Unlocking the Passion

by Author S. Dionne Moore

Almost twenty-one years ago, my daughter was born. The light of my life. As every first-time mother will tell you, she was perfect. A gift. Except, she was born too early. At one pound and fifteen ounces, her condition was fragile at best. We spent seventy-five days in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) as she struggled to breathe, much less suck and swallow, a reflex natural to full-term babies. 

Good days were always tinged with sorrow, and bad days sometimes became the stuff of nightmares. Those times when you entered NICU and saw an empty bed where an infant had been the night before, your emotions rolled between grief for the parents, relief that it wasn't your child, then guilt over your relief. 

When the day came that we brought our baby home, it was glorious. We were filled with joy. We willingly dragged along the heart rate monitor just to have her out of NICU, and a chance for normalcy. Granted, our days were filled with more worry than most new parents, more concerns about our child's growth and development, but the question of life and death had at least been settled.
In the midst of all this I came to the slow realization that I needed an outlet for the coiled knot of hope and fear that had become my constant companion. A hobby that I enjoyed. I turned to writing. A hobby I had not dabbled in since my teenage years. 

I started small. The Preemie Experience was my heartfelt tribute to mothers of premature infants, and the culmination of experiences of other young mothers with whom I swapped stories during our stay in NICU. In that day, Geocities was the way to publish a blog on the Web, and that's what I did with my tribute. To my surprise, I was contacted by an editor who was compiling stories from other parents. She asked if she could use my article as the prologue for her book, Living Miracles: Stories of Hope from Parents of Premature Babies. It was a thrilling moment, and one that made me reconsider old story ideas I had developed in my teens, with a mind to writing a book. 

Brides of Wyoming

My new journey to write fiction began with a lot of learning. Mastering the rules of writing, the best ways to help your publisher market your book, and all about developing story, conflict and characters. After a few years of conferences and meeting with editors and agents, I received feedback from a professional encouraging me to use my sassy, mature, secondary character as a heroine. LaTisha Barnhart was born. Within a year I had finaled in a writing contest with the opening chapter of a cozy mystery in which LaTisha held the starring role. It was for this book, Murder on the Bunions, that I received my first contract.

My journey in writing continues in the form of my newest release, Brides of Wyoming (11/1/2016), an anthology of three romances featuring heroines who must overcome physical and emotional dangers to learn to live and love to the fullest. And as my daughter turns twenty-one and studies for a degree to become a Paralegal, I have to stop and smile. It's amazing how terrible circumstances can unlock an unrealized passion that brings such joy and dimension to our hearts and minds. And my daughter? She has become a beautiful young woman with a sharp mind a quick smile. She is my heart. My joy. My gift.

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I needed an outlet for the hope and fear that had become my constant companion.~ S. Dionne Moore (Click to Tweet)

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S. Dionne Moore

S. Dionne Moore resides in the historically rich Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, where she indulges her pleasure for history and vacillates between the need to write and the desire to play. Brides of Wyoming is her newest release from Barbour Publishing. 

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What If You Could Have a Conversation With Your 23 Year Old Self?

An interview with James L. Rubart by Allen Arnold

I met James L. Rubart back in 2009 and we became friends almost instantly. I had a hand in shaping three of his novels, Soul’s Gate, Memory’s Door, and Spirit Bridge, but his latest is one I’m discovering for the first time just like most of you. 

So was excited when he asked me to interview him on Novel Rocket for the just released, The Five Times I Met Myself. First, a bit about the story and then we’ll dive into my interview.

What if you met your twenty-three-year-old 
self in a dream? What would you say?

                
Brock Matthews’ once promising life is unraveling. His coffee company. His marriage.

So when he discovers his vivid dreams—where he encounters his younger self—might let him change his past mistakes, he jumps at the chance. The results are astonishing, but also disturbing.

Because getting what Brock wants most in the world will force him to give up the one thing he doesn’t know how to let go . . . and his greatest fear is that it’s already too late.


Q The Five Times I Met Myself is your seventh novel, James. Does it get old? Seeing another novel come out?

Not even close. It’s still a rush to see that box of books show up. I posted on my Facebook author page the other day that I feel like George McFly in Back to the Future at the end of the movie when his book shows up in the mail and Lorraine says, “Your first novel!” And this novel is pretty special to me.

Q What about this one makes it so special?

All of my novels contain a lot of me in them, but this one more than most. Close friends will definitely see things about me in there that will make them smile, along with serious elements that will hopefully make people think. 

Plus, a slice of trivia for you, the story I tell in the novel of how, Brock my protagonist and his wife met, is the exact story of how Darci and I met back in 1984.

Q Did you have a theme in mind as you wrote it?

The desire in my mind the whole time I wrote the novel to give people hope for the future no matter the choices they’ve made in the past. I wanted to tell a story that shows how to escape the continual cycle of regret we often put ourselves through and into the freedom God wants for all of us.  

Q What early opposition did you encounter to your love of writing and how did you get past that?

I fell in love with writing when I took a journalism class in eighth grade. At the end of that year, when the journalism teacher asked who wanted to be part of the school paper in ninth grade, I almost sprained my arm I raised it so quick. 

Wasn’t chosen. Made me believe the lie that I had no talent. I buried my desire to write for twenty five years. It was Jesus and my wife going on a three day fast that finally showed me the way to step out of the shadows and pursue the dream.

Q When you ask God what he thinks of your writing, what do you hear him say?

That’s such a great question, Allen because when I ask God that question, he says, “This is fun, isn’t it? You and Me. Creating stories together. Writing the stories you’d love to read yourself.”  

When I hear that, it takes all the pressure off. It makes awards and sales figures and deadlines fade away and I remember why I write.  I love the feeling of being exactly where I’m supposed to be, the place closest to the deep desires of my heart, playing with words on a page. 

Q  Who is your favorite character from LOST? Why? 

Love Jack, love Sawyer even more, but John Locke wins. He’s the man of faith, he’s the one that has gone through so much pain and yet chooses to believe anyway. He’s resolute and has a fire that doesn’t come out often, but is always there simmering beneath the surface. He continues to grow, stretch himself, push into the mystery. 

Q What’s the book or books that haven’t been written yet, that you can’t write, but that you want most to read? 

At the end of the gospel of John, he says, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.” 

I read a little bit of the gospels every day and when I finish John, I start over. Every time I find myself saying, I want to read those other stories. But I’m not the one to write them. Anyone? 

Q Are you excited about the new Star Wars movie coming out? 

Yes and no. Yes, because I’m a huge Star Wars fan. No, because I have no idea what it's about. I don’t want to know anything. I want it all to be fresh when I get to the theater. Probably comes from a phone call I got back when Return of the Jedi came out. 

My best friend at the time called me up and said he’d just been to the movie. I asked him how it was, if he thought I’d like it. He said, “It was great! Darth Vader repents!” No, I’ve never forgiven him for that.

Q I’ve already seen exceptionally strong reviews for The Five Times I Met Myself. Did you expect people to resonate with this book as deeply as they seem to be doing?

My wife, Darci isn’t a big reader of novels, but she has an innate sense of people and stories, whether it’s on TV, in movies, or in novels. So when she said The Five Times I Met Myself had replaced Rooms as her favorite of my novels, I took notice. 

That told me there was a good chance others would like it as well. I’ve already had readers e-mail me telling how powerfully the book has set them free from past regrets and that’s the greatest feeling in the world.

Q The best way for people to stay in touch with you? 

Probably the best way is to head for my website and sign up for my newsletter. 

Q Any final advice for people not as far along the writing path?

I believe that in God’s way of looking at life there is only definition of failure: You didn’t try. When we shed this mortal coil, the money, awards, reviews, recognition that comes from writing won’t matter for even a breath. 

What will matter is God saying to us, “I gave you talents, maybe not as many as the other guy. Not ten or five, maybe just one. What did you do with it?” And when we answer, “I tried,” His response will be, “Well done.” 

James L. Rubart is 28 years old, but lives trapped inside an older man's body. He thinks he's still young enough to water ski like a madman and dirt bike with his two grown sons, and loves to send readers on journeys they'll remember months after they finish one of his stories. He's the best-selling, Christy, INSPY, and RT Book Reviews award winning author of seven novels as well as a professional speaker. During the day he runs his marketing company which helps businesses, authors, and publishers make more coin of the realm. He lives with his amazing wife on a small lake in eastern Washington. More at www.jameslrubart.com

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Michelle Griep ~ Off the Leash

by +AneMulligan  @AneMulligan

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She seeks to glorify God in all that she writes—except for that graffiti phase she went through as a teenager. She resides in the frozen tundra of Minnesota, where she teaches history and writing classes for a local high school co-op. An Anglophile at heart, she runs away to England every chance she gets, under the guise of research. Really, though, she’s eating excessive amounts of scones. Follow her adventures at her blog WRITER OFF THE LEASH or visit michellegriep.com, and don’t forget the usual haunts of Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter. 

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Yes, except for a short season when I kicked around the idea of becoming an astronaut. Two problems with that, though. First off, I hate science and math, both of which are slightly necessary to succeed in an aerospace career. Secondly, it was a total deal breaker when I found out that astronauts don’t actually wear cool Lt. Uhura uniforms.

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?

I’d be running a B&B in England. Near a castle. On a moor. With Mr. Rochester as my neighbor. Wow. Did I mention I’m an out-of-the-closet Charlotte Bronte fan-a-maniac?

Why do you write?

Because being a pirate is frowned upon and I’m pretty sure no one will pay me to eat brownies all day. There’s also the simple matter of quieting the voices in my head by capturing them onto paper so I can have some peace.

What does your family think about your crazy career choice?

My husband knew I was certifiably insane when he married me, so no problem there. As for my kid, my oldest son thinks it’s great but only reads audio/technical textbooks. My second son reads my rough drafts, cutting out scenes that are too sissy and/or adding in some sweet moves to my fight scenes. My oldest daughter is too busy fixing her hair to notice that I write. And my youngest daughter is pretty sure Hollywood will make blockbuster movies of my stories, and can I please get her into a starring role?

What’s your favorite part of the writing business? What’s your least favorite?

I’m not going to lie . . . getting paid for penning down my daydreams is sweet perk. 

My least favorite writerly chore is marketing. There’s a reason I’m not a salesman. I stink at it.

After becoming a published author, what surprised you the most?

The freak magnet effect. When people hear I’m a published author, suddenly I’m their BFF. I’m convinced that 99.9% of the population is wannabe-writers with not only novel ideas, but entire epic trilogy tales.

What event, writer, or book has most impacted your writing life?

My critique partners. These gals are ruthless. They’re cute when they wear their cheerleader costumes but my-oh-my…my head’s been on a platter many times over for lazy writing or a sagging plot. These writing buddies are always there for me whether I’m riding the crest of victory or weeping from rejection. I couldn’t play this game without them.

What are 3 things about yourself that might surprise your readers?

I can dance a mean polka. I hate fruit. Yes, really. No, I don’t even like strawberries. And I’m a recovering Trekkie. Old school, that is, none of this New Generation nonsense.

What’s one piece of writing advice that’s most benefited you as an author?

Buy the book Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. Go ahead. I’ll wait. This is one book you need to have on your shelf.

What do you struggle with most, as a Christian Fiction writer? How do you overcome it?

One of the biggest traps to snap it’s sharp jaws into a writer’s neck is measuring yourself up against sales numbers. It’s a constant battle to remind myself that my immeasurable worth is found in what Jesus did on the cross, not on having my name in the #1 slot of the New York Times Bestsellers.

How much of yourself is in your characters?

There’s a piece of me in every character—even the villains. Not that I have a split personality, mind you, but this phenomenon is pretty universal amongst writers. In fact, I’ve got a favorite quote from John Milton that sums it up quite nicely:

“For books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them to be as active as that soul was whose progeny they are; nay, they do preserve as in a vial the purest efficacy and extraction of that living intellect that bred them.”

But sometimes your heroes are a shade on the dark side. Why?

Most heroes are too good to be true. I like to dress mine in unpredictability. Someone who’s not necessarily safe to be around but always has his loved one’s best interests at heart and will put his head on the chopping block to save them if need be. This reminding you of anyone? The same could be said for Jesus. I hope readers make that connection, subconsciously at least. Heroes are not always what we expect them to look like on the outside.

What type of books do you write?

 

The kind that keep you awake late into the wee hours, heart pounding, curious to find out what’s going to happen. And long after you’ve read the last page, stories that won’t leave your mind for days. But if you simply mean genre, then historical. My latest release is BRENTWOOD’S WARD. Here’s a blurb:

There’s none better than NICHOLAS BRENTWOOD at catching the felons who ravage London’s streets, and there’s nothing he loves more than seeing justice carried out—but this time he’s met his match. Beautiful and beguiling EMILY PAYNE is more treacherous than a city full of miscreants and thugs, for she’s a thief of the highest order . . . she’s stolen his heart.

Available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other fine booksellers.

Why write this book? What was the inspiration?

What attracted my interest as an author was an old newspaper advertisement put out by Henry Fielding, the founder of the Bow Street Runners. It encouraged the public to send a note to Bow Street as soon as any serious crime occurred so that “a set of brave fellows could immediately be dispatched in pursuit of the villains.” I wondered about those “brave fellows” and what kind of villains they might come up against, and thus was born Nicholas Brentwood.

Parting comments?

Go for the dark chocolate. It’s healthier.

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The Reality of an Author’s Legacy – What We Will Leave Behind

Ramona Richards

Pam Meyers here with my monthly post. This month, I'm honored to have guest poster, Ramona Richards, Senior Acquisitions Editor-Fiction at Abingdon Publishing, share a behind-the-scenes look at a new release from Abingdon , Scarlett Says by Julie L. Cannon.

 

The Reality of an Author’s Legacy – What 

We Will Leave Behind

By Ramona Richards

Julie L. Cannon

Julie L. Cannon cared, deeply, about many things. Her family. Her God. Her art. In fact, she cared so much for God and the depth of her faith that she refused to take them out of her art. This cost Julie far more than many people realized, as she turned from releasing best-selling books with mainstream publishers to books written from her heart for the Christian market.

For instance, long before Nashville became a hit show, helping to turn the city into one of America’s “it” places to be, there was Twang, Julie L. Cannon’s delicious love song to the city. It’s a book I’m extremely proud to have edited. I’m also honored to have played a small part in its creation—in 2011, I squired Julie and her husband, Tom, around the city. I got her into the Bluebird Café so she could describe it accurately, fed her and Tom barbecue, and walked with them through some of the city’s landmarks. We toured the Opry House, and I requested that she include the effects of Nashville’s May 2010 flood in the book.

We had a blast, and I was astonished at how much energy she had, how far she and Tom could walk in a single evening, exploring Nashville’s downtown streets. And I still have the umbrella she left in my car when she and Tom headed back to Georgia.

Accuracy was important to Julie, whether she was writing about the heart of a singer or a young woman on the brink of changing her life. This was the topic of her second book for Abingdon, Scarlett Says. We talked about the nature of a woman trapped behind her computer screen and the steps it would take for her to emerge, finding hope for love and new opportunities. Julie’s research into social anxiety issues wound deep, and her heart broke at some of the anguish she found. She wanted that on the page.

On August 31, 2012, she delivered the first draft of the book, just short of her September 1 deadline and ready for my review. I glanced through it, then sent it to an editor for more thoughts and feedback. Julie ALWAYS “overwrote” the first draft, knowing she’d revise it. The manuscript was 20,000 words too long and revealed more about the main character, Joan, than needed to be on the page. But we knew it would all work out.

Then, on October 9, 2012, I got a frantic e-mail from one of Julie’s friends with a horrid rumor that turned out to be far too real. Julie was gone. The traumatic brain injury she’d suffered years before had taken its toll, and she’d died from a seizure.

I cried, off and on, for more than three days. She had been one of our authors, yes, but she was also a friend. When the grief settled, however, I had a problem on my hands—a manuscript that was too long to publish and would take more than editing. It needed a complete revision.

The easiest answer would have been to cancel the book, and that possibility was on the table from the beginning. No one had Julie’s voice; she wasn’t around to coach a coauthor. But I asked the editor, Jamie Chavez, not only to complete her task but to be as tough as she could. Because SHE would have to be the coach, detailing what worked and what didn’t. And she did an incredible job.

But now what? After much debate, we decided that I would do the rewrite. It took time I didn’t have, to be honest, but I knew exactly how much of Julie’s heart and soul went into Scarlett Says. This would be her final book, her legacy book, and I wanted it to shine. I carefully set aside my own writer’s voice and did my best to step into hers as I trimmed away paragraphs, rerouted subplots, and polished passages.

Sandra Bishop, Julie’s agent and friend, approved the manuscript, and I sent it off to the typesetter. Then my production editor, Susan Cornell, turned her eagle eyes on it, and we sat in her office for hours, reading sections and double-checking everything we could. SEVEN proofs later (we usually do a max of three), Scarlett Says was off to the printer.

Losing Julie is still a painful thorn in my soul, and I’ve had many folks ask me why we went through this, when canceling the book would have been simpler. I only have one answer.

It’s because of who Julie was. A writer—who put her heart, mind, and soul into everything she wrote. A Christian—who put aside worldly success to focus on faith and God. A friend—who listened and cared and prayed.

No one knows how well Scarlett Says will sell; there’s no author to interview, no champion hitting the streets with media and the gatekeepers. And while publishing is a business, it’s not always ABOUT business.

This time publishing was about the legacy of a woman who loved deeply and changed more lives than she realized. And I hope her last words live forever. 

Pam again:  Ramona has graciously offered two copies of Scarlet Says to give away. If you'd like to have your name dropped in the hat, make a comment answering either of these two questions. Have you ever faced a writing challenge like Ramona faced? Or... what would you like left behind as your legacy?

Leave a comment with your answer by Friday, April 25, 2014, to win a copy of Scarlett Says!

Scarlett O’Hara has an answer for 

everything . . . right?

Gone with the Wind’s Scarlett O’Hara isn’t perfect, but as far as 30-year-old literature lover Joan Meeler is concerned, Scarlett’s outspoken passion, strength, and 17-inch waist make up for her other shortcomings. In fact, Joan has grown quite fond of writing her advice blog in Scarlett’s devil-may-care tone. It gives her a voice and confidence she otherwise couldn’t muster. Never mind that her writing muse is a fictional character.



What would Scarlett say, for example, about Charles, one of Joan’s first and most devoted blog readers, who suddenly has Joan dreaming (and worrying) of a life—and love—outside of make-believe? Joan digs into her heroine’s mind, searching for something to calm her rising insecurities but discovers that Scarlett is surprisingly mute on the topic. Abandoned by her sole source of security, can Joan look elsewhere—even to God—to uncover the inner confidence she so desperately needs?

A native of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, author Pamela S. Meyers lives in suburban Chicago, an hour's drive away from her hometown which she visits often to dig into its historical legacy. Her novels include Thyme for Love, and Love Will Find a Way,  contemporary romantic mysteries and her 1933 historical romance, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva,Wisconsin, released in April, 2013. She is currently working on a new historical romance set in her beloved Lake Geneva area. She can often be found speaking at events around southeastern Wisconsin or nosing in microfilms and historical records about Wisconsin and other Midwestern spots for new story ideas.

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