In His Time

We wouldlike to introduce Anita Mellott to all our readers. She will be filling in with Sunday devotionals from time to time. Anita writes to encourage others on their journey of life. With a background in journalism and mass communications, she has worked for more than 10 years as a writer/editor in the nonprofit world. She balances homeschooling and the call to write, and blogs at From the Mango Tree <http://amellott.wordpress.com/> .

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11

As we drove to the beach, a car overtook us. It wove in and out of traffic, zigzagging across lanes, overtaking other cars from the left and the right. “Someone’s in a hurry,” I commented to my husband. And then I stopped short.

I’m like that so often. I’m in a hurry, especially when I sense God calling me to do something, like writing. I forget that the journey can be long and sometimes hard. I want to see immediate results. I get so caught up in where I want to be or think I should be, I get ahead of His timing. That’s a dangerous place to be--it brings frustration, discontent and discouragement. At times, it makes me doubt the calling to write, and I feel like giving up.

God’s timing rarely conforms to mine. Yet it’s the best. He holds eternity and my times in His hands. He’s not constrained by the confines of human time. He knows what and when is best for me. As I learn to let go and trust Him, even though I sometimes can’t see the end, He brings peace. A place of rest. He will let everything fall into place beautifully when He deems it appropriate.

The Young Protagonist

Jane Austen and Regency enthusiasts might recognize Beau Nash's rules of conduct for one's time in Bath, which among other things declared:

. . . that the elder ladies and children [must] be content with a second bench at a ball, as being past or not [yet] come to perfection.

When I came across this quote, it struck me as being true in books nowadays. It is rare that I come across a protagonist older than thirty, but then again, I read a lot of historical. If you were lucky, you were married by sixteen.

So, is this just my preferred genre, or are the majority protagonists young?

Author Gloria Mallette ~ Interviewed

Author Gloria Mallette, a winner in the USA Book News Best Book 2007 Awards for African American Fiction, was first published in 1995 by Holloway House with the title WHEN WE PRACTICE TO DECEIVE while she was employed part-time as a Federal Perkins Loan Coordinator at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York. However, by 2000, with five manuscripts and several rejection letters from major publishing houses in her file cabinet, with a nudge from her husband, Gloria stepped timidly out onto the self-publishing track.

In April of 2000, Gloria self-published SHADES OF JADE and by August had sold 13,000 copies when Random House came calling. SHADES OF JADE was re-published in June of 2001 and has since made several best sellers lists, including Black Board, Essence Magazine, The Dallas Morning News, The Washington Post/Washington is Also Reading listing and Upscale Magazine.

Gloria has been featured in ToDay’s Black Woman (2003, 2007), The New York Daily News (2000), USA Today ( 2001), The Pocono Record (2006, 2007), and has a novella, COME TOMORROW, featured on the USAToday.com website.

To date, Gloria has nine titles: LIVING, BREATHING LIES, IF THERE BE PAIN, WHAT’S DONE IN THE DARK, DISTANT LOVER, THE HONEY WELL, PROMISES TO KEEP, WEEPING WILLOWS DANCE, SHADES OF JADE and WHEN WE PRACTICE TO DECIEVE. Her tenth title, SASSY, will be released June 2008.

Gloria Mallette was a life long Brooklyn, New York resident, but she now call the mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania home.


Tell us a bit about your current project.


My current project, which I am excited about, is SASSY. SASSY is the story of a romance novelist, Sassy Davenport, who meets the man of her dreams, Norris Yoshito. While Sassy falls head-over-heels in love with Norris, key people associated with him are brutally slain, but when Sassy comes fact-to-face with a man who looks uncannily like Norris, she finds herself caught up in a nightmare of deception and danger where romance takes a back seat and fear and edge-of-the-seat suspense plunges her into the real world of murder and mystery.

In this book there are elements of suspense, mystery, and romance. I believe readers of these genres will love SASSY.


We are all about journeys...unique ones at that. How convoluted was your path to your first published book? Share some highlights or lowlights from your path to publication.


My journey to publication was definitely unique. My initial attempts to get published in the early 80’s were not successful. I stopped writing altogether but then in the early 90’s the writing bug crept up and tagged me again. However, still the major publishers rejected me. I finally submitted a manuscript to Holloway House out in California who initially rejected When We Practice to Deceive, but then changed their mind. That was 1995 and the book was a mass market paperback which meant it came out without any fanfare. I believe my advance was a thousand dollars; and to this day, that book is still in print, but I’ve never been able to buy more than two pair of pantyhose when a royalty check comes in.

I was a bit discouraged but I continued writing. By the end of 1999, I had five manuscripts in my file cabinet and a part-time job I didn’t like. My husband gave me an ultimatum---“Self-publish or get a real job.” I had tried an agent who was unable to get me a contract; so sucking in my breath and saying a prayer, I entered 2000 with a purpose. By April I had my self-published edition of Shades of Jade in hand and was scared to death that I was not going to be able to get rid of the two thousand books in my hallway; but two weeks later they were gone. I was amazed. In a period of five months I sold 13,000 copies of Shades of Jade. At that point Random House acquired it along with Promises to Keep for its new imprint Strivers Row and the rest, as they say, is history.


Share the pros and cons of being self-published.

Aww, the pros---the absolute best part of being self-published is having all the say about my books. For example, I always hated the covers publishers gave me. My original self-published edition of Shades of Jade had a stark white cover with bold emerald green letters and a wedding band dangling off the J. When it was reissued by Random House, the cover was dark green with bold yellow letting with a woman in the shadows and a reel of two people making love across the center. I hated that cover but the publisher wasn’t interested in my opinion although the contract said I had “consultation.” I had no say about covers on any of the seven books I did not self-publish.

Another pro of self-publishing is being able to get a larger percentage of one’s book compared to a 7.5% or 10% or 15% from publishers. It is usually a 60/40 split with book stores and a 55/45 percentage with distributors (they get the larger percentage).

Also, I would say, although I was lucky my editors didn’t rewrite me, self-publishing allows one to retain one’s creative voice.

The cons are many. Self-published authors pay for everything---editing, book cover creation, printing, shipping, promotion, marketing, etc. If one doesn’t have a dry basement or garage, one must find and pay for storage of the books one hopes to sell. Then there is the issue of keeping great records of sales and receipts---not a great job if one isn’t detail-oriented and organized. I mentioned promotion and marketing which can cost quite a bit, but having access to the internet makes promotion a lot easier.

I guess the real downside to self-publishing is getting one’s books distributed and into the chain stores and the mega stores like Wal-Mart, BJ’s, Target, etc.



What were the reasons you decided to self-publish after gaining a spot with a big dog like Random House?


Actually, I left Random House when they said there was no budget to promote my second book but that my name would sell that book. I didn’t buy that for a minute. Instead I chose to go over to Kensington because I saw their books everywhere. However, I had no idea that Kensington only promoted a handful of their authors and did nothing for the majority. Too late I realized I jumped from the pot into the fire. Kensington never promoted a single one of the four books they published with my name on them. When they offered a third contract and the new editor said I had to “up my game” and “add a lot more sex and over the top drama” to my books, I bowed out. I like to think my books are character driven, not sex or drama driven. Oh well, back to self-publishing.

In case you’re wondering, it would have been a waste of time to shop my work at another publishing house. So many African American contemporary/mainstream and literary authors are without contracts at this time. It seems publishers only want erotica or street lit from us.


In your opinion, what does a self-published successful author look like?

Well, I guess a successful self-published author would look as I did back in 2000 with Shades of Jade. I did four print runs before I signed with Random House, and they were paid for by the books I sold. I was totally in the black two weeks after my first print run came in.


Share your opinion of the stigma attached to self-publishing. (If you need a jumping board -- that the writing is inferior...)

For years it was thought if one had to self-publish, it meant no publisher wanted the book because it was poor writing. In some cases it was, but it wasn’t something that a great editor couldn’t fix if the tale warranted it. For years, the self-published book looked like the dress that was homemade and said clearly, “I’m inferior.” The truth is, in today’s publishing world, most publishers are looking for the “celebrity” author. They want the biggest bang for their bucks which they feel they will get with a celebrity name on the cover. Therefore, the little unknown guy with the compelling story might never ever get a publisher. He would have to self-publish just as I did. In hindsight, I didn’t know what I was doing when I first self-published. I just knew I wanted to write and hoped someone would want to read my book. By the way, I didn’t focus on what anyone would think about me being self-published.

Today, the interior writing and the exterior cover quality of many self-published books are just as good as those published by the big boys. Because of this, there are authors who have never sought to be published by major publishers. As well, today, self-published authors are an eclectic mix of people---from the uneducated to the highly education; from the clerk in the mailroom, to the doctor in the hospital, to the lawyer in the courtroom. Everyone has a story, everyone wants to be published. If major publishers reject an author, that author now clearly has a option---self-publish


Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work, or struggle in a particular area such as writers block or angst driven head-banging against walls? Please share some helpful overcoming hints that you’ve discovered.

Good question. It’s not so much that I have self-doubts about my work, I’m just nervous until the first reviews come in. Perhaps this is because no one actually sees my manuscripts until it’s a finished product.

I can’t say I’ve truly had writer’s block or angst to the point of banging my head against a wall. With SASSY I had so many interruptions, I couldn’t keep my writing flow going which backed me up a bit. With The Honey Well, I tried to take the story in a direction the characters did not want to go, so in one chapter it was like climbing a steep hill. I got tired of climbing. I deleted everything I’d written and gave myself back over to the characters and the story they wanted to tell.

Giving oneself over to the characters and their story is one hint I’d give to a new writer. The characters know where they want to go, the writer is the one who oftentimes don’t. One might have to do some research as I often have to, but that’s when the story flows.

Another hint I’d give to someone who runs into a brick wall while writing, is re-read from the beginning what has already been written to get a renewed sense or feeling of the story. If that doesn’t work, write a chapter out of order or just stop writing and come back with a fresh mind a few days, a few weeks, whatever time period, later.


What mistakes have you made while seeking publication? Or to narrow it down further what’s something you wish you’d known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?


This question puts me in the “Knowing what I know now, I would have. . .” frame of mind. Looking back, the biggest mistake I made while seeking publication was not self-publishing much earlier than I did, perhaps by ten years. As soon as I was picked up by a major publisher, the landscape of the type of literature publishers were interested in changed. In the African American market, publishers wanted erotica, street lit, and chick lit, none of which I write. If I had taken a leap of faith earlier and self- published, I would have been more of a name for myself.


What is your favorite source for finding story ideas?

I’m pretty open to receiving stories from many sources: the news (newspapers, television), something interesting I hear, my dreams. In fact, the idea for SASSY came from a dream I had several years ago. I should mention, however, what I hear or see is only a germ of an idea. Once I begin writing, the characters come to life and take the story wherever they want.


Have you ever had one of those awkward writer moments you’d like to share with us, the ones wherein you get “the look” from the normals? Example, you stand at a knife display at the sporting goods store and ask the clerk which would be the best to use to disembowel a six foot man…please do tell.


Fortunately, I haven’t had any awkward writer moments, but I have had a few weird moments wherein readers thought I had really experienced something I wrote. With Shades of Jade some readers actually thought I had to have dated married men in order to write the story the way I did. No, not I. It’s called imagination.


With the clarity of experience what advice would you offer up to the wet-behind-the-ears you if beginning this writing journey today?

As I mentioned before, I would have self-published years earlier, and perhaps, additionally, I would have remained self-published. Signing with a publisher when I had no clout (name recognition) I lost all power over my books. Simply by changing the cover on my book consigned me to a small section of the bookstores that only one ethnicity (African American) is sure to venture.


What event/person has most changed you as a writer? How?

My childhood has the greatest impact on me a writer. In fact, I began writing because of my abusive childhood. My first manuscript was written when I was nineteen, and it is about my childhood. Way before Oprah I committed my thoughts to paper which was very cathartic.


What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why? (Doesn't have to be one of your books or even published.)


I am particularly proud of Weeping Willows Dance. Why? I wrote Weeping Willows Dance solely for my grandmother. The story is about her life with my grandfather whom she married when she was fifteen and he was thirty-seven back in 1929. While writing Weeping Willows Dance I got to know my own mother, Cora, who died when I was two and a half years old. Weeping Willows Dance will always be my pride and joy, and the fact that so many readers have taken my grandmother’s story to heart warms my heart.


Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?


Oh, do I? As an African American contemporary writer, it disturbs me greatly that so many contemporary and literary African American authors have been dismissed by publishers disproportionally in favor of street lit, urban lit, and erotica. As well, I have never liked that African American titles are marketed only to African American readers. So many of our stories are universal and should not have a label.



Share a dream or something you'd love to accomplish through your writing career.

What author wouldn’t like to see his/her characters come to life on the big screen? I think it would be fabulous if one or two of my books could be turned into movies.



What gives you the greatest writer buzz, makes the trip worth the hassles (besides coffee or other substances, or course )?

My greatest writer buzz comes when I hold a finished book with my name on it in my hand. Each new book is a new emotional high. My husband said once that I had no passion for anything until I started writing. He was right.



What is one of the more unique or strange life experiences that has really given you an extra oomph in your writing?


I credit no unique or strange life experience for the extra oomph in my writing; however, I do credit my love of mystery and suspense for making my novels page-turners.



Describe your special or favorite writing spot.

My favorite writing spot is my messy office which I need to clean up now that I’ve finished SASSY. In the spring and summer, however, I like to sit out on my screened-in deck where it is especially scenic and quiet.


What aspect of writing was the most difficult for you to grasp/conquer? How did you overcome it?

The most difficult aspect of writing for me has to be narrative. I am at ease allowing my characters to dialogue which moves the story along for me. However, I have to constantly remind myself to focus on fleshing out my narrative. It is an ongoing journey for me.



What is the first thing you do when you begin a new book?


Actually, I can’t begin a new book unless my office is spic n’ span clean. While I’m writing my office usually gets cluttered with lots of paper, (i.e. notes, mail, to do lists, magazines, etc.). Once my office is clean, I begin typing and whatever takes shape about the main character sets the tone for the rest of the book.



Writing rituals. Do you have to sit somewhere specific, complete a certain number of words, leave something undone to trigger creativity for the next session? Some other quirk you’d like to share?


I have my own home office, so I do all my writing there. Other than having to have a clean office to begin writing, I like to be left alone which isn’t always possible when my husband and son are home. Once I’ve begun writing, I strive to finish a chapter before calling it quits for the day. The next day I will reread and edit the chapter from the day before then move on to the next chapter which may or may not be the next day. I usually can’t go on until the last chapter feels right.


What is the most difficult part of pulling together a book? Ex. Do you have saggy middles, soggy characters, soupy plots during your first drafts…if so, how do you shape it up?


Interesting question. I guess because I write subplots in all of my books, the most difficult part of pulling together a book, for me, is making sure the subplots work well with the main plot of the story; and as well that they come together at the end. I keep a lot of notes while writing.


Have you received a particularly memorable reader response or peer honor? Please share.


I’ve received several memorable reader responses, but the one that always brings me to tears, is a woman who wrote that she had just finished reading Promises to Keep. The woman E-mailed me that she purchased the book without reading the back first. A few nights later she settled down to read Promises to Keep and read the back. She said she threw the book across the room and started screaming like she had lost her mind.

It turned that the woman’s name was Meika and her murdered brother’s name was Troy. In Promises to Keep, the murdered son was Troy and his daughter was Meika. The woman said she had lost all faith when her only brother was murdered and had worked to exhaustion along with the police to find her brother killer. She said she stopped praying, and thought that no one truly understood her pain. After she stopped screaming and crying, she forced herself to read Promises to Keep because she said something told her that I would not hurt her. She said every page of the book was laced with her tears and at times her laughter. She said she read all night until she finished the book the next day; and when she finished, she got down on her knees and prayed for the first time in two years (since her brother died). She ended the E-mail saying, “Whatever or whoever got you to write this story, got you to write for me. Thank you.”

I boohooed like a baby. I tell you, I thank God for blessing me with Promises to Keep.


Have you discovered any successful marketing/promo ideas that you'd share with us?


Believe me, if I had discovered a successful marketing/promo idea, I’d be rich. The fact is, most authors, unless they are rich, can never market or promo their books as well as a major publisher. They have the resources and the inroads that authors will never have. I’m becoming more internet savvy. The social networks are an excellent way to get the word out about books, and as well, blogs (which I just don’t have time for), and internet newsletters (I’m working on this).


Share the biggest difference between being an author with a house and being a self-published author. What did you do to overcome the negatives?


Right off the top, the biggest difference between being an author with a house and being a self-published author is the money. Publishing houses give monetary advances upon signing and upon book release. If one is lucky, royalty payments once the book has earned out. As a self-publisher, authors can’t give themselves advances, and if the book doesn’t sell, forget about royalties or even paying yourself back.


Parting words? Anything you wish we would’ve asked because you’ve got the perfect answer?

If you had asked, if I had known how difficult it was going to be to become a successful author; meaning financially as well as critically, would I have become a writer; I would have answered, yes. Of course I’d love to be rich, but I write because I love writing.

Author Interview ~ Liz Johnson

LIZ JOHNSON grew up reading Christian fiction, and always dreamed of being part of the publishing industry. After graduating from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with a degree in public relations, she set out to fulfill her dream. In 2006 she got her wish when she accepted a publicity position at a major trade book publisher. While working as a publicist in the industry, she decided to pursue her other dream-becoming an author. Along the way to having her novel published, she completed the Christian Writers Guild apprentice course and wrote articles for several magazines.

Liz lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she enjoys theater, ice skating, volunteering in her church's bookstore and making frequent trips to Arizona to dote on her nephew and three nieces. She loves stories of true love with happy endings. The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn is her first novel. Keep up with Liz's adventures in writing at www.lizjohnsonbooks.com.

You started out as publicist in this industry. What made you start writing?

I don’t think it’s easy for me to separate being a publicist from my writing. I suppose it all boils down to a love of books, passion for the written word. I’ve always loved reading and writing, so I just knew I wanted to work in the Christian publishing industry. I don’t think I consciously knew that a degree in public relations would open the door for me to get into publishing, but when it was time to declare a major in college, I just thought it sounded interesting, and it involved a lot of writing. I thought I had some aptitude for writing, so it seemed like a solid fit.

After college, finding a job—especially one in publishing—was harder than I thought it would be, so I signed up for the Christian Writers Guild apprentice course. I learned a lot about writing, and I continued playing around with stories (terribly written stories) until I was hired into the industry. And then it was a my good friend and fellow publicist Kelly Blewett who told me she couldn’t wait to read the book I had told her I wanted to write. Her accountability got me from the dreaming stage to the sitting down and really working out The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn.

What's the most difficult part of writing for you (or was when you first started on your novel journey)?

Discipline. Always has been and it probably always will be the hardest part for me. I can daydream forever about ideas and characters and scenes and settings. Sitting down in front of my computer and committing to stay there until I’ve written 1,000 words is so hard for me. I thought getting a writing buddy would help, and it has—to an extent.

When I told my mom that my friend Jess and I were going to get together every Monday to write for an hour, she laughed. She figured we’d sit and talk the whole time, but it’s worked pretty well. We usually compete to see who can write the most words in the hour. Jess almost always wins. And when we do feel chatty, we usually end up talking about plot ideas, characters, or just bouncing ideas off each other.

Do you put yourself into your books/characters?

Sure. I mean, my characters wouldn’t be mine if they didn’t have reflections of me tucked in there. My relationship with Jesus Christ is really important to me, so it’s essential that my faith is reflected in their lives. A lot of times the spiritual lessons that I’m learning end up being core themes in my WIP.

On a more individual basis, I’ve noticed that certain characters have picked up some of my bad habits—Kenzie Thorn has a terrible habit of putting her foot in her mouth, which I’m completely guilty of. Sometimes I give my characters traits that may be similar to my own struggles but aren’t exact. While writing my second manuscript, I realized that I have a terrible habit of shopping any time I’m feeling stressed and worried, and I saw that my hero had his own comfort activity in drinking coffee, which I really hate.

At what point did you stop juggling suggestions and critiques and trust yourself (as a writer)?

It’s an ongoing process, learning to trust myself as a writer. As I’m writing a new story, I bounce ideas off of my writing buddy, family, and friends, trying to get as many suggestions as I can. When I’m finished with the first draft, I usually have one moment of feeling like I’ve written something really good. Then I plunge into self-doubt. It usually comes in the form of, “Man, this story really stinks,” while I’m rereading it. And then comes that moment when I decide I can do nothing else to improve it on my won, so I give it to someone else to read.

When suggestions and comments come back, I try to take them all with a grain of salt—unless they’re good. :) Something my publicity manager taught me was if I hear the same comment from two different people, I should pay attention to it and really see if the change would make a difference. I make those changes, then give it another reread. After that, I let go of the manuscript. I send it to my editor, and I trust her. When doubt invades, I trust my editor to give me awesome feedback.

Tell us a little about your latest release:

The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn is my first novel, releasing from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense on July 14. It’s the story of Kenzie, the governor of Oregon’s granddaughter, who teaches a GED prep course at one of the state prison complexes. Myles Parsons is just another student in her class until he kidnaps her and reveals that he’s actually FBI Special Agent Myles Borden. Reeling from his claim that her life is in danger, Kenzie refuses to go to a safe house and insists that they go together to discover who’s behind the plot to kidnap and kill her.

How did you come up with this story? Was there a specific 'what if' moment?

There are a lot of little inspirations for this book. I think that a big part of developing Kenzie’s story was where I was at in my own life. I had just made two major moves in the span of six months, and I was 1100 miles from my family. I felt like the only one I could lean on was God, so reliance on Him became one of the key themes of Kenzie’s story.

I also had a friend from high school who made some really poor choices and ended up in prison for five years. His sister asked me to write to him, and I did. We wrote back and forth for years, and his letters made me wonder if there was anything that would cause someone to willingly go to prison. It all just developed from there.

Tell us a little about your main character and how you developed him/her:

Kenzie came along with the story. I definitely had most of the story plotted out before I really knew who Kenzie was, which I don’t think is unusual in suspense novels. As I wrote action sequences, her “sweet and spicy sides,” as Myles calls them, showed up. One minute she’d have herself completely under control and then the pressue would build inside her, and she’d explode with all this built up tension, usually with a super-sarcastic comment aimed right at Myles. I thought a lot about the strength she needed to teach inside a prison and her desire to be there.

Early on in the book she has the opportunity to leave the prison and take a job teaching kindergarten. I asked myself a hundred times what she could get inside the prison that she couldn’t get from teaching at an upscale elementary school. The first answer I came up with: A good plot. But that was cheating. The second answer: The knowledge that she was helping men turn their lives around and giving them a hope for when they reached the outside. I love that altruistic side of Kenzie.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book? Least?

As cliché as it sounds, finishing my first quality manuscript was the most amazing moment. The worst part about writing it was actually writing it. Finding time to bond with my laptop and being disciplined was hard. The discipline is still hard, but finding time in my schedule has gotten easier, as it’s become a priority.

What message do you hope readers gain from your novel?

I hope readers are encouraged to rely on God even when friends and family let them down. I hope that like Kenzie and Myles do in the book, readers will find hope in knowing that God is walking with them in hard times and that His eyes are on those that fear Him.

What does your writing space look like?

Oh, my word. I must have the worst example of a writing space. I typically write on my bed. I sit with my back against a stack of pillows and my laptop sitting on my lap. I have one little bedside lamp on, and the only other light comes from my screen. I have three bookcases in my room, plus the stack of books on my nightstand, so I feel inspired by the words that I know are on all of those pages—even if I haven’t read half of them. Of course, on Monday nights I write at the dining room table—either mine or Jess’s, depending on the week. Then I’m inspired by the speed with which she types. :)

What kind of activities do you like to do that help you relax and step away from your deadlines for a bit?

I try to get some physical activity 3 or 4 times a week. Getting out of the house and makes me forget my deadlines, if just for an hour. If I don’t make it to the actual gym, I like to go for long walks. Just being active and in the shadow of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs inspires me, and reminds me that I am small and God’s plan is so much bigger than I am. I’m a big fan of the theater and musicals, so I usually try to go see a Broadway Across America show at least once a year and a really good concert every couple of months. When I moved to Colorado Springs I took ice skating lessons, and when I’m especially worn out, there’s still nothing better than the chill of the ice and chapped cheeks when I’m flying around the rink.

Briefly take us through your process of writing a novel—from conception to revision.

Nearly all of my short stories, articles, and novels start in my mind with either a title or the first line. The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn was born from the title that just popped into my head. What had she been kidnapped from? Why? Who kidnapped her? As I started answering those questions with things that were already going on in my mind, like my correspondence with a friend who had been in prison, the story started to take shape.

From there I wrote the first four chapters to get a good feeling of where it was going. Then I did a loose outline to keep me on track. I wrote the rest of the story consecutively over the next three months. Then came the hard part. I had to give it to friends to read. I had three friends read that first draft for me. They all got back to me really quickly with their notes and I incorporated them. Then it was time to submit. After that came four rounds of revisions with my editor before Steeple Hill offered me a contract. But it really made Kenzie’s story better and it made the call about publication sweeter than I ever thought possible.

What is the first book you remember reading and what made it special?

I have a lot more memories of my mom reading to my brother and sister and I when we were kids than I have memories of actually reading as a kid. My mom homeschooled us until I was in 5^th grade, and she assigned a lot of Newberry Award winners, and I distinctly remember doing projects on The Island of the Blue Dolphins, but I never liked the book.

I do remember reading The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare when I was about 8. I love that book to this day and have read it at least 10 times. There’s something magical about the story of a girl who doesn’t fit in, doesn’t belong because she sees beyond the walls that everyone else in the Puritan community has erected around an old Quaker woman. I think every girl feels like she doesn’t fit in at some point, and we all hope that someone will see something special in us and that we’ll find a place to belong. Nat Eaton provides that for the heroine Kit, which is why he was my very first literary crush. He still tops my list.

How do you think reading the work of others helps you as a writer?

Reading is so important for writers on so many levels. Personally reading lots of different types of books has helped me clarify who I am as a writer and how I want to communicate my message. I’ve read several very literary type books, and they’re beautiful, but that style is not me. I’ve also read some Christian fiction that is amazingly well-written and with an intriguing plot, but I find the faith element so subtle that sometimes I spend the whole read looking for the spiritual elements. That’s helped me realize that I want the spiritual element in my writing to be clear and applicable without having to hit anyone over the head with it.

On the other hand, there are authors who I love that I wish I could write just like them. But I’m not them. So I read all of their books and study their style and see if there are things they are doing that I can emulate while maintaining my own voice.

Having been a publicist, what marketing tips would you give to new authors that you have seen be particularly successful?

The biggest publicity and marketing tip I can offer is to be available for everything. Take every radio interview that you can line up. Answer every online interview that’s offered. Never turn publicity down. And it seems obvious, but courtesy counts. Be organized and know when you have an interview so that you’re prepared to answer the questions that are asked and do so in a timely manner.

I’ve been very blessed to work with many authors who know the importance of doing the small things and building relationships with media and reviewers in smaller venues, so that when the major national shows come knocking they are practiced at building those relationships and know how to knock the producer’s socks off.

If your publisher offers to do some sort of marketing and publicity for your book, talk with them about it and take them up on everything they’ll offer. Free bookmarks? Take them and pass them out to everyone you know and even people you don’t know. Are they setting up a blog tour for your book? Ask how you can be involved. And whenever possible collect the names and e-mails of the visitors to your blog and website. The contact info is amazingly helpful to most publishers who can then reach out with e-mail blasts to hundreds or thousands of readers who already know and love you.

Tell us what we have to look forward to in the future. What new projects are you working on?

I recently finished my second romantic suspense novel, which isn’t under contract yet, but is currently in consideration with my editor. It’s not a follow up to The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn, but it has some overlapping characters and is a rousing romp into fictional Crescent City, Colorado. Since finishing that manuscript, I’ve been working on a proposal for a contemporary romance set in my home state of Arizona. I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens with both of these stories.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

One of my favorite nonfiction authors is Mark Batterson, the pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC. In his book Wild Goose Chase, Mark says that it’s really easy to pray and just keep praying, waiting for God to answer. But at some point we need to recognize when He’s given us the means to accomplish what we’re asking for and act on it. That’s really applicable to me and probably many other writers. We sit and pray for God to give us the words, but we end up waiting, failing to act on the talents He’s given us. So pray for the words, but know when to stop praying and start typing.

The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn is available from Love Inspired Suspense. To read a review, click here.

Author Interview ~ Nicole Young

Nicole Young has a degree in communications and has earned several awards for speech writing and presentation. In 2004 she won the Noble Theme Award for the Best First Chapter from the American Christian Romance Writers. She is the author of Love Me If You Must and Kill Me If You Can and lives with her family in Michigan.


Caught in the Act

It’s such a pleasure when our kids catch us doing something right. My sixteen-year-old daughter recently cleaned one of the vacation rentals I own as a birthday gift to me. When I checked the property over, it met my high standards.

I asked her how she knew what needed to be done.

“Come on, Mom. I’ve seen you do it a million times!”

The same daughter aced the writing portions of the ACT and SAT. I wanted to shake my head in disbelief at her accomplishment. But why should her success be a surprise? As she was growing up, we would discuss grammar as if it were the weather, plot structure like we were planning the evening meal. She caught my excitement for words and brought it to her own higher level.

Our kids aren’t the only ones who catch our vibes as we chug along toward our personal writing goals. Friends, neighbors, the dishwasher repairman… We inspire them with our fearless exploits as we take a shot at getting published.

Who knows, these secret, aspiring writers might even turn off the television and turn on the computer instead. Suddenly we realize we are transforming the lives of complete strangers simply because as writers, we’re doing what’s right. Writing. May we all be caught in the act.

Kiss Me if You Dare
By Nicole Young

Tish Amble is dead -- or so she's been told. On the run from a backwoods Michigan drug ring that wants her dead, Tish Amble finds herself in sunny California with an assumed identity and a mysterious benefactor. All she wants to do is lay low for awhile, then return to her family -- including her almost-fiance Brad. Instead, she ends up trying to start a normal life, going back to work on the college degree she postponed long ago, and restoring a block of homes.

But her past catches up with her. Someone sabotages her work, and Brad hasn't called in months. Should she return to Michigan to find out what happened? Or would a homecoming be more painful -- and deadly -- than she's ready for?

Full of fast-paced action and nail-biting suspense, Kiss Me If You Dare is the thrilling conclusion to the Patricia Amble Mystery Series.

Melody Carlson on Faking It

Melody Carlson is an award-winning, best-selling author of more than two hundred books for teens, women, and children. She and her husband enjoy an active lifestyle of hiking, camping, and biking in the beautiful yet mysterious Pacific Northwest, where she says, “A new story seems to lurk around every corner.”

Faking It

I never trained to be a writer. Not in the academic sense anyway. I wasn’t an English major, I never took a writing class beyond high school, I’ve only attended a couple of writers’ conferences (as a conferee). And although I’d always admired authors, I never imagined I could be an author. In fact, despite having published around 200 books, I rarely use the word “author” when describing myself.

If anything, I say I’m a writer, probably because it sounds less presumptuous. Because the truth is I always have this underlying fear that someone is going to say, “You’re not really a writer, you haven’t been trained as a writer, therefore you must be faking it.” And maybe I am.

But I suspect that, from the very beginning, life was training me to be a writer. I could never really make up my mind about what I wanted to be “when I grew up.” As a result, I sampled a lot of jobs. I taught pre-school for a while. I spent a year in a third world country as I considered missions work. I worked for an interior designer as well as an international adoption agency. I dabbled at several other varied and unrelated jobs. But like shopping for jeans, it took a lot of trying on before I found what fit just right.

Even when I got the irresistible urge to begin writing, I had no idea where it would take me. I only knew that I had to write or burst. Sort of like my grandma’s old pressure cooker. She’d leave it on the stove for too long and too high and the next thing you knew green beans all splattered all over the ceiling. That’s how I felt. Like all these words and stories and sentences and characters and settings were boiling inside of me. The pressure was growing and I needed to loosen that release valve and get them out.

And so, without any real direction or (as aforementioned) real training, I began to write—on a yellow legal pad since I had no typewrite or computer at the time. Why would I have authentic writing tools when I wasn’t an authentic author? Then I joined a critique group of “real authors.” Naturally, that made me extremely nervous. Not only had these women been properly trained they were published as well.

I remember feeling like a total fraud in their midst. I even tried to “appear” more author-like by wearing tweed jackets (but hadn’t I always liked tweed?) and then I added dangly earrings (didn’t that make a person look more creative?). And although I loved being in this creative group, I couldn’t help but feel that I didn’t belong. I figured that eventually these genuine bona fide authors would figure me out and cast me from their midst.

Instead, they were encouraging. And they were amazed at how quickly I could “spit out” a story and then another and another. What they didn’t realize (and I probably didn’t either) was that those stories had been bubbling and percolating inside of me for years. But even as I completed several novels (three for teens and one for women) I didn’t feel like a real author.

Perhaps that was because “real authors” got published. And all I seemed to get was rejection letters. And so I began to think if I got published, I would become a “real author.” To my stunned amazement an editor became very interested in my work. She even presented my novels to her publishing committee, but for one reason or another they “declined” every one, which only seemed to prove that I wasn’t really an author.

But then she challenged me to write a nonfiction book, saying, “I think I can get that published.” So, feeling even more like a fake (since I was a fiction writer) I threw together a proposal for a nonfiction book. And they contracted it. But even a contracted book didn’t make me feel like an author. And then I began to work for a publishing company, interfacing with REAL authors (ones with BIG names) and I knew for sure that I wasn’t one of them.

Even as I began contracting more books (novels this time) I questioned my authenticity. I didn’t consider myself part of that elite group—real authors. After all, I didn’t know the secret handshake. I still don’t. Even if I got a good book review, I simply assumed I’d dodged a bullet. If a book sold well, I thought I’d just slipped beneath the radar. Even when I began writing full time, I was pretty sure the gig would soon be up…I’d get caught eventually. The Book Police would show up at my door and say, “You’re under arrest for impersonating an author.”

But then I discovered something that’s helped to change my thinking. Lots of other “authors” feel the same way—like they too are “faking it.” So maybe it just comes with the territory. After all, I am a fiction writer. Most of what I write is “made up” so I guess I am faking it.

Author Interview ~ Peg Herring

Peg Herring is a former educator from northern Lower Michigan whose published works include plays, short stories, magazine articles, and novels. When not writing, editing or reading, Peg enjoys choral music. She and her husband of four decades love both travel and working on their ancient but comfortable home.

What book or project is coming out or has come out that you'd like to tell us about?

Five Star will publish my historical mystery, HER HIGHNESS' FIRST MURDER, in January of 2010. The protagonists, young Elizabeth Tudor and a crippled young man named Simon, are drawn into danger when they investigate the beheadings of a series of beautiful young women. Needless to say, Henry VIII does not know of his daughter's involvement in crime-solving.In addition, my first novel, MACBETH'S NIECE, comes out in large print in April of 2009. Since it's what's called a "sweet" romance, it is especially suited for older readers who want or need a little larger font size and enjoy a good story without a lot of sexual specifics. All my books are available in bookstores and on amazon.com.

Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract. What went through your head?

The journey is long, long, long! After I finished MACBETH'S NIECE, it took almost two years to find an agent. She gave up after a year, saying she loved the book but couldn't sell it. I had another manuscript finished by then, so I found an agency that took that one on. After a year, they also wrote to say that although they loved the book, they couldn't sell it. I was quite dejected, but about that time the first agent wrote to ask if MACBETH'S NIECE was still available. That led to a contract with Five Star but even then, the publication date was sixteen months later. That's a lot of waiting (six years total) to hear whether your work is good enough, catchy enough, sellable enough.

When I got the call (actually it was an email), it seemed like a vindication of all my work and worry. I had told no one except my husband and one of my sisters that I was trying to publish, but once I had that contract and that advance check, I was willing to tell anyone who would listen!

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

I don't really doubt that my work is interesting, because I've had great reader feedback. Due to my nature, however, I can always see areas to improve upon. What's strange is the feeling of "celebrity" for lack of a better word. Although most of my friends treat me the way they always have, some people look at me differently, whether in a good way or a bad one I can't say. I'm no smarter, better or more admirable than I was before, but the title "published author" makes a difference in people's perceptions. It's hard for me to put myself "out there" as someone who calls herself a writer.

Years as a reader and an English teacher taught me that styles differ. For every person who loves my work there will be one who doesn't. It's disconcerting to be asked for advice by aspiring writers, because I haven't got the magic they want. All I can do is give my opinion and tell my experiences. Yours will be both different and the same, somehow.

What's the best advice you've heard on writing/publication?

Persist! When at first I read that six years is the average wait-time for publication, I thought, "Not for me." I was wrong. Persistence is key, because so few succeed on the first try, with the first novel, or in the first year. Or five.

How do you plot?

Usually riding along in my car. I love to drive, and my sister lives seven hours away from me. The plot for HER HIGHNESS' FIRST MURDER evolved in that span. The creative part of my brain is free to roam in long periods of silence, so I carry a small recorder and tape what I'm "hearing" in my head. That provides the story's skeleton. Then I love to go to a library and surround myself with books, which provides a great deal of the story's "meat." Yes, I use the Internet too, but there's always a day or more of the library experience to sort of get my bearings. Could Elizabeth have lived in such-and-such a place when she was fourteen? What was Henry's condition at that time? Answers to such questions fill out the story, add characters, and keep me honest, at least as far as a novelist using real history is likely to be. Of course that's the fun part.

The work part is doing the actual writing, where things I thought would work don't and characters won't behave themselves and do as they're told. Shifts, often major ones, come in the writing phase, when creativity meets reality.

Do you begin writing with a synopsis in hand or do you write scenes as they come to you?

My story is very, very vague in the beginning. I'm like Mark Twain, who said that once he'd invented a character, he simply followed him and wrote down his story. I have a goal in mind, such as the solution of a murder, and as I think things through, the murderer shows up, perfectly willing to kill until I find someone who can stop him.

What's something you wish you'd known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

Organize and file! Keep track of every idea, every person you meet, every snippet of networking information, everything you do to promote your work and yourself. Put it into some easily accessible format.

Organization is key to success in both the creative and the business aspects of writing. Plots need to be organized of course, but you need to know where to find the name of that person who said she might write a blurb or that agency that said to check back in six months and they might take a look, too. There needs to be a balance.

Is there a particularly difficult set back that you've gone through in your writing career you are willing to share?

The hardest thing for me is my personal life drifting like a snow-bank over my career pathway. It's hard to sustain the intense focus that writing a novel takes when there's something else niggling at my concentration. It's hard to arrange promotional events when medical necessity might wipe out all my plans.On the other hand, writing is a great escape once I get into it, so outside troubles can be made to disappear.

How do you think reading the work of others helps you as a writer?

I've become MUCH pickier about what I consider good writing. I recognize weak plots almost from chapter one, become disgusted with flat or illogical characters, require an ending that clears up all questions, and find redundant/incorrect writing intolerable.On the other hand, I SO appreciate the great writers who pull it all together and make me sad that the story has to end.

What piece of writing have you done that you're particularly proud of and why?

Like many writers, I love whatever I'm working on at the moment. I suppose MACBETH'S NIECE will always be special because it's the first one that won the "prize" of publication.

What is your best advice on maintaining a good editor-author relationship?

I've been lucky with copy editors. My initial-reading editor is very patient and helpful. My editor at Five Star is also great. Because I know she's very, very busy, I try to maintain clear communication without bothering her with needless questions. I've found that the author's handbook I was given provides answers to most of my concerns. I do keep my editor informed of my promotional activities, because it helps the company keep track of where sales are and when they need to consider reprinting. It doesn't hurt to let them know that I'm out there working on it, either!

How many drafts do you edit before submitting to your editor?

That's hard to say, since the computer allows mini-edits. Once I've got a finished first draft, I like to edit in layers, so I'll do a read-through just looking for sensory detail, another just looking at dialogue, another for chapter length, and so on. I'd guess I read a work twenty times before I submit, probably print it out five times (I'm a former English teacher and need to feel the pen-in-my-hand edit) but I've had the luxury of time so far. It should get easier as I get more practice.

I always tell aspiring writers to put the MS away for a long time, six weeks to six months, once you think it's finished. When you come back to it you'll see the big problems. However, that's not possible once an author starts on a publisher's schedule. For example, a friend just told me her publisher gave her six months to write, edit, and submit her next novel. That requires multi-tasking as you write and edit. A good piece of advice I've heard is to read the whole thing in one day as a sort of test to see if it holds together, then go back for a final edit.

We often hear how important it is to write a good query letter to whet the appetite of an editor. What tips can you offer to help other writers pen a good query?

I do three paragraphs: one on the book (genre, length, why it's exciting), one about me (very basic stuff related to publishing), and one on my marketing strategy and promotional experience. Some in the industry feel that the query is losing importance because everyone these days gets lessons on how to do it well. I don't know about that, but it's a requirement, so try for sparkle without sounding either pompous or silly.

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

Not really. I get frustrated because everything moves so slowly in this business, but I have a very supportive husband who just says, "Keep doing what you love." And I do love it.

How much marketing/publicity do you do? Any advice in this area?

I use my teaching background as a base and present on a variety of topics at libraries, writers' groups, and schools. This provides lots of contacts, and I feel that I'm not just "pushing" my book but offering an entertaining/enlightening presentation as well. Writers have to work with what they have in terms of promotion, and we all have different strengths. I've seen writers who wear costumes, writers who make outrageous claims about their books, writers who make it their goal to visit every bookstore in the United States. They say in promotion that everything works, you just don't know how much any one thing works. Oddly, I've seen a lot of writers spend time promoting to other writers, which seems to me less productive than going where the readers are.

Have you received a particularly memorable reader response?

The most recent one was from a young mother who berated me (in a teasing way) for keeping her from home-schooling her four young children. "I can't put your book down!" was the opening line. Another was from a former school principal who claims that MACBETH'S NIECE should be required reading in every high school where Macbeth is taught, because students would like the story. I wish she ran the Department of Education!

Parting words?

Thanks to Sandra for the "pulpit" and to everyone who reads and promotes reading. As a teacher, my highest goal was to create readers, because they are people who will never be bored, will never be dull, and whose worlds will always be expanding.

Setting the Setting

Ronie Kendig has a BS in Psychology and is a wife, mother of four, and avid writer. Her espionage thriller, Dead Reckoning, will be released through Abingdon Press (March 2010) and the first book in her military thriller series, Nightshade, will hit shelves July 2010 (Barbour Publishing). An active member of ACFW, Ronie serves as the Book of the Year coordinator, assistant to the conference appointment coordinator and volunteers on the conference planning committee.

Visit Ronie at her website or her blog.

Last month in our series on Psychology in Writing, we explored psychology in characters. Knowing your character, knowing how each element of your story will affect them is vital to capturing your audience. This month, we’re going to engage psychology through the setting.

Have you ever read a book and *felt* the sun’s warm brilliance on your face? Or the wind that whipped and tore at your character fighting his way back to his house in the midst of a tornado? Every element of setting should have an impact on or reflection of your character.

First, let’s establish the obvious. What is setting? Is it the type of building, the weather, the location? In a word, yes. It’s everything. But let’s not relegate the setting to the backdrop on the stage of your story. Bring it alive. Make it work for--or against--your story and characters.

When I walk into a nursing home, I’m creeped out. Now, before you say I’m gerontophobic, understand that I had several negative experiences in that setting as a child. And so it is with your characters. Each setting you take the time to graft into your story should have an impact on him/her.

What sort of experiences, positive or negative, snap your character into the past or make her shut down entirely? Let’s scale back a bit. The setting doesn’t just have to be the large, empty warehouse on the wharf. It can be a hardwood floor leading to a study where the dry air and wall of leather-bound books assail your hero with fond memories, or the old beat-up ’64 Mustang that remind your heroine of her father and stir her to be better, remind her to finish what she starts (or some such).

Setting should be as much alive as your character. Don’t let it grow stale or cliché. Does your character have a flat-screen TV? Why? Is it your heroine who uses the massive, ceiling-to-floor screen to study the surveillance footage of a crime scene? Or is your hero an America’s Army game junkie who’s hooked it up for life-sized gaming? Does the floor-model TV remind your hero of long nights spent watching Mr. Ed with his grandfather? What about the curio cabinet full of snow globes? Why are they there?

And since we’re having so much fun with this (you are, aren’t you?), let me challenge your thinking. The POV of a character is the setting as well. Okay, I see the deer-in-the-headlights look already. Let me explain: every situation your character walks into, every building or city, should trigger some psychological response.

Don’t get me wrong. You don’t have to psych out the character or reader with everything. These impact points can be very subtle or very obvious. Check it out:

Subtle: a character walks into an unfamiliar setting.

Psychological response: unsuspecting, calm, curious (great potential to throw something heinous at your unsuspecting character, for drama . . . or let them experience the neutrality so they lower their defenses little by little).

Obvious: character walks into a dark room with no windows and a familiar odor.

Psychological response: immediate tension and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms as the character recalls a holding cell in Viet Nam.

It’s also important to note that two (or three, four . . . etc.) characters are likely to have very different reactions to the same setting. For one person, walking into a rec center may remind them of the day they shattered their ankle and shot at the pros. Yet another character may remember the moment they met their true love. The heroine may see a beautiful landscape filled with wildflowers and sense freedom, while the hero sees the endless acreage that will demand his time and energy.

As you can see, setting elicits not only visual stimulation, but it should have an impact on your character (and thus, your reader). Messing with people’s minds is fun, and this is one more element of the story where you can evoke a response that is specific to your character.

Make the mundane marvelous. When a reader walks into the setting of your story, what is it telling them about your hero or story? How can you tailor the setting to better reflect your story or challenge your character?

(For more information on setting and its impact, read the new Donald Maass craft book, The Fire in Fiction. Specifically, chapter four, "The World of the Novel," goes into more detail on this subject.)