Erica Vetsch's Blog, page 32

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.


Monday: Mary
Tuesday: Sandra Orchard shared a fabulous post on giving your characters their voice. The winner of a copy of one of Sandra's earlier books is Lee-Ann!

Wednesday: Ruthy
Friday: Lynn Austin stopped in to share a little story on loving a classmate who was different from the rest of us. The winner of her upcoming release, Long Way Home is Sandy Smith.



Monday:  Jaime Jo Wright
Tuesday: Dana Lynn
Wednesday:  Debby
Thursday: Winnie  Friday: Guest Shannon Redmon will be here to talk about the benefits of book trailers!










Carrie was recently a guest on The Shepherd's Pie podcast where she reviewed the YA book Fade to White by Tara K. Ross! It also aired on WQPH radio.






Using An Old School Method to Fix Your Novel by LA Sartor at YouTube #shorts

Make a Pass; I Dare You: Revising Your Draft by Liza Nash Taylor at Writer UnBoxed
How to Pick Your Setting by Angela Ruth Strong at Learn How To Write A Novel
Understanding the Adventure World of a Story's Second Act by KM Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors
The Perils of Purple Prose by CS Lakin at Live Write Thrive
8 Book Marketing Strategies by Heidi McCahan at Book Brush Blog
Who's in Charge of Your Story? by James Preston at Writers In The Storm
3 Ways to Infuse Character Voice by Lisa Poisso at Writers Helping Writers
How to Write Comedy into a Scene by Rosalind Sterling at NaNoWriMo Blog
Why Writers Can't Rush Ripeness by Kristen Hogrefe Parnell at The Write Conversation

Don't miss this deal! Sweet and Clean Romances Free and .99 at BookFunnel June 8 - 12
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 )

Lesson in Love: The Lesson a Teacher Taught Me in Sixth Grade About Loving a Classmate Who was Different from the Rest of Us

 by Lynn AustinArthur's Turn
Peggy Serrano, the main character in my novel Long Way Home, is different from all the other children in school. Her mother died when Peggy was eleven, and she lives with her unnurturing father in a shabby apartment above his auto repair garage. Peggy is bullied and tormented by the other children, and when her neighbor finds her crying, she tells him what happened:

Some kids pushed me down in the mud on my way home from school, then they laughed at me. They always make fun of me, saying that I have cooties. Sometimes they call me “grease monkey,” and they make ape noises at me because of Pop’s garage, and because I can never get the grease out from under my fingernails after I help him. But today they made fun of me because of Buster [her raggedy stray dog]. They called me “dog girl,” and they howled and barked at me all the way home.

Peggy’s neighbor suggests she tell her teacher about the bullies, but she never does:

My teacher that year was Miss Hastings, and she looked at me the same way all the kids in my class did. I longed to stand close to her because she smelled nice, the way my mama had. I’d started to forget my mama, and I didn’t want to. But whenever I got too close, Miss Hastings would back away a little bit.

In writing this story, I was reminded of a classmate named Arthur and a lesson that our sixth-grade teacher, Mr. S., taught us. He was one of my favorite teachers, energetic and creative, stern yet fair, and generous with his encouragement and affirmation. Whenever students did something noteworthy, Mr. S. would honor them by writing their names on the chalkboard in huge letters, where they would remain for the rest of the day. I loved seeing my name up there.

Ours was a small, rural community where everyone knew their fellow classmates and their families, and we were similar in many ways. Then one day, a new student joined Mr. S.’s class who was noticeably different from the rest of us. Arthur was the only student in the entire school with black skin. His clothes and shoes were more tattered than ours. He stood a head taller than the other boys and was probably older, but he had been placed in sixth grade because he could barely read. His family had come to our fruit-growing area as migrant workers, and he spoke with a peculiar accent that was probably Haitian. It was hard to tell because Arthur barely spoke. No one befriended him.

One day in class, the topic of foreign languages happened to come up, and Mr. S. asked if any of us knew words from another language. Hands waved in the air. Students recited words and phrases they knew. Mr. S. turned it into a contest and began keeping score. My hand waved wildly. My grandmother had taught me quite a few German words and I could even recite a little rhyming prayer in German. I counted my collection of words on my fingers as I awaited my turn and was certain I would win.

But first it was Arthur’s turn. He raised his hand for the very first time and told us he spoke French. All eyes were on him. Mr. S. gushed with enthusiasm as Arthur spoke phrase after phrase. I kept score, still hoping I might be able to beat him with my German poem. Mr. S. applauded when Arthur finished and wrote his name on the chalkboard in huge letters. Arthur beamed as if lit from within and gave us his very first smile. Then Mr. S. moved on to another subject.

But wait! I didn’t get my turn! Didn’t Mr. S. see my hand? I battled tears. It wasn’t fair.
I was too immature at the time to see the wisdom and grace in Mr. S.’s actions. But in later years I understood, and the lesson has remained with me to this day. Allowing Arthur to take his turn in the spotlight was something Jesus would have done. In describing the coming Messiah, the prophet Isaiah wrote, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (42:3). In a culture that says, “Me first!” and demands my rights above all, I want to be more like Jesus, who “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7).


Thank you for stopping by. Please leave a comment below for Lynn and be entered for a chance to win a copy of Long Way Home.*

About the Author
Lynn Austin has sold more than one and a half million copies of her books worldwide. A former teacher who now writes and speaks full-time, she has won eight Christy Awards for her historical fiction and was one of the first inductees into the Christy Award Hall of Fame. One of her novels, Hidden Places, was made into a Hallmark Channel Original Movie. Lynn and her husband have three grown children and make their home in western Michigan. Visit her online at lynnaustin.org.




About Long Way Home
In this gripping portrait of war and its aftermath from bestselling author Lynn Austin, a young woman searches for the truth her childhood friend won’t discuss after returning from World War II, revealing a story of courage, friendship, and faith.


Peggy Serrano couldn’t wait for her best friend to come home from the war. But the Jimmy Barnett who returns is much different from the Jimmy who left, changed so drastically by his experience as a medic in Europe that he can barely function. When he attempts the unthinkable, his parents check him into the VA hospital. Peggy determines to help the Barnetts unravel what might have happened to send their son over the edge. She starts by contacting Jimmy’s war buddies, trying to identify the mysterious woman in the photo they find in Jimmy’s belongings.

Seven years earlier, sensing the rising tide against her people, Gisela Wolff and her family flee Germany aboard the passenger ship St. Louis, bound for Havana, Cuba. Gisela meets Sam Shapiro on board and the two fall quickly in love. But the ship is denied safe harbor and sent back to Europe. Thus begins Gisela’s perilous journey of exile and survival, made possible only by the kindness and courage of a series of strangers she meets along the way, including one man who will change the course of her life.


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

Oh, How Blessed!

 

I have never needed to make a big splash with my work.

It didn't matter if I was waiting tables, selling bridal gowns, running a Tupperware business or changing diapers and teaching ABCs to preschoolers, it was never about the splash.

It was always about content.

I take that same mindset into writing. 

I'm not jealous of bestsellers.

I've read some that suck....

And I've read some great ones.

It taught me that some things are subjective. 

And that I can only control so much.

I'm not envious of big buck contracts.

I'm not broke. I can pay my bills. I even started an IRA. To me.... that's rich. As rich as I care to be.

I don't lust after fancy cars.

I drive a 2017 Chevy Traverse, a big SUV that drinks a lot of gas. Remember what Obama said in his book? "Americans like big cars and cheap gas..."

In my book, that just makes us smart. But then I'm a conservative.

I drive that 2017 Traverse for our farm.... I drive it for grandkids. I drive it on research trips now that the world has come to its senses and reopened. I drive it because I spent over a decade driving tiny cars (Neons and a Chevy Cruze) and saving my money to drive an SUV.

I always wanted an SUV... I couldn't afford it. So I waited. Because it wasn't worth being broke for, right? It's a car.... But it's a big car and I can fit over a hundred pumpkins in the back of that bad boy.

I call her "The Tank".

And I love driving it. 

But that's not the same as envying others' successes.

I love seeing people succeed. It's a good thing! Most of the time, that is.

Sometimes they fall down. Sometimes they mess up. Mess up contracts, don't write the books, don't get it done for whatever reason.

There's something to be said for waiting your turn at the watering hole. For waiting in line at the playground. For studying the textbook before the exam. Preparation. Preparation is key. It's clutch. It matters.

Ruthy's latest Love Inspired Book, her third "Kendrick Creek" story! 

AVAILABLE HERE!

If you skin your knee a few times, you hang on tighter to the bike. Or you take the curve slower. 

If you get bit up by skeeters ten ways to Sunday, you start putting "OFF" on earlier in the day.

If you've been passed over for contracts a few times you realize how important, special and amazing they are. 

I trust in God.

I trust in His timing.

But nowhere in the Good Book does it say that we should rest while waiting for good things to happen. And that whole Mary and Martha deal?

I'm a Martha and proud of it. Not because Martha was better than Mary or vice versa, but because they should both be celebrated.

So I work hard.

I laugh. I cry. I help others. I bake lots of good stuff, I write great stories and I grow a lot of pumpkins with a lot of help from others.

Yes... I am blessed. So blessed! And smart enough, old enough and wise enough to know it.

So bring on the contracts.... bring on the indies... bring on whatever opportunities God has in store for me because as long as I'm breathing, living, laughing.... I'll be writing.

Because there's nothing like having to wait to have your dreams come true to make those dreams even more special than you ever in your life thought they could be.

Oh.... How blessed! 

Multi-published, bestselling inspirational author Ruth Logan Herne is blessed... we know that because she just told us so! With around 70 books and novellas published, Ruthy splits her time between their family pumpkin farm and writing sweet books while balancing a whole slew of kids, grandkids, friends and family.... Counting those blessings! Stop by her website http://ruthloganherne.com or friend her on Facebook.... or email Ruthy at loganherne@gmail.com. She loves to hear from readers! 

Giving Distinctive Voices to the People in your Head with guest Sandra Orchard

 

 

Hi everyone, Sandra Orchard here. After a long hiatus from blogging, I’m delighted to be back celebrating the release of my 25th novel with a post about voice.

Boughs of Folly is my tenth cozy mystery written as part of multi-author sets. In such cases, maintaining authentic voices for characters, that are simultaneously being written about by other authors, carries unique challenges.

When my first novel released, a family member said she felt distracted while first reading it, because she heard my voice in her head. Thankfully, after a few scenes, my characters took on lives of their own for her, and she forgot about me. But her comment made me ever cognizant of the importance of ensuring the “voices” of my stories are true to the story being told.

So, how do we do that?

First let me clarify what I mean by “voice.” Voice can refer to:

1) An author’s unique style of storytelling that characterizes much of his or her work.
2) A particular story’s narrative voice—i.e. the voice in which the story is told. Or…
3) The characters’ actual voices spoken in dialogue.

The best advice I’ve heard with regards to developing #1 is to not try. Some say your distinctive voice will emerge the more you write. But be cautious about imitating others who you presume know more than you. I’ve observed, especially with newbies, that in our efforts to incorporate all the seemingly wonderful advice we receive from critiquers, we can quickly dilute or lose the fresh voice of our original piece. I suspect this is because when you’re passionate about a story and write with abandon, oblivious to ‘the rules’, your unique voice is given full rein. Editing, on the other hand, uses the left side of your brain and can alter it drastically.

So, instead of searching for your voice (as per #1), I recommend mastering the art of point of view, to help you develop strong narrator and character voices.

Honing this skill has proven invaluable to me in writing multi-author continuities featuring the same main character, including for Boughs of Folly. Now in theory, the first lucky author of a continuity gets to set the tone the rest of us must mirror for each continuing character. And Boughs of Folly is book one in the Jingle Bells Mysteries set. However, the three-book bundle, features long-established characters from the realm of the Chocolate Shoppe Mysteries.

So, I acquainted myself with all the wonderful quirky characters by immersing myself in the original series. The stories are set in Georgia, but the series editor advised me that authors were urged to use a light touch when it came to “Southernisms.” My goal while reading was to know the characters so well, that I’d hear their voices in my head. To that end, I focused on the distinctive nuances of each continuing characters’ voice. These are the same sorts of nuances you can use to create characters that stand apart from each other.

Tip: Sitting in a crowded place, such as an airport or shopping mall, and listening to the conversations going on around you is a great way to discover fresh voices for your characters.

Ready to assess the voices in your stories?

Let’s evaluate your characters’ dialogue first:

Does it vary in sentence structure? Some people talk in long run-on sentences. Some talk in short, disjointed blips. How about vocabulary? Does one character use few words, while another exhibits verbal diarrhea? Do some characters use big words or technical jargon, while others use slang? Does your English professor use perfect diction? Or do you characterize your jock by having him be well read and speak with perfect diction? How about each character’s grammar? Does it vary?

Do characters share the same pet words? They shouldn’t. But this might be the chance for you to use all those adjectives and adverbs, you’ve been trained to replace with strong nouns and verbs. Because in dialogue, your flowery character can be as flowery in her language as you want. Just ensure she’s the only one who speaks that way. Unless of course your sarcastic character chooses to imitate her.

If you choose to give a character a unique dialect, avoid tricky spellings. Instead, show the dialect through word choice, word order and sentence construction etc.

Finally, notice what isn’t in the dialogue. What’s not being said, or the subtext of what’s said or done, often characterizes the reader far more than his or her actual dialogue. In other words, what counts isn’t what your character says, but the effect of what he meant.

If you’re writing a continuity, your editor’s input is invaluable in keeping characters’ voices consistent from one author to the next, and the continuity guidelines will likely determine who the narrator’s voice or voices will be.

Quick tips for Choosing your Narrator

Whether writing in first or third person, the character you choose to narrate the story (or scene) has a huge impact on your story’s tone. In my romantic suspense, where my hero and heroine take turns narrating scenes, I choose the character with the most to lose.

In addition to all the elements of voice discussed above, other elements also come into play in your narrator’s voice. For example, can the reader trust the narrator? Do his thoughts correspond with his speech and actions? Does she have a secret? Is he hiding a sin or regret or deep-seated fear? The more you flesh out your characters with flaws, fears, secrets etc., the more you can layer their emotions into the narrative, so the reader experiences them, too.

Most importantly, have fun getting into character!

Speaking of having fun…

Giveaway:

I’m giving away 25 books as part of my 25th book celebration. Leave a comment or question about “voice” to throw your name into the hat for tomorrow’s draw for a copy of one of my earlier titles.

And…enter the rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win one of 10 copies of Boughs of Folly.

And…stop by my blog to see the free E books and special price promos my publishers are offering as part of my celebration. (current limited time offers—Deadly Devotion is free & Identity Withheld, a Love Inspired Suspense, is $1.99 )

~*~*~*~*~

Sandra Orchard writes fast-paced, keep-you-guessing stories with a generous dash of sweet romance. Touted by Midwest Book Reviews as “a true master of the [mystery] genre,” Sandra celebrates the publication of her 25th novel in 2022. She writes for Love Inspired Suspense, Revell and Annie’s Fiction. And her novels have garnered numerous awards. From Niagara Canada, when not dreaming up fictional characters, Sandra spends most of her time playing with the characters in her real life—aka her little grandchildren.

Connect with Sandra at: website | Facebook | Amazon

About Boughs of Folly:

Jillian Green’s holiday cheer nosedives when her great aunt’s friend, Herbert, is killed while helping them decorate for a fundraiser. But the case is more tangled than a strand of twinkle lights, and if Jillian can’t uncover the killer, Herbert’s night might not be the only one silenced this Christmas.

Boughs of Folly is part of a three-book Jingle Bells Mysteries bundle, releasing June 25, 2022, and sold exclusively by Annie’s Fiction

 

Don't forget to enter to win a copy of one of Sandra's earlier titles by leaving a comment or question about 'voice' below!

Five Steps to Creating Characters—Step Five

Five Steps to Creating Characters—Step Three

In February I talked about Make a character likeable by making someone like them. Linked below. In March I talked about Character Arcs, linked below. In April it was Give them Quirks. In May I talked about my main character types. Now this month how avoiding backstory dumps enhances you book and your characters

This month I’m talking about making characters quirky.

1.     Make a character likeable by making someone like them

2.      Character arcs

3.      Give them quirks

4.     My main character types

5.      Avoid backstory dumps

Avoid backstory dumps.

One of the great tricks of writing and character development is backstory. It makes her who she is, informs most of her decisions and drives all her relationships. But backstory is tricky. It has to be carefully doled out so it’s not a backstory dump. Those are clunky and boring. Those are story killers.

If you begin your book with your character behind the wheel of a car, driving and thinking about everything that’s brought her to this point. You’re doing it wrong.

Same goes for talking with a friend about all that’s come before. Just because you work it all into a conversation, doesn’t mean it’s not a backstory dump.

Stop that. Her backstory needs to be dealt out in sentences not paragraphs. In reactions.

A line I just wrote about—not about the Lumber Baron’s Daughters Series, those are all done, but my work in progress coming in July 2023…my delicate flower.

This is my WIP. The delicate flower seamstress loves to make dresses and she lives in a town full of men on the foothills of the Wind River Mountain Range in Wyoming which was, interestingly enough, the first state (it was still a territory then) to give woman the right to vote. All these men learned she knew how to make chaps (she didn’t really, she just looked at a pair and figured it out and they were a hit) Now every man in the territory wants a pair. She’s going mad and making a fortune with the stupid boring chaps.

Then she just discovered a homesteader new to the area with three half-grown daughters who are wearing britches and don’t even own dresses. The girls have rebelled against the britches. The dad doesn’t have any money. My heroine, desperate to make a pretty dress for someone had arranged a deal where the girls come in and work off the cost of their dresses for a dime a day, for about two hours work after school which they absolutely refuse to attend wearing britches.

An excerpt from that book, currently titled, Lady Justice. Book #2 of the currently titled Wyoming Sunrise series.

>>>The girls would deserve much more than a dime a day. But she didn’t want to do a single thing that would stomp on their pa’s pride.

            It was a tricky business, but she had learned well how to get past Web, her first husband. The fool had ideas that weren’t always fair or reasonable. And he didn’t like anyone, especially his wife, challenging him. She’d tried a very few times and remembered a stinging slap or two, or seven.

            Web’s attitude about his wife was a big part of her decision to let her brother go on west while she remained in Wyoming. Here she had the right to vote and she was finding it easy to remain safely unmarried. As a matter of fact, the more outspoken she was about women having rights equal to any man, the more she repelled suitors. In a town that was very lopsided toward men, that wasn’t easy.

            But she was proud to say she’d managed it. <<<

This is in chapter five and it’s the second book in a series. The first reference to my sweet, delicate Nell having suffered abuse in her first marriage. Although I have mentioned that she never says much about her first husband.

When you write a three-book series, it's tricky to introduce the characters who will populate the series but keep the main romantic hero and heroine front and center, while developing the secondary characters with an eye toward setting them up for their own story, often before I, as a seat-of-the-pants writer even know anything about them or their stories beyond the broadest strokes.

So toward that end, the future creation of characters, I’ve found it helps me to have the basic character types. To think in terms of quirks. To make them likeable by making people like them and by holding off on heavy backstory dumps, doling it out. That is my basic method for creating characters. And as my 71st book prepares to release, I guess I’ll keep doing it this way.

 

Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests

PENTECOST 

Fresco at the Karlskirche in Vienna, by Johann Michael Rottmayr. [PD-US]

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

John 20:19-23

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 rising inflation. Also, please pray for the people of Ukraine, for a halt to Russian aggression, and for the protection of our military.
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.


Monday: Memorial Day - Seekerville Closed
Wednesday: Mindy addressed the question authors are most often asked--Where do you get your ideas? And the winner of A Soldier's Homecoming, a 2-in-1 featuring her 2016 release, Falling for the Hometown Hero and Renee Ryan's 2010 release, Homecoming Hero is... Winnie Thomas!
Thursday: Audra Harders sets out on a new adventure - Retirement from her day job! As part of a multi-part series, this month she talked about how to keep time management relevant as time no longer has boundaries.




Monday:  Mary Talking about how to avoid backstory dumps.
Tuesday: Sandra Orchard
Wednesday:  Ruthy is here on Wednesday talking about something crucial for the safety of mankind... this is probably not true, but who knows? She might say something absolutely amazing!!!! Come by and see!   Friday: Lynn Austin joins us for a little lesson in love. Stop on by and be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of her upcoming release, Long Way Home.






                                   A GLIMPSE OF RUTHY'S NEWEST COVER!!!!                                                              COMING IN JUNE!!!!!
            This is the next book in the Southern Tier Romance series....<<SWOON>>!






Jan's Cozy Mystery is out!
order here!

A fun summertime read!
Emma Blackwood's favorite pastime is solving literary murder mysteries...until the body in herliving room makes everything a little too real!





The Four Act Structure by Lewis Jorstad at The Novel Smithy
Understanding the Normal World of a Story's First Act by KM Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors
10 Ways to Get Your Story Un-Stuck by Janice Hardy at Writers In The Storm
5 Big Reasons Why Your Book Isn't Finished by Michelle Griep at Learn How To Write A Novel
Creating Author Websites by Mary Jaksch at Write To Done
9 Things My Dog Taught Me About Blogging by Edie Melson at The Write Conversation
My 8 Favorite Book Marketing Strategies by Heidi McCahan at Book Brush Blog
MS Word Keyboard Shortcuts by Sue Coletta at Kill Zone Blog
How To Reverse Outline Your Novel by Hanna Bauman at Between The Lines Editorial
Your Microcosm, Our World by Donald Maass at Writer Unboxed
Looking for some Sweet Summer Reads? Check out this promotion from Book Funnel!!!

Retirement, Part 1: Time Management

by Audra Harders

I am retired from my day job.

There, I said it. Actually, I’ve been saying that to everyone who will listen, including the dog, my spring planted deck flowers and, most of all, myself. I no longer need to protect my weekends, count down the days to vacation or scramble to clean the house - among so many other things that competed with my 8:00 - 4:30, M-F, for my time and head space.

When I realized I now had time to blog in Seekerville - rather than just handling a few administrative duties - my stomach dropped as I searched for topics. Composing a post on writing didn’t seem wise when, like the Tin Man of Wizard of Oz, my writing joints and muscles are rusty and in need of a bit of exercise and oiling. Trying to bluff my way through marketing and trends was a foolish idea, as I need to learn them myself before I can pass along secrets. Personal growth and insight? Well, I have a lot, but it centers around the realm of 4-H and everything Extension Office (my life the last 25 years) with very little left over for discovering the aha moments of characterization, theme, or story truth.

So, where does that leave me? 

Square One on the checker board of the next phase of my life. 

Retirement. It’s a concept we work toward our entire career. Think about the stereotypes of playing golf all day, letting that inner social butterfly free to meet friends over coffee or lunch and squeeze into the latest Bunko evenings, or even sitting back with popcorn in a bowl and catching up on all those shows you’ve recorded over the years. 

Me? I’ve been working on cleaning up the clutter of 32 years of family life in our house. Throwing away precious mementos, I can’t even remember why I saved in the first place; dumping out closets and realizing the fashions I’d saved look a bit dated and really, will I ever fit in that again?; digging out my home office, throwing away old how-to-write books and awful manuscript fragments, and creating a room that invites me to write once again. It felt good to de-clutter, but my life remained off-kilter. 

Hmmm, why is that?

Over the next few months, join me on my journey as I discover what to do with that brass ring called retirement and how I return to the author life I had to set aside just as the carpet of success was being rolled out before me.

Whitney Nichols @therandomvibez

I will not get into all that right now. Let’s just say, God’s timing is so perfect all I had to do was obey and His plans for me would all come together and it would be better than I ever imagined.

So, back on track. To truly enjoy retirement, one must realize there are some rules I recommend following. This month, let’s talk about TIME MANAGEMENT. 

My first month seemed like a long vacation and I enjoyed it.

I retired from the Extension Office on March 31 and the entire month of April felt like one big vacation. By the end of 4 weeks, the stress had left, and I could tackle the world again. The problem was, my vacation mindset had also suspended little pesky tasks like paying bills, setting appointments, remembering events, etc. I scrambled to catch up on all the things I had overlooked because my routine of checking my calendar at work first thing in the morning on my computer was no longer in place. 

TAKEAWAY: Find a method of accountability that will work for you and keep you on task. Since snipping the strings tethering me to the computer, I wasn’t in a hurry to recreate the Outlook calendar system at home. Instead, I opted for a simple little planner by Moleskin that lets me look at a week at a glance on one page and the opposite page allows me to list my to-dos so they don’t stray far for me to get them to-done.

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

My days grew together.

From the time our children were born until my eldest got her driver’s license and I went back to work, I kept a central scheduling system in the kitchen - a calendar chosen at Christmas with large daily squares displayed next to the refrigerator. If an appointment or task wasn’t on that calendar, it would not get done. That habit of looking at the calendar on the wall may have gone dormant once the kids no longer needed parental assistance, but within a day, my brain recaptured the habit of glancing at the calendar to see what was on tap for my day.

TAKEAWAY: Though the refrigerator has changed (twice!) and the wallpaper upgraded with the times, I need a focal point to ground my day. I’m making do with my Weeds of the West freebie calendar, but next year, those daily boxes are going to come in size XL!

Sleeping in is great, but…

You’ve heard the term, “when you rest, you rust,” right? Just because no one is essentially calling the shots for you anymore, doesn’t mean you can kick back and ride that banana boat through the canals of life for the next however many years. You need a plan; you need purpose; you need to claim your own sense of accomplishment!! There were 4 of us long-time employees who retired from the Extension office within 10 months. Of the 4, 3 of us had a definite goal in mind as we filled out the paperwork and began looking forward to “punching out” for the last time. My goal was to return to writing while the other two looked forward to “grandmother” duties and unlimited volunteer work. Our 4th compadre, retired without a plan in mind. She has not gotten involved in the community, she hasn’t discovered new (or long buried) hobby talents, she hasn’t explored the possibilities of her new phase in life. She was the first to leave 10 months ago and her outlook on retirement now is so much a burden rather than a joy. 

TAKEAWAY: Don’t let this happen to you! What’s your dream? What’s your heart’s desire? What’s your REWARD for all the hard work you’ve put in over the years? Embrace it now! Mold it, shape it, envision the joy it will give you. Have a plan! Remember how I mentioned the carpet of my dreams snatched away from under my feet just as I experienced the first euphoria of success? Oh, how that hurt! I just knew I was a one-and-done author. Well, God didn’t see it that way. He kept the fire burning in me to write. You see, I didn’t retire to fill my days with house cleaning or volunteering (though both are very honorable endeavors), I retired because stories in me are clamoring to be told. I’ve met untold sources along the way to feed reality into my novels. I’ve made dear friends and visited places that kept the creative flame alive in me. I HAD FUN!

What are your plans? Have you looked ahead to prepare for those dreams tucked within and waiting for the call action that is coming? Please share and let’s make some plans!

Audra Harders writes "rugged stories with heart" featuring fearless men who haven't a clue about relationships, rescued by ladies who think they have all the answers. In real life, she's married to her own patient hero, has two adult children, and a very strong-willed Corgi. She began writing right after her son was born and sold her first book to Love Inspired mere months before that same son graduated from high school. Surviving those years in between reminds her God does have her plan for her life...and that He has a tremendous sense of humor. You can visit Audra at:

Website: www.audraharders.com

Facebook: Audra Harders, Author

Twitter: @audraharders

 

Sparking Ideas

by Mindy Obenhaus 

People often ask me where I find ideas for my stories. And while I wish I could say something like, "Well, there's this secret book and it has all these great ideas," I usually just shrug my shoulders and say, "Everywhere."

The truth is, we never know what will spark a story idea. It can be an event, a personal experience, genealogy research, even a place. My very first book began forming in my mind as I roamed the mountains around the small town of Ouray, Colorado. 

An integral part of any story idea is asking, "What if?" You hear/see/read something and the next thing you know, your mind has latched onto a tiny morsel of information and is already running with it. Sometimes it hits a brick wall, other times you find yourself with the makings of a really good story.

Here are a few places you can find story ideas:

The News - Yes, these days watching the news can be torture, but occasionally there will be a nugget buried somewhere in a story that has you asking, "What if?" Human interest stories can really spark things. I saw something on a local news station not long ago that triggered an idea.Research - Sometimes research for one story can lead to an idea for another.Other books or movies - No, I'm not talking about plagiarizing, I'm saying put a spin on them. Have you ever watched a movie or read a book and thought to yourself, "What if this had happened instead?" You know, there are only so many tropes out there. The key is to flip them around and look at them from every angle and come up with a different approach and a whole new story. Divine Intervention - Ever have one of those moments where a story idea just pops into your head while you're doing something mundane like washing dishes or folding laundry. No matter how crazy the idea might be, write it down, because you just never know. While you may think it's nothing that would lead to something, it could be that God's only giving you what you need at that very moment. If He formed the universe out of nothing, He can certainly get the ball rolling on a story by giving you one tiny glimpse.The key to finding story ideas is to never discount anything. Even if you have a nugget of something and can't figure out what to do with it, don't cast it aside. Save it, because you never know when you might come across another idea to pair it with. I know this, because the story I'm currently working on is one that first blipped on my mental radar back in 2005. It's been sitting in reserve all these years and has now taken on a totally different incarnation.
Now it's your turn. Writers, where are some odd places you've come up with story ideas? Readers, what do you think when you read a story that's put a spin on a classic trope? I've got a copy of A Soldier's Homecoming, an upcoming a 2-in-1 with my 2016 release, Falling for the Hometown Hero and Renee Ryan's 2010 release, Homecoming Hero for one lucky commenter (US only, please).

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

Remembering the Fallen

 We are the home of the free...

Because of the brave.

We say that so naturally! And so we should because this country was built, formed, molded, framed and founded on the willingness of some to sacrifice for others. And for many it became the ultimate sacrifice.

So today we remember the fallen.

We remember those lost in the Revolution when an  aggressive, freedom-loving colony threw off the constrictions of a wretched king in order to form a more perfect union. We remember those lost in 1812, in the French and Indian War, at the Alamo... We remember the hundreds of thousands lost in the Civil War which was just about double what was lost in both World Wars combined.

We remember Korea... Viet Nam... Iraq... Afghanistan... Desert Storm and the Gulf War.

We remember not because we're told to but because we must.

We must stand tall. Honor. Respect. Forge on. And we do this under the Lord, our God who made Heaven and Earth and who gave us free will... and a lust for power that goes unleashed at times.

Lord, we thank you for this great land. For the amazing bounty of it, the beauty, the amber waves of grain and cherry blossom pink. 

We thank you for all of it.

Guide us. Teach us. Help us to be the best Americans we can be.

And may God bless America... again.

Land of the free and home of the brave because of the courage so many have shown.

All gave some.

And some gave all.

We thank you not just this day of remembrance, but every day.

And in God we trust.