Erica Vetsch's Blog, page 78
October 3, 2020
Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests
The Wicked Husbandmen, Jan Luyken, the Bowyer Bible, 19th century[Free Art License]
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
"Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking,
'They will respect my son.'
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"
They answered him,
"He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times."
Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit."
Matthew 21:33-43
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 this Coronavirus outbreak. Also please pray for calm to be restored to our country and for peace to reign.
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.
October 2, 2020
Weekend Edition
If you are not familiar with our giveaway rules, take a minute to read them here. It keeps us all happy! All winners should send their name, address, and phone number to claim prizes. Note our new email address and please send your emails to Seekerville2@gmail.com
Monday: Erica Vetsch took you along on a writer's retreat to De Smet, SD.
Wednesday: Mary Alford and Dana R Lynn discussed an Amish Christmas
Thursday: Jill Kemerer was in the house, offering tips on increasing your daily word count. The winner of a copy of her latest release, The Cowboy's Christmas Blessing is Rachel Herod!
Monday: Mary Connealy is our hostess
Wednesday: Mindy Obenhaus is our hostess Friday: Mez Carrie is our hostess
Debby's next book,Amish Christmas Search,releases OCT 13th and is available for pre-order NOW!
Winnie's upcoming December release, Her Amish Wedding Quilt, received a positive review from Publisher's Weekly, saying in part "Griggs builds a cozy world readers will happily settle into, and skillful characterization makes her hero and heroine leap off the page. Fans of Amish romance won’t be able to resist this sweet treat."
You can read the full review HERE .
Spirited, forthright, impulsive -- everyone told Greta Eicher she'd have to change her ways if she ever hoped to marry. Then her best friend Calvin, the man she thought she would wed, chooses another woman. Now Greta's wondering if the others were right all along. Her dreams dashed, she pours her energy into crafting beautiful quilts at her shop and helping widower Noah Stoll care for his adorable young children.
Noah knows it's time to think about finding a wife. When Greta offers to play matchmaker on his behalf, Noah eagerly accepts. After all, no one knows his children better. But none of the women she suggests seems quite right, because, unexpectedly, his feelings of respect and friendship for Greta have grown into something even deeper and richer. But will he have enough faith to overcome the pain of his past and give love another chance?
Pre-order LINK
Ruthy has TWO THINGS to celebrate this week! The first is the release of her third Golden Grove Love Inspired book "Finding Her Christmas Family"! This beautiful love story is on shelves nationwide and also available at Amazon.com.
"They're the only family she has left... He's the only family they've ever known."
Celebrate this wonderful release with Ruthy!
BUT WAIT!!!!!
Ruthy's friends at Amazon and Waterfall Press are running a WISHING BRIDGE SALE!
All three of Ruthy's bestselling Wishing Bridge books are available for Kindle for the combined price of $4.97! It's like an early Christmas present and Ruthy couldn't be happier!
The Link Between Your Story's Hook and Resolution by KM Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors
Write The Story by Tari Faris at Learn How To Write A Novel
Why "Start With Action" Messes Up So Many Writers by Janice Hardy at Fiction University
Starting From Zero And Success With BookBub Ads with David Gaughran by Joanna Penn at the Creative Penn
10 Questions To Ask When Hiring a Book Cover Designer by Krista Sandor at Book Brush
A Self-Editing Checklist by Tamela Hancock Murray at Steve Laube
Why Successful Novels Need Structure by Lewis at The Novel Smithy
Two Rules For Telling An Attention Grabbing Story by AC Williams at The Write Conversation
Storytelling Conflict: A Broader View by Jami Gold
How And When To Switch Genres by Erica Vetsch at Learn How To Write A Novel
September 30, 2020
How to Increase Your Daily Word Count with Guest Jill Kemerer
by Jill Kemerer
You’re sitting at your desk in front of your laptop, and every word you write takes a lifetime. We’re talking two, maybe three, words per minute. You hate those words. Delete them. And you’re right back where you started. This might last an hour, a day, a week, a month. Who knows? But when you’re in a struggle session to figure out the next sentence, your daily word count suffers.
Whenever this happens to me, I procrastinate. Then panic.
And all I can think is that I hate writing.
The longer I stay away from the manuscript, the more I loathe the thought of returning to it.
Call it writer’s block or just another day as a writer, but it’s not fun. How can we meet our goals if we’re staring at a laptop screen, scarfing down M&Ms, and the only thing coming to mind is duhhhh…
The book will not be written. Goals will not be met.
This happened to me regularly until about three years ago. I managed to finish all my projects on time, but I wasn’t looking forward to writing the way I used to. In fact, I dreaded actually writing the first draft.
I decided to come up with a strategy to eliminate as many of those struggle sessions as possible. How? By reading how other writers overcame them and by experimenting to see what would work for me.
I needed to be able to consistently stay in the groove when writing a draft. So I read productivity books written by authors. The two below really stuck with me.
First of all, I highly recommend the book 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love by Rachel Aaron. The Kindle version is only $2.99. It’s a short, informational book full of personal insights and tips. It helped motivate me to increase my daily word count.
I also recommend Allie Pleiter’s The Chunky Method Handbook: Your Step-by-Step Plan to WRITE THAT BOOK Even When Life Gets in the Way. For $4.99, the Kindle version is full of great advice.
After studying the above books, I realized my momentum in a draft stopped when I didn’t know what would happen next. Now, I’m a plotter, so I know where the story is headed. But I don’t know every scene in advance. It was those in-between scenes that were stalling me out.
Pantsers, I imagine, have the same problem. They’re discovering the story as it’s being written, and when you aren’t certain what direction to take, it’s hard to move forward.
This was an easy fix for me. After each writing session, I simply brainstorm the next scene. I decide whose point of view it needs to be in, where it is taking place, the basic idea of what is happening and how the scene will further the story. Then I think ahead to the following scene and sketch out its details.
Brainstorming the next 1-2 scenes at the end of a writing session takes me less than ten minutes. I’m no longer floundering around trying to figure out what happens next. Now I quickly jump into my draft every day because I know what I’ll be writing.
This step alone helped me increase my daily word count because I wasn’t wasting time.
I didn’t stop there. I was intrigued by the premise of Rachel Aaron’s 2K to 10K book (see above). I’m a math girl. Before I read her book, I typically wrote between 2000-2500 words a day. I know this because I keep a log of every writing session.
I keep three logs for every book.One is for plotting, one is for writing, and one is for revising. For the writing log, I note the date, number of pages added, number of words added and the total word count to that point. This gives me an overview of how long it reallytakes for me to write a book.
It wasn’t hard to see that if I could write more each day, the book would be finished in less time.
Since I’d figured out how to ACTUALLY WRITE and not stare off into space wondering what comes next, I began to experiment with word count. And I realized something that wasn’t flattering.
Every day I started too late, and I quit too early.
Now, I’m blessed to write full time. I know many of you are fitting your writing in around full-time jobs, children, spouses, hobbies, and other important things. We all have demands on our time. But I had to take a hard look at how I was spending my work days, and when I did, I made some changes.
I organized carpools for my kids’ practices. I exercised earlier. Planned my chores around my writing times. I cut back—way back—on interacting on social media sites. I still check in a few times a week, still blog, still send out a monthly newsletter, still promote my books. For me, social media is a low-energy task, an easy distraction, and it was hindering me from meeting my true goals.
Before you can sell copies of your book, you have to write it. It’s just the way it is.
I created blocks of time for writing. I also set aside a block each weekday (for me, late afternoon is ideal) for all the other stuff writers do, like writing this post! And I pushed myself to get more words on the page every day.
I realized writing 10,000 words a day isn’t something I aspire to, but 5000 words a day is doable. I also realized I needed to schedule a day to review what I’d written so far about midway through a draft. This helps me keep all the threads straight in my mind.
Writing is my job. I treat it like one.And because I treat it like one, I stay ahead of my deadlines. This allows me to meet friends for coffee once in a while or play hooky to visit a museum or the library. I love having the freedom to make my own schedule, but I never allow it to become a free-for-all.
If you want to increase your daily word count, start by jotting down what has to happen in the next 1-2 scenes at the end of each writing session. Log your word count and the time you spend writing EVERY SESSION. Then push yourself to meet bigger goals until you find the number that seems to fit your life best.
You CAN increase your daily word count. And when you do, don’t be surprised when you experience a renewed love of writing. I’ve fallen in love with the process all over again. And you can to!
Mindy here. Jill is giving away a copy of her brand new release, The Cowboy's Christmas Blessings. (Paperback for US, ebook for International) Simply leave a comment to be entered.
The Cowboy’s Christmas Blessings
Will welcoming them for Christmas have him wishing for more?
Judd Wilson lives a solitary life…until he learns Nicole Taylor and her infant triplets need somewhere to stay. The cabin on his ranch is the perfect solution, but now his quiet Christmas alone feels a lot more crowded. Recently widowed, Nicole questions her swiftly developing feelings for Judd, even if the older man is wonderful with her babies. Is she ready to take that leap again?
Purchase The Cowboy’s Christmas Blessings
Jill Kemerer is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of inspirational romance novels for Harlequin Love Inspired. Her essentials include coffee, M&Ms, a stack of books, her mini-dachshund, and long walks outdoors. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two almost-grown children. Please visit her website, jillkemerer.com.
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September 29, 2020
An Amish Christmas with Guests Mary Alford and Dana R. Lynn
Please welcome our guest hosts, Mary and Dana.
Coming Together– The Making of Amish Christmas Miracles Collection
Mary Alford:
Christmas books are always popular with readers because they take us to that wonderful time of the year where anything seems possible, and the Baby in a manger is a reminder of the miracle given to each us that first Christmas.
No matter what day of the year it is, you can have Christmas in your heart anytime simply by opening a book.
Celebrating Christmas in Amish country is a special treat. It allows the reader to step away from the modern-day trappings of the season and return to a simpler way of honoring the birth of Christ, without the high-speed tempo of today’s times. A humble place where Christmas means time spent with family and community.
Dana and I are both excited to be part of Amish Christmas Miracles, coming November 10th. You may know us from our Amish stories published through Love Inspired Suspense, but we are honored to have the opportunity to create a story that we hope will touch readers hearts. Expanding our creative skills into a genre that has been a favorite for both of us is an added blessing.
Dana R. Lynn:
I agree with Mary. We love the thrill of writing suspense, but writing Amish Romance is an entirely different skill set. The pacing of the story is different. And the tension doesn’t come from running for their lives, but the stories still need believable conflict to breathe and move forward.
Another challenge with writing a novella is the word count. Each story is between 10,000 and 20,000 words. Our Love Inspired Suspense books run around 55,000 words. In less than half the word count, a complete story had to be told. At the same time, novellas have a certain charm. They can be read in a single setting and are the perfect way to relax on a cold evening. It was so much fun writing these stories. Not only that, but it was a privilege to work with the other authors involved in the project. Some of whom I have admired for years! I am so excited for this collection to release!
About the Collection:
Amish Christmas Miracles includes 14 heartwarming stories of faith, hope, love. . . and Christmas Miracles by some amazing Amish authors.
But getting so many together for one book can be a daunting task.
How did the story idea begin?
According to Jennifer Spredemann, one of the collection’s creators, it has always been a goal of hers to find new readers, share God's love, and attempt to make a bestseller list (other than just Amazon) - a feat that is difficult and challenging for an independently-published book. She and Jennifer Beckstrand got together and began talking. They invited several authors, both indie and traditionally published, but didn't want to make the collection too large, since it will also be available in paperback. Jennifer believes the collection of 14 authors is the perfect mix to give readers an exciting taste of the holiday season!
Today, we would like to introduce you to the authors of Amish Christmas Miracles along with the titles of their stories included in the collection, and the websites where you can learn more about each author’s books.
A Christmas Homecoming by Mary Alford
Peanut Butter Christmas by Jennifer Beckstrand
The Christmas Program by Laura Bradford
The Amish Author's Christmas by Ashley Emma
A Gift Worth Waiting For by Tracy Fredrychowski
Sleigh Bells Ring by Kathleen Fuller
A Christmas to Treasure by Rachel J. Good
www.racheljgood.mystrikingly.com
The Blessing Jar by Loree Lough
Louisa's Christmas Blessing by Dana R. Lynn
A Stranger for Christmas by Serena B. Miller
The Heart's Return by Adina Senft
The Christmas Fudge Miracle by Susan Simpson
www.susanlantzsimpson.wordpress.com
An Unexpected Christmas Gift by Jennifer (J.E.B.) Spredemann
The Christmas Prayer by Lenora Worth
So, come with us to Amish country this Christmas.
As snow falls softly outside the window, curl up by the fire with this collection of 14 stories by your favorite Amish fiction authors.
Let them transport you to Amish communities all across the country. Travel to small towns where horses clip-clop down the road, farms dot the snow-covered landscape, and families gather to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas.
Sigh over sweet stories that touch your heart. Laugh, cry, rejoice, and smile as couples renew their faith and find their perfect soul mates. These heartwarming tales of faith, hope, love, and Christmas miracles are our special gift to you.
May you be richly blessed this holiday season as you celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world!
Blessings,
Dana R Lynn
Mary Alford
Follow Amish Christmas Miracles on:
http://amishchristmasmiracles.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/270511070642108
Preorder the book at:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0875T592J
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amish-christmas-miracles-jennifer-spredemann/1137059128
https://books.apple.com/us/book/amish-christmas-miracles/id1515415287
Mary will be giving away one copy of her book Amish Country Kidnapping and Dana will be giving away one copy of her Annie's Fiction book Remembering Daisy. Please let us know if you would like to be included in the drawing.
September 27, 2020
Inspired by a Childhood Heroine
Two weeks ago today, I hopped in my car and drove about 5 hours west. West into the prairie, west into a fun-filled week, and west into the past.
I was headed to a writers' retreat with Mary Connealy and Jan Drexler. We rendezvoused in De Smet, South Dakota, the "Little Town on the Prairie" of Laura Ingalls Wilder fame.
I had been to De Smet before, years ago, with my children and my mother-in-law and had toured the sites at that time. Jan had driven through earlier this summer (on her way home from the wedding of her son, Benjamin, to my daughter, Heather!) and had viewed the sites but hadn't toured inside the buildings. And Mary had never been to De Smet.
We have so much in common, Mary, Jan, and I. Beyond writing, we have a love of history, share some mutual interests, and...we all LOVE Laura Ingalls Wilder. From a young age, each of use were influenced by her writing.
Mary beside a covered wagon.Each of us had a "Laura" story to share, about when we first read the books, about reading the books to our children, about how we were inspired to write thanks to Laura.
Mary also mentioned that one thing that inspired her was that Laura's first book, Little House in the Big Woods, wasn't published until Laura was SIXTY-FIVE. She didn't complete the series until she was SEVENTY-SIX.
It's never too late to embark upon a dream.
Here are a few pictures from our retreat. In addition to touring the LIW sites, and sampling the fare at nearly every restaurant in town, we stayed at the lovely Heritage House Bed & Breakfast, across and down the street from the Loftus Store and directly across the street from the corner of Calumet and 2nd street where the Ingalls family waited out The Long Winter in the store Pa had built on that lot. The proprietress, Kim, could not have been more gracious and welcoming, and our rooms were lovely, looking down on the wide main thoroughfare of De Smet.
The pantry in the Surveyor's Housefrom By The Shores of Silver Lake
Mary and Jan hard at work in thefront room of the B&B.
One of my books in the De Smet, SDLibrary! With an honest-to-goodness
card and paper card catalog!
The first schoolhouse in De Smet, attended by Laura and Carrie. It was in
this room that Laura "Rocked the Desk"
until Miss Eliza Jane Wilder sent her home
from school. When they began restoring the school
for tours, they found the original blackboards behind
the wallpaper.
The lovely new statue ofthe town's most famous
resident.
Cabinets and cupboards built byCharles Ingalls for his wife. The shelves
are stocked with dishes belonging to
Caroline, Laura, and Rose.
One volume of Mary's Braille Bible.The Bible rests in Mary's room in the
De Smet house built for her and Caroline
by Charles.
The house in town, built by CharlesIngalls for his wife and daughter. Sadly
he only lived in the completed house for
a couple of years before he passed away.
Question for you: Have you ever visited the home of an author who was your childhood favorite? Have you ever visited a Laura Ingalls Wilder site?
He only wanted a duchess for a day--but she’s determined to make it a marriage for life
When his father and older brother suddenly pass away, the new Duke of Haverly is saddled with a title he never expected to bear. To thwart the plans of his scheming family, the duke impulsively marries a wallflower. After all, she’s meek and mild; it should be easy to sequester her in the country and get on with his life--as a secret agent for the Crown.
But his bride has other ideas. She’s determined to take her place not only as his duchess but as his wife. As a duchess, she can use her position to help the lowest of society--the women forced into prostitution because they have no skills or hope. Her endeavors are not met favorably in society, nor by her husband who wishes she’d remain in the background as he ordered.
Can the duke succeed in relegating her to the sidelines of his life? When his secrets are threatened with exposure, will his new wife be an asset or a liability?
You can get your copy of The Gentleman Spy HERE!
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 at online https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time!
September 26, 2020
Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests
Parable of the Two Sons
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:
"What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
He said in reply, 'I will not, '
but afterwards changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, 'Yes, sir, ‘but did not go.
Which of the two did his father's will?"
They answered, "The first."
Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him."
Matthew 21:28-32
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 this Coronavirus outbreak. Also please pray for calm to be restored to our country and for peace to reign.
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.
September 25, 2020
Weekend Edition
If you are not familiar with our giveaway rules, take a minute to read them here. It keeps us all happy! All winners should send their name, address, and phone number to claim prizes. Note our new email address and please send your emails to Seekerville2@gmail.com
Friday 09/18: Winnie Griggs - the winner from her post on "Using Imagery In Your Writing" is Sarah Crouch. Congratulations Sarah! Select the book from Winnie's backlist that you'd like to have and send in the title along with your mailing info.
Monday: Jan Drexler talked about Heroes in her post on Monday. The winner of a copy of her new release, "Softly Blows the Bugle," is Tanya Agler. Congratulations, Tanya!
Wednesday: Cate Nolan has two sets of winners. Winner of an IOU for Texas Witness Threat is Angelina, and Linda Sammaritan and Jeanne Takenaka are the winners of an ebook of Christmas in Hiding.
Friday: Pam Hillman was our hostess with Happy Ever After, a post encouraging us all to enjoy those feel-good-happy-ever-after stories that we love more often.
Monday: Erica Vetsch takes you along on a writing retreat to the home of one of her favorite authors!
Wednesday: Amish suspense authors Mary Alford and Dana R Lynn discuss the exciting multi-author collection, Amish Christmas Miracles.
Thursday: Jill Kemerer will join us with some tips on increasing our daily word count. Friday: Surprise!!
DEBBY GIUSTIwas recognized at Harlequin's2020 Milestone Author Celebrationfor the publication of her 25th bookwith Love Inspired Suspense.In addition to recognition during thevirtual event, Debby also received flowersfrom her publisher.
Debby's next book,Amish Christmas Search,releases OCT 13th and is available for pre-order NOW!
How To A/B Split Test BookBub Ads by Candee Fick at Book Brush
Three Ways To Get Unstuck by Christina Miller at Learn How To Write A Novel
Using Deep POV in Limited Third Person by Lisa Hall-Wilson at Writers In The Storm
The Recipe for Writing a Great Scene by Janice Hardy at Fiction University
How to Put Readers in Your Character’s Skin by The Novel Smithy
When You're Not Motivated to Write by CS Lakin at Live Write Thrive
Slang in Dialogue: Use It Sparingly by KM Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors
The Best Time of Day to Write by Michelle Griep at Learn How To Write A Novel
Hidden Gems of the Enneagram (YouTube series) by Ian Morgan Cron
What Can We Learn From Reading Fiction Novels? by Keionda Lewis at Writer's EditTina Radcliffe's renown Writers's Inside Edition September 2020 is now available! Check out Tina Radcliffe - Inside Edition and sign up for your own monthly update!
September 24, 2020
Happy Ever After
by Pam Hillman
Storyteller. Troubadour. Oral history. Author.
As my day to blog approached, I wanted to share something inspiring and up lifting. Something to make us all feel good about our chosen profession, and to take us away from the day-to-day stress that's permeated so much of our lives of late.
Even in the toughest times, we have the best "job" in the world, don't we? We can escape from our very real daily trials and immerse ourselves in a fictional world where we're completely in control of the story. Sure, I know we talk about how our characters sometimes take over the story, but in the end, we do have control. Mostly. :)
Sometimes we just need to go back to the reason we started writing in the first place. Because we love story. We love creating the characters, the plot, figuring out all the little things that will take our protagonist through a journey where readers close the book with a happy sigh and believe that everything is going to be all right for her from here to eternity.
I'm thinking about all the books I've read over the years and those I've written, and even though I know in real life that there are going to be trials and tribulations, heartache and traumatic experiences, I've never had any problem closing a book with a happy and contended sigh that two characters I've fallen in love with have found their happy-ever-after. I know it's unrealistic to think life's going to be perfect from there on out for them, but for some reason, I'm always able to suspend disbelief and leave those characters in that perfect place of wedded (or soon-to-be) bliss. Even better is when there's an epilogue that ties things up in a sweet, pretty little bow.
The only time that changes is if those main characters become secondary characters in a series and we get to see them in a few months or years, having children or dealing with other issues in their lives.
Otherwise, they just become frozen in time.
I suppose I have the heart of a romantic, so books and movies that end horribly drive me insane. I can appreciate an author or director taking an unpopular (to me) route, but I don't have to like it. I can also understand when a book or movie is based on a true story. But, again, I don't have to like it, or even spend my time reading/watching it.
Just recently, I started watching a docu-drama about Lady Jane Grey, but lost interest after I read what happened to the real Lady Jane. I never finished the movie. I doubt I will. Griffin and Phoenix. Same.
I won't offend fans of certain famous tragic works, but there are several that I have never read or watched the movie versions of because I just don't care for tragic love stories. I chose not to read one such famous work when I was about 13. I remember to this day where I was (the school library) when I realized how it ended and I put it back on the shelf. Never read it, and don't have a desire to to this day over 40 years later.
I can probably count on one hand the tragic "love" stories/movies that I've read/watched from the beginning to the end. That's not to say that there aren't extremely sad situations in the books I read and write. A favorite book that I read many years ago had a little boy (the heroine's nephew) to lose his life. I should have seen it coming. The author had planted many, many clues to what was coming, but I was so wrapped up in the sweet love story unfolding that the tragedy hit me like ton of bricks, and I just sobbed and sobbed. So I'm not saying that I prefer all my reading material to be unrealistic where no one dies and no one gets sick and no one suffers. If you've read any of my work, you'll know that's not the case.
But for my hero and heroine, after I've put them through the wringer, through many twists and turns, squeezed them out and hung them out to dry, then I want them to be happy.
Life's too short and there's too much sadness and loss in real life for me to freeze a tragic fictional love story in my mind. Instead, give me a happy-ever-after story, and that makes me happy-ever-after.
CBA Bestselling author PAM HILLMAN was born and raised on a dairy farm in Mississippi and spent her teenage years perched on the seat of a tractor raking hay. In those days, her daddy couldn't afford two cab tractors with air conditioning and a radio, so Pam drove an Allis Chalmers 110. Even when her daddy asked her if she wanted to bale hay, she told him she didn't mind raking. Raking hay doesn't take much thought so Pam spent her time working on her tan and making up stories in her head. Now, that's the kind of life every girl should dream of. www.pamhillman.comSeptember 22, 2020
Cover Confessions of a Clueless Author
I have to begin this post with a caveat. Harlequin's Art Department is exceptionally talented at what they do, and I trust their judgment completely.
The problem is all mine.
You see, I write for Love Inspired Suspense, but my cover dreams always lean more towards Love Inspired. I must be the bane of my editor and the art department's existence when I submit my art fact sheets.
Case in point -
This was my debut, Christmas in Hiding.
See that dilapidated cabin?
That's where my hero and heroine were hiding out. If you look really really closely you can make out a Christmas tree, but in my mind, it looked totally different. This is what I submitted to the art department.
Are you laughing yet?
I mean it's a Christmas book, right? We want lights and decorations and snow, and....
No, Cate. It's SUSPENSE. We want danger, we want it to look scary.
Apparently I am not a quick study when it comes to cover design. Fast forward to last spring when I had to complete the Art Fact Sheets for Texas Witness Threat.
This is what I sent.
Mindy is probably laughing right now because when I told her I wanted bluebonnets on my cover, she was terrified I was going to ruin beautiful fields of Texas wildflowers with some danger scene.
She needn't have worried.
I got a snake instead.
You saw what I submitted.
This is my cover.
Clearly I am CLUELESS when it comes to choosing cover art.
I dream of covers like these:
And I got a SNAKE!
So here's where you come in - and my roundabout way of reaching the point of this post - what would you do with the snake?
I need to come up with some clever marketing ploys so the snake doesn't scare readers off.
This is the back cover copy:
She saw something she shouldn’t have…
Assistant US Attorney Christine Davis is positive she witnessed a murder, but with no body, the police aren’t convinced. Now someone wants her dead, and Texas Ranger Blake Larsen is the only one who believes her. For Blake, protecting Christine must stay more important than their growing feelings for each other. But can he keep her safe from an unknown enemy who wants her silenced?
I came up with this slogan - "Go ahead. Pick it up. The snake won't bite, but danger lurks within!
I joked with friends about printing stickers to go over the snake.
I'm trusting the art department and marketing that they know what readers want, but if I screamed when I saw the cover, what are readers going to do?
I am curious to know: would the snake make you notice the book and pick it up, or would it put you off? (Note: I have had readers tell me they will only buy eBooks so they don't really have to look at the cover!
So if you're dropping by today, please tell me how would you promo that snake book? (Fact: the snake takes up more room on the cover than it does in the actual story!)
Have any clever ideas?
I'm promising an IOU for one advance copy (whenever I get them) of Texas Witness Threat and an ebook of Christmas in Hiding. Please let me know in the comments which you prefer if you would like to be in the drawing.
September 20, 2020
Who is the Hero of Your Story?
Who is the hero of your favorite story?
Gilbert Blythe from the Anne of Green Gables series? John McClain from Die Hard? Prince Philip from Sleeping Beauty?
*Just for this blog post, I’m only mentioning heroes, even though everything I will say pertains to heroines, too!
Here’s my definition of a hero:
A hero is someone who is willing to give up the most precious thing in his or her life for the good of someone else.
Let’s look at the heroic examples I listed above –
1. Gilbert Blythe: We all love Gilbert, don’t we? He’s the perfect match for Anne, even when they were youngsters in school. But what makes him a hero? When his father died and he was orphaned, Gilbert was willing to make the sacrifices he needed to in order to continue his schooling to become a doctor – to help others live rather than die the way his father had.
2. John McClain: What makes John McClain a hero is not his ability to walk across broken glass barefoot (I hate that scene!) but that he is willing to sacrifice his own safety (and potentially his life) to pursue the bad guy to the end for the sake of his wife and the other hostages in the Nakatomi Tower, and in the process restore his marriage.
3. Prince Philip from Sleeping Beauty (the Disney version): Okay, Philip has the advantage of living in a fairy tale and so he has no flaws. But he did risk life and limb to fight Evil (in the form of Maleficent, Disney's greatest villain) in order to save Aurora and restore the kingdom to life.
My favorite fictional story is The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, and the hero is Samwise Gamgee.
I can hear you now: “Sam? I thought the hero was Aragorn, or Frodo!”
Nope. Sam. Bear with me while I make my case.
Sam is the character that the story revolves around. He’s an unwilling participant in the vast story-world of Middle-Earth that is in danger of being consumed by evil. Frodo, Aragorn, Gandalf, Elrond, and all the other characters have their parts to play, and all are heroic. All make sacrifices for the good of others. All are willing to give up what is most precious to them for the greater good.
But Sam – the gardener from the Shire – gives up the most precious things of all:
His home – leaving the Shire when he hadn’t traveled more than a dozen miles from his house in his lifetime.
His family – leaving his elderly father behind, as well as Rosie Cotton.
His goals – in the Shire he was a gardener and friend of Frodo. All he wanted was a home, children to raise, and a bit of garden to raise his vegetables. When he set off on the quest, he didn’t have any other goal than to help Frodo take the Ring as far as he needed to take it.
And when it came to the most daring sacrifice of all - - -
Sam was the only ring-bearer who gave up the ring without reservation.
Without Sam, Frodo wouldn’t have been able to finish the journey to Mount Doom.
Without Sam, Frodo wouldn’t have had the strength to walk to the precipice of the fire.
Without Sam, the quest would never have been accomplished.
Without Sam, the story would never have come to its necessary conclusion of restoration.
All would have been lost.
Samwise Gamgee is definitely my favorite hero in literature. I even named my border collie puppy after him, even though at eight months old, he's more of a Tigger than a Samwise!
We’ve discussed some fictional heroes, but are there any real-life heroes?
Of course. We see them every day.
I hope some of the people closest to you fit in that category - my favorite real-life hero has always been my dear husband.
And, of course, the epitome of the hero is our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the true example for all other heroes to follow. Think of his life and sacrifice for us!
How does this relate to our writing?
Every story has a hero. If you’re wondering who it is in your book, look for the pivotal character (in a romance, there is both a hero and a heroine.)
As you develop your hero character, identifying his flaws, his strengths, and his motivations, add one more thing: make him willing to sacrifice what is most precious to him for the good of others.
In the comments, tell us about your hero. What will he or she sacrifice for someone else?
One commenter will be in the drawing for a copy of my October 20 release, "Softly Blows the Bugle."
What is the book about?
When Elizabeth Kaufman received the news of her husband's death at the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, she felt only relief. She determined that she would never be at the mercy of any man again, even if it meant she would never have a family of her own. Then Aaron Zook comes home with her brother when the war ends two years later.Available for pre-order! Links are on my website: www.JanDrexler.com
Despite the severity of his injuries, Aaron resolves to move West and leave the pain of the past behind him. He never imagined that the Amish way of life his grandfather had rejected long ago would be so enticing. That, and a certain widow he can't get out of his mind.
Yet, even in a simple community, life has a way of getting complicated. Aaron soon finds that while he may have left the battlefield behind, there is another fight he must win--the one for the heart of the woman he loves.
Welcome back to the Amish community at Weaver's Creek, where the bonds of family and faith bind up the brokenhearted.
