Erica Vetsch's Blog, page 103

Weekend Edition

  



If you are not familiar with our giveaway rules, take a minute to read them here. It keeps us all happy! All winners should send their name, address, and phone number to claim prizes.  Note our new email address and please send your emails to Seekerville2@gmail.com







Monday: Jan Drexler shared how time management is tough, even for adults! The winner of their choice of books - The Roll of the Drums or An Amish Christmas Kitchen - is Mary Preston!
Wednesday: We enjoyed a day of Driving Lessons with Lynn Blackburn. Samantha gets her choice of one of the books in Lynn's Dive Team series!
Friday: Debby Giusti took us on a tour of Italy with her blog post, "A Glimpse of Italy with Travel Tips for Authors." Magnifico!! The winner of Debby's November Love Inspired Suspense, HER FORGOTTEN AMISH PAST, is Carroll P! Congrats, Carroll!


Monday:  Erica Vetsch is hosting her friend, Susan May Warren, as we talk about the My Brilliant Writing Planner 2020! Stop by and check it out!
Wednesday:  ???  Friday: Beth is excited to host, Sunrise Publishing! Join us for an educational day!








Missy Tippens will be speaking at the Gwinnett County Library--Five Forks Branch on Monday, November 4th at 6:30 pm. If you're anywhere nearby, be sure to come out to support her! More info at https://www.gwinnettpl.org/locations-and-hours/

E-Book SALE! Jan's first book in The Amish of Weaver's Creek series, The Sound of Distant Thunder, is on sale starting today! Check it out at your favorite on-line retailer!



HER FORGOTTEN AMISH PASTBy Debby GiustiShe can’t remember who she’s running from.
Is she safe with the Amish?Someone wants Becca Troyer dead, but who or why is a mystery to her. Seeking refuge at the home of Amish farmer Zeke Hochstetler is her only hope to stay one step ahead of the killer. With every clue she finds about her past leading to more confusion, Becca and Zeke must untangle the truth before her pursuer discovers where she’s been hiding.Pre-order now at Amazon.



Winnie Griggs is excited to announce she has a new release coming November 1st.

Sawyer Flynn vows to see that the man who murdered his brother pays for his crimes, but becoming the sole caretaker of an orphaned infant sidetracks him from the mission. Sawyer can’t do it all—run his mercantile, care for the baby, and find justice for his brother. He needs help. But not from Emma Jean Gilley.
When her father flees town after killing a man, Emma Jean is left alone to care for her kid brother, but her father’s crime has made her a pariah and no one will give her a job. Learning of Sawyer’s need, Emma Jean makes her case to step in as nanny. 
Sawyer is outraged by Emma Jean’s offer, but he’s also desperate and he reluctantly agrees to a temporary trial. Working together brings understanding, and maybe something more. But just when things heat up between Sawyer and Emma Jean, the specter of her father’s crimes threatens to drive them apart forever.
And because I made a mistake when I loaded this to Amazon, the paperback version is available now! You can learn more or order HERE


Click to Buy!



A Writer's Guide To Understanding People by K.M. Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors

What Microtension Is and Why Writers Must Master It by C.S. Lakin at Live Write Thrive

The Importance of An Author's Self-Care by Hallee Bridgeman at Learn How To Write A Novel

The Draw of Writing British Cozy Mysteries by Marilyn Leach at An Indie Adventure

APODS - Discipline by Amanda Cabot at Thyme For Writers

A Glimpse of Italy with Travel Tips for Writers

By Debby Giusti
If you’re planning to research a foreign setting for your current work in progress or if you’re mulling over the idea of writing a story set outside the United States, an international trip might be in your foreseeable future. I’m not a travel expert or a tour guide, but my husband and I lived in Germany for three years and traveled through most of Europe, usually accompanied by our three young children. We’ve returned to Germany a number of times since then, and for the last nine years, we’ve taken a yearly trip outside the US. This year we returned to Italy. 
Basilica of Saint Francis sits high on the hill in Assisi.For me, packing is always a challenge. In the month prior to our tour, I checked the weather in Italy to get an idea of what to expect. The forecast was for temps in the mid-70s during the day with lows in the 50s at night, and we were blessed with sunshine and blue skies throughout our trip. Savvy travelers know to layer their clothing and to always be prepared for showers. We had water-proof jackets, umbrellas and ponchos but, thankfully, never used our rain gear. In fact, a light jacket and a sweater for the cool mornings were all we needed.
  A lovely roadside grottoI pack my things in extra-large zip-locked bags and squeeze out the air so they almost become vacuum sealed. That way the plastic bags can be shuffled around in my suitcasewithout wrinkling my other clothing. One of my favorite travel gadgets is a hand-held suitcase scale. Most airlines have a 50 pound limit on checked luggage with steep charges for any overages. I always weigh my bag, and if over the limit, I switch heavier items, like shoes, to my carry-on bag.  Bell tower and church in Orvieto dates from the 1300s.
Medication should be packed in their original containers for easy identification and should be kept in carry-on luggage to ensure they remain with you in case your main suitcase goes missing. Larger toiletries can be packed in your shipped luggage, but liquids and gels carried on board the plane must be in no more than 3.4 ounces (100 ml) containers and placed together into one quart-size zip-locked plastic bag that TSA wants to see when you go through security. Knowing luggage can go missing, I always include an extra outfit and sleepwear in my carry-on bag as well as anything I might need for that first overnight stay. Laptops and tablets needed to be placed separately on the security conveyor belt, along with your shoes (don’t forget to wear socks so you don’t have to walk barefoot), jackets, sweaters and outerwear, belts, jewelry, watches and anything in your pockets. I take off my jewelry and watch and place them in my purse before arriving at security.  One of the many towns we passed as we traveled through Italy.
Our flight to Italy was more than eight hours long and over ten and a half hours on our return flight to the US. My husband and I get up often, drink lots of water and take an aspirin at the start of our trip to help prevent blood clots. Some folks wear knee-high compression socks to keep their legs from swelling. My physical therapist daughter encouraged us to “pump” our feet frequently to help circulation.   Saint Peter's Basilica, Rome. The photos hanging on the front facade
are of the five newly canonized saints.
Whether flying domestic or international, I carry Wet-Wipes and wipe down the seat belt, arm rests, tray table and television viewing screen. I take my own earbuds so I can enjoy the in-flight music and/or shows even before the flight attendant passes out the complimentary earphones. Eye masks, blankets and pillows are also provided on long flights.
A Vatican Swiss Guard. The guards stay at their post for
 two hour stretches. The youngest age to join the guard is 17.International travelers must show their passports frequently in the airport. I have a pouch that hangs around my neck and is large enough for my passport. I wear that neck pouch while flying, and later transfer my passport to a money belt I wear around my waist. I also used a writer’s conference name badge to carry some cash and credit cards around my neck and keep a change purse in my pocket for coins and smaller bills. FYI, make a copy of the photo page of your passport and give one to someone remaining in the US, give another copy to a traveling companion and keep one in your suitcase in case your passport is stolen. We also keep copies of credit card international phone contact numbers.  We were front row when Pope Francis passed by in his Pope Mobile.
He kissed lots of babies that morning!ATMs are readily available in foreign countries, but a charge for each transaction is added to your withdrawal. Also be careful if using street ATM machines. Those located inside banks are a safer option. The airports have exchange kiosks and most hotels can exchange money, although the rate of exchange is usually not as good as banks provide. I always order foreign currency from my local bank in the US (for a $5 charge) so I don’t have to worry about exchanging money during my travels. Most foreign vendors accept US credit cards for purchases.  The PantheonWhen living in Germany, we always traveled on our own. I was the trip planner and navigator—and often the translator—and my husband was the driver.  These days, we enjoy going on tours with a group from church. The in-country tour guides provide an abundance of information and are willing to answer additional questions via email long after our tour ends. They also know how to skirt the crowds and get us to our destinations without hassle or frustration. Bell stewards transport the checked luggage to and from the bus, and most times, our rooms are ready upon arrival. Breakfast is included each morning at the hotel. Usually lunch is on-your-own with dinners being a mix of pre-paid and on-your-own. The tour guide offers dining suggestions and reservations if needed.  Trevi Fountain
I take notes in a small composition book when we travel, like the ones I give away at conferences, and then type the information into a computer file when I get home. Photos are a great way to remember where we’ve been, and snapshots of historical markers and informational signs provide added details as well. I also make note of the guide’s speech patterns and colloquial idioms that would add depth to any characters I might create from that particular location for a future story.
Castle of the Angels at night.Hotel rooms are typically smaller in Italy. Lights are activated in hotel rooms by slipping your key into a slot just inside your room near the door. When you leave your room and take your key, the lights automatically turn off, saving electricity. Adapters are needed to run electronic items with different countries having different plug configurations. You can find adapters at various big box stores or luggage shops. I’ve found a good selection at TJ Maxx. One of my adapters has two USB ports so my husband and I can charge our phones at the same time. (BTW, most tour buses have Wi-Fi and charging stations.) Some hotels have special US sockets in the bathroom marked for “shavers only.” I have a hair dryer that can convert from US to 220 volts/international and use that when I travel, although the Italian hotels all had hair dryers. I charge my iPad and iPhone with an adapter. Small point and shoot cameras use an adapter. If you take a laptop or have a high-tech camera, check with the manufacturer about international usage. A couple of our cheaper adapters didn’t work so I advise taking more than one…just in case.  Three beautiful paintings by Caravaggio, a favorite artist of mine, were
on display at the Contarelli Chapel in Rome. The painting on the left
is titled The Calling of Saint Matthew. Saint Matthew and the Angel
is on the right.European hotels usually do not provide washcloths or facial tissues, like Kleenex. Warming racks dry the towels in the bathrooms and the pipes can get very hot.  Because heat is never turned on in Italy before November 1, the warming racks and room heaters weren’t activated on this trip, but we were always comfortable in our hotel rooms and even used the air conditioning on warmer days. A European trend is for showers to have only a partial glass “curtain.” Care needs to be taken to ensure the hand-held nozzles don’t spray water onto the floor. Toilets have a dual flush system, one button for “light” needs and a stronger flush for “heavier” needs. Finding the flusher can be a challenge. Look up, look down, look all around. Some have pull levers near the ceiling. Some are activated by a foot pedal.  A view from the Tiber River.While sightseeing, keep 1 Euro coins handy as many bathrooms charge for use. If public facilities aren’t available, buying a bottle of water at a deli or gelato shop allows you to use the restroom. Some of the bathrooms in various tourist areas have unisex stalls with men and women sharing the same facilities. Carry tissue and hand sanitizers since not all restrooms are adequately stocked with toilet paper and hand soap.
Michelangelo's exquisite Pieta.
Before traveling out of the US, notify your credit card company and let them know your travel dates and destination. Check with your phone service about international plans. My AT&T provider offers a $10/day international package with free text and phone calls with charges accrued only on the days used. I took that plan, but ended up relying on “Whats App,” a free download that provides free phone calls, FaceTime and text, including sending photos, to anyone, anywhere in the world as long as they are in the system. My family members downloaded “Whats App” onto their phones, and we talked each day. I sent pictures via text and noted where we were and what we had seen, which provided a running commentary of our travels. The only restriction was that my phone had to be hooked into Wi-Fi before I could call or send texts.  The Dome of Saint Peter's is 508 feet above the floor of the church.
Michelangelo created the Dome when he was 87 years old.
I am so grateful to have been able to tour Italy. The people were warm and welcoming, and the countryside was beautiful and serene. If long-distance travel is on your bucket list, I hope the information I provided might be of help when you travel to Italy or any another foreign destination.  Arrivederci Roma!
Please add your own travel tips or ask any questions that I might not have covered. International travel is exciting and educational, especially for writers researching various foreign destinations. Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for  my November Love Inspired Suspense, HER FORGOTTEN AMISH PAST.
Happy traveling!
Wishing you abundant blessings,Debby Giustiwww.DebbyGiusti.com

HER FORGOTTEN AMISH PAST
She can’t remember who she’s running from.
Is she safe with the Amish?
Someone wants Becca Troyer dead, but who or why is a mystery to her. Seeking refuge at the home of Amish farmer Zeke Hochstetler is her only hope to stay one step ahead of the killer. With every clue she finds about her past leading to more confusion, Becca and Zeke must untangle the truth before her pursuer discovers where she’s been hiding.
Pre-order now at Amazon.

Driving Lessons with Guest Lynn Blackburn

Hello, Seekerville. Cate here. I'm so excited to welcome my friend Lynn Blackburn as our guest today. Lynn and I met when we sold our first books to Love Inspired Suspense through Harlequin's Killer Voices contest.
Lynn has some really excellent thoughts to share with us today. I hope you'll join me in giving her a warm Seekerville welcome!
Lynn is offering reader's choice of one of the books from her Dive Team series to a U.S. resident.


Driving Lessons

It’s hard to turn a parked car.
Ever heard that one before? I can’t remember where I heard it first, but it’s so very true. You can be in the car, behind the wheel, motor running, ready to go. You may even have the brute strength to force the steering wheel to make the tires twist on the pavement.
But the car? It hasn’t moved, and it’s not going to until you put that baby in drive.You know where I’m going with this, don’t you?


If one of your goals is “write more” then you’re going to have to put this writing thing in drive and actually WRITE.
If you’ve been writing and the goal is to land an agent then you’re going to have to actually query one (or three).
If you’re ready to go to a conference or take a course then you’re going to have to set aside some money and some time.
God is Sovereign and He can do anything, but as a general rule when He gives us a dream, a calling, a passion, He expects us to get our rear in gear and do the hard work that comes with following Him.
All that stuff going on in your head? That’s you sitting in the driveway with the car running. Not going anywhere.
You may have gone to bed one night with an idea and awakened with a fully fleshed out plot. You may know your characters better than you know your friends. You may have dreamed up a world to rival Middle Earth.
Guess what? Dreams don’t get published. Documents do.
You may have written the book, the poem, the article, the Bible study, the short story. It’s been polished and critiqued until it’s a lean, mean, written machine. You think it’s time to send it out into the big bad world, but for some reason you’re still waiting. You keep thinking it’s possible there’s more you should do to it so you keep tweaking it.
Guess what? Possibilities don’t land agents. Proposals do.
But what if you’ve done all that? You’ve been writing. You’ve been to conferences. You’ve queried agents. Maybe you’ve had some nibbles, or even some big bites, but your hands are sweating on the wheel because you have no idea where you’re going.
You want to do to the right thing. Want to make the best use of your time. Want to please the One you write for.
Should you revise the story again? Pitch to that other agent? Go to the conference close to home or the one with the focus on your writing? How on earth can you know?
This is where it gets tricky.
Because the path you’re supposed to follow and the one I’m supposed to follow won’t look the same. We have different abilities, situations, passions and interests.
What God wants to do with your writing will be unique. So if you’re writing and you’re scared about where you’re going, remember this…



You steer where you stare.
They teach us this when we learn how to drive. You can’t stare at the sides of the road or you’ll mess around and drive off in a ditch. You can, and should, glance around you, but ultimately, you need to keep your eyes to the front.
When it comes to your writing, you need to stop worrying about the others driving around you, quit staring at the steep edge you’re afraid you’ll fall over, and keep your focus on the One who already knows your ultimate destination.
He hasn’t taken you on this road to leave you stranded in a ditch.
Keep focused on Him. Keep the car in drive. And hang on for the ride!

Grace and peace,







Lynn H. Blackburn loves writing suspense because her childhood fantasy was to become a spy—but her grown-up reality is that she's a huge chicken and would have been caught on her first mission. She prefers to live vicariously through her characters and loves putting them into all kinds of terrifying situations—while she's sitting at home safe and sound in her pajamas!

Her Dive Team Investigations series kicked off in 2018 with Beneath the Surface and In Too Deep (A SIBA Okra pick and Selah Award Finalist). The 3rd book in the series, One Final Breath, released in September 2019. She is also the author of Hidden Legacy and Covert Justice, which won the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel and the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense. Lynn lives in South Carolina with her true love and their three children. You can follow her real life happily ever after at www.LynnHBlackburn.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.


Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay 

You Won't Have Time Tomorrow

I just finished my thirteenth novel and squeaked it in only a few days past the deadline.

I know, I know. I should have gotten it in BEFORE the deadline. After all, I knew about this deadline far in advance…almost three years in advance.

So why didn’t I turn this book in on time? Or even early?

That’s what this blog post is about.



As I’ve watched my children become adults – they range in age from twenty-five to thirty-five years old – I’ve learned a lot about adulting.

I've learned to never, ever leave God out of the equation.I’ve learned that life doesn’t just “happen.” Life is a series of consequences of decisions we’ve made along the way.I’ve learned that no matter how much you try to prevent it, things don’t stay nice and orderly. It’s the second law of thermodynamics: over time, everything breaks down and tends toward disorder. Do you need an example? Just clean your child’s room then check back in a couple days. Disorder! Entropy!I’ve learned that I will never have more time to do “X” later.

That last one is the kicker. When life becomes URGENT and IMPORTANT I tend to put off less important things until after I’ve met whatever deadline is looming. (See my earlier blog post about urgent and important matters here.)

“I’ll have time next week,” I tell myself. “Right after I finish this book.” Or “Right after I’ve house trained the puppy.” Or “Once the children are grown.”

Well, let me tell you something: You will never have more time tomorrow.

If you’ve been following my life for the past several months, you know that we moved from our house in town to our retirement home in the country. The move itself took months…. And all during that time I was working on this book.

As we packed boxes, painted rooms, replaced carpeting, filled storage units, and scheduled the moving company, I told myself, “Won’t it be great when we finally move out of this house and I’ll have time to write?”

And then, while we were living in temporary housing for a month (with three different gracious friends!) I told myself, “Won’t it be great when we’re finally in our new house and I’ll have time to write?”

And then, after we were moved in, I told myself, “Won’t it be great when I finally finish this book and I have time to unpack and get settled in?”

Remember what I said about having more time “tomorrow?”

This is what my office/library looks like right now:



I sent my book to my editor more than two weeks ago. Two weeks!

Look at the other corner of my office/library.



What were we saying about entropy?

An adult would pull her big girl panties up and take care of this chaotic mess. Forget about entropy – we’re already there!

An adult would figure out how to do it.

“But,” I sputter, “I have to get started on the next book!”

“But,” you sputter, “I have to make dinner!” or “My daughter has a big soccer game!” or “I have to take my mom to the doctor!”

“I’ll have more time once all this urgent stuff is taken care of.”

Man, oh, man, this adulting stuff is hard.

But, you know, we can be adults. No matter what our physical age is, we can do this.

How? 

Not necessarily in that order!

Because the biggest and most important thing I’ve learned about adulting is that God is in every detail.
That big way you messed up twenty years ago? God can use it for your good and His glory.

That tragedy that is affecting you and your family? God can use it for your good and His glory.

Those wasted, wasted hours playing silly computer games when you should have been working? Give them to God. Only He can restore the years the locusts have eaten… (Joel 2:25)


So, how is this going to make a difference for my next deadline?

I’m going to use my Bullet Journal and the Eisenhower matrix to plan and prioritize every day. (See that blog post here – it’s the same one I sent you to earlier!) I’m going to use my best creative hours for writing. I know I write best in the early morning (five to seven) and in the midday hours (ten to three,) so I will schedule a writing session during one or both of those times every day. I’m going to make time for Bible study and quiet time. I’m going to make time to spend time with people (aka, get out of my writing cave.) Just like I schedule my writing time, I’m going to schedule time for those other tasks that seem overwhelming (like unpacking and organizing our new home!)
Like many of you, I've been called by God - to be His child, to glorify Him, and to communicate the gospel through the written word.
My responsibility is to fulfill that calling in the best and most effective way possible for me. 
Your responsibility is to fulfill that calling in the best and most effective way possible for you.
But we can learn from each other! In the comments, share the ways you've succeeded in meeting deadlines or meeting your goals. Or you can share what hasn't worked for you.
(For example, NaNoWriMo works for a LOT of people - but not for me.)
And feel free to use your comment to ask for NaNo buddies - it's almost November!
One commenter will win a copy of one of my two new releases - either The Roll of the Drums or An Amish Christmas Kitchen. Just let us know which one you'd prefer!
Order here!

Order here!

Weekend Edition

  



If you are not familiar with our giveaway rules, take a minute to read them here. It keeps us all happy! All winners should send their name, address, and phone number to claim prizes.  Note our new email address and please send your emails to Seekerville2@gmail.com







Monday: Winnie Griggs gave us great hints on Foreshadowing.
Wednesday: Pam Hillman talked about the Taboos in Christian Fiction.
Friday: Missy Tippens introduced us to Crystal Ramos and her mother, Colleen Baxter. The incredible story of support the two share will warm your heart. The winner of a dot Journal is Sandy Smith.



Monday:  Jan Drexler will be in on Monday, with a post about busyness, deadlines, family, and sanity. 
Wednesday:  Cate Nolan will be posting amazing wisdom to help you through your day.  Friday: Debby Giusti offers encouragement for every step along the writing journey.






Now available! The second book in Jan's "The Amish of Weaver's Creek" series!

Buy your copy here!
Mindy Obenhaus has revealed the cover for Her Rocky Mountain Hope, the final installment in her Rocky Mountain Heroes series.



She’s always played it safe…Can he reach her guarded heart?
Ready to open his camp for young cancer patients, Daniel Stephens must impress foundation overseer Blythe McDonald to ensure she approves funding for next year. But the cautious former cancer patient was once let down by a similar program, and she’ll leave no stone unturned in her evaluation. Can he convince her his camp is worthy of the money…and that he’s worthy of her love? 

Preorder your copy here.



SAVE THE DATE! Missy Tippens will be speaking at the Gwinnett County Library--Five Forks Branch on Monday, November 4th! More info at https://www.gwinnettpl.org/locations-and-hours/






How To Transform Info Dumps Into Exciting Plot Reveals by KM Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors 

The Emotional Power of Connected Settings by CS Lakin at Live Write Thrive

How To Write A Novel In A Month #NaNoWriMo by Grant Faulkner at The Creative Penn

NaNoWriMo Prep: Planning Your Novel's Middle by Janice Hardy at Fiction University

How To Train Your Editor Brain by Tiffany Yates Martin at Writer Unboxed

It's All About The Plot by Tamela Hancock Murray at Steve Laube

How To Hurdle Your Writer's Block by Nick Wisseman at Fiction University

A Writer's Evening Prayer by Bob Hostetler at Steve Laube

An Inspiring Mother-Daughter Story

Missy Tippens

It’s a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you’re ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There’s almost no such thing as ready. There’s only now. And you may as well do it now. 

-- Hugh Laurie, English actor, musician, and comedian

I loved that quote. And it reminded me of someone I met the week before last...



I recently attended the ACFW and Moonlight & Magnolias Conferences and was inspired by great workshops, time with writer friends, and conversations with writers I met for the first time.


At the M&M Conference, while waiting for an appointment, I met Crystal Ramos and noticed by the ribbons under her name tag that she was a finalist for the Maggie Award (unpublished). In the discussion, she mentioned her mother being at the conference with her. I commented on how fun that was that they had writing in common. So she filled me in on their story...


Crystal's mom, Colleen Baxter, used to write many years ago. Crystal has memories of waking during the night to go get a glass of water and seeing her mom at her computer writing. It didn't happen just once or twice, it was her mom's routine, part of her dream of publishing. Her mom eventually attended a writing conference and came home excited that an editor was interested in her work. Crystal says she doesn't know exactly what happened, but because of some family conflict, her mom never followed up with that editor and she quit writing altogether. So when Crystal decided she wanted to start writing, she knew she might be on her own and might not find 100% support, just like her mom hadn't had support. She also knew that if she ever got The Call, it wouldn't feel right to get that call before her mom did.


But Crystal started writing anyway. The third book she wrote finaled in The Daphne. She decided to attend her very first conference, the 2018 RWA conference. She was blown away by the support and encouragement of other writers and knew it was time to heal an old wound.
Colleen and Crystal (and Crystal's son)
She went home and told her mom she was going to pay for her to go to the Moonlight and Magnolias conference that year and that she should have a book ready to go. So her mom began writing again. She kicked it in gear and wrote an historical romance novel in 6 weeks. Though it was too late to enter the Maggie Awards in 2018, Colleen did attend the M&M conference with Crystal. And though she didn't feel ready to pitch her story (we all know how scary that can be!), Colleen ended up revising it and entering it (along with two other stories!) in the 2019 Maggies.


And guess what. Both Crystal and Colleen finaled in the 2019 Maggie Awards! Yes, Colleen also wore that finalist ribbon at this conference she attended with her daughter.


Crystal, who finaled again in The 2019 Daphne, is still working to find a publisher but got requests at the conference. Colleen has decided to indie publish a three-book sci-fi series next year.


As Crystal told me their story, I was so moved I nearly cried. What a wonderful thing to encourage your mother like that. Now, she has no worries about having a writing career without her mom. They're on this journey together!



I hope this story will inspire y'all to encourage someone you know, to help them hold on to their dreams. Like the Laurie quote above said, we may not feel ready, but the time is now.


I'd like to give a big thank you to Crystal and Colleen for letting me share their story with Seekerville!


Today, I had also planned to talk about story ideas. We had a blog reader email to ask us about where we get story ideas, and whether ideas can be copyrighted. But I think I'm going to save that for a future post to have space to go into more detail.


So, for today, let's hear your inspirational stories of how someone encouraged you, or how God gave you a boost when you were ready to give up. Or maybe you have given up at one time or another. Tell us your story. And if you need encouragement, please let us know so we can help. We want to support you!


As I promised in the Weekend Edition blurb, I'll be giving away a dot journal! (U.S. entrants this time). Please let me know in the comments if you'd like to be entered. Let's chat!

**********


After more than 10 years of pursuing her dream of publication, Missy Tippens, a pastor’s wife and mom of three from near Atlanta, Georgia, made her first sale to Harlequin Love Inspired in 2007. Her books have since been nominated for the Booksellers Best, Holt Medallion, American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Maggie Award, Beacon Contest, RT Reviewer’s Choice Award, and the Romance Writers of America RITA® Award. Visit Missy at www.missytippens.com, https://twitter.com/MissyTippens and http://www.facebook.com/missy.tippens.readers.

Taboos in Christian Fiction

by Pam Hillman

So I got to thinking. I switched days with another Seeker because of a conflict on my regular day to post. Then I forgot that I’d switched and scheduled an appointment for this morning. All is well as I shouldn’t be out more than a couple of hours. (I’ll be back, so y’all behave!!!)

In addition, today is the 16th, and I blog in Heroes, Heroines, and History on the 16th of every month, rain or shine, much like the postman makes his rounds.

My topic on HHH today is taboo foods. I started mulling over the topic when thinking about why it is that the five whites (sugar, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes) tend to be shunned in American society these days. Is it a fad or truly that these foods can be detrimental to our health and our waistline?

Anyway, today’s post here in Seekerville isn’t about taboo foods, but more about writing-related taboos, and I’m not just talking about taboo topics. There can be all kinds of taboos, and they change as often as the foods that it’s currently hip to avoid.

Taboo Language. It’s no secret that there are certain words that many Christian readers would prefer not to see in their reading material. It’s not that we’re prudes or that we like to pretend we don’t hear or see those words in the world around us. But you can’t unsee a vulgar word. Sure, I can get past one or two here or there, but when my reading material is riddled with them seemingly just for the shock value, then I notice and I remember and I can’t unthink them. Same with the spoken word. I’m visual and soak up the written word more than what I hear, but I’m not a fan of being around people who curse with abandon or anything that comes over the “tube” that’s riddled with obscene language. I’m not even a fan of “potty” humor. It’s just not funny to me.

So it’s a balancing act. And words that were frowned upon ten, fifteen or twenty years ago would probably pass muster in a lot of Christian fiction these days. But in some cases, not, depending on the publishers guidelines, and each reader’s personal preferences.

Taboo Topics and Visuals. When I searched the internet for this, a blog post by Steve Laube from 2017 was one of the first to pop up. In his post, Edgy Christian Fiction, Steve says, “There are three main areas of dispute: Sex, Language, and Violence,” regarding taboo topics in Christian fiction. The post and the (very civil) comments are enlightening as visitors to the blog discuss what is “too much” or when it’s “too sanitized” for real life. I suppose we all have our hot buttons, but depending on the skill of the author, the purpose of including violence, etc. in a novel and the set-up leading up to the questionable scenes, I might accept or reject accordingly. Case in point: There were a lot of scenes in Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers that in many novels would have made me stop and never read that book again. However, the skill of Ms. Rivers to portray the subject matter in a tasteful, believable, and sympathetic manner made the book memorable, not stomach churning.

Taboo Styles. Maybe not taboo, but third person, first person, omniscient pov, and/or a mix of all the above has been in vogue or out of vogue depending on the season and which way the wind is blowing. While omniscient pov is out of style right now, a mix of third and first person within the same novel can be found. It’s not common, but it’s out there. Third person is the most common (at least in the novels that I generally read), and first person is a bit more rare.

Taboo, or rather, out of favor, genres. In 2005 (give or take a few years), publishers didn’t want historical romance. Women’s fiction, Chick Lit, and Lad Lit were all the rage. Three days later, the pendulum swung and historical fiction was on rise again and Chick Lit had sprouted wings and flown away. In the last 19 years, the pendulum has swung back and forth hitting all the genres, mixing them up, combining, and spitting them out again. Time slip is popular now. This is not time travel. It’s two (or more) storylines from different timelines within the same novel with some thread that ties the stories together.

One thing is for sure, change will swing again. Just as tomatoes were frowned upon in 16th century Europe, words, topics, styles, and genres will change, morph and grow.

CBA Bestselling author PAM HILLMAN was born and raised on a dairy farm in Mississippi and spent her teenage years perched on the seat of a tractor raking hay. In those days, her daddy couldn't afford two cab tractors with air conditioning and a radio, so Pam drove an Allis Chalmers 110. Even when her daddy asked her if she wanted to bale hay, she told him she didn't mind raking. Raking hay doesn't take much thought so Pam spent her time working on her tan and making up stories in her head. Now, that's the kind of life every girl should dream of. www.pamhillman.com
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Foreshadowing

Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here.  

Today I want to talk a little bit about foreshadowing. It’s a wonderful literary device that, when used effectively, can really make a story resonate with a reader, can lead to a head slapping, “I should have seen that coming” moment.







First, what is foreshadowing and why might you want to use it?Foreshadowing is the planting of a hint or warning of something to come later in the story. These hints can be overt, used by the author to create tension or anticipation, or subtle if the author wants to plant clues without being obvious.

The functions of foreshadowing include: to provide clues or hints about things to cometo add an extra richness and dimension to your story for readers, even those who don’t consciously pick up on these hintsto provide a reward for those readers who are paying close enough attention to ‘get it’to enhance the tension and/or anticipation in the readersto provide a page turning quality to your story as the reader becomes eager to find out if they’ve interpreted your foreshadowing device correctly to support a future ‘surprise’ occurrence so it doesn’t strike the reader as coming out of left field

So now that we know what it is and why a writer would want to use it, how would one employ it effectively?
First you need to decide what you want to foreshadow.Of course, not everything needs to be foreshadowed. In fact, some stories don’t lend themselves to foreshadowing at all. Some surprises and twists work better coming out of the blue. And other events are not significant enough to warrant foreshadowing.
You also don’t want to wear out your reader with too much foreshadowing – doing that would mean you are overloading the story with set-up and are not providing enough story. This can make your story seem eye-rollingly melodramatic.
Foreshadowing should relate to something significant to your story - something improbable you want to lay a foundation for or a big event you want to subtly build toward.However, this requires that you know what these ‘significant’ events are. So that may mean the foreshadowing info doesn’t get woven in until the second or subsequent passes.

There are two types of Foreshadowing
Direct Foreshadowing
This is intended to be recognized by the reader as such and points to an impending situation or problem. This future circumstance is not spelled out in great detail (or it would be foreshadowing) but there is enough information to lead the reader to author-directed suppositions. You can do this in a number of ways, including:

Use of dialog – have characters discuss upcoming events, character attributes, or plans.

Use of objects – show a weapon, letter, mask or other such item that is an obvious portent of something to come.

Use of character reactions – have a character react to something or someone in such a way as to indicate there is more than meets the eye Subtle or Covert Foreshadowing
This is foreshadowing that you want the character to miss until the event it was building toward actually occurs. You can accomplish this by

burying your foreshadowing breadcrumbs amid other details

by having the information presented as trivial or in an offhand manner,

by having the hint presented in a context that hides its true meaning or importance. The movie Sixth Sense provides a masterful example of this.  

The mechanicsDo your foreshadowing as early in the story as possible.
The farther the breadcrumb is dropped from the actual event or reveal, the more impact it has. And also make sure you scatter those breadcrumbs throughout, don’t drop them all in one place. But remember to use moderation – use just enough to make certain your reader doesn’t feel cheated by a twist she could never have seen coming, but not so much that your twist loses its punch.
Make sure the payoff fits the buildup
If you’re going to foreshadow something, the readers, especially those who have been doing the work of finding your hidden breadcrumbs, are going to expect those breadcrumbs to not only lead somewhere, but to lead somewhere that wows them. Don’t disappoint.


Check it again - Is it relevant and organicDoes this bit of foreshadowing have the intended effect: If you’re trying to build suspense have you been explicit enough? On the other hand if you’re trying to lay groundwork for a plot element down the line, have you been subtle enough not to tip your hand? 
Either way, have you woven in your foreshadowing element seamlessly or does it feel forced? You need to make certain you are staging things appropriately for the intended payoff.

  
So that’s a quick overview of the art of foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is a skill that requires practice and finesse. If not done carefully it can do more harm than good to your story, rendering it melodramatic, overly predictable, lacking believability or too forced.So what other tips do you have to offer on this topic? Or do you have any fabulous example from either books or film that you’d like to share?

Weekend Edition

  



If you are not familiar with our giveaway rules, take a minute to read them here. It keeps us all happy! All winners should send their name, address, and phone number to claim prizes.  Note our new email address and please send your emails to Seekerville2@gmail.com







Monday: Last Monday Mary Connealy talked about Setting the Scene. The winner of a signed copy of Aiming for Love is Samantha!
Wednesday:
Friday: Carrie hosted our very own 'Kaybee', aka Kathleen D. Bailey to celebrate her debut novel & share some of her journey and what God taught her along the way. The winner of an ebook of Westward Hope and a basket of New England goodies is Jeanne Takenaka!



Monday:  Winnie Griggs is popping in on a special day to discuss Foreshadowing - what it is and how to incorporate it into your work effectively.
Wednesday:    Friday:  Missy Tippens will be posting about a wonderful, inspiring story she heard recently at a conference! She'll also be talking about how we get our story ideas (with thanks to a blog reader who wrote to the Seekerville email addy with a question). And so you can keep track of all the wonderful and interesting story ideas that strike you, she'll be giving away a dot-journal to one commenter!







Click Here to Enter to Win!

Winnie Griggs is excited to announce she has a new release coming November 1st.  


Sawyer Flynn vows to see that the man who murdered his brother pays for his crimes, but becoming the sole caretaker of an orphaned infant sidetracks him from the mission. Sawyer can’t do it all—run his mercantile, care for the baby, and find justice for his brother. He needs help. But notfrom Emma Jean Gilley.
When her father flees town after killing a man, Emma Jean is left alone to care for her kid brother, but her father’s crime has made her a pariah and no one will give her a job. Learning of Sawyer’s need, Emma Jean makes her case to step in as nanny. 
Sawyer is outraged by Emma Jean’s offer, but he’s also desperate and he reluctantly agrees to a temporary trial. Working together brings understanding, and maybe something more. But just when things heat up between Sawyer and Emma Jean, the specter of her father’s crimes threatens to drive them apart forever.
You can learn more or pre-order HERE

Don't Nickel-And-Dime This by guest blogger Kathleen D. Bailey

Happy Friday, Seekerville!

Carrie here - I have the utmost privilege of welcoming 'the author formerly known as kaybee' to the blog today. That's right, Seekerville's own Kathleen D. Bailey (a faithful commenter under the handle 'kaybee') has just released her first novel, and we are thrilled at the chance to help her celebrate!

Michael once betrayed Caroline in the worst possible way.
Can she trust him to get her across the Oregon Trail?
Can he trust himself to accept her forgiveness and God’s?
 
Goodreads | Amazon

Take it away, Kathleen!

~*~*~*~*~
For years, my father-in-law drove a vehicle which we famously referred to as the “Chinese Junk.” It was a 1960s station wagon that, with judicious replacing of parts, he had kept functional well into the 80s. He eventually got a better car for himself, but he kept the Chinese Junk as a spare and his children and extended family drove it when we were between vehicles or having our vehicles worked on. (We do not go to the kind of places that have loaner cars, sigh.) Toward the end of its life you had to connect two wires under the hood to start it, but there was no question in any of our minds that the Chinese Junk worked.

My father-in-law nickeled and dimed that car for years. The Junk gave up its particular ghost when the mechanics in the family couldn’t FIND parts, but even then it refused to die and it’s rusting somewhere in a secluded part of my brother-in-law’s property. Now that was a car. And also, probably by today’s standards, not legal.

You can nickel-and-dime a car, but only for so long. Trust me on this. Eventually even the Chinese Junk had to be retired, though family members still raid IT for parts.

But there are other areas of our lives where we can’t take the nickel-and-dime approach, and we shouldn’t.
Not Depressed Enough?
I stood up with eagerness as the medical researcher came back into the room, but her expression told me I had nothing to be eager about. “You didn’t qualify for the depression study,” she told me. “The doctor said we need someone who’s actively depressed.”

She said she’d try to get me a check for the time I spent on the screening, and as I walked out to the reception area she patted me on the back. “Look at it this way, at least you’re not depressed.”

Indeed.

For several years my husband and I have done medical research trials to help with an ever-expanding budget and ever-shrinking paychecks. I had had my eye on this one for catching up on our property taxes. But as I started my car, I knew that God would provide for the taxes in His own way and His own time.

It wasn’t always that way.

We have struggled financially for most of our marriage, from Dave’s college days to the Great Recession, which never receded fast enough for me. I clipped coupons, looked for deals on everything, and found secondary ways to make money. When I had full-time jobs, I always freelanced around the side; and when I lost one of those jobs due to budget cuts, I never collected a dime of unemployment. At one point during the laid-off years, I had six different income streams. At once.

But they never did what I hoped they would.

I would plan on a certain check to come to take care of a certain need, and when it came, another, more urgent need nudged it out of the way. So I’d roll the need over to the next freelance check, bonus or medical trial compensation. And the “need” would get eaten up by something else, a still more urgent one.

There was never enough to go around, and my plans for what there was always fell through.

This financial patchwork quilt, with plenty of holes, extended into our sixties. When friends paid off their children’s student loans and their houses, I continued to scramble for freelance jobs. Sometimes I got them, sometimes I didn’t.

Until the day I was grousing about yet another need going unmet because another need had superseded it. And the Lord spoke to me. Not a burning bush thing, I’ve unfortunately never had those, but it was clear enough: “Kathy, you are never going to nickel-and-dime your way out of your financial problems. If you could, you would have done it by now.”

Whoa.

Was that what I had been doing? I’d thought it was Good Financial Planning.

And maybe it had been, but God had a bigger plan. A spreadsheet I couldn’t argue with. I still plan, but I’m a lot more flexible in allowing Him to meet our needs. Because He will. In His time and His way.

I asked myself what else I’d been approaching this way, or seeing other people dealing with in the nickel-and-dime way.  
Mysterious ways
Could you nickel and dime a marriage? Could one go into that most intricate of human relationships with a checklist?

Only if one or more of the parties walked away with a broken heart.

If Dave or I had had a checklist, we wouldn’t be here today. Not together, anyway. There is no earthly reason why we should be married, or even a couple. But God wanted it that way, and the three of us are greater than the sum of our parts.

In writing (yes, I knew we’d eventually get here), I held to a punch-list format for years and years. If I did everything right, whatever “everything” was at the time, I would snag THAT editor, THAT agent, or THAT door would open and I’d walk in and not look back. I schmoozed and slaved. Boxes were checked. Formulas got followed, disciplines observed. But formulas and checklists don’t always follow the patterns of an industry in flux. Because there aren’t any patterns. Houses close or merge, agents burn out, trends flow away from my genre.

There is no formula for being published. There is only writing, hard work and God.


Being “anxious for nothing”
But God wasn’t done with me even then, as He pointed out that we can’t nickel-and-dime our salvation, either.

I thought I’d mastered that one. Raised in a liturgical church, I’d looked for salvation through sacramental observances and good works for most of my childhood and teen years, and thrown that off in the tumult of the 60s. When the Lord found me, a drugged, directionless little hippie girl, I learned that the road back wasn’t paved with good works, and I joyously accepted salvation by faith.

But there was still a lot to learn, and as with my finances, the idea of doing it myself wouldn’t go away. When there was a need I tried to fill it, even when He had other plans. I was Doing and not necessarily Being.

Until I couldn’t. Age caught up with me, along with a demanding job, and I couldn’t necessarily Do. Who would Do if I Didn’t?

I could never be good enough, smart enough, “Christian” enough for God. And He knows that. He knew it when I was born, He knew it on that fateful Friday 2,000 years ago. But that’s never been what He wanted.

We can’t nickel-and-dime the way to heaven. But when faced with the sacrifice of everything He was in spite of everything we are, really, who would want to? Wouldn’t you rather be loved with an Everlasting Love than check off, or be checked off a punch list?

He wants me, and you, to Be first.

And He’ll take it from there.
~*~*~*~*~


Kathleen Bailey, known locally as “Kaybee,” is a journalist and novelist with 40 years’ experience in the nonfiction, newspaper and inspirational fields. Born in 1951, she was a child in the 50s, a teen in the 60s, a young adult in the 70s and a young mom in the 80s. It’s been a turbulent, colorful time to grow up, and she’s enjoyed every minute of it and written about most of it.

She attended a mixture of public and parochial schools, graduating from the University of New Hampshire in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature. She married the Rev. David W. Bailey in 1977, and they lived in Colorado, Wisconsin and Michigan before returning to their home state of New Hampshire. They are the parents of two adult daughters.

She has worked as both a staff and freelance journalist. She semi-retired in 2017, in order to devote herself to a growing interest in Christian fiction. She has won or finaled in several contests, including the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis contest.

She blogs on other writers’ sites and on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. She is involved in an active critiquing relationship with another author. A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, she participates in continuing education, judges writing contests, and continues to enjoy the world of words.

Bailey “sailed off the island” Sept. 20 with the publication of her first novel, “Westward Hope,” by Pelican/White Rose Publishers. She is contracted for the second book in the series, “Settler’s Hope,” and also has a novella with minor characters from “Settler’s Hope” to be published in Pelican’s “Christmas Extravaganza.”

Bailey’s work includes both historical and contemporary fiction, with an underlying thread of men and women finding their way home, to Christ and each other.

For more information, contact her at ampie86@comcast.net; @piechick1 on Twitter; Kathleen D. Bailey on Facebook and LinkedIn; or at www.kathleendbailey.weebly.com.  
~*~*~*~*~What about you?
What's something that maybe you've been trying to nickel-and-dime in your writing or in life? Comment for a chance to win an ebook of Westward Hope by Kathleen D. Bailey!