All That Matters

Rebeca Seitz is wife, mother and scrapbooker as well as the Founder and President of Glass Road Public Relations. Her current novel is Prints Charming a story about girlfriends and scrapbooking.








As some of you may know, I’m currently in school getting my masters degree in mass communications. This week, as I sat listening to my teacher expound upon the history of the television crime drama (yep, it’s really a class), I was struck by a profound thought (okay, I thought it was profound – but that could be the effect of the Diet Dr. Pepper and M&M combination I was sucking down to stay awake): these producers, directors, and actors we’re studying from the 1950s and 60s are remembered by so few these days.

For instance, can you name the most prolific producer of syndicated television shows of all time? He had a production budget of $6 million (in the 50s!!) and produced The Cisco Kid, Highway Patrol, and Sea Hunt. It was Frederick W. Ziv. Better yet, have you ever watched one episode of those shows? We watched Highway Patrol in class and, let me tell you, we’ve come a long way, baby.

As I stared at Frederick W. Ziv’s face on the PowerPoint presentation before me, I knew I was looking at a professionally successful man. And then I wondered if he was spiritually successful.

Did Ziv acknowledge the One who carved out this fabulous life niche for him? Did he tithe? Did he marry, have children, and teach them the importance of keeping God first? Did he pray about the direction he took his production company? Was each major decision analyzed and brought before the throne of the Almighty, laid at His feet, and left to His will?


Scripture tells us that non-believers are just as earthly successful (if not more so) than believers, so Ziv’s excellent career doesn’t indicate the presence of faith. I found an interview Nick Clooney did with Ziv and watched it. He said he knew he, “…had an affinity for writing.” Hmm, an affinity. Sounds like “created for a purpose” to me.
Ziv also wrote a book, The Valiant Muse, which Putnam published – before he entered the world of television. It was poems written by those killed in World War I. More voices that we’ve forgotten since their death. How many of those whose words were captured in a book that’s now out of print are singing in Heaven at this moment?

Which brought me back to my profound thought: how true the saying that what we do for eternity – for faith’s sake - is all that matters.

I may, indeed, be sitting at the helm of a groundbreaking publicity firm. It could all go up in smoke tomorrow or it could become a multi-million dollar venture as Ziv’s production company did. It could be a voice crying in the wilderness or it could have a profound effect on the publishing industry. Either way, though, I’m destined to die at some point. And when that time comes, what will I have done that lasts?

I’m blessed in that my professional life is juxtaposed with my faith because the firm represents Christian novelists. Great strides at work mean great strides for the faith. That’s true for you, too, as a Christian writer. How amazingly blessed we are to be given a career path in which we can make lasting, faith-based, change and growth in people’s lives.

And, yet, we could so easily let the stories become about something else. Many, many something elses.

Frederick W. Ziv and the countless others who have walked this earth, conquered their field, and been pronounced commercial successes serve as a reminder to me today: best-seller lists, sales in the millions, literary awards, six-figure contracts – it all falls away in the end. And what will be left are the words, the actions, that were taken for the faith.

Author Interview ~ Diana Gabaldon

Diana Gabaldon is the author of the award-winning, NYT-bestselling OUTLANDER novels, described by Salon magazine as "the smartest historical sci-fi adventure-romance story ever written by a science Ph.D. with a background in scripting "Scrooge McDuck" comics."

The adventure began in 1991 with the classic OUTLANDER ("historical fiction with a Moebius twist"), continued through five more New York Times-bestselling novels--DRAGONFLY IN AMBER, VOYAGER, DRUMS OF AUTUMN, THE FIERY CROSS, and A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES--and a nonfiction (well, relatively) companion volume, THE OUTLANDISH COMPANION, which provides copious details on the settings, background, characters, research, and writing of the novels. Dr. Gabaldon has also written a historical mystery, LORD JOHN AND THE PRIVATE MATTER, and several novellas featuring Lord John Grey.

The most recent OUTLANDER novel, A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES, won the 2006 Corine prize for Fiction, and the 2006 Quill Award for "best science-fiction/fantasy/horror"

What new book or project do you have coming out?

Well, LORD JOHN AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE BLADE will be released in September (this year—2007),

followed immediately by LORD JOHN AND THE HAND OF DEVILS in December. BROTHERHOOD OF THE BLADE is either the second Lord John historical mystery—or the first, depending how you want to look at it. LORD JOHN AND THE PRIVATE MATTER, published in 2004, was technically the "first" Lord John novel—but I was under the impression that it was a short story when I wrote it . I knew BROTHERHOOD was a novel when I began it (and it's nearly twice as long as PRIVATE MATTER).

HAND OF DEVILS is a collection of three "Lord John" novellas: "Lord John and the Hellfire Club," "Lord John and the Succubus," and "Lord John and the Haunted Soldier." (The first two novellas have appeared in print, in a mystery anthology (PAST POISONS) and a fantasy anthology (LEGENDS II), but "Haunted Soldier"—which follows BROTHERHOOD OF THE BLADE chronologically—is brand new.)

I should add that there is a "Book Seven" in the OUTLANDER series, to follow A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES. These massive books take me 2-3 years to write, but I am working on it, as well as on RED ANT'S HEAD, a contemporary mystery.

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

Not at all. I just wanted to write a novel, in order to learn how. Having decided that for me, an historical novel would likely be the easiest thing to do (no genre constraints—as such—and I was a research professor; I knew what to do with a library), I chose eighteenth-century Scotland on a whim, having seen a minor Scottish character from 1745 (in his kilt ) on an ancient "Dr. Who" rerun.

(Despite the "Dr. Who" connection, I should note that this had nothing to do with the time-travel aspects of the book.) It was a perfectly straightforward historical novel for about three days. At that point, I decided that, while I needed a lot of Scotsmen because of the kilt factor, it would be a good idea to have a female character to play off them and create sexual tension—and since I'd already decided to use the Jacobite Rising as a backdrop, if I made her an Englishwoman, we'd have lots of tension.

Mind, I knew nothing else about her, save that she was an Englishwoman. So, on the third day, I loosed her into a cottage full of Scotsmen, to see what she'd do. Whereupon she refused to talk like an eighteenth-century person; just kept making smart-ass modern remarks about everything she saw—and she also took over and started telling the story herself.

"Fine," I said. "I'm not going to fight with you all the way through this book. Nobody's ever going to see this; it doesn't matter what bizarre thing I do. Go ahead and be modern; I'll figure out how you got there later." So it's all her fault that there's time-travel in these books.)

Tell us about your publishing journey. How long had you been writing before you got a contract? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

Well…I got a literary agent before I finished the manuscript (not common; I was very lucky). When I did finish, he sent the ms. to five editors…and within four days, three of them had called with offers to buy it.

My agent called to tell me this. As I recall, my response was, "Oh" . "That's…good, isn't it?" "Very good!" he assured me.

Your first series was the Outlander, a time travel series. My husband and I both read them all and loved them. Was it a tough sell to publishers? If so, what kept you motivated to continue writing a genre that might not have seen the light of publishing day?

See above.

The OUTLANDER series is not finished, btw. I don't yet have a working title for Book Seven (which is what I'm calling it, by default), but there is one. Or maybe two. I won't know until I'm a lot farther into it.

Discuss how you approach the issue of the time-traveler and the time-resident realizing they're not from the same time period.

I just wrote it as I saw it happening. It doesn't happen often, and when it does, I just take into account the personalities on both sides.

Today, time travel stories are a tough sell. Why do you think publishers and/or readers are hesitant about them?

Possibly because so many of them are Just Awful, would be my guess.

Do you ever struggle with writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

No. I realized a long time ago that the only way past a writer's block was the obvious: you write. It doesn't matter if what you're writing is difficult, bad, frustrating, whatever. If you keep doing it, it gets easier, better, more satisfying, whatever. If you don't, it doesn't. Ergo, you gotta writer's block, you write. QED.

What is the most difficult part of writing for you (or was when you first started on your writing journey), i.e. plot, POV, characterization, etc?

Nothing in particular. Just the constant necessity of finding words—the best words—and putting them on the page.

(I should maybe add that I can't—as many people seem to—regard writing as an assemblage of separate pieces: plot, character, POV, grammar, etc., that all have to be dealt with separately and then somehow coordinated. It's just… writing.)

Where do you write? Do you have a dedicated office or a corner or nook in a room?

Well, I do have an office. But I can—and do—work almost anywhere. When I'm writing, I'm not actually where my body is, so it really doesn't matter.

Do you have a word or page goal you set for each day?

Depends where I am in the book. In the early stages of a book, when I don't know anything about it, and am doing a lot of research, I may only be writing half a page or so each day—but I do write every day. That's important; if you don't, the inertia builds up on you, and the prospect of beginning gets more and more daunting. If you're writing even a little bit each day, it kind of keeps the gears oiled.

As I move into the book, though, and begin to have some idea of what's going on here and there, my "walking pace," as I put it, is about a thousand words a day. I maintain that through the greater part of the book. Then, as I approach the final phase—what I call The Final Frenzy—where I know everything, then it's just a matter of how long I can sit at the keyboard without falling over. I may be working 12-15 hours a day, barely pausing to eat or sleep. Luckily, this phase only lasts a few weeks, or I'd die.

What does a typical day look like for you?

This would be assuming that there is such a thing. Well, there sort of is. If I'm not having to go run around the world, make commencement speeches at universities (I'm doing one next week; the university in question is awarding me an honorary degree: Doctor of Humane Letters (yeah, I did ask them what an inhumane letter might be. You'd think people who deal with undergraduates would have more of a sense of humor)), or drop everything to copy-edit a manuscript or rewrite the catalogue copy…

I get up around 9 AM (ideally), get a Diet Coke, and stagger upstairs, where I spend an hour or two answering email, doing interview questions, making a to-do list for the day, and possibly carving a little wood. Around 11, I become sufficiently compos mentis to work, and start writing, just to get a foothold on the day's work.

Then my husband comes home for lunch, we hang around or run an errand or two—go get the car washed on our way home from Burger King, for instance--then I go up and work for another hour; maybe more, if the words are rolling.

If not, I may do research—go down to the university library or paw through my vast reference collection—or more business stuff (just saying "No," politely takes a lot of time. Saying "Yes," takes even more, because then the people who have invited you to do something next year start peppering you with requests for photos, bios, descriptions of what you're going to do, hotel preferences (non-smoking and 24-hour Room Service. For some reason, the hosts never believe me about the 24-hour Room Service.

If you do evening events—which I normally do—though, chances are good that you'll get back to your hotel after 10 PM. This means you eat out of the vending machine, or you call the nearest Domino's and hope they stay open after 10 PM).

Mid-afternoon, I go run the household errands: dry-cleaning, dog to vet, grocery-shopping, Thuricide ™ for the grape-vines (yes, I am an organic gardener. Despite the name, Thuricide ™ is a biological agent—it's actually a bacterium that, when ingested by grape-vine skeletonizers, causes them to starve to death. So much more humane than zapping them with Raid or DDT), etc. Then I work in my garden for awhile (herbs, vegetables, and flowers), exercise (I try to walk five miles a day, whether inside or out, depending on the weather), and fix dinner (love to cook).

Hang around with my husband for awhile. He likes to go to bed early, so I tuck him in around 10, then go lie down on the couch with a book—research or recreation—and if no one needs me for anything, I'll fall asleep in 15-20 minutes. Then I wake up automatically around midnight or 1 AM, and go upstairs to work. My main work-time is between midnight and 4 AM. Then I go back to bed.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

I don't know. I do hang around with writers, and every now and then someone will say something that causes me to nod and go, "Yeah! What you said!" Don't keep track of them, though; there's a lot of good advice around—the only thing that matters is whether it's what you need at the time.

What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?

Well…nothing, really. I didn't waste much time. I should perhaps point out that while OUTLANDER was indeed my first novel, I was in fact a very experienced writer at the time I decided to try writing a novel. I was 36, a professional scientist, a university professor—and in addition to all the things one has to write in process of getting advanced degrees and pursuing that sort of career, I'd also been writing freelance (everything from Walt Disney comics to software reviews for BYTE magazine, computer documentation and tutorials, and articles on how to clean a long-horn cow's skull to use as home decoration—basically, anything anyone would pay me for) for several years. I knew one end of a sentence from the other, and I knew how to write query letters, read contracts, and deal with editors.

And I was a research professor. I knew how to find things out, and I did—in terms of how publishing works (or worked; it's changed quite a bit over the last fifteen years), finding a literary agent, etc. As I said above, I had an agent some months before I finished the book, and he sold it (and the next two books) pretty much immediately.

As for saving time in writing….kind of not the point. I know what you're asking—did I spend months tangled up in my underwear and finally discover The Joy of Outlining---but no. I write in a very idiosyncratic way that depends in part on the way my mind works, and in part on the fact that I began writing fiction while having two full-time jobs and three small children. I.e., I write in bits and pieces, non-linearly, and gradually, the pieces begin to stick together; as I work, each book evolves into an n-dimensional geometrical "shape" in my head, and new pieces fit into it. I don't suppose that this is the height of efficiency—but as I said, saving time and being efficient aren't the point of writing a novel; the point is to write a good book. However you do that is the right way to have done it.

How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?

For the most part, Internet stuff: my website, and assorted interviews like this one. For my last book, the publisher suggested doing a series of podcasts, which were remarkably popular, judging from the comments I received. I don't know whether the podcasts attracted any new readers, or just made the old ones happy , but it was a good idea, either way; I'd certainly do it again.

I don't do a lot of marketing, save when a new book is about to come out. Then I'll go do book-tours and the like. Otherwise, I have to pick and choose what I'll do in the way of personal appearances, because after a certain point in a writing career, that stuff will just eat you alive, and you have no time for writing books, personal life, or anything else.

I try to keep it down to two or three big jaunts (I just came back from one of these; a three-week, six-city hop that encompassed a National Library Week gig in Virginia Beach, a visit with my eldest daughter in Charlottesville, a dinner with my sister in Washington, DC, a Spanish book-tour in Madrid and Barcelona, and a rendezvous with my husband in New York, during which I also had nonstop business meetings with assorted editors, agents, etc.) a year, plus one or two one-day events that don't require a lot of travel—i.e., a day at the Arizona Book Festival, or a day at one of the sf/f cons in-state, or a public library appearance in California, Arizona, or New Mexico (anyplace I can reach and return from within a day).—a month. This means developing the capacity to say, "No," several times a week—which is regrettable, because I really enjoy talking to readers—but it's a matter of self-preservation.

For the new "Lord John" books, the publisher has asked me to do a "Long Pen" signing at this year's BEA (BookExpo). Rather than flying me to New York (where the BookExpo is this year) to sign galleys in person, which would take three days of my time, they'll instead have a technician come to my house and set up equipment that (theoretically) will allow me to chat with readers for an hour via a video-conferencing screen and physically sign their galleys. We'll see how this works, but it sounds interesting.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Sure. Gabaldon's Three Rules on Becoming a Writer:
1. Read.
2. Write.
And (most important)—
3. Don't Stop!!

Good luck!

Author Interview ~ Debby Giusti

Always busy with church, school and community activities, when Debby Giusti and her family moved to Atlanta, GA, she knew it was time to settle down and write her first book. Despite occasional moments of wanderlust, she spends most of her time writing inspirational romantic suspense for Steeple Hill. Debby has written magazine articles for Southern Lady, Woman’s World, Our Sunday Visitor, Army and Family. She serves on the editorial advisory board of ADVANCE for Administrators of the Laboratory, and stories about her family’s outreach are featured in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE VOLUNTEER’S SOUL and CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE CHRISTIAN SOUL 2.

What new book or project do you have coming out?

Thanks for inviting me to chat on Novel Journey. Your site is phenomenal, and I’m a frequent visitor. Keep up the great work.

Nowhere to Hide, my debut inspirational romantic suspense from Steeple Hill, was an April release so I’ve spent the last month traveling around Georgia and Alabama telling folks about my book. That’s been fun! Whenever I talk to readers, I always remind them that they’re the reason I write.

My second novel, Scared to Death, will be out in August. Book three—MIA: Missing in Atlanta—will be released in March 2008.

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

Inspiration for Nowhere to Hide hit one day shortly after my family and I moved into a new home that had a security alarm. Inadvertently, one of us tripped the silent alarm that alerts the police department of a problem. When I looked out the window and saw two police officers running toward my house, hands on their guns, I knew I had a great opening for my book.

Tell us about your publishing journey. How long had you been writing before you got a contract? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

I’m a medical technologist and started writing for medical magazines, then added some ladies’ publications as I increased my freelancing. Eventually, I turned to writing full-length fiction. Steeple Hill Senior Editor Krista Stroever called me on August 3, 2005, and said she wanted to offer me a contract for Nowhere to Hide. Luckily Krista prompted me to write down everything she said because, when I got off the phone, I was in shock and couldn’t remember anything except she wanted to publish my book.

Do you ever struggle with writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

My problem is more writer’s procrastination! I can always find something around the house that needs to be done instead of sitting at the computer, especially at the beginning of a story when I’m trying to get that first draft written. Now, I use my Alpha Smart--a keyboard with a small screen—for the first draft. It forces me to push forward to the end. Then I enter the text into my computer and start rewriting, which is my favorite part of the process.

What is the most difficult part of writing for you (or was when you first started on your writing journey), i.e. plot, POV, characterization, etc?

Hmmm? I’d have to say characterization. At first I created perfect characters who had no flaws and were very dull people. Now I like to pile on the problems and see how the hero and heroine work their way out of the mess.

Where do you write? Do you have a dedicated office or a corner or nook in a room?

I’m lucky to have an office, but since I’m an extrovert, I sometimes tire of being alone. That’s when I grab my laptop and head to the local Starbucks. Being surrounded by a coffeehouse full of people makes the work much more fun.

Do you have a word or page goal you set for each day?

I should have a page count, but I don’t. Right now, I just spend a good portion of each day at the computer. Eventually the book gets done.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I usually write from mid-morning to late afternoon when it’s time to start dinner. In the evening, I’ll return to the computer to check my emails or do marketing work.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

There’s a line I love from Art & Fear, by David Bayles and Ted Orland: Those who succeed have learned how not to quit. That says it all. Believe in yourself and your work and keep moving forward. Eventually your dream will come true!

What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?

Oh, there’s so much I wish I’d known earlier. But perhaps one of the most important gems of truth came from Stephanie Bond, a wonderful writer and fellow member of Georgia Romance Writers. She always tells new GRW folks to remember that writing is a business and the book is their product. Had I taken her words to heart earlier I would have realized all those rejections weren’t personal. The editors weren’t rejecting Debby Giusti--they were rejecting my product that needed more work.

How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?

Since Nowhere to Hide is my debut book, I’ve put a lot of emphasis on getting to know readers by speaking at writers groups and community events. I’m not sure if that has led to more sales, but I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many interesting people. I also like to make up goodies bags with an excerpt from my book, a bookmark and some chocolate. That way folks get a “taste” of what my story is about.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Often writers hit a plateau before they make their first sale. Seems they’re doing everything right, but their manuscripts are still rejected. Unfortunately, that’s when many folks stop writing, which is a shame because hitting the plateau means they’re so close. My advice? Consider making a slight shift in style or technique. Often that can move a story from rejection to sale.

Author Interview ~ Geoffrey Wood

Geoffrey Wood has been working in both coffee and theater for nearly twentyyears ---acting and directing, roasting and sipping. He holds a BFA inTheater from the University of Memphis, an MA in Theater from the Universityof New Mexico, and has worked in theater professionally, educationally andliturgically for the last fifteen years. Leaper is his first novel, but heloves it just the same. Geoffrey lives in the Cooper/Young neighborhood ofMemphis which he calls home.

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

My first novel releases June 19th, 2007, with WaterBrook Press a subsidiary of Random House. Leaper: The Misadventures of a Not-Necessarily-Super Hero follows three days in the life of a coffee shop barista who one day develops a superpower --if he focuses intently on a glare, say, from his watch, and thinks of a place who truly desires to be, he transports across space without the use of time. He leaps. Good news? Well, super-things don't work out as super-smoothly as one might believe.

Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.

I've worked in theater all my life: writing, acting, adapting, directing. But a few years ago I decided to try my hand at novels. I took six months off from the world and wrote two books, one of which I sold at a conference to WaterBrook. (I went to that conference for just such a purpose and had researched who would be there and their book lines.) The initial meeting was positive and my editor contacted me about a month later with the offer. Neurotic thoughts typically go through my head so mine has been a journey of doing the next step but remaining wary of all that could go amiss.

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

Often.

No, frequently.

No, daily, final answer.

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

I have been blessed. WaterBrook has been wonderful, my editor's a dream. I often wonder what more I should do for them --I guess I write the books. But they've taken care of me very well.

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

Work on a project as daily as possible, spend the hours each day and trust that those hours are progress even if there aren't many pages in hand at the close of a day. If you do that, for two, three, four days, the next will be breakthrough, almost always.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

Write for yourself. (I enjoy writing, I can be indulgent in my vision, but ultimately I'm hoping to engage others, that's the fun part, so audience cannot be obliterated from consideration.)

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

I'm hoping just to have a writing career so I'll let you know if and when I pull that off.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

As I Lay Dying by Faulkner. Mystery and Manners by Flannery O'Connor. The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby. The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy.

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

I wrote a short piece --more memory than short story-- about my grandmother. I like that one.

Take us through your process of writing a novel briefly—from conception to revision.

John Irving once said something to the effect that he will never begin to write until he's fully imagined. I like that guy. I usually take months scribbling on napkins, notepads, walls, arms and letting things stew. When I've got enough napkins I'll start to outline the book. Then I keep taking notes, blah, blah --till one day they start talking to me. At that point I write down what they tell me.

Then I over-write. I write everything they tell me and then I write what I see them do, then I make them tell me more. Once I have enough material then I go back and read it, try to shape it, make it better. That's all for draft one. Then my editor and I wrangle happily from there.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

I would like to write three novels in the style I'm working now, hopefully improving that style with each effort. The I'd like to try something different, maybe something more southern. (I'm from Memphis.)

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

I quit thinking about quitting back when a dear friend told me, "Look, you're not ever going to not do this 'creating things' in some capacity. So stop worrying about it and do whatever you have to do."

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

Re-writes are hardest for me because I primarily hear my characters. When I hear them one way, it's hard for me to hear it differently, regardless of how needful the re-write may be. I think my favorite part is the imagining.

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

I have done what I can locally, and have not done as much as I probably should otherwise. However, I have no idea nor advice what else I could do myself. The folks at Random House have done much and I'm trusting things to them.

Have you received a particularly memorable reader response?

I just read the in-book-cover endorsements the other day. Somebody used the word "romp" I'm a big fan of that word. Somebody else called the dialogue "delicious." I liked that guy.

Bambi vs. Godzilla

Mike Duran's stories have appeared in Relief Journal, Forgotten Worlds, Alienskin, and Dragons, Knights and Angels, with articles in The Matthew’s House Project and Relevant Magazine. He was also one of ten authors picked for Infuze Magazine’s Best of 2005 print anthology. Mike is an ordained minister, has led numerous small groups and developed discipleship-training curriculum for several churches. He and his wife Lisa live in Southern California , where they have raised four children. Mike has written an unpublished novel entitled What Faith Awakes and is currently at work on a second. You can visit him at www.mikeduran.com.

It's the title of David Mamet's latest book. Subtitled On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business, the book takes its name from a 1969 short animated film entitled Bambi Meets Godzilla. It was voted #38 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field. The cartoon is just under two minutes, most of the time spent on credits. It begins with a fawn munching clover and ends with the critter plastered under a massive, reptilian foot. The battle lasts approximately the blink of an eye.

While Mamet is hardly at the bottom of the industry food chain, he speaks often as an outsider, eloquently ranting against the powers that be and the corruption of those powers. And in that, Mamet gives hope to all us bambis.

The publishing industry, much like Hollywood, can appear monstrous -- a lumbering, impersonal behemoth that leaves aspiring authors stomped in its wake. We clamber after the creature only to find ourselves flattened by naysayers, rejections, deadlines, sluggish sales, tough critiques, or just plain lack of genius. It's the nature of the beast.

But occasionally, some greenhorn will rise up in protestation, arm their sling, and challenge the brute. It may not be the best career move, but boy is it gutsy.

Recently, I visited a team writers’ blog and stumbled upon a courageous little stone slinger. Oftentimes, the comment sections of our websites are just echo chambers, platforms for atta-boys, amens and self-promotional snippets. Nevertheless, on this particular post, the aspiring author was challenging the assumptions of some industry luminaries. After the blast, you could hear a pin drop in cyberspace. And then the big reptilian foot came down... or at least, a curt, defensive rebuttal from the team members. I've unleashed my share of harsh, ill-timed, stupid comments upon unsuspecting webmasters. But in this particular case, I felt the “little” commentator had a good point.

Question: Should a wannabe novelist dare challenge the industry she is seeking publication in? Isn't it smarter to heed those who've "arrived," rather than question them? Aren't we better off rowing instead of rocking the boat?

There's a fine line between being a rabble rouser and an agent of change. Perhaps they are the same. Of course, under Taliban rule, agents of change are usually left limbless. Thankfully, CBA authors and publishers are a lot more civil. “Speak the truth in love,” the apostle Paul said, and elsewhere, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition…” Of course, how this translates into the "business" side of things is another story. If anything, it means the tone of our discussions and in-house debates should be different, less hostile, less ad hominem. Nevertheless, many of these exchanges still result in flattened fawns.

After several years hanging around religious writer-types, I'm beginning to see a growing divide. On the one hand are those who enjoy "faith fiction" -- inspirational stories aimed at Christian audiences with explicit biblical themes, minus the unwholesome elements (like sex, liquor, cussing and buckets of blood). On the other hand are those who aim for a broader audience. They tend to tolerate profanity, do not require a clear-cut inspirational resolution (i.e., the protagonist gets saved, baptized and quits smoking) and feel boxed in by the “Christian Fiction” label. Oftentimes, the disagreements between these two camps can become -- how shall I say it -- nasty. As a result, many authors, willingly or unwillingly, end up outside the CBA fold.

But is it an either/or? Either you play by the rules, or you play elsewhere? Either you row the boat, or you get out? Shouldn't there be a middle ground where writers like me -- people that have a stake, at least an interest, in the future of "Christian literature" -- can voice contrary opinions or express concerns without feeling shunned, frowned upon, or driven outside the camp?

Almost a year ago, a team blog was launched that I've watched with interest. Speculative Faith exists to mobilize what they believe is “a diverse and sizable audience hungry for Christian speculative literature.” In their mission statement, Mirtika Schultz writes:

~~We want to mobilize a reading and writing community that will impact the future editorial acquisitional decisions of CBA publishing houses. Right now, they are not favorably inclined toward speculative fiction.

~~We want better and more varied and just plain MORE novels from CBA publishing houses in our genre.

As such, Spec Faith exists to fill a hole in the CBA, to bring attention to what they perceive as an industry deficiency, or at least, oversight. Their tone is cordial, upbeat, Christian. But there is a fair share of banter. Most recently, the absence of a Visionary category in the Christy Awards has got them all abuzz.

I'm guessing that voices like this, though contrary, discordant -- even potentially annoying to some -- play an essential role in the Christian book industry.

Recently, CCM changed its name to "Christ. Community. Music." It’s part of an effort to broaden its appreciation of “Christian music,” to embrace believing artists outside the mainstream religious music industry. And this after 29 years of publication! In a recent interview, Jay Swartzendruber, editor of CCM Magazine, described this evolution:

Initially, the name CCM stood for “contemporary Christian music,” and we just assumed everyone just knew it. But by the late 90s, CCM was doing surveys, different things with readers and discovered that the name of the genre Contemporary Christian Music kind of had a smaller box than what the magazine wanted to cover.

According to Swartzendruber, many Christian artists “…started to quietly distance themselves from the term ‘contemporary Christian music’…” Bands like Sixpence None the Richer, P.O.D., Switchfoot and Jars of Clay were blazing trails into previously uncharted territory, getting airplay on secular stations and winning over non-believing fans. CCM was in danger of placing its artists and target market into a “smaller box.” The fact that after almost 30 years CCM would recast itself and rethink its objectives, says a lot about the group. Could a similar reevaluation be needed for the CBA?

Change, especially institutional change, starts slow, often occurring at the grassroots level before the executive. Kingdoms turn as much on peasants as potentates. But the bigger the kingdom, the slower the steering. While discussions about CBA boundaries, blind spots, and shortcoming can appear seditious, it may also be an important, much needed reformation cry. That these cries are issued from the peasantry should not lessen their urgency.

So here I am. Bambi. I love the Lord and His Church. Yet I've also got gripes about the state of Christian fiction. What do I do? Sure, throwing rocks at Godzilla may get him to look my way. But, it could also get me stomped. Oh well, maybe it's better to shut up and keep rowing.

Sunday Devotion- Ten Commandments for Writers #2

Janet Rubin

Deuteronomy 5:8-9 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 9 You shall not bow down to them or worship them."

When God said not to make idols, I don’t think He only meant carved statues of false gods with funny names. He made a point of saying, “an idol in the form of anything.” He knew that anything could become an idol to us. We “make” things into idols when we let them control us, when we put them before God. As writers, we can easily become idol-worshippers if we aren’t careful.

The writing itself can become an idol. Let’s face it, the best way to improve our writing is to write. A lot. Every day if possible. We can become so focused on writing that God gets pushed to the backseat. Many days I’ve been guilty of starting my day off at the computer rather than in the Word. I am so anxious to get to the writing I want to do, that I don’t make time to talk to God and let Him talk to me. Or I squeeze in a five minute Bible speed-reading session, skimming Scripture while half my mind is still on my novel plot, then slapping my New King James shut before the words have a chance to sink in. After this sad excuse for a visit with my Savior, I spend hours intimately involved with imaginary people—my characters—trying to understand them, giving them my heart and soul and energy.

Our goals can become idols. What are you longing for? Publication? The best seller list? Book signings? Yeah, me too. And that’s fine as long as we can still say, “not my will, but Yours be done.” We must be careful not to let our goals become so important that we are willing to compromise to achieve them.

When we’re doing well with our writing, we receive praise from others—good reviews, compliments, attagirls(guys). The praise feels good. Real good. It can go right to our heads, satisfying like a drug we always want more of. As soon as our pride flares up, we become our own idols, walking around thinking, “Dang, I’m good.” We forget that the only reason we can write is because our Creator gave us the ability.

In this age of cyberspace, our computers can become idols—email and blogs and crit groups like addictions. This weekend I’m going away with my daughter for five days. All ready I’m worrying how I’ll function without access to email. Spiritually, I know this computer-fast will be good for me.

These are only a few examples; I’m sure there are more idols we writers kneel before. Ask God to show you if there are idols in your life.

Lord,
Nothing compares to You, and no one else is worthy of my praise. But I admit that sometimes I put other things before You. Please forgive me and help me to keep my priorities straight. You know the desires of my heart and I lay them in Your capable, loving hands. Have Your way in my life and in my writing future. I know You have good plans for my and I worship only You.
Amen

Happenings in the Book World, May 26, 2007

Whew this week has a lot of news to report . . .

Those of you on the West Coast, Book Group Expo is happening June 8-10th in San Jose. Personally, I envy those able to attend. What could be more fabulous than authors, chocolate, and sipping wine? Over sixty authors have confirmed, including: Carolyn See, Khaled Hosseini, Anna Quindlen, Eric Brandt, and Elizabeth Gilbert.

For more information, including a full list of authors, the schedule of the literary saloons, click on the logo or visit: http://www.bookgroupexpo.com.

Miss Snark has closed the doors on her agent blog as of 5/20/2007, but the contents can still be viewed at http://misssnark.blogspot.com/.


S&S and their new contract has been making big splashes in our little circle. Personally, I think this discussion is something we should be paying close attention too. Shifting technology and trends suggest that authors have a chance to revive their stories or keeping them going. This is what I see at stake: Who ultimately decides when the story dies. But that's just my opinion, check this out.

In other Simon & Schuster news, they're teaming with Media Predict to form a contest that will select someone for publication by the book proposal. To learn more click here.

International Thrillers Writers is offering a scholarship to a debut author who'd like to attend ThrillerFest 2007 but hasn't the funds. Those who meet the criteria must: have a book scheduled for publication in 2007 or 2008 by a recognized publisher. They do not have to be a member of ITW. To apply send the following information to : Allison Brennan at allison@allisonbrennan.com:

Name
Contact information (address, phone number and email)
Pen Name (if any)
Book Title
PublisherEditor
Release date (tentative is okay)
Brief synopsis (one page or less)
Essay telling the committee in 500 words or less why you would like to attend ThrillerFest and what you hope to gain from the experience.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LongPen is hosting autograph sessions in booth # 1144 at BEA in New York City (June 1-3 at the Javits Centre, 655 West 34th Street). Authors will sign books into the show from across the Atlantic (with Tracy Chevalier from London, England) and across the continent (with Dean Koontz from his home in California).

Don't know what LongPen is? Click here.

________________________________________

ACFW Genesis Finalists:

*Contemporary Romance (includes romantic comedy)*

Jennifer Lynn Cary, Audra Harders, Catherine Hershberger, Roxanne Sherwood, Jennifer Hudson Taylor

*Historical Romance*

Linda Fulkerson, Audra Harders, Pam Hillman (double finalist in Historical Romance), Jennifer Hudson Taylor

*Romantic Suspense*

Sally Bradley, Marci J. Burke, Dineen Miller, Dani Pettrey, Suzan Robertson

*Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Allegory*

Sally A. Apokedak, Valerie Comer, Rebecca Grabill, Shannon McNear, Chris Mikesell

*Historical Fiction (not romance)*

Yvonne Anderson, Marcia Gruver, Tina Helmuth, Carla Stewart, Erica Vetsch

*Young Adult*

Sally Apokedak, Leigh DeLozier, Linda Fulkerson, Charlene Glatkowski, Rachael Phillips

*Contemporary Fiction*

Michael Ehret, Jennifer Griffith, Kathy Harriss, Myra Johnson, Angie Poole

*Women's Fiction*

Lynne Gentry, Ane Mulligan, Kristine Pratt, Kathleen Sprout, Ginger Vaughan

*Mystery/Suspense/Thriller*

Martha Pope Gorris, Gina Holmes (double finalist in Mystery/Suspense/Thriller)Janet Robertson, Janet Rubin

*Chick/Mom/Hen/Lady Lit*

Georgiana Daniels, Annalisa Daughety, Sabrina Fox-Butcher, Carrie Padgett, Jenness WalkerCongratulations to all the 2007 Genesis finalists!

Anna David has been on staff at Premiere and Parenting, was a fulltime freelancer at People, had a contract with Us Weekly, and wrote a sex and relationship column for Razor. She’s done investigative pieces on crystal meth use among film executives and high-class prostitution in Hollywood for Details, prompting Liz Smith to praise her for “carving out a niche uncovering the seedy side of deluxe living.” She regularly appears on Today as a pop culture expert and Reality Remix (Fox’s Reality Network) as a relationship commentator. She’s also been on Hannity & Colmes, Showbiz Tonight (CNN), Dayside (Fox), The Best Damn Sports Show Period (Fox), The Most (MSNBC), The Other Half (NBC), Cold Pizza (ESPN), The Modern Girl’s Guide to Life (Style Network), Queer Edge (Q Network), MTV News, CNN, E!, and VH1.

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

Party Girl; HarperCollins, May 29, 2007


Tell us about your journey to publication. How long did it take before your novel was published?

I wrote the book in about eight months, and contacted the one literary agent I knew, who told me that he didn’t know when he could read it and wouldn’t consider looking at it if I submitted it to any other agents. Randomly, two agents had stumbled onto my website, where I had links to hundreds of articles I’ve written and emailed me to say that they were interested in me if I ever chose to go into book writing. The timing of all this was bizarre and amazing, as those kinds of emails had never come before or since. Deciding between the two was simple: one spoke so passionately and with so much knowledge about my book, immediately informing me that it was almost twice the length that it needed to be and we had to change the title to sell it because a book called Party Girl had just come out (we since changed it back, obviously). She also had a super glamorous name. (I can’t lie – silly things like this make a difference to me.) I reworked the book based on her notes and a few weeks later, she submitted it to about 10 houses. In an effort to drum up heat on the material, she told the editors that I was going to be coming to New York (from LA) so they’d better read the book quickly and let her know if they wanted to meet with me (this was all a vicious lie, as I had no impetus to come to town if none of them actually wanted to meet with me). I came in and met with four publishing houses on a Thursday and Friday and the following Monday, my agent held an auction. My top choice made an offer. That was in January 2006 and the book is coming out now, a year and a half later. They had me do a minor rewrite but most of the time has been spent waiting.

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

Not leveling my expectations. I have very black and white thinking, so I could only imagine my book not selling or a bidding war ensuing and netting me half a million dollars. When my book sold, I lamented the fact that it hadn’t made me instantly wealthy overnight rather than relishing in how truly lucky I was for it to have sold so quickly.

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

Start working on your next one. Rachel Resnick said that to me while I was losing my mind over choosing the right agent. She asked me if I wanted to spend my time worrying about the business angles of my career or actually writing and if I was more invested in the writing, why not use the time to start on a new project? It was excellent advice, not only because it got me to take my mind off of the business side – which I couldn’t control – but also because it got me to look at the bigger picture of my career.

What is the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

I’m not sure this counts as advice but I remember when I was rewriting Party Girl getting a pamphlet in the mail from UCLA that said something like “Every writer needs to take a class if they hope to rewrite their book correctly.” And the class they were offering was, of course, a few thousand dollars. I’m very gullible and I believed them but I called my friend Melissa de la Cruz, who’s written something like 10 books and asked her if it was true. She laughed and I threw the mailing out and finished my rewrite.

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

That writing a novel isn’t that hard. Yes, of course it’s difficult on a certain level. But once it was done, I had the same feeling I did when I quit smoking, which was that if someone had told me how do-able this really was, I would have done it years ago. If you can banish perfectionism and accept the fact that what you’re putting on the page probably isn’t great but it doesn’t matter because you’re going to be rewriting it anyway, and then just sit at the computer every day, then you can write a novel.

What are a few of your favorite books?

The Great Gatsby, The Corrections, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Permanent Midnight, Wake Up, Sir!, A Clockwork Orange, London Fields, Rachel’s Holiday

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


I’m proud of my novel, Party Girl, because I believe I was able to take the most important experience of my life (getting sober) and write about it in a way that’s not overly earnest or preachy – in my better moments, I believe it truly could help people who might be terrified of that path to see that getting sober can mean your life is just beginning and not ending (as I had thought at the time). I’m also proud of some of the investigative pieces I did for Details – particularly this one about high-class prostitution in Hollywood, where I spent about six months infiltrating a world I knew nothing about and exposing some of its grittier secrets (I’ve actually fictionalized a lot of what I unearthed during that piece for the novel I just finished, Kept).

Can you give us a view into a typical day of your writing life?

When I’m actively working on a book, I’m pretty obsessive about it so it usually means writing at all hours and then spending the time I’m not writing – when I’m out with friends or at the gym or the market or in a movie -- thinking about it and constantly pulling out a pad to write down ideas for it. I’m striving for more balance these days, however, so I’m trying to limit myself to working on it just during the work day for between three and five hours.

If you could choose to have one strength of another writer, what would it be and from whom?

There are so many but the first that comes to mind is Jonathan Franzen’s ability to create such well-developed, realistic characters in The Corrections. I find that I’m really good at creating characters that are a lot like me but struggle with anyone who falls too far outside me or what I can imagine for myself. Franzen, meanwhile, manages to give us a mother grasping to hold onto her denial, a senile father, a lesbian daughter, and two frustrated but wildly different sons and each one of them rings as true as the other.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

I’d love to be able to stretch more as a writer – do novels that aren’t based so much on my own experiences. My goal for the next one, for instance, is to have it take place somewhere besides Los Angeles. I’d love to be able to do anything I haven’t yet attempted: write in second person, write from the point of view of several different characters (a la Franzen), do flashbacks – anything that still scares me right now.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

My favorite part is being in the flow and realizing that something is coming together or writing lines that give me the chills because they’re honest or true in a way I hadn’t ever quite been able to articulate or even realize before. Also, coming up with funny lines is always thrilling. My least favorite part is when it’s not flowing: those days that I can’t stomach the notion of sitting down in front of the computer, when I’m sick to death of my characters and of my mind.

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

I do anything I can. Some call it self-promotion, I call it marketing. I’ve built up My Space profiles, blogged, done every TV show I can and even made a viral video promoting the book. I have a newsletter sign-up on my website and am send out a blast next week to about 1000 people. I also hired an outside publicist and her efforts, combined with the contacts I’ve built up over the past decade of writing for magazines, have culminated in pieces on me or mentions of the book in places like Cosmo, Redbook, and the New York Post. My advice is do everything you can!

Parting words?

Thanks so much!

Author Interview ~ Jenny B. Jones & Book Giveaway

Jenny B. Jones is the author of A Katie Parker Production series. Though now an adult, she still relates to the trauma and drama of teen life. She is thrilled to see her writing dreams come true, as her previous claim to fame was singing the Star Spangled Banner at a mule-jumping championship. (The mules were greatly inspired.) The author resides in Arkansas, where, as a teacher, she hangs out with teens on a regular basis.




Your first novel just came out. Tell us about it.



In Between, my debut book, is being published by Th1nk (NavPress). It’s sort of like Annie meets Gilmore Girls.

The story is centered around Katie Parker, a 16 year old girl who can’t catch a break. With a mother in jail and a father unaccounted for, she finds herself in a mini-van bound for In-Between, Texas, home of her new foster parents. Katie finds or creates chaos at every opportunity as she adjusts to life with this family. Her foster parents, a pastor and wife, have a few secrets of their own, and life begins to unravel for everyone.


(One name will be drawn from comments to win a copy of In Between.)

Tell us about your publishing journey. How long had you been writing before you got the contract? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

This is a total God story. I had just decided to get serious about pursuing writing the summer before ACFW Conference in ’05. I have written all my life, but never with a driven purpose. So that summer I accepted the fact that there wasn’t a publishing fairy who was gonna wave her wand over me, and that if I really wanted to be published, I was going to have to get proactive.

So I signed up for the ACFW conference and signed up for a critique with a published CBA author that I thought was most likely to “get me.” In the meantime, I rededicated my prayer time to include the Prayer of Jabez and changed my attitude and expectations. God was gonna do something big in my life.

Fast forward to the ACFW conference in 2005. I’m going there armed with nothing but anxiety, big hopes, and my work in progress, which weighed in at a whopping 20 pages. I didn’t sign up for editor or agent appointments, as I was advised not to since I didn’t have anything close to a completed manuscript. But I was completely prayed up and totally confident (which is so not me) that God was gonna move some mountains for me.

I went into that conference with nothing but my giant, impossible expectations. On day two I had my critique with this author. She gave me some great advice and suggestions, then offered to contact NavPress and see if I could send them a proposal (which I didn’t even know what that was at the time!). On March 24 at 2:17 p.m. while driving down the Interstate 540 in Arkansas, I got the call from Nav and was offered a contract. I know the likelihood of that all happening is zero percent. I love that about God.

Do you still have self-doubts about your writing?

This is probably the part where I should be attempting to convince people to buy my books by saying, “No, no, I so believe in my writing. Yes, it’s so clear to me that I have the gift.” But that’s definitely not the case. Writing has given me daily (second by second) doses of junior high levels of insecurity (and we all know it doesn’t get any worse than that.). I doubt everything.

Was there ever a time you thought of quitting?

I just started! Why would I quit? …Oh, my gosh. What have you heard?

What mistakes did you make while seeking a publisher or agent?

I think when trying to secure an agent, I didn’t slip him/her enough crisp bills. No, actually God took all of that out of my hands and just hooked this girl up in terms of finding a publisher. He obviously knew I would totally fumble. He knows me so well…

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

The author that worked with me at the ACFW Conference in ’05 said something to me I will never, ever forget. When I told her I had been advised not to pitch that week, she said, “The rules are made for everyone but you.” (Not me as in me personally, but for those willing to take the chance.) I have no doubt this author didn’t know she was saying something of monumental importance to me, something that so fit with my Prayer of Jabez attitude.

But when I heard that I got chills. I heard the hallelujah chorus. I felt the arms of God around me. I left that room and immediately burst into tears at how personal and amazing God is. It was my confirmation that God was right there in all of this. I went to ACFW with these ridiculous expectations, and He met me there. Now if I could just get Him to give into my ridiculous expectation of wanting my body to look like Jennifer Aniston’s (exercise free, of course)…

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?

I’m lucky that I really haven’t gotten any poor advice. I think there’s a lot of really sound advice out there. A lot of rules and conventions that apply 99.9 percent of the time. But who knows? God doesn’t play by our little rules of convention. There are always exceptions. If you feel God telling you to go for it, then do it. Be obedient to Him and not what’s expected of you.

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

That there aren’t 30 hours to the day. My days have never been shorter. Any other pet peeves are of my own making. I procrastinate. I am an accomplished time waster. Seriously, if wasting time was an Olympic event, I would be bringing home the gold on a regular basis.

What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?

I’ve just started, so I can’t exactly look back yet. But I am really looking forward to the day when I have some experience under my belt and have a sense that I’m closer to knowing what I’m doing. But on the other hand, I wish I had started earlier. There are all sorts of variables that we think should be in place before we start writing that book or go back to school or climb that mountain. I should’ve just jumped in sooner. But now is good too. I like now. ; ) Also don’t wait to start writing when it feels more natural or comes easier to you. The day writing gets easier? Does that occasion even exist?

Was there ever a difficult set back that you went through in your writing career?

I have a writing career? That sounds funny. Oh, you were serious. Um…no. But it’s daunting to know that no matter what life dishes out, from the daily blahs to a personal or family emergency, I am still accountable to that keyboard. Sometimes I get paranoid and think, "What if I get attacked by a rabid schnauzer? And I end up in the hospital for a week? And when I get out my arm is broken and in a cast. And I can’t type. And what if I’m so doped up on pain meds that I can’t do anything but drool, let alone create a cohesive plot?"

Sigh….

You know, as a teacher, I can call in a substitute for these common rabid dog attacks. But as a writer the show must go on.

What are a few of your favorite books?

I love Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare. Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts. I love Billerbeck’s Ashley series. And I think some of the best books written are by YA author Richard Peck. If you like humor, great character and setting development, you MUST check out A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way from Chicago.

What work have you done that you’re especially proud of and why?

When I was in the eighth grade I entered a local writing contest. My Christmas short story won me a turkey. A turkey. When you taste the good life that writing can bring (such as poultry products), there’s no going back.

I’m also proud of the second book in the Katie Parker series, On the Loose, which comes out next September. With the first book, part of you thinks it’s just a fluke deal. Like everyone at the publishing house was inhaling markers and white out the day they signed you. And you worry that it was just a random thing that you were able to complete a novel. So when the second one is done, more of a sense of “okay, I really can do this” sets in.

Do you have a scripture or quote that has spoken to you lately in regards to your writing?

Two things I keep posted. One is the line “Deliver me from mediocrity.” I think it’s from a Relient K song. (I could be totally wrong, but that’s what I’m going with). I pray over that idea often.

The other is from Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

This is my life verse and the theme for my series. I love the possibilities hinted at. I love the idea that we can cook up some great plans for our lives, but God wants even more for us.

Can you give us a look into a typical day for you?

I’m a full time teacher, so I go teach junior high kids all day. I wake up. Pray. Pull out hair. Go to work. Pull out hair. Come home. Pull out remaining hair. Eat dinner. Write.

I try to get in about three hours of writing, but not every day. I’m really involved with my friends, family, and church. Okay, and with certain TV programs. I write on Saturdays, but recently became convicted that I need to take Sundays off (I know, I’m a little slow on the draw).

Do you have a word or page goal you set for each day?

This varies. I feel okay if I get 1500 words in a day. Sometimes this doesn’t happen. At all. A great day is about 2400 words. I’m still trying to find the magic recipe for making sure those days occur more often. I’m also trying to figure out the magic formula for making cellulite disappear, so if you anyone knows the answer to either situation, please let me know.

Are you an SOTP (seat of the pants) writer or a plotter?

I’m mostly SOTP. Unfortunately some days my writing is more S.T.O.P. An ideal day involves me having a one page brainstorm for that day’s chapter and then going with it. The writing goes so much faster, and it seems to really jive and flow (Did I just use the word jive?). But those days are not as frequent as I’d like. Most of the time I’m 99.9% SOTP, and that’s been hard for me. I’m such a plotter wanna-be.

What author do you especially admire and why?

I am really into ABA author Meg Cabot right now. She has a great website that really speaks to young girls (or girls my age). And frankly, she has one of THE best blogs. I’m not into many blogs, but hers is hilarious. I think her blogs are funnier than her books. And I like that she hasn’t totally bought into the hot trend in girl YA, which is centered around characters that are very shallow, very loose moraled (is that a word?), and very socialite-ish.

I’m also a huge fan of Kristen Billerbeck. Her Ashley Stockingdale series is SWEEPING through the large singles ministry at my church. It’s like she wrote about us. (And I don’t mean that in a good way. It’s kind of pathetic. We really DO eat at the same places all the time. And we ALL have a Martha Stewart drill sergeant type in our Bible study groups, right?) I really respect how Kristen blazed a trail for CBA authors and author-hopefuls. Had I not read her books, I think I wouldn’t have realized that the Christian market can be a place for reality and humor. She has made fallibility funny and genuine. Her characters aren’t perfect and they make mistakes, but they are in pursuit of Christ, and it’s a fun ride.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

Favorite is all the “what ifs” right now. Who knows what this journey is going to lead to in terms of ministry and career goals? And even if I only have two books to my name, I’m glad I can cross something off of my life’s to-do list. (But I hope a few books isn’t it. Because then I’ll have to focus on something else on the list like skydiving or climbing Mt. Everest. And…ew. All those require physical activity. And sweat.)

Least Favorite: Time loss with family and friends. Or being stressed all the time because you’re never really done. And I wish it came easier to me. Sitting down watching Oprah comes naturally to me. Why can’t writing feel like that? I want writing to be as easy as opening a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and eating the whole thing. Maybe next week…

How much marketing do you do? What's your favorite part of marketing?

Yeah, the marketing aspect stresses me out. I’ve been able to glean a lot of ideas from ACFW, so that’s been helpful. Some other ideas I’ve come up with on my own include: going on the Today Show and talking to Matt Lauer (I would never call him glib), sky writing some promos, having the In Between cover explode into fireworks at Disney World, putting a big sign on Times Square (right next to P. Diddy), and creating a series of commercials to air during the next Super Bowl. I’ve had a little trouble getting anyone to talk to me about these ideas those.

Until those things happen, check out:
http://www.jennybjones.com
http://www.jennybjones.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/akatieparkerproduction

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Yes, I have advice. My advice is that if you are someone who has real advice, please contact me. I’m so clueless.

Seriously, join a group like ACFW. Get connected. Take advantage of every opportunity such as conferences, forums, critiques, etc. Get a critique group. I’d still be on page six if it weren’t for mine. And just pray your little heart out. I understand that we have a small chance of getting published—like two percent or something? But I think God looks at our numbers and our statistics and just laughs. Isn’t he so much bigger than two percent? If it’s His will for you to write or be published, then nothing’s going to stop Him. 100 % guaranteed.

Author Interview ~ Shelley Bates

A transplanted Canadian, Shelley Bates grew up on Vancouver Island and currently lives in California. Whether typing search warrants and making undercover phone calls for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or editing marketing collateral for the high-tech industry in Silicon Valley, Shelley has always found that everyone has a story. Most people have stopped telling her theirs in case she puts them in her books. Between books, Shelley enjoys playing the piano and Celtic harp, making historical costumes, and spoiling her chickens rotten.

Your new book, Over Her Head, comes out in May. How did you come up with this story? Was there a specific 'what if' moment?

There sure was. Back in 1997, my mom sent me an article about a murder that had occurred at my junior high (it was a tough school in the seventies and clearly, nothing had changed) where a gang of teenagers swarmed a girl who wanted to join their clique, and drowned her under a bridge. The event absolutely horrified me. I got that prickly feeling on my neck and shoulders—which only happens when I know I’m going to write about something.

It bubbled away on the back burner of my mind for several years, while I thought, “What if a Christian mom found out her daughter was in a swarm like that—and did nothing to help the girl? What would that do to their relationship? To her marriage? To her relationships in her church?” Heh.

So that’s when I began writing. The title comes from the imagery in Psalm 124: “Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.”

And FaithWords—bless the art department’s heart—came up with a cover that reflected this perfectly. The heroine is outdoors looking up at the sky—but it also looks as though she could be underwater, swimming toward the light. It’s absolutely wonderful.

Tell us about your publishing journey. How long had you been writing before you got a contract? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

Certain moments are etched in your memory forever: Saying “I do.” Where you were when the Loma Prieta earthquake hit. Getting The Call. At 10:45 a.m. on August 8, 2002, an editor from Harlequin called to say she wanted to buy my master’s thesis. I had written it during the M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction program at Seton Hill University, and it was my first book-length sale.

I’d been writing with the goal of being published since I was 13, so it was the culmination of many years of education and, well, a lot of pages! But every one of those pages taught me something, and every one brought me closer to that goal of publication.

Do you ever struggle with writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

I don’t believe in writer’s block. People on deadline can’t afford that luxury :) I do, however, believe in the underlying meaning of these temporary halts in production: that I’ve taken a wrong turn plot-wise … that there are too many consequences to a scene … that I’m not being true to my character … that I’m in the wrong point of view for that scene. Once I analyze the real problem, I can move through the halt and get back to work.

Where do you write? Do you have a dedicated office or a corner or nook in a room? Any special music to help your muse?

When we built our house after the old one fell down in the earthquake, we included an office for me in the floor plans. I love it. It’s my kingdom. I have a stand-up workstation as well as a regular desk so that with my back problems, I’m not locked into any one working position. I don’t usually write my first drafts indoors anyway.

I take my AlphaSmart outside, let the chickens out of their pen, and we ramble around the yard together. I sit on a stump and write while they debug my garden. The neighbors have gotten used to it

Do you have a word or page goal you set for each day?

You bet. In order to make deadline I have to write 30–40 pages a week. I don’t worry about exactly when those happen, but as long as the page count is up by that much at the end of every week, I’m good. Needless to say, I’m not a proponent of the “you must write every day” school. It works for some writers, and works well. It just doesn’t work for me, so I don’t stress over it.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Well, I’m a freelance editor, so I work part-time at an advertising agency. On those days I don’t write. But on my writing days, which I protect ferociously, I’m up by 7:30 and at my desk by 8:00. I do e-mail and any PR stuff until 11, and from 11 to 4 I write. After that my husband gets home from work and we have dinner, watch TV, go swing dancing or for a walk. Normal couple stuff :)

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

Jenny Crusie was the guest lecturer at Seton Hill during my first term, and she said, “Start where the trouble starts.” That helped me eradicate my tendency to info-dump in the first chapter, helped me pick up my pacing, and helped me with the art of the kickin’ first line. Smart woman, that Jenny. So many months of craft lessons, packed into five words.

What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?

I wish I’d heard Jenny sooner. I wish I’d read Robert McKee’s Story and Debra Dixon’s Goal, Motivation, Conflict and Chris Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey earlier … that probably would have shaved a couple of years off my apprenticeship as an unpublished writer.

It’s important to become as educated in this business as you possibly can. That means learning who the distributors are and what they do. Learning how the publishing process works so you can work inside it when you get there. Learning how to pace yourself and manage your schedule so you don’t mentally implode the first time you realize what “back-to-back deadlines” really means.

And how do you do this? Talk to published folks. Participate in industry discussions at your local writers’ group meetings. Sidle up to booksellers and ask them questions. All the people in the industry love to talk about the industry. Use this to your advantage.

How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?

Marketing is what I do in my day job, so it seems natural for me to apply it to my writing. It’s important to find out where your pain thresholds are, though. If you’re the woman throwing up in the restroom before you have to give a talk, maybe the speaking circuit isn’t the best way to promote your work. (I used to be that woman, by the way. Things have improved and I do speak in public with some degree of comfort now.)

I think online marketing is smart. Start with a website and move outward to MySpace, ShoutLife, writing bulletin boards, and e-mail loops. You can do all those things in your jammies with a cup of coffee at your side. I like to have bookmarks and postcards to send out; other writers don’t.

Develop relationships with as many booksellers as you can, and visit them regularly. And speaking of that, a visit to your publishing house, in my opinion, is a must. Go at least once, so they have a real person to connect with the manuscript coming in.

Building relationships is key to all marketing, whether it’s with your publisher, your booksellers, or your readers. As E.M. Forster said in Howard’s End, “Only connect.” It’s vital.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

The most important thing I’d want any writer to remember is: Believe in yourself and your work. Don’t let the rejections get you down, because you’re the only one who can write your particular story from your particular point of view. You’re the one with the passion, so let it show on the page.

Author Interview ~ Chuck Black

Chuck Black wrote Kingdom’s Edge to inspire his children to read the Bible with renewed zeal. This parable led him to write the Old Testament allegories, Kingdom’s Dawn and Kingdom’s Hope. Chuck added three more titles to the series, Kingdom’s Call, Kingdom’s Quest, and Kingdom’s Reign which will be released in May of 2007.
Chuck is a former F-16 fighter pilot and currently works as an engineer for a firm designing plastic consumer products. He has a degree in electrical and electronic engineering and served eight years in the United States Air Force. Chuck and his wife have six children.

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

Kingdom’s Call, Kingdom’s Quest, and Kingdom’s Reign, the last three books in the Kingdom Series published by Multnomah Books, a division of Random House. These books will be released May 15, 2007. Kingdom’s Dawn, Kingdom’s Hope, and Kingdom’s Edge, the first three books of the series, were released in May of 2006. This series is a compressed chronological allegory of the entire bible set in a medieval time period which covers two generations of characters. It contains a great deal of medieval action and adventure while teaching biblical principles.

Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.

My journey to publication is unusual and one that I wouldn’t normally recommend to an aspiring author. It is one that has left many in the business scratching their heads wondering, “How could this have possibly happened?” I never intended to write a book, or publish a book, or be an author. Before writing my first book, I had absolutely no experience in writing or publishing…zero! Quite simply, I wrote a story for my children that was intended to inspire them to read the Bible and deepen their relationship with the Lord. That simple story launched me in a direction I never anticipated.

I wrote a parable of the life of Christ set in a medieval time period where the knights, swords, castles, and battles were all directly symbolic of events in Scripture. The response from my children was remarkable. After a couple of months of nudging, I finally convinced my wife to read the story. She finished it with tears in her eyes and convinced me to attempt to publish it. After reading about the depressing and overwhelming odds of even getting an agent to consider the work, I nearly quit before I began. Instead, with much prayer, we decided to self-publish the work. My wife edited the book, and I designed the cover and interior. A couple of months later I had five hundred copies of a book in my garage without any idea if I could sell a single copy.

We took the books to a homeschool convention where I was to conduct a seminar. I was given a booth in exchange but didn’t plan on spending more than an hour or two manning it. Much to my surprise, I spent every hour for two days straight taking orders from families who wanted a book to inspire their children to get excited about their faith. I had unwittingly stumbled into a gap in the literary market, and there was enough room for a book like mine.

After writing three more books to make a series out of the story, our self-publishing business was beginning to overwhelm me and my family. The books were becoming quite popular and our little company was doubling every year. By year five, I prayed for the Lord to take the Kingdom Series and lighten my load. After a phone call to Multnomah Publishers, I sent samples of the books to them for evaluation. They became so excited about the books that within ten days we were discussing details of a four-book contract. Remarkably, they fast-tracked three of the books for release just seven months later, with three more to be release twelve months after that. It has happened so fast and furiously that I find it difficult to even consider myself a legitimate author. I haven’t endured the years of rejection or the bumps and bruises that most authors experience before getting published. I think that is why I still considered myself just a simple dad that wants to inspire my children.

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

My faith is such an integral part of this whole story, for I would never have taken any of the steps that led me here without encouragement from the Lord in the form of opportunity and positive feedback. Through the years, I have been confirmed over and over that I should move forward with the Kingdom Series and future works. I wish I could say that this has removed all of my doubts, but I must admit that there are times when I still doubt. However, I am grateful that encouragement seems to come just when I need it most.

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

I have made numerous mistakes while self-publishing my works, but the road to getting published with a major publishing firm has been fast and singular so I don’t have much to comment on regarding this.

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

Find multiple people to read your work who will be brutally honest with you. Then be ready to accept the critiques and adjust.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

That won’t work.

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

As a pilot in the Air Force, you quickly learn that some people have it and some people don’t. Even though flying a plane may be natural you still need to learn the specifics of the plane you’re going to fly. I think the same applies to writing. I didn’t need to know what to write, but I did need to know how to write it. Most of it came naturally, but I wish I’d taken a little more time to learn the specific writing techniques that editors require.

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

Quite honestly, these six books have taken on a life of their own, and I often feel like I’m just along for the ride. I am so grateful for the success and yet humbled by it all. Within a year and eight months, six books will have been published, and I’m still dizzy from it all. Not having planned on a career, I can hardly call anything I’ve experienced as a set back. I’m just thankful to be allowed to be here.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

As a youth, I loved science fiction. I think those books inspired me to be both an engineer and an author. John Christopher’s “The Tripods” made a lasting impression on me as a teenager, and I couldn’t wait to share them with my children once they were old enough. As an adult I thoroughly enjoyed “Piercing the Darkness” by Frank Peretti, “Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan, and “The Hidden Value of a Man” by Gary Smalley and John Trent.

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

This may be hard to believe, but it is the first book that I ever wrote, Kingdom’s Edge. Having never published a single piece of literature, this book was straight from my heart as a father, written to please my heavenly Father. It is not my best work, but it is my purest work. It almost feels like a miracle.

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

Not yet, but I’m sure I’ll find one.

Take us through your process of writing a novel briefly—from conception to revision.

My inspiration often comes from listening to music. There are a few songs that so overwhelm me I can’t contain the words that are waiting to spill out. I often spend many hours lying in bed or driving on the road pondering a story. After a few days (or weeks) of mentally creating the story, I begin to outline. Scenes and dialog often come in non-sequential fragments that I write down. As I create the significant events of the story, I then write to tie these events together.

My methods are probably unorthodox, but it seems to work for me.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

My goal is to please the Lord. As trite as that may sound, I would walk away in an instant if He was not pleased with my writing. Beyond that, it is to inspire others to get passionate about Christ. And finally, I hope to leave a part of my passion alive through my books for my future generations to experience and to know my heart.

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

Yes…many! I’ve felt a bit like a fish out of water all along the way, which often left me wondering what I was doing pretending to be an author. But in truth, I discovered a deep love for being creative with the English language. This accidental writing career has opened a whole new dimension of life that brings great joy. It’s not as exciting as holding your newborn baby in your arms for the first time, but the experience generates similar feelings.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

My favorite part of being a writer is creating a work that inspires people to change their lives. I love writing something that others can’t wait to read…it doesn’t even feel like it’s me. The worst part of being a writer is not having enough time to do it.

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

I don’t have much to compare to. Having grown into this career from a self-publishing track, I was pretty motivated to continue marketing and generating publicity to promote the books. Balancing and coordinating my efforts with the publisher has been a learning experience. The team at Multnomah has been absolutely wonderful to work with and was willing to be very flexible with me in my unique situation.

Have you received a particularly memorable reader response?

This is difficult, for I have been encouraged by the words of many parents and young people that have read and enjoyed the books. When a book makes an impact on a readers life, that is humbling and powerful. Here is one of the most memorable:

“When I started to read it I could not put the book down. I was wrapped up in the story from the beginning. It showed me how to be filled with compassion and love for others. The prince rules forever!”

These words from this young man are enough to keep me writing until I’m ninety-nine.

Parting words?

I’m pretty sure I’ve broken all the “rules” and am an enigma to many. In fact, I am guessing that my story of the road to publishing is one that agents and publishers alike may want to hush and ignore for the difficulty it would bring them should someone purposely try it. As I mentioned at the start, it is not one I would recommend although there is a lot to learn from it. I think perhaps what my story says is this: if you’ve written something good that people like, don’t give up…don’t give up…don’t give up…

Author Interview ~ Chuck Holton

Chuck Holton served four years in the Elite 75th Ranger Regiment–the same unit profiled in the movie “Black Hawk Down.” Chuck saw combat in Panama in 1989. After leaving active duty, Chuck flew helicopters in the Wisconsin National Guard while attending the University of Wisconsin.In 2004, after ten years as a stockbroker, Chuck left that profession to pursue full-time writing. At the same time, he began working as the adventure correspondent for CBN.Today, Chuck, Connie, and their five children live on a farm in Appalachia, where Chuck now pursues his varied interests of farming, writing, adventure travel and public speaking, among other things.

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

Island Inferno is my first solo fiction project. It's book two of the Task Force Valor action/adventure series. I'm very excited about it, because I feel like this book has so much of my personal experience in it, which makes for a rich and compelling story.

Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.

This is my fifth book overall, and since it's the second in a series, I kinda knew it was coming. the problem with trying to write full time for a living is that one must (at my level, anyway) do so many other things related to the writing to actually make enough money to feed my five children - speaking, traveling, etc. All that leaves little time to actually do the writing.

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

Always. I find writing, (especially fiction) is like planting a garden...the story has to grow in my head, and until it does, trying to force the words onto paper just doesn't work. Unfortunately, publishers don't usually work that way.

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

Thinking I had to write the entire manuscript before seeking a publisher. Rookie mistake.

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

Go to a writer's conference. You can't call yourself serious about doing this for publication if you're not willing to shell out to be with other writers and editors. But make sure it's a reputable conference. I like Mount Hermon.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

"Christian Fiction readers don't want deep spiritual application in the books they read. It makes the writing too 'preachy'." Tell that to Randy Alcorn. The way I see it, if the stuff I'm writing is simply entertaining and not life-changing, it's not worth my time or yours.

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

It's not healthy to subject oneself to a ridiculous deadline. However long you think it will take you to finish your manuscript, double it. It always takes longer than I think.

Also, working from home doesn't qualify as "spending time with your family" if you are buried in your home office twelve hours a day. What I didn't realize when I quit my job as a stockbroker to work for myself is that my new boss would be such a slave driver. I had to learn to force myself to stop and go wrestle with the kids once in awhile, or take a walk. which incidentally shot my daily word count way up.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

When you're a professional writer you notice different things about books than you did when you were just a reader. Now I admire books with good sentence structure, creative word pictures, and syntax much more than I did before. Some I really admire are fiction by Jeanette Windle and Randy Alcorn, non-fiction by John Piper and many long-forgotten writers from the early 19th century.

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

I'm proud of a lot of the humorous writing that I've done which never went beyond my blog (www.livefire.us) Most of it has to do with my travels or my farm. It will probably never be published for money, but that writing is some of the most fun because I get to break all the rules.

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

Yes. Deadlines. And I can no longer pass a "Krispy Kreations Katering" or something similar without wanting to jerk my car into a bridge abutment.

Take us through your process of writing a novel briefly—from conception to revision.

What's so hard about fiction is that if you don't do the work to make it as accurate as possible it will end up being fantasy instead. This is true on every level - historically, chronologically, geographically, relationally, technically, and everything else. This is why I will never again try and write about a place I haven't actually visited. It's just too hard to get the details right, even with the magic of the internet.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

I'd like to get to the point where I can write an entire book free of a deadline and THEN submit it for publication, knowing that on the strength of my previous writing, it will be accepted without question. Mad wish, perhaps, but my dad used to say, "while you're wishing, you might as well wish big!"

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

I thought of dropping out of a contract. But the publisher was very attentive to my concerns and worked with me until I was satisfied.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

The research is my favorite part. The deadlines are my least favorite. :)

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

I don't feel like I do enough, but apparently I do more than most authors. My advice is to seek out creative ways to build your platform and name recognition. I'm not suggesting you chain yourself to Rosie O'donnel, but do what you can to get your name out there, even if it's only in a niche market. I have a website for small farmers which is unrelated to my writing, but it gets 90,000 visitors a day, and that helps my platform a little. And every little bit helps.

Have you received a particularly memorable reader response?

I love hearing from soldiers in combat, who tell me that my book has helped them through a difficult time. That kind of thing makes it all worthwhile.

Parting words?

Um. Horticulture. I've always liked that word. And "behooves." Speaking of which, one of the greatest things about writing fiction is all of the fun you can have placing easter eggs" - inside jokes that only you or your friends will understand - into your novels. I love doing that. Island Inferno is full of them. The whole story is peppered with little subliminal messages that the average reader will never notice, but certain people in my life will read and know I put that event or sentence there just for them. It's a great way to bless the people who support you as you write.

Sunday Devotion- The Ten Commandments for Writers, #1

Janet Rubin

I've been thinking for some time about going through the ten commandments and seeing how each one relates to the writing life. So over the next few weeks, I'll be doing that here on Novel Journey. You're most likely familiar with the first commandment God scribbled on Moses's stone tablet:

Duet. 5:7 I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me.

On my initial self-examination I seemed innocent regarding this one. No golden cows in my house. I've never prayed to Baal or built an altar to Molech. But what is a god? God says, "I am the Lord your God." Lord means master. Your master is someone you listen to and obey. Of course, one's god is who one worships as well. So if I am obeying this command, I am listening to, obeying and worshipping God rather than anyone or anything else. Is this always the case where my writing is concerned?

It's easy to want to compartmentalize God, to try and stick Him into the places we think He belongs- like the church sanctuary or our ten minute morning devotional time- and to keep him out of the places we think have nothing to do with Him. To be honest, I don't consult God very often about what I should write, where I should send my manuscripts, what my writing goals should be, etc. But I should. If God is really my Lord, my Master, then I should be continually looking to Him and asking, "what should I do next?" I should be seeking His will, asking for wisdom and direction.

If I am not listening to God, who am I listening to? I might be following the advice of other writers, reading how-to books, writing for the market, or looking after my own interests. While all of these things can be beneficial, they must not be put before God. Perhaps God has a story for me to tell that isn't the "what's hot now" genre. Maybe He wants to help me weed through the endless helpful hints I get and find just the right ones to focus on. And maybe the story I'm wanting to write is born out of wrong motives and He wants to work on my heart.

After writing this devotion, I'm hoping to make it my habit to intentionally remember that God is right with me in my computer chair. I want to run every idea by him. What do you think of this plot line, Lord? That was an interesting article, Jesus. Was there something in there I ought to implement? Father, is there anything You want to show me? It occurred to me that if I only listen to men on the topic of writing, it seems to indicate that I think men know more about the subject than God does. But who better to consult on matters of writing than the One who made words and language, the One who made men and put a desire to write in their hearts, the One who wrote the greatest story every told and is the very Author of life and salvation? In shame, I admit that I've held the opinion of best-selling authors, agents, and publishers in higher esteem than I have God's.

Lord,

I don't want to have any gods before You. You are my Lord and my God. Forgive me for underestimating the value of Your direction and insight where my writing is concerned. I know that You will use men to teach me and guide me, that you will help me to learn from the experience and criticism of others, and I thank You for that. But let me now and always look to You first and formost to be my Master; I want to write for You.

Amen

2007 Christy Award Nominations

The Christy Advisory Board has annouced their nominees for the 2007 Christy Awards honoring Christian fiction!

They are as follows:

CONTEMPORARY (STAND ALONE)

Dwelling Places by Vinita Hampton Wright (HarperOne)
Straight Up by Lisa Samson (WaterBrook Press)
Winter Birds by Jamie Langston Turner (Bethany House Publishers)

CONTEMPORARY (SERIES, SEQUELS AND NOVELLAS)

The Brethren by Beverly Lewis (Bethany House Publishers)
Escape from Fred by Brad Whittington (B&H Publishing Group)
The Proof by Austin Boyd (NavPress)

HISTORICAL (includes four titles due to a tie)

Glastonbury Tor by LeAnne Hardy (Kregel)
Grace in Thine Eyes by Liz Curtis Higgs (WaterBrook Press)
Madman by Tracy Groot (Moody Press)
Pieces of Silver by Maureen Lang (Kregel)

ROMANCE

The Measure of a Lady by Deeanne Gist (Bethany House Publishers)
Monday Morning Faith by Lori Copeland (Zondervan)
The Redemption by M. L. Tyndall (Barbour)

SUSPENSE

The Begotten by Lisa T. Bergren (Berkley)
The Hidden by Kathryn Mackel (Thomas Nelson)
Plague Maker by Tim Downs (Thomas Nelson)

LITS

The Cubicle Next Door by Siri Mitchell (Harvest House Publishers)
Everything’s Coming Up Josey by Susan May Warren (Steeple Hill Café)
Sisterchicks in Gondolas by Robin Jones Gunn (Multnomah)

YOUNG ADULT

Bad Idea by Todd and Jedd Hafer (NavPress)
The Way of the Wilderking by Jonathan Rogers (B&H Publishing Group)
William Henry Is a Fine Name by Cathy Gohlke (Moody Press)

FIRST NOVEL

Watching the Tree Limbs by Mary DeMuth (NavPress)
Where Mercy Flows by Karen Harter (Center Street)
William Henry Is a Fine Name by Cathy Gohlke (Moody Press)

The Christy Awards dinner, sponsored in part by Christianity Today International, will be held Saturday evening, July 7, 2007, at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. Lauren Winner is scheduled to give the keynote address and Michelle McKinney Hammond will host the awards.

Visit the Christy Awards online at www.christyawards.com for more information about the dinner and to make reservations.

Contest Sponsored by Christian Review of Books—By Roseanna White

I finally gave into the craze and joined ShoutLife. It was fun from the get-go, and I was nearly overwhelmed by the warm reception. After about a week, of course, I was no longer the new kid on the block, so traffic to my page tapered off, and I got to thinking: how can I bring it up again? What can I offer that’ll give the readers on ShoutLife what they want?

The answer descended full-formed upon my mind: an online mystery game. I had also been trying to think up a clever book giveaway idea, and this fit that bill, too. The idea was simple. I’d set up an imaginary crime and have authors write scenes giving clues about it. Readers could then solve the mystery and win the book.


The execution took some work but should result in a lot of fun. Our launching game, on Tuesday 29 May, will be featuring Jill Elizabeth Nelson’s new release Reluctant Runaway, a romantic suspense that revolves around a Southwestern museum heist.

The game will be set in the same museum, where a priceless piece of work is stolen. The suspects? Characters from the new or upcoming novels of Christian authors. Readers will have to visit each author’s blog to try to figure out what really happened and collect one keyword from each. Once you’ve got it figured out, you email the name of the culprit and the list of keywords to the game’s sponsor, the Christian Review of Books, and you’ll be entered to win an autographed copy of Reluctant Runaway.

Writers for this first game include Jill Elizabeth Nelson, Trish Perry, Amy Wallace, Nikki Arana, Miralee Ferrell, and Cyndy Salzmann.

We have the second game scheduled for Tuesday 5 June, and this one will transport us back in time to the setting of Sharlene MacLaren’s Loving Liza Jane. The writers for this one are all in the historical genre: Sharlene MacLaren, Molly Noble Bull, M. L. Tyndall, Cara Putman, and Tricia Goyer.

The great thing about this is the potential to reach readers. Each author will post their scene on their blog and link to all the other authors, which will effectively send Friends from one writer they already know to another they might enjoy.

What’s more, the authors have the chance to get new readers acquainted with their style, voice, and characters. The games will be getting coverage off-ShoutLife, too, at the blogspots of several volunteers and at the Christian Review of Books website.

Want to know which of our lovely authors is donning the cap of bad guy? Well, you’re just going to have to gather the clues!

Any interested authors can contact me at roseanna@whitefireprinting.com or through my Shout-Mail--my page is www.shoutlife.com/roseanna_m_white.

Author Interview ~ Carol Steward

Carol Steward never dreamed of becoming a writer. Now that her children are grown and flying the nest, she has filled the house with dogs, cats and writing books, and working at the University of Northern Colorado helping young adults reach for their own dreams.

Throughout all of the different seasons, God has continued to teach Carol to turn to Him. She has also learned to simplify her life and appreciate her many blessings — His gift of creativity, sharing her love for God with readers and setting an example of what God can do when we say, "Yes, God, take me, shape me, use me." To find out more about Carol's slightly crazy life and her books, visit her website.

What new book or project do you have coming out?

I will have several new books out next year. Guardian of Justice, Badge of Honor, and Shield of Refuge in my In the Line of Fire series, and in a continuity series with 5 other authors, In His Sights.

How did you come up with this story?

I have wanted to write romantic suspense for years. There were several events that came together to create this series.

Was there a specific 'what if' moment?

Several of them. One was an automobile accident where I hit a police car and flipped him onto the roof of his car. It was the worst moment of my life. And destined to make it into a book soon.

Tell us about your publishing journey.

I started writing in about 1991. I didn’t tell anyone about it for years, but when I did, my husband and my best friend encouraged me to keep working on it. About two years later I found out about writer’s conferences and attended every one that I could.

How long had you been writing before you got a contract?

Three years after I started writing I sold my first and only book at that point.

How did you find out and what went through your mind?

It was April 15, and the editor had been considering it for months. She called, and the news was a bright spot for my entire family.

Do you ever struggle with writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

Regularly. I just keep writing, whether it’s good or not. Eventually it’s bound to get better.

Where do you write? Do you have a dedicated office or a corner or nook in a room?

I have a small office in our basement. I started out with a portable word processor, which followed me to whichever corner of the house had empty space that week. Eventually when we got a computer, I commanded a corner in the “storage” room, aka “junk” room. Now that the kids are grown and on their own, this is “MY” office, no one else’s junk allowed.

Do you have a word or page goal you set for each day?

I hope to write 10 fairly clean pages a day.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I work at a university from 8-5, come home and spend an hour or two with my husband over dinner, stretch for a while, and get back at the computer.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

You can’t fix a blank page.

What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?

I found that attending conferences was the best pro active step I took in my writing career. It gave me the opportunity to network with other authors, become familiar with publishers, and meet editors.

How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?

Very little, because I am blessed to be with a company that has a terrific marketing department! I participate in a group website and I do speaking engagements to writers and readers groups.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

It sounds cliché, but I would encourage each of you to reach for your dreams and never give up until you accomplish them.

Author Interview ~ Jillian Hart

This native Washingtonian went to high school where Twin Peaks was filmed and claims to have always been a writer—“I saved my allowance for nearly a year to buy a typewriter when I was nine. I've been writing ever since.”

And when it comes to her writing, Jillian Hart says there’s only one approach to getting things done—“to sit in that chair and work…hard!” When she’s not writing, she can be found spending time with her family—reading, traveling, hiking in the pine forests near her home or just relaxing in her rose garden. Like FBI agent Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks, Jillian loves coffee—although she opts for café mochas.

What new book or project do you have coming out?

Precious Blessings, is my current project out on the shelves.

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

A friend of mine was looking into adoption and my mind, being what it is, started to imagine how hard that has to be to give up a baby for adoption--and the heartbreaking circumstances that can lead a young woman to be in that position.

I'd been waiting for the right character to come along, so this story was sitting on the back burner for almost two years until Katherine started to take shape in my imagination. A good, kind, careful, do-things-right kind of woman, who had to make this painful choice. I thought she deserved a happy end to her story.

Tell us about your publishing journey. How long had you been writing before you got a contract? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

For as long as I can remember, I have been telling myself stories, it took about six years of working hard at trying to seriously publish before I received a call from Harlequin Historicals. I was totally shocked to hear a New York editor on the phone for me, and I'm not sure that, ten years later, I actually believe it yet .

I think I walked around in a daze for months. It just seemed so unreal, like I was in a dream and when I woke up, I'd find out it wasn't true. Or, I think mostly I was afraid that they might change their minds. Luckily for me, they didn't. It is a dream to write professionally--and I am grateful for the experience and for each story I get to tell.

Do you ever struggle with writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

I have struggled several times with writer's block. Writing one book is exhausting, let alone many for a multi-book contract, and I have written myself into a brick wall twice in the last ten years. I have never been so frustrated when the words stopped coming, because writing might be my vocation but it is foremost my beloved hobby.

The most effective way I've come out of writer's block is to accept it, to dive head first into The Artist's Way, and to nurture my creative side. To keep writer's block at bay over time, I write just something fun, something for me, something that no one else can see between each contracted book. Keeping a hold of the fun and joy of writing without any pressure has made a big difference for me.

Where do you write? Do you have a dedicated office or a corner or nook in a room?

I write most of my books on my kitchen table---it's one of the happiest places in my house where meals are made and news and laughter is shared. Plus I'm closer to the cookie jar--a writer needs fuel, right? I work on a laptop so I can work wherever the mood strikes me--outdoors on the patio on summer mornings is one of my favorite writing places.

I have a bedroom, which I've converted into a den with my favorite overstuffed chair and ottoman so I can write at my laptop with my feet up, facing the window. I have my desk there, too, for the serious work of polishing and proof reading and preparing a manuscript for an editor.

Do you have a word or page goal you set for each day?

I started out that way, adhering to a daily page count and not letting myself stop until I reached it. That worked great in the beginning, before burn out started to hit me. So I changed my strategy and I write so many hours a day, depending on my deadlines and now the story is coming.

I've learned to trust the story, to listen to it and to take a break when the writing comes to a halt, and yet to have the discipline (ooh, no one likes that word) to sit and get the story on the page when it's coming well and strong. It's not an easy balance, and I admit that there are days where I read a book instead of write--when I should be writing! But fortunately, that doesn't happen too often.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I'm up before six am. Hit the coffee pot for a big cup with my favorite coffee creamer. I read for an hour, it's a good warm up for me-- it's like stretching before running. I write from between seven and four, five days a week. If I'm on a tight deadline, I do work into some evenings and Saturdays, but I try not to do that too often. I always read an hour before I go to bed.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

Not to worry about anything but telling your story. Forget competing with other authors for publishing slots, or chasing trends, or changing your voice for the market. That the best way to succeed is to write honestly with your own vision, and to love the journey of it. That is advice I believe has made all the difference.

What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?

I suffer from self-doubt like anyone else does, and so for years I took a lot of negative feedback to heart. I'm not talking about constructive things, like trying to write in a more active voice--goodness, writing is so complex and difficult there's always room for improvement. That's a positive focus.

I'm talking about the negative focus. I worried my stories were too small and simple. My writing voice too little and goody two shoes. I wanted to be a blockbuster writer—don't we all—like the wonderful authors who frequent the NYT list. I spent time spinning my wheels, dissatisfied with the stories that came to me. Fortunately, it wasn't too long until I realized that we are all given different talents and voices and visions for a reason.

That I shouldn't worry so much about not writing bigger or more exciting or, as I am often told, more plot intensive books. Those aren't the kinds of stories that naturally come to me or that suit my individual skill levels. If I had learned to trust in the writing and in my writing journey, to accept with gratitude the path that is meant for me, I think I would have hit my stride sooner.

How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?

I do book signings once a year. I'm shy, and that makes publicity very painful. I try to do a few interviews and teach a few workshops every year, to try to get up my comfort zone and to stay in touch with fellow booklovers.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Savor the journey. I spent so many years before I was published, thinking I needed the right story, the right concept, the right break, an appointment with the right editor, to write according to this teaching method or that market. I saw getting published as an end—but it's not, it's just another step and then there are more books to write.

Writing and publishing can be a lifelong journey--isn't that great? My best advice is to be clear on what you want and make sure you enjoy as many of the steps along the way as you can. Write what you love. Write from your heart. Make it a good journey.

Author Interview ~ Sharon Ewell Foster, Part II

Sharon Ewell Foster is a critically acclaimed, award-winning author, speaker, and teacher. She is the author of Passing by Samaria, the first successful work of Christian fiction by an African American author, the book that blazed the trail for other African American Christian fiction authors. She has received three starred reviews--which is a rarity among writers--and is winner of the Christy Award, the Gold Pen Award, Best of Borders, and several reviewers choice awards. For all this, Sharon gives God the glory! He has done great things for her, whereof she is glad! (Psalm 126)

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

Finishing the manuscript is just the beginning. Your baby has just been born and there’s so much to do. You’ve got publicity, yada yada. And you have to trust your baby into other people’s hands. So, it’s important to know them, the publisher, and if they will make good caretakers for your baby. It’s a marriage and they get custody. You don’t want to leave your baby with crazy people.

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

I wrote this book called Riding through Shadows. It’s book about spiritual warfare, a really strong book. It’s not about battling some great behemoth or battling some entity that’s from another country. It’s about the spiritual implications of things we do in our own backyards. It’s about how we terrorize ourselves and one another. It’s very well written.

I know it is, because the English teacher who taught me the most about writing, the one that was the most demanding and pulled no punches, told me it was. (What do critics know?)

Anyway, most of the critics raked me over the coals! Read the reviews at amazon.com. They were vicious and personal.

A lot of Riding through Shadows is autobiographical. So, I shared the story of being a black child in a newly integrated community. One of the things that happened to me was that my teacher assigned me to teach a reading group, rather than be in one. So, at eight years old, I was teaching these poor white kids. There were three of them, all of them older than me. But they couldn’t read. And the teachers didn’t want to be bothered with them. Everyone called them cooties. That’s when I learned how cruel white people could be to other white people. That’s when I learned that white people aren’t superior, they’re just people. Some excel, some struggle, and most are somewhere in the middle. White people are human, like black people.

I guess I wasn’t supposed to know that or say it out loud. It was my worst nightmare come true: public humiliation concerning the thing about which I felt most vulnerable.

I thought about not writing anymore. I cried. My feelings were hurt. I thought about writing responses. Then one day, I heard Jesse Jackson on television. You know, he’s not my favorite hero. But the truth is that in the sixties, he and other people put their lives on the line for what they believed in. I caught the program midway, so I don’t know who he was really speaking to, but he said, “We had to risk our lives. You just have to get your feelings hurt. You can take it. Don’t give up what you’ve gained.”

He was right. I started writing again. Bad reviews didn’t kill me. So, now, I know I can even survive bad reviews. Anyway, what have the critics written? Just a bunch of haters. Someone else said that the arrival of those who say mean things about you just means that you’re flying high enough to show up on their radar.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

Of course, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and The Prophet. I love Carson McCullers’ The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter and Member of the Wedding. I read To Kill A Mockingbird over and over again. Larry McMurtry’s a great writer and Stephen King is the master of narration and characterization. I love John Steinbeck—if he was alive I’d be a groupie (LOL)—and I read East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath, The Pearl, and Of Mice and Men at least once a year. I also like J. California Cooper. Lately, I’ve been reading E.L. Doctorow. All of these writers teach me something about writing. They give me the freedom to tell good stories, but to also wrestle with social and spiritual issues. They are all honest writers. I love that. That’s what I want to be when I grow up.

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

Hmmm. That’s hard to say. Passing by Samaria and Abraham’s Well are both historical, my first and last books. I’m proud of the research I did and that I was honest. Both of them make me proud that I’ve told the story and the truth about little known events, and even the stories of my own people—like my great grandmother Emma Erwin Ewell.

I’m proud of Riding through Shadows because it was honest, I lived through bad critiques, and it’s a good story. I told the story because we have to embrace all the pieces of our quilts, even the tattered pieces. I’m proud of the sequel, Passing into Light, because it was translated into Russian. Can you imagine? That’s pretty cool. A book written by a black woman—as Oprah says, a poor little colored girl—raised in the ghetto of ghettoes translated into Russian! I think that’s pretty sweet!

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

I hate this thing they do in some publishing houses, writing by committee. A book is an artist’s vision. You don’t willy-nilly tell people take out this character and that character. Scripts are treated that way because movies are a collaborative effort. But a book is like a painting, you don’t say, “Monet, I don’t think you should use that pink. The focus group likes green. So, we’d like to see you use more green.” Yuck. If you listened you’d have a completely green canvas.

Writers have to fight for their voices and integrity.

Can you give us a view into a typical day of your writing life?

In the morning, I rise, wash my face, journal and talk to God. Then I think about writing, eavesdrop, or write. I do interviews, speaking engagements, and think about how blessed I am and how much happier my life is, even though my money is some-timey. It’s a pretty cool life.

If you could choose to have one strength of another writer, what would it be and from whom?

I think would probably like Terry McMillan’s confidence. She has tons of chutzpah! I admire her for that. Maybe she’ll mail me some. LOL.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

Oh, can I say it out loud? In a secret place, you know that don’t-say-that-to-anybody-or-they’ll-think-your-crazy-place, I would love to win a major award like a Pulitzer or a Nobel Prize. There, I said it.

My writing has done pretty well across markets, though I’m not marketed that way. The books have done as well in the general market as in Christian, among whites as blacks, among old as young, and I have a substantial number of male readers. I would like to be acknowledged and marketed as a real writer—not just a black writer or a Christian writer or a women’s writer. And I’d like to do for little known history what Carl Sagan did for astronomy.

There are Christian bookstores that don’t carry my books because I’m black; I’ve had bookstore owners tell me that. I’ve had readers who don’t know that they’re invited to read my books because they think they’re for black people only. So, I’d like people to know that they’re invited! Y’all come! I write for readers of all colors. What better way is there for us to get to know each other? Books help us to build bridges to reach each other. I speak to audiences and writers of all colors. I like to see my books on the shelves of all colors!

I’m pretty equal opportunity! LOL.

And I want to visit foreign lands, like Beverly Gray.

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

Yes, after the Riding Through Shadows reviews. (My daughter thinks it’s my best book.) Also, I was having a hard time with a publisher. But, it’s water under the bridge and I don’t want to talk about it. My thinking of quitting probably lasted fifteen minutes. I opened my email and there were about four messages, “Please, don’t ever stop writing.” Besides, what would Jesse Jackson say? Not that he even knows me. LOL.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

I just love the whole process of actually writing, wrestling with the story, researching—I really love to research—I just love the whole thing.

Marketing. Sales. They’re my least favorite. But, I’m getting better. A high school friend told me, “Timid salesmen have skinny children.” I got it. Also, I’ve been channeling my Inner Fiddy. That’s a reference to the rapper Fifty Cent, who I never liked at all until I had a dream about him. In the dream, I married him. He was all pimped out and I was conservatively dressed. But inside, his house was tastefully appointed and he had done some thoughtful things. I still don’t like his music, but he’s a hustler. He believes in himself and demands and expects what he wants. That’s so far from who I am. Since that time, I still don’t like Fiddy’s music or his message, but I remind myself to marry my artist to the part of me that I have kept hidden—the showman, the businesswoman—and to be more assertive.

Or maybe the dream was just telling me that I should not be afraid of wild passionate men! Hmmm.

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

Writers have to market. If you don’t, it’s like making a record and hiding it under your pillow. There’s no nobility in hiding, that’s what I have to remind myself. And, because I write in service to the Lord, my discomfort with selling myself has nothing to do with it. It’s easy to hide, but it doesn’t get the job done. Singers that hide don’t heal anyone’s heart. Teachers that don’t interact with students don’t help anyone learn.

Don’t get mad; I’m stepping on my own toes.

Embrace your inner Fiddy!

Parting words?

Thank you. Great questions. Blessings to you all. If you see Fiddy, tell him I said thanks! LOL.

Author Interview ~ Sharon Ewell Foster, Part I

Sharon Ewell Foster is a critically acclaimed, award-winning author, speaker, and teacher. She is the author of Passing by Samaria, the first successful work of Christian fiction by an African American author, the book that blazed the trail for other African American Christian fiction authors. She has received three starred reviews--which is a rarity among writers--and is winner of the Christy Award, the Gold Pen Award, Best of Borders, and several reviewers choice awards. For all this, Sharon gives God the glory! He has done great things for her, whereof she is glad! (Psalm 126)

She is the proud and grateful mother of two young adults. The University of Maryland graduate also holds a Family Development Credential awarded by Duke University . A regular guest on radio and television, she also is a contributor to Daily Guideposts, Tavis Smiley’s Keeping the Faith, and to the Women of Color Devotional Bible. After more than nineteen years, Sharon resigned from federal service with the military to pursue her dream.

Abraham’s Well, the story of Black Cherokee who walked the Trail of Tears, is her seventh novel. She is, herself, part Cherokee. She speaks for church groups, writers conferences, organizations, schools, and libraries. She is a literacy advocate and loves working with youth and adults. You may contact her at http://us.f309.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=sharonewelfoster@aol.com, http://us.f309.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=cousinpublicity@yahoo.com, or through her web site: http://www.sharonewellfoster.com/

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

My most recent book, my seventh novel, is Abraham’s Well. It’s historical fiction. The glimpse of history that we’ve been offered is often so limited—not much about women, not much about the roles that people of color played, we don’t hear about scandalous things. We get this sanitized, whitewashed version of history. I think that cheats all of us—I often think it’s why people are bored with history in school—it doesn’t look like real life. We aren’t able to explore the richness of who we are as people.

So when I write historical novels, it’s my opportunity to repaint the face of history--not just names and dates and facts. History was about real people, real stories, real heartbreak and real courage. In Abraham’s Well, I supply some of that missing history and I tell it from the heart, right from the gut. Abraham’s Well is the story of the Trail of Tears, and that story includes people of African descent, as well as Native Americans, and white people who intermarried. It’s the story of the forced removal, at gunpoint of people—farmers, doctors, teachers, grandparents, babies, politicians, mothers—from their homes at gunpoint by the United States government. It’s told from the Native point of view, something that is rarely, if ever, done. It’s also, in some ways, my own family’s history (I include some family photos). I am black, but I am also Cherokee and white.

I’m proud of it. Here are a couple of reviews:

From Booklist*Starred Review* Foster drops back to 1838 to tell the story of black Cherokees forced along the Trail of Tears...This is simply told and moving, Foster's best work since her groundbreaking first novel, Passing by Samaria (2000).

Cindy Crosby, faithfulreader.com"This historical tale is one of Foster's best efforts, if not her best, and deserves a wide reading audience."

Publishers Weekly"Innovative and intriguing...This is the rare historical novel that both entertains and educates."

Melissa Parcel, Romantic Times"...readers will feel the heartbreak and trials of this horrific ordeal, but will also experience the joys." Finalist for Best Inspirational

blogcritics.org
Abraham’s Well will introduce you to a character you won’t soon forget. The little known historic event it portrays will open your eyes to an ugly episode in American history. But by book’s end, like Armentia [the main character] you will be stronger and wiser for having taken the journey. –Violet Nesdoly, blogcritics.org


I guess that’s secondary horn tooting! LOL! But you know what? Writing is hard work and mostly we don’t get paid what we should. We shouldn’t begrudge ourselves the joy of accomplishment.

Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.

My story is really unusual, one of those malt-shop experiences. For me, it wasn’t about how long it took me to get published; it was about how long it took me to even write.

I grew up an avid reader. Reading was my healing place, my retreat. When I was in elementary school, I remember reading Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet:

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.

I grew up in a household that needed its children to be perfect and being perfect means you can’t have your own dreams or thoughts. So those words in a book, they saved me. At the same time I was reading John Steinbeck, Truman Capote, Ernest Hemingway, and James Baldwin. The books I was reading were my parents’ books from their college literature classes. I read Gone with the Wind. All this in elementary school. I also read Beverly Gray novels from the bookmobile. No pictures books for me!

Included amongst my literary works were such acclaimed works as Mandingo, Falconhurst Fancy, Drum, Master of Falconhurst, The Black Sun, all really stellar pieces of literary mastery that I found appropriately hidden under my oldest brother’s bed.

So, I was a reading maniac. Like most kids, I made the books out of notebook paper folded and stapled in the middle. I wrote for school newspapers. But I didn’t know any writers and none of the writers I was reading looked like me. The first black female writer I read was Toni Morrison. I was fourteen, I think, when I read The Bluest Eye. I became her personal publicist, running from place to place, “Have you read The Bluest Eye?” It was so remarkable to me that someone spoke my experiences in a book. When I went to college, I was still talking about The Bluest Eye. I remember going to the Library of Congress and asking if they had The Bluest Eye. They’d never heard of it or Toni Morrison. But they know her now, don’t they?

Anyway, no one, not at home or at school, was saying, “Honey, you should write!”

In fact, I got the opposite message which was, writing is not a real job and you can’t make money writing. My mother told me that I should learn to type because no matter what else happened in the world, I could always get a job typing. (That doesn’t work anymore, does it?) My father told me I shouldn’t climb trees because girls don’t climb trees. At school, though I planned to major in art and had sent portfolios to Stanford and Syracuse, because my grades were good—I was a National Merit Program Scholar—I was encouraged to major in engineering. Boy, was that bad counseling. But I went to the University of Illinois to become an engineer. On the entrance exams, I scored so high that they granted me credit for all the entry level English courses. I did so poorly on the math—I fell asleep during the exam—that I had to take trig over. You would think that someone would have said, “Baby, your scores say you should think about writing or literature. Engineering is probably not your bag.” No one did, and the light didn’t come on for me.

I hated engineering and, after switching, majored in Radio-TV-Film. When I graduated, even though I’d told myself I would never type, I got a job typing for the government. From there, I became a technical writer/editor, a logistician, an instructor … I did everything but write creatively. When the voice inside me would say, “write,” I would beat it down with the sledge hammer I’d been given. I had learned to kill my own dreams by then.

You can’t make any money writing. You better get a real job. You’re not good enough! Who wants to hear what you have to say? Who made you queen of the world?

Oh, I was vicious with myself. I learned well from others and got crueler with myself as time passed.

The funny thing is, I would always end up writing, no matter where I worked. People would always compliment me on my writing, even on my emails. But I wouldn’t even dream of writing. Instead, I had this vision for a career. I worked for the government and I wanted a long title and lots of money—I thought that would make me feel better and fill the hole inside me.

“You should be writing, Mama,” my own children told me. I encouraged my own children to follow their dreams, so they were encouraging me.

You can’t make any money writing, I told myself. You’re not good enough!

Even funnier is, that even with the compliments, I would get to a certain career level and just hang. I believe in God, you know. Inside me, I felt it was God’s hand that just held me in place.

One day, I sat at my good government job in my best dressed-for-success suit, my hair pulled back in a ponytail, and wearing the obligatory huge bow. I was working, but fussing at God in my mind. “So, what is the problem, God? You know I love you. I’m Your girl. I’m doing all the right things: I pay my tithes, I go to Bible Study, I teach Sunday School, I sing in the choir. I’m a hard worker and I’m good at what I do. So, why am I sitting here while people that don’t even like You are getting promoted? Just answer me that!”

About two weeks later I was sitting at the same desk in another suit when I got my answer. It wasn’t audible, but my heart heard it. I was not doing what I was supposed to do. I was chasing after the things of man when I was supposed to be writing. I was in tears. I got up from my desk, went home, closed myself in the bathroom, and cried for two or three hours. That was 1997. I was forty-one and I hadn’t written anything. The year before, my kids had given me Toni Morrison’s novel, Jazz, for my birthday and I was able to see how much her writing had progressed. Mine hadn’t done anything because I hadn’t written a word.

I’d read other writers and been critical: I can’t believe they even put that crap on the bookshelves! What I had to face that afternoon was that at least those writers were trying. It’s like the parable of the talents. Maybe those writers only had one talent, but they were using it, investing it. If I had more talents—three or five—then I was burying mine.

But, God, you can’t make any money writing! I’ve got kids! I’m not good enough! I’m not a good enough person! I’m not a good enough writer! No one wants to hear what I have to say! How can anything that I might have to say be of any use to You? I don’t have a computer! I don’t know how to write a novel. I don’t have an agent! I don’t know any publishers! I don’t have any business cards! The more I prayed, the less rational my excuses seemed.

Finally, I prayed that I would try. I didn’t have time for writer’s bloc, I told the Lord. So, I would meet Him each morning at five a.m. to write if He would meet me. I kept my promise. I gave up an hour’s sleep each morning. I prayed, I sang softly, and I wrote longhand on steno pads. It wasn’t my responsibility to get published. Actually, I thought I would never be published.

Writing was a personal way that I could worship, to give thanks for so many things in my life. I’d been raised with fear, anger, and depression. Now, I lived in a happy home full of love. Writing was a small, private gift that I could give in return.

The first morning I wrote, “I don’t know why I’m doing this. I feel stupid.” I kept doing it. I didn’t listen to the voice that said, “What you really should be doing, sister girl, is going to get a part time job if you’ve got so much free time!”

It may sound insignificant, but it took me so much to get the courage to write, the courage to tell the truth, to speak what I was really thinking. I found my voice at forty-one. In six months time, I had what I thought were three chapters. That was from writing for twenty-five to forty-five minutes each morning. I didn’t tell my family of origin that I was writing. In fact, I always hid when I was writing, like if someone discovered me they would take it away from me.

In six months time, I had what I thought were three chapters. That was from writing for twenty-five to forty-five minutes each morning. I heard on the radio about a writers conference—The Sandy Cove Christian Writers Conference—that was going to be in the area. I called the number they gave and sent for a brochure. I would go there to get feedback from other writers. Maybe they would tell me, “Don’t ever write again!” Then I could say, “See, God, I told You I wasn’t good enough.”

It cost over $400.00 to attend. “No way! I’m not ready! I can’t afford that!” I threw the brochure away. A couple of days later a Marine came by my desk—I taught military instructors how to teach—and he said, “Guess what, Ms Foster? I’m going to a writers conference…” They gave him a scholarship to go. I was so jealous. But I also took it as a sign that I was supposed to go. Maybe if I’d applied for a scholarship they would have given me one. Why be jealous?

So, because I was frightened, I went to all the negative people I knew in hopes of finding an ally. “Girl, don’t waste your money,” I thought the Negative Nellies would say. Instead, they encouraged me to go. I procrastinated until almost the last day. I called my pastor, who wasn’t too thrilled about my “little writing” because I’d stopped doing so many things and focused on writing.

“Do you think I should go? There’s only one day left.”

Surprisingly, she encouraged me to try. So, I called. Sure, I could attend for the last day, the conference people said. It would only be ninety-five dollars.

Hah! I didn’t have ninety-five dollars. I only had sixty-five. I went to my mail box and there was a check someone had sent me. It made up the balance.

So, I went. I almost didn’t take my pages because they were nasty, marked up, and tea stained. (By this time I’d typed the pages. My best friend, Portia, let me borrow her father’s broken work processor; so, I could type the pages, but it wouldn’t save. I had sixty-one pages.) Procrastinating as much as I could, and sweating profusely, I arrived for the last four hours of the conference. “I’m just here for feedback,” I told them. I didn’t know there would be publishers and agents there. Good thing; if I’d known it, I never would have gone.

I ended up meeting with two magazine editors. They read my pages, offered me their business cards, and personal contact information. “Call. I want you to write for us.” Sure, I thought. They say this to everybody. I tossed the cards. Yep, that’s what I did.

I met with an acquisitions editor. “I’m not ready. I’m just here for feedback.”

She gave me a placating smile. She and all the other editors in the huge dining hall had been sitting across the table from a continuous stream of authors, authors with huge manuscripts and lots of business cards, who were begging to be published. She pulled my nasty pages out of the stained manila envelope.

“This is not a romance,” she said.

See, God, see! I told you I wasn’t good enough! I told you! Now, I’m sitting here embarrassed. I didn’t even want to be here.

“No, it’s not a romance. It’s more like … like … like To Kill a Mockingbird!”

The whole room got quiet, like E.F. Hutton. Another editor yelled, “To Kill A Mockingbird?! Send her over here to me!”

“Uh huh! I got her first,” my editor yelled.

Twenty minutes later, an agent approached me. She wanted to read my nasty pages. “Lots of people are going to want to represent you. You’re definitely going to get a contract for this book. You don’t need me for that. But I can help you with future books and I can help you keep track of your royalties.”

Royalties? I was silent. I work for the government.

She gave me her card. “I want you to consider me. Your writing could be published in the CBA or the ABA.” She smiled. “Do you even know what that means?”

I had no clue. I left, four hours later, with an agent, a publisher, and an award for being the most promising writer. Those sixty-one pages evolved into my first novel, Passing by Samaria which won a Christy Award and was a double RITA Award (Romance Writers of America). Actually, it was also a double Christy finalist.

That day changed my whole life. So, my struggle wasn’t getting published. My struggle was believing that I had a gift for writing and that I had something to say. My struggle was believing in myself.

After Passing by Samaria was published and won the Christy, I told my mother, father, and brothers that I was writing. My mother was very positive, my father was so-so, and my brothers still think I think too much of myself. I was not the favorite child, and the sisters don’t like it when Cinderella goes to the ball.


Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

Oh, sure, I do. But now I know that that is not uncommon among writers and other artists. I’m getting better at psyching myself in instead of psyching myself out. And I feel at home writing. I don’t have that empty space. I love what I do, even if it’s not good enough. I believe that if I do the best I can, God will make it perfect. That’s what David said, “He makes my way perfect.”

I still have to guard myself and my heart. My father and brothers got mad at me and said, “Who made you the savior of the world? What makes you think anyone wants to hear what you have to say?” Let’s just say that doesn’t build confidence. So, there are people from whom I have to distance myself.

But my father says he thinks Abraham’s Well should be made into a movie.

But, yes, I have doubts.

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

I didn’t do anything really about seeking publication. But now I realize how important it is to have an agent that has a common vision and that can do for you what you need.

I also ghost wrote a novel for a well-known pastor. It was supposed to be collaboration, but I soon found out that collaboration is a euphemism for ghostwriting. I never saw that in the dictionary, but that’s what it means. LOL. I thought I was serving, but …

I would never do that again. It’s deception, it’s someone pretending they have a gift and attaching their name to something that God has personally given to you. It’s accepted because it’s more easily hidden than say, singing for someone else—like Milli Vanilli. It’s stroking someone’s ego and letting them make big money while the true artist gets little or noting. Not a smart thing to do.

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

I was at a conference in a small room of writers where Nora Roberts was speaking. Someone asked her if she ever felt overwhelmed by something she was writing.

At the time, I was struggling with something I was writing.

I’ll delete the expletives, but Nora said, “No! I created it. I’m in charge of it! I’ll kick its …” I thought, “Wow!” Since she said that, I always remember that I am in charge.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

“Outline your novel so that you will know where you’re going.” “You must write everyday.”

That’s crap. There’s no universal way to write a novel. We all have different rhythms and different approaches. I never know where I’m going until I get there.

And writing isn’t just writing. Writing is also daydreaming, eavesdropping, imagining, sleeping, and thinking about writing. Some days are just daydreaming days, and that’s all right. That’s part of the process.

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

To be continued tomorrow ...

Harry Potter and the Independent Bookstore

For those of you who don't know, I've taken a part-time job at a book-store/coffee-shop. It's a great way to continue my knowledge of all things books while having enough time for family and writing.

I'm lucky enough to be heavily involved on the book side of things. In fact, it's the reason I was hired. I research the book orders, add my recommendations, sets up the shelves, and look after the little darlings when they arrive.

I've learned new things playing the role of bookseller, and as time goes by, I'll share more with our readers about what I'm learning. This week, I wanted to talk about an interesting phenomenon happening right now.

First though, set aside any prejudice about Harry Potter and just look at the business side of this. This could have easily been a Left Behind book in this scenario.

The final Harry Potter book is scheduled for a July 21, 2007 release. A sought-after, best-selling book is considered a boon to the market. Bookstores with sagging sales are given a chance to catch up. The Harry Potter books usually have great publicity. Reading becomes in vogue. People who haven't visited a bookstore online or in person since the last Potter book are suddenly thrust back into this world.

The bookstore I work at is an independent, and the town's only bookstore. Its had its doors open for two weeks, and the upcoming Harry Potter release has been seen with a sigh of relief. People are just discovering the store and every few days we send out a new order—reinvesting all that has been made on books into expanding our book selection.

The discussion has been started towards taking pre-purchases on Harry Potter in order to use the funds to literally stock the shelves—so any author reading this, our ability to stock your book depends upon this too.

Imagine the look on my face when I read this week in PW's daily that Harry Potter was being sold on Amazon at a 49% discount, with guaranteed delivery on its release date—or it's free.

49% is a better discount than our store is capable of purchasing the novel at. We'd be paying the customers to read Harry Potter if we tried to compete. (Barnes and Noble has a similar price, though tad bit less extravagant. )

Now we all know better than to sound complain-ly. Heaven forbid. Somebody, somewhere might hear my whiney tone and blacklist me or worse—whatever that may be. But seriously, who made this crippling decision?

Has Amazon decided just to take a small margin of profit in order to have the bulk of the orders? And if so, somebody, somewhere made the decision to offer these books to Amazon at a price where they in turn could offer Harry Potter to their customers cheaper than independent bookstores can purchase them for. (And to make sure we're all on the same page, this discount would be because Amazon ordered such a HUGE number of H.P. books.)

Or, is Amazon making this novel a loss leader (a marketing strategy where a business takes a loss in order to draw in more customers)? So, people can purchase Harry Potter cheap on Amazon, but in order to take advantage of the free shipping, they must order one more book—thus the customer orders one more book and Amazon still makes a profit.

I don't know which it is, but I do know it's crippling us. I won't say that's not fair, but good grief! Our boon is limited to those who read Harry Potter but aren't Internet savvy.

Our store would be doing better to purchase the novel through Amazon rather than our distributor. Only Amazon waited until after the deadline when bookstores had to place their order to guarantee the novel on the release date. If Amazon is in the position of offering a loss leader, it'd be interesting to see what would happen if independent bookstores ganged together only ordered Harry Potter through Amazon (and returned the stock they orignally purchased), thus keeping the loss with Amazon.

Too bad there's not discount restriction on the novel. I know, I know. Business is business. We've all seen You've Got Mail. But Apple does it. They limit the discount retailers can offer their products at. Some manufactures don't allow online retailers to show the price—because it's so low—before you place it in your cart. At least that's something. Try Googling "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Amazon," and you'll see the news of this discount has spread everywhere.

So, I've spelled what I'm seeing from the trenches. I confess, I'm only two weeks into this side of things. And grudgingly I do have to admit I admire Amazon's marketing skills. Those who have been involved in distribution and bookseller longer, please feel free to comment and fill in the gaps.

Anyone else have anything to add?

Perspective

Gratitude.

Humility.

Not very popular words in our current culture, are they? All too often, they’re not even popularly applied in the Christian culture. Applying them requires putting self last, placing another in higher esteem than we hold ourselves. This has been on my mind for a few weeks, so I thought I’d talk about it here at Novel Journey today.

Let’s be real with each other – it’s not our instinct to think of others as more important than ourselves. We’re taught – by our schools, our peers, our advertising, our television shows, our books, even some of our churches – that we should love ourselves, respect ourselves, honor ourselves. And, perhaps, there’s some truth to that.

But loving myself all too easily becomes worshiping myself, being prideful of my accomplishments, thinking highly of the things that I have done. Calling myself a “best-selling author” or “award-winning novelist” or “ground-breaking publicist” or “innovative publisher” or “insightful editor” – useful terms when working “in” a world while not being “of” it. Yet I fear we’ve begun to apply those labels to ourselves, to internalize the praise of the world on our projects.

When, in reality, I have done nothing apart from exist in Him. And existing in Him – just stop reading, close your eyes, and think of that for a minute.

Existing in Him.

He creates light.

He creates light.

He created the best, most epic story ever conceived in the universe – the story that is still playing out every single second this planet turns. And He lets me exist in Him.

He lets me be a wife, a mom, a daughter, a publicist, a novelist, a sister, a friend, a church-goer, in Him. Who am I that He should even breathe life into me? Much less create a plan for me? A plan that prospers me?

I’ve been astounded all over again these past few weeks as God tips His bucket of blessings on my path – ticking satan off in the process so that with the blessings come unspeakable tragedies. And I’ve been reminded that it is all – all – to bring Him glory. If I sell a million books, that’s because He chose to make it so. If I manage to get an author on the Today Show or Good Morning America, that’s because He chose to make it so. If you sell a book, that’s because He chose to make it so.

In the face of this, how can we ever point to an accomplishment and tell others it’s because we’re good, we worked hard, or we did something? How can we say anything other than, “That happened because He chose to make it so.” Some days, it even feels selfish to say, “That happened because I answered His call on my life.” Because, in reality, that happened because He chose to place a call on my life in the first place.
I don’t want to negate our responsibility to act on His will, to actively engage with Him and walk down the path He places in front of us. But I have been thinking a lot of how much time I spend on praise of self vs. praise of Him for the path He created.
He created a path. In the midst of spinning the world, painting universes, pulling life from the ground, directing the symphony of creation. He created a path. Praise be to a God who loves even the creation that rejects Him.

Rebeca Seitz is Founder and President of Glass Road Public Relations, the only publicity firm of its kind in the country dedicated solely to representing novelists writing from a Christian worldview. Her debut novel Prints Charming is available in stores now.

WATCH REBECA TODAY (MAY 11) ON THE HARVEST SHOW. Check www.harvest-tv.com for local listings.

Author Interview ~ Mallory Kane

Mallory Kane is multi-published in short- and novel-length romance and in sci-fi and fantasy. Her short stories and novels have won numerous awards. Mallory credits her love of books to her mother, who taught her that books are a precious resource and should be treated with loving respect. Her grandfather and her father were both steeped in the southern tradition of oral history, and could hold an audience spellbound with their storytelling skills. Mallory lives in Mississippi with her husband and their dauntless cat.

What new book or project do you have coming out?

My next book is JUROR No. 7 from Harlequin Intrigue, coming in May 2007. After that will be A FATHER'S SACRIFICE in October 2007. I have three more books coming out in 2008 and another project in the works for 2009.

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

Actually for JUROR No. 7 there WAS a specific 'what if' moment. I was watching some movie about jury tampering and thought--what if the bad guy who's threatening the innocent juror is actually an undercover cop. I could not wait to sit down and write the story.

Tell us about your publishing journey. How long had you been writing before you got a contract? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

I've been writing all my life. I'd submitted my first full manuscript five years before I landed my first contract and four more before I published with Harlequin. The Harlequin call actually was a call to ask me if my manuscript was still available. When I told the editor it was, she told me she was going to read it over the weekend. Argh!!! I had to wait five more days to find out that she wanted to buy it!

Do you ever struggle with writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

So far I haven't had writer's block. I do sometimes practice 'avoiding writing' when I have a scene or a part of the book to write that isn't solidified in my mind. Those are the days that cleaning the toilet actually sounds like a whole lot of fun!

Where do you write? Do you have a dedicated office or a corner or nook in a room?

I write in my sunroom. It's on the back of the house and in Mississippi the sun room is a SUN room. I love it almost as much as my cats do. If I'm having trouble concentrating, I'll take my laptop to the Coffee Roastery, order a big Latte and spend the day there. That often jumpstarts my creativity.

Do you have a word or page goal you set for each day?

My goal is three pages a day. It's a very doable goal, and I often exceed it -- which for me is a real morale booster. I'm not planning to increase my goal. I like the feeling I get when I write six or ten or twenty pages.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I get up around 7:30 or so, feed the cats and play with them a little, make the coffee, pour myself some cranberry juice and head out to the sunroom to crank up the laptop and take my morning vitamins and nutritional supplements. I try to write for four hours a day.

Three days a week I go to Yoga Class from 9:30 - 11:00. Sometimes I'll go out to lunch with a fellow writer. Then I come back home to finish my writing time and get my three plus pages. In the evening I watch TV (lots of inspiration) and make handmade greeting cards or fun jewelry.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

Don't give up. Don't ever ever ever give up.

What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?

Writing: It's not 'cooler' to insist on writing by the seat of your pants if it makes more sense to plot ahead. I could have been writing faster much longer if I'd been willing to put forth the effort to plot out my books ahead of time. I learned better.

Publishing: If I'd admitted earlier that I wasn't going to force the entire publishing industry to change to fit what I wanted to write, I'd have published earlier. While I love the idea of writing what I want to -- and I am very fortunate that Harlequin Intrigue allows me a lot of leeway to write what I want to write -- there is discipline in writing and for a number of years I was too arrogant to admit that I needed to focus my writing in a particular direction in order to succeed.

How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?

My marketing efforts are more for name recognition than to promote a particular book. Harlequin does a far better job of promoting category books than I can. So I try to build name recognition with web presence, contests and talking on eHarlequin and leave the big book promotion to the big publisher.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Never give up your dream. Never!

Author Interview ~ Adam Palmer

Adam Palmer is a freelance writer, video/film producer, and musician who spent his early twenties playing in a variety of bands. His previous works include Mooch and Taming a Liger: Unexpected Spiritual Lessons from Napoleon Dynamite. He lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with his wife and six children, none of whom would actually like listening to Knuckle Sandwich. Read more about Adam Palmer on his website.

I just finished reading Knuckle Sandwich, which I loved. (to read a review of Knuckle Sandwich,
(click here ) Your humor is well described as biting. Your knowledge of the industry pulled the reader right in. What sparked the story?

Well, thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you liked it, and I’m glad you saw the humor in it. The story was sparked largely by my own experiences during that time of my life. When I was a freshman in college, I worked in a Christian bookstore and started a Christian band with a friend from Oral Roberts University. A lot of my knowledge of the industry came from firsthand experience—I played a lot of those shows Knuckle Sandwich plays in the book.

And I guess that’s really where the story came from. I started out wanting to tell the story of the Christian music industry from the inside out, because I think a lot of people don’t have a clue as to what it’s really like. But as I kept writing, the story evolved and became less focused on the behind-the-scenes aspects of music and more focused on Jeremiah’s journey to authentic faith.

The nugget of the story came from a desire to tell some of the anecdotes I experienced during my career as a musician, but the ‘what if’ moment came in the midst of the first draft. Initially, I was planning on building a sort of war between Matt and Jeremiah for Liz’s affections, until I started writing the scene where the boys meet Liz. I had set it in a Christian dance club, and I already had a strong idea of Liz’s character traits, so I realized she wouldn’t be in that club alone—she would only be there with a friend. That’s when I invented Amanda and everything started to fall into place.

Do you have a new book or project coming out?

I have a couple of things on the horizon, but the only concrete book I have coming out soon is The High School Survival Guide, which is a practical and spiritual guide for high school students. I’m still working on the first draft of that. There are many other potential things I’d like to discuss, but can’t until they materialize contractually.

Tell us about your publishing journey. How long had you been writing before you got a contract? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

I had been writing off and on for years before I got a publishing contract. I did a ton of freelance journalistic work like reviews and articles for magazines and such. Then I got a regular job working for a Christian marketing company and focused my writing on that. I got some gigs doing some ghostwriting on the side, and then came my big break: my friend Jeff wanted to do a devotional book based on the movie Napoleon Dynamite. He wanted to call it Taming a Liger.

Jeff worked for a publisher (not NavPress/TH1NK, who publishes my books), and pitched the idea to them. They passed, so he pitched it to Nav, who snatched it up and me right along with it.

Now, a month before this happened, I had, on a lark, written my first novel. I chose to use the method for National Novel-Writing Month, where you write a 50,000-word novel in thirty days. My friend Kevin had written his novel during the official month of November, and it turned out well, so I thought I should do it, too. Except I did mine in February, so I had to crank it up a bit to get my word limit in two fewer days.

So, after I finished work on Taming a Liger, I told my editor that I had just written a novel, and asked if she wouldn’t mind taking a look at it and telling me whether it was any good. I had no intention of becoming a novelist—I’d never written one before or anything. I was just curious. One thing led to another, and NavPress/TH1NK signed me to a two-book deal.

That was a pretty awesome phone call. I still remember driving around in my cheapo Volvo listening to Nicci tell me about the deal. It freaked me right out. I couldn’t believe it. I was a full-time freelance writer by then, which meant I was taking a lot of crummy small jobs just because I needed the money—the idea of getting paid to write stories was a little overwhelming. Still is.

Do you ever struggle with writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

I don’t struggle so much with writer’s block as with writer’s apathy. I am the worst procrastinator I know, and my life is full of distractions. I have a full-time job, plus a wife, plus many children, plus music at church (my wife and I are worship leaders), so, on the rare occasions when I have some downtime, I usually only want to watch movies or look up stupid stuff on the internet.

How do I overcome it? The best way is to go to the Starbucks by my house. Though I’d rather support the many local coffee shops in Tulsa, I go to Starbucks because the local shops have free wi-fi, whereas I have to pay for it at Starbucks. And I refuse to pay for coffee shop internet. So, since I don’t have internet access, I don’t have the sudden urge to dash off an email, or crank out an IM, or check the scores of whatever sporting event happens to be in progress at the time. I just throw on some headphones, put the ol’ iTunes on shuffle, and start typing.

Where do you write? Do you have a dedicated office or a corner or nook in a room?

I write all over the place, but some places are better than others. I like to write in public—for some reason it inspires me when I do a little people-watching. It helps me find little human elements to interject into my stories that make them feel more real.




Once I was at a deli/coffee shop in the morning at a really busy time when I saw this teenage kid walk in with a Styrofoam Sonic cup, beeline to the soda fountain, fill his cup, and walk out without paying. I was working on Mooch, my first novel, at the time, and it struck me as something my main character would do, so I gave him that action and got a pretty interesting scene out of it.

I also write at home a lot, after hours when my wife and kids are asleep. I’ll just sit on the couch and go crazy. Try to find that zone.

Do you have a word or page goal you set for each day?

Both novels I’ve written using the National Novel-Writing Month style of 50,000 words in 30 days. That boils down to about 1600-1700 words/day. But with Knuckle Sandwich, I got on a roll and basically wrote the last 15,000 words in one day. And this was all before the editing process, which is when the story really takes shape.

What does a typical day look like for you?

In addition to my writing pursuits, I have a full-time job as a video/film producer, so that takes up a lot of my time these days. When I was a full-time freelancer, my typical workday was 9:00 to noon at my favorite local coffee shop, then lunch with my family, then about 1:00 or so to 4:00 at a different coffee shop. And that was all the writing I would do. Now, though, I do most of my writing at night and on the weekends.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

The most liberating thing I’ve ever heard was “write what you know.” It’s really true. And I’m not talking about plot elements necessarily, but just write characters you know, characters you want to spend time with—because you will be spending time with them. A lot of time. I also look at my characters as extensions of me, almost. Especially with Jeremiah and Matt from Knuckle Sandwich. I’m not really like either of those guys, but if I’m not careful, I can see myself becoming either of them.

As far as practical advice, the best thing I ever heard was to let my characters dictate my story, and not the other way around. I think I read that in Stephen King’s On Writing, which is hands-down the best book about the craft of writing I’ve ever read. When I was writing Mooch, which is about a major slacker guy orchestrating a heist of a dead man’s money, I got halfway through the story and realized that I hadn’t really thought through any of the heist elements. Like, how Jake (the main character) would pull it off.

So I thought through Jake’s world—his personality, his character traits, his environment, his friends, his stuff—and just thought, “How would Jake use the things around him to make this heist successful?” I looked at the situation through his eyes and then made plot decisions based on that, instead of going the other way around. And the more I’ve written, the more I’m able to trust my instincts and, if you will, listen to my characters tell me where they want to go.

What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?

You know, my frustration is limited. I’ve had a really good experience thus far. God has been good to me.

How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?

When Mooch came out, I didn’t know thing one about doing marketing for a book, so I didn’t do any. I thought the publisher would do it all for me, and while they did some marketing, they didn’t go gonzo with it like it was the next Harry Potter or anything. My friend Mark, who is also an author, once relayed some advice to me: “Publishers don’t sell books; authors do.”

So this time around I’m trying to make myself as available as I can for interviews and that sort of thing. Also, I’m trying a couple of extra things: I set the book in Tulsa, so I’m trying to get as much buzz in this city as possible, hoping to parlay that into some regional buzz, and then some. In addition, since the book is about music, I’m trying to get it into some influential hands in the music business, just to see what happens. But so far, the grassroots, blog-based marketing is the best I’ve found (and I’m not just saying that for your benefit).

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Just to be honest in your writing. It’s easy to write a trite, formulaic story that costs you nothing, but it isn’t going to have much soulish impact. I think of that wonderful scene in Walk the Line, when Johnny Cash goes to audition for Sam Phillips, and he sings some tired old southern gospel song.

Sam stops him in the middle of his song and tells him (if I may paraphrase), “If you were hit by a truck, and lying in the gutter dying, and you had time to sing one song that would let God and everyone else know how you felt about your time on Earth, would that be the song you’d sing?

That same tune we hear all day, about how you have peace within, and it’s real, and you’re gonna shout it? Or would you sing something different, something real? Something you felt? Because I’m telling you, that’s the type of song people want to hear. That’s the kind of song that truly saves people.”

Author Interview ~ Randy Alcorn Part II

Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM), and the best-selling author of twenty-seven books (over three million in print), including fourteen non-fiction works, and the novels Deadline, Dominion, Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, the Gold Medallion winner Safely Home, and Wait Until Then.



Tell Me About Heaven (picture book illustrated by Ron DiCianni) will be released in July 2007.

Randy has written for many magazines and produces the popular periodical Eternal Perspectives. He’s been a guest on over 500 radio and television programs.

The father of two married daughters, Randy lives in Gresham, Oregon, with his wife and best friend, Nanci. They are the proud grandparents of three grandsons, Jacob, Matthew and Tyler and expecting their fourth grandchild in August. Randy enjoys hanging out with his family, biking, tennis, research and reading.



Describe what you believe is the role of writing and reading in the Christian life.

God is an author. The universe itself is His book. Each person is a chapter. History really is His story. Christ is the Word, the very essence of God, and expression of God. We are created in God's image, and made to be sub-creators, authors who create and weave together both non-fiction and marvelous stories on which our imaginations can soar. When we write and read such works, He is pleased.

As an author, I’m very aware that I'm a steward of words, and I labor to get them right.

Books and bookstores have had an enormous influence on my own life. My first youth pastor did me a huge favor—he gave me a key to his office, so I could go in any time and read his books, hundreds of them. I read everything I could get my hands on. There was an elderly couple in our church, named Bill and Martha Kuntz. They had a Christian bookstore in their house in Gresham, Oregon, my hometown. I would go there several days a week, for hours at a time. They would point out books for me to read. They introduced me to Lewis, Schaeffer, and Tozer, and books such as Tortured for Christ, God's Smuggler, Through Gates of Splendor, and The Cross and the Switchblade.

Over the years I’ve bought and read thousands of good books, many of which are now in our church library. I can’t divorce God's works of grace in my life from good books. In my book Heaven, I talk about books the Bible says are now in Heaven, and I present reasons for believing that other books will be written and read on the New Earth.

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

The most valuable lesson I've learned about writing is that it's hard work. Writing is both energizing and draining, something I love to do and sometimes hate to do. Sometimes it’s a joy. Sometimes it’s like the tenth hour of chopping wood: you just want to be done. It's never done, but eventually it has to be turned in.

I've learned that what's easy to read is hard to write, and what's easy to write is hard to read. I'm a steward of words, and I'm accountable to God for how I arrange them.

That's the best reason for working hard at rewriting: "work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Colossians 3:23).

I’ve learned I need honest critics and careful editors. But above all I need
Christ, who said, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

When I work this hard at something, I don't want it to amount to nothing. I want it to last forever. I want to hear the Audience of One say, "Well done." No payoff could be bigger than that!

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

Nonfiction: The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer, Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis, Knowing God by J. I. Packer, Desiring God and The Pleasures of God by John Piper, He Is There And He Is Not Silent by Francis Schaeffer.

Fiction: The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis; The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien; C. S. Lewis's Space trilogy, especially Perelandra; The Singer trilogy (including The Song and The Finale) by Calvin Miller.

Those who read my new novel Deception will see that I have a special love for Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories—every chapter begins with a Holmes quote. In Deception, I also pay tribute to the Nero Wolfe mysteries by Rex Stout. I've read or listened to most of the forty-seven Nero Wolfe books.

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

I hate ghostwriting. That’s where the names of the actual writers of books aren’t put on the cover, and instead a celebrity name is put on it, even though the celebrity invested almost nothing in the book. This is done to sell more books, but I fail to see how it differs from lying.

If you set back the odometer on a car it will sell for more money, but it’s still dishonest. Years ago the secular world condemned Milli Vanilli for lip-synching, pretending someone else’s voices were their own. How can Christians and Christian agents and publishers tolerate misleading the public by pretending well-known pastors or public figures wrote books they didn’t write? How can they give interviews pretending to have actually written the books? How can they receive awards for books they didn’t write?

This problem is being dealt with as more authors and publishers are standing up against it. But it still happens, and when it does I think it brings disgrace to the name of Christ.

My single biggest concern is the way that successful authors tend to lose perspective and become demanding and prideful. This dishonors Christ, ruins character, and undermines ministries. Materialism and the celebrity culture have poisoned the church, and we have put ourselves under God’s judgment.

I Peter 5 says, “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”

The same rules apply to Christian authors and musicians as apply to Christian shopkeepers and mill workers and farmers. Every day, every hour, we choose either to humble ourselves, in which case God promises to give us grace, or to be proud, in which case God promises to oppose us.

Acting pridefully is like wearing a sign that says “kick me” or “strike me down.”

Most writers won’t sell a lot of books. I encourage those who do to give away most or all of the royalties to God’s kingdom. Recognize they belong to Him, not to you. Because all the royalties from my books go to missions work and other kingdom causes, I’m not tempted to spend on myself the millions of dollars God has graciously entrusted to me. Instead, my wife and I get to give them away and to rejoice as we make eternal investments in God’s powerful work around the world.

Do you feel writing is a calling?

My calling is first to find my purpose and joy in Christ, and second to transfer that purpose and joy to others. I want my life and writing to be full of what Jesus came full of—grace and truth. My desire is that He would so permeate my life as to flow over to others and draw them toward Him.

My life calling and my calling as a writer are the same. I want my imagination to be baptized by and grounded in God's Word, which has a power and authority my own words don't have. (He says His Word won't return to Him without accomplishing its intended purpose—if my words are to make an eternal impact, they must conform to His.)

My writing is a ministry, because ministry is service, and every aspect of our lives is to be a service that glorifies our Lord:
"Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31).

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col 3:17)

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men...It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (Col. 3:23-24).

Is writing included in the "whatever" I do? Yes. And I do it with all my heart, to the glory of God, as a service to the Lord first and to others second, aware that I must seek to please the Audience of One. His judgment seat is the only one I'll stand before, and His opinion of my life is the only one that matters.
Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

In Heaven, I want to meet people whose lives were touched by my books, and hear their stories. And I want to thank all the people whose writing touched my life.
On Earth, I want to be remembered as one of God’s grateful errand boys. I want my life and my writing to have said, “It’s all about Jesus, not about me.” I won’t leave behind much of an inheritance to my children and grandchildren, but I hope to leave that kind of heritage.

Author Interview ~ Randy Alcorn, Part I

Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM), and the best-selling author of twenty-seven books (over three million in print), including fourteen non-fiction works, and the novels Deadline, Dominion, Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, the Gold Medallion winner Safely Home, and Wait Until Then.

Tell Me About Heaven (picture book illustrated by Ron DiCianni) will be released in July 2007.

Randy has written for many magazines and produces the popular periodical Eternal Perspectives. He’s been a guest on over 500 radio and television programs.

The father of two married daughters, Randy lives in Gresham, Oregon, with his wife and best friend, Nanci. They are the proud grandparents of three grandsons, Jacob, Matthew and Tyler and expecting their fourth grandchild in August. Randy enjoys hanging out with his family, biking, tennis, research and reading.

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

Deception, a murder mystery. It isn’t a strict sequel to my first two novels Deadline and Dominion, but a spin-off. It can be read before the others.

While writing other fiction and lots of nonfiction over the last decade, I’ve never lost sight of Deadline and Dominion. I’ve always hoped to go back and pick up where I left off. I’ve thought there needed to be a third book, a different story with a different viewpoint character.

Jake Woods was the main character in Deadline, with fellow-journalist Clarence Abernathy and homicide detective Ollie Chandler in support roles. Clarence, an African American, was the main character in Dominion, with Jake and Ollie supporting him. But in certain ways the most interesting character—and I do mean character—is Ollie Chandler, who can be funny and cynical and outrageous. Writing Deception fulfilled my desire to go back to Ollie and give him a shot at his own book, this time with Jake and Clarence in support roles.

~CLick here to read a review of DECEPTION~

Tell us about your journey to publication.

Sometimes I say at writers’ conferences that while many people think they want to write a book, what they really want is to have written a book. It’s sort of like wanting to be thin without exercising or eating right. It’s fun to hold in your hand a book you wrote, but good writing, like good farming and good bricklaying, takes real work.

Since I wrote my first book 25 years ago, I’ve written 26 more. Each one is different.

Deception has been on my mind, off and on the back burner, for ten years. It was fun—but a lot of hard work—to finally write it. The many letters I got from those who’d read Deadline and Dominion served as a big encouragement to write this semi-sequel. It’s really fun to have the end product now, and to feel good about it.

You write best-selling and award-winning fiction and non-fiction. Which do you enjoy the most and why?

I enjoy most whichever I’m currently writing. But after I’ve finished a novel, I’m always ready to do some nonfiction, then after two or three nonfiction books I’m eager to do a novel again.

Not many writers go back and forth from fiction to non-fiction, and I’ve been told it muddies the waters in terms of how people perceive you as a writer. Honestly, I’m not really concerned about the waters and the perceptions. I ask God each time to direct me toward what He wants me to do next. I think He has, and I’m grateful to be able to write both fiction and nonfiction, and I hope to do both as long as He gives me strength.

Fiction and nonfiction, of course, are very different. In nonfiction, you can directly say whatever you want to. You don’t have to be subtle; in fact too much subtlety makes it obscure. You can tell, you don't have to just show.

But in fiction, the rule is “show, don’t tell.” Fiction allows the imagination to soar.

If only one of your books could survive the next century, which would you choose?

Of my novels, though in some ways I think Deception is the most fun and maybe the best written, I’d have to say Safely Home. The number of lives I’ve been told about that have changed through reading that novel amazes me.

Of my nonfiction, it’s a tough call, so I’ll cheat and say The Grace and Truth Paradox and Heaven. The Heaven book has been a real surprise, with 400,000 in print just two and a half years after it was released. We get an amazing number of letters from people who say they now look forward to Heaven and are excited about the New Earth, and that they’ve received great joy and comfort from the book. Churches and small groups everywhere are studying it, which blows me away.

Okay, I’ll also mention The Treasure Principle, which has now sold about one million copies, and which God has graciously used to transform the way countless people give. It’s another book that no one would have guessed would find eager readers. No publisher was saying a few years ago, “Hey, to sell a million copies we need somebody to write a book about the joy of becoming a radical giver.”

What do you say to the folks who think as Christians we shouldn’t be writing or reading fiction?

First, that writing fiction is not synonymous with telling lies!

There’s a great deal of untruth being passed off in the form of nonfiction. And some of the greatest truths are found in novels. When Jesus spoke in parables, he wasn’t lying or misleading, but telling stories with great spiritual impact.

As long as people know that fiction is fiction, we shouldn’t apologize for using our God-given imaginations to create worlds for characters to inhabit, and for readers to enjoy and learn from.

There are many non-believers and there are many nominal Christians who will read fiction who wouldn’t read spiritually oriented non-fiction. Readers become open to certain truths and realities in a fiction form that they’re not open to in a frontal, direct, non-fiction form. You hand your readers a story, and if it's engaging, you've earned access to their minds, and you can influence their worldview through it. It’s a kind of "Trojan horse" effect. I mean, people open the gates of their minds and you come in, but they don't notice everything you’re bringing with you.

My purpose as a writer is the same in fiction or nonfiction. I want to communicate in such a way as to challenge the thinking of readers and touch their hearts. I want to draw them into the story (fiction) or the subject matter (nonfiction) in a way that influences their perspective and worldview. I want to entertain, but also educate.

While telling an entertaining story, I hope to shift readers to a more biblical worldview, partly by showing the positive consequences of right thinking and choices, and the negative consequences of wrong thinking and choices.

Everything I write is intended to further an eternal perspective: "We look not at the things which are seen, but the things which are unseen; for the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are unseen are eternal" (2 Cor.
4:18).

Do you think Christians have a moral obligation to present the gospel in the novels we write or can we relax and just pen a good yarn?

I’m all for a good yarn. But a good yarn doesn’t have to be just a good yarn.

I don’t think the gospel always has to be fully presented in our novels, and certainly it will emerge in a variety of ways in different stories, but I think each novelist needs to ask God for direction. I suspect that if we listen to God, and if our lives are sufficiently captivated by the good news of Jesus, then that good news will inevitably inhabit our writing and make itself evident to readers.

Christian novelists are often warned against writing fiction that’s thinly veiled propaganda. Of course, I’m opposed to propaganda. But I’m convinced it’s possible to artfully present a story that contains significant spiritual themes.

I try to earn the right to integrate eternal themes into my stories by writing them well. I hope I’ve done that in Deception. If a story is poorly written or comes across as a sermon, then obviously it won’t reach people. They’ll be aware that you’re using your novel as a means to an end, or forcing something on them. But in a good story, the spiritual component is so woven into it, so inseparable from it, that it has credibility and lasting impact.

I think the fear of being perceived as preachy and heavy-handed has become so heightened now that some Christian novelists have become gun-shy about including any spiritual content. Experience has shown them that even Christian reviewers are quick to call a story “preachy” if it has substantial spiritual content, even when it’s an integral part of the story and true-to-life.

The result is that “Christian fiction” is now for many people just “clean
fiction,” defined by the absence of profanity, explicit sex and gratuitous
violence.

I think a Christian novel is better understood not by the absence of the unspiritual, but by the presence of the spiritual. Of course, that does not mean a novel is merely a lengthy gospel tract! But it does mean it offers more than the mere lack of offensiveness. In fact, a truly Christian novel may be spiritually offensive to some readers, both believers and unbelievers.

Walking with God, praying, church, and discussions about the Bible and spiritual longing, are in fact a real part of life. So it’s not being “unreal” to integrate these things into a story. It just needs to be done thoughtfully and skillfully, making sure it comes from inside the story, not outside it. Fiction should be art, but art is certainly not devoid of spiritual meaning.

Every author—whether atheist, agnostic, Hindu, New Age or Christian—has a worldview. And every author’s worldview is evident in a storyline, with varying degrees of explicitness. While not every writer is called to include the same degree of spiritual content, I find it ironic that some Christians are pulling back from letting their worldview emerge in the course of a storyline. The result may appease some critics. But it will leave many readers—who in real life long for meaning and eternal perspective—feeling mildly entertained but ultimately unchallenged and unchanged.


Describe what you believe is the role of writing and reading in the Christian life.

To be continued Tuesday ...

Sunday Devotion- Late Start

Janet Rubin

I pause at my mailbox, arch my neck back and look at the sky. After spending the morning looking at my computer's moniter screen only one and a half feet away from my face, the cloudless exspanse seems impossibly far and I feel smaller than usual. Lost in my fiction world, I'd almost forgotten there was a real one outside my door- one smelling of salty ocean air that tickles my face.

The moon is still visible, a pale sphere in the brightness. I wonder at its presence there so late in the morning. It is as if it got so caught up in its nighttime revelry that it failed to notice that the party ended, the stars and planets retired long ago. So there it remains, passed out on a blue carpet until it awakens, blinking in the glaring light, comes to its senses, and rushes off late to work in some other land.

Inside my front door, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror- hair still flying in the Einstein sort of style I woke up with, still in my wrinkled pajamas, feet in slippers. My Bible sits untouched on the coffee table. Like the moon, I've lingered too long on my morning leisure time of writing. Now it is time to move on. Cast my light on my non-fiction life of family and home. Later, after bedtime stories have been told and the dishwasher hums its nightitme tune, I will rise again, illuminating my fiction world. For now, I tuck in my charactors, good and bad, and bid them farewell with a click on the "x" in the corner of the screen.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.

Lord, You've given us the wonderful gift of writing, but that isn't all you've given us. Please give us wisdom and self-control and whatever else we need in order to balance the different areas of our life in a way that is pleasing to You. Amen

Some Happenings in the Book World

It's May! Mark your calender for these events:

VA, Green Valley Book Fair, May 12-28th--http://www.gvbookfair.com/

MI, Ann Arbor 4th Annual Book Festival, Thursday, May 17, 2007 - Sunday, May 20, 2007: http://www.aabookfestival.org/

OK, Oklahoma Centennial Book Festival and Conference, May 19th –
http://www.oklahomacentennialbookfestival.com/

CA, The 2nd Annual Antelope Valley Christian Writers Conference, May 5th-6th: http://www.christianmanuscriptsubmissions.com/authors/conferences.php

CO, Colorado Christian Writer's Conference, May 16-19th: http://www.writehisanswer.com/Colorado/index.htm

OR, Oregon Christian Writers Conference, May 19th, http://www.oregonchristianwriters.org/conferences.htm

TN, American Christian Writers Mentoring Retreat, May 18-19; http://watkins.gospelcom.net/americanchristianwriters/acwmentoring.htm

NC, Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, May 20-24th: http://www.lifeway.com/

If you know of any author or writer event happening during May, please let us know!

Tess Gerritsen's Take on Book Clubs

Tess Gerritsen is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University. Tess went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, and was awarded her M.D. in 1979. After completing her internal medicine residency, she worked as a physician in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 1987, Tess's first novel was published. CALL AFTER MIDNIGHT, a romantic thriller, was soon followed by eight more romantic suspense novels. She also wrote a screenplay, "Adrift," which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson. Her thriller, Harvest was released in 1996, and marked Tess's debut on the NEW YORK TIMES bestseller list. Film rights were sold to Paramount/Dreamworks, and the book was translated into twenty foreign languages. Now retired from medicine, Tess writes full time and lives in Maine

"MAIN SELECTION" IS A VERY GOOD THING.

Some of you may have noticed this phrase printed in an ad for a new book, or on the book’s back cover:

“A Main Selection of the Doubleday Book Club” (or the Literary Guild or the Book of the Month Club.)

Maybe you don’t know exactly what that means, or whether you should even care. I once overheard a writer say sneeringly, about another author: “So she sold book club rights. Big deal. All it means is they’ll print up cheap copies of her book, and she won’t get royalties for them.”

That sneering author was clueless. Because selling book club rights is a Big Deal. And being chosen as a “Main Selection” at a major book club is a Very Big Deal.

Book clubs promote and sell books directly to their members, through the mail. They can offer books at much lower prices because the copies they ship are printed on thinner paper, in a slightly smaller hardcover format. These are not condensed books; they have exactly the same text you’ll find in a regular book, but the books are produced more cheaply. Also, the title selection is limited to what the club offers in its catalogue, but they do carry thousands of titles. About 17 times a year, a catalogue gets mailed out to members, who can choose from the latest selections. The book clubs offer books they believe are most likely to have a substantial readership, so the selections include a lot of blockbusters and popular authors. But they’ll somtimes also offer a worthy literary novel, or a new and unknown author whom they believe has the potential to grow.

So what’s it mean for the author, when her book is chosen by a book club?

First: money. Sometimes, a lot of it. It may be upwards of six figures, if your book is chosen as a main selection. True, the money is most likely paid directly to your publisher (who probably retains book club rights) but that money is credited toward your advance, so you start earning royalties sooner. That’s one reason the Sneering Author was clueless; six figures isn’t something to sneer at.

Second: readership. Just look at the sizes of the major book clubs. The largest, Doubleday Book Club, has 1.2 million members. Literary Guild has 1 million members. Book of the Month Club has 400,000 members. If your book is a Main Selection, that means it’s the club’s default choice for the month. If the member doesn’t mail in the selection card in time, then that member automatically gets sent the Main Selection. Your book will get shipped to thousands and thousands of households, exposing your name to readers who may never before have heard of you.

This is a really good thing. Countless readers have told me that they discovered me only because they’d forgotten to send in their monthly selection card. And so my book turned up in their mailbox.

Finally, there’s the prestige. The book clubs have selection committees who must choose from all the new releases the publishers send them. But the committee chooses only one or two Main Selections each month. Think about that. Think about how many books are published every month. Then think about being selected as THE BOOK, above all those other titles.

Since the book clubs go for titles they think will be popular with their members, naturally you’ll see a lot of familiar authors turn up as Main Selections. John Grisham and Patricia Cornwell are guaranteed their month’s slots. But every so often, the selection committee will choose someone you’ve never heard of, someone who’s brand new to the publishing world. It’s their way of saying: “this is an important book.”

That’s what happened to THE LOVELY BONES. When Book of the Month Club selected it, it was a signal to the publishing world: “Pay attention. This one’s special.”
It’s what happened to me, back in 1996, when my very first hardcover, HARVEST, was a Literary Guild Main Selection. Back then, I was unknown to booksellers, just a former paperback romance author. But when the Literary Guild chooses your novel as a Main Selection, the publishing world takes notice. Suddenly, you’re not just another new hardcover author; you’re the writer of that month’s Big Book.

So, what’s the down side to being a book club pick? Well, there is the possibility that it may dent your sales in the brick-and-mortar stores, because so many readers are receiving your book in the mail instead. And book club sales aren’t applied to any bestseller lists. A million book club readers may have chosen to receive your book, but it won’t get you on the New York Times list.

Still, the real secret to building a bestselling career is word of mouth. And when hundreds of thousands of book club members are reading your book and talking about it, you can bet that will boost your sales in bookstores as well.

Post used with permission: http://tessgerritsen.com/blog/2006/06/16/main-selection-is-a-very-good-thing/

Check out this and other posts by Tess Gerritsen at her blog.

Author Interview ~ Paul Robertson

Paul Robertson is a computer programming consultant, part-time high school math and science teacher, and former bookstore owner in Blacksburg, Virginia. This is his first novel.

Your debut book, The Heir, is terrific. We've read it (the review is up on Novel Reviews ) and enjoyed it. How did you come up with this story? Was there a specific “what if” moment?

Jason is the story–I wanted to take a character and drive him to the absolute end, through as much disaster as I could, to the point of greatest, most intense despair. Jesus said it was hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. That verse is almost irresistible to a fiction writer, and it set up a basic conflict that could create the intensity I wanted.

Tell us about your publishing journey. How long had you been writing before you got a contract? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

I’ve been writing for years. I made one attempt about ten years ago to get published, and I learned about the process. Two and a half years ago I decided to try again, for real. It was a very conscious, deliberate decision. I went to a conference and sat through James Scott Bell’s three-day workshop.

Then based on that, I set about writing a book that a publisher would want: I decided on the length, genre, and protagonist–and the market. I also knew of a good agent, Steve Laube. I put together the most professional proposal I could and sent it to him. He took the project, and had the contract with Bethany a few months later.

Are you having "second-book syndrome" or is your next work in progress going well?

I have a two-book contract with Bethany. The second book, which I’m working on full speed ahead now, is also a murder mystery, but in a very different setting, with different characters. I like it–I hope everyone else will.

Do you ever struggle with writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

There are two reasons that I get stuck. One reason is that I’ve gotten ahead of myself, and I need some time for the story to catch up–it’s a subconscious thing, or a God thing. I just have to wait. After a while it starts coming again. The other reason is that I’ve gotten off track with the plot, and I finally figure out that I need to just delete the last couple chapters and try a different direction. And maybe the two reasons are the same.

Where do you write? Do you have a dedicated office or a corner or nook in a room?

I write at my local coffee shop, Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea. There are too many other things to do if I’m at home, and also I don’t like to tell my family to leave me alone. So I leave them alone. On the other hand, I like to have some activity buzzing around.

Do you have a word or page goal you set for each day?

On a good day, 2000 words is no problem, or even 3000. On a slow day I’ll give up after a few hundred if I’m not making progress. I track it by the day, but my goals are more by the week.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My “real” job is computer programming, which I do for clients by contract on my own schedule. I also teach chemistry and math classes for homeschool students. So one day might be school with my own kids in the morning, then writing from noon until midnight. The next day might be programming in the morning, teaching class in the afternoon, then writing in the evening. Another day would be ten straight hours programming. I have a general weekly pattern, but it gets messed up a lot.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

Just do it. And do it because you enjoy it. And do it as worship. That’s not advice I’ve heard from anyone, it’s my own experience.

What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?

For getting published, go to conferences–not to sell your manuscript, but to learn what the publishers want, and to learn how to write well.

How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?

I do as little as I can. I’m just getting started at this, so I haven’t had to do much marketing yet. I wish the book would just sell itself. I’d rather hide out for a couple months until everything has died down. Fortunately for my publisher, my wife has a lot more sense than I do.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

If you want to get published, the most important thing is to write well. Nothing else will do–creating a beautiful proposal, making exactly the right pitch, sending chocolate to the editor. Put your time and effort into writing. The second thing is talk to the editors and agents. Ask before you put two years into a project.

And finally, do it primarily for God–not for fame or fortune or the editor or anyone else. He has a lot higher standards than anyone else, but you’ll meet them.

Welcome Guest Blogger ~ Rachel Hauck

Rachel Hauck is a multi-published author living in sunny central Florida with her husband, Tony, a pastor. They have two ornery pets. She is a graduate of Ohio State University and a huge Buckeyes football fan. Rachel serves the writing community as Past President of American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of the Advisory Board. Visit her blog and web site

Leave a comment on her blog about Diva NashVegas or write a review on Amazon, and be eligible to win a $25 gift certificate to Starbucks or Barns & Noble. Two names will be drawn.

First of all, thanks to Novel Journey for letting me stop by today! It’s an honor.

Second of all, let’s talk my next Thomas Nelson release, Diva NashVegas, which releases May 8. If you’re surfing the web that day, and just happen to be in the mood for a good book, hop on over to Amazon and buy Diva.

This time last year, I’d started writing Diva NashVegas. My husband and I took a fast trip up to Nashville to view it from a superstar’s point of view, then I came home to write.

One of my deliberations was over making Aubrey James a wanna-be or an established superstar. I decided on a superstar to give the story a different perspective.

Then, I had the idea to make her the daughter of Gospel Music pioneers who were killed when Aubrey was a teen. From there, the complications and drama grew.

My fabulous editor, Ami McConnell, suggested adding a male point of view. So, we get to see Scott Vaughn’s side of things. He is the television anchor doing an exclusive interview with Aubrey. He adds a unique perspective and a lot of humor.

I worked on the novel through May and into June, then decided mid-June to go back to the beginning, work on edits and rewrites, before creating the ending and making my July 31 deadline.

One of my biggest struggles with this story was how to format the interview portion. Crazy, I know, but it was such a struggle. During my on going research, I came across a book called, “Conversations with Tom Petty.” The book was written in interview style with the interviewers question in italics and Tom Petty’s answer noted with his initials, TP. You never saw a happier writer that day than me.

But my favorite part of writing Diva NashVegas was God’s kiss on my heart. I only had four months to write the book and I’d never written anything worth publishing in such a short amount of time.

One morning during prayer at my church, I read Isaiah
41:13 and the Lord quickened it to my heart.

"For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand,
Who says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.'

Instantly, I knew the Lord would help me. About half way through writing, I dropped my head to the table and say, “Lord, I thought you said you were going to help me.”

He said, “What makes you think I’m not?”

I burst out laughing. “Because it’s hard.”

No matter what you’re writing, remember the Lord is with you. He’s for you. If you dream, how much more He dreams for you. Don’t let difficult days or set backs discourage you long. Get back to writing, or pursuing the dream He’s given you.

Other fun things about writing Diva NashVegas: I saw a book about Barbara Streisand with quotes from actors, producers, singers, people who’d worked with her. I decided to add similar quotes in Diva NashVegas to add depth to Aubrey’s character through the eyes of “others.” And, I avoided adding scenes or alternate point of view characters.

By visiting a lot of country superstar’s web sites, I noticed every site had an artist bio and a list of their music, so I added those elements to the story.

Then I had the bright idea to add liner notes
(acknowledgements) for Aubrey along with my own. She thanks people in the book for adding to her life. I had great fun with those ideas.

Remember to think outside the box when writing. Don’t be afraid to add little elements like newspaper headlines or emails that might help move the story along without having to add another POV character.
Sophie Kinsella does it well in her Shopaholic books.

When I turned the book into my editor, I wrote, “I love this character, Aubrey James. She became so real to me in the end, feeling like a friend.”

A few weeks later Ami emailed me with the exact same sentiments. Scott and Aubrey are worth spending time with.

Here’s a quick blurb:

For a decade, Aubrey James has ruled the charts as the queen of country soul. She rocketed to fame in the shadow of her parent’s death – Gospel Music pioneers.

While her public life, high profile romances and fights with Music Row writes juicy tabloid headlines, the real and private Aubrey’s is a media mystery.
When a close friend and former band member betrays Aubrey’s trust and sells an exclusive story to a tabloid, the super star knows she must go public with her own story.

Inside NashVegas sports anchor, Scott Vaughn, is not prepared for the summer assignment of interviewing a country diva. Especially not one he dated, then abandoned. But he has no choice. His career and the future of Inside NashVegas depends on the success of this interview.

Aubrey's private world is rocked when Scott shows up at her home for the first session. Realizing it’s too late to back out of the deal, Aubrey bravely opens her heart to Scott and discovers a future beyond the lonely orphan girl. Will she find faith, hope and love?

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Aubrey James, the Queen of Country Soul ..."

Acquisitions Editor Interview ~ Cynthia DiTiberio: Avon Inspire

Cynthia DiTiberio is an acquiring editor for Avon Books new line of inspirational romance, Avon Inspire. She also acquires nonfiction titles for HarperSanFrancisco (soon to be renamed HarperOne), the religious and spiritual division of HarperCollins Publishers. She is based out of their west coast office. Originally from St. Louis , Missouri , Cindy moved out to California after graduating with a religion degree from Wake Forest University . She worked at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in college ministry before moving into the publishing industry.

Tell us about Avon Inspire

Avon Inspire is a new line of inspirational women's fiction that features the things that matter most to us as women: family, community, faith, and love. These are books that Christian readers can trust, and are for the devoted readers of Karen Kingsbury, Beverly Lewis, and Lori Wick. Readers looking for good stories that embody values they cherish, strengthen their faith, but ultimately entertain.

The first releases include well known women's fiction novelists.

How were these authors chosen to launch the line?

We looked for authors who were beloved, respected novelists whose name recognition would show Christian readers that Avon Inspire was a line to be trusted. We also were looking for authors who with the right marketing and publicity support and distribution could really go to the next level.

In the future, will A.I. acquire newer authors?

You never know where the future will take you, and of course we hope further down the line we can be in the business of finding new talent, but for now we are looking for established authors.

How can a writer submit his/her ms for consideration? (Must it be through an agent?)

We prefer agented proposals. Unless an author is one of the topsellers in the category, I'm afraid we're just working through agents.

Which genres is A.I. acquiring?

Contemporary romance, chick lit, historical romance, romantic suspense, romantic comedy, African American romantic fiction.

Is there a specific word count or special guidelines an author who wishes to write for A.I. need to consider?

Most books we publish will be in the 60,000-90,000 word count range. We don't have specific guidelines authors must follow, but we encourage our authors to keep their reader in mind, thus try to avoid any language or subject matter that might not sit right with the reader.

What is women's fiction?

Women's fiction is many things. It speaks to issues women face on a daily basis, whether it's family (both raising kids or dealing with siblings, parents, grandparents), relationships (both friendship or romantic), finding your way or figuring out where your life is headed. I think often women's fiction is focused more on the interior life of the characters than other kinds of fiction where the action is most important.

What in your opinion makes for good women's fiction vs great?

Great women's fiction is the kind where you find yourself in the pages of the book, you relate to the characters and their struggles, and while you're completely engrossed in the story, you come away from the book with a bit of self-understanding as well.

What does a day in the life of an acquisitions editor entail?

Most people assume that editors sit in a room all day reading. I actually do very little reading in the office (luckily I have an hour and half commute each way by train which is where I get all my reading done). Most of my days are spent keeping up on email, attending meetings about new projects, marketing plans, or cover design, communicating with authors, writing flap copy, talking to agents about potential projects, discussing titles, etc. There's never a slow day.

What's your favorite part of the job?

Working directly with the authors is definitely one of the best aspects of the job. Other than that it's being able to use both the creative side and the business side of my mind in one place. Plus I'm a compulsive reader and the fact that each day I get to be a part of creating more books is a dream come true.

Least?

The fact that I have to turn books down. You always want to be a part of making dreams come true, but unfortunately we have a bottom line and thus often can't take on a project because it is too much of a risk. That's never been easy no matter how many years I've been doing this.

Will you be at any upcoming writer's conferences?

I will be at the International Christian Retail Show and RWA this year. I'll also be attending the American Christian Fiction Writers conference in the fall.

Parting words?

I hope readers will take a look at our first two offerings to see the quality of fiction we'll be publishing. Avon Inspire will publish at least one contemporary novel and one historical novel each season to keep readers of the different genres satisfied. Also, Avon Inspire books will all have discussion questions in the back of the book so use them for your next book club meeting!