Erica Vetsch's Blog, page 27

Beyond Blessed

by Mindy Obenhaus

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

Right now, I'm staring down the barrels of two deadlines, a blessing for sure. But just when I thought I was on track to finish ahead of schedule, life happened. Family came to visit. A granddaughter who wasn't supposed to give birth until after those deadlines develops preeclampsia and the doctor decides they have to induce NOW. So, we made the four-hour drive and waited out the twenty-four-plus hour labor so we could be there to greet our first great-grandchild.

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
As an only child, the desire of my heart was to be part of a large family. As a writer, the desire of my heart is to write stories that touch readers' hearts with biblical truths. 
These images bring me to tears. I don't know why God chose to give me the desires of my heart. I certainly don't deserve them. So, I can't help but praise Him for the blessings He's bestowed upon me and live keenly aware that they could also be taken away from me at any time. 

I'm back at my desk now, a good night's sleep behind me, working hard to meet those deadlines. Will it be a challenge? Yes. Can I do it in my own strength? No. But I know that with God nothing is impossible. So, I will trust in Him, knowing that while He may not be early, He's never late. 

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com

Gone fishin’

 I’ve had one of those Writer’s Collisions’ this weeks.

I think of it as a Three Book Pile-up

So a published book, for me, has three rounds of revisions.

The first one is the big one, lots of in depth edits to deal with.

I do those revisions and send the book back.

Then the book comes back with that I think of as line-edits. Misplaced commas, efforts to change from passive voice to active. Small changes but plenty of them.

I do those revisions and send the book back.

Then a third round they call galley edits. This is the book, all laid out as it’ll appear in print. Read it through one more time. Minor edits. You want to change the word books to boots, okay. But keep the page to the page. You want to add a sentence, you have to take out a sentence. Don’t add so much you extend the word count.

So right now, I’ve just finished a book, then BOOM BOOM two finished books hit my inbox. One in the first round of edits, one in the second. Plus I need to read through the newly finished book and send it in.

Add in, I’m on vacation. But since I write late at night, usually after everyone goes to bed, I rarely fail to get work done every day.

Add in, my mom passed away two weeks ago. A sad and confusing time because so many of my reflexes are rooted in, “I can’t wait to tell Mom this, or show her this picture.” Amazing amount of work involved in that, wrapped in grief.

She was 94 years and not well. A woman of great, enduring faith. So the only true grief is missing her because she’s somewhere glorious.

Add into this, a new grandbaby. Such a pretty little thing. Five weeks old now.

And now I've gone fishin'.

Anyway, I’m not writing much in this blog except just for whining about how very busy and hectic my life is and everyone’s is so I'm not even special!!!! 

My little 'inside baseball' about revisions was about all I could manage this month.

So Happy August Seekerville

Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests

The Parable of the Rich Fool by Rembrandt, 1627. [PD-US]

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,
“Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”
He replied to him,
“Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”
Then he said to the crowd,
“Take care to guard against all greed,
for though one may be rich,
one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

Then he told them a parable.
“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself, ‘What shall I do,
for I do not have space to store my harvest?’
And he said, ‘This is what I shall do:
I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.
There I shall store all my grain and other goods
and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years,
rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’
But God said to him,
‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’
Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves
but are not rich in what matters to God.”

Luke 12:13-21

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

Please join us in praying for our country and for an end to the problems that plague us at this current time, such as the rising cost of fuel and food, and the shortages of necessary items, such as baby formula.
Together, let's pray we can, once again, become a prosperous and productive nation. Also, please join us in praying for the protection of our military and for law enforcement officers and border agents.   

GOD BLESS THE USA!
We are so grateful for all of you—for your friendship and your support! 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.     

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.  Please send to Seekerville2@gmail.com. If the winner does not contact us within two weeks, another winner may be selected.


Thursday 7/21: Winnie Griggs gave us some behind the scenes info on her upcoming release Talulla as well as an excerpt. The winner of a copy of the book is Connie Porter Saunders.
Monday: Erica gave some tips on building a research library. 
Tuesday: Kathleen Bailey talked about the benefits of reading - and writing - about the Oregon Trail. The winner of both prizes (ebook of Redemption's Hope and a New England gift basket is Kayla James

Wednesday: Cate Nolan
Thursday: Pam Hillman 
Friday: Robin W. Pearson chatted about finding inspiring content in the everyday. The winner of  latest release, Walking in Tall Weeds is: Glynis.

Pepper's a little behind on picking a winner for the guest post with Amanda Wen (deadlines happening!) on July 19th, but congratulations to Karen Jennings for a choice of either of Amanda's books!


Monday:  Mary
Wednesday: Mindy is melting away in the Texas heat, but she'll be here to chat with us.
Thursday: Audra continues her discussion on Retirement from the Day Job   Friday: Let's welcome Ryan Steck on Seekerville for the first time. He'll be sharing about turning a creative writing assignment to a debut novel. Stop by for a chance to win a copy of his upcoming release, Fields of Fire.






Coming August 23rd... Welcome to Hope Crossing, a brand-new series from award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus.She came home to make things right Will she be given a second chance?Gloriana Prescott has returned to her Texas hometown to make amends—even if the townsfolk she left behind aren’t ready to forgive. But when her mother’s ranch manager, Justin Broussard, is tasked with saving the struggling rodeo so his teen daughter can compete, Gloriana sees a chance to prove she’s really changed. But can she prove to Justin, and the town, that she’s trustworthy? Preorder your copy today!Amazon, ChristianBook.com, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Target








Disclaimer: Any blog post that includes an offer of product purchase or service is NOT to be considered an endorsement by Seekerville or any of our authors  (please see our Legal page )





QR Codes: Unique Book Marketing Ideas by Dana Claire at BookBrush blog
Satisfying Ways to End a Story by Ellen Buikema at Writers In The Storm
5 Characteristics of the Perfect Murder Mystery Hero by Neil Chase at Live Write Thrive
How to Structure Stories with Multiple Main Characters? by KM Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors
How Long Should Your Book Be? by Dave King at Writer Unboxed
Using the Seven Deadly Sins in Your Novel by Peter Leavell at Learn How To Write A Novel
The Power of Discernment by Tamela Hancock Murray at Steve Laube agency
Moving Between Scenes with Summary and Spacers by Sharon Oard Warner at Jane Friedman
PR Services for Authors by Lillian Sue at Mark Dawson's Self Publishing Formula (podcast)
Why Keeping Your Writer Profile Up-To-Date is Important to Reaching Your Audience by DiAnn Mills at The Write Conversation

Savory Subjects: Finding Inspiring Content in the Everyday

by Robin W. Pearson
Typically my days are filled to the brim, and I don’t mean with writerly activities like getting buried in the library stacks for hours, driving into the hill country to do book research, or gluing my fingers to my laptop for hours to pound out five thousand words.
No, I’m talking about starting my day with a hurried smooch from Hubby as he heads to his “office”—the desk in our family room. Greeting five grumpy little people who are not in the mood to read from Proverbs and the Psalms, let alone face algebra, AP literature, or Wordly Wise. Starting an Instagram post. Tracking down my globe-trotting oldest daughter who recently graduated college. Copyediting an email for Hubby. Chatting around the water cooler–cum–kitchen table with my oldest son about marketing life and the latest Wordle. Writing two sentences and deleting one on the Instagram post. Prepping dinner to deliver to my parents. Asking Hubby to check the Wi-Fi connection. Peeking at my lesson plans to compare what I didn’t finish last week with what I’m not finishing this week. Missing my mama’s second telephone call. Proofreading the elusive Instagram post. Laughing (instead of crying) with Hubby about the little people and our parents. Correcting long division problems. Peeking into Think Tank’s room to see what’s so funny about calculus and to keep his door open so we can laugh, too—not. Texting my sister about my parents’ appointments. Telling TD to sit down for the thirtieth time. Turning on the oven for chicken nuggets because it’s almost lunchtime. Explaining to my mama why I couldn’t answer her call. Closing my eyes over my Bible—not in prayer but to dream of the coffee I haven’t had yet.

More than half the day has scooted by, and I have yet to share the Instagram post, let alone type a single word in my work in progress, which my publisher eagerly awaits. I have a feeling many writers would look at this typical morning at my house and consider all those events interruptions. Totally understandable. Once upon a time, I did as well. But these days, this full-time homeschooling author-mama has another word for it: content.

Not convinced? Then take our stack soup, one of my family’s favorite and most complicated meals. So many specific ingredients go into preparing a batch of it: chicken, frozen veggies and chopped veggies, Ro-Tel, two different kinds of smoked sausage, tomato sauce, and other odds and ends. Those ingredients have to be diced, cooked, stirred, added in a specific order—stacked if you will—seasoned, and simmered. And because it’s so labor intensive, we only have it once a year, usually on the first really cold day of the season. But since we only have it once, I insist on doubling it.

Now, what does my annual gargantuan vat of soup have to do with what my family’s cooking up on a daily basis? Everything. Our routine and that dish are both a mélange of ingredients, a great deal of work, love packed on top of love, bits of this which seem unrelated to that, lots of interdependent pieces and combinations that involve constant maintenance and tending to. They yield an overflowing bowlful of inspiration. The pile of onions or passel of whiny children might make an ordinary person cry, but not this writer. I’ve learned that one missing piece affects the outcome. Conversely, every added ingredient improves the result. And since it’s so yummy, why not have more, double the recipe?

Again—still—I’m talking about content.

God called me to write character-driven, contemporary Southern fiction. Thanks to the family He provided me—all this living, breathing, loud content—I don’t have to travel very far to do character studies or google examples of family dynamics. There’s no need to search for the definitions of terms like “sandwich generation” when Hubby and I are squeezed between the same slices of Wonder Bread. Granny B’s personality came through loud and clear in A Long Time Comin’ because I’ve been listening to it my entire life; it’s near and dear and just as taciturn up close. Maxine and all her folks in ’Til I Want No More can burn in the kitchen because not only did my own mama bring home the bacon, she knew it tasted best fried in a cast-iron skillet, a pan she passed down to me when I married Hubby almost thirty years ago. Highway 85 isn’t merely part of the setting in my latest release, Walking in Tall Weeds. It’s a real, well-traveled road between our peeps’ grandparents’ home and ours. Their own great-grandma used to pick creasy greens not far from it.

Like many authors, I’ve rubbed my head in those rare spare moments and asked myself if I’m equipped to tell my stories. I’ve wondered how can I transport my readers to another time and place when I’m carting folks to soccer and youth group and the grocery store and over the hills to Grandpa and Grandma’s house? What’s so delicious about the everyday? Over and over, God continues to show me that He has provided all I need in this writer’s life, even rest, believe it or not. I don’t have to make do or concoct something from a list of terrible “ingredients.” Each piece is valuable. Usable. Necessary. Purposely intended for my particular bowl of soup. And altogether, it’s quite delicious.

Let’s stir the pot: how can you change your perspective and view interruptions as opportunities?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robin W. Pearson’s writing sprouts from her Southern roots, her faith in Jesus Christ, and her love of her husband and seven children. All lend authenticity to her novels. After graduating from Wake Forest University, she has corrected grammar up and down the East Coast in her career as an editor and writer that started with Houghton Mifflin Company more than twenty-five years ago. Both her Christy Award–winning debut, A Long Time Comin’, and her second novel, ’Til I Want No More, have earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Follow her on her blog, Mommy, Concentrated, where she shares her adventures in faith, family, and freelancing.

ABOUT Walking in Tall Weeds

From award-winning author Robin W. Pearson comes a new Southern family drama about one family who discovers their history is only skin-deep and that God’s love is the only family tie that binds. Paulette and Fred Baldwin find themselves wading through a new season of life in Hickory Grove, North Carolina. Their only son, McKinley, now works hundreds of miles away, and the distance between the husband and wife feels even farther. When their son returns home, his visit dredges up even more conflict between Fred and Paulette. McKinley makes it no secret that he doesn’t intend to follow in his father’s footsteps at George & Company Fine Furnishings or otherwise. Fred can’t quite bring himself to accept all his son’s choices, yet Paulette is determined McKinley will want for nothing, least of all a mother’s love and attention—which her own skin color cost her as a child. But all her striving leaves Fred on the outside looking in. Paulette suspects McKinley and Fred are hiding something that could change the whole family. Soon, she’s facing a whirlwind she never saw coming, and the three of them must dig deep to confront the truth. Maybe then they’ll discover that their history is only skin-deep while their faith can take them right to the heart of things.

Thank you, Robin!

Giveaway*Leave a comment by answering Robin's parting question, and be enter for a chance to win a copy of her latest release, Walking in Tall Weeds.

*giveaway prize courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers. Giveaway subject to Tyndale House Publishers and Seekerville giveaway terms and conditions. US mailing addresses only.

Who's Your #1 Fan?

For the last couple of months I’ve been focused on newsletters, not so much the content, but how to manage your subscribers as well as how to keep costs down with the your software service.

Today, let’s talk a bit about figuring out what makes someone engage with your newsletter and what keeps them engaged.

I have more thoughts on this and we’ll get to them next month, but today’s topic is going to be VERY narrow, maybe because the remnants of a summer cold has my ears stopped up and I have tunnel vision …. uh … hearing, but a nice, simple, detailed topic seems to fit the bill today.

Reader "A"

I bought this little ebook a few months ago called Newsletter Ninja by Tammi Labrecque. It’s an interesting read and the more I dig into managing my own list, the more some of what she says in the book makes sense, like segments and tags, and autoresponders and all that stuff. I’m slowly learning, but trying not to become so focused on the nuts and bolts of my newsletter list that I forget the purpose of my newsletter.

Which brings me to Tammi’s mailing list philosophy. She says, “First, you are not selling what you think you are. Second, if all you’re using your list for is selling, you’re doing everything wrong.”

Okay, that makes sense. For those of us who’ve been around the marketing block a few times, we understand what she’s saying, but if not books, what are we selling?

Reader "B"

Tammi declares that we are selling ourselves. But I’ll go one better. We’re selling relationships. Or, more accurately, we’re creating relationships.

Generally, people signed up for our newsletter either because they found us through a blog tour or giveaway, as a direct contact at a festival or event, or they read one of our books.

I think about those people that I’ve met at events and we had time to chat and get to know each other a bit, and they signed up for my newsletter. I feel really good about our relationship as an author and an engaged subscriber and reader.

One lady I met at a book fair several years ago stands out. In her 70s, petite, short permed hair, twinkling blue eyes, Margaret emails me almost every time a newsletter goes out. We’ve only met that once, but I’ve never forgotten her because SHE keeps he lines of communication open. Now, isn’t that cool?

Reader "C"

Another one of my #1 fans is Clent. Clent and his wife had a booth across the way the first year I had a print book out. It was Claiming Mariah. I was so nervous selling my ONE book that year. I had a few minutes to spare once I got my booth set up, so I chatted with Clent and his wife Reba. Clint was there for moral support for his wife who was selling homemade soaps, lotion, jewelry, etc. About the time the festival got under way, Clent walked over and bought a copy of my book. Then he spent the rest of the day reading. And he’s been reading ever since. He always makes sure to seek me out and buy a copy of my latest novel. Clent’s a truck driver, if I’m not mistaken.

Then there’s Caroline (18) and her aunt Anitrel (40s)….

Margaret: Female. In her 70s, petite, owns a printing and frame shop.

Clent: Male. Early 60s. Truck driver.

Caroline: Female. 18. Just graduated high school. Wanted ALL my books for Christmas.

Anitrel. Female. Guessing she’s in her 40s, and refuses to share he copies with her niece and vice versa.

Reader "D"

So back to Tammi’s advice in her book Newsletter Ninja. Tammi suggests creating the ideal subscriber and write to that person. She declares it works. How do you create a relationship with 2000 or 10,000 subscribers when they’re all SO different? I just listed four who I’ve met personally and on the surface none of them (other than the aunt and her niece) have much in common with each other. 

I’ll call my perfect subscriber Tammi (fitting, since the author of Newsletter Ninja called hers Pamela!). Tammi is 39 years old and is a school teacher in rural Tennessee. Her husband works for the electric company. He works a M-F shift, but is on call during storms and bad weather, so reading keeps her mind off the danger her husband is in while working during storms. Tammi reads historical romance, and she enjoys long weekends out of school, winter breaks and the long summer break so she can relax and read as much as she wants to.

This is such a fresh concept for me that I’m not sure I can really picture my fictitious Tammi when I’m putting together my newsletter, but I sure can picture Margaret, Clint, Caroline, and Anitrel. So that might work for me.

Reader "E"

What about you? Do you have a newsletter subscriber or a #1 fan that you picture in your head when your writing or putting together your newsletter.

For fun, pick one or more of the people in today’s post and develop a reader/newsletter subscriber around them. Give them a name, age, occupation, family (or not), where they live. The whole works. 

Make them somebody who’d be YOUR #1 FAN.

And... celebrate with me! Love is a Puzzle is here! 
Originally part of Barbour's California Gold Rush Romance Collection, it's now been re-published as part of my Calico Trails Collection.



Shanyn Duvall’s cartographer father is missing in the Sierra Nevadas; his maps and his hand carved jigsaw puzzles the only clues left behind. Nick Johnston guides the group of mapmakers into mining territory, but isn’t keen on having women on the dangerous trek. When Shanyn needs to follow her clues deeper into the mountains, will Nick help? And will the two of them puzzle out their own feelings for each other to find their own happy ever after?

The Importance of Goal, Motivation & Conflict.

 

The long days of summer make it hard to stay at the keyboard, but for many of us, they're also a time when we have more time to write. It's with this in mind that I'm doing a re-post.

The reason I'm reposting this particular post is because last week I attended a webinar hosted by FHLCW that featured Shana Asaro. Shana spoke for over an hour and answered tons of questions about writing for Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense.

During much of her presentation, she focused on the importance of GMC - the goal, motivation, and conflict needed for a successful submission.I found it particularly fascinating when she mentioned that several years ago, the Love Inspired editors read and studied this book together. That was enough motivation to get me to pull my copy off the shelf and dust off the cobwebs. I figured we could all use a refresher, so here is my original post on the topic.

 Before I begin, a caveat - I can't say GMC by Deb Dixon is one of my favorite craft books (for reasons which I will explain), but there's no doubt it's an important and beneficial one.

You see in many ways I could be that cautionary tale veteran writers use to terrify newbies. Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, when I first began to write, I had no idea that there was such a thing as structure or that stories followed any prescribed formula. 

I should amend that comment. I was not consciously aware of it. But because I was an avid reader, and had been for my entire life, I had a somewhat intuitive sense of story structure even if I didn't know that's what it was.

So, picture me happily writing away without a care in the real world, lost in my own wonderful story world. 

But then I took a break from writing for a while - children, work, grad school, there just weren't enough hours in the day to make it all work, and writing took the back seat. 

Cue the violin music.

No, seriously, the reason I'm explaining that is because I so very clearly remember coming back from my self-imposed writing exile to attend a writer's conference. And I remember being confused because of all the buzzwords I was hearing - and the buzzword that was on everyone's lips was GMC.

GMC. I had no idea what they were talking about. It was like everyone else was speaking a different language.

Finally, some kind soul clued me in to Debra Dixon's book (which had been published while I was off on writing hiatus).

I read it. I saw it's value (which it clearly had since everyone was talking about it!), and I ignored it.

I didn't want to write conflict. 

I liked happy stories.

I didn't want to make them be mad at each other.

Are you laughing at me yet?

I learned my lesson, and that got me book contracts. So here's hoping it will help you too.

I'm going to use a photo of the back cover, because I think this shows why the book is so important.

I could try to give examples, but that would sort of be plagiarism, so I'll just recommend you get yourself a copy if you don't have one to dig out of the cobwebs.

GMC is apparently also a really popular topic here on Seekerville.

If you're interested in looking more into it. check out some of these posts:

Mindy's Engaging Openings

Missy had one in the Archives - Battling Through Your Manuscript...Once Scene at a Time

(Note: Missy really gave a detailed explanation of how she uses a GMC chart.)

Then there are all these GMC posts in the Seekerville archives!

So tell me, are you a GMC chart maker? How do you handle planning the goals motivations and conflict for your characters?

Five Reasons to Read - And Write - the Oregon Trail with guest blogger Kathleen D. Bailey

 

 by Kathleen D. Bailey, author of Redemption's Hope

Twenty years ago, I had a glimmer of an idea for a novel. An impoverished young widow takes a place as cook on a wagon train, only to discover that the scout for that train is the man who betrayed her three years before. He’s under contract and she has nowhere else to go, so they find themselves slogging across the plains together. Old issues come out, new ones form in the pressure cooker that is 100 wagons filled with 200 to 300 scared, tired people. By the time they reach Oregon Country, both have changed immeasurably.

That gleam in this author’s eye became my first published book, “Westward Hope,” in 2019. I’ve since followed it with “Settlers’ Hope,” 2020, and “Redemption’s Hope,” out July 22 of this year. “Settlers’ Hope” takes place in an Oregon Country hamlet, with survivors of the trail, and “Redemption’s Hope” follows the trail in reverse, as Jenny Thatcher looks for the Native man she thinks she can love. But the Trail marks everything they do, from Oona Moriarty’s quest to find her brother (“Settlers’ Hope”) to Jenny’s retracing the route she took in 1846.

The Oregon Trail. The Great Migration. Opening the West. The Wagon Train era. Its names are legend; its legends are legend. Who hasn’t heard stories of the Americans who shook off their newly-minted country, less than a century after the Revolution, to see what lay beyond those hills?

The Oregon Trail is a gold strike (another beloved Western trope) for the reader.

1. It has tremendous range, from the transcendent novels of Jane Kirkpatrick to a simple novella. Choose your own adventure, there’s plenty of Trail literature, from an afternoon’s read in the hammock to something you can write a thesis about.

2. It can take you to another place, right in your own country. The Plains, desert and Western mountains are an exotic setting to anyone who’s never been there. Chimney Rock, Castle Rock, Independence Rock. Buffalo hunts. Amber fields of grain and snow-capped mountains. Bonus: the characters you’re reading about haven’t seen it either.

3. Oregon Trail books are a history lesson. You learn what they ate, how they ate it, what they packed and what they did when supplies ran low. You learn about the Louisiana Purchase and “Manifest Destiny,” all wrapped around a good story.

4. About that story…Anything can happen when you throw a group of strangers together under almost impossible conditions. You learn about the resilience of the human spirit, and also just how nasty we can be.

5. In the hands of a Christian author, Trail stories are a venue for strengthening your faith. (See #5, below).  

As satisfying as the Trail is for readers, it’s just as big a boon for writers. 

1. The Oregon Trail and its time period (1840s till after The War) is pretty forgiving from a research standpoint. You don’t need to know a lot of battles, dates and who massacred whom. (I’m doing a Lexington-and-Concord story right now, and believe me, there’s no comparison.) You do have to be careful if you throw in real historical characters, making them as accurate as possible, and you do need to have a rough framework of what’s going on Back East. But the real drama in your story will be between the men and women who board those wagons in St. Joseph, Missouri.

2. And drama there will be. Everyone on the Trail had a story. They were running from something or someone (Michael Moriarty in “Westward Hope”), they were running TO something or someone (Oona Moriarty in “Settlers’ Hope”), they were at rock bottom and had nothing better to do (Caroline Pierce O’Leary in “Westward Hope”), or they were good stable people who happened to have wanderlust (Ben Harkness in “Westward Hope”). Face a couple of them off against each other and watch what happens.

3. The Trail itself becomes a character, as the emigrants battle, well, everything. They fight river currents, arid deserts, plagues on their cattle and plagues on themselves. As they reach the higher plains, they throw out almost everything they brought, to make it easier on their suffering horses or oxen, and they learn what really matters. Or they don’t. (Ina Prince in “Westward Hope.”) People die on the Trail and are buried in places their loved ones know they’ll never visit again. Families become fluid, with parents taking in orphaned children and elders dying in the dirt.

4. By its very nature, the wagon train lends itself to high drama. It’s like a small town on wheels, and it has the best and worst of small towns. There’s gossip, backbiting, challenges to the wagon master’s authority. There are petty cruelties. A person’s past catches up with them on the trail, no matter how hard they try to outrun it. But there’s also transcendent kindness, as the emigrants help one another with everything from a loose wheel to childbirth. They are in this together. They don’t have anyone else. 

5. And it remains one of the best venues for exploring our Christian faith in fiction. Like Abraham, these pioneers went out to a land they knew not, or didn’t know enough. Like the Israelites, they turned their backs on their former lives in the hopes of something better. The Trail reduced every man, woman and child to their essence, and when they came to the other coast, most were forever changed. In the hands of an inspirational fiction author, at least part of the change will be spiritual. 

When I was doing library talks on “Westward Hope,” I occasionally encountered people who were skeptical about an inspirational novel. They would ask me, “Just how much religion is there in your book?” It’s a simple question to answer, I’m an inspy author, my faith permeates the books – I hope. My standard answer to “how much religion” is, “I wouldn’t want to take on the Oregon Trail without a belief in something bigger than myself.” There are no atheists in foxholes, or so the saying goes, and I doubt there were many on the Trail.

So check out the Great Migration, and I may be joining you. I thought I was done with the Trail, but new situations and characters are kicking around in my head, and I just might let them out!

~*~*~*~*~*~

Two distinct sets of villains. Two orphaned children. A man without a country and a woman with too much past...All in a rambunctious young country where anything goes, especially in the West. Seriously. What can go wrong?

“Redemption’s Hope” is the third and last installment of Kathleen D. Bailey’s “Western Dreams” series, following “Westward Hope” and “Settlers’ Hope.” The novel takes Jenny Thatcher, a secondary character in the first two books on the ride of her life, from the Oregon Country to New Mexico to San Antonio to New Orleans and back, as she looks for her dream and finds herself in the bargain.

White Bear, the Cheyenne brave, has a foot in two worlds but feels at home in neither. He longs to reconnect with the spirited white woman who had sought refuge with his family three years before. Is his true home with “Blue Eyes,” the woman he knew for only three days? 

Only if he finds her.

Kathleen Bailey is a journalist and novelist with 40 years’ experience in the nonfiction, newspaper and inspirational fields. Born in 1951, she was a child in the 50s, a teen in the 60s, a young adult in the 70s and a young mom in the 80s. It’s been a turbulent, colorful time to grow up, and she’s enjoyed every minute of it and written about most of it. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband David. They have two grown daughters.

Connect with Kathy at Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn 

 

What do you love about reading (or writing) about the Oregon Trail?

One commenter will win an ebook of Redemption's Hope and one commenter will win a New England gift pack (US only for gift pack) 

Growing your Research Library

 Erica here today, and I have a problem. 

I am a history junkie, and to feed the need, I buy history books. I claim it is for researching my novels, but in truth, I just love reading history books!

In my library!
I've learned over the years that assembling a useful research library is something that takes time and thought. It's easy to buy books willy-nilly on every topic that interests me, but that isn't necessarily the most prudent use of time and resources. I need to hone in on the books that will give me the information I need to write my stories, whether something specific to the story or a more general knowledge of the time period and setting. 


My desk in my library with my little mascot Jane Austen.
My American History Collection
Here are my tips for building a research library:
Before you buy any books:
1. Settle on a genre/era to write. If you are experimenting with medieval, Victorian, World War II, and Biblical Fiction, your research is going to be all over the map. Before you buy any books, determine your era. If you're dabbling in lots, use the internet and the library for information.
2. Plot your story, at least a rough outline, to determine the information you're going to need to gather. Get a rough idea of your research needs before you start buying books.
3. Ask someone who writes your genre what their three top 'go-to' research books are. 
4. Consider a budget. It's easy to start popping things into your online shopping cart and before you know it, your entire budget is gone, but you've still got research questions.
When buying books:
1. Be sure to get at least one book that gives a broad overview of the era you wish to research. A history of the American West will serve you better than a dissertation on qualities of blacksmithing iron on the Oregon Trail, for example.
2. Select books on a variety of topics in your era. A cookbook from the era will clue you in on a major facet of the history. A book on clothing and fashions of the time period helps with character descriptions. Architecture, politics, and major world events bear looking into for your selected era.
3. Consider books that specialize. If your hero is a doctor in the Regency, find a book that discusses medical practices of that time, or a biography of a Regency doctor. Writing about a cattle drive? The diary of Teddy Blue called "We Pointed Them North" will be invaluable. I have books as specific as South Yorkshire Mining Disasters and The London Pleasure Gardens of the Eighteenth Century. This is where plotting your story a bit in advance will help you, because often you don't know what you need until you need it.
Ways to build your library without breaking the bank:
1. Second-hand booksellers such as Thriftbooks, AbeBooks, Ebay, and others can be a great way to procure out of print history books. 
2. Ask your writer friends who write in your genre if they will let you borrow research materials. I do this with a couple of my writer buddies, and it is invaluable. Not only do we share resources, but if you have a research book you've borrowed from a friend, and you really love it, you can get your own copy knowing you will enjoy and use it beyond the book you're currently researching.
3. Keep your eyes open. I found a great book on Horses and Carriages during the Regency while visiting a used bookstore in Springfield, IL, that used to be the law offices of one Abraham Lincoln. I didn't go into the store looking for Regency history, but there it was. :) Library book sales are a fun place, too. Not only for yourself. If I come across a research book that I think one of my author friends could use, I snap a picture, message them, and see if they want it. My author friends do the same for me. 
4. Realize that sometimes, you will have to shell out for a book you really want. Budget for it. For myself, some books have to come from specialty publishers overseas...often in my case from Pen & Sword Publishers in the UK, which is a treasure trove of research books that can get quite specific as to topic. 
5. Google books online, historical blogs and magazines, and other online resources can help you fill the gaps in your research without spending a lot of money. 
6. Forums. There are lots of forums out there where historical writers gather. If you cannot find what you're looking for in research books, ask on the forums. There is always someone who will know the answer or be able to direct you to a source.
7. Your local library. If they don't have it, they can often do an inter-library loan and get it for you. You can try before you buy.
Places to find research books:
Some resources are listed above. Used book sellers, the obvious amazon.com, boutique publishers like Pen & Sword. But how can you even find the various books to consider buying?
1. Museum stores. Most museums have them, and most are online for you to browse. However, even tiny county museums have giftshops with books. You can call the gift shop, and in most cases, they would be willing to ship you the books you want to purchase.
2. Read the sources/bibliographies of online books and articles. This will often give you a springboard for searching for research books.
3. Check the suggestion banner on amazon. When you look at a research book on amazon, a banner is often present farther down the page that will make suggestions of books that are similar, or by the same author, or in the same historical period. Following that rabbit trail has led me to some really cool finds.


My Regency shelves...though they are fuller now than when this was taken. :)
As you can see, I really do have a problem with my history book collecting...but I don't really want to have the problem solved! :) 
Question for you: Do you like history? Do you like research books?

Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series

Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn't spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They've been living double lives as government spies--and they're only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family's legacy.

Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spy craft. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors--not to mention nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner Daniel Swann, who suspects her of a daring theft.

Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents' last mission? Or will it lead her to a terrible end?

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!

Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests

The Lord's Prayer (Le Pater Noster), by James Tissot.
Brooklyn Museum, 1886-1894. [PD-US]

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him,
"Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."
He said to them, "When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test."

And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,'
and he says in reply from within,
'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.'
I tell you,
if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
What father among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the Father in heaven
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

Luke 11:1-13  

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

Please join us in praying for our country and for an end to the problems that plague us at this current time, such as the rising cost of fuel and food, and the shortages of necessary items, such as baby formula.
Together, let's pray we can, once again, become a prosperous and productive nation. Also, please join us in praying for the protection of our military and for law enforcement officers and border agents.   

GOD BLESS THE USA!
We are so grateful for all of you—for your friendship and your support! 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.