Kathi's Writing Nook

Rejections Tell a Story and Build Faith

2012-02-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

Rejection. How a writer handles rejection can make or break a career. Rejection can also test your faith in your abilities. Most every writer has felt the sting of rejection. I have a huge file folder filled with rejection letters. Every once in a while I pull the file out and read them. Not because I'm depressed, but because those letters tell a story, my story of how I kept working on my craft.

Do you want to take a peek in my rejection folder? I don't show it to just anybody, but for you, I'll make an exception. Give me a minute. (Using a crane to pull it out. Yah, it's heavy.)

As I open the file, you can see my first few rejections and that they are the standard form letters. Some have pretty letterhead. These are antiques. Most rejections are sent through email today. Anyway, I kept these standard form rejections and continued to work and send out my manuscripts.

Now look at the next batch. See how the standard form letters have handwritten notes of encouragement from the editors and agents. Cool, huh? Well, I knuckled down after receiving those and worked harder.

Ah...look! These rejection letters are gold. They identified problems in my manuscripts with recommendations on how to fix the problems. And see, there at the end? The editor said that if I made the revisions he'd like to see the book again. Totally awesome! Of course, I made the corrections. (Closing file and holding on my lap.)

My rejections tell the story of where I've been and how much I've grown as a writer. They certainly tested my faith in my ability, but they also made my faith stronger.

You might ask, do I still receive rejections? Yes, however most are through email. I have an online file for those. Over the years, I have learned there are many reasons for rejections: the publisher just bought a novel similar to mine, the publisher isn't the right one for my work, the publisher has reached their limit on accepting novels for a while, and on and on. Serious writers can't afford to let rejections stop them from trying.

Rejection letters/emails can be depressing. But that's okay. Just file them away (online or print them up and put them in a draw) and have faith in your ability to learn and grow as a writer. Rejections are the stripes you've earned in your battle to publication. Keep them and every year or so look at them. They will tell your story of where you've been, how you've grown, and give you hope. Really, they will.

You might want to set yourself a goal of receiving so many rejections a year. I did that. I reached that goal for a couple of years and then one day I actually sold a book. I firmly believe my rejections helped me build faith in myself so that my dream could true. They can do the same thing for you. :)

How do you feel about your rejections? Are they your friends? Or your enemies?

Where Faith and Life Meet

2012-02-14T07:03:00.000-07:00

Isn't that an interesting road sign? Imagine seeing that along the highway. It would certainly make you wonder what was ahead, wouldn't it? But life is one big adventure, and you never know what is going to happen from one day to the next.

I remember one Saturday morning a long, long time ago waking up and learning that the Teton Dam had burst. At the time, my husband and I lived in Idaho Falls. The dam was many miles away, but we knew our lives would never be the same. A huge wall of water devastated Sugar City and Rexburg, and the water was heading for Idaho Falls. Before this disaster was over it wiped out the homes of many of our friends and family members, and it took the life of my husband's father. They say adversity can make you stronger. We learned how true that was for we witnessed our community come together to help one another, and we experienced miracles. Many people had their faith strengthen.

Disasters tend to strengthen your faith not only in your fellowman, but in God. I don't know why some people died and others didn't, but I do know miracles took place during that time. Some within my own family. We hold those moments close to our hearts for they are very tender and sacred.

A good friend of mine sent me the video below, which reminded me of that time in my life. I was tempted not to watch it because it's eight minutes long, but believe me if you watch this your heart will be touched and your faith will be strengthen.

Have you had an experience where faith merged with your life?

Your Writing Shield of Faith and Three Basic Questions.

2012-02-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

As a writer you need to be armed with a shield of faith to help you fight against the pitfalls of self doubt. I'm speaking as a person who has gone to battle against self doubt. And I must be truthful, there have been times when doubt overshadowed my belief that I could really see my end goal of having a book published. But I learned something very important . . . those who succeed are not always the most talented, or the most knowledgeable. Those who succeed are those who have armed themselves with the belief that they can.

Sounds to simple, doesn't it?

Well it is and it isn't.

Ask yourself three basic questions:

Do you want to write because you have something to say?

Do you want to write because you love telling stories?

Do you want to write because you can't imagine life without writing?

If you answered yes to these questions, you can succeed because your shield is built with the basics that will see you through self doubt.There's more to your desire to write than money or fame. It's part of who you are.

You might not be the most talented writer in your group or the most knowledgeable, but remember talent is in the eyes of the beholder and knowledge can be gained.

Study your craft from all angles. Do you like to write in third person or first person? Do you like middle grade or young adult genres? Or is romance your thing? Whatever style or genre appeals to you most make certain to do your homework, read all the books you can (both about writing and fiction in your genre) and then . . . write, write, write.

Every time you write you're building your writing shield of faith because you're building your knowledge and learning. And that my friend will help keep you from self doubt.

How do you build your shield of faith for your writing? Do you write everyday? What are some of the best writing books you've found that have helped you? Was there an author who inspired you to write?

What is Faith?

2012-02-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, I taught a song to Primary children about faith and how faith was like a seed and if they planted it the seed would grow. The song was cute and the kids loved to sing it. That song taught what faith is. The picture above shows how faith develops, but it leaves out an important step and that's . . . work. You have to work to develop faith. You know the saying, faith without works is dead. As I've grown older I can see the truth in those words. I found the perfect example this last weekend.

On the weekends my daughter and I usually go to a movie. We went to a couple, but the one I enjoyed most was Big Miracle. As I've thought about the movie I realized why I liked it so much was because the plot revolved around people having faith that they could save three grey whales. This movie showed if you ask for help, work very hard, and believe . . . you'll be successful.

And that in a nutshell is faith; asking, working, believing, and then finally seeing the end result.

The movie was based on a true story. I thought you might like to see the trailer.

This month on my blog I'm going to focus on faith.

Faith in your life.

Faith in your writing.

And faith in a loving Heavenly Father.

How do you explain faith? Why do you think faith is important?

February's Writing Virtue

2012-02-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

On Thursdays I give tips to help your writing. I'm going to do that, but I'm also going to kick off the month of February with a virtue to work on. You're probably wondering what that picture has to do with it. Hang on. I'll tell you in a minute.

The virtue for February . . . I've heard a lot about this virtue over my life. When I served in the Young Women's program in my church, this virtue was at the top of the list for the young women because it was so important. Life would be very flat without this virtue.

February's virtue is . . .

So what does the picture at the beginning have to do with faith? Everything. Faith that the sun will set. Faith gives you peace like a sunset. Faith . . . well, I'll dive more deeply into faith next Tuesday, but let's discuss faith in regards to writing because a lot of what you do as a writer depends on faith. Really. Think about it.

You have to have faith in yourself to even begin to write a story.

The faith in your ability as a writer grows stronger with each word you type, with every scene you describe, with every character you give life to. That faith grows and grows. You may hit some snags as you ask people to read your work and you receive critiques. Your faith may titter a little, but then you step back and realize that maybe valid points were made, so you set to work again.

Faith grows even more once you finish your novel. You did it! You've written a book. This is a big deal, and you should feel good about yourself. But don't rest now. Find an agent or publisher and get your darling in the mail. Then have faith that you'll succeed.

During February we're going to work on developing iron-clad faith that will give you a shield to help maneuver around the pitfalls of self-doubt, a sword to cut through rejection, and a fortress of faith to build around you so you can succeed.

What do you do to keep faith in your ability as a writer?

Diligence Report

2012-01-31T09:03:00.000-07:00

January is on it's way out, so I thought I should report how I've done with my goal of having diligence in my life.

Last week I told you I was going to be more diligent in finishing some projects. Well look at this . . .

I made not just one warming pad, but two. They are great. I filled them with wheat, and when I warm them in the microwave there's an odd smell, but it's not that bad. Have you made warming pads? If so, what did you fill them with?

Now the photo album I told you about, well . . . I'm happy to report I finished it. I can't wait to show my grandson. He's going to be thrilled with his grandma.

As for diligence in reading non-fiction books, my goal is 12 for the year. I've already read one. And I'll have you know I finished another. I read Being George Washington by Glenn Beck

I loved this book. I learned so much about the Founding Father of our nation. He was such a wise and noble man. I felt as though I was actually living some of the scenes. I liked how Beck would occasionally have chapters that summarized what you've read by telling more interesting tidbits. You may think you've read all the stories written about Washington, but this book has a new take on the man and his time in history.

I'm in the middle of reading Seven Tipping Points that Saved the World by Chris Stewart and Ted Stewart.

I'll let you know when I finish it. What I've read so far has been great. I've learned about the Assyrians and their quest to destroy Judah and about the Greeks who fought the Persians at Thermopylae and Salamis.

Remember the goal that kicked off my month of diligence--that of not losing my purse again. I'm happy to report that I have not lost my purse once since my experience in Park City. I think that's a lesson I'll long remember.

Diligence is a virtue that needs to be constantly worked on each and every day of the year. It might be interesting when 2012 draws to a close to look back over the year and see how we've done. (Notice I included you in my plans. We're in this together.)

How has your month of working on diligence gone? I hope you've had a lot of success.

Thursday we'll be two days into a new month, which means another virtue to work on. Stop by and see if it is one you'd like to work on as well.

Exciting News and Finishing Your Novel

2012-01-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

As you may know, most authors aren't able to keep the working titles of their books. Publishers usually title them. Well, this week my publisher let me know the title of my new book that is coming out in June. The title is . . . Cold Justice! I love it! The title fits perfectly. As the release date nears, I'll tell you more about my new romantic suspense.

Now to get back to today's blog.

What is stopping you from finishing your novel?

Could it be writer's block?

No time?

Or could it be something else, something you haven't identified nor do you want to? Could it be that you don't want to finish?

Don't look so astonished. I've had it happen to me. But before we delve into this weighty subject let's look at the excuses of writer's block and no time.

Writer's block . . .
The dictionary says writer's block is a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece. Wow. That tugs on the I-don't-want-to-finish thread, doesn't it.? Hang on to that thought. We're going to talk about it, but not now.

Most people think they have writer's block when what has really happened is they have written themselves into a corner, and they don't know what do to next. A good way to avoid this pitfall is to know how your story needs to end. And a good way to do that is to write an outline.

This outline can be as detailed as you need it to be to keep you on course. Some people write a synopsis of their story and that's enough to keep them on track. Is a synopsis or an outline a cure? No. I had outlined one book, and as I started writing, I came across some wonderful information about a secondary character that was an actual person in history. It was fascinating, and I just knew my readers would want to know about this character. But pretty soon I had written my story into a corner. That's when I realized the secondary character had hijacked my novel. I had to delete several chapters. Once I did that and stayed close to my main character and the outline, all was well.

Another reason you may have writer's block is you need to do more research. Research can open your mind to more possibilities for your character. So if you think you're suffering from writers block . . .

write an outline,
check to see if a secondary character has hijacked your story,
or roll up your sleeves and do more research.

No time . . .
There are many ways to write around a busy schedule. I have a good friend who is writing a terrific story. She has four little children and is expecting her fifth. She's on the go every day, but she loves to write and has her laptop with her most of the time, writing whenever she can. I also have a friend who works a full-time job, has a family, and also does charity work, but late at night she sneaks off to her computer and writes her stories. Now, I know there is a time and season for everything and maybe the time isn't right for you to work on a novel, but for the most part if you really want to you can find the time to write. The "no-time" excuse is just that . . . an excuse. If you're serious about your writing you'll make the time.

You don't want to finish . . .
So you've been working on this story for say . . . five, ten, twenty years. You keep revising, you even start over several times but you can't seem to close the deal. Your problem could be that you're a perfectionist, you're afraid, or you don't want to say good-bye to the story and characters you've grown to love. In short, you don't want to finish. The thing you need to remember is . . . you can't sell, you can't progress, you can't grow as a writer until you realize that no book is perfect, everyone is scared, and you can write another story peopled with characters that you love. You can't really cure this ailment until you make up your mind to do it. Face the problem and then get on with it.

With each book you write, you learn. I had written over eight novels before I sold my first. And guess what? I have sold four other books and my publisher is interested in almost all of the novels I've written. I have to go back and fix those first ones, but I'm very hopeful that most of my stories will find their way to book stores. I know other authors who have had the same experience. Once they sold they were able to sale their other stories. So, keep writing, keep working, and don't give up because some day you'll be able to sell your books.

Be diligent and finish that novel. You deserve to grow, to learn, and to succeed.

I know that I've posted other blogs about this subject, but I know many writers who struggle with this issue. I find it very sad. I couldn't possibly list all the reasons why people can't seem to finish their novels. Please share reasons you know that stop writers from finishing a novel. If we work together we might help other writers leap over this hurdle.

Diligence: Finishing Projects

2012-01-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

Do you have projects that are half finished?

I have a couple of unfinished projects and every time I walk past them, they call to me, wanting my attention, but I don't have time to finish them, so I turn my back and walk away.

The two projects on my desk in my library/sewing room are

a photo album for my grandson and a warming pad.

The photo album I started way back in 2008. How do I know the date? Silly me, I put the year on it. Do I feel guilty and like a slacker Grandma? Yes!

The warming pad is a recent project. All I need to do is sew it, fill it with rice or wheat, and it's good to go.

Now I bring up unfinished projects because my goal this month is to have more diligence in my life. If I'm going to become more diligent I need to get the lead out and finish projects I've started or get rid of them.

This week I plan to finish that photo album and get that warming pad sewed. Now that you know about my intentions, I'm pretty much stuck and have to get these two projects done.

I started this post by asking you if you have unfinished projects. Come on, fess up. If I'm committing so can you. Take the challenge with me and finish those projects this week unless they are enormous and need more than a week. In that case commit to working on that enormo project until it's finished. Give yourself a deadline of when you want to have it completed and then get busy.

Because I'm in the finishing mode, Thursday's blog will be tips on how you can push through and finish that book you've been writing for years.

Our goal is to have more diligence and finish things!!!

In case you're interested . . .
The other day I was watching Glenn Beck. This year he has challenged people to work on one value a month. He's using values that George Washington tried to live by. Yes, that George Washington. If you want to learn more about Glenn's challenge check out Being George Washington. Glenn has a free monthly tracker you can download and keep track of your progress. Plus, he has baseline items that you can work on to help you achieve your goals. Pretty nifty.

Diligence in Research

2012-01-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

When I wrote the synopsis and outline for my new romantic suspense due to come out in June, I first thought of what peril I could throw my characters in, how they would react to it, and where I could set parts of the story. But I didn't realize in making an exciting and adventurous novel that I would have to do a TON of research.

Holy cow! I've done research for all of my books, but this one was intensive. I had to research

flying planes,

boats that are ocean worthy,

and Alaska.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg. I had to research the ins and outs of border crossings, Native Alaskan tribes, and local law enforcement. I could keep going, but I think you get my drift. This novel was research intensive.

A writer needs to be diligent in doing research and seeking out the best available information that will strengthen your novel. Reliable sources are a must and there are several ways you can get them.

Internet . . .
The Internet is an author's best friend when researching key elements in a novel. When using the Internet, I try to get at least two reliable sources for whatever I'm researching. And here's a handy tip: always cut and paste your information into a Word document (or whatever word processor you use) with the url. This is key. That url will be your best friend if you ever have to back up what you've written.

Library . . .
There have been times when I've had over fifty books checked out as I'm writing a novel. I remember when I wrote a book that took place in Rome 1 A.D. I constantly checked out one book for over two years. It was a pain, but I couldn't afford to buy such a book and it was a gold mine of information. I had to diligently mark my calendar when the book was due and even then sometimes I'd forget and have to pay a fine, but that library book strengthened the novel with rich detail I couldn't find anywhere else.

People . . .
Even with all the reading I'd done on piloting, boating and Alaska, some of my best research came from actually talking with a pilot, a boat enthusiast, and someone who actually lived in Alaska. They were able to give me human touches that I just couldn't get from books or the Internet. They were able to tell me what real people do, not just what is in textbooks.

Diligence in research can really payoff because it makes your book real.

How about you? What are some of the sources you use that helps you with research?

Reading Diligence

2012-01-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

Diligence is something we're working hard to develop this month. Notice I wrote "we're" not "I'm." I hope we're in this together.

Last week I told you about leaving my purse in Park City, and that I was going to be more diligent about keeping track of it. So to report on how I'm doing . . . I'm always checking where my purse is, and even during the movies Friday night, I kept the strap wrapped around my knee. They say if you do something for a month it becomes a habit. Keeping track of my purse should be a given, but one slip can be disaster. Nothing like fear to make me diligent in this regard. How about you? Did you have a good week of working on diligence? I'm rooting for you.

Let's add another layer to our goal of working on diligence.

How about flexing the "diligent" muscle in reading more books and finishing them? I have a ton of books that I've read part of and I plan to read the rest of it . . . some day. Well, some day is now. If I like a book I'm going to push to finish it. It's another matter if you can't stand the book. There's no sense in being miserable. Put it aside and find one that you do like. Then set the goal to have it read by a certain time.

I know reading books should be a no-brainer for a writer, but I tend to read a lot of fiction, and I want to read more non-fiction to make my reading more balanced. Some of my non-fiction reading may be part of researching my next book, but that still counts. So my goal this year is to read at least one non-fiction book per month. That means I need to read 12 non-fiction books this year. I may be biting off waaaay to much, but I hope not. How about you? Do you read non-fiction?

To prove I'm working on my goal let me tell you about a book I just finished. I was given Killing Lincoln for Christmas.

It's quite an amazing book that gives details of the ending of the Civil War (Did you know that Colonial Custer fought for the Union Army and helped end the war?), details of what Lincoln did leading up to his death (Did you know Lincoln told several people he had a dream that he would be assassinated?), and also details of what John Wilkes Booth thought and did prior to killing Lincoln (Did you know that Booth and Robert Lincoln, the President's son, dated the same woman, Lucy Hale?). I found the book fascinating and very informative with tidbits I've never heard before.

Killing Lincoln was written by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. They make a wonderful team because the book was gripping. The hooks at the end of each chapter made it difficult to set down.

If all the non-fiction books I want to read are as full of information and well written as this one my goal will be a snap.

What books do you plan to diligently read this year? You can list fiction as well. My shelf of TBR fiction is very full, and I can't seem to stop from adding to it.

(I was given Killing Lincoln as a gift and have no vested interest in it's success. I told you about it because I enjoyed it.)

Fit Writing into Your Daily Schedule

2012-01-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

Do you have a daily schedule? Do you get up, exercise, shower, eat breakfast, and then go to work? It's important if you're a writer to include in your schedule time to write. To some that might sound silly because, of course, serious writers set time aside to write every day, but you might be surprised by how many would-be writers let everything else come first in their lives.

It's true. And sometimes things in life demand attention over your writing, like paying attention to your children, earning a living, or cooking dinner.

But like the old saying "there's always room for Jell-O" you need to start thinking "there's always time to write" because if you don't set the time aside pretty soon days will turn to weeks which will turn to months and then years where you haven't had time to write.

I've been caught in that trap myself. It's easy to get comfortable there and want to stay, but if you do you're never going to finish your book, you're never going to send that book out in the publishing world, and you're never going to see that wonderful book in print.

Scheduling time to write is something you need to do for yourself if you're going to see your dreams come true. Be diligent and set writing as a goal.

Here's a few suggestions you might try to help you fit writing into your daily schedule.

Keep a notepad or laptop handy.

Maybe you'll be inspired while cooking dinner and if your laptop is on the counter all you have to do is go over and type out your thoughts while you're waiting for water to boil. You'll be amazed how much you can write in just a few minutes. Keep a little tablet in your purse or hip pocket so when you're running kids to karate class you can write down things you see and experience. You never know when you might need to add something to a scene or character and the notes that you've taken will come in handy.

Invest in a recorder.

I had a friend who kept a recorder in her car and she would dictate parts of her story on her drive to work. She was able to write two books that way and both books were published.

Take pictures.

You've heard the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words," well maybe not a thousand, but a picture can help you remember something that you want to write about. Taking pictures while on vacation or being with your children can help you remember details that you can use in your work. Even great artists use pictures to paint portraits, so why not writers?

These are just a few suggestions that might help you become more diligent in adding writing to your daily schedule. What are some things you have done to keep writing as your goal?

New Year, New Goals, and Diligence

2012-01-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

Because of my book deadline last week I missed all the blog posts about New Year resolutions/goals/dreams on the other blogs for 2012.

But that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking of you or my blog and what I could do to make 2012 more engaging and productive.

Every New Year I feel as though I've been given a "do-over" and can start fresh.

There's so much I want to do:

read more books,

write more books,

and think up more stories.

But I also want to have more focus and direction in my personal life. I want to go beyond the "lose weight" goal this year. I want to do things that will help me become a better person. And I thought why not include you on my quest.

Soooo this year I'd like to try something on my blog. I thought I might devote each month to a theme that would help us "be all that we can be" not only in our personal lives but with our writing as well. Toward the end of 2011 I started posting on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'm still going to do that, but I'm going to focus both postings on a theme for the month. Tuesdays are still going to be up close and personal but I'm going to also write about concerns I have or goals I'm trying to achieve in regards to the theme. Thursdays are still about writing, or a book I've read, but focused on the theme.

We're already a week into January. Yikes!

The theme for January will be "Diligence".

To kick this off, let me tell you something that happened to me during the Christmas holiday . . .

Every year after Christmas, Hubby and I usually drive up to Park City and spend the day.

This year our daughter went with us. It's nice to get out of the city and walk around in the crisp mountain air. We had lunch and then drove home. Later that night as Hubby and I were getting in bed the phone rang. Hubby answered and was quiet for a while. I was thinking someone in the family had an accident or something. Pretty soon, Hubby put his hand over the phone's mouthpiece and said that it was the manager of the Wendy's in Park City where we'd had lunch. He was wondering if I'd lost my purse.

My purse?!

I leaped out of bed and searched the house. I couldn't find it. When we'd stopped for lunch, I remembered putting the strap of my purse on the back of my chair. I don't usually do that because I don't want someone slipping it off without my notice, but since my back was to the wall, I had done it. I didn't miss my purse because I had my cell phone in my coat pocket.

Needless to say after Hubby hung up the phone, we got dressed, jumped in the car, and drove back up the mountain to Park City to get my purse. On the way I was plagued with thoughts of having to close our credit card and bank accounts along with having to get a new driver's license. I was right on the edge of freaking out, but still holding it together. (I hate it when that happens.) We arrived at Wendy's about 1:00 a.m.. When the manager gave me my purse, I was relieved to find everything was still there. NOTHING had been taken. He told me that as soon as they had found the purse, he'd put it in his safe.

I'm so grateful to the manager at Wendy's and his thoughtfulness. Three cheers for Wendy's!!! You'd better believe I'm a loyal customer from now on.

I'm bound and determined to be more diligent in keeping track of my purse.

Diligence in the dictionary says: persevering application: assiduity, speed, haste, the attention and care legally expected or required of a person.

Are you like me and need to work on diligence? There are so many areas in life where becoming more diligent can help us.

Hey, and might I add, if you're going out to eat, you might want to check out your friendly, neighborhood Wendy's. :)

I'll Be Back . . .

2012-01-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

See this well-organized desk?
It's not mine.
Mine has been piled with books and research. See I had a book deadline at the end of last week so I've devoted every spare minute finishing my next book.

The book is done and off to my editor, so now I'm jumping for joy.

I'll be back on Tuesday and Thursday with my regularly scheduled blog posts.

Christmas Memories

2011-12-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

Sunday night my husband and I found ourselves sitting beneath our Christmas tree peering up at those dazzling lights, and we couldn't help but think over past holidays when our children were young. We miss the excitement and expectation of seeing Christmas through the eyes of our children. We're fortunate that our grandsons live close by, and we're able to enjoy watching them. Still, I look back over the years with fond memories.

We had lean times. I remember the first Christmas after my husband and I were married. Oh boy were we poor. I only had eight dollars to buy Bruce's present. I remember walking from store to store wondering what I could possibly get him. Nothing that I could afford seemed good enough for the man I'd married. I settled on an ID bracelet, but I couldn't afford to have his name inscribed.

The Christmas with our first child was an experience. Kristina was only seven weeks old, but I pulled her out of her crib at 6:30 a.m.. Poor little baby could hardly open her eyes. In my defense though, we had to go to my sister's that morning as well, so I had to get her up anyway. I remember propping my baby next to the doll we'd given her. The doll was bigger than she was, but baby Kristina was by far more beautiful.

I remember the Christmas my parents helped us make most of the gifts that Santa would leave: a dollhouse for Kristina, a cradle for Patricia's baby doll, and a rocking horse for little Ben, who was nearly two. We were working on them well into the night, but it was worth it. The children squealed with delight when they found what Santa had left them.

And then, there were Christmases spent in the mountains. My little family, my sister and her family and my brothers and their families all converged on our parents' cabin at Palisades. Those were wonderful times. What I enjoyed most about Christmas in the mountains was going outside to sing Christmas carols at night. The heavens seemed so close I felt as though I could reach out and touch the stars. The hush of the forest covered with heavy snow always made me think of the that night over two thousand years ago when nature grew quiet in reverence for the true meaning of Christmas.

This year the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released some beautiful new videos about the story of the Christmas. I thought you might enjoy them.

An Angel Foretells Christ's Birth to Mary

Mary and Joseph Travel to Bethlehem

Shepherds Learn of the Birth of Christ

The Wise Men Seek Jesus

Do you have a favorite Christmas memory?
What part of Christmas touches your heart?

I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I'm taking time off from blogging. But I'll be back in 2012.

New Zealand Christmas Story

2011-12-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

This time of year there are always a bunch of new Christmas clips on youtube.

My sister sent me the link to this one. It was posted last year, but I wanted you to see it just in case you were like me and missed it. What an adorable take on the Christmas story! There is so much that I loved: of course, Mary and Joseph; the angel who appeared to Mary; the donkey; how they traveled to Bethlehem; and I could go on and on. You really need to take the time and watch this. You'll be glad you did. It's soooooo cute.

What was your favorite part of the clip? Did you see the star? I loved how it guided the shepherds and wise men.

Have a great weekend! I'm going to bake cookies with my daughters on Friday and Saturday. Also on Saturday I have two signings: 12:00 - 2:00 at the Deseret Book in the Layton Hills Mall and 3:00-4:30 at the Seagull Book in Centerville.

If you're nearby stop and say hi. I'd love to see you.

Ladders, Lights, and Publshing Your Book

2011-12-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

We have a very tall Christmas tree in my house. This is my son and husband a couple of years ago putting decorations on the tree. I have a fear of heights, so they usually do it. However, this year my husband threw his back out bringing the Christmas decorations down from the attic. My son wasn't available to help, so it was up to my daughter, Tricia, and me. Yes, I was scared, but I was determined to meet this fear so up the ladder I went. Took us a full day because we kept running out of tree lights. Is there ever enough? But when all was said and done the tree looked gorgeous.

Facing my fear of heights reminded me that sometimes as writers we need to face whatever fears stop us from sending our books to agents or publishers. Some of those fears could be that you're afraid of rejection, afraid of criticism, or afraid of sending your baby out into the big, cruel, business world of publication.

Afraid of rejection . . .
Rejection stings and bites and hurts like the dickens, but if you don't risk rejection you'll never succeed.Now I have heard stories of writers who have never been rejected, but those are so few and far between. Most of us have to earn our stripes and face rejection, because most likely rejection will come. It's what you do with it that makes the difference. Learn from it. If you are fortunate to have an editor tell you why he/she is rejecting your book, feel honored and truly think about what they say is wrong with your work. Then go in and fix the problems and send it out again. Don't sit around waiting for the rejection either. Get busy with your next book because with every novel you write you are learning more and more about your craft.

Afraid of criticism . . .
This is closely related to rejection because if you're lucky your rejection letter may have critique comments. Again this is a good sign. Remember the saying that criticism is a form of flattery and when it comes to writing it really can be. If you never receive criticism on your work, how can you grow? If you only hear good things about your writing yet you're not selling, how will you ever improve? I think you see where I'm going with this. Another saying that is very true, good critiquing will make your story strong. Your job is to recognize the good critiquing from the bad. Questions to ask yourself as you contemplate a critique, does this move my story forward? Does it make the story clear? Will this take away from the story I want to tell? In the end, it is your story, just make certain you're not throwing away good advice.

Sending your baby out into the publishing world . . .
This is very scary because all at once you're getting serious about this writing thing. People are going to ask if you've heard anything. Also rejection and criticism might follow. But here's the deal, if you want to see your dream come true you're going to have to send your baby out there and see if it will fly. But you can do it. Just realize it's all right if your work isn't perfect. It's all right to receive rejections. And it's normal to receive criticism. Go ahead and send your novel out into the publishing world. You never know if you can succeed until you try.

So climb that ladder to success, string the lights that will make your novel beautiful, and then step back and admire the work you've created.

Okay, your turn. What helps you face the fear of sending your story out into the publishing world?

Book Review - Faithful, Fit, and Fabulous by Connie E. Sokol

2011-12-07T19:06:00.002-07:00

I don't know if you're like me, but I have shelves full of self-improvement books. Everything from Say No to Diets to Get Organized Creatively. (I really made those up, but I'm sure there are books out there with such titles.) I'm always looking for books that will click and I'll magically keep weight off, and my house will be clean all the time. So when I was asked if I would like to review Connie Sokol's new book, Faithful, Fit, and Fabulous: get Back to Basics and Transform Your Life in Just Eight Weeks, I was happy to do so. Maybe what she had to say would help me on my quest to be all that I can be.

I have to say after reading the book that I was really disappointed. :(

Hold on . . . I didn't say I was disappointed in the book. Absolutely not!!! Nope. I was disappointed that I didn't receive the book eight weeks ago so that I could actually try and do what she recommends because after reading her thoughts on being faithful, becoming and staying fit, and turning into a fabulous person I REALLY wanted to give it a shot and report back to you. This book is full of wonderful hands-on exercises.

Sokol starts with what will help you become more in-tune spiritually by focusing on making goals for prayer, scripture study and learning to listen to promptings. Then she asks you to create a life plan and actually write that plan in a paragraph. I loved this. Let me tell you why.

For more years than I'd ever admit, I wanted to become an author. I forged ahead writing stories, trying to fit into one genre after another. I even went back to college and finished my degree with the idea that doing so would help me finally sell a book. Still I languished. One day, I sat down and actually wrote a mission statement for my writing. I included what I wanted to accomplish with my writing, what kind of stories I wanted to write and how I was going to do it. After that my writing was focused and I was clear on why. When I read the section on writing a life plan in Sokol's book, I knew this was a book that could very well change a person's life because I'd seen how writing a mission statement for my writing had done wonders. Needless to say, I was hooked.

Another reason I enjoyed this book was the stories Sokol included. Many times she tells you what she did wrong, and how she remedied the situation. She made me feel as though she was a friend sharing her life lessons with me and also giving me directions on how I could avoid making similar mistakes. I loved how she talked about finding balance in life. And then, she actually provides a plan that can help you see where you're wasting time and how you can actually find time for yourself without guilt!

But I think the section of the book I enjoyed most was about connecting with those you love. She gives wonderful examples of how to get along with your spouse, your kids, and your friends and how to make those relationships meaningful. And yes, she has a plan to help you do it. The New Year is coming. I'm honestly going to give this book the 8 week try. I think after you read it, you will too.

You can learn more about Connie Sokol by checking out her blog.

And you can purchase this wonderful book here.

One Sweet Lady

2011-12-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

This is a real feel-good story and I have a couple of videos to help me share it with you.

As some of you may know, I've been called in my church as the Relief Society President in an assisted living branch. We have about 55 members in the branch and most of them are elderly women. I have come to love each and every one of them very much.

One sweet lady, Edith Young, is a real go-getter. She doesn't let age stop her from being of service to others. When she heard about babies in need of quilts she set to work making them. Here's the amazing thing, Edith turned 97 on November 22. Watch this fun video where she appeared on TV.

When the TV crew found out about Edith's crush on David Archuleta they decided to make her birthday very special. Take a look. Have a tissue ready.

Now that should get you in the holiday spirit.

Do you have a feel-good story? I'd love to hear it.

Book Review - In God Is Our Trust by L.C. Lewis

2011-12-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

If you enjoy historical romance, if you enjoy historical fiction about America and our Founding Fathers. and if you enjoy historical fiction that tells a story about the strength and endurance of the early saints in the LDS Church than let me recommend a fantastic new novel, In God Is Our Trust by L.C. Lewis.

Before we go much further let me tell you that the author sent me a pdf copy of this novel before it went to press. After I read it, I was so impressed with the writing and how the many stories within the series came to satisfying conclusions (not all happy-ever-after, but logical and hopeful) that I offered to send her publisher a blurb, which they used. I was delighted that I could help spread the word about this timely novel that makes us appreciate our country and our freedoms.

In God Is Our Trust is a wonderful journey. There were times when I thought I knew what was going to happen and then to my surprise the characters would do something different. I love it when that happens.

Here is the back cover blurb:

America exits the War of 1812 battered but determined under the leadership of the last men tutored by the Founding Fathers. As she is welcomed onto the world stage, new leaders prepare to thrust an aggressive platform on the nation, threatening America's unity and her brief period of prosperity and peace.

The country's trials have prepared a choice generation, but as adversity afflicts the Pearson home, Hannah enters a crisis of faith, questioning man's interpretation of God's word. The struggles plaguing the Pearsons affect Frannie and the six families with whom the Pearsons have become entangled during the war.

As a new religious reformation dawns in America, the Pearson and Snowdens become involved with a young man from Hannah's past--Joseph Smith--whose accounts of vision and dealings with angels strain tender relationships and test the Constitution's guarantees for religious liberty.

I was drawn to Hannah as she struggled to come to grips with many trials. I don't want to ruin the book for you, but the growth of this character is gripping. I'm sure many mothers who have gone through similar trials will identify with her needs and will eagerly read on to see what she does.

Jed is a hero determined to do what he feels is right for not only his family, but for his friends and for his country. Yes, he has his faults, however, he learns from his mistakes and moves on trying to do better. He's also a man who is true to his word, a very admirable trait not only then, but in today's world as well.

In fact, as I read this book I couldn't help but think of the struggles our nation and the world is going through right now. History is a great teacher. If only we could remember our past and learn from it, how much better off would we be? The reader can't help but think some of the characteristics Lewis gave her fictional characters lived and breathed in the hearts of many of our Founding Fathers. I'm hopeful that these traits also live and breath in our nation's leaders today.

This is a book to cherish, filled with characters who struggle through life, make mistakes, learn when they stumble, and become stronger because of their faith in God. I highly recommend In God is Our Trust. And I think after reading it, so will you.

You can learn more about L.C. Lewis and her books on her blog.

(I was given a copy of this novel to review, but I reviewed it because I liked it.)

Gratitude: The Little Things

2011-11-29T12:24:00.000-07:00

When I found this picture it made me smile. Gratitude should be delivered with a pretty red flower, a heartfelt hug, and an abundance of humility. With Thanksgiving last week, I'm sure many of us were thinking of the blessings in our lives. Of course, we're thankful for family, home, and country. But

I thought it would be fun to think of the little things that make a big difference in our lives. You know, things that we rarely think about them, like . . .

smart phones,

stop lights,

or individually wrapped sliced cheese.

Smart phones have given us the world in the palm of our hands. We can listen to music, find addresses, and talk to people with that little device.

And stop lights? What chaos would happen without them? Have you ever been stuck at a light that wasn't working? Sad times. People have to rely on each other to take turns and it can become ugly if someone should jump the shark (so to speak).

Individually wrapped sliced cheese . . . Okay, this is one of my favorites. Who doesn't like evenly distributed cheese on grilled sandwiches? And all you have to do is unwrap the cheese and slap it on bread.

Okay, it's your turn. What little convenience are you grateful for? Come on, you have one. I know you do.

If you like historical fiction that uses real historical facts check back on Thursday for the book review of L.C. Lewis's new novel, In God is Our Trust.

The Whatever Trap

2011-11-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever read a book and became so frustrated that you thought "whatever," closed the book, and vowed to never read that author again? This is a fear for many writers.

How can a writer avoid the "whatever" trap?

There are many things that can be done. I'm going to share three tips that have helped me. I call them the three amigos: the "so what" syndrome, the "not buying it" pitfall, and the "huh" disconnect.

So What . . .

As a writer you need to make sure the stakes are high, no matter what you're writing. That doesn't mean the world goes to war if your hero doesn't save the day, though if that's the kind of book you're writing that will work. But for most novels it means that your hero's life may take a bad turn if he makes the wrong choice. What he does matters big time. There is a lot at stake in your hero's world. He may not meet the girl of his dreams. He may get kick out of school or shunned in good society if he doesn't clean up his life. Your reader needs to become invested in his decision and the outcome so that when the story is over the reader is satisfied and not left saying, "So what?"

Not Buying It . . .
This has to do with your reader believing what you've written is plausible. I'm sure you've seen movies or TV shows where you know in real life people would never act that way. In books, however, you need to build a firm foundation for what you want to have happen. For instance, in real life an officer would never break the law to find evidence, but in your story if you've showed that the officer's only child, whom he loves dearly, has been kidnapped your reader would find it very believable that the officer would break the law to find his kid. You can have your characters do things they wouldn't usually do IF you build the case. If you do it right your reader will "buy" your story. If not . . . well they won't.

Huh? . . .
This has to do with things making sense in your story. For instance, if you have characters in a scene laughing, make sure your reader is in on the joke. Or if a character is angry with someone, make sure that at some point the reader understands why. Don't ever leave your reader out in the cold. Make sure they understand what's going on.

The three amigos have helped me many times avoid the "whatever" trap. How do you avoid it? If you have suggestions, please share them. We're all in this together.

Because it's Thanksgiving time, I'm taking the rest of the week off. But I'll be back next Tuesday with a new post.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Great News!!!

2011-11-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

I received some super, fantastic news Friday.

I had gone to my writers group meeting, then went with a friend to take lunch to another friend who has been ill. So I didn't return home until after 3:00.

As I ran in the house, I noticed the light flashing on my answering machine, but I wanted to turn my computer on first so it could warm up, while I listened to my message. That done I returned to the phone, pressed the flashing light, and listened.

The voice I heard was my editor. Whenever she calls my world comes to a standstill. (Seriously, I freeze like one of those old E.F Hutton ads.) She said she wanted to talk with me and could I please call her before 3:00. Well, by now it was ten after, still I punched the number in and waited, hoping that she would answer her phone.

I was in luck. She answered and said she had some great news for me. They accepted my new novel, Raven Spirit (the title may change), for publication.

The tentative release is June of 2012. Raven Spirit is a sequel to River Whispers and most of it is set in Alaska. I had to do a lot of research for this book, but what fun. This is a picture of the Northern Lights and, yes, there is a scene that is very much like this in the book.

So hang on. Over the next few months you'll hear more about Alaska and my new novel.

I also want to let you know that for a while I will only post twice a week. I hate to do that because I enjoy hearing from you through blogging. But with the holidays, edits, signings, plus I'm trying to write another novel, things are going to become a little hectic.

I hope you'll hang in there with me. After this week, I'll post on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Please check back this Wednesday for one last Writing Tip Wednesday.

Blogfest Time!!!

2011-11-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

It's official. Today is the beginning of the Getting to Know You Blogfest. Author J.L. Campbell organized this fun adventure. Stop by her blog The Character Depot to learn more about her and her wonderful books. We were part of Rachel Harrie's Writers' Platform-Building Campaign. We met a lot of wonderful writers and wanted to do another blogfest.

To participate in this blogfest all you have to do is answer these five questions. Easy Peasy!

1) Name two [romantic suspense] authors who inspire you.

2) How did you start writing in your genre?

3) You've landed a meeting with your dream agent. Write a one paragraph pitch to give to him/her. (No longer than four sentences.

4) Sabotage or accident--which would you put your female lead through and why?

5) Plotter or Panster? Who are you?

Okay, now for my answers.

1) Mary Higgins Clark. Where are the Children hooked me from the first page and The Cradle Will Fall still scares me. For my second author I’ll choose someone who writes inspiration, since that’s the other genre I write. Francine Rivers. Her Mark of the Lion series influenced me to write inspirational time travels (though hers are straight historical).

2) I’ve written several romantic suspense novels because I wanted to do what Mary Higgins Clark did, write edge-of-your-seat suspense novels. I like writing a puzzle that takes readers on adventure and makes them check the locks on their doors.

3) I’m not going to pitch my own work here. Nope, instead I'm going to give you some tips for this prime opportunity. Do your homework before you meet an agent. Know something about their agency and the authors they represent. One of my first comments would be something along the lines of--what a thrill it is to meet with her/him and also how much I admire their work. Then I would name a specific author they represent that writes stories similar to mine. Then I would transition to my writing and the particular book I plan to pitch to them while pointing out what makes my book different. First and far most, I'd try to be relaxed and not over pitch. Over hyping your novel is a big no-no.

4) This depends on the story I’m writing. I love stories where one thing after another happens by accident. A movie that comes to mind that did this very well was While You Were Sleeping. Great flick and it just snowballed as the story progressed. If the novel I’m writing is high suspense, sabotage would make for a fun book.

5) I used to be a pantser, but due to deadlines I've turned into a plotter. It gives me guidance and keeps me on task.

Okay now for some housekeeping deets on the blogfest…

Since this blogfest is designed to be a fun activity, it would be good to keep our posts short and sweet.

Grab the badge for your sidebar if you’re in and/or if you want to help us spread the word.

If you’re a tweeter, show some love by tweeting about our blogfest using the hashtag #platformbuildingblogfest

If you blog regularly, it would be helpful to keep the badge visible and link it to the blogfest post so visitors can find it easily.

Okay, come on, sign up and meet some other wonderful writers.

Surprises in My Email

2011-11-11T07:11:00.000-07:00

Wednesday I was busy working on an article I promised a friend and didn't check all of my emails until the afternoon. I usually scan them to see if family, close friends, or my editor has emailed, but I didn't see that they had, so I continued to work. By mid-afternoon I needed a break, so I checked my emails more thoroughly. You'll never guess what I found.

I had an email from the Whitney Awards Committee informing me that River Whispers has had five nominations, which means that it is now eligible to become one of the finalists.

OH. MY. STARS!!!

This is huge! I was so excited that I tried to call Hubby, but he wasn't at his desk. All my kids were at work, so the next person I thought to let know was my editor. She was just as thrilled as I was.

Okay, so you would think I would have learned to check my email more thoroughly, but no. Today after editing, I checked my email again and found something that made me sad and very concerned. Oh, it's not about me. It's about the person who founded the Whitney Awards, Rob Wells. His new YA, dystopian-sh book, Variant, was just named in Publisher's Weekly as one of the best books of 2011. That's not what has me sad because I'm extremely happy for him. No, I learned that he recently developed a severe panic disorder and the doctors have been unable to treat it effectively. In fact, its become so bad that he was laid off from work.

Now you're probably thinking, so. He has a book out. Well, let me enlighten you on the workings of book sales and how authors are paid. Most writers only get paid twice a year from royalties. Many times those checks don't come until the end of January or the end of July.

And hey, Christmas is coming. Rob has a wife and little kids. Many bloggers are trying to do their part in spreading the word about Rob and how great his book is in hopes of helping him through a tough time. I want to be one of them.

Okay, in all honesty, I haven't read Variant yet. BUT I plan to buy this book, read it, and post a review, all in the hopes of helping a fellow author.

Many have said the book is full of hope, romance, and intrigue. And that there is something for everyone within its pages.

So, please add Variant to your Christmas list, buy a couple, and spread the joy.

Have you ever found surprises in your email?

Deadlines

2011-11-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

We've all had them at one time or another. For many years, I worked in an accountant's office. There is nothing like the deadline of April 15th to make you realize that some deadlines can't be missed or ignored. I look back on those days as good training ground for becoming an author.

Once I sold my first book, I quickly found I had many deadlines: turning in drafts, edits, blurbs and etc. Wanting to earn the trust of my publisher, I have worked hard to meet my deadlines. So far, so good.

Because of book deadlines either set by my publisher or set by myself, I have never participated in the annual deadline of NaNoWriMo which takes place every November. During this month, many writers sign themselves up for the deadline of writing over 50,000 words by the 30th. What an awesome goal!

But NaNoWriMo is not for every writer. Some writers feel that they can't spend time writing words for the sake of a word count. There are some who are afraid of developing bad habits. And there are some who actually become very discouraged and feel they are failures because they can't meet that deadline.

Writing words for the sake of a word count . . .

Some writers are very methodical during the writing process. They can't leave a sentence or paragraph alone until they know it is grammatically correct, every word is spelled correctly, and the story is progressing as it should. I greatly admire writers who work this way because by the time they are finished with a book, they really are finished. There's no reading the book many times to edit or catch plot problems because they've already done it. This type of writer would have a difficult time participating in NaNoWriMo because they would have to work fast and the perfectionist inside would slow them down.

Developing bad habits . . .

Writing very fast can be dangerous. Errors can spin out of control: characterizations can be forgotten, plots can run amok, and editing . . . well let's just say it's difficult to catch grammar and punctuation errors when your fingers are flying over the keyboard trying to keep up with your racing mind. Writers blindness can become a problem, too. Before you know it you're reading words that aren't there, but you see them because that's what your mind sees. Be very careful not to develop bad habits speed writing. They can be difficult to break. (Take it from someone who knows.)

Missing the deadline . . .

No one wants to miss a deadline. No one likes quitting before they finish a job. But for some, this does happen. The thing to remember is you tried and nothing is stopping you from trying again and again. NaNoWriMo may come and go, but you can still set your own deadlines and push to meet them. Hopefully each time you try you'll learn how much you can expect to write in a day, or week, or month. You'll also realize how long it will take you to write an entire book. With every venture you're growing and learning more about yourself and your craft.

Sure NaNoWriMo might not be for every writer, but it does make writers think more seriously about their work and that's a good thing.

How do you feel about NaNoWriMo? Are you participating? What have you learned most about yourself as a writer?

High Hopes and a Blogfest You Need to Know About!

2011-11-07T07:13:00.000-07:00

I had high hopes this weekend to have my blog all remodeled and looking fresh and new for you today, but you know how sometimes you take on more than you can do? Well, that's happened to me. I must have looked at thousands of blog templates and read through many how-to books, listened to dozens of tutorials, and unfortunately, I'm still trying to decide what to do.

Here's the deal, I want my blog to be a place where you want to come in, sit down, and spend some time. I want it to be comfortable for you and me. You know, a place were friends can chat, have some laughs, and learn more about each other.

So I decided to take my time and not rush the remodel.

I really wanted the new look for a blogfest I'm participating in.

The Romantic Suspense group (#43) in Rachael Harrie’s Platform Building Campaign will be hosting a Getting-to-Know-You Blogfest during the week of November 13-19. It’s in the middle of NaNo, which is why we’re giving ourselves a week to drop by each other’s blogs and cement the connections we’ve made during this Campaign. The Getting-to-Know-You Blogfest will be fun and easy. All you have to do is sign up in the linky list below and on November 13, write your post in response to the questions below. We’ve modified them a little bit in case you don’t write suspense, but wish to participate.

1. Name two [romantic suspense] authors who inspire you.

2. How did you start writing in your genre?

3. You've landed a meeting with your dream agent. Write a one paragraph pitch to sell your novel to him/her. (No more than four sentences)

4. Sabotage or accident- which would put your female lead through and why?

5. Plotter or Pantser? Who are you?

Some housekeeping deets…

Since this is supposed to be a fun activity, it would be good to keep our posts short and sweet.

Grab the badge for your sidebar if you’re in and/or if you want to help us spread the word.

If you’re a tweeter, show some love by tweeting about our blogfest using the hashtag #platformbuildingblogfest

If you blog regularly, it would be helpful to keep the badge visible and link it to the blogfest post so visitors can find it easily.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up already!

Remodeling...

2011-11-04T04:03:00.000-06:00

I've wanted to do some remodeling on my blog and this weekend seems like a good time.

So, forgive my lack of content, but I'm hopeful to be back next week with bigger and better posts and a new look to boot.

Any advise before I start, other than measure twice, cut once; or back up, back up, back up?

Wish me luck. :)

Layers, Motivation, and Logic for Villains

2011-11-02T07:58:00.000-06:00

One-dimensional villains are very easy to write. All the reader knows is how very wicked and devious he/she is through actions and words. This is fun for melodramas where the audience hisses and boos, but for a murder mystery or suspense not so much.

The challenge for the mystery/suspense writer is to give layers through motivation, and logic to many characters including the villain.

For a mystery the longer you can hide who the murderer is, the better. Layer the villain with history right along with the other important characters in the book. Let us see what his childhood was like in a short flashback. He could have come from the ideal home, but something happened when he went to college. Or he could have had abusive parents. Or . . . you see where I'm going. You could also give clues by what he/she says. Is she always negative and then cover when people look at her strangely? Is she overly optimistic in a sarcastic way? You can also give hints through thoughts, that is if you have scenes seen through the villain's eyes. This can be tricky, but if done right . . . wow!

For suspense, the villain might be revealed a little earlier. The tension is more about how the protagonist is going to get out of a life-threatening situation. Again, the villain must have layers with clear motivation and logic.

The trick in writing mystery/suspense is to give your readers an exciting challenge. Always remember as they read the question going through their minds will be, "Who did it?" Or "Will the hero get away?" So it's extremely important to play fair. Make sure to have valid subtle clues throughout the book so when the story is over your reader can go back and realize all the signs where there, but he/she missed them.

That's the best!

You can read book after book on how to do this. But in my humble opinion, I learn most by reading authors I admire and have shown me how to write through their novels.

Here's a challenge: pick your favorite author's book that you know well. Go in and mark every place the villain was on stage through thought, action, or dialogue and notice how bit by bit the author is showing you who the villain is. Study how he/she hid the villain with layers of character shown through motivation and logic and how they all worked to play a role in the reveal. You'll learn a lot.

Who are some of your favorite mystery/suspense authors? Here, I'll go first. I remember the author who really caught my attention and the book: Mary Higgins Clark's Where Are The Children? I read that book in less than a day because I was so anxious to find out who the villain was and if the children would be all right. It was a real nail-biter.

Now it's your turn. ;)

Halloween and Villains

2011-10-31T07:28:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween!!!

Seems like today would be a great day to talk about villains.

Who are the villains who have given you nightmares?

Ring Wraiths?

I loved Lord of the Rings, so the Ring Wraiths haunted me for a while. I don't think I'm alone. I remember when I saw the very first movie in the trilogy at the theater, there was a woman who stood up in the audience and screamed when a Ring Wraith appeared, though as the movie progressed she settled down. I'm sure they gave her nightmares.

When I was a little girl the ultimate scary guy was Captain Hook.

He seems very mild in comparison to other villains. But for a five-year-old who was nearly caught in his hook in Disneyland, he was terrifying. Obviously that was a long time ago.

I think one of the most scary villains I've seen lately was George Harvey in The Lovely Bones.

I had nightmares after seeing that film. Couldn't watch Stanley Tucci, who played that character, for a while either.

So how about you? Who have been the scariest villains you've seen in a movie or have read in a book?

We'll continue our discussion about villains Wednesday with a writing tip on how to write a scary villain.

Halloween Favorite . . .

2011-10-28T07:16:00.002-06:00

I have my grandsons today, and all they can think about is Halloween. So I thought I'd keep this short and scary with a Feel-Good clip from one of my favorite Halloween movies.

Have a great weekend!!!

Hidden Benefits of Keeping a Journal

2011-10-26T09:13:00.000-06:00

A friend asked if I would contribute a true-life story to a book he has been asked to write. I thought about incidents in my life that might add to what he is trying to do. I remembered something that happened a long, long time ago, but I couldn't recall with clarity names and dates, so I pulled out one of my journals.

First let me tell you, I'm not a consistent journal writer. I'd rather write a fictional story. And I probably wouldn't keep a journal at all, but my church encourages members to keep one, so over the years I have on occasion written about special events in my life.

Monday I turned to the page where I'd written about this certain event and started to read. I ended up spending most of Monday and part of Tuesday reading my journals and learning something about myself as a writer and most importantly as a person.

As a writer . . .

Lo those many years ago, I yearned to have a book published. And as I read what I'd written way back then, I could see that my writing lacked structure and needed editing. I must say, however, that my penmanship was much better when I was younger. I read through the years and found where I'd received encouraging letters from agents and editors. And then, finally, I read about the day my first book was accepted for publication. All those years of work and waiting paid off. Lesson learned as a writer . . . keep working on your craft, keep setting goals, believe in yourself, and you'll make it.

As a person . . .
As I read about the young mother I was back then, I could see my world was very small. Reading through one experience after another, I remembered some of life's hard knocks and how many times I struggled as a mother and wife. I worried as my children grew through their trying teenage years and felt sorrow when they were hurt. I noticed my tone changed as well. No longer was I an innocent young mother full of hope. I was a worried parent wanting my children to make good choices. I read about my daughter's wedding, and when my other daughter went on her mission. I read about my son graduating from college the day after my mother passed away and how I was filled with great sorrow from losing her, but also great happiness and pride in my son. I could see where I'd made mistakes, where I wished I'd made better choices, and how much I missed people who are no longer in my life. Lesson learned as a person . . . I've been through some tough times, but I've also been through good times as well.

Writing in a journal has hidden benefits because it not only records history and hones your writing, but it's also a reminder of how far you've traveled as a writer and a person. You know what? I wish I had written more.

What about you? Do you keep a journal? What are the benefits you have found from writing in a journal?

Flour and Story Premise

2011-10-24T07:18:00.000-06:00

Another busy weekend of canning apple butter, applesauce, and apple-pie filling. But I'm finally done. When I finished, I realized one of the quarts of apple-pie filling didn't seal properly, so I decided to make an apple pie. For me, the best part of making pie is pie-crust cookies.

Thank you, Photobucket for the picture.

Yummo!However, as we ate them while watching a movie, I noticed a strange taste. Couldn't quite put my finger on what it was, but for the first time not all the cookies were eaten.Later in the evening we decided to eat a piece of pie. I couldn't wait.

Another wonderful Photobucket photo.

The pie looked great, however, I hadn't cook it long enough and the apples were too crunchy. And there was that strange taste in the crust. I was so disappointed.So all wasn't lost, Hubby decided to make his wonderful, mouthwatering cookies.

Again, Photobucket to the rescue.

Because I was too full after eating pie-crust cookies and pie, I didn't have one until I got up in the middle of the night.

Who doesn't like a late night cookie? But as I ate there was that strange taste again, and I realized what the problem had been with the pie-crust cookies, the pie crust, and now the cookies. It was old flour.

Friday I had found an old sack of flour in our storage and decided to use it. Now everything we made with it left a bad taste in my mouth.

This made me think about old stories I've written. In the past, I couldn't tell why those wonderful ideas never developed into workable stories. Now, I know. The flour was bad.

I suppose in this scenario flour is the premise of the story. And if the premise doesn't work, well the story is going to leave a bad taste in your mouth.So . . . today I'm throwing away the flour, the cookies, the pie, and bad story premises. Yep, out they go!!!

How was your weekend? Did you can apples? Make pie? Or work on story ideas? If so make sure you use new flour and a good story premise. ;)

Autumn Leaves

2011-10-20T19:14:00.001-06:00

I love autumn!!! This picture reminds me of my parents' cabin on the lake in autumn. When my parents were alive, we used to go to their cabin in October to visit with them and see the leaves. It looked like a magical land with trees that nearly glowed as though lit from within with colors of gold, orange, and red. I loved visiting my parents. Upstairs in their cabin was a pool table. My father could play a mean game of pool. I could never beat him. Even in his eighties, he kept his title as King of the Table. While we would play a friendly game, he would oft times put a cassette tape in the player. We'd listen to music from the forties and fifties everything from Glen Miller's band to Nat King Cole.

Autumn makes me think of my parents, their cabin, and how much I miss them.

What do you like about autumn? The weather? The leaves? The shorter days? Or the falling leaves?

How Strong is Your Main Character?

2011-10-19T08:38:00.000-06:00

The strength of your story rests on the shoulders of your main character. Have you ever read a story where the main character was mildly likable, but nothing really happened because all was perfect in her/his world?

OR . . . have you read a book where the main character blamed all his/her problems on everyone else and whined throughout the story? I personally think this one is worse than the first one.

The problems with both scenarios has to do with the strength of the main character. Either there was no major conflict or the character showed no signs of growth. Both reveal weakness and can kill your story.

Yikes!

How can you stop this from happening? I have several suggestions that might help you.

Don't be afraid to give your character pain. In other words, take something or someone away from your protagonist who he leans on and see how he reacts and overcomes adversity.

Make an unexpected move in the storyline that will truly test your main character.

Destroy your main character's ordinary world by sending him/her on a journey of discovery.

Put your main character in the impossible situation of making a choice that will impact his/her life and others.

Give your main character a very strong adversary who could easily beat her/him.

Overcoming even one of the above problems will give your character strength and likability. I wouldn't recommend doing them all within one story. Pick one or two and go with it. The strength of your main character depends on how well he/she handles conflict, overcomes adversity, and grows.

So I'm sure you can add to my list.
How strong is your main character?
What does he/she overcome?
And how do you show it?

The Winner and Apples

2011-10-17T07:42:00.000-06:00

You've heard people say, "I need a vacation to rest from my vacation" haven't you? Well, that's how I feel about the weekend. I need a weekend to rest from my weekend.

Seriously. Our apple tree in our backyard had grundles and grundles of apples this year. Hubby and Son picked all those they could reach from the tallest ladders. I'm afraid of heights, so I was in the house canning apple butter and apple pie filling. I found this awesome apple butter recipe at Simply Canning and it was the best I've ever tasted. Because I have three more buckets filled with apples I'm going to make more. So if you have an apple tree that has given you an abundant crop, check out that site for the recipe and other things you can make with apples. I think I'll make applesauce as well.

Do you have an apple recipe you recommend? Like I said, I have a lot of apples.

Okay now for what you've all been waiting for . . . the winner of the book Pocket of Guilt by Dora Lee Thompson

is Em Fawcett!!!

Em please email me at kathiorampeterson(at)yahoo(dot)com.

And so ends the book drawings. It's been fun, and I hope all those who won a book has enjoyed them.

Oh and don't forget to share an idea of what I can do with the rest of my apples. :)

Opportunities to Do Good

2011-10-14T08:10:00.000-06:00

Because it's Feel Good Friday I wanted to give you a rainbow and a smile, plus this very inspiring video clip. Opportunities to do good are all around us. We just need to listen, watch, and act.

Have a great weekend!

Affect or Effect?

2011-10-12T08:48:00.000-06:00

You say effect,
I say affect . . .

Wait a minute.

There are rules.

And yes, I know them.

Affect is most generally used as a verb.

Effect is usually used as a noun.

But then there's those other times.

You know . . . where the rules dive into gray matter and you pull out the dictionary to read what it says and end up scratching your head as you try to understand.

I do this more times than I want to admit.

So I thought if I struggle sometimes, I'll bet you do as well.

Here's a wonderful clip that explains it very well.

I hope this helps.

Do you have an easy rule that helps you keep affect and effect straight in your mind? If so, please share. What works for me might not work for you. The more tips we share the more writers we can help.

Last Week's Winner, This Week's Book to Give Away

2011-10-10T08:02:00.000-06:00

The winner of The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund

is Carolyn V.

Congratulations, Carolyn!!!

I'll be in touch.

The book I'm giving away this week is a very touching story about WWII, titled Pocket of Guilt written by Dora Lee Thompson.

Here is part of the back cover blurb:

...The Schulz family, all members of the Mormon church, is trying to survive in Germany, during and after WWII. when Hitler invades Poland and the war officially begins, the family is quickly feeling its strain, as they have less and less food to eat. Anna Schulz often stands in line for hours, only to find the market shelves empty. This becomes the least of her worries though, when one by one, the men of the Schulz family head off to defend their country.

I really enjoyed this book and think you will, too. This is an ARC and it's signed by the author.

Please leave a comment sometime this week on my blog, become a follower, and your name will go in the drawing.

Have an awesome Monday!!!

Exciting News This Christmas!

2011-10-07T07:45:00.001-06:00

I'm writing this on Thursday, and you'll never guess what the weather is doing outside my window. It's snowing!!! And not just a little. I mean it's seriously coming down.

Since I'm in a pre-holiday mood, I might as well tell you some exciting news.

See that book cover up there and the list of authors on the front? Count down six lines . . . yep that's my name!!!

This wonderful Christmas book comes out any day. What an honor it is to have my story included! This is a collection of true, inspirational Christmas stories. I can't wait for you to read it!

Now to put you in the mood, here's an old Christmas song I love by Kenny and Dolly.

My Pondering Process

2011-10-05T07:51:00.000-06:00

A little over a week ago, I turned a book into my editor. There's nothing more satisfying than turning a manuscript in on time. I've had a hectic schedule this year trying to finish several novels, but now all at once I find I have finished the books I'd planned, and I'm in the pondering stage.

Pondering is an important step in the writing process. You need to think about characters, plot points, and if the idea you've come up with is really a story you want to be married to for the duration.

Characters . . .

What's a story without three-dimensional, believable characters? You want a main character who will learn and grow as the story develops. And you want secondary characters who will balance with your main character. I'm going to work on another romantic suspense, so I also want a hero who will challenge my heroine. For my next novel, I'm leaning towards a reserved main character who is a picture book writer and illustrator. She's had tragedy in her life and suffered a breakdown. But as the book opens she's putting her life back together when another tragedy occurs that makes her doubt her sanity once again. And for the hero, I think I'll have another rancher. This time he'll be a widower who has a little girl. And I think his cantankerous mother will live with him. The villain? I know who it is, but I don't want to give anything away. I'm still fleshing out characters, but this is feeling good so far.

Plot points . . .

I used to think if I had the beginning and ending of my story I was good to go, but I have come to appreciate outlining more and more. Plus, with suspense, I like to map out where I want to add red-herrings and where and when I need them. I love suspense that makes you feel as though the bad guy has been caught and then out of the blue the real villain appears. For this new novel, I'm going to work the story around seven plot points that will build to the climax with each one feeding into the next. Think of it as a seven-step staircase.

Is this the story I want to be married to?

To be truthful, I don't know right now. I'm going to write my plot points on my white board, toy around with the characters I think will help convey the theme I want for this novel, and if everything falls into place, I think it will be. But I'm not quite ready to say "I do."

See I'm still in the pondering process. Should be here for another week or so.

What do you do while pondering a story idea? Do you think of plot first or characters? Do you have plot points? Do you work with a theme? Please feel free to give me and other writers some pondering guidance.

This Week's Winner, Next Week's Giveaway Book

2011-10-03T07:48:00.001-06:00

This week's winner of The Hidden Branch by GG Vandagriff

is Michelle Teacress!!!

Congrats! I'll be in touch.

The book I'm giving away this week is

The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund. I reviewed this wonderful historical romance last week. And here's the deal, Jody is going to sign it and mail it to you. Only one catch, you must live in the Continental U.S..

So leave a comment sometime this week on my blog, make sure you're a follower (of my blog), and your name will go into the drawing to win this recent release.

Have a great day!

Feel Good Friday--The Lift Conference

2011-09-30T08:46:00.000-06:00

Watching some of the following video clips will make you feel good. Plus, they might wet your appetite for an amazing event that is happening October 29th in Orem, Utah. It's called The Lift Conference for Women.Here's the promo.

Liz Edmunds is the Food Nannie. Here's a fun clip that tells you a little about her.

One of the speakers at the conference will be Meg Johnson. She's an amazing person and an awesome speaker.Here's a fun musical clip with her.

And here she is giving a talk.

This is just a sprinkling of the wonderful speakers who will be at the Lift Conference for Women. Sounds like a good time. I'll bet they have chocolate, which will make it perfect. :)

Have a great weekend!

Book Review - The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund

2011-09-28T06:19:00.000-06:00

As I read this book, I thought many times of the theme song and movie to How the West Was Won. During the 1800s in the United States, the West was the great hope of a better life for many people.

My ancestors came west during that time so I've read a lot about pioneers who crossed the plains and climbed the Rocky Mountains. I could hardly wait to read Jody's new novel to see how she portrayed that era.

The Doctor’s Lady is a wonderful read full of everything you expect and more. It's about a young missionary couple determined to set up a mission in the Oregon Country to help the Nez Perce natives. It’s the story about travelers on the Oregon Trail and the hardships they endured, but mostly it’s the story of a couple destined to be together and find love.

Doctor Eli Earnest is a rugged explorer of the West. The Nez Perce Indians want him to buy some of their land and set up a medical clinic and mission. He returns east with two young Nez Perce men in an effort to raise money to do so. However, once he raised the needed funds the Board of Missions won’t let him journey west until he marries.

FYI: The Mission Board during this time really did require those going into the mission field to be married.

Enter Priscilla White, a beautiful woman, who has refused to marry because she is unable to have children, has her heart set on traveling to India to do God’s work. She’s hoping the Board will make an exception in her case and not require her to marry. She is devastated when they reject her petition. But when she’s approached with the idea to marry Dr. Earnest and go with him, she readjusts her thinking and realizes that this may be an answer to her prayers.

FYI: At this time a white woman had never been west of the Continental Divide. Many believed that the West was no place for a lady. The women who had tried to live there were sent home in coffins.

Against Eli’s better judgment, he agrees to marry Priscilla, but promises her that once they arrive in Oregon Country, if she feels she can’t handle the hard life, he will give her an annulment and send her home. Their marriage becomes a business arrangement that will give them both what they want.

However, on their journey they are met with one hardship after another that tests their dedication not only to missionary work, but also to their “business” arrangement. After all this is historical romance.

FYI: This novel was based on the true story of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman. She was lauded as the first white woman (along with Eliza Spalding) to cross the Continental Divide and travel to the far West. Jody Hedlund says about Narcissa in her author’s notes, “Because of her willingness to brave the unknown, she [Narcissa] led the way for many women who would follow in her footsteps on what would later become known as the Oregon Trail.”

Hedlund has done her homework on this novel and it shows in the wonderful imagery and moving story about two people beating the odds and finding love.Here's the beautiful trailer for the book.

Okay, if you have stopped by my blog lately you know that I've been giving away a book once a week. A while back Jody mentioned that I could have a book to giveaway on my blog, but I wasn't sure and I didn't want to press, so I selected another book for this week's giveaway.

HOWEVER, I have learned that Jody is going to donate a signed copy of her book!!!

So because I've already announced the book (The Hidden Branch) for this week, I'm going to have The Doctor's Lady as the book for next week's drawing.

Please drop by next week, become a follower of my blog and leave a comment some time between October 3rd and the 9th and your name will go in the drawing for The Doctor's Lady.

(This novel was published by Bethany House. I received a free copy to review, but I reviewed the book because I liked it.)

2011-09-26T07:48:00.000-06:00

Blogger is giving me fits today, so I'll make this quick before it totally wigs out.

The winner of Laura Bingham's book Alvor

is Laura Marcella!!!

Congratulations!

I'll be in touch.

The book I'm giving away this week is The Hidden Branch by G.G. Vandagriff.

Here's part of the back cover blurb:

The genealogical sleuthing skills of Alexandra Campbell and her business associate, Brighamina Poulson, are put to spine-tingling use when the murder of Armenian-American billionaire inventor Paul Mardian takes them to Huntington Beach, California--Surf City, USA--in search of the dead man's heirs. Briggie, however, is immediately smitten with ideas of wet suits and boogie boards.

Alex believes the killer is a relative of the victim, but her pursuit of the truth nearly cost another life--her own.

So you know the drill, leave a comment and become a follower of my blog and your name will go into the drawing.

Wednesday I'm part of Jody Hedlund's blog tour for her new book The Doctor's Lady so stop by and find out about this historical based on the life of the first white woman to cross the Continental Divide.

2011-09-23T10:53:00.000-06:00

It's Feel Good Friday!

Here's just a reminder that I'll be signing at Seagull Book in South Jordan tomorrow between 10:00 and 12:00. I'd love to see you!

In celebration of the General Relief Society Conference that takes place tomorrow night, I thought you might enjoy this clip about The Women in Our Lives.

Have a great weekend!!!

Writer's Blindness

2011-09-21T07:33:00.000-06:00

As writers, we work very hard on our writing. We make sure our sentences dovetail together, check that the meaning is as clear as possible, and, of course, proof for punctuation, misspellings, or grammar goofs. We read our copy over and over, and then it happens.

Writers blindness.

Your mind sees what is supposed to be on the copy, but it's not really there.

This happens to most writers. It becomes better with years of writing experience, but still it can happen. However, you can take precautions to guard against it.

Let your work rest . . .

If at all possible, let your freshly written manuscript rest for several days, weeks, or even months, so you're coming to the work cold. This helps your mind reboot and you catch many of your own errors. You'll be amazed what you'll find.

Read out loud . . .

Reading your pages out loud helps give you distance. You may feel silly reading to yourself, but actually it is good because you can more easily feel the rhythm of your words and if the words aren't right you'll notice. Also try reading your work to others. You'll see your work as others do and this awakens your mind to what is really on your copy.

Edit your manuscript backwards while listening to something else . . .

Try line-editing your work while listening to the radio or TV. This gives some writers the distance they need. I have heard of other authors who read from the bottom of the page up and swear this helps them find errors. It drives me nuts, but whatever works is great.

Proof-readers . . .

This is the best way, in my humble opinion, to fight writers blindness. If I'm up against a deadline and can't wait to let my pages rest and after I've read my manuscript many times and even out loud, I will turn it over to trusted proof readers. Proof-readers are cold to your work and can easily catch mistakes. The more eyes reading your pages the better because what one person doesn't see another one will. Just make sure that they know what they're doing and that you trust them.

Honestly, I really don't know if there is a scientific term for this malady that befalls most writers, but whatever it's called, a type of writer's blindness sure hits me.

What about you? Do you struggle catching your errors? What do you do to guard against it?

Last Week's Winner This Week's Giveaway

2011-09-19T06:50:00.000-06:00

The winner of Kimberly Job's novel, I'll Know You by Heart

is Juliana L. Brandt!!!

Congratulations, Juliana.

I'll be in touch.

The book I'm giving away this week is a YA fantasy by Laura Bingham titled Alvor.

Here is part of the back cover blurb:

Adarae jolted as the feeling surged through her. She looked carefully at not one, but two little faces, and felt the warm power within them. No one suspected it could be two, but the strength pulsing from them was undeniable. They stared back into her eyes.

I think you'll fall in love with the magic of this book.

You know the drill, leave a comment some time this week and become a follower of my blog so your name will go into the drawing.

On Wednesday's blog I'm going to discuss writer's blindness. Do you know what it is? Have you or a friend ever experienced this debilitating malady? Stop by Wednesday, and we'll discuss it.

Doggie Video and Signing Info

2011-09-16T07:03:00.000-06:00

I found out this week that I'll be signing copies of my book . . .

at the Seagull Book in South Jordan (The District) on Saturday September 24th from 10:00 until noon.If you're in the area, I'd love to see you.

For this Friday's Feel Good moment here's an oldie but a goodie. I've watched this clip several times and each time I
chuckle.

So, are you a dog lover? Does you dog love bacon? My little Lizzie goes crazy for bacon. Has every since she was a little puppy.

Have a great weekend. :)

Tips for Writing

2011-09-14T07:57:00.000-06:00

I think every writer aspires to write good books that people will long remember.Do you remember reading the first book that got you hooked?

I do. It was Lassie Come Home.

I loved it because I experienced many emotions. I laughed, I worried, and I cried. If a book does that, it's a winner.

How does an author cause their readers to experience such emotions?

They work at it! They read most everything they get their hands on. They study the style of other writers. And they go where other writers are to learn their craft.

Read most everything . . .

Most of the writers I know carry a book with them, have books in most every room in the house (yes, the bathroom), and read new releases. Writers read and read and then read some more. They read other authors. They read about writing. They read magazines, newspapers, and blogs. Reading is what brought them to writing. Most every writer was an avid reader first. And then one day they decided they wanted to try writing themselves.

Study style of other writers . . .

Every writer has their own style. Some may think what'shisname writes just like Mr. Perfectwriter, but they don't. How can they? A writer brings a part of themselves to their work. However, you can study style and see how an author dovetails one sentence with another in order to form continuity. You can see that for a tense scene shorter sentences are used. And you can see that some writers are very spare with description while others lay it on. Learn tricks of the trade and then make them work for your style.

Go where other writers are . . .

This is very important. Most writers would gladly become hermits locked away in their writing dens with their computers and books (and chocolate and pizza :)). However, you need to come out and mingle, meet like-minded people and network. This is very valuable. A writer needs friends. We do! We need to interact with others who are struggling just like we are. We need to learn from each other about successes and failures. Writers are odd people. We love to teach others how to write, which is very self-defeating because we're training those who will replace us. BUT it also keeps us on our toes and learning.

Every writer aspires to write a classic book that will long be on their readers' minds. As the years have gone by I have read classics, but that first book will always hold special memories for me.

How about you? What was the first book that stayed with you for days?

And by the way . . . I started thinking about great books because of a message I received about the Whitney Awards.

The Whitney celebrates great books and great writers. Nominations are only open for four more months. If you have a book written by an LDS author in 2011 that you'd like to nominate, click on the above button and it will take you right to the site.

Last Week's Winner, This Week's Book Give Away

2011-09-12T07:25:00.000-06:00

The winner of Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen's book

is Laura Barnes!!!

Congratulations, Laura.

I'll be in touch.

Now the book I'm giving away this week is I'll Know You By Heart by Kimberly Job.

Here's part of the back cover blurb:

The day Stephanie Roberts met Jared Wakefield, she didn't realize they had met before. Running from an abusive marriage and trying to safeguard her children, Stephanie turns to Jared for support--but he needs more from her than she might be capable of giving.

This is a very touching story I think you'll enjoy.

Sooo, leave a comment on my blog some time this week, become a follower, and your name will go into the drawing.

Wednesday I'll post a writing tip.

What's Important

2011-09-09T07:26:00.000-06:00

I'm excited! I just learned that River Whispers received another review. This one is from the best-selling author, Laurie Lewis, who wrote the Free Men and Dreamers series. I'm so honored that she read and reviewed my book. Please go to her site and check it out.

Today's Feel-good Friday message is about what is most important in our lives. It's a little over a minute long, but so worth your time. I hope you enjoy it. (I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Blogger doesn't drop it. I've had to embed it several times.)

Have a great weekend!

Monday I'll announce the winner of Trapped and show you the next book I'm giving away. :)

Hopefully--Used Right

2011-09-07T09:29:00.000-06:00

I'm overwhelmed with revisions this week. So forgive me for the short posting.

Last week I posted a clip about prepositions. Today I'm going to post another Merriam Webster tip. This time it's about a word I used a lot until someone told me I was using it incorrectly. I'd used "hopefully" all the time at the beginning of a sentence and had no idea that was a major pet peeve for some writers.

I was so ashamed until I found this clip. It made my day.

Hopefully, you'll enjoy it as much as I did. ;)

This Week's Winner and Next Week's Giveaway Book

2011-09-05T10:39:00.000-06:00

The winner of The Thorn

is a new follower

Jocelyn Rish!!!

Congratulations, Jocelyn!

Please email me so I can get your book in the mail to you.

Now this week's book to give away is . . .

This is a romantic suspense I just loved.

Here's part of the back cover blurb:

When Emi Warrin wakes one night to find a thief in her mother's house, she has no idea the intruder has planted a trap--a mysterious letter that will change her life forever.

This is a great read.

You know the drill, become a follower and leave a comment sometime this week.

See you Wednesday.

Feel-good Friday--Vindication!

2011-09-02T07:37:00.000-06:00

This Feel-good Friday post is about writing and it's a little personal, too. When my book, The Stone Traveler, was released I had a reviewer criticize my writing because I ended a few sentences with a preposition. I was crushed, but instead of arguing that her thinking was outdated, I merely thanked her for the review. Quibbling with reviewers is bad form.

But I felt vindicated in my usage of prepositions when I came across this video clip from Merriam-Webster.

So, of course, I wanted to share it with you.

I didn't remember that Shakespeare ended some of his sentences with prepositions. Not bad company to be associated with. ;)

How do you feel about ending sentences with prepositions?

Has there been a time when you have felt vindicated?

Scary Yet Happy Day!!!

2011-09-01T12:21:00.000-06:00

I don't usually post a blog on Thursdays, well except for last Thursday, but that was because of the blog campaign I joined, or except when I have a blog tour, or . . . Okay, I occasionally blog on Thursdays for special events. Better?

Today something very special happened.

My book, River Whispers,

was reviewed in The Deseret News.

It's always a little scary to read a review. My palms become sweaty, I have to blink several times to focus, and all the while I'm praying under my breath "please like it, please like it."

Happy day, the reviewer liked my book. You can read the review in Thursday's Mormon Times section or click here for the online version.

Reviews like this make all the blood, sweat, and tears of writing a novel worth it. 8o)

Tell me, how do you feel when you read a review about your novel or manuscript?

What Does a Look Say?

2011-08-31T06:49:00.000-06:00

Open-eyed . . .

droopy-lidded . . .

or squinting eyes . . .

What do these eyes say? A writer knows how a character looks at someone has a ton of context around it loaded with feelings.

If a character looks away there's a reason. It can mean that the character isn't certain about what he/she is saying.

If a character gazes at another who is talking that could mean they're listening and depending upon the context of the story they may or may not believe what is being said.

And if the character who is talking looks directly at the person with whom they are talking, this could be a sign of certainty.

Sometimes an author feels challenged describing how a character sees. They are hemmed in with descriptions such as look, gaze, stare, glimpse, glanced, and etc., but remember it's the context of what is happening to the character within the confines of the story that reflects the intent of your character.

Your character may be open-eyed, droopy-lidded, or have squinting-eyes, but it's the feelings behind those eyes that tell the tale.

What are your main character's eyes like? What is the context of his/her gaze?

Last Week's Winner and This Week's Book

2011-08-29T09:59:00.000-06:00

Wow! I had a lot of comments last week so there's a lot of names in this week's drawing. The winner of . . .

is . . . What a minute. The name I drew out isn't a follower of my blog. So sad. :/ Let me try again.

Okay this time we have a winner.

Christina Dymock!!!!!

Congratulations! I'll be in touch.

The book I'm giving away this week is . . .

This book is about a legendary scepter that has a looming prophecy of the Holy One. Anyone who enjoys a great adventure will enjoy this book. I know I did. :)

If you're interested become a follower of my blog and leave a comment sometime during this week and your name will go into the drawing.

Wednesday I have another post about the body language your characters.

Have a great Monday!

Interview with a One-year-old.

2011-08-26T13:50:00.000-06:00

Because I posted Thursday I wasn't going to post today, but I came across this and it's the perfect Feel-good Friday clip.

Enjoy! And have a great weekend.

A Writers' Platform-Building Campaign

2011-08-25T08:31:00.000-06:00

So I'm going to try something I've never done before and that's join in a huge blog happening with hundreds of other writers. I'm excited. This is the chance to meet other writers who blog and are trying to build their platforms, make new friends, and have a good time.

To learn all about it go to Rach Writes, read the rules and come join the fun.

Come on. Take the plunge with the rest of us.

Are Eyes Really the Window of a Character's Soul?

2011-08-24T07:37:00.000-06:00

There's steely eyes, knowing eyes, mocking eyes, piercing eyes, glowing eyes, bedroom eyes, and etc.

Really?

Eyes are simply organs of sight. How in the world can they be windows of a character's soul and reflect feelings?

While the eye itself actually reveals nothing, it's the context around it that does and I contend the spirit and soul of a character is seen in his/her eyes. This can be revealed in many ways such as how they use their eyes. To look, glance, gaze, or even stare has meaning.

Look . . .

To look deliberately at a person acknowledges that we see them. In body language we are saying that we know they are there.

For instance, Bob looked across the room and saw the woman who had broken his heart two years ago. She hugged the baby in her arms more tightly as she walked toward him.

Glance . . .

This happens quickly. Could be a glance between lovers, a quick look as a character walks by someone, or in a stressful situation, a character glances when he/she doesn't want to give too much away to other characters.

Ronny stole a quick glance at the man who held everyone in the room at gunpoint.

Gaze . . .

A gaze is more than a look and not quite as strong as a stare.

She gazed into his bedroom eyes and felt the familiar sizzle spiraled deep inside her heart.

Stare . . .

This is great for getting your point across whether it's romance, suspense, or even comedy, a stare says a lot.

He stared at me like he'd never seen me before. As I came closer, he pointed behind me. I glanced back to find a long piece of toilet paper stuck to my shoe.

A stare can be used in many ways: to make a villain more menacing, to show disapproval, to convey tender feelings, or even to show fear. A good, long, hard stare can be used to convey many things.

Because the eyes are so important to our characters, we'll continue this discussion next week and talk about where characters look as they speak and what it means. You might be surprised.

So is your main character looking, glancing, gazing or staring in a scene today?

Last Week's Winner and This Week's Book

2011-08-22T09:00:00.000-06:00

We'll get right to business today. The winner of

Is . . .

Carol Kilgore!!!

Congratulations. I'll be in touch.

So this week's book to giveaway is

Sorry for the fuzzy picture, but I wanted it large enough for you to see.

This is an awesome, gem of a book that gives inspiring acts to do that will make you appreciate life and feel good about yourself and those around you.

If you want to win this book become a follower of my blog and leave a comment sometime this week.

Easy peasy!

Moments that Matter Most

2011-08-19T06:03:00.000-06:00

It's Feel-good Friday!!! Yay!

Like many writers with a deadline on the horizon, sometimes I forget what matters most.

Here's a short clip that helped to remind me.

Have a great weekend!

Movement is the Message - Part II Body Languarge for Your Characters

2011-08-17T07:58:00.000-06:00

Last Wednesday I promised that we'd spend time on what some body movements mean for your characters.

Did you know while you speak your head moves a number of times?

It's true. In language, pitch change is a signal that you're finished. Think about how you ask a question such as: Are you finished? Or would you like more? Most often your voice goes higher with the last word of a question, which signals who you're talking with that it's their turn to answer. Along with the voice raising, the head usually raises as well. Try adding that movement to a tag at the end of dialogue.

What about hand gestures?

Many people can't seem to talk without moving their hands, which is a wonderful character trait. Did you know that hands tend to also move up with the pitch of voice when a question is asked? So gestures of the hands that you thought meant nothing, actually do have meaning.

And what about eyelids?

Did you know that eyes become wider at the end of a question? Yep. Just watch next time someone asks you a question. It may happen with the blink of an eye, but most often it's true.

Now just as the voice, head, hands and eyelids raise at the end of a question, they also lower at the end of a statement. Cool, huh?

But when a speaker continues to keep talking the head, voice, eyes, and hands are usually unchanged.

This is good to know as you give traits to the characters in your novel. Also keep in mind that your characters movements are also tied to their emotions.If you have an unfeeling character keep his voice monotone, his head, hands, and eyelids constant.

If your character is bubbly have them talk with their hands, head, and eyes.

Of course, there is a lot more about body movement I haven't covered, but I hope I've given you something to think about as you give your characters more depth.

What is a gesture you tend to give your characters? What was the most quirky trait you've given a character you loved?

Last Week's Winner and This Week's Book

2011-08-15T07:13:00.000-06:00

No, this isn't a repeat of last week. Each week for a while I'll announce last week's book winner and this week's book to give away.

The winner of Chocolate Roses

by Joan Sowards is . . .

Carolyn V!

Congratulations! I'll be in touch.

Now this week's book give away is

Summer in Paris by Michele Ashman Bell.

I picked this book because it takes place at Bear Lake where I had a wonderful family reunion last weekend. I know summer is almost over, but this is a good novel for the dog days of summer.

Here's the back cover blurb:

"I declared bankruptcy this morning. We've lost everything." Kenzie's father took a breath and continued. "We have thirty days to auction off our belongings and move out of the house."

Kenzie's mouth dropped open with disbelief. "Bankrupt," she whispered. That one word had the power to reduce her life from chauffeurs and credit cards to nothing.

"While we sort this out," her father continued, "we've made arrangements for you to stay with your aunt and uncle in Paris."

Paris. That wouldn't be so bad.

But wait . . . her uncle didn't live in Europe. He lived in Idaho.

This is a fun YA book that appeals to young and old alike.

You know the drill: become a follower and leave a comment. For more information, the giveaway rules are over there in my right sidebar.

Good luck!

Butterflies and Feel-good Friday

2011-08-12T08:00:00.004-06:00

I love butterflies. When I received an email that had the link to The Butterfly Circus video, I was intrigued, but thought I didn't have time to watch a ten minute video, still I knew this person sent me good stuff, so I took a chance and watched it.

Okay, by the end of the clip, I wanted more because I knew the story wasn't over so I went to youtube and found the second part.

The second part is also ten minutes, but it is well worth your time. If you like feel-good endings you have to see this. Trust me, you'll love it.

Have a Feel-good Friday!!!

Your Main Character's Posture

2011-08-10T08:02:00.000-06:00

Have you ever thought about the posture of your characters? You might want to.

Psychiatrists know that body language and spoken language depend on each other. Spoken language cannot give the full meaning of what a person says. To truly understand someone we must not only listen to what they say, but take note of their physical presence.

As writers we need our characters to speak not only with dialogue but with their bodies. For instance, what does a character say who slouches with bad posture? What is he/she saying if their posture is good?

Bad posture . . .

Bad posture can be a sign of depression and low self-esteem. When I was twelve, I grew to the height I have now, 5'9". Plus, my womanly curves filled out as well. Because I was one of the tallest girls in my seventh grade class and because of my new shape I became very self conscious. I didn't want to stand out and as a result I slouched. My mother was forever telling me to stand up straight.(FYI: I no longer slouch and no, the picture is not of me, but it could have been.) If you have a character who is shy and suffers from low self-esteem you might want to give him/her poor posture.

Good posture . . .

Good posture can be a sign of a someone who is self-assured, confident, and proud of who they are. Imagine a young woman not afraid to be taller than boys her age, nor self conscious of her changing body. It would not be hard to see this young woman as a heroine.

However, sometimes a character can have poor posture at the beginning of the book and by the end have great posture because he/she has learned something during the course of the story, which adds a subtle layer.

What kind of posture does your MC have? And what does it say about him/her?

Next Wednesday we'll talk about messages in movement.

Last Week's Winner and This Week's Book

2011-08-08T02:13:00.000-06:00

The winner of Just Hand Over the Chocolate and No One Will Get Hurt by Karen Scalef Linamen is . . .

Helen Ginger!!!

I hope you enjoy the book.

This week's book to give away is . . .

Chocolate Roses by Joan Sowards. I loved this book!!! It's a parody on Jane Eyre. I did a review for this novel in August 2010.

For some reason when checking my previous blog posting the font is very small (every since my blog was revamped I've had this problem--note to self, email the designer to fix this). So let me give you the back cover blurb:

Janie Rose Whitaker's world revolved around her chocolate shop until Roger Wentworth and his young daughter moved into the apartment across from Janie's. Anyone would think Roger fit the mold of the "perfect" guy, but soon Janie discovers secrets that could keep them apart forever. Though she resists getting involved in Roger's complicated life, they are drawn further into a bittersweet relationship.

You will laugh, cry, and crave chocolate as you read this LDS parody of the classic novel Jane Eyre.

To add your name to the book drawing: become a follower of my blog and leave at least one comment this week. I'll announce the winner next Monday.

All this talk about chocolate has me craving some myself. You, too? Here, have a virtual chocolate strawberry on me. :)

A Yorkie That's a Hero

2011-08-05T06:57:00.000-06:00

Photo from NPR

As you may know, I have a Yorkie named Lizzie. She's been ill for several months. I've had to take her to the vet once a week for treatments. She's my little buddy, so when I heard this story about a heroic Yorkie it really touched me, and I wanted to share it with you.

See this cutie in the Army hat? Her name was Smoky and she was a hero in World War II. There's even a monument in Cleveland honoring this four-pound canine. Here's her story . . .

Bill Wynne, who served as part of an Army squadron on the Philippine Island of Luzon during WWII, bought her for six dollars from a buddy who found her on the battlefield.

Wynne says she was a smart little dog and learned tricks and commands quickly. Wynne's Army group was helping to restore a Japanese airfield for American planes to use. But stringing communication wire was a real problem. They didn't have telephone poles so they needed to lay the wire underneath the airstrip. BUT it would take them at least three days and if they dug a trench they would be sitting ducks for enemy planes.

However, there was a drainage pipe under the strip. So they came up with the idea of tying a string to Smoky's collar and having her walk through the pipe. Wynne said, "You couldn't get a dog in a thousand to go through a dark tunnel like that when they'd never seen [it] before. But she was well-trained . . . and did it because I asked her and she trusted me." For a more of the story click here http://www.npr.org/2011/08/03/138946267/smoky-the-terrier-a-tiny-war-hero-immortalized

I love to read stories with heroic animals. Those lovable critters add depth and make the story more appealing.

What is your favorite story that has an animal as one of the characters? Have you written a story where you've included a beloved animal?

I found this old WWII song about a dog. It's pretty cool.

The Body Language of Your Characters

2011-08-03T08:56:00.000-06:00

Have you ever wondered what your main character's body language says to the other characters in your book . . . or even to your readers?

Does her body say that she's available? Does his body say he is lonely? Do their bodies reveal that they are negative? Easy to beat? Or manipulators?

I've often been fascinated with not only what a person says, but in the way they say it. Common gestures such as lifting an eyebrow for disbelief, clasping arms for protection, a shrug for indifference, or tapping fingers for impatience are just a few nonverbal movements our characters make to show how they feel.

But can we go deeper? Are there gestures that can reveal our characters deepest thoughts and feelings?

Of course.

I thought it would be fun for the next few Wednesdays to delve into these unconscious movements that may help layer our characters with more language: verbal and body.

We'll discuss this further next Wednesday, but I'm curious, do you think body language and spoken language are dependent on each other? If so why, and how do you use them in your writing?

Sharing the Love of Books

2011-08-01T09:00:00.001-06:00

Short posting today. I attended my niece's wedding over the weekend. I'll share some of the pictures and fun moments later on in the week.

For a while I'm going share my love of books with you and once a week giveaway a book. Here's all you have to do:

1) become a follower of my blog

2) leave a comment at least once during the week.

If you do those two things your name will go into the hat for that week's book drawing. I'll announce the winner on the following Monday. (This week's winner will be announced August 8th.)

I thought I'd start off with this little gem, Just Hand Over the Chocolate and No One Will Get Hurt by Karen Scalf Linamen. I love chocolate. Whenever I travel, have a stressful day, or when I just need a boast, I reach for chocolate. If you have the same need this is the book for you!

Here's part of the back cover blurb:

Does chocolate call your name when you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or a little down? If it does, then you need Karen Linaman's fifteen low-calorie ways to lift your spirits and pull you out of the dumps.

Wielding wit and wisdom, the author of Pillow Talk and Happily Ever After has created an outrageously funny "joy enhancement" manual for women. Combining humorous observations with road-tested insights and solutions, she offers up a delightful look at women's emotional, physical, and spiritual health.
(I had to take the italics off of some of the above text or it was gibberish. I chalk it up to Internet gremlins.)

When do you reach for chocolate? When you're stressed? Or just for fun? AND what's your favorite chocolate bar?

Tristi Pinkston's New Book Celebration

2011-07-31T08:00:00.001-06:00

Today I'm posting for my friend and fellow author Tristi Pinkston. She is excited to announce the release of the third novel in her Secret Sisters Mysteries series.

Titled Hang ‘em High, this novel takes place on a dude ranch in Montana. When Ida Mae’s son invites her to come for a visit, of course she brings Arlette and Tansy along with her. They are expecting to spend the week looking at horses, avoiding the cows, and making amends in Ida Mae’s relationship with her son. What they don’t expect is to be stuck on the ranch in the middle of a blizzard and to be thrust headlong into the middle of a mystery.

***

Help Tristi celebrate her new novel in two ways. First, come participate in the two-week-long blog contest, where you can win a book nearly every single day! All the details are up on Tristi’s blog.

Second, come to the book launch!

You are invited to an

August Authorama!

Saturday, August 13th

Pioneer Book, 858 S. State, Orem

12 – 4 pm

Games, prizes, balloons, face painting,

and Dutch oven cobbler

prepared by world champion cook

Keith Fisher.

Authors Tristi Pinkston, J. Lloyd Morgan, Cindy Hogan,

Nichole Giles, and Heather Justesen

will all be there to sign books.

This is one book launch event

you will not want to miss!

Tristi knows how to have fun. I hope you check out her blog and book launch.

Kat's Fav Things . . .

2011-07-29T09:00:00.001-06:00

I came across this picture on photobucket.com and thought, why not use it? In my younger days, some people called me Kat, and I do have favorite things.

Since it says "things" I'm not going to list people. And I'm not going to list my books. See them over there in the right sidebar. They are my babies, and it's a given that they are part of my favorite things.

Here are some of my other favorite things in no particular order . . .

My computer. I spend more time with my computer than anyone or anything else.

My bread mixer. This looks a lot like my mixer. I make smoothies, bread, cookies, sauce and etc. You name it and this mixer delivers. (No, I'm not being paid to say this.)

My car. Right now I drive a Ford Explorer that looks just like this one. I like it because I'm higher off the ground and I feel safe. (Again, I'm not being paid to say it.)

My red shoes. I know it's weird to like shoes, but I just love them.

My black guitar. I don't play it very often, almost never, but I love to pull it out every once in a while.

What's some of your favorite things?

Every Writer Needs Conflict

2011-07-27T07:33:00.000-06:00

Interesting picture. See how everyone is conforming until you get to the two fighting. That's what catches your eye. There's conflict there. And people are drawn to conflict.

I hate conflict in my life. When Hubby and I have a disagreement, my world seems out of kilter. Or when I know I've said something that may have hurt someones feelings, I feel horrible and can't rest until I've made amends.

But there is a place where every writer needs conflict . . . in the books they write.

Every good book is filled with conflict. Conflict captures attention and drives the story. The strength of a novel depends upon the strength of conflict. And it can't be a mere disagreement. I'm talking deep conflict that is layered, can't be avoided, and is inescapable.

Layered conflict . . .
What do I mean by this? Not only do your characters need to have inner conflict (the demons that they fight within), but outer conflict (what's happening beyond their control). A simple example of this is Harry Potter. Poor Harry fought inner conflict. He wrestled with self-esteem all the time. Much of his young life he felt alone and inferior to others. What fed his inner conflict? His aunt and uncle treated him horribly. The kid slept beneath the stairwell and had to cook and clean for them. That was definitely out of his control and an outer conflict he battled against whenever he could. The inner and outer conflict was layered. You can still layer on more conflict. just make sure you add a dash of hope in between.

Conflict that can't be avoided . . .
Again I'm going to use Harry. Hogwarts was a blessing for Harry because he found Hermione and Ron, which gave him some relief, however his conflict was also heightened because more and more Voldemort crept into Harry's mind turning up his inner conflict. Plus, Harry's outer conflicts grew more and more intense: finding the sorcerer's stone, the chamber of secrets, and on and on. No matter where he lived or how hard it tried, Harry could not avoid conflict.

Inescapable conflict . . .
Harry couldn't run from conflict because it followed. He couldn't hide from it, because it found him. And when he finally realized he couldn't escape fighting Voldemort, he bravely faced him. The entire series of Harry Potter worked toward this inescapable moment.

J.K. Rowling knew the power of conflict and how it fed her story.

I may not like conflict in my personal life, but I have to write it in my stories for them to thrive.

Think about the stories that you have liked the most. What inner conflict did the main characters fight? What outer conflict did they contend with? Was conflict layered, unavoidable, and inescapable?

Heroes with Heart

2011-07-25T08:43:00.000-06:00

I love, love, love reading books or watching movies that have heroes with heart. What do I mean by that? Hang on and I'll explain. Saturday night I saw the movie Captain America. In case you're like me and haven't read a lot of comic books, let me share with you what I found out about this wonderful hero.

Captain America first appeared in comic books way back in 1941. Joe Simon came up with the idea for this character. At first he was going to name him Super American, but Simon wasn't happy with the name (nice to know other authors struggle with names). There weren't a lot of captains in comics, so he decided on Captain America.

The first comic featuring Captain America hit the shelves before Pearl Harbor. It showed Captain America punching Adolf Hitler. Over a million copies sold. The public overwhelmingly loved this new hero. I think I know why.

Steve Rogers (Captain America) is a hero with heart. As the movie opens, Rogers is trying to enlist in the army. The doctor gives him a 4F rating because of asthma and a load of other ailments. But that doesn't stop Rogers from yearning to serve. He is determined to do what he feels is right. So, of course, the audience pulls for him. While trying to enlist again, Rogers finds a friend in Dr. Josef Reinstein, who sees the goodness in Rogers. Reinstein believes that Rogers would make a great candidate for his new serum that will turn an ordinary soldier into a super-soldier. The serum turns Rogers into a muscular man who makes women swoon, but--and this is very important--it is Rogers' strong belief in doing what's right for the right reason and against incredible odds that makes him a hero with heart. We already liked him before he went through the transformation. We liked him because he gives us hope. We liked him because we saw in him what we want to become--brave and couragous.

Joe Simon has shown how to write a hero with heart. First give him/her flaws, then strengthen them by showing how they overcome those flaws by making wise choices for the right reasons.

Easy, right? :/

How do you write heroes with heart?

I thought you might be interested in learning more about this movie so here's the trailer.

Lifelong Friends

2011-07-22T09:10:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite things about summer are the reunions that take place. Last Saturday I traveled to my hometown of Rigby, Idaho to attend my high school class reunion. What a blast! In the picture I'm standing between two of my lifelong friends: Cozette (Peterson) Romney and Diana (Hughes) Barney.

These two had a great impact on my life. Not only were Cozy(that's what I always called Cozette) and Diana very good friends of mine, but their parents had a huge influence on me as well. Cozy's father taught my husband about the LDS Church, which enabled Hubby and I to marry in the temple. And when Cozy and her parents moved, Diana and her parents moved into Cozy's old house. Diana's mother became my Young Women's leader. I learned a great deal from her.

Cozy, Diana, and I didn't do a lot together. However at different times I...

went to school with both of them . . .

played baseball with both of them . . .

and even went to camping with them.

We always had a good time.

I'm so grateful for these lifelong friends.

Do you have friends who have made a great impact on your life?

Finding Characters in Unusual Places

2011-07-20T10:18:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to go downtown Salt Lake City for jury duty. I've never done this before. What a great adventure!

I was one of eighteen people summoned that day. Out of eighteen only four would serve on the jury. I had always thought twelve people were needed, but in Utah the law does not state the number of people that makes up a jury, so for this case they were using four.

After filling out forms, watching a video about serving, and waiting for a couple of hours, we were ushered into the courtroom. We were sworn in and then the judge asked all of us a number of questions.

I found the process very interesting and a great place to people watch for future stories. (Aren't the best characters where you least expect them?) There were wonderful personalities all around me: from the jury pool, to the judge, and even the clerk. They weren't at all the cardboard characters you see on TV courtroom dramas. Real life is much more intriguing. I found an awesome hero: tall, muscular ex-marine who was respectful of those in authority, and yet had a gentle manner. I also found a great secondary character: female student who couldn't drive a car, drank cup after cup of coffee and had the innocent face of a waif. Oh, did I mention the attorneys? and the officer testifying? and ... well you get my drift. The room was packed with wonderful traits to give characters.

After the judge finished asking us questions, the prosecutor and the defense attorney chose the four to serve.

I was not chosen. I was glad and sad at the same time. I would have loved to have stayed and gained more insight of the court system and also discover more interesting characters for future stories.

Where have you found some of the characters that people your books? Where is your favorite place to people watch?

How to Handle Unexpected Rewrites in a Story

2011-07-18T12:38:00.000-06:00

Last week we put new carpeting in our entire house. What a hassle. We had to move almost everything into the garage. We asked the gal at the carpet place if the carpet layers would do the upstairs first. She said yes and that they would start in the room farthest from the front door. So we thought we had it made. We moved all the books (twenty huge boxes at last count), bookcases, my office, filing cabinets, nightstands, small couches and etc. to the garage, but we put some things in the living room. We thought installing new carpeting would take two days and that the carpet layers would finished with the upstairs the first day and that would allow us time that night to move everything from the living room.

Well, here's the deal. The carpet layers arrived and said they could have the entire house done by 2:00 in the afternoon. Oh boy did we do the hustle getting everything out of the house. The new carpet is beautiful, but brother did we have to scramble. As I have thought back on the experience, I realize that even though I can do everything I can to prepare for a major event, the unexpected can still happen.

Which brings me to unexpected rewrites in a story. You can write your story and think your baby is perfect but then the unexpected happens. For instance, when I first plotted River Whispers I pretty much knew who the killer was. I wrote the book and felt good about it. But when I sent the book to readers, a friend told me that she was very disappointed in learning who the real killer was. I was shocked. However, I thought about what she'd said and realized she was right. I had to change the killer.

Now a change such as that is a major overhaul, like getting new carpeting. I had to take out all the old to make room for all the new. AND I had to do it so the story felt natural and the reader would be satisfied. To do this a writer needs to revamp character background, use logic, and be thorough.

Revamp character background . . .
For my villain to change I had to think which character could have suffered from a severe past that could have scarred them so badly that when pushed they might be capable of doing something unthinkable. I looked at each possible suspect and reworked several backgrounds before something finally gelled, and I had my new villain.

Logic . . .
To change my villain I couldn't have the character act out of the perimeters I'd set. I had to be logical and add some character flaws throughout the entire book, leaving a trail of little things that when added together would lead to who the villain was. I found it fun to go in to some scenes and plant new hints.

Thorough . . .
I only know of one way to be thorough and that's to read the entire book several times. First to find the spots that need to be changed. Then to make certain the changes flow naturally. I read that book at least two or three times after I made the big change.

Unexpected rewrites to a story can be a lot of work, but when it's finished it should be clean and soft like a new carpet. :)

Have you ever had to go in and make changes to your story that turned into a major rewrite? What did you learn from the experience?

Crazy Busy

2011-07-11T08:00:00.014-06:00

The winners of the "Spreading the Joy" contest are: Charlene Raddon and Nikki Trionfo.

Thank you for posting reviews of River Whispers. I sincerely appreciate it.

I have a lot going on this week.

My home feels as though it's been tipped upside down. We're having new carpet installed starting Monday. This means everything has to come out of the house. I've been packing boxes and running up and down stairs like crazy. Who knew I had so many books? Well, I had some idea. And, you know what? I'm proud of the books I've collected over the years. As I packed one treasured story after another I told my daughter a little about them. However, there were some that I couldn't remember the actual story just that I liked the book. What's with that? I realized that I need to revisit some of my old friends and read their stories once again.

Another thing that will keep me busy this week is I have jury duty. In the middle of all the craziness with packing and such, I need to call the courthouse every night to see if I need to make the trip downtown and serve on a jury. I think it might be interesting to see the workings of our judicial system up close.

And then the other thing going on . . . I have my 40th class reunion Saturday in Idaho. I can hardly believe I've been out of Rigby High School over 40 years. Makes me sound so old. After hauling all those boxes of books to the garage my back feels old, but my mind is still young. I can't wait to see my friends.

The long and short of it is, I will only post one blog this week. But I'll be back Monday, and I'm hopeful to have pictures of my beautiful new carpet, a trip downtown to the Salt Lake County courthouse, and of course, photos of my reunion.

Have a wonderful week!!!

Christmas in July

2011-07-08T05:57:00.000-06:00

Wednesday I wrote about embracing summertime. So what's the deal with this post?

I had a "Christmas in July" moment yesterday.
Every Christmas my publisher releases a book of short, true-life Christmas stories. My editor emailed and told me that my little story will be part of this year's book. I'm thrilled.

I love writing Christmas stories, but in July? Well, yes. In fact the new YA time travel I finished the end of June takes place at Christmastime. Some authors don't care to write Christmas stories because they are only in stores for three maybe four months. Some publishers don't like to do them either. They want stories that aren't controlled by the calendar, which is really a shame.

Holiday stories may have a very short shelf life, but if they're done right people will remember them year after year. For instance A Christmas Carol, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, The Little Match Girl, The Gift of the Magi, An Angel on Main Street (I had to include it) and I could go on and on, but all of these stories are memorable and have touched people's hearts. Isn't that what writers want to do--write stories that touch the heart?

For me, Christmas is magical and brings to mind white lacy flakes floating down from the heavens, singing beloved carols, and giving gifts to those we cherish. These are moments that contribute to the holiday and need to be written about.

Which reminds me of another Christmas story I started a few years back. The opening scene has a father standing in the Santa line with his twins. One isn't feeling well and the other has to go to the bathroom when all at once . . . I think I'll open that file and visit those characters once again.

Christmas in July? Why not?

Okay, so forget it's July and tell me what are some of your favorite Christmas stories?

Embracing Summertime and Writing

2011-07-06T09:09:00.000-06:00

There are only three days left in my Spreading the Joy Contest. Check it out!

Do you embrace summertime?

Do you enjoy having the kidlets home from school?

Or fixing dinner on the grill?

(I had to throw this picture in.)

Sometimes summer has been a struggle for me to write. But I remember one summer, Hubby and I took our little family to the Oregon coast. Since we're inlanders, this was a real treat. We walked on the beach, fished for crabs, and visited all the tourists traps. During that trip I grabbed fliers at every stop, purchased the local newspaper, and took a ton of pictures. While I didn't get a lot of writing done, I gathered enough information to fill a file drawer. AND later when the time was right, I was able to write a book set on the Oregon coast.

So even though I wasn't actually writing on that trip, I realized whether I'm writing or researching I'm still working on a story.

It's all good.

Look at the picture below. This beach doesn't have a single footprint. The sandals are there waiting for you to put them on. Summertime is like this picture . . . it is waiting for you to embrace the moment, gather information, and watch the sunsets.

How do you embrace summer? How do you mix writing with enjoying the long, lazy days of summertime?

Happy 4th of July!!!

2011-07-04T07:52:00.000-06:00

Happy 4th of July!

I'm taking a little break.

My blog is going through a major remodel. Hang on. It's just about done.

Book Review - Ammon by H.B. Moore

2011-06-30T20:22:00.000-06:00

Last year I read H.B. Moore's novel, Alma the Younger, and reviewed it. I thought it was her best novel to date. And I wasn't alone because that book won the Best of State Award in Literary Arts for fiction for 2010.

This year Moore's new novel, Ammon, will be a definite contender for the award in 2011.

Here's the first paragraph of the back cover of the book:

With the fire of a newfound testimony, Ammon and his brethren leave Zarahemla to preach the gospel in Lamanite lands, carrying nothing but hunting weapons and the promises of God. Spotted by an enemy scout, they part ways in the dense jungle with hopes of reuniting at the close of their harvest. Ammon follows the Spirit to the borders of Ishmael, where he's ambushed just seconds after spotting Elena, a fair-skinned woman who captures his interest.

This novel should appeal to young adults and adults alike. It offers a lot of action and adventure mixed with romance. Most of the story is told in two view points: Ammon and Elena (the woman who captures his heart).

The main character Ammon lives up to his name being the strong, tall, handsome Nephite prince who has renounced the throne to serve God by spreading the gospel in enemy territory.

Elena is a wonderful leading lady in this tale, who is adventurous and handy with a bow and arrow. She has a strong loyalty to family and especially her father. And, of course, she's very pretty.

I really enjoyed this book. Moore had quite a task of telling a story that many LDS people already know, but she's added wonderful layers making the tale come to life with setting and tension. I loved reading scenes based on the story in the Book of Mormon and seeing how she handled them.

As always Moore's writing is smooth and draws the reader in. I especially like how she added character thoughts that ring true. For example, in a tender scene between Elena and Ammon, Elena thinks ..."She knew he had been born a prince and was meant for something greater than defending the king's flocks, yet in her eyes, his greatest service had been making her feel valued." Moore hit a universal theme. All women want to feel valued.

I enjoyed Ammon and I highly recommend it.

To find out more about H.B. Moore and her books check out her blog my writer's lair.

(Covenant Communications, Inc. published Ammon. I was given a free copy, but I reviewed it because I liked it.)

Meeting a Deadline

2011-06-29T13:48:00.000-06:00

I'm late posting on my blog today because I had to finish my WIP. I promised to have it done by the end of the month and I made it with a day to spare. Whew! Meeting deadlines are so important for many reasons, it builds confidence, shows you're responsible, and gives you cause to celebrate.

Builds confidence...
Meeting deadlines makes you feel good all over. You've worked your little fingers raw on the keyboard, you've sacrificed time away from family and friends, and you've stayed glued to your computer for twelve hours a day, but now comes the reward. You did it. And because you did it once, you know you can do it again. Yes you can! If that doesn't build confidence, I don't know what does.

Shows you're responsible...
Sending your work in when you said you would shows others that you can be relied upon. They know they can count on you to deliver. And that's a big deal. It's a trust issue. They know they can trust you to keep your word. In this day and age that's an amazing trait and one that will serve you well. Have you heard the saying, "Where much is given, much is expected?" Those can be scary words, but they ring true as a writer progresses. Make sure people can count on you.

Cause to celebrate...
You know the feeling that comes over you when a storm lifts and the sun comes out. You bask in the sunshine and play in the puddles. The storm has passed and now you can party. You deserve it.

My celebrating will be playing catch up on chores I've put aside, but it's still celebrating. I'm going to read a book, clean out the closets, and pay more attention to you! Yes, I've been remiss, but I plan to correct it.

Did you see the Spreading the Joy Contest I'm having? I hope so because I'd really, really like to give the prizes away.

How does it make you feel to meet a deadline? What do you do to celebrate?

Spreading the Joy Contest!!!

2011-06-27T08:15:00.000-06:00

I'm jumping for joy. River Whispers has been in stores for 58 days!!!

Here's the deal though. I need help spreading the joy about my book. And the best way is to have positive reviews posted online.

BUT I want to show my appreciation so I'm holding a contest. Here are the rules:

1. For every positive review posted for River Whispers your name will be entered into a drawing.

2. You can copy and paste the same review in numerous places.

3. Deadline will be midnight July 8th.

4. Leave a comment telling me where you posted the review (you'll get your name entered for each review on each location.)

Here are the links to the sites I'd love reviews posted on.

Deseret Book
Amazon
Goodreads
Seagull Book

Now info about the prizes:

Prizes will be randomly drawn via www.random.org on July 9th.

For the Grand Prize I'm giving away a copy of the bestselling cookbook Our Best Bites written by Sara Wells and Kate Jones. This cookbook was the winner of the 2010 Better Homes and Gardens Blogger Cookoff!!! Check out their blog.

Second Prize will be a signed copy of one of my books: The Forgotten Warrior, The Stone Traveler, River Whispers or my Christmas book An Angel on Main Street. You pick which one and I'll sign it and mail it to anyone, anywhere you want me to.

Thanks for your help. I appreciate it very much. xoxoxo

Story in Songs

2011-06-24T08:10:00.000-06:00

As some of you may know I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My faith means a great deal to me. Last night I went to a concert performed by Nashville Tribute. One song they sang was titled The Rising. It tells the story of Joseph Smith. Of course, I love it. They blend a Nashville flavor to great songs of inspiration.

With them was Dyer Highway. They're three young adults making some awesome music.

This must be my week for stories in songs (Monday's post was about Richard Marx).

Have you ever thought about your wip as a song? Would it be country, rock n rock, jazz or ...?

Emotions

2011-06-22T09:46:00.000-06:00

YA World Wednesday

Kids feel not only with their heads, but with their hearts or stomachs. It all depends on the situation. Many emotions tumble through them: fear, anger, guilt, jealousy, embarrassment, loneliness, and, of course, love. As they live through their young-adult lives going through one experience after another, they feel a plethora of emotions. Plus, their feelings are jumbled up because they are in the era of discovering how they actually feel about the world around them. They are on a path of discovery.

The reader is going along with them on this path. You as the writer needs to express each characters feelings in their own individual way. The key to doing this is to use specifics and show the character’s progress from the beginning of the book to the end.

Specifics…
In other words see the world through their eyes. For example, if your main character is training to become an ice-skater, have her see things as a skater. She may think going to a party is skating on thin ice or that going to prom with the hunkiest guy in school would be like sticking a Salchow jump. Or if your character is an artist, he may think of life in shades of colors. The sky was cobalt over a emerald sea. You get my drift. Make what they see specific to them and how they view their world.

Show character progress…
In the course of your story your main character needs to change. For instance, perhaps your main character is quick to judge others, but through his adventures he learns that the grumpiest guy in town has lost his wife in a tragic accident, or that the girl who seemed like snob is embarrassed by her home life because her mother is a lush and her father is always yelling. As your main character experiences his own challenges he learns that being quick to judge is robbing him of good relationships that could make his life more meaningful.

Showing your characters feelings helps readers identify with them because they see part of their own lives in the pages of your story.

How do you use specifics and show progress in your WIP?

Strong Motivation

2011-06-20T06:52:00.000-06:00

(Answer to the question from last Friday's post: If you look straight at the person interviewing you that is a sign of confidence.)

Mystery Monday

I attended Richard Marx's concert Saturday night. It was amazing. In the concert, he said he always liked mystery stories and decided he wanted to write one in the form of a song. He worked and worked on it and nearly gave up, but decided to finished it. He thought it was one of the worst songs he'd ever written. His wife heard it and told him she thought it would turn into one of his best selling songs. He didn't agree, but to show his wife that she was wrong, he went ahead and produced it.

Lo and behold, four months later his mystery song titled Hazard was climbing the charts in many countries.

He said he found it difficult to write a mystery because he couldn't decide who the villain was. Take a look at his video and see if you know who it is. There's motivation here. Strong motivation.

I love that there's a river involved. It made me think of my new novel, River Whispers. There's something about rivers . . .

So, do you think the main character killed Mary? I mean, he had a pretty rough childhood. Everyone in town thought the boy "wasn't right."

But, what about the sheriff? He looks kind of shady.

And who is Mary talking to at the end?"

Marx did an excellent job of layering this song with motivation. I have a feeling if that "song thing" doesn't work out he might think of writing mysteries?

However, to keep readers satisfied at the end of a mystery novel the writer should reveal who the villain is and that villain needs to have strong motivation for committing the crime.

In mystery stories your villain needs to have very strong motivation to have committed the crime. This adds to the suspense. To shore up that motivation you need back story. You need to know what made this person who they are and why?

How do you layer the villain in your story with strong motivation?

Body Language in my Interview

2011-06-17T08:13:00.000-06:00

A week ago my publisher interviewed me. In fact, they did two interviews.

I don't know if you're into body language, but I find it very interesting. It seems to me I have different body language in each clip, yet they were done at the same time.

For instance, watch my eyes to see if I look from left to right or right to left. Little things like that are clues to what the interviewer is feeling.

Here's an interview about my new book, River Whispers.

Here's an interview about fishing with my mom.

Very interesting results.

In the first clip I was looking right and upward. This is a sign of creating and storytelling. That tells you a lot, doesn't it? Well, I was talking about my book.

In the second clip I looked left and down a great deal. This is a sign of recalling, remembering, and retrieving facts.

So to really make people think when you're interviewed look straight at the interviewer, not up or down, to the left or to the right.

Guess what that would reveal? I'll tell you Monday. :)

YA Characters in Movies.

2011-06-15T05:55:00.000-06:00

YA World Wednesday

Movies can help you immensely when it comes to writing young adult characters.

Last weekend I saw the movie Super 8. This movie was written and directed by J. J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg. Here's the trailer.

This trailer shows a lot of action. Believe me, you're in for a wild ride that is fun and scary at times. But it's more than that.

At the heart and sole of the picture is a young thirteen-year-old boy named Joe Lamb. His mother has been killed in an accident and Joe carries her locket in the pocket of his jeans. I was hooked from that point on. Why? Because it showed me a character with depth. I'd follow him through anything to see that nothing bad happens to him.

Isn't that what we do when we become involved with characters? We want to make sure they get through the story all right.

Adding to Joe's problems are his father and a girl. His father is a deputy and still grieves deeply for his wife so much so that he doesn't quite know what to do with his son. The girl is gorgeous with long blond hair and big, soulful eyes. Needless to say Joe has a huge crush on her. BUT she is the daughter of the man responsible for Joe's mother's death.

Ahhh the plot thickens.

These characters are beautifully layered. They make you care even before there's the big train wreck and the thriller part of the movie kicks in. This story works on many levels: plot, character development, and structure.

If you want to study some wonderful YA characters this is the movie to see. But be warned, it is very violent and there's swearing.

What movies have you seen that had characters you loved? What character traits made you want to follow them to see what happened?

The Magic of Mystery

2011-06-13T07:19:00.000-06:00

Mystery Monday

A mystery author is a magician. Magicians know how to entertain and draw attention away from what they are actually doing to make people think they are doing something entirely different.

Brain cramp, right?

It's really very simple.

There's the actual plot and then there's all the other "sleight-of-hand" plots that throw off readers so they don't see the truth that's right in front of them.

Actual plot...
This is the plot that all other plots swirl around. This answers everything: who died? who is the killer? what was the weapon? when did it happen? why did it happen? and how did it happen? It's the truth of your story.

Sleight of Hand plots...
These plots are the ones you dazzle your readers with. They may answer some of the who, what, where, when, why and how, but not all of them. Some of these plots may sputter out quickly, some may last for most of the book, but they should all logically conclude.

All you have to do is pick up your "what-if" wand and start plotting.

What do you enjoy about reading/writing a good mystery?

Fishing with My Mom.

2011-06-10T13:38:00.000-06:00

I wanted to share with you

this fun interview where

I was asked about

fishing with my mom.

That dumb look on my face...

well there's a reason for that.

You'll have to listen to the story. ;)

I'd love to hear about your fun
memories with your loved ones.

The Power of Words

2011-06-10T07:16:00.000-06:00

Fabulous Friday

Here's something to start your

weekend off right.

Please, please, please

take a minute and watch

this very short clip.

It's worth it!

Words and the order we
put them in make a huge
difference.
Have you ever rewritten

something that changed
your prospective in either

your book, your way of thinking,

or even your life?

3 Musts to Write Young Adult Novels.

2011-06-08T07:20:00.000-06:00

YA World Wednesday.

So many writers are flocking to write young adult novels. And why not? This genre has a lot to offer. For the most part they are clean reads that have no limits. And if you're a great writer, you might even get an entire series. Think Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games. These stories sold a lot of books. Why? Not only were they well crafted novels, but they appealed to a wide audience.

So what does a writer need to do to write YA fiction?

First and far most, you have to think like a kid. Second, and very important, you need to write at their level. And third, never, ever preach.

Think like a kid . . .
Some people believe older authors can't write good YA fiction because they can't possibly think like a kid. Give me a break. Did they ever hear of research? And I don't mean going online or reading books. That's one way to go about it, but the best way is to go right to the source. While I was writing many of my YA novels, I was a counselor in the Young Women's program in my church. I loved working with the youth, and boy did I learn a lot. So find a good source, do your homework, and before you know it you'll be thinking like a kid.

Write at their level . . .
Now this is not to say to write down to them. On the contrary. What it means is making sure you have context that helps describe difficult words. It means phrasing sentences like a teen would. And it also means writing about issues that are important to them. Give your main character baggage that some teens deal with every day. Either they yearn for acceptance from their peers, or they desperately want a boyfriend/girlfriend, or they might be dealing with critical self-esteem issues they don't want to talk about. Give the readers someone they can identify with at their level.

Never, ever preach . . .
This can be tricky. But becomes less of a problem if you show and not tell your story. A story plunges into dangerous water when it starts with telling instead of a scene. A well written scene pulls the reader in, not only at the beginning of the book, but especially at a critical point in the story. Let the character live, feel and breath. Let them work out their problems and learn. Getting deep into the point of view of your main character helps avoid this ugly trap.

These are three very important things a writer needs to deal with in writing YA novels, but I'm certain there are more. What have I missed? If you write YA, what do you find most difficult and how have you worked around the problem?