Janice Thompson's Blog, page 4

World Blog Tour

Hi friends!

I’m so excited to join the World Blog Tour. My friend Bonnie Leon extended the invitation and I gladly said “Yes!” Here’s a little more about Bonnie:

Bonnie Leon is the author of twenty novels, including the recently released Where Eagles Soar and the popular Alaskan Skies series.

She enjoys speaking for women’s groups and teaching at writing seminars and conventions. These days, her time is filled with writing, being a grandmother and relishing precious time with her aged mother.

Bonnie and her husband, Greg, live in Southern Oregon. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.

You can find bonnie at https://www.bonnieleon.com

Last week Bonnie posted on the blog tour. Make sure to stop in and see what she has to say about her place in the writing world and what her writing life looks like.

As part of the tour, each writer was given four questions – the same four questions. Here’s how I answered mine.

What are you working on?

I just turned in my first book in a new series for Revell. Every Bride Needs a Groom is a hoot! It’s about a small-town girl (from Fairfield, Texas) who wins a contest to receive a free wedding dress at a high-end dress shop in Dallas. Her journey is filled with speed-bumps. Of course, it’s a romance. Of course, it’s funny! I’m also waiting for That’s Amore to release in a couple of months. My Weddings by Bella readers talked me into this one, for sure!

How does your work differ from others in its genre?

My writing voice is more “chatty” than most. I write primarily in first person and break a lot of writing rules. So far it hasn’t come back to bite me. I would also add that my stories are mostly wedding-themed and involve a l-o-t of culture clashes.

Why do you write what you do?

My four daughters all got married within four years of each other (between 2004 and 2008). I played the real-life role of mother of the bride four times over! Writing pros say “Write what you know” so I write about weddings. I guess there are a lot of readers out there who love wedding stories. They (my readers) have been very supportive and encouraging.

How does your writing process work?

Oh boy. I always hesitate to answer this question. I’m SO A.D.D. I’m a popcorn-style writer (all over the place). I try to plot the stories initially, but rarely write them in order. I’ll dive headfirst into whatever scenes I feel inspired to write then piece them together.  It’s a fun way to write (and very inspirational) but would probably drive other writers crazy! Also, I’m a night owl, so a lot of my writing gets done in the wee hours.

Thanks so much for spending time with me. I’ve enjoyed my stop on this tour!

Now it’s my turn to hand off the blog tour baton to my good friend, Ann Wilds. (I’m also sharing a picture of the two of us together, taken at a recent church banquet.) If you haven’t met Ann yet, you don’t know what you’re missing! She is multi-talented and a wonderful, godly friend. Ann provides inspirational thoughts on Facebook at her reader’s page Lessons for the Journey. You will also enjoy her inspiring blogsite: Walking the Wild Path.

Here’s a little more about Ann: 

Ann Wilds is a Christian freelance writer and speaker with degrees in Psychology and Counseling. She loves to apply Biblical truths to daily life. Her hope is that you will find something in her writing that touches your life and helps you grow more fully into the person God created you to be.

Make sure you travel to Ann’s blog: Walking the Wild Path in one week to continue on this World Tour. Until then, happy reading!

Free on Kindle: The Wedding Caper

Today I want to share a blog interview about my mother-of-the-bride cozy mysteries, “The Bridal Mayhem” series.

Janice, can you tell us a little about this series?

Sure! The Bridal Mayhem series was birthed (partly) out of my own experience! I have four daughters and they all got married within four years of each other. The first two weddings (in 2004) were only four and a half months apart! What a crazy period! Shortly after that one of my editors approached me and asked if I’d ever written cozy mysteries. I had not, but was perfectly willing to give it a try! In the writing biz they tell us to “write what you know” and I knew weddings! I’d been mother of the bride twice in a row, after all. So, I mapped out my story ideas with Annie Peterson, mother-of-the-bride, as the reluctant sleuth, solving crimes on her way to the wedding(s).

Sounds like fun! So, these books released a few years back? If so, why are you just now talking about them?

They released in print form between 2005 and 2007 and then released in eBook form with Spyglass Lane. Recently, the rights reverted back to me (the author) and I was given the opportunity to create new covers and upload them to kindle. I’m offering the first book free for a week to stir up interest in the whole series.

Can you tell us about the first book? 

Of course! The first book is The Wedding Caper. It’s free on kindle this week (September 9th – 13th). In that story, both of Annie’s daughters get engaged, one right after the other. So, it’s weddings times two! At about that same time, $25,000 goes missing at the bank where Annie’s husband, Warren, works. She begins to suspect him of stealing the money to pay for their daughters’ weddings! Of course, she knows nothing about crime solving, but sets out to figure out whodunit before daughter #1’s big day. Did Warren take the money to pay for the weddings? Read The Wedding Caper to find out: http://amzn.to/1rUUI9T!

 

So, this is a series? What are the other books about?

Book two (Gone with the Groom) offers readers a rollicking good time! In this story, Annie’s future son-in-law goes missing two weeks before the big day. Does he have cold feet, or are there more sinister forces at work? In book three (Pushing up Daisies) a local florist passes away shortly before daughter Candy’s big day. Can Annie figure out who would want to murder a florist before her daughter’s wedding day? In book four (The Perfect Match) the local dating service goes up in flames. Annie’s in the thick of it, trying to figure out whodunit. In book five (Catering to Disaster) over 120 wedding guests end up with food poisoning after a wedding. Did the caterer slip up have they all been sabotaged?

 

There are five books in the series?

So far! Book six (Don’t Rock the Boat) is currently being written. In this story, Annie and her best friend Sheila are on a Caribbean cruise. An onboard bride goes missing just before her big day. Does she have cold feet? Has someone thrown her overboard? Did she re-board the ship after a recent excursion ashore? Annie has to figure this out so that the bride can have her big day!

 

You used your personal life experiences for this story?

In part! As I said, I was mother of the bride four times over, so I know what it is to be in that frenzied state of mind in the weeks leading up to your daughter’s wedding day. And though I’ve never solved a crime (to my knowledge) I enjoyed doing so through my characters. And speaking of characters: Annie’s best friend Sheila (wacky, crazy, colorful, fun) was based on my own BFF, Kay Malone. My sweet Kay passed away in May of 2013 from pancreatic cancer. The Wedding Caper is dedicated to her memory. As I mentioned above, The Wedding Caper was written in 2005, long before Kay’s cancer diagnosis. I was stunned—when reading back through the story—to see that one of the characters is battling pancreatic cancer. I’d forgotten all about that. Ironic and bittersweet, for sure.

 

Thanks for being with us, Janice. Any last thoughts?

Don’t forget to laugh. Life is hard, but laughter brings healing. I try to remember that when I’m having a tough day: there’s always something to laugh at, even if it’s through the tears.

www.janiceathompson.com

Facebook: Janice Hanna Thompson

Twitter: booksbyjanice

 

Weddings by Bella poll

Monday Madness: Love Thy Neighbor

A Bouquet of Love

Culture Clash Alert!

It’s Monday and things are stirring on this end! I’m so excited about the release of my latest book, A Bouquet of Love. It’s a wacky story about a Greek family that moves to Galveston Island and sets up their gyro/sandwich shop (literally) across the street from Parma John’s. A clash of cultures begins as the Greek Papa gets into it with Uncle Laz. The two men try to outdo each other as the story progresses. Here’s the official blurb:

Cassia Pappas has found herself in a nearly impossible situation. She wants to spend her time immersed in her new job at a Galveston Island floral shop, arranging blooms and brightening occasions with her lovely creations. But her huge Greek family–especially her father–has other ideas. They’ve all relocated to Galveston to open up a new family restaurant location on the Strand–directly across the street from the Rossis’ popular pizza place–and they want Cassia’s full participation. 

To make matters worse, as Cassia is trying to develop a strong professional relationship with Galveston’s premier wedding coordinator, Bella Neeley, her own father is intent on stealing all of the Rossi family’s faithful customers. Not exactly the best way to get into Bella’s good graces!  Still, at least Alex, that hot delivery guy from the nursery, is always hanging around the flower shop . . .

POW! BAM! CRASH!

As I thought through the issues in this book, I realized that most of my novels have a “culture clash” theme. The Greeks bicker with the Italians. The Irish don’t get along with the Italians. The Italians don’t always see eye to eye with the folks from Splendora. The Presbyterians don’t get along with the Methodists. On and on it goes, people from one culture/lifestyle trying to figure out how to get along with people from another culture/lifestyle. Whatever happened to Love Thy Neighbor, for Pete’s sake? Why can’t we all just get along?

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“Stay on YOUR side of the street! You hear me?”

After thinking about this for a while, I decided the time has come to blog about this topic. I’m going to be popping in every Monday to chat about the culture clashes in my various books (primarily the Galveston stories). I’m calling this Monday Madness because we’ll be discussing the crazy/chaotic things people do when they clash!

Tell Me a Story…

In the meantime, I invite you to leave a comment with a story of a culture clash in your own life. It doesn’t have to be one ethnic group versus another; it could be any sort of clash. It has to have a happy ending, though. If you leave a comment I will enter your name in a drawing for a free copy of A Bouquet of Love (or That’s Amore, which releases in November). Hopefully we won’t end up in a brawl like many of my characters!

Let’s get this show on the road, folks! Who has a funny story about a clash that started badly but ended well?

A Lovely Review

I just stumbled across this review of The Dream Dress on amazon. Totally humbling. I’d like to thank this lady, but (other than her first name, Norma), don’t know who she is. To ALL of my readers/reviewers, bless you!

The Dream Dress

5.0 out of 5 stars The book of my dreams!, March 6, 2014

This review is from: Dream Dress, The (Weddings by Design Book #3): A Novel (Kindle Edition)

I can only give this book five stars. Well too bad, because I am giving this book more than a trillion. It is the greatest book ever. If you haven’t read the Bella series, please!!!!!!!!!!! GO BACK AND READ THOSE TOO! Along with every other book Janice Hanna Thompson have ever written! She is just that brilliant. I know that you probably are wanting to know if you should even get close to buying this book and you have doubts and all, but I am telling you to throw those away in the trash. I do not care what you say, BUY THIS BOOK. Give it a chance. If you enjoy romance and just love to laugh your head off, don’t even think twice. Scroll up now, and click BUY. And that is a demand. Thank you. This is an amazing book and if I dare but hear anybody think that it was horrible, ugh. Whatever, go somewhere else. This is the GREATEST book. Thank you for writing such a great book Janice Hanna Thompson. AMAZING. Keep it going. Also, if you like sewing… please I do not even need to finish that sentence. Like I was saying, just… scroll up! Thank you and have an amazing day… reading this book. 

NOTE TO NORMA: Norma, I’ve put this review on my website as a “Thank you!” If you happen to see it, just know that it made my day! (((HUGS)))

Attention, all Novelists!

For those aspiring novelists out there…I thought it might be fun to share the Table of Contents from my book Writing and Selling the Great American Novel, which is now selling on amazon for $8.99.

SECTION ONE: WRITING THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL

CHAPTER ONE: CREATIVITY

Getting Creative About Being Creative

Writing with Both Sides of the Brain

CHAPTER TWO: GETTING STARTED

In the Beginning the Writer Set Goals

Themes, Style and Voice

Understanding the Genres

CHAPTER THREE: CHARACTERIZATION

The Four Personalities

The Pandora’s Box Approach

The Witness Stand

CHAPTER FOUR: POV (Point of View)

POV Defined

Various Points of View

CHAPTER FIVE: PLOTTING

Plot Shots

Backstory Blues

The Role of Conflict

Stop, Drop and Roll (Adding the Crisis Scene)

Seven Secrets to Creating the Perfect Ending

CHAPTER SIX: EDITING

Show, Don’t Tell

Common Fiction Mistakes

Turn On Your Self-Editor

Building Your Writing House

CHAPTER SEVEN: SPECIAL ADDITIONS

Adding Romance

Adding Humor

Adding Mystery Elements

Adding Inspirational Elements

SECTION TWO: SELLING THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL

CHAPTER ONE: THE ROAD TO PUBLICATION

Plotting Your Writing Career: Twelve Steps to Success

What Industry Pros are Saying about Goal Setting

CHAPTER TWO: POLISHING & PREPPING

Joining a Critique Group

Hiring a Pro to Edit Your Manuscript

The Conference Experience

CHAPTER THREE: BRANDING & PLATFORM

Branding

Ten Tips for Creating Your Brand

Taglines

CHAPTER FOUR: SUBMITTING/PITCHING YOUR BOOK

Query Letters and Book Proposals

Sparkling Proposals

Elevating Your Elevator Pitch

Dealing with Rejection

Finding and Working with an Agent

CHAPTER FIVE: MAKING THE SALE

Making the Sale: The Process

Open Sesame/Opening the Publisher’s Door

Eight Things NOT to say to an Editor

Author-Editor Relationships

CHAPTER SIX: MARKETING & P.R.

Got Moxie?

Working with Your Publisher to Market Your Book

Please With a Tease (Using Social Media)

You. . .a Public Speaker!

Speak Up

Show Me the Money!

CHAPTER SEVEN: SELF-PUBLISHING

The eBook Craze

Self-Publishing/Print

CHAPTER EIGHT: LIFE AFTER PUBLICATION

100 Tips for Maintaining a Killer Platform

Sustaining a Lucrative Writing Career

Tax Tips for Writers

Double Your Word Count in Two Weeks

Roller Coaster Writing

My granddaughter

Hi everyone!

I’ve been on a writing sabbatical but have popped back in to post this sweet video of my granddaughter, Jenna Reese. Many of you prayed for her before her delivery. She’s 3 1/2 months old, weighs 7 lbs, 12 oz. and is doing great!

Writing and Selling the Great American Novel

BRAND NEW FROM JANICE THOMPSON: WRITING AND SELLING THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL (releasing TODAY!)

The ultimate go-to guide for aspiring and established novelists. This comprehensive text from multi-published novelist and teacher Janice Thompson offers writers all of the tools they will need to both write and sell their novel.

Section One (Writing) covers critical topics such as plotting, POV, characterization, creativity, goal setting and more. Section Two (Selling) lays out a full plan to pitch and sell the book and offers detailed lessons on the proposal process, acquiring an agent, working with an editor, marketing, PR and much more.

Here’s what writers are saying about the book:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the all time best writing resources September 13, 2013 (By Ann Wilds)

Hands down, this is one of the best “how to” writing books I have ever read. From start to finish, it offers much to both the aspiring and published writer. Janice Thompson shares her insight and experience in writing and publishing nearly 100 books in multiple genres. She takes the reader through the first tentative steps of formulating a story idea, to the heart of plotting, POV, and characterization and to the final stages of publishing and marketing the completed work. She manages to teach us clearly and with depth while still letting her sense of humor shine through.

***

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Have for Novelists, September 13, 2013 (
By J. Arduini Youngstown, OH USA) 


 

When it comes to writing how-to books, I admit I start to gloss over when I hear there is a new one.

I’m a voracious reader and I’ve read them. Of the stacks and stacks I’ve finished, only a few stand out as ones with new information and help I find amazing and worth telling others about.

And Janice Thompson’s newest offering, Writing and Selling the Great American Novel is one of them.

This book gives the aspiring novelist everything needed to start, plot, write, edit, complete, sell, and market your work. I’m literal when I say everything. There are acronyms that help break down tips. Exercises to help you practice and flesh out what you read. Quotes from authors and agents emphasizing Janice’s points. Books and links she recommends. I can’t think of a single thing she didn’t think of, and it’s presented in easy to find, read, and refer back to fashion.

I’m not quite at the beginner stage, but I’m not yet published. Writing and Selling the Great American Novel is a reference I plan to have nearby when I’m plotting, editing, working on a query letter…honestly, it works for any aspect of writing. I’m in a couple critique groups (another subject Janice writes about) and when I read something that needs more than I know how to help with, I always recommend Susan May Warren/Rachel Hauck’s From the Inside…Out:discover, create, and publish the novel in you. For someone wanting to know about writing romance, I also tell them to get ready to dog ear Gail Gaymer Martin’s Writing the Christian Romance. Now I have a third command because Janice includes all the genres and tips on writing for each one, and that makes this a resource that stands apart.

I can’t recommend Writing and Selling the Great American Novel enough. Janice included everything for our benefit. Buy the book, read and keep it close by, and get writing. You won’t have any regrets.

Note: it is available for a reduced rate September 13-15. After that, the book will sell at $8.99 (worth every penny, but hey, don’t you love a sale?) If you have every wanted to write a book or have written a book and hope to write more, you will not regret buying this book. But you just might regret- one day- not buying it.

NOTE FROM JANICE: Whether you’re just starting out or trying to sustain a lucrative career as a novelist, this book will give you the tools you need. Download your copy at the low intro price of $3.99. On the morning of September 17th the price will go up to $8.99, where it will remain. Please tell all of the novelists you know about this comprehensive handbook.

Loving Lucy, Day Twelve: Lucy Writes a Play

Welcome to DAY TWELVE of “Loving Lucy” where we’re celebrating the release of my latest romantic comedy, “The Icing on the Cake.” We skipped right over DAY ELEVEN because I felt that 9/11 deserved its own attention. What good are books, if we don’t have the freedom to live in safety?

Most of you probably know that I’m a theater director, as well as a writer. I love writing and directing plays. Apparently Lucy loved that, too, as was evidenced in this episode:

LUCY WRITES A PLAY: Playwright Lucy pens a drama with a Cuban locale. She figures Ricky for the star. The hitch: he refuses the part. So she changes her play from Cuba to England and has Fred take Ricky’s spot. However, Ricky has decided to surprise Lucy and appear in the play…only problem is he has the wrong script. Check out this link to watch the episode.

The theater director in me cringes as I remember this particular “Lucy” episode. What a nightmare!

If you’ve read “The Icing on the Cake” you know that Scarlet puts on a little “production” of her own – a fundraiser talent show to raise funds for an upcoming missions trip. She runs into a few complications, especially when the saw-player’s teeth go missing. (Yes, you read that right.) A host of other problems arise, as well, and Scarlet wonders (like Lucy) if the show will go on. It does, of course. Consummate theater pros know that you forge ahead, no matter what you face.

Why not pick up a copy of “The Icing on the Cake” to read about Scarlet’s adventures? You’ll find the kindle version very affordable.

That’s it for today! Welcome back tomorrow, where we’ll talk about another fun Lucy episode!

Loving Lucy, Day Ten: Lucy is Enciente!

Welcome to DAY TEN of “Loving Lucy” where I’m celebrating the release of my latest romantic comedy, “The Icing on the Cake.” Today I’m featuring an episode of Lucy that touches my heart on multiple levels. I know you’ll remember this one:

Lucy is enceinte

Lucy feels strange, and tells Ethel. She responds by suggesting Lucy might be pregnant! Lucy laughs…but comes back from a doctor’s visit and reveals that Ethel was right. Lucy tries to prepare the “perfect” moment to tell Ricky, but his business at the club keeps him away. Eventually, Lucy anonymously requests that Ricky perform his song “We’re Having A Baby” at the club. Ricky gets quite a surprise when he finds out who requested the song!

Here are a couple of lesser known facts about this episode. First of all, Ricky’s reaction to Lucy’s news about the baby was supposed to be funny/upbeat. When they filmed the scene, he reacted with all of the emotion you see in the now-famous episode. The reaction was so “true” that they decided to leave it. Aren’t you glad?! This reaction from Ricky/Desi wins my heart! (And honestly, Desi was kind of a cad in real life, so I’m glad to see his emotion shine through!)

Here’s another little known fact: Lucy was the first-ever woman to appear on TV “in a delicate condition.” In fact, it stirred quite a controversy when the decision was made to carry forth with the show after her pregnancy. And that’s another thing: the word “pregnancy” couldn’t be used, so they opted for the Spanish word “enceinte” (which means the same thing).

What does all of this have to do with Scarlet and “The Icing on the Cake”? Scarlet doesn’t think that Armando has a heart. She sees him (in much the same way as I see Desi) as a Romeo…a player. In the end (like Desi, in this scene) he proves her wrong.

If you haven’t read “The Icing on the Cake” check it out online! In the meantime, please enjoy the Lucy clip!