The Winner of The Night Watchman...

Tweet

... is Nickolay! I've sent you an e-mail asking for your mailing address. For everyone else, thanks for entering! Be sure to pick up your own copy of The Night Watchman over at Amazon or CBD.com. I'll be having more giveaways in the future, so stay tuned!

CFOM Publicity Article

Tweet

I promise I'll have more interesting posts in the future, but I want to pass along a link to an article I wrote for the Christian Fiction Online Magazine this month.

I was asked to write about TitleTrakk.com's beginnings and publicity, so that's what I did. Ever wondered how my sister, Tracy, and I started TitleTrakk.com? Or, if you're a writer, how to best contact web media? I talk about it all in the piece, "TitleTrakk.com: Origins". Check it out here.

Interview at Erynn Mangum's Blog

Tweet

The lovely Erynn Mangum (author of the Laura Holbrook series and the upcoming novel Cool Beans) asked me some great questions about my writing process over at her blog.

Find out my responses to the Qs:

• Why did you decide to write fiction? How did you get published?
• How do you usually get ideas?
• Do you ever have problems finishing a book or an idea? How do you overcome that?
• Are there any books on writing that have helped you?
• What's your favorite part of writing? Your least favorite part of writing?
• How do you take your coffee? :)

I tell the whole story of how my first novel Thicker Than Blood (coming in January 2010 from Tyndale House) found it's publishing home.

Check out the interview here.

Reader Poll - What do you call your mother?

Tweet

My next novel features several characters who are mothers. I'd like to know what you call your mother.

The Night Watchman by Mark Mynheir

Tweet

Mark Mynheir is one of a few authors in Christian fiction to give us an inside glimpse into real-life police work. A detective himself, Mark infuses his stories with the gritty details you'd expect from a man who's worked on narcotics units, SWAT teams, and many other high-risk operations.

His previous novel The Void, caught my attention, and The Night Watchman has done the same.

Publisher Summary:

Ray Quinn is a tough, quick-witted homicide detective in love with his partner, Trisha Willis. She gives Ray something to live for—something to hope in. Until a barrage of bullets leaves Trisha murdered and Ray crippled.

Struggling with his new physical disability and severe depression, Quinn turns to whiskey, scorn, and a job as a night watchman to numb the pain. But when a pastor and dancer are found dead in an apparent murder-suicide, the pastor’s sister approaches Quinn for help.

Reluctantly, Quinn takes the case and is plunged into the perilous Orlando. Soon he discovers that, not only was the pastor murdered, but the case may be linked to his and Trisha’s ambush. Torn between seeking revenge or responsibility, Quinn is thrust into the case of his life.

Author Mark Mynheir gives readers his most profound police thriller to date with The Night Watchman (first book in The Night Watchman Private Detective Agency Series). Readers of all ages will devour this gripping murder mystery that bristles with tension and intrigue. In a taut cop-style all his own, Mynheir delivers an inside look at the thoughts, feelings, fears, and challenges police officers experience while investigating violent crimes and the lost souls who commit them.

For purchasing options, visit Random House's website here. Visit Mark's website here.

BONUS: I'm giving away a copy of this novel! To get yourself in the running, leave your name and your favorite police/detective/crime fiction character in the comments. I'll draw a winner next Friday, June 5th.

Location, Location, Location ... of my book

Tweet

For the past several days I've been laboring over where to set my novel Thicker Than Blood. Should I name the state in which it takes place? Should I name real towns or stick to fictional ones? For me, this is serious stuff. The decisions I make now will affect this book forever!

You might be thinking, "Didn't she already write this book?" Um, yes. I did write it. And I made everything up, including the towns. But now that it's finally going to be read by people, I've been reconsidering my reasoning. I'd stuck to fictional places out of equal parts laziness and fear. Laziness because research is not my strong suit, fear because of thoughts like, "What if I get something wrong?" Neither are reasons not to use a real setting.

So as of today I have officially decided to set my book in Colorado. It's a state I love and have visited often, so I feel I can portray it with some realism. I am naming many real towns, like Longmont and Monument. But the main town of Thicker Than Blood, Elk Valley, will be fictional. It's going to be set in a real area of the state under the shadow of the Spanish Peaks (pictured above) where a town called La Veta sits now. But by replacing that real town with a fictional one, I will have some liberties I might not otherwise have had.

I pray I'm making the right choice! :)

What are some novels you've enjoy that have featured real towns? How about fictional ones? Which did you enjoy more?

Renee Riva (Advice for Novelists, Part 97)

Tweet

Here's another entry in our ongoing Advice for Novelists series. I've asked editors, authors, agents and publicists their response to the question:

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

Go to the writing conferences. Get to know the people in the industry, show your work, take workshops, develop your skill, network, eat good food, and laugh! I tried to go to the same good conferences each year, networked with some of the same editors and agents who were interested in my work before. Each time I got a little closer to the goal, until it finally happened. The Christian conferences have people who are so willing to help you get to the next step, direct you to the next person to show your work to, and give you encouragement. As authors, we all know what it took for us to get published and we want to give others the same encouragement.

--Renee Riva, author of Taking Tuscany & Saving Sailor. Visit her online at her website.

I Dream Of . . .

Tweet

Lately I've been thinking about beginnings. No, not of books. Of stories. MY story. What was it that compelled me to write? See, for as long as I can remember, I've loved to read and writing stories was a natural extension of that. When I was around eight I started an ambitious project called “The Horse’s Story” on my Dad's old Panasonic word processor. It was about a horse named Loopter (how's that for an imaginative name) who would become Joshua of the Bible’s horse. He was going to be a witness of the walls of Jericho falling down, but . . . I never finished it.

Then there was my epic (started when I was twelve) called “Moby”, about a Labrador Retriever trying to find his place in this world. He tried being a lap dog (with some humorous consequences!), a fire dog, a police dog, a sheep dog . . . he never did find out what he was meant to be ‘cause I never finished that story either.

As I look back I see that writing has been in my life for many, many years. Did God put that desire in my heart? I think so now. At the time, I had no idea. When I was a teenager I remember practically begging God, "Lord, show me what I'm supposed to do with my life!" My parents would always tell me I had plenty of time to find out, I was still young, but at the time it seemed like my life was practically over. :)

When I was fifteen I started a story that would change the way I thought about writing. It was about two sisters who hadn’t seen each other for years but eventually met again. That story became my first novel, Thicker Than Blood, which will be published January 2010 by Tyndale.
If you'd told me at the time that story would be my first book, I don't know if I would've believed you!

I don't recall where I heard this advice, but someone has suggested we think back to the things we dreamed about and wanted to do when we were ten or eleven. Often, those desires are clues into what God has called us to do. And many, many times we forget about those youthful dreams, abandoning them for whatever makes more money, or makes more sense.

The cool thing is, it's never too late to pick up those dreams of your childhood, dust them off, and make them happen. It might take baby steps at first, and years before you see their fulfillment, but I'd encourage you to at least think back to when you were a kid. What were your dreams? Or better yet... what did you enjoy doing?

God really does equip us at an early age for our calling. I'm learning that, and it's exciting to think about.

Taking Tuscany by Renee Riva

Tweet

This week the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is featuring a sequel to a book I loved. Saving Sailor by Renee Riva is a novel that flew under the radar---but shouldn't have. It was a delightful story with a main character who reminded me a little of Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird, but even more charming.

I am so thrilled to re-visit A.J. Degulio in Taking Tuscany! Since I only received the book a couple days ago I haven't finished it yet. But here's the sign of a great book...even without reading the whole thing, I highly recommend it!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Renee Riva writes humorous stories with a message, for both children and adults. Having been raised in a large Italian family with a great sense of humor, she has much to draw from for developing quirky characters.

She loves sharing her secrets for story starters at Young Author events, helping to spark the imagination of young minds. Renee and her husband live in Richland, Washington, with their three daughters, a dog, a cat, and until recently, her beloved hamster—may she rest in peace.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A. J. Degulio loved the idea of a visit to the Old Country... until her family decided to stay. It's 1972 and she's turning fourteen in a crumbling castle on a hill in Tuscany, wishing she were back in Idaho with her beloved dog, Sailor. In Italy, her blonde hair makes her stick out like a vanilla wafer in a box of chocolate biscotti, and she's so lonely her best friend is a nun from the local convent.

The challenges of roots and relatives are nothing new to A. J., but she's going to need more than the famous Degulio sense of humor to survive. Can't anyone see that Italy isn't really home? It will take a catastrophe - and a few wise words from a friend - for A. J. to understand that sometimes the only thing you can change is your perspective.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Taking Tuscany, go HERE

The Editing Letter

Tweet

My good friend WordVixen posted this hilarious video at her blog the other day. She thinks I should do something like this! :) All I know is I was smiling and chuckling to myself when I watched it and then re-watched it. I'm going to send the link to my editor at Tyndale who's getting ready to send me my first editing letter for my novel Thicker Than Blood!

Writer to Writer

Tweet

When I first started to learn the craft of writing I devoured every writing how-to book I could find. I learned so much in those first few years. But after awhile I had trouble keeping my perspective as a Christian author. Reading the now out-of-print Writer to Writer by Bodie & Brock Thoene helped me get it back.

Last night I pulled this worn book off my shelf, and was again encouraged by nuggets like this:

Has God put the desire to write in your heart? Have you honestly analyzed your motives and the level of your commitment? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you should, in fact you must, write!

But wait a minute, you say. I never made a bargain with God to become a writer. I've never traveled in foreign countries, or hobnobbed with famous people, or been recognized as an expert at anything! What can I possibly write about that anyone would want to read?

Notice how cleverly Satan moves in to interfere with your desire to write when it becomes a desire to serve God? Almost the instant you decide that you want to follow God's leading into writing for publication, the devil is right there whispering in your ear that you'd be wasting your time.

Satan isn't called the father of lies for nothing, you know. He wants you to think you have nothing of value to offer because you haven't had unique experiences or training. Baloney! Listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11:

To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

See? You have a unique perspective! No one has the combination of gifts of the Spirit in the same proportion that you do. No one! What's more, God has been leading you through experiences and circumstances that contribute to you being you and no one else. No one has all your memories. Even identical twins have some experiences they haven't shared.

If God is calling you to be a writer, then He will lead you from this point on. And you will soon discover that He has known all along that you'd have this desire and has been building into your life a whole set of unique events from which you'll be able to draw your own one-of-a-kind perspective.

Wow. I find this very encouraging! I hope you do, too. If you're interested in owning your own copy of Writer to Writer, it is available used at Amazon here. The submission and market info is dated, but the stories and encouragement are not.

The Fire In Fiction by Donald Maass

Tweet

The other month I saw an ad in Writer's Digest magazine for The Fire In Fiction: Passion, Purpose and Techniques to Make Your Novel Great by Donald Maass. Having read Maass's previous (and stellar) writing how-to book Writing the Break-Out Novel, I was immediately intrigued.
Hot off the press, The Fire In Fiction is now available! I wish I had a copy of this book in hand right now as I write my third novel, but I hopefully will soon.

Here's some info I found to whet your whistle at the Writer's Digest website:

About the Book

We’ve all read them: novels by our favorite authors that disappoint. Uninspired and lifeless, we wonder what happened. Was the author in a hurry? Did she have a bad year? Has he lost interest altogether?

Something similar is true of a great many unpublished manuscripts. They are okay stories that never take flight. They are unoriginal. They don’t grip the imagination, let alone the heart. They merit only a shrug and a polite dismissal by agents and editors. It’s almost as if the author is afraid to truly commit to the story.

It doesn’t have to be that way. In The Fire in the Fiction, successful literary agent and author Donald Maass shows you not only how to infuse your story with deep conviction and fiery passion, but how to do it over and over again. The book features:

• Techniques for capturing a special time and place, creating characters whose lives matter, nailing multiple-impact plot turns, making the supernatural real, infusing issues into fiction, and more.
• Story-enriching exercises at the end of every chapter to show you how apply the practical tools just covered to your own work.
• Rich examples drawn from contemporary novels as diverse as The Lake House, Water for Elephants, and Jennifer Government to illustrate how various techniques work in actual stories.

Plus, Maass introduces an original technique that any novelist can use any time, in any scene, in any novel, even on the most uninspired day … to take the most powerful experiences from your personal life and turn those experiences directly into powerful fiction.

Want to read an excerpt? Click here to learn:

• Why strong secondary characters are so important
• Tips for making sure that a character’s special-ness stems from his or her impact on the protagonist
• How to figure out which secondary characters deserve an elevated status

The Puzzle of Writing

Tweet

I recently spent a weekend doing a puzzle with my dad and sister. We thought it would be a fun activity. We'd spend a couple hours putzing away on it, and before long we'd have it completed.

Um, we were wrong. Maybe it was the word "Master" in the title of the puzzle that should've clued us in. Or the fact that it was 700 pieces. But we spent the ENTIRE weekend pulling our hair out trying to finish. It was crazy! So many times we wanted to throw in the towel (or at least throw the puzzle out the window). But we didn't. We persevered. And finally finished.

This got me thinking about how writing a novel is like putting together a puzzle. You start with a box of pieces. Those are the ideas, snippets of dialogue, and new characters you want to write about. They're all jumbled together in the box of your mind screaming to be put together into a cohesive whole. This is especially true if you're the type of writer who doesn't do extensive plotting ahead of time, like me. Some people call that "seat of the pants" writing. A more than apt description.

There are times I wish I were a plotter (usually when I'm staring at all the puzzle pieces in the box!). I wish I could have a blueprint to follow as I'm writing my novel. But there's something amazing about the joy of discovery, too. When the pieces slowly fall into place, and a picture forms. Aha! THAT's where that character goes. See? I knew she fit somehow.

When I cross the finish line and slip the last puzzle piece in place and type "The End", boy does it feel good! Almost as good as completing a mind-boggling, 700 piece puzzle. Sure, I had days when I wanted to quit. I felt like banging my head against my keyboard when it would've been easier to pull out my front teeth than type another sentence. But if I'd given up, on the puzzle or my book, I wouldn't have enjoyed the pleasure of seeing the finished product.

So let me encourage you not to give up. Whether you're writing your first novel or putting together your first puzzle. It'll all be worth it in the end.

And yes, above is the the finished puzzled from our weekend of hair pulling. :)

So Not Happening by Jenny B. Jones

Tweet

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!


I'm very pleased to introduce you to a great novel by Jenny B. Jones. So Not Happening (Thomas Nelson) is the first book in The Charmed Life series for youth. But don't think that means adults won't enjoy it! Jenny's humor shines in all of her books, and this one's no exception. Jenny B. Jones has quickly become one of my favorite authors.

So Not Happening is the story of Bella Kirkwood, a teen New York socialite who suddenly finds herself living in Oklahoma.

Can Bella survive her crazy new family? Will the school survive Bella? How can a girl go on when her charmed life is gone and God gives her the total smackdown?

Visit Jenny's website.
Read an interview with Jenny.

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

One year ago my mom got traded in for a newer model.

And that’s when my life fell apart.

“Do you, Jillian Leigh Kirkwood . . .”

Standing by my mother’s side as she marries the man who is so not my dad, I suppress a sigh and try to wiggle my toes in these hideous shoes. The hideous shoes that match my hideous maid-of honor dress. I like to look at things on the bright side, but the only

positive thing about this frock is that I’ll never have to wear it again.

“. . . take Jacob Ralph Finley . . .”

Ralph? My new stepdad’s middle name is Ralph? Okay, do we need one more red flag here? My mom is marrying this guy, and I didn’t even know his middle name. Did she? I check her face for signs of revulsion, signs of doubt. Signs of “Hey, what am I thinking? I don’t want Jacob Ralph Finley to be my daughter’s new stepdad.”

I see none of these things twinkling in my mom’s crystal blue eyes. Only joy. Disgusting, unstoppable joy.

“Does anyone have an objection?” The pastor smiles and scans the small crowd in the Tulsa Fellowship Church. “Let him speak now or forever hold his peace.”

Oh my gosh. I totally object! I look to my right and lock eyes with Logan, the older of my two soon-to-be stepbrothers. In the six hours that I have been in Oklahoma preparing for this “blessed” event, Logan and I have not said five words to one another. Like we’ve mutually agreed to be enemies.

I stare him down.

His eyes laser into mine.

Do we dare?

He gives a slight nod, and my heart triples in beat.

“Then by the powers vested in me before God and the family and friends of—”

“No!”

The church gasps.

I throw my hands over my mouth, wishing the floor would swallow me.

I, Bella Kirkwood, just stopped my own mother’s wedding.

And I have no idea where to go from here. It’s not like I do this every day, okay? Can’t say I’ve stopped a lot of weddings in my sixteen years.

My mom swivels around, her big white dress making crunchy noises. She takes a step closer to me, still flashing her pearly veneers at the small crowd.

“What,” she hisses near my ear, “are you doing?”

I glance at Logan, whose red locks hang like a shade over his eyes. He nods again.

“Um . . . um . . . Mom, I haven’t had a chance to talk to you at all this week . . .” My voice is a tiny whisper. Sweat beads on my forehead.

“Honey, now is not exactly the best time to share our feelings and catch up.”

My eyes dart across the sanctuary, where one hundred and fifty people are perched on the edge of their seats. And it’s not because they’re anxious for the chicken platters coming their way after the ceremony.

“Mom, the dude’s middle name is Ralph.”

She leans in, and we’re nose to nose. “You just stopped my wedding and that’s what you wanted to tell me?”

Faint—that’s what I’ll do next time I need to halt a wedding.

“How well do you know Jake? You only met six months ago.”

Some of the heat leaves her expression. “I’ve known him long enough to know that I love him, Bella. I knew it immediately.”

“But what if you’re wrong?” I rush on, “I mean, I’ve only been around him a few times, and I’m not so sure. He could be a serial killer for all we know.” I can count on one hand the times I’ve been around Jake. My mom usually visited him when I was at my dad’s.

Her voice is low and hurried. “I understand this isn’t easy for you. But our lives have changed. It’s going to be an adventure, Bel.”

Adventure? You call meeting a man on the Internet and forcing me to move across the country to live with his family an adventure? An adventure is swimming with dolphins in the Caribbean. An adventure is touring the pyramids in Egypt. Or shopping at the Saks after-Thanksgiving sale with Dad’s credit card. This, I do believe, qualifies as a nightmare!

“You know I’ve prayed about this. Jake and I both have. We know this is God’s will for us. I need you to trust me, because I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”

A single tear glides down Mom’s cheek, and I feel my heart constrict. This time last year my life was so normal. So happy. Can I just hit the reverse button and go back?

Slowly I nod. “Okay, Mom.” It’s kind of hard to argue with “God says this is right.” (Though I happen to think He’s wrong.)

The preacher clears his throat and lifts a bushy black brow.

“You can continue,” I say, knowing I’ve lost the battle. “She had something in her teeth.” Yes, that’s the best I've got.

I. Am. An. Idiot.

“And now, by the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Finley. You may kiss your bride.”

Nope. Can’t watch.

I turn my head as the “Wedding March” starts. Logan walks to my side, and I link my arm in his. Though we’re both going to be juniors, he’s a head taller than me. It’s like we’re steptwins. He grabs his six-year-old brother, Robbie, with his other hand, and off we go

in time to the music. Robbie throws rose petals all around us, giggling with glee, oblivious to the fact that we just witnessed a ceremony marking the end of life as we know it.

“Good job stopping the wedding.” Logan smirks. “Very successful.”

I jab my elbow into his side. “At least I tried! You did nothing!”

“I just wanted to see if you had it in you. And you don’t.”

I snarl in his direction as the camera flashes, capturing this day for all eternity.

Last week I was living in Manhattan in a two-story apartment between Sarah Jessica Parker and Katie Couric. I could hop a train to Macy’s and Bloomie’s. My friends and I could eat dinner at Tao and see who could count the most celebs. I had Broadway in my backyard

and Daddy’s MasterCard in my wallet.

Then my mom got married.

And I got a new life.

I should’ve paid that six-year-old to pull the fire alarm.

William Carmichael (Advice for Novelists, Part 96)

Tweet

Here's another edition of my Advice for Novelists series in which editors, authors, agents and publicists answer the question:

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

Don’t give up. Write something everyday. Keep at it, even if it is only for your own joy. If you have set a goal to publish a book, do it, even if it is a self-published work. So was The Shack self-published after being turned down by several publishers, which has now been number one on the New York Times bestseller list for 46 straight weeks!

--William "Bill" Carmichael, co-author with Dave Lambert of The Missionary, as well as several nonfiction titles. Visit him online at The Missionary website.