Featured Book: Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner

There were so many authors I wanted to feature this month. I try to get them as close to their book release date as possible. So bear with me. We've seen Kimberly Cash Tate earlier this week and today we have Tina Ann Forkner. On Monday, I'll have debut author Sherri Sands.

Tina Ann Forkner is a debut author whose book about three generations of mothers and daughters released in time for Mother's Day. Tina writes full-time from her wide open spaces of Wyoming where she resides with her family and serves on the local library Board of Directors. I don't remember how I learned of her book but because I enjoy women's fiction0--and because it has a beautiful book cover--it caught my eye. Welcome, Tina!

Tina, thanks for stopping by my blog. I'd like to begin by asking about your beginning. How did you get started writing?

I’ve written since I was a little kid. I wrote a great deal of poetry, essays, and some fiction when I was in college, but finding time was difficult when I became a single mom. At that point I had to focus on working full-time, as well as doing the mommy thing. That’s just what was more important at the time.

It wasn’t until I later married my husband that I had time to write the novel. I went to a writing conference the same year I finished the book and was invited by an editor to submit my manuscript. It would be cool if I could say, “and he decided to publish it!” But it was ultimately rejected. It wasn’t until I had an agent that it finally sold to Waterbrook Press. That was a fabulous day.

What kinds of books do you read most?

I primarily read women’s fiction. I love a variety of authors, including Elizabeth Berg, Sue Monk Kidd, Jane Kirkpatrick, Amy Tan, Lisa Samson, Kim Vogel Sawyer, Colleen Coble, and others, but I am more of a favorite book person than a favorite author person. Some of my favorite books are The Mark of the Lion series, as well as Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, Open Houseuse by Elizabeth Berg, The Hundred Secret Senses and Saving Fish From Drowning, by Amy Tan, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Watching the Tree Limbs by Mary DeMuth, The Trophy Wives Club by Kristin Billerbeck, and Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. On occasion I like to read a good fantasy. My recent favorite is Auralia’s Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet.

I see we enjoy many of the same authors and even some of the same books. I too like women's fiction, which is what attracted me to your novel. What inspired you to write an intergenerational story about mothers and daughters?

I have always loved to hear my mom tell stories about her mother and my grandmothers and I was always very close to my paternal grandmother when I was growing up. She told me story after story about her own family. I think those stories really taught me some good life lessons. Plus, I have so many aunts that I can’t help being interested in intergenerational relationships between women. I think the wisdom that older women pass down to the younger generation is very important.

How does faith play a role in your storytelling?

I think the redemptive qualities of my stories are where faith plays out, although I’ve had readers email and tell me other ways that faith has touched them after reading Ruby Among Us. I think redemption to each other and to God is really a universal thing that people relate to, and if the reader is a Christian, then the meaning probably goes even deeper for that reader.

I also received a compliment recently from a reader who said that after reading Ruby Among Us, she realized (and I’m paraphrasing) that we can see and learn about God in every day life and experiences. That was a compliment because I do feel that way. I love church, but God teaches me so much through living and His words are made real for me when I see His promises carry through into every day life. That probably comes through in my writing even though I don’t plan it that way.

The journey to publication is unique to each author. What has surprised you most about the publishing process?

Probably how slow the publishing process is. Everyone tells you how slow it can be when you first get contracted, but it’s still a bit of a surprise. A publisher’s calendar is not the same as a writer’s.

Based on your experiences, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Not to ever lose sight of the act of writing. Blogs, conferences, writing loops, etc., etc. are great networking tools, but can take a great deal of time away from writing. Doing too much of it before you are published seems to me a little like putting the horse before the cart. Work on your craft first. The only way to get better at it is to write as much as possible.

LOL! I think you were talking to me in that last response! Moving on... (and still laughing)

Tina, you're a library supporter. How important are libraries in the ever-changing new media world we live in?

I think libraries are extremely important. My library, the Laramie County Library in Wyoming, has incorporated new technology and it has worked wonderfully for our community. We have more computers and we have internet, DVDs and CDs, but we still have books on every floor that remain very popular. I think libraries are changing to reflect the culture, but books will always be important.

Newer types of media in today’s world might make everything seem temporary, but I think that stories will always remain. Libraries will always be a crucial part of the preservation of books and history whether we are talking about fiction or non-fiction, no matter what forms books take in the future.

I do admit, I hope we always have paper books with covers that we can hold in our hands, no matter what else we have to choose from.

Me too! I get hit with a sense of nostalgia every time I browse a library and have loved introducing my sons to the pleasures of library patronage.

Tell us one thing about you that readers would be surprised to know.

Even though I write about women who don’t seem to have much support from men in their lives, I’m a daddy’s girl. I have a wonderful father who is very supportive.

How wonderful! From one daddy's girl to another, I'm glad you stopped by and look forward to reading your book.

Patricia, thank you so much!

You're welcome.

Learn more about Tina and Ruby Among Us at her website: http://tinaannforkner.wordpress.com/

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Stay focused. Move Forward. Believe.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Featured Book: Heavenly Places by Kimberly Cash Tate

Kimberly Cash Tate made her fiction debut this month with Heavenly Places. Kim is an attorney turned home-schooling mom-writer who hails from Maryland and now resides with her family in Texas. She previously published a non-fiction book entitled "More Christian Than African-American". Kim has been a joy to get to know however briefly via email, and I look forward to continuing this new friendship. It's my pleasure to help promote her debut novel.

About the Book:
Treva Langston's life has suddenly been turned upside down. She lost her high-powered job, her family has returned to a town that brings only memories of heartache, and she's beset with uncertainty about what makes her worthy. To her husband, she's blind to the blessings of their young family; to her mother, her awkward homecoming is just another reason why she'll never be a success. Unable to shake her fears, Treva feels nothing can save her... Treva's sister understands that trials that come with self-doubt. So with the help of her women's prayer group, she invites Treva to ask God for what she can't do alone. Despite herself, Treva rediscovers the gifts and the people she never took time to value. She finds that the promised Heavenly Places she has always looked for have been in front of her all along.

Hey Kim! I'm glad you consented to this interview. Heavenly Places sounds like my kind of book! (Gritting teeth behind smile while awaiting book order.)

Patricia, I first want to thank you for featuring me on your blog! Your presence in the blog world is a definite plus and I consider it an honor and a blessing to be here.

(Blushing) Thanks, Kim! Promoting novelists and debut authors in particular is fun for me. I'm always curious about the authors who write the books I enjoy. Interviewing them for my blog gives me a chance to ask the questions swirling about my brain. So let's jump right in!

In addition to writing and home-schooling your children (how many?), I read you find time to study foreign languages. What languages are you learning now and what was your motivation?

My study of foreign languages was actually motivated by the homeschooling. I started homeschooling my two children, who are now 11 and 9, almost 6 years ago. I was inspired as I read about classical education and got excited about my children learning ancient Greek so that they would be able to read the New Testament in its original language, and also Latin because it’s so foundational to the English language. I began buying Latin and Greek texts and it wasn’t enough to learn alongside them. I had to study ahead! I love it! I’ve got a loooong way to go before I’m able to sit down and read ancient texts, but I’ve learned so much thus far. And I get such a kick out of being able to open my Greek New Testament and understand some of what it’s saying. It helps me tremendously in my personal Bible study.

Gotta tell you how impressed by that I am on many fronts! Homeschooling. Homeschooling multiple children. Teaching your children Greek and Latin. Learning Greek and Latin yourself. Reading the Bible in Greek. Wow!

Would you call yourself a "church girl", i.e. born and raised, or at least attending church regularly from girlhood?

I didn’t grow up in a Christian home. The only time I attended church growing up was when we went to the Catholic church that was affiliated with my Catholic school in Maryland . But God was working even then. Because of the Bible stories I learned as a youth in Catholic school, I was awed by Jesus and never doubted that He was the Son of God and Savior of the world. What was missing was the salvation piece. Although I saw Him as a Savior, I didn’t know I needed to be saved, and I didn’t know I could have a personal relationship with Him.

What made you seek God in your adult life?

Now that’s a long story. LOL! Honestly, I have to say that it was God who drew me and caused me to seek Him. After I graduated from law school at George Washington University , He uprooted me from my lifelong home in the D.C. area, where everything was familiar and diverse, and plopped me down in Madison , Wisconsin , which was, well, the opposite. My fiancé had received an offer from the University of Wisconsin as an assistant professor and I had gotten a great job offer in Madison as well to begin my legal career. But I hated it. I missed home and I would complain all the time. Out of desperation, I cried out to God—remembering all those stories in Catholic school about the miracles God was able to perform—and appealed to Him to get me out of there. Crying out to God got me to thinking that I should at least be in somebody’s church, sort of a tit-for-tat kind of deal if I wanted my prayer answered. About three years after moving to Madison, my husband’s barber invited him to his church, and my life was changed forever. I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

What a beautiful testimony! I love that God is there for us even when we aren't in fellowship with Him, and that He doesn't require "tit-for-tat", although it certainly doesn't hurt us. LOL! But when we are aligned with Him, look out!

Let's talk about your book a bit. Is Treva, the heroine of Heavenly Places, based on your own life?

Fortunately, I never experienced the kind of heartache that Treva experienced. I had a passion to tell her story because God kept putting stories before me in which women shared the pain of being treated differently because of their skin color...by other black people, including their parents. Many of these women were experiencing the effects of it still in the way they perceived people and situations, and in the way they felt about themselves. I kept saying, “Lord, if only their lives could be transformed by the power of knowing Christ and the truth of Your Word!” I knew that was what He wanted me to write about. But Treva and I do share similarities in that she’s an attorney and she has an attitude about the place to which she and her family have relocated. I was able to draw upon some personal feelings there. :-)

On your website, Heavenly Places is described as "fiction that feeds your soul". Is that your tagline?

You know, as I was writing the synopsis that just came to me and I liked it! Heavenly Places is entertaining but more than that, it’s food for the soul, and that’s what a lot of women are telling me as they read the book. They’re saying they have never read a novel that ministered to them on such a deep level. That’s exactly what I prayed would happen as I wrote the book so I praise God for that.

How does your background as an attorney help you in your writing career? I envision long yellow legal pads with flourishing pen stokes...

As an attorney who practiced in litigation, I was always multi-tasking with respect to writing. I had to learn to organize my time and efforts because I’d have a memo due to a senior partner, a brief due to the court, a couple of motions to file, and a complaint to draft...all in a week. That has helped me as I write books plus weekly devotions for my website, all while prioritizing the homeschooling side of life. Let me be quick to say, though, that I could do none of it without God’s grace and leading. I’d be a basket case!

You've chosen to write Christian fiction. How important is your faith in your writing?

My faith is everything in my writing. My faith is what makes me, me. My life has been utterly transformed by Jesus Christ and the power of His Word. There’s no way I could not infuse that into my writing. My heart’s desire is that people dig into the Word of God and watch their entire beings be transformed, and my prayer is that my writing would inspire them to start digging.

What has been the response to your non-fiction work, More Christian Than African-American, in general and particularly from African-American readers?

Some African-Americans, based on the title alone, rejected the premise of the book. They did not understand the transforming power of Jesus Christ or the truth that we were never meant to have earthly identities based on the color of our skin. That was the result of slavery. God always intended that our identities be in Him, and when we are born again, we are restored to that original divine plan. The predominant response I received from African-American believers was that the book was eye-opening and life-changing. Still today, I receive e-mails from people who have read it and been greatly encouraged. I’ve received positive feedback from white Christians as well, who said the book helped them to understand better the black experience and also helped them in their Christian walk, because the book was about much more than that identity issue.

I get that. It's like the duality that Dr. W. E. B. DuBois described relative to being Black and American. In fact, I stumbled upon an article you wrote about that book when I googled you to find out more after hearing about your novel, as I always do. That article, "More Than Skin Deep" is what made me reach out to you. I'll provide the link here for those who are interested. It's a powerful examination of the crossroads between faith and racial identity.

That brings me to a final, logical question. What's up next from author Kimberly Cash Tate?

In 2009, ten years from the date the first book was published, a new More Christian than African-American will be released, which will deal solely with the issue of identity. I’ve also completed another novel that may be released later that year.

Keep writing, Kim! I love your energy and enthusiasm. Thanks so much for the interview!

Thank you, Patricia, for this wonderful opportunity!

My pleasure.

You can learn more about Kimberly and her books at her website: http://www.kimberlycashtate.com

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Stay focused. Move Forward. Believe.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Moving at the Speed of Story

I thought I would do a lot of writing over the weekend. I did some. One scene. But it was the first scene, which means I have a work-in-progress, not a work-in-mind. My goal? A scene a day.

My sons have a favorite book which employs dinosaurs to teach about opposites. It's called Dinosaur Roar! With three sons, I've read this book more times than I count yet it's always an enjoyable experience. As I thought about today's topic, one passage from that book comes to mind and reads something like, "Some are fast, and some are slooow!"

The same is true for romance novels.

I read two novels this weekend from a category continuity series. (For those who don't know, a continuity series is one in which different authors write each book in the series using the same characters and some common threads that tie the books together.) I won't say which series it was but I was struck as I struggled to finish the second book by how much longer it seemed than the first.

Except it wasn't.

Both were category romances, approximately 270 pages long. I read the first one in what seemed to be mere hours, delighted to turn page after page and disappointed when it came to an end. The second, however, although no longer, give or take a page or two, felt like I'd been reading it forever when I was only two-thirds done. The story didn't seem to be in any hurry to get where it was going, making the reading experience a drag.

Now that second book was technically sound in terms of writing craft. It had good, memorable characters, including those unique to its story. It started in the right place and sucked the reader in. The hero and heroine remained front and center, never yielding their importance to the secondary characters. The backstory was skillfully woven in. The command of grammar, punctuation, and other technical aspects was on point. Yet it languished.

Which brings me to my subject.

Pacing.

Two books of the same length can provoke a very different reading experience, even when they share the same characters and story thread.

The difference is in the author's voice, no doubt, but I'd read another book by that second author which I'd enjoyed. So for me, it had to do with story pace.

Pacing, which in my opinion is a part of the author's voice, is affected by:

• Whether the author varies the structure and length of the sentences
  
  
• Whether the plot points move the story forward or feel as though they're filling space
  
  
• Whether the chapters are short or long, and whether that length is varied throughout the story
  
  
• Whether the author revisits the same event from multiple POVs, thereby causing the forward movement of the story to stagnate
  
  
• Whether the balance between narrative and dialogue weighs more heavily toward narrative

All of these things can slow a good story down.

On the flipside, a story can read too fast also. So fast that the reader barely catches her breath and finds it hard to connect with the characters or remember the plotl after completing it, left with only a vague sense of enjoyment lingers.

So pace is important to story.

I've got one book left to read in this series. Usually, if I enjoy the first book, I'll enjoy the entire series, allowing for differences in voice. This series has been very up and down. I loved book one, hated book two, and was disappointed by book four. Still, because I loved the series premise and the characters, I'll hunt down book three and hope for the best.

I'll keep pacing in the back of my mind as I work on my wip. Overall, it's probably best left for revisions but never hurts to be conscious of another storywriting challenge.

As a writer, what kinds of things do you do to affect the pace of your stories? As a reader, what makes a story drag for you?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Stay focused. Move Forward. Believe.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

What I'm Reading -- May 2008

Please say a prayer for Chicki and her family. Her two-year-old nephew, Tyler, passed away Thursday afternoon. Pray for Tyler's parents, Steve and Laura, and for his siblings.

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Began a characterization of my heroine for Good Girls Finish First. (I guess the title does have a bit of a chick-lit feel.) Not too in-depth. Just enough to give me a bit of background and motivation for the character so I can know who she is and begin writing the first chapter.

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Haven't talked much about what I've been reading of late. (One day I'll get my sidebar updated again!)

Lots of Steeple Hill Love Inspired books because I want to write for this imprint. Authors I haven't read before like Patricia Davids, Mae Nunn, Terri Reed, Kate Welsh, and Irene Hannon. Also keeping up with favorites like Margaret Daley, Brenda Coulter, and Cheryl Wyatt.

In addition to that, a fairly eclectic assortment as usual, stemming from what I get sent for book reviews. Below are the books I've reviewed in the last two months, each of which was pretty interesting, illuminating, or downright entertaining. Click on the link to read the review.

Never As Good As the First Time by Mari Walker

Heart of a Thief by Gail Barrett

The Wentworths by Pam Arnoldi

Dark Room by Andrea Kane

Murder, Mayhem, and a Fine Man by Claudia Mair Burney

What Happened in Vegas...

Recently finished Bad Blood by L. A. Banks.

Now, I'm not a big paranormal person. If it's not done really well, it tends to get a bit campy or worse, it just doesn't work.

L. A. Banks does paranormal really well. I'm reviewing this one too but I'm still turning it over in my head. Complex but very enjoyable story involving werewolves, government intrigue, and steamy romance. Ms. Banks is a very skilled writer. She turns up the heat with scenes so sensual that they make you squirm in your seat. Yet they rate no more than a two on a 10-point explicitness scale. Let's just say one would be hard pressed to read this book and ever order a steak dinner without thinking about this story! I prefer fully human characters but I'll certainly keep reading this Crimson Moon series. I feel as though I need to re-read this one, in part to absorb a few more of the plot layers and in part to learn from Ms. Banks' masterful skill.

Now I'm reading Rebeca Seitz's Coming Unglued, the second installment in her Scrapbooking series. This will be a featured book in July so I'll just say I'm glad to see Kendra, the African-American member of the multi-ethnic sisterhood, get her own story.

What are you reading?


Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Stay focused. Move Forward. Believe.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

The Stories All Around Me

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO











Spent yesterday attending the Obama rally in Tampa.

I need to get out more!

No, really. I do.

I'm not some gal from the sticks. Nuh-uh. I grew up in the suburbs of NYC. It was nothing to walk miles to get to the mall or take a bus, a train and a couple of subways to traverse the city in a single day. Do you know how many folks one encounters during rush hour in Penn Station?

But even the simplest of outings led me to encounters with new and different people. Many new and different people.

In my suburban Tampa life, I don't get out enough.

Sure, I run around like crazy every day. But I'm mostly behind the wheel of my car. And I have little time to think much about where I am, who may be in the vicinity, and what's going on around me.

Sounds dangerous. I guess it is in a way but not nearly as much as it sounds. I'm alert in a physical safety kind of way.

But not in a weird and wonderful characters kind of way.

Attending the Obama rally made me starkly aware of this.

Started with the gentleman selling T-shirts out of an oversized duffle bag who was trying to pack up and scurry away from the police who were examining the license of another T-shirt seller not 30 ft away.

Then there was the woman who tried desperately--successfully, I hope--to hide from the many television cameras as we moved forward in line towards the entry point, which her friends found extremely funny.

How about

• The military personnel who examined the contents of every bag and pocket before allowing entry.
  
  
• The campaign volunteer who was bombarded with questions for which she had no answers as the crowd flooded the arena.
  
  
• The cool, calm and collected arena usher who ignored everyone's excitement and calmly directed them to their seats. Yet she seemed to have something going on within herself.
  
  
• The people waiting in line at the concession stand where the only food was a combination fried-chicken-fingers-and-fries dish guaranteed to clog at least one major artery.
  
  
• The women behind the concession stand that probably would have been fired at McDonald's for making the customers wait so long yet seemed oblivious to the simmmering discontent of the customers.
  
  
• The older woman who ignored me when I told her I was saving one seat because she wanted her entire group of seniors to sit together. Never mind that our much smaller group was split across three rows and that I was there first. (For a brief second, I wondered how doing bodily harm to a senior citizen during a political rally would play on the evening news.)
  
  
• That same group of senior citizens who sat strangely quiet as they listened to Obama's speech but at no time applauded, yelled or otherwise indicated they were Obama supporters.
  
  
• The peaceful woman with her special needs young son who pretty much ignored all the screaming and standing and otherwise energized gyrations of the crowd.
  
  
• The single mother who yelled "That's me, baby" to Obama when he talked about single mothers and grandparents raising children while her friends and family tried to make her sit down, presumably to stop embarrassing them.
  
  
• The three gentlemen who kept alternately between sitting and standing in agreement with Obama throughout his speech with no regard for the people behind them.

15,000 people. 15,000 stories.

In need a new story or a character to add spice to your wip? Just look around. Half the work is already done...

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Stay focused. Move Forward. Believe.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Exhaling and Energized

Now that my wild week is officially over (retrieved the two youngest from Orlando last night), I can get back to a normal routine and make time for writing.

I figured it would take me a few days to look over the critiques I received from my crit group. Yes, I was feeling a bit wimpy, weak-kneed ...

But also anxious to read their feedback, I couldn't wait and devoured the first three crits yesterday afternoon.

Interesting.

Overall, very encouraging. Folks liked the storyline. They also asked good questions, questions for which I don't have all the answers.

Like the ethnicity of a secondary but critical character with a name uncommon to the AA community. Don't know.

Like, if my heroine is a Christian, why she takes some relatively un-Christian like actions? Because she's not perfect (who is?) and they provide the opportunity for her spiritual growth.

Like, if the hero and heroine are like oil and water in the beginning, what little things happen over time such that they not only become friends in the middle of the story but she enlists his aid to help her evaluate potential husband material? Don't know but those details will work themselves out when I write the chapters, I hope.

There were others and none of it nearly as painful as I anticipated.

I was told I had a chick-lit voice by a couple of people, which I didn't anticipate since I'm not exactly trying to write chick-lit. We'll see later whether that is true for the synopsis or whether it holds true in the ms.

I did get some feedback though that gave me pause. Some questions hit me more like a quest to better understand Christianity as much as to understand my story. Which made me wonder whether it is necessary to have crit partners who write in the same genre.

I write Christian fiction. Thus, there are some underlying beliefs and tenets that make snippets of dialogue, thoughts, even actions make sense. They might not make sense to someone who doesn't share those beliefs.

Granted, a good story is a good story, no matter one's beliefs.

I think there is value to having writers from other genres, who may or may not be Christians, critique my work. For one thing, if something doesn't make sense to them and they point it out, it will help me to revise in a way that makes my writing open to both Christians and nonbelievers.

At the same time, although I appreciate the opportunity to share my faith, these questions could lead to a lot more questions and take a lot of time away from my objective. Time, I must admit, that would be well spent in the bigger picture.

Critiques by another Christian fiction writer, however, would keep me on point with regard to those same beliefs and tenets, as well as help me to weave in the spiritual arc of the story.

What say you? Does it matter whether crit partners write in the same genre?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Stay focused. Move Forward. Believe.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Inhaling for the Critiques

It was a busy, busy week/weekend. Oldest son had a school play, year-end school trip, sports banquet (he was named the MVP of the track team!), and finally became a teenager officially. Middle son had a baseball playoff game, the baseball closing ceremonies, and his Pre-K graduation (cap and gown and all!). Youngest son also participated in the baseball ceremonies and spent a lot of time saying, "What about me?" In addition, my in-laws were visiting and staying with us.

Yet I managed to write an entire synopsis. I'm soooo excited!

Because this blog is about my journey to publication. Except the journey has been stalled by my writing slump so there hasn't been much about my writing of late.

I'm back on track. Last week's 6-page synopsis is for the book I'm starting. Sent it off to my critique group before I could think twice about it. Felt a bit reckless I did it so fast.

Why?

Because if I'd taken time to think about it, I might not have sent it to the group.

But why?

For one thing, it's a Christian romance synopsis. The majority of my crit partners write secular fiction. Of course, I know nothing about their religious beliefs and have no problem with Christians writing secular fiction, although I know some folks find this problemmatic.

I guess I want to make sure they "get it" because it definitely is Christian fiction.

But they're pretty smart ladies. I think they can evaluate the synopsis objectively regardless of their faith.

So what's really the issue?

(She hems and haws, fidgets and paces...)

Other folks might not love my fabulous idea!

Whew! I said it.

I don't see my ms as my "baby" as some writers do. Maybe because I've got three alive and well children. (Thank God!) But I do see it as something very personal, as a piece of myself imparted on paper.

Giving someone access to that, much less asking for an opinion is a bit, well, scary.

To be fair, I read their stuff and provide them what I hope is reasonably insightful feedback. What makes me think they wouldn't do the same for me?

Nothing. I believe they will. Still....

It's tough putting a story out there to be picked apart. Of course that's exactly what an agent or editor or even a contest judge is going to do. In theory, my crit group should be a safe place to get feedback. We're pretty supportive of each other, not only about our writing but about our lives in general.

And it's way past time. I joined the crit group last year. I put an initial outline and even a chapter one out there back then. I got some good feedback but I'm not working on that story anymore. Meanwhile, I've provided feedback to a few of the ladies on their stories. I was starting to feel guilty, like I owed them the opportunity to have at mine. Besides, I've grown as a writer and although some authors never use critique groups, I believe this is part of my process.

Posted the synopsis on Thursday. Got back three critiques over the weekend.

Taking a deep breath...

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Stay focused. Move Forward. Believe.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Being A Writer -- Part Dedication, Part Inspiration

I've been in a writing slump.

Yes, I know. I've said on a few occasions that I was writing again. And I was. Only none of those attempts lasted.

Mostly I've been thinking about writing. Turning story ideas over in my head. Fretting about the dearth of words actually getting on to paper. Wondering if my constant battle with procrastination was finally turning into paralysis. Hoping I wouldn't turn out to be another all-talk-no-writing person hanging out on the periphery of publication but never realizing her dream.

Don't worry. No pep talks required. As Most Honorable Son No 1 says, "I'm good!"

I wouldn't call what I've been going through writer's block. Because that suggests that I'm sitting and staring at a screen or page, and the words won't come. I haven't experienced that and hope I never do. This is more about the need to clear my head, to get life relatively under control, to free myself from the negative thoughts that would enchain me.

When I get like that, I have to wrestle with my demons.

I prefer to wrestle mostly alone, kind of like Jacob wrestling with the angel in the night.

Because I know what desires God has placed in my heart, and I know He has a plan.

I just have to get with the program. Easier said than done sometimes.

I could offer a world of excuses, some quite legitimate. But I won't because that's a road that leads back into the abyss.

Excuses are the tools of the incompetent, I was once taught.

It's true.

Those who do are those who persevere.

I'm persevering.

Dedication means never giving up. For some, it looks like putting words on paper every single day, no matter how yucky they might be. I'm not that person. Helps to keep me free from the guilt of not writing if I miss a day, a week, a month...

For some, it looks like continuing to push through the haze that threatens to swallow one's dreams, remaining connected, if not productive. I am that person. Because I know me, and I know that eventually, if I hang on long enough, I will get going again. I always do.

Inspiration takes many forms. Sometimes it comes from the successes of others. Sometimes from hearing inspiring words uttered by someone who is where I want to be. Sometimes an inquiring nudge from a cherished writer friend. Sometimes a comforting whisper from deep within encouraging and urging me on.

As far as storytelling inspiration, it might be seeing something that makes me think of an intriguing first line or a snippet of dialogue, an interesting character or a potential plot line. When this happens, I write it down.

And wait.

I wait to see whether any particular idea takes hold. I might even jot down a few words, write a page or two, or start an outline.

If I'm not feeling it, if the idea hasn't wrapped itself around me like a clinging vine refusing to let go, then I go back to waiting. And observing. And connecting with other writers. And of course, reading.

Until something takes hold.

Then I can write. Then I write like the wind is at my back, the sun shines on my face, and my life depends on getting what's in my head out.

I might go back someday to some of the ideas I've toyed with. In fact, I'm sure I will. Some require more skill than I currently have. Others require more thought. Still others will never see the light of day.

But right now? I'm writing. In the last two days, I've written an entire synopsis and cleaned it up a bit for submission to my critique group. I welcome their feedback.

This idea has roots and I'm getting started. I'll even tell you my working title. Good Girls Finish First.

I have a blank page in front of me.

Chapter One...

What inspires you to write?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Stay focused. Move Forward. Believe.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Writing African-American Christian Romance

I'm blogging today over at Kaye Dacus's blog. She's been doing a series on writing romance and asked me to talk a bit about writing African-American Christian romance. It was fun but hard because it's a topic I'm rather passionate about. Come on over and tell us what you think!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Stay focused. Move Forward. Believe.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

2008 Emma Award Winners (Romance Slam Jam) & More

Now that the Romance Slam Jam, held this past weeked in Chicago is over, the winners of this year's Emma Awards have been announced. A special shout-out to Gwyneth Bolton, a regular reader of this blog and winner of Favorite Anthology for Cuffed by
Candlelight (Beverly Jenkins, Gwyneth Bolton, Katherine D. Jones, and Simone Harlow), and Francis Ray, a special author who was featured here last year, winner of Favorite Sequel for Only You. Congratulations to all the winners!

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I purposefully left my last blog post up until now. I wanted folks to hear about Bettye Griffin's new release, Once Upon A Project. (Still. Waiting. On. My. Copy, Amazon!)

But I do have a few tidbits I picked up last week that I'd like to share:
I heard about a new inspirational publisher looking for stories, Sheaf House.

Learned about a couple of new short story markets: Grassroots, which I believe is a new short story market, and Zoetrope All Story, an established market.

May is the month for Brenda Novak's On-line Auction for Diabetes Research. Thanks to the writer community and a number of tremendous sponsors, this auction contains unbelievable items. Everything from full manuscript reads by editors with 24 hour response--51 different editors have offered reads!--to agent meetings to computers to a Hawaiian vacation or African safari. All for a good cause. And you can limit bid--put in your high bid and let the computer bid up to that number for you--so you don't have to sit around and monitor. There are one-day items, items for readers, items for writers, items for everyone. May 1 - May 31. Don't miss it!

There's a new conference, the Visions in Print Online Writers Conference, sponsored by the Southeast Atlanta chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. This conference consists of ten workshops and chat sessions that will help you improve your writing and/or market your current work, including a chance to win a critique from an Essense-bestselling author. Authors include Rhonda McKnight Nain, Dee Stewart, Tia McCollors, Kendra Norman-Bellamy, and Sherri Lewis. The date is May 31st; the cost is a mere $10. For more information, send an email to visionsinprint@yahoo.com.

For those interested in romance writing contests, RWA National has a new page on its website which lists all the RWA-sponsored contests, conferences, and workshops for the next several months.

That's all for now. Working on a guest blog for Kaye Dacus on AA Christian romance.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Stay focused. Move Forward. Believe.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.