100-Day Challenge (Day 9) -- Making Time To Write

Today I'm on the Soul Food and Living Water blog tour over at my inspirational blog. It's a great book. Hop over and have a look.

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The biggest challenge of the 100-Day Writing Challenge is making time to do my daily tasks. I have a plan but what good is it if I'm not writing?

I'm still winding down from two big projects at work. Still unpacking boxes after our move. Still helping kids with their homework and getting them off to bed, then off to school in the morning. Still doing the gazillion other things that come with being part of family.

When do I write?

When I challenged myself to write every day about a month ago, I was writing at 1 or 2 in the morning mostly. That was the time available after all my obligations were met and after I exercised and showered. I was wide awake and it was a good use of 30 - 45 minutes of my time. Crazy, but true...and impossible to sustain.

My projects quickly usurped that time, with me working until 3 or 4 in the morning some days, getting a couple of hours of sleep, then getting back up and heading off to drop kids at school before going to work. Even crazier.

The writing ceased. So did the exercise, the hair appointments, playing with the kids and anything else that required a chunk of my time.  (I was so loopy I thought Tuesday was Day 8 of the challenge that began last Wednesday.  It was Day 7 and today is Day 9.)

Now, the projects are just about over. I'm recovering from a month of sleep deprivation, although I have yet to get to bed before midnight this week.

When will I write?

That's the question I keep asking myself. Bedtime stories are done by 9, then I clean the kitchen. (Hubby is doing most of the cooking these days or none of us would eat.) So now we're talking about 10 pm before I can write anything and my head is usually still humming with all the other stuff of the day. But I think writing between 10 and 11 is a pretty good plan (as long as Top Chef isn't on Bravo).

One work project ended Tuesday; the other today. I'm going to use this weekend to finish the unpacking and take a few steps back. I need to feel like my feet are back on the ground and I'm living life rather than moving through it.

So I can write.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

100-Day Writing Challenge (Day 8) -- See A Project, Break It Down

First there's the planning, then there's the writing.

I'm participating in Angela Booth's 100-Day Writing Challenge.  It's Day 8.  Angela's Week 1 directive to us was to plan, then begin to write.  What are my goals?  What are the daily tasks that will get me to my goals by Jan 1st? What are my strengths and the obstacles that will impact reaching my goals? 

Angela's view of writing is task-oriented, not project oriented.  Tasks are units of work that take 15-20 minutes.  No more than 30 minutes.

Tasks, not projects.  I want to say things like "Finish my wip" or "Query a magazine", but those are projects, not tasks.  This really has me thinking about realistic, daily targets for completion.

It's kind of like focusing on losing 1 lb when you know you have to lose more than 50 overall.  50 is a big number, monumental in weight loss, but 1 lb?  Not so big.  Can be done in a week or less.  At that rate, 50 lbs would be gone in a year.


I do this every day at work, break big projects down into smaller projects.  I'm doing this effectively for losing weight.  I've not done this with writing, though.  Not sure why, but now's as good a time as any.


Remember, I already wrote just under 17,000 words in fewer than 3 weeks, with no daily target or goal other than to write every day.  At the rate of 500 words per day, I'd finish the remaining 50,000 words in my wip in 100 days, just over 3 months.  If I want weekends off for other writing tasks, to finish by Jan 1st, I'm looking at 806 words, 5 days per week. 

Wait a minute! I nearly averaged that in my last challenge!

Wow.

And that's the importance of thinking about goals at an elemental level.  First, reduce the weight/size of the project by breaking into smaller tasks.  Second, erase any doubt about achieving the larger goal in the time allotted.

Makes the goal a whole lot less daunting.

As long as I don't stop to edit and I have a hook or notes from the prior day to prompt me, I can do 800 words in a half hour.

Weekends will be for freelance efforts, i.e. writing for the content factory and also working toward another magazine query. Angela's helping me with that too, my reward for winning her summer contest.

I like challenging myself but it's nice to have others along too. Can't wait to see what this next week's instructions hold.  Angela isn't for the faint of heart.  She means business.  One of her goals is to get all of we participants more focused, more directed in our approach to our writing.

As the year winds down, what are your goals for the final three months?  How can you break them down into manageable, realistic daily tasks so that you see yourself accomplishing them--without marathon, last-minute writing sessions--by year's end?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Teaser Tuesdays: The Life You've Imagined

"I close my eyes and let that sink in.  It would have felt better if he'd said, 'I would have loved you at any wieght.' But I know that the weight is a wall that keeps so many people out, and not only shallow, vain, nasty people.  Even when I was huge, I didn't date fat guys, either." -- page 252, from The Life You've Imagined by Kristina Riggle

Every time I about convince myself to give up book reviewing in order to make more time for writing and a host of other things, I come across a book that reminds me why I haven't.  Of course, I do it because I love to read and talk about books, but I also do it to keep my reading horizons as broad as possible.  A lot of the books I receive are ones I would choose for myself, but on occasion, I'm rewarded with a book I probably would have shown faint interest in had I seen it in a bookstore before passing on.  Book reviewing comes with surprises, most of them good, like The Life You've Imagined, the story of four women who wrestle with how their lives turned out versus what they thought--or others guessed--their lives might be.

Is the life you're living the one you once thought it would be?

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
  
• Open to a random page
  
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page (in the comments or via link to your own blog)
  
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Reading anything interesting?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Featured Book: Judgment Day by Wanda Dyson

Work projects are winding down. Still unpacking after move. Celebrated one child's birthday over the weekend; supported another at an all-day basketball camp.  Need to catch up on sleep, start exercising again and resume writing.  A few more days...

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This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


Judgment DayWaterBrook Press (September 21, 2010)


byWanda Dyson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Wanda Dyson – "a shining example of what Christian fiction is becoming..." (Christian Fiction Review). She's been called a "natural" and a "master of pacing," but her fans know that whether it's police thrillers, suspense, or bringing a true story to life, Wanda knows how to take her readers on a journey they'll never forget.

Wanda is a multipublished suspense author, currently writing for Random House/Waterbrook. Her one attempt at a nonfiction book was picked for an exclusive release on Oprah. In addition to writing full time, she is also the appointment coordinator for the CCWC, Great Philadelphia Christian Writers, and ACFW conferences.

Wanda lives in Western Maryland on a 125 acre farm with a menagerie of animals and when she's not writing critically acclaimed suspense, or away at conferences, you can find her zipping across the fields on a 4-wheeler with Maya, her German Shepherd, or plodding along at a more leisurely pace on her horse, Nanza.

With the release of her newest hit, Judgment Day, Wanda is heading back to the keyboard to start on her next high-octane thriller, The Vigilante.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sensational journalism has never been so deadly.

The weekly cable news show Judgment Day with Suzanne Kidwell promises to expose businessmen, religious leaders, and politicians for the lies they tell. Suzanne positions herself as a champion of ethics and morality with a backbone of steel—until a revelation of her shoddy investigation tactics and creative fact embellishing put her in hot water with her employers, putting her credibility in question and threatening her professional ambitions.

Bitter and angry, Suzanne returns home one day to find an entrepreneur she is investigating, John Edward Sterling, unconscious on her living room floor. Before the night is over, Sterling is dead, she has his blood on her hands, and the police are arresting her for murder. She needs help to prove her innocence, but her only hope, private investigator Marcus Crisp, is also her ex-fiancé–the man she betrayed in college.

Marcus and his partner Alexandria Fisher-Hawthorne reluctantly agree to take the case, but they won’t cut Suzanne any slack. Exposing her lack of ethics and the lives she’s destroyed in her fight for ratings does little to make them think Suzanne is innocent. But as Marcus digs into the mire of secrets surrounding her enemies, he unveils an alliance well-worth killing for. Now all he has to do is keep Suzanne and Alex alive long enough to prove it.

Watch the book trailer:



If you would like to read the Prologue and first chapter of Judgment Day, go HERE.

REVIEW

Judgment Day is the first book of Wanda Dyson's that I've read, but certainly will not be my last.  Ms. Dyson writes tight, with a brevity that is both refreshing and taut with suspense.  Her writing has been described as "high octane from the start". 

Judgment Day goes inside exposé television, a brand of news reporting that is very popular today, and considers the responsibility of the journalist to get the facts correct and to exercise good judgment in how, or even if, a story is reported. It also considers the strength of ego and arrogance even in the face of evidence to suggest a different course of action. Suzanne Kidwell is convinced that her method of reporting is just fine, that she's doing nothing wrong, even after it becomes apparent that perhaps others have suffered as a result of her shoddy research and devil-may-care attitude.

Ms. Dyson's book reminded me of Brandt Dobson's novels. Their writing styles are different, but both authors weave the faith thread in a very subtle manner. Both writers also deliver straight-up, good stories that fans of suspense, whether Christian fiction or not, will enjoy.

I love when I'm reading a book and I can visualize it, both because the author does a good job of delivering the sensory narrative that helps me see the characters living out the plot in my mind's eye and because the story seems to cry out for a film version.  Judgment Day is such a book.

Learn more about Ms. Dyson and her books at her website, http://www.wandadyson.com/

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- September 25, 2010

Writing children's/YA lit?  Think twice about killing off the children's parents, says children's book editor Leila Sales, Viking Children's Books.

Got this entertaining piece from Dee Stewart aka author Miranda Parker.  Good authors don't use cliches in their writing, right?  So why do so many authors market themselves with professional photo cliches?  (Which one do you have?  Come on, 'fess up!)

Just exactly what is the iPad good for?  Chris Meadows has boiled it down to two things.

Then, Chris talks about the anti-video game law in California and how it could affect all types of media.  The sky is falling type pronouncement or prescient?  I'll let you decide.

BTW, both of those last two came from Teleread, a site devoted to news about ebooks.

The Atlanta Post takes a look at "How Can Black Authors Level the Financial Playing Field in a Changing Book Industry?"  We're not talking about writing the best possible book, although that is certainly a consideration.  This is about the other "stuff". 

I'm including this post from agent Rachelle Gardner as much for the humor as for its sound advice.  "10 Ways to Annoy a Literary Agent".

Stanford University is now offering a certificate program in creative writing.  Applications for the Winter 2011 cohort are due by October 29th.

The Writer Magazine offers "Writing on the fly", a look at how writers working day jobs carve out time for freelancing (or any other writing).   You knew that would catch my eye, didn't you?

The first bookless library.  May work well in academia but not sure about public library settings.  Or, will it?

And, although it's a bit more difficult to round up blog posts for the ACFW conference, as I did for RWA, here are a few I've stumbled upon:

Loads and loads of pictures from Pepper Basham  and more from Brandilyn Collins

A first timer's perspective from Michael Joshua

What some CBA publishers are looking for, courtesy of Jennifer Hudson Taylor, and more on what publishers want from Seekerville

Thoughts from the Agent of the Year, Sandra Bishop

A roundup of Day 1 activities from Cecelia Dowdy

An editor's perspective from Abingdon Press', Barbara Scott

An overview (and a look at the now-infamous line dance) from a group of Susan May Warren's retreat attendees, the MBT Ponderers

Finally, a HUGE happy birthday to Mommy's Future Astronaut.  May you have a wonderful day and relish in the love we share for years to come.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Featured Book: Once Upon A Holiday by Beverly Jenkins, Adrienne Byrd and Kimberly Kaye Terry

No matter what the thermostat says, the holidays can be the hottest time of year when you’re curled up with these unforgettably sexy stories from three of romance’s most sizzling talents…
 
Holiday Heat by Beverly Jenkins
For Eve Clark, winter usually means long cold nights spent alone, until she’s persuaded to attend a masked ball. Abandoning her inhibitions, she shares a blissful tryst with a mysterious partner. Though she runs from their hotel room the next morning, Leyton Palmer is determined to track Eve down and show her that the night neither can forget was only the start of something sensational.…

Candy Christmas by Adrianne Byrd
Peace on earth and goodwill to all men? Not if the man in question is drop-dead-sexy Montel Starks, Candy Lahane’s competitor since he started at their ad agency a year ago. But on a business trip to Europe, rivalry gives way to a red-hot, explosive affair that makes Candy realize that what she really wants for Christmas is right in front of her, just waiting to be unwrapped…

Chocolate Truffles by Kimberly Kaye Terry
It started as an innocent drink with a stranger to celebrate her promotion. It turned into the most erotic night of Camille Jackson’s life. But the man she was sure she’d never see again is now her instructor in a two-week managerial workshop, and Gideon Taber is making it clear that he’d love to relive every delicious detail of their encounter, again and again…

’Tis the season to make merry with three new super-sexy stories!

REVIEW

I finally finished reading Once Upon a Holiday by Beverly Jenkins, Adrianne Byrd and Kimberly Kaye Terry.  First, I absolutely LOVE reading holiday novellas.  I'm not sure if it's just that there seems to be more novellas  featuring authors not typically found in such collections during the holiday season, or simply that the majority of the ones I've read have been released during that magical time of the year.

Holiday novellas are released as early as September so they help to usher in the holiday mindset, in a warm and entertaining way, not like all those obnoxious holiday displays in your local retail stores.  This is one early-bird present I typically don't mind. So I came into this book with high expectations.

Alas, Once Upon a Holiday was a mixed bag for me.

I absolutely loved "Holiday Heat" by Beverly Jenkins, a sensual, hidden identity story.  Two people, neither of whom really wants to be at a Halloween party, hook up behind masks, the dark of night, and their desires.

Because a good novella collection should build to a reading climax, putting Adrianne Byrd's "Candy Christmas" next was genius.  Ms. Byrd turns up the heat a few notches, penning a War of the Roses type tale with touches of her trademark humor.  An unexpected twist raises the satisfaction for this steamy story.

By now, I'm thinking, "Oh yeah.  What a way to start the holiday reading season!"

Except I was sorely disappointed by Ms. Terry's "Chocolate Truffles".  I liked that this was an interracial romance, one that downplays the racial issue almost completely.  I liked the premise, a woman who receives a long-awaited promotion celebrates by falling into the arms of the man she meets when leaving her office building, a man she later discovers is the management consultant who will conduct her training for her new position.

Interesting premise?  Check.  Holiday-themed story housed batched with two other powerhouse reads?  Check.  But, this story didn't work for me.  From the start, I just didn't find the attraction between the hero and heroine believable.  Then, because I didn't believe in their chemistry, I found myself reading hurriedly to get through the story, skipping the sex scenes--because who wants to read such a scene in which you don't like the idea of these characters being together?--and skimming over what felt like well-worn plot points.

I've never read anything by Ms. Terry before.  Although I was disappointed, I won't give up on her stories.  Ms. Terry is the author of more than 15 published books.  I'm thinking if she were invited to write a story for a collection with two of my favorite authors, perhaps I simply need to read one of her longer stories that would give more opportunity for the emotional aspects of falling in love that I was seeking. 

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Harlequin by way of NetGalley for review purposes.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

100-Day Writing Challenge

Y'all know I love a good challenge, right?

Angela Booth of the Fab Freelance Writing Blog has thrown down the gauntlet for a 100-day writing challenge.  It began yesterday and ends in January.  (If you're interested, the deadline to sign-up is Saturday, Sept 25th.)  Although it sometimes feels as though every blog post of hers is selling something, in between the sales pitches, Angela offers great writing advice.  (Not mad at her for the pitches.  It's the job of a freelancer to sell her wares.)

I recently won Angela's "Want Help? You Got It!" contest, for which I get a free hour of her consulting time over the course of a month plus video instruction and help with plans to move my writing career forward.  I'll use that hour to focus on my freelance writing.  I'm looking forward to it once I climb out from under the mountain of my work life.

I was just about to start another challenge of my own when I learned of this latest challenge.  Why all the challenges?  I guess I like personal contests. Me against my goals.  A challenge gives me a target within a specific timeframe.  Keeps things from being too loosey-goosey and nothing getting accomplished.

In the 100-Day Challenge, I'll pick up where I left off when my work life seeped into my night life, and my writing (and exercise) came to a screeching halt.  Thankfully, the projects keeping me up day and night are coming to an end soon.  (Still have to figure out what to do about the exercise since now that I've moved, I no longer have access to the equipment I was using, often in the wee hours of the morning.)  My goal is to work on my wip every day for 100 days, or until the story is finished, whichever comes first. If I finish it before the challenge ends, I'll devote the writing time to freelancing while it rests.

Do you challenge yourself?  Do you enter contests as a means of motivation and/or pushing yourself?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Featured Book: A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Hope Undaunted is the first book in the highly anticipated new series, Winds of Change, from award-winning author Julie Lessman.

This highly charged romance takes readers to Boston, while the 1920s are drawing to a close. Katie O'Connor is the epitome of the new woman—feisty, smart and sassy with goals for her future that include the perfect husband and a challenging career in law. Her boyfriend Jake fits all of her criteria for a husband—good-looking, well-connected, wealthy, and head-over-heels in love with her.

But when Katie is forced to spend the summer of 1929 with Luke McGee, the bane of her childhood existence, Katie comes face to face with a choice. Will she follow her well-laid plans to marry Jake? Or will she fall for the man she swore to despise forever?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julie Lessman is an award-winning author whose tagline of “Passion With a Purpose” underscores her white-hot passion for both God and romance. Winner of the 2009 ACFW Debut Author of the Year and 2009 Holt Medallion Awards of Merit for Best First Book and Long Inspirational, Julie is also the recipient of 13 Romance Writers of America awards. She resides in Missouri with her husband and their golden retriever and is the author of The Daughters of Boston series, which includes A Passion Most Pure, A Passion Redeemed, and A Passion Denied.

REVIEW

It's difficult to talk about a Julie Lessman novel.  Difficult because it seems as though I gush equally over each of her books.  I'm sure I do, but the praise is well deserved.  If you've read and enjoyed a Julie Lessman novel, you understand why I all but rave about these heartwarming, passionate stories.

A Hope Undaunted is Lessman at her best.  The story is so complex yet still reads like a fast-paced contemporary, although it's a whopping 500+ page historical.  I continue to love the O'Connor family.  I love how each book shines a light on a different family member and therein a different facet of this complex, faith-filled, loving family.  No relationship is immune to obstacles, no person safe from their faith being thrown into the fire.

In this latest installment, we have the story of Katie, the youngest O'Connor daughter, and Luke "Cluny" McGee, the young boy who was taken under the wing of John Brady, husband of Katie's older sister, Lizzie.  When first they met, Katie was ten years old and Cluny, fourteen.  They were like oil and water.  No way would anyone imagine that years later, when both are all grown up, Cupid's arrow would point in their direction.

In A Hope Undaunted, I began rooting for Luke from the very first page when he was just a soda jerk and I thought he might have no role beyond the first chapter.  At the time, I had no idea this was Cluny who'd driven Katie to fits some years prior.  Still, Katie just had to end up with him.

But Julie made it difficult for Katie.  Even after Katie finally recognizes her feelings for Luke, the challenges and obstacles keep coming at her.  At one point, I thought, how much can this poor woman take?  Sure, Katie is spoiled and obstinate and readers will want to see her get a bit of comeuppance, but gee!  Yet, the thorny path that Katie and Luke must traverse to find their happily ever after is rich and gripping, well worth every one of those many pages.

Even while seeding and nurturing the love between Katie and Luke until it blooms, Julie does a fabulous job of capturing the era.  The story is set in the early 1920s, a time when women were excited about having won the right to vote and seizing their independence.  Men, on the other hand, weren't too sure about all these changes, or in some cases, were sure they didn't like them.  So it makes sense that Katie, the budding woman's rights activist, would bump heads with Luke who desires an old-fashioned family like the O'Connor's, a family like he's never had.  Their conflict continues even after their love is realized, right up to the very last page.

As a writer, I found A Hope Undaunted to be one of those rare novels that could easily be a case study in how to write romance, how to write believable conflict born from character, how to write complex family dynamics, and certainly, how to write passionate scenes within the bounds of Christian fiction. This first book in the Winds of Change series--fourth about the O'Connor clan--is assuredly in my top ten reads for the year.

And join in the fun at Julie's Facebook party on October 7th where the Kindle winner will be announced live!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

The 2010 Geneis and Carol Award Winners

The American Christian Fiction Writers' conference was held this past weekend in Indianapolis.  The conference always ends with the awards gala.

This year's winners are:

2010 GENESIS WINNERS
Contemporary Fiction
Winner: Lynnette P. Horner, The Assistant 
Runner up: Chris Kraft, Brandywine Reckoning

Contemporary Romance
Winner: Janice LaQuiere, Truckload of Love 
Runner up: Sarah Forgrave, Stilettos and Aprons

Historical Fiction
Winner: Brenda Jackson, Principle Engagement 
Runner up: Lori Benton, The Quiet in the Land

Historical Romance
Winner: Pam Hillman, Terms of Indenturement 
Runner up: Ruth Trippy, Celia

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Winner: Rich Bullock, Storm Lake/Storm Song 
Runner up: Barbara Early, Chaos at Camp

Romantic Suspense
Winner: Valerie Goree, Weep in the Night 
Runner up: Terri Weldon, A Cry in the Night

Speculative Fiction
Winner: Andra Marquardt, Traitors 
Runner up: Suzanne Krein, Time Dancer

Women's Fiction
Winner: Jennifer Fromke, Docking 
Runner up: Lisa Buffaloe, Nadia's Hope

Young Adult
Winner: Stefanie Morris, Shyla, Desert Daughter/Shyla, Child of the Desert
Runner up: Kasey Heinly, Broken Glass

2010 CAROL AWARD WINNERS (formerly ACFW Book of the Year)

Contemporary Novella
Susan May Warren - The Great Christmas Bowl (Tyndale House, Karen Watson - Editor)

Historical Novella
Janet Tronstad - Christmas Bells for Dry Creek (Steeple Hill, Tina James - Editor)

Short Contemporary
Mae Nunn - A Texas Ranger's Family (Steeple Hill, Melissa Endlich - Editor)

Short Contemporary Suspense
Jill Elizabeth Nelson - Evidence of Murder (Steeple Hill, Emily Rodmell - Editor)

Short Historical
Dan Walsh - The Unfinished Gift (Revell, Andrea Doering)

Young Adult
Jenny B. Jones - I'm So Sure (Thomas Nelson, Natalie Hanemann/Jamie Chavez - Editors)

Long Contemporary
Christina Berry - The Familiar Stranger (Moody Publishers, Paul Santhouse - Editor)

Long Contemporary Romance
Jenny B. Jones - Just Between You and Me (Thomas Nelson, Natalie Hanemann/Jamie Chavez - Editors)

Mystery
A.K. Arenz - The Case of the Mystified M.D. (Sheaf House, Joan M. Shoup - Editor)

Suspense/Thriller
Terri Blackstock - Intervention (Zondervan, Sue Brower/Dave Lambert - Editors)

Long Historical
Allison Pittman - Stealing Home (Multnomah, Alice Crider - Editor)

Long Historical Romance
Mary Connealy - Cowboy Christmas (Barbour Publishing, Rebecca Germany - Editor)

Speculative (includes Science Fiction, Fantasy, Allegory)
Kirk Outerbridge - Eternity Falls (Marcher Lord Press, Jeff Gerke - Editor)

Women's Fiction
Cheryl McKay & Rene Gutteridge - Never the Bride (Waterbrook Press, Shannon Marchese - Editor)

Debut Author
Dan Walsh - The Unfinished Gift (Revell, Andrea Doering - Editor)

MENTOR OF THE YEAR

Susan May Warren

EDITOR OF THE YEAR

Sue Brower, Zondervan

AGENT OF THE YEAR

Sandra Bishop, The MacGregor Literary

Congratulations to all of this year's winners!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- September 18, 2010

I'm moving this weekend so I've got a million tasks to manage, not to mention boxes to unpack.  The new home is a blessing, so I'm not complaining.  Just won't be around much...

Writer Scott William Carter blogged what I thought was a cool, interesting piece about "10 Reasons There's Never Been a Better Time to be a Fiction Writer".

A book I enjoyed earlier this year, The Big 5-Oh! by Sandie Bricker is being offered for free download for users of Amazon's Kindle or B&N's Nook.  But only until the 22nd, so download your copy now!

Westbow Press, the self-publishing arm of Thomas Nelson, is sponsoring the Women of Faith 2010 contest for "writers of previously unpublished full-length books, fiction or nonfiction, of any genre, subjects, and/or memoirs".  Yes, this is the self-publishing arm but the good news is the winner has the possibility of publication with no cost to them, either by Thomas Nelson or if declined by TN, then by Westbow via a free publishing package.

Author Athol Dickson offers "Thoughts on Kitsch in Fiction", challenging us all to write our best.

Editor Theresa Stevens talks about "Plotting From Character".

Over at Procrastinating Writers, Jennifer Blanchard counsels you (and me) about "Your 'Success Identity' and How It Keeps You From Writing".  I heard this called your "deserve quotient" some years ago, and it stuck with me.  I found this concept to be largely true, a sorta backflip on Matt 6:21, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  To paraphrase, if I may, where you heart is, there you will find your treasure.

Hope you have a great weekend, and that you do meaningful something for or with your family.  Family matters!
 

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

I'm Here...But I'm Not

Too much going on to blog right now.

Crazy busy at work for the next two weeks.  But it will pay off when all is done, and I get to spend my vacation/personal time working 4-day workweeks for the remainder of the year.

Frazzled but ecstatic as my family moves into a new home this week.  It's been a long time coming, and is not our long-term destiny but we're thankful for where God has placed us at this time for this time.

On a mission to keep up with my boys and their schooling and everything else.  They take a lot of energy and focus.  They've always gotten the first but I'm trying to give them more of the latter.  Less multitasking and more concerted attention.

Writing is on hold, in terms of a daily goal, but I'll get snatches done from time to time.  Of course, I'm still reading so there will be featured books, but not much more.  At least not for a few weeks.  Maybe not even the weekly tidbits, although this week's are already prepared. 

Bear with me.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Teaser Tuesdays: A Hope Undaunted

"The edges of his mouth tilted into a dangerous smile while he assessed her though gentle eyes.  'Yes, well, I suggest you keep that in mind, darlin',' he said in a husky tone.  He planted a kiss on the tip of her nose, then headed to the parlor with a purposeful stride. 'Especially when I come to collect.'" -- page 219, from A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman

Sound like a hot and steamy romance novel?  It is, but it's also Christian romance, the latest from my favorite author of "Passion with a Purpose", Julie Lessman.  Although it's a historical, it reads like a contemporary, and yes, this prose will steam up your glasses while illuminating your faith.  Nothing like reuniting with the extended O'Connor clan.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
  
• Open to a random page
  
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page (in the comments or via link to your own blog)
  
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Reading anything interesting?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

The Joy of Finding Your Thing: I'm Smiling In My Sleep

I noticed something since I've begun my 30-day challenges, especially this last one in which I focused on both exercising and writing. Every night when I crawl into bed, no matter how late the hour, I have a smile on my face.

This is new for me.

Not that everything in my life is the way I want it to be. There are daily frustrations and challenges, and there are days when I am beyond bone tired. Still, if I complete my exercise and my writing, I smile.

Why?

I've wondered about this, and I'm sure psychologists have a myriad of theories. I figure it boils down to one simple thing: I'm doing the things that make me feel good, things that make me happy.

Not that I wasn't happy before. Oh, I've had unhappy periods, but overall I'd say I've been happy with my life. We've been blessed. But that's what I'm talking about. Not at all.

This isn't about my overall life. It's about me intrinsically. It's about operating in joy.

Do you operate in the realm of joy, where you smile even when it doesn't make sense to smile?  Where you light up from within, and others notice your glow?

Exercising, which has resulted in increased strength and weight loss, does this for me. Writing, even more than exercising, does this for me.

What's the thing you do that puts a smile on your face every time you even think about it?  Do you smile in your sleep?

If you're not sure, I encourage to figure it out. This is not about hanging out with family, although that makes me smile too. It's about something you do just for you. If you don't know what your thing is, try something you've always wanted to do. Maybe you could never find time, or you've been reluctant to try. Maybe it was something you did when you were younger that you've gotten away from.

When you find your thing, keep doing it. After a while, take a moment to notice how you respond when you think about that thing or when someone else brings it up. Does it make you smile?

It's Day 29. One more day and I will have finished my 30-day challenge. I didn't quite make it all the way through, but I hopped back up on the horse after I fell.  Finishing is as important as winning.

I'm smiling.

"A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day."  - Prov 15:13 (The Message)

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- September 11, 2010

On this day, remember the people whose lives were taken in the tragedy of September 11, 2001.  Let us put aside the politics and vitriol, and remember what truly makes America a great nation. That spirit, that innovativeness and fortitude is what we must cherish and protect.

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Poets & Writers published the 2011 rankings for the Top 50 MFA programs.

The St. Petersburg (FL) Festival of Reading will be held on Saturday, October 23. Festival authors include Don Bruns (Don't Sweat the Small Stuff); Roy Peter Clark (The Glamour of Grammar); Susan Hubbard (The Season of Risk); N. M. Kelby (The Constant Art of Being a Writer: The Life, the Work & the Business of Fiction); Eugene Robinson (The Splintering of Black America); and Deborah Sharp (Mama Gets Hitched).

Interested in writing for young adult market? Writer's Digest brought together a panel of agents and editors talking YA -- what is it is, what it takes, what's hot now.

There's a new service for connecting writers and publishers, Pubmission. Here's an interview with owner and former acquisitions editor, Wolf Hoelscher, did with WOW! Women on Writing's, Margo Dill about this new service. (Something an agent once said has stuck with me, though. If everyone is having trouble getting through their physical slush piles, would they really invest time in using a service like this to make the slushpile bigger? One of things that make you go, Hmmmm...)

One of the first blogs I ever read belongs to Brandilyn Collins, Christian fiction author of "seatbelt suspense".  She has such good craft and industry posts on her blog.  This one is about "The Beauty of Things Unsaid", a guide for writing the 2nd draft.  (The first draft, I've finally learned, is the one where you just get the story on paper.  The eye to perfection is blinded!)

Christenbook.com now offers ebooks.  The books are available in the ePub format, readable just about everywhere except on Amazon's Kindle device.

The latest edition of Christian Fiction Online Magazine is up.  It includes interviews with authors Tricia Goyer and Kimberly Cash Tate.  It also has articles on everything from the new INSPY awards to tips for how to have an amazing author event to heightening character emotions in your writing.

"Boxers, Briefs and Books". Author John Grisham talks about how he got into writing.  And, no, he didn't dream of writing all his life or have an English teacher who encouraged him.  His experience was back-breaking.

St. Martin's Press is sponsoring the Jeffrey Archer Short Story Competition, in honor of Lord Jeffrey Archer's latest release, And Thereby Hangs a Tale.  The winner will receive a publishing contract. 

Enjoy the weekend!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Coveting an Ereader and 22 Days of Writing; 23 Days of Exercise

I had hoped to post a review for Once Upon a Holiday by Beverly Jenkins, Adrienne Byrd and Kimberly Kaye Terry.  (It was featured in my Tuesday Teaser this week.)  It typically only takes me a day to read through a category romance, but I've been on this one almost a week.  It's not the storytelling or the writing; it's the device.

I'm reading this on my pc via Adobe Digital Editions.  Only problem is I do a good deal of reading in places where having my pc just isn't possible or appropriate, like in the car at traffic lights or in bed (the brightness is too bright for Hubby) or in the bathroom.  (Hey, some of you read there too!  There's a big difference between toting in a paperback and lugging in the laptop.)

So it's taking me longer.  What this says to me is I definitely need to look for an ereader.  I'm not a huge Kindle fan, although I use Kindle for PC too, mostly because of the whole proprietary format thing.  Books purchased for the Kindle can only be read on the Kindle.  I'm an "options-open" kinda girl. 

I would love an iPad but that is sooooo not an option until the prices come waaaaay down.  Hey, it took three years for the Kindle to come down from around $400 to $139.  I wonder how long it will take the iPad?

I may break down and get a Kindle for Christmas, especially if the prices come down to $99 as rumored.

----------------------------------------

Remember my writing challenge?  30 straight days of writing?  It died a swift death midweek, when after working until 2:30 in the morning, I slipped beneath the covers hopeful for a few hours of shuteye before the alarm went off at 5:30 and I had to get up to take the kids to school as well as head into the office.  Big project at work.  More fun than I've had at work in eons, but it's also killing me.  I feel like the past two weeks have been one long work day with brief naps along the way.

I came close to missing a day more than a few times.  Until Wednesday, I somehow managed to pull it off.  I was so tired that day, however, that I didn't even consider writing.  I simply went to bed.  I realized my error first thing the next morning.  Drats!  Then, delirious from sustained lack of sleep, the next day, I changed up and went to bed, after setting the alarm for 2:30 so I could get up early and get the work that needed to be done completed.  Again, fatigue caused me not to even think about writing (and to consume an outrageous amount of snack foods).

Before crapping out, I added 17,139 words to my wip over 22 days.  If it weren't for those two days when I wrote a combined total of 64 words, my average would be a lot higher than the 779 words/day that it was.  But that's not important. Although I'm not crazy about all of it, the words are there.  They can be prettied up, slashed or otherwise fixed.  I love that even though I pretty quickly realized that writing in this fashion increases the amount of revision I'll likely need.

I managed to keep the exercise portion of my challenge on the night the writing challenge first died, but then it too expired the next day when I was totally and completely delirious. 

I'm glad to say, though, that although I didn't make my 30 days, I've already resuscitated my commitment to both writing and exercising.  A little sleep works wonders. Last night I wrote and exercised again, and I plan to continue writing and working out most every night.  I'll take a challenge break for about a week, and then I'll get back to it.

When even your best efforts to write don't yield the results you desire, what do you do?  How is your attitude affected?  The writing?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Teaser Tuesdays: Once Upon A Holiday

"She was still somewhat concerned about being paired up with a stranger for the evening.  But she knew that if anything stupid jumped off, she had her training and the Glock in her small evening bag to back her up.  She was required to carry her weapon with her at all times, even when posing as an African goddess." -- page 18, "Holiday Heat" by Beverly Jenkins, from Once Upon A Holiday by Beverly Jenkins, Adrienne Byrd and Kimberly Kaye Terry

This is the first book I downloaded from NetGalley.  I'm not crazy about reading on my laptop.  Adobe Digital Editions is not bad, but I've really got to get a Kindle!


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
  
• Open to a random page
  
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page (in the comments or via link to your own blog)
  
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Reading anything interesting?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Featured Book: Love Me Tender by Janice Hanna

Happy Labor Day!  My copy of this book is being held hostage by the U.S. Postal Service.  Totally my fault, though.  I kinda missed that renewal notice in my inbox, and was too through when I went over there, after business hours, only to find my box locked.  I renewed online but I have to wait until they reopen tomorrow to get all my books!  But I had the pleasure of reading another one of Janice's romances a few weeks back so I'm really looking forward to Love Me Tender.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Love Me Tender Summerside Press (September 1, 2010)

by Janice Hanna





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Award-winning author Janice Thompson also writes under the pseudonym Janice Hanna, She got her start in the industy writing screenplays and musical comedies for the stage. Janice has published over fifty books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, children's books and more. In addition, she enjoys editing, ghost-writing, public speaking, and mentoring young writers. Janice currently serves as Vice-President of CAN (Christian Authors Network) and was named the 2008 Mentor of the year for ACFW (American Christian Fictio Writers).



She was thrilled to be named the 2010 Barbour/Heartsong Author of the Year with three books on the top ten list for that house. Janice is active in her local writing group, where she regularly teaches on the craft of writing. Her online course, "Becoming a Successful Frelance Writer" has been helpful to many who want to earn a living with their writing. Janice is passionate about her faith and does all she can to share the joy of the Lord with others, which is why she particularly enjoys writing. She lives in Spring, Texas, where she leads a rich life with her family, a host of writing friends and two mischievious dachshunds. She does her best to keep the Lord at the center of it all.







ABOUT THE BOOK

As "Love Me Tender" plays in the background, Debbie Carmichael determines to salvage her family's restaurant, Sweet Sal's Soda Shoppe, when her father's health fails. Teen heartthrob Bobby Conrad agrees to perform at a fundraiser concert. But just two weeks before the highly publicized event, Bobby backs out of the benefit. Enter Johnny Hartman, a young, unknown singer to take Conrad's place. Debbie soon realizes the twists and turns leading up to the concert are divinely orchestrated. And it isn't dreamy Bobby Conrad who has stolen her heart - but the tender love of Johnny Hartman.





If you would like to read the first chapter of Love Me Tender, go HERE.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- September 4, 2010

Pricing expert Rafi Mohammed thinks publishers should consider increasing the price of popular books.  Wouldn't work for me.  I'd wait for the mass market version, even if it took a few years, just as I wait for movies to hit DVD so I can get them via Red Box.  What about you?

Looking for a tablet but not yet sold on Apple's iPad?  Well, in a few short months, you may wish to consider the Google Chrome OS or the HP Web OS. In fact, here's a look at nine iPad alternatives.

What about all those ereaders? Exactly how have they changed the reading landscape? The Wall Street Journal provides A Look at the Reading Habits of E-Reader Owners.

Then, there's the latest version of Amazon's Kindle. David Pogue of the NY Times gets to the nitty gritty of why all other ereaders, including the iPad, have lots of catching up to do.

In search of a new grammar reference?  The NY Times reviews The Glamour of Grammar by Roy Peter Clark.

There's a new Christian fiction publisher.  Harbourlight Books seeks to publish all genres of Christian fiction except romance.  Harbourlight is a division of Pelican Ventures, owner of White Rose Publishing, a publisher of Christian romance.  Both divisions publish primarily in e-book format but do publish print editions.

15 Famous Authors with Surprising College Majors.   None of the doctors were really that surprising, were they?

Author and editor A. Victoria Mixon gives us "10 Things to Do to Become a Better Writer in 10 Days".  What writer wouldn't read an article with that title?  And, don't you just love a few of her suggestions?

Publishers Weekly announced PW Select, a quarterly listing of submitted self-published titles.  Authors must pay for inclusion in the list, but aren't paying for reviews.  PW reserves the right to feature books they deem noteworthy.  (I dunno... Price seems a bit high just for being on a list, and that's probably what they're banking on to weed out 95% of books published.  If anyone does this, you'll have to let me know whether you found it to be effective. )

Apparently I'm not the only person who find this a bit controversial. Victoria Strass of Writer Beware and editor Victoria Sutherland of Forewords sound off...on opposing sides of the "sponsored review" coin.

I get most of what Orson Scott Card tells about "The 4 Story Structures That Dominate Novels".  I guess romance falls under the Character story.  Not so sure about Christian fiction.  The faith thread very much makes the stories about the character's character, I think.  Guess these stories fall across all four.

Finally, can you stand one more RWA roundup from The Writing Playground. It includes some workshop summaries as well as tidbits like the fact that Harlequin acquires 4 manuscripts per day to keep up with its production schedule, and is looking for new authors.

Enjoy your Labor Day!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Writing -- Drips and Deluges

So how is the writing really going?

Great! I've added over 14,000 words to my wip in the last 16 days.

But don't think that's all easy, steady progress.

There are the nights when I remember just as I'm about to crawl beneath the sheets, that I haven't written a single, solitary word. This after a long day followed by a long evening and into the night of work, commuting, family time, more work, and exercise. (Don't forget the exercise!) I power up the PC and get to it.

One night, I simply scrawled a sentence, just one, on a piece of notebook paper.

I wrote.

Then, there are the nights when my fingers can't keep up with the words. I've maxed out at about 1700 words because I rarely sit down for more than 30-45 minutes.

Mind you, these are not all great words. They may not even be good words, and certainly may not survive several rounds of revisions. Flotsam in the writing sea.

But they're there now, and they count.

I'm averaging nearly 900 words per night, even counting that low night of a 12 word sentence. (Which I rewrote--yes, I broke the rules--the next day.)

Doesn't matter.

Got some kinks to work out in the characters and the plot.

Stick a pin in them; I'm moving forward (with my new thoughts in mind).

I'm writing.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

30-Day Challenge: Getting Motivated

Challenge Update: Day 17. I've added over 11,000 words to my wip since beginning the challenge, and I've lost 4.5 lbs.

No matter how geeked, how pumped you are when you begin a task, it's possible you may hit a point, or worse, a stretch, when the enthusiasm runs dry. And with it, your motivation to move forward.

In my first 30-day exercise challenge, I hit that point around day 10 or 11. I just did not want to exercise. No way, no how. Around day 16 or so, it got really hard. I was weary.

But I also was bound and determined to meet the challenge I set for myself and so I got up every day and did what I least wanted to do. Every time I did, I felt better, stronger, for facing down my demons, whatever they were, and conquering them. At the end of my 30 days, you couldn't convince me there was a thing in the world I couldn't do if I put my mind to it.

Mind you, that was one 30-day challenge. I have since started--and failed--a second one. Still had the same will to be victorious but there were truly circumstances beyond my control, like traveling with my family in a car on an interstate highway. I guess I could have stopped on the side of the road and done jumping jacks for 30 minutes, but that just didn't seem reasonable. I'm okay with having missed on that challenge. (I did make it through 23 days, though.)

Now I'm on my third 30-day challenge, this one being a dual challenge for both exercising and writing everyday.  I hit a low last week. Day 11 again. I was overtired, frustrated, stressed and all I wanted to do was eat loads of sugar-filled, processed carbs and climb into bed. It was the point in the road when it felt like it would just be easier and more satisfying to take a day off. Who would know? The only person I've committed to is me.

Through my challenges, I've decided I matter. My goals are important and I'm worthy of my best effort. I won't be seduced by momentary lapses. The feeling that comes from moving forward is greater than the temporary elation that comes from relaxing or giving in, even for one day.

I did eat those carbs, though. The good news is the next day I found that I'd dropped 1.5 lbs since the prior week. I'm no fanatic! And, on day 17, I'm all jazzed!

I give myself permission to make adjustments along the way. It's my challenge; I make the rules.

I'm supposed to exercise at least 30 minutes per day. One day, I only did 15 minutes, a 5-min power walk on the treadmill and 10 minutes of lifting weights. It was all I had time for if I wanted to get to sleep before the birds started singing. I decided it was okay.

There's a tool I included in a previous weekly tidbits that I love. HabitForge.  It's a way to keep track of progress against goals. You define the behavior you wish to track and you receive a daily email prompt to record your progress for the first 21 days.  It's based on the theory that habits are formed in three weeks, a theory I don't prescribe to. I always extend my tracking to make it work for my 30-day challenges.  (I find that 21 days is a little too short to form a habit.  It wasn't until the 4th week of that first challenge that exercise started to feel even a tiny bit habitual vs. brute force.) This tool nudges me when I start to veer off course.

I also find motivation in certain blogs. Writer Kristi Holl pens one of the most inspirational blogs I've found. It's geared toward writers but inspirational for anyone. (Chicki Brown, author of Have You Seen Her?, hipped me to this one.) Her blog is called Writers First Aid: a medicine chest. A recent post was entitled "Writer Momentum: A Do-It-Yourself Job".

My 30-day challenges work for me. They come from within. Me motivating me toward the purposes God has planted in my heart. He plants but it's up to me to do something to yield fruit.

Lacking motivation? What do you need? A personal challenge? A buddy who you can be accountable to? A strict program? A support group, like Weight Watchers or your critique group? A writing contest deadline? The promise of a tangible reward? More sleep? More planning? More...?

The wonderful thing is you get to decide.

A big part of the writer's life is motivation. Motivation of characters to make the story believable. Motivation to write.

How do you motivate yourself to meet your goals?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.