Erica Vetsch's Blog, page 73

Where to begin? Let's start with Seekerville Story Marathon

Hello Seekerville! Annie here. Today I want to play a little game, but before we get to that, I want to ask you a question. How do you begin writing? 
About a few months ago, I had someone tell me they would like to write a book. I encouraged them to, but they are befuddled on how and where to begin. It's not as easy as it sounds, is it? I then went and basically asked everyone - in person, on the phone, and on social media, "how do you begin?" It's not only how does one begin, but it's also the question of where and what.  Here are some of their responses:

"I don't know. I just write everything down." 
"I started journaling, writing my day."  - Klarissa M.
"I read." - (multiple)
"Words don't always come. So I start with a people chart." - Cecily
"Brain dump 10 minutes a day. I write whatever comes to mind." - M.A.
"Random jotting of words and thoughts." - Joanne K.
"Think about something you care about and write your thoughts about it." - @pens_andwrittenwords

Real - life stories of beginnings:
"I wrote as a child and then as a high schooler did a novella for a project where I had to learn about publishing. Then I did MANY NaNoWriMos and started going to writing conferences and really studied what publishing was about." - @createexploreread


"I have written as a hobby since junior high. I didn’t show my stories to anyone except family and close friends and didn’t plan to ever pursue writing as a career. When I was in my mid-later 20’s I began working on a book I felt more passionate about than the rest, and after a lot of soul searching, plus moving overseas and quitting my full time teaching job to stay home with my son, I started thinking that maybe I wanted to switch careers a write professionally, for publication. So I worked, worked harder, learned craft, cried, and pitched my novel and got rejected a whole lot, learned more craft, and cried some more until finally somebody say the magic word: yes! And now, my debut novel is under contract!" - Haylie Hanson, (debut coming soon!)


"I'm a strange case...I started my publication journey after working in publishing, in the marketing department of Bethany House. I've been writing for as long as I can remember, though, and reading everything I could get my sticky little hands on at our small elementary school library. Every now and then I'd look at the shelf where "Green" was and imagine having books there someday. So I guess you could say that I started with an overactive imagination and just enough perseverance to occasionally finish one of the many fiction projects I started." - Amy Lynn Green, debut author


"My writing journey began when I told a friend I had an idea for a book and she told me I should write it. No one had ever suggested I actually write something when I shared an idea. I never even thought myself to actually write something. It was as if the idea never occurred to me. After that, I started writing an outline and fell in love with storytelling immediately. I'm not published yet, but since that moment of talking to my friend, I've written two novels, a couple short stories, a novella and I'm working on my third novel." - @lunasluckymoon


"I started with a writers course through the Christian Writer’s Guild that introduced me to mentors that taught me the process as I wrote my first manuscript. Then I started attending writers conferences, which is where I pitched my story and met with agents and editors. This led me to signing with my agent and with my publisher for my books. ☺️" - Natalie Walters, published author

Let's start together! Presenting "Seekerville Story Marathon":
I know it's not easy. I, like many will have no idea where to begin, but I do know that sometimes, the best ideas come out at the least expected of times. So why not start together? When I was young, my sisters and I (sometimes add in some cousins) would play this game called "Word Marathon." Eventually it led to "Story Marathon" which is basically a game to test our improvisational skills. The objective is to "create" a story at the spur of the moment.

This was how we played:
One person started with a word or a sentence.Another person followed on with a word or a sentence that continued from the first person. And so on and so forth. Easy, right? The last person left standing to continue the story successfully won.

The tricky part of this games is that no one knows where the story is going, since the next person may completely change the direction of the story. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's suspenseful and some times, it makes no sense at all.

So, for this Seekerville Story Marathon, we will do steps 1 through 3 as follows:I will start the story first with one sentence. The next person, please leave in the comments, the next sentence or sentences of this impromptu story.  (Write as much as you'd like.)Everyone will continue on from the previous commenter's "sentence(s)". 

To make it easier for us to know it is part of the story, please put your sentence(s) in "quotes".  

Feel free to come back and continue on even if you've commented before, but it must continue from the last commenter's input. 

One random commenter who participated in the Seekerville Story Marathon, will be selected to win  "A Writer's Starter Pack" curated by me. Sorry, US participants Only.  Giveaway ends 2 PM EST, December 18, 2020 and winner will be announced on the Weekend Edition on December 19, 2020. I will also post the completed story from this Story Marathon sometime that week. Prize subject to  Seekerville terms and conditions set forth for giveaways. 

START: 

"Dashing through the snow, little Ruthy couldn't wait to get home to show her mom what she had found." 

Now it's your turn. GO!

DIY Graphics Design Tutorial: PHOTO EDITING USING PICMONKEY (Part Two)

In Part I of this series of DIY graphics design tutorials, we reviewed the need to find photos that will work for your projects, and saving the links to those photos somewhere that you can find them later. Click here to review DIY Graphics Design Tutorial Part I.

Also, in Part I we dipped our toes into editing your photos so that they are the perfect background for your book cover. Today, let’s take that a step further. And, one other thing I don’t think I’ve mentioned… for simplicity’s sake, we’ll be designing ebook covers only in this series of posts, not wraparound print covers. However, if you plan to publish your book as ebook and print, think about designing the cover for both from the get-go.

I’ll be using the paid version of Picmonkey Pro as my main design software in this series of how-to’s, so there will be a few filters that are only available in the pro package. Regardless of which design software you choose, many of the terms and techniques are interchangeable, and I've found that I learn from articles and workshops regardless of which software is being used.

Picmonkey Pro costs $120.00 a year. There is a free version of Picmonkey, but I discovered years ago that I use the paid program enough to get my money’s worth. As mentioned in the previous post, whichever design software you’re using is perfect for YOU. Sure, Photoshop, Canva, CorelDraw, etc. might have more/better bells-n-whistles than a competitor, but the learning curve is sometimes too steep to jump off the cliff. And finally, one last word about the multitude of different design softwares available. A quick search revealed that the yearly price range is comparable for most of what I’d call the “poor man’s design software”. If you’re new to design software, play around with a few and see what feels right for you.

Now, let’s have some fun. :)

Just like an artist decides on the background color for his painting before he starts painting, the photo(s) you chose becomes the “background” for your book cover.

In Part I of this series, I showed a photo of a girl in a red dress that I really liked, and that I dubbed The Gypsy Bride, even though I don’t have a gypsy bride story… yet! I cropped the photo so that the style and placement would (or should) complement the cover of The Evergreen Bride, the first book in my Mississippi Piney Woods Novella collection. So, let’s see how this pans out.

If you’re doing a series, you want to use the same basic layout from cover to cover, but use different photos and color schemes so that readers don’t skip over your cover, thinking they’ve read the book before. You want similar, but different enough to catch the eye. A good example are the covers from my Natchez Trace Novel series that the amazing team at Tyndale designed, and the first two releases in my Calico Trails Novella Series that I designed.

Back to the Mississippi Piney Woods Novella “template”. We want the cover we're about to create for The Gypsy Bride to end up complementing The Evergreen Bride in theme, layout, and style. What do you think? Can we take the photo on the right and come up with a cover that works well with the one on the left? Let's see...

Step One: Create a template in your design software for your future ebook covers. Open your software (again, I'm using Picmonkey), create NEW, then BLANK CANVAS, and enter the dimensions.Dimensions for a KDP cover should be 1600 x 2560 pixels. (1583 x 2500 works as well). You don't HAVE to use these dimensions, but they do work. The key is that your height/width ratio be correct. To read more about this topic, check out this article.

Step Two: Duplicate or Save a Copy of your new ebook cover template. You'll see at the top of the screenshot below that it says "Gypsy Bride". This step isn’t necessary, but if you do this, you’ll have a blank template every time you get ready to create a new cover. :)

Step Three Screenshot

Step Three: With your saved and renamed template open, click “Add Image” (in the top left part of the screen) from wherever you have it stored. This might be your computer, Dropbox, the cloud, or even your Picmonkey hub if you’ve already uploaded it to the software. In the screenshot above, I added the entire photo of the couple. As you can see, it's almost perfect for the size of the cover (that's the thin blue-line box around the couple), but since I'm not going that route, that's immaterial.

Full photo before
expanding/enlarging

Step Four: If you only want to use part of the image, enlarge it, making sure to retain the aspect ratio. I want to focus on the dress and crop out the girl’s face, leaving her features to the reader’s imagination. Use the little "circles" in the corners of your photo to enlarge it up to (and even BEYOND) the size of the template you're working on. Once you get it to the size you want, you have two options: you can either crop out the excess part of the photo that you won’t be using, OR you can just use the LAYERS tool to FLATTEN the layers. Basically, that locks (or flattens) your photo image to the 1600 x 2560 size you started with.

See the Layer tool in the image below? Then below that, the "Background/Convert to layer" instructions, and then the small "stacked layers" icon with the arrow pointing down. That's the "Flatten Layers" icon. Once I got the RED DRESS just like I wanted it, I clicked that little "stacked layers" icon, locking in my background. I can un-flatten and resize it if I change my mind, but it's locked in for now.

Photo expanded to fit the 1600x2560,
leaving the part I wanted on the cover.

Step Five: At this point, you might be ready to play with shades, textures, and shadows on the background if you have a particular filter that you just know will make your image perfect. But maybe the background in the photo above is just right as it is. Who knows until you try, right? I do know that I want that red dress to pop. It's a stretch to use a red dress on a bride book, but for a gypsy bride, I think it works. Since I wasn't sure if any distressing, antiquing, or textured layers will fade the dress out too much, I went ahead and added the title, series tagline, and my name to get a starting point for the cover. (We’re starting to move into fonts, so I’ll talk briefly about those at the end of today’s post, but reserve the tutorial on creating each of those layers for another day.) With no filters or edits (other than cropping), we’ve ended up with Version 1. I like it. Seriously, I could go with this cover just as it is. But, what if we play around a bit...

The Gypsy Bride, v1
No filters on the background

Step Five: Play with shades, textures, and shadows. With all the other layers added, you need to click on the background layer (the red dress), and edit it. I ended up with several versions. Will one of these end up being THE one? Maybe. Maybe not.

The Gypsy Bride, v2

The Gypsy Bride, v3
The Gypsy Bride, v4
Okay, I'll be honest. I'm having a hard time picking one of these over the other. And they are TRULY close in style. The filter on V3 is the only one that really "dulled" the red dress much. But since I knew I needed that dress to stay a nice bright red, I couldn't use too many filters. But I do like the extra texture that the filter gave to the dress in V3.

Questions? More on background aspects of covers, like split covers that I'm using for the Calico Trails Novellas? Or move on to the fonts and title treatment?

The Gypsy Bride, v3. Maybe???

At the last minute, I created VERSION 5. I duplicated the RED DRESS background, and added Picmonkey's red smudge filter, made the title just a tad smaller, more in keeping with The Evergreen Bride title. I like the way this doesn't change the dress too much, but darkens the sky and also gives it the look of a painting like brush strokes. This might be the one I choose. :)


v5... I am SO conflicted!!! lol

Okay, that's the end of today's lesson. Let's chat. Are y'all interested in seeing more about the background photos, like how to do SPLIT covers like I did for below for my Calico Trails Romance novels, Destination Christmas and Castaway with the Cowboy? If we go this route, you'll see that you will probably use filters on the abstract parts of a cover more than you can (or probably should) on a photo. But, again, that's according to taste and genre and the photo, I suppose.

Or would you prefer that we move on to fonts with the next installment in this DIY blog series? I use fonts from Picmonkey and Wordswag, and I found a new cool website for fonts that I want to play with to create unique titles. Then there's deciding when to use color in your titles, and when and if they need drop shadows, etc.

So, should we discuss split covers next or fonts?

And last, don't forget my Kindle Countdown deal for Destination Christmas ends in THREE days!!  Buy, share a meme, read the excerpt. Toss a penny in my tin cup. Ha! :)

DESTINATION CHRISTMAS sale ends Dec. 12th.

Mary’s Adventures in NanoLand

So, I did Nano.

The month of November has been declared National Novel Writing Month. Sometimes called Nanowrimo…sometimes called Nano.

I have never done Nano before. I have many years done what I call Shadow Nano…where I try to up my own production in November in harmony with Nano. But this year, for whatever reason, I signed up.

I know people like form groups, egg each other on…but Mary the Troubled Loner did not do this.

Maybe next year.

But I did have a very productive month. The first week I was really steaming along. Maybe…12,000 words the first week. And I’m jazzed. 12,000 a month, that’s 48,000 with a goal of 50K and the two extra days November gives (four weeks is, after all, only 28 days!) I was going to make it.

But then, like some kind of gravitational pull, I dropped back to my usual 1000 words a day.

In the end I wrote 37,924 words in November. That’s pretty good. I write 1000 words a day but I miss days. I always take a few days off and I don’t regret that. It’s a baked into my goal. But for Nana, I didn’t miss a single day in November. I wrote 30 days in a row.

So that alone made Nano worth it. I’m working on a 75,000 word book and I had a few thousand words written before Nano started so that book is currently at 43,461. I need 30k to finish and hopefully I’ll be done with the book around January 1st. It’s Due February 1st.

So everything is good!

Was Nano worth it? Should Mary the Troubled Loner have joined with others?

Have you ever done it? Does anyone here have Nano experience?

Is there a way to get more out of it?

I think I’ll do it again. It was relatively painless. And I did write more than usual…a bit.

So share your experience, or your curiosity.

Leave a comment to get your name in the drawing for a Mary Connealy book of your choice…from those I have on hand. I may choose multiple winners, cuz I’m in a giving mood.

Whoever I draw can consult with me.

And a second winner gets a $20.20 Amazon Gift Card.

 

Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests

 SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT

Jordan River, Israel, presumed spot where
John the Baptist baptized Christ.

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.”
John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
John was clothed in camel’s hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Mark 1:1-8

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 the United States--and the world--during the current rise in Coronavirus cases. Pray for the sick and suffering, for businesses and schools to remain open, for people to be able to work and for our economy to prosper.
We are so grateful for all of you—for your friendship and your support! 

May the Lord bless you and your families and keep you safe as you journey to Christmas.

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 within two weeks.


Monday: Ann Brodeur was excited to share her writing journey from island resident to debut novelist! 
Wednesday: Share Your Christmas Traditions! Mindy Obenhaus kicked things off with a favorite Christmas tradition we can enjoy all season long. The winner of a copy of her upcoming March release, A Brother's Promise, is... Vince!
Friday: Share Your Christmas Traditions! Ruth Logan Herne asked fellow Seekers how they kept the joy of Christmas Simple. Winners of  Amish Christmas Secrets are XXX and XXX. Winners of Finding Her Christmas Family are XXX and XXX.


Monday:  Mary Connealy's Journey to Nano Land. There will be Christmas prizes!
Wednesday:  By request, Pam Hillman is bringing back Part I of her DIY Graphics Design post that appeared over the long Thanksgiving weekend, PLUS Part II will post on Thursday for two full days of discussion about creating your own covers.  Friday: We'll be chatting about the age old question of how do we begin writing? Plus a game to get it going!








Missy Tippens has devotionals included in another collection from Guideposts! The new  2021 All God's Creatures Daily devotions for Animal Lovers  is up for order now! Animals are God's gift to humans. They are instruments of His Grace blessed with a special gift for comforting us when we are down, filling us with joy at just the right moment, and encouraging us on our walk of faith. In this collection you'll be blessed by daily true stories shared in devotionals by different authors.


For more info on the formats available and to purchase  All God's Creatures , click here.





Grab Pam Hillman's
DESTINATION CHRISTMAS
Just 99cents until the 12th!
And feel free to SHARE the sale with your friends and spread the love.
Click Here to Buy.

JoinPam and 35+ Christian authors for a Christmas Round Robin Giveaway.
Chance to win $350, $250, and $150 in Amazon Gift Cards. Wow!
>>NOTE: THIS ROUND ROBIN BEGINS DEC 6TH!<<
Go to Pam Hillman's blog to start the Round Robin

Hide in Plain Sight by Marta Perry & Amish Rescue by Debby GiustiTwo great stories in Harlequin's New Red Diamond ImprintAvailable Dec 29 on Amazon



6 Design Tips for DIY Book Covers by Teresa Conner At Book Brush
Authors Say #DisneyMustPay by David Gaughran
Getting Past the Blank Page by James Preston at Writers In The Storm

Beautifully Organized by Camilla Caminha at Bullet Journal
Hope in the Warm Fuzzies for Writers by AC Williams at The Write Conversation

Voice Technologies, Streaming and Subscription Audio in a Time of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by Joanna Penn at The Creative Penn
Fun Fridays by Steve Laube
What Is Dreamzoning? by KM Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors
How We Wrote and Promoted a Multi-Author Book Series by Pippa Grant at BookBub Blog
How to Sneak Clues Past Your Readers and Keep Them Guessing by Janice Hardy at Fiction University 

Keep A Simple Christmas!

 Keep a Simple Christmas.

Sounds like an easy concept, right? To embrace the beauty of Advent with faith, hope and love. No worries. No pressure. The way Christmas should be.

But we tend to be our own worst enemies when December rolls around. List upon list upon list and so much to do, make, buy, freeze, clean, organize, send... 

Of course this  year a pandemic may have calmed things somewhat. Or brought its own worries and pressures. 

I always went all out for Christmas. It was silly, really. And it took a bunch of years for me to learn my lesson, and that lesson was this: Put God first.

Now don't get me wrong. I love to bake. (And I need to lose ten pounds of delicious fall baked goods, my bad!!!!!) And I love decorating. The outdoor Nativity is tucked in its spot off the front porch and lit with spotlights.

Great-grandma and Uncle Chuck's Santa and Reindeer are up and lighted every night...  And twinkle lights surround the front windows. 

That doesn't make me unsimple, just so you know. It makes me festive! :) But I make time for those things I love at Christmas time now. Prayer. Contemplation. Music. Baking. Being with kids. Praising God. With some decorating thrown in on the side!

I asked the wonderful Seekers to share some of their simpler Christmas ideas and these wise women did not disappoint! Here you go:

From the wisdom of multi-published Erica Vetsch: 

My tip for keeping a simple Christmas...

At least one night in December, after the decorations have gone up, I take the time to turn off all the house lights, turn on the tree lights, and just sit on the couch and be still. No music, no Christmas movies on tv, no phone in my hand. Quiet and reflection and thankfulness. A bit of a reset in the middle of what can be a hectic season and schedule that helps me regain some equilibrium and peace. 


Farm owner and award-winning author Pam Hillman offered this wisdom from her blog: A Burlap and Bows Christmas: When Money’s Tight, the Fun Doesn’t Have to Be

TIP ON FOOD: As far as food prep goes, I do indeed keep it simple around here. Every year, I prepare a big pot of potato soup, beef and vegetable soup or chili, and cornbread. We’ll have a couple of desserts, but this is what the kids prefer. A big pot of soup or chili is definitely simple and easy. 



Debby Giusti has lived her life as a military wife. She's no stranger to sacrifice or having to make things special on short notice. Here's what Debby has to say:

In my youth, Advent was a time of preparation for Christmas, not in a hectic shopping or pre-Christmas party way, but in prayerful anticipation of the coming of the Christ Child. Folks didn’t decorate their homes until closer to December 25. Some people fasted during Advent just as is often done during Lent. Others cut back on their family gift giving and instead reached out to those in need. Over the last few decades, Advent has grown into a festive four-week celebration, but this year, mainly because of COVID, I believe we’ll see a return to the basics with a renewed appreciation of family and faith. So how will I keep things simple? More prayer, more quiet listening to the Lord, more preparing of my heart as well as my home for the Birth of the Baby Jesus.

 

Wishing all of you, dear friends, a peaceful Advent as we journey to Christmas 2020!

Our Texas gal Mindy Obenhaus chimed in with this (and I can relate, totally!): 
Cooking is my love language, so I like to deliver trays of cookies and candies to friends and neighbors. It’s like spreading joy one cookie at a time.
Ruthy agrees. Cookies are not only an equalizer, a treat that levels the playing field, but they are a conversation starter, a calming influence, a blessing and they're small enough that you can eat one or two and mitigate guilt. Being Catholic, we take our guilt most seriously! :)

And my dear friend Mary Connealy made me laugh with this true and funny overview of simplicity:
As always I'm the dork here. I have no lovely, sentimental, faithful, beautiful words of wisdom.But I really REALLY keep things simple at Christmas. So simple it's probably a jerk move.I order 95% of my gifts online. And I do it early.(ok I can't think of an exception, so maybe 100%)I fact, I think I'm done shopping except two. 
Keeping things simple.... Remembering Bethlehem. Putting the stable first. 
"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." (From "A Charlie Brown Christmas" by Charles Schulz) And all the gals of Seekerville, the tall and the small are wishing every one of you a blessed and wonderful Advent season of preparation... and a beautiful Christmas. You are in our prayers!
AND....  we have several lovely books to give away today! 



Two copies of Debby's "Amish Christmas Secrets" in a wonderful 2-in-1 with Vannetta Champman and 2 copies of Ruthy's newest Love Inspired "Finding Her Christmas Family".  Let us know which you prefer so we don't give you something you already have!
Multi-published and USA Today Bestselling author Ruth Logan Herne is blessed to be surrounded by SO MANY wonderful people in Seekerville and she likes telling folks all about it. Author of over 60 published novels and novellas, Ruthy is living her dream of publication and running a crazy fun pumpkin farm in Western New York. A mother and grandmother, she's often seen with chocolate (that she doesn't need) and coffee or Diet Mtn Dew (which she absolutely does need!) Friend Ruthy on Facebook, email her at loganherne@gmail.com or stop by her website ruthloganherne.com. She'd love to hear from you! 

Sharing Christmas Traditions

Merry Christmas! Over the next few weeks, we Seekers will be sharing some of our favorite Christmas traditions and we want to hear yours, too.

Like many of you, Christmas is my favorite time of the year. Even with the year we’ve had, I’ve been anticipating Christmas for months. I’m the one who starts playing Christmas music in October (if not September). I start making lists then, too, and check them twice. And yes, I had two trees up and decorated before Thanksgiving, though that doesn’t happen every year.

One of the things that blesses me the most, though, is giving. I enjoy giving gifts. I also like wrapping them, so the recipient feels as though they’re receiving something special, no matter how small or simple the gift may be. Whether it’s a gift card or a plate of cookies, it’s all about the presentation.

This “gift” has been a tradition at our house for decades. It began when my kids were in elementary school and we were looking for teacher gifts. We wanted something special. Something they could actually use and would bring them joy. After a couple of years, they became so popular, we began giving them to the principal and office staff as well. And all we had to do was gather a few simple things and drop them in a bag.

Christmas Scent is comprised of an orange, a lemon, four cinnamon sticks, three bay leaves, and a good handful (approximately ¼ cup) of whole cloves. The ingredients are then placed in a cellophane bag and tied with a pretty ribbon adorned with the Christmas Scent label with instructions on the other side. The instructions read:

Cut lemon and orange into quarters; combine fruit, spices, and one quart of water in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer as long as desired.  (Add more water, as needed.)  Any leftover mixture can be covered and refrigerated for several days to be reused.

Not only is this a gift tradition, it’s also a tradition at our house. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, there’s almost always a batch of this scent simmering on the stove. I love it when my kids come home, step inside, sniff and say, “It smells like Christmas.” That’s when you know it’s a tradition.

Now it’s your turn. Share one of your favorite Christmas traditions with us. Remember, there will be several posts where you’ll be able to share more. One of today’s commenters will win an advanced copy of my March 2021 release, A Brother's Promise. (U.S. mailing addresses only, please)

He didn’t realize he wanted a family… Until he suddenly became a single dad.

After his sister’s death, rancher Mick Ashford’s determined to ensure his orphaned niece, Sadie, feels at home. And accepting guidance from Christa Slocum is his first step. But just as Christa and Sadie begin to settle into Mick’s heart, Sadie’s paternal grandparents sue for custody. Now Mick must fight to keep them together…or risk losing the makeshift family he’s come to love. 

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  

Guest Blogger Ann Brodeur

 

Happy Monday after Thanksgiving! Carrie here & while movers are loading all my (and my husband's) earthly possessions and more boxes of books than should be legal onto a truck bound for Georgia, debut author (and Seeker Villager) Ann Brodeur is here to share her heart with us as she sails off the island!! 

Welcome, Ann - and BIG CONGRATULATIONS on your debut novel! We are thrilled for you!

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hello.

My name is Ann Brodeur. And I’ve sailed off the island.

Whew! I’ve been waiting to say that for years, and I am so happy to be sharing that news today. Like many of you, I’ve been a dedicated follower of Seekerville for a long time.

*picture taken by author
Thanksgiving seems like it happened months ago for those of us living in the Great White North (a.k.a. Canada). We celebrate the holiday on the second Monday of October when all the trees are displaying their magnificent colours and we are deep in the autumn flavours of Pumpkin Spice and Maple. And for a fun fact (that I didn’t learn until this year) Canada’s first thanksgiving celebration happened FORTY-THREE years BEFORE the pilgrims celebrated the first American thanksgiving (Canada’s first was in 1578 and America’s was in 1621).

But I digress…

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday despite the craziness 2020 has brought.

This journey to publication has been a lot like sailing in unchartered waters. The waves have been rough, and at times it felt like I was sinking without hope of rescue or coming out of the storm unscathed. And there were better moments where calm waters prevailed.

Then…there was land.

I’m so thankful to be on land.

As I work through the month of launching my book baby into the world, I can’t help but be filled with gratitude. There are so many people who have invested in me throughout my writerly life, that I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.

I think of my Grade Five Librarian (that was eons ago when no one had a home computer, we stayed outside until the streetlights came on and we had to WALK across the room to the television set to change the channel). Mrs. Waind encouraged me to enter a writing contest, and I won. The first seed was planted.

My high school teachers who ran the literary magazine and school newspapers taught me how to find a story and how to edit the work. I loved those club meetings.

I think of my college English professor who planted the idea of someday writing for Harlequin (I’m not there yet, but I’m trying!). At the time, Love Inspired had just launched, but all I knew of the parent company was those bodice-ripping front covers (and no – I never picked up one of those; they terrified me). It wasn’t something I would consider until twenty-two years later.

I’m thankful for my experience working at Mission Aviation Fellowship. My boss at the time saw potential in me and added grant writing to my already full portfolio. Finding the story from real life and weaving a compelling narrative was something I thrived on. It was through grant writing I re-discovered the love of story.

My best friend gave me my first copy of Writers Digest magazine and filled my carry-on suitcase with books on writing. Apparently she’d grown tired of me just talking about “maybe-someday”.

My local chapter of Multiple Births Canada put out the call for articles dealing with issues surrounding twins, triplets and more for the volunteer magazine (we have twins). An article I’d written for the magazine won an honorable mention in the Writer’s Digest Writing Competition in 2017.

It was with that contest placement I seriously thought about writing long term. My youngest was an infant and I knew I needed to upgrade my skills in order to re-enter the workforce. My heart was pulling me toward grant-writing again.

But God had a different plan.

As I started to pray about what I should do, which courses I should take to sharpen my skills, I kept getting the sense I wasn’t to go back to the non-profit world. Instead, there was a recollection of all those seeds that had been planted in the garden of my heart, and I started to wonder if I should write a book.

Wonder of wonders, I checked out Harlequin’s website. There was a romance blitz - an opportunity to write a first chapter and a synopsis for consideration. And there was only two weeks left to submit. Being the over-achiever I am, I read absolutely everything I could find on how to write a romance and what a synopsis was. I spent feeding time day-dreaming of the perfect plot and what my trope would be. Mistaken identity. Twins. Exotic places. Tropes and hooks that were perfect for romance readers. I wrote my chapter, sent in my submission, and…waited.

To make a long story short – I had a full request (which was ultimately rejected) but with amazing feedback and an invitation to send another project to the editor. Since that time, the line has made changes that I’m not totally comfortable with. But I’m thankful for Nic. She opened my eyes to the world of possibilities and gave me the confidence that writing was worth pursuing.

I found Seekerville through Writer’s Digest. It was listed as one of the top 100 websites and from the first click, I became an avid seeker. I’ve learnt so much from the writers who have shared their experiences, expertise and critique. It was through Seekerville that I found Candee, my editor at Anaiah Press. I had bookmarked the page when she made the announcement she was starting with Anaiah. I didn’t have a completed manuscript to send to her just then, but I knew I’d at least have to try her when I did.

And you know those critique days? Take every opportunity to use them! I had submitted my first few paragraphs of my debut for one of those days (the one with “Hallmark” stamped all over it…). I took the advice I received, made changes and saw the difference to my text. It’s in the details and the Seekers have an eye for it.

I’m thankful for Seekerville and the investment they make every week into our lives.

There have been contests with judges. Writer groups and individual writers who have taken a moment of their time to answer a question or to offer advice. Webinars. Online courses. Authors-in-Residence who have shown me how to make my story stronger. Beta readers who have been pretty blunt in their opinions. Editors, designers and printing presses. And prayer warriors who have prayed me through the journey. A godly husband who holds down the fort and pushes me out the door to write. My kids who pray for “Maman’s book”.

And God. He’s given me the stories to write. Without His direction, there wouldn’t be a story worth telling in my heart.

Without any one of these people I’ve listed, my novel wouldn’t be out in the world.

So even though the journey has been challenging, disappointing, exhilarating, and sometimes downright frustrating, I am truly thankful for those who have helped me along the way.  

To you, it may be a little thing or perhaps an inconvenience, but to one aspiring writer it could be the difference in helping him or her sail off the island.

So – to the Seekers and all those who have helped me along the way, I am forever thankful that you are a part of my story.

And now your turn: What things are you thankful for as a reader? As a writer?

~*~*~*~*~*~

SNOWBOUND IN WINTERBERRY FALLS by Ann Brodeur 

Unwrapping their past – one secret at a time.

Owning her own PR firm is all reporter Stephanie Clark wants for Christmas, but the idea of running a prestigious election campaign in the country’s capital throws her stomach into knots. A last minute vacation road trip to focus and seek God’s direction for her life ends up in disaster when she gets caught in the worst snowstorm to hit Vermont in over a decade, crashing her into a small town and the one person she’d rather forget.

Former photojournalist Jason Miller hadn’t planned on being solely responsible for saving his family business from financial ruin. He’s barely keeping the newspaper in print, his News Editor has gone AWOL during the town’s most celebrated holiday festival, and reports of missing Christmas decorations have everyone on edge.

When a desperate knock at the newsroom door brings a ghost from Christmas past back into his life, can Jason make up for his prior behavior without breaking his promise to Stephanie’s father? Will Stephanie’s quest to solve the town’s Christmas caper—and uncover the truth about Jason’s disappearance—cost her everything she’s ever wanted?

Released November 6, 2020 by Anaiah Press - Buy on Amazon, Amazon CA, B&N or Bookshop!

~*~*~*~*~*~

ANN BRODEUR is an award-winning novelist who writes inspirational and contemporary romances offering sweet hope and happy endings.

When she’s not reading, writing, chasing after her kids or enjoying long chats with her husband, Ann can be found drinking coffee, that’s been reheated several times throughout the day. She aspires to someday drink a hot beverage in one sitting.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Join other readers in finding out the latest news from Ann and for bookish fun, by signing up for my newsletter on my website: http://brodeurwrites.com/

Check out novel inspiration, book reviews and more on my Pinterest page: https://www.pinterest.ca/brodeurwrites

Follow and Like my author page: https://www.facebook.com/annbrodeurauthor

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20786619.Ann_Brodeur

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ann-brodeur

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ann-Brodeur

~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Ann is offering a giveaway of a Christmas Ornament to Canadian readers only (due to postage costs). This giveaway is open to all Canadian residents who have reached the legal age of majority. Giveaway value of one item is $10CDN or less. Valid except where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. Redemption is contingent on answering a skill testing question. Winner has until Saturday,  December 5 at 1:00pm EST to claim their prize, otherwise prize is forfeited.

Thank you, Ann!!! Y'all, let's show Ann some Seekerville love today! Comment below (and sign up for her newsletter while you're at it!) with your congratulations & what you're thankful for as a reader and/or an author!

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Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Titus Destroying Jerusalem, Wilhelm von Kaulbach,
1846, Munich. [PD-US]

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be watchful! Be alert!
You do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man traveling abroad.
He leaves home and places his servants in charge,
each with his own work,
and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.
Watch, therefore;
you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight,
or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”

Mark 13:33-37

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 the United States--and the world--during the current rise in Coronavirus cases. Pray for the sick and suffering, for businesses and schools to remain open, for people to be able to work and for our economy to prosper.
We are so grateful for all of you—for your friendship and your support! 

May the Lord bless you and your families 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 within two weeks.


Monday: Georgiana Daniels was our guest blogger, and she had a fun freebie for readers. If you didn't grab it, go back now and get it! And read her post, because it was ACE!
Wednesday: Cate Nolan encouraged us to reflect on what we are thankful for this year.
Friday: Pam Hillman was our hostess with the first of a series of posts on DIY Graphics Design. 




Monday:  Ann Brodeur guests today and shares about her journey to being a published author!

Wednesday:  Mindy Obenhaus will be here, ready to dive into Christmas!  Friday: The Seekers share some holiday thoughts and traditions on how to Keep a Simple Christmas! Book giveaways galore! 








Missy Tippens has devotionals included in another collection from Guideposts! The new  2021 All God's Creatures Daily devotions for Animal Lovers  is up for pre-order now! Animals are God's gift to humans. They are instruments of His Grace blessed with a special gift for comforting us when we are down, filling us with joy at just the right moment, and encouraging us on our walk of faith. In this collection you'll be blessed by daily true stories shared in devotionals by different authors.


For more info on the formats available and to purchase  All God's Creatures , click here.





Ruthy's 3rd North Country novel is now released! 
Ruthy is thrilled to announce that "Winter's End" (book 3 of the North Country Romance series) is now available for Kindle and in paperback! "Winter's End" was Ruthy's debut novel in 2010 and now, ten years later, she's re-released it independently.... Grab a copy and read the beautiful award-winning story that launched Ruthy's career as an author. She'd love to hear what you think of it! 

LINK TO $1.99 KINDLE  LINK TO $7.99 PAPERBACK

CYBER MONDAY DEAL! And free shipping
On all books orders throughhttp://www.bakerbookshouse.com  Pam is excited to bring back Castaway with the Cowboy. This novella first appeared in the
Home for Christmas novella collection with the Seekers several years ago.
Available in KDP and Kindle Unlimited!
Click here to buy from Amazon.





Penguin/Random House slated to buy Simon & Schuster in 2 billion-dollar-plus deal reported from CNBC.
Tina Radcliffe's Writers Inside Edition is available now! Lots of interesting information on contests, the publishing world, Twitter Pitches and so much more! For newsletter subscribers only! Don't miss a single monthly edition!
Reasons to Use Animations in Book Ads to Capture Interest by LA Sartor at Book Brush
A Prayer of Thanks for Writing Tools by Bob Hostetler at Steve Laube
The Nuances of Deep POV - Part 2 by CS Lakin at Live Write Thrive
Bullet Journaling for Fiction Writers by Tori at Something Delicious
7 Steps to Stop Overthinking Your Writing by KM Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors
Are you a WordPress user? During this week, WordPress companies are offering incredible discounts. See the Top 70+ WordPress Black Friday Deals compiled by WPBeginner

Writing Your First Draft Faster: the Power of Placeholders by Lewis at The Novel Smithy
Why Gratitude is More Important Than Ever by Michael Hyatt
Five Tools That Should be in Every Indie Writer's Toolkit by Desiree Villena at Between The Lines Editorial

When You Can't Write Anymore by Susan May Warren at Learn How To Write A Novel
Ready for more Black Friday deals? ProWritingAid has compiled a list of 21 Awesome Black Friday deals for Writers.
But wait! There's more! Writers Helping Writers has compiled a list of MORE Black Friday Deals!