7/31/10
Contest Ends Today!
The blog I joined with the My Book Therapy Ponderers is wrapping up their July contest. The prize basket has a whole lot of goodies that you don't want to miss. And today is the LAST day to enter. Make sure to hop on over if you haven't already! Click here to find out more.
7/30/10
Group Therapy
You usually hear about how writing is a solitary occupation. And that's true in a lot of ways. No one else can write your story for you. No one else can really weave everything together or tell it in your individual voice. It takes you and your computer or notebook, and a whole lot of time in the chair. Or the couch, in my case.
But there are times when being a writer brings you together with other writers in really cool ways. Fast friendships, mentorships, lots of laughs and prayer and understanding. I've already talked about that quite a bit on here. Now I have a new group thing to add to the list: a group proposal.
A group of authors worked out a proposal for a series. We discussed town names and called dibs on character names and occupations, came up with some businesses, and settled on a series of stories set in a small town and including some key characters. Then each individual author (or co-authors, in my case, since I'm writing with Tracy) wrote up summaries for our own stories for the series, our fearless leader formatted them, we gave our bios and other odds and ends, and, finally, submitted a sample chapter.
And now we wait.
Working with a group like this has been different--it's definitely more involved than working with only one co-author. You have a group ready to give opinions, so there's a lot of debate, but there are also a lot of ideas. You have to work around other people's plots, make sure your town map is the same and your characters are consistent. But you also have the other author's backgrounds and audience to pull from. You're not going to be alone in your attempts to promote your book. There's a whole group of authors who want the series to succeed, so you kind of have your own marketing team.
The proposal has garnered some interest, but again, we just have to wait and see. If it's accepted, we'll have a virtual party, I'm sure. And if it's not, there are about ten of us who can console and commiserate with each other. Whether or not this project goes anywhere, it's been a very interesting and fun experience.
But there are times when being a writer brings you together with other writers in really cool ways. Fast friendships, mentorships, lots of laughs and prayer and understanding. I've already talked about that quite a bit on here. Now I have a new group thing to add to the list: a group proposal.
A group of authors worked out a proposal for a series. We discussed town names and called dibs on character names and occupations, came up with some businesses, and settled on a series of stories set in a small town and including some key characters. Then each individual author (or co-authors, in my case, since I'm writing with Tracy) wrote up summaries for our own stories for the series, our fearless leader formatted them, we gave our bios and other odds and ends, and, finally, submitted a sample chapter.
And now we wait.
Working with a group like this has been different--it's definitely more involved than working with only one co-author. You have a group ready to give opinions, so there's a lot of debate, but there are also a lot of ideas. You have to work around other people's plots, make sure your town map is the same and your characters are consistent. But you also have the other author's backgrounds and audience to pull from. You're not going to be alone in your attempts to promote your book. There's a whole group of authors who want the series to succeed, so you kind of have your own marketing team.
The proposal has garnered some interest, but again, we just have to wait and see. If it's accepted, we'll have a virtual party, I'm sure. And if it's not, there are about ten of us who can console and commiserate with each other. Whether or not this project goes anywhere, it's been a very interesting and fun experience.
7/26/10
Pitching Lessons
With the announcement of the Carol Award finalists, I'm thinking about the ACFW conference. The one I'm going to miss this year...Sigh. Anyway, with that in mind, I thought I'd rehash the wonders of pitching by reposting something I wrote for my friend Lynda Schab's blog last year.
For those of you who have never had an agent or editor appointment, let me give you an idea of what it’s like. First, let me give you an illustration, because my husband was a ministerial student and I still get illustrations for everything...
Pitching is like cleaning a Jacuzzi—awkward. All gangly legs and cramping muscles and odd grunts. Believe me, I know. I’ve cleaned many Jacuzzis and hurt myself in about a dozen ways. Either by slipping on water while I’m straddling the thing as I try to climb out, or falling into the waist-deep tub as I try to scrub the other side, or conking my head on the faucet, etc. There have been other uncomfortable moments as well. Like when I’m crouched in the middle of it, cleaning the little jets, when my employer walks in. Stares in shock. Then laughs sheepishly. “I thought you were taking a bath.” Um, yeah. I’m one of those stop-and-smell-the-roses-or-take-a-dip type people.
So, that’s kind of what it feels like to pitch. For those of you who must have specific details, here ya go:
Step one: After months of hammering out your pitch, you wake up early the morning of the appointment, unable to fall back to sleep as your mind races a mile a minute. What if they ask about possible endorsements? Does your mother count? Should the serial killer really be the brother? Or should you make him an alien, just to go for that unique hook publishers are always looking for?
Step two: You make sure all your notes are handy, in some semi-organized fashion in your notebook so you have all possible answers at your fingertips. The conference already supplied your name-tag with your name and genre plastered in big bold letters across your chest. That could come in handy, just in case you forget.
Step three: You head down to breakfast, but can’t really eat because the butterflies are morphing into bats as the minutes march onward. You sing during worship time—you think—but, by the looks of the people around you, were probably in the wrong key. Or maybe just off rhythm, since all you can hear is your sporadic heartbeat thudding in your ears.
Step four: You follow the crowd to your first session, but don’t hear a word of the lecture that you had figured would be worth the entire conference fee. Thirty minutes into it, you scramble out of there in time to grab a dozen Tylenol, a bottle of water, and run over your cheat sheet one more time before your appointment.
Step five: They’re running a little late, so you stand in the hallway guzzling your water. Of course, by the time you’re up, you need to run to the ladies’ room. But you don’t.
Step six: You step inside the little room, gulp as the wanna-be author before you runs out sobbing, and sit at the table. You’re itching to take out your notebook, because you’ve just come up with the next best-seller—a handbook to all the symptoms of nervousness that are humanly possibly. Let’s see, there’s chattering teeth, fluttery tummy, nervous twitches, shaking limbs, strep-like tightness in the throat, hot flashes, cold flashes, oh, and you really, really need that trip to the girls’ room.
Step seven: Sinking into the chair, you try to remember what you’ve been told and find yourself silently chanting, “Editors are humans, too. Editors are humans, too.” The editor (Big E from here on) smiles at you expectantly, and you stumble through an intro, ending with a half-whiney, “I’ve never done this before” or “I’m really bad at this…” Though Big E probably wants to nod in agreement, he holds his smile and asks what you’re working on. Working on? Suddenly you can’t remember what you’ve spent the last year and a half agonizing over. Your hero that you’ve fallen in love with…what was his name again? In desperation you grab for your one sheet and shove it across the table. “Here.”
Step eight: Big E slips on his reading glasses and pretends to read your little summary. It’s witty, succinct, fascinating. A best-seller for sure. He “hmms” a couple times, then looks up. You take a deep breath, hoping he doesn’t hear you wheeze, and itching to jot that down as another symptom to put in your non-fiction book. But you’ve finally remembered why your story is so awesome, and you’re ready to answer any question he might throw your way and then sign the contract he’s surely going to shove across the desk. He opens his mouth—here it comes—and asks, “Did your co-author really survive a plane crash?” Um…yup.
Step nine: That final, telling moment. You’ve already passed your Dove chocolates across the table. Will that be enough? Or should you have splurged for Harry and David’s instead? Big E taps the paper a couple times. Then requests that you send your proposal. Or doesn’t.
Either way, they eat your chocolates. But they don’t eat you.
Moral of the story: Remember, sitting across from an agent or editor is kind of like being caught cleaning the Jacuzzi. So, if you are going to pitch, my advice would be to maintain your sense of humor, pray you’ll keep your balance, and be ready for anything.
Disclaimers: Chocolates are not actually required. Not all writers react the same way. Some of these facts may have been embellished. A bit. Maybe.
For those of you who have never had an agent or editor appointment, let me give you an idea of what it’s like. First, let me give you an illustration, because my husband was a ministerial student and I still get illustrations for everything...
Pitching is like cleaning a Jacuzzi—awkward. All gangly legs and cramping muscles and odd grunts. Believe me, I know. I’ve cleaned many Jacuzzis and hurt myself in about a dozen ways. Either by slipping on water while I’m straddling the thing as I try to climb out, or falling into the waist-deep tub as I try to scrub the other side, or conking my head on the faucet, etc. There have been other uncomfortable moments as well. Like when I’m crouched in the middle of it, cleaning the little jets, when my employer walks in. Stares in shock. Then laughs sheepishly. “I thought you were taking a bath.” Um, yeah. I’m one of those stop-and-smell-the-roses-or-take-a-dip type people.
So, that’s kind of what it feels like to pitch. For those of you who must have specific details, here ya go:
Step one: After months of hammering out your pitch, you wake up early the morning of the appointment, unable to fall back to sleep as your mind races a mile a minute. What if they ask about possible endorsements? Does your mother count? Should the serial killer really be the brother? Or should you make him an alien, just to go for that unique hook publishers are always looking for?
Step two: You make sure all your notes are handy, in some semi-organized fashion in your notebook so you have all possible answers at your fingertips. The conference already supplied your name-tag with your name and genre plastered in big bold letters across your chest. That could come in handy, just in case you forget.
Step three: You head down to breakfast, but can’t really eat because the butterflies are morphing into bats as the minutes march onward. You sing during worship time—you think—but, by the looks of the people around you, were probably in the wrong key. Or maybe just off rhythm, since all you can hear is your sporadic heartbeat thudding in your ears.
Step four: You follow the crowd to your first session, but don’t hear a word of the lecture that you had figured would be worth the entire conference fee. Thirty minutes into it, you scramble out of there in time to grab a dozen Tylenol, a bottle of water, and run over your cheat sheet one more time before your appointment.
Step five: They’re running a little late, so you stand in the hallway guzzling your water. Of course, by the time you’re up, you need to run to the ladies’ room. But you don’t.
Step six: You step inside the little room, gulp as the wanna-be author before you runs out sobbing, and sit at the table. You’re itching to take out your notebook, because you’ve just come up with the next best-seller—a handbook to all the symptoms of nervousness that are humanly possibly. Let’s see, there’s chattering teeth, fluttery tummy, nervous twitches, shaking limbs, strep-like tightness in the throat, hot flashes, cold flashes, oh, and you really, really need that trip to the girls’ room.
Step seven: Sinking into the chair, you try to remember what you’ve been told and find yourself silently chanting, “Editors are humans, too. Editors are humans, too.” The editor (Big E from here on) smiles at you expectantly, and you stumble through an intro, ending with a half-whiney, “I’ve never done this before” or “I’m really bad at this…” Though Big E probably wants to nod in agreement, he holds his smile and asks what you’re working on. Working on? Suddenly you can’t remember what you’ve spent the last year and a half agonizing over. Your hero that you’ve fallen in love with…what was his name again? In desperation you grab for your one sheet and shove it across the table. “Here.”
Step eight: Big E slips on his reading glasses and pretends to read your little summary. It’s witty, succinct, fascinating. A best-seller for sure. He “hmms” a couple times, then looks up. You take a deep breath, hoping he doesn’t hear you wheeze, and itching to jot that down as another symptom to put in your non-fiction book. But you’ve finally remembered why your story is so awesome, and you’re ready to answer any question he might throw your way and then sign the contract he’s surely going to shove across the desk. He opens his mouth—here it comes—and asks, “Did your co-author really survive a plane crash?” Um…yup.
Step nine: That final, telling moment. You’ve already passed your Dove chocolates across the table. Will that be enough? Or should you have splurged for Harry and David’s instead? Big E taps the paper a couple times. Then requests that you send your proposal. Or doesn’t.
Either way, they eat your chocolates. But they don’t eat you.
Moral of the story: Remember, sitting across from an agent or editor is kind of like being caught cleaning the Jacuzzi. So, if you are going to pitch, my advice would be to maintain your sense of humor, pray you’ll keep your balance, and be ready for anything.
Disclaimers: Chocolates are not actually required. Not all writers react the same way. Some of these facts may have been embellished. A bit. Maybe.
7/22/10
What I Love About...
I am a picky reader, but still, there are so many books and authors I love. I don't usually like to post book reviews, so I'm not going to. But someone suggested I do it, so here's my compromise. I figure I can tell you some things I really admire in some stories, some of the things that really draw me in.
I just finished a Charles Martin book, so I'm going to start with him and Dean Koontz. Kind of an odd combination, maybe. Martin writes mostly for CBA (Christian fiction), Koontz for ABA (general market). Martin is more literary or general fiction--kind of a Nicholas Sparks type (but better, in my opinion), and Koontz is usually a crazy combination of sci-fi and suspense and humor who knows what else. But they have something in common that makes me keep coming back for more: heroes who love their wives more than life itself.
I love that.
The hero is usually humble--never quite sure what the woman he adores sees in him, but loving her all the more for it. He stands in awe of her spirit and does whatever he can to protect her and make her dreams come true. And he has a sense of humor.
The wife is usually sassy but kind. She's fun-loving, but sees the needs around her and has a heart of compassion. She knows her man. She tries to make him see what she sees inside of him. And she makes him a better person.
It's such a winning combination. The romance is not gone in these marriages, that's for sure.
And I think it points to something else. When someone sits down and writes a book, even if it's fiction, it's filled with the experiences of the author. Their heart bleeds on those pages. With that in mind, these characters that appear in book after book do not become cliche. It makes them more special, because it makes me think Koontz and Martin are writing about their own marriages, their own experiences, their undying love for their own wives. And that, in my opinion, makes their books grab your heart even more.
I just finished a Charles Martin book, so I'm going to start with him and Dean Koontz. Kind of an odd combination, maybe. Martin writes mostly for CBA (Christian fiction), Koontz for ABA (general market). Martin is more literary or general fiction--kind of a Nicholas Sparks type (but better, in my opinion), and Koontz is usually a crazy combination of sci-fi and suspense and humor who knows what else. But they have something in common that makes me keep coming back for more: heroes who love their wives more than life itself.
I love that.
The hero is usually humble--never quite sure what the woman he adores sees in him, but loving her all the more for it. He stands in awe of her spirit and does whatever he can to protect her and make her dreams come true. And he has a sense of humor.
The wife is usually sassy but kind. She's fun-loving, but sees the needs around her and has a heart of compassion. She knows her man. She tries to make him see what she sees inside of him. And she makes him a better person.
It's such a winning combination. The romance is not gone in these marriages, that's for sure.
And I think it points to something else. When someone sits down and writes a book, even if it's fiction, it's filled with the experiences of the author. Their heart bleeds on those pages. With that in mind, these characters that appear in book after book do not become cliche. It makes them more special, because it makes me think Koontz and Martin are writing about their own marriages, their own experiences, their undying love for their own wives. And that, in my opinion, makes their books grab your heart even more.
7/19/10
Mentors
So, I posted the list of the Carol Award finalists, and you might have noticed it happened to have my name on it. :-) Well, it also had a couple of special writers who have served as mentors to me, and so I thought I'd do a little shout-out to them and to others who have encouraged or strengthened my writing over the years.
1. Mr. Holden--My seventh grade teacher who wrote drilled prepositional phrases into me and once wrote a note at the top of my paper, saying that God needed a writer like me.
2. Mrs. Wright--My high school English teacher who wasn't stingy with praise but was definitely prepared to show me I hadn't arrived quite yet.
3. Daphne Hogstrom--My correspondence course teacher who didn't hate me for my procrastinating ways, taught me about POV shifts, and almost got invited to my wedding since she put up with me for so long.
4. Donna Fleisher--Published novelist and freelance editor who critiqued my first finished book-sized manuscript. I learned SO much from the notes in the margin and the four tapes she made explaining her thoughts and various rules, etc. She was such a vital part in taking me to the next level in my writing. AND she became a wonderful friend.
5. Susan May Warren (a Carol Award double finalist)--Though I'd written and rewritten my first manuscript and my rejection letters were getting nicer, I still hadn't landed an agent when I went to my first writers' conference. I was disappointed since Susan's editing slots had filled up. When she found that out, she took my first chapter (my WAY too long first chapter) and read through it during one of the meals, adding comments and then talking to me about it later. One the first page she wrote that I could definitely write, which is exactly the encouragement I needed then. Now, I'm involved in Susan's My Book Therapy organization, which has chats on Monday nights about the writing craft, holds retreats, has an ezine, etc. As far as mentors go, Susie's at the top of the pile. :-)
6. Rachel Hauck (a Carol Award finalist)--Rachel's also involved in My Book Therapy and taught at the retreat I went to in February. Rachel is the one who asked me to do the devotional at last year's conference and who encouraged me and prayed for me and offered to stand on the platform beside me when the nerves hit big-time. She talked to me about agents when I had questions. She looked over the first chapter of my most recent work-in-progress. She met Tracy and I for lunch and just talked writing and everything else.
7. Then there are all the contest judges, like Meredith Efken and Gina Welborn and many anonymous others who have been willing to volunteer their time to critique my contest entries and give me valuable feedback.
I'm sure I'm missing some, and, of course, there are all of my wonderful critique partners, but that's another post altogether. But I just wanted to thank you all so much for how you have helped me to grow as a writer. Thank you for all the time you've given, and for all the encouragement and wisdom and advice.
You are very appreciated.
1. Mr. Holden--My seventh grade teacher who wrote drilled prepositional phrases into me and once wrote a note at the top of my paper, saying that God needed a writer like me.
2. Mrs. Wright--My high school English teacher who wasn't stingy with praise but was definitely prepared to show me I hadn't arrived quite yet.
3. Daphne Hogstrom--My correspondence course teacher who didn't hate me for my procrastinating ways, taught me about POV shifts, and almost got invited to my wedding since she put up with me for so long.
4. Donna Fleisher--Published novelist and freelance editor who critiqued my first finished book-sized manuscript. I learned SO much from the notes in the margin and the four tapes she made explaining her thoughts and various rules, etc. She was such a vital part in taking me to the next level in my writing. AND she became a wonderful friend.
5. Susan May Warren (a Carol Award double finalist)--Though I'd written and rewritten my first manuscript and my rejection letters were getting nicer, I still hadn't landed an agent when I went to my first writers' conference. I was disappointed since Susan's editing slots had filled up. When she found that out, she took my first chapter (my WAY too long first chapter) and read through it during one of the meals, adding comments and then talking to me about it later. One the first page she wrote that I could definitely write, which is exactly the encouragement I needed then. Now, I'm involved in Susan's My Book Therapy organization, which has chats on Monday nights about the writing craft, holds retreats, has an ezine, etc. As far as mentors go, Susie's at the top of the pile. :-)
6. Rachel Hauck (a Carol Award finalist)--Rachel's also involved in My Book Therapy and taught at the retreat I went to in February. Rachel is the one who asked me to do the devotional at last year's conference and who encouraged me and prayed for me and offered to stand on the platform beside me when the nerves hit big-time. She talked to me about agents when I had questions. She looked over the first chapter of my most recent work-in-progress. She met Tracy and I for lunch and just talked writing and everything else.
7. Then there are all the contest judges, like Meredith Efken and Gina Welborn and many anonymous others who have been willing to volunteer their time to critique my contest entries and give me valuable feedback.
I'm sure I'm missing some, and, of course, there are all of my wonderful critique partners, but that's another post altogether. But I just wanted to thank you all so much for how you have helped me to grow as a writer. Thank you for all the time you've given, and for all the encouragement and wisdom and advice.
You are very appreciated.
7/17/10
The Carol Awards
I'm very pleased to announce the finalists in the Carol Awards, formerly known as the Book of the Year Awards, hosted by American Christian Fiction Writers. Some of my buddies and mentors are on this list! Congratulations to everyone, especially Liz Johnson, Susan May Warren, Rachel Hauck, and Christina Berry!
Debut Author
Bonnie Grove - Talking to the Dead (David C. Cook Publishing)
Liz Jonson - The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn (Steeple Hill)
Kirk Outerbridge - Eternity Falls (Marcher Lord Press)
Jill Eileen Smith - Michal (Revell)
Dan Walsh - The Unfinished Gift (Revell)
Contemporary Novella
6 Finalists due to a tie
Barbara Cameron – One Child (Thomas Nelson)
Barbara Cameron – When Winter Comes (Thomas Nelson)
Debra Clopton – A Mule Hollow Match (Steeple Hill)
Susan May Warren – The Great Christmas Bowl (Tyndale House)
Beth Wiseman – A Change of Heart (Thomas Nelson)
Beth Wiseman – A Choice to Forgive (Thomas Nelson)
Historical Novella
Victoria Bylin – Home Again (Steeple Hill)
Vickie McDonough – A Breed Apart (Barbour Publishing)
Vickie McDonough – Beloved Enemy (Barbour Publishing)
Janet Tronstad - Christmas Bells for Dry Creek (Steeple Hill)
Carrie Turansky - A Shelter in the Storm (Barbour Publishing)
Long Contemporary
6 Finalists due to a tie
Christina Berry - The Familiar Stranger (Moody Publishers)
Mary Ellis - A Widow's Hope (Harvest House Publishers)
Joyce Magnin - The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow (Abingdon Press)
Susan Meissner - White Picket Fences (Waterbrook Press)
Marlo Schalesky- If Tomorrow Never Comes (Multnomah)
Susan May Warren - Nothing But Trouble (Tyndale House)
Long Contemporary Romance
Candace Calvert - Critical Care (Tyndale House)
Denise Hunter - Seaside Letters (Thomas Nelson)
Jenny B. Jones - Just Between You and Me (Thomas Nelson)
Beth Wiseman - Plain Promise (Thomas Nelson)
Cindy Woodsmall - The Hope of Refuge (Waterbrook Press)
Mystery
A.K. Arenz - The Case of the Mystified M.D. (Sheaf House)
Mindy Starns Clark - Under the Cajun Moon (Harvest House Publishers)
Darlene Franklin - A String of Murders (Heartsong Mysteries)
S. Dionne Moore - Polly Dent Loses Grip (Heartsong Mysteries)
Janice Thompson writing as Janice Hanna - Pushing up Daisies (Heartsong Mysteries)
Long Historical
Deeanne Gist - A Bride in the Bargain (Bethany House)
Robin Lee Hatcher - Fit To Be Tied (Zondervan)
Maureen Lang - Look to the East (Tyndale House)
Siri Mitchell - Love's Pursuit (Bethany House)
Allison Pittman - Stealing Home (Multnomah)
Long Historical Romance
8 Finalists due to a tie
Amanda Cabot - Paper Roses (Revell)
Mary Connealy - Cowboy Christmas (Barbour Publishing)
Mary Connealy - Montana Rose (Barbour Publishing)
Laura Frantz - The Frontiersman's Daughter (Revell)
Ann Gabhart - The Believer (Revell)
Julie Lessman - A Passion Denied (Revell)
Janice Thompson writing as Janice Hanna - Love Finds You in Poetry, Texas (Summerside Press)
Kathleen Y’Barbo - The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper (Waterbrook Press)
Short Contemporary
Debra Clopton - His Cowgirl Bride (Steeple Hill)
Myra Johnson - Autumn Rains (Heartsong Presents)
Vickie McDonough - A Wagonload of Trouble (Heartsong Presents)
Mae Nunn - A Texas Ranger's Family (Steeple Hill)
Glynna Sirpless writing as Glynna Kaye - Dreaming of Home (Steeple Hill)
Short Contemporary Suspense
6 Finalists due to a tie
Jill Elizabeth Nelson - Evidence of Murder (Steeple Hill)
Sandra Robbins - Final Warning (Steeple Hill)
Virginia Smith - Murder at Eagle Summit (Steeple Hill)
Virginia Smith - Scent of Murder (Steeple Hill)
Jenness Walker - Double Take (Steeple Hill)
Lenora Worth - Code of Honor (Steeple Hill)
Short Historical
Lyn Cote - Her Patchwork Family (Steeple Hill)
Laurie Alice Eakes - The Glassblower (Heartsong Presents)
Laurie Kingery - The Outlaw's Lady (Steeple Hill)
Lynette Sowell - All That Glitters (Heartsong Presents)
Dan Walsh - The Unfinished Gift (Revell)
Speculative (includes Science Fiction, Fantasy, Allegory)
6 Finalists due to a tie
Kirk Outerbridge - Eternity Falls (Marcher Lord Press)
Donita K. Paul - The Vanishing Sculptor (Waterbrook Press)
Steve Rzasa - The Word Reclaimed (Marcher Lord Press)
Stuart Vaughn Stockton – Starfire (Marcher Lord Press)
Fred Warren - The Muse (Splashdown Books)
Jill Williamson - By Darkness Hid (Marcher Lord Press)
Suspense/Thriller
Terri Blackstock – Intervention (Zondervan)
Colleen Coble - Lonestar Secrets (Thomas Nelson)
Brandilyn Collins – Exposure (Zondervan)
Harry Kraus - Salty Like Blood (Howard/Simon & Schuster)
DiAnn Mills - Breach of Trust (Tyndale House)
Women’s Fiction
7 Finalists due to a tie
Julie Carobini - Sweet Waters (B&H Publishing)
Kathryn Cushman – Leaving Yesterday (Bethany House)
Sara Evans & Rachel Hauck - Sweet By and By (Thomas Nelson)
Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay - Never the Bride (Waterbrook Press)
Deborah Raney - Yesterday's Embers (Howard/Simon & Schuster)
Deborah Raney - Above All Things (Steeple Hill)
Lisa Wingate - The Summer Kitchen (New American Library/Penguin)
Young Adult
Shelley Adina - Who Made You a Princess? (Hachette FaithWords)
Brandilyn & Amberly Collins - Always Watching (Zondervan)
Jenny B. Jones - I'm So Sure (Thomas Nelson)
Jenny B. Jones - So Not Happening (Thomas Nelson)
Booker T. Mattison - Unsigned Hype (Revell)
The Carol Awards will be presented at ACFW's Conference in Indianapolis, September 17-20.
Debut Author
Bonnie Grove - Talking to the Dead (David C. Cook Publishing)
Liz Jonson - The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn (Steeple Hill)
Kirk Outerbridge - Eternity Falls (Marcher Lord Press)
Jill Eileen Smith - Michal (Revell)
Dan Walsh - The Unfinished Gift (Revell)
Contemporary Novella
6 Finalists due to a tie
Barbara Cameron – One Child (Thomas Nelson)
Barbara Cameron – When Winter Comes (Thomas Nelson)
Debra Clopton – A Mule Hollow Match (Steeple Hill)
Susan May Warren – The Great Christmas Bowl (Tyndale House)
Beth Wiseman – A Change of Heart (Thomas Nelson)
Beth Wiseman – A Choice to Forgive (Thomas Nelson)
Historical Novella
Victoria Bylin – Home Again (Steeple Hill)
Vickie McDonough – A Breed Apart (Barbour Publishing)
Vickie McDonough – Beloved Enemy (Barbour Publishing)
Janet Tronstad - Christmas Bells for Dry Creek (Steeple Hill)
Carrie Turansky - A Shelter in the Storm (Barbour Publishing)
Long Contemporary
6 Finalists due to a tie
Christina Berry - The Familiar Stranger (Moody Publishers)
Mary Ellis - A Widow's Hope (Harvest House Publishers)
Joyce Magnin - The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow (Abingdon Press)
Susan Meissner - White Picket Fences (Waterbrook Press)
Marlo Schalesky- If Tomorrow Never Comes (Multnomah)
Susan May Warren - Nothing But Trouble (Tyndale House)
Long Contemporary Romance
Candace Calvert - Critical Care (Tyndale House)
Denise Hunter - Seaside Letters (Thomas Nelson)
Jenny B. Jones - Just Between You and Me (Thomas Nelson)
Beth Wiseman - Plain Promise (Thomas Nelson)
Cindy Woodsmall - The Hope of Refuge (Waterbrook Press)
Mystery
A.K. Arenz - The Case of the Mystified M.D. (Sheaf House)
Mindy Starns Clark - Under the Cajun Moon (Harvest House Publishers)
Darlene Franklin - A String of Murders (Heartsong Mysteries)
S. Dionne Moore - Polly Dent Loses Grip (Heartsong Mysteries)
Janice Thompson writing as Janice Hanna - Pushing up Daisies (Heartsong Mysteries)
Long Historical
Deeanne Gist - A Bride in the Bargain (Bethany House)
Robin Lee Hatcher - Fit To Be Tied (Zondervan)
Maureen Lang - Look to the East (Tyndale House)
Siri Mitchell - Love's Pursuit (Bethany House)
Allison Pittman - Stealing Home (Multnomah)
Long Historical Romance
8 Finalists due to a tie
Amanda Cabot - Paper Roses (Revell)
Mary Connealy - Cowboy Christmas (Barbour Publishing)
Mary Connealy - Montana Rose (Barbour Publishing)
Laura Frantz - The Frontiersman's Daughter (Revell)
Ann Gabhart - The Believer (Revell)
Julie Lessman - A Passion Denied (Revell)
Janice Thompson writing as Janice Hanna - Love Finds You in Poetry, Texas (Summerside Press)
Kathleen Y’Barbo - The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper (Waterbrook Press)
Short Contemporary
Debra Clopton - His Cowgirl Bride (Steeple Hill)
Myra Johnson - Autumn Rains (Heartsong Presents)
Vickie McDonough - A Wagonload of Trouble (Heartsong Presents)
Mae Nunn - A Texas Ranger's Family (Steeple Hill)
Glynna Sirpless writing as Glynna Kaye - Dreaming of Home (Steeple Hill)
Short Contemporary Suspense
6 Finalists due to a tie
Jill Elizabeth Nelson - Evidence of Murder (Steeple Hill)
Sandra Robbins - Final Warning (Steeple Hill)
Virginia Smith - Murder at Eagle Summit (Steeple Hill)
Virginia Smith - Scent of Murder (Steeple Hill)
Jenness Walker - Double Take (Steeple Hill)
Lenora Worth - Code of Honor (Steeple Hill)
Short Historical
Lyn Cote - Her Patchwork Family (Steeple Hill)
Laurie Alice Eakes - The Glassblower (Heartsong Presents)
Laurie Kingery - The Outlaw's Lady (Steeple Hill)
Lynette Sowell - All That Glitters (Heartsong Presents)
Dan Walsh - The Unfinished Gift (Revell)
Speculative (includes Science Fiction, Fantasy, Allegory)
6 Finalists due to a tie
Kirk Outerbridge - Eternity Falls (Marcher Lord Press)
Donita K. Paul - The Vanishing Sculptor (Waterbrook Press)
Steve Rzasa - The Word Reclaimed (Marcher Lord Press)
Stuart Vaughn Stockton – Starfire (Marcher Lord Press)
Fred Warren - The Muse (Splashdown Books)
Jill Williamson - By Darkness Hid (Marcher Lord Press)
Suspense/Thriller
Terri Blackstock – Intervention (Zondervan)
Colleen Coble - Lonestar Secrets (Thomas Nelson)
Brandilyn Collins – Exposure (Zondervan)
Harry Kraus - Salty Like Blood (Howard/Simon & Schuster)
DiAnn Mills - Breach of Trust (Tyndale House)
Women’s Fiction
7 Finalists due to a tie
Julie Carobini - Sweet Waters (B&H Publishing)
Kathryn Cushman – Leaving Yesterday (Bethany House)
Sara Evans & Rachel Hauck - Sweet By and By (Thomas Nelson)
Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay - Never the Bride (Waterbrook Press)
Deborah Raney - Yesterday's Embers (Howard/Simon & Schuster)
Deborah Raney - Above All Things (Steeple Hill)
Lisa Wingate - The Summer Kitchen (New American Library/Penguin)
Young Adult
Shelley Adina - Who Made You a Princess? (Hachette FaithWords)
Brandilyn & Amberly Collins - Always Watching (Zondervan)
Jenny B. Jones - I'm So Sure (Thomas Nelson)
Jenny B. Jones - So Not Happening (Thomas Nelson)
Booker T. Mattison - Unsigned Hype (Revell)
The Carol Awards will be presented at ACFW's Conference in Indianapolis, September 17-20.
7/12/10
Creativity and the Soul
Okay, folks, I'm going to cheat again, sort of. I did blog on this subject, but to read it, go here. I'm blogging with some writer buddies now (The Ponderers), and this is my first post over there. Tell me what you think. Oh, and there's a contest with lots of goodies, so make sure to check it out!
7/8/10
Slacking
I know, I know. I cheated last week with decorating stuff. And I'm late getting something up today. But I just want you to know that there's something in the works, and other things have been taking up blogging energy.
Those of you who blog, how do you get your ideas? Do you have a certain day you write and schedule all of your blogs for the week/month/quarter? What are the best tips you have to offer me? :-)
I'll have an interesting update for the three of you readers soon. But for now, here's a thought for the day:
"Never undertake anything for which you wouldn't have the courage to ask the blessings of heaven." ~G.C. Lichtenberg
Those of you who blog, how do you get your ideas? Do you have a certain day you write and schedule all of your blogs for the week/month/quarter? What are the best tips you have to offer me? :-)
I'll have an interesting update for the three of you readers soon. But for now, here's a thought for the day:
"Never undertake anything for which you wouldn't have the courage to ask the blessings of heaven." ~G.C. Lichtenberg
7/5/10
Summer Days
So far this summer I:
1. Ate at my favorite Japanese restaurant with my parents, who were down to pick up another piano. My dad is the only one I know that puts a piano in the back of his van.
2. Did research for vacation and ran across this description of a room at a B&B: Small, intimate room with rats. And they didn't even offer a discount!
3. Ate at the wonderful Cheesecake Factory with my younger brother and his wife, then people-watched at the mall. (My hubby and I did. My brother and his wife were normal and actually shopped.) The entertainment factor was high.
4. Helped my hubby move to an office. Which means I can play my music at home as loud as I want. Or I could if I hadn't busted my speakers.
5. Begged my hubby to pull up the garden, because the crackly bean plants and rotting tomatoes were so embarrassing.
6. Met the lovely author Rachel Hauck for lunch, although not on the day I posted about it on my blog. Oops.
7. Walked to the beach to write, but it was so hot and crowded that I scribbled one sentence before walking back home.
8. Worked on my non-fiction reading list. Almost done with one right now, and just saying that makes me feel so intellectual.
9. Joined a new writing blog. There's a new post up today, so check it out here. I'll be posting my first contribution on the 12th. And it's already written. Aren't you surprised? :-)
10. Started to clean out my email inbox. Got through maybe twenty emails and quit. But I'll do it before I hit 6000, I promise. Maybe.
11. Made strawberry lemonade for the first time. Easy recipe--10 oz frozen strawberries pureed, maybe a few kept whole to use for ice cubes. A tube of lemonade concentrate, thawed. Mix together with 4-1/2 cups of water (or more, to taste), maybe add a little sugar to the strawberries, and wa-la. Little tart, but pretty good.
So what about you? What have you been doing this summer?
1. Ate at my favorite Japanese restaurant with my parents, who were down to pick up another piano. My dad is the only one I know that puts a piano in the back of his van.
2. Did research for vacation and ran across this description of a room at a B&B: Small, intimate room with rats. And they didn't even offer a discount!
3. Ate at the wonderful Cheesecake Factory with my younger brother and his wife, then people-watched at the mall. (My hubby and I did. My brother and his wife were normal and actually shopped.) The entertainment factor was high.
4. Helped my hubby move to an office. Which means I can play my music at home as loud as I want. Or I could if I hadn't busted my speakers.
5. Begged my hubby to pull up the garden, because the crackly bean plants and rotting tomatoes were so embarrassing.
6. Met the lovely author Rachel Hauck for lunch, although not on the day I posted about it on my blog. Oops.
7. Walked to the beach to write, but it was so hot and crowded that I scribbled one sentence before walking back home.
8. Worked on my non-fiction reading list. Almost done with one right now, and just saying that makes me feel so intellectual.
9. Joined a new writing blog. There's a new post up today, so check it out here. I'll be posting my first contribution on the 12th. And it's already written. Aren't you surprised? :-)
10. Started to clean out my email inbox. Got through maybe twenty emails and quit. But I'll do it before I hit 6000, I promise. Maybe.
11. Made strawberry lemonade for the first time. Easy recipe--10 oz frozen strawberries pureed, maybe a few kept whole to use for ice cubes. A tube of lemonade concentrate, thawed. Mix together with 4-1/2 cups of water (or more, to taste), maybe add a little sugar to the strawberries, and wa-la. Little tart, but pretty good.
So what about you? What have you been doing this summer?
7/1/10
Dream Writing Room III
My sister-in-law says I'm cheating--that I'm taking the easy way out by posting pics and pretty much no content on my blog. But my husband is getting an office, so I guess this is me dreaming. And since pictures speak a thousand words, I figure I'm getting in a pretty good word count. So there. lol
These are just a couple fun organizing ideas. I think I got them from Better Homes and Gardens:
Honestly, though, my couch isn't so awful to write on. It would be nice to shut the door on my mess, however. I'd even be happy with a closet...
Especially a closet like this one!
Monday I'll probably post some decorating blog links that I like. I'd love to see some of your favorites, too! And then I promise I'll write a real blog post. If I make it boring enough, you might vote for pictures again. :-)
These are just a couple fun organizing ideas. I think I got them from Better Homes and Gardens:
Honestly, though, my couch isn't so awful to write on. It would be nice to shut the door on my mess, however. I'd even be happy with a closet...
Especially a closet like this one!Monday I'll probably post some decorating blog links that I like. I'd love to see some of your favorites, too! And then I promise I'll write a real blog post. If I make it boring enough, you might vote for pictures again. :-)
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