Going the Distance – Patty Smith-Hall

Posted on October 11, 2015 by Gail

Welcome to you, Patty, and to all of your followers! Patty’s new release, New Hope Sweethearts, is now available on Amazon.

Today, Patty shares encouragement for novel-writing … and for life. Enjoy!

Going the Distance

This past weekend, I decided to decipher all the information on my iPod’s pedometer. It’s like a fitbit, keeping track of how many steps and how long you’ve walked over any given time period. I’m an avid walker but this is the first time I’ve ever had the opportunity to find out exactly how many miles I’ve walked since the middle of May. To learn I’ve walked almost 175 miles was HUGE, considering that three short years ago, I thought I’d never walk without pain again.

That spring, I had a spinal fusion on my lower back. I’m not going to go into all the details but will say that I couldn’t stand, sit or walk without indescribable pain. But I was determined to get some semblance of my life back. When I asked the surgeon what I could do to speed up my recovery, I was surprised when he told me to start walking. I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage that—just the act of putting one step in front of the other had been so incredibly painful for the few years leading up to my surgery, I couldn’t imagine putting myself through that. But if it helped me get better, I’d try anything. Two days after my surgery, I made it around our cul-de-sac.

Once.

But I kept at it. Before I knew it, I graduated to the walking track at the park next door. One lap soon became two; two became four. I began carving out time to walk and guarded it because I realized the doctor was right. For the first time in years, my pain was controllable. I was feeling better.

Writing is a lot like that. You look at the possibility of churning out a 90K novel and ask yourself if it’s even possible, or life gets in the way and you only get down 100 words for the day. How are you ever going to finish your book at that pace?

It’s all about pushing ahead, building up your endurance. Realizing you can’t run a marathon on your first day. If we’re honest, every writer wonders, at one time or another, if we can finish a book. Even now, after all the books I’ve written, that fear still gets a hold of me. It’s when we don’t give up, when we push ourselves further than we thought possible that that book becomes a reality. It’s about making daily writing goals and sticking with them.

Here’s a little food for thought: One page(250 words) over 365 days equals a 90K novel for every publishing house. Two pages or 500 words equals two. Two 90K books a year just from writing two pages a day.

That novel doesn’t seem quite as impossible now, does it?

Patty Smith-Hall is a multi-published author with Love Inspired Historical and Heartsong. She currently serves as president of the ACFW-Atlanta chapter. She calls North Georgia her home which she shares with her husband of 30+ years, Danny; two gorgeous daughters and a future son-in-love. Her next release, New Hope Sweethearts is now available on Amazon.

A New Heroine is on her WAY!!

Posted on October 10, 2015 by Gail

My debut novel, In This Together, releases on November 18, 2015, and Dottie, the heroine, has opened up a space in my heart. It’s 1946 and she’s the kind of gal you’d want for a friend – steady, reliable, a hard worker, and as loyal as thistles sticking to your pants.

The only splash Dottie makes when she walks into a room comes from her mop pail. World War II is over, but it took her only son. Still, comfort gradually comes to her as she faces each new day and makes do the best she can.

As she prepares nutritious meals and cleans at Helene’s boarding house in her little Iowa town, who would guess Dottie also yearns to hug her daughter Cora in California and hold those two grandbabies she has yet to meet?

But Al, the widower next door, watches Dottie trudge home exhausted each night, and schemes how he might befriend her. She has no idea how much she has in common with her lonely neighbor.

I hope Dottie finds a place in your heart, too! The Vintage Line of Wild Rose Press categorizes Dottie’s story as super sweet, which means there’s not even a reason to blush in this heartfelt midwestern tale. You can see more about the novel at:

http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=6492

Diane Kalas

Posted on October 4, 2015 by Gail

Welcome, Diane. Let’s get right to the thought behind your Civil War novel.

Why I wrote PATRIOT HEART: back in 1990-91, a US military operation called Desert Storm took place in the Middle East. Not long afterward, the veterans involved came back with invisible scars that later became known as PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The heartbreaking stories about the men and women who couldn’t keep jobs or relationships soon became a regular feature on the nightly news. The heartbreaking numbers of vet suicides have increased over the years.

I write historical fiction and wanted to know how Civil War veterans who suffered with the same symptoms of PTSD were treated. Nineteenth century doctors diagnosed those afflicted with the condition as Soldier’s Fatigue. They offered bed rest in a soldier’s convalescent home, or recommended a discharge and a train ticket home. Often the soldier had a note pinned to his uniform, giving his name and destination, because he was so incapable of communicating. Let the veteran’s family deal with the troubled man.

As my story idea came together, I especially wanted to write my hero, Dan Goodman, as a strong Christian and show how he dealt with the horrors of Andersonville Prison for Union soldiers. Perhaps a 21^st century veteran’s spouse, mother, sister, or girlfriend will read Patriot Heart and see there is hope for their loved one. Hope for the future in God, the Father, and salvation through Jesus Christ, His son.

Here’s how the back cover reads–sounds like an adventure on several levels!

DUTY COURAGE INTEGRITY

May 1865. All Dan Goodman wants is to marry an uncomplicated girl and have a family, but the war interfered and he became a POW who now believes he’s losing his mind and unfit for marriage. He dreams of Oregon to put the memories behind him. The problem is he owes a debt of gratitude to the beautiful songstress. In addition, Clara Barton wants him to be a witness for the prosecution in the first trial for war crimes in American history.

INDEPENDENT ENTERPRISING FEISTY

Letty Talbot is a world-weary steamboat songstress, and wants a new direction after sudden loss. Letty decides to run a supply depot for emigrants going out West, and talks Dan into a partnership where he builds the prairie schooners. Letty won’t admit she wants to keep Dan from leaving. Even though they butt heads a lot, no man ever interested Letty as this one did.

TRUST LOVE PEACE

If Letty marries Dan she losses her depot, because married women have no property rights. Letty must learn to trust God with her future. Dan must forgive fellow Union inmates who killed for selfish reasons, and face the commandant of Andersonville Prison in a court of law. Allowing his Oregon dream to fade, he can then embrace the future God planned for him.

Giveaway and RECHARGE with Dora Hiers

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Gail

I’m so glad to welcome Dora Hiers this week. Her recent release of Burk’s Surrender, the third novel in her Harmon Heritage Series, is reason to celebrate! So she’s doing an exciting giveaway to a commenter: a coupon redeemable for ELEVEN Christmas Extravaganza e-books. Wow – be thinking of some brilliant comments!

Title of Latest Release: Burk’s Surrender

Release Date: 9/18/15

Deputy City Manager Burk Harmon has always been the strong one for his family, but recently those responsibilities have dwindled. When Lacie Heatherton, Assistant Director for Parks and Recreation, ropes him into a city-sponsored trip to the mountains with fifty seniors, Burk has two things on his mind: considering a possible promotion and wooing Lacie past friendship and into a future. Lacie has emotional scars and a thirteen-year-old daughter to remind her that men can be cruel and unforgiving. Can Burk convince Lacie to relax her “no dating” policy or will he surrender his dreams of family and love?

When You Need to Recharge By Dora Hiers

Struggling to find a job? Feeling stomped on by co-workers? Going through marital problems? Family discord. Rebellious children. Financial challenges. Medical issues. Or maybe you just lost a precious family member or friend.

You name it, and we’ve probably all faced it at some point. Pressure gains momentum as a culmination of events and issues take turns with their punches. Or it could be one major incident that knocks us until we’re staggering backward like a fighter in a boxing ring, squeezing the breath from our lungs until our vision blurs, the voices around us fading into oblivion.

We each handle stress differently. Some people thrive on it. Others tug the blanket back over their head and sleep. I tend to…

Run! Not run away because we all know that doesn’t solve any problems. But run to the mountains.

Peace speaks to my soul here. Whispers that everything’s going to be all right, that life is more than writing and books. That God is in control and that He’s infinitely greater than my paltry problems. Being here brings God more into focus, and the pressure lifts. I can breathe deep again, liberated from the chains of worry that squeeze my chest.

If we can’t break away for a weekend, then this is where I run…

Not quite the same, but it’s nice to escape my desk and the mountain of tasks demanding my attention and slip away for a few minutes.

This year has been crazy busy. While I’m beyond thrilled that four of my books released between May and September, that also meant long hours hunched over my laptop, trying to keep the momentum going with my current work-in-progress and the extra writing related to marketing four books. You know how, at times, events just keep piling on your calendar until suddenly you’ve lost control? That’s me this year, somewhere about April. I definitely needed a recharge, so we headed for the mountains over a long weekend.

It’s the same for hero Burk Harmon in Burk’s Surrender. As Deputy City Manager of fictional Harrison, NC, he deals with stress every day in his job, and as the oldest of the Harmon siblings, he’s been the glue that held his family together since their celebrity father’s tragic suicide. But he has a few weighty decisions to face. Like if he’s willing to risk his family’s emotional well-being with the increased visibility that accepting the City Manager’s position would demand, and moving beyond a decade of being “just friends” with Lacie. When she invites him to tag along with her and fifty elderly seniors to the mountains for a city event, he jumps on the chance to recharge. That, and spend time with her. 🙂
Where do you go to destress and recharge?

He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him,

whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! ~Isaiah 26:3 TLB

He’s my yesterday, my tomorrow, my today.

He’s my redeemer, my hiding place, my refuge.

He’s the grace who covers a multitude of wrongs, the beauty in my ugly, the bridge to forever.

He’s the restorer of my soul, the quiet in my storm, the still water of perfect peace.

He’s my champion, my hero, my rock.

He’s the sweet spot in my day, my reason for being,

my very next breath. ~Dora Hiers

A little about Dora…

After a successful auditing career, Dora left the corporate world to be a stay-at-home mom to her two sons. When her youngest son no longer wanted her hanging out at school with him anymore, Dora started writing Heart Racing, God-Gracing romance. She is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and her local chapter, Carolina Romance Writers.

Dora and her real life hero make their home in North Carolina. When she takes a break from cranking out stories, she enjoys reading, family gatherings, and mountain cabin getaways. She despises traffic, bad coffee, technological meltdowns, and a sad ending to a book. Her books always end with a happily-ever-after!

Connect with her on Fiction Faith & Foodies, Seriously Write, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.

Purchase Link: http://bit.ly/17u3Im3

My Debut Women’s Fiction is Releasing Soon!

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Gail

Yesterday I received the official release date from The Wild Rose Press for my debut novel, In This Together. Here’s the cover – I guess you can see I’m excited.

Wild Rose publishes romance of every kind, so you should know right off that mine is classified SUPER SWEET … in other words, it’s a lovely midwest World War II era story that won’t even make you blush.

Probably every author dreams of readers falling in love with their main characters, and I’m no exception. Dottie Kyle, my heroine, would be great company along life’s journey.

She’s forthright, a hard worker, and slugging her way through losing her son in WWII without self-pity. Her husband died just after the war, too, so she took a job at a boarding house in their small midwestern town. This gives her a reason to get up in the morning.

She enjoys providing nutritious meals for the male boarders, who keep to themselves. But challenges arrive with a new employee, and true-blue Dottie tolerates the situation. Eventually though, her employer’s nasty behavior tweaks Dottie’s sense of justice and she’s forced to speak up.

At the same time, widower neighbor Al, husband of the best friend Dottie lost to cancer some years back, starts paying sudden attention to Dottie. She’s surprised to find she actually enjoys his company, and shares more of her feelings with him than she’d ever imagined.

Then, Dottie’s daughter Cora in California needs her desperately during a frightening turn in her third pregnancy. Will her longing to meet the two grand- babies whose voices she hears over the crackly telephone line be enough to overcome her debilitating fear of enclosed spaces … i.e., the train trip necessary to facilitate this meeting?

Or will she accept help from someone desiring with all his heart to share life with Dottie?

So, to all those I’ve met in the past few years–my friends at the Cedar Falls Writers Conference, author and editor colleagues far and wide, and my friends and family, thank you for your encouragement and patience. The road to publication may have been loooong, but it did take me to the desired destination.

And I hope you enjoy Dottie as much as I do. She’s quite a gal!

Oh, I seem to have forgotten one important fact: the release date is November 18, 2015. Can you see I need all the help I can get with promotion?!?!

Insights from Bonnie Engstrom – and Giveaway…

Posted on September 6, 2015 by Gail

Welcome Bonnie!
Thank you for having me, Gail. This is such a treat.

Thanks for offering a print copy of Butterfly Dreams to one of our commenters. Now, please tell us the most intriguing fact about you.
I’m not sure how intriguing this is, but here goes. I am married to a clinical, Ph.D. psychologist with whom I celebrated fifty years of marriage in August. Probably most folks don’t know, but shrinks (as we jokingly call them) don’t have a good marriage track record. Only a very few whom Dave went to grad school with are still married. One of our oldest couple friends (he, Gary, is a psychiatrist) celebrate their anniversary the same day we do, and Peggy is one of my most faithful prayer warriors. God does put amazing people in our lives.

Could you share how your desire to write originated?
OMGosh! Ready for this? I had been a member on a huge prayer chain for several years, often prayed a few hours each day for needs. (Obviously, I was an empty-nester at that point.) I had started reading Christian novels, one of which was Deb Raney’s Playing By Heart and Stephanie Grace Whitson’s A Garden In Paris.

But, I had this desire, this vision, to share how the internet could influence lives. So, one evening I was tearing up lettuce for a salad, and I heard this voice. “Write my Word.” I truly heard it in my heart. I stopped the lettuce-tearing and ran to my computer. What I eventually produced was a non-fiction called Email Angels.

Never published, but still on my heart. That year at Mount Hermon I presented the idea to both a publisher and an editor. Neither had the concept of internet prayer chains. It was too soon.

So interesting – maybe someday, still! Which of your manuscripts excites you most, and why?
I didn’t think it would, but I love Butterfly Dreams the most. Betsy’s personality was so much fun to get into, as well as the quirky personality of her mentor, Bett. I had never written in first, deep POV before, so that was exciting. I am currently working on a sequel to Butterfly Dreams. Betsy deserves one.

How do you work the natural world into your latest work? (landscape, seasons, weather, etc.)
That is easy since I now live in Arizona, but lived for many years in Southern California. I use both venues in my writing. I truly love both locales. For instance, when I finished writing Butterfly Dreams, set in Scottsdale, we were having what we laughingly call “a cold snap”- in the nineties, down from 114 degrees.

My second published novel A Winning Recipe is set both in Newport Beach and Scottsdale. A Recipe for Romance, both a stand alone novella and included in a collection published by Forget Me Not Romances, is set totally in Newport Beach.

One of my next novellas is set in Pennsylvania, my home state, but Family Secret, which I hope will be published next year, takes place both in Scottsdale and Sweden.

How does your location affect your writing, if it does?
Heat in Arizona and opulence in Southern California both affect my writing. I really do try to write “what I know” as far as locality. I know the streets, I drive or have driven them for years, I know all the outskirts and fun things that happen in each. Hopefully, readers from those two states will relate, but I also hope readers from far and wide will enjoy learning about Fountain Hills and Scottsdale, Arizona and Newport Beach, California. Both great places I am blessed to have lived.

What authors have inspired or mentored you?

Inspired: Definitely Randy Alcorn and Deb Raney, both powerful writers whom I’ve been blessed to meet and establish a friendship with; Stephanie Grace Whitson (if she could write about Paris, I decided I could write about Sweden); Dan Walsh and Dr. Richard Mabry, both of whose novels are outstanding; and, sadly, posthumously, Christy Dykes whose personality was even more outstanding than her writing.

Mentored: Barbara Warren, A.K. (Alice) Arenz, Christina Berry Tarabochia, Cynthia Hickey. All have encouraged me to never give up and have become good friends. But my first mentor, Beverly Bush Smith, now deceased, pushed and shoved me to attend my first writing conference (where I met Joseph Bentz who convinced me to go to Mount Hermon). There are still two books of hers in print, and I encourage others to seek them. Look up Joseph’s, too.
Mentored AND Inspired: Gayle Roper who started the Fiction Mentoring Clinic at Mount Herman the first year I attended, and who accepted newbie me in it. She suggested I make a list for Betsy. (I believe I have collected all of Gayle’s novels.)

Thanks, Bonnie – keep writing!

Richard Mabry – Round and Round/Giveaway

Posted on August 30, 2015 by Gail

Please welcome Richard L. Mabry, M.D. to our blog today. He’s the award winning author of Medical Suspense With Heart, as well as the Prescription For Trouble series (Abingdon), Stress Test, Heart Failure, Critical Condition (Harper Collins), and Fatal Trauma (Abingdon) To one fortunate commenter this week, he’ll give away a copy of Miracle Drug.

“Mabry combines his medical expertise with a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.” – USA Today

THE WRITING CAROUSEL

There’s a song in the musical, The Fantasticks, called “Round and Round.” In it, the couple sees only the good things that go by, even though at times the view from the carousel is of scenes that are less than pleasant. Why do I bring that up? I mention it because the view of writing from the standpoint of the pre-published writer is much different than the one seen by the author who has at least a couple of books under his/her belt.

Before I got a contract for Code Blue, my first novel, I wrote four novels over a period of four years, garnering forty rejections in the process. And that’s nowhere near a record. Although some authors (like Gayle Roper) got a contract for their first novel, others (like T Davis Bunn) collected lots more rejections than I did before a publisher liked his work. Eventually I, and lots of other authors, prevailed. However, shortly thereafter I also learned something interesting: that contract wasn’t the end. It was just the beginning of lots more work.

First, I quickly discovered that, although my novel might be good enough to make an acquisition editor happy, it would go through a series of edits and rewrites before it saw print. And all those edits and rewrites involved me. Did it make the work better? Of course it did. Was it time-consuming? Yes—but I learned with each editorial letter and rewrite.

In addition, there was the process of cover design, a process I’m pleased to say I’ve been involved in for all my novels. That’s nice, but also takes a bit of time. In addition, there was the back cover copy and author information. It was necessary writing, but took some work to accomplish.

Then there’s marketing. Although the publisher works at marketing the book, there’s a good bit for the author to do as well. And I learned very fast that no one wants a book to be read by a wide audience more than the author does. Say what you will about “the good old days,” but nowadays it’s a necessity for an author to be active in social media and other aspects of keeping his/her name and work before the reading public. Don’t forget, of course, that this includes not only their own website and blog, but being available (and even making arrangements) for guest blogs and interviews on the sites of others.

Oh, and while all this is going on, the writer should be at work on their next book. After all, none of us want to be a one-trick pony. And after the first and second come…you guessed it—the third. Authors who quit after the first book aren’t unheard of, but they’re rare. It’s even been discovered that Harper Lee, who supposedly stopped after writing To Kill A Mockingbird, had another book sitting in a trunk or someplace.

Now, imagine trying to keep all those plates spinning. That’s where I’ve been for a while: arranging to get out the news about my forthcoming book, Fatal Trauma, while finishing edits for the next one, Miracle Drug (due out in September), and keeping up interest in my prior novels—the so-called “backlist.” Has it required time and effort on my part? Of course it has. Would I trade it for the status of an unpublished writer? Not a chance.

So that’s the writing carousel. If you haven’t been able to get on yet, don’t despair. Work on your craft and don’t give up. The view from here is pretty good, even as it goes round and round.

Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician, now writing “medical suspense with heart.” He is an active member of International Thriller Writers, a past Vice-President of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and a member the Romance Writers of America. His eight previously published novels have garnered critical acclaim and been recognized by programs including the ACFW’s Carol Award, the Romantic Times’ Inspirational Book of the Year, the Inspirational Readers Choice, and the Selah Award. His novella, Rx Murder, released via Amazon in April, and Abingdon Press published his novel, Fatal Trauma, in May of this year. Miracle Drug is scheduled for release in September.

You can learn more about Richard on his website (http://rmabry.com) and blog (http://rmabry.blogspot.com). He can also be found via his Facebook author page (http://facebook.com/rmabrybooks) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/RichardMabry).

World War II Author Johnnie Alexander

Posted on August 16, 2015 by Gail

Welcome, Johnnie, to my blog and question city.

Years ago, did you see yourself where you are today, celebrating the print copy of a World War II novel?

The turning point for me came in 2003 when I participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) for the first time. For the next decade I dreamed of being a published author. Like many writers, it was a two steps forward/one step back journey. And sometimes it was a one step forward/many steps back journey.

Other milestones came from winning awards at a writers conference, having an editor show interest in my writing, and then winning the ACFW Genesis historical category in 2011.

I am thrilled that Tyndale released the print copy of Where Treasure Hides. It’s not the first print edition—that one was in Dutch—but it’s the first one I can actually read!

The World War II era intrigues me. There’s no end to the incredible stories, and writing projects produce change in us (at least, they do in me). How did you grow through writing Where Treasure Hides?

I’m intrigued by the World War II era also. The tragedies are horrendous, and yet we find amazing stories of courage and heroism. I asked myself what I would have done in different situations I read about. People risked their lives to save others, and they risked their lives to protect artistic treasures. The novel explores the theme of what we value most and it also encourages us to rejoice in the future God has planned for us. I try to remember that every day.

How did your heroine’s character develop, and what prompted the translation into Dutch? I mean, why not French, Italian, or Spanish?

Alison Schuyler, my heroine, was created especially for the hero with a touch of practicality and a few pages of free writing in a journal.

Now to explain that!

Ian Devlin, the hero, plays a major role in an unpublished novel I wrote before Treasure. His relationship with the woman he loves is mentioned in that story (but I can’t say much more than that without getting into Treasure spoilers).

The practicality came about because I once heard an editor advise new writers to stick to American characters. Alison needed to live in Europe if she was going to meet Ian, so I decided her father was Dutch and her mother was an American.

Alison was born in Chicago and lived there until she was twelve years old. This would also explain any Americanisms that popped up. However, as I got into the story, I learned a secret about Alison’s mom. Those details are still a bit of a mystery.

To become better acquainted with my heroine, I opened a journal and wrote: My name is Alison Schuyler . . .

After writing several pages, I knew more about Alison’s family heritage. From there, she grew into her own person as the story itself developed.

The translation happened because a freelance editor with a Dutch publishing company read the story, loved it, and recommended it to her client. And they published it!

Alison lives in Rotterdam, Holland, and her family has owned an art gallery there for generations. Except for a few scenes that take place in England, most of the opening chapters are set in Rotterdam.

I’d like to learn more about Where She Belongs, as well. How would you compare the writing process with Where Treasure Hides?

Both novels were NaNoWriMo projects before they were polished manuscripts. Exuberant, messy drafts that needed a lot of revision—Where She Belongs in 2005 and Where Treasure Hides in 2009.

WSB is a contemporary so it didn’t require nearly the research that Treasure did. It’s also a more personal story since I once lived in the house that is at the center of the novel and often dreamed of someday living there again.

Both stories are “heart” stories. Treasure because of my fascination with the themes it explores and WSB because of my cherished memories of a beautiful brick home that was abandoned for a time.

Other milestones came from winning awards at a writers conference, having an editor show interest in my writing, and then winning the ACFW Genesis historical category in 2011.

I am thrilled that Tyndale released the print copy of Where Treasure Hides. It’s not the first print edition—that one was in Dutch—but it’s the first one I can actually read!

Alison Schuyler, my heroine, was created especially for the hero with a touch of practicality and a few pages of free writing in a journal.Now to explain that!
Ian Devlin, the hero, plays a major role in an unpublished novel I wrote before Treasure. His relationship with the woman he loves is mentioned in that story (but I can’t say much more than that without getting into Treasure spoilers).

The practicality came about because I once heard an editor advise new writers to stick to American characters. Alison needed to live in Europe if she was going to meet Ian, so I decided her father was Dutch and her mother was an American.

Alison was born in Chicago and lived there until she was twelve years old. This would also explain any Americanisms that popped up. However, as I got into the story, I learned a secret about Alison’s mom. Those details are still a bit of a mystery.

To become better acquainted with my heroine, I opened a journal and wrote: My name is Alison Schuyler . . .

After writing several pages, I knew more about Alison’s family heritage. From there, she grew into her own person as the story itself developed.

The translation happened because a freelance editor with a Dutch publishing company read the story, loved it, and recommended it to her client. And they published it!

Alison lives in Rotterdam, Holland, and her family has owned an art gallery there for generations. Except for a few scenes that take place in England, most of the opening chapters are set in Rotterdam.

Both novels were NaNoWriMo projects before they were polished manuscripts. Exuberant, messy drafts that needed a lot of revision—Where She Belongs in 2005 and Where Treasure Hides in 2009.

WSB is a contemporary so it didn’t require nearly the research that Treasure did. It’s also a more personal story since I once lived in the house that is at the center of the novel and often dreamed of someday living there again.

Both stories are “heart” stories. Treasure because of my fascination with the themes it explores and WSB because of my cherished memories of a beautiful brick home that was abandoned for a time.

Why do both titles begin with the same word?

I’m a little tickled by that, but it’s not on purpose. Where Treasure Hides has been the only title I’ve ever used for that story.

But that’s NOT the case with Where She Belongs.

I’ve actually lost count of how many titles it has had. Though I can tell you it was Bronze Medal finalist in the My Book Therapy Frazier Contest under the title Where the Whippoorwill Calls.

When I submitted the proposal to my agent, it was titled Into a Spacious Place. I love this phrase because it’s a promise I believe God made to me when I was at a writers conference several years ago.

When I read Psalm 31:8 as part of my morning devotion, this jumped out at me: You “have set my feet in a spacious place.”

I believed it was an assurance that God held my dreams in his hands; not necessarily, that I’d be published someday, but that whatever happened, I could trust in him.

Psalm 18:19, is used as the story’s epigraph: He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

I just love that.

However . . . the marketing team at Revell thought Where She Belongs was a more apt title for a contemporary romance. And I agree.

Thank you so much for honoring us with a visit, Johnnie, and for offering your giveaway to a commenter–either a print or e-copy. And for those interested in purchasing:

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Christian Book Distributors

Target

Walmart

To connect with Johnnie:

Blog

Facebook Profile (Friend or Follow!)

Facebook Author Page

Don’t Let Summer Stagnate you!

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Gail

It’s midsummer, and those who don’t like hot weather may feel a bit stagnant. Sarah Sundin discusses stagnancy in a writer’s life – and her new release!

Stretching Yourself

Sarah Sundin

Writers can become stagnant. We’ve all found authors we adored, and we quickly devour several books. But soon we find each book is essentially the same. Same spunky heroine (with a different hair color). Same stoic hero (with a different profession). Same story set-up or plot twist or setting. And we fall away.

Stagnant water becomes sour. Without stirring up, without infusions of fresh water, a life can also become stagnant. So can a writer.

When my first book was published, I vowed to keep stirring things up. For my new Waves of Freedom series, I challenged myself by including a mystery plotline for each heroine.

Dangers of Challenging Yourself

Risk of Failure

Never having written a mystery, I took a risk that I’d be lousy at writing mysteries. What if my clues were too obvious—or too obscure? Readers would hate it.

Risk of Alienation

Even if I wrote a riveting mystery, I risked alienating my current readers. What if they don’t choose to follow me? What if new readers don’t choose to join me?

Hurt and Frustration

Stretching hurts. Challenges are frustrating. Many times while writing Through Waters Deep I wanted to bang my head on the keyboard. It’s so hard. Why did I do this to myself?

How to Overcome

Fight Fear

Those questions raised above come from fear. Joshua 1:9 says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Cast out fear and lean on the Lord.

Get Training

My accomplished writing buddy, Marcy Weydemuller, loaned me her favorite books on writing mysteries. I read them and took careful notes. I learned how to plant clues and red herrings, to craft suspects who looked simultaneously guilty and innocent, and to create a plot chart to track the details. Then I asked Marcy to read the rough draft.

Rewards of Stretching Yourself

Delight of Fresh Water

Once you get past the gate of fear and over the hump of frustration, fresh water beckons! How fun to try something new. How invigorating. As the pieces of my mystery fell into place, I relished the challenge.

Thrill of Accomplishment

Only when we accept the risks of a challenge and push through can we experience the thrill of accomplishment. When Marcy said she didn’t figure out who the villain was until the end—but that it all made sense—I danced around the house. My teenagers already think I’m strange, so why not?

No matter what happens with this book, at least I can say I stretched myself. I’m swimming in fresh water, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Bio:

Sarah Sundin is the author of seven historical novels, including Through Waters Deep (Revell, August 2015). Her novel On Distant Shores was a double finalist for the 2014 Golden Scroll Awards. Sarah enjoys speaking to writers’ groups, works on-call as a hospital pharmacist, and teaches Sunday school. http://www.sarahsundin.com

Past the Middle of July …

Posted on July 19, 2015 by Gail

You can tell by the flowers, especially the petunias– and this summer, by one petunia in particular. It’s a pink one, gigantic, beautiful.

But summer’s at its height, leaning toward the waning side. I pick off probably fifteen faded blossoms a day, but because of the intense afternoon heat, the plant shows signs of wear. It’s getting just plain tired.

So I water it more, knowing it can’t last forever. GATHER YE ROSEBUDS WHILE YE MAY, eh?

Last week, I finished the final edits on one of my World War II novels. Yes, it seemed ready, but the stories never stop. Thankfully, I’m now hard at work on its sequel.

How was it for women of that era when they watered their plants at night, with a loved one in Europe or the Pacific? My uncle was a Ranger in Japan. When my Grandma went out to tend her flowers, did she see him in every blossom? Actually, she had another son in the infantry, too. I can’t imagine.

My debut novel will soon have its release date – can’t wait! The heroine lost a son in WWII, making her a Gold Star mother. And she loves gardening.

For us, this year’s spectacular lily medley was all about glory – wouldn’t you say? Now, they’ve gone by summer’s wayside.

But while they were here, they help with our questions … they cheer us through the wallows of life. And they last, in pictures, through winter’s storms.

I’d like to take each of you for a walk through our courtyard, a simple square behind the house, bordered by a garage and a fence. But this will have to do.

May the rest of your summer be filled with beauty and great photos!