Freshen Up by Mary Manners

 

Freshen Up

by

Mary Manners

 

 

It has always been my dream to live on a farm, and a year ago that dream came true. Well, sort of. My husband and I purchased acreage in our small town and it came with a house. I  often say I fell in love with the land, the garden shed, and the chicken coop...and the house was merely a bonus!

 

The house had issues. The flower beds were maze-like jungles that had grown up over the entrance, while a bird's nest sat in the porch light. A pagoda was leaning perilously and the garden pond had dried up. The shutters needed paint and the decks would have to be torn out and rebuilt from the bottom up.

 

But inside the house was warm and inviting, despite the fact that some areas needed a paint job and some serious TLC. We immediately realized the house had good bones...and would soon become our forever home.

 

A year later, the land has been tamed with beautiful flowers and box gardens that produce lovely vegetables nearly year-round. Our rescue dog and cats love to frolic in the yard with the chickens, and my husband and I often enjoy an evening out on the restored porch as we watch the sun set in a breathtaking display of tranquil beauty.

 

 



 



 

So, what does all this have to do with writing? Well, our stories are often like the house on my mini farm--they have good bones but need a little (or a lot) of TLC. Look for the beauty that lies within the pages of that unfinished manuscript, and don't be afraid to renovate in order to make that beauty shine. With a bit of pruning, your story just might call someone home. 

 

~~~~~

 



Proven Love

 

 



HAVE THE YEARS TAUGHT THEM HOW TO FORGIVE...AND TO TRUST THEIR HEARTS?

 

Megann Reilly returns home to Wildwood, Tennessee to help nurse her estranged mother back to health. She's grateful for her newfound job as an administrative assistant at Wildwood Community Church…until she runs into Colton Kendrick, the bad-boy-wannabe who broke her heart.

Colt's job as Youth Director at the church is a cavernous stretch from his high school days as the town's privileged rich kid. The death of his sister has left him with a young niece to raise and an unruly puppy to tame. He's not the self-centered person who once hurt Megann, and all he wants is a chance to prove to her the man he’s become—and to love her.

Is it true that time heals all wounds, or has Colt found Megann…only to lose her again?

 

~~~~~

Mary Manners is a country girl at heart who has spent a lifetime sharing her joy of writing. She lives in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee with her husband Tim and their rescue dog Axel, mischievous cats Colby and Rascal, 8 rambunctious chickens, and a dozen fish.

Mary writes stories full of faith and hope. Her books have earned multiple accolades including two Inspirational Reader’s Choice Awards, the Gail Wilson Award of Excellence, the Aspen Gold, the Heart of Excellence, and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award.

Mary loves long sunrise runs, Smoky Mountain sunsets, and flavored coffee. She enjoys connecting with reader friends through her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com.

 

 



The Joy and Pain of Editing by Kathleen Friesen

Some aspects of writing bring great joy. The thrill of “meeting” new characters, the little surprises they share as the story unveils, and the satisfaction of a story well told. Great stuff!

But editing? Um… Not quite as much fun. Necessary, of course, but oft times rather painful.

My dearly beloved and I recently moved from British Columbia to Saskatchewan, nearly 1200 miles, from a fully finished and landscaped home to a much smaller fixer-upper with thousands of yellow flowers instead of lawn. In preparation for our move, we spent months purging. Until remodelling is complete, our move took us from five bedrooms to one and a half (long story), a large, gorgeous kitchen to a small, dark one, and from a well-appointed shop for my husband to that yellow-dotted, otherwise-bare yard. So everything extra had to go.

Old clothes, extra copies of books, rarely used furniture—getting rid of them made sense. But some purging tugged hard on the old heartstrings. I’d spent years collecting books, fabric, and craft supplies. At least half had to go, and it wasn’t easy. I spent a long time reading and sniffling though the box of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day cards made for us by our children decades ago. I kept most of them. They didn’t take much room, after all. Some things are just too precious to discard.

Editing is pretty much the same as purging belongings. Some words and phrases are obviously extras. Surplus. Easy to let go. Others, our little darlings, wrap themselves around our emotions and (let’s be honest) egos.

But just as purging stuff becomes freeing, so does editing. The story shines brighter the tighter it gets, and you’ll find that many of those things you thought were necessities were actually weighing it down. So go ahead, slash those superfluous phrases, the telling words, the over-dramatic scenes. Let it go! Cuddle your darlings, those turns of phrases that caress your ear, and make the difficult decision. Do they enrich the story? Really? If so, pack them in bubble wrap and carry on. If not, say goodbye.

When you’re done, re-read the entire story. I’ll bet you love it even more. And if you need any ands, thes, or thats, I have plenty of extras hiding in my manuscripts.

Hearts Unfolding

Kennedy Rockwell enjoys pouring concrete for her family’s business, Rockwell Concrete Works, but dreams of branching out into her own landscape design venture. Strong and independent, she has the drive to achieve her goals. Romance can wait…until Austin Warner turns her emotions inside out.

Austin Warner works hard to fulfill his dreams, too, but the one closest to his heart is something he’s never really had: a family of his own. Kennedy Rockwell seems to be the answer to his prayers until a small complication brings huge consequences.

Challenges to their relationship and hurts from their pasts push Kennedy and Austin toward the only One who can give them the desires of their hearts.

Amazon Buy Link: Hearts Unfolding

Kathleen Friesen writes contemporary tales of faith that can overcome tough trials and deep heartaches. Her desire is for her readers to see themselves in the characters of her stories and to realize that Jesus Christ is the true hero for everyone, whatever their circumstances.
Kathleen and her amazingly patient husband recently moved back to Saskatchewan so they can spend more time with family in between renovations, landscaping and adventuring in new places.

Links:

Website: https://kathleenfriesen.weebly.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathleenefriesen/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KFriesenAuthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomkathleenfriesen

Write Ugly by Susan Tuttle

Some would say there’s nothing more beautiful than a blank page. That wide expanse that allows a writer to dream of unending possibilities. And that feeling typically lasts all of 2.4 seconds for me (and others, if I can believe my other writer friends). See, many of us stare at that blank page unwilling to ugly it up with our words, because let’s be honest; rough drafts can be awfully ugly.

But you cannot do anything with a blank page. Oh, it’ll remain mar free and pristine, but no book reached The End in a pristine condition. For a writer to make progress, you have to…get this…WRITE. In all its messy, dreadful, ghastly, glory, you need to get words on that blank page.

My problem is with each new project I forget this. I’ve been staring at a blank page too long. But recently while editing a work by my crit partner I was reminded that ugly writing is made beautifully stunning in the editing stages. I’d watched her struggle with a story, unsure even at times of where it would go, but she put words on paper nonetheless. Then she began to shape them into a striking, witty, charming novel through individual word changes, sewing up plot holes, and reworking paragraphs. None of that could occur until after she had the story on paper though.

You see, our first draft allows us to get to know our characters and their story. It doesn’t matter if you’re a planner or pantser, there are elements of a story that don’t come out until you’re writing it. And once you reach the first The End you can go back with new insight on those threads and characters so that you’re able to enhance the story with what you’ve discovered.

But first you must write ugly. Give yourself the freedom to do that. It’s a challenge I’m issuing to myself and to you today. Now let’s go after those words!

 

Susan L. Tuttle lives in Michigan where she’s happily married to her best friend and is a homeschooling mom of three. She’s firmly convinced that letters were meant for words, not math, and loves stringing them together into stories that inspire, encourage, and grow women into who God created them to be. Romance, laughter, and cookies are three of her favorite things, though not always in that order. You can connect with Susan at her blog, Steps, Facebook, or Twitter.