Merry Mayhem by Anita Higman

Anita Higman

Novels set during the Christmas season are becoming more popular than ever. People love reading cozy stories during the coziest time of the year. But the stories can’t be all about Santa’s rosy cheeks and merry dimples. If I don’t have St. Nick ripping his pants on the way down the chimney, or landing on some burning coals, or facing a gun-toting homeowner, then readers might want to settle in for a long winter’s nap—but only after opening the shutters to toss my novel out onto the new-fallen snow!

Okay then, let’s brainstorm a snuggly Christmas scene that can be tweaked enough to turn tranquility into turmoil.

Our heroine and hero, Lucy and Harold, are in love—oh, how sweet—and Lucy knows that Harold has created a perfect evening so he can pop the question. The tree is decorated, Josh Groban’s Noel CD is playing, and Harold and Lucy are nestled in front of a crackling fire sipping hot wassail. That’s a nice Christmassy proposal scene, but we can only take cozy so far. Ray Bradbury said, “First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him!” Good advice, but what if my heroine, Lucy, wants to marry Harold and is about to yes? It’s the end of my happily-ever-after story. Something ugly will need to happen soon. Some sort of struggle, internal or external.

Here’s one scenario. Hours before their romantic interlude, Lucy discovers that one of her beloved friends, Alice, is also in love with Harold. This could cause some struggle, but Lucy may say yes to the proposal anyway, since she could convince herself that she is the only woman on earth who could make Harold happy. Okay, so after a chapter or two, the conflict fizzles.

Maybe a moral dilemma would turn up the heat. What if Lucy’s friend, Alice, was a widow, and the reason her husband is dead and her children are fatherless is because of an accident—an accident that was Lucy’s fault? And what if Alice had a problem with depression because of her loss and grief? Okay, that’s a twist that will make readers squirm. Lucy is now going to say no to Harold’s proposal—that is, if she has any moral marbles in her bag—and she’ll want to give Harold a chance to fall in love with Alice.

Good, but maybe the conflict needs another layer. Perhaps since the accident—which was years ago—Alice has used the incident as leverage, and she has forced Lucy into a subservient mode that has turned into oppression. Lucy will not only need to love Alice as Christ would, but she’ll also need discernment and wisdom and courage to break free of Alice’s control. Hopefully this additional dimension will help keep Lucy tripping toward the altar until she finally gets to say, “I do.”

If you have trouble creating conflict in your story, then find a brainstorming buddy who can help you flesh it out. This simple but effective idea has worked well for me.

I think one of the best books out there on plot development and conflict is The Plot Thickens by Noah Lukeman. I highly recommend it. Hope this helps.

Merry mayhem to all and to all a goodnight!

Dora here. How do you layer the conflict 

in your stories?

Do you brainstorm with your buddies?

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Charlotte Rose Hill, who loves serving up country delicacies and uniquely blended teas, discovers that while she's been faithfully caring for her tearoom customers, she'd also been quietly turning into an old maid. Charlotte did fall in love with a young man, Sam Wilder, when she was 18, but his family forced her to walk away from their relationship. Now, more than a decade later, Charlotte finds that she still has feelings for her first love. Initially thrilled to learn that Sam has come home to Middlebury, Texas, Charlotte is then devastated to learn that he's brought someone with him: his fiancée. But all is not lost when one of the loveable but meddlesome townsfolk decides to get involved. Will the next marriage in Middlebury be for Sam and Charlotte?

Best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has thirty-six books published. She’s been a Barnes & Noble “Author of the Month” for Houston and has a BA in the combined fields of speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends. 

Please visit her website at www.anitahigman.com and drop her a note by clicking the “Contact Me” button.

Author Branding – Will It Help Sell More Books? by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

Jennifer Hudson Taylor

What is author branding? 

It's the reputation you build in the publishing community and to your readers of what kind of stories to expect when they see your name on the cover of a book. 

Is author branding necessary? 

If you want to build readership, yes. If you want to sell more books, yes. Readers who like westerns aren't typically interested in a science fiction book. For this reason, so many authors have had to create pen names for various subgenres. People work hard for their money and they can choose to spend it on a number of things. You don't want them to be disappointed if they take a chance and spend it on your book. If that happens, most likely they won't spend more money on anything else with your name on it, nor will they encourage others to do so. 

Author branding is another way of target marketing. If you are promoting your book based on the book's contents, you are going to appeal to those who would like that particular book. Marketing and advertising is expensive. You don't want to waste your time and money trying to appeal to an audience who won't like what you write. You aren't likely to sell many books that way, and it doesn't make sense. So why wouldn't you create an author brand for yourself? 

If you're like me, you might be hesitant to build a label around yourself because you don't want to be limited to writing one kind of book. I've already mentioned pen names as one way to get around this. Another way is to write the same subgenre for a decade or two and then rebuild your image. Lots of authors do this, and if you do it well, you won't lose readers, in fact you may gain more. 

For instance, a contemporary romance author may choose to brand him/herself as a romantic suspense author. That way you aren't losing readers who like romance and contemporaries, you're just giving them a new element to read along with what they already read. Keep the subgenres similar, but give readers more. This will ultimately lead to more readers, which will lead to more sells. 

Do unpublished authors need an author brand? 

Yes. Before you can sell books on a store shelf, you first have to sell to a publisher. You need to stand out among the masses of other writers. There isn't enough shelf space for all the wanna-be writers in the world, so you've got to find a way to stay out of the slush piles. There are a lot of good writers who sit in the slush piles year after year. Their works are good enough to be on the shelf of a bookstore. The difference is, their marketing proposals may not be unique enough or stand out and get noticed. 

At one time I believe it was true that good writing would get noticed. But with the competition the way it is today, the demand so buoyant, and the hectic schedule of the publishing industry, I no longer believe that's true. You still have to get someone to read your work in order for it to be noticed. That can only happen if you stand out in promoting yourself and your work. You must make a good impression in your proposal and presentation of your work before an editor or agent actually sits down to read your work. If your impression in your proposal doesn't stand out, they'll never turn to the first page of your manuscript. 

Remember, an unpublished writer is selling to an agent or editor. These folks are looking for specific markets where they know they can sell something. While good writing has to go along with it, if an author has written something that's great, but the story isn't right for an open spot, then it still won't sell. Don't waste their time or yours. 

Sometimes a quick rejection is a good thing. It will give you a chance to get that manuscript where it belongs much faster than wasting time on an editor's desk where it isn't going anywhere. By building an author brand, you will be letting them know upfront what they are getting from you. This will help you appeal to the right agents and editors. Target market to the right publishers and you will sell more faster.

Plus, publishers have less in their marketing budgets for new authors and mid-list authors. They reserve most of their budgets for the BIG name authors where they know their investment will pay off. Therefore, a new author will have to do so much more of their own marketing. 

By showing you are ahead of the game in your promotion and author branding, an editor will feel more comfortable taking a chance on you. This means if it comes down to your good writing as opposed to another author's good writing for one publication spot, you might have the edge since you have self-marketing potential. Editors are looking for authors they can build into careers for a long investment, not one-time book wonders.

Dora here. Have you developed a brand for your writing? 

How do you feel about author branding?

Purchase Link

For Love or Loyalty, Book 1
One conquest could destroy her, but avenge his family.
Scotland to Carolina, 1760

For Love or Loyalty is the story of a highlander seeking revenge, but when the bargaining price becomes too great of a moral sacrifice, he must find a way to reverse his deeds and save the woman he loves.

Malcolm MacGregor vows to free his family and exact revenge against Duncan Campbell. When the opportunity arises, Malcolm decides to use Duncan’s daughter as the bargaining price. Lauren Campbell is the perfect answer, until she begins chipping away at the bitterness in Malcolm’s heart and changing everything. Her bold faith and forgiveness ignites guilt he would rather avoid and a love he doesn't deserve.

Lauren Campbell never expected to discover such a caring and protective man behind the façade of Malcolm MacGregor’s fierce reputation. When they arrive in America, things turn against them, and Lauren finds herself in a fate worse than death. Now Malcolm has the dilemma of freeing the rest of his family or rescuing Lauren, but time is short and with little means, he needs a miracle.


Jennifer Hudson Taylor is an award winning author of inspirational fiction set in historical Europe & the Carolinas. She provides keynotes and presentations on the publishing industry, the craft of writing, building an author platform & social media marketing.

Both her debut novel, Highland Blessings and Highland Sanctuary, received a 4 1/2 star review from RT Book Reviews. Highland Blessings won the Holt Medallion Award for Best First Book and she has had reviews appear in USA Today Book reviews. Jennifer's work has appeared in national publications, such as Guideposts, Heritage Quest Magazine, RT Book Reviews, and The Military Trader. Jennifer graduated from Elon University with a B.A. in Communications/Journalism. When she isn't writing, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, visiting historical sites, parasailing, horseback riding, cycling, long walks, genealogy and reading.

Library Events: What's good, what's bad, what works, what doesn't. By Myra Johnson

Myra Johnson

Dora here, waving from somewhere in Norway where Hubby and I are enjoying a cruise. Yay! My sweet friend, Myra Johnson, agreed to step in for me today with a fabulous post on library events. It's a bit longer than our usual, but there's some great stuff in here, so fill up a bigger mug with coffee and settle back for an extra minute. It's worth it! Myra, welcome to Seriously Write! 

First of all, my thanks to Dora Hiers for inviting me to be your guest today to share some of my experiences with author events at public libraries.

Let me just state for the record that I am not an “out there” kind of person. I would much rather sit at home in my comfy writing chair with my nifty adjustable laptop desk with its built-in cooling fan and my trusty MacBook Pro open to my work-in-progress.

But let’s face it. Writing isn’t just about writing. We want readers. Faithful readers. Readers who tell their friends what great writers we are so their family and friends will buy our books!

And that leads us to the dreaded word promotion, which in turns brings us to one of the primary methods writers use to promote their books.

[Cue scary music here.]

PUBLIC SPEAKING!!!!!!!!

When I first dreamed of becoming a published novelist, it never occurred to me that I’d eventually be called upon to speak in front of various sized groups whose interest varied from “You are beyond fascinating!” to “Where’s the nearest exit?” 

My first few post-publication speaking gigs were for church gatherings or my local writers group, where I knew I’d be among friends. But when you have no idea whom you’ll be addressing--much less how friendly and open-minded they’ll be--it’s a lot different.

It also makes a difference whether getting up in front of an audience comes naturally to you. For some authors--the extroverts among us--public speaking is a breeze. Others, like introverted moi, need some encouragement.

That’s why, after moving to the Carolinas in 2011 and joining the local American Christian Fiction Writers chapter, I was very grateful to connect with Dora, a writer who has developed a real knack for working with area libraries to schedule author events.

Although I’ve done several library programs with Dora over the past couple of years, I certainly don’t consider myself an expert on the subject. But these experiences have brought a few things to light that I believe are worth passing along to other authors interested in braving the library circuit.

The first program I shared with Dora was actually a three-author panel that also included Jennifer Hudson Taylor, another Carolinian. The audience, comprising readers who enjoy inspirational fiction, proved very welcoming. Each author gave a 10-15-minute talk describing our journey to publication, providing background about our novels, and sharing a few thoughts about writing Christian fiction. Afterward, we took questions and then visited with attendees and autographed books.

A couple of weeks later, and feeling more comfortable now that we’d gotten to know one another better, the three of us repeated our program at a public library in another city with even more success.

Sharing the program with one or more author colleagues definitely takes the pressure off! That’s why, when Dora asked if I’d be interested in working up a joint program for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library System 2012 Summer Reading Series, I immediately said yes, and soon we were hammering out a talk on “Writing Inspirational Fiction” that would be presented at two different libraries.

We organized our talk in a “she said/she said” format, beginning with each of us sharing our personal background and highlights of our writing journey. We went on to discuss our individual writing styles, where we get ideas, advice about finding an agent, and an overview of several Christian publishing houses. Each participant received a handout with a list of our favorite craft books and writing websites.

We ended the program with Q&A, which was a great opportunity to zero in on participants’ individual needs and interests. Afterward, we stayed around for book browsing and more casual conversation. Overall, the program seemed to go over quite well. In fact, so well that this past summer Dora and I collaborated again to give three library presentations on the subject of creating memorable characters.

Now for the good, the bad, etc., etc.

Good: People who attend library events are avid readers. 

Bad: Library patrons like to check out books, not necessarily buy them.

Good: It’s fun and inspiring to chat with people who are really interested in books and writing. 

Bad: Turnout is unpredictable. At some events we had 10-15 or more in attendance. At one of our first summer programs we had only two.

Good: Librarians are your friends. Get to know them and they will recommend your books to readers and suggest upcoming releases as possible library additions.

What works: Contacting libraries well in advance of your desired program dates. 

What doesn’t work: Expecting the library to get you on the program calendar within a month or two. It can take several weeks to several months to get library approval.

What works: Planning ahead of time whether you will address primarily readers or writers and adjusting your content accordingly. 

What doesn’t work: Not clearly advertising your program as Christian or “inspirational” (if that’s central to your topic). People have been known to walk out at the first mention of faith.

What works: Promoting the event on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, etc.; also finding out what forms of promotion the library will be using. 

What doesn’t work: Scheduling your program either too early or too late on a weeknight evening.

What works: Arriving early enough to get your table and book display set up, visit the ladies’ room, get some water, and mingle with attendees as they arrive. 

What doesn’t work: Misjudging rush-hour traffic, then arriving so close to start time that you’re flustered and out of breath. Also, trusting Google Maps only to be sent to a nonexistent location!

What works: Giveaways (bookmarks, postcards, chocolate, etc.) and handouts containing supplemental information. 

What doesn’t work: Sitting shyly behind your book table and waiting for people to talk to you.

What works: Interacting with attendees, asking them about their reading interests, and suggesting other authors (yes, your competition!) you think they might enjoy. 

What doesn’t work: Not verifying whether the library has copies of your books in circulation.

What works: Donating a copy of your book to the library prior to or, at the latest, the day of your program.

What works: Remembering to send a thank-you note to the program organizer and mentioning your interest in working with him or her in the future.

Bad: Preparing talks and doing programs definitely takes its toll on your writing time. 

Good: But in the end, it’s usually worth the sacrifice!

Have you braved the library program circuit yet? What do you like most about speaking events? What do you find most challenging?

Any librarians in the audience? What advice would you offer authors interested in presenting a program to your patrons?

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About When the Clouds Roll By: Annemarie Kendall is overjoyed when the armistice is signed and the Great War comes to an end. Her fiancé, Lieutenant Gilbert Ballard, is coming home, and though he is wounded, she is excited to start their life together. But when he arrives, her dreams are dashed when she learns Gilbert is suffering from headaches, depression, and an addiction to pain killers. This is not the man she had planned to marry. After serving in the trenches, Army Chaplain Samuel Vickary is barely holding onto his faith. Putting up a brave front as he ministers to the injured soldiers at the hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas, he befriends Gilbert and eventually falls for Annemarie. While Annemarie tries to sort out her confused feelings about the two men in her life, she witnesses firsthand the bitterness and hurt they both hold within. Whom will she choose? Will she have the courage to follow her heart and become the woman God intended her to be? As the world emerges from the shadow of war, Annemarie clings to her faith as she wonders if her future holds the hope, happiness, and love for which she so desperately longs.

About Myra: Award-winning author Myra Johnson writes inspirational romance and women’s fiction—emotionally gripping stories about love, life, and faith. She is a two-time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award finalist, most recently for her novel A Horseman’s Hope. Her novel Autumn Rains won the Romance Writers of America 2005 Golden Heart for Best Inspirational Romance Manuscript and was a 2010 Carol Award finalist. Married since 1972, Myra and her husband are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters, and are also grandparents of four rambunctious grandsons and two precious granddaughters. Although Myra is a native Texan, she and her husband now reside in North Carolina and share their home with a very spoiled lapdog. Myra writes full-time and is currently serving as president of Carolina Christian Writers (ACFW--Charlotte Chapter).

            

Myra has seven novels and an anthology in print and has recently completed a historical romance series for Abingdon Press. Book 1, When the Clouds Roll By, releases this month. Visit her website at www.MyraJohnson.com. Myra can also be found at www.Seekerville.net and www.facebook.com/MyraJohnsonAuthor. Follow her on Twitter at @MyraJohnson and @TheGrammarQueen.

The Bumpy Road to Publication by Margaret Daley

The names of the Genesis semi-finalists were announced this week. Congratulations to all who made it on the list! Unfortunately so many of my writer friends did not. If you are suffering discouragement and battling frustration and fatigue, wondering if you will ever sign a contract or final in a contest, wondering if it's worth the time and effort, I hope and pray Margaret's story encourages and refreshes you to continue on your journey. Love you all! Dora

Scorned Justice
Purchase Link

This last year was my thirtieth year since my first book came out from Silhouette Romance called Second Chance on Love. 

I thought once I sold my first book, things would become easy. I would continue to sell, and I wouldn't receive the rejections I did before I sold my first book. It didn't take me long to see the folly in that thinking. My second book was harder to sell than my first one. After finally selling it, I was fortunate to continue to sell eighteen more. 

Then came the eight-year dry spell. The publisher I was selling to the last few years before the dry spell stopped publishing their category series line--Dell Ecstasy. I was out of a job. I tried to sell books, but I had hit a wall. I'd come close, but I couldn't get the contract.

After eight years I went to RWA National Conference in Dallas and heard about a new line opening called Kensington's Precious Gems line. I had a book, and when I got home from the conference, I sent it to them. That was the start of my comeback. 

I sold five books to them and four more to a small press before I found my true home--Christian romances and romantic suspense. In 2000, I sold to Harlequin's Love Inspired and since then, I have been blessed to sell to date fifty-four more books to Love Inspired, Summerside Press and Abingdon Press. But even that journey had its ups and downs, and I'm still receiving rejections.

Rejections are the red badge of courage for a writer. It proves you have written a book and pursued a publisher. Many writers don't get that far. They never quite finish writing the complete book, or if they do, they rewrite their story over and over rather than send it to a publisher and possibly get a rejection. I'm not going to deny getting a rejection isn't hard. It is. I have a huge file of them, but I have survived it. I won't kid you. They often caused me to doubt myself as a writer, but I wouldn't let them stop me from writing. If I had, I would never have gone on after my dry spell to sell sixty-two books.

So the moral of this journey is not to give up. Perseverance and determination are half the battle to become a published writer. You've got to learn the craft, tell a good story and have a bit of good luck and timing, but it is possible with a lot of hard work to become a published writer. 

On that bumpy road to publication, I have sold eighty-four books over a thirty-year span. Check out my website at http://www.margaretdaley.com and read some of my excerpts from my books. 

Dora here. What about you? 

Where are you on your writing journey?

How do you perceive rejections?

Margaret Daley, an award-winning author of eighty-four books, has been married for over forty years and is a firm believer in romance and love. When she isn’t traveling, she’s writing love stories, often with a suspense thread and corralling her three cats that think they rule her household. To find out more about Margaret visit her website at http://www.margaretdaley.com.

A New Year, A New Plan by Myra Johnson

Myra Johnson

I’m not much into making New Year’s resolutions, but January always starts me thinking about my hopes and dreams for the upcoming year. In particular, I consider areas of my thought life that need to be addressed in order to improve my outlook and increase my success potential in every area.

A few years ago, while searching for some inspiration, I came across a great little book that’s full of big ideas on how to stay motivated and prioritize your life: 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself: Change Your Life Forever, by Steve Chandler. Here are some sections I found especially helpful:

#4. Keep your eyes on the prize. Chandler points out that a huge obstacle to success is letting our worries and fears distract us from our real goals. As writers we can allow fear of failure to keep us from either completing a manuscript or taking the risk of submitting it to an agent or editor. 

#40. Find your soul purpose. You’re not going to be much good to others unless and until you’re happy with yourself and excited about your work, so take the time to discover what really makes you happy. That may mean you need to write the book of your heart instead of chasing market trends.

#59. Upgrade your old habits. According to Chandler, bad habits can’t simply be broken. You have to replace the bad habit with positive action. Like eating a healthy snack instead of one heavy on calories and fat. Like doing a workout video instead of watching TV. Like exchanging web browsing time for a concentrated period of work on your manuscript.

#68. Get up a game. Competition can be healthy. It forces us to reach deep inside ourselves, helping us grow and improve. The real victory comes not from besting someone else, but from bringing out the best in ourselves. Is there a manuscript contest you’ve thought about entering? This may be the year to give it a try!

#73. Use the 5% solution. “Great things are often created very slowly,” Chandler writes. What if you brought 5% more purposefulness into each day? What kinds of changes would you see in your life? How many more words could you write in a day?

#74. Do something badly. We’ve all heard the old adage, if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. But what if that isn’t necessarily true? Can you let go of perfectionism long enough to draft the next scene, or perhaps begin that new story you’ve been dreaming of writing?

#101. Teach yourself the power of negative thinking. This one might well be my favorite. Saying no can be a powerful thing. It means standing up for ourselves and our beliefs, taking a stand against things we simply won’t tolerate. Ask yourself what you really don’t want in life, and experience a burst of energy to turn that into positive motivation!

A Horseman's Hope

Grace Lorimer is too busy for a relationship. And love is definitely out of the question while she works her way through college to earn her occupational therapist certification. Besides, her mother’s string of failed relationships and broken promises prove romance is not worth risking her heart—even when she begins to care deeply for single dad Ryan O’Keefe.

Four years after his girlfriend, Shana, became pregnant, Ryan still can’t believe he’s a father . . . and can’t imagine being anything else. His daughter is the light of his life. Now if only Shana could embrace motherhood and the three become a real family. . . .

Then Ryan receives shocking news about Shana, and his world is torn apart as he faces losing his daughter. Suddenly old feelings for Grace resurface, but is a whirlwind marriage of convenience the answer?
 

Purchase Link

 

About Myra Johnson: Award-winning author Myra Johnson is a Texan through and through, but she has no regrets about recently making the move to the more temperate climate of the Carolinas. She and her husband of over 40 years are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters who, along with their godly husbands, have huge hearts for ministry. Four rambunctious grandsons and two precious granddaughters take up another big chunk of Myra’s heart. The Johnsons also enjoy spoiling their very pampered oversized lapdogs. Myra writes inspirational romantic fiction for Abingdon Press and Heartsong Presents. Her latest release is A Horseman’s Hope (Heartsong Presents, January 2013).