Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Thank you oh so much!

Thank you so much for your votes! For the second year in a row, my novel has won the '50 Greatest Writers You Should  Be Reading' award. Sure, I wrote the essay, but it was you guys who helped me win the award and I thank you so very much!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Update

Hi everyone. As you know, there will be changes coming to Facebook in the coming year and some of those changes will effect people like me. Apparently Facebook will now start charging business who want to advertise on here and I'm worried that will effect me as an author. Me talking about my book promotions and upcoming events might just fall under their category of 'advertising.' So, I'll be looking at other avenues to keep you all updated with book releases and whatnot. I've been thinking about having a monthly newsletter, someone told me that's really effective, so I'll take a peak into said option. At any rate, I will keep you all updated. Just be sure to keep checking back to see how I'll be doing it.

Writing Under Pressure

After staring at this screen for I don't know how many minutes, I still don't have much of anything to write about. It was frustrating because I wanted to update my blog and readers, but it was like my brain wanted to take a vacation for the time being. And that in itself gave me an idea for something to talk about.Writing under pressure.

I often feel it when I sit down to write a new story. No, on second thought, I often feel more pressure working on the Crystal O'Mally mystery series because I worry what people will think about the book. Will they like it? Will it be rejected on account it didn't meet the expectations set by the first novel? The pressure to crank out 'the perfect novel' is sometimes so overwhelming, I find myself sitting and staring at the blinking cursor or getting up and doing another activity until the pressure passes.

Those aren't the only ways I cope with pressure. Sometimes, if I'm still in the mood to work on something, I put that particular novel aside and work on something else. Whether it's a short story or another book, I try to keep the creative juices flowing. And another thing I have to remember is there's no need to feel pressure, especially when writing the Crystal O'Mally books, because each and every book is different and if they were all the same, they'd all be boring. Just some food for thought.

So how about you? How do you manage with pressure when it comes pestering you as you're writing?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Soundtrack for your novel.

I know I didn't post much in October, sorry about that. There wasn't much to post about. However, I was thinking the other day and I know this might silly, but have you ever thought about making a soundtrack for your novel? Yes, you heard me right. A soundtrack for your novel. You know how you're listening to music and you hear one particular song that makes you say, "Hey, it goes great with this scene I'm writing"? I had such a moment the other day and it got me thinking. If movies can make soundtracks to go with their scenes, then why not books?

Like I said, I know it sounds silly, but I'd like to hear your thoughts on it.

When things don't go as planned

So, I had my day all planned out yesterday. Knew when I was going to complete what task and have everything done at a certain time. I didn't write any of it down, just had it mentally planned out. Well, needless to say, my day didn't go as I'd originally anticipated. Sure, I got some things checked off my list, but not everything. At least not when it came to writing. It seemed like whenever I sat down to write, something would come up. Or, the creative flow just wasn't there. And I didn't want to force my creativity.

My writing was what suffered the most yesterday. Maybe because I was trying to put a time limit on it. And sometimes the creativity just needs to flow. Or maybe I did things backwards yesterday. I tried to do the writing in between working on household tasks. For next time, I'm going to get those household tasks out of the way with before sitting down to write. That way, I won't feel so pressured to crank out a legible chapter in a short amount of time.

When things don't go as you originally planned, how do you handle it?  

Interview with Sherry Alexander

As promised, here's my interview with the author of Oliver's Hunger Dragon, Sherry Alexander.

          Did it take you long to write the story? 

Not really. I wrote the first draft as part of 12X12 in February after meeting a little boy at the library who was crying because he was hungry. I revised it in March, and sent out several rejected queries to agents and publishers. Another revision, and several children beta readers later, I decided to self-publish.

Why did you pick the subject of hunger as the basis for this story?

So many kids in the world go hungry, and in America, it’s one out of every four. That’s unacceptable. As a child, I knew hunger up close and personal, and my family had to reach out for help several times. I thought the problem was getting better not worse, but when I went to look for books to explain hunger to my grandkids, I couldn’t find any. That’s when I decided to write the book myself.

       What made you choose a dragon instead of maybe a tiger or lion?

It just seemed to fit. Hunger is a monster that rumbles and roars. It’s overwhelming and overpowering. I wanted a symbol that demonstrated that, and a dragon was the only creature big enough to illustrate that.

                 The cover design is really cute. Did you design it yourself?

I had the idea, and knew how I wanted to dragon to look, but it was the illustrator, Amy Rottinger, who took my concept to reality. She is absolutely amazing! We went through several drafts from small dragons peeking over Oliver’s shoulder to even one that wrapped around his legs. But, I felt Hunger needed to be enormous when compared to Oliver because that is the way kids feel when they aren’t sure where their next meal is coming from.

     I like how Oliver got rid of the dragon. What made you pick something like that?

Kids share naturally. I wanted to show kids that they can be part of the solution to hunger. They do have a voice, and they have the power to change what is happening in the world. I am always amazed by the open heartedness and kindness of children, but it is their honest approach to problems that makes my heart glow. In Oliver, the problem is hunger, so the answer is food. It can’t be more simple than that.

           Where can we purchase Oliver’s Hunger Dragon? 

It was released to Amazon and Barnes and Noble on the 26^th as a print book, and will be available as an ebook at all ebook retailers by the end of September.

                    Can we expect more picture books in the near future? 

I have several drafts, but I am presently working on two that I hope to finish by the end of the year. One is about a rat and one is about a monkey. I don’t see any more dragons in my future as yet, but then you never know.

 Thank you so much for letting me interview you, Sherry. Best of luck with your writing career. 

Here is a trailer for Oliver's Hunger Dragon.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3rU3kAF9JY

Oliver's Hunger Dragon

I had the privilege of reviewing a soon to be published picture book titled, 'Oliver's Hunger Dragon.' The book is written by Sherry Alexander, who will soon be a guest on here. The story is about Oliver and his dragon named Hunger. This dragon follows Oliver around everywhere and no matter how hard he tries, Oliver can't seem to get rid of the dragon. What will it take to make Hunger go away? You'll have to find out when the book is published. It's cute and can easily hold the attention of its intended readers. I consider it one of my 'must add to your shelf' choices. Here's a picture of the cover. Be sure to check back for an upcoming interview with Sherry Alexander!

Realistic or Not?

I'm in a quandary concerning one of my characters. He has very little vision, but is still able to get around his house because he keeps everything just so and doesn't change anything. He's not completely blind. It's just all he can see is colors and it looks like an artist took their paintbrush and smudged all of the colors together into one blurry mess. Also, I was considering whether or not he could play a game like basketball in his driveway with his brother and dad. Again, the surroundings are something he's familiar with and he knows where the hoop is and that nothing will be in the way to trip him. Now, when he goes out in public, he does use a seeing eye dog.

I guess my question is this. What is the name for this type of blindness? I tried looking it up, but wasn't able to find it. And am I being realistic when I make it possible for the guy to move around the house without the use of a seeing eye dog?

What to do?

So much for my Middle Grade novel being written. All it took was someone to mention something in a conversation and entirely different story idea popped into my head. Not only did it stay there, but it's begging to be written. Names for characters are easily coming to me, so is the genre, as well as how many main characters there should be... The whole package, if you will.

Does this mean I should put my other novel on hold and write this one while everything's still flowing smoothly? Or should I force it aside and concentrate on the Middle Grade novel instead? What do you do in situations like this? 

What do you do in the mayhem of preparing for a book signing?

July has drawn to a close and August will bring a new season for me. One filled with making sure I have enough stuff for my book signings, getting up early for said book signings, seeing to it that my 'equipment' doesn't get mixed up or lost in the confusion, making sure events don't overlap... oh my goodness! It seems like there's so much to do! I've started making a list of what I'll need for these events and I've starting gathering the items now instead of waiting for the last minute. It isn't always easy, especially when there are times I become disorganized. How do you keep it together in times like this? Do you keep a giant check list and check items off after they're completed? Or do you wait until a day or two before an event to start throwing everything together?

How to describe it?

The day after a big thunder storm I was driving down the road and saw something that caused my lower jaw to drop in amazement. You know how sometimes you can see the fog rolling in? Or can even see steam lifting off the ground/road after a good summer rain? What I saw seemed to be a mix of the two. Big swirls of cloud rose up off the ground and up toward the sky so fast, at first, I almost thought it was smoke from a factory. But when I passed the spot where the fog/mist was coming from, I saw it was not a factory, but rather a natural occurrence. Fog/mist was rising up from the ground so fast, and in such large quantities, that it gave the appearance of smoke. It was so cool and unlike anything I'd ever seen. Fog coming toward me like an overzealous puppy, yes, I've seen that. Mist rising sluggishly back to the sky, same thing. But fog/mist swirling back to sky in the shape of a funnel... nope, never seen that before. I wish I could've taken pictures to show you all what I saw, yet the best I can do for now is describe what I saw.

That raises an interesting question. When we see awesome things in our day to day lives and want to share what we saw with the world, how do we go about describing what we saw? Even when words don't do it justice? Do we give a sketch of what we saw and leave the rest up to the imagination of the person hearing our story? Or do we take out our imaginary brushes and paint pictures for people to see with more than their minds?

New book to add to the collection

Okay, the week is over and after taking Sherry's suggestion of mulling over which story to write, the Middle Grade novel seems to be the one wanting to be written. So, I'll most likely be telling Lily's story (she's the main character in the Middle Grade novel), while at the same time gathering facts and information for one of my historical novels.

Speaking of books, I've found this really cute picture book I wanted to share with everyone. It's called Sweetpea's Weekend Adventures At Grandma's House, by Yvonne Wilking. Long title, but it lives up to it, don't worry. In this adventure, Sweetpea gets to be a Paleontologist for a day. Kids will learn exactly what a Paleontologist is and what they do, as well as learn colors and help Sweetpea find the tools she needs for her digging. It's a definite add to a book collection for little children learning shapes and colors. Here's the link to check it out on Amazon.com. It's also available on the Author House website.

http://www.amazon.com/Sweetpeas-Weekend-Adventures-Grandmas-House/dp/1491820306/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406201261&sr=1-1&keywords=Sweetpea%27s+Weekend+Adventures+at+Grandma%27s+House

What to do now?

All right, I've completed one manuscript, at long last. This particular one took a few years to complete and now that it's done, I find myself at a crossroads. Do I kick back and relax for a little bit? Or do I plunge into working on another novel? And that brings up another question altogether. There are two historical novels waiting to be written. But at the same time, I have a modern day, middle grade novel sitting patiently on the sidelines. And then there's the third book in my mystery series that's waiting its turn to exit my mind and jump down onto paper. Which genre do I choose? Historical fiction? Modern day? Or mystery?

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July! Thank you to those who have served, are serving, are in the reserves and to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Also, thank you to the family members of those in service. Thank you for your sacrifice.

What Is A Screever?

Do you remember watching 'Mary Poppins' and Bert mentioning that he was an 'Artist of highest degree'? Ah, but he stated he wasn't just any artist. He was a Screever. I've always wondered exactly what a 'Screever' was and thanks to Sherry Alexander's piece in Guardian Angel Kids, Are You A Screever?, I don't have to wonder anymore. Check out Sherry's article. It's very well written and informative.    

http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com/07-014-3Dflipbook/index.html#p=22

June is over

Well, June is drawing to a close and I'm wondering what 'adventures' July will bring.

What do to when there's no paper to jot notes down?

Some times there just doesn't seem to be enough paper when an idea comes, you know? Maybe you're driving down the road, a country road, and you see a beautiful field with wild flowers dancing in the wind and a lovely lake sparkly brightly in the light. Or, maybe you're at a stoplight and you see someone running across the street with two or three people hot on his/her heels. Little scenario like those can often spark an 'idea' moment that might find its way into your next piece. I know that happen with me and if there's no paper anywhere for me to jot it all down, I have to try my best to remember what I saw/heard until paper can be located. There are some people who use little voice recorders and use those as their pen and paper to help them remember what happened and use it at a later time. What do you use to help you in those 'idea' moments and there's no paper handy?

Simple Reminder

Earlier today, I was at the Library and I was on a mission. I had it all mapped out in my mind what I was going to do and how long it was going to take me to do it. As I entered the building, the church bell across the street started chiming the hour. It was a deep, rich sound that made me pause to listen. Even though the doors were shut, I could hear the bells and it caused me to take a moment to reflect on what I was doing. Here I was, in a hurry to get done what needed to be done and I wasn't paying any attention to the beauty around me. Such as the bright, sunny day or the carefully planted rose bushes in front of the Library. I enjoy hearing the sound of the church bells because no matter where I am, or what I'm doing, the bells help remind me to take a moment out of my busy schedule and enjoy the beauty around me.

What are some things that help remind you to take a break from your busy schedule and enjoy life?

My Book's Newest Review

My first novel, The Diamond Caper, has been out for almost two years now. (It'll officially be two years tomorrow) Publicizing it hasn't been easy and I've welcomed a good review of the novel whenever I can get one to help 'boost awareness' of my work. Last night, I received an email saying my book had been reviewed by Reader's Favorite. The review brought tears to my eyes, in a good way. The lady who read my story said it reminded her of the Nancy Drew novels she used to read when she (the reader) was a teen. Nancy Drew's part of the inspiration for my Crystal O'Mally mystery series and I was pleased the 'Nancy Drew thread' was noticeable in my work.

It was a much better review than I expected and it amazed me that after two years, Crystal's story is still generating these kinds of reviews. I wasn't sure if after a certain amount of time your book stopped receiving really good views or not. (I'm still learning) Here's a link to Reader's Favorite where you can read the review. https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/32044 


Also, I received this seal along with the review.

Keep Adding

When you're writing a story and later go back and re-read your work, how often do you go, "Oh, I maybe if I add this, it'll make the story flow better"? I sometimes find myself doing that with stories I've written a while back. There constantly seems to be something I can edit or perhaps make better. It can be either a help, or a hindrance. Depending on whether or not I'm on a deadline. Sometimes, those little 'keep adding' moments actually do end up making the story flow better. But the times I'd trying to read my work without doing any major editing, it's certainly not helping me any. I've learned there are times to keep adding to the story and other times I need to simply let it be. How do you do it? When the urge to constantly critique your work arises, how to push past it?

I can finally make the announcement.

Okay, the results are in and I can finally make the announcement. Do you remember a while back when I mentioned I was trying to find a 'home' for one of my stories? Well, I entered it in a short story/poetry contest and . . . wait for it . . . won first place! My story, The Voice, won first place in the high school division. The Voice is about a teenage girl who wants so desperately to sing, but can't carry a tune in a bucket. Her little sister, who's deaf, teaches the older sister that there's more than one way to sing. Yeah, that's pretty much the synopsis in a nutshell. Here's a link so you can read the story if you want to. http://www.bcplib.org/writingcontest/archives.html

I'd still like to find a permanent home for The Voice. Does anyone know of a middle school or pre-teen magazine company accepting these kinds of stories?

Warm Weather Activities

June's here and there are times we experience heat waves. But at the same time, there's also a chance it'll still feel like . . . well . . . spring. Flowers are still waking up from their winter slumber and showing off their bright, vibrant colors. There's a whole lot more to do. What are some activities you like to do as warmer weather approaches?

Interview with Mikki Sadil

I was able to catch an interview with author Mikki Sadil to talk about her newest book, Cheers, Chocolate and other Disasters. 

   

          This is the second novel you’ve written and published and it’s definitely different from The Freedom Thief. What was it like writing a different genre?

Very different! When I took my first advanced novel writing course from ICL, I wanted to continue on with Thief. I had started it for my last two-part assignment in the original ICL course. My novel writing instructor thought there were too many stories out already about the Underground Railroad…Thief was very different at that time than it became as a published novel…so he wanted me to write something contemporary. Cheers took a lot of research, too, as my daughter had never been a cheerleader, so I had no first hand knowledge of cheerleading. Of course, as the novel developed, cheerleading was there but not a primary part.

           Your last book, The Freedom Thief, came out this past November. Was Cheers, Chocolate and other Disasters already polished and ready to find a home? Or were you still in the process of writing it?

It was finished, edited, and revised, but not really “polished.” Actually, it had been gathering dust in my computer ever since that novel course ended. After Thief was published, I just decided to bring out AJ’s story, polish it up and submit it, just to see what happened.

         I know you work with horses, and so does AJ. Was it lots of fun being able to incorporate horses into the story?

Yes! Horses are my first love. I was born on a Quarter Horse ranch, was riding at the age of two, and horses have always been a big part of my life. AJ just had to have horses in her life, too!

     Was it hard remembering who had which personality and not mixing them up?

Sometimes, yes, it was. I think when all of your characters are the same sex and age, it is difficult to find ‘voices’ for them that are unique. Yet, if those voices are too much the same, your reader can’t keep the characters straight. Celine’s voice was easy, because she was so nasty and sarcastic, and so was Lisa’s because she didn’t use contractions. It was the other three girls I needed the most work on.

Instead of AJ’s ‘bad luck’ happening during the course of her teenage years, it all seemed tocome crashing down on her at age thirteen. Why'd it all happen at once?

Thirteen is a trying age for kids, especially girls who are going through so many hormonal changes. A new teen is no longer a “child,” and too new to the teen years to really know what is happening to them, how to act, and how to handle themselves. AJ had never given much thought, if any, to her life, other than to believe it was nearly perfect. She was totally oblivious to her parents’ problems, so the coming divorce hit her very hard. She believed her “best friends forever” were just that…best friends and would be forever. It was more of a “child-like” belief because she had not yet experienced any of the friendship dramas that most all teens go through at some point during those years. I think making her that tender age when she was still finding herself added to the drama.

      I laughed when Lisa said she had a difficult time re-acquainting herself with the American ‘jargon.’ Was it hard to remember that Lisa didn’t use contractions?

Actually, no. I was brought up speaking very formal French, which also doesn’t use contractions, and Italian is very similar. It was kind of fun putting a character into that situation. 

     AJ might’ve been thirteen, but she was put in some real life, adult situations that she had to handle. Why did you pick such a young age? How do you think some of the lessons AJ learned could be applied to problems teenagers might face in the real world?

As I said above, I chose thirteen because it is such a very vulnerable age. I think the ‘fancy’ dinner with AJ’s father and soon-to-be stepmother is a good example of how a thirteen year old would act…eat everything put in front of you, because you are still mindful of past years when Mom or Dad said Eat all your dinner! Then when the main portion of the dinner comes, and you’re expected to eat that, too, it’s only natural for your tummy to rebel!

I didn’t write AJ’s story with the idea that there would be lessons learned. But as time when on, I realized there were. Divorce is a big problem in our society today. Teens have to learn to deal with it in their family as best they can. Just realizing that even though the family unit is broken, the family left together WILL survive is a big part of it. I truly hope that for most teens, the parent who leaves the home doesn’t also leave the family, as AJ’s father did, but if so, the teen has to learn to depend upon the part of the family left together. And try to make that into a solid family unit once more.

More and more, death of a friend is also happening to teens, with all the bullying going on that leads to teen suicide. Every teen, as every person of any age, has to deal with that death in his/her own way. No one can tell you how to grieve, how to act, how to come to accept what has happened. AJ wrote in a diary and that helped her. Her bond with Amberley was so deep she felt that Amberley was still with her, in spirit if nothing else. She could look at the paintings Amberley left and feel her presence. Not every teen has that kind of bond with someone, but believing that your friend is still with you in spirit can help ease the pain of loss. 

        Okay, the big question. Is there going to be a sequel? There’s so much more to tell! If that’s top secret information, then I understand. 

Well, there probably will be a sequel, I just don’t know when. Everyone who reads Cheers wants me to write Celine’s story…why she is like she is, why she resents AJ so much, and most of all, what really happens to her. But I have a big BIG problem! I am ¾ of the way through my next novel, a paranormal/historical/mystery, and really really want to finish it. I’m not one of these writers who can write on 2 or 3 different stories at one time. So I’m not sure at this point if I am going to put away the paranormal story and begin Celine’s, or if Celine is going to have to wait! I think probably…Celine is going to have to wait. But I’m still not sure…it is a dilemma…anyone have an answer for me? LOL

Anyone have an answer for our author?  

Cheers, Chocolate and other Disasters is available at www.Amazon.com Here's the cover for it. 

Thank you so much, Mikki and best of luck with your writing career.

 

Back once more.

Things once again got very busy. There will be more things to look forward to in the next few days. An interview with an up and coming author, as well an announcement or two. Hopefully things will clear up a little with my schedule, allowing me to blog a little bit more.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, and adopted mothers. Thank you for all you do and may today be your day to relax and enjoy time with family.

Preserve or Grow?

When writing a series, I've come across a bit of a problem. My characters are both juveniles and some of my readers suggested that in order to keep the 'timelessness' of my books, my characters needed to remain as juveniles and technically never grow up. (Personally, that made me think of Peter Pan and how he never wanted to grow up). On the other hand, my editor said she looks forward to watching my two characters grow up and that leaves me in a bit of a dilemma. Do I keep my characters at sixteen and nine for the entire series? Or do they grow up as people do in reality? I mean, I don't want my books to lose whatever timeless feeling they may have. But on the flip side, I'd like to be a little more realistic when I write, even if it means them growing up. Have you ever been in a pickle like this before? How'd you handle it?

End of Camp NaNoWriMo

Well, I've been out of the loop yet again. Sorry everyone. Things got rather busy and was unable to get back with you on updates. Well, as the title reads, Camp NaNoWriMo is over and even though I passed the 50,000 word mark, I'm only halfway through the book. So, that means it's time to put the manuscript aside, let it sit for a little while before coming back to finish it. Not sure how long it'll be put aside, though. How long do you let your manuscript before you come back to it? A few hours? A day or so? A couple of weeks?

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, everyone! Hope it's full of family, friends and fun. May the rest of your week be wonderful and full of good things.

Cheers, Chocolate, and Other Disasters

Mikki Sadil has another book out! Cheers, Chocolate, and Other Disasters. Here's the cover for it. Alyson Joanne Devlin had it all, great family, friends, and the best riding mare ever. That is, Alyson had it all until Celine Carroll came to town and Alyson's world starts falling apart. Is Celine the one truly responsible for Alyson's world crumbling around her? Well, you're going to have to pick up the book to find out for yourself. 

MuseItUp's Facebook Event

Guess what, guys? MuseItUp Publishing is having a Facebook event this week! It starts on April 10th and runs until the 17th. There will be contests, discussions with authors, giveaway and all sorts of cool stuff! Also, books will be on sale, even one that hasn't officially launched yet. (There's a little hint there!) Here's the link for the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/224006297795748/

Be sure to check back in the next few days for an awesome announcement!

Fact vs. Fiction

I'm working on a historical novel and it's probably one of the most daunting tasks I've ever tackled. Excuse me if that sounds oh so cliche, not my intention. But it is honestly one of the hardest projects I've worked on. See, it's based off of an event that took place roughly one hundred and seventy years ago. (I think I blogged about this a while back, can't quite remember). The small town of Madison, Indiana caught fire one night and after the men gave up trying to save the buildings, the womenfolk didn't give up so easily and continued to fight the blaze. The women ended up being the town's heroes.

I called Madison's Historical Society to see if they had any records of what happened and apparently, the only thing they have on file is an old newspaper article about the fire that came out a few days after the incident occurred. There are most likely people currently living in Madison who had family members who helped save the town and I don't want to just make up fictional people in place of real ones who lived all those years ago. How do I go about getting my gathering my facts for the story when all I have to go on is an article? Yes, this is a fictional novel, but like I said before, it's based off a true story and I want to keep my facts straight. Any ideas on how to do this?

Day Two Into It

Well, it's day two of Camp NaNoWriMo and I'll admit that it hasn't been easy writing this novel. The plot hasn't been coming to me very easily. Another problem I've run into, since I'm writing a series, is that each time I write a new story, I have to make sure I describe what my characters look like. Even if they were described in the previous book. I have to remember that when these books are published, people may not pick up Book 1 in the series and might pick up Book 5 or something. They won't know what the characters look like if they didn't start at the beginning of the series. Aside from those two 'road blocks,' it's been a fun challenge so far. How about you? How's the writing going? Even if you're not participating in Camp NaNoWriMo.

To Jump Ahead or Not Jump Ahead?

Camp NaNoWriMo begins tomorrow and I'll be working on the fourth installment in the Crystal O'Mally mystery series. However, I'm still writing the third book, so I'll be working on two books at the same time. Part of me thinks that isn't such a good idea, because one book is suppose to pave the way for the next book. Do you think it's a good idea to 'jump ahead' like that? Or should I take it one book at a time?

100, Wow!

Wow! Took a long time, but I've finally reached one hundred posts on this blog! It hasn't been easy, there were times I wasn't sure what to write about. And I'm sure there will be more times when I won't know what to write about. However, I'll do my best to keep my readers updated and blog about stuff. What do you do when you want to blog and yet don't know what the topic should cover? Do you ponder and ponder and ponder some more? Any suggestions on how to get past 'bloggers' block?

How Do You Like Them?

When you're first writing your book, do you already have the cover design picked out in your mind? Or does the idea of the design come to you while you're writing? I know illustrators usually design the cover, but it's fun to get a general idea of what you want before the illustrator sends you a design. Something I've learned is that your cover is an important marketing tool. If someone is walking through a bookstore and they see your book on the shelf and the cover grabs their interest, they'll take the book off the shelf and read the synopsis on the back. And if the synopsis catches their fancy, then it's to the check-out line with your book.

I know some people like their cover designs to 'pop' (be bright and vibrant) while others prefer their designs to be darker in color to add to the mood of the book. I've seen some designs wrap all the way around the book, to where it stretched from the front of the book to the back where the synopsis is. However, some books limit their designs to just the front of the book. How do you prefer your book designs? Do you like them to wrap around the book or just stick to the front? Also, what's your preference for cover designs? Do you like them to pop or darker in color? 

Camp NaNoWriMo 2014

Happy First Day of Spring, folks! Thankfully the sun's shining, making it feel more like spring time. With the new weather can bring new inspiration and new writing opportunities. Here's a writing opportunity that's proven to be most interesting, and helpful to me when it comes to writing my novels, it's called Camp NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) It's a writing challenge where your goal is to write a novel composed of 50,000 words (or more) in one month. Those hosting Camp NaNoWriMo are having these 'camps' in April and then again in July. It's lots of fun and it helps to give you an incentive to reach a writing goal each and every day. I'll be doing Camp NaNoWriMo and keeping you all updated on how the novel is going. Here's a link if you're interested in signing up. https://campnanowrimo.org/sign_in 

Getting outside your usual writing zone

We all have different genres that we like to write. Such as non-fiction, historical fiction, romance, and so on and so forth. But what if you wanted to take a break from writing your usual genre and try something new? For example, your usual genre is mysteries and you want to try your hand at writing picture books. How hard do you think it would be to make the transfer? I know my two genres are mystery and historical fiction. I'm currently branching out and trying something along the lines of a romantic comedy. It isn't easy, because I'm not weaving clues or historical accuracy into the storyline. But it's a challenge that can help broaden what I write. What was it like when you stepped out of your usual writing zone to try something new? Was it frustrating to the point of wanting to make you give up? Or did it push you to see if you could do it?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow.
May the soft winds freshen your spirit.
May the sunshine brighten your heart
May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you.
And may God enfold you in the mantle of His love.
                                                                       
                                                                             -An Irish Blessing

Fly or Think? How do you write?

I attended an authors panel a few weeks ago and one of the questions an audience member asked was, "How do you write? Do you write by the fly or do you sit and think?" Even though I wasn't on the panel, I so wanted to answer that question! And now, in a way, I can answer it. It depends on what genre of fiction I'm writing. If I'm writing something like a modern day mystery novel, then I write by the fly. I don't really have to do in depth research and I can write what comes to mind. However, if I'm working on an historical fiction novel, even if it has a mystery thread weaving through it, I have to really think about what I'm going to write. There's so much research involved and I have to make sure the character's dialogue is in accordance with the time period he/she is living in. Even though it can be a challenge to sit and think about what I have to write, versus just sitting down and writing without having to pause and ponder, I like the challenge of doing it either way. So how about you? How do you like to write and why? Does it help keep your creative juices flowing?

Hallee Bridgeman’s Interview

All right, here it is! My interview with Ms. Bridgeman.

1)      Where did the ideas for the Anthology come from?

I only had an idea of a book about a young woman who had to work two jobs to help support her younger sisters.  It wasn’t until I actually started writing that the stories themselves emerged.

2)      Why did you choose stones like a sapphire, emerald, or even a ruby as titles for your novels?

I intentionally sought out the stones that matched the lead character’s eyes.  For instance, Robin, in Sapphire Ice, has bright blue eyes; Maxine, in Emerald Fire, has vivid green eyes; and Sarah, in Topaz Heat, has light-brown eyes. The men in their lives each gave them some form of jewelry that “matched their eyes”.

When I wrote Greater Than Rubies, it was about Robin’s marriage to Tony.  Because I’d already titled a book from her eye color, I went ahead and titled it after the Bible verse, Proverbs 31:10: Who can find a virtuous woman? For her worth is far greater than rubies.  I worked a ruby necklace into the storyline so that I would have a reason to title it that way.

3)      After reading your jewel anthology, I’m guessing you like your leading men to be tall and have Italian accents or be former football players? Have you ever had a leading man that was under six feet tall? Didn’t play football? Or didn’t have a European accent?

Actually, Tony is the only character I’ve ever written who has an Italian accent.  Barry is an ex-football player who is huge by anyone’s standards, but Derrick is short, under 6 feet (or right at it) and has what used to be a South Boston accent that was perfected over the course of hours with a personal trainer to remove the accent.

In A Melody for James, James is a southern boy from Atlanta, Georgia.  In An Aria for Nick, Nick is a Special Forces soldier turned secret agent from southern Georgia.  In A Carol for Kent, Bobby Kent is a Virginia horse farm boy turned country music sensation. None of those men are football players or Italian.

From my perspective of being a woman who is 5’11”, with the shortest man in my family being 6’4”, any man who is under 6 feet tall is short to me.  It’s likely that if all of my leading men aren’t over 6 feet, they’re going to be right at it.

4)      All three of your leading ladies have different personalities. Robin’s independent and, Maxine’s feisty, and Sarah’s stubborn How did you manage to not get their personalities mixed up?  

My characters are real in my head.  I can hear them, see them, know them.  They’re completely different.  I don’t just plug a new name into “female lead” and have everything else be the same.

In a series of books I wrote about triplet brothers, I worried that their characters wouldn’t be distinguishable from one another because they had kind of similar personalities and were raised in the same environment.  However, the end results were three completely different men.  I was pleased.

5)       You write romance novels with realistic situations. The characters go through situations and experience emotions that a real person would go through in a lifetime. Why’d you choose that particular genre of romance?

I have always written “real” characters.  I believe that is a hole in the Christian fiction market.  It is certainly something that fans of my writing say – that it’s hard to find real characters in real situations. I didn’t “set out” to write that way – it’s just the way I write.  I do believe that the Holy Spirit is leading my writing, and that I write what He wants how He wants it.  If a conversation is likely not to happen in real life, I probably won’t write it.  I like my characters to react the way a real person would – good or bad.  And, my characters are far from perfect – they react badly often.  It’s how they’re redeemed in the end that makes it realistic and inspirational.

6)      Who was your favorite/least favorite character to write about and why?

I did not like Sarah in Topaz Heat so much that I stopped writing the book, wiped everything clean, and started again.  The end result was the exact same character.  I apparently had no control over her. Nick Williams in An Aria for Nick is, by far, my absolute favorite character I’ve ever written. I have always loved the “tortured hero” character anyway.  Added to that, my father and husband are both Special Forces soldiers, and I pulled from their personalities to weave together the traits of Nick Williams.  He was a joy to get to know.

7)      Anything new to look forward to from you in the near future?

I will be releasing A Carol for Kent, book 3 in the Song of Suspense Series, in April.  Right after that release, I will start releasing a 7-part serial novella series about female spies in World War II called the Virtues and Valor series.

 Thank you for taking the time to let me interview you, Ms. Hallee. By the way, want to know something else about Ms. Bridgeman? She doesn't just write fiction. No, she writes cookbooks as well. By the way, don't the titles look familiar? 

      

Here's a link to Ms. Bridgeman's website. Be sure to check it out and check out a couple of the other books she's written. http://www.bridgemanfamily.com/hallee/love-is/