Stitching Together Time-Slip Fiction by Melanie Dobson

Twenty years ago I attempted to write my first novel by stitching together the threads from two plots—a past story about a woman who disappeared in Colorado’s mining country and a contemporary one about her great-granddaughter trying to find out what happened.

I mailed my manuscript out to a dozen or so publishers and received back the same number of rejections. The general consensus—I needed to rip out the seams of this story and rewrite, but I didn’t know how to sew the dual timelines back together again.

So I tucked away my idea alongside a stack of rough drafts and kept writing, finally partnering with a publisher for a contemporary novel about an unresolved conflict that happened decades earlier. My first novel came out in 2005, and I followed that with several historical and contemporary stories that featured characters searching for answers from the past.

Then Tatiana de Rosnay published Sarah’s Key, and I was swept up in her story that wove together equally compelling past and present plotlines. Her novel spanned sixty years, and the truth about the past ultimately transformed the contemporary protagonist’s life.

Reading that novel changed my life. It was exactly what I wanted to write!

So I hunkered back down, studied the structure of Tatiana’s brilliant book, and began writing another novel set in both the past and present—this one about a French woman during World War II who hid members of the resistance in tunnels under her family’s chateau. After years of wanting to write a multiple timeline story, Chateau of Secrets was published in 2015. And it’s been such a joy for me to continue pursuing this dream of mine for the past five years.

Many authors have begun to embrace this format of weaving together parallel past and present timelines, typically bridging the gap with a journal or heirloom that passes through generations. According to a recent article in Publishers Weekly, this genre is continuing to grow, and that makes my heart happy because I love reading these novels as much as I enjoy writing them.

The big question, though, seems to be—what do we call this rapidly growing structure?

Publishers, authors, and readers call the multiple timeline format by multiple names. Time slip. Split time. Dual timeline. Twin strand. Time jump. Hybrid.

A reviewer for My Brother’s Crown (Leslie Gould and Mindy Starns Clark) called their past-present novel, “the melding of the two time periods.” What a beautiful way to describe this emerging genre.

In Publishers Weekly, Karen Watson of Tyndale House said, “There seems to be an ongoing interest in storytelling that bridges or twists traditional concepts of time and history. Rather than just straight linear historical fiction, we see a lot of novels that bridge two periods of time—what we call time-slip stories.”

I like time slip—this idea of melding together two or more stories as the readers slip through time. And I like split time as well, demonstrating how these novels are split into stories from different eras. The problem with dual timeline is that it narrows this format to two plotlines when some authors are branching out to three or more time periods in their novels. Kristy Cambron’s Lost Castle is a tri-timeline story, for example, with parallel plots from the French Revolution, World War II, and present day.

If you enjoy this genre, you can find a listing of inspirational time-slip stories at timeslipfiction.com. No matter what we call this genre, the important thing is that readers continue to be swept away by stories transporting them seamlessly across time!

Memories of Glass

Reminiscent of Diane Ackerman’s The Zookeeper’s Wife, this stunning novel draws from true accounts to shine a light on a period of Holland’s darkest history and bravest heroes.
1942. As war rips through the heart of Holland, childhood friends Josie van Rees and Eliese Linden partner with a few daring citizens to rescue Eliese’s son and hundreds of other Jewish children who await deportation in a converted theater in Amsterdam. But amid their resistance work, Josie and Eliese’s dangerous secrets could derail their friendship and their entire mission. When the enemy finds these women, only one will escape.

Seventy-five years later, Ava Drake begins to suspect that her great-grandfather William Kingston was not the World War II hero he claimed to be. Her work as director of the prestigious Kingston Family Foundation leads her to Landon West’s Ugandan coffee plantation, and Ava and Landon soon discover a connection between their families. As Landon’s great-grandmother shares the broken pieces of her story, Ava must confront the greatest loss in her own life—and powerful members of the Kingston family who will do anything to keep the truth buried.
Illuminating the story and strength of these women, award-winning author Melanie Dobson transports readers through time and place, from World War II Holland to contemporary Uganda, in this rich and inspiring novel.

Memories of Glass is available for review, and Melanie Dobson is available for interviews to discuss:

• • Critically-acclaimed author Melanie Dobson writes a gripping time-slip WWII and contemporary novel, inspired by true accounts.

• • Two friends join a resistance mission to rescue Jewish children from a Nazi deportation center during the Holocaust; seventy-five years later in contemporary Uganda, a woman confronts a chilling truth about her family history.

• • Carol Award -winning author with rigorously researched novels.

Writing fiction is Melanie Dobson's excuse to explore abandoned houses, travel to unique places, and spend hours reading old books and journals. The award-winning author of twenty books, Melanie enjoys stitching together both time-slip and historical fiction including Catching the Wind, Hidden Among the Stars, and her latest novel, Memories of Glass. Melanie’s historical novels have won four Carol Awards, the 2018 Audie Award, and the ForeWord Book of the Year. More information about her and her family’s journey is available at melaniedobson.com

Writers Beware: Your Real-life May Intrude on Your Creativity! by Julia David

Like everyone, I pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit for hope, purpose, and redemption through my words, plots, and characters. And a good out and out page-turning love story. But now that I'm six books in this career, I see some interesting patterns.

By day I have a job helping pregnant and parenting teens get their high school diploma. Funny that quite a few of my well-intentioned heroines deal with an unplanned pregnancy. I was a foster parent for fifteen years and adopted two sisters from foster care. My whole Leaving Lennhurst Asylum series is what it was like for the discarded and disadvantaged children before there was the foster care system.

One of the characters I can write with ease is the overworked church girl. Even though my stories are historical, she flows from my fingers. I lived for years believing that more was Godly. Fatigue was a lack of faith, and service was the way to approval. Ugg. Don’t get me wrong; the gospel goes forth today because of women who serve and sacrifice. (and write) But it took me years to understand, my approval and acceptance were demonstrated on the cross. I can't earn His love or work for it. It’s already mine.

The common saying in writing is," write what you know." Or write what you've lived. Whole-hearted creative women use all of life's highs and lows in the raw and vulnerable message of their writing. Who knew this life was going to be fodder for a good love/redemption story.

God knew since He’s telling that love story through all of us. 

Whole-hearted creative women use all of life's highs and lows in the raw and vulnerable message of their writing. #SeriouslyWrite #amwriting

~~~~~~

Author of Christian Historical Romance, Julia David loves the wild walk of faith. A former

Women’s Ministry director turned romance writer is a great example. A serial thrifter and DIY’er for fun, she camps around Oregon and Northern California with her large imperfect (a husband that could skip camping and live in peace) family. The next series, Loves Pure Gold coming from juliadwrites is a fun romp of love in the early Gold Rush Boomtowns of California.

The Most Frightening Thing About Being a Writer by Mary A. Felkins

In the spirit of scary, Halloweenish things, I wonder what answers I'd receive if I polled writers and asked them to share what frightens them most.

~Standing on stage to accept an award?
~Self-promotion?
~The unintentional deletion of an entire manuscript that can’t be recovered?
~Crafting a character whose difficult backstory matches our own?
~Being rejected?

This list would be endless, really. It would reflect the varied and relatable insecurities with which many of us wrestle.

But what lurks far deeper and likely delivers a greater fright might be the nagging voice of doubt,

“Why, oh, why am I doing this?”

That insidious message Satan whispers in throaty, lying tongue to lure us, time and time again, away from our primary calling.

To write.

Backside in chair, hands on keyboard, tapping away madly. (BIC HOK TAM)

Confession here. When my house is looking exceptionally polished, it’s evidence against me that I’ve allowed distraction to take priority over reaching my writing goals. On occasion, I’ve stopped to clean a toilet and felt a holy nudge…

“That’s not the seat that needs your primary attention right now.”

Pretty frightening.

But nothing is more frightening than gazing into the eyes of the Lord when we’re tempted to give up on this wildly unpredictable journey we call writing. To see an unsettling sadness in His eyes. Maybe like the look He gave Peter after the third rooster crow?

Scripture leaves Jesus’ expression directed at Peter to our imagination but, despite the unmatched compassion of the Lord for His most impulsive and mouthy disciple’s fallen state, I doubt there was any hint of a smile.

When I’m wrangling with a pitiful, “Why bother?”, I hear the voice of God say something like,

“You’re not thinking about giving up, are you, child? Listening to Satan’s lies again? Remember, I’ve called you to this. Thus, I will equip you.”

Halloween is only two days away, but nothing is more frightening than to abandon our writing journey when we’ve been assured of God's calling, to be held responsible for denying His chosen recipients of our writing to be encouraged by or inspired by… maybe even redeemed by…the Truth of the gospel of grace.

Let's all silence the frightening voice of doubt and cheer each other on, resolute in our calling.

Because God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. Romans 11:29 (NIV)

What about you? What frightens you most about being a writer?

I can’t think of anything more frightening about this writing journey than to abandon it all when I’ve been assured of His calling @MaryAFelkins #amwriting #amwriting #scariestthing #SeriouslyWrite

Mary A. Felkins is a contributor to writer’s blogs and a quarterly, on-line Bible study magazine. Her debut, inspirational romance novel, Call To Love, (www.pelicanbookgroup) will be released November 15th, 2019.

Raised in Houston, Texas –and forever a Lone Star girl- she and her husband Bruce moved to the foothills of North Carolina in 1997 and have four adolescent to young-adult children. She can be lured from her writing cave if presented with a large, unopened bag of Peanut M&Ms or to watch an episode of Survivor. A surprise appearance by her teen idol, Donny Osmond, would also do the trick, although she’d likely pass out.

If, upon introduction, she likes your first or last name, expect to see it show up in one of her novels.

Connect with Mary
To receive Mary’s weekly story-style devotions and quarterly book news via email, join other #Felkinsfans at www.maryfelkins.com
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https://www.twitter.com/MaryAFelkins

What if saying yes to love means trusting the kind of man you said you’d never marry?
What if pursuing a woman’s heart means restoring a painful past?

Two crisis-driven careers trained to answer emergency calls. But some calls come with too great a cost.
To trust again means surrender. Will they risk their hearts and answer the call to love again?

Road Trip Writing

A trip for business or fun can provide opportunities for great stories. Before leaving the house, certain lists have to be checked and preparations made for travel.

Packing my medium sized black suitcase with daily outfits, pajamas, underwear, socks and toiletries can take time and many lists. I usually create a note of everything needed for overnight trips. A list for me and one for my husband. Of course, he never needs to view my notes because I pack for him, but that is another story.

One essential item I like to take along is a notepad. Whether a big lined tablet or small pocket sized paper, having pen and paper is vital for the trip. No laptop for me so these writing utensils are part of my important “list for trip”. A special pink bag contains various ink pens, paper, sticky notes and the ever important soft peppermint candy.

Writing everyday is a joy for me. A long story or just a few notes keeps my writing active and the creative process full steam ahead.

People ask, “Do you write when you travel? Isn’t that hard?”

My answer, “Yes, I write when I travel. I find moments here and there to absorb surroundings and notice the people.”

A very strange experience occurred on this trip when we checked into the hotel. Receiving our welcome at the front desk, the staff member handed us a coupon for evening appetizers. All checked in, we headed for the elevator. Arriving at our room, we soon discovered the room key would not work. Back down to the desk, hubby explained the key issue. We were given another key and a staff person accompanied us to the room to make sure the key worked( or probably to make sure we knew how to use the key).
The lady flashed the card in front of the door lock and “click” was heard. This alerted us that the door unlocked.

Big problem! We opened the hotel room door and noticed the room was already occupied. Suitcases were on the beds. Luckily no one was in the room or in the shower. Yikes!
Waiting in the hallway for another staff member to accompany us to different room, we reminded ourselves of our family motto. “It’s Always A Story With The Henderson’s.” A nice room was finally found and we continued with our visit.
I will definitely write about the hotel room incident.
Making notes of specific events helps me when I am ready to create a story or blog post. Having my pens and notepad allow me to jot thoughts and continue enjoying the trip. I will continue with my “Road Trip Writing”.

Do you write when you travel? Share an experience or two with us.

Making notes of specific events helps me when I am ready to create a story or blog post. #seriouslywrite @mimionlife

Stay safe and have a blessed writing day,
Melissa Henderson

Melissa Henderson is a writer of inspirational messages through fiction, non-fiction, devotions, guest blogs, articles and more. Her first children’s book, “Licky the Lizard” was released in 2018. Some of her passions are helping in community and church. Melissa and her husband Alan moved from Virginia to South Carolina in 2017 to be near son, daughter-in-love and first grandchild. The family motto is "It’s Always A Story With The Henderson".

Website and blog : http://www.melissaghenderson.com
Amazon link to "Licky the Lizard"
Facebook : Melissa Henderson, Author
Pinterest : Melissa Henderson
Twitter : @mimionlife

When You Kick the Devil, You Better Be Wearing Your Armor by C. Kevin Thompson

C. Kevin Thompson

(Please read 1 Samuel 28.)

In the mid-’90s, I pastored a small church in Des Moines, Iowa. When we moved there, images of “The Heartland” came to mind. Cornfields lined the roads as we neared the city. Stories of commitment to family, country, and honor were regaled. It was where the true America lived.

One December, our daughter came home with a letter from the principal of her elementary school informing us of an upcoming Winter Festival. When I inquired about the nature of the festival and my willingness to donate time and resources, if needed, I was told that because of our ever-increasingly diverse population, symbols denoting the season—in this case, Christmas, Hanukkah, etc.—were not allowed per board policy.

That’s when my gloves came off.

We had just celebrated Halloween less than two months earlier. There didn’t seem to be a problem with displaying images of witches, ghosts, the Devil, black cats, and the other usual suspects of the holiday for that “festival.”

So, I brought some things to the attention of the principal. As it turned out, she felt the same way I did, but she was duty-bound by board policy. And now being an administrator myself, I get it. It wasn’t that I was offended. It wasn’t that I wanted the school to be isolationists and only display “my colors.” It was about equal air time and understanding that there are forces out there beyond the scope and sequence of educational standards that look for any opportunity to pollute the minds of our young people without ever giving the other side the same opportunities to educate, celebrate, and enrich. I know the power of God’s Word. I know the power of the Holy Spirit. I know the power of the Blood of Christ and the forgiveness of sins.

And that’s just it. So does the Enemy.

So, I went to work. I told the principal that I felt compelled to write an article about the issue. She encouraged me to do so. I figured it would go one of three ways: DOOR #1: They’d allow all symbols and stories; DOOR #2: They’d ban all symbols and stories; or DOOR #3: They’d keep it the way it was: “Yes” to Halloween, “No” to Christmas, Hanukkah, etc.

I wrote the article, never really expecting The Des Moines Register to publish it. Well, they proved me wrong. I wrote about the nature of Halloween, how it’s a high holy day for many people. Wiccans, Satanists, and other like-minded people hold that evening of October 31 as the most sacred and powerful day of the year, some of them praying for the destruction of Christians and Jews, others praying for a world free from a reign of God Almighty so they can “worship” as they wish. Then I turned the discussion toward the unfair practice in the schools wherein this particular religious holiday gets to be celebrated in our schools while other high holy days, like Easter and Christmas, get shunned for purposes of separation of church and state.

I called for the school board to revisit its policy.

The article appeared in a Sunday edition of the paper. That next week, I received emails and phone calls to the church from all over the U.S. It seemed I had stirred up a hornets’ nest by linking Wiccans and Satanists to the same holiday and lumping them all together. I was asked to hold a debate at a “church” in North Carolina against a noted Wiccan leader. I guess Wiccans and Satanists do not like to be recognized as worshippers of the same god.

The next week, in the Letters to the Editor section, the back page of the front section was literally filled with angry celebrants of Satan’s most holy day, calling for me to recant. In that Sunday’s paper, in the same section where my article appeared one week prior, a professor from the University of Iowa explained how she became a witch and tried dearly to argue that Satanists and Wiccans are not to be linked in any way.

What she and myriad other respondents failed to grasp, however, was that they were proving my point. What was touted by the everyday, working American family as a harmless holiday filled with harmless images of witches, ghosts, skeletons, monsters, and spider webs for the purpose of handing out not-so-harmless candy turned out to be something entirely different to an otherwise hidden substrata of the population.

Their numbers staggered even the principal who had urged me in the beginning to “write something.”

The editor of the paper, in an effort to stave off a threatened lawsuit by the debater’s church in North Carolina, asked me to write an apology. I agreed on one condition: “That you print exactly what I write, no editing allowed.” He agreed. So, I proceeded to apologize if I offended anyone who felt lumped together (for that was not my intention at all – to denigrate anyone’s beliefs), but I then proceeded to explain that the mentioning of the two as being “cousins of sorts” cannot, from my Christian worldview, be totally separated. Then, I went on to quote Deuteronomy 18:9-13 as the basis for my beliefs.

The editor and the paper got lambasted for allowing me to write my “unapologetic apology.”

C’est la vie. Truth is truth.

For those of you who don’t believe in witches, don’t believe people can conjure up dead spirits, and the like, you might want to read 1 Samuel 28. Saul believed in it. So much so, that he originally expelled all the mediums and spiritists from the land of Israel (v. 3).

However, Saul became desperate. God was no longer speaking to him. Saul tried to communicate with God—dreams, Urim, prophets (v. 6), but God remained silent.

Now, here’s the rub. Saul knew why God had abandoned him. Samuel told Saul the reason when he was alive in 1 Samuel 15. It was out of that conversation that we get the marvelous quote in 1 Samuel 15:22: “Does not the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

That was the crux of the issue.

Saul had disobeyed God. And Saul acknowledged his sin in 1 Samuel 15:24. However, what was done was done. God would not relent. So, here we are in chapter 28, and what do we find Saul doing? Using a witch to bring Samuel back from the dead.

What I love about this scene is how in the midst of evil, Samuel speaks the truth, reiterating to Saul why God has forsaken him (v. 17). Samuel also predicted Saul’s death and the death of his sons. That was scheduled to take place the next day.

Man, I bet Saul wished at that moment he hadn’t summoned Samuel. Bummer. It explains Saul’s lack of appetite toward the end of the chapter.

As a writer, do you stand amidst the evil around you and speak the truth? You know, evil comes in all shapes and sizes. Some forms worse than others, but evil nevertheless. When you are confronted with it, what do you do?

I believe that as the days grow darker, our lights will shine brighter. That’s what I believe Jesus meant when he said to set your light in the places of darkness in Matthew 5. Who lights a lamp in a room where the sun shines in? Like a city on a hill, who needs it “lit up” in the midday? But if it is illuminated in the darkness, it looks magnificent. Our lights must confront the darkness. Our lives must glorify God. And as is often the case, light exposes darkness. Especially this time of year when the world is dressing up, like the Celtics of old did to worship Samhain and ward off evil spirits.

We shouldn’t turn to darkness to seek the light either. That’s what desperate people who know not God do. That’s what Saul did, and you see how well that worked out for him.

Oh, and by the way, the school board of Des Moines chose Door #2. Was it the door I wanted? No. But at least Satan and his cronies got flushed out of the darkness and their holiday treated like all others.

I consider that a victory in this enemy territory we live in (Ephesians 6:10-20).

As a writer, do you stand amidst the evil around you and speak the truth? #seriouslywrite #encouragementforwriters via @CKevinThompson

I wrote the article, never really expecting The Des Moines Register to publish it. That next week, I received emails and phone calls to the church from all over the U.S. #seriouslywrite #encouragementforwriters via @CKevinThompson

It seemed I had stirred up a hornets’ nest by linking Wiccans and Satanists to the same holiday and lumping them all together. I was asked to hold a debate at a “church” in North Carolina against a noted Wiccan leader. #seriouslywrite #encouragementforwriters via @CKevinThompson

Triple Time

Triple Time

Book 2 of The Blake Meyer Thriller Series

A Looming Attack. A Loathsome Abduction. A Lethal Assassin.

Supervisory Special Agent Blake Meyer has an impossible choice to make. After thwarting a massive biological attack on the continental United States, the contagion is still missing and in the hands of the enemy. So is his family. Abducted as an act of revenge.

The clock is ticking, and the chances of finding his wife and children wane with every passing second. The assassin behind it holds all the answers.

Or does she?

Three demands. Three choices.

Blake Meyer knows what must be done...but can he accomplish it before it’s too late? Time is literally of the essence. And double time will not be fast enough.



C. KEVIN THOMPSON is a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a kid at heart. Often referred to as “crazy” by his grandchildren, it’s only because he is. He’s a writer. Need he say more?

The second edition of his award-winning debut novel, The Serpent’s Grasp, is now available! The first four books of his Blake Meyer Thriller series are out as well. Book 1, 30 Days Hath Revenge, Book 2, Triple Time, Book 3, The Tide of Times, and Book 4, When the Clock Strikes Fourteen, are now available! Book 5, A Pulse of Time, is coming soon! And, his new standalone novel, The Letters, is due out January 7, 2020 in e-book, February 18, 2020 in paperback! It is a “Christmas Carol-esque” book that will haunt your family pleasantly for years to come!

Kevin is a huge fan of the TV series 24, The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, NCIS, Criminal Minds, BBC shows Broadchurch, Shetland, Hinterland, and Wallander, loves anything to do with Star Trek, and is a Sherlock Holmes fanatic too. But you will never catch him wearing a deerstalker. Ever.

Website: www.ckevinthompson.com/
Kevin’s Writer’s Blog: www.ckevinthompson.blogspot.com/
Facebook: C. Kevin Thompson – Author Fan Page
Twitter: @CKevinThompson
Instagram: ckevinthompson
Pinterest: ckevinthompsonauthor
Goodreads: C. Kevin Thompson
BookBub: C. Kevin Thompson

Refreshment for a Writer's Soul by Terri Weldon

Beautiful Lake Eufaula

Last Thursday through Sunday I was blessed to attend a fabulous retreat at Lake Eufaula with ten other members of my local ACFW Chapter. The home we were able to stay in, thanks to our lovely treasurer Shannon, was gorgeous and the property was literally lake front. Our vice-president, Kat, had an airtight itinerary guaranteed to ensure we made maximum use of our time. All the meals were preselected and we rotated cooking.

Our retreat Cabin

Sound rigid? Originally, I thought, whoa, there is no way I want to be on a schedule that regimented. I’m a night owl, no way I will ever make it up that early in the morning for breakfast. Then I learned we were expected to read five pages aloud on both Friday and Saturday evening! Whoa, I didn’t sign up for this.

Jessica Preparing to Read her five pages

Guess what? I made it to breakfast every morning. I read five pages aloud both Friday and Saturday night. I didn’t read for entertainment. I threw myself into my writing and at night late in my room I only read craft articles. I marveled at the talent of the other ten authors. They inspired me and I revised more of my manuscript in those few short days then I had managed in months.

I hope I developed new friendships at the retreat. Relationships that will continue to flourish. I found joy in discussing scenes and plots with others. It was the perfect atmosphere to see if ideas or changes made sense. I watched one friend begin a new novel and her tenacity and attention to detail impressed me. When she read her five pages Saturday evening, they nearly brought me to tears. I’m can’t wait to read her entire book.

I’m still pumped and busy revising. Can I revise eight hours a day like I did during the retreat? No, I’m back in the real world now. However, I can revise every day. I can still set goals, and Lord willing I can meet those goals.

Partial Group Shot

A few takeaways from the retreat: it’s wonderful to be with a group you can pray with; there is life without television; we were in the country and quiet can be a good thing; I can sit and revise or write for more hours than I thought possible; accountability is a good thing; and being with other writers is nourishment for my soul.

View from my balcony

If your local chapter hasn’t hosted a writing retreat then see about organizing one for your group with the help of a couple of buddies. If you have an opportunity to attend a writing retreat go for it! Two of my friends practically had to browbeat me into attending this one and missing it would have been a huge mistake.

Have you attended a writing retreat? If so, tell me all about it. Where was it? Was it beneficial? Drop me a comment and let me know!

Terri Weldon feels blessed to be a full time writer. She enjoys traveling, gardening, reading, and shopping for shoes. One of her favorite pastimes is volunteering as the librarian at her church. It allows her to shop for books and spend someone else’s money! Plus, she has the great joy of introducing people to Christian fiction. She lives with her family in the Heartland of the United States. Terri has two adorable Westies – Crosby and Nolly Grace. Terri is a member of ACFW and RWA.

Readers can connect with Terri on her Website

When All Seems Lost by Sandra Ardoin

Most of us have lived through a time in our lives when our circumstances seemed dire, our lives in turmoil. We’re at our wits end and have no idea how to proceed.

Courtesy of Pixabay

Our fictional characters should reach that point in the story when all seems to be lost and they have no hope of achieving their dreams, their goals, perhaps, even saving their lives. It’s that dark time in a character’s story when he’s tossed to the bottom of a figurative pit and the emotional world around him goes dark.

This isn’t a plot point just for dramas. Even lighthearted stories need a black moment. In fact, everything that happens previously should point to that time in the story when the character’s world, what they believed in or knew, crumbles beneath them and sends them falling into a pit of despair. It usually occurs about two-thirds to three-quarters into the book.

How can you accomplish this?

Take something of value away from your protagonist. That something of value may stem from his backstory—his wound and fear. Did an event in his past turn him into a stickler for safety? Take that sense of safety away.

In a romance, the goal for a hero is to get the girl, right? Then the black moment is when the relationship blows up in his face. It seems the chance for “happily-ever-after” is gone and he’s faced with the decision to let it go or man up and fight for his future.

In a suspense/thriller or fantasy/sci-fi, it generally comes when the villain has the upper hand and the hero, his loved ones, or the whole world appears doomed. Does he have the wherewithal and know-how to win the day?

The Black Moment, Crisis, Second Plot Point—however you term it—is emotional, not just physical. 

This isn’t the time to mollycoddle your characters.

Dig that hole deep enough that climbing to the top seems an overwhelming effort, then remind them of their strengths and give them the ability to overcome.

Remember, when your characters are in that pit, there’s no way to go but toward the surface, which leads to the climax---the scene or scenes of fighting back. Then, with whatever ending you've chosen, your readers will close the book and consider they've had a satisfying read.

Can you easily pick out the black moment in a novel? Briefly share a black moment in one of your stories.

The Black Moment, Crisis, Second Plot Point—however you term it—is emotional, not just physical, and essential for a satisfying read. via @SandraArdoin #SeriouslyWrite #amwriting

~~~~~~

As an author of heartwarming and award-winning historical romance, Sandra Ardoin engages readers with page-turning stories of love and faith. Rarely out of reach of a book, she's also an armchair sports enthusiast, country music listener, and seldom says no to eating out.

Visit her at www.sandraardoin.com. Connect with her on BookBub, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest. Subscribe to the Love and Faith in Fiction newsletter and keep up with what’s new, discover what’s upcoming, and learn of specials.

She chose the wrong man once. Can she trust her instincts now?

Phoebe Crain, an accomplished pianist, lives in near poverty to protect her five-year-old daughter from scandal. When Phoebe receives a handcrafted cigar box by mistake, her desperation to give the child something special for Christmas drives her to suggest a trade with Spence Newland, a man she views as no more principled than her daughter’s late father. But the more time she spends with the department store heir, the more Phoebe struggles to keep up her guard against him.

Spence believes the cigar box will help him gain a reclusive investor's financial support for his proposed five-and-ten-cent stores, demonstrating his ability to manage the family fortunes. Yet he hesitates to bargain with a widow who mistrusts him for no apparent reason…until he meets a charming little girl at the train station who awaits the arrival of a prince.

Will a betrayal in Phoebe’s past and Spence’s unraveling plans derail their hope for happiness and keep a child’s fairy tale from coming true?

Contemplations on Vulnerability and Writing by Sondra Kraak

About seven years ago, I endeavored to write a romance. Wanting to grow in craft, I joined the American Christian Fiction Writers association and submitted chapters for critique.

Cue the anxiety and negative self-talk.

Strangely, I don’t remember those first critiques. What lingers in my memory is the overwhelming sense of vulnerability at pulling back the curtain on something intimate and private, a romance. Five published books later, I’d like to say that I’ve grown as a person—and surely, I have—but the fact remains: romance-writing is a vulnerable endeavor.

Vulnerability: The What
A sense of exposure and defenseless. A state of being uncovered and revealed or open to attack.

Vulnerability: The Why
The first man and woman lived “naked and unashamed” in the Garden of Eden: a beautiful picture of exposure free from disgrace. But the picture changes when they pursue their own path to wisdom rather than trust the wisdom and truth of their Creator. Immediately, with eyes opened, they reached for covering.

Enter awareness of nakedness. Enter vulnerability. Enter shame and the fear that something is wrong with me.

Vulnerability and Intimacy
That fear, something is wrong with me, has potential to keep us from deep friendships because friendships are made of intimacy, and intimacy is born out of exposing who you are to someone and in return, finding belonging. You don’t get intimacy without vulnerability.

So it follows that you don’t get romance without extra doses of vulnerability. If we’re going to be honest and mature, the deepest act of intimacy between two lovers requires quite a bit of layer-peeling, all the way down until only skin-to-skin and breath-to-breath remains.

For those of us suffering from the human condition (hello, everyone!), allowing ourselves to be exposed for the sake of relationship is very difficult. We are shame-bearers who seek to hide in order to protect ourselves from rejection.

Vulnerability and Writing Romance
Writing romance is essentially writing the story of Adam and Eve in reverse. We start with “something is wrong with me, and I need to cover up,” and we end with, “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.” And in between is a lot of layer-peeling work (with snazzy dialogue, preferably).

Every time I tell a romance, I’m keenly aware of my own leaf-weaving tendencies. I relive the angst of falling in love.
Will he laugh at who I am?
What will he do when he sees my flaws and abnormalities?
Can I truly trust him?

Yet every time the hero falls for the heroine, tells her she’s beautiful and that he loves her as she is, I experience the healing of my love story all over again. Romance writing is, for me, deep, therapeutic work.

Vulnerability and The Defender
But vulnerability doesn’t stop when the writing of the romance is done. The releasing of it into the world provokes another round of reaching for leaves. When the book moves from computer to Kindle, it can feel like I’m marching around naked.

When the book I've written moves from computer to Kindle, it can feel like I’m marching around naked. @SondraKraak @MaryAFelkins #writing #vulnerability #SeriouslyWrite

Combating this exposure doesn’t happen by covering up with leaves of positive self-talk. It happens by hiding behind Someone strong and capable of warding off rejection and condemnation: our savior and defender, Jesus Christ. As artists of the word, we may feel exposed, but truth is, Jesus exposed himself for our sakes, and He is the one who takes the scorn and rejection, bearing it “in his body on the cross” (I Peter 2:24).

This is good news to our feeble hearts. The final word over us does not come from readers, authors, or publishers. It comes from our Heavenly Father who accepts the work of Jesus on our behalf and calls us His children.

The final word over us does not come from readers, authors, or publishers. It comes from our Heavenly Father who accepts the work of Jesus on our behalf and calls us His children.@SondraKraak @MaryAFelkins #writing #vulnerability #SeriouslyWrite

Sondra Kraak, a native of Washington State, grew up playing in the rain, hammering out Chopin at the piano, and running up and down the basketball court. Now settled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children, Instagramming about spiritual truths, and writing historical romance set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She delights in sharing stories that not only entertain but nourish the soul. Her debut novel, One Plus One Equals Trouble, was an ACFW Genesis semi-finalist and the winner of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Unpublished Women's Fiction Award. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook and join her newsletter for a free short story and information about special devotional series.

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Website www.sondrakraak.com

Four Dreams of You

Unfulfilled dreams have left Grace Thomas vowing not to let her imagination roam wild again. Resigning herself to the realistic dream of owning a dress shop, she accepts a position as a housekeeper at Monaghan Lumber Camp in order to earn funds. The plan is simple, easy, and safe. But Torin Monaghan is not. The reclusive brother who seems indifferent to her presence is ironically the one stirring up her imagination once again.

Torin Monaghan will not be deterred from his passion to preserve the beauty of nature. Even if it appears as if he’s going against his family. Even if the quirky and wistful seamstress invading his space is proving a distraction. To his frustration, Grace Thomas is not easily dismissed, and neither are the ways she’s opening his eyes to a different sort of beauty.

When past threats bring new trouble to Pine Creek, Torin and Grace must become vulnerable—to each other and their community—and through risk, discover that reality is more fulfilling than their dreams.

Purchase on Amazon

Kingdom Building. Five Lessons Learned From Nehemiah by Patty Nicholas

In my daily bible study, I have been going through the book of Nehemiah. Verse by verse I am amazed at God’s voice through this book, and I have only gotten through the first three chapters. Here are my top five lessons learned so far.

1. Allow myself to be broken by disturbing news. Nehemiah’s heart was broken when his friends told him about the state of Jerusalem and the walls surrounding the city. I am guilty of letting my busy life harden my heart to the awful events that happen every day. I know I am not alone with an exhausting schedule. I’m up early in the morning, write, pray and read, then it’s on to work. Many nights I have church activities or family matters that need my attention. When someone asks for prayer, or I hear of a tragedy, often I don’t stop long enough to listen well and let the news truly break my heart.

2. Know that God has strategically placed me for such a time as this. I know we’ve heard the same thing from the book of Esther, but If Nehemiah wasn’t cup bearer to the King, he never would have been in a place to ask and receive everything needed for safe passage and to rebuild the walls. There have been many times in my life that I wondered how God could ever use a tough situation or a mundane task, but He did. As a writer I especially identify with this one. I am currently working on a project that has taken me away from a novel I’ve been working on for a very long time. This new project will most likely bring little to no income, but I know God has given me this task to complete for such a time as this.

Know that God has strategically placed me for such a time as this. Click to tweet it!

3. Formulate a plan in secret, but don’t be afraid to share it when the time is right. Nehemiah rode around the city at night accompanied by a small team. He inspected the walls carefully and made a plan on how he would rebuild but he didn’t tell anyone until he was ready to share. We, as writers pull our inspiration from many places and often work on our projects in solitude, but there will be a time when we need to share our thoughts with others. Our words are meant to go forth. Like a candle, the light only shines when we set it on display.

4. Big projects may take a team working together to finish. Nehemiah chapter three is a listing of all of the people who built the wall and the specific section where they worked. Writing is often a solitary task, but when it comes to submitting our work for critique, or brainstorming a project, or editing a manuscript, a writer has to have help.

5. When we are working on something that we know is a task from the Lord, there will be spiritual warfare. Nehemiah encountered Samaritan men who were not happy that he was there to rebuild the walls. They enjoyed coming and going through Jerusalem without any opposition. The men working on the walls were told to build with one hand and hold a sword with the other hand. We as scribes, and messenger of God’s word are exactly the same. The enemy does not want to be hindered by the truth and encouraging words that we share with the world. We have to be just a diligent. We need to keep our sword of the spirit, which is the word of God close at hand as we work through the tasks we are given.

Multi award winning writer, Patty Nicholas lives in the mountains of North Carolina. She is a busy event planner for the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove, and is a member of the Blue Ridge Writers Group. She is a mother of two grown daughters and grandmother of three. She writes Bible studies and devotionals as well as contemporary romance. Devotions are published in compilations by Lighthouse Bible Studies.

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Getting to Know You by JoAnn Durgin

Getting to Know You

As a little girl, the velvety smooth crooning of Johnny Mathis often lulled me to sleep. Let me explain. My mother relaxed in the evenings by playing her favorite record albums in the living room, and the music drifted into my nearby bedroom. Considering I was serenaded into dreamland by beautiful love ballads (many from musicals of the fifties and sixties), is it any wonder I grew up to write Christian romance?

One of the songs I remember most vividly was Johnny’s version of “Getting to Know You” from The King and I, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s legendary musical. One of my favorite aspects of the writing process is conducting research. While writing this blog post, I discovered the melody for “Getting to Know You” was originally written for another musical, South Pacific, but it was replaced by another song, “I’m in Love With A Wonderful Guy.” Eventually, lyricist Oscar Hammerstein wrote entirely new lyrics for “Getting to Know You,” and the sweet, upbeat tune found a forever home with Anna and the King of Siam.

Music has played an important role in my life as a way to praise, worship, and fellowship with the Lord. When I’m writing, my headphones or earbuds are never far away. The genre of music I listen to ranges anywhere from classical to contemporary Christian and depends on the scene and level of concentration needed. Drafting? Anything goes. When editing or finalizing a book, however, I prefer silence or quiet background music. Michael W. Smith’s instrumental albums, Freedom and Glory are personal favorites.

Perhaps it was inevitable that music has a strong influence in the lives of many of my fictional characters. Whisper to My Heart features a concert pianist heroine and her guitar-playing, songwriting construction worker hero. Pursuit is the story of a NASA shuttle commander who falls in love with the girl next door, an up-and-coming Christian singer and songwriter. In both of those books, I tried my hand at penning lyrics. Although a different creative stretch, I enjoyed it immensely! In Prelude, the tragic circumstances which inspired Horatio Spafford to pen “It Is Well With My Soul” are recounted. Likewise, in Let Your Light Shine, the children of the main characters act out the dramatic story of John Newton, who wrote “Amazing Grace.”

As you read this, my husband and I will be spending the day in Asheville, North Carolina, the setting of my most recent novel, If You Believe. We will be visiting locations noted in the book and following the downtown Urban Trail with markers depicting famous people and events in Asheville’s history. Kind of a “walking where my characters walked” exercise. As an author, it’s one of my absolute favorite things to do! The song I highlighted in If You Believe is “What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?” A precious and tender song, the tune and lyrics speak to my heart and make me sigh.

Whether a soul-uplifting and convicting hymn, or a beloved classic love song, music fills my heart with joy. It soothes and encourages me, especially as I’ve grown older and face new challenges. Do you listen to music as you write? Have you incorporated music as part of your books? I’d love to hear about your experiences. Please feel free to share!

Until His Nets Are Full,
JoAnn

How music can inspire our souls and inspire our novels!
#seriouslywrite #encouragementforwriters via @Gr8tReads

Do YOU listen to music when you write?
#seriouslywrite #encouragementforwriters via @Gr8tReads

Whisper to My Heart

Whisper to My Heart

The unlikely romance between a concert pianist and a construction worker.
After a decade of touring the globe, Manhattan-based classical concert pianist Annalise Redmond needs a break. What’s a Juilliard-trained musician to do when she wants to live a “normal” life for six weeks?

Weston Galloway, a former firefighter and member of an Atlanta-based construction crew, is as much into soul-winning as building the new bank in little Darling, Georgia.

Anna’s barely been kissed. Weston’s not looking for love. When these two souls collide in small-town Americana, is their time together destined only to be a precious memory or will they listen to the whispers in their hearts and dare to dream of a future together?

Throw in Anna’s quirky sister and brother-in-law, Weston’s challenging coworker, spirited employees at The Darling Diner, and a cast of lively townsfolk, and you won’t want to miss this journey to Darling!

JoAnn Durgin

JoAnn Durgin is a USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty contemporary Christian romance novels, including her signature Lewis Legacy Series. A native of southern Indiana, JoAnn likes to say she’s “been around in the nicest sense of the word” after living in four states across the country before returning to her hometown with her husband and three children. When she’s not writing, JoAnn loves to travel and spend time with their first grandchild, Amelia Grace. Feel free to connect with her at https://www.facebook.com/authorjoanndurgin or via her website at https://joanndurgin.com.

Time to Cut Loose the Anchors by Sandy Kirby Quandt

Relentless attacks, hijacks, and a temporary shutdown by the host of my blog this past spring, coupled with the rejection of two manuscripts under consideration for nine months, and losing a writing contest by 0.5 points caused me to re-evaluate whether I had what it took to continue writing. Fear and discouragement pushed out trust and hope.

I told God I quit. I couldn’t do it anymore. I was done writing. I threw out my anchor and refused to type one more word. For a time at least.

While I wrestled with God over the future of my writing, I re-read the story in Acts 27 of the Apostle Paul’s shipwreck. While on his way to Rome as a prisoner, Paul’s ship ran into a life-threatening storm. Fear consumed the passengers but it didn’t consume Paul. Knowing there was little they could do about the storm, he encouraged his fellow shipmates to put their trust in the ability of the One who created the wind and the waves to keep them safe.

During the storm’s worst, the men threw out the ship’s anchors. They tied ropes around the rudders to keep the ship immobile. They lowered the sail, and stayed put to wait out the storm.

Two weeks later, daylight came. With land in sight, the men cut loose the anchors which kept them from moving forward and abandoned them in the sea. They untied the ropes which held the rudders in place. They hoisted the foresail to the wind, hung on, and headed to shore.

How many times in the middle of our storms have we thrown out the anchor, tied down the rudder, lowered the sail, and refused to move forward? We see the storm before us, whatever our storm might be, look at our inability to control it, and throw our hands in the air. We forget the one who created the storm placed it in front of us for a reason. To grow our trust and prove he is able.
When we reach the point where we allow our faith to beat out our fears, and hope to defeat discouragement then we’re willing to cut loose the anchors, untie the rudders, hoist the sail, and hang on for the ride. We’re committed. We've released our life into the All-Powerful hand of the One who controls the winds and the seas to carry us safely to shore.
In the midst of my struggle I forgot something important. I believed in my inability more than I believed in God’s ability. I’m not sure if my refusal-to-write storm lasted two weeks like the storm in Acts 27, but after I pouted a while, I knew it was time to cut loose the anchors and get back to writing.

In the midst of my struggle I forgot something important. I believed in my inability more than I believed in God’s ability. - Time to Cut Loose the Anchors by @SandyKQuandt #seriouslywrite #writetip

Sandy Kirby Quandt is a freelance writer and follower of Jesus with a passion for history and travel. Passions that often weave their way into her stories and articles. She writes numerous articles, devotions, and stories for adult and children publications both print and online including Christian Devotions and Inspire a Fire. Her devotions appear in two Worthy Publishing compilation books; So God Made a Dog and Let the Earth Rejoice. Sandy won several awards for writing including the 85th and 86th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition in the Young Adult category, First Place in the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Children’s Literature 2016 Foundation Awards, First Place in the 2017 Foundation Awards in the Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Flash Fiction categories. Looking for words of encouragement or gluten-free recipes? Then check out her blog, Woven and Spun.
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Only One More Week! by Patty Smith Hall

One of my favorite times of the entire year is coming up, and it has nothing to do with Halloween or the coming holidays. Because next week is my yearly writing retreat to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and I’m totally pumped! Eight days of focused concentration on my writing uninterrupted! And the best part? Being with seven other people who get that! If you’ve never had the opportunity to go on a writing retreat, let me tell you—you’re missing out on a chance to grow your writing in ways you’ve never imagined. 

What’s so great about a writing retreat? For me, it’s a chance to be selfish, to focus solely on my writing without having to worry about daily responsibilities that get in the way of long stretches of time. On the particular retreat I take part in, we rent a large house with lots of great writing space, so each participant has their own little nook. We make house rules that include long period of quiet time to give everyone time to write. You can write for as long (or as little) as you like. I usually work around 6-8 hours with short breaks in between, but we have one housemate who is at her computer by seven and doesn’t come up for air until dinnertime. (Talk about commitment!)

Another fantastic thing about a retreat is having several writer-friends ready to brainstorm with me if I run into a problem plot point or character.

To make the most of a writer’s retreat, you need to work out a plan of action beforehand. What do you hope to accomplish? Do you have a daily word count you’d like to achieve? Having a plan cuts down on wasting precious retreat time. For example, I had two goals at a recent mini-retreat I attended. First, I wanted to hammer out the last half of a novella I’ve been working on. Secondly, I wanted to talk through a problem I’ve had with a series I’ve been working on for the last year. The retreat only lasted two days, but I was able to accomplish both. For my Outer Banks retreat, I hope to finish writing the novella and start edits on another project.

So how do you organize a writing retreat? Start with a small group of writing friends who would benefit from such a project. Pick a location that is convenient for everyone(near to an airport, driving distance.) With Airbnb, you can find a place that fits your price range as well as your needs. Consider a retreat during the off-season—you can rent a beach house on the beach in Florida for a 1/3 of the cost if you go the last week of September. Once you’ve secured a location, decided on the particulars—length of retreat, eating in or going out(we have a friend who cooks for us! Hey Laura!), who gets what room, house rules and quiet zones.

Also, don’t be nervous if you don’t know everyone in the house. Last weekend, I knew two out of the eight people at the retreat, but by the time it ended, I had made five new friends who knew my Doctor Quinn, Medicine Woman story!

Because that’s what a writing retreat does—it draws us closer together.

To make the most of a writer’s retreat, you need to work out a plan of action beforehand. via @pattywrites #SeriouslyWrite #amwriting

~~~~~~

Patty Smith Hall lives in North Georgia with her husband of 36+ years, Danny. Her passion is
to write tender romances based in little-known historical moments. The winner of the 2008 ACFW Genesis award in historical romance, she is published with Love Inspired Historical, Barbour and Winged Publishing, and is a contributor to the Seriously Writing blog as well as Journey magazine. Patty is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. 

5 Things to Consider When Writing Medical Scenes by: Shannon Moore Redmon

How many times have educated medical professionals watched a television show, read a book or viewed a movie only to find cringe-worthy, inaccurate medical scenes? For those of us who want to make sure our trauma scenarios are true to real life then below are some steps to follow.

1) Research!

Few people, even medical professionals, understand how everything works in a hospital. There are so many protocols, procedures and departments that we can’t understand every aspect. Researching treatments, symptoms and tests are important when getting a scene correct.

We want to use websites offering up-to-date true medical knowledge from healthcare professionals to conduct our probe. Be careful when perusing medical sites not backed by a known healthcare facility. They sometimes offer inaccurate information. Below are some trusted places to conduct your searches.

www.mayoclinic.org
www.hopkinsmedicine.org
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases

One of the best ways to research a medical procedure or trauma protocol is to interview a nurse, paramedic, EMT, or physician. If we don’t have anyone like that in our circle of experts, then we can go to the allied health building at our local community colleges and easily find someone in the field of interest.

2) Update Medical Jargon

The language we use in medicine can be overwhelming, difficult to understand and often misrepresented in books, TV shows and movies.

When writing a medical scene, make sure to keep the medical jargon to a minimum. Readers don’t want to read every detail of a cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder) or other types of exams and procedures. Too much advanced terminology will take the reader out of the story and give them a reason to close the book. Not what we want. So, keep it simple, to a minimum and accurate.

Extra tip: Make sure all medical terms and titles are up to date. Words and titles change all the time. X-Ray technicians are now referred as Radiographers. Orderlies are called Medical Assistants. Gurneys are now called stretchers, etc.

3) Doctors, doctors, everywhere

Something fascinates readers about doctors. They love to read about them. However, remember, many advanced professionals work with doctors to help them diagnose a patient’s condition. Medicine is a team effort, not a one-person show. Nurses, paramedics, imaging and medical assistants all work together to care for patients. Most doctors do not perform their own ultrasounds, MRIs or complicated lab tests. They order them and let those specialized in those areas work the results out for them, providing them with a final report in the computer system.

4) Love in Scrubs

Even though many dream of a medical romance, most healthcare professionals are not meeting up in supply closets to get a little loving. A hospital is filled with germs, body fluids, blood, vomit anything else that grosses a person out. Yes, we have people who clean, but those who work in these environments understand the nature of staph infections and communicable diseases.

5) Attitudes

As we all know, when working in a large environment of people, everyone has different ideas and attitudes toward their work. A hospital is probably one of the most diverse places one can work, and drama is bound to happen. Instead of creating false scenarios, focus the issues on the characters in the medical environment. Coworkers argue, patients code or die, some doctors get frustrated and lash out at staff while others remain calm under all circumstances.

With a little digging, we can make our medical scenes reflect a true to life experience. For those of us who work in the healthcare field, we still need to do our homework when writing a medical scene. Sometimes things change in medicine.

Remember, many advanced professionals work with doctors to help them diagnose a patient’s condition. @shannon_redmon @MaryAFelkins #amwriting #writerwisdom #writingmedical #SeriouslyWrite

Medicine is a team effort, not a one-person show.@shannon_redmon @MaryAFelkins #amwriting #writerwisdom #writingmedical #SeriouslyWrite

Shannon Redmon remembers the first grown up book she checked out from the neighborhood book mobile. A Victoria Holt novel with romance, intrigue, dashing gentlemen and ballroom parties captivated her attention. For her mother, the silence must have been a pleasant break from non-stop teenage chatter, but for Shannon, those stories whipped up a desire and passion for writing.
There’s nothing better than the power of a captivating novel, a moving song or zeal for a performance that punches souls with awe. A rainbow displayed after a horrific storm or expansive views on a mountaintop bring nuggets of joy into our lives. Shannon hopes her stories immerse readers into that same kind of amazement, encouraging faith, hope and love, guiding our hearts to the One who created us all.

Shannon’s writing has been published in Spark magazine, Splickety magazine, the Lightning Blog, The Horse of My Dreams compilation book, and the Seriously Write blog. Her stories have been selected as a semi-finalist and finalist of the ACFW Genesis Contest and won first place in the Foundation’s Awards. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. The StoryMoore Blog is named in memory of her father, Donald Eugene Moore.

Connect with Shannon:
www.shannonredmon.com
The StoryMoore Blog
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