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show you that while there may not be one right way to write a novel, there are the best tools to use to take you from unpublished to holding your freshly published book in your hands.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.

Looking for a Game Changer on Prayer?

The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson is a game changer for me on the way I approach prayer. While prayer is a practice Christians are urged to do as soon as they make a profession of faith, Batterson brings a new approach with the concept of circling our dreams with expectation. And the challenge that if our dreams are small enough that we don't need God's intervention, then we need to ask God for bigger dreams. This book released at a time that I received a major disappointment...the perfect time to dig deeper and ask God how to approach the reality that dreams don't always come packaged the way I'd like.

Mark Batterson writes with a style that is similar to Max Lucado. His writing is very approachable and filled with stories that illustrate his points. He also pulls from a variety of illustrations. For me, it makes the book easy to come back to and memorable.

I'm also challenged to circle my kids, my spouse, my marriage, my work, every area of my life with more intention. Through the tips in this book I'm ready to keep going, circling both my dreams and my disappointments in prayer trusting and believing that God will move -- not always with the answer I expected or in the timing I craved, but that He will move.

The Shadow of Your Smile Review

Photo Credit

“The Shadow of Your Smile” is one of those novels that pulled me in and kept me reading. Noelle and Eli have been married for years, but after the tragic death of their daughter, they have stayed together, but they haven’t lived. So much history stirs the characters' choices until a marriage is almost ruined. 

And what happens when Noelle is injured and can't remember Eli? The opportunity for a new romance in a mid-life marriage doesn't proceed smoothly. But this isn't the only story or romance. Others are intertwined in a way that reinforces Noelle and Eli's journey. Are we willing to risk after we've been hurt? Are we willing to trust others or will we retreat into the safety but lifelessness of our inner hearts. It's the kind of book that engaged my emotions and never let go.

This is a great addition to the Deep Haven series, but stands completely on its own... though it did make me want to track down more novels in the series. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

More about the novel....

A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage. 

After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce . . . just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle's memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it would. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember? 

Will their secrets destroy them . . . or has erasing the past given them a chance for a future? Read the story behind the story here:http://www.susanmaywarren.com/books/the-shadow-of-your-smile. 

**CONTEST INFO!!**

Sometimes love requires a little forgetting ... Come back to Deep Haven and find out what's been happening in your favorite quaint hamlet. If you're new to the Deep Haven series - this is the perfect book to start with - each book in the series is a stand alone story.

Susan is celebrating the release of The Shadow of Your Smile by giving away a prize pack worth over $200 from 1/9-1/28.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa Gift Card (Use that to rekindle a little romance, treat yourself to a spa day, snap up those shoes you’ve been eyeing, or purchase a few great books!)

• The entire set of Deep Haven Books 

The winner will be announced on 1/30/12 on Susan’s blog,Scribbles! Just click one of the icons below to enter and tell your friends about Susan's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

 

Devotional for Boys

Triple Dog Dare is designed to fill a year with devotions for boys. Written by Jeremy V. Jones, it is similar to Truth & Dare, only clearly targeted at the slingshot toting sex. The layout is one verse a day, followed by a summary truth, a short devotional, and a triple dare to apply the truth. Then there's a chance to journal, but without the pretty lines in the girls' version. Each week focuses on a different emotion like Fear, Shame, Pride, etc. and in the bottom right-hand corner, there's a graphic that acts like a flipbook. It's a very cool devotional.

My older son is 8, so hasn't quite picked it up on his own yet, but wants to. A little prompting from me, and I know he'll dive into it. Why?

Watch this trailer and see for yourself:

Great Devotional for Tween Girls

It's been awhile since I've talked about books. So with the arrival of the new year (Happy 2012), I thought I'd tell you about a couple devotionals my older kids are working through this year. Both are designed for kids in the 9 to 12 year old range. You can take a peek at both of these devotionals here.

The first is Truth & Dare by Ann-Margaret Hovsepian. This book has a great lay-out. At the beginning of each day's devotion, there is one verse for the girls to read. Then there's a short story or illustration to go with it. That's followed by a Dare: a way to apply the Truth to their thoughts that day and then a triple-dog dare that helps girls bring what they've learned down to their everyday lives. At the end of the page there's a short journaling session. The book reads like they're sitting down with a big sister or older friend, and gleaning from her faith and experience. It also deals with the issues that confront them. Everything from fashion to music to touching the world.

My daughter (11) has a hunger to serve God and grow in her relationship with Him. This devotional gives her an opportunity to do that in a way that isn't too much. Instead, she is reading and interaction with the devotions solely on her own and because she wants to. I love that!

Here's more: "Dare to discover the secrets to a life that sparkles for God. You've got what it takes to make an impact on the world. This devotional is filled with powerful wisdom on everything from godly friendship and serving others to getting along with your parents and worshipping God. It's advice for real life from the greatest BFF of all: your heavenly Father."

Friday I'll tell you about one for boys.

Handling Disappointment...

It's been an interesting few days at the Putman household. First, I had disappointing news, then my eldest had a disappointing gymnastics meet.

Disappointment is terrible. Especially when you've worked as hard as you know how to work and hear that your efforts aren't quite there. They don't reach the level needed. Yet there's no clear direction on how to improve.

I cried out to God that I would do the work, I just don't know what that work is. For my daughter she can't feel the pike on her vault. How can you fix something you can't feel?

I'm such a doer. I want the four step plan, so we can take action, do something to move closer to the goal. Yet I get the sense that's not really an option this go around. I'm trying to pray. To circle the dreams with prayer and praise as Mark Batterson puts it in his new book The Circle Maker. I appreciate how God prepared me to handle these disappointments by reading this book and other things.

Here's what I know. Disappointment can push me to work harder, to go deeper as I chase my dreams. Disappointment can also push me away from my dreams. It's a choice I make. What about you? What happens when you face disappointment? Do you have strategies for handling it?

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

Cherry Blossom Capers is Here!

My latest book has released!

Cherry Blossom Capers is a novella collection set in Washington, D.C. That means four of us each wrote a novella -- a story in 20,000 words. The stories are connected because the heroines live in the same neighborhood, the fictional Cherry Blossom Estates. While it may be fictional, it's based on the real Fairlington Village where my husband and I lived for several years.

This was such a fun project to work on. First, because it's my friend Gina Conroy's first publication! Yeah, Gina.

Second, writing is usually so solitary. Me and my computer...for hours. But this time the four of us brainstormed ideas. Then we read each others novellas. We are working together now on the marketing end. I LOVE that I'm not in it alone!!!!

Here's a bit more about my novella, Dying for Love:
Attorney Ciara Turner is horrified when she stumbles over a judge’s dead body in Alexandria. Will she be able to retain her composure and control when she joins her nemesis Daniel Evans in investigating the murder? Constantly on the opposite side of domestic cases, they have to work together to find the murderer…just in case the police and marshals run out of luck. As they are thrust back together, Ciara is reminded of how Daniel swept her off her feet as a clerk. Now she has to choose whether to risk her heart to love.


This book is available at cbd.com, amazon.com, and Barnes&Noble.com.

How would my parenting change?

On Friday I wrote about how I wondered about my legacy after the death of a young man from our church. The other direction my thoughts spiraled was to his parents. There was no warning that Saturday would be his last. No chance to say good-bye.

My heart broke for them -- not for the young man.

And I began to wonder...how would my parenting change if I knew I only had so many more days, months, years with my children?

We aren't guaranteed a certain number. The one guarantee I have is that when the day comes, it arrived because God allowed it.

Would I be more fun? Would I slow down? Play more? Read another book? Care less about whether she gets 100% the first time she's introduced to algebra? Ease up on my insistence that he pronounce every word correctly?

I already ask God to help me pull the gifts and talents He's placed in my children to the surface. To reveal to me His plans and purposes for them. But would I spend more time praying I'd speak life into them? That I would accelerate their dreams rather than see all the ways they can't come true?

I don't know for sure. But I'm praying that God would show me the right balance. To be a Mom who parents for eternity while never taking one day with my children for granted.

What's my legacy? What's yours?

The weekend before Christmas our church lost a young man in a car accident. His death sent my thoughts in a couple different directions. The one that captured me first came as I considered his legacy.

This young man was on fire for God. And he had a servant's heart. When we were working on the Joplin project in May, he was one of the two young men who came and gave hours helping us sort and box clothes and other items for the tornado victims. He worked with the youth group. He was someone that those in pastoral leadership counted on to always be willing to serve.

The grief ran deep through our church because he impacted so many.

And it got me thinking...what will my legacy be? Someday my life will end. I'll be in heaven celebrating, but I'll leave people behind. Will they even notice? Will it cause them to stop and think? To wonder why God allowed it? What larger purpose He must have? One that is a mystery to those left behind?

I want to live my life in a way that it leaves an impact...not for me, but for God. That it points those left to the One who matters most. What about you? What do you want your legacy to be?

A Birthday Party for Two

Me, my sister Janna, and Joanna

For Christmas I went home to Nebraska. My family spent a week with my parents, siblings, spouses, nieces and nephews. When you put us all together there are 26 soon to be 27. It makes for a chaotic, but fun time as the adults play games and chat while the kids run around and play.

While we were together, we started talking about earliest memories. Apropos as I considered this post. I often wonder if my earliest memory is really mine. Or if it springs from the host of photos that accompany the event. I’ll let you decide.

Growing up in Georgia, I had a best friend Joanna. She and I shared a lot. Loving families. Parents that brought us up to love and serve God. And birth month. In fact, only one day separate our birthdays, so often we shared parties. The earliest one I remember is when we were two.

We were barely able to sit at the table, in our frilly dresses surrounded by other little girls, party hats, and balloons. We played games, blew out candles, and ate cake. Most important, we started a tradition…sharing our birthdays. Often throughout the years, we would do that. Not every year, but often enough that it always felt right.

We’ve shared many things. A love of learning. A love of writing. The ability to tell a good story – though Joanna outshines me in that category…if I could only talk her into writing a book! A love of adventure and reading. A strong interest in politics and current affairs. A heart for God and serving others.  Maybe, just maybe, it all started with that shared birthday party.

Thank you, Jesus

Thank you, Jesus, for looking across space and time and seeing me. Thank you for agreeing to come and die. Thank you for trusting your Father's heart so that you could be the plan. Thank you for always standing there waiting for us to turn back to you. Thank you for always encouraging us to change but for loving us even in our frailty.

May we never lose the reality that Christmas is all about you. Your birth. Your life. Your coming death, coming resurrection, and still-to-come return.

Saying "Thank you" to Colleen

So this is an old picture! Rebecca is only a few months old, but we're standing with Robin Jones Gunn and Colleen Coble at a booksigning.

If you've been around my blog long at all, you know that Colleen is a huge reason I'm writing. She took my spark of a dream and instead of blowing it out in a huff, she breathed life into it. She never doubted I could write, but instead invested in me. She connected me with ACFW. She read early chapters -- she still reads proposals when I need another perspective to make sure I've done as good a job as possible.

So thank you, Colleen, for always believing in me. For telling me I could do this and being one of my biggest cheerleaders. You have been a huge gift from God in my life. Can't wait to see you next month at board meetings!

Do you have a mentor in your life? Someone who has stepped in and breathed life into your heart?

Saying "Thank you" to the Sues in my life

God has placed two Sues in my life who are like the older sisters I've never had.

Sue Lyzenga lives a couple doors from us. Her husband pastors a church in town, and together they are dear friends of ours. Sometimes it's nice to have someone who challenges you in your faith who isn't attending your church. I love the spontaneous calls to have dinner. The times we make applesauce or jam together. I now know I can make those, too. But I am so grateful that God planted us side-by-side in this wonderful town.

Sue Brust is the pastor's wife at our church. From very early in our attendance, she encouraged me to step into leadership with the women's ministry at our church. I love our rare lunches and the opportunity to better see her heart and hopefully carry some of the burdens. I loved the church we came from, but never got to know the pastor's wife. This has been a gift to have not one -- but two -- wise sisters come alongside me during this season.

Has God placed sisters (or brothers) like this in your life?

Cherry Blossom Capers is HERE!

And I'm so excited I want to give one away. Here's more about the book:

Lovers and Law-Breakers Collide under the Cherry Trees

Encounter mystery, mayhem, and murder near Washington, DC, alongside four professional females. White House assistant chef Tara Whitley works with an old flame, FBI agent Jack Courtland, to stop a plot to sabotage a state-dinner. Attorney Ciara Turner and her nemesis Daniel Evans have trials tracking down a judge’s murderer. Archeologist intern Samantha Steele and security guard Nick Porter are on the heels of a dangerous forger. Shop owner Susan Holland and renovator Vince Martini turn upside down her late uncle’s mansion while investigating a string of mysterious accidents. Will these sleuthing couples’ machinations move them into matrimony?

 I wrote Ciara's story...it was such fun to recreate the neighborhood we lived in inside the Beltway. So leave a comment...have you ever lived in a place where your neighbors became family? What made that place so special.

Spread the word, and let me know how you spread the word, and you'll get extra entries. Follow my blog or enter your info in the box to the right to get the blog fed to you, and you'll get more entries. For each thirty entries, I'll throw in another book. It's Christmastime and I want to celebrate!

You can order it here:

CBD.com
Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble

Saying "Thank you" to my mother-in-love

My mother-in-love also deserves a crown. I'm sure there were times she wanted to shake her head when Eric informed his family that we were going to marry. I'm not exactly traditional...really. Yet she never voiced any reservations. Instead, she made me feel welcome.

Over almost 16 years of marriage, that initial acceptance has developed into a deep friendship. Virgene is one of the small group of women I turn to when I need advice, prayer, help. It's very hard for me to ask for help, but I have come to rely on my mother-in-love. She frees me to do things like serve on the ACFW board because she is always willing to help with the kids while I'm gone.

Saying "Thank you" to my Mom

My mom doesn't get a bouquet of flowers. She gets a crown. So much of who I am is because of what she poured into me.

I'm sure I continue to exasperate her with my questions though now they've changed to "how exactly did you get me ready for college," etc. But as an early homeschooling family in Nebraska, she didn't have the abundance of resources that exist today. Maybe that was a blessing because you couldn't worry about having the wrong curriculum.

Thank you, Mom, for hammering my handwriting. I didn't imagine someday I'd autograph books.

Saying "Thank you" at George Mason

This woman has a very special place in my heart. She saw way more of me than she probably wanted that first year of law school. As the on-sight person overseeing the legal writing program, she got all of my questions. You see, the only feedback you get in law school until about spring break is the grades on those pesky legal writing assignments. Fortunately for me, Victoria Huber is one of the most gracious and knowledgeable women I've met.

Now the associate dean of career services, Victoria coached me through that first year, then through the clerkship process, through applying at the Department of Justice, and so much more. Most important, she became my friend. She's one of those people I want to see on the rare occasions we get back to D.C.

Victoria allowed me into her life. In that I received a gift that I will always cherish.

Have you had Victoria's in your life?

Saying "Thank you" at UNL

When I transferred to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I knew it would be a different world than I'd found at Mid-Plains. Much bigger pond making me a much smaller fish. Still, I quickly decided it was time to spend some moments with my undergraduate advisor. I'm not sure Dr. Phil Dyer quite knew what to do with me. Homeschoolers were still pretty new on universities.

I showed up as a junior who needed to reapply for the Truman scholarship. I also needed to figure out which classes to take. Then there was planning my future. College was only the next step after all.

Dr. Dyer was always available. He spent hours with me and gave me great advice. Some of the best was to take a couple years after I graduated to figure out what I wanted to get my graduate degree in. That advice was priceless. We kept up for many years after I graduated, but I just wanted to say again...thank you for all the ways you guided me through some formative years and decisions.

Who would you like to think if you could?

Saying "Thank you" at Mid-Plains

Friday night, I attended a Purdue event where one of the alums at our table talked about the importance of saying "thank you." It doesn't matter how much time has passed. A thank you is always appreciated. He got me thinking about people who have played a key role in my education.

One woman was Marilyn McGahan. When I was a student at Mid-Plains Community College, she was an instructor. Most important, she was an advisor for the student senate. When I walked on campus as a 16 year old who wasn't quite sure how to get involved, she took me under her wing and opened all kinds of opportunities to me. I started as a student senator. The next year I was student body president. During that year I was also selected to serve on a long term strategic planning committee for the community colleges in Nebraska. Then I lead the committee I'd served on when similar strategic planning meetings were held at Mid-Plains.

I would have never had those opportunities if Mrs. McGahan hadn't spent a lot of time in her office investing me. These opportunities helped open future doors to me.

So in case I didn't say it enough back then, thanks for everything, Mrs. McGahan. And I'm looking forward to having coffee in a few weeks!

Who's someone who impacted you at a key juncture?