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/

Monday Musings--Shocked!

That was the best word to describe my reaction to my daughter telling me that she checked our results in the online Louisville Courier-Journal for the Half Marathon in the Kentucky Derby Festival we walked in Louisville this past Saturday. There were 15,000 competing in both the full marathon (26.2 miles) and the half or mini-marathon. (13.1 miles) Out of 250 in my age group (60-64), I came in 104th with a speed of 16:38 minute mile. And I never jogged, but walked the whole way! My daughter finished a few minutes before me as she jogged the last mile. Then we had to walk a mile or more to and from the hotel, so we logged in over 15 miles that day. The backs of my thighs can attest to that!

The porta-potties left much to be desired, but when we got to Churchill Downs, a lady there told us the bathroom was very clean, so I told Mandy that next time we will make our one pit stop there! She said, "Next time?" I would love to do the walk with my other daughter, too, and maybe even my grandkids someday, so who knows?

We and the other marathoners enjoyed beautiful weather, and beautiful views of the city. I grew up in Louisville which is one of the reasons my daughter suggested we do this race, and I have to say that I think the city is even prettier and cleaner than during my childhood years. Mandy and I saw some familiar sites as we walked--the Science Museum where we enjoyed a sleepover with her Girl Scout troop, the funeral home where both my parents' visitations took place, the church I attended as a young girl with my deaf grandparents, Churchill Downs and more.

We even got medals at the end! See us in the picture above back in our hotel room after completing the race. My favorite part was sharing this special event with my youngest daughter. Thanks, Mandy, for the memories! And the motivation!

Our monthly winners are...

Joanne Sher who wins an autographed copy of The Sheriff's Daughter by Laurie Kingery and Cheri Horgan wins a copy of Something Stirs by Thomas Smith. These books will be on their way after both winners send me their mailing addresses.

This month's book to win is called 199 Promises of God to celebrate me reaching the milestone of 199 blogposts last month! It is chock-full of Scripture promises to encourage you along your journey. To be included in the drawing which will take place on June 1st, please leave a comment any time the month of May along with your email address so I can contact you for mailing info. All those with a US mailing addy except the two winners mentioned above are eligible, so what are you waiting for?

Friday with Friends--guestblogger, Angie Breidenbach

Today everyone is in for a treat with this inspiring post by Angie Breidenbach. I know Angie from ACFW where we sang in the choir together and she served 2009-2011 as our publicity officer. Angie wears many hats on her pretty head as you can tell from her list of websites below. I hope you will check them out and her books which have been a blessing to many. Today's post is from her book Gems of Wisdom, which releases next week. This excerpt begins with a foreword from ACFW's president, Margaret Daley.

Foreword

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning;

and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.

—Proverbs 1:5



When I read this proverb, I immediately thought of Angie Breidenbach’s Gems of Wisdom. This book is filled with good advice and information to help people overcome obstacles they face in their life.

When I read Gems of Wisdom, I particularly loved the positive advice with the emphasis on setting goals, journaling, and taking small steps toward changing your life. She covers all the positive attitudes we need to counter the negative ones that we can be bombarded with day in and out. This can be done through education and knowledge, both of which lead to wisdom.

Living can be hard, filled with many trials and tribulations, but Gems of Wisdom gives you concrete ways to get a handle on those problems, so you can live your life to the fullest. I cried when reading this, but mostly I walked away with tools to use to solve issues I had been wrestling with. I was able to fight those pirates that wanted to rob me of peace.

Reading Gems of Wisdom will enrich your life. You will find a treasure trove of gems that will equip you to make sound decisions. There is no place for negativity. Embrace life and savor the words to come.


—Margaret Daley




Excerpt from Gems of Wisdom: For a Treasure-filled Life



Chapter 1

What’s Fair?

Gemstone: Tanzanite

Pirate: Injustice

Then I will purify them and put them to the test, just as gold and silver are purified and tested. They will pray in my name, and I will answer them. I will say, "You are my people," and they will reply, "You, LORD, are our God!" Zechariah 13:9, CEV



Heat treatment can turn ordinary gemstones into extraordinary jewels. Tanzanite, straight from the ground, is tinged brown. Dirt colored, plain old brown. It’s easy to take for granted as a valueless rock. But heat that rock and watch the fire flare from the dazzle. A kind of can’t-take-your-eyes-off-it rich purple-blue dazzle.



Tanzanite is most often cut into facets, adding more dimensions to the jewel. The intensity comes from the high temperature that purifies the color. Color that makes you want to take a second look, draw in a little closer, and see it from every angle to absorb the beauty.

Record your answers to questions in the following sections in Chapter 1 of the Companion Guide.



Ponder Point

How skewed is your fairness meter?
As a Christian, it seems as if I live in an open-air zoo. Passersby stop and stare. They watch my every move with fascination like a monkey in an exhibit. Sometimes the people on the other side of an invisible wall mock, taunt, and tease. Sometimes they throw words at me to get a reaction so they can tell their friends about the exciting visit to the zoo. But when a fellow monkey wants to fight over little things . . .

Safe in my little monkey enclosure, I don’t need protection from my own kind. I don’t expect to fight over the branch where I rest or the proper way to peel my banana. After all, we’re compatible creatures, right?

When someone trustworthy attacks, it feels like a hairy arm swipes at my fruit and bare teeth screech an unbearable noise demanding to be in command. Other monkeys watch the commotion as my attacker bites and claws and leaves open sores to scar forever. She wasn’t even hungry. She had a pile of bananas under her own branch.

I want to run and hide from the unnecessary malice. I plead for respite from my Zookeeper. I want to go to a safe enclosure away from the mean monkey. The Zookeeper holds me, binds my wounds, and gives me back my banana. But he doesn’t take the bad monkey out. Instead, he approaches the offender with love. I watch, huddled with pouting, tearful eyes.

The Zookeeper opens his arms to the nasty, selfish monkey. She leaps into them, grasping and clinging, and drops a little bundle in the process. The tiny body is no longer breathing. He picks up and cradles the little lost one. Zookeeper pulls the mean monkey deeper into his embrace.

I needed holding.

“She attacked out of confusion and fear.” He looks over to me. “Her heart is sick.” It wasn’t evident by the way she looked on the outside and the skill she used to keep the hurt hidden. “Oh, my gentle soul,” he says. “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. Come.”

We are both sick and in need of our Zookeeper’s care.



Pique Points

Do people hide things they don’t know how to deal with?
Is being fair really the issue?
How skewed is my fairness meter?



About the book:
In Gems of Wisdom: For A Treasure-Filled Life you'll embark on a treasure hunt for God's unique gems of wisdom. Be empowered, learn to influence through your own life lessons, and preserve important relationships. Gems of Wisdom invites the reader on a treasure hunt to find important life concepts represented by the beautiful stones God created. Excellent for Bible study and book clubs as well as individual study.


Amazon Sales link: http://www.amazon.com/Gems-Wisdom-Treasure-Filled-Angela-Breidenbach/dp/1936438046/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3

About the author:
Angela Breidenbach is Mrs. Montana International 2009, a multi-award winning inspirational speaker and the author of the Gems of Wisdom: For a Treasure-filled Life from Journey Press, the Creative Cooking Series including the new release of Creative Cooking for Simple Elegance and the new Kindle release, Creative Cooking for Colitis. Other works by Angela include compilation books and devotionals from Guidepost, Group, and articles in magazines, ezines, and newspapers. She connects missions to her work with Hope’s Promise Orphan Ministries and the Jadyn Fred Foundation. Angela also teaches online classes and coaches one-on-one in courageous confidence, personal growth, and powerful living. She’s certified in mentor/peer counseling as a Stephen Minister and life coach. Angela serves as an assisting minister for her congregation in Missoula, MT. She volunteered as the American Christian Fiction Writer's publicity officer for two years. Not only did she walk the hard line of deciding to donate her mom's brain for the study of schizophrenia, but she’s also on the brain donation list at the Brain Bank-Harvard McLean Hospital. Angela is married with a combined family of six grown children and two grand children. Gems of Wisdom: For a Treasure-filled Life releases May 2011 from Journey Press, a Sheaf House imprint.



Interested in having Angela speak? Contact Christian Speaker Services 800.871.9012 x40250

Interact with or learn more about Angela Breidenbach:

http://www.angelabreidenbach.com/

http://www.mygemofwisdom.comhttp//www.MyGemofWisdom.com

http://www.Youtube.com/AngieBreidenbach


http:///http://www.godusesbrokenvessels.com/

http://www.thefaithgirls.com%20on%20wednesdays%20each%20week/




Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog, Rose!
Angie

And thank you for visiting, Angie. I hope you will come back again and share more of your Gems of Wisdom!

Monday Musings--Rise up and Dance Your Shoes Off!

As a little after-Easter boost, I'd like to invite you to go to YouTube and type in "Dance your shoes off." There you will find a worship dance 2000 members of SBC of Houston put on to the song "Rise Up." It has gotten over half a million views so far. I heard the pastor interviewed on Fox News on Easter morning, and he said the reason it's called "Dance Your Shoes Off" is that each dancer wore new tennis shoes then stepped out of them at the end so the final shot is of a field of tennis shoes. These were all to be donated to mission groups.

The music makes you want to get up and dance with the crowd. I hope more churches will participate in similar events next Easter. There are several other videos in a similar vein. Another one I liked was the "Resurrection Sunday Dance, Budapest, Hungary" with over a million views. What a way to spend Easter Sunday--looking forward to the day we will rise up to meet our Lord in the air.

Fridays with Friends--Guestblog by Lynn Diener

I am happy to post this very helpful article about characterization. Great insights, Lynn!

5 Tips for More Believable Characters

By D.L. Diener

Are your characters a little flat? Are they as interchangeable as sweet potatoes and yams? Are you stuck for new ways to add depth? Well, do I have good news for you. I’ve gleaned some tips from my own life that will help you to flesh out your boney characters in just a few bites.

(FYI- these are excellent procrastination tools, should you find yourself in need of some. “What are you doing, honey?” “Oh, just working on my characterization.”)

1. Read your Bible. Not for your own spiritual enrichment (actually yes, do that, too), but read it as material for your manuscript.

I learned this one with my current work-in-progress. I knew what topic I wanted to cover. I knew the setting, what genre I wanted it to be, and who some of the main characters were. But what I lacked was a grander scope. What was my main character’s motivation and what was going to both sustain her and propel her towards the finish?

I decided to meditate on the verse that had inspired the story every day that summer. Within a week, I was blown away. Suddenly, it wasn’t just the one verse that jumped out at me, but the whole chapter and pieces of the chapters around it. I finally knew how the story would play out. What my main character’s central angst was and what she craved and how she felt about God.

Since then, I always consult the Bible on any major writing project, as a resource.

2. Do you know what your main character’s Love Language is?

With much appreciation to Dr. Chapman and how he’s helped my family communicate, I’d like to suggest something a little strange.

In the last two novels I’ve read, I found myself thinking, “well, that’s because her love language is words or quality time, and his is acts of service or touch- of course they’re feeling misunderstood.” I’m analyzing characters in ways I’d only done with real humans before. Then I started wondering about my own characters.

Try this out for yourself. If Love Languages doesn’t appeal to you, try the Myers-Briggs test, or those silly Facebook quizzes (which Disney princess are you?). But answer them as your character. It’ll give you a much better idea of how your character will respond to things and how they’ll interact with the other characters in your book.

3. People Watching. I know you’ve heard this one before, so I’d like to expand it to People Interactions. You know conversations?

It’s time to be brave, break out of that introverted, shy writer thing, and do what your Momma didn’t tell you to do—go talk to strangers.

Perhaps you need a prop. I generally have my twin daughters with me and they provide me with many unexpected conversations.

But don’t just have the conversations to have a conversation. Notice their mannerisms, what they share or won’t share. What drew them to you or you to them? Are they there with another person? Family? Friend? Alien from the planet Tooba? You won’t get a full history (not generally) but you can imagine-in the details. Is this person you’ve met someone that your character would interact with? Would your character be the approached or the approach-ee?

4. Borrow from life.

This is your reminder to stop and smell the roses. Or watch how your three-year-old sits at the top of the stairs clutching her oversized Pooh Bear during a thunderstorm. Her damp curls sticking to her plump, tear-streaked cheeks. Does she suddenly become relieved of her fear, maybe even giggle, when you plop her on your lap to comfort her? Or is she truly upset and frightened by the storm?

We can imagine a lot of things as writers, but sometimes there is no faking what happens in real life. If you’re intentional about paying close attention- you’ll know when something is plausible in a story.

5. Read. Read. Read.

You’re not going to know what comes off as three-dimensional to a reader, unless you’ve read it. Analyze while you’re reading. What was it that made that moment so believable?

Do you remember your own first pangs of labor? Is that why that childbirth scene made you rub a hand across your belly? Do you remember the names that girl on the bus used to call you? Is that why that bullying scene made you queasy?

Start filing away those moments when you read. Highlight it in the book or scribble it on a piece of paper. Then when your character is running a few quarts low, you’ll have something to fill her up with.

These are just quick tips. It’s not meant to be exhaustive. There are loads of books that explain characterization far better than I can. Personally, I love the psychology behind characters, and even what that reveals about its author. But then, I minored in psychology. I’m hoping even if this hasn’t answered all your questions about creating full characters, that it has at least been enough to stir those creative juices again.

For further study on characterization, here are two of my favorite books on the subject:

Breathing Life Into Your Characters by Rachel Ballon

Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Dynamic Characters and Effective Viewpoints (Write Great Fiction) by Nancy Kress

Thanks so much, Lynn. My favorite book on character writing is Getting into Character by Brandilyn Collins. And my favorite of Lynn's tips is #1. I always have a Bible verse about the theme of the story, but have never thought about meditating on it each day to see what God teaches me about my character that I can share with my readers. Great idea!

How about you, dear reader, Do you have a favorite book on characterization to recommend? Which of Lynn's tips do you like the best, or do you have one to add? Anyone with a US address who comments and leaves their contact info will be entered into this month's book giveaway contest drawing on May 1st.

And I encourage everyone to check out Lynn's very helpful and funny blog at www.dldiener.com

Monday Musings

I emailed the following story to a friend this morning and thought it might give some of you a laugh, too, so decided to share! (Although I don't think our preacher's wife thought it was very funny at the time!)

Dottie said they had spring cleaning scheduled for later on this month at her church. That reminded me of a funny incident that occurred during spring cleaning at our former church. One year I found this old stained squeeze bottle like you use when you give perms and had no idea how it got in the church kitchen, so threw it out in the trash. Then that Sunday morning the preacher's wife had to pour all the communion cups by hand! LOL I used to fill the communion cups at my home church as a teenager, but we had a store-bought plastic bottle with a little black tube coming out to make it dripless, so I had no idea she used a permanent solution squeeze bottle!

Do you have any amusing stories to share this week? Anyone else remember filling communion cups? Does your church still hold a spring cleaning day?

Friday with Friends guestblog by Marlene Bagnull
My scheduled guestblogger did not respond in time, so instead today I am pleased to share with you (with her permission) a snippet from Marlene Bagnull's wonderful Bible study written especially for Christian writers--Write His Answer.
The title of her book comes from Habakkuk 2:2 "And the Lord said to me, 'Write my answer on a billboard, large and clear, so that anyone can read it at a glance and rush to tell the others.'" In the preface to the book Marlene tells why the printed word is so important to her. As a teenager she struggled to read a KJV of the Bible. Then she discovered and read Biblical fiction classics such as The Silver Chalice, Ben-Hur and The Robe which finally led her to The Day Christ Died by Jim Bishop. This book caused her to fall on her knees and commit her life to Christ. She now says she wouldn't have believed it if God had told her then that she would be writing books that spurred others on in their Christian walk. Here are her challenging words from the end of the preface: "I believe God is calling us to write his answer. It's time to boldly step out in faith and to write the words that need to be written--powerful words, winsome words, anointed words that will come only by allowing him to speak to our hearts."

In closing this introduction to Marlene's wonderful book, I'd like to share a little of what Lee Roddy says in the foreword: "This devotional book for writers (published or unpublished) is designed to inspire and give encouragement for those difficult times that all writers face. It's a work planned to help you fulfill your call and see the fruits of your labors. Please join Marlene as she leads you through her unique devotionals for writers: for this book can change your life."

I second his suggestion. Please bless your writing by ordering this book online or from Marlene at www.writehisanswer.com and click on Bible studies.

All quotations taken from Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers by Marlene Bagnull. Copyright 1990, 1999. Used by permission.

Monday Musings Spring is...green grass, green leaves, green buds on trees...yellow daffodils, yellow forsythia, yellow tulips...warm sun, warm air, warm hearts...birds flying, birds chirping, birds building nests...rain clouds, rain storms, a rainbow...springtime, spring breezes, hope springs eternal! Anyone else care to rhapsodize about spring in your part of the world?

Guest Blog by Thomas Smith I am happy to offer some helpful insights on finding your writing voice from author Thomas Smith. He and his publisher have also offered to give away a copy of his book Something Stirs to one of our readers who leaves a comment on this blogpost, so post away. I will draw the winner for this book as well as my regularly scheduled book drawing on May 1st, so by leaving a post here (with contact info) you are entered in two book drawings!

Finding Your Voice by Thomas Smith

When I first started writing, I read a lot of Charles L. Grant, Stephen King, Joe R. Lansdale, and Robert McCammon. I thought I wanted to be a horror writer. I had a file full of ideas about vampires, werewolves, haunted houses, malformed creatures created by a combination of man’s vanity and recombinant DNA, zombies, ghouls, and a smattering of ghosts for good measure. Armed with those ideas and the Berlin Philharmonic playing Stravinsky's Firebird Suite: Infernal Dance in the background, I was off and running.

Consequently, my first attempts at writing fiction sounded a lot like cheap Charles L. Grant, Stephen King, Joe R. Lansdale, and Robert McCammon knock-offs. The writing wasn’t necessarily bad (OK, my first three novels stunk like dead fish), but it also wasn’t me. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it doesn’t help much when you’re trying to blaze your own trail.
To find your own voice.
OK, Now What?
I realized that, though I was being rejected, editors were writing short notes on the rejection letters. They were writing things like, I really like the description, but … or You are a really strong storyteller, but … and the ever popular I really like this story, but...

So what’s a fellow to do?
I kept writing. I kept producing fiction that sounded like someone else. In the mean time I started going to various writers conferences and joined a writers group. The conferences exposed me to professional writers who were willing to share their knowledge with those of us who were just starting out, and the writers group was one of those where everyone was required to bring something they were working on regularly for the rest of the group to evaluate.

That’s when I learned the secret.
What’s The Secret, Mister Tom?

The two things that I learned are pretty basic, but they also get straight to the heart of finding your own voice. The first thing is the actual idea of the writer’s voice. What exactly is it?

A writer’s voice is the way the words move and flow. It is the way all the composite parts of our writing fit together as a whole. It is the thing that makes each person’s writing unique. Often you can identify a writer’s work by the way the words look and sound on the page. It is style plus a hard to define “something else” that sets them apart. Something you develop without being aware you are doing it. For example, read passages from your favorite authors. Notice what makes each one different from the next – the thing that lets you know it is their work. That’s their voice.

The next element of finding your own voice comes from practice. Find the feelings of the words. Words evoke responses, feelings and emotions. Some words are powerful (thunder, commanding, explode, terror, grandeur). Some words are peaceful (tranquil, flowing, sigh, velvet, sunset).

And it is through constant repetition – writing on a regular basis – that you get a feeling for the language. And as you write, rewrite, revise, and write some more, your own voice will emerge.

My novel, Something Stirs, releases this spring. You can read an excerpt on my web site: www.thomassmithonline.com (and yes … it is Christian horror)

Follow me on Facebook (http://profile.to/thomassmithwriting) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/tsmithwriting).

Book contest and book review of The Sheriff's Sweetheart by Laurie Kingery
I just finished this book today, so decided to use it for this month's book drawing (winner to be announced on May 1st). As usual, the rules are to leave an email addy where you can be reached for a US mailing address. Also last month's winners are not eligible this month so as to give more people a chance.

This was a delightful book with a well-plotted out story. People/events that appeared early in the story were brought back in at just the right time to play their part in the drama. I fell in love with both the hero and the heroine. Sam Bishop realizes he needs a change of scenery and lifestyle. He finds both, with the added bonus of love, in Simpson Creek, Texas. Prissy Gilmore lives up to her name as the feisty daughter of the local mayor.

This is the third book in the Brides of Simpson Creek series, but you don't have to read the others before this book as I hadn't, but still found myself caught up in the lives of the town's characters. And I hope it will be a continuing series with more of the Spinsters' Club Society women finding their perfect mate. This book is just being released, so you should be able to find it on the shelves of your local bookstore. For the first two books in the series, you will need to check used bookstores or http://www.eharlequin.com/ You'll be glad you did!

Monday Musings on why I am late with my book drawings! The winners are...Heather Sunseri for Angel Sister and Donna Winters for the copy of Long Time Coming

Please send me your snail mail addys, ladies so we can get your books out to you ASAP. I usually post the winners on the first of each month, but am three days late this time. I did schedule a blog to post on April 1st before I left for a trip, but I couldn't choose the winners until I returned home as I didn't want to draw numbers until the end of the month as per the guidelines. Now for the reason for my late posting.

Once a year I try to take a retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani guest house in Trappist, KY. It is a two hour drive each way, but a world apart from my normal everyday life. As several signs around the buildings and grounds read "Silence is spoken here." Although you are allowed to speak in the lobby, on the grounds, and in one of the dining halls, all the rest of the places you are asked to remain silent to not disturb the other retreatants.

A friend accompanied me, so besides our times of silence and reflection, we enjoyed eating several meals in the "speaking" dining room and taking walks on the grounds each day and talking. She is a writer, too, so we even did a little brainstorming in the car and on our walks! But most of my waking hours were spent in reading my Bible and other devotional type books and in prayer. And writing pages and pages in my prayer journal about many of the things the Lord was teaching me there. I also took a prayer journal from two years ago and re-read some of the chronicles of my spiritual journey. Time well spent! This picture of my friend and me in front of one of my favorite signs says it all--God alone! Our lives should be lived for God alone, and much of my time last week was spent with God alone!

Please check back later this week for the book review for this month's contest.

Book Review of The Deepest Waters by Dan Walsh The Deepest Waters is a very moving book of historical fiction based on a real event--the sinking of a steamship in the Atlantic Ocean. Dan Walsh describes it this way in the Author's Notes: " 'Inspired by a true story'...means a true story inspired the work of fiction, but the book likely contains more fiction than fact." He then gives us readers a list of events in the book that really happened and tells how some could have happened the way he wrote it. The book takes us from a dreamy courtship and marriage in San Francisco to a nightmarish call to abandon ship leading to the separation of most of the men from the women and children. The author is very adept at telling us the story from various points of view, giving each scene an intimate feel like you are privy to that character's thoughts and feelings in person. We ride their roller coaster journey of heights of happiness to lows of fear and despair. The book also chronicles the spiritual journey of several characters learning to trust and lean on God even when they can't feel Him. Dan Walsh, a former pastor, handles this very realistically, too. I highly recommend this book, and if you haven't read his first two novels, The Unfinished Gift and The Homecoming, then I recommend you also purchase copies of them. Those first two novels are a series, so I suggest you read them in order, but The Deepest Waters is a stand-alone book, so hurry to your brick or online bookstore and purchase it and the other two. You'll be glad to make the acquaintance of this author and his very true-to-life characters. After reading them, you'll be like me waiting for his newest book scheduled to be out this fall!

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

Monday Musings--Lion and the Lamb My husband says March not only came in like a lion, but is going out like a lion, too, since we had temps of 27 this morning and a little snow/ice when we left for church yesterday on the last Sunday of the month. I thought today I would muse about Christ--the Lion and the Lamb. My husband and I DVR a TV program called "Christ in Prophecy" produced by Lamb and Lion Ministries which often speaks of the prophecies that have been/are being fulfilled about Jesus and the prophecies that remain to be fulfilled. Last night the main speaker David Reagan showed a video of himself speaking at a church in Texas where they had a lion cub and a lamb up on stage to emphasize the two faces of Christ. If you want to check out more on his great site, go to www.lamblion.com You can find many Scriptures that show these characteristics of Christ. A few for the Lamb are: Gen. 22:8, Ex. 12:21(I know these first two are concerning Abraham's sacrifice and the Passover lamb, but I believe they both point to Christ as the ultimate Lamb of God.) Also Isaiah 53:7, John 1:29, I Cor. 5:7, I Peter 1:19, and a bunch in Revelation! That's where you can also find this reference to Christ as the Lion of Judah. (Revelation 5:5) I hope this musing will turn your heart toward thinking more of the Lamb and Lion of God!

Fridays with Friends-- by Donald James Parker

Can you picture John the Baptist as novelist? If so can you envision him wiping the residue of honey and locust intestines on his suede pants and grabbing a bone he scored from one of his frequent wild animal kills and scratching out a cozy little romance onto parchment? How about a head spinning mystery which takes more twists than a pretzel going down the toilet? Are you having equal trouble visualizing him sitting in the Goat’s Milk Café signing his autograph onto his newly printed comedy manuscript? You almost ROFL at the suggestion of the prophet of all prophets stepping out of character to indulge the world in make believe stories. John the B. had one purpose in life. His role was to prepare the way of the Lord. Some people probably consider him excessively fanatical. He just kind of lost his head with that repentance kick he was on.

Jesus spoke in parables. Those are not exactly novels, but they do embody the concept of telling make believe stories which contain an object lesson about real life. Let’s take for example a parable that most kids hear from those endowed with the privilege of teaching them how to live. There was a little boy who cried wolf, even when there was no wolf. And so when a real wolf came to dine on the boy’s flock, no one would believe him that he was under attack by El Lobo, leading to one sad little boy. He was sheepless in Seattle. The object of the story was to teach people not to lie, not by telling them to avoid lying but by graphically demonstrating the consequences of the deed. Human beings don’t typically learn not to do something because someone tells them not to do it. How many of us were told not to touch the iron or a toaster? How many actually refrained from reaching up their grimy little paws to find out why? My estimate is about 20 percent. I think they all watched a brother or sister squeal with pain and learned their lesson vicariously, but again by experience and not through a verbal command. God had already given us the Ten Commandments. Jesus motivated people to heed those commandments through the stories he told.

No doubt you’re wondering where I’m going with this. In 2006 I woke up at 2:00 AM with the distinct sensation that I had heard a voice saying "Write a book about evolution." I rolled over and went back to sleep. The next morning I went to the Lord in prayer asking, "Did you ask me to write a book about evolution last night?" As clear as a bell, I heard a still small voice in my head say, "And when you're done with that, I want you to go after Harry Potter and the sexual revolution." In an instant I was called from being a carefree Christian, or perhaps Sleeping Saint is a better term, to SuperAuthor, getting up at 4:00 AM to polish off a chapter of a parabolic novel before going off to work to earn my daily bread. The result of my frenzied activity was nine books over a three year period. The nature of my commission was similar to John the Baptist. I felt compelled to make a case for holiness and intimacy with God, his son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit through stories that I tapped onto my computer keyboard.

No doubt this has been the most bittersweet experience of my life. It has been wonderful to bring to life ideas that had simmered on the backburner of my brain since my youth and others that I’ve cultivated over the years of following the Lord. However trying to get this literary medicine to those patients who need it has been extremely frustrating. You read about the attitude of the people in the old days towards those poor souls who God shanghaied into service. They would have been the first one voted off the island in a game of survivor. When everyone else in the family was invited to a party, their invitation would conveniently be misplaced. You get the idea. So here I am, feeling like I’m trying to sell cod liver oil to chocolaholics. People want to escape from reality, not have it rubbed into their noses. Marketing books is a tenuous activity in this day and age when a million new books hit the street every year. That statistic staggers my imagination. The struggle to interest readers to put aside their fluffy entertainment to dive into my creations which exhort people to embrace Jesus and obey the commandments is truly mission impossible. At one point I was convinced that I might become the first person in history who wrote more books than he sold. That won’t happen now. I’ve got a few more in me, and then I’ll be done with the printed word. I’m going to make movies which nobody will want to watch instead. Of course, when the world slides into tribulation, my books and movies might shine through darkness and point the way to Jesus. And then, like John the Baptist, I’ll have fulfilled my commission. The trials of this life will pale in comparison with the eternity that hopefully some of my readers will enjoy because they did undertake the adventure of reading the message that God has placed within me.

In case any of you is looking for a meaty reading experience instead of chocolate milk, at least for a change of pace, check out my website at http://DonaldJamesParker.com There you will find my humble and unimpressive covers that house my attempts to fight against evolution, the occult, and sexual sin. If you’re a parent looking for something to entertain but also educate your children in the ways of the Lord, perhaps you’ll be motivated to check further.

Monday Musings on Scrapbooking

I am posting later in the day than usual because a friend of mine came over and we scrapbooked until 4 PM. For those not familiar with scrapbooking, it is arranging your pictures into a book and writing about them. These books are mainly for family and friends and are fun to put together with different colored papers and decorations. As a retired teacher, I used to use my creativity to produce bulletin boards. Now I scrapbook, using some of the same principles of theme, colors and patterns. It is great fun, and my grandkids love to look at the pages I have created about them. I enjoy it even more when doing it with a friend to talk to like today. What about you--do any of you scrapbook or do something similar you would like to share?

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

Monday Musings--March Madness

I know most people are referring to basketball when they use this phrase, but March has continued to come in like a mad lion! Harrison County schools missed this past Friday for snow again! The roads were covered with a thin layer of ice and snow which caused several accidents early on, but melted by 10 AM.

And I apologize for missing my Friday with Friends post. I was sick on Friday so didn't even think about it until Saturday morning, so the person scheduled will guestblog at a later date. Check in this Friday for a post by Donna Winters.

And go CATS!!! (UK--my Alma Mater)

Monday Musings--March...

..."comes in like a lion" has been true in KY so far this year. We have had rains and flooding. School here was delayed one hour last week for high water instead of snow.

So, this week, I want to share a painting my youngest granddaughter did of a lion's head.

This is the same 9 year old girl who writes stories, and I have pubbed 2 of them on this blog. As you can tell, she is a very talented and creative girl in many ways! Can you also tell I am a proud Mimi? I thank God for all my family and the gifts He has given them and pray they will always use them for His service and glory.

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.

And the winners are...
Ane Mulligan wins a copy of I Shall Not Want by Debbie Viguie, and Mary L. my 7th grade English teacher wins the Valentine Candy for her lovely acrostic. These gifts will be in the mail as soon as I receive their mailing addresses.

Our drawing for this month will be for Long Time Coming by Vanessa Miller. Since I haven't had time to read this book due to writing deadlines (a very nice problem to have!), I will copy some of the back cover blurb so we both will know something about it.

"Faithful Christian Deidre Clark-Morris is a professional, career-minded woman with a loving husband, but no children. Kenisha Smalls has lived in poverty all her life. She has three children by three different men and has just been diagnosed with inoperable cancer. Although the meeting between these two women appears accidental, it becomes their catalyst of hope. Neither woman expects the blessing that God has in store for her..."

That makes me want to read it, and I hope you do, too. Leave a post anytime this month to be entered in the drawing to win it on April 1st. In fact, this month you will have a chance to win two books. Ann Gabhart will be my guest blogger this Friday, and she has graciously offered to give away one of her Angel Sister books that I blogged about on February 7, 2011. So, check that post out and come back on Friday and leave a post on her guest blog for that special drawing which will also take place on April 1st.

Monday Musings--Books I Have Read so far in 2011

Today is the last day of February, so I thought I would share the books I have read since January 1st of this year. I've read 13 so far:
The Other Brother by Lena Nelson Dooley
Going Rogue by Sarah Palin
Making Waves by Lorna Seilstad
The Waters Roar by Lynn Austin
A Time to Dance by Karen Kingsbury
A Time to Embrace by Karen Kingsbury
Angel Sister by Ann Gabhart
Under a Maui Moon by Robin Jones Gunn
I Shall Not Want by Debbie Viguie
The Train Stops Here by Gail Sattler
An Unexpected Love by Andrea Boeshaar
Waterfalls by Robin Jones Gunn
Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones
And I should finish America By Heart by Sarah Palin by tomorrow so that will make 14 in the first two months of 2011. How about you, dear readers. Do you want to share what you have read so far this year?

Book Review--Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones

This latest book by Jenny B. Jones is laugh-out-loud hilarious! In fact, I finished it last night at midnight and was afraid I would awaken my husband in the next room with my outbursts of laughter. But, it also has such a grand spiritual lesson of realizing how special we are in God's eyes as His children. And how all our days--past, present and future--are in His hands. At least, that was the spiritual takeaway for me.

It starts out as a rich guy/poor girl "Cinderella" story, but has so many twists and reversals and characters who aren't quite who you thought they were, you wonder how it can ever turn out with a happy ending. As the back cover announces on the invitation: "You are cordially invited to the wedding of the year with the most unlikely bride and groom. Save the date...and say your prayers."

I hope you will join me and Jenny B. Jones' huge fan club on this inspiring journey from Charleston's South of Broad crowd to the homeless of the city and their angel band of helpers. You'll grow along with the characters, and that's always a good thing!

Friday with Friends--guestblog by Christina Berry

I am so happy to introduce you to a good friend of mine. We first became cyber-friends when she edited a book for me. Christina did a super job, and I highly recommend her editing prowess. We later became friends in person at the ACFW conference a couple years ago when we rode in the van to the hotel together and shared several meals together and even collected tickets together one night at the evening meal. Lots of togetherness!

And, she is a great writer. Be sure to check out her book, The Familiar Stranger, if you haven't already read it. The book was a Christy finalist in 2010 and also won ACFW's Carol Award! Woo-hoo, Christina! You can order an autographed copy from her website at http://christinaberry.net/ And you can also check out her other links there, too, to find out more about her and her editing services, and please read her bio below.

Now, without further ado, let's hear the words of the master writer/editor herself on how to kick writer's block!

Kicking Writer’s Block to the Curb by Christina Berry

During your writing journey along Lonely-Misunderstood Highway—commonly known to be paved with rejection—your focus is on reaching its intersection with Published Avenue. Occasionally, however, you must pass through the maligned neighborhood of Writers’ Block. In this section of town, people wander aimlessly, circling, blank or frustrated looks on their face.

You might hit this detour at the start of your journey, though most trips start off with great excitement. A full tank of gas, goodie bag, sweet tunes on the radio, and the open road ahead—writing is good!

We’re not yet sick of our traveling companions (characters), the scenery (setting), the purpose of the trip (theme), and we’re not discouraged by how far there is still to go (word count).

Imagine this: you’re cruising along at just over the speed limit, impressed with what good time you’re making, when a pendulous, glaring, red eye of a stoplight appears over the roadway.

Screech!

Suddenly your companions have gone silent, the setting is stagnant, you’re not sure why or where you are headed where you are, and wherever it is … it’s too far away.

U-turn and go back to your existence as a happy non-writer, clueless as to the pain of Writers’ Block, untouched by literary angst? Never! Try some of these things to get, in the timeless words of Willie Nelson, on the road again.

1) Pray! This is, of course, always the Christian answer to everything, so a great place to start, no doubt.

2) Play a game with yourself. Sometimes I make a list of my chores, and a list of my word count in 100-word increments. After crossing off a chunk of words, I can start a load of laundry or shower or grab a handful of M&Ms. If eating M&Ms is not on your chore list, you need to make better lists.

3) Read a great book to inspire you, or a horrible book to remind you that even bad books get finished eventually. Some even are published.

4) Take a walk. The exercise will stimulate the blood flow to your brain, creating instant genius fixes to whatever plagues your manuscript.

5) Open up a new document or grab a notebook and let your mind go in a stream of consciousness monologue from one of your characters. After ten minutes, reread what poured on to the screen/page. Is there a new conflict you didn’t even know about before that can be explored? What worries does your character reveal?

6) Vent. Call a friend. If you call a fellow writer, you might get a bit of sympathy, but she won’t let you whine for long. Choose a non-writer. You’ll have an aura of mystic creativity, which allows for a longer whine.

7) I know I already mentioned M&Ms, but snacking is always a good thing. Just make wise choices. Carrots, raisins, and a cup of dry Cinnamon Life might allow you to maintain a better lap for your laptop to rest upon than chocolate, ice cream, and cappuccinos.

8) Have your character do a normal thing, but with a crazy twist. I thought my daughter was building a snowman after the last good accumulation of white stuff. She called me out a few hours later to show off her snowseal, complete with ball on its nose. Those little details, if you’ve stuck in a needed scene that’s been done too many times before, could get your story moving again.

9) Grab the newspaper. Find the craziest story, then work some aspect of it into your novel. The fresh direction should give you a “novel” wind.

10) Introduce a new character and see how the dynamic of the novel shifts.

11) Skip ahead a few chapters, see what’s going on, then go back and connect the dots.

12) Ask yourself, “If I don’t want to write this, is it because it’s boring and I know nobody wants to read it?” Maybe it’s a scene that can be cut.

13) Put some characters together and write only the conversation. NO actions, or dialogue tags, or description—only conversation. Go back and fill in the blanks. (I stole this one from Steve Bly.)

14) Have something explode. This is especially plot-changing in gentle women’s fiction and Amish.

I hope these strategies work for you. Do me a favor, will you? Give me a little wave when you zoom past and I’m still stuck wandering the block?


Bio: As a single--but NEWLY-engaged--mother and foster parent, Christina Berry writes about the heart and soul of life with a twist of intrigue. A Christy finalist and Carol winner, she holds a BA in Literature, yet loves a good Calculus problem as well. Captain of a winning Family Feud team, Christina is also a purple belt in Tae kwondo and would love to own a descented skunk. Christina is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Oregon Christian Writers (OCW), and the Redeemed Writers Critique Group. For the past five years, she has served on the OCW summer conference staff. Get to know her better at www.christinaberry.net or www.authorchristinaberry.blogspot.net or on Facebook or Twitter. If you're looking for a quick and thorough editing job for your manuscript, check her editing service!

Monday Musings--Cinquains

The Saturday before Valentine's Day, my local writing group (Licking River Writers) met. One of our members told us the parameters of a cinquain then challenged us to write one in about five minutes. I am sharing below the one I wrote about my husband. A friend suggested I put it in his valentine which I did.

My Husband

My love
Tall and handsome
Gentle, yet powerful
Always caring, always loving
True love.

As you can tell from the number of syllables in each line, the first four lines have 2, 4, 6 and 8 syllables with the fifth line having two, and one topic or thought woven throughout the whole poem. There are other variations, too. I hope some of you will share a cinquain with us.

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

Monday Musings--Valentine acrostic contest

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! As promised, I am posting another valentine/February acrostic. This is one that has been around a couple years, but I received it again from a friend this month, and the message is so good it just has to be shared. Like the message says, we need to send it around the world!

I hope this will inspire you to leave an acrostic of your own with a Valentine/February message. All those who do so will be in a drawing for a box of chocolates.

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.

Book Review--Angel Sister by Ann Gabhart

I have read several of Ann Gabhart's novels, and I must say this is my favorite so far! As Lauraine Snelling opines on the back cover, this is "a jewel of a story."

From the opening scene, we are swept away to the dark and not-so-dark days of the depression shown in the daily lives of three sisters by blood and one sister of the heart. This book is written in several points of view, including the parents', but the main one is Kate Merritt, the middle daughter. Kate's quick actions and tart tongue sometimes get her into trouble, but she has a heart as soft as the freshly creamed butter her mother churns and a mind as sharp as a nail fashioned by her father on his blacksmith's anvil.

I don't want to reveal much detail of the story because I want you to get the enjoyment of reading it for yourself, but I will advise you to hold onto your bonnet as the story ramps up to an electrifying ending. A must read! 5 stars! And I am not just saying that because the author and publisher sent me this book to review!

And do check out Ann's blog at http://www.annhgabhart.blogspot.com for more of the backstory behind this book and a chance to win autographed copies of Angel Sister and also some gift cards to buy other books.

Monday Musings--February acrostic

Since my last Monday's musing with a January acrostic got so many great responses, I've decided to share a February acrostic, and give another prize--a box of Valentine candy. The winner will be drawn from all those who leave an acrostic on this week and next week's post, so fire up those keyboards and share with us! Here's a sample to get you inspired, but i am sure you can do much better. Yours can be either with the letters to spell February or Valentines.

Valentine's Day will soon be here, so
All who have spouses or loved ones, lend an ear.
Love can't be bought or sold or
Engineered.
Nor can it be faked or
Taken for granted.
It can only be given and shared
Not raved or ranted.
Everyone wants to be enchanted
by LOVE!
Hear! Hear!

Friday with Friends Guestblogger Amanda Flower

I am very grateful to all my guestbloggers, especially for all the new information they have shared with me and my readers. Since I will soon be a debut author when my first book is released in September, I learned several things about marketing from Amanda Flower. Please enjoy the piece below, and let Amanda know how much you appreciate it. Rose

Guest Blog Post for Rose McCauley
by Amanda Flower

Five Marketing Tips I’ve Learned as a Debut Author

1. Friends and family are great marketers.
The best way to sell a book is through word of mouth. Chances are you have friends and family living all over the country. Why not put them to work? Don’t forget these people care about you and are excited about your book. They will be thrilled to hand out bookmarks or suggest the book to their local libraries to purchase. Don’t be afraid to ask them for help.

2. Make your bookmarks stand out.
Every author has bookmarks. When you go to book conventions or author conferences, you may feel like you’re drowning in them. In the sea of bookmarks, make yours stand out. Readers will be more likely to pick them up when there’s a little something extra. I added a tiny silk flower to my bookmarks. It was easy and inexpensive, and my bookmarks flew off the freebie table while others were ignored. Sure, my last name is “Flower” so it wasn’t too hard for me to think of an idea to jazz up my bookmarks, but you’re creative and will think of something.

3. Make friends with librarians.
Most libraries have book talk programs in which authors can visit and speak about their book. Offering book talks are great ways to connect to readers and endear yourself to librarians. If you bring patrons into the library, it’s likely the librarian will purchase all your future books too. Not to mention, library book talks are another place to sell books. It varies from library to library, but many libraries will let you sell books after you speak. Be sure to check with the library before you try to sell anything there.

4. Suggest an alternative to buying the book.
It’s a tough economy, and even though readers may want to, they might not be able to buy your book. Instead of going for the hard sell, let them know about copies available at the local library, or if the book isn’t held by the library, ask them to suggest it. Librarians love to get suggestions for purchase from patrons because they want to buy books that they know their patrons will check out and enjoy.

5. Don’t chase the market
Don’t write for the market because you will always be chasing it. Write what you love. Create characters you care about. Eventually, the market will turn your way.


Biography:
Amanda Flower is a Clash of the Titles staff member and in charge of scheduling. Amanda started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she’d found her calling of making people laugh with her words. Like her main character India Hayes, Amanda is an academic librarian for a small college near Cleveland. Maid of Murder is her debut novel and the first in a series.

To learn more about Clash of the Titles visit http://www.clashofthetitles.com/ or on Facebook http://tinyurl.com/484nov2.

To learn more about Amanda and Maid of Murder visit her online at http://amandaflower.com/. You can also follow Amanda on Facebook at http://tiny.cc/ejquq or Twitter at http://twitter.com/aflowerwriter.

Happy 1st of February

Since another month has rolled around, it's time for our book drawing, and this month I am also doing a second drawing. So, two drumrolls, please!!

The winner of the autographed copy of Alice K. Arenz's book Mirrored Image is Dottie Stephen. The book will be on the way soon, Dottie. I know you will like it!

Our other prize is for those who wrote an acrostic for January. Three writers left lovely acrostics, and the winner is Tricia Goyer who will be receiving a winter night's gift with some packages of hot chocolate and microwave popcorn. Enjoy, Tricia!

And be sure to enter the contests this month. I will do a February acrostic next Monday with the prize of a box of Valentine's candy for those who leave an acrostic on that blogpost, so be practicing on writing an acrostic with the letters that spell February.

And for our monthly book drawing, here is the back cover blurb for I Shall Not Want, the first book in the Psalm 23 Mystery series by Debbie Viguie. "It's Thanksgiving and Joseph Tyler, one of the members of Cindy's church, has organized a new charity that provides homeless people with rescue dogs to love and care for. But one by one, the homeless recipients are being murdered and their dogs stolen. Could an overly competitive millionaire with his prize-winning pooches and a grudge be behind the crimes? Or could it be someone much closer to Joseph who has something sinister to hide?"

You'll have to read the book to find out! All you have to do is have a US mailing address and leave a comment with your email addy anytime the month of February. You have two chances to win, so what are you waiting for?