Target Your Marketing by Ane Mulligan

In today’s publishing world, we have to do more promotion for our books. But who should we be trying to reach? Readers, of course. Okay, you knew that. But exactly who are these readers?

The Story Behind "Life in Chapel Springs"

People ask me what prompted this story. Why Lacey? Why the accident and reconstruction? To be honest, the answer is the character herself.

Ane Mulligan

I’m a visual writer, so I need photos. When I start out, I find photos of people who look like the character I’m imagining. I find most of my characters in magazines and keep files of faces I’ve torn out of them. While looking for Lacey, I came across two photos looking like a before and after of the same woman.

The resemblance was striking and sparked the “what if” that became Lacey’s story. Many women have life-altering surgery, whether elective, emergency, or life-saving. Often—more often than not—they have a difficult time with the results. A high percentage dislikes the “new” self. It doesn’t match the image we women tend to carry inside us.

My research and interviews included a plastic surgeon and a psychologist, so I could be sure I had the psyche right and the surgery results correct. I still had one problem. The character Lacey was a shy quiet young woman, so shy and quiet, she wasn’t even talking to me! I had to sit on her story for three years.

Finally, after two more Chapel Springs series books, Lacey “talked” to me. I understood her and could write her story. Maybe she was ready to tell it, but what we both hope women will take away from her story in Life in Chapel Springs is that each of us is uniquely made by God, and as Great Aunt Lola used to say, “God don’t make no junk.”

About the Author

While a large, floppy straw hat is her favorite, award-winning author Ane Mulligan has worn many: hairdresser, legislative affairs director (that's a fancy name for a lobbyist), CEO of a Community Theatre group, playwright, humor columnist, and novelist. She firmly believes coffee and chocolate are two of the four major food groups. Ane resides in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband. You can find her on her website, Amazon Author page, Novel Rocket, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Life in Chapel Springs
by Ane Mulligan

Life in Chapel Springs
Life in Chapel Springs has turned upside down and inside out.

Shy Lacey Dawson was happily writing murder mysteries for the community theater with her eye on Broadway. Then, a freak accident results in traumatic injuries requiring facial reconstruction. When the bandages come off, Lacey’s world is turned inside out. Will Chapel Springs rally behind its own … or will life unravel?

Is it a midlife pregnancy or … cancer? Claire will keep her secret until she’s sure—but it isn’t easy. Neither is trying to buy a home pregnancy test without anyone finding out. Between her twins’ double wedding, the canceling, a looming nationwide art tour and her health, Claire’s life is upside down.

Gold has been discovered in Chapel Springs and the ensuing fever is rising. Then Mayor Riley discovers someone has bought the mineral rights to his land. A stranger and his nefarious investors set out to buy all the homes in Chapel Springs and mine the gold. Will life in Chapel Springs become the tailings of a gold mine?

Quit Tomorrow, Not Today by Ane Mulligan

Ane Mulligan

Gina Holmes appeared on a talk show recently. Her advice to writers was, “Quit Tomorrow not today.” Sage advice and something she and I know a lot about.

I met Gina at a writers conference in 2004. We were both at the beginning of our writing careers. We became critique partners, along with a couple of other writers, and by 2006, we were sure we’d get that call any day.

We'd signed with agents by then, who were sending out our full manuscripts. Every year, we’d tell each other, “This is the year!” But each year would go by without contracts. We were doing everything right. We continued to grow in our craft, attended conferences, and yet ... those coveted contracts were just out of reach.

One year, I went as far as pub board, only to have the slate filled for that quarter. The editor was moving me to the next quarter. Then she retired. And her hard drive was wiped clean. The hard drive with my manuscript on it.

Discouraged? You bet your bippy! But I never thought of quitting. I couldn’t anyway; I’d have exploded. There’re too many stories and voices bubbling up in my head.

The only people who fail are those who quit. If you’re that discouraged, quit tomorrow; but don’t quit today. Instead, today start a new manuscript, write a blog post, plant a garden, write a short story, start a photography journal.

There are a lot of ways to spark your creativity. After all, if you’re a writer, you can’t quit writing. So don’t even think about it. I’m glad I didn’t. When I finally got the call in 2013, I had several manuscripts waiting and ready.

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While a large, floppy straw hat is her favorite, bestselling novelist Ane Mulligan has worn many: hairdresser, legislative affairs director (that's a fancy name for a lobbyist), drama director, playwright, humor columnist, and novelist. Her lifetime experience provides a plethora of fodder for her Southern-fried fiction. She firmly believes coffee and chocolate are two of the four major food groups. President of the award-winning website, Novel Rocket, Ane resides in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband and chef son. You can find Ane on her Southern-fried Fiction website, Google+, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, and Pinterest. Her sophomore novel, Chapel Springs Survival, will release Dec 3^rd, 2015.

Ane Mulligan’s Journey to Publication

Ane Mulligan

I’ve known Ane Mulligan through American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) for years, so although we’re not close friends, I was thrilled when she received her first contract. Ane has given so much to the writing community by hours of volunteering, her association with Novel Rocket, and overall support. It’s a joy to celebrate the release of her debut novel with her. 
~ Dawn

 

Ane Mulligan’s Journey to Publication

My journey to publication hasn't been short or easy. In 2003, the hubs told me to write a book. I quickly realized that was God's call, because as soon as Hubs said it, God turned on a light and an idea dropped into my otherwise empty mind.

I found an online Christian critique group, who told me plainly I had a lot to learn. What an understatement. POV? Never heard the term. Omniscient? That's what God was. Show don't tell? How do I tell a story without telling? Yikes!

I spent the next three years writing and growing. In 2006, an editor took my manuscript to committee. While I waited for the result, expecting a contract naturally, I got an agent, but the editorial committee said no. Then, God called my agent into ministry.

I was discouraged and cried out to God, asking—okay, whining—why wasn't I getting published? I knew God called me to write. Stories bubbled in my mind all the time. I needed a sign. Then, an editor told me I'd learned the craft, giving me the encouragement to keep working.

I signed with my second agent, and in 2010, she called to say my manuscript was going to pub board. Yippee! Pub board loved it, but their slate that quarter was full, so the editor was going to hold it for the next one. Only she retired before that and her computer hard drive was wiped clean. I was lost in cyber oblivion. Then my agent retired.

Do you see a pattern here? Once again, I whined. And God said, "Wait. Trust me." He didn't offer me another choice, so I chose to trust. He gave me a new agent after some specific prayer, and soon, we received an offer for a 2-book contract.

But once again, God said no and we turned it down. By this time, I began to wonder if I'd ever publish. Yes, that was my goal, but if God had something different for me, I was fine with it.

Then, in August of 2013, nearly eleven years after I began this journey, my agent called me to tell me we had an offer from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. And my heart quickened. All right, God! This was it. This time, He said, "Yes."

There are two things I've learned during this journey. Never ever give up, and God must be part of the equation. He has a time and place for each of us.

I believe people let down their guard when they think they're being entertained. Through fiction, I can entertain readers. Through fiction, I can present seeds of God's truth. Then when they least expect it, the story can reach out, touch their hearts, and change them. And isn't that why we write?

Tweetables:

Two things Ane Mulligan learned during her journey to publication—never ever give up, and God must be part of the equation. Click to tweet.

Through fiction, we can entertain readers—through fiction, we can present seeds of God’s truth. Click to tweet.

Through fiction, we can entertain readers. Then when they least expect it, our stories can reach out, touch hearts, and change people. Click to tweet.

Chapel Springs Revival

Chapel Springs Revival

With a friend like Claire, you need a gurney, a mop, and a guardian angel.

Everybody in the small town of Chapel Springs, Georgia, knows best friends Claire and Patsy. It's impossible not to, what with Claire's zany antics and Patsy's self-appointed mission to keep her friend out of trouble. And trouble abounds. Chapel Springs has grown dilapidated and the tourist trade has slackened. With their livelihoods threatened, they join forces to revitalize the town. No one could have guessed the real issue needing restoration is personal.

With their marriages as much in need of restoration as the town, Claire and Patsy embark on a mission of mishaps and miscommunication, determined to restore warmth to Chapel Springs —and their lives. That is if they can convince their husbands and the town council, led by two curmudgeons who would prefer to see Chapel Springs left in the fifties and closed to traffic.

While a large, floppy straw hat is her favorite, Ane has worn many different ones: hairdresser, legislative affairs director (that's a fancy name for a lobbyist), drama director, playwright, humor columnist, and novelist. Her lifetime experience provides a plethora of fodder for her Southern-fried fiction (try saying that three times fast). She firmly believes coffee and chocolate are two of the four major food groups. President of the award-winning literary site, Novel Rocket, Ane resides in Suwanee, GA, with her artist husband, her chef son, and two dogs of Biblical proportion. You can find Ane on her Southern-fried Fiction website, Google+, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Motivation--the Foundation of Compelling Characters

As writers we need to know our characters inside and out. We need to know what makes them tick. It's called goal, motivation, and conflict. Today Ane Mulligan talks about the importance of one aspect of that knowledge--motivations. -- Sandy

Ane: For those who have read Debra Dixon's book GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict, I have come to the conclusion that Motivation is the most important. Motivation engages us. We can relate to character motivations. They form the foundation of characters that live on in our minds after the story ends.

Motivation leads to character arc. It’s the WHY of GMC. The Goal is the WHAT the character wants. Motivation is the WHY he wants it. If we provide strong motivation, our readers will follow our characters anywhere, through anything.

A character can behave reprehensibly, in a way we would normally condemn, but if the motivation is strong enough, we'll forgive the character and cheer him on. Motivation is what makes us empathize with the character. If it's important enough, the character won't be able to back away from it when the conflict gets rough.

Finding the deep, core motivation is imperative for great characters. Sometimes, you’ll be surprised when you discover that core motivation. It isn't always nice.

Too often in Christian fiction, our characters are too nice. If the core motivation is selfishness, but the character isn’t really a selfish person, allow that side to be seen in small ways. It makes a good character great. It makes them complex. We want our characters to be complex—deep—real, because that creates the basis for the character arc.

When I have a new protagonist, I use a Character Interview (CI). Mine contains way more than physical characteristics. I want to discover the lie she believes about herself and her deepest, darkest secret. I want to know her back-story. I want to know her parents’ back-story.  Her grandparents’ back-story.

Why? Because the way people are raised affects their view of themselves and their worldview. If I don’t know my character’s ancestors, I can’t know my character.

After I get a clue or two into the character from the CI, I write a stream-of-consciousness back-story. I’m always amazed at the secrets that come out when writing these. For one manuscript I’m working on, I went back four generations. I discovered why my characters acted the way they did. In other words, I found their core motivation.

I just finished teaching the ACFW online course on this subject, and I know I got under the skin of a few students by continually asking, “Why?” Too often, we list a goal—a what—as the motivation. You have to keep asking yourself why they want it, until you get down to the core motivation. Most of the time, it’s a single word—a basic, human emotion, a desire, a need. 

Once you know that, your character comes alive. You understand why she makes the decisions she does and why she reacts the way she does. Now her goals make sense. And now she’s on her way to becoming unforgettable.

Have you spent time asking your characters why? What answer has surprised you the most in doing so? Did you find your character had a motive that reflected badly on themselves? Share your thoughts about character motivation.

~~~

Sr. Editor of the award-winning literary site, Novel Rocket, Ane Mulligan writes Southern-fried fiction served with a tall, sweet iced tea. While a large, floppy straw hat is her favorite, she's worn many different ones: hairdresser, legislative affairs director (that's a fancy name for a lobbyist), business manager, drama director and writer. Her lifetime experience provides a plethora of fodder for her Southern-fried fiction (try saying that three times fast). A three-time Genesis finalist, Ane is a published playwright and columnist. She resides in Suwanee, GA, with her artist husband and two very large dogs.