Erica Vetsch's Blog, page 118

CRITIQUE DAY TOMORROW!!!!!!

Open Critique Tomorrow!!!!
Be prepared, lovies, Ruthy's got a free day and she and some of the gals are offering free critiques from the goodness of their hearts.

Well, from somewhere! :)

See you in the morning, friends!

Going to the Bookstore Like a Writer

Recently, our own Jan Drexler posted about how to read like a writer. How to analyse, consider, and deconstruct fiction to improve our own writing. If you didn't get a chance to learn from these wonderful posts, you can read the two-part article by clicking HERE, and then HERE.

Go ahead, I'll wait.

Ah, welcome back! :)

After reading Jan's articles, I got to thinking about how, in addition to reading to make you a better writer, you can also make observations elsewhere. Including a bookstore.

So, on Friday night, my dear husband took me to Barnes & Noble to take some pictures and make some observations. (Warning, this post will be picture-heavy, because I couldn't resist!

What can we learn as writers by going to the bookstore?


1. Whether there are any of your books in stock. (Admit it, pubbed authors, you check when you're in the store.) In all, our Barnes & Noble had three of my titles in stock this time. Yay! It's informative, and you have a chance to liaise with the booksellers at that store, and to let people know who ask that they can pick up a copy of one of your books locally.


2. Whether any of your friends' books are in stock. I found lots of friends' books, including this beauty by Tina Radcliffe. :) Show of hands, how many of us have gone into a bookstore and thought, "I know her. I know her, too. I know him. I've met him." And how many of us have turned our friends' books face out on the shelves??? :D


3. A trip to the bookstore allows us to find out what's new. As much as we try, we can't possibly be aware of every new book in every genre. A trip to the bookstore, however, will show us books grouped as new releases, by popular authors, and by new, promising authors. Why do we need to keep up on new releases? Because it helps us know what is trending, the genres, the topics, the authors. By knowing what's moving in the market, we can write more intelligently for the market we're targeting.






4. A trip to the bookstore will give you a quick overview of the types of titles that are trending. Titling books is often quite difficult for a writer. How to distill their work into 3-5 words that give the reader a clue as to what the story is about without giving the whole show away. Notice how titles fit the genre, too. Mystery, romance, general fiction. The titles carry the flavor of the story. Peruse the titles in your genre, see what appeals to you, think about words that reoccur, words that readers identify with your genre. Try mixing and matching words and ideas to come up with a title that fits your story and your market.





5. Find out what cover art is trending. I LOVE looking at, flipping through, admiring, and otherwise engaging with books...and I am a sucker for a beautiful cover, one that tells me right away what the story is about, the genre, the target audience. At the moment, because  am writing a Regency series, I am drawn to books written in that era, and books written about that era. I love that you can immediately tell the difference between the history books and the novels, but that both have similarities, too. There are trends in covers that I am not crazy about...I am not a fan of the 'Marie Antoinette' cover where the heroine is headless. I'd rather see her face, or even all of her from the back, than no head at all. But that's just me. Lots of folks love those covers because they say it lets them imagine what the heroine looks like for themselves.



6. A trip to the bookstore can help you narrow down where your book should be shelved. When you pitch a book to an agent or editor, the first thing they will want to know is, what genre is your book? The agent wants to know so they can inform the editor, so the editor will be able to quickly ascertain whether the story fits what that publishing house buys and puts out. The editor will want to inform marketing. Marketing will want to know so they can inform book buyers at the major bookstore outlets. And the book buyers will want to know so they will be able to shelve the book appropriately to reach the readers most likely to buy the book. If you can't tell what it is you write, the battle is so much more difficult to get that book onto shelves. Peruse what categories are marked at B&N and try to see where your book fits.



7. A trip to the bookstore can help you with the dreaded "Comparables/Competition" section of your proposal. In this part of the proposal, you're asked to compare and contrast your book with others in your genre. There are helpful pointers for this section that we can talk about at a later date, but the bookstore is a great place to begin your search for books like yours.


8. A trip to the bookstore can really help when it comes to writing 'back cover copy' for your book. It's hard to distill your book into two or three paragraphs that will really grab the reader, and writing effective back cover takes practice, but you can get a jump on learning how by reading. Read a lot of examples. Note what appeals to you, what grabs you? What similarities do you see from one book to another? Especially read the back cover copy from books in your genre to see what is trending, what various publishers are including, and even take a peek at the author bios to see what is being included there as well.

Trips to the bookstore are just plain fun, but you can also gather valuable information while you're there that will help you stay up on the latest trends and to make your book proposal the best that it can be!

When was the last time  you were in a bookstore? 

Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. She’s a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota, and she is married to her total opposite and soul mate! When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can read about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time!




Look what's available for pre-order now! 

Journey along in the Old West as four women travel to meet their husbands-to-be and discover that nothing is as it was planned. Eve’s fiancé is in jail. Amelia’s fiancé has never heard of her. Zola’s newlywed husband is dead. Maeve’s travel is misdirected. Can these brides can find a true love match?
The Galway Girl by Erica Vetsch
Kansas, 1875
A mail-order mix-up sends Irish lass Maeve O’Reilly to the Swedish community of Lindsborg, Kansas. Will Kaspar Sandberg consider it a happy accident or a disaster to be rectified as soon as possible?
Coming May 1st, 2019, you can pre-order your copy of Mail-Order Mishaps today by clicking 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: Jan Drexler continued her series Reading As A Writer: The Great Adventure (part two). A copy of Convenient Amish Proposal goes to kaybee 
Tuesday: Lisa Jordan visited Seekerville to share her thoughts on Leaving a Spiritual Legacy . The winner of her brand new release, Season of Hope, is Vince!
Wednesday: Debby Giusti was our hostess with her blog, "Writing Internal Conflict in a Broken World."  A copy of AMISH SAFE HOUSE goes to one lucky winner! Congrats, Jackie Smith, for being Debby's winner!
Friday: Pat Jeanne Davis encouraged us to Keep Your Dream. The winner of a print copy of When Valleys Bloom Again is Laurie Wood 


Monday:  Erica Vetsch shares wisdom and grace with us today.
Wednesday:  Melanie Dickerson never fails to inspire us along the journey.  Friday: Amanda Cabot shares the secrets of her series-writing success.







Writers interested in teaching at a great conference, Georgia Romance Writers is taking proposals for workshops at the Moonlight and Magnolias Conference. The deadline to submit is March 1st.  http://www.garomancewriters.org/proposals


Cover reveal!! Missy Tippens will have 13 devotionals included in this upcoming release from Guideposts! More info will be coming once it's released. Animal lovers, get ready!






CONGRATS TO DEBBY GIUSTI!!!
AMISH SAFE HOUSEmade the PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER LIST!


AMISH SAFE HOUSEBy Debby GiustiHiding in Plain SightThe second thrilling Amish Witness Protection novel
After Julia Bradford’s son witnesses a gang shooting, hiding in witness protection on Abraham King’s Amish farm is the only hope the Englischer and her children have. Even as danger closes in, Julia is drawn to the community’s peaceful ways—and the ex-cop turned Amish protector. But when their location is discovered, can Abraham protect her family…and possibly have a future by her side? Order HERE!
Check out The Suspense Zone, Featuring an interview with Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author Debby Giusti
Enter the Suspense Zone Contest to win a copy ofAMISH SAFE HOUSE. 
Be sure to read the February issue of FAMILY FICTION MAGAZINE for a great interview with Debby Giusti!

RELEASING ON TUESDAY!!!A beautiful new historical romance set on the western prairie by Ruth Logan Herne!
Sebastian Ward is a frontier "Mr. Darcy", strong, singular and aloof... but when a five-year-old illegitimate brother shows up on his doorstep, what's a man to do? Call out his father and embarrass his mother? Or man up and take the boy under his wing as if he was his own?
Rachel Eichas was raised plain by an austere father. Donning pretty clothes to take over the frontier schoolhouse is a dream come true, but she rues her reclusive upbringing as sparks fly with her nearest neighbor Seb Ward. She has no experience with men, and to have a little boy show up out of the blue-- a boy that looks just like Sebastian-- sets a lot of tongues in motion and school teachers are supposed to be above reproach. Does she dare risk her job to give her heart?  
Kindle edition releases this week... paperback to follow in early March! Link is here!






2019 Literary Calendar with 98 Holidays, Weeks and Months for Book Lovers by Sandra Beckwith at  BuildBookBuzz.

Controlled Digital Lending (CDL): An Appeal to Librarians and Readers from the Author's Guild website

Writers Beware of the Legal Pitfalls: Negligent Publication by Karen Van Den Heuvel at Thyme For Writers

Keep Your Dream with Guest Pat Jeanne Davis

Welcome to Villager Pat Jeanne Davis as she encourages us today in Seekerville!

It’s been ten years since I connected with Seekerville as an aspiring author. This month my debut historical novel When Valleys Bloom Again launched. Today as a new novelist, I’m delighted and honored to be here and to see another dream come true. Over the years, I’ve learned much from the teaching, sisterly encouragement and your steadfast examples. Truth be told, there were days I wanted to finally abandon my dream of being a published author. Then I’d check in with the Seekers and the topic under discussion spoke to my need in that moment. All this to say “thank you” for the instruction and encouragement you’ve given.
What I’ve  learned while on the path to publication?
All aspects of my life are to be placed before a loving Heavenly Father who holds me and His promises are sure. He withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly. I remind myself that I’m a work in progress. This writing experience is also part of my walk of faith and that, too, requires patience, perseverance and prayer. That with God’s help and guidance it’s never too late to follow your dream.
Do you, too, yearn to obtain a heartfelt goal? Do you cherish a life-long dream—one that you’re convinced God placed in your heart—that seems impossible?


Be Patient.
If that dream is to be an author, the journey toward publication may take a long time. I know first hand the disappointment when a positive answer you hoped to get on your work is not the one you receive. When the goal you’ve set for yourself seems unobtainable. Remember our chief goal is to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. We’re in sync with God’s perfect timing when we ask Him to direct our path.
Be Persistent
I’ve been listening to a book on Louis Pasteur, a believing scientist and the founder of modern medicine. He never gave up in his quest to discover what caused food and wine to spoil. If he had, we would not be benefiting from his discovery of what has come to be called pasteurization. How many lives have been spared and other lives made more bearable through the dogged persistence of scientists and inventors. Is there an author whose words have impacted your life? As a writer, your words can broaden your reader’s horizons or they may touch your reader’s heart and mind and greatly impact their life for good.
Be Purposeful
In When Valleys Bloom Again, my heroine, Abby, speaks with a stammer. She loves children and dreams of becoming a teacher. She does exercises to overcome her speech impediment and attends college to receive the instruction necessary to qualify as a teacher. Whether we want to be a scientist, a teacher or a writer, we need training. A new writer must learn the craft through taking courses, studying the work of other writers, attending conferences, getting feedback from writing contests, having her work critiqued and through critiquing the work of others. While waiting for “the call” from an agent or editor, work on another novel, or write an article or short stories.
Be Prepared
When an opportunity to submit your writing comes your way, be ready. And be prepared to face rejection of your work and not become discouraged and continue to submit elsewhere. I’ve come to appreciate even more the wisdom in not having high expectations but to keep the feeling of anticipation nonetheless.



Be Participating
Work with an editor and take direction when given. You may cringe when told to rework a paragraph or get rid of a sentence or scene. Your editor is only helping your work to shine and you to become a better writer. I’m thankful for the numerous critiques from editors and other writers. Wherever possible try to reciprocate.
Be Praying
When your dreams are yet unrealized and you’re tempted to despair, pray for patient perseverance while you wait on His perfect timing. Share you dream with close family and friends and let them cheer you on. In my novel, Abby confides in her beloved Uncle Will when she begins to doubt. He reassures her, “You’ll make a fine teacher. Remember that determination is half the battle.” He patted her hand. “The other half is jolly hard work.”
Be Praising
We should praise Him for His unfailing promises. When we believe in God we have the certainty that what He has promised is true, has occurred, and will happen in accordance with His Word. We also can praise God for His plan, purpose, protection, power and His peace.
My prayer is that after you have done all that is required to achieve your dream, you may experience a renewed perspective and that you keep anticipation alive.
Do you have a dream that you’re pursuing? What are you doing to realize that dream?



As war approaches in 1939 Abby Stapleton’s safety is under threat. Her father, a British diplomat, insists she go back to America until the danger passes. Abby vows to return to her home in London—but where is home? With her family facing mortal danger so far away and feeling herself isolated, she finds it hard to pray or read the Bible. Did she leave God behind in war-torn London too? Abby becomes friendly with Jim, a gardener on her uncle’s estate.
Jim can’t get Abby out of his mind. Did she have a sweetheart in England? Was it foolish to think she’d consider him? He curses his poverty and the disgrace of his father’s desertion and drunkenness haunts him. Can he learn to believe in love for a lifetime and to hope for a happy marriage?

Abby couldn’t know the war would last a long time, nor that she would fall in love with Jim—soon to be drafted by the U.S. Army—or that she’d have to confront Henri, a rejected suitor, determined by his lies to ruin her reputation and destroy her faith in God’s providence. Will she discover the true meaning of home and find happiness with Jim?
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Giveaway! Pat is giving away one print copy of When Valleys Bloom Again to one US resident. Please comment for a chance to win.

PAT JEANNE DAVIS lives in Philadelphia, Pa with her British-born husband, John. They have two grown sons. She enjoys flower gardening, genealogy research and traveling with her husband. She is a volunteer in the nursery at the church she attends and at the local chapter of MOP’s. 

Pat published essays, short stories and articles online and in print. She has a keen interest in mid-twentieth-century American and British history, particularly the period of World War II. Pat’s father-in-law served in the British Eighth Army during the war. When Valleys Bloom Again is her debut historical romance set in that era. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and the Historical Novel Society. Pat loves to hear from her readers. Subscribe to her newsletter here www.patjeannedavis.com




Now let's give Pat some love and celebrate the release of her debut novel:
When Valleys Bloom Again
Congratulations, Pat!

Writing Internal Conflict in a Broken World

By Debby Giusti
A compelling story needs well-developed characters.
Writers often talk about their characters’ goals, motivation and conflict, or GMC. The goals refer to what the hero or heroine wants—something concrete, like saving Grandma’s Victorian home from foreclosure. The motivation is why he or she needs to achieve that goal. Perhaps her great-grandfather built the house for her grandmother as a wedding gift. The house is a central focal point for the small surrounding town that has fallen on hard times. If the Old Victorian can be refurbished and turned into a B&B, which was Grandma’s dream, the dying town might restore other buildings and find the wherewithal to be a viable community once again. The conflict is any external force attempting to stop the protagonist from achieving her goal. Perhaps the bank has a buyer ready to purchase the old home, and the hardhearted banker refuses to give the protagonist time to accrue the funds needed to pay off the mortgage. If the heroine is trying to save the house and the hero is the buyer interested in razing the property and building something else in its place, the story has conflict and seemingly the makings of a salable manuscript.


But one ingredient is missing from the mix…something that, in my opinion, makes or breaks a story…Internal Conflict. When a story is rejected for not being compelling (a rather abstract term, yet one editors and agents frequently use), chances are it’s because of the lack of internal conflict.
What’s keeping the protagonist from embracing life? What keeps him from falling in love? What makes her reclusive instead of free to fully accept love? Often our fictional characters, just as in real life, have buried a specific past pain and don’t realize the tremendous effect that wound plays in their lives.
Years ago in my pre-published days, I remember chatting with a fellow writer about character development. “Surely,” I bemoaned, “I can’t delve too deeply into my hero and heroine’s internal angst.” I feared piling on too much painful backstory when in reality, because of our broken world, the backstory – specifically the internal conflict – needs to be well-defined and significant.


Let’s consider some areas of dysfunction prevalent in today's broken world:
Divided familiesSo many issues split apart families. About 50% of all marriages end in divorce and that percentage increases among those who have married more than once. Many folks have severed relationships not only with their spouses but also with siblings and even their parents. The proverbial mother-in-law jokes ring all too true in many households where in-laws are excluded. One older couple moved to my local town to be close to their son, an only child. All too quickly, the daughter-in-law decided she didn’t like her in-laws so the older folks were never allowed access to the family. Another couple has been forbidden to see their only grandchildren who live just a few miles away. That pain of imposed separation is heartbreaking and all too common.
Within the Amish community, a baptized church member is shunned if he goes against the Ordnung, the rule by which the community lives. Shunning is not considered a punishment but, rather, is enacted for the good of the wayward member in hopes he will realize his error, ask forgiveness and return to the fold. While most of my Amish heroes and heroine are not yet baptized, I sometimes include parental disapproval and ostracism to increase the guilt the protagonist carries because of a mistake in his or her past.
Financial problemsMoney issues can destroy a family. Living beyond a person’s means causes untold heartache and suffering. Overextended credit compounds the problem, and if not checked, financial struggles can lead to home foreclosure and homelessness and even bankruptcy.
My Amish Protectors series features three sisters raised in a dysfunctional home by a single-mom who struggled to make ends meet. The small family moved often as the mother searched for greener pastures and a better life that she never achieved due to her nomadic lifestyle and mishandling of money.
AddictionTurn on the nightly news and you’re bound to hear a story about the opioid crisis or teen/young adult suicide often blamed on drugs. In addition to drug addiction, alcohol, pornography and gambling tear marriages and families apart. The person addicted finds his or her life spiraling out of control. Those around him – especially loved ones – feel caught in that spiral as well.
Methamphetamine is both easily accessible and destructive. It’s also prevalent in my part of the world. I’ve written about its ravages in a few of my books, including a November 2019 release I recently turned into my editor. I’ve also used drug related deaths and possible suicide cases, involving secondary characters, to up the suspense in a number of my stories.
Illness and DebilitationChronic illness, debilitation, old age and dementia are part of life. Concern about an aging parent or a sick child play into our stories. I had an Amish woman whose father needed medical care and refused to go to Englisch doctors. Another woman had miscarried her first child and feared her second pregnancy would not go to term. In Protecting Her Child, my heroine had been given up for adoption as an infant. As the story opens, she is pregnant with her murdered husband’s baby and learns she may have transmitted a life-threatening illness to her unborn infant.

While all of these situations add conflict to our stories, they are not the Internal Conflict. The Internal Conflict is a wound the main character carries often from childhood that involves a misperceived negative self-worth that the hero or heroine accepts as truth. He lives life trying to compensate or cover up that which he has erroneously accepted as fact. For the writer, it’s important to tie that wound to a specific incident in the protagonist’s past. That moment needs to be revealed in the course of the story. Often the memory of the wound is buried deeply and its revelation involves great pain, yet the wound must be revealed in order to heal.
Mistakes the protagonist has made in the past are the fruit of that character’s brokenness and are directly related to the wound. If a child overhears her father saying she will never amount to much, that child might accept the statement as truth. As she grows, the daughter might overcompensate and try to win her father’s approval or she could live life in the wrong direction and never attempt to make anything of herself. Because love is the most important need, our character may think if her earthy father doesn’t love her, her heavenly Father cannot love her as well. Yet she yearns to be loved so, as the song by Johnny Lee says, she “searches for love in all the wrong place.”
When she finds her own true love, she recalls her past mistakes and fears Mr. Right could again turn into Mr. Wrong. In the course of the story, if she can trust her heart and her love interest enough to reveal that moment in her childhood when she stumbled onto what she perceives is the truth about herself, she can see it through adult eyes and perhaps through the eyes of the man she truly loves. She might confront her father or learn about the pain he carried that kept him from truly loving anyone, even his young daughter. That realization coupled with a newfound or renewed faith in Christ and acceptance of the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy can heal her brokenness so she can accept love and embrace life to the full.
Similarly, a child might believe he is responsible for his parents’ divorce, especially if his parents called him a difficult or disruptive child. He grows up with that guilt, believing he doesn’t deserve nor could he maintain a happy marriage of his own. A child who has been abandoned, could carry that wound into adulthood and be inhibited by a fear of being abandoned again if she enters into a relationship.


Story consultant Michael Hauge talks about the wound in his workshops. Others do as well. I find it plays out in real life. If you struggle with self-worth or a feeling of inadequacy, trace that feeling back as far as possible. Can you pinpoint a memory that is still painful? Healing prayer often involves bringing that memory to mind and then seeing Jesus standing in the mix. He embraces the wounded person and reveals the truth about who she is and how much she is truly loved. In our books, healing can occur rather quickly while in real life those issues often must be prayed over many times before healing can occur. Along the same lines, the person must forgive herself for mistakes made and see those mistakes in light of that brokenness. Once we understand why we acted in a certain way, we are more prone to forgive ourselves and ask forgiveness from the Lord – and then accept that forgiveness. Another facet of this is that we all struggle with one dominant issue throughout our lives. Smaller problems tie into that deep wound. The problems we face as a child, be they low self-esteem or a feeling of inadequacy, will continue to adversely affect us, no matter our age, until we deal with that initial wound.


A lot to think about, but I hope you’ll consider your character’s inner conflict when you write your stories. The wound should be alluded to early in the story but dealt with toward the end as part of the character’s transformation. Remember your protagonist must change and grow. She becomes a different person by the end of the story. Even if she returned to her ordinary world where she lived at the beginning of the story, she would react in a different way because of that change of heart, healed brokenness or realization of the new person she has become.
Those of us who are Christian writers understand the power of prayer and the need to seek forgiveness from God. When our characters find redemption, our readers—especially those dealing with similar issues—are given hope and turn to the Lord in their brokenness. That transformation can be therapeutic as well as spiritual.
Do you create wounded characters? Have your heroes and heroines struggled with past guilt and feelings of being unworthy of forgiveness? What type of characters do you find most relatable? Can you recall stories that deal with a hero or heroine’s internal conflict and wound from the past? What did you find most compelling about those stories?
Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for a copy of AMISH SAFE HOUSE, the second book in the new Love Inspired Suspense Amish Witness Protection continuity!
Happy reading! Happy writing!
Wishing you abundant blessings,Debby Giustiwww.DebbyGiusti.com

AMISH SAFE HOUSEBy Debby Giusti

A Publishers Weekly Bestseller!
Hiding in Plain SightThe second thrilling Amish Witness Protection novel
After Julia Bradford’s son witnesses a gang shooting, hiding in witness protection on Abraham King’s Amish farm is the only hope the Englischer and her children have. Even as danger closes in, Julia is drawn to the community’s peaceful ways—and the ex-cop turned Amish protector. But when their location is discovered, can Abraham protect her family…and possibly have a future by her side?
Order HERE!

Leaving Behind a Spiritual Legacy with Guest Lisa Jordan

by Lisa Jordan, @lisajordan


One of the greatest blessings in my life was having Christian grandparents who planted seeds of faith from the time I was very young. Growing up down the road from my grandparents’ dairy farm, many of my happy memories are filled with bottle feeding calves, the rope swing in the hay barn, swimming and camping by the creek (pronounced crick, by the way J ) that cut through their property, noisy family get-togethers, and the values of faith, family and hard work instilled by my grandparents, my mom, aunts and uncles.

However, my grandma’s sudden passing in February 1985 was a turning point in my life. She’d been my rock, my safety net, and she was gone when I needed her the most. I was so mad at God that I turned my back on Him for 13 years.

But, you see, my grandparents left behind one of the greatest gifts—a spiritual legacy. They were the real deal, y’all—(ok, so I’m not Southern, but the y’all just fits here.) Their Bibles were worn from daily use, their knees calloused from constant prayers, and they didn’t live to see all of the fruit yielded from the seeds they had planted during their many years teaching Sunday school and living out their faith. 

Despite walking away from my faith, those seeds began to bloom. Even though, I crowded them with weeds of poor choices, the roots remained strong.

Then, during a cold, ordinary Wednesday in February—fourteen years after my grandma’s death—I rededicated my life to Christ. My aching heart grieved over the mistakes I’d made and the loved ones I’d hurt as I poured my pain and anguish out to Jesus. Being the amazing Gardener that He is, He continued to prune (and still does), cutting away those dead branches bearing no fruit. Now, I strive to follow in my grandparents’ footsteps—teaching Sunday school and living out my faith in an authentic manner. And being obedient to the call God has placed on my heart—writing stories that promise hope and happily ever after. All because of the spiritual legacy that had been left behind after my grandparents passed.

When I finished my Lakeside series with Love Inspired and considered what to write next, I was inspired by my childhood and the legacy of faith my grandparents had left behind. I see it so vividly during our annual family reunions. That sparked the idea of the Holland brothers, beginning with Jake.   

The Holland family, comprised of Chuck Holland and his four sons—Jake, Tucker, Evan, and Micah, understand the pain of devastation and loss. However, as they walk through their own stories, they’re reminded there’s always hope in the heartache.

In Season of Hope, the first book in my Holland Brothers series, which releases in stores today (!!), Jake wants to pass down a legacy by creating a Fatigues to Farming program that will help veterans with disabilities learn farming in order to start their own small businesses. It’s his way of making amends and keeping a promise. Jake wants to offer hope to those who feel helpless. And in his mind, that legacy is tied to a place—his family farm. But his ex-wife’s sudden reappearance in his life...and his community...creates conflict for his plan.

Later in the story, Jake is talking with his dad about leaving behind a legacy. And Chuck tells him,  “Son, a legacy isn’t a place or a thing. A legacy happens through the people you love and the lives you change. It’s rooted in faith and integrity. Find your hope, then work like crazy to hold on to it. There’s always hope. Even in the heartache.”

When I created this series, I wanted to show how the Holland brothers’ realistic problems pave the way to finding their hope...and their faith. Faith is believing without seeing, and when we’re walking through the valley of darkness, it can be difficult to keep the faith and see the Light. No matter what challenges we’re facing, though, God is with us every step of the way, waiting to lead us through those difficult seasons. So I encourage you to hold onto the Hope no matter your season in life.

You can read the first chapter of Season of Hopehere: Season of Hope chapter preview

I’m giving away one autographed copy of Season of Hopeto one commenter. Please leave a comment to be entered in the drawing.

I’m doing a Down on the Farm giveaway for my newsletter subscribers. If you would like to subscribe to my newsletter, you can sign up here: Lisa Jordan’s Newsletter

Your Turn: How has your faith helped you to find Hope in the heartache?

Season of Hope His dreams can all come true…but only if his ex-wife will agree! Jake Holland’s peaceful dairy farm is a sanctuary—one he wants to share with other worn and weary veterans. He just needs one more piece of land to start his program…and it belongs to Tori Lerner, his ex-wife. A collaboration could benefit them both, but with a past full of secrets between them, is there any hope for renewed love?
Heart, home, and faith have always been important to Lisa Jordan so writing stories with those elements come naturally. Represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary Management, Lisa is an award-winning author for Love Inspired, writing contemporary Christian romances that promise hope and happily ever after. Her latest book, Season of Hope, releases in March 2019. She is the Operations Manager for My Book Therapy, an online writing site that teaches writing craft, coaching, and building community. Happily married to her own real-life hero for thirty years, Lisa and her husband have two grown sons. When she isn’t writing, Lisa enjoys family time, kayaking, good books, and creating with words, stamps, fibers, and photos. Visit her at lisajordanbooks.com.

Reading as a Writer: The Great Adventure (part two)

by Jan Drexler



In their classic work, How to Read a Book, Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren spent more than four hundred pages instructing the dedicated student in four levels of reading. The work is comprehensive and fabulous. If you’ve never read this book, I recommend it.

The book also goes far beyond our purposes here, so with apologies to Adler and Van Doren, here is my own “How to Read a Book for Writers.”

In last month’s post, we talked about why we should read and what we should read. You can read that post here.

How we read can be even more important than Why or What we read. We want to learn how to write – how to tell a story other people will want to read – and the way we read can help us do that. According to Adler and Van Doren, there are four levels of reading:

1) Elementary Reading
2) Inspectional Reading
3) Analytical Reading
4) Syntopical Reading

Now let’s apply these levels to the writer. 


Elementary reading is what all of us do when we pick up a book to read for pleasure. We enjoy the story, get lost in the narrative, thrill in the settings, then put the book down with a sigh of pleasure at the end. 
Once you've learned the mechanics of reading, Elementary reading is reading for enjoyment.

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: Missy Tippens brought us some new as well as some tried and true tools for productivity. She also brought us news of her new novella release, Her Valentine Reunion!
Wednesday: Ruthy Logan Herne was here on Wednesday, talking about history, women's rights and writing historicals... and just how much fun that is! Winner of a Kindle copy of her historical anthology "The Sewing Sisters' Society" is Ann707! I hope you love these great stories!
Thursday and Friday: Happy Valentine's Day in Seekerville! We have winners!
Missy Tippens's novella, Her Valentine Reunion: Lila.
Ruthy's $10 Amazon Gift Card goes to Laurie Wood
Audra's $10 Amazon gift card goes to Tracey Hagwood
Jan's book, Convenient Amish Proposal goes to Kim Hansen



Monday:  Jan Drexler will be sharing Part 2 of Reading as a Writer: The Great Adventure!
Tuesday: Lisa Jordan will be paying us a visit to celebrate the release of her book Season of Hope !
Wednesday:  Publishers Weekly Bestseller Debby Giusti will be our blog hostess so be sure to stop by Seekerville. Debby's talking about "Writing Internal Conflict in a Broken World." Plus, she's giving away a copy of AMISH SAFE HOUSE to one lucky winner!  Friday: Stop by and see what Pam Hillman is up to!









LAST CHANCE - SALE ENDS TOMORROW!
***SOFTCOVER SALE - just $5.00!***
Grab The Promise of Breeze Hill, Book 1 in Pam Hillman's Natchez Trace Novel series. Book 3, The Crossing at Cypress Creek, coming in June!Click here to buy directly from the publisher.

Also, orders of $35 or more receive free shipping, so check out all the Tyndale softcover romance fiction for just $5.00 here: https://www.tyndale.com/l/romance-fiction-5-dollar

Missy Tippens has a newly released novella! Book 3 in the Home to Dahlia, Georgia, Series. She has also put Books 1 and 2 on sale. Book 1 is only 99 cents right now!



From Romance Writers of America RITA® Award finalist author Missy Tippens comes the Home to Dahlia, Georgia, series of novellas.

Former sweethearts get a second chance in this novella-length inspirational romance (Christian romance) Book 3!

What happens on the very day Abbie Rogers makes a preemptive strike against Valentine’s Day funk by declaring herself content to be single? Why, Victor Wallis, the man who broke her heart, comes crashing back into her life, of course. Not only that, he declares himself a changed man, and he truly seems to be. She even finds herself falling for him again. But when he makes a move to take over her family’s business, Abbie’s not certain she’ll ever be able to trust the only man she’s ever loved.


AND LOOK WHAT RUTHY'S GOT AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!!! Her first full-length historical novel, due to release on February 26th for Kindle and March 5th for paperback... A beautiful regency-styled story set on the South Dakota prairie where men and women strove to break ground and win hearts as they tackled the rugged task of settling raw, rural land.



THIS IS YOUR LINK TO PREORDER! 
 
How cool to see Tina Radcliffe's book featured on "The Great Love Inspired Author Search", a new Love Inspired promotion being offered to writers right now! Here's the link: 

Great Love Inspired Author Search

And congratulations to Tina!



AMISH SAFE HOUSEBy Debby GiustiHiding in Plain SightThe second thrilling Amish Witness Protection novel
After Julia Bradford’s son witnesses a gang shooting, hiding in witness protection on Abraham King’s Amish farm is the only hope the Englischer and her children have. Even as danger closes in, Julia is drawn to the community’s peaceful ways—and the ex-cop turned Amish protector. But when their location is discovered, can Abraham protect her family…and possibly have a future by her side?
 Pre-order HERE!
AMISH SAFE HOUSE  released in digital form on Friday and  the print version will be available on Feb 5.  Walmart should have copies on that day as well!
Check out The Suspense Zone, Featuring an interview with Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author Debby GiustiGoes live Feb 4, 2019 and runs throughout the month. Enter the Suspense Zone Contest to win a copy ofAMISH SAFE HOUSE. 
Be sure to read the February issue of FAMILY FICTION MAGAZINE for a great interview with Debby Giusti!



And Jan has a cover reveal!

This collection of Christmas novellas from Bethany House will be released September 3rd! Click Here to pre-order your copy!


"I've Interviewed 300 High Achievers About Their Morning Routines. Here's What I've Learned." by Benjamin Spall at the New York Times--Smarter Living blog.

How To Advance Your Plot with Careful Scene Design-5 Steps by CS Lakin at Live Write Thrive

Rants & Raves with Amanda Cabot: Compounds Sentences and Conjunctive Adverbs by Amanda Cabot at An Indie Adventure


FAQ on Controlled Digital Lending (CDL) by the National Writers Union

Celebrating Love!

Happy Valentine’s Day to all you wonderful Villagers! We’re so happy to share the holiday with you! Today (and tomorrow), we'll celebrate romance, friendship, and family (relatives, writer family, online family, and even our 4-legged family members!). In other words, we’re celebrating LOVE in all its forms. We’re so thankful for the love, friendship and support we have here at Seekerville. Y’all are the very best gift!
For our celebration, I asked our bloggers and others to share favorite memories of Valentine’s Day. I hope you enjoy these tributes to love! From Erica Vetsch: One of my favorite memories of Valentine’s Day happened several years ago. My husband brought me flowers. This is a rare occurrence ‘round here, as my husband is all about growing flowers not buying ‘dead ones.’ :)He brought me the prettiest little bouquet of Peruvian Lilies in paper wrapping. Pink with faint brown flecks down their throats. They probably cost $5.00 at the grocery store, but it didn’t matter that it wasn’t two dozen red roses with greenery and baby’s breath.  He’d brought me flowers in the middle of the Minnesota winter.He’s brought me flowers before and since, but the reason this time stands out is that I was feeling particularly down (winter is a tough time for me as I fight seasonal depression) and those flowers chirked me up no end. Not only that, they lasted for a full five weeks! I’ve never seen the like. I remember it well, because my birthday comes five weeks after Valentine’s Day, and I still had those flowers cheering me right up. From Ruthy Logan Herne:
Romantic Valentine's Days are those things stories are made of... in other words, they haven't exactly been the reality around the farm, LOL! So instead of sitting around, I would always do something special for the kids for Valentine's Day.
I’d make cookies and put them in a decorated box, all trimmed out, just like they show on the Nestle Morsels commercial! And I'd make little cards for them, and we'd have pretend mailboxes... and we'd put cards for each other (and Daddy, of course!) in the pretend mailboxes. We didn't worry about the sweetheart aspects because I'm pretty pragmatic about the whole thing... but I did like making it a special family thing, probably because it's February and we were trapped in the house other than school or work. Doing a special Valentine's Day supper and our "post office" was a bright ray in a very long "short" month! 
photo by Missy Tippens

From Faye Wilson Walton: Valentine's Day, 2007, we were less than a week away from getting married. Needless to say, between work, the wedding plans, and finding an apartment to live in, we barely had time to breathe. We met at a local pizza place (which, sadly, has since closed) and ate pizza. While we were enjoying being together and enjoying one of our favorite foods, I told him we should make eating pizza a tradition for Valentine's Day. Ever since then, for most Valentine's Days, we have had pizza. In fact, we even have plans to have that this week. As it happens, we have been going full throttle with our busy schedules. We're looking forward to having pizza at another local pizza place just down the road from our house and having a fun conversation.
From Mindy Obenhaus: The first year my husband and I were married he asked me where I wanted to go for dinner. I told him he’d better make reservations, but he said, “Why? It’s only a Wednesday. It’s not like Valentines is that big a deal.”  When we got to the restaurant, there was a minimum hour wait. Same at the next restaurant. I finally told him to swing by the grocery store and I’d pick up one of the surf and turf packages they offered and cook it at home.They were all out. We ended up buying fried chicken and eating at home. After that, I decided we would never go out on Valentine’s Day again. Instead, I’d fix the two of us a restaurant-worthy dinner at home, complete with china and crystal. I got my fancy meal and flowers and we were never disappointed again.
From Mary Connealy: My Cowboy used to get a Valentine for me and a smaller one for each of the girls. One year, for example, before my fourth daughter was born, he bought me three roses and each of the girls one rose...for a total of half dozen. One year he bought me a large bouquet and three small bouquets for the girls. I remember one year a neighbor was babysitting for my daughters and My Cowboy was scheduled to pick them up. He took a flower to the neighbor lady. Later she told me that single rose was all she got. Her husband didn't get her anything. She said, "Your husband gave me a better Valentine than my husband." Anyway, she said it with a smile on her face and it warmed my heart that My Cowboy was spreading flowers near and far.

From Ruthy Logan Herne: We've had one funeral home in town for as long as I can remember. It's a small town, but with about 8,000 people, that funeral home does a steady business as babies come and old folks go and every year the funeral director takes all the new widowers and widows out for a Valentine's Day lunch. They don't all come... but they're all invited. And he makes sure they're not spending that first Valentine's Day alone.


From Jan Drexler: My favorite Valentine's memory:
Years ago, when our children ranged in age from one to ten years old, I wanted to be able to take them places (like the library) while my husband was at work. A new wagon had just come on the market from Little Tykes. I'm sure you've seen them: a seat at each end and spot in the middle for the children's feet. I had my heart set on that wagon. It was perfect. But I also knew how tight our budget was. There was no way we could afford it.
But on Valentine's Day, my husband gave me a HUGE package - you guessed it. It was my wagon!

Was it flowers? Candy? A nice dinner out? No. But it was the most romantic present he ever gave me, because he put my wants and needs first.
From Winnie Griggs: I don't really have a memory to share per se, but I will say this.  My birthday falls on the day before Valentine's Day so it would be very easy for my hubby to do a two-for-one (as many did when I was younger), but instead he is always great about marking each day with a small gift of some sort. Always makes me feel special 
From Carrie Schmidt: My parents always used to make fun scavenger hunts for us around the house for our Valentine's candy. They would create a rhyming clue that would point us to the next clue location. My brother (5 years younger than me) delighted in running from clue to clue but as soon as we would find the next clue, he'd hand it to me and start running toward the next clue ... before he knew where it was! LOL. I would read it and holler out to him to go to such and such an object or room. He'd beat me there and we'd start the pattern again. Then my mom would make a fun dinner with pats of butter cut out in the shape of hearts, applesauce with those red-hot hearts melted in it, some sort of entree/veggies, and dessert was usually angel food cake cut in heart shapes with strawberries and chocolate drizzle. Always a holiday I looked forward to!
From Sandy Smith: I will submit a romantic moment memory. It wasn’t Valentine’s Day but it was when I first started dating my husband. He had invited me over to his house for a meal he had cooked. Throughout the meal, he kept pouring me more water and kept asking if I needed more. I kept telling him I was fine. Finally, I excused myself to use the restroom. When I walked into the bathroom, I saw a bouquet of red roses. I thought this guy really decorated his house well to keep roses in the bathroom. It took me a moment to realize the roses were for me and he kept giving me water in hopes I would need to use that room!

From Cindy Regnier: The first Valentine’s Day after our third child was born, I wanted to do something special for my husband. I had a tie tack made for him with the three birthstones of our children. Unbeknownst to me, my husband was having a ring made for me with the same birthstones. I can just imagine that I-know-a-secret smile on the face of the jeweler who made both pieces on the same day! 
From Audra Harders: Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday, hands down. Hearts and love flung across the television and the US postal system like confetting, the holiday cheer wrapping everyone with warm fuzzies. Well, at least that was the consensus at my house, LOL! From the time they were very young, my kids were convinced Valentines Day was the forgotten national holiday!! 

So, fast forward to my daughter's freshman year of college. Oh, she was a wild one and a handful to manage throughout all her growing years, but once she left for college, she discovered the consequences of her actions lay solely on her shoulders. That said, one evening she and some friends went out and had a bit too much fun. Picture 3am, back in the dorm room and my daughter's roommate on the phone to her parents wailing about the fallout of their party-ing. When roommate got off the phone, she looked at my daughter and asked her of our reaction. My daughter shrugged and said, "are you kidding me? I'm not waking my mom up at 3am on her favorite holiday to tell her I got in trouble. I'll wait until I know she's had at least 2 cups of coffee in her and has opened a cute card from my dad!" 

My daughter remains to this day, a very astute young lady, LOL.

From Missy Tippens: Most of my favorite memories of Valentine’s Day are from childhood. I remember really looking forward to the gifts my parents (actually, my mom did the purchasing) would leave for my sister and me—usually something personal like underwear or pajamas with hearts on them or cute socks. And of course, a small heart-shaped box of chocolates! Those gifts always made me feel special.
Okay, readers, what about you? Would you like to share a memory? Let’s celebrate the many kinds of love! We will also have a surprise giveaway or two down in the comments. So leave a comment if you’d like to be entered! (Winners announced in the Weekend Edition.)
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

The Joy in History for Writers

by multi-published, award-winning author Ruth Logan Herne

This is not your typical boring "here's why I love history" blogs.

If it is, I apologize, that wasn't the goal, #EPICFAIL.

But it's not, I can tell already, because if you don't have the proper love and respect and kind of AWE of what people did to claim half-a-continent as their own (by some good and some heinous means) then dudes... y'all are readin' the wrong books.

Or you slept through history class.

Or you're young enough and have been taught either:

1. Very little history
2. Shaded history
3. Alternative Fact History

But in spite of that, you're here, and while I love the image of guys who wrestled cows and rode horses and built cabins and barns and plowed land behind a stubborn as heck mule.... or two...

It's the women that made history come alive, that made things work, that became the jelly between the two slices of fresh-grained bread.


And I hope that's what I bring across in my new anthology and the  Prairie Brides novels that follow it.

(Come on, you knew I must have some experience with historicals or I wouldn't be writin' this, correct???)

I've written eight "prairie" novellas, and I love them. I look back at these times when women were fighting for the right to vote...

OH MY STARS.... we had to fight for the right to vote, are you kidding me? (This galls me, the fact that women had to fight for rights... but yay! We did it! Yay us!!!)

In some states we couldn't own property. And if we did and had the audacity to get married, we had to cede it over to our husbands.

(Give me a minute, I'm processing this.... And breathing....)

Okay, I can breathe again. Barely.

I love stories that champion women. I love empowering women to be all that they can be, and that could be the Yankee in me or the snark...

Either way, it works because the good Lord made us strong in the image of his sweet Mama who followed him to the cross so how can we be weak?

We can't.

So in this small western town, we have a delightful middle-aged somewhat bossy seamstress who isn't afraid to use her clout and her instincts to make things better and when she starts bringing single women west, the men of Second Chance won't know what hit them... and that's just the way it should be! :)

I'm giving away an e-copy or a print copy of this delightful group of stories today, but you have to play along... who is your favorite historical character and why?

Mine is Ben Franklin. I use so many of his nuggets of wisdom and I love that he was always inventing things. He was so stinkin' smart!

I'm sure he had his faults, but gosh... I would love to just sit and have a conversation with that man sometime.

Extremely cool person.

Okay, coffee's on, you know what to do and I can't wait to talk historicals with youse!!!! Because I love 'em so much!

Multi-published, award-winning author Ruth Logan Herne likes to make things up. She does it a lot. And now they pay her for it, so she's pretty sure she's the luckiest woman on earth. Find her on Twitter, friend her on Facebook or email her at loganherne@gmail.com or spin by her website ruthloganherne.com She loves to hear from readers and writers!