Trying New Things by Terri Weldon

Terri Weldon

It may be Thursday, but it isn’t my usual Thursday so I hope you’ll give me a minute to get settled in. Thanks to Dora for switching weeks with me, when I had some unexpected events crop up. Hmm, maybe that’s where I came up with the idea for today’s post.

Most authors, myself included, have a specific genre we like to write. Suspense is my favorite genre and it is the publishing path I’m pursuing. Almost all the ideas for stories that pop into my head are suspense. Now, I’m not sure what that says about me, but since I know plenty of other normal suspense authors I’m not going to worry. When I stop to think about it, my penchant for suspense shouldn’t surprise me. I’ve long been a reader of suspense novels and I love television shows that are police procedural dramas. Sherlock Holmes is playing in the background while I write this post.

However, my published Christmas novella is a lighthearted contemporary romance. I had a blast writing it and I’d love to do more, time allowing. Romance has been a staple in my library for years. Christmas books, especially novellas are some of my favorite reads. Plus, my all-time favorite movie is Pillow Talk. Definitely a romantic comedy.

But lately I’ve had a yen to write something totally off the wall – for me. Speculative fiction. That’s what I really want to discuss with you guys today. I’ve read speculative fiction, but it isn’t one of my favorite genres to read. Help me out, how did the idea pop into my head? How in the world would I go about writing a speculative fiction book? Right now I don’t even have a story idea. I just have this niggling inside me that says it would be fun to try. A few thousand words into the story and that feeling may well change! As much fun as it sounds, it also sounds off the wall and a little scary. Is this my idea or God’s plan? If the desire to write this book is from the Lord, I believe He will provide the idea.

How about you? Have you ever desired or felt called to write something totally different? Did you do it? Please let me know if you have and how it worked out.

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Misty Winslow is determined to find her prince, and she meets the man of her dreams through an Internet dating service. Or is he, because the new dentist in town also sets her heart aflutter.

It's love at first sight for Tyler Davenport, but before he can finish his first root canal, Misty is involved in an exclusive online romance with Wes99—Tyler’s online persona. How can he tell her he’s the man she’s been waiting to meet, and how rational is it for him to be jealous of Wes99! Soon Tyler's pulling out all the stops to woo Misty.

As Christmas approaches, Wes99 and Tyler both ask her to meet them under the mistletoe. Which man will she choose?

Terri is a lead analyst by day and an author by night. She enjoys gardening, reading, and playing in the hand bell choir. 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 Oklahoma. Terri has three dogs – a lovable mutt and two adorable Westies.

Terri is a member of ACFW and OCFW, a local chapter of ACFW. Her dream of becoming a published novelist came true in November 2013 when Mistletoe Magic, released from White Rose Publishing. To learn more about Terri visit her website at www.TerriWeldon.com.

My Journey to Publication by Mary Connealy

This Fortifying Friday, please welcome Mary Connealy, as she shares what helped get her stories on our book shelves.

My Journey to Publication

I started writing when my baby went to kindergarten. The book came out in February of the year she graduated from high school, so journey is the right word.

At first it was just me, home, alone. It took me two years to find RWA (yes, I live in a cave) Then I found a ‘local’ chapter. I started entering contests. I did well enough that the last two years before I got a contract, I finalled in eleven contests with five different books.

Through RWA I discovered ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). Through ACFW I joined an online critique group, and entered my manuscript Petticoat Ranch in ACFW’s Noble Theme contest. I decided to attend the 2004 conference. Through all this passing of the years, whatever else I did to get published, I kept writing.

Well, I won The Noble Theme contest. I got a lot of requests at the conference to send in my book. I also got a really simple request from Cathy Marie Hake, an author I didn’t know. She asked me to send her my first three chapters. She just wanted to see how I wrote.

Just before the next year’s conference, Cathy Marie Hake told me she wanted to pitch my name to write a book as part of a three book series set in historical Alaska. I worked on a proposal and talked on the phone with Cathy a lot before the 2005 conference.

Every year at the conference the acquiring editor for Heartsong Presents gives a contract to an unpublished author. In 2005 it was me. It was a thrilling moment.

I have since gotten more contracts from Barbour. I’ll be writing eighteen books for them through 2011 including Montana Rose, and the soon to be released Cowboy Christmas.

One of the reasons it took me so long to get a book published, I believe, is that what I wanted to write didn’t fit anywhere.

I still remember reading that Harlequin was opening a line of Christian romances called Love Inspired. And here I was with all these finished books that were too clean to fit anywhere. I was writing for a genre of fiction that hadn’t been born yet.

Please visit Mary’s Web site to learn more.


Mary Connealy, writes romantic comedies with cowboys for Barbour Publishing. Montana Rose, Book #1 of the Montana Marriages series, released in July, book #2 The Husband Tree comes in January. Cowboy Christmas, a stand-alone romantic western is in bookstores now.