Heather Day Gilbert's Blog, page 10
September 20, 2015
Fall Author Check-In–Projects in the Works
September 12, 2015
When Standalones Trump Series
September 6, 2015
GOODREADS GIVEAWAY BONANZA!
August 31, 2015
Celebrating the Launch of Joanne Bischof’s To Get To You & a Giveaway!
August 26, 2015
For Each White Hair I Paid a Price
I felt in the mood for some poetry after my recent episode of dying my hair–yeah, hard to tell when that Muse will hit. Hope you enjoy:
For each white hair I paid a price,
Sleepless nights,
babies’ cries.
Dreaded news,
best friend dies.
Time went by.
White hairs were dyed–
Covering tears I left behind.
Babies grow,
Still fill my life.
Husband happy with his wife.
Prayers were heard
Finally I see–
I won’t get old. I’ve turned into me.
August 23, 2015
Getting Ready for a Facebook Party!
I emailed my newsletter followers (are you one? If not and you want to be, click on the link here and plug in your email!), but wanted to share about a Facebook End of Summer Suspense Party I’m participating in this coming Saturday (August 29th). The party starts at 10 am.
There will be lots of Christian Suspense/Mystery authors participating and offering doorprizes of free books and more! I am scheduled to be chatting with readers at 4:30 pm. Hope you can drop by and we can talk about A Murder in the Mountains mysteries!
Also, this is my new website (which is now self-hosted). Although it has the same website address, I think I’ve lost my followers from my previous site. I’d love if you’d go down on the right-hand side and plug your email in to the box so you can keep receiving my posts in your email!
Thanks so much and I hope to “see” you Saturday on Facebook!
-Heather
August 3, 2015
Interview and Giveaway with Heather Woodhaven, Author of The Secret Life of Book Club
The Secret Life of Book Club on AmazonBefore we jump into our next interview, just wanted to announce that the random winner of Christina Coryell’s novel Simply Mad is:
Stephanie Landsem! Congrats, Stephanie, and I will be in contact with you and Christina!
Now I want to introduce you readers to another author I recently discovered. I first noticed Heather Woodhaven because not only does she share my first name, but also her last name is the exact name I’d chosen for my publishing house name (Woodhaven, or in my case WoodHaven Press). Then I read reviews of her women’s fiction novel, The Secret Life of Book Club. Then I read a sample and I had to own the book that very night so I could read the rest!
This novel is one of those that not only explores the mysterious world of female friendships, but it also portrays married relationships and children’s antics in ways that are so utterly believable, it made me laugh out loud many times. Honestly, I felt like Heather had spied on my children when they were younger!
I was thrilled to ask Heather some nosy questions I had wondered about in our interview today, AND Heather is offering one copy (winner’s choice softcover or e-book) of The Secret Life of Book Club to one commenter (Click to Tweet)! Please enjoy our interview and comment below for a chance to win.
But now, a little more about Heather, who has one of the most interesting biographies EVER:
Author Heather WoodhavenHeather Woodhaven earned her pilot’s license, flew a hot air balloon over the safari lands of Kenya, assisted an engineer with a medical laser in a Haitian mission, parasailed over Caribbean seas, lived through an accidental detour onto a black diamond ski trail in the Aspens and snorkeled among sting rays before becoming a mother of three and wife of one. Now Heather spends her days celebrating laughter, adding to her impressive list of embarrassing moments, and raising a family of aspiring comedians who perform nightly at her table. She channels her love for adventure into writing characters who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances—whether running for their lives or battling the insanities of life.
Interview with Author Heather Woodhaven
HG: What was the first book you wrote that was published? You write Love Inspired Suspense novels as well as your latest indie novel, The Secret Life of Book Club. Was it a huge leap going from suspense-writing to women’s fiction?
HW: I had the idea for SLBC back in 2011. My writing time back then was mostly non-fiction freelance work, so the manuscript came along very slowly. In 2013, Lisa Phillips challenged me to enter the Happily Editor After contest with Love Inspired Suspense. That challenge forced me to write quickly. Granted, I was flat out rejected the first time, but I finally realized if I wanted to get somewhere I needed to humble myself and gain some discipline. So, I studied the LIS line, completely rewrote the story and got offered my first contract…with some major rewrites. In other words, I put down SLBC for a good six to nine months and couldn’t wait to get back to it. So while Calculated Risk was my first published novel, Secret Life came out a mere month later. As far as making the leap, it was easier to write SLBC because I had the story in my head for years. Genre-wise, I’ve never thought about this before, but my women’s fiction has adventure, romance, and humor and so does my romantic suspense.
HG: One of the things I savored about The Secret Life of Book Club was the family relationships. I had so many laugh-out-loud moments with the children’s antics…not to mention some of the book club moms’ adventures! Do you draw a lot from real life?
HW: Hehe. I’m not sure I want to answer this question! Children’s antics: Yes. Much of that is from real life. I taught preschool in my past, and I’m raising three comedians. As far as the female characters go, I’ll say that I tend to get myself in embarrassing moments all the time. A friend of mine went so far as keeping a notebook primarily for documenting them all! I need to make sure I stay on her good side.
HG: On the topic of real-life research, your book club gals did so many fun activities as they worked their way through the alphabet. Have you tried any of those things, like painting, defensive driving, or any of the other ones?
HW: Yes. And I’d just like to say the new things are rarely my idea. For instance, a fellow mom twisted my arm and got me to take a belly-dancing class with her. I was terrified of stepping out of my comfort zone, but we laughed through the entire first class. As far as the defensive driving, I did get training on a closed course but not through the police…and it didn’t have a skid pad. Speaking of the police, I was very fortunate to have an officer walk me through exactly…. Well, I won’t spoil it, but when something big happens with my character, Paula, it seems over the top because that’s just how the police would handle it.
HG: Oh my word, that entire scenario with Paula just had me roaring as I read! I think I laughed so hard, I cried! I also loved the insights into husbands’ motivations/thoughts with Secret Life, because they rang true. It’s hard to find books with realistic male characters. Was this something you were striving for or did it just happen naturally? Did you run things by your husband (I do sometimes!)
HW: I’m so glad you thought so. I wanted to make sure this didn’t come across as a male-bashing book, but show both sides of the story…eventually. I did run every scenario by my husband. I also asked some of my writing group how they thought the men in their life would handle certain situations. I then took a personality test for each character and crosschecked where I was going with the character’s reactions to the descriptions of their Myers Briggs. But overall, it’s been my experience that men, in general, don’t share their struggles and feelings as easily, or in the same way, as women do. There is often a mysterious wall as they go into their “cave” to sort things out, or actions happen without communication. We’ve been married twenty years now, but in the first ten years here’s how it’d go down: I can tell something is wrong. I read into it, ask my friends to also read into it, decide I know what’s going on, and more often than not, I’m mistaken. Those assumptions in marriage are ripe for conflict (and humor).
HG: Yes, great insights there! Finally, do you have another women’s fiction novel coming out anytime soon? What is your next publication-in-process? Do tell!
HW: I’m working on the sequel to The Secret Life of Book Club. New things are happening in each of their lives. The book the group reads, and the arrival of Grayson’s sister, will prompt them to handle Christmas a little differently than usual. (No spoilers yet.) I’ve just started writing it so it all depends on how fast I can get this story on the page.
HG: It can’t release soon enough! Thanks so much for visiting and for offering a giveaway of this excellent novel!
HW: It was so much fun! Thanks for the invite!
***Readers, please comment below and tell us if you’ve ever been in a book club. If so, what was your favorite part of it/fave book, etc.? And leave your preference of e-book or softcover version of The Secret Life of Book Club. (Click to Tweet!) I will choose a winner next Monday!***
July 27, 2015
Interview and Giveaway with Christina Coryell, Author of Simply Mad
Simply Mad by Christina Coryell on AmazonSometimes I discover books I enjoy so much I MUST share them with everyone. Simply Mad by Christina Coryell is one of those books. I noticed this one because of its amazing cover, then I read the blurb and sample chapters and got hooked (it’s written in first-person, ya’ll!), and it also came highly recommended by one of my avid reader friends. Simply Mad is a light, funny romance, but with themes and characters that give it depth and believability.
Today, Christina is graciously offering a giveaway of Simply Mad, winner’s choice of softcover or e-book (USA only). Please read our interview, check out the sample chapters on Amazon, and comment for a chance to win below!
Here’s a little more about Christina (BTW, I am loving those epic heels in this pic, Christina!):
Christina Coryell is an Amazon bestselling author of Christian women’s fiction who resides with her husband and two children in southwest Missouri, where she received degrees in English and History from Drury University. She is rarely alone when she does her writing, and has penned chapters with kids climbing on her, loud guitar riffs playing in the background, and while cheering on her favorite baseball players. Her books include the highly rated Camdyn Series (A Reason to Run, A Reason to Be Alone, A Reason to Forget, and For No Reason) as well as the Girls of Wonder Lane series.
Christina’s website
Christina on twitter
Interview with Author Christina Coryell
HG: I’m enjoying Simply Mad so much. I think many readers can relate to Maddie and her penchant for getting stuck in awkward situations. Was there any sort of specific inspiration for this character?
CC: I didn’t have a specific inspiration for Maddie, but it seems that we all tend to have awkward situations pop up into our lives from time to time. My goal when writing a main character is to make them easily relatable, so I tend to look at general personality traits of the people I consider friends and build them into my characters. That being said, there were several things Maddie went through in the novel that happened to me in real life. Not wanting to give spoilers, I will just say that two of these things are the Cheetos at work, and the thing with the teeth. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
HG: Aha–the infamous Cheetos scene! Simply Mad, though a romantic read, also explores a somewhat complicated mother-daughter relationship. I love this aspect of it, as well as the first-person narration. Was this something you set out to do, or did the themes just weave their way in (like forgiveness)?
CC: For me, the mark of a great romantic read is one that can interest me in the page-after stuff. The hero and heroine just met…so now she’s telling her best friend. Am I going to be invested in that relationship also, or does it become skimmable? Providing material that is non-skimmable is always my goal (Click to Tweet!). My initial intention in Simply Mad was for Josh to be the steadying force in Maddie’s rather topsy-turvy life, so I knew she would have a rather interesting family situation, but her mom naturally took on a life of her own. I don’t necessarily try to weave themes into my novels, but instead the stories begin to feel like allegories. Maddie’s relationship with her mom and her rather crazy work situations provided a great mirror in which to see herself, and in the end that was the big payoff.
As far as first-person narration, it can either make or break a novel, but in this case I loved it for the comical elements it brought to the story. Most of Maddie’s interactions wouldn’t be nearly as funny if her thoughts couldn’t be heard, adding that extra ingredient that allows the reader to really get to know the character.
HG: You have how many indie novels out now? Why did you choose to go the indie publishing route and what are some pros and cons of that?
CC: Five. I’d love to say I sat down and wrote out the pros and cons of indie publishing, but for me it was much simpler. I’d been waiting to write for years and years, never feeling like I had God’s go-ahead to pursue my goals. When I finally did feel that peace about it, it felt like a “now” kind of peace, not a “wait a couple years” sort of peace. I did take time to make a few contacts, and after I heard several repeats of “Amish, dystopian, or erotic,” I decided there were obviously themes publishers were shooting for, and I wasn’t going to fit into any of their boxes. Being indie has been so much better than I dreamed, though, because I have complete freedom to write the stories God has given me without fitting into a mold (Click to Tweet!). On the flip side, self-promotion has been my main con so far, because it’s so unnatural to my personality.
HG: I love how you know God was pushing you in that direction–I’m so thankful when He makes things clear for us. The cover for Simply Mad is…well, simply amazing! It’s so eye-catching I can’t tear my eyes off it. Can you tell us a little of the cover-art production process on that one?
CC: Making the cover art for this series was a load of fun! Being a big stickler for not having the same cover as another book, I’ve used local photographers for each of my book covers thus far. This particular book was a change of pace because I wanted an Alice in Wonderland theme, so we did a Girls of Wonder Lane photo shoot and used three different models, each with the appropriate props. The hardest part was finding girls who looked like the images in my mind, but since my photographer rocked the photo shoot, the easiest part was the post-production work on my end.
HG: Finally, is this the start of a series? If so, will Maddie be the main character in your other books or will you explore some other lives on Wonder Lane?
CC: Simply Mad is book one of the Girls of Wonder Lane series, which will have two other volumes: Crowned in late August and Curiouser in the fall. Maddie will appear briefly in Crowned, but that story focuses on Harley Laine, the reporter who lives at the end of Wonder Lane. Both Maddie and Harley will also return in Curiouser, which focuses on the newest addition to Wonder Lane, Alexis Jennings. Fans of my last books in The Camdyn Series who were wondering what happened to Jake McAuliffe will also get their answers, as he appears on Wonder Lane as well.
HG: Ooh, what great titles and I will be glad to learn more about the mysterious Harley Laine! Thanks so much for visiting, Christina!
***Please leave a comment below and tell us why you’d like to win Simply Mad! (Click to Tweet!) Also, leave your choice of e-book and softcover and your e-mail addy. I will choose a random winner next Monday!***
July 14, 2015
#AmazonPrimeDay Kindle Deals!
Today is a totally made-up holiday known as Amazon Prime Day.
Methinks this will be a book lover’s extravaganza. I wanted to join in on the fun, so I’m offering all three of my novels ON SALE for Kindle, now through 7/20/15.
Miranda Warning is only 99 cents
Trial by Twelve is $1.99
God’s Daughter is $1.99
I hope you can check out these books if you haven’t yet, and if you have enjoyed them, please share your favorites with others! Here are some tweets you can click to tweet!
Thanks for reading and sharing! And hope you can find all your highly-anticipated To-Reads on some great discounts today!
-Heather
June 24, 2015
Five Ways to Bruise An Author’s Spirit…and Five Ways to Bolster It
Today I’m ruminating a bit on the author life…
Author life in today’s internet-saturated era has unprecedented highs and lows. Authors get immediate feedback on books, from more readers than ever before. It’s a wonderful thing, reaching more readers–but it does come with a price tag.
If you ask anyone who knows me well, they’ll tell you I have mentioned at least once or twice (read: at least ten times) that I’ve considered quitting writing. As in, taking down the blog, the Facebook page, the twitter account, stopping in the middle of series and just walking away.
Why would an author even think this, you might wonder. Most of you are encouragers who tell authors you enjoy them and try to build them up. So what things would bruise a writer’s spirit so much they would consider quitting?
I’m sharing a couple lists below of five things that bruise and five things that bolster an author’s spirit, but if you’re an author, I hope you will please comment below and share about some of those extraordinary highs and lows. Something that always helps me get through is knowing I’m not the only author who has experienced these things!
Five Things that Bruise An Author’s Spirit:
-Finding several low reviews (1-2 stars) crop up the same day under your book on Amazon. Doesn’t matter if they didn’t make sense and are poorly worded. Just matters that you’re staring at several 1-2 stars…and so is anyone else who checks out your book. Also, to be totally honest, sometimes it only takes one to send you reeling.
-You discover you didn’t win those contests you entered…in fact, you didn’t even place. You kick yourself for spending money/putting your books out there.
-When an author “friend” stabs you in the back in the scramble to the top, or when authors form cliques you can’t even pretend to fit in.
(Talking ourselves down when we don’t fit in writer cliques) “I’m a lone wolf. I don’t need a pack…”
-A family/household emergency emerges that has the power to derail you for months or even years in your writing.
-That day when you check your email for the 12th time, after a year of checking it every day, and you finally hear from that publisher who really loved your book, but wonders if you have anything else to show them?
Yes, days like these can definitely bruise an author and often make us want to quit altogether. Sometimes it feels like no one is “getting” our books or our writing style or…us.
The thing is, as authors, we are writing for readers, not purely for ourselves. So if we feel we’re missing all the marks, it seems like Game. Over.
But let’s ponder some things that bolster an author’s spirit (which is actually an artist’s spirit, when you come down to it).
Five Things that Bolster an Author’s Spirit:
-Readers who mention your books because they truly love them. They review them. They share them with others. They email you to let you know you rocked their world. Along those lines, readers who ask you when that next-in-series book is coming out, because they keep you accountable.
We love our avid readers!
-Spouses/friends/children who love you and support you, no matter which hare-brained book idea you’re following at the moment.
-Author friends who stick behind you through thick and thin, ready to read your books and offer advice.
-Librarians and bookstore owners who are thrilled to support you/set up book signings.
-Other authors in your genre who enjoy your books and tell others or even endorse you.
So there you have it…what would you add to the list, author? Reader, what have you done that authors let you know made a difference?
Finally, here’s the conclusion of the matter: no matter how bruised you may feel as an author, no one can break you except yourself.
Write on.
