Erica Vetsch's Blog, page 129
September 10, 2018
Write What You Don’t Know by Melanie Dobson
Melanie Dickerson here, and my guest is none other than the other Melanie D, Melanie Dobson! That's right, there are two Melanie D's in Christian fiction. Melanie and I also share an agent, Natasha Kern, which is how we ended up getting to meet in person, sitting together at an ACFW banquet. Melanie Dobson was just as sweet and delightful to talk to as I could have imagined her to be. And we did get a picture together, but alas, my photos are woefully unorganized and I couldn't find it in order to post it today. You'll have to imagine the two of us together, smiling and having fun.
September 9, 2018
Charting Your Path to Success—One Step at a Time
by Guest McCall Hoyle
If you’ve been writing long enough, you’ve heard more than your fair share of advice. If you haven’t been writing long or don’t believe me, open your Pinterest or Twitter app, and search writing. You’ll be inundated with advice and pearls of wisdom on how to outline a book, finish a book, and sell a book. One of my favorite motivational nuggets is: writing isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. The truth is, sometimes the race to publication feels way longer than a 26.2-mile endurance run. Sometimes it feels like a barefooted-uphill-battle in the jungle. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel, the end of the race, and at the top of the hill. The good news is that each of us can finish what we start, whether it’s a physical challenge or a writing challenge, if we just keep putting one word, one goal, one foot in front of the other. And there are a few things we can do to make life a little easier no matter where we start. First, we can set goals. We can choose whatever we like, but we must set them, write them down, and tell someone else about them so that we’re accountable to someone. Several years ago, my goals included entering contests that required longer and longer entries until I had a substantial chunk of a manuscript. Then my goal was to finish a manuscript and enter the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Contest, which leads me to the second thing that helped me accomplish my ultimate goal—publication. Finding a tribe of like-minded writers is invaluable. I found my people at Georgia Romance Writers. I found my critique partner at my first GRW Moonlight and Magnolia Conference, and I started learning about the business of writing which is almost as important as the craft of writing.
Remember how I wanted to enter the Golden Heart Contest? Well, I did enter, partially because it was a goal that I had written down and worked toward in increments and partially because I’m really stubborn and determined. I finaled and won the young adult category in 2014 with the manuscript that would become my first published novel, The Thing with Feathers. I finaled again in 2016 with a manuscript that hasn’t sold yet—The Other Cheek. The greatest prize that came out of those contests was the lasting relationships I’ve built with my Dreamweaver and Mermaid sisters. Finally, we have to challenge ourselves to take risks. We have to take classes that push us out of our comfort zone, and we have to open ourselves up to rejection from all over the place—contest judges, potential agents and editors, readers, even our own well-meaning critique partners. Some of us may start strong out of the gate, writing thousands of words in one sitting. Some of us might experience a runner’s high when we hit the 13.1-mile midpoint of our current manuscript and fall in love with our heroine or sell our first manuscript. A few of us will even sprint to the finish, arms up, smiling for the cameras and writing the closing-scene-to-end-all-closing-scenes. A few of us might even support ourselves as full-time writers. But when our calves scream, the words don’t come, and the rejection letters pile up, we must remember to run our own races and more importantly to support each other along the way. We can’t be sucked into the muddy quagmire of competition. There is no competition in the creative or the spiritual realm. In fact, it’s been my personal experience that when I help other writers, the universe repays me forty-fold, and this is usually when I learn the most about myself as well as my writing. In fact, instead of falling into the competition trap. We should focus on the gift of community and seek out other writers who enjoy the collaborating and cheering for one another—much like the Seekerville bloggers have done here and much like I do with my Golden Heart sisters. The marathon that is writing and publishing doesn’t have to be solitary. Pretty much everything I have learned about the craft and business of writing I’ve learned from communities of writers who welcomed me with open arms.
So here’s my advice, run your own race, my friend. Forget competition. Set goals that work for you. Work toward them in increments, and fearlessly force yourself to take risks. Celebrate every mile marker along the way, no matter how quickly or slowly you reach it. If you’re lucky, you might learn to catch your breath and enjoy the water breaks at the end of each chapter. If you’re really good, you’ll learn to savor the bananas and bagels at the finish and to celebrate your peers too. So fire up that laptop and let me hear those words hitting the page, like a fresh pair of running shoes on the road to success. On your mark. Get set. Go. *********Missy again: I have loved McCall's books, so be sure to check out her newest release! Let's chat today about charting your path to success and moving along one step at a time.
Meet the Sky Seventeen-year-old Sophie wants to keep her fractured family together. She's all about sticking to a plan--keeping the family business running, saving money for college, and making sure her mom and sister don't endure another tragedy. Then a hurricane forms off the coast of the Outer Banks, and Sophie realizes nature is the one thing she can't control. To make matters worse, she's stranded in the middle of the storm with Finn, the boy who broke her heart freshman year.
Click here to view visit McCall's website so you can find the book on the different book seller sites!
Click here to visit the new release on Amazon.
McCall Hoyle writes young adult novels about friendship, first love, and girls finding the strength to overcome great challenges. Her second novel, Meet the Sky, released September 4, 2018 from HarperCollins/Blink. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s spending time with her family and their odd assortment of pets. She has an English degree from Columbia College and a master’s degree from Georgia State University. She lives in a cottage in the woods in North Georgia where she reads and writes every day.Find her:Instagram: @mccallhoylebooksTwitter: @MccallHoyleFacebook: McCallHoyleBooksWebsite: http://mccallhoyle.com
If you’ve been writing long enough, you’ve heard more than your fair share of advice. If you haven’t been writing long or don’t believe me, open your Pinterest or Twitter app, and search writing. You’ll be inundated with advice and pearls of wisdom on how to outline a book, finish a book, and sell a book. One of my favorite motivational nuggets is: writing isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. The truth is, sometimes the race to publication feels way longer than a 26.2-mile endurance run. Sometimes it feels like a barefooted-uphill-battle in the jungle. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel, the end of the race, and at the top of the hill. The good news is that each of us can finish what we start, whether it’s a physical challenge or a writing challenge, if we just keep putting one word, one goal, one foot in front of the other. And there are a few things we can do to make life a little easier no matter where we start. First, we can set goals. We can choose whatever we like, but we must set them, write them down, and tell someone else about them so that we’re accountable to someone. Several years ago, my goals included entering contests that required longer and longer entries until I had a substantial chunk of a manuscript. Then my goal was to finish a manuscript and enter the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Contest, which leads me to the second thing that helped me accomplish my ultimate goal—publication. Finding a tribe of like-minded writers is invaluable. I found my people at Georgia Romance Writers. I found my critique partner at my first GRW Moonlight and Magnolia Conference, and I started learning about the business of writing which is almost as important as the craft of writing.
Remember how I wanted to enter the Golden Heart Contest? Well, I did enter, partially because it was a goal that I had written down and worked toward in increments and partially because I’m really stubborn and determined. I finaled and won the young adult category in 2014 with the manuscript that would become my first published novel, The Thing with Feathers. I finaled again in 2016 with a manuscript that hasn’t sold yet—The Other Cheek. The greatest prize that came out of those contests was the lasting relationships I’ve built with my Dreamweaver and Mermaid sisters. Finally, we have to challenge ourselves to take risks. We have to take classes that push us out of our comfort zone, and we have to open ourselves up to rejection from all over the place—contest judges, potential agents and editors, readers, even our own well-meaning critique partners. Some of us may start strong out of the gate, writing thousands of words in one sitting. Some of us might experience a runner’s high when we hit the 13.1-mile midpoint of our current manuscript and fall in love with our heroine or sell our first manuscript. A few of us will even sprint to the finish, arms up, smiling for the cameras and writing the closing-scene-to-end-all-closing-scenes. A few of us might even support ourselves as full-time writers. But when our calves scream, the words don’t come, and the rejection letters pile up, we must remember to run our own races and more importantly to support each other along the way. We can’t be sucked into the muddy quagmire of competition. There is no competition in the creative or the spiritual realm. In fact, it’s been my personal experience that when I help other writers, the universe repays me forty-fold, and this is usually when I learn the most about myself as well as my writing. In fact, instead of falling into the competition trap. We should focus on the gift of community and seek out other writers who enjoy the collaborating and cheering for one another—much like the Seekerville bloggers have done here and much like I do with my Golden Heart sisters. The marathon that is writing and publishing doesn’t have to be solitary. Pretty much everything I have learned about the craft and business of writing I’ve learned from communities of writers who welcomed me with open arms.
So here’s my advice, run your own race, my friend. Forget competition. Set goals that work for you. Work toward them in increments, and fearlessly force yourself to take risks. Celebrate every mile marker along the way, no matter how quickly or slowly you reach it. If you’re lucky, you might learn to catch your breath and enjoy the water breaks at the end of each chapter. If you’re really good, you’ll learn to savor the bananas and bagels at the finish and to celebrate your peers too. So fire up that laptop and let me hear those words hitting the page, like a fresh pair of running shoes on the road to success. On your mark. Get set. Go. *********Missy again: I have loved McCall's books, so be sure to check out her newest release! Let's chat today about charting your path to success and moving along one step at a time.
Meet the Sky Seventeen-year-old Sophie wants to keep her fractured family together. She's all about sticking to a plan--keeping the family business running, saving money for college, and making sure her mom and sister don't endure another tragedy. Then a hurricane forms off the coast of the Outer Banks, and Sophie realizes nature is the one thing she can't control. To make matters worse, she's stranded in the middle of the storm with Finn, the boy who broke her heart freshman year.
Click here to view visit McCall's website so you can find the book on the different book seller sites!
Click here to visit the new release on Amazon.
McCall Hoyle writes young adult novels about friendship, first love, and girls finding the strength to overcome great challenges. Her second novel, Meet the Sky, released September 4, 2018 from HarperCollins/Blink. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s spending time with her family and their odd assortment of pets. She has an English degree from Columbia College and a master’s degree from Georgia State University. She lives in a cottage in the woods in North Georgia where she reads and writes every day.Find her:Instagram: @mccallhoylebooksTwitter: @MccallHoyleFacebook: McCallHoyleBooksWebsite: http://mccallhoyle.com
September 7, 2018
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: We just enjoyed a quiet Labor Day break
Tuesday: Mary Connealy was here talking about her new release and Createspace. The winner of an ebook of her newest release, Loving the Texas Negotiator is Robin E. Mason
Wednesday: Mindy Obenhaus gave us some tips for working through the blockage When the Words Get Stuck
Thursday: Jan hosted Meghan Carver, who helped explore why we continue to love Amish fiction so much! The winner of Amish Country Amnesia is Walt Mussell!
Friday: Carrie hosted Elaine Stock, who tempted us all with cinnamon rolls and vanilla french horns & shared 8 lessons that working in a bakery has taught her about love and writing romance. The winner of And You Came Along (the companion novella to her new book Christmas Love Year Round ) is Winnie Thomas!
Monday: Welcome McCall Hoyle! She'll be talking about "Charting Your Path to Success--One Step at a Time." We'll also be celebrating her new release, Meet the Sky!
Tuesday: Melanie Dobson is our guest! The two Melanie D's will be together on one blog post as Melanie Dickerson hosts Melanie Dobson as she talks about "Write What You Don't Know." Come by for a chance to win a copy of her new, exciting WWII novel, Hidden Among the Stars.
Wednesday: We get a dose of Ruthyisms on Wednesday as she talks more about reality in fiction... and real in life. Come by, see if you can relate to the difference between telling a story and inducing the reader to live the story you're telling. Ruthy's got a brand new, never-been-chewed-by-a-dog-or-toddler copy of "At Home in Wishing Bridge" for one lucky winner! Friday: Annie of Just Commonly is back chatting on The Things We Say!
Melanie Dickerson's first Southern Historical Romance has released! Want this sweet Southern Zorro to quote poetry to you in a warm Southern drawl? Then download to Kindle, read on KU, or buy the paperback.
And to celebrate? Join JustRead Publicity Tour on a Blitz with stops and a tour-wide giveaway, starting Monday, September 10th!
Ruthy is happy to celebrate the release of her third Guideposts mystery "Catch of the Day"!!!
Guideposts books aren't available in stores, they ship directly to your house... HERE'S THE LINK!!!
Ruthy has absolutely loved being part of this series and she's got a copy of this wonderful book to send out.... to one happy reader or writer! Just mention that you'd like to get it in the comments, darlings!The release date for Jan Drexler's newest book is only a couple weeks away! You can preorder your copy through Barnes and Noble or Amazon, or anywhere else fine books are sold.
Rosie Glick's story available for pre-order!
AMISH CHRISTMAS SECRETS By Debby Giusti Pre-order here!
How Frequently Should I Publish on Social Media? A HubSpot Experiment by Daria Marmer on HubSpot Marketing.
How Long Should it Take to Write a Book? by Merilyn Simonds at Jane Friedman's blog.
5 Reasons This is the Best Time to be a Creator by Joanna Penn at her blog.
Industry Sales Update from Publishers Weekly
September 6, 2018
8 Lessons that Working in a Bakery has Taught Me About Love and Writing Romance
by Elaine Stock
Hi Seekerville dear ones! And HAPPY FRIDAY!! Carrie here, at least momentarily. Today I have the utmost privilege of hosting my friend, Elaine Stock, as she shares the lessons she's learned about love and writing romance from her work environment. In a bakery. Color me officially jealous.
Grab one of these virtual cinnamon rolls (no calories! Bliss.) and let's spend some time with Elaine Stock...
Heartfelt thanks and much appreciation to Carrie and the rest of the Seekerville team for hosting me again.
I work in a retail bakery (thus the virtual cinnamon rolls and vanilla French horns I brought today for you to enjoy), which provides me with the delight of giving, getting, and enjoying—great lessons when it comes to writing romances. In this work environment where sugar, rising yeasty dough, and creamy chocolate regularly waft up to my willing and ready sniffer to inhale, I’ve discovered it’s also a great place to check out all types of love.
1. Sweetness is always in season
There are many seasons in the bakery world. A smart retailer hits the marketing of the holidays: New Years, Valentine’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day and right through Christmas. They also manage to create the in-between celebrations from Green-For-Spring and Fall Foliage that includes apple cider doughnuts to pumpkin pies. Note: I’m writing this article in August and yep, those apple cider doughnuts are already out! However, the season of love is year round, just as the characters in my newest novel, Christmas Love Year Round, discover.
Here are some things I’ve observed about romance and love:
The season of ordering a cake for a gender-reveal party and watching the mom-to-be glow with anticipation while she looks adoringly at her husband standing beside her.
The customer who keeps a furtive look over her shoulder, making sure no one sees her ordering a “surprise” birthday cake with the inscription of I Will Love You Always.
The bittersweet phone order from a grandma whose 2-year-old granddaughter won’t be able to see or taste the cake or hear the Happy Birthday song they’ll sing… or the eighty-something-old woman who orders a birthday cake with the writing of We Miss You Daddy.
Love is year round. This is the exact lesson that Cami and Gavin learn in my newest release. Many people experience a surge of love and forgiveness during the Christmas holiday season but often forget that our Father wants us to love year round. And by love, this means all others, even former enemies as these two are. To love someone with all of your heart is the only thing that matters in this world.
2. You can’t hide from anyone.
I began working in this bakery after a 12-year stint at a national café chain. When I chose last October to leave my former job I’d envisioned making a clean getaway from my old place of work. Oh, how I was wrong. Daily, I see many former customers I’d waited on and had gotten to know on a first-name basis. I can still tell you their personal food preferences. Scary, huh?
I’ve had to face the news: I can’t hide from others. Isn’t this true in romance? Love always catchesup with those who are destined to fall in love. Cami and Gavin certainly couldn’t hide from each other. She’d joined other kids back during their school years to bully Gavin and his family. After high school she went her way by marrying, becoming a pre-school director and wife then a widowed mom. He tried to escape by enlisting in the Air Force then living outside of their hometown of Kindred Lake. What happens? They become neighbors! Yep, no escaping.
3. We’re all different; we’re all the same.
Perhaps I’ve been slowly picking this lesson up through the years, but it wasn’t until this bakery position did I truly absorb that while I’m an individual with various particularities that makes me me and uniquely different from others, it’s all okay.
This lesson helped me to vary both the major and minor characters in my new romance. It also helped me to inject the spice of the unexpected. I hope my readers will appreciate these story elements and see how it influenced the characters to relate—or not relate—to each other.
4. Clean is good.
In any kind of food business, there is the dreaded inspection, both planned and unannounced, to check up on food, quality, and health issues. This can happen on either the corporate or state or national level. Let alone, this must happen on the individual employee level, aka, having a conscience, decency, and good morals. No one should want to spread germs, sell out-dated or damaged product, or foster a bad customer service environment. Clean is good!
Many of you read and write what’s known in the book industry as clean romance. I do as well. We tend to like the bedroom door closed. We’re thrilled to see how a man and a woman can fall in love and stay in love and define what love is rather than to explore any kind of sensual mechanics that might fall into the Rated R or I’m-out-of-here categories.
5. Pacing, timing, and leave her alone.
This was one of the most abject lessons I’d recently encountered: I was called from the freezer to the front counter to wait on a customer. Rather than finding one woman, there were two. I asked the woman standing closest to me whether I could help her. Dressed in ruffled clothing, with her gray hair disheveled, and a growing snarl she shouted in high-test volume “What? Do I look like I need help?” Hmm. Okay. I guessed not, after all.
This leave-me-alone lesson can definitely be applied to characters. Whether you’re a plotter or pantser (and I’m the latter), try as you may to control your characters and their destiny, even fictional people have a mind and will of their own. Give them lots of space and time and they’ll come around. If they don’t, maybe there’s an excellent reason and it’s time to put on the thinking caps again.
6. Baby, it’s cold in here.
You’d think working in a bakery means standing perpetually by a hot oven and attempting not to sweat to the point of embarrassment. My grandfather, who was a professional baker and worked overnight back in his day without all the modern equipment, might have daydreamed about jumping into a swimming pool, but believe me, it’s really a cold working environment. No wonder why I was given a felt jacket and freezer coats are available.
But, ah, imagine adding the zest between two characters who need to literally warm up from the winter’s cold? Or perhaps the opposite, having to cool off from the summer’s heat… yet with the romance between them beginning to sizzle, there’s no cooling off (yes, I’m grinning).
Good thing Cami and Gavin had a wiggling puppy to hold between them to add a bit of warmth. And an oven to pull home-baked cookies out from. And hot cocoa. You get the picture, I’m sure.
7. That song again? Really?
Ack. That piped-in muzak! You hear it everywhere—from banks, your fave coffee shop, and yes, the restaurant’s powder room. And uh-huh, I hear the same old songs every day at work that once upon a time I used to enjoy but no more.
Yet, there’s a reason why many readers love romances, and why, thankfully, they can never get enough of them. It’s because love is beautiful. Love is a blessing, to receive and to give. To cherish. It made grandma sigh and fueled a lover to go fight the bad guys so he can make a safe haven for his beloved. Love makes us all want to make up after a spat because it hurts too much to be upset with a loved one who loves us as equally and fiercely as we love him or her.
The love song, whether audio wise or heart wise, will always rock!
8. Yes, you can have chocolate.
These days, unless you have an allergy to chocolate, it’s become a bit easier to enjoy the sweet, though of course, moderation is always best. Sadly, the past year has found me lactose intolerant as well as unable to handle butter. Do you realize how much milk and butter is in baked goods? But, oh my, I work in a chocolate-surrounded, milk-is-us, and butter-is-holy environment. By the weekend when my sweet tooth acts up, I cave. What’s a gal to do? Lactaid pills to the rescue… but definitely, only certain sweets and within sensible measures. And my conclusion…
Chocolate. It’s the food of romance. And for a reason!
Go forth, and continue to enjoy reading and writing those romances.
With the Pre-Sale of Christmas Love Year Round, for the bargain price of only 99 cents, in progress now until the book’s release on September 25th, I’m offering 1 viewer the choice between a print (US only) or Kindle edition of this novel’s “companion novella,” And You Came Along.
Elaine Stock is the author of the novels Her Good Girl, winner of the 2018 American Fiction Awards in the Christian Inspirational category plus the Silver Metal winner in the 2018 Readers Favorite Awards in the Christian Fiction genre. Her debut novel, Always With You, won the 2017 Christian Small Publishers Association Book of the Year Award in fiction. And You Came Along, a novella, released in December 2017. Her novels fuse romance, family drama and faith in a clean fiction style. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and Women’s Fiction Writers Association. In addition to Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, she hangs out on her active blog, Everyone’s Story, dedicated to uplifting and encouraging all readers through the power of story and hope.
Born in Brooklyn, NY, Elaine has now been living in upstate, rural New York with her husband for more years than her stint as a NYC gal. She enjoys long walks down country roads, visiting New England towns, and of course, a good book.
You can connect with Elaine on her website, the Everyone's Story blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
Her new book Christmas Love Year Round releases for Kindle on September 25 and can be preordered HERE for only $0.99!
Cami Richardson is good at chasing away the men in her life: first Gavin Kinkaid, a former classmate she’d helped to bully, and later, her husband who left her widowed and a single mom. Now all she wants is to bring a smile back to her eight-year-old son. What she doesn’t expect is for Gavin to become her new neighbor.
Gavin wants to settle down after serving in the Air Force and mend the separation between him and his dad. What he doesn't count on is his changing feelings when he sees Cami as a kind woman instead of his former adversary.
When Cami’s son blindsides them both during the Christmas season, is their reunion at risk or will it grow stronger?
Comment below to be entered in giveaway for winner's choice between a print (US only) or Kindle version of And You Came Along, the companion novella to Christmas Love Year Round.
What is your favorite baked good?
Which of Elaine's observations resonated most with you?
Hi Seekerville dear ones! And HAPPY FRIDAY!! Carrie here, at least momentarily. Today I have the utmost privilege of hosting my friend, Elaine Stock, as she shares the lessons she's learned about love and writing romance from her work environment. In a bakery. Color me officially jealous.
Grab one of these virtual cinnamon rolls (no calories! Bliss.) and let's spend some time with Elaine Stock...
Heartfelt thanks and much appreciation to Carrie and the rest of the Seekerville team for hosting me again.
I work in a retail bakery (thus the virtual cinnamon rolls and vanilla French horns I brought today for you to enjoy), which provides me with the delight of giving, getting, and enjoying—great lessons when it comes to writing romances. In this work environment where sugar, rising yeasty dough, and creamy chocolate regularly waft up to my willing and ready sniffer to inhale, I’ve discovered it’s also a great place to check out all types of love.
1. Sweetness is always in season
There are many seasons in the bakery world. A smart retailer hits the marketing of the holidays: New Years, Valentine’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day and right through Christmas. They also manage to create the in-between celebrations from Green-For-Spring and Fall Foliage that includes apple cider doughnuts to pumpkin pies. Note: I’m writing this article in August and yep, those apple cider doughnuts are already out! However, the season of love is year round, just as the characters in my newest novel, Christmas Love Year Round, discover.Here are some things I’ve observed about romance and love:
The season of ordering a cake for a gender-reveal party and watching the mom-to-be glow with anticipation while she looks adoringly at her husband standing beside her.
The customer who keeps a furtive look over her shoulder, making sure no one sees her ordering a “surprise” birthday cake with the inscription of I Will Love You Always.
The bittersweet phone order from a grandma whose 2-year-old granddaughter won’t be able to see or taste the cake or hear the Happy Birthday song they’ll sing… or the eighty-something-old woman who orders a birthday cake with the writing of We Miss You Daddy.
Love is year round. This is the exact lesson that Cami and Gavin learn in my newest release. Many people experience a surge of love and forgiveness during the Christmas holiday season but often forget that our Father wants us to love year round. And by love, this means all others, even former enemies as these two are. To love someone with all of your heart is the only thing that matters in this world.
2. You can’t hide from anyone.
I began working in this bakery after a 12-year stint at a national café chain. When I chose last October to leave my former job I’d envisioned making a clean getaway from my old place of work. Oh, how I was wrong. Daily, I see many former customers I’d waited on and had gotten to know on a first-name basis. I can still tell you their personal food preferences. Scary, huh?
I’ve had to face the news: I can’t hide from others. Isn’t this true in romance? Love always catchesup with those who are destined to fall in love. Cami and Gavin certainly couldn’t hide from each other. She’d joined other kids back during their school years to bully Gavin and his family. After high school she went her way by marrying, becoming a pre-school director and wife then a widowed mom. He tried to escape by enlisting in the Air Force then living outside of their hometown of Kindred Lake. What happens? They become neighbors! Yep, no escaping.
3. We’re all different; we’re all the same.
Perhaps I’ve been slowly picking this lesson up through the years, but it wasn’t until this bakery position did I truly absorb that while I’m an individual with various particularities that makes me me and uniquely different from others, it’s all okay.
This lesson helped me to vary both the major and minor characters in my new romance. It also helped me to inject the spice of the unexpected. I hope my readers will appreciate these story elements and see how it influenced the characters to relate—or not relate—to each other.
4. Clean is good.In any kind of food business, there is the dreaded inspection, both planned and unannounced, to check up on food, quality, and health issues. This can happen on either the corporate or state or national level. Let alone, this must happen on the individual employee level, aka, having a conscience, decency, and good morals. No one should want to spread germs, sell out-dated or damaged product, or foster a bad customer service environment. Clean is good!
Many of you read and write what’s known in the book industry as clean romance. I do as well. We tend to like the bedroom door closed. We’re thrilled to see how a man and a woman can fall in love and stay in love and define what love is rather than to explore any kind of sensual mechanics that might fall into the Rated R or I’m-out-of-here categories.
5. Pacing, timing, and leave her alone.
This was one of the most abject lessons I’d recently encountered: I was called from the freezer to the front counter to wait on a customer. Rather than finding one woman, there were two. I asked the woman standing closest to me whether I could help her. Dressed in ruffled clothing, with her gray hair disheveled, and a growing snarl she shouted in high-test volume “What? Do I look like I need help?” Hmm. Okay. I guessed not, after all.
This leave-me-alone lesson can definitely be applied to characters. Whether you’re a plotter or pantser (and I’m the latter), try as you may to control your characters and their destiny, even fictional people have a mind and will of their own. Give them lots of space and time and they’ll come around. If they don’t, maybe there’s an excellent reason and it’s time to put on the thinking caps again.
6. Baby, it’s cold in here.
You’d think working in a bakery means standing perpetually by a hot oven and attempting not to sweat to the point of embarrassment. My grandfather, who was a professional baker and worked overnight back in his day without all the modern equipment, might have daydreamed about jumping into a swimming pool, but believe me, it’s really a cold working environment. No wonder why I was given a felt jacket and freezer coats are available.But, ah, imagine adding the zest between two characters who need to literally warm up from the winter’s cold? Or perhaps the opposite, having to cool off from the summer’s heat… yet with the romance between them beginning to sizzle, there’s no cooling off (yes, I’m grinning).
Good thing Cami and Gavin had a wiggling puppy to hold between them to add a bit of warmth. And an oven to pull home-baked cookies out from. And hot cocoa. You get the picture, I’m sure.
7. That song again? Really?
Ack. That piped-in muzak! You hear it everywhere—from banks, your fave coffee shop, and yes, the restaurant’s powder room. And uh-huh, I hear the same old songs every day at work that once upon a time I used to enjoy but no more.
Yet, there’s a reason why many readers love romances, and why, thankfully, they can never get enough of them. It’s because love is beautiful. Love is a blessing, to receive and to give. To cherish. It made grandma sigh and fueled a lover to go fight the bad guys so he can make a safe haven for his beloved. Love makes us all want to make up after a spat because it hurts too much to be upset with a loved one who loves us as equally and fiercely as we love him or her.
The love song, whether audio wise or heart wise, will always rock!
8. Yes, you can have chocolate.
These days, unless you have an allergy to chocolate, it’s become a bit easier to enjoy the sweet, though of course, moderation is always best. Sadly, the past year has found me lactose intolerant as well as unable to handle butter. Do you realize how much milk and butter is in baked goods? But, oh my, I work in a chocolate-surrounded, milk-is-us, and butter-is-holy environment. By the weekend when my sweet tooth acts up, I cave. What’s a gal to do? Lactaid pills to the rescue… but definitely, only certain sweets and within sensible measures. And my conclusion…
Chocolate. It’s the food of romance. And for a reason!
Go forth, and continue to enjoy reading and writing those romances.
With the Pre-Sale of Christmas Love Year Round, for the bargain price of only 99 cents, in progress now until the book’s release on September 25th, I’m offering 1 viewer the choice between a print (US only) or Kindle edition of this novel’s “companion novella,” And You Came Along.
Elaine Stock is the author of the novels Her Good Girl, winner of the 2018 American Fiction Awards in the Christian Inspirational category plus the Silver Metal winner in the 2018 Readers Favorite Awards in the Christian Fiction genre. Her debut novel, Always With You, won the 2017 Christian Small Publishers Association Book of the Year Award in fiction. And You Came Along, a novella, released in December 2017. Her novels fuse romance, family drama and faith in a clean fiction style. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and Women’s Fiction Writers Association. In addition to Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, she hangs out on her active blog, Everyone’s Story, dedicated to uplifting and encouraging all readers through the power of story and hope.
Born in Brooklyn, NY, Elaine has now been living in upstate, rural New York with her husband for more years than her stint as a NYC gal. She enjoys long walks down country roads, visiting New England towns, and of course, a good book.
You can connect with Elaine on her website, the Everyone's Story blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
Her new book Christmas Love Year Round releases for Kindle on September 25 and can be preordered HERE for only $0.99!Cami Richardson is good at chasing away the men in her life: first Gavin Kinkaid, a former classmate she’d helped to bully, and later, her husband who left her widowed and a single mom. Now all she wants is to bring a smile back to her eight-year-old son. What she doesn’t expect is for Gavin to become her new neighbor.
Gavin wants to settle down after serving in the Air Force and mend the separation between him and his dad. What he doesn't count on is his changing feelings when he sees Cami as a kind woman instead of his former adversary.
When Cami’s son blindsides them both during the Christmas season, is their reunion at risk or will it grow stronger?
Comment below to be entered in giveaway for winner's choice between a print (US only) or Kindle version of And You Came Along, the companion novella to Christmas Love Year Round.
What is your favorite baked good?
Which of Elaine's observations resonated most with you?
September 5, 2018
Why do we love Amish stories?
with Meghan Carver It was cold in that conference room at my very first writers conference in 2010. I had goose bumps up and down my arms, not only from the chill of the air conditioning but also from sheer nervousness. Jan Stob from Tyndale was the presenter at that particular session, and although I don’t remember much of what she said without going back to my notes, I do remember clearly her amazement that, after ten years, Amish stories remained mind-bogglingly popular.
Now, in 2018, they are still going strong. In fact, my publisher, Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense of Harlequin, is actively seeking Amish stories, and that’s provided a terrific opportunity for me and several other authors. There doesn’t seem to be any end in sight of the Amish wagon train.
Why? I had a few ideas of my own, but I also asked the question on Facebook in a fantastic group called Keeping Up with the Amish. (If you love Amish, find them and join. It’s a great group!)
So why do we love Amish stories?
Traditional values. The value of home life, respect for others, respect for life, obedience to God’s will, honesty, persistence, patience, helpfulness, a cheerful and thankful attitude. It’s like going back in time while still reading a contemporary story. Simple living. Okay, so the living may not really be that simple, but it sounds good in a book, doesn’t it? Some days, I would love to toss away my smartphone, get rid of my technology, and settle down for an evening with a book by lamplight. A gentle breeze fluttering the curtains. Wash drying on the line. Cows lowing in the pasture. Flowerbeds rioting with orange marigolds, pink zinnias, and purple petunias. Fresh-made lemonade on the porch. Can you feel your stress ebbing away?
Good food. Have you ever read an Amish book that doesn’t include a pie or a plate of cookies or some sticky buns? Tea and coffee? There just seems to be something comforting and wholesome about slicing through a berry pie and serving up a thick piece.
Family. I have six children, and I love my big family! About the only place left to find a big family, consistently, is the Amish. In Amish stories (apart from conflict necessary to move the story along), families are close-knit. Brothers and sisters get along and support each other. Aging parents live in the attached or nearby dawdi haus. Family is valued.
Community. Whether it’s a barn raising or a work frolic, the Amish really know how to come together and get something done in a cheerful manner. The combination of the words work and frolic say it all.
Faith. The love of God shines through in nearly everything they say and do. When a character has a struggle of faith (which happens in every book I write), in the end, they are reconciled to God and to others. It’s a happily-ever-after of faith!
Lack of focus on self. No selfies, no me-me-me, but a focus on serving others.
Home-economics-style skills. Quilting, canning and preserving, crocheting, wood-working, raising animals. Reading Amish books remind me of my 4-H days and the stories my mother would tell about the way she grew up in the 1930s and 40s.
Lack of technology. I have a love-hate relationship with technology, as I’m sure many people do. It is much too consuming and time-stealing, and yet it’s how we’re able to connect here at Seekerville. Holding a print book and reading about a simple people who have shunned most technology is a relaxing and stress-relieving exercise. Then, I log on to Amazon and leave a good review.
Many blessings and happy reading!
What would you add to this list?
One commenter will win a copy of Meghan's newest release, Amish Country Amnesia!
Amish Country Amnesia : His past is a mystery to everyone…except for the men trying to kill him.
When a snowmobile accident leaves a man injured and with no memory, Amish widow Sarah Burkholder and her young daughter rescue him. Even as Sarah’s feelings for him grow, they discover unknown assailants are after him—and Sarah and her little girl for helping him. But if he can remember who he is, he might just save all their lives.
A bit about Meghan: By sixth grade, Meghan Carver knew she wanted to write. After a degree in English from Millikin University, she detoured to law school, completing a Juris Doctorate from Indiana University. She then worked in immigration law and taught college level Composition. Now, she homeschools her six children with her husband. When she isn’t writing, homeschooling or planning another travel adventure, she is active in her church, sews and reads.
September 4, 2018
When the Words Get Stuck
By Mindy Obenhaus
Tell me if this has ever happened to you. You’re working on a manuscript, making all kinds of great progress, and then you get to the next scene and everything stalls. You know what’s going to happen, but the words just won’t come. It’s as though you’ve hit a brick wall and are helpless to move forward.
You step away from the computer. You pace, pondering the scene, the opening line, yet your mind is blank. Or whatever does pop in there sounds absolutely horrible. You get frustrated. Everything was flowing so smoothly. Now, it’s as though the words got jumbled together, creating a clog somewhere along the way and not a darn thing is coming out.
What’s a writer to do? I mean, you have a deadline. Even if you don’t, you want to keep pushing forward.
Take a break – Do some chores. Something as mundane as sorting laundry or doing dishes is often all it takes to get your brain moving in the right direction. Or take a walk. Enjoy nature and allow the fresh air to clear your mind.
Do something creative – Creativity often spurs creativity. Do you like to craft? Paint? Decorate? Cook? Or simply turn on the TV (I can’t believe I just said that) and watch someone else be creative. Food Network, HGTV, DIY Network, The Cooking Channel, YouTube. It’s all about stirring your imagination and allowing that clog to start breaking apart.
Read– Again, it’s all about getting your brain to focus on something else. There may be one word in there that sparks your imagination and gets your juices flowing again.
Talk it out – This is one of my favorites, yet often the one I resort to last. Why? Because I’m an idiot who likes doing things the hard way. Whenever I mention to my husband that I’m stuck, the first thing he says is, “Wanna talk about it?” To which I usually respond, “I’m not sure I can because everything is so jumbled.” That never stops him, though. He’ll ask a question about the scene and before I know it, I’m telling him the whole thing. The simple act of verbalizing what’s happening almost always starts breaking down that blockage. And by the time I’m done rambling, I’m ready to get back to the computer.
Write anyway – Grab a pen and paper and see what happens. Either the scene you’re stuck on or something else. If it’s that scene, turn it every which way and that, examining every angle, contemplating the approach that you think will work best. Then pick one and just Getting things unstuck isn’t always easy. It can take minutes, hours or days. And as frustrating as it may be, just remember that, sometimes, it may just be God’s way of telling (okay, forcing) us to take a break.
Have you ever found yourself stuck, in writing or in life? Did you get frustrated or did you step back and do something else? What helped you get those creative juices flowing again?
Three-time Carol Award nominee,
Mindy Obenhaus
, writes contemporary romance for Love Inspired Books. She’s passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren at her Texas ranch. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com
September 3, 2018
Book #3-Book #2 and the Great Create Space Migration
Book #3 of the Garrison's Law series released last Saturday-- Loving the Texas Negotiator.
Book #2 of the High Sierra Sweethearts series will release in October--The Reluctant Warrior.
I just sent in the galley reviews for book #3 of the High Sierra Sweethearts series, The Unexpected Champion.
And I'm working on (believe it or not) the NEXT series for Bethany House, as yet unnamed but it's fun.
And I'm also revising book #4 for the Garrison's Law series but I'm not going to release that until maybe December. I have a lot to do for the launch of The Reluctant Warrior and I don't want another book from me competing with promotion efforts for it.
For example, I have a ... podcast or vlog or whatever it's called scheduled for The Reluctant Warrior and I caught myself thinking it was for one of the Garrison books and I PANICKED! What if I talked about the wrong book?
So I'm going to focus on High Sierra Sweethearts BUT not until I get the third Garrison's Law book up and running.
(I'm confusing myself, I hope you can follow along and I'm sorry)
So this is just a little slice-of-life of an author.
Releasing one series, releasing another series, writing yet another series, revising books in two series.
Pardon me while I bang my head on something hard, just for a while.
Okay, I think I'm thinking more clearly now.
Today I am talking about the fact that about TWO MONTHS after I launched my big ol' Whoopee indie career, Create Space, where I went to publish my print books is closing. At some future date. Probably.
Mary "Every Helpful" ConnealyIt's all real confusing.
So I need to MIGRATE (like a Canadian Goose) my books from Create Space to KDP Print.
And this is because Amazon bought Create Space and is now well...I want to say bringing all the Create Space authors into their fold, but ... Well, anyway...I tried to make this third book Loving the Texas Negotiator...go to print on KDP but I couldn't figure out how. The KDP cover creator wouldn't just take my front and back covers. They kept trying to HELP ME!!!
Rather than just let me CLICK load the front cover CLICK load the back cover.
All really confusing.
So I went to Create Space and did it, so now I have another book to migrate...should I at any point every figure out how to do that--it may include flapping my wings and heading to Florida.
So today, I am giving away an ebook copy of Loving the Texas Negotiator to one lucky commentor.
Next month it'll be a copy of The Reluctant Warrior.
Loving the Texas Negotiator Not all the Garrisons are guys.
Beth Garrison is the top hostage negotiator in Rocky Ridge, Texas. She's called to serve on a task force to investigate a killing that is a copycat of her first bust as a rookie.
Tate McCade has a reputation for steamrolling anyone who gets in his way and he's had a run-in with Beth and her oversized ego before. He's got a bruise on his face to prove it.
They have to work together and sparks are flying that aren’t all about the job.
Book #2 of the High Sierra Sweethearts series will release in October--The Reluctant Warrior.
I just sent in the galley reviews for book #3 of the High Sierra Sweethearts series, The Unexpected Champion.And I'm working on (believe it or not) the NEXT series for Bethany House, as yet unnamed but it's fun.
And I'm also revising book #4 for the Garrison's Law series but I'm not going to release that until maybe December. I have a lot to do for the launch of The Reluctant Warrior and I don't want another book from me competing with promotion efforts for it.
For example, I have a ... podcast or vlog or whatever it's called scheduled for The Reluctant Warrior and I caught myself thinking it was for one of the Garrison books and I PANICKED! What if I talked about the wrong book?
So I'm going to focus on High Sierra Sweethearts BUT not until I get the third Garrison's Law book up and running.
(I'm confusing myself, I hope you can follow along and I'm sorry)
So this is just a little slice-of-life of an author.
Releasing one series, releasing another series, writing yet another series, revising books in two series.
Pardon me while I bang my head on something hard, just for a while.
Okay, I think I'm thinking more clearly now.
Today I am talking about the fact that about TWO MONTHS after I launched my big ol' Whoopee indie career, Create Space, where I went to publish my print books is closing. At some future date. Probably.
Mary "Every Helpful" ConnealyIt's all real confusing.So I need to MIGRATE (like a Canadian Goose) my books from Create Space to KDP Print.
And this is because Amazon bought Create Space and is now well...I want to say bringing all the Create Space authors into their fold, but ... Well, anyway...I tried to make this third book Loving the Texas Negotiator...go to print on KDP but I couldn't figure out how. The KDP cover creator wouldn't just take my front and back covers. They kept trying to HELP ME!!!
Rather than just let me CLICK load the front cover CLICK load the back cover.
All really confusing.
So I went to Create Space and did it, so now I have another book to migrate...should I at any point every figure out how to do that--it may include flapping my wings and heading to Florida.
So today, I am giving away an ebook copy of Loving the Texas Negotiator to one lucky commentor.
Next month it'll be a copy of The Reluctant Warrior.
Loving the Texas Negotiator Not all the Garrisons are guys.
Beth Garrison is the top hostage negotiator in Rocky Ridge, Texas. She's called to serve on a task force to investigate a killing that is a copycat of her first bust as a rookie.
Tate McCade has a reputation for steamrolling anyone who gets in his way and he's had a run-in with Beth and her oversized ego before. He's got a bruise on his face to prove it.
They have to work together and sparks are flying that aren’t all about the job.
September 2, 2018
We wave farewell to summer
Seekerville is closed so we can celebrate our year's labor.
And spend a long weekend closing out summer...and welcoming fall.
For a quiet moment if you find one today, words of autumn from some of our finest writers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And spend a long weekend closing out summer...and welcoming fall.
For a quiet moment if you find one today, words of autumn from some of our finest writers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
August 31, 2018
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
Weekend Edition Special Giveaway! Ruthy shared the release of her novella collection "From This Day Forward" and the winner of a Kindle edition is Edwina Cowgill! Congratulations, Edwina! Thanks for stopping in on your busy weekend!
Monday: Erica Vetsch shared about How to Survive a Pitch Appointment. And somehow, we all survived!
Wednesday: The wonderful authors from Mountain Brook Ink shared Relationship, Relationship, Relationship! The winner of one of their books of choice between Finding Love in Sun Valley Idaho, The Sleuth's Miscalculation, Porch Swing Girl, or Hills of Nevermore is Phyllis Wheeler!
Friday: Erica celebrated the release of her newest novella, A Perfect Christmas, part of The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection...and she shared some Big News! The winners of The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection and The Regency Brides Collection are: Wilani Wahl (Victorian Christmas) and Ann707 (Regency) Congrats, ladies!
Monday: Comments are closed for Labor Day and our post welcomes (or dreads) Autumn.
Tuesday: Mary Connealy is stopping in to talk about her life with Indie Pub and giving away a copy of the third book in her Garrison's Law series, Loving the Texas Negotiator!
Wednesday: Mindy Obenhaus will be here to talk us off the ledge When the Words Get Stuck
Thursday: Jan is hosting, and Meghan Carver will be her guest, talking about why we love Amish stories. And there's a giveaway! Meghan's newest release, "Amish Country Amnesia" is up for grabs for one commenter! Friday: Carrie is hosting Elaine Stock who stops in to share 8 Lessons that Working in a Bakery has Taught Her About Love and Writing Romance!
Releasing 9/1/18! NINE Christmas Novellas set during the Victorian Era. Seeker Erica Vetsch's story in the collection is:The Perfect Christmas
1880s London
Melisande Verity might be in over her head trying to create the perfect Christmas window display, but if she succeeds, will she finally attract the attention of her boss, Gray Garamond?
Loving the Texas Negotiator releases in ebook form on September 4th, next Tuesday but, through the strange and potent magic of incompetence, the print book is out NOW! (I don't know why! But it just appeared!)And look what came to Ruth Logan Herne's house this week!!! RUTHY'S THIRD MYSTERY FOR GUIDEPOSTS "Mysteries of Martha's Vineyard" series!!! To celebrate this little bit of wonderfulness, Ruthy is giving away one copy of "Catch of the Day" to one person... but ya gotta say ya want it, my friends! Join Priscilla and the gang as they try to figure out who bilked a clean million... in U.S. dollars, very Yankee-friendly!... from a struggling fishermen's pension fund. A whodunnit that makes you smile...and sigh... and maybe even makes you think a little!
Labor Day sale for all JustRead Book Boxes from JustRead Publicity Tours! Up to 30% off! Head to the Etsy Shop to check them all out! (Click on the image below to take you there!)
Hey guys, Pam here. I'm participating in a blog hop that's a bit different.Each stop offers a grab bag of different things to win. Have fun!
Click here to go to the Stuck in a Good Book stop.
Small Shifts for Christian Fiction by Emma Wenner on Publishers Weekly
Createspace and KDP Become One Service (How to Move Your Books to KDP) by KDP Amazon
On Wildness, Cracked Worlds, Monsters and the Odd Nature of the Short Story by Kelly Barnhill
2 Simple Pacing Techniques That Grab Reader Emotions by K.M. Weiland.
Weekly short story contests at Reedsy for a $50 prize and the winning story featured on their blog.
August 30, 2018
Victorian Christmas Brides and a BIG Announcement!
I'm happy-dancing! (And aren't you all glad this isn't a vlog today! You could never un-see that!) Today, I'm celebrating my 34th release, and my 15th novella for Barbour Publishing, The Perfect Christmas, part of The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection. The official release is 9/1/18, but we're partying today.
Isn't this a stunning cover? I love it! So Dickensian.
My story, The Perfect Christmas, is set in 1887 in London, and it takes place mostly in a big department store, Garamond's.
Melisande Verity, works at Garamond's, and she's won the commission to create the perfect Christmas window displays for the season, and hopefully to win the store the prestigious Victoria's Prize for the best holiday displays of the city. If she can accomplish this, perhaps she can earn enough money to keep her promise to her late mother and send Vonnetta, her younger sister, to music school....and just perhaps, she might catch the notice of her boss, Gray Garamond.
Gray is not convinced that Melisande is the one for the job, but he's resigned to his grandfather's choice. When the elder Mr. Garamond suffers a stroke, Gray takes charge of the store, and the old man asks Melisande to show Gray the true meaning of Christmas, that it isn't profits and sales, but rather the people that matter.
I had such a great time writing this story, set in London, brimming with Christmas. Melisande is a fan of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and she uses that story as her inspiration for the window decor.
The First Edition Cover ofA Christmas Carol by
Charles Dickens
Did you know that there was once a window-dresser's guild? And that L. Frank Baum, creator of the Wizard of Oz, was once a distinguished member, and wrote a book about the intricacies of window design?
Fun stuff you encounter when researching a novel.
I love a good Christmas story. There's so much heart, and family, and love in the Christmas season, that it tunes nicely with romance fiction. (Just ask Hallmark!) America has an insatiable appetite for Christmas Fiction!
Also in the collection are EIGHT other Christmas stories by some fabulous authors. The collection would make some fine, fall/winter reading, a great gift, or even a lovely Christmas decoration for your coffee table during the holidays!
If you're longing to put a little Christmas in your Back-To-School, you can order The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection at one of these links:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/1683227190/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-victorian-christmas-brides-collection-cj-chase/1127905858?ean=9781683227199#/
https://www.christianbook.com/the-victorian-christmas-brides-collection/9781683227199/pd/227199?event=AAI
Or, you can find it at Wal-Mart, your local Christian bookstore, or ask for your bookstore to order it in for you.
But Wait! There's More!
I've been holding this in for a couple of months, but I can't keep it a secret any longer!
I've signed a new contract!
And it's for a REGENCY SERIES!
The first book, The Accidental Earl , releases next spring/summer from Kregel Publishing.
Here's a bit about the book:
Evan Eldridge never meant to be a war hero, and he certainly didn’t think that saving the life of a fellow soldier would mean being made Earl of Whitelock. But here he is with a new title, a manor house in shambles, and a brand new bride, all foisted on him by the Prince Regent. Diana Seaton has no choice but to marry the newly-invested earl if she wants to protect her sister’s memory and her infant nephew, but she doesn’t trust anyone, especially an oddly-behaved soldier-turned-nobleman who was forced to make her his wife. Suffering from partial amnesia as a result of his bravery on the battlefield, Evan knows there’s something he can’t quite remember, something important, something dangerous, and something that, if he doesn’t recall it in time, will jeopardize not just his marriage, but someone’s life.
Duchess for a Day releases later in 2019, and A Convenient Countess comes out in 2020!
I am thrilled to have this opportunity, and I'm excited to be delving into a new are of historical research. Regency history books have been arriving at my house in staggering numbers, and I'm reading and making notes and writing like crazy.
To celebrate the release of The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection, I'm giving away one print copy (US Only, please) to a commenter who shares his/her MUST HAVE in order to consider their Christmas "Perfect."
To celebrate the new contract for The Accidental Earl, I'm giving away a copy of Regency Brides Collection (My first foray into Regency writing) to one commentor who tells me his/her favorite Regency Read and why it's their favorite.
Two winners will be chosen and announced in tomorrow's WEEKEND EDITION, so get those entries in quickly!
And thanks for celebrating with me!
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!
