Publishers.

ebook for Kindle available at Amazon.com. Be sure to like my page and do a review when you finish, if you like my book.
Amazon Author page.
Amazon reviews.
ebook for Nook available at Barnes & Noble
Night of the Cossack Facebook author page. Be sure to like my page while you're there please.
Personal Facebook page
Visit My Blog. Be sure to sign up as a follower.
http://twitter.com/
Author's Den. A great Author/Reader site. You can join free. Look me up and be sure to become a fan while you're there.
Check me out on Goodreads.
Co-author of The Great Adventure published by Barbour Publishing. (out of print).
Genesis Project
Jericho Commission, Inc.

Fridays with Friends--Marlene Bagnull

I know many of you already know Marlene and have been blessed by her and her writing, but I am happy to introduce her to any of my writing friends who have not yet had the privilege of meeting/reading her. I met Marlene at the Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference several years ago, and she felt like a long-lost friend from the get-go. At the bookstore I bought a copy of her devotional book for writers entitled Write His Answer, and have read/studied it twice and am now starting my third time! It is a book all Christian writers should read. So, if you need encouragement in your writing, read on! Marlene is an encourager-extraordinaire! PS. And I hope you will order the book, too, from her site below, so you can be encouraged each day as you read a portion.

Write His Answer . . . And Don’t Give Up by Marlene Bagnull

Twenty-six years ago I sat in a workshop with Lee Roddy at the St. David’s Christian Writers Conference. I remember how my heart pounded the last morning of his workshop when he challenged us to put a commitment in writing to complete our book in a year. And then he prayed that heaven would be different because of the words we would write and publish.

I knew God had called me to write this book. I never questioned that, but I did question my ability to write it during the next year as I struggled to finish it. One friend reminded me that a year in the Lord’s sight is like a thousand years, but I knew the Lord knew that I had promised to complete it in a year made up of 365 days. And amazingly I did. I wasn’t a day late or a day early! I took “my baby” to the post office and mailed it to a publisher that had requested the entire manuscript. And then the waiting began. That editor kept it one year before finally returning it. Over the next five years I queried 40 other publishers. Some asked to see the entire manuscript. All of them returned it too. Frustrated, discouraged, and consumed by self-doubts I came so close so many times to giving up.

Only the promises in God’s Word kept me keeping on. “Let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up,” the apostle Paul encouraged the early Christians (Gal. 6:9 TLB). I felt God speaking directly to me and saying, “Don’t you give up.”

Friends babysat my kids so that I could go to the conference each year on a working scholarship. I commuted to save money, and after five years even ended up on faculty teaching a continuing session on writing for Christian periodicals. Even more amazing, several months after that conference an editor I’d met with called and offered me a contract.

Had I given up, I would have missed the not only the joy of seeing my book in print but also the joy of helping others get published through 28 years of directing the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference and 15 years of directing the Colorado conference. Both conferences are under the umbrella of a ministry God birthed over 30 years ago when I dared to believe that His words in Habakkuk 2:2 were His call on my life. “Write my answer on a billboard, large and clear, so anyone can see it at a glance and rush to tell the others” (TLB) He said.

I hope you’ll visit www.writehisanswer.com and read the excerpts from my book, Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers. And please ask Father if He wants you to come to the August 10-13 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference (www.writehisanswer.com/Philadelphia) and/or to save May 13-16, 2012 for next year’s Colorado Christian Writers Conference (www.writehisanswer.com/Colorado). And may heaven be different because of the words you write and publish!

In Christ - Marlene
Marlene Bagnull, Litt.D.

Write His Answer Ministries - http://www.writehisanswer.com/

Blogging at http://writehisanswer.wordpress.com

Director, Colorado Christian Writers Conference - May 11-14, 2011

at YMCA of the Rockies - Estes Park Center (NW of Denver)

www.writehisanswer.com/Colorado

Founder & Director, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference - August 10-13, 2011

at Philadelphia Biblical University

www.writehisanswer.com/Philadelphia

Fridays with Friends--Lisa Lickel

Lisa Lickel and I became friends after meeting at the Write to Publish Conference in Chicago a couple years ago. (see picture below.) We are now working on a book proposal together, and I am amazed at how much she gets done! Lisa has shared her perspective on feeding your imagination by being involved in things you are passionate about. And all of us need imagination!

How Deep Does Your Passion Run? by Lisa Lickel

An author doesn't sit around pounding at the keys all day. Real authors go out and gather experiences to fuel their passion. I am a local historian—that is to say, I have studied and continue to learn about the people who live in my rural community, where their ancestors came from, the struggles they went through to get established. One particular place, the Saxonia House, feeds my imagination like no other. I immerse myself in it.

There has to be some truth about the saying, that something gets into your blood. I can’t explain my passion any other way. I unload my third five-gallon container of frozen raccoon scat in the nearby woods last winter, in the snow. It doesn’t escape my notice that it's Valentine’s Day. I hoped that cleaning it out of the attic of the Saxonia House in the winter would make it easier. Just because this once lively home is abandoned except for the mice and bats and spiders and flies, and, oh, my, raccoons (and two spotted salamanders in the basement) and a very persistent groundhog, doesn’t mean it needs cleaning any less than my own.

I am obsessed.

In summer another crazy person wants to take pictures for a Powerpoint production. I want the house to look as nice as it can, in its aging floozy condition. While I was sweeping the year’s worth of guano from my favorite room of the house, I thought about my obsession, and why it is so. I find a bottle. It’s not antique, but it still immediately brings to mind that this might have been a tavern and meeting room, where so much that is Fillmore came to be. Maybe some Prussian comes into town, stopped at the inn for a lukewarm one and directions to his new holdings in the western part of the township. “Ach, back in the Fatherland, we Prussians – we’d be considering how to take control of your measly confederation. Saxony, tariffs – bah! But here in the new country – we be friends.” I hear German songs echoing from the rafters.

Bats chitter behind the attic door and briefly I consider running so I can see which hole they fly out of, so we can patch it up. But that’s silly; there are so many holes.

I couldn’t find a filter mask this morning before I came to finish cleaning. I’m probably going to get a disease from breathing in this bat gunk and old plaster dust, I think. I consider how the particles get into my lungs, and then into my bloodstream. Maybe I don’t sneeze them all away, and some of this place literally stays in my blood.

I go home, and write stories of friendship and lost loves and found dreams.

What's your passion? Is it something that gets into your blood, so that you can pour it onto the page? Go out and live! Feed your imagination from real experiences.

Fridays with Friends--guestblogger Carole Brown

I am so happy to welcome Carole Brown to my blog. Carole is a fellow ACFWer and also a member of my Ohio group. She is very friendly and full of smiles, and today she has some great information for those of us starting down the marketing road. Come a long with me and enjoy the ride!


I Don’t Wanna Be a Marketer! By Carole Brown

Me, neither, but when I chose a writing career, I signed on unofficially to do all I can to promote my books/my writing career. In this day, it’s an accepted part of being a writer. No longer can we sit back and allow publishers to do it all.

Sure it’s scary. Most writers are introverts. Anytime a writer has to open up their self to others and expose your dreams and hopes and thoughts to the world, it’s risky. We’d rather stay in our shells, write and sell tons of books. But there’s another part—and it’s not very well liked—side of writing. Marketing.

Social media is a must. We’re faced with tons of choices: speaking, book signings, physical and blog tours, Facebook, Shoutlife, My Space, Twitter, blogging. How can we know what’s for us?

By experimenting in small doses.
· Speak to your friends about an aspect of your writing. Don’t try to overload them with information. Pick out some small part of your life as a writer and share it. Decide what you’re knowledgeable about and develop that topic. This could lead you to more and larger engagements. Take advantage of it.
· Social Internet groups. Check out different ones. Find and learn how to negotiate through your choice. Be faithful. Posts don’t have to be long. Be friendly and make as many friends as you can. You can’t post and sit around waiting on everyone to pounce on them. Check out others’ posts. Comment with sincere remarks. Invite others to be your friend, and be theirs. Show you care.
· Get a website. Published or not, start preparing now for when it happens. Take time to prepare one that’s attractive and appealing.
· Blog.
1. Again, prepare a blog that represents your genre, you and your writing. Doesn’t have to be flashy. Just attractive and you.
2. Make a list about your writing.
· Genre (children, historical, sci-fi, romance, mystery?),
· themes throughout your books,
· Any special topics you always touch on?
· What do you want your readers to take away after reading your books?
· How do you hope they inspire others?
· Do you want a specialty blog or a more general one to feel free to use a variety of ideas on it? My definition of a specialty blog: one that specializes in, for example: all interviews and reviews, or one that has mostly posts about their books, characters, etc., or one that offers writing advice.

I consider mine a general one.
1. Sundays, I have a devotional, very short type of worshipful post (for the reader and me).
2. Mondays, I usually post a list of ten things I’m grateful for (an exercise that helps me connect with readers, but also shares a tiny portion of my thoughts and life).
3. On Wednesdays, I offer occasional reviews, but mostly interviews, with lots of giveaways.
4. Fridays, is a fun day. Articles, guest posts, funny tidbits about life, interesting things.
5. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are my free days, but I also use them for extra stuff when I’m booked up.
Work with these ideas to create a blog that is YOU!
3. Decide how many posts you want and can do in a week’s time. It’s better to pick too few days as too many that you can’t keep up with.
4. Be faithful. Be disciplined. Sure, once in awhile you may miss a day. That’s okay. We’re human. Don’t belabor the fact. Move on to your next day and pick up your pace again.
5. Comment on others’ blogs. Become a follower of others’ blogs. Encourage, encourage, encourage.

Be patient as you build your platform for a successful writing career. It all takes time, but if you follow these few steps and study other writers’ successes, you’ll eventually find the groove that just fits you and your life.

Happy marketing!


Carole’s bio:
Carole Brown, wife of Dan and mother of two grown sons, lives in Ohio and writes suspense, romantic suspense, and mystery, all a passion with her. Carole’s published four children’s books (learning character traits) that are used in Christian schools and VBS. She is a semi-finalist in the 2011 American Christian Fiction Writer’s Genesis contest, in the Women’s Fiction division. She’s a reviewer with the prestigious Suspense Zone and an experienced blogger with years of blogging under her belt.

She’s received several awards for her poems, and written various magazine articles, served as editor and co-editor of many newsletters, and helped to develop advertising brochures.
She has a Bachelors Degree in Religious Education, an Associate in Computer Software and has completed several courses in fiction writing. Carole is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Central Ohio Fiction Writers, Circle of Pens (a writing group she founded for mentoring beginning writers) and The Wannabe Writer’s of West Virginia and Ohio.
Learn more about Carole at: www. sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/

Friday with Friends Ava Pennington: guest post Early in my Christian life, I heard a sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer. When my pastor reached “Hallowed be Your name,” he took a detour into another sermon series on the names of God. Not long after that, I completed Kay Arthur’s study, Lord I Want to Know You. I was reminded that to truly trust God we must know who He is, and that He revealed Himself through His names. These experiences instilled in me a lifelong love for the names of God, as well as a desire to share what He was teaching me as I continued my own studies. That’s why I wrote One Year Alone with God: 366 Devotions on the Names of God. And I’m thrilled to say Kay Arthur has endorsed it! Like any study of God’s Word, there is a danger of intellectualizing what we learn, focusing on accumulating academic facts. However, it’s not enough to fill our heads with information if we don’t apply what we’re learning. To ensure this devotional would be more than a textbook on the names of God, I examined each of 122 names and attributes of God three ways: who God is, who we are in relation to who He is, and how this changes our earthly relationships. The names of God tell us who He is. They reveal His nature and His ways using descriptions we can relate to and understand. The more we learn about who God is, the more we learn about ourselves – who we are in relation to the One who created us and redeemed us. Finally, we learn the priority God places on relationships, and the characteristics that will nurture those relationships in ways that honor Him. Learning about the names and attributes of God has especially impacted by own faith and relationship with Him three ways: It changed the way I relate to God. Faith in God is not blind faith – we can confidently rely on who God is by what He has revealed about Himself in His Word. Each name and attribute tells me not just who He is but how He works. He is unchanging, which means the God of the Bible is the same today. While we cannot fully understand who He is this side of heaven, His names and attributes give us glimpses into His divine nature. It changed the way I pray. I’m not praying to some impersonal force out there in the universe, I am praying to our very personal God. Whatever the subject of my prayer – whether worship, thanksgiving, interceding for others, or asking for myself – there is a name or attribute God has revealed which helps me address Him in that area. It changed the way I share and teach about Christ. Learning the names and attributes of God gives me the confidence to share Christ on an individual & personal level. God is not some ancient or outdated theological idea. Everything about who He is and how He works is relevant to us today. Knowing His names and attributes gives me the specific words to describe who He is to others. It also helps me when others speak of who they think God is – because then I have a starting point to say, let’s look at who God says He is! It’s difficult to trust someone we don’t know. The more we know about who God is and how He works, the easier it is for us to trust Him. If you and I want to get to know God intimately, doesn’t it make sense to learn what He says about Himself? Bio: Ava Pennington is the author of One Year Alone with God: 366 Devotions on the Names of God (Revell Books). She is also co-author of Do You Love Me More? and Will I See You Today?, the first two books in the children’s picture book series Faith Basics for Kids (Standard Publishing). Connect with Ava: Website: www.Avawrites.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/AvaPennington.AuthorPage Twitter: http://twitter.com/AvaPennington Find Ava’s books at: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=ava+pennington&x=0&y=0 Barnes & Noble: http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=ava+pennington&page=index&prod=univ&choice=allproducts&query=ava+pennington&flag=False&pos=-1&box=ava+pennington&r=1&box=ava%20pennington&pos=-1&ugrp=2 Christian Book Distributors: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find/1196791048?Ntt=ava+pennington&N=0&Ntk=keywords&action=Search&Ne=0&event=ESRCN&nav_search=1&cms=1&search

Fridays with Friends--Donna Winters

Welcome, Donna, and welcome to all my other blog readers. Donna has great advice for all of us about tackling new ways of doing things, and she has great insight into the changes in the publishing world, so read on to hear her wisdom and to see how you can win a copy of her book, Fayette--A Time to Love. I just love the cover, don't you? I think it gives a great feel of the time period.

Moving On by Donna Winters

Have you ever had to make a move to a place or new experience that you dreaded?

In my book, Fayette—A Time to Love (set in Upper Michigan in 1868), the new iron smelting town of Fayette, Michigan held no promise for sixteen-year-old Lavinia McAdams. The moment she arrived, she took an instant disliking to its muddy streets, acrid smoke, and dirty furnace men. The sooner she could return to her hometown in Canada, the better. Then Huck Harrigan came along to challenge her thinking and soften her iron will. Could she really find happiness in this raw, new town with a "pig iron" Irishman from across the bay?

This situation got me to thinking. In looking back on my life, I realized that I have been completely blessed. Every physical move I have made has been one that I desired, one that would be better, one that would bring blessings in abundance to me and my family. Wow! Isn’t God good?

On the other hand, as a writer and publisher, I have had to make many moves into new experiences that I feared and dreaded. I started writing in 1982 and publishing in 1989. The changes in writing and publishing have often been overwhelming.

In 1988, after my first three romances had been published by big Christian publishers, the inspirational romance market died. If I was going to continue writing, I had to also publish. My husband and I started our Great Lakes Romances® Series and took all the risks. That was so frightening to me that for a month, I froze in panic, wondering if we would ever be able to recover our investment. God blessed us, and we’re still moving forward with new releases.

After several years of traditional publishing (negatives, plates, and sizeable print runs), the digital age arrived. My book printer wanted digital cover and text files. I needed to learn how to operate a new computer system and many new software programs. I invested time and money in equipment, software, and classes on how to use them. God blessed us and we moved into the digital age.

My newest challenge has been the arrival of the ebook generation. This fall, my husband gave me a Kindle and I discovered that I love reading books on this device. That was just the motivation I needed to tackle the latest publishing move: convert my stories into ebook format to reach more readers than ever. I had to learn how to turn my books into files that a conversion company could transform into Kindle and epub formats. I have successfully moved into the ebook era with the first of my conversions, and I want you to help me celebrate!

I would like to give away a copy of Fayette—A Time to Love in your choice of formats: paperback, Kindle, or epub. To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment telling me about a challenging move you have made in your life, either physical, technical, or in some other way that you define. Please include your email address in your comment, along with the book format you would prefer to receive if you win. The drawing will take place on Saturday morning.

Additional links for Donna Winters and Fayette—A Time to Love
Visit Donna’s website here: http://www.greatlakesromances.comVisit Donna’s blog here: http://greatlakesromances.blogspot.comSearch for Donna on Facebook by entering her email address in the “search for friends by email” search box: bigwaterpub [at] gmail [dot] com
Find an excerpt of Fayette—A Time to Love here:
http://www.greatlakesromances.com/Fayette%20Love%20Excerpt.htmlFind the Amazon paperback here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0923048898/ref=sr_1_olp_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262868115&sr=1-1&condition=newFind the Kindle version here:
http://www.amazon.com/Fayette-Great-Lakes-Romances-ebook/dp/B004IK8I1Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1295444722&sr=1-2Find the epub file at Barnes & Noble here:

">http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Fayette-A-Time-to-Love/Donna-Winters/e/2940012535634/?itm=1&USRI=fayette+a+time+to+love

Fridays with Friends guestblog by Ann Gabhart

Today I am pleased to welcome a good friend and fellow Kentucky writer, Ann Gabhart. I read her new book Angel Sister and blogged about it last month. Check out the blog for February 7th to read my review and see a copy of the cover. Ann has graciously consented to tell "the rest of the story" about how this book came to be. Read and enjoy and hurry on out to buy your copy of this book and any of Ann's great stories. Plus Ann has offered to mail a copy of Angel Sister to one reader who leaves a comment on this post sometime this month.

And I want to share a special honor Ann just received from Romantic Times magazine. Angel Sister was awarded a February Inspirational Fiction Top Picks by this widely-read magazine for all fiction lovers. Kudos to Ann for this well-deserved award.

Angel Sister – An Echo of My Mother’s Story
by Ann H. Gabhart

A few years ago I had a dry spell as an author. I was writing, but what I was writing wasn’t finding any appreciative editors. So I decided I should take that time honored writing advice – write what you know. What I knew was farm life, small town living and little country churches. I combined all that into a setting for my book, The Scent of Lilacs, and the Lord blessed me with a loving editor at an inspirational publisher and gave me a new direction for my writing. I wrote a couple more books about my little fictional town, Hollyhill, and enjoyed delving into my memories to make the background of the book as authentic as possible. So when I began to cast around for a new idea, I remembered the fun of using a familiar hometown setting for those books and thought maybe I could move back a little farther in time to my mom’s childhood days for a new story background. My Harmony Hill setting in my Shaker books comes from history books as I do my best to reconstruct a 19th century Shaker Village. Rosey Corner in Angel Sister comes from history too – family history.

Mom was born in 1920 and grew up during the years of the Great Depression. She was one of four sisters – no brothers. Her father was the community’s blacksmith at a time when automobiles were taking over the roads and there was less and less need for a blacksmith’s skills. Times were hard but you would have never guessed that from the way my mother and her sisters talked about their childhood years. They loved sharing stories about when they were kids and often ended up laughing until tears ran down their cheeks as they recalled some of the odd characters from their old neighborhood. I enjoyed their stories, but as I got older, I realized I was only getting the shine on top of the story. So I began to probe at my mother’s stories. I asked about the odd folks. I asked about my grandparents. I asked what they liked, what they did, how they lived. And I wrote it all down.

At that time I wasn’t thinking about a background for a story. I just wanted to keep a record of hers and my aunts’ memories. To know how they felt as kids. To somehow share their life journeys. They never tired of telling the stories about Phoebe cutting cedars for her cedar palaces or Brigham showing them his dead mother’s hats. They’d frown, still a little angry, when they told about the man who took pleasure in scaring their mother by letting little snakes peek up out of his shirt pocket when he stopped by to pass the time of day. But they always laughed as if it didn’t bother them a bit when they told how their primer teacher meted out extra punishments to them because their father married their mother instead of her. So many memories.

Deborah Moggach once said “You keep your past by having sisters. As you get older, they’re the only ones who don’t get bored if you talk about your memories.” I didn’t get bored either. I listened and then when I was trolling around for a new idea I decided to try writing my mom’s story. It wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped. Writing never is. The first thing I had to do was forget Mom and her sisters. I had to turn the sisters in the book into my own characters with their own fictional story.

I did take my mother’s can-do and deal-with-it spirit and poured that into my character, Kate. Then I dropped in an abandoned little girl named Lorena Birdsong who needed an “angel sister.” That child became a sister of the heart to Kate and a catalyst of change for the Merritt family and the whole community.

“A sister is a gift of the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life.” (Isadora James)

Angel Sister is a story not just from my heart but from my mother’s heart. And that of her sisters. Their memories were the seed of my idea. While I did completely make up the story – after all, I do write fiction – there is the occasional echo of their memories throughout the story. I think they would have enjoyed hearing that echo. And I’m hoping readers will hear it too and love my characters as much as I did.

To read an excerpt of Angel Sister or to find discussion questions, visit my website, www.annhgabhart.com. I enjoy hearing from reading friends. Thanks so much, Rose, for inviting me over for a chat on your Fridays with Friends.

Rose here again: Thank you for visiting and sharing with us such a special story, Ann.

Bio: Ann H. Gabhart has published over twenty novels for adults and children including her bestselling Shaker novels. Her first Shaker novel, The Outsider, was a finalist for the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Fiction Book of 2009. Ann lives on a farm in Central Kentucky with her husband, Darrell who sings bass in a Southern Gospel group, the Patriot Quartet. They have three children and nine grandchildren. Ann’s a member of ACFW and her books, Summer of Joy and The Believer were finalists for a Carol Award.
You can keep up with Ann on her website, www.annhgabhart.com; her blog, One Writer’s Journal, www.annhgabhart.blogspot.com; Facebook author page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-H-Gabhart/132862247566, or follow Ann on Twitter.

Friday with Friends--Gail Gaymer Martin


One Child's Wish
With his Dreams Come True foundation, Ethan Fox turns wishes into reality. Amazing trips. Meeting heroes. But Ethan has come to care deeply for a sick boy whose dream
is. . .a dad. And not just any dad. Ethan. Though little Cooper has a great chance of getting well, widowed Ethan can't chance loving---and losing---again. Yet he's spending time with the sweet boy and his lovely, single mother, Lexie Carlson. Could a little boy's wish for a dad of his own come true after all?

Available where all good books are sold at the end of February or order or view information on Amazon. Click to Order:

Writing Tip:
Gail Gaymer Martin

SCOOP IT UP
From Gail Gaymer Martin

At a writers’ conference in Texas where I was on staff, I met Frank Ball, the director of numerous Christian writers conferences in the northwest area of Dallas/Fort Worth. He shared one of his teaching tools with me which is an excellent way to remember the essential elements of fiction writing to help your reader becoming emotionally involved in your novel. Although Scoop It Up is an acronym for techniques to be used in the first chapter of your novel, you will see that it can work for future chapters and scenes as well

The same SCOOP elements can also help you prepare a back cover blurb of your complete novel.
Situation: The environment or condition in which the story takes place
Character: A name of title of the person whose desire matters most.
Objective: The deep desire that the character is desperate to satisfy.
Obstacle: The condition that put the goal’s fulfillment in doubt.
Plight: What the character risks in the pursuit of what he or she wants.

By the end of the story, the IT comes into play.

Insight: What the character learns, which he didn’t know in the beginning.
Transformation: How the character changes, either positively or negatively.

To carry readers’ interest into the next chapter or continuation of the story, you can also use UP
Unresolved: The unanswered question raised by the current insight and transformation.
Problem: The character’s concern about what will happen next.

Here’s a sample from my imagination:
Returning to the small town in which she lived her teen years (Situation), Emily Dorset, (Character), homeless and in trouble wants to find the father of her four year old Cody (Objective) although Race Bradley doesn’t know he has a son (Obstacle). Will Race welcome them into his home and heart or turn his back? (Plight)

Asking questions in town (Situation), Emily (Character) learns Race is still single and now the owner of his parent’s lovely home (Objective), but he is mayor of the city winning over a man of questionable morals.(Obstacle). Will admitting Cody is his son ruin his reputation in a town that values his moral standards (Plight)

Hopefully this gives you the idea of how to use SCOOP to summarize your novel and build a story that offers readers conflicts in every scene.

Frank Ball is the director of the Northwest Texas Christian Writers http://www.ntchristianwriters.com and author of the book, Eye Witness, http://www.eyewitnesstools.com/the-author

© Frank Ball 2010 Used with permission.

For more guidance in Writing Ficiton Right, visit my blog at www.writingright-martin.blogspot.com

Thanks,
Gail

Gail Gaymer Martin
www.gailmartin.com
www.writingright-martin.blogspot.com

A Dad Of His Own - Steeple Hill Love Inspired, March 2011
Dad In Training, Groom in Training, Bride In Training - Steeple Hill Love Inspired
Monterey Memories - Barbour Publishing
Writing The Christian Romance - Writers Digest

Friday with Friends--Guest blog by Connie Stevens

I am so happy to bring you this guest blog by my good friend and prayer partner, Connie Stevens. And believe me, Connie walks the walk. She is a true prayer warrior as you will see in this story below. Warning: you many want to have a hanky ready!

Answered Prayer by Connie Stevens
When I asked God to use my book, it was a prayer He answered almost immediately…

One week before Christmas this past December, I received a case of author copies of my debut novel, LEAVE ME NEVER, from Heartsong Presents. My excitement level was through the roof as I held my first book in my hands. Flashbacks of my writing journey that had brought me to this moment tiptoed across my mind, and I sent a prayer heavenward asking God to use this book.

I gave a few copies to friends and family and they shared in my excitement. But I had to come back down to earth. My holiday list of things to do still waited for my attention so I prepared to run several errands. I remember once, when attending a writer’s conference, someone said to always carry a few of your books with you because you never know when God will give you an opportunity to network with someone who can help you promote your book, or use the book to introduce someone to Christian fiction. So I stuck a book in my purse.

Since it was just one week before Christmas, every place was crowded, the lines were long, and patience seemed in short supply. My last stop was the grocery store. The girl who checked me out looked and sounded tired and discouraged, so I smiled at her. She tried to smile back but her effort appeared forced. I asked her if she was ready for Christmas. When all she did was lift her shoulders, I felt a nudge from God. This girl’s response wasn’t simply due to weariness and aching feet. Her very demeanor suggested an ache in her heart as well.

As she finished checking out my groceries, I asked her (a bit apprehensively) if she liked to read. She gave a half-shrug and said, “When I have time.”

My soul whispered a prayer that God would use me to minister to this young lady, but how could I do that with a line of people waiting behind me? I pulled the book out of my purse, handed it to her and said, “Merry Christmas. This is my debut novel.”

Again, the forced smile and a mumbled thank you. The bag boy tucked the last bag into my cart and turned it toward the door, waiting for me to join him. I saw the cashier out of the corner of my eye turn the book over and glance at the back. As the bag boy and I reached the door, the girl called out behind me. I turned. She had tears in her eyes as she held up the book. She tapped her finger on the back cover. “Is this what this book is about?”

I smiled (much bigger this time and not the least bit apprehensive) and said, “Yes.”

You know how sometimes you “lock eyes” with someone and unspoken communication zings back and forth between you? I saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes and this time her smile wasn’t forced when she said, “Thank you. Merry Christmas.”

The first line on the back cover of my book reads, “Does God keep His promises?”

I needed a tissue before I could drive home.

The image of this girl and the tears in her eyes has lingered in my memory. Since my book didn’t officially release until three weeks later, this cashier was among my first readers. My heart was arrested by that term—readers. As Christian authors, the reason we write goes beyond entertainment. Our writing is a ministry. We never know who will be impacted by a character or a plot that draws that reader in and points their heart in the direction of Jesus. Praying for my readers has become a new passion.


BIO:

Connie Stevens lives in north Georgia with her husband of thirty-seven years, John. One cantankerous kitty—misnamed Sweet Pea—allows them to live in her home. Some of Connie’s favorite pastimes include reading, browsing antique shops, collecting teddy bears, and gardening. She also enjoys making quilts to send to the Cancer Treatment Centers Of America. LEAVE ME NEVER is Connie’s first published book. Her second book, REVEALING FIRE, releases this spring, which will be followed by a third release, SCARS OF MERCY, this summer. All three books are published with Heartsong Presents, division of Barbour Publishing. Visit Connie’s website and blog at www.conniestevenswrites.com and look for her on Facebook.