How We Wrote a Multi-Author Series by A. M. Heath

Multi-author series are nothing new, but the Librarians of Willow Hollow was my first time participating in one. Thanks for giving me the chance to share my experience. I’m going to address some commonly asked questions. Maybe this will encourage you to step out into a multi-author series.

Experiencing Research by A. M. Heath

"Write what you know." We hear it all the time. Today, author A. M. Heath gives writers tips on ways in which we can transform our knowledge into first-hand experience. -- Sandy

Anita: Research is more than just a weekend trip to the library. Research is a way of life.

 

Most fiction authors are used to taking everyday experiences and filing them away for their writing. A walk in the rain would give you valuable insight into the life of a soldier. A bad case of strep gives you insight into the deathbed of a character. 

But I want to encourage you to find new ways to gain valuable experience. For contemporary authors, this would mean experiencing your character's job or hobby. There are certain details that only experience can teach. For example, you might not know that one of the greatest challenges to photography is lighting and interference in the background, or that a hardship would be the workout your legs get from squatting and standing all afternoon.

A baker's greatest challenge is getting interrupted and forgetting whether or not they've added in the salt. While the hardship might be the heat in the kitchen or the dishes.

Whatever your character is involved in, take the time to experience it first hand so you can bring a deeper understanding to it.

As a historical author, I want to give you a list of suggestions for bring history to life and experiencing new things aside from visiting historic homes and landmarks.

Transportation:

• Ride a horse
• Train
• Carriage
• Wagon
• Ride sidesaddle

In the kitchen:

• Cook recipes from your era, especially if you work with a war era. There were so many shortages so try working with what they had on hand. 
• Pluck a chicken
• Grind coffee beans by hand
• Use tea leaves
• Cook over an open fire
• Drink tea or coffee without sugar
• Bake pies or bread from scratch

Household:

• Turn your lights off and only use a candle for the night 
• Turn off the tv and listen to the radio (use audio books in place of radio programs) 
• Candle or soap making 
• Sew by hand
• Knitting
• Canning
• Write with a quill
• Handwash your dishes or laundry (Don't forget to towel dry or hang your clothes on a line)
• Sew and stuff a tick (mattress)

Outdoors:

• Shoot a rifle
• Chop and stack firewood
• Start a fire

General life:

• Play old games
• Try on reenactment clothing
• Tour a fabric store and feel and compare common materials worn during your era
• Folk dancing 

I'd love to hear the ways you've taken your research to the next level! In what ways are you now planning to?

~~~~~~

Being raised in a small Tennessee town, A.M. Heath grew up with a love for southern history and nostalgia. She lives with her husband and four children in Southern Tennessee where they embrace the small town lifestyle.

Connect with A.M. Heath online on her blog, Facebook page, or website.


Devastation sweeps across the land, and the families of Maple Grove cannot escape when war arrives at their front doors. They must learn how to survive the uncertainty of war and a country split in two. While the war in the nation rages on, the battle within grows stronger. Will they learn that the only safe place to hide is in the shadow of Thy Wings?
*The Ancient Words Series is best read in order.

God's Promise of Success by A. M. Heath

Will you know when you've reached the top of that success ladder? Today, author A. M. Heath provides encouragement for the climb. -- Sandy

A. M.: One of the most frustrating things for an author is the actual climb for success.  Authors typically don't mind working through writer's block or plotting out a new novel. We normally aren't fazed by sleepless nights and double-duty days. It's the steep climb for success that worries us. It's a ladder that seems to have no end, and not knowing when you've reached the top of the Success Ladder?

Is it when you reach #1 on the sales chart? Or when you stay #1 for x amount of weeks? Or are you simply trying to out due a fellow author...secretly, of course. ;)

Or are your ambitions more humble? Will you be content to make just one new fan? What if that fan forgets to tell you that you've hooked them? What if your best reviewers neglect to share their thoughts on Goodreads? What if your work is a hit with 100% of the readers who find it...only very few people find it?

How can we find success in our work? How do we know when we've found it? Will it bring satisfaction when we've found it?

For all these reasons, and so many more, authors often despair at trying to climb this never ending ladder. I'm not above the norm. I often find myself sinking instead of climbing. And it's in this dark place that I reach for a lesson about success that never fails to comfort.

"'Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men...For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men...'"

You see, if your work is of God then it can not be stopped. "Being unstoppable" is a solid definition of success. God promises success for the projects that He ordains. BUT this success may not look like the success we've dreamed of. It may not happen in the time frame that we've hoped for. But your success, according to the will of God, is a promise from God, Himself.

But there's one more thing that we have to note. The lesson isn't complete without it. In the following paragraph, the Bible records this event next:

"His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged...and let them go."

Let your eyes fall upon that word "Flogged" again. It's true, that God's servants will see success in the works He had given them to do, but that doesn't mean we won't be flogged. The next time you feel like you're being beaten for your work, or maybe by it, remember that flogging may be a part of His plan, not to tear you apart but to build you up for the work He has for you.

~To read the Biblical passages in context: Acts 5:12-42~

What is your idea of writing success? 

~~~~~

Being raise in a small Tennessee town, A.M. Heath grew up with a love for southern history and nostalgia. 

She lives in Southern Tennessee with her husband and four children where they embrace the small town lifestyle.

A.M. Heath debuted her writing career with the Civil War novel, Where Can I Flee, in 2014. Fans are eagerly awaiting the follow up sequel, In the Shadow of Thy Wings, due out in fall of 2015. The series follows a real Confederate regiment from Middle Tennessee while also weaving God's truth into the fabric of the novel.

You can connect with A.M. Heath online on Facebook, her weekly blog, Goodreads, and her website. Where Can I Flee is currently for sale on Amazon.

War is on the horizon during the spring of 1861. It will be an event that will change the lives of everyone in its path. The Harper family included.

Frank Harper is a young man full of dreams and ambitions. Even when the country is split and war breaks out, Frank will do whatever is necessary to see his dreams come true, even when that means putting on a uniform and leaving home.

For the first time, Claire Harper is forced to consider the reasons behind such a conflict. Should slavery be abolished? Which side should she be on, and what does God have to say about this? Claire is torn between her own opinions and those of her family. The struggle within her only increases when she repeatedly runs into a kind and handsome Union soldier. She longs to see her brother turn to Christ before it is too late. Desperate to reach her brother with the gospel, Claire pens a series of inspiring letters. Will she be able to handle all the obstacles of war and continue to be a witness to those around her?

How long can Claire last when her heart is torn in half and she is burdened for her brother's soul? How long can Frank resist his sister's urgent pleas or the gentle tugging from within? Can a man outrun a holy God?