Heidi McCahan's Blog, page 8

Birthday Wishes + 5 Fun Facts about The Firefighter’s Twins

Are you harboring a big dream? Maybe you’ve told a few people about your amazing idea. Or maybe you haven’t whispered a word to anyone. Writing a novel was my mostly secret big dream that seemed impossibly out of reach for a long time. After I received my first rejection letter in junior high, I convinced myself writing fiction was probably not for me. Fast-forward to college, graduate school and my first years in a career I thought was the ideal job for me..

In reality, that particular career trajectory wasn’t what I was made to do after all.

The Lord was gracious to me. Not only did He bless me with an amazing husband and three healthy children, He patiently waited for me to come to my senses regarding my writing. When I still proved to be ridiculously stubborn, He nudged me until I couldn’t ignore the need to express my creativity any longer. I’ve described it as a craving you can’t satisfy, this need to tell stories and share them with an audience. I stopped making excuses and started letting the words out. Eventually I had written several complete stories, and learned how to pursue both traditional and independent publishing opportunities.

Today my first traditionally published novel, The Firefighter’s Twins, officially hits store shelves. To celebrate, I’m sharing 5 fun facts, sort of a behind-the-scenes look at how the novel came to be.

In the fall of 2014, I took two of our boys to visit a tobacco farm-turned-pumpkin patch about an hour from our home. On the way, we passed a livery converted into an event venue, and goosebumps shot down my arms. By the end of the day, the stirring within me couldn’t be ignored. A new story was percolating…
In the spring of 2015, I saw an announcement online for a contest sponsored by Harlequin Love Inspired called Blurb to Book. The entry requirements seemed simple enough: send the opening paragraph plus the back cover copy of a story. Not a problem, right? It was time to use that idea birthed during our pumpkin patch visit. While I didn’t win the contest, I advanced far enough to submit a complete manuscript, and was offered a publishing contract after completing my revisions.
Natalie McDowell, the heroine in The Firefighter’s Twins, is a sister to characters who appear in my independently published Emerald Cove series. It was fun to create that link between my fictional friends.
The twin toddlers in the story were inspired by three different sets of identical twin boys in my real life.
The scene depicted on the book’s cover is one of my favorites.

Thank you for coming along on this journey with me, dear readers. If you have a big dream planted in your heart, I hope you’ll cultivate it and take the first steps toward making that dream a reality. The Firefighter’s Twins is a sweet romance about a man and a woman learning to accept God’s plan for their lives, even when it doesn’t look they way they anticipated.

It’s been a long journey from that visit to the pumpkin patch until today. I’m so excited for you to read Shay and Natalie’s story. Those twin toddlers are totally adorable, too. Early reviewers have given it 5 stars, and several mentioned they had a hard time putting the book down. Wahoo! That’s what we authors like to hear.

Back Cover Blurb:

One single dad plus twin toddlers. A formula for her new family?

Since his wife left, fireman Shay Campbell has focused on work and his twin toddlers. But the lovely Natalie McDowell is making him rethink that decision. She’s great with his boys, and they adore her. But he can’t go through losing someone again. Will a dream job offer win Natalie’s heart, or does it belong to Shay and the twins?

The Firefighter’s Twins is available in paperback today both online and in brick-and-mortar stores such as Barnes & Noble and Walmart. E-book edition launches June 1.

Stay tuned for a blog tour, an Instagram takeover, and an incredible giveaway you won’t want to miss from JustRead Tours.

 

The Firefighter’s Twins: Want a Sneak Peek?

Hooray for May! That means the official release of The Firefighter’s Twins is only weeks away, and it’s time to tease you with a taste of Shay and Natalie’s story. I can’t wait to introduce you to these characters, especially Shay’s identical twin boys, Liam and Aiden. While this story is all about the hero and heroine, these two little cuties make a run at stealing the spotlight in a couple of scenes. Once you read the book, you’ll have to let me know which scene featuring the twins is your favorite.

One single dad plus twin toddlers

A formula for her new family?

Since his wife left, fireman Shay Campbell has focused on work and his twin toddlers. But the lovely Natalie McDowell is making him rethink that decision. She’s great with his boys, and they adore her. But he can’t go through losing someone again. Will a dream job offer win Natalie’s heart, or does it belong to Shay and the twins?

Harlequin Love Inspired and Overdrive have made the first two chapters available for you to read here. Enjoy!

Pre-order your copy from your favorite bookseller: Amazon, Harlequin, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Walmart

 

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Books Featuring Siblings

Happy National Siblings Day! There’s no relationship quite like the ones we have with our siblings. No one knows you better–both your faults and your superpowers–like the people who’ve known you for all of your existence. In the broad scope of human history, from the first siblings mentioned in the Bible (Cane and Abel) to the siblings dominating pop culture (the Kardashians…can’t believe I even mentioned them in a blog post), the drama and conflict and intensity of these relationships is played out over and over again. That’s why we as artists can’t avoid examining the nuances of sibling relationships in literature, either.

Here’s my list of top 10 favorite books featuring siblings, including a shameless plug:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: my grandmother had this book on her bookshelf when I was young, and it always captivated me. Later on, she left her collection of Little Women dolls to me, so we obviously hold this novel in high esteem in our family. I have one sister, whom I adore, so sister books hold a special place in my heart, as well. This novel will be a keeper for always.
Legends of the Fall by Jim Harrison: an epic tale of war, sibling rivalry, passionate love and betrayal among three brothers and their father, made more famous (in my opinion) by the film adaptation starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, Henry Thomas and Julia Ormond.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: it’s almost impossible to write a post about siblings and not include the Bennet sisters. This literary classic also maintains residency on my keeper shelf, and possesses one of the best opening lines in all of literature: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd: not at all a light read, yet so beautifully written. Kidd is a phenomenal storyteller and her characters come alive on the pages. This is a book that I thought about long after I finished it.
Sweet Valley High Series by Francine Pascal and ghostwriting friends: in short, I wanted to be Elizabeth Wakefield when I was a tweenager. Todd, Lila, Bruce, Jessica and the whole gang captivated my attention and I read the whole series all the way to the end. Much to my mother’s dismay, I’m sure. Jessica and Elizabeth kicked off my life-long obsession with twins in novels, because I write about twins all the time in my own work.
The Brothers K by David James Duncan: siblings, baseball, love, complicated relationships, politics, the Pacific Northwest…this novel includes many of the elements I’m fond of seeing in a plot. I love Duncan’s writing style and his efforts to create a sort-of modern day version of The Brothers Karamazov is quite clever.
Things I Never Told You by Beth Vogt: this is releasing May 8, and having read an advance copy, I can tell you that you don’t want to miss this one. It’s the first book in Vogt’s new series featuring the Thatcher Sisters.  Talk about complex sibling relationships–my goodness, Beth dives deep and it is so worth it. The characters and their struggles are authentic, gritty, and ultimately tell a compelling story of redemption. 
The Christiansen Family Series by Susan May Warren: one of my forever favorites, I was in love with the fictional community of Deep Haven, Minnesota from the first page of Take a Chance on Me, and I was so sad when I finished book 6. The Christiansens are another fictional family that I found to be both flawed and authentic, yet compelling and engaging. Thankfully, Susan May Warren continues to write epic inspirational romance with a whole new cast of characters. I highly recommend her Montana Fire and Montana Rescue series, as well.
Falling for You by Becky Wade: another upcoming release that I was fortunate to read over the weekend. I always tell myself I’m going to take my time with Becky’s novels because it will be almost a year before she releases another, so I need to savor the experience. Ha! Willow and Corbin’s story swept me up and although I managed to stretch it out over three days, by Sunday night I couldn’t stop reading. Very enjoyable! I laughed, I cried, and cheered for these fictional friends. Becky writes about siblings often in her novels, yet there’s something especially enjoyable about her current series, The Bradford Sisters.
And now for the shameless plug…I write about siblings quite often in my novels. As I’ve already shared, my obsession with twins began with Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield and never went away. I have friends with twins, relatives with twins, and it’s well-known that readers love stories with twins. Aidan and Liam, the fictional toddler twins in my upcoming release The Firefighter’s Twins, are two of the reasons why I was able to sell this story to Harlequin. While the story is about Shay and Natalie, these adorable little fellas work hard to steal the show. I hope you enjoy reading this novel. If you haven’t already, you can pre-order here.

Your turn: what’s your favorite book featuring siblings? Leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Happy reading!

Olympic Fever + Nick Foles = Motivation for Days

I have Olympic Fever. It all started when NBC launched that A.B.F.T.T.B commercial with the Olympic skier. Then I just had to watch The Cutting Edge, because it was right there on my television, which led to reading Karen Chen and Scot Hamilton’s inspirational interview in last Sunday’s Parade magazine…which made me create this meme with his quote about failure and learning to be resilient…then I watched that incredible football game on Sunday night and found out how much Nick Foles struggled before ultimately claiming his profession’s highest honor.

Here it is Wednesday and I’m so excited for Friday’s Opening Ceremonies, but I know I need to finish writing my next fiction proposal before I start watching all this Olympic coverage for the next two weeks. Just when I was about to pull myself together and focus, Nick Foles’s inspirational speech following his team’s Super Bowl victory was splashed all over the internet.

Yeah, I’m still thinking about this quote, too:

“I think the big thing is don’t be afraid to fail,” Foles said. “I think in our society today, Instagram, Twitter, it’s a highlight reel. It’s all the good things. And then when you look at it, when you think like, wow, when you have a rough day, ‘My life’s not as good as that,’ (you think) you’re failing.

“Failure is a part of life. It’s a part of building character and growing. Without failure, who would you be? I wouldn’t be up here if I hadn’t fallen thousands of times. Made mistakes.

“We all are human, we all have weaknesses, and I think throughout this, (it’s been important) to be able to share that and be transparent. I know when I listen to people speak and they share their weaknesses, I’m listening. Because (it) resonates.

“So I’m not perfect. I’m not Superman. I might be in the NFL, I might have just won a Super Bowl, but, hey, we still have daily struggles, I still have daily struggles. And that’s where my faith comes in, that’s where my family comes in…

{You can read the full article here}

Like Nick Foles said, in this world where we are constantly obsessed with the ‘highlight reels’ and self-promotion, what is it about the failures of others and their subsequent successes that inspires us? Or am I the only sick and twisted soul saving these quotes and pinning them on my virtual bulletin board for future reference?

I do not aspire to be an Olympic athlete, or a Super Bowl quarterback. Heck, I’ll never do a back-flip on figure skates or throw a football more than a yard, and I’m okay with that. But I do want to be a prolific, successful (dare I say award-winning?) author. And on my worst days, the fear of failure keeps me from writing more than a few sentences. In the writer’s life, failure comes in the form of a publisher’s rejection. This manuscript is too______ or not quite _______.

It doesn’t matter what is in those blanks, the message is still the same: your story won’t work. Try again. Start over.

Rejection of one’s art is very personal. It’s painful. It sticks with you if you let it.

That’s why I bask in the inspirational words of others who have failed repeatedly, yet found the courage to get up, dust themselves off, and try again. From a Christian worldview, the words of Scott Hamilton and Nick Foles are particularly encouraging because we share a common faith, one that we can rely on when we’re wrestling with self-doubt and the heartache that failure often brings.

While a fever is often a sign of infection and something to be eliminated, this week I’m going to soak in this particular ‘ailment’. I’ll use it to carry me forward and allow it to fuel me. To inspire me to keep writing, to keep living out my calling as a storyteller and a believer.

Cover Reveal | The Firefighter’s Twins

You know it’s going to be a great day when you wake up to this in your inbox.

That hero. Those twins. And a goat. I can’t even.

This book cover exceeds my wildest expectations. I’m super grateful that the design team at Harlequin knocked it out of the park.

Here’s the back cover copy:

Since his wife left, fireman Shay Campbell has focused on work and his twin toddlers. But the lovely Natalie McDowell is making him rethink that decision. She’s great with his boys, and they adore her. But he can’t go through losing someone again. Will a dream job offer win Natalie’s heart, or does it belong to Shay and the twins?

Click here to pre-order. Paperbacks available May 22nd, 2018 and digital editions launch June 1st.

If you’d like to read more about this book’s journey to publication and how I received The Call from Harlequin, I shared a bit about that here.

I can’t wait to share The Firefighter’s Twins with all of you. Thanks for cheering me on.

Happy reading, friends!

Five Minute Friday: Motivate

I have my new planner with my first quarter goals carefully plotted and documented, my One Word, and two new manuscripts started…I’m ready. Bring it on, 2018. I will SLAY you with my mad, word-wrangling skills.

Then Winter Storm Grayson blows into town, wreaking havoc on my first 4 meticulously ordered days of the new year.

Suddenly I’m motivated to do nothing but groan and complain. Stomp around the house about how unfair it all is. Grouse that as the stay-at-home parent, I’m constantly ‘forced’ to adjust my schedule.

I’ve been a grown up who sets goals and dreams big for quite some time now. Yet every year I seem to be surprised when my motivation takes a hike before January hits double digits. How does these even happen?

Despite a weather event’s keen ability to derail me this week, I’m eager to learn early and re-adjust my attitude going forward. This year, I’d like to fine-tune my focus. Surround myself with community that builds me up. Less righteous indignation swirling in the periphery of social media, and more language that inspires me to do the things I love while honoring the God I walk with.

I’m all for plans. Goals. Chasing big dreams. Yet 2017 also taught me to live one moment at a time, because we are promised nothing beyond God’s faithful commitment as our good, good Father.

How about you? What comes to mind when you hear the word motivate?

There’s a fabulous community of writers who share their thoughts in an impromptu blog post on a scripted word each week. We’d love to have you join us. All the details and the link up are here.

Have a blessed 2018, friends!

One Word 2018 | Anctipate

We’re careening into the final hours of 2017. I suppose every year has it’s highs and lows, and when we self-reflect, our analysis is a matter of perspective. This year, though. Wowza. Quite frankly, I’m not sorry to see it go. Personally, professionally, culturally…it’s been a doozy. I’m super excited to wake up to a new year tomorrow, and I find it only fitting that my One Word for 2018 is…

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines anticipate as ‘to look forward to as certain’. Though I’m weary and white-knuckled today, tomorrow I will awake with the excitement and anticipation that the blank slate of a new year offers.

I anticipate that God will carry us through both triumphs and trials, just as He has all the days of my life up until now.

After many months of revising and waiting, I anticipate holding my first published Love Inspired novel in my hands, and launching it into the world. I anticipate sending the middle child to middle school, and our first born to high school. I anticipate, Lord willing, receiving additional publishing contracts for the manuscripts that are on editors’ desks right now. More importantly, I anticipate using the gifts God has given me to create more stories that impact readers.

I anticipate the courage and wisdom to support our parents as they navigate the world of senior living. I anticipate making more memories and celebrating special occasions with our families and friends.

No matter what we’ve endured, I am confident that God will remain faithful to us. Because He is a good, good Father who never withholds His best from His children. While the timing and the circumstances often do not suit, I’ve also learned this year that my perspective is rather myopic and motivated by a deep-rooted (and stubborn) desire to try and orchestrate life to suit me. In 2018, I anticipate relying on His guidance because 2017 taught me that apart from Him I am nothing.

As 2017 comes to a close, I continue to look to my favorite verses from Isaiah 43 for hope and encouragement. Whether you’re reading them for the first time, or the 100th time, my intention is that these words will be a blessing to you, as well.

 

“Remember not the former things,

    nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I am doing a new thing;

    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

    and rivers in the desert.”

If you’ve chosen One Word for 2018, I’d love to hear it. Feel free to share in the comments or find me on social media.

Happy New Year, friends!

Top Ten Books On My Winter To-Be-Read Pile

If you can’t remember your own website’s login details, that’s probably a strong indication you haven’t blogged in a while. Yikes. Making a list of books I’m super pumped to read always gets me back in the blogging spirit, though.  As usual, my TBR pile is massive and my Kindle fully loaded. I’ve read 40 books this year and plan to read at least two more before we bid 2017 farewell.

For more awesome and incredibly diverse recommendations, pop over to The Broke and the Bookish.

If you have your own list to share, feel free to join their link-up, as well. Without further delay…

Troubled Waters (Montana Rescue Book 4)

The Stars Are Fire: A Novel

 

To Be Where You Are: A Mitford Novel

The Girls in the Picture: A Novel

Little Fires Everywhere: A Novel

Texas Christmas Twins

Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life

Sisters Like Us

The House on Foster Hill

The Heart Between Us

Happy reading, friends!

 

Photo credit: Alisa Anton via Unsplash

2017 ACFW Conference Mix & Mingle

It’s that time of year again… Soon hundreds of fiction writers and publishing industry professionals will arrive in Dallas for four days of fun! We focus on professional growth and development, networking, and connecting/re-connecting with our writer friends. In the spirit of getting to know one another and gearing up for the conference, author Laurie Tomlinson hosts a virtual mix & mingle on her website.

Here’s how you play along:

Copy/paste the questions and fill out your own answers in a post on your own website and paste the URL to that specific post (not your homepage) using the handy link-up tool over at Laurie’s website. Then visit the links already posted there, comment, and make some connections before you get to Dallas. Easy peasy!

Here are my answers:

Name: Heidi McCahan

Location: North Carolina

What you write/tagline/trademark: I write sweet, inspirational romance.

Place in the book world: Published author of two novels, several novellas, and recently contracted with Harlequin Love Inspired. I’m polishing another manuscript targeted for Love Inspired and hope to submit before Dallas.

On a scale of hugger to 10-foot-pole, please rate your personal space: 10-foot-pole, please. Not a hugger.

Something VERY serious: How do you take your Starbucks? Tall, skinny vanilla latte

The unique talking points that will get you going for hours: Alaska, coffee, chocolate, Instagram, parenting boys, my Goldendoodle puppy…

Conference goals we can pray for? We were displaced from our home due to water damage and I’d love to be able to put my concerns about the ongoing renovations and the needs of my family out of my mind (temporarily), and focus on really being present at the conference.

Anything we can celebrate with you? I sold my first manuscript to Harlequin Love Inspired and that novel is scheduled for release in June 2018. Whoop! Whoop!

One or two ways we can help you build your platform? Instagram is my favorite and you can follow me here.

Thanks for stopping by! I look forward to seeing you in Dallas very soon.

Five Minute Friday: Expect

I thrive on busyness. Perpetual motion. Like this view from Times Square, the more tasks and opportunities I have to accomplish within my little kingdom, the higher my self-satisfaction climbs. My  lengthy to-do list fuels my addiction to achievement. There’s always something to do, right? So let’s get. it. done.

To be perfectly honest, I expect that if I keep doing, life will go well for me and my people. If I’m busy, I must be on the road to success. If I’m doing everything I can to ‘make it happen’, I expect my diligence will be rewarded.

Well. God has a way of refining us over time, doesn’t He? Over and over again in recent years, He has taught me to shift my focus. To set aside my self-absorbed expectations and turn my eyes to Him. Maybe He speaks His wisdom through sound advice from a trusted friend, or protects me from a lousy decision by guiding me through a different door, a door that opens to abundant blessings far better than anything I might’ve orchestrated on my own. Sometimes He leads me to a conference where I hear life-changing wisdom from a gifted teacher. {Shout out to Allen Arnold and The Story of With!}

I’m not a quick learner when it comes to adjusting my expectations. Stubborn and hard-headed more often than not. But the Creator of the universe knows this about me, and patiently teaches me to re-evaluate my short-sighted expectations, and instead bask in all that He has for me.

This week I had to let my expectations about a particular life path go. I had to stop demanding my own way and commit (yet again) to waiting on God’s timing. I’m not particularly happy about this. I expect that when I see an objective on the horizon, I’ll be able to snatch it promptly.

You’d think I’d know by now to not be surprised when life doesn’t work that way. Still, I puttered around the house, disillusioned by the circumstances surrounding me. Then I opened a package from a writer friend. It’s her first book, a beautiful novel releasing later this year. Tucked inside the cover was a lovely 5 x 7 photo on cardstock with the following verse:

“The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still.”  -Exodus 14:14

Of course He will. God’s so clever, isn’t He? Using whatever means necessary to remind me of His Truth.

On Fridays we write for Five Minutes, unscripted, on a chosen prompt. Today I went waaaayyyy over 5 minutes. Thanks for reading this far.