Engrossed in Tuscany

I'm at that delightful and terrifying stage of writing a book. The one where I wonder if I can do it. The story is so much bigger than I am. But the contract is on the way, so I get to write it.

This book is one where I want to emphasize I. Get. To. Write. It. I first discovered the idea and started talking to editors about it in the fall of 2010. The conversations - at least in my head - also included the knowledge that I would have to earn the right to write this story. And it's a story that burned in my soul to be told.

It returns to World War II, yet in Italy. The rest of my World War II novels have been set in the United States. While it's set in Italy, it's

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!

A Glimpse into Where I Create

Here's a glance into the area where I work when I'm writing -- and not hanging out at Panera. Believe it or not, for someone who craves clean, organized space, this is about as good as it gets for my desk. Between ACFW, writing, homeschool co-op and teaching, I have a lot of projects to juggle in a small space. Last week I collected a large diaper box of books to take to our church library. I should have taken before photos to show what a difference that made. Ah well!

3 Things to do on Mackinac Island

My family and I adore Mackinac Island. We've made two trips there and hope to head back up there in July for a booksigning.

With A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island releasing April 1st, my thoughts keep wandering back to Mackinac and why we like it. Maybe you've heard of the island. Maybe you're planning a trip there yourselves. Either way, here are a few things we love to do on the island.

1) The first is to slow down and relax. There's something peaceful about a place that has no cars. Instead, you hear the steady clop-clop of horses hooves and the ring of bike bells.

2) We love to rent bikes and take at least one ride around the island. It's about eight miles so takes around an hour. Most of the bike shops rent burley carts or bikes with an add on for younger kids. It makes for a very relaxing afternoon. And you can stop and take photos or dip your toes in the lake as often as you like.

3) We enjoy stopping in all the little shops. From fudge to unique restaurants to your typical shops selling t-shirts, it's fun to stop in places you don't find in your local downtown.

So if you're ready to step back in time to a place that has held on to a slower pace of life, then consider slipping away to Mackinac Island. I think you'll enjoy it!

Fun Photos from writing

Someone needed some photos of me at booksigning events. So here are a few fun ones. Hmm, I'm wearing that same jacket today!

With a reader at Christian Book Expo

With a reader at booksigning

Booksigning after the month I had two books and a baby. With Colleen Coble and Robin Jones Gunn

Right after I won the Carol Award in 2008

My Husband Rocks!

I sent off a proposal last week for a series I really want to write. It's World War II. Europe. Art. Need I say more?

I had to revamp the proposal quite a bit before sending it off because the heroine needed to be an American. Quite a change from Italian, but I have completely fallen in love with the revised heroine and her issues. You know she has to have issues!

So I made her a photojournalist. I wanted her to have a unique reason for being in Europe and found some amazing women to base her on. So then I needed a camera that a reporter would have used during that time period. My amazing husband jumped on Google and had the perfect camera in two shakes.

But not only did he find a camera that would work great. He also bought one for me! I had no idea, until he handed it to me last night. His reasoning? A photo and description wouldn't be enough to let me know what the heroine was holding and using. I love this man.

And can I just say, he's right. Out of the gate, the thing that surprised me is how heavy the camera is. That's something I would have never guessed from looking at photos. It's small, but it won't fit in a small purse. But I can definitely imagine her developing the film in a helmet like some of the photojournalists did!

ACFW Conference Photos

Gina Conroy and me post Gala

ACFW was an amazing week. Yes, week. I left last Tuesday so I could attend a board dinner and didn't return until Monday afternoon just in time for 4:30 gymnastics. It was so good...but exhausting. Even the Energizer Bunny runs out of energy eventually.

So I thought I'd share some photos with you today. I'm usually terrible with getting photos, but thanks to Facebook, have some great ones to share with you without going through all kinds of contortions to get them off my camera and on to a computer to upload. That'll wait :-)

So the first photo is me with my writing friend

ACFW...Here I Come

When you read this, I'm getting in ACFW board meetings. Then tomorrow, the conference starts.

The conference really is the highlight of my writing year. I can't wait to see so many of my friends that I only get to see once a year. Facebook is great, but it's not the same as seeing and hugging people. I'm also looking forward to the classes I'll get to attend.

This year I'm coteaching four hours -- two with one of my favorite long distance friends -- Tricia Goyer.

Social Media: the Race to Keep up...

As an author, I'm expected to have a social media presence. I started blogging years ago, because writers were supposed to...long before they were published.

Somewhere in there, a friend built my first website. Thanks, Lisa! Then last year, I hired a designer.

Then came Twitter. And Facebook.

And now Google+.

It's enough to make my head spin and keep it going for a long time. All in the name of building a brand

These are a few of my favorite things: Writing Books

This week, since so many people are on spring break, I'm going to share a few of my favorite books with you. I'm going to start with a craft book.

Plot v. Character is a new writing book, releasing in the fall of 2010. Jeff Gerke, the author, has developed software (which I love) that walks writers through the creation of stories through two means. Starting with 1) the plot or 2) the character. Most writers have a style that they prefer -- I tend to be strange (shocking I know!) and will start some stories with a plot idea and others with a character. I'd used the software when I'd get stuck in a book or to help flesh out a germ of an idea.

What I love about the book is that it takes the gems from the software and puts it in a very easy to read and apply format. The book has lots of practical applications and covers just about everything a novel writer needs. It's not genre specific, so really is a tool that any novelists can use with success.

First, the book deals with creating likable characters. It addresses everything from physical attributes to the major events and inciting incidents that character must deal with. Then it turns to marvelous plots. The author relies on the three act structure to form the bones of the plot.  I would still use the software to help me implement all he talks about, but the book alone is gold.

Another book that I love and recommend to most aspiring writers is James Scott Bell's Plot & Structure. (His Revision and Self-Editing is equally good.) Plot & Structure's strength is the very easy way that Jim explains how to formulate a novel. When I get stuck in a plot, I'll pull it out and read a few pages for inspiration. I always come away with practical tools I can immediately apply to the novel I'm writing. And this book is loaded with excellent exercises that you can apply immediately after reading. I highly recommend it!

The Research...The Drudgery...The Dreaming

By the title I'm sure you gathered I'm writing a proposal.

I really should have titled it in reverse order. Ideas (for me) are usually sparked by some dream or idea captured as I read something else. In this case a non-fiction book. Gasp, yes, it's true. Fiction writers read non-fiction. I read a book that tells an under-told aspect of World War II and was hooked. Characters come to life, and ideas have germinated since late summer. They won't let me go.

If only they would translate to the page.

That's where the drudgery comes in. The slogging through character sheets. Reading more books, while begging and praying for inspiration and more ideas. Sitting down and staring at a blank computer screen. Wondering where the words are going to come from when I still barely know my characters. Digging deeper and finally putting words to the page, only to find I must stop and research all kinds of details.

Tuscan Villas.
Which painting to highlight.
On and on and on.
With little visible progress.

For a girl who loves climbing word counts, it's a frustrating process. But without it, there's no hope of a contract that would turn the idea into a published book. So I continue to pray, and slog, and dig deep. All while dreaming up ideas for the next proposal. Absolutely nuts!

Now don't you wish you were a writer, too? :-)

Waiting and Anticipating

Ever have those seasons in life when you know you're in a season of waiting? That God has placed you there for whatever reason?

I've got a couple of those going...

In the next four to six weeks (I'm voting for four!), our little boy will join us. Since this is the last time I'll be pregnant, I'm trying to enjoy every moment, but for those of you who've been here, you can relate to how it hits a point that isn't really that fun. The squirms and kicks poke and prod, and I begin to feel like a beached whale. I am thrilled this pregnancy has gone well...but I'm also ready to meet this little guy!

Then there's the season of waiting and anticipating with writing. I'm working on proposals for new books and edits for a book that releases in the late spring. The ideas are beginning to really jell, and I feel the excitement of the hunt...but I also know so much is outside my control.

That's the story of my life right now. So I lean into God, trusting that He continues to have good plans for my life. And enjoy the moment, because I know life's going to get a wee bit more complicated in a few weeks.

So as Indian summer turns into chilly weather, where does God have you?

Fighting Fatigue

Tonight (Tuesday) I'm tired. I can tell I'm 31+ weeks pregnant and still maintaining a full life. Edits are going great! Yeah!!! The FBI Academy was another fascinating look behind the scenes. Yeah! But I'm wiped out.

Can you tell with this goofy photo I took Monday? 

It doesn't matter. The light at the end of this tunnel comes next Wednesday when I may hit send on my edits and lounge in my pajamas for a week -- just kidding, but I'll make sure I take the time to relax and step away for a day or two. I'll read a good book or watch a great movie. Spend extra time in the Bible. And rest for a bit.

Until then, my obligations continue. And trust me it's a good thing. Really. I'm so grateful that I have edits and deadlines and opportunities like the FBI Citizen's Academy. You should see the story ideas flying through my mind.

But today's post is really a question for you. When you get worn down by the pace of life, what do you do to rejuvenate?

The Joys of Edits

Edits are a necessary...even critical part of writing. But not my favorite part.

I love the work of taking a story and making it better. I love that my editors always catch things that I miss, threads that get dropped, characters that are cardboard, etc.

But I hate the getting into them. It usually takes me a couple days after reading the letter to process all the advice, suggestions, and manifestos contained in the edit letter. Then I have to hype myself up to jump back into the story and weave the suggestions in. Sometimes it involves cutting chunks. Other times, it involves writing new chapters. Either way, the pages look like they waltzed through the Battle of Gettysburg, covered with track changes.

Then I finally hit a point where it's flowing. I remember the global suggestions and dive into the characters and story, finally remembering why I loved the story in the first place. Last night I finally hit that point with the book I'm currently editing. Good thing since I have one week left to work on it under the truncated deadline.

It'll be worth it. Really :-)

Roots: the keys to our pasts and futures

Isn't this a cute group of kids? My dad's buried under the pile. I'm probably eight, since I'm guessing Joel is about one.

Eric pulled this photo out last week. You can learn a lot about me by this photo.

And I got to thinking about what that means for the characters I create. This week, I plan/hope to work on proposals for new books and series. Often the hardest part of the process for me is taking the time to drill down into the main characters' psyches. What makes them act, think and talk the way they do?

For example, most who know me correctly identify me as Type A within about three minutes. Look at this photo. Doesn't it make sense? I'm your stereotypical first born...just read Kevin Leman's Birth Order book if you're not sure what that entails. And this photo clearly shows that. Who has her arms wrapped around all three of her siblings? Yep...

But that's a simple characterizer. Identify the birth order of characters and it gives a core set of criteria for how they might act. But it's certainly not a guarantee.

I also tend to engage a full room -- doesn't matter how many people are in it. That's not necessarily a function of my birth order. For me, I think it had more to do with being an early homeschooler who felt the need to break the stereotype that homeschoolers are wallflowers. And I genuinely like people. But why might a character be an extrovert or introvert? What's the lie they believe about themselves?

All of these questions require thought and diving deep. Hard work. But critical to creating characters readers can emotionally connect with. And that after all is what we all want!

ICRS!

This is a photo taken by my publicist --how weird to say that! -- while I was signing at ICRS (the International Christian Retail Show.

Summerside really made the experience a dream come true. You see, I'm a bit of a Christian fiction geek. I grew up with stories of my best friend and her family going to what was then called CBA every summer. I knew that was the place to get books and music before they officially released. I always thought I would know I'm a writer when I got the chance to sign a book at ICRS.

There's no question I'm a writer. But it's not because I signed 300 books and hung out with amazing people for a day. It's because it's a call God has placed on my life.

And if I needed a reminder I got it yesterday when I got up EARLY to drive home. Then this morning I mowed and deadheaded flowers. A far cry from the "glamour" of signing Stars in the Night and hanging out with amazing people like my editors Beth Adams and Susan Downs and fellow authors Tricia Goyer, Susan May Warren, Jim Rubart and Mary Connealy. Those are the times I know God is giving me a kiss from heaven. But the real work starts again tonight, when I poise my fingers over the keyboard and write the next chapter in the next book.

Don't forget about the contest I'm running that coincides with the release of Stars in the Night.

The Countdown is on...

Stars in the Night releases July 1st.

To say I'm excited is an understatement.

To say I'm nervous is another understatement.

To say I am so glad that God is in charge of my career is a relief.

I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again. I know that one reason God has me on this road at this time is that so much is so far beyond my control. Much as I love to be a control freak, I can't. All I can control really is the way I commit to writing.

I could blog, tweet, facebook, shoutlife, etc., until the cows come home, and it might not make one lick of difference in sales. I can come up with creative contests (details coming next Monday) and still not see a single blip in sales. That's life.

But God can control who buys the books. He can control whether the person who needs to read it, actually comes across the book. He can control whether the story I write is the right one. He can weave themes together that I don't even anticipate until I read back through the final draft. He can show things to y'all that I didn't realize I'd even written.

That's what makes this so very cool. And scary. And overwhelming. And forces me once again to a point of surrender. A point of accepting that if this is the very last book I write or see in print, it's okay. I am a daughter of God, and as long as I chase hard after Him and His purposes for my life, that's all that matters.

Goals Redux

Remember that elaborate goals post I had earlier this month. It looked so good! Well, it all went out the window when my editors asked me to rehash a book again. I'm glad to do it, but it means I won't start writing the next book this month. Bye-bye, that goal. And I won't get to the synopsis I wanted to write. Sob.

But isn't that how life is. We make a goal. And then life happens.

The kid gets sick.

The boss asks for something different.

Our spouse has to travel a lot unexpectedly.

That's okay. Even if it weren't, we have to adjust. So here are my revised goals:

1. Rewrite book four in the Guidepost series based on the revised outline. Hit it out of the park so all love it.
   
2. Keep thinking about characters for a synopsis for a World War II series that is bouncing through my mind. While I LOVE this idea, recognize it won't get written this month.
   
3. Start teaching my summer MBA business law class at Purdue. This is my sixth year I believe. I love teaching this class and can't wait to meet my new group of students.
4. Finish the homeschooling. We do summer school a couple days a week most of the summer -- keep the math fresh and emphasize subjects that we agree on. But the kids and I are both looking forward to being done with five days a week.
5. Research another World War II idea that is percolating -- this will have to hold until June.
   
6. And start a proposal requested by one of my editors -- this will have to hold until June.
   
7. Bible study at church for 4-6th grade girls -- this is going great! Up to 14 girls a week, which shows there was a real need.
8. And there will be lots of work with the ACFW conference, too -- this doesn't change. Stay tuned for more.
   

Reader Letters

Writing is a ministry for me. Poise my hands over the keyboard and type. Spend hours thinking about the characters and plot. What will challenge readers? What will make for a page-turning, entertaining novel? What will readers connect with?

Usually, there's something I learn as I write each novel. I don't

always know ahead of time what that will be, but God never fails to teach me as I write in obedience.

Then I hit send on the manuscript, my editors help me whip it into shape and eventually it reaches readers. Sometimes I have no worries -- like A Promise Forged. What's not to like? A young heroine gets to play professional baseball during

World War Two. The hero is a rougher character at the beginning, but both grow as the book progresses. And it's just plain fun.

Then there are other books like A Promise Kept, which contain a

huge piece of my heart. Because that one has a small subplot dealing with miscarriage, I felt like I poured my heart out on the page, and then waited with bated breath to see how readers reacted. It was nerve-wrecking and it didn't help that I miscarried again in the weeks after it released.

Last week I received a batch of reader letters from my editor at Heartsong Presents. I love getting reader mail. Seeing what worked for readers and what might not have connected.

This time a special letter from one reader was included. She poured her heart out on the page, ministering to me with her experience after miscarriage and her road to healing. God's timing was so perfect since the due date of the baby we lost last summer was last week. I am so grateful for this woman risking her words on the page to reach out in love. And to God for His perfect timing.

So if you ever wonder if writing an author is well-received, know that it is. Writing is done in a cave. And unless you let us know how the writing is received, we have no idea. A book doesn't really become a book, after all, until it is interacted with by readers.

Writing Transitions

This week I've been in Texas at a writer's retreat. I'm in edit mode for my first book in a Guidepost mystery series, and I'm in dream mode for books after this one.

I'm sitting in a beautiful retreat center, surrounded by gorgeous antiques and amazing historical authors. They cover the gambit of CBA fiction and time periods. And here I sit. Trying to dream up what my next books could look like. Another World War Two romance? A new suspense? How about a legal suspense this time? Or some combination of those three?

It's like picking up a brand-new notebook and opening the cover. In front of me is an unmarred page, filled with perfect lines and unlimited potential. The only thing that limits me is...well...me.

My doubts. I could never write like X author.

My fears. What if I can't pull off the idea if I do sell it.

My insecurities. Nobody would want to read it...

Fortunately, my God is much bigger than any of this. So I raise my hands in surrender. And I whisper to Him, "Here I am again, Lord. Use me. Fill me with Your ideas and creativity. Show me where You want me to go. What You want me to write."

And I pick up the pen, poise it over the blank page. And smile.