How the book acquisition process works

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In a recent entry over at his blog From Where I Sit, Michael S. Hyatt (President and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers) shares the ins and outs of the book acquisition process. It's an eye-opening piece detailing the 5 Hurdles every proposal faces.

Check it out here.

"My Mom's Best Advice"

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My most recent piece for TitleTrakk.com is a feature for Mother's Day (that can be read any day). 24 authors share the best advice their Mom's ever given them.

Included are quotes from (in no particular order) Jerry Jenkins, Sibella Giorello, Brandilyn Collins, Karen Ball, James Scott Bell, Jenny B. Jones, Deborah Raney, Melanie Wells, Sharon Hinck, Donna Fleisher, John Aubrey Anderson, Robert Liparulo, Rene Gutteridge, Kristin Billerbeck, Tricia Goyer, Amy Wallace, Roxanne Henke, Nancy Moser, Angela Hunt, Nikki Arana, Liz Curtis Higgs, Lorena McCourtney & Tamara Leigh.

Read the article here. And check out other author interviews here.

Tribulation House by Chris Well

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Let me draw your attention to the release of Chris Well's third novel, Tribulation House. Book #3 in the unofficial Kansas City Blues series, Chris has created another quirky crime novel sure to win him many fans.

Read the TitleTrakk.com review of the novel here by Narelle Mollet.

Read an interview I did with Chris a bit ago here.




Read my review of Chris' last book Deliver Us From Evelyn here.
Read the first chapter of Tribulation House here.
Visit Chris' website here.

Designing a book cover

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Ever wondered what really goes into the design of a book's cover? Wonder no more. Over at Novel Journey, Kirk DouPounce of Dog Eared Design gives us the full scoop. Click here to read the article.

Dog Eared designed the cover for Jenny B. Jones' new novel In Between (at left), and he uses it as an example. If you haven't yet read this novel, may I offer my highest recommendation? It's Book #1 in the Katie Parker Production series for teens. But you don't have to be a teen to enjoy Jenny's wonderful humor and insights. She somehow manages to keep things fun without discounting the serious.

Summary:

When your single greatest achievement to date is becoming a ward of an entire state, it's a little debilitating to a girl's confidence.

Katie Parker is a 16 year old girl who can't catch a break. With a mother in jail and a father unaccounted for, she finds herself in a mini-van bound for In Between, Texas, home of her new foster parents.

Katie must learn to adjust to life with the new family. When she finds herself in some deep trouble, everything unravels. Join Katie as she learns about family, love, and healing.

Hang on for the ride as dysfunction is brought center stage.

Tim Downs Interview

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I've been a fan of Tim's writing ever since his first novel Shoofly Pie. I had the chance to interview him recently for TitleTrakk.com. His clever sense of humor came through, and it was enjoyable to hear his answers.

"I've never taken a writing class, and my last English class was in high school."
--Tim Downs

Tim shares why he started writing fiction after penning a successful comic strip, the hardest part about writing his latest novel Head Game, plus he gives us the lowdown on his next Bugman novel.

Read the interview here.

You can also read my review of Tim's latest novel Head Game here.
My review of his previous novel Plaguemaker is here.

Tag ... I'm it!

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I don't normally do these type of things on my blog, but Rel from Relz Reviewz tagged me. It seemed like a fun idea ... Here goes.

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

8 random facts/habits about me ...

1. I am a licensed amateur radio operator and received my license back before they got lenient on the requirements, so I know Morse Code. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a rig up for several years.

2. I have visited all but six US states. I still need to visit Washington, Oregon, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Alaska, and Hawaii.

3. With the money I received from the second short story I ever sold, I bought a fly fishing rod and taught myself how to fly fish. A great hobby that unfortunately I don’t get to indulge in that often. I once totally freaked myself out on the Truckee River in California. I didn't realize it would get dark so fast. I was standing in the middle of the river, water to my chest. It was almost completely dark. All of the sudden it hit me---one wrong step, and I could go under. I have to get to shore. Now. Needless to say, I bought a life jacket shortly thereafter. And wore it every fishing trip since.

4. I enjoy oil painting and pencil drawing, but alas, don’t have the time to pursue these hobbies much either. I also enjoy collecting art.

5. My family and I have 4 dogs (a lab, retriever/border collie mix, Whippet mix, and a Chihuahua mix) and 2 cats. We rescued two of the dogs through Petfinder.com.

6. I have been involved in the used & rare bookselling world for over ten years, and in fact use some of that experience in my first novel Thicker Than Blood. A first edition For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway plays an important part in the story.

7. My dream car is a 70's pickup truck. Probably a Dodge Ram.

8. I was homeschooled from 1st to 12th grade (one of the biggest blessings in my life).

I tag Darcie, Wordvixen, Heather Hunt, Katie Hart, Jenny B. Jones, Brandilyn Collins, Gina Holmes, and Tricia Goyer.

An editor's life ...

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Ever wondered what it's like being an editor? This interview clip with the editor of Bleak House Books will give you a little glimpse. Watch the whole thing because at the end you'll see the editor going through her submission stacks. I've always wondered what those looked like:

FIRST Blog Tour - The Heir by Paul Robertson

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This month on the FIRST blog tour, we're featuring The Heir by Paul Robertson.

Paul is a computer programming consultant, part-time high-school math and science teacher, and former independent bookstore owner in Blacksburg, Virginia. This is his first novel.

Is There Any Escape for The Heir?

All the money he could ever crave.

In the splintering crash of a car plunging through a railing, Jason Boyer's life is changed.

All the fame he could ever desire.

But the last thing he wanted was the throne of his father's corrupt business empire.

All the power he could ever wield.

The estate should have gone elsewhere, but the will was changed. And now everything is Jason's. But gaining the whole world just might cost him his life.

Read the first chapter here, at TitleTrakk.com.

Peretti's impact

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A question recently came up on a writer's group to which I belong about what books have had the most influence on us as writers.

I had to think long and hard about this question because no one book immediately jumped into my mind. I've read so many books that have made impressions on me as a person, and as a writer. But really, when I got to thinking, I knew the answer.

The first book I remember giving me some sort of "aha" moment was Piercing the Darkness by Frank Peretti. I was a teenager when I first read it, and this novel was my first introduction to Christian fiction. (I accidentally read it before This Present Darkness.) I was hooked.

The character Sally Beth Roe had the most impact. Especially her conversion. I don't remember if I consciously thought, "I want to write like that." But gradually I realized this as I began to pursue writing. I've always loved her character, and now as I think on what I want to include in my fiction, I remember how unashamed Frank Peretti was about including the gospel in his stories. A lot of authors water down the message of truth these days to make their novels more accessible to the masses. But Peretti reminds me that you can please the masses (can anyone say millions sold?), and speak the truth.

Aspiring Retail article on Christian fiction

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In a recent blog entry, Brandilyn Collins pointed out a great article in Aspiring Retail's May issue called "Christian Novelists on the Rise" as well as another piece in the same issued called "Passionate About Christian Fiction". The latter is an interview with Carol Johnson of Bethany House.

Fascinating stuff. Check out the issue here.

Research ups and downs

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One of the ways I research for my fiction writing is to read biographies/autobiographies of people in the same profession as my characters. For example, half of my first novel takes place on a modern-day working cattle ranch. My shelves are full of books detailing this way of life. I also subscribed to (and still read) various magazines related to ranching. But there's nothing like hearing about a profession in the first person. It's learning by immersion, mostly. I came to a point where I could imagine my settings based solely on photographs and descriptions, and my character's voices came naturally because I truly understood what they would be thinking.

For settings, there's nothing like visiting in person. However, I believe it IS possible to learn about a setting from your armchair.

One potential danger with research is to never start the writing because you're so consumed with researching. You must start writing, sometimes even when you don't feel you have enough research. During the process of writing questions will arise, and that's when you go searching for a specific answer. Often the best way to find an answer is to pool your friends. One of them will probably know somebody who will know the answer.

Dabbling Mum Interview

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Alyice Edrich from The Dabbling Mum recently did an interview with me about time management and resting for writers.

The interview begins:

Alyce: Has there ever been a time in your writing career where you had to tell yourself to "slow down"? And if so, what was going on at the time?

Me: Usually what happens for me is I'll spread myself too thin. There was a time recently where I was doing so many "good" writing projects. I was very busy, but I wasn't content. I realized I needed to re-evaluate where I was spending my writing time.

Click here to read the rest of the interview. And while you're at it, check out Alyice's great website The Dabbling Mum. She has an informative newsletter specifically for writers, plus much more.

Book Buzz column

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Heather Ivester, an online friend of mine, has a great column called "Book Buzz" in CWO (Christian Women Online) magazine. The column features short book reviews of both fiction and nonfiction. Read the column here.

Heather also maintains the blog Mom 2 Mom Connection. Says Heather about the blog: "...my vision for Mom 2 Mom Connection is for it to become a comfortable gathering spot for women in all seasons of mothering, as well as anyone interested in the topics of writing, parenting, and Christian living."

Even if you're not a Mom (like me), it's worth checking out.

Sibella Giorello Interview at TitleTrakk.com

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Recently I interviewed Sibella Giorello for TitleTrakk.com. Nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize, Sibella talked about her journalism roots, why she turned to fiction, how she balances being a homeschooling mom and wife with her writing, and much more. Check it out.

"When I started my book The Stones Cry Out, I knew nothing about the FBI, nothing about forensics, and I am the world's worst scientist."
--Sibella Giorello

Read the full interview here.
Read my review of The Stones Cry Out here.
Read the first chapter of The Stones Cry Out here.

A great resource for writers

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I just discovered a brand new blog/newsletter put out by Tricia Goyer (A Valley of Betrayal). It's called My Writing Mentor, and I'm looking forward to learning from Tricia and others. The first post features a Q&A with James Scott Bell (No Legal Grounds) and others.

Check it out here and sign up for the free newsletter today.