Gina Holmes's Blog, page 2

3 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Paid Ad

By Patty Smith Hall, @pattywrites

Whether traditional or self-published, every author is looking for the best way to market his/her book. Specifically, how do we attract new readers? One way that has grown in popularity are websites like Bookbub, E-Reader Café and My Book Cave who send out email blast with information on sale books.

Here’s how it works: When a reader registers on one of these sites, they are sent to a page with a list of genres they like to read. This is no short list—every genre you can think of is listed, all the way down to sub-genres. The reader is given anywhere from one to five choices that they can follow. Then every day like clockwork, a selection of books on sale from their chosen genre is emailed to the reader with links to the sale sites.
What can we do as authors to get more bang for our advertising buck? Here are three things to do to ensure the best results:

1) Educate yourself on the different websites.

As I mentioned before, the genre list at most of these websites are extensive, even including sub-genres. This is wonderful for authors as well as the readers. It gets your books in front of readers who might not have otherwise picked up your book. But it means educating yourself on the list and making the best choice to represent your work.

2) Book Pricing

Most of these sites will only advertise if your book is on sale. To them, that means your $5.99 book needs to be priced anywhere from free to $2.99. This is a decision you and your publisher needs to make together.

Secondly, you need to make certain that your book is priced properly a few days before the ad comes out. About a year ago, I was tickled pink when my book was finally accepted for a Bookbub ad. If you’ve ever tried to secure one of these ads, you know what all my excitement was about!) I had worked out the ad day with my editor and we were both anticipating great sales.

Only one problem—the department in charge of pricing mixed up the dates and my book wasn’t lowered to the sales price. Because of the mistake, I not only lost book sales, I lost the money I’d spent on the ad. So, check out one of the booksellers like Amazon and make sure your book is priced correctly before your ad releases.

3) Keep a Chart of Your Results

Each website has a varied numbered of subscribers from a few thousand to over a quarter of a million readers. The price of the ad depends on the numbers of subscribers signed up for a genre—in other words, the more subscribers, the higher the ad price.

After you run an ad, keep a chart of your sales during the ad period. By comparing your sale numbers, you’re get a great idea of what site works best for you and can set your ad budget accordingly.

TWEETABLES

3 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Paid Ad by @pattywrites on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2xQjopv
Every author is looking for the best way to market his/her book. @pattywrites on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2xQjopv

What can we do as authors to get more bang for our advertising buck? @pattywrites on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2xQjopv


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Seven women seek husbands to help them rebuild a Kansas town.

Meet seven of Turtle Springs, Kansas’, finest women who are determined to revive their small town after the War Between the States took most of its men. . .and didn’t return them. The ladies decide to advertise for husbands and devise a plan for weeding out the riff raff. But how can they make the best practical choices when their hearts cry out to be loved?






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

Complicating Success

by Allen Arnold, @TheStoryofWith

How do you define success as an author?

Perhaps you base it on whether you regularly hit your daily word count. Or maybe success is when the publisher you’ve longed to partner with finally signs your new series. If you’re already published, then success might be hitting a bestseller list or exponentially growing your readership.

All of the above seem like logical ways to measure success. They offer tangible metrics by which we can count progress, compare results, and control our calling.
And that’s the problem.

God never meant for us to validate our calling by the number of words we churn out or the marketplace performance of our stories. These measurements aren’t necessarily bad, they just aren’t enough. They try to define the internal, holy calling God has given us in external man-made ways. And those measurements can quickly turn toxic when they distract us from the deeper definition of true success.

To get to that definition, we have to go way back. Long before we were born, God knit the love of story into our DNA. Think of it as a sort of homing device. As we grow and pursue our gifting, we are drawn to the Giver of those gifts. Our dreams and desires find their fulfillment in God.

His motive in giving each of us our specific talents isn’t primarily so we’ll be productive or famous. Here’s your gift. Now get busy making things happen. It is so our desires can find their fulfillment in Him. Productivity and efficiency aren’t what He’s most interested in. They measure the external performance but never the internal rhythm of our hearts. God doesn’t need our help as much as He wants our hearts. Whenever we focus more on our gifts than God, we miss the main invitation. Which is to pursue what we most love doing together with Him.

Don’t give the publishing industry, reviews, sales numbers, or even readers the power to validate or invalidate the calling God has given you. When you allow yourself to be defined or validated by outside metrics, you add a measurement to your calling that God neither promises nor is obligated to fulfill.

Don’t complicate it.

If you are actively and intimately creating with God, you are successful.

Yes, there may be more.

Should you grow in your craft? You should.

Could your story take the world by storm and become a bestseller? It could.

Might your story help others see God in a new light and grow closer to Him? It might.

But God isn’t all that concerned about how many readers we have or how many books we sell. If you spend 100,000 words with Him writing a story and no one else ever reads it, is that enough? If not, be careful about the other validation metrics. All external measurements for success cause us to take our cues from someone or something other than God.

Yet God is far more interested in being central to the Story you’re living and the story you’re writing than any reaction to your writing from the world, the industry, or readers.

What is created solely out of your own strength will be limited by your blind spots and weaknesses. But what you co-create with God will have the spark of eternity. Those stories, born through intimacy and co-creation, will transcend you and transform you in ways that are impossible to measure.

That is success. Plain and simple.


TWEETABLES
Complicating Success by @TheStoryofWith on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2gsDWjq
How do you define success as an author? @TheStoryofWith on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2gsDWjq

What you co-create with God will have the spark of eternity. @TheStoryofWith on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2gsDWjq


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The Story of With: A Better Way to Live, Love, & Create

"Unique and powerful, The Story of With will take readers deep into the discovery of their own identity. "Bravo! This fascinating blend of storytelling and teaching will shift the thinking of all who take this journey." New York Times Bestselling Author, TED DEKKER

"Through allegory and invitation, Allen Arnold ushers us into a journey of imagination, insight, wonder, and wisdom...Read The Story of With!" New York Times Bestselling Co-Author of Captivating, STASI ELDREDGE

"This is your invitation into deeper identity, intimacy, and imagination with God. Like finding the place you've always longed to be. The moment you finish this book, you'll race to grab one for a friend. Highest Recommendation!" Bestselling Author of The Long Journey to Jake Palmer, JAMES L. RUBART

"Allen has written a roadmap for dreaming with God. The Story of With is a beautiful, revelatory parable, filled with wonder, mystery, and adventure." Author of Prone to Love & Untamed, JASON CLARK

- From the Foreword -

"You are not alone. Whether you’re a free spirit, an office exec, a writer, musician, college student, or tired parent—your soul, like mine, knows life is meant to go beyond rat races and rare applause. This book speaks to that belief. And if you’re not careful, you may find tears warming your eyes as you read because finally someone is naming your weariness, your striving, your questions of why you just can’t quite make it, or the emptiness that hit because maybe you did. It is into those places The Story of With reaches—fusing allegory with application—to offer fresh perspective, restored hope, and a rebirth of creativity.”

—From the Foreword by Mary Weber, Christy & Carol Award-Winning, Scholastic Pick Author of the Storm Siren Trilogy.

Allen Arnold is the author of The Story of With, an allegory that reveals a better way to live and create through the doorway of identity, imagination, and intimacy. His mission is to help people actively pursue and transform their talent by discovering how to pursue it with God. As the founding Fiction Publisher for one of the world's largest Christian publishing houses, Allen oversaw the development of more than five hundred novels. He knows first-hand how common it is for creators to become disheartened, overwhelmed or burnt-out–as well as what it takes to help the dreams of writers become reality. In his current role at Ransomed Heart, he oversees content from the mountains of Colorado for the ministry. Before becoming a Board Member for ACFW, he was awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 for his substantial contributions to the world of Christian Fiction.

I’ve Gotta Be Me, She Said

by Dan Walsh, @DanWalshAuthor

Believe it or not, my column this month is about the Characters in our novels. In short, the idea of making them seem and even feel like real people to our readers. This is a major priority for me. I think with good reason.

Last month, I quoted one of my favorite writing quotes: “The secret to great fiction writing is to create characters readers care about, then do terrible things to them.” That article mainly focused on the second part. Today, I want to focus on the first, creating characters readers care about.
At present, my 18 novels on Amazon have received a total of 5,900 reviews (avg 4.6 Stars). I know this because my wife is doing my marketing now, and she just figured this out. One of the most consistent positive comments I get is: “Your characters are so real.” Or, “I feel like I really know these people.”

A few years ago, I did a survey sent out to 3,000 fiction readers, asking them to name the 3 most important things they look for in a novel (out of a list of 7 items). Know what the #1 answer was (it got the most #1 votes and was in everyone’s Top 3)? Characters you really care about .

I don’t have time here to give a lengthy set of instructions, so I’ll share one thing I do that, to me, may be the most important. That is, I let my characters react to what’s happening in the story the way they would if they were real people. Even if what they say or do changes or rearranges the plot. When I’m writing, much of the time I feel more like an invisible scribe, spying on my characters and jotting down the things they say and do.

It’s fair to say, as much as half the things that go on in my novels were not in my mind when I first created the synopsis for the story. One of the things I hate most when watching a TV show or movie, or reading a novel, is when a main character says or does something that seems totally forced, not at all in keeping with their personality (as revealed in the story so far).

I think what some writers do is start with the plot, then create 2D characters to populate their story. As the plot unfolds, they force their characters to say and do what’s needed for the scene to keep the plot intact and moving forward according to plan. I do have a main plot in my story and several key plot points in mind, but my goal is different. I want to create 3D characters then let them dictate all the details. And, if necessary, I will let them even change what I had in mind for the plot.

Because to me, once a main character becomes real (usually happens for me within the first 50-60 pages), I have to let them be who they are. Let them do and say exactly what they would if they were real people. Once they do become real to me, I go back and make any needed changes in those first 50-60 pages, so they seem like the same person throughout the book.

You might think this process must play havoc with the novel’s plot. But it doesn’t. I see these plot-changes-made-by-the-character as temporary setbacks. A tradeoff, so to speak to get the kind of characters readers really care about. I know where I need the story to go, and we’ll get there eventually. But not with 2D characters who say and do forced things real people would never say or do.
Well, that’s the idea. I’d love to hear how some of you handle the challenge of “Creating Characters Readers Really Care About.”

TWEETABLES
I’ve Gotta Be Me, She Said by @DanWalshAuthor on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2x9KIku

Let your characters react to what’s happening in the story the way real people would @DanWalshAuthor @NovelRocket http://bit.ly/2x9KIku

I'm an invisible scribe, spying on my characters, jotting down what they say and do @DanWalshAuthor @NovelRocket http://bit.ly/2x9KIku

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Unintended Consequences:
Jack and Rachel leave Culpepper for their long-awaited honeymoon trip, a driving tour through New England. On day three, they stop at a little bayside town in Cape Cod to visit Jack’s grandmother. After he gets called away to handle an emergency, Rachel stays and listens as Jack’s grandmother shares a remarkable story about how she and Jack’s grandfather met in the early days of World War 2. It’s a story filled with danger, decades-old family secrets, daring rescues and romance. Jack is named after his grandfather, and this story set the course and direction for Jack’s life to the present day. After hearing it, Rachel is amazed that anyone survived.



Dan Walsh is the bestselling author of 17 novels including The Unfinished Gift, The Discovery and When Night Comes. He has won 3 Carol Awards (finalist 6 times), 3 Selah Awards and 3 of his books have been finalists for RT Review’s Inspirational Book of the Year. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Word Weavers International, Dan writes fulltime in the Daytona Beach area. He and his wife Cindi have been married 40 years. You can find out more about his books or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads or Pinterest from his website at http://www.danwalshbooks.com.

3 Ways Your Cover Sells Your Novel

by Emilie Hendryx, @eacreativephoto

May name is Emilie and I judge books by their covers.

There. I’ve said it!

I know we’re all told not to, but I do and I’d wager you do as well. We’re told it’s what’s on the inside that matters, and in a way that’s true, but most of the time we won’t make it past a bad cover to see the inside.

I recently wrote a post on my blog titled The Truth About Book Cover Design . In it, I laid out specifics on what makes a book cover “bad” and why you shouldn’t try and design your cover yourself. In this post, I’d like to focus more specifically on why having a good book cover matters.
Before we get to that you must realize this simple concept first:

Your book cover design is essential to selling your book.

I want to stress this because some people will argue that the cover design isn’t as important as say…editing. I’d agree that editing is hugely important, but if your cover is (dare I say it?) ugly, many readers won’t venture past the cover to the content.

I know that there are loyal readers who will see past the cover, so this isn’t a blanket statement, but if you really want sales, my personal belief is that your cover is a major weapon in your selling-arsenal.

Let’s take a look at three aspects of how your cover sells your book.

1) The Looks

A stunning cover will sell a book on looks alone. This isn’t true for every reader, but I have interacted with many people online who will buy a book based solely on its cover, only to figure out what it’s about afterward. This may be shocking to some of you who are loyal “back cover copy” readers or even the poplar “first line/paragraph/chapter” judger, but it’s true. They do exist.

The Bookstagram Phenomenon
For those of you who don't know, there is a whole community of “Bookstagrammers” on Instagram. Basically, the term “Bookstagram” means that an Instagram account is devoted exclusively to photography of books. I run such an account (@createexploreread) and a cover design is absolutely crucial in this setting. I can’t begin to recount how many times I’ve seen someone post that they love a cover and will purchase the book just because of that cover! On an aesthetic, visual platform like Instagram, having a good book cover design is crucial.

2) The Genre

How your book cover depicts the genre of your book will affect how, and to whom, it sells. I recently gave some feedback to a friend of mine on two cover options her publishing house had given her. They were both well done, professional designs and either would have looked lovely sitting on a shelf in Barnes & Noble. But there was a problem! The font the designer had chosen indicated a certain type of genre, one her book was not in.

The problem? Even having a wonderful cover isn’t enough if the image displayed tricks your reader. If I walked in to a bookstore and saw her book on a shelf, I might have passed right by it because the genre the font depicted isn’t a type of genre I prefer to read.

I may be able to more accurately describe what I don’t like about a cover based on the fact that I design them (and spend hours looking at books), but I’m sure you all have gut feelings about certain books based on their design. Why is this? Because a good designer will take into account the market for your book. They will create a cover to stand out as it fits in.

Isn’t that an oxymoron? It will stand out because it will be a unique and well-done design (hopefully!), but it also must fit within the proper genre. You don’t put dragons on the front of romance novels unless it’s a fantasy/romance. You don't have someone in space if it’s strictly an historical novel. See what I mean?

Fun exercise: Go to your local bookstore and start to really see the covers. Visit different sections and take a look around. What types of design elements seem to be a common thread in a genre? What types of fonts are used? What colors, images, or shapes? Can you guess what genre a book is without reading the back cover copy or looking at the section title?

3) The Marketing

Your cover is part of your marketing. When done well, your book cover will attract your reader with its beauty and alert them to your genre. It will give them a taste of your novel and hopefully lure them in. Then the rest is up to you, the author, to seal the deal with your writing!

What does this mean for you, the author? That you must be able to trust your designer. If you’re hiring one yourself, make sure they understand your genre and the look you’re going for. If you’re with a traditional house, make sure your cover can “compare” on a bookshelf with other titles like it. A good designer will already be striving for these things.

Lastly, if you know your designer is good at what they do, trust their instincts!

What type of “cover judger” are you? Do you pay attention to book covers? What draws you to a cover?

If you’re interested in hearing a talk I did recently about this very subject, you can view it here.

TWEETABLES
3 Ways Your Cover Sells Your Novel by @eacreativephoto on @NovelRocket #writing #bookcover #coverdesign https://buff.ly/2vQQ9R0
Your book cover design is essential to selling your book. #bookcover #coverdesign @eacreativephoto @NovelRocket  http://bit.ly/2emc6RG

Many readers won’t venture past a bad cover to the content.~ @eacreativephoto on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2emc6RG
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Emilie Hendryx is a freelance writer, photographer, and graphic designer living in Northern California. She’s a member of ACFW, writes Young Adult fiction, and spends more time on Instagram than she probably should. With a heart for youth and a love of genuine social media connections, she’s built a thriving community around her Instagram platform and brand: CreateExploreRead. She’s got a soft spot in her heart for animals and a love for the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. In her spare time, you can find her designing fun, bookish items for her Etsy and Society6 shops all while drinking too much coffee.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/createexploreread
Blog: www.eahendryx.blogspot.com
Society6 shop: www.society6.com/emiliehendryx
FB: www.facebook.com/emiliehendryx
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/eahendryx
Twitter: www.twitter.com/eacreativephoto
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/eahendryx

Market Your Book From the Inside Out

by Melissa Tagg, @Melissa_Tagg

Did you know some of the best keys for marketing your book might be hidden right in your book itself?

We’re talking today about what I’m terming Inside-Out Marketing…or, turning your book inside out to discover your marketing potential.

Say what?

It’s like this: Your story is most likely full of marketing opportunities beyond your hook, your title, your plot. Opportunities to reach new niche groups, create new publicity pieces and even events, expand your social media horizons. Just turn your story inside out and look at:


Setting—Your setting can do wonders for your marketing potential. Is your story set in an iconic city or landmark? Then ask yourself how you can build a marketing strategy based on that setting. Maybe you film a series of videos on location. Maybe you target bookstores, libraries and reader circles in that place.
Time period—The same goes for your time period. If your book is historical, consider themed launch parties or events, blogs centered on the time period, and more. Or think about what season your book is set in. A few years ago, my second book came out in the summer...but the book took place during Christmas. So I did a series of "Christmas in July" publicity efforts.
Character careers or hobbies—Author Lisa Jordan’s second book, Lakeside Family, included a café owner and as part of a blog tour promotion, she put together a coffee giveaway which included coffees, biscotti, books and even a painting of the book’s café logo! What unique careers, hobbies and interests of your characters could you play off of in your marketing efforts?
Events/Issues—When author Katie Ganshert’s first book, Wildflowers from Winter, released, she explained the meaning behind her title and asked fellow bloggers and readers to share their own “Wildflowers from Winter” story. She had wonderful participation! Are there events, issues, spiritual themes or special causes in your story that might aid your marketing?
Again, the idea in inside-out marketing is to look at the story you have and identify the unique elements and audience-friendly pieces just waiting to be built on.Did this get you thinking? Turn your own story inside out. What marketing potential do you see there?
TWEETABLES
Market Your Book From the Inside Out by @Melissa_Tagg on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2wmlKh3
Your story is full of marketing opportunities beyond your hook, your title, your plot. @Melissa_Tagg @NovelRocket http://bit.ly/2wmlKh3
Turn your own story inside out. What marketing potential do you see there? @Melissa_Tagg on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2wmlKh3

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All This Time (Walker Family Book 4) 


Bear McKinley’s past refuses to let go.

Ten years ago, Bear gave up everything—his freedom and his reputation—for his mess of a family. But after years of distance and too many attempts at starting over, he finally has a new life doing noble work in Brazil . . . until his past catches up to him once again. Suddenly he finds himself back in Maple Valley, charged with the care of his missing brother’s children, convinced he’s out of second chances to make his life count. And yet, with every day that passes, these kids, this quirky town and the woman he never stopped missing help patch the holes in his heart. Maybe this is the fresh start he’s been longing for all along. But as his newfound hope grows, so does the mystery surrounding his brother’s activities—and when the threat reaches into the lives of those he loves, it’s clear he can’t run away this time.

Fear holds Raegan’s future captive.

Raegan Walker is fine. She’s happy working a slew of part-time jobs, still living in her childhood bedroom and rarely venturing from her hometown. At least, that’s what she tells everyone . . . and herself. But she can’t help wondering what might’ve happened if she hadn’t abandoned her art so many years ago—and if Bear McKinley had never left. When Bear returns and she’s commissioned for a painting that just might revive her artistic ambition all in one week, it’s time to finally reach for more than fine. But doing so means facing the fears that have held her back all this time, including admitting the secret she’s kept from Bear and her family. With her dream and her heart on the line, how much will Raegan have to risk to finally chase her happy ending?




Award-winning author Melissa Tagg is a former reporter, current nonprofit grant-writer and total Iowa girl. The second book in her popular Walker Family series, Like Never Before, was named by Publisher’s Weekly to one of their spring 2016 Top Ten lists. Her most recent releases include Keep Holding On (Sept 2016) and One Enchanted Eve (Nov 2016). Melissa has taught at multiple national writing conferences, as well as workshops and women's retreats. Connect with Melissa at www.melissatagg.com or on Facebook and Instagram.

What’s on Your Bucket List?

by Patricia Bradley, @PTBradley1

I started my bucket list when I was thirty-five. I wanted to write and eventually get published. If I had known it would take 33 years, would I have pursued my dream?

I think so, because I don’t think I had a choice. I may have been thirty-five when I realized I was born to write, but once I knew it, nothing could stop me. I think most writers are that way.

Some writers take even longer to realize it than I did. Often they think they’re too old to start a new career.
Is there an age limit to what we can do?

…Bear with me a minute—I’m thinking. Part of me wants to say NO! But then I think about how I used to climb trees, and while in my mind, I think I could still do it, I’m not sure I want to, unless there’s a bear chasing me.

Physically, we might get to a place in our lives where we can’t do what we once did, but there are so many other things we can do. One year at Christmas my mother learned to text. She was ninety. She had a Facebook page when she passed away at ninety-three. She always wanted to be challenged and so do I. That’s the key, I think. The desire to stretch ourselves.

I hear it now. But how would I start?

That’s the easy part. Be it writing a book or learning how to use a computer. Take a class. Did you know after age sixty, about 60% of accredited colleges offer a waiver for senior students? And at most colleges you can audit a class for free. Check it out here and here. Whatever you decide to do, be sure to learn the nuts and bolts of how to do it.

I believed God called me to write, and not just any old story, but suspense stories. Except I wasn’t having any luck with them. I was sixty-five when I went to my first writing retreat, Deep Thinkers taught by our own Susan May Warren. I had been writing for almost thirty years with success in writing short pieces but had not gotten any results from my novels. I was making the same mistakes over and over because I didn’t have anyone to tell me what I was doing wrong…or right.

But at the retreat I learned so much and continued to return each year for four years total. After the third year, I got an agent and a publisher and sold my first book. Shadows of the Past was published one week after I turned 69.

So, you can do it! But you need a desire as well as discipline to do what it takes to learn the craft of writing…and then, you’ll be ready when God opens the door.

I’ve completed one series—The Logan Point Series, written two Heartwarming books for Harlequin, and completed three books in my next series, Memphis Cold Case Novels. All since 2013. If I can do it, so can you!

By the way, Justice Buried, the second Memphis Cold Case novel releases tomorrow!

TWEETABLES


What’s on Your #BucketList? by @PTBradley1 on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2wqjm77

Is writing on your bucket list?~ @PTBradley1 on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2wqjm77

When do you decide to throw in the towel?~ @PTBradley1 on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2wqjm77


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Justice Buried

In an effort to get her security consulting business off the ground, Kelsey Allen has been spending a lot of time up in the air, rappelling down buildings and climbing through windows to show business owners their vulnerabilities to thieves. When she is hired to pose as a conservator at the Pink Palace Museum in order to test their security weaknesses after some artifacts go missing, she's ecstatic. But when her investigative focus turns from theft to murder, Kelsey knows she's out of her league--and possibly in the cross hairs. When blast-from-the-past Detective Brad Hollister is called in to investigate, Kelsey may find that he's the biggest security threat yet . . . to her heart.



Patricia Bradley lives in North Mississippi with her rescue kitty Suzy and loves to write suspense with a twist of romance. Her books include the Logan Point series and two Harlequin Heartwarming romances. Justice Delayed, a Memphis Cold Case Novel, is the first book in her next series and it releases January 31, 2017. When she has time, she likes to throw mud on a wheel and see what happens. 

Once Again

by Marcia Lee Laycock, @MarciaLaycock

Funny how God knows the perfect time to send you a reminder or two about something you seem to have forgotten. It happened to me recently and I confess it made me groan. I thought I’d learned this lesson well a time or two before, but I guess I’m one of those cracked pots that continually leaks.

It happened as I sat listening to my husband preach a while ago. The sermon was called Greatness That Doesn’t Have a Shelf Life. (He likes to use catchy titles). You can listen to it here - http://bit.ly/2gghh9R
The passage of scripture hewas preaching from was Mark 9:33 -50, which includes that rather embarrassing moment when the disciples are caught in the act of being foolish. They’ve been arguing over who will be greatest in the kingdom when Jesus establishes it. Of course, they’re thinking it’s going to be an earthly kingdom, one free of the tyrannical rule of the Romans, one in which they will have positions of influence and power. Even after spending so much time with Jesus they still don’t understand what the kingdom of God is all about.

Yes, I’m sure they were embarrassed when Jesus confronted them, just as I was embarrassed as my husband preached that Sunday. You see, I’d been having a bit of a pity party that week about the state of my career, whining a bit about my books not selling enough, my platform not gaining enough attention, etc. etc. etc. Or perhaps I should say, blah, blah, blah.

Then this: “Choose to make your ambition dependence on God.”

Oh. Right. I think I’ve heard this before. I think I’ve promised to do this more than once. And Matthew 6:33 scrolled across my mind’s eye once again: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.”

When I asked my favourite pastor if he had someone specific in mind as he prepared his sermon that week, he smiled and shook his head. “No,” he said. “That was just the next passage in Mark.” He gave me a bit of a grin. “I was tempted to give you a preview a few days ahead, but I thought maybe it would be wise to let the Lord deal with it.”

I laughed. “Very wise,” I said. “Very wise.”

So,once again, instead of whining about my lack of time in the spotlight, I will try to remember to focus on discerning what God’s kingdom really is all about, and what part he wants me to play, as a writer and as His beloved child, in the building of it. I’ll try to remember the deep need of my soul - dependence only on Him, and an awareness of His truly unconditional love.

TWEETABLES
Once Again by @MarciaLaycock on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2wmltL3
God knows the perfect time to send you a reminder~ @MarciaLaycock on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2wmltL3
Choose to make your ambition dependence on God. @MarciaLaycock on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2wmltL3

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One Smooth Stone
Desperate to escape his past, the police, and especially, God, Alex Donnelly picks a good place to hide - the Yukon wilderness - but he finds even there his is pursued. What will it take for him to discover that no matter how far you run, God will find you, and no matter what you have done, God will forgive you?




Marcia Lee Laycock writes from central Alberta Canada where she is a pastor's wife and mother of three adult daughters. She was the winner of The Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone. The sequel, A Tumbled Stone was short listed in The Word Awards. Marcia also has four devotional books in print and has contributed to several anthologies. Her work has been endorsed by Sigmund Brouwer, Janette Oke, Phil Callaway and Mark Buchanan.

FIFTY SHADES OF … PRAY?

by Julie Lessman, @julielessman

Wouldn’t that be wonderful? In a world where our God created passion and romance, wouldn’t it be amazing if a Christian romance novel topped the best-seller lists around the world? Sold over 125 million copies worldwide by June 2015? Was translated into 52 languages? Set a record in the United Kingdom as the fastest-selling paperback of all time? Became a box-office breaking movie?

I’m talking, of course, about the runaway bestseller, Fifty Shades of Grey, a romance novel that single-handedly catapulted erotica to the top of TBR lists everywhere.
I wonder, does this tick anybody else off? I hope so. Because the truth is we followers of Christ are supposed to be salt in an unsavory world, and trust me, it doesn’t get anymore “unsavory” than the romance genre. A genre with approximately $1.08 billion in sales in 2013 per Romance Writers of America and cinching 34% of the U.S. fiction market in 2015.

According to an American Religious Identification Survey “nine out of ten women nationwide consider themselves to be Christian.” Ironically, most of these women who do read romance wouldn’t choose Christian romance to save their soul. Why, you may ask? Well, those I’ve talked to say they prefer more heart-pounding, 21st-century romantic passion realistic to today’s society. As a result, most of my friends, Christian and non, read secular romance, which, of course, generally promotes the world’s amoral lifestyle rather than God’s. What’s wrong with this picture? I mean if the world can take something God created and use it to sell its amoral agenda, then why can’t Christians utilize this God-given passion to promote Him and His precepts?

Look at the world today—it’s obsessed with illicit passion. Hollywood promotes adultery and unmarried couples sleeping together as sexy, and living together is “the new normal,” according to Pamela J. Smock, Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan. Why? Because passion is important! Not just to romance readers, but to everyone on the planet. We were created that way by a passionate God who analogizes His own depth of love for each of us in a very passionate love letter called “Song of Solomon.” And what happens? The world uses this beautiful, God-given gift to shove sin down peoples’ throats, and I, for one, am really sick of it. I’d love to see the Christian market broaden its tent pegs to use romantic passion to teach people God’s precepts and therein, His love.

The cry of my heart is that my stories of romantic passion translate into passion for God, which is why my tagline is “Passion With a Purpose.” But those who disagree with me do give me pause to think … and pray … that I stay the course with God’s plan and not my own. I thank them for their passion for purity, which I assure them, is as fervent as mine, something I’ve expounded on in greater detail in my blog entitled, Life on the Edge.

I truly understand the concern and “passion” of those who feel Christian romance must remain chaste and pure. But on the other side of the spectrum, there are Christians like me, who worry that “chaste and pure” will not reach the Fifty Shades of Grey or MTV crowd anymore than old-time Gospel music will reach those who listen to Christian rock such as Pillar or Underoath. The Body of Christ is just that—a body of human beings at varying levels of faith. It’s not one size fits all in reaching people for Christ, but it’s the cry of St. Paul who said “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”

Salt … in an unsavory world.

So at the core of who I am as a woman and a writer, I have this deep, primal longing to please and honor my God, something I pray about often. In fact, I was praying about it with my prayer partner one day when her 25-year-old daughter stopped by, a girl who had strayed from her Christian roots—living with her boyfriend, not going to church anymore, heavy drinking, etc.

This young women proceeded to tell me that when she read my books, she actually got angry at me. Why? Because the spiritual parts convicted her so much that she wanted to throw the books out. But she didn’t, she said, because the passion and intense romance so grabbed her by the throat, that she was compelled to finish the books. And when she turned the last page of one of them, she told me it had brought her up to a whole other level with God. I had tears in my eyes when I learned she is now back at church and trying to live for Him.

Call me “edgy” if you will, but for me, it just doesn’t get any better than that.

So … “Fifty Shades of Grey?” Or “Fifty Shades of Pray?” My hope is for the latter… and so are my prayers.

TWEETABLES

FIFTY SHADES OF … PRAY? by @julielessman on @NovelRocket #writng http://bit.ly/2vJ1Slx
Christian Romance in a secular world. The harvest is great, but the workers are few @julielessman @NovelRocket http://bit.ly/2vJ1Slx

Salt … in an unsavory world. @julielessman on @NovelRocket #writng http://bit.ly/2vJ1Slx


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His Steadfast Love (Book 3 in the Isle of Hope Series)

She’s a prodigal. He’s a pastor.

Will his steadfast love woo her back home?

Cat O’Bryen is not happy with God. First the pastor father with whom she finally with a newlywed mother, her new husband, and a little brother. But when Cat moves in with a roommate of questionable morals, her family is worried, certain she’s on a path that could damage her faith forever.

Reluctant to get involved with a woman like the one who almost destroyed his life, ex-Navy-Seal Pastor Chase Griffin steers clear of the attraction he feels for Cat O’Bryen. Until her family begs him to take her under his wing, hoping he can draw her back, both to them and to her faith. But when the attraction she poses proves too strong to resist, he must rely on a higher strength to offer a friendship as steady and strong as the God Whose love is wooing her home.
A Glimmer of Hope, prequel novella to the Isle of Hope Series is currently available as a FREE DOWNLOAD.

Isle of Hope, book 1 in the Isle of Hope Series is currently on e-sale for 99 cents.

Love Everlasting, book 2 in the Isle of Hope Series is currently on e-sale at 50%.




Julie Lessman is an award-winning author whose tagline of “Passion With a Purpose” underscores her intense passion for both God and romance. A lover of all things Irish, she enjoys writing close-knit Irish family sagas that evolve into 3-D love stories: the hero, the heroine, and the God that brings them together.

Author of The Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, Heart of San Francisco, and Isle of Hope series, Julie was American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Debut Author of the Year and has garnered 18 Romance Writers of America and other awards. Voted #1 Romance Author in Family Fiction magazine’s 2012 and 2011 Readers Choice Awards, Julie’s novels also made Family Fiction magazine’s Best of 2015 and 2014 as well as Booklist’s 2010 Top 10 Inspirational Fiction and Borders Best Fiction. Her independent novel A Light in the Window is an International Digital Awards winner, a 2013 Readers' Crown Award winner, and a 2013 Book Buyers Best Award winner. Julie has also written a self-help workbook for writers entitled Romance-ology 101: Writing Romantic Tension for the Sweet and Inspirational Markets.

Contact Julie through her website and read excerpts from each of her books at www.julielessman.com

Treat Your Writing Professionally

by Edie Melson, @EdieMelson

Despite news to the contrary, I believe this is the best time ever to be a writer. Writing for a living isn’t a get rich quick scheme, but it is possible to make a reasonable income. Becoming a professional writer takes hard work. But if we’re willing to learn the industry and the craft of writing, we can find success. Today I’m going to share my tips that will help you find that success.
10 Foundational Tips to Become a Professional Writer

1. We must realize that it’s a journey and not a destination. This industry is constantly changing. There’s new technology to keep up with, new trends, and even new grammar rules. We do get more experienced, but we never arrive at the point where we know everything.

2. We need to be ready to make writing a priority. As I said, in the early stages of becoming a professional writer, we do a good bit of writing for free. Because we’re not getting paid, it’s tempting to think what we’re doing isn’t valuable. We let other requests and commitments get in the way.

3. We must invest in learning. This means we commit to spending time reading books and blogs. We also need to invest in classes, workshops, and conferences.

4. We shouldn’t expect to get paid for everything we write. I don’t recommend working only for free, but in the beginning, it’s the way we prove our ability and gain valuable experience. Think of it as unpaid internships.

5. We have to recognize that learning to write is just part of the equation. Just like any other profession, the publishing industry has a specific way of doing things. It’s important to learn how things are done and the standards that are expected from industry professionals.

6. We must not neglect networking. Networking is vital in the publishing industry. We get to know editors and agents because they may one day buy and sell our works. We build relationships with other writers because we need the support and encouragement of those who know our struggles and our joys. Beyond that, other writers are a valuable resource for publishing leads.

7. We cannot rely on talent to get us where we want to go. Talent CAN be a starting point, but it isn’t the most necessary component of a successful writer. Diligence, determination, humility, and a teachable heart are things that will get you where you want to go.

8. We have to have the courage to try new things. To earn a viable income as a professional writer, we’ll have to step outside our comfort zone. We’ll need multiple income streams and be willing to change as the industry changes.

9. Learning new technology is mandatory. Technology isn’t an enemy, it’s a tool. And it’s one that we must each learn to use.

10. The path to success is different for each of us. Falling into the comparison trap can be fatal. Becoming a professional writer takes time and hard work, but there’s no magic formula.

These are the things that I believe can put you on the road to becoming a professional writer. Many of you out there also have some valuable insights. I’d love you to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

TWEETABLES

Treat Your Writing Professionally by @EdieMelson on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2wqqssi

Becoming a professional writer – 10 foundational tips from  @EdieMelson on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2wqqssi

 I believe this is the best time ever to be a writer.~ @EdieMelson on @NovelRocket #writing http://bit.ly/2wqqssi
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Alone by Edie Melson

After her family is killed in the cleansing, Bethany’s purpose in life has changed. No longer will she be allowed to work to save her dying planet. As a slave, endurance is her goal as she marks each day as one moment closer to an eternity spent reunited with those she loved. But when her planet is invaded, everything changes. Now she must decide either to align herself with those from her planet who condemned her faith and killed her family, or with the warriors who have conquered her world. Ultimately her choice will mean life or death for more than just her planet’s ecosystem. She alone holds the key to a powerful secret, and the fate of the entire galaxy depends on her decision.





Edie Melson—author, blogger, speaker—has a passion to help those who are struggling find the God-given strength they need to triumph through difficult circumstances. She’s written numerous books, including her most recent, fiction, Alone, and nonfiction, While My Child is Away. Her popular blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month and is a Writer’s Digest Top 101 Websites for Writers.In addition you can find her sharing articles on the military family blog at Guideposts.org. She’s also the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and the Vice President of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, as well as the Social Media Director for Southern Writers Magazine, Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy, and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com.

Just Write

by Gabrielle Meyer, @MeyerGabrielle

Five years ago, I started to write my first novel. I’d been dreaming about this book for over ten years. I knew every scene, every detail, every plot twist, and every character—yet the book remained unwritten. I’d been telling people I was a writer for as long as I could remember—yet the book remained unwritten. I devoured Christian Fiction, and dreamed of the day I’d see my name on the cover of a book—yet the book remained unwritten.

Why?
I was busy, of course. I was a mom of four young children, I homeschooled, I helped my husband run our small business, and I volunteered for several organizations. Yet, none of those things filled my writer’s soul. I was busy, but something was still missing.

Then, one day I read a book that changed my life. No, it wasn’t a self-help book. It wasn’t even non-fiction. It was a beautiful historical romance, so poignant, I closed the book and wanted to weep for all the emotions stirring in my heart. It made me long to write the stories I’d always dreamed of writing, and it forced me to ask myself one of the most important questions of my life:

“Why aren’t you writing?”

A laundry list of reasons came to the surface of my mind, but the answer was simple:

I was scared.

Scared that I didn’t have what it takes to be a writer, that I wouldn’t be any good, and that even if I wrote a book, no one would publish it.I was using my busyness as an excuse to cover my fear. But if I’ve learned anything in life, it’s that I don’t want to live life afraid.

So, I started to write, and write, and write, and write, and write.I read dozens of books about the craft of writing, I attended Susan May Warren’s Storycrafter’s Retreat, as well as her Deep Thinker’s Retreat, and I attended several ACFW Conferences.

And then I wrote some more.

In three years, I wrote four full length novels before my first novella was published with Barbour. What happened to those four novels? They’re still sitting on my hard drive, waiting patiently to be revised and published one day. But one of those stories caught the eye of an agent who offered representation, several of those stories finaled in writing contests, and all of them caught the eye of an editor at Barbour who invited me to submit an idea for a novella. But more importantly, each story taught me a very important lesson:

Just write.

Maybe you’ve taken the plunge and you’ve started to write. Wonderful! I have some advice for you: keep going and don’t stay on this story forever. Finish it and then start another, and another, and another. The biggest mistakes I see from writers is that they work on the same story for years. Each story we write teaches us about our craft. One story might teach us how to write great dialogue, another might teach us how to delve deeper into characterization, and still another might teach us how to write a powerful spiritual arc. But if we stay on the same story, or worse, don’t start writing at all, we miss the opportunity to become a great writer. Our craft develops with practice, hours and hours of practice, and the only way to practice is to write.

Since 2012, I’ve written eight full length novels and six novellas. Of those fourteen stories, ten of them are published or are slated for publication. Had I given in to fear, and used my laundry list of excuses not to write, I would have missed out on one of the greatest adventure of my life.

Don’t let fear hold you back. Just write.

TWEETABLES

Just Write by @MeyerGabrielle on @Novel Rocket #writing http://bit.ly/2wvsyKb (Click to Tweet)

Don't let fear hold you back! Just write. @MeyerGabrielle on @Novel Rocket #writing http://bit.ly/2wvsyKb (Click to Tweet)

I knew every scene and every character—yet the book remained unwritten. @MeyerGabrielle @Novel Rocket #writing http://bit.ly/2wvsyKb (Click to Tweet)

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Inherited: Unexpected Family

An Unexpected Partnership

After arriving in Minnesota Territory with her sisters to claim their late father's hotel, Elizabeth Bell is shocked to learn her inheritance comes with a handsome co-owner. After too long working for a domineering boss, Elizabeth yearns to be in control—of the hotel and her life. But Jude Allen won't sell his share, and Elizabeth refuses to leave.

Rescuing soiled doves and giving them hotel jobs is Jude's way of redeeming his past. He's counting on rough frontier life driving his new business partner away before she learns the scandalous truth and demands he stop his mission. But he may have underestimated Elizabeth…and the power of love to turn a complication into a bright new beginning.


Gabrielle Meyer lives in central Minnesota on the banks of the Mississippi River with her husband and four children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with the rich history of her state and enjoys writing fictional stories inspired by real people and events. To learn more, find her on Facebook, Amazon, Goodreads, her website at www.gabriellemeyer.com, and don’t forget to sign up for her Newsletter.