Erica Vetsch's Blog, page 205

MLK Day

This isn't a post about justice or accuracy of black history, nor is it an attempt to decide the morality of anything gone before me. This post is not to start an endless debate, so please keep any comments positive. I was raised in a small northern Indiana town in the post Jim Crowe 70's and 80's, where the 2010 US Census still shows a 95% white population. We covered precious little of Black history in school, and it's sad to say that Alex Haley's Roots, was my best education about Black history as a youngster.

I'm no expert, or voice of authority on MLK Day. 

Public Domain Image from WikiMedia.org
However, since I love history and feel compelled to learn more than was given to me in my school years. I did pause to take a moment to try to understand our complex history as a nation.

I am a comfort creature. I don't wear lace, or scratchy things. I love cotton. That is to say, next to cashmere or lambswool, cotton is my numero uno clothing of choice. Who doesn't love a Saturday morning snuggled on the couch in cotton flannels, socks, a T-shirt, and a throw? There's nothing better than cotton blue jeans and flannel sheets....

www.freedigitalphotos.net  

But in regards to MLK Day, I took a little look back in time.
    I discovered much I didn't know about cotton and the history of slavery:
~~Some historians believe had it not been for the invention of the cotton gin, slavery might have died out without as much tragedy as it eventually did.

~~Since the 1790's many American abolitionists fought for the end of the international slave trade.

~~Britain outlawed slave trading, thought not slavery itself, in 1807.

~~Enough African Americans had gained freedom in the early 1800's that government was afraid their numbers would  overthrow the balance of ruling white power.

~~The first Federal Census of 1790 counted nearly 700,000 slaves, while the 1810 Census counted 1.2 million.

~~Spurred by Gabriel's Rebellion while Governor of Virginia, James Monroe came to believe the immediate abolition of slavery would result in mob violence and race wars. He advocated gradual abolition, and when he became the 5th US President, he supported colonization of free African Americans back to Liberia where the colony was named Monrovia.

~~Prior to cotton, the cash crops of the South were indigo and tobacco.

~~In 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, allowing cotton farmers to make cotton the number one cash crop, increasing the demand for land and labor.

~~While tobacco was difficult to grow and needed to rest the land every 7 years, cotton was easy to grow, even on nutrient depleted soil.

~~As the shift in industry grew, land and slave owners pushed westward, swaying the efforts of the abolitionists by a swelling economy.

~~With the Panic of 1819, in the post Napoleonic War era, and post Revolutionary War era, land expansion created an economic bubble that crashed similar to our own 2008 recession.

~~What followed was a steady growth of demand for cotton from the South, exported to the Northern and European textile manufacturers leading up to the pre-Civil War era.

~~This trend left the South void of good infrastructure. They lacked development of roads, transportation, or manufacturing because their capital was tied up in owning slaves.

~~The North had developed manufacturing, including a textile industry that manufactured cotton textiles. Though the Missouri Compromise passed by Congress in 1820 prohibited slavery in the North, the ironic complexities of their economic benefit is not lost.

Whitney's Cotton GinIn the end, it amazes me how pivotal the cotton gin was to the cotton industry and the abolition of slavery. Cotton: the thing I love and freely wear for my comfort, holds deep roots in our nation's past.

I join in the words on MLK: 
"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exhalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." (from Isaiah 40: 4-5)

Only the blood of Jesus can right the un-repayable debts to mankind. It's this truth I remember as I wear my comfy cotton. In this alone can I take comfort, that one day His blood will cover all. And by it, real freedom, real justice will prevail.

Isaiah 40: 1-3:
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins.
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
-------------Blog post by Anne Love-



Writer of Historical Romance inspired by her family roots. 

Nurse Practitioner by day. 

Wife, mother, writer by night. 

Coffee drinker--any time.

Find me on:FacebookFind me on: PinterestFind me on: GoodreadsFind me on: TwitterRepresented by Sarah Freese, WordServe Literary

Interview & Giveaway with Krista Phillips

This woman is not celebrated enough!! Seriously. I love me some Krista Phillips. She is an amazing human being. Strong, courageous, fixated on Christ and her family, and with a snarky wit that far surpasses my own.
This woman is FABTABULOUS.

.... even if she prefers Dr. Pepper over coffee...

WHO DOES THAT??

Here's me trying to force feed the poor woman.

I invited Krista here to answer some silly questions, some serious questions, and to help you get to know this wonderful lady and her REDUNKULOUSLY amazing books.

___________________

1.       So tell us what first inspired you to write your current book?

"A Side of Hope" comes out next month, so I guess we'll call that my current book! Honestly, this was one of those books where the title drove my inspiration. I'd decided to do 3 novellas called, "A Side of Faith", "A Side of Hope", and "A Side of Love" as sequels to my debut novel, "Sandwich, with a Side of Romance." I've spent a lot of time thinking about the word Hope. It's an interesting word, one we often misuse as a "the wish of something that probably won't happen" rather than a "feeling of expectancy for something that seemed impossible." One thing that has broken my heart lately is watching the marriages of close friends disintegrate as spouses lose hope in a future with their mate. So when a "single" character minored in the first two novels needed a past, I thought it would turn everyone on their head for her 40th birthday party to bring in a surprise guest: her husband. Is there hope for an 18 year old marriage everyone thought was long over?

      Who is your most favorite character (and yes, you HAVE to pick one J)

Oh Geez, Jaime! You're so mean making me pick one! I guess I gotta be true to my first book and say Maddie from "Sandwich, with a Side of Romance." She's spunky and came through so much in her past. She's a bit overbearing for some, but I LOVE her heart and I LOVE how she shows that God can bring good even out of the deepest hurts in our life.

3.       Is there a spiritual element or thread you hope your readers to catch as they read?

In "A Side of Hope," my HOPE is (see the pun there?!?) that readers will see the value of looking to Jesus as our final hope. That with HIM there is hope for things like struggling marriages and sick babies and habits that seem unconquerable.

4.       Where are you at in your writing career? Published, not published, searching, unsure?

My first novel was published in 2012 by Abingdon Press, and I'm indie-publishing some sequels while my agent busily works on selling my next novel.
5.       Favorite color and why?

Pink. I used to NOT be a super big fan of the color. But my 4th daughter, Annabelle, was born with half of a heart and was very blue-toned in her skin. She had a heart transplant at 8 months of age, and after that, she was a nice, pretty shade of pink! Pink quickly became the fav color of our whole family! #thinkpink
           Favorite restaurant?

J.Alexanders... specifically their Prime Rib French Dip. Holy cow, I think I just drooled a bit on my keyboard there! (I rarely get it, as it is $$$, but it is a fav of mine!) OH and they have awesome crème brule for dessert. *swoon*

         On our blog, Erica constantly tries to introduce the concept of tea drinking. So, are you in her camp, or do you side with Anne and I as bonafide coffee drinkers?

NEITHER! Tea—blech! Coffee—blech! I hate to offend the hostesses, but bring me a Coke or Dr. Pepper any day! (Although I'm currently trying to cut back for my waistline purposes, so a water will be good too!)

8.       Tell us about the last thing that scared you to pieces

HA! My family and I were talking about this the other day. My youngest went through a phase where she would wake up in the middle of the night and the only thing that would console her is if I would come and lay down in her room until she was back asleep. She was in a toddler bed, so I would curl up on the floor. Sometimes, I'd fall asleep for a bit while waiting for her to go to sleep. Well, one such night, I was in a sound asleep in her room when I heard a noise. My eyes flew open just in time to see something large flying through the room toward me, then the loudest crash you'd ever heard. I had no idea if it was a burglar, an alien, or what, but ran out of the room screaming and yelling and crying. My husband finally woke up (he's a sound sleeper) but I wasn't coherent enough to tell him more than "crash, room, scared, *sob*"  Goodness, I'm so glad it wasn't a burglar, cause I ran out leaving Annabelle and everything! What a mother I am! Scott went into her room, turned on the light, to find that one of her closet doors had fallen off the rollers and crashed to the floor, a mere inch from where my head had been.  To this day, her closet door only has one door on it, as I refuse to put the evil door back on! It was a few hours before I stopped shaking enough to go back to sleep!
9.       Your favorite all-time cartoon as a kid and what was it about it that you liked so much?

There were so many! This is almost as hard as my favorite character! I guess I really liked the smurfs, but was big into Strawberry shortcake as well.
1     They call me the Selfie Queen which sounds terribly self-absorbed. So can you save my reputation and share the honor by posting a selfie here? J

I LOVE YOUR  SELFIES! I personally love taking selfies with my kids (makes me feel slightly less self-absorbed, hahaha!), so here is one with me and one of my daughters! 


       How do our readers connect with you, buy your books, or follow your writing journey?

Oh I LOVE connecting with readers!
Links to A Side of Faith:Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Side-Faith-Sandwich-Novella-Book-ebook/dp/B00MNR78ASBarnes and Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-side-of-faith-ebook-krista-phillips/1120135361?ean=2940150364004Kobo - http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/a-side-of-faith
Social Media LinksBlog/Website – www.kristaphillips.comFacebook – www.facebook.com/authorkristaphillipsTwitter – www.twitter.com/kristaphillips

Last but not least, what’s one story idea you’ve had that ventures out of your typical genre?I write strictly romance, but I do have one idea that is more women's fiction and a bit out of my comfort zone, but God keeps bringing it back in mind. It actually follows two sisters and is inspired by the old Big Tent Revival song, "Two Sets of Jones." When I got married, we were dirt poor and my momma warned me how hard it would be, but that song was my anthem, that love mattered MUCH more than money ever would. I found out quickly that being dirt poor and married and pregnant isn't all it was cracked up to be. The song made it sound so easy, so simple, when in fact, it is not. But the concept is still true, that a relationship founded on God can flourish regardless of financial status, but I'd love to do a fictionalized version of it, showing the highs and lows and struggles from each side. It's a story from my heart, I just have to write it. :-)
__________________________

BIO

Krista Phillips is the author of Sandwich, with a Side of Romance and A Side of Faith. She enjoys life with her husband and their four beautiful daughters in Tennessee. She is an advocate for congenital heart defect and organ donation awareness and blogs at www.kristaphillips.com. 

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 _________________________________
Jaime Wright - 

Spirited and gritty turn-of-the-century romance stained with suspense. Youth leader. Professional Coffee Drinker. Works in HR and specializes in sarcasm :) - Represented by: Books & Such Literary Agency
Find me Online
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TBT Old Bedlam

A few years ago, I was blessed to be able to travel through Wyoming and visit Fort Laramie. One of the most recognizable buildings on the property is this two-story white building known as "Old Bedlam" 
The name is thought to have come from the period when the building was used as the B.O.Q. or Bachelor Officer Quarters. Evidently revelry and partying were a nightly event. :)

This is a picture of one of the restored rooms in Old Bedlam. One could almost hear the thud of boots on the stairs, the shouts, the bugle calls. 
The military took over Ft. Laramie from the American Fur Company in 1849, and Old Bedlam was one of the first buildings constructed. The fort closed in 1890 and fell into disrepair until the 1930s when the National Parks Service took over the site and began restorations.
My visit to the fort was spectacular, and I would return in a heartbeat to walk the parade ground and soak in the history.
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What is a Novella?

Pre order HERE2015 is turning out to be my "Year of the Novella." Having only previously been published once in novella length ("Christmas Service" in the NYT Best-selling Log Cabin Christmas Collection) this year I have FOUR novellas releasing.

Some folks have asked me "So what's a novella, anyway?"

Easy answer: (from dictionary.com)

novella[noh-vel-uh] Spell SyllablesExamplesWord Originnoun, plural novellas, novelle  [noh-vel-ee, -vel-ey] (Show IPA)1.a tale or short story of the type contained in the Decameron of Boccaccio.2.a fictional prose narrative that is longer and more complex than a short story; a short novel.
Clear, right?

Basically, a novella is a story that varies in length from 15 thousand and 45 thousand words. Anything shorter is considered a Short Story, and anything longer is considered a Novel.

Pre order HERENovellas have risen in popularity in recent years, with novella collections that center around a particular theme at the forefront.  Today's readers seem to appreciate the shorter lengths that allow them to finish a story in an evening, plus the ability to read authors they are familiar with while sampling the work of authors that are new to them.

Novellas are also being used as marketing tools, value-added material that accompanies a release of novel-length fiction and gives the reader a little extra. In just a few weeks, I'll be having a novella releasing ahead of a novel as part of a marketing campaign to garner interest in the coming novel.

In their own way, I have found novellas both easier and more difficult to write. Easier in that the word-count is shorter, but more difficult in that you really have to streamline the story. There is no room for subplots, and not much room for secondary characters. Having a theme, like Homesteads or Eligible Bachelors helps to narrow the focus, but it also hems in the possibilities.

Order HEREIn the end, I've decided that I love writing novellas, and I love being part of novella collections. In just three weeks, my first release of 2015, The Homestead Brides Collection releases, and we're planning an epic blog tour and giant gift-basket giveaway where each of the 9 authors in the collection has selected a gift or gifts that pertain to her story, and they're all being collected for one lucky reader. We're also giving away autographed copies of the collection signed by all 9 authors! I love this type of cooperation and joint effort.

Question for you: Do you enjoy novellas?




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How to Pick Your Future-Son-in-Law

Kokomo Jo played Life a month or two ago and promptly announced her future husband when she added his blue peg to her car. He's a real person. He's ten years her senior. He's probably one of the few young men I'd even allow her to entertain such an idea with. I'm not certain he was impressed with her four-year-old (now five-year-old) sense of permanency. But she wasn't crushing. She was matter-of-fact. And she told me later she picked him because she knew Daddy liked him.

Sigh. If that would only ALWAYS be her definition of choosing a young man.

Yes. I am a mother. Who thinks about these things.

Does anyone think I'm weird? I mean, Kokomo Jo really IS only five years old. And it isn't like she's got a personality that crushes on boys. That idea hasn't even crossed her mind yet. Marriage is just a practical part of her future and right now anyway, she'll address it in a game of Life with common sense.

But she won't always. No. One day that boy will cross her path, turn her head and then BAM! Dating will enter our home. All when she's 32 and barely even ready. Right? No one deserves her. She is my treasure. Mine. ALL MINE. But since there is the inevitable fact she might not share that

So I've concocted a fool proof way to pick my future son-in-law.


Teach my daughter to be a woman of faith. It's not always that simple, as I realize her own personal will factors into this. But a sensitivity to things of the Lord and following her Savior will also lead to a sensitive heart to see those same traits in her future man.

Encourage my daughter's bond with her Daddy.Because if she is close to him, no other man will measure up unless he has her daddy's qualities

Show my daughter she is enoughI think sometimes we inadvertently teach our daughters that marriage is a necessary part of their life. I want her to learn that with a union with Christ, she can do anything He asks of her, and her independence as a woman of God is enough. A husband is a blessing, but not a necessity.Help her speak her mindI have a strong-willed daughter. (I know, shocking, right?) But I love it. I cherish the fact she has strong opinions and beliefs and while I'm helping direct and form them now, in the future, I want to help her speak her mind, be a strong, capable woman, and know when to submit and when to lead.Ok. So maybe it's not fool-proof, but it's a start isn't it? I mean, if some guy is going to come along and take my daughter to the front of the church, then that man better be as solid gold as that ring!
Do you have thoughts on your future son-in-laws (or current?)
 _________________________________
Jaime Wright - 

Spirited and gritty turn-of-the-century romance stained with suspense. Youth leader. Professional Coffee Drinker. Works in HR and specializes in sarcasm :) - Represented by: Books & Such Literary Agency
Find me Online
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Monday's Devo: You Are My Sunshine

The average days of sunshine in the United States is 200.
In Indiana it's only 177.
And we have almost 30 more days of precipitation than the rest of the country.

It's not uncommon for me to use the phrase: "I'm making my own sunshine."

When it's gray and gloomy outside for days on end, we have to make our own sunshine.


So how do you do that? I'm not implying I pretend it's not gray, or that it doesn't affect me. I think what I'm talking about is letting God shine His glory into the ordinary.

Erica touched on the concept of "ordinary" last week when she talked about the high points of 2014, and mentioned that mostly life is all the "ordinary between all the big moments".

How on earth does God's "glory" get into me or my ordinary days?

I was driving to work last week, while my family was sleeping in at home and enjoying their vacation time without me. I was feeling sorry for myself and my busy to-do list. So I turned on some praise music, tuned in to God's Spirit, and prayed, hoping to dispel my sense of gloom. I could hear the Spirit whispering to me that I'd been keeping track of the little things, making sure everything was "fair". I'd been turning little things into mountains. I remembered the love chapter in I Corinthians 13:5 reminds us not to keep track: Love "does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."

Yes, besides the fact that I'd annoyed my husband by putting the hard shell chocolate syrup in the fridge, hardening it the bottle by doing so, I realized he wasn't the only one doing annoying things. I had to laugh at myself a little. Silly girl.

I realized my gloom hadn't come from the dreary weather. 
Rather, I'd been creating it all on my own. 

Yep, my big "it's not you, it's me" moment. Silly girl.

I offered my bad attitude to the Lord. I realized I needed to stop thinking about how I wasn't feeling love, and start loving. On that thought I turned the corner off the highway. Just as I did, the sun tipped over the horizon, only for a moment it would shine so brightly between the earth and clouds.

His glory is like that sometimes--appearing at the opportune moment, between the ordinary and the self. And if we don't pause and take notice, it slips away and we miss it, just like that truth God had revealed in my heart.

I stopped the van, put my hazard lights on and snapped a quick photo to take with me. My reminder of God's glory, His sunshine through the gray. His mysterious way of filling my ordinary.

And as I did that, the radio played Light a Fire in Me by Unspoken. Click the link, listen to the music and offer your ordinary to God for Him to start a fire in you this winter, this year.


-------------Blog post by Anne Love-



Writer of Historical Romance inspired by her family roots. 

Nurse Practitioner by day. 

Wife, mother, writer by night. 

Coffee drinker--any time.

Find me on:FacebookFind me on: PinterestFind me on: GoodreadsFind me on: TwitterRepresented by Sarah Freese, WordServe Literary

Interview & Giveaway with Joanne Bischof

Winner of Julie Klassen's "The Secret of Pembrooke Park" is: Lanna Foley Webb!

 I'm thrilled to have my friend Joanne Bischof on the blog today! She is an amazing author. Her books "The Cadence of Grace" trilogy captured the essence of Appalachian fiction and romance set in historical times. They were beautiful, inspiring, tragic, and altogether consuming reads!!! And her latest novella is astounding. Haunting. And simple magical prose that captures sacrificial and unconditional love. 
I asked Joanne to come by the blog, since many of you already love her and her books, to share with us a little about her book, her life, and herself!
 __________________________________________
1.       So tell us what first inspired you to write your current book?
Readers, for sure. Several people asked me if I would ever write Aunt Sarah’s story and it took me a while to grab a hold of what shape that might take, but when I did, the story practically wrote itself. It’s been such an incredible journey.


2.       Who is your most favorite character (and yes, you HAVE to pick one J)
For this book, I have to confess that it’s Tucker. With every scene I wrote or edited, I always ended up walking away saying (literally, out loud), “Tucker!!” People who have read it will probably get that ;)

Is there a spiritual element or thread you hope your readers to catch as they read?

This one is about bravery. I think that God equips us for the task at hand. That’s not always easy, especially when we face rocky roads, but He’s right there with us, and He won’t leave us. He’s there to strengthen us.

Where are you at in your writing career? Published, not published, searching, unsure?
I am published but at the same time, my career has taken some unexpected twists that have opened up opportunities for both growth in my heart and faith, and also new adventures, like Indie publishing This Quiet Sky. Without those unexpected twists, I know this story wouldn’t be here today and while it was sometimes hard to see the joy in the directions God has taken me, I know it’s for an important reason and as I mentioned above, He’s teaching me to be braver, too.


5.       Favorite color and why?
Green, blue and grey. Because they’re the color of the sea. (yes, I picked three! And just gave away my love for Sarah Plain and Tall.)
6.       Favorite restaurant?

Probably anything Mexican. There is some reallygood Mexican food here in Southern California, so we’re a tad spoiled with lots of great spots.

On our blog, Erica constantly tries to introduce the concept of tea drinking. So, are you in her camp, or do you side with Anne and I as bonafide coffee drinkers?I’ll join Erica! I do love coffee, but tea is my first love!


8.       Tell us about the last thing that scared you to piecesOk, the creepy white Orc from the third Hobbit movie. I scare easily.


9.       Your favorite all-time cartoon as a kid and what was it about it that you liked so much?The first thing that comes to mind is Madeline. I remember the stories were so whimsical. She’s an old soul. :)

They call me the Selfie Queen which sounds terribly self-absorbed. So can you save my reputation and share the honor by posting a selfie here? J
Haha! You got it! This is one of me and my little guy.




1.       How do our readers connect with you, buy your books, or follow your writing journey?You can always find me on my website at www.joannebischof.com. There are all kinds of places to poke around there and I love chatting with readers on my blog!

2.       Last but not least, what’s one story idea you’ve had that ventures out of your typical genre?Ooh, fun! Recently, I’ve been working on a contemporary which is outside of my norm. That’s a little intimidating, but it’s also been a blast. I tell myself to take it one day at a time and see how it goes. Of course, I have tons of historical romance in the works and that will always be my first love.

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Joanne has graciously offered up your choice of an e-copy,audio copy, or paperback copy of her latest book This Quiet Sky! Enter below for your chance to win!!!


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Christy Award-finalist and author of The Cadence of Grace series and This Quiet Sky, Joanne Bischof has a deep passion for Appalachian culture and writing stories that shine light on God’s grace and goodness. She lives in the mountains of Southern California with her husband and their three children. When she’s not weaving Appalachian romance, she’s blogging about faith, folk music, and the adventures of country living that bring her stories to life. 


 _________________________________
Jaime Wright - 

Spirited and gritty turn-of-the-century romance stained with suspense. Youth leader. Professional Coffee Drinker. Works in HR and specializes in sarcasm :) - Represented by: Books & Such Literary Agency
Find me Online
Find me on TwitterFind me on FacebookFind me on Pinterest

TBT: Grandpa's Fish Shanty

The scent of gun cleaner solvent throws me back to my childhood when my father cleaned his gun each hunting season. Just like that, the sight of my husband cleaning fish at the kitchen sink after a day of ice fishing, sends me back under the shade of my Grandmother's apple trees where we played hide and seek.



Grandma's back yard in northern Michigan, had apple trees, old outdoor cellar doors, a little garden shed, and best of all grandpa's fish shanty. I was little enough to wiggle underneath the wooden runners that were used to slide it out onto the icy lake in winter. But in summer it sat in the grass and I could squeeze up through the bottom hole he fished through and sit inside on the bench, holding my breath while my brother and cousins ran to and fro trying to find me.


Inside, I could smell the stale scent of wood, tar paper, and the charred wood that had warmed Grandpa from the little stove inside. I could recall the times we'd bundle up, walk out onto the lake to see if Grandpa had caught any fish for dinner. Along the wall leaned grandpa's fish spear. Out on the ice, he would let it rest on the side of the shanty by a hook over the hole in the ice. When a fish swam by, he would spear it. My mother says he would also take the spear on a spring night when the sucker fish swam upstream and spear them in the river, bringing home tubs full of forty or fifty fish grandma would can.


Sometimes I order Rainbow Trout from the menu just to remember the smell and taste of it frying in the pan at Grandma's house well after dark.

Have you ever found an old tool, or piece of equipment in your father's or grandfather's shop, and wondered what stories it could tell?
-------------Blog post by Anne Love-



Writer of Historical Romance inspired by her family roots. 

Nurse Practitioner by day. 

Wife, mother, writer by night. 

Coffee drinker--any time.

Find me on:FacebookFind me on: PinterestFind me on: GoodreadsFind me on: TwitterRepresented by Sarah Freese, WordServe Literary

How to Manage a Book Deadline

As I write this blog post, I'm on a pretty snug deadline. I have a full-length manuscript and a novella due on the same day, January 15th. And I have another deadline March 15th for a novella that isn't even started yet! I'll admit, I'm starting to feel the time-crunch!

Every author faces deadlines, self-imposed or otherwise. And every wise author meets those deadlines. If your publisher is expecting a manuscript by a certain date, then an author needs to do all in their power to make sure they meet that goal. If they don't it snarls things up all along the line.
 So how can an author make sure they meet their deadlines? How can they come through during crunch-time? Here are a few tips I've found to be useful:

1. Know yourself. Know what kind of writer you are. 

Do you write better under pressure or do you wilt away?Are you a fast writer?Do you need time between drafts?

 2. Plan ahead.


Space out deadlines so they are realistic. Consider major holidays and vacations and life events for not only you but your family.Look at your non-writing responsibilities to see what will be pressing on you near deadline-time.Put in a little wiggle room for the unexpected like out-of-town guests or an illness.

3. Set manageable goals


Get out your calendar and determine how many days you have vs. how much you need to write or edit.Make sure to factor in some days off...for me, I don't write or edit on Sundays.Set some benchmark dates, i.e By X date, I will be 1/2 way through my ms. 4. Find ways to ease your schedule. 
Do some meal-prep ahead of time.Say no to some activities and opportunities. Make your deadline your priority.Delegate some chores around the house, or put some chores off. Turn off whatever distracts you...the TV, Facebook, whatever. (I am bad at this!)How do you handle deadlines in your life? Do you relish them or loathe them or just deal with them as they come?

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