Game of Love

Peter Leavell

Peter Leavell, a 2007 graduate of Boise State University with a degree in history, was the 2011 winner of Christian Writers Guild's Operation First Novel contest, and 2013 Christian Retailing's Best award for First-Time Author. Peter and his family live in Boise, Idaho. For entertainment, he reads historical books, where he finds ideas for new novels. For relaxation, he writes westerns. Whenever he has a chance, he takes his wife and two homeschooled children on crazy but fun research trips. Learn more about Peter's books, research, and family adventures at www.peterleavell.com.

If God has told you to write, and writing wants you, then you have no choice. You must write.

Coaxing someone to pay money for your work—to become a published author—is brutal. An impossible dream. Your writing must be quality. But it’s worth it. How do snatch the public's disposable income with your story?

The game of publishing is like the game of romance. You have to learn the language.

My goal was to marry this girl. But first things first. I had to ask her on a date.

I marched across the college cafeteria straight for her. She was so cute, it made me sweat. As I approached, her cheeks reddened and she smiled.

Oh please, let this work. “Are you going skating tonight?”

Her brow rose as her large eyes enveloped my world. “I wasn’t planning on it. But…” She let the word drift between us.

I clutched my stomach and stumbled away. How could she reject my date proposal, despite the obvious attraction? At the exit, I spun and saw a look of hurt and confusion in her eyes. Why would she feel pain? I was the one she turned down. 

I grew up with two brothers and no sisters. To say I didn’t understand the dance between men and women is, well, an understatement. I didn't get the language. 

This girl was too cute to let go. I learned a little more about what I did wrong. Form the words differently. Will you go skating with me? She was my audience. I wanted her to buy me, aka spend her life with me. After a year of talking with her, I learned her language.

Writing is similar. You can’t use feminine grunts and strength or masculine looks and wiles to publish a book. It takes practice to learn the art. Yes, there are hurt feelings and bitterness along the way. Yes, you cry and shout. At times, moments are sweet and precious. But don’t forget the end goal—a well-written book someone is willing to pay money to read.

At the end of the year, the cute girl was cornered in the botanical gardens in Des Moines, Iowa. I dropped to a knee and opened a box. Inside was a Precious Memories figurine, an Eskimo giving his girl a block of ice. I Only Have Ice For You. Attached to the block was an engagement ring. And I knew the words my audience would respond to. Will you marry me?

She said yes.

The amount of work to become a great writer can be discouraging. The dance between readers and authors is difficult to understand. You must learn the language. Study the craft of writing, though, because becoming a published author—much like getting married—is the thrill of a lifetime.

April 2015

Philip Anderson keeps his past close to the vest. Haunted by the murder of his parents as they traveled West in their covered wagon, his many unanswered questions about that night still torment him. 

His only desire is to live quietly on his homestead and raise horses. He meets Anna, a beautiful young woman with secrets of her own. Falling in love was not part of his plan. Can Philip tell her how he feels before it’s too late?
With Anna a pawn in the corrupt schemes brewing in the nearby Dakota town, Philip is forced to become a reluctant gunslinger. Will Philip’s uncannily trained horses and unsurpassed sharpshooting skills help him free Anna and find out what really happened to his family out there in the wilderness? April 2015

Read More

Merry Mayhem ~ Anita Higman

Merry Mayhem

By

Anita Higman

Novels set during the Christmas season are becoming more popular than ever. People love reading cozy stories during the coziest time of the year. But the stories can’t be all about Santa’s rosy cheeks and merry dimples. If I don’t have St. Nick ripping his pants on the way down the chimney, or landing on some burning coals, or facing a gun-toting homeowner, then readers might want to settle in for a long winter’s nap—but only after opening the shutters to toss my novel out onto the new-fallen snow!

Okay then, let’s brainstorm a snuggly Christmas scene that can be tweaked enough to turn tranquility into turmoil.

Our heroine and hero, Lucy and Harold, are in love—oh, how sweet—and Lucy knows that Harold has created a perfect evening so he can pop the question. The tree is decorated, Josh Groban’s Noel CD is playing, and Harold and Lucy are nestled in front of a crackling fire sipping hot wassail. That’s a nice Christmassy proposal scene, but we can only take cozy so far. Ray Bradbury said, “First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him!” Good advice, but what if my heroine, Lucy, wants to marry Harold and is about to yes? It’s the end of my happily-ever-after story. Something ugly will need to happen soon. Some sort of struggle, internal or external.

Here’s one scenario. Hours before their romantic interlude, Lucy discovers that one of her beloved friends, Alice, is also in love with Harold. This could cause some struggle, but Lucy may say yes to the proposal anyway, since she could convince herself that she is the only woman on earth who could make Harold happy. Okay, so after a chapter or two, the conflict fizzles.

Maybe a moral dilemma would turn up the heat. What if Lucy’s friend, Alice, was a widow, and the reason her husband is dead and her children are fatherless is because of an accident—an accident that was Lucy’s fault? And what if Alice had a problem with depression because of her loss and grief? Okay, that’s a twist that will make readers squirm. Lucy is now going to say no to Harold’s proposal—that is, if she has any moral marbles in her bag—and she’ll want to give Harold a chance to fall in love with Alice.

Good, but maybe the conflict needs another layer. Perhaps since the accident—which was years ago—Alice has used the incident as leverage, and she has forced Lucy into a subservient mode that has turned into oppression. Lucy will not only need to love Alice as Christ would, but she’ll also need discernment and wisdom and courage to break free of Alice’s control. Hopefully this additional dimension will help keep Lucy tripping toward the altar until she finally gets to say, “I do.”

If you have trouble creating conflict in your story, then find a brainstorming buddy who can help you flesh it out. This simple but effective idea has worked well for me.

I think one of the best books out there on plot development and conflict is The Plot Thickens by Noah Lukeman. I highly recommend it. Hope this helps.

 

Merry mayhem to all and to all a goodnight!

Bestselling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has thirty-two books published.

One of Anita latest novels, A Merry Little Christmas (Guideposts/Summerside) is a romantic story set in the turbulent 60s. The novel is available in bookstores and online at Amazon.

Anita would love for you to visit her online at www.anitahigman.com or chat with her on her Facebook Reader Page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorAnitaHigman.

Read More