Be Ready When Creativity Strikes

by Edie Melson, @EdieMelson

As writers, we know that inspiration is a fickle thing. And while we all need to keep writing whether we’re inspired or not, that rush of creativity is nice. What's not nice is not being ready.

There's nothing as disheartening as those times happens when inspiration strikes and we’re not ready to capitalize on it. So today I’m going to help you be ready.

Read More

Throw Your Words into the Refiner's Fire

by Lynette Eason @LynetteEason

Perfectionism is a lofty goal. It’s not a bad goal, just not a very realistic one. That’s not to say we should have the attitude of: “Well, I’ll never get it perfect, so I should just give up.” Absolutely not. We should strive to do the best possible work that we can do, but not become discouraged because it falls short of perfect.

I remember taking gymnastics lessons and I would work for hours just to get the form right. We practiced in front of mirrors and I had to consciously think about how to hold my body, was my form right, were my movements smooth and graceful? And my instructor would correct, reposition—and encourage. But I never got it perfect.

And you know what I learned? Practice doesn’t make perfect.

Yep, I said it. LOL.

That’s the bad news. But, the good news is, practice does bring improvement and growth and skills we can implement. Every time we practice, we come closer to “perfection”.

The above words can be applied to anything in life, but for this purpose, let’s apply it to our writing. A lot of people think their writing has to be perfect before an agent or editor will be interested in signing or acquiring it. Guess what? It doesn’t.

That is not to say, it doesn’t have to be good, maybe even great, and that one doesn’t have to develop the skill to write in a way that capture their attention, but it doesn’t have to be perfect.

I look at it like this.

Someone is always going to know more than I do about writing. Someone has already walked where I’m getting ready to step. If I’m willing to listen and to soak in that person’s wisdom and have the attitude of: I want to learn and grow as a writer, therefore, I’m going to be teachable and follow the leading of my instructor, then growth is going to happen, my skills are going to sharpen, and eventually, someone in the publishing industry is going to sit up and take notice.

That’s my experience anyway. I had mentors, I went to writing conferences, I learned from the best in the business—and eventually, people noticed.

I say all that to say this. Be like clay in the hands of a master.

Malachi 3:3 says: He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.

Zechariah 13:9 says: “I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.”
A refiner uses a fire to heat metal to a molten state, then skims off the dreg that floats to the top. The dreg is worthless. It’s trash that needs to be discarded. But underneath is pure silver, a metal that can be made into something beautiful, something worth noticing, something valuable.

I think this is a wonderful way to look at writing. Let those who’ve gone before you be like the refiner. Be willing to immerse your words into the fire so that the dross can float to the top and be discarded leaving you with a piece of work that, while maybe not perfect, is beautiful, valuable and noticeable.

What do you think about this? Have you had someone in your writing career who has been your refiner? How did this person make a difference in your writing career or life?

Happy New Year!!


TWEETABLES

Throw Your Words into the Refiner's Fire by Lynette Eason (Click to Tweet)

Practice doesn’t make perfect~ Lynette Eason (Click to Tweet)

Be willing to immerse your words into the fire~ Lynette Eason (Click to Tweet)

Lynette is also the award-winning, bestselling author of almost forty books. She writes for Revell and Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line. Her books have finaled or won awards in contests such as The Maggies, Inspirational Readers Choice Award, The Carol, ECPA Book of the Year, and The Selah. She is also the 2016 Daphne du Maurier Award winner in the Inspirational Romantic Mystery/Suspense category and Overall Daphne Winner this year. Her most recent achievement is placing in the top 10 out of thousands of entries in the James Patterson co-writing competition. Lynette and her husband Jack live in upstate South Carolina with their two teenagers. Lynette can often be found online at www.facebook.com/lynette.eason , @lynetteeason (Twitter) , and www.lynetteeason.com.

Lynette Eason just released her first Indie novella called Lethal Homecoming. It's a short read, but packed with suspense and romance. Feel free to check it out here: http://tinyurl.com/zs8dtcr

Six years ago, danger sent Callie Ainsworth running, and now all she wants is to go home to Tanner Hollow. She’s received word that the danger is over, so she is free to be reunited with her mother and sister. When someone tries to kill Callie before she even reaches the driveway, she realizes she's made a horrible mistake and danger still lurks. But this time she's not running away.

Nolan Tanner had loved Callie as a teenager and has never gotten over her sudden, unexplained departure. When he rescues her from a killer on her first night home, old feelings come rushing back. Still angry at her for leaving him six years ago, he soon realizes she had good reason for taking off--and that he's still holding out hope for a future with her. Can he catch the person who wants her dead and convince her she needs to stay home for good?

Read More

'Twas The Night Before an Author's Christmas

by Tari Faris

'Twas the night before an author's Christmas, and in a small house
A writer’s fingers were stirring as they flew across her keyboard and mouse.
She had readied for bed and tucked the kids in with care,
In hopes that sweet sleep would soon find her there.

But as soon as the children were all snug in their beds,
Visions of her characters soon danced in her head.
The dark moment, the wound, their zinger-filled chit-chat,
All refused to settle down for her long winter's nap.

When all of the sudden arose such plot,
She sprang from the bed to type what she got.
Across the keys her fingers flew like a flash,
She typed and typed until the fire burned down to ash.

Scene after scene the words poured out,
Until her husband walked in and she gave a small shout.
“Just one more scene – I swear – and then I’ll come to bed.”
“It’s morning.” He said with a wink and a shake of his head.

She dropped next to him on the couch as the kids ran in to see,
The stockings all filled and many gifts beneath the tree.
Her husband whispered in her ear as the kids expressed their delight,
"Happy Christmas, my love, now have a good-night."


We, at NovelRocket, wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

TWEETABLE
'Twas The Night Before An Author's Christmas by Tari Faris (Click to Tweet)

Read More

10 Things I Learned About Writing From Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

I always struggle with blogging balance around the holidays. I want to join in the fun, but I get a little tired of all the non-writing posts I read everywhere. Today I want to share my version of a compromise—Top 10 Things I Learned About being a Writer From Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

I love all the Christmas specials that come around every year during the holidays, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has always been one of my favorites. I identify with his lack of self-confidence, his heart for his friends and especially his gumption when Santa called on him to step up and guide the sleigh that night. 

And it occurs to me that, as writers, there are a lot of valuable lessons in this holiday tale. 

What I learned about being a writer from Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer:

1. We’re all born with a special gift. 

2. At some point we all feel like that special gift is a curse.

3. Hiding who we really are are brings out the bullies and naysayers.

4. We all need time to mature into our gift.

5. Trying to live up to the image of who others think we should be won’t bring anything but trouble and heartache.

6. True friends will see beyond our differences and embrace the essence of who we are.

7. We’re given that special gift for a reason and a purpose.

8. Running away from who we are doesn’t ever solve anything.

9. There will come a time when you have to decide to work within your gift, not around it.

And the best lesson of all . . . 

10. Being who God meant you to be will bless others as much as you.

How about you? Care to share something you’ve learned from an unlikely source? Be sure to share your thoughts below in the comments section.

TWEETABLE

10 things I learned about #writing from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer -@EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Edie Melson—author, blogger, speaker—has written numerous books, including her most recent, fiction, Alone, and nonfiction, While My Child is Away. She’s also the military family blogger at Guideposts.org. Her popular blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month. She’s the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and a member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She’s the the Social Media Director for Southern Writers Magazine, Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy, and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com.

Read More

When You Don't Feel Like Writing

by Lynette Eason @LynetteEason 

What do you do when you don’t feel like writing? Gasp! Not feel like writing? Is that even a real feeling?

Um…yes. Unfortunately, it happens. At least to me. Don’t get me wrong. I love what I do. I adore my job and the flexibility it affords me. Believe me, I don’t take it for granted. But I don’t wake up EVERY SINGLE day thinking, “Oh boy! I’m just so excited, I can’t wait to hit the keyboard!”

Read More

Avoid These Regrets on the Writing Journey

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Life is full of regrets and the writer's life is no different. But since I'm a few years further down the path than a lot of you, I thought I'd share some things I wish I'd done differently. These are some regrets you don't have to have if you pay attention now.

1. Following the trends instead of writing what’s on your heart. It’s tempting to think this or that is hot right now and an easy sell. The truth is, nothing is an easy sell. It all takes work. And more than that, it takes time. Chasing a trend will doom you to always being behind.

2. Not investing more time in your dream. All around you are opportunities to grow as a writer. Whether it’s local writing groups, online classes or chats, or conferences. Making your dream a priority is important.

3. Letting others define success. Success is different for each of us. If we let someone else’s definition guide us, we’ve lost our way.

4. Not saying yes to stretching your writing muscles. Courage is essential in this business. It’s what so often separates success from failure. If I only did what I knew I could, I’d never grow as a writer.

5. Listening to the negative voices in your head. We all have them, no matter where we are in the writing journey. The only difference is whether or not we choose to believe them.

6. Not networking more. In this business, as much or more than any other, it’s who you know. Building relationships can keep you sane, give you valuable leads, and open the doors to publication.

7. Submitting stuff too early in the editing process. It’s tempting to get frustrated with the process and think something is good enough. Every single time I tried that short cut it ended in failure.

8. Not writing more. Isaac Asimov was once asked what he’d do if he found out he only had six months to live. His answer haunts me. “Write faster.”

9. Letting the jealousy and pettiness of others derail your progress. It’s a competitive field and for some, winning is everything. These few can beat you down to build themselves up, if you let them. Don’t.

This is what’s on my list. What’s on yours?

TWEETABLE
Avoid these regrets on your #writing journey - via @EdieMelson on @NovelRocket (Click to Tweet)

Edie Melson—author, blogger, speaker—has written numerous books, including her most recent, While My Child is Away. She’s also the military family blogger at Guideposts.org. Her popular blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month. She’s the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and a member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She’s the the Social Media Director for Southern Writers Magazine, Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy, and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com.

Read More

Helping Art to Imitate Life

by Dan Walsh

There’s a piece of writing advice beginners are sometimes told: “Write what you know.” I get why. Fiction writing is all about making stuff up. If you write about things you know well, it’s much easier to sound credible and authentic as your story unfolds (as you make stuff up).

I heard this advice back in the days when I was crafting my first novel. I knew a whole lot about WW2, had been studying this era as a hobby for many years. So I set my first 2 novels (The Unfinished Gift and The Homecoming) on the homefront during WW2. Worked out great.

But in time, 2 things began to surface that revealed some flaws in this “write what you know” idea. If you plan to keep writing books, you eventually run out of things you know. Or you find, you don’t want to keep writing about the same thing over and over again (the thing you know).

Something I’ve learned to help offset this problem is to start paying attention to the things going on in my life that might actually—with some help—become decent material for my books. I added “with some help” because, let’s face it, my life, as is, would bore the average reader to tears. That is, taken as a whole. But if I spend some time breaking it down a bit, I realize my life does have some non-boring, interesting parts. Occasionally, even some exciting, adventurous parts. Admittedly, they are few and far between. But they do exist. And they are mine. I can use them in my books and don’t even need to get anyone’s permission.

Here’s an example. My wife is an amazing dog trainer (she’s professionally certified and has trained over 1,000 dogs). For 4 years, she was the Animal Behavior Manager at our local Humane Society and now trains dogs in a private practice. Every day she would come home with these fascinating stories. It dawned on me, I could do a series that featured a rescue shelter dog as a main character, as well as a dog trainer similar to her (only younger and single, so I could add a romantic thread). I’ve borrowed bits and pieces from some of her best stories to create at least 3 very good novel ideas (maybe more).

Just like that, and the Forever Home series was born. Rescuing Finley (Book 1) came out last November and is doing extremely well (276 Amazon reviews, Avg 4.8 Stars). I just released Book 2, Finding Riley, on October 1st. And here’s another fun way I helped Art to imitate Life…the dog on the cover of Book 2 (who’s playing Riley) is actually Charlie, a mixed spaniel dog we brought home from the shelter 2 years ago. I was able to use all kinds of things drawn from real-life experiences with Charlie in my new novel.

I just weave all this real-life stuff in with the made up stuff (which is often way more exciting) and it seems to be working out great (17 novels later).

Here’s my final example. We live in Daytona Beach. Two weeks ago, Hurricane Matthew came barreling through the Caribbean straight for us. It had been 12 years since we’d experienced a hurricane. Back in 2004, we went through 3 of them (and we didn’t evacuate; we stayed home). But the folks on the Weather Channel, and our local weather experts, were all saying this storm might hit us head-on as a strong Category 4. They were warning about massive tidal surges, roofs tearing off of houses, trees coming down all over.

Suddenly, we were told we had to evacuate…only 2 hours before the weather outside would start getting really bad. We rushed around the house, gathering insurance papers and things that mattered most into bags and suitcases, packed up the dogs, and joined a caravan of family members out on the highway (along with hundreds of thousands of others).

We drove nine hours straight toward Atlanta, wondering if we’d even have a home to come back to. The next few days provided quite an adventure.

At one point, my wife looked over at me, smiled and said, “I think Jack and Rachel will have to go through a hurricane.” I said, “Oh yeah. They definitely will.”

Who are Jack and Rachel? They are the main characters in my other novel series, The Jack Turner Suspense series. Jack and Rachel don’t know it yet, but their future now includes a number of crazy hurricane experiences that will remarkably resemble our own.

How about you? Share some of the moments when your Art has Imitated your Life in your writing.

TWEETABLES

HelpingArt to Imitate Life by Dan Walsh (Click to Tweet)

I weave all this real-life stuff in with the made up stuff and itseems to be working out great ~ Dan Walsh (Click to Tweet)

*     *    *

Dan Walsh is the bestselling author of 17 novels, including The Unfinished Gift, The Reunion and When Night Comes. He has won 3 Carol Awards (finalist 6 times) and 3 Selah Awards. Three of his books were finalists for Inspirational Book of the Year (RT Book Reviews). Dan is a member of ACFW and Word Weavers. He lives with his wife, Cindi, in the Daytona Beach area where they love to take walks and spend time with their grandkids. Click here to connect with Dan or check out his books.

Read More

Don't Be a Scaredy-Cat Writer

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

The season of spooks is upon us, but that doesn’t mean we can give in to the fears we face as writers. We must face our writing fears and keep moving.

The other day I was talking to a friend of mine and this person confided that she was afraid she didn’t have what it takes to be a writer. “I’m just not good enough to get a book published, and I don’t know if I ever will be.”

“Welcome to the club,” I told her.

My answer wasn’t what she expected. She had forgotten something we had heard together at a conference many years ago. We’d been listening to an established author talk about his own fear and inadequacies. He told the audience that every time he sits down to write a new book, the fears resurface and he’s certain he no longer has what it takes to make it in publishing.

Hearing him confess his own fears gave me hope. Beyond that, it brought home an important fact. Being published—no matter if it’s a single book or a hundred—won’t necessarily make the fear disappear.

So what’s a writer to do?

Read More

How the WRITING ZONE is a Lot Like the TWILIGHT ZONE

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call THE WRITING ZONE.

Okay, I confess. I borrowed the intro from a television cult classic. But truthfully, have you ever read a better explanation of what it means to be a writer?

Today I’m offering some tips to help you find your way to the writing zone.

1. Be Willing to Call Yourself a Writer: Yes, this one is controversial. There are many who argue that we must do much more than just call ourselves a writer to become a writer. I would only say this, I believe that calling yourself a writer is the first step on becoming a writer. Without that step, it’s hard to move forward.

2. Spend time Writing: This may seem like a no-brainer, but spending time talking about writing—as opposed to actually writing is fairly common. Don’t be one of those who only dream, be ready to walk through to The Writing Zone by spending time writing.

3. Invest Financially in Your Writing: Take classes, attend conferences, buy books, join organizations. Do your homework first, but be ready to put your money where your pen is. Here’s a series of posts I wrote about Dollars & Sense for Writers.

4. Develop the Art of Patience & Enjoy the Journey: Finding success in publishing rarely happens overnight. Realize that you’re in it for the long hall and do the next thing. Relax and enjoy the journey, but keep moving forward.

5. Make Writing a Priority: In the beginning, it’s hard for some friends and family to understand the commitment it takes to become a writer. Beginning writers don’t often get paid for writing and it’s easy to assume it’s a hobby. For some writing is a hobby, and that’s fine. But if you’re serious, then act like it. If you don’t take writing seriously, then no one else will.

6. Realize that Failure is an Option—a Good One: We often learn more when we fail. If we never experience failure, it’s a sign that we’ve never tried anything difficult.

7. Talent is a Very Small Part of the Equation: Talent won’t take you far. Diligence and perseverance are where you find the strength for The Writing Zone.

8. Don’t Try to Go It Alone: While writing is a mainly solitary pursuit, we still need others to help us. We need to be a part of a writing community so we can give and receive encouragement and get perspective on what we write.

9. Don’t Kill Your Creativity with Negative Self-Talk: We all do it. But talking down to ourselves will have a negative impact.

10. Comparison is a Death Trap for Writes: It’s easy to look at others and think we’re gaining perspective. The truth is, we aren’t. Everyone’s writing journey looks different. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor.

11. Keep the Faith: There is a reason you started on this journey. Write it down and put it where you can see it. I believe God made me as a person who processes life through words. If I tried to give up writing, I truly think I’d die.

These are the things that have helped me find my way to The Writing Zone. What would you add to the list? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

TWEETABLE

The Writing Zone is a lot like The Twilight Zone - thoughts from @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Read More

The Adventures of Writing

The life of a writer can be pretty exciting. Yes, I really believe that. As writers we often say we have a solitary life, because many of us are introverts, and our lives outside our writing world are often limited to social media, or visiting with the characters in our books. So how can a writer’s life be exciting?

Everyday is a new adventure. The adventure is up to you. Maybe you write romantic suspense and your character is on a cross-country trip—can you say research/road trip? J I recently attended the ACFW conference in Nashville and visited with an author who traveled to all the places he included in his books. He has travelled all over the world for no other reason except he is a writer.

Maybe traveling isn’t an option for you, but that’s okay. You can still travel vicariously through online research.

The fork in the road leads to all kinds of possibilities. You get to decide what your characters do next. Will you make life miserable for them, or will you show a little grace and allow a moment of relief? The world traveler I referred to above stated he likes to make his characters experience a lot of pain. So much so that he is often brought to tears as he writes. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been in tears as well when I’ve been writing. Talk about living an emotional rollercoaster—definitely not boring.

Social media. I know many authors consider social media a necessary evil, but it doesn’t have to be. Think about your interests. Perhaps you enjoy pictures, then try Instagram or Pinterest. Or maybe you don’t have a lot of time, but your publisher wants you to market—Twitter keeps things short and sweet. Plus you get to choose who you follow, so you get to see the kind of things you want to see. Maybe you like to interact with readers, friends and family, but you don’t have the time meet in person, then Facebook could be a great tool. Facebook groups are an easy way to interact with readers and keep up with family and friends. But user beware many people find Facebook to be an addicting.

Sense of satisfaction. If you create writing goals and meet them then you will receive instant gratification. There is nothing like the feeling of accomplishing ones goals. The greatest sense of satisfaction I get is when a reader enjoys one of my books and tells me. Those moments bring out the kid in me, and I’ve been known to do a little happy dance.

Let’s make the most out of our writing lives today and enjoy the process a little more than we did yesterday.

TWEETABLE

The Adventures of #Writing - via @KimberlyRoseJoh on @NovelRocket (Click to Tweet)

A Christmas Homecoming

Can the mystery of Christmas unite two hurting hearts?

Bailey Calderwood gives all she has to her job as an interior design assistant, but her best isn’t good enough for her demanding, bed-ridden boss. For some unexplained reason Mona has turned against her. At least not everyone is out to get her. A mysterious admirer is sending her cards and flowers. Could it be her boss’s son who’s recently returned home in time for the holidays?

Stephen Belafonte rushes home from France to be with his mother after her stroke, and is surprised by the rift between his mom and Bailey, her assistant. When his mom demands he fire Bailey, he’s torn between respecting his mother’s wishes and doing what’s best for the family business. Can Stephen find a way to heal the rift in his family as well his own heart, or will he be forced to let Bailey go? 

Kimberly Rose Johnson married her college sweetheart and lives in the Pacific Northwest. From a young child Kimberly has been an avid reader. That love of reading fostered a creative mind and led to her passion for writing.

She especially loves romance and writes contemporary romance that warms the heart and feeds the soul.

Kimberly holds a degree in Behavioral Science from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

Connect with Kimberly through

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1UhHwa4 

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2cWDu8c

Twitter: @kimberlyrosejoh

Kimberly's Newsletter: http://kimberlyrjohnson.com/

  

Read More

How Not to Spin Your Writing Wheels: A Debut Author’s Advice

by Christa MacDonald 

@CricketMacD

Like many new authors I started off making absolutely every mistake in the book. I was all tell and no show, used more adverbs than an episode of School House Rocks, and I killed off two characters in my prologue, never mind the fact that I even had a prologue.  I had many painful lessons to learn before selling my first book so to save you from the same; I humbly submit the following insights.

1. Research! This tip starts off with plain ol’ knowing your genre. Are you Romance, Women’s Fiction, Upmarket, Literary Fiction? There are genres and sub-genres and you need to know where you book falls before you start to shop it around to agents or publishers. Best way to know? Find books similar to yours and read them. Read a lot. Then read some more. By the time you understand what genre you’re in you’ll probably have a good understand of what your sub-genre is as well. Research prospective agents. Don’t make the mistake of querying someone who will auto-reject you because they don’t represent your genre.

2. Word count matters. Now that you’ve researched your genre you’ll know what the range is for word count. If you’ve got a contemporary romance at 130,000 words you’re not gonna get a lot of agents or editors willing to look at it. The same is true if it’s 40,000. If you’re shopping around a high fantasy at 60,000 you’re not gonna get a lot of interest. Fair? No. But this is a business and as an agent, why read something you know misses an important criterion.

3. Know your audience. So you’ve written this really compelling story about a heroin addict and his long journey to sobriety. It’s gritty and real with the word choices to match.  Probably not a novel to shop to an agent who deals with young adult or middle-grade novels. As important as knowing your genre, watching your word count, is knowing who your likely readers are and what category that puts you in. You want to be sure you’re querying agents and publishers who are looking for what you’ve written.  You also want to your book to appeal to your readers. Again, read to research. Seek out comp titles.

4. Edit, revise, and refine. I can’t say this strongly enough. You cannot edit your own book unless you yourself are an editor. A good one. Get beta readers for big feedback, but for the heavy lifting you either need to hire an editor or choose skilled critique partners. A good CP is worth their weight in gold. There’s online CP forums if you need to seek one out. I found mine on Twitter and they have been incredibly helpful.  A skilled CP will point out where you’re telling and not showing, where you switch tenses, where your characters suddenly act out of character. Then you need to kill those spots with fire! Chop those adverbs and clean up that writing. Clean writing can make the difference between pages that get a full request and endless rejections.

5. Invest in your career. Don’t be afraid to pay for that workshop, that editor, or that class if you think it will improve your writing. If you’re taking this seriously, you need to invest in your talent. Don’t be afraid to take a risk on yourself. You are worth it.

TWEETABLE
How Not to Spin Your #Writing Wheels: A Debut Author's Advice - @CricketMacD on @NovelRocket (Click to Tweet)

The Broken Trail

Katherine Grant takes the job at Sweet River Christian Academy hoping a small town in the wilderness of Maine will be a vacation from her high-powered career and a break from the emotional toll of the secrets she has buried deep. With the school director on a power trip and evidence of shady dealings, there’s nothing relaxing about it. Maybe it would be easier if she wasn’t so distracted by Captain MacAlister, the local cop she can’t get along with, yet can’t get out of her head. She didn’t trek up to the middle of nowhere to lose her heart.

 

Mac doesn’t need the kind of trouble he believes Katherine will bring. He’s got enough to deal with from poachers to drug crime. Mac has rules to maintain his faith, like avoiding the pull of an attractive woman who doesn’t fit his life. But when he meets Katherine, he’s drawn in by her intelligence and strength, despite getting burned by her quick temper.

When near tragedy strikes, Katherine reveals her feelings, and Mac doesn’t hesitate to respond. If only their scars, both seen and unseen, didn’t threaten to tear them apart. Two wary hearts must soften and two steel wills bend if they have any hope of making it down the broken trail to love.

Christa MacDonald began her writing career at the age of eleven, filling a sketchbook with poems and short stories. While at Gordon College she traded the sketchbooks for floppy discs, publishing short personal narratives in the literary journal The Idiom. After graduation and traveling cross-country she settled down to focus first on her career in operations management and then her growing family. When her children reached grade school Christa returned to her love of writing, finding the time between conference calls, dance lessons, and baseball games. 

When not at her desk working or writing, Christa can be found curled up in her favorite chair reading, out and about with her husband and kids, or in the garden.  She lives with her family along the coast of Massachusetts in the converted barn they share with a dog and two formerly-feral cats.

Visit Christa: christamacdonald.com

Read More