Jessica Nelson's Blog, page 14

And Now, Live on the Silver Screen....

It's just little ol' me and my book trailer.

One of the great things about the changes happening in the publishing industry is the introduction of the book trailer. I definitely think it has great potential to drive sales...if used in the right way.

I have seen incredibly boring trailers, long-winded and dry. I've seen okay ones. And then I've seen ones that made me click over to read the book blurb.

Making a book trailer is hard work. Will anyone buy a book because of its trailer? Who knows? But I feel like a great, hooky trailer will generate interest in looking at the story. Which can lead to sales or at least some kind of buzz.

Below is my trailer. I had a really fun time making it, even though I'm not sure I utilized everything the best way. You can also check out my good friend Anita's blog where she hosts a Trailer Thursday every week.



Have you ever made a trailer? Thought about it? What do you look for in one, and do you think a great trailer could prompt you to explore the story more?

The Path to Publication

I'm at work all day today but wanted to give Loretta Boyett a shout-out. She graciously invited me to guest post on her blog this week. If you're interested in hearing a more detailed account of the events leading up to The Call, you can read about it HERE.

Hope you all have an awesome weekend!

Set the Hook and Reel that Fishie In!

Most of you know my husband is a fishing show host. The man loves fishing. I don't really go with him, but I hear enough lingo to know if you want to catch a fish, you have to set the hook.

Setting the hook involves forceful action: You've got to yank the rod at the right moment. Too soon and the fish gets away. Too late and the fish swallows the hook.

Books are kind of the same way. We start our chapters with a hooky first line, but do we end the chapter that way? On a conflict or a question that the reader must read on to discover more? I think the end of each chapter is a solid place for setting a hook.

And while the first few pages are great bait for getting a nibble, it's the hook setting that will allow you to reel your fish in.

How does your book end? Do you think the reader is reeled into your author boat? Which authors have reeled you in? And did it happen on the first nibble of their books?

I'm a Guest!!

I have a guest post up over at Seekerville, the IT place for all writers, pubbed and unpubbed. If you've never visited, I highly recommend making them a daily stop.
In the meantime, if you have time, hit me up over there today. :-)

Chocolate for Dinner? Why That Sounds Sublime.

I'm being interviewed over at the lovely Jill Kemerer's today. Stop by if you have time.

WINNER!!! Robyn Campbell, you are the winner of A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman. :-) I need your addy, please.

Thanks Tori for the Versatile blogger award! I can't play the game now, but maybe soon. Thank you! [image error]
























I also have a thanks going out to Linda Rohrbrough, a fellow agency-mate who makes wonderful writer clocks. I met her at the conference and she kindly sent me one.

What are your plans for today? Any special items on the menu?

You Say Potato

And I say Pah-tah-to. (heeheee, not really!)

Better is niggling at me as I start a new WIP.

What does it mean when I'm told to get better? Better at craft? Better at storytelling? Who determines what better is?

I believe there is something intangible to a great story. A few posts back I wrote how I met with an editor and he encouraged me to keep getting better. Which I absolutely want to do.

The thing about better is that...well...."One man's trash is another man's treasure."

So what I think is better, someone else might think is no good.

How do you decide or know if you're "better"? How do you gauge the worth of a book?

Ummmm.....I Heard You the First Time

As you all know, I just finished my line edits a few weeks ago. One thing that immediately jumped out at me was the same word scrawled on page after page.

Rep

As in, repetitive.

Now, this is a manuscript I finished the rough draft of in 2007. This thing has been through the ringer. I've edited and revised it a million times.

But I was still being repetitive.

Thank goodness for editors!

What a great reminder for me when I start my next story. I see repetitiveness in books already and sometimes it can be annoying. Repetition is not necessarily using the same words or repeating a sentence. For example, I read a book recently which was a good story with some sweet romance, but I felt like every chapter was reiterating the inner conflicts of the main characters.

The reader doesn't need to be told over and over why the hero and heroine can't be together. I find myself doing this in my own writing. Using the character's internal narrative to remind the reader what the conflicts are. I don't think it's effective. The reader will remember. Use external conflict to heighten the inner conflict, but repeating the inner conflict is not necessarily a hook.

Will I take my own advice? I'm trying!

Do you find yourself repeating the conflicts in your stories? What about telling the reader what you want them to know, rather than using scenes? Any advice for someone like me who feels like the queen of repetition at the moment?

From the Mouth of an Editor

Get Better .

I'd had all my appointments on Friday so Saturday afternoon, I wandered into the appointment room at the ACFW conference thinking that it would be smart to see if there were any more openings.

There was one, a mentoring appointment with longtime editor, Andy Meisenheimer. I decided to do it though my plan of what to talk with him about was pretty sketchy.

Appointment time came. I popped into the room, shook his hand, sat down (maybe not in that order but I can't remember now) and then frankly told him I wasn't sure what to be mentored on but it seemed like a good idea. I asked him for whatever advice he thought a new author should have.

The poor guy seemed startled at first but he recovered and gave me some of the best advice I've ever heard.

Get Better .

I highly recommend a mentoring appointment if you ever go to a conference. Meisenheimer was knowledgeable, encouraging and I just overall really enjoyed talking to him. I left the meeting with a lot to chew on.

Are you striving to "Get Better"? Do you ever think some authors get stuck in mediocre writing? How do you spur yourself to get better?

A Heart Revealed By Julie Lessman

The ring on her hand belongs to one man …

but her heart belongs to another.

As a battered woman, Emma Malloy fled Dublin for Boston ten years ago, seeking shelter for a heart badly bruised by both her husband and guilt. But when she falls in love with Sean O'Connor, a man who wrestles with demons of his own, fear and shame almost destroy her … until she is finally set free by a heart revealed.


If you want love stories that curl your toes, then you'll adore Julie Lessman's books.

I dove into this book because I'd really been waiting to read Emma's story. Scarred by an abusive husband, Emma deals with deep self-worth issues. But she's also a beautiful person who tries to let her weaknesses and fears bring her closer to God.

If you're just looking for a straight romance, Julie's books are more than that. I saw her at the conference and told her I'd noticed how her books are moving into more of a saga-type read, rather than just a straightforward romance between hero and heroine.

With this shift in her stories (which really probably began in the third book of her first series, The Daughters of Boston), I've marveled at the strength of Julie's characterization. Especially with the females of the story.

I read this book on the way to and back from the conference. I both laughed and cried during it.

In my opinion, A Heart Revealed is one of her best books yet.

Have you ever read a saga? Have you read Julie's books? If so, which one is your favorite and why?

Leave a comment if you'd like to be entered to win A Hope Undaunted, the first in the Winds of Change series.

Deep Cover by Sandra Orchard

IDENTITY: GUARDED
Maintaining his cover cost undercover cop Rick Gray the woman he loved. Sweet Ginny Bryson never really knew Rick. He never gave her the chance. Not then, and not now, when he's back with a new alias to gather evidence against Ginny's uncle. The man's crimes led to Rick's partner's death, and Rick wants justice to be served. But his investigation is stirring up trouble, and Ginny is smack-dab in the middle. Someone wants Ginny to pay the price for what her uncle has done. But how can Rick protect her without blowing his cover, jeopardizing his assignment...and risking both their lives?

Deep Cover is the first book in the series, Undercover Cops: Fighting for justice puts their lives—and hearts—on the line.

Book 2 ~ Shades of Truth ~ March 2012
A compassionate youth worker fighting to preserve her dying father's legacy battles the justice-driven detective who threatens her mission and her heart.

Book 3 ~ Dose of Deception ~ TBA (title tentative)
A nurse. An undercover cop. A killer who'll stop at nothing to avoid being caught.

Sandra Orchard lives in rural Ontario, Canada where inspiration abounds for her romantic suspense novels set in the fictional Niagara town she's created as their backdrop. Married with three grown children, when not writing, she enjoys hanging out with family, brainstorming new stories with fellow writers, and hiking or kayaking in God's beautiful creation. She's an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers, The Word Guild, and several RWA chapters.

You can find her at her blog or website. You can buy Deep Cover HERE.

I cyber-met Sandra a few years ago when she responded to one of my questions on a writing loop. She was knowledgeable and always helpful. I'm excited to post that her debut from Love Inspired Suspense released this month. I really enjoyed reading it and thought her premise was genius.

That is, how does a Christian undercover policeman handle the lying aspect of his job?

To be honest, I've never even considered this before.

Sandra has written a fast-paced read with smart hooks and sweet romance. You can find her book on Walmart shelves still, I bet! Or better yet, meet Sandra in person at the ACFW conference this week.

Have you ever known an undercover policeman? What do you think about lying, and is it ever okay?