Erica Vetsch's Blog, page 93

The Birth of a Book...Start to Finish

By Debby Giusti
Dear Friends, We are living through a time of upheaval and confusion with the coronavirus pandemic. I hope all of you are hunkered down comfortably, with food and other necessities. I’m praying for you and for our country and the world. God bless and protect us all.
On a lighter note, let’s talk about the journey a story takes from conception to publication. It starts with an idea…or a plot point, an inciting incident or exciting climax or even a snippet of dialogue. That first blush of inspiration grabs the writer and forces her to the “What If” stage. What if the hero is an Amish recluse who’s questioning his faith? What if the heroine is a dazed Englischer suffering from amnesia?

The writer starts to build a story like a carpenter constructs a house. The opening, first meet, call to action, escalating tension, black moment, climax and resolution are added. The setting is chosen—an Amish farm, a military post, a small town in Georgia—along with the theme, moral premise, hooks and motifs.
The characters take shape—Ruthie Eicher and Noah Schlabach or Becca Troyer and Zeke Hochstetler—and a relationship develops between the writer and the hero and heroine. With gentle prodding, the characters reveal their goals, motivations and conflicts—both external and internal. Friends, mentors and enemies become part of the story structure. Secrets, even secret babies, are added to the mix. Backstory is sprinkled in along with foreshadowing and red herrings.
Once the writer “sees” the story, she begins to pen the first three chapters and synopsis. The synopsis is a narrative overview of the entire story written in present tense. The synopsis and three chapters make up the proposal that is emailed to the editor.

Within the next thirty days or so, the editor reads the proposal. She can ask for revisions or make suggestions to enhance the story. She can reject the idea, or she can approve the submission and give the writer the go-ahead to finish the manuscript.  
If not done before this time, the writer signs a binding legal contract to submit the completed manuscript by a certain deadline. In return for the story, which is her “product,” the writer will receive an “advance” payment, usually given in three installments. The writer receives one-third of the advance upon contract, one-third with the acceptance of the proposal and one-third upon acceptance of the full manuscript. After signing the contract, the writer is obligated to complete the manuscript and submit it on or before the agreed deadline.
Now, the writer writes the story, revises the story, stews about the story, makes changes to the story, deletes unnecessary scenes, adds dialogue, adds scenes, rewrites the beginning…the ending…the black moment…stews some more. During this process, the writer loves the story, hates the story, hates herself for writing the story, then starts to like the story again. Eventually, once the writer is satisfied that the story is ready to submit—or her deadline looms—she emails the manuscript to her editor.

The editor reads the manuscript. She may return the manuscript to the writer and ask for changes. If so, the writer makes the changes and resubmits the manuscript. If the editor approves the manuscript and  the changes, she contacts the financial department. They send a check to the writer for the second installment of the advance.
Line edits are done by either the acquiring editor or a freelance editor contracted by the publishing house. The edits are done on the computer in “track changes” format.  The editor then returns the edited manuscript to the writer.
The writer is given from two weeks to a month to revise the manuscript and make the requested changes. Additionally, the writer answers any questions the editor may have mentioned in her edits and tightens any areas that still need work. After making the changes, the writer reads a clean copy of the manuscript—this is the last opportunity the writer has to make changes to the story—before returning it to the editor. Upon acceptance of the manuscript, the financial department sends the writer the final third of her advance.

During this time, the writer completes the Art Fact Sheet for the Art Department and Marketing. Three scenes are selected as possible cover art suggestions. For Amish stories, the writer chooses two scenes that involve the heroine wearing her kapp, or bonnet, and a landscape scene. A 500-word synopsis and a few storyline questions are answered, which marketing uses in promotion and to attract foreign sales. The short synopsis provides information for the editor or assistant tasked to write the back of the book blurb. The writer also submits photo links or copies of photos of characters, setting, clothing and scenery and any additional photos that will help the Art Department in their creation of a cover.
The editor requests a list of possible titles. The writer may submit ten or fifteen titles and then be asked to come up with more ideas. The executive editor and editor choose a title, usually from the submitted list. Soon after the acceptance of the revised manuscript, the writer submits the dedication and scripture that will appear in the book.
The manuscript is reviewed by a copy editor who looks for any incongruences, such as a character having blond hair in the beginning and brown hair later in the story. The copy editor also checks for typos, and any grammar or punctuation mistakes. If she has a question concerning the story, she sends her query to the editor who forwards it to the writer for clarification.
Before the manuscript goes to print, another editor and the executive editor read the final copy. Once the editing process is completed, the story is printed in mass market format.

Approximately three months before the release date, the writer receives a case of books to give away or use for contest entries. The Direct to Reader book club receives their books soon after that. The bookstores receive their shipments in time for the books to be on the shelves and ready for purchase by the release date.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief review of a story’s journey from conception to publication.
A lot of time and energy goes into publishing a story. The writer works hand in hand with her editor and the other personnel at the publishing house. Every effort is made to create a wonderful story for the reader.
Did you realize what was involved in publishing a story? Are there steps in the process that surprised you? Do you enjoy the cover art? How important is it to you when you buy a book? What about the blurb? 
Grab a cup of coffee and let’s talk about what we like about the stories we read, what attracts our interest and the many facets of the publishing process. Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for a copy of my April release, DANGEROUS AMISH INHERITANCE.
Stay safe and healthy, dear friends! Let us know if you or a family member is sick or has been exposed to the virus so we can cover you and them with prayer.
Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giustiwww.DebbyGiusti.com


Dangerous Amish InheritanceBy Debby Giusti
“Move off the mountain. No one wants you here.”

Can this Amish widow survive her dangerous stalker?

Someone wants Ruthie Eicher off Amish Mountain…enough to terrorize the widow and her boys. Now Ruthie must rely on her former sweetheart, Noah Schlabach—the secret father of her eldest son—as they figure out why. But Noah has turned his back on love and the Amish way of life. Can he shield Ruthie…without breaking her heart again?
Pre-order HERE!

GOD-STORMING: A Christian Author’s Take on Brainstorming

GOD-STORMING: A Christian Author’s Take on Brainstorming.
☘️ Happy St. Pat’s Day, everyone, and the top of the morning to ya! It’s an honor and a privilege to be back here on Seekerville on one of my favorite days of the year.
And okay … maybe you don’t have to kiss me because I’m Irish, but a giant hug might be in order because—whoo-hoo!—my seventh O’Connor Family novel, A Wing and a Prayer releases next month, April 1! So … I thought St. Patrick’s Day would be an appropriate time to talk about this Irish family saga and how God took it—and me—by storm. Or, more appropriately, by “God-Storming.”
What is “God-storming,” you ask? Well, for some people it may be a last resort, but for this author, it’s the number one way I brainstorm when I run into a wall on my plots. Ahem … just like I did on A Wing and a Prayer. You see, every single one of my O’Connor novels has a twist at the end that hopefully drops a jaw or two. Everyone, that is, except A Wing and a Prayer, and I gotta tell you, it bothered me something fierce.
So, I decided to do a little “God-storming,” which is a mix between brainstorming and praying, accent mark on praying. I’ve done it on all of my O’Connor books, and in every single case, an amazing answer to my dilemma was dropped in my lap like a bolt from the blue.
Literally.
Click to Buy For example, take my very first novel, A Passion Most Pure. Yes, I was a newbie, no doubt about it—SO green that when my agent labeled my book a “historical,” I actually argued with her, saying, “but I don’t write “historicals, I write romance.”
Let’s pause here for a moment of silent prayer on behalf of my agent Natasha Kern.
Sigh. Yes, I really was that green. An author who actually didn’t consider the historical aspect of my story as important as the emotional tug-of-war between the hero and heroine. I mean, come on, everybody knows the most important thing is WHAT happens in the story, not WHEN it happens, right?
Uh, wrong.That misconception almost derailed my plot for my debut novel, A Passion Most Pure with a HUGE research blunder that got past me, my critique partners, proofreaders, and my editor. You see, the first half of APMP takes place in Boston, and when WWI breaks out, the 2nd half of the book shifts to Dublin, Ireland. It was essential to the plot that the O’Connor women and children travel to Ireland mid-book, but during 1916, the only way to do that was by ship. No problemo—I simply plopped them all on a comfy-cozy passenger ship.
Beep, beep … back the truck up … or in this case, the passenger ship!
“No can do,” says my editor, whose husband just happened to be—what are the odds?—an Irish historian! He innocently pointed out to his wife that the O’Connors traveling on a ship to Ireland during World War I would not have been feasible as passenger ships at that time were commandeered for war. Not to mention the annoying fact that German U-boat warfare made it too dangerous for ship travel. Double sigh.
So, what did I do when my editor called me with the dilemma?
I had a meltdown. Cried for days. Walked around in a fog. Then frantically began researching other destinations (other than Europe) that the O’Connors could possibly travel to via ship. Consequently, I was a basket case, not only because of the MAJOR research and rewrites looming mere months from release date, but because I had fallen in love with Dublin, and mourned it’s potential loss.
GOD TO THE RESCUE!
“Pray for a simple solution,” came the thought one day after I’d spent hours and hours laboring over daunting research.
Oh. What a novel idea for a Christian author!
So I did. And guess what? Out of the blue, an old friend called me for lunch, and when I told her my dilemma, she squinted at me and said, “You know … I just read something recently about the introduction of the freighter convoy system during WWI, which greatly reduced the likelihood of being sunk by a German U-boats.”



Excuse me?? I remember just blinking at her, jaw dangling while the wheels turned in my head, heart bursting with gratitude. Because by adding a freighter convoy, a menopausal wife having a breakdown because her grandmother is dying in Dublin, and a cousin in the freighter business, my massive plot rewrites/research dwindled down to two measly paragraphs—count ‘em, two!—added to make that book historically accurate.



WOW … who knew?? Well, God apparently, because He masterminded the lunch with my resourceful friend who just happened to have read an article on freighter convoys during WWI. I mean again, seriously, what are the odds?
Click to Buy Another brick wall I hit was on A Hope Undaunted, a real doozy that reduced me to tears, rants, and a black hole for almost a week. It took me nine months to write that book and it’s my absolute favorite, so I was really excited. Instead of popping the huge surprise at the end of the book like I did in the prior three novels, I pulled the old grenade pin mid-book, blowing up both my hero and heroine’s future together and, hopefully, the reader’s mind as well. Unfortunately, my editor tossed her grenade first, demolishing my plot so completely, a total rewrite/replotting appeared to be in store.
That night my husband held me while I sobbed in his arms. “We’ll just pray about it, Julie,” he said softly, “and God will get you through this, babe—He always does.”
“No, you don’t understand,” I wailed, lunging away to lay prostrate on a soggy pillow, “the heart and soul of my plot has been destroyed, and now I have to start over, coming up with a whole new book!”
Oh ye of little faith.
So, yes, we prayed and God showed up carrying a few grenades of His own. Talk about a wall-crumbler! One minute my editor is talking total plot rewrite, and the next she’s saying, “You know … what if we just shift things a bit, deleting your main twist component—a component she patiently explained I could not do in Christian romance—making it vague enough that the shock value was still in effect?”
Say what? I blinked. Squinted. Caught my breath. A slow smile curved. Oh. My. Goodness! One minor shift, and the entire plot remains intact with nothing more than a few line revisions. WOW—from total rewrite to total peace for my editor and me in a blink of a prayer!
Click to Buy By my 5th book, I was confident I was getting this plotting thing down, so when it came time to write A Heart Revealed, I was ready. But as an author who incorporated a hairpin twist at the end of my prior books, I was a wee bit concerned. Emma and Sean’s romance was not my typical romance where boy meets girl and sparks fly. Instead, this plot hinged on a ten-year friendship that grows spiritually and emotionally, ripening into unconditional love where two people sacrifice themselves for the other. Great story, I thought … with one itsy-bitsy problem.
There was no way I could surprise my readers because Emma is married to an abusive husband, who is very much alive back in Dublin. Since both she and Sean are Catholic, the two of them can’t get together until the slime-bucket husband kicks the bucket. I figured everybody who read the book would assume I had to X the ex in order to make this plot work, and regrettably, they were right. Believe me, I researched divorce and annulment ad nauseum in the Catholic church back then and frankly, they were not a viable option for my story, so I was stuck.
Okay, so I don’t have an earth-shattering plot twist at the end—so what? If it’s a good story, does it really matter if I shock my readers senseless?
Unfortunately, to this CDQ, it does. I get such a thrill out of those high-voltage electrical twists that cause my readers to jolt right up in bed so hard that they wake up their husbands with a mild expletive. And, yes, that is a true story, written to me by one of my sweet readers.

Making the Move From Reader to Aspiring Author, part one

All of us here on Seekerville have at least one thing in common – we love Story. Whether we’re readers or writers (or both!) we have discovered that there is an enchanting world to be found between the covers of a book.

Authors are often asked questions from readers who would like to become authors themselves. No matter which questions they ask, what they really want to know is:

How do I get from being a reader to being a writer?

How do I prepare for a writing career?



I remember being the one asking these questions. I started asking when I was very young (I attempted to write a script for an episode of the television show, Bonanza, when I was nine years old…yes, that’s how long ago it was!) and I still had questions as I finished school, married, raised my family, and started on the downhill side of middle age.

Today, I’m going to try to answer your questions by giving you the first three of six steps to get from point A (reader) to point B (writer.) The first three steps are in today's post, the last three will be in next month's post (Lord willing.) These steps are meant to be a jumping off point. A place to start digging deeper. A place to start writing your own curriculum to teach yourself how to become an author.

It won’t be easy – to quote Ruthy, “writing is hard” – but it will be doable…IF you are willing to approach this task with a willing heart and a teachable spirit.



Step 1: Live your life.

When I was just a young thing graduating from college with my shiny new degree in English With A Creative Writing Emphasis, the last thing I felt ready to do was write a book. I had spent four years learning things that were supposed to make me a writer (most of which I’ve long since forgotten,) but I was woefully ill-equipped. Why? Because I had spent four years learning how to be a "writer"…not how to develop characters, construct a plot, or even plan a scene...in other words, to write a story.

As I prepared for graduation, I knew, deep down, that I knew nothing. I had no experiences, no knowledge, no wisdom.

What could I have done differently? I would have studied a different major, first of all.

History would have been a good major. Or philosophy. Or psychology.

Anything that would have taught me about people.

But even studying about people would not have given me the depth of knowledge I’ve gained by just living my life and trying to understand it.

You don’t have to live as long as I have to cultivate your “people knowledge.” You can use your own experiences, your family’s experiences, and your friends’ experiences, examining them with a writer’s eye. Understanding those experiences, how they have been affected by the past and how they will affect the future. And seeing them through God’s eyes…with a Christian world-view.

So, for your first assignment , LIVE! And as you live, observe, ponder, and ask “what if I had done it this way…”


Step 2: Read as if your career depends on it.

I’ve talked about reading for writers in another post. You can find Part One HERE and Part Two HERE, and I recommend that you take a few minutes to read them to refresh your memory. We’ll wait.

I can’t add much to the posts I wrote earlier, except that the top priority of every aspiring (and published) author should be to read.

So, your second assignment is to read - but not just any book. Choose one that you finished with a sigh, thinking, "oh, I wish I could write a book like that." Then re-read the book, applying the techniques that I outlined in "Reading as a Writer" part two.




Step 3: Study the concept of STORY.

I can’t emphasize this enough.

Story is the thread that makes our stories resonate with readers. I believe we all have an affinity for Story built into our DNA that goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden.

How do you learn Story?

1. Read. I can’t say that often enough. From "The Story of Peter Rabbit" to "War and Peace," each book we read tells a story – A Hero. A Heroine. A Noble Quest. A Dragon. A Sword. A Victory. Knowing how those elements fit together is the beginning of understanding Story.

2. Study.  There are some wonderful resources for writers that explain how to tap into that elusive thing we call story. Here are a few, but there are many others!


“The One Year Adventure Novel” curriculum by Dan Schwabauer. My boys and I used this curriculum when they were in high school, and I learned more about writing with this curriculum than I did in four years of college. Even though this is curriculum written for homeschoolers, it’s useful for anyone who is in the beginning stages of building a writing career. You can learn more by visiting the website HERE.


Another resource I recommend is “The Moral Premise” by Stan Williams. Dr. Williams has been a guest on Seekerville more than once, and you can read about his book HERE. Or you can read an introduction to The Moral Premisein this post from the Seekerville archives.
The third resource, and one that will take you deep into thissubject, is "The Writer's Journey" by Chris Vogler. He delves into the maze of Story and breaks it down intotwelve steps. You can find his book HERE, or the companion video course with Chris Vogler and Michael Hauge, "The Hero's Two Journeys" HERE.
Your third assignment is to watch this fun introduction to The Writer's Journey story structure in a short video. Watch here!




Whew! Are you ready to get started on your course of self-education? Tune in next month when I’ll share the next three steps!

Meanwhile, share your aspirations with us! Are you at the bottom of that steep learning curve, feeling like EVERYONE knows more than you do? (You aren't alone!) Or are you somewhere in the middle, looking for more ways to make your writing shine?
One commenter will win your choice of a copy of my newest release, "The Roll of the Drums," book two in the Amish of Weaver's Creek series. (US only for paper copy, Kindle for international or if you prefer the digital version.)

SUNDAY SCRIPTURE and PRAYER REQUESTS

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT
The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community throughout this Lenten season. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, please leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 
We are so grateful for all of you—for your friendship and your support! May the Lord bless you and your families abundantly as we journey to Easter. 
Please join us in praying for our country--and the world--during this coronavirus outbreak. 
Dear Lord, protect us and keep usfree from COVID-19 infection. Help all who are working hard to contain the spread of this virus, especially those  in the healthcare professions and those caring for the sick. Give clarity and right judgement to the WHO, CDC, NIH and federal, state and local agencies combating this outbreak.Guard our elderly and immunocompromised and bring healing and comfort to those who have the disease.God bless us, and God bless the United States of America.Amen.

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well, Guercino, 1640-41,
Madrid, Spain. [PD-US]
Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar,near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.Jacob’s well was there.Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.It was about noon.
A woman of Samaria came to draw water.Jesus said to her,“Give me a drink.”His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.The Samaritan woman said to him,“How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?”—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.—Jesus answered and said to her,“If you knew the gift of Godand who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink, ‘you would have asked himand he would have given you living water.”The woman said to him,“Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep;where then can you get this living water?Are you greater than our father Jacob,who gave us this cistern and drank from it himselfwith his children and his flocks?”Jesus answered and said to her,“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;the water I shall give will become in hima spring of water welling up to eternal life.”The woman said to him,“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirstyor have to keep coming here to draw water.
“I can see that you are a prophet.Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain;but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”Jesus said to her,“Believe me, woman, the hour is comingwhen you will worship the Fatherneither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.You people worship what you do not understand;we worship what we understand,because salvation is from the Jews.But the hour is coming, and is now here,when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth;and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.God is Spirit, and those who worship himmust worship in Spirit and truth.”The woman said to him,“I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ;when he comes, he will tell us everything.”Jesus said to her,“I am he, the one who is speaking with you.”
Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him.When the Samaritans came to him,they invited him to stay with them;and he stayed there two days.Many more began to believe in him because of his word,and they said to the woman,“We no longer believe because of your word;for we have heard for ourselves,and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”John 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42

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: Kerrie Flanagan was our guest today and shared from four other authors about their publishing journeys-- what they did right, and what they wish they'd done differently.
Wednesday: Ruthy Logan Herne and Belle Calhoune were in the house to give a frank talk on what it takes to be a successful midlist writer these days... and how to do it! Winner of Ruthy's new "Finding Peace in Wishing Bridge" is Anne Rightler and Belle's five winners of  are Sandy Smith, Vince Mooney, SK Timmer, Angeline and Tanya Agler!
Friday: Annie shared a list on what to do with all the books you no longer have a place for. The winner for the box of books giveaway is Lee-Anne B!



Monday:  Jan Drexler is starting a new series with part one of Making the Move From Reader to Aspiring Author. Do you feel like breaking into a career as an author is like making your way through a trackless jungle? Jan has her machete handy and we'll conquer the unknown together! Jan is also giving away a copy of "The Roll of the Drums," book two in The Amish of Weaver's Creek series.
Tuesday: Julie Lessman-Seekerville Alumnus is returning with a new O'CONNOR BOOK! YAY And her blog is A Christian Authors take on Brainstorming. The prize vault is OPEN
Wednesday: USA TODAY Bestselling Author Debby Giusti will talk about a manuscript's journey from first conception to publication. Learn how a story weaves its way from the author's computer to the editor's desk, through the revision and editing processes and finally to publication. Be sure to stop by and enjoy Debby's "Start to Finish Look at the Birth of a Book!" In addition to great information, Debby's also giving away a copy of her April release, DANGEROUS AMISH INHERITANCE.  Friday: Winnie Griggs is on deck with a surprise post - in fact it's so much a surprise that even she doesn't know what it will contain yet!  :)




 
The blog tour for Ruthy's new book Finding Peace in Wishing Bridge starts MONDAY at JustRead Tours!
 
The Maggie Award of Excellence 2020is open. Get your manuscripts ready for submission!
NEWS FLASH!!!Love Inspired Editor EMILY RODMELLwill attend Georgia Romance WritersMoonlight & Magnolias Conference 2020.Plan to attend and pitch your story to Emily! www.GeorgiaRomanceWriters.org

RELEASES APRIL 1ST! 
Dangerous Amish InheritanceBy Debby Giusti“Move off the mountain. No one wants you here.”
Can this Amish widow survive her dangerous stalker?Someone wants Ruthie Eicher off Amish Mountain…enough to terrorize the widow and her boys. Now Ruthie must rely on her former sweetheart, Noah Schlabach—the secret father of her eldest son—as they figure out why. But Noah has turned his back on love and the Amish way of life. Can he shield Ruthie…without breaking her heart again?
Order HERE!
In Bookstores NOW. Woman of Sunlight! Book #2 in the Brides of Hope Mountain series.
On Sale Now, The Reluctant WarriorNookKindle

ON SALE NOW!!!!!

TWO OF RUTHY'S HISTORICAL BOOKS ON SALE FOR KINDLE AT NINETY-NINE CENTS EACH!!!!
LINK TO AMAZON!

.99 EACH!!!!
Yes, I made it big font on purpose, LOL! Head on over, this sale is over soon and get your copies of Sewing Sisters' Society AND A Most Inconvenient Love from Amazon!!!!



Jan Drexler is pleased to announce that "Softly Blows the Bugle," the conclusion to her Amish of Weaver's Creek series, is available for preorder. Don't you love that cover?


Click HERE to preorder from Amazon!




6 Tips for Introducing Characters by KM Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors

Barnes&Noble wants to be more like an indie bookseller from Bloomberg News

Rants & Raves by Amanda Cabot at An Indie Adventure

What To Do With All The Books?

Hello Seekerville! Annie here. It's been awhile, but if you've followed me on Instagram, my blog or other social media platforms (now deactivated), you know I'm a huge book lover, especially print copies.  In the past few months, I'm under doctors' strong recommendation to de-clutter and downsize my physical home library. In other words, the amount of my physical books is not helping my health.  So what to do? I took some time to do research what to do with a deluge of books. There are actually a lot of outlets for physical books. Let's start with the obvious ones.

1. Read and collect them. 

*image credit: unsplash.com2. Gift to a friend.

3. Donate to the local library. 
Reach out to your local library to see what their policies or limitations are to accept donations.

4. Host giveaways. 
Be sure to giveaways are compliant to local, state and federal laws.

5. Start a little free library. 
For more info, check out the Little Free Library organization website here: https://littlefreelibrary.org/.

If any of the above does not work for you, consider donating to the following places:

6. Salvation Army.
Books donated to a local Salvation Army will be sold at their stores to further their ministry or pass onto people at their various outreach programs like homeless shelters and rehabilitation facilities.

*image credit: unsplash.com7. Local Schools.
Personally, I love this route. I reached out to a local Christian school and donated many of my books which I know will fill their school library or used in their bi-annual sale with proceeds to fund additional programs that had their funding cut.

Check local schools and see if they will accept book donations, and if their are any limitations such as age group, genres or quantity.

8. Goodwill
Like Salvation Army, Goodwill will resell donated books at their thrift stores and use the proceeds to fund their programs.

9. Vietnam Veterans of America
"The Vietnam Veterans of America sells your donated items to private companies by annual bid which generates the majority of the funding to support the local, state, and national programs of the Vietnam Veterans of America." Schedule a pick up here: https://pickupplease.org/about-vva/

10. Retirement Homes
Check your local retirement or assisted living facilities. They usually have a small library that provide reading material to their residents.

11. Kids Need to Read
"Kids Need to Read works to create a culture of reading for children by providing inspiring books to underfunded schools, libraries, and literacy programs across the United States, especially those serving disadvantaged children." Find out more on their website: https://www.kidsneedtoread.org

*image credit: unsplash.com12. Operation Paperback / Books for Soldiers
These two non-profit organizations solicit volunteers and donations to send books to our domestic and oversea military. For more info, check out their respective website (linked above).

13. Reader to Reader
"Reader to Reader, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to expanding literacy and learning opportunities for the nation's most chronically underserved and vulnerable communities, including inner-city schools, Native American reservations, and poor rural towns." For more info: http://www.readertoreader.org


Did you know there were so many ways to share your love of books and your actual books? How do you share your books? 

In conclusion, I would like to share a box of books with one US reader! Just leave a comment below and a winner will be announced in tomorrow's WE!





Annie is proud to be one of the founding stewards of the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat (CFRR), the first readers' retreat of its kind, and the cofounder of JustRead Publicity Tours. She loves all things book and bookish, and most of all, Jesus.   You can find her at @justcommonly on Instagram.

Straight Talk from Belle & Ruthy

Ruthy here:

There is no easy way to tell you this:

Writing is work.

It takes a rare amount of self-discipline because no one is hanging over your shoulder, watching you work, expecting five 8-hour days from you on a weekly basis.
They do expect a book to be delivered in a timely fashion. That's what they're paying you for, but then it's in your hands.

Do you punt? Or run the ball and get the job done?
You would be amazed at how many people punt.
If you don't know what punting is, go look it up.
We'll wait.
(Plays Jeopardy theme song in her head while waiting...)
That's right, it's to kick the ball to the other team. It's to open the door for others to have a chance. It's to put your future in someone else's hands.
Now, punting is a crucial part of football.
It's not good in writing books.

Writing is good in writing books.  Let me raise my hand and say I've been the recipient of a few contracts others couldn't fulfill and it's better to be on the receiving end than the punting end.
No one hands you a contract with a wink and says "Whenever you get it done, we'll be waiting."
And anyone can catch a lucky break or two, but it's not luck that garners contracts and readers and editors and agents. It's work.

I know, that sounds simplistic. But it's true. Simple truth. You don't have to be the greatest author to be a successful author, but you do have to write books and keep writing books. And these days, if you write a book that doesn't sell to a traditional publisher, you can have it edited and put it out as an indie, and that kind of wipes away any excuses we may have. It's not enough to want to be a writer...

It's that you have to write to be a writer. 

A thousand words/day. That's about 4 pages, my friends. And if you did that every day, you have 365,000 words at the end of the year. If you take Sundays off, you have 313,000 words/year. And Christmas and Thanksgiving... 311,000 words/year.
That's four books.  And that's the math behind the actuality.
Yes, we write because we're inspired, but some days you have to just get to work, even if the inspiration is scarce because it's amazing how it roars back to life once you sit down and get to work.
It's okay to 'just do it'.... Because you can.

Somewhat bossy and brazen, Ruthy has over 50 published books to her credit, and her newest release, "Finding Peace in Wishing Bridge" is the third book of her bestselling Wishing Bridge series. She's telling you this because she's not afraid to say she knows what she's talking about... and it comes back to writing... and working. 

Now let's hear from bestselling, award-winning hybrid author Belle Calhoune.  




Belle here. Thanks for those pearls of wisdom, Ruthy. 
Writing is work. Incredibly hard work.
Don’t ever forget that writing is a business and it’s work, whether you’re published or unpublished. Time-consuming, unrelenting work. As a hybrid author I’ve spent the last five years writing Indie books as well as traditionally published books with Harlequin Love Inspired. To date I’ve published roughly 41 books. Counting novella sets, it’s probably closer to 45. People always ask me how I’m able to write so many books? I think the answer lies in my desire to get it done.
Drive. Work ethic. Commitment.
I think writing is really putting one foot in front of the other and marching toward deadlines. Keeping to a daily writing schedule is imperative. I don’t pencil in my writing for certain hours during the day, but I make sure I have a word count goal and it’s so important that I make that goal. Since my house is very quiet (except for my two dogs, Beau and Copper) I like to do the bulk of my writing in these hours. It’s distraction-free writing time, except for that pesky Facebook which always tempts me.

Avoiding distractions is imperative.
I’m a social person, so Facebook can be a serious distraction from my writing. For Lent I gave up posting on my personal page, although I still will post daily on my author page. This is really going to help me focus on my projects at hand. At the moment I have to edit a Love Inspired book, finish my fourth book in the Owl Creek series, finish a Pelican Bay Indie book and do some serious work on my first book for Grand Central’s Forever line. Being an author is very much like being a professional juggler. There are always balls in the air that we don’t want to fall to the ground. My advice is to recognize the things that hamper your ability to write. Cut out all the distractions, even if it’s family and friends (obviously not permanently). I have to put a note on my writing den door to keep my kids out. One of my daughters told me she hates seeing that sign up, but for me it’s creating a safe work space. They would never consider going into my husband’s law office and interrupting him at his workplace. *If it’s something really important of course I’ll open up the door.

Sacrifices
A few years ago I had a deadline right before Christmas. Waaah. I had to make some hard decisions that year that included missing a lot of fun holiday events. I felt sorry for myself but then it hit me. I’m a writer with deadlines. I signed contracts knowing I had these deadlines. Sometimes you miss out on things. And that particular year I was behind on this project so if I had planned better I probably would have been able to attend those events.
I’ve stayed up until four in the morning to finish a book. I’ve written books in notebooks while my husband is driving. I’ve taken my computer to sporting events and written at half time. I never want to be that author who has to bail on a deadline. First of all, it’s not professional. And second, you never know what that might cost you professionally. With Love Inspired they slot us into a particular month, so they are counting on us to hand in our books on time. I don’t ever want to put myself in that position where I’m not turning the book in on time. Of course there are unforeseen events in life that pop up that make it impossible to deliver such as family emergencies or illnesses.

Goals
For me, being productive is a major goal. I like to look back on what I’ve accomplished and set goals for the new year. The hard work you put in always comes to fruition. In 2020 I’m releasing three books with Harlequin Love Inspired. The schedule was grueling, but so worthwhile. My next big challenge will be writing three books for Grand Central’s Forever Line. The word count is 75,000 which is much higher than I’m used to. But, having established a firm writing schedule over the past few years, I think I’m in a great place to wrap these projects up.



Belle Calhoune is a Publisher’s Weekly Best-selling author of Inspirational romance. She was recently added to the RWA Honor Roll.  Growing up in Massachusetts across the street from a public library shaped her early life. She is a hybrid author, writing for Harlequin Love Inspired and Grand Central (Forever line) while also self-publishing. She has written over forty novels. She is the author of the best-selling series, Seven Brides, Seven Brothers and Secrets of Savannah Series. Belle is known for creating diverse characters. The winner of the Angeline Bishop award for multicultural debut for her Seven Brides series, Belle has hit the best-seller lists with many of her books.  Recently, one of her books, An Alaskan Christmas, was made into a television movie (Love, Alaska) by Brain Power Studios and aired on the Uptv network. She lives in Connecticut and enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.  Writing in her pajamas is a great perk of being an author.


Ruthy Again...

Belle and I have similar work ethics and views on this gig: It takes writing to write. And if you love it, it's not a hardship, but it is a 'show up for the job' kind of thing that requires your self-discipline.

One thing Belle touched on was December deadlines... I avoid them now, because time is so fractured in December. Give me November.... or slip me in January because with a big family, the holiday season is filled with family and church activities. No one wants writing to make them cray-cray. We want the joy and fulfillment (and the paychecks!) because it's just downright fun to get paid for what you do... but we want to be able to balance things. And this is a job you can do that in, but you have to look ahead, plan ahead and write ahead.

And this is coming from a woman who's about to fulfill a contract two months early (purposely) which is lovely because when they asked me to step in on another story... I was able to say heck, yeah. And I put my name on the dotted line for that extra book just six days ago.

It's what you make it, folks. What you're willing to give to it. Take it from two women who work hard to get the job done: It's an amazing ride, some ups, some downs, but definitely worth the price of the ticket!

 Hey, we've got a couple of giveaways here for you today: Ruthy is giving away a copy of Finding Peace in Wishing Bridge, her lastest release and Book 3 of her bestselling "Wishing Bridge" series for Amazon.


And Belle's got FIVE (5-- show off!!!) copies of her beautiful "An Alaskan Twin Surprise" from Love Inspired!  
 Leave a comment about writing or reading or your undying love for romance.... and your name gets put into the sugar bowl!

My Writing Journey—What I did Right and What I Wish I had Done Differently

By Guest Kerrie Flanagan

The writing journey can be a long and winding road with bumps, detours, and success along the way. These four authors share what they believe they did right along the way and what they wish they had done differently. 



One Thing I Did Right! 
Jamie Raintree:  I think believing in myself is the foundation of any and all success that comes in publishing, however you define success. (And defining success for yourself is another important key!) The author's journey is full of ups and downs and the only way to weather them is to have a deep faith in yourself that allows you to keep writing and keep putting yourself out there, no matter what the publishing landscape looks like and no matter how many times you fall down along the way. How do you build that kind of confidence? For me, it has been by doing the work. Study the craft exhaustively, stay in touch with what's happening in the industry as much as your inner artist will allow, and commit to the long game.
Windy Lynn Harris:  I bought books that I admired and dissected them to figure out the mechanics behind the magic. There is something to learn from every author on the shelf.
Sara Jade Alan : The best thing I did on my writing journey—after I finished my terrible first draft—was to find a writing community and critique partners. I took classes, went to writing conferences, met up with my critique partners once a month, and became an active member of Lighthouse Writers Workshop and, later, SCBWI. Not only did it help my craft, but it also buoyed my spirit to be alongside kind, fun, creative friends on the same journey.  
William Kennower:  I asked myself, “What would you write whether it got published or not?” The answer was different than what I had been writing at the time. That one question changed trajectory of my career and is in many ways responsible for all the success I’ve had.

One Thing I Wish I Would Have Done Differently
Jamie Raintree: I wish I would have stood up for my own voice and my own vision for my work sooner. Wanting to be published sometimes encouraged me to compromise parts of my story that I still regret. But it was a learning process, and what I learned is that you should never put anyone in the industry on a pedestal so high that you forget that you're all in the trenches together. Everyone on your team wants your book to be as successful as you do. Their suggestions come from the best intentions and lots of experience, but if something doesn't feel right, it's okay to disagree and brainstorm ways to make something work so that everyone on your team feels good about it. Be respectful, always be humble in your craft and open to improvement, but also remember that no one knows your story better than you do. Trust yourself.
Windy Lynn Harris: I wish I would have given myself more credit along the way. I knew my first couple of books weren’t very good, but I sent them out anyway, hoping someone would pluck me out of the slush pile and show me how to improve my writing. That led to (well deserved) rejections, which had me doubting myself. I was working and improving, but rejection stings and it did set me back. It took years to find the confidence to finish another book. I wish I’d done it sooner! 
Sara Jade Alan: Yes! I wish I’d been even more patient. I thought I was being patient—after all, it took ten years from starting my first draft to signing a book contract. Now I see that when it came to signing with an agent (who I parted ways with a year later), I ignored a few red flags. Because I wanted help navigating the book contract I’d gotten on my own, and I wanted so much for this to be the partner I’d been waiting for, I let myself get blinded by the excitement. It’s a tricky balance, because you can’t necessarily hold out for perfection either. When making big decisions in writing, as in life, you have to dig deep, be honest with yourself and try not to make choices out of fear or eagerness. 
William Kennower: Focused on less on results on more on process. For years I was too obsessed with publication and success, and not enough on whether what I was writing was right for me, whether I was loving the experience of writing, whether I was always happy writing. I think this is common for a lot of writers, particularly if, like me, they don’t have another meaningful career they’re pursuing simultaneously.

Today, we'd love for you to share one thing you did right and one thing you wish you'd done differently (in your writing career or in other careers if you're not a writer)! Kerrie plans to drop in to answer questions as well!
****

Kerrie Flanagan is an author, writing consultant, presenter, and freelance writer with over 20 years’ experience in the publishing industry. She is part of the Writing Day Workshop team, and coordinates one-day writing conference throughout the country. See if there is one near you.She is the author of,  The Writer's Digest Guide to Magazine Article Writing  and the creator  of the  Magazine Writing Blueprint .  In addition, she has published twelve other books, including three series’ with a co-author, under the pen names, C.K. Wiles and C.G. Harris. Her articles and essays have appeared in publications and anthologies including Writer's Digest, Alaska Magazine, The Writer, FamilyFun, and six Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Her background in teaching, and enjoyment of helping writers has led her to present at writing conferences across the country and teach continuing studies classes through Stanford University. Visit her website to see where she is speaking next. Twitter: Kerrie_Flanagan
Facebook: @KerrieFlanaganWriter
Instagram: Kerrie Flanagan

SUNDAY SCRIPTURE and PRAYER REQUESTS

SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT
The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community throughout this Lenten season. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, please leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 
We are so grateful for all of you—for your friendship and your support! May the Lord bless you and your families abundantly as we journey to Easter. 
The Transfiguration, Raphael, c. 1520, Italy. [PS-US]
The Transfiguration
Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother,and led them up a high mountain by themselves.And he was transfigured before them;his face shone like the sunand his clothes became white as light.And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,conversing with him.Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,“Lord, it is good that we are here.If you wish, I will make three tents here,one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”While he was still speaking, behold,a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,then from the cloud came a voice that said,“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;listen to him.”When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrateand were very much afraid.But Jesus came and touched them, saying,“Rise, and do not be afraid.”And when the disciples raised their eyes,they saw no one else but Jesus alone.
As they were coming down from the mountain,Jesus charged them,“Do not tell the vision to anyoneuntil the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”Matthew 17:1-9
The Mount of Transfiguration as seen today.

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: The winner of a signed copy of Woman of Sunlight is Lucy Reynolds
Wednesday: Mindy was here to remind us that God is in the details, and we should be, too.
Thursday: Ruthy celebrated the release of Finding Peace in Wishing Bridge. Amy Anguish, you'll be receiving Ruthy's collection of Wishing Bridge books!
Friday: Amanda Cabot shared her insights on Measuring the Impact of our books. Vince, an e-edition of Out of the Embers is yours!




Monday:  We're thrilled to have Kerrie Flanagan join us! Kerrie is the author of the Writer's Digest Guide to Magazine Article Writing: A Practical Guide to Selling Your Pitches, Crafting Strong Articles, and Earning More Bylines . She has also contributed at the Writer's Digest blog and speaks at writers conferences. We look forward to her visit!
Wednesday:  Belle Calhoune and Ruthy will be sharing some Straight Talk on writing and the writing life.  Friday: Join Annie to chat about "what to do with all the books?" and enter to win a box of books! 







Released this week! Woman of Sunlight Brides of Hope Mountain book #2
On Sale Now!The Reluctant Warrior$0.99 in all ebook formats Kindle Nook



Cover reveal!!!!Coming in July! The first book in a brand new series. Welcome to Bliss, Texas.

Is he ready for fatherhood?

He doesn’t think he deserves a family…

But now he has a daughter.
Stunned to discover he has a child, Wes Bishop isn’t sure he’s father material. But his adorable daughter needs him, and he can’t help feeling drawn to her mother, Laurel Donovan—a woman he’s finally getting to know. But can this sudden dad overcome a past tragedy that has him convinced he’s not meant to be a husband or a father…and make a promise of forever?


Available for Preorder







Fashioning Characters Based on Plot and Premise by CS Lakin at Live Write Thrive

Creativity vs. the Ego (Or, the Value of Unpublishable Stories) by KM Weiland and Helping Writers Become Authors

Self Care: The One Thing A Writer Mom Should Never Forget (part 1) by Lindsay Harrel at Learn How To Write A Novel

3 Ways To Prevent Comparison From Sidelining Your Creativity by Heidi McCahan at Learn How To Write A Novel

3 Reasons That "Perfectly Good Scene" Is Boring To Readers by Janice Hardy at Fiction University