MONDAY: Where would you begin?
I honestly enjoy puttering, fiddling, putzing, and fussing around the edges of projects, so the last week or so has been kind of fun. I’ve been tying up loose ends. As I’ve said many times before, writing a good story is only part of a writer’s job. Whether you’re traditionally published or independently published (or both, like me), there’s a fair amount of busywork: editing, research, promotion, communication, planning, and puttering. : P�� Come and see what I’ve been up to this week!
��� Last weekend, I wrapped up line edits on my upcoming angel-themed devotional���Angels: A 90-Day Devotional About God’s Messengers. The book is due out in September 2015, so once the manuscript passes muster with my sharp-eyed Zonderkidz editors, it’ll be off to a typesetter. At this stage, I start getting antsy to see the book cover. I wonder what their designers will come up with?
��� During spare moments last week, I finally had a chance to deal with more website details. My last round of shuffling left a handful of broken links, and some of the information was outdated, so it felt good to tidy things up. If you do a bit of scrolling, you’ll find that both the sidebar and the footers have changed.
��� Postcards have been going out at regular intervals for the past two weeks. Most of you should have received your prize ones by now (except Savannah and Arian, who managed to net all six designs). If you’ve received your prizes, I’d love it if you shared a snapshot! The more creative the better! Post them to Twitter or Facebook … or email them to me for a round of show-and-tell.
To my delight, three of you who joined in during our milestone celebrations hadn’t ever received the postcards before. Yay, newbies! So every few days, I drop another short stack in the mail.�� If you’re interested in receiving mail from me, all you have to do is ask! More about postcards >>
��� At the upcoming monthly meeting of my local ACFW group, we’re going to be discussing first lines and last lines in books (and chapters). To get ready, I’ve been pulling together a list, and I thought I’d share. Do you recognize these bookish firsts?
From books by Christa Kinde
A shining column erupted from the ring of stones set into the floor of a circular room, carrying with it the figure of a young man wreathed by shifting tendrils of blue light.
���Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be an apple blossom?��� Ephron asked.
With a word, a single life winked into existence, warm as the flame of a brave candle suspended among the stars.
Heat shimmered off pavement, and humidity dragged at pearlescent wings.
Another scream.
���Kester Peverell, your name has come under my hand.���
When the Faithful gather, it���s usually for song, but the six angels in the Pomeroys��� hayloft stood silent.
From books by C. J. Milbrandt
No one could fault the Rakefangs.
���A race? Against your own brothers?��� asked a chatty woman in a fuzzy green coat.
Morning smelled like coffee in the big kitchen of the rooming house where Ganix was staying.
Tupper sprang lightly from rock to rock, descending from the summit at breakneck speeds, a golden lynx kitten close on his heels.
Summer leaves brushed bronze skin as Aurelius���s scuffed boots left the ground.
The air finally carried the soft, earthy scent of springtime on the morning that someone new entered Pennyflax & Quince.
I know several of you are writers. Where would you begin?
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