Thicker Than Blood wins Operation First Novel!

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I am so thrilled to announce that my novel Thicker Than Blood has won the 2008 Operation First Novel contest sponsored by the Christian Writers Guild and Tyndale House publishers. They announced the winner on stage Thursday night at the Writing for the Soul conference, and needless to say, I was incredibly nervous for hours beforehand. Then the moment came. Jerry B. Jenkins took the stage and first announced the winner of the Operation First Book contest for nonfiction. Mal King's Before the Last Leaf Falls took that honor. I had the chance to eat lunch with Mal and his sweet wife Regina. They were a delightful couple, and it was an honor to be in such good company with them.

When the time came for the Operation First Novel winner to be announced, Jerry asked the past winners attending to come up on the stage. Jennifer Erin Valent, Tom Pawlik & Jan Watson all did. Tyndale editors Karen Watson & Jan Stob followed. (The prize for winning is a contract with Tyndale House.)

(l-r: Karen Watson, C.J. Darlington & Jerry B. Jenkins. Photo by Cindi of Selah Studios.)

When he said my name, I was shocked! I can easily say this is one of the most exciting experiences of my life so far.

But one of the biggest thrills was seeing my book cover for the first time! They brought a poster of it out on stage, and I took one look and was instantly awed. It is beautiful! It perfectly captures the themes of the novel. I am so happy with it.

Here's a pic of me posing with the cover:

A Little Background

I was fifteen when I started the story that would become Thicker Than Blood. I finally finished the book when I was 23 and submitted it to the very first Operation First Novel contest in 2004. I was a semi-finalist that year. Then I began the process of submitting to editors---and I received rejection after rejection. Some editors were gracious enough to give me feedback, and over the next four years I tweaked and revised.

But I began to wonder if Thicker Than Blood was good enough to be published. I wrote a second novel and started a third. I was days away from giving up on it. But God always has a way of getting our attention. I was lying in bed and the thought hit me, "Wait a minute. I have a complete novel that's better than before. Why don't I submit it to the Christian Writers Guild contest again?" That was in September of 2008.

I hope my journey will encourage writers not to give up. After all, one of you might be next year's Operation First Novel winner! Visit the Christian Writers Guild website to find out how you can become a member.

And now, for the big unveiling... above is the official cover of Thicker Than Blood! Click to enlarge. The novel will be released in January 2010!

Working Summary of Thicker Than Blood:

Two sisters, estranged for 15 years. Their blood ties weren't enough. Only something stronger could bring them together again.

Christy Williams finally has her life on track. Her career as an antiquarian book buyer at the renowned used bookstore Dawson's Barn of Books is taking off. Hunter Dawson is teaching her the fine points of purchasing collectible books, and so far she's been able to keep her drinking problem from interfering. But when she discovers her ex-boyfriend, who also works at Dawsons, is stealing valuable books right off the store's shelves, she's unable to stop him for fear he'll expose the skeleton's in her closet.

Things begin to unravel when a stolen Hemingway first edition is found in her possession, framing her for a crime she didn't commit. With no one to turn to, she yearns for her estranged family, especially her younger sister May, who she abandoned in their childhood after their parents' untimely deaths. Now the owner of a failing cattle ranch, May couldn't possibly want a relationship with her, the big sister who didn't even say goodbye all those years ago. Could she?

Soon Christy's fleeing from her shattered dreams, her ex-boyfriend, and God. Could the Triple Cross ranch be the safe haven she's searching for, or will May's new-found faith give her sister even more reason to reject Christy? Will they realize before it's too late that each possesses what the other desperately needs?

Writing for the Soul photos by Cindi of Selah Studios

Operation First Novel News

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For those who don't know, I entered my first novel Thicker Than Blood in the Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel contest.

I had entered a much earlier version of this novel in the Guild's first Operation First Novel contest in 2004, and it placed in the top 20 (though not the top 10).

Since I'd made many changes to the book (added 10K, edited dialogue, etc.) I wanted to see if it would place this year. Well, I just heard that it is one of four finalists in this year's contest! The winner will be selected by Tyndale and announced at the Guild's Writing for the Soul conference in February.

This news gives me the push I needed to keep trekking on and work hard on writing my third novel, which I just recently started. I've already written the sequel to Thicker Than Blood (working title is Innocent Blood), so I'm excited.

Here's my working summary of Thicker Than Blood:

Two sisters, estranged for 15 years. Their blood ties weren't enough. Only something stronger could bring them together again.

Christy Williams finally has her life on track. Her career as an antiquarian book buyer at the renowned used bookstore Dawson's Barn of Books is taking off. Hunter Dawson is teaching her the fine points of purchasing collectible books, and so far she's been able to keep her drinking problem from interfering. But when she discovers her ex-boyfriend, who also works at Dawsons, is stealing valuable books right off the store's shelves, she's unable to stop him for fear he'll expose the skeleton's in her closet.

Things begin to unravel when a stolen Hemingway first edition is found in her possession, framing her for a crime she didn't commit. With no one to turn to, she yearns for her estranged family, especially her younger sister May, who she abandoned in their childhood after their parents' untimely deaths. Now the owner of a failing cattle ranch, May couldn't possibly want a relationship with her, the big sister who didn't even say goodbye all those years ago. Could she?

Soon Christy's fleeing from her shattered dreams, her ex-boyfriend, and God. Could the Triple Cross ranch be the safe haven she's searching for, or will May's new-found faith give her sister even more reason to reject Christy? Will they realize before it's too late that each possesses what the other desperately needs?

Operation First Novel Contest Winners

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Since I'm on an Operation First Novel contest kick (I entered the Christian Writer's Guild's first one, as well as this year's) I thought it might be fun to list past winners so we could all get an idea of the type of stories Tyndale is looking for in the contest. I'm not sure if any of the judges were Tyndale editors, but it's still interesting. It seems coming of age stories are popular.

2004 Winner:

Troublesome Creek
by Jan Watson
Historical

Copper loves life on Troublesome Creek. But the waters that nearly stole her life so long ago now bring change she doesn’t want to face.

With a stepmother determined to transform her into a proper lady, a loving father still bound to his painful past, and a suitor bearing the promise of a whole new life, Copper faces the biggest crossroads of her life.

Her passions run as wild as the churning waters of Troublesome. But perhaps her heart will lead her into calm depths she’s never known before. . . .

2005 Winner:

In Everything Give Thanks
by Terry Barnes
Contemporary/Coming of Age

God betrayed us on that terrible July night. . . .

Matthew Collins loved to run. A high schooler growing up in the uncertainty of the early sixties, Matt was happiest running cross-country with his dad cheering him on. But a tragic accident on a two-lane highway changed all that. Bitter over his loss, Matt makes a deal with God: he’ll leave God alone if God leaves him alone.

Then Wade Hampton, a boy with cerebral palsy, moves in next door and is determined to make Matt is his best friend. Complete with a stutter, an obsession with the Civil War general he was named after, and a determination to one day be a preacher, Wade attracts the attention of the school bullies and makes Matt a target too. Matt makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with his new neighbor, but Wade doesn’t give up easily. And through this unexpected young man, Matt learns that while God may allow tragedy . . . He will never leave us alone.

2006 Winner:

Vanish
by Tom Pawlik
Suspense

Three strangers each encounter the same mysterious storm and awake the next day to find that everyone else has vanished. There's Conner Hayden, a successful but unscrupulous trial lawyer who has forsaken his family for his career; Helen Krause, a middle-aged model struggling to come to grips with her fading beauty; and Mitch Kent, an enterprising young mechanic unable to escape a past that still haunts him. Afraid and desperate for answers, their paths eventually cross and they discover they are being watched. Elusive and obscured in shadows, the "observers" are apparently forcing them to relive vivid hallucinations of events from their past. They discover a mute homeless boy in tattered clothing and believe he may hold the key to the mystery, but the "observers" soon become aggressive and the four are forced to flee. When the boy disappears, the four decide to head from Chicago to Washington, D.C., in search of answers...and more survivors.

2007 Winner:

Fireflies in December
by Jennifer Erin Valent
Historical/Coming of Age

“The summer I turned thirteen, I thought I killed a man.”

So begins the story of Jessilyn Lassiter, a young girl whose world is torn apart the summer of 1932. When Jessilyn’s best friend, Gemma, loses her parents in a tragic fire, Jessilyn’s father vows to care for her as his own, despite the fact that Gemma is black and prejudice is prevalent in their southern Virginia town.

It doesn’t take long for the Lassiters to attract the attention of a local band of Ku Klux Klan members, who make increasingly violent threats on Jessilyn and her family.

As she struggles to navigate a complex world of first crushes, loyalties, and betrayals, Jessilyn ultimately discovers what it takes to be a bright light in a dark world.

Operation First Novel Contest

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The latest stop in my writing journey takes me to the Christian Writers Guild. For those unfamiliar, the Guild is a great organization with a mission to help Christian writers hone their skills, and develop the gifts God's placed in their hearts. They have courses for new and advanced writers, plus they host a first novel contest every year.

Operation First Novel began in 2004, and originally the prize was $50,000 and a contract with Tyndale. This year the prize is $20,000 and a contract with Tyndale. I'm excited because today I sent off my entry to this contest. The deadline is October 1st, so I'm just in time.

This contest holds a special place in my heart. I remember seeing the ad in Writer's Digest for it years ago and knowing it was what I needed to finish my first novel---a deadline. I entered the very first Operation First Novel, and my book did place in the top 20 out of 290 (though it didn't make it to the top 10).

I'll keep you updated! I expect I won't hear anything for a couple months.

Zondervan First Novel Contest

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According to Brandilyn Collins, Zondervan announced at the Christy Awards last Saturday a fiction contest they're sponsoring for unpublished writers. Not all of the details have been announced, but here's the gist according to Brandilyn:

"There will be three rounds of judging for the contest. In the first round each author will submit a proposal for a novel. These will be judged and winnowed down. Those who make it through the first round will be asked to submit the complete manuscript. These will go through a second round of judging and be narrowed down to finalists. (Not sure how many--the guidelines will say.) The finalists will be judged by selected Zondervan authors to determine the winner. "

Zondervan's website will post full guidelines soon, and it looks like their blog will too. The winner will be published by Z in the future.

All very interesting. I wonder if they took the initiative from the Christian Writer's Guild's Operation First Novel contest?

Jerry B. Jenkins (Advice for Novelists, Part 21)

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I'm honored to include Jerry Jenkins in this series of blog posts. For those just joining us, I've asked editors, agents, publicists and authors to share their responses to the question:

"If you could say one thing to aspiring novelists, what would you say?"

We've heard a fascinating array of responses. To read them all click here, or click on the "Advice for Novelists" label at the end of this post:

Here's Jerry's answer:

What would I say to an aspiring novelist?

Develop a thick skin. A piece of published writing is not a solo but rather a duet between you and your editor. My 175th book will release this summer -- Riven, a novel about a death row inmate who chooses crucifixion as his method of execution -- and I still rely heavily on my

editor.

It seems our very lives and senses of self worth are on every page, but if we are writing for only admiration and acceptance, we should send our stuff to people who love us. If we want to be published, however, and see our best work reach the public, we must be open to that fresh second set of eyes on our precious words.

Sure it hurts, and we'd all like to think we can someday reach the point where what we consider our final draft is what flies from our screen to the printed page. A thick skin allows us to set aside our pain for the sake of a better finished product.

That said, never submit anything until you are wholly happy with it. There will still be plenty for editors to catch without expecting them to correct things you should have caught.

--Jerry B. Jenkins, multi-published author of Riven, The Left Behind Series, Hometown Legend, and many more.

Jerry is also the owner of the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writer's Guild which helps to mentor and train aspiring writers. Read more about them by clicking the logo below.

Operation First Novel (My Writing Journey, Part 7)

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$50,000.

Kinda has a nice ring to it, don't you think? Yeah. That's what I thought, too. So when I saw the ad in Writer's Digest for the Christian Writer's Guild's Operation First Novel contest (the first one), I knew I wanted to enter. It would give me a firm deadline to finish my novel. The top 10 entries would go to committee at Tyndale House and be read by Jerry Jenkins himself. The winner would be awarded a $50,000 advance and be published by Tyndale.

The real draw for me to enter this contest was the deadline. I needed one. Desperately. I don't know about you, but I often struggle with self-inflicted deadlines. I mean, it's kinda hard to be mean to yourself, you know what I mean? Am I the only one who struggles with this?

So I had a date. Now I just had to finish the novel!