Exciting News! I'll be Seeing You at Christmas

I am beyond thrilled to announce that Tricia Goyer, Sarah Sundin and I are coming together to write a Christmas novella collection tentatively titled I'll be Seeing You...at Christmas. It's part of B&H's new World War II fiction line that launches in 2014. The book I turned in February 1st, Shadowed by Grace, launches the line next February.

Tricia and Sarah are two of my favorite writing friends...and write great World War II novels. Brainstorming this collection was such fun, I can't wait to write them. And the best part? The first two are set in Lafayette, Indiana: a place I know a little something about.

Here's more on the collection:

3 Reasons I Love Writing Christian Fiction

Ignore the fact that the expression on my face in this photo with my buddy Tricia Goyer is just plain odd...I had to share it because Tricia is one of those reasons I love writing Christian fiction. Why you ask?

1) Christian fiction authors are a community. ACFW is a party with 700 in the writing family. Next month I'll be at a retreat for published authors that is also all about community. We share the journey with a minimum of competition. It is AMAZING to be part of this world.

2) I get to interact with the best folks. I'm working on my next World War II novel. I like to call it

Writing, Dreaming, or Scheming

Here's another post. Life is still the same. Only now I'm balancing writing a WWII novel with a contemporary mystery. Oh and spent a lot of time the last couple weeks trying to beat another WWII proposal into submission. Amazing how the more I write, the more the process stays the same.

One of the challenges of the writing life is how to balance the need to write contracted books with the need to constantly cultivate new ideas.

For example, right now (April 2011) I'm writing the contemporary romantic suspense set on Mackinac Island. I'm also thinking about the romance and mystery novella I'm writing in the Cherry Blossom Capers. Then last week I fleshed out a possible three book world War II series. It involves three sisters who do very different things during the war and all end up in London for a piece of it.

See? Very different. It's like juggling several plates...er...plots at the same time.

Just when it gets overwhelming, I get fabulous feedback like this from a reader who lived a story I wrote. That keeps me going!  I can't wait to get this package from my editor!

So anyone want to guess which memorial/monument is in the background on this gorgeous cover?

Why I love Christian Publishing

As you read this I'm in Dallas attending ACFW board meetings today and the conference that starts tomorrow. In honor of it here's a post I wrote last year that is still very true and appropriate!

Eric and me at the 2010 ACFW Gala

This is truly one of the highlights of my year. And Tuesday I was reminded why I can't imagine missing ACFW.

I have a proposal I'm beefing up for ACFW. It's already good, but I really want to push it to great. The problem? I was absolutely stymied. Eric and I had talked around it. He's a great researcher and reads enough to really be an asset in brainstorming, yet I couldn't quite get traction.

So I texted a couple writing friends. Jenny Jones had already spent a lot of time on the proposal, but volunteered to help with brainstorming. Then Tricia Goyer said, sure she'd help me brainstorm. And at conference Colleen Coble and I will squeeze in a few minutes to brainstorm even more layers. Here's why that's so cool!

Want to take your writing to the next level?

I'm thrilled that my friend Tricia Goyer and I will be co-teaching a continuing education class at ACFW's conference this fall. This is just one of six sessions -- the only thing that makes me sad about teaching is that I can't attend one of the other sessions!

Here's more about our sessions:

In this class multi-published, award-winning authors Cara Putman and Tricia Goyer will show you that while there may not be one right way to write a novel, there are the best tools to use to take you from unpublished to holding your freshly published book in your hands. We will cover many of the essential aspects required to move from good writing to a story that gets an editor or agent’s attention.

 If you're interested in writing, if you have a complete manuscript resting on your hard drive, if you're not sure how to get started or what to do next, or if you have 20 published novels, the ACFW conference will have something for you. Check out the website to learn more.

Incorporating Your Loves into Your Books

One of the things I love about writing is the ability to incorporate the things I love into my writing.

As a gal right out of college I headed to Washington, D.C., to launch my career in public policy. You see, there weren’t a lot of jobs in Nebraska for a girl with a degree in political science. That was all right with me though because I love D.C.

D.C. has an energy, ambition, and pace that appealed to me, the gal from smallish town Nebraska. And my parents acquiesced because the internship I’d landed was at a conservative non-profit that provided housing.

The Leadership Institute and Washington were the perfect places to start my career. But it was also a little lonely. I quickly made friends where I worked, but finding a good home church and community of friends outside work took more effort. Until I moved to Fairlington Village with my husband.

In Fairlington Village, we found a community – some of it ready made because many of our friends from work also owned condos or townhomes there. Ours was an end townhouse steps from a swimming pool and tennis courts. Even better we had friends within a couple blocks in just about any direction. We also could walk to neat shopping areas., the grocery store, Great Harvest, the post office, you name it. And when we got a puppy, it was a rare area where I felt safe being out any time of the day or night.

Sure, it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but what made it so special was the people. So when some friends and I started brainstorming a novella collection set in Washington, D.C., I knew we had to model the community our characters lived in on Fairlington Village. I pulled on my man warm memories of our years there. Much like the community we modeled after it in Cherry Blossom Capers, our neighbors became a second family. Next door lived two middle-aged women who became grandmas to our oldest when she arrived. Across the parking lot lived an Air Force chaplain and his artist wife. I could go around the cul-de-sac and mention people who became special to us. Spontaneous BBQs and movie or game nights occurred frequently.

That’s one reason I had such fun writing Dying for Love in Cherry Blossom Capers. I was able to recapture some of that special feel in the neighborhood we created. Why does this matter to you? When you’re stuck in your writing, look for elements from your life that you can pull into your story. It may not be a location, but maybe it’s an experience, a job, a person you know well, a career. Incorporating elements that are important to you may provide just the spark to launch a new plot line. Or the research will inspire you with ideas and challenges to throw at your characters. Or maybe the details will be the precise one that brings the story to life for you.

And that is half the fun of writing…at least to me.

How about you? What techniques to you use to make a story come to life on the page?

Bio: Cara C. Putman lives in Indiana with her husband and four children. She’s an attorney and a ministry leader and teacher at her church. She has loved reading and writing from a young age and now realizes it was all training for writing books. An honors graduate of the University of Nebraska and George Mason University School of Law, Cara loves bringing history and romance to life. You can read about her community based on Fairlington Village in Cherry Blossom Capers, a January 2012 novella collection released by Barbour Publishing. Learn more about this and all her books at http://www.caraputman.com or http://www.facebook.com/cara.putman

Booksignings: worth doing?

Booksignings are something authors love to do or hate to do. There seems to be very little middle ground. Saturday I had one at a new-to-me store, Open Door Bookstore in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Why would I drive two hours to sell a few books?

1. I want to support the local Christian bookstores. I didn't know this ahead of time, but Open Door is a beautiful free-standing store. It's the kind of store I would shop in and spend lots of money in if we had one locally. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable and the fiction section was HUGE! If a local store is going to ask me to sign, I will try to make it work. While I was there, I helped sell books and cards. Fun!

2. I sold books. And the people I met had never read my books. In fundraising, we call that donor acquisition. In publishing, I call that reader acquisition. Without readers, publishers aren't going to be interested in more of my books.

Want to Write for Love Inspired Historical?

Today we're delighted to welcome Emily Rodmell, an editor at Harlequin. If you've ever dreamed of writing for Harlequin, then be sure to keep reading. She's got some great tips for you!

Good morning everyone. I’m Emily Rodmell, and I’m the associate editor for Harlequin’s 3 Love Inspired lines (Love Inspired, Love Inspired Suspense and Love Inspired Historical). I’m here today to talk to you about the great opportunity we have at Love Inspired Historical for new writers. LIH doubled its output from two to four books a month this year, and it’s opened up a whole lot of opportunity for new writers looking to get published. Since the expansion, we’ve published 9 new to LIH authors (many of them debut authors), and we currently have 10 more scheduled to publish by the end of 2012.

I'm back!

Just got back this afternoon from the ACFW conference. WOW! What a great, amazing conference. The teaching was great. The fellowship phenomenal. The chance to meet with my agent and lots of editors wonderful. And the worship healing. I'll post more later, just know that if you weren't able to attend this year, you really need to make plans now to join us next year in St. Louis.

I'm thrilled Eric was able to drive down and join me for the awards banquet last night. Jeane Wynn took this photo, and I had to share it! Isn't he handsome :-)

The second highlight of the conference was the opportunity to meet Janette Oke! She attended to help celebrate Carol Johnson, and it was a THRILL to meet the author who helped launch Christian fiction and mentored me from a distance as a teen. She answered several letters and I still have those precious responses.

Coming to the Indianapolis Public Library: Terri Blackstock & Gayle Roper

If you're a reader or a writer, you'll want to take advantage of this opportunity. On Saturday, September 18, at noon, NYT best-selling author Terri Blackstock and multi-published author Gayle Roper will speak at the downtown Indianapolis Public Library. A beautiful new facility located at One Library Square, 40 E. St. Clair St., in downtown Indianapolis, this is your opportunity to ask these two authors your questions about writing.

Adults are invited to hear Terri Blackstock, author of "Intervention," and Gayle Roper, author of "A Stranger's Wish," discuss their lives and works. This will be followed by a question and answer session and book signing. This program is held in conjunction with the American Christian Fiction Writers annual conference. This program will be held in the Clowes Auditorium at Central Library.


I hope you will join us for a fun event. And an opportunity to meet these great ladies.

Movies that Resonate

On Sunday, we started a new Sunday School class, John Bevere's Extraordinary. Eric and I have done several other studies from him and found them to be challenging and thought-provoking.

This week he was introducing the concept of living extraordinary lives and used movies as an illustration. Something like 70% of the blockbusters of all time have heroic, extraordinary people doing extraordinary things. But as I thought about some of the movies he highlighted, it got me thinking.

Lion, Witch & the Wardrobe. Spiderman. Superman. The list was much longer. But the first half of the list contained movies like these. But were the heroes really extraordinary?

Or is the power that they were ordinary people presented with extraordinary challenges and circumstances who pushed past their fears and weaknesses to rise to the occasion. Lucy Pevensie extraordinary? She was what nine-years-old when she pushed through the wardrobe. Peter Parker was a geeky kid who didn't fit in anywhere. Then he has a spider bite that gives him powers he never wanted and fights the whole series. Yet, he rises to the occasion to use them for good.

That's the power of these movies.

They give us hope that we, too, can rise to the occasion when called upon.

And that's what attracts me to World War II. A generation of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary times who rose to the occasion. Who do you think of as an ordinary person who rose to confront extraordinary circumstances?



Extraordinary Promo from Messenger International on Vimeo.

Things Novelists Do When Writer's Block Abounds...

My friends have been at it again. In honor of NaNoWriMo, Angela Hunt, Terri Blackstock, Kristin Billerbeck, and Robin Lee Hatcher. Last week I read Angela's latest, a wonderful legal suspense titled Let Darkness Come. WOW! This woman can write. Actually, all four can. Intervention, Terri Blackstock's latest is on the NYT bestseller's list very deservedly. Kristin has a wonderful style, and Robin Lee Hatcher is amazingly diverse in historical fiction. Between them, they've written 200 books, so you don't expect them to have writer's block. This video is a very fun look into their personalities. Enjoy!

Real Life on Pages

What happens when real life bleeds on to the pages of our books?

Sometimes it happens. I know, you never expected that, right?

Some of my writer friends have talked about whether they feel more exposed in fiction or nonfiction. Now my onl

y non fiction book is on business law. Very academic if approachable. I definitely feel more exposed and vulnerable with fiction.

In fact, life has bled onto the page in at least two of my books.

With Sandhill Dreams, I was still reeling from my first miscarriage and secondary infertility as I prepared to write Lainie’s story. So her spiritual journey of where to find God when it seems He’s allowed a dream to die was very much where I was. I clung to promises like those that He will never leave us or forsake us, because I knew in a very real way what it felt like to feel as if He had abandoned me in my pain. I had to cling to those promises until I could

convince my heart to believe them again.

Then in A Promise Kept, I offered that journey to God again as I wrote about a newly married couple who experiences the death of their dream. I wrote a letter to readers in that book that explained why I wrote the story as I did. Then, weeks after the book released to the bookclub and as I already felt exposed and poised to run from reaction, I miscarried again. It felt like such a slap. I have truly wrestled with how God can use me more by allowing this second pain than He could have with the first. I may not know the answer until heaven, but I’m still very much in the throes of that struggle.

So, yes, life does bleed into my pages. Because if I’m going to write real emotion. If I’m going to have a genuine spiritual arc. Then most of the time I will have experienced or thought long and hard about the journeys my characters take.

Writing: Ministry or Hobby?

Is writing a ministry or a hobby?

This is a good question. One I wrestle with periodically. For years I had the desire to write, but kept getting a wait signal from God. The dream would go to the back burner and simmer for another couple years before it would reach a boiling point again.

At the same time I had another desire. I believed that one of the reasons I was placed on this planet was to impact the world for Jesus. I've done that through teaching Bible studies, Sunday school, and other venues. But it reached a point where the desire for more became my heart's cry. "Father, expand my borders. Make me ready to do more for You. Make me a person you can use to impact the world for You."

Then I got the clear signal from God to chase writing. Then I got that first contract. And then God called me to account, that I took that contract to lightly. When I asked Him why, He showed me that I undervalued it because I didn't see it as the answer to my prayer. I'd asked Him to expand my boundaries and my reach. And He did that by giving me book contracts -- as I worked in obedience to His call -- contracts that allow those simple truths He puts in my heart to be read by so many more thousands of people than I can ever reach in one Bible study.

Will I continue to teach Bible studies and Sunday school? Yes, from time to time, as much because of how they push me to go deeper with God. But I will also write the stories He places in my heart, because my deepest heart's cry and longing is to be used by Him.

Christian fiction discussion continued

Karen Ball is continuing her series on Christian fiction and what it is. As she mentions and as your comments from last week reinforce, this is a hot topic. I remember the discussions she refers to -- um, I think I helped instigate the one at ACFW with my check the box conversion scene comment while moderating the editor panels. I am such a troublemaker! Karen's latest post included the editors thoughts. Insightful stuff. And the comments on that post are detailed. People really care about this topic!

Here's my response again. But I also want to know what you think...so leave comments:

Frankly, writing stories that address the hard, real-life issues is excruciating. The last novel I turned in dealt with miscarriage -- the first book in my Ohio World War Two series. Colleen calls it my historical, married romance, women's fiction. I knew it was a thread I had to write, my editor embraced it, and it is real life. The gritty, ask God hard questions, kind of life. But it's painful as a writer to go there. In my case go back there, and dig up the emotions, the pain, the questions...but that's what leads to the answers and piece of truth God has revealed to me.

The content edit is also pretty substantive -- pushing me to go even deeper with the characters and their motivations. Talk about a gift as a writer, but I know it will pull even more out of me.

Sharon Hinck talks about the pain that came in writing scenes of the Restorer's Journey (3rd book). It's bleak, dark, harrowing stuff, but the truth and light of God shines through. And it's in those pages that I was challenged in my own faith.

As a reader, I seek those kind of experiences. As a writer, I have to be willing to dig deep, peel back the layers, be transparent (though the reader shouldn't sense me in those places -- just the truth as experienced by the characters).

And the hard part is that each book requires that laying it out, risking, and being vulnerable.

So what do you think?

What Makes a Christian Book Christian?

Here's a question that my friend Karen Ball posted on her blog: What makes a Christian book Christian? I look forward to reading what the editors discussed when she posts it later, but here are my thoughts. If you can't tell, I'm kind of passionate about this:

Some of my bias probably came through at ACFW. I don't want a book that preaches at me. If there's a salvation, it needs to be realistic and flow organically from the story. I want spiritual threads that are realistic -- a book that keeps me thinking after I've hit "the end". Tamara Leigh's books are good about that. I laugh even while getting pinged. The thread can be very subtle. I think about some of Brandilyn's books.

But what I must have is a thread of hope. The story world can mirror the gritty world we live in, nut justice should prevail. I should get a sense that ev en though life isn't lived in pretty little packages there is light and beauty in the world.

Allen Arnold, fiction publisher at Thomas Nelson, talks about Christian fiction being fiction written by a Christian. I like that definition. It gives me freedom as a writer to write the story God gives me.

Wow, didn't know this would get long. But as a writer, this what I try to do. Nothing is worse as a reader than flying through pages to end a book on a down note.

So what do you think? Inquiring minds would like to know! And I may just pull a winner of one of my books from the commenters. :-) How's that for a tease!

A Promise Kept

That's the working title of my next book, which is due October 7th. In part because of the ACFW conference, I've got a LOT of words to write and very few days. So if you don't see much of me here in the next week and a half, it's because I have to make every word count. Please pray that time stands still, and that the words flow. I have the story in my head. And I really like my characters -- through that awful first several chapter angst of thinking the only thing I write is drivel. Thank you, Lord! But I covet your prayers as I write like crazy to get this tale on paper...er computer screen.

The joys *and challenges* of writing

I learned wonderful news for a friend earlier this week. She's made it through pub board at a publishing house -- that means she's one half step away from a contract. This is HUGE news. FANTASTIC news.

And my humaness is showing.

I'm a wee bit green.

Make that Jolly Green Giant green.

I am so happy for her. But I would love to write for the same house. This is a great opportunity for her and I know she'll make the most of it and be a success for that house.

This is the part of writing I don't like as much. It shows me all over again how much of me there is still left to kill. Ugh. So until my day comes, I'm going to focus on how excited I am for her. And count down the days until her title is available :-)

Olympics & Writing

Okay, guys, I just to say it is killing me that I have two very tight deadlines right now -- and the Olympics are on! I love the Olympics -- when I worked at a NBC affiliate in 1992, I was the go-to person for trivia for the Sports Director.

And I need to be writing. But I want to just watch. So -- how do y'all cut out the distractions or multi-task. And, umm, if I don't respond super fast in the next couple weeks, just blame it on the Olympics :-)

Did anyone watch the Opening Ceremonies last night? They were neat -- but I still think the archer lighting the Flame in the Barcelona games was cooler. But the actual program at the beginning last night was impressive. What about those drums. Wow! The choreography was pretty amazing. And what a testament of the Chinese philosophy. Anyway, what did you think?

Any tips on avoiding distractions or multi-tasking? And don't forget to sign up for the giveaways -- I've listed them with links in the right-side toolbar near the top :-)

Argh! Tight Deadlines: Risk of Implosion

A quick post today, because I really need to be writing chapters. Lots of them!

Monday I turned in what I thought was the last four chapters in the Complete Idiots Guide to Business Law to hit my August 4th, half the book turned in deadline. Yesterday I got an email from my wonderful editor that they needed two more elements.

I panicked. Not so much that I'd have to write more. I have to write two more chapters this week anyway. But because I'd counted the elements carefully, and was sure I had done it right. If they said they needed more, it meant I was missing something. Yikes!

I really don't have time to miss anything right now. So the emails flew back and forth for half an hour until I figured out where my counting differed from theirs.

Now we're back on track. I wrote the front matter yesterday morning and now have over half turned in. Wooh. And got to check another element off :-)

It's been fun, but it's always a learning curve when I start working with another publisher. They all have their unique ways of doing things!