Copyediting is Subjective by Annette M. Irby

 

There are as many editorial preferences as there are editors.

Publishers generally have in-house style guides for their editors and authors. Their teams can reference those guides to answer stylistic questions, especially when trusted, outside sources vary or fail to cover the topic in question.

Below, I’ll share examples of preferences that may vary among editors and publishers.

Where Do I Begin? by Annette M. Irby

Dream*

On October 20, 2020, one of my publishing dreams came true. A team of fellow authors and I published a Christmas novella compilation together. (see below)

Probably twenty years ago now, I spent holiday seasons reading Barbour Publishing’s four-in-one novella compilations. I loved them—historicals. Contemporaries. Small-town, countryside. Homey. Romantic. Christmassy. These collections became a part of my holiday tradition. They inspired me, creatively.

And I dreamed of one day being a member of the team who published a novella collection.

I had no idea how long I’d have to wait.

Ten Tips for Writing During Stressful Times by Kimberly Rose Johnson

 

Kimberly Rose Johnson

Anyone else feel like creativity takes a backseat to stress sometimes? Fellow Mountain Brook Ink author Kimberly Rose Johnson is here today to share her strategies for writing, even when she's stressed. Read on! ~ Annette

I think we can all agree that writing during times of stress or uncertainty can be challenging. Yet we have deadlines and can’t stop creating content. So what do we do?

How do we create when we are distracted or unable to focus?

The following are strategies I’ve used to effectively combat lack of focus and stress.

• Turn off the TV and don’t read the news.

• Eat healthy food. It’s scientifically proven that our mood can be affected by the food we eat.

• Exercise regularly. I enjoy my stationary bike as well as walking.

• Watch movies and read books. These allow me to relax and clear my head. While reading, my mind often wanders and suddenly I have clarity with my own writing.

• Participate in an enjoyable activity. This will promote relaxation and unlock those creative juices.

• Do something nice for someone else.

• Think positive thoughts rather than focusing on the negative.

• Keep a regular sleep schedule. A rested mind is able to deal with the stress of life better.

• Find a routine and stick to it.

Tips for writing during stressful times. #amwriting @kimberlyrosejoh

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to trust in the Lord. Are there any other control freaks out there besides me? This can be a tough verse to follow; yet I do trust Him. I have to remind myself daily to release control to Him.

Because I trust the Lord, I am able to give him the reins, but it takes a conscious effort on my part since trust in general does not come naturally for me. The key to writing during times of stress is to find effective ways to relax and free your mind to create, then write with God.

Do you have any other tips that have helped you write during times of stress?

~~~~~

The Sleuth's Surprise

Mary Daley has been the sheriff of Tipton County for more than two decades, but someone wants her job. When it seems circumstances can’t get more complicated, a murder happens on her watch. Had she been the intended victim?

Deputy Chief Lyle Griffin only wants Mary to be happy, but when he asks her if she’d consider retiring, it sets off a string of events and emotions that muddy their friendship.

Nancy Daley-Malone can’t believe anyone would run for sheriff against her mom. She is onboard to help run the best campaign Tipton County has ever seen until the sheriff’s opponent is murdered and Nancy’s husband joins the race. On top of that, it appears someone is out to kill her mother as well.

Can Nancy, along with the sheriff’s department, find the murderer before it’s too late? Will Lyle and Mary be able to admit their feelings for one another or will the status quo remain?

 

~~~~~

Award-winning author Kimberly Rose Johnson married her college sweetheart and lives in the Pacific Northwest. From a young child Kimberly has been an avid reader. That love of reading fostered a creative mind and led to her passion for writing.

Kimberly holds a degree in Behavioral Science from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington, and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. You can sign up for Kimberly's newsletter via her website at: https://kimberlyrjohnson.com/ Twitter: @kimberlyrosejoh

Plotting the Suspense Novel by DiAnn Mills

Do you write suspense, or have you considered writing in that genre? Award-winning and best-selling author DiAnn Mills is here today with tips and strategies for plotting your novel. Enjoy! ~ Annette

DiAnn Mills

Plotting the suspense novel uses creativity, imagination, and knowing the characters inside and out to create an edge-of-the-seat experience. The story line is filled with action and propels the story forward while the reader senses a deep concern for the protagonist.

In a successful suspense story, a writer has six feats to accomplish for the reader.

I'll Take Door Number W for Writer, Please

Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing. Toby Mac 

My day job (property management) was intolerable. I've a flat spot on my forehead from smacking my head on the wall. As customers rushed to my office in hopes I would fix their self-inflicted problems, I

Peter Leavell

would reach for a massive lever, pull, and a trap door would open below their feet, sending them to a soft landing elsewhere. Freed from their insatiable needs, I would turn back to my laptop and sneak a few words on my laptop. In theory. I never wrote at work. 

At home, the kids were so eager to see me—and my wife starved for adult conversation—I tried to push my need to write off into the late night so I could devote uninterrupted time with them. 

Writing Lessons from Hamilton

Hamilton's release on Disney+ allowed those of us who haven't made it to New York a chance to peek at the phenomenon. 

The phenomenon was phenomenal.

 

Since Hamilton's Broadway debut, the play’s been molten lava running down my Facebook feed. And I agree. The storytelling explosively volcanic. I couldn't look away. And the story has stayed with me long afterward. 

 

Checklist for Identifying Yourself as a Writer by Mary Davis

Mary Davis

Anyone else need a pick-me-up? Someone to come along and say, "Oh, you do that too?" Today, Mary Davis shares a list of oh-so-relatable fiction writerly items. I chuckled as I read. Enjoy! ~ Annette



You know you're a fiction writer when...

…you fall asleep at night with pen and paper in hand.
…you go shopping at a physical store for your imaginary character’s wardrobe.
…you have an argument with one or more of your characters and lose.
…your made-up story feels more tangible than your real life.

Five Reminders When Writing a Book Series By Carla Laureano

Carla Laureano

Have you written a series? If so, did you interconnect the characters in an intentional way? Award-winning author Carla Laureano is here with tips for planning ahead so you can avoid pitfalls. Enjoy! ~ Annette



2020 has been a big year for me in terms of series completion. Not only did I release the last book in my Supper Club series, but the long-awaited third book in my MacDonald Family series, Under Scottish Stars, released after a long five-year wait! While it’s always nice to see a group of characters get their happily-ever-afters—they begin to feel like family when you’ve lived with them for so long—it’s also bittersweet to know that you have to move on.

But there are particular considerations that go into writing a multi-protagonist book series that determine whether you and your readers give it a tearful “goodbye” or a relieved “good riddance.” And the planning starts before you put the first word on the page.

1. Realize that your characters’ lives start before they appear on the page and continue after the reader closes the book.

It’s easy to act like your characters don’t exist until they appear in your book. But the richness of an interconnected series comes from a sense of shared history among all your (eventual) point-of-view characters. Before you begin writing, make sure you understand their shared backstory. Otherwise, series books can come off as a procession of stand-alone stories about people who just happen to cross paths once in a while. And while interconnected stand-alone books have their place, they’re not what a series is about.

2. Know your characters well, even if they aren’t the main focus of the current book.

It’s tempting to put all your focus on the main character of the current book and treat the other series characters like window dressing. But part of what makes a series work is the feeling that the other characters are just as interesting as the protagonist of the current volume. It’s what keeps readers intrigued about the next story in line and coming back for more.

3. Don’t be afraid to be a little mysterious.

Just because you know your characters well doesn’t mean you have to spill all their secrets. Once you’ve got a secondary character’s backstory figured out—and hopefully know where their story is going in the future—hints are a powerful hook to keep readers moving through future volumes. It’s enough to make readers wonder what the whole truth is . . . and get them to pick up the final book in the trilogy.

4. Realize that once it’s on paper, you’re stuck with it. Make sure that you can live with—and work around—any plot twists.

It can be tempting to throw in shocking plot twists for the good of the current book. But if the main character’s best friend gets hit by a car and falls into a coma—and that best friend is supposed to get her own love story in the next book—you need to understand how the accident and coma impact her arc. Don’t paint yourself into a corner by introducing elements that will be hard to work around in future books.

5. Have your exit strategy planned from the beginning.

The last book in the series is particularly tricky, because not only do you have to write a fully formed story for your protagonists, you also have to wrap up the stories of the early books’ characters. Have an idea of how you’re going to bring them full circle early on. If they’re scattered across multiple continents, you’re going to have to get them in the same place so readers can say goodbye: make it a plot point. If they’re struggling with real-life issues that arose after their happily-ever-after, make sure that the main character is somehow involved so that the reader can see the situation through his or her eyes. And plan how you’re going to tie off loose threads, either in the course of the last book or through an epilogue. There’s nothing worse for a reader than investing attention in characters whose story seems to have no adequate conclusion. A series ending should leave a reader with a happy sigh and the feeling that after the last page is turned, all will be right with the characters’ world.
While writing series can be trickier than their stand-alone counterparts, they allow for a richness of story world and an emotional investment on the part of the reader that is without equal. A little planning and foresight early in the series can pay big dividends in creating a satisfying, long-term reader experience.

“The richness of an interconnected series comes from a sense of shared history among all your (eventual) point-of-view characters.” Planning ahead for writing a series. #SeriouslyWrite #amwriting @CarlaLaureano

~~~~~

Under Scottish Stars

Releasing July 7, 2020

Recently widowed Serena MacDonald Stewart focuses on her children to the exclusion of her career, her art, and her sanity. When her brothers ask her to oversee the family guest house on the Isle of Skye, it’s a chance to dust off her long-ignored business skills and make a new start. But her hopes for a smooth transition are dashed when the hotel manager, Malcolm Blake, turns out to be irritating, condescending . . . and incredibly attractive.

Malcolm Blake gave up everything—his home, his girlfriend, and his career—to return to Skye and raise his late sister’s teenage daughter. With few job opportunities available on the island, he signs on as the manager of the MacDonald family hotel, which he’s soon running successfully without interference from the owners. That is, until Serena shows up, challenging his authority and his conviction that there’s nothing missing from his new life on Skye.

Before long, Serena and Malcolm have to admit the spark between them is more than mere irritation. But as single parents, there’s more on the line than their own hearts. Will their commitment to family be the thing that draws them together or the only thing that could keep them apart?

~~~~~

Carla Laureano is the two-time RITA Award–winning author of Five Days in Skye, London Tides, and the Saturday Night Supper Club series. She is also the author of the Celtic fantasy series The Song of Seare (as C. E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons.

You Are Not Alone by Sara Davison

Sara Davison

I've been so grateful for my writing friends over the years! How about you? Fellow Mountain Brook Ink author Sara Davison is here to share some advice for not "going it alone" with our writing. Read on! ~ Annette

~~~~~

"Writing is a solitary profession." It’s been said so often that it’s become a cliché. And in many ways, it’s true. When it comes to sitting down at the keyboard and actually plunking away at the keys, no one can create the story except the author. But that doesn’t mean he or she has to be alone.

In Matthew 28, Jesus concludes the Great Commission with the words, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This incredible promise, that whatever we may go through, however we may suffer in a broken, fallen world, we are never alone, gives us the strength and courage to persevere.

But we were also created to be with other humans. From the declaration of God during creation that it was not good for the man to be alone, to the words of Hebrews 10:25, “… not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching,” Scripture affirms over and over that we are meant to be in community. The context in that passage is a society increasingly hostile to faith, which is certainly where we find ourselves now.

If, then, our message is being met with growing resistance, how can we come together as a community of Christian authors to support and encourage each other? One of the best things I ever did was join a writers’ group. Over the years, I have belonged to a few different ones, occasionally starting one up if I couldn’t find one in my area. I also attend two or three writing retreats a year with two other authors. Sure, we give each other space to write on our own, but we’re physically present in the room and there for each other to bounce ideas off of and to give feedback. Some of my best scenes have come out of these sessions as a direct result of the interaction with my fellow writers.

Indie authors are finding new ways to be in community as well. In April of this year, I will be releasing my seventh novel, and my first published independently. But I’m not doing it alone. I have joined a group of other authors called the Mosaic Collection. There are twelve of us, and one author releases a book each month into the collection. Yes, we type away alone, but we are in constant online communication, asking each other questions, spurring each other on, and being there for each other in whatever we are going through, not only in our writing but in our lives. We have become a sisterhood, and it is a beautiful and powerful thing.

So, fellow writers. Find your community. As it becomes increasingly difficult to share our message of redemption and hope, we need each other more than ever. You were never meant to take this journey alone.

Is writing a solitary profession? Join @sarajdavison today as she visits Seriously Write.

~~~~~

Sara Davison

The tip the stranger left sent Nicole a painfully clear message. The past is no longer in the past.

Nicole is fighting to bury the memories. Someone else is fighting to keep them exposed.

Detective Daniel Grey is back in town, and diner owner Nicole Hunter isn’t sure how she feels about that. It’s been almost seven years, and now she doesn’t just have herself to think about but her six-year-old son as well. If she does find the courage to take a chance on love, her heart could be smashed into pieces. Again.

And it’s not only her heart that is in danger. Someone is working hard to disrupt her present with reminders of the past she has worked hard to forget, especially her darkest memory—of the night her husband was gunned down in the street in front of her. As much as she might want to push Daniel away, Nicole needs him closer now than ever before.

But the one she trusts to keep her and her son safe has a secret that may prove to be the biggest threat of all.

~~~~~

Sara Davison is the author of the romantic suspense novel, The Watcher, and the romantic suspense series, The Seven Trilogy and The Night Guardians. She has been a finalist for eight national writing awards, including Best New Canadian Christian author, a Carol Award, and two Daphne du Maurier Awards for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a Word and Cascade Award winner. She currently resides in Ontario, Canada with her husband Michael and their three children, all of whom she (literally) looks up to. Get to know Sara better at www.saradavison.org and @sarajdavison.

When You Give Up Your Dream By Janalyn Voigt

Janalyn Voigt

Have you ever had to lay down a dream? As soon as you do, you wonder, did I make the right call? What choice did I have? I poured months or years into it; what will become of that project?Janalyn Voigt, fellow Mountain Brook Ink author, is here today with her story of laying down a dream. Read on for encouragement! ~ Annette

I held my breath as I opened the email, but then expelled it in disappointment. Another rejection. I scanned the words on my screen. My agent had run out of publishers to approach with my proposal. She’d hoped that my writing voice was unique enough to land a contract, but the Western historical romance market was crowded.

I’d been so sure that the Montana Gold series was God-led. I’d felt an unction to write books set in Montana while gazing across the Ruby Valley. The title of the first book had dropped into my head out of the blue. Giving up felt wrong. The characters I’d created seemed real to me. How could I bury them?

Fortunately, my agent wasn’t offloading me, but her inference was clear. It was time to switch genres. It was tough to let go of my plans, but I couldn’t ignore that the doors to write Western historical romance were closed. If God had wanted to open one for me, He’d have done it. I could only trust that He had something else in mind for me. I focused on writing a proposal in another genre.

I’d met Miralee Ferrell when we were both featured as Christian authors at the Missoula Festival of the Book. As the author of Tales of Faeraven, a medieval epic fantasy series, I’d been invited to represent Christian speculative fiction. Miralee and I struck up a friendship, and she offered me advice on the Montana Gold series. Miralee hadn’t yet started her publishing house, Mountain Brook Ink. Neither of us guessed that she would one day acquire my series. That happened almost by accident.

Several years later, I learned that Miralee would attend a local writing conference where I was speaking. I invited her to coffee with no thought of pitching the Montana Gold books to her. The sneaking suspicion that I should do so crept up on me. I pushed the notion away, but it wouldn’t leave me alone.

It took another kind of surrender to pitch my series. I’d given my dream to God. Attempting to revive that particular aspiration made me vulnerable to further rejection and heartbreak.

I needn’t have worried. Miralee loved the story idea, asked to see the proposal, and contracted me to write the series. Writing for Mountain Brook Ink is a joy, a blessing I’d have missed if I hadn’t surrendered my writing dreams to God.

The Author of Salvation loves us too much to allow us to slip into idolatry. That is the danger when we love our own will more than we do our Savior’s. It’s not wrong to harbor hopes and dreams, but we must cast them like crowns at Jesus’s feet. Who knows, maybe then God, if He is willing, will restore them to us.

Taking up a dream afresh calls for courage. Life offers no guarantees, but one thing is certain. Doing nothing leads to failure.

Dare to try.

Has God ever turned your surrendered dream around? Come be encouraged! @JanalynVoigt

~~~~~

The Forever Sky

Can a young widow with no faith in love, hope for a future with the man who broke her heart?

Maisey isn’t about to give Rob another chance to reject her love. Why should she believe that the man who left town without a backward glance three years ago cares about her? Life had taught her all about broken dreams, and she didn’t want to hope again. If only her young daughter would stop adopting Rob as a father, ignoring him—and her own emotions—would be a whole lot easier.

Thoughts of the woman he’d left behind haunted Rob for three long years. It wouldn’t have been fair to ask Maisey to wait while he mined a gold claim. After making his fortune, he has returned to his family in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. Rob is ready to settle down, and he’d rather do so with Maisey. But after their first encounter, it is clear that he’s lost her forever.

Circumstances force Maisey and Rob into one another’s company. They learn, through hardship and loss, that the only way to one another is to surrender first to God’s love.

Based on actual historical events during a time of unrest in America, The Forever Sky explores faith, love, and courage in the wild West.

~~~~~

Janalyn Voigt fell in love with literature at an early age when her father read classics to her as bedtime stories. When Janalyn grew older, she put herself to sleep with her own made-up tales. Her sixth-grade teacher noticed her love of storytelling and encouraged her to become a writer. Today Janalyn is a multi-genre author. Janalyn writes the kind of novels she likes to read – epic adventures brimming with romance, mystery, history, and whimsy. She is praised for her unpredictable plots and the lyrical, descriptive prose that transports readers into breathtaking storyworlds. Janalyn Voigt is represented by Wordserve Literary. Learn more about Janalyn and her books at http://janalynvoigt.com.

Heavy Subject Matter, or Not? by Christa MacDonald

Christa MacDonald

I'm glad to welcome fellow Mountain Brook Ink author Christa MacDonald back to the blog today. She's here with a relatable post about how heavy we make our stories/characters/plots. Check it out. You may relate like I do! ~ Annette

I leave a lot of shorthand for myself when outlining an idea for a new book. Sometimes, I have trouble figuring out what on earth I meant when I wrote it, but this one is easy: “Deep dark past? Light or emotional? Figure this out!” I write contemporary Christian romance and one of the decisions I have to make early on is whether or not to get into the harder realities of modern life. Do I give the characters deep wounds, complicated families, heavy emotional burdens, or do I give them the regular “slings and arrows of fortune” that most of us face?

A few months ago I was helping my father deal with a health crisis. It involved a lot of doctor’s appointments and the stress that goes along with aiding any loved one dealing with illnesses. I reached out to a Christian fiction Facebook group I’m a member of and asked for book recommendations that were light and fun, nothing heavy. They responded with dozens, and I immediately started downloading a few since I desperately needed distraction in the waiting room. There’s something about waiting that chips away at my peace. I need to be distracted or I imagine the absolute worst-case scenario. Books with snappy dialogue, a good plot and relatable characters, but no serious stuff are a perfect distraction, a place to go and visit someone else’s reality. Some might call this “fluff,” but the books I like have depth and meaning aplenty, they just steer clear of the serious.

The stories I have written in the past have the serious stuff in good measure. In fact, I try not to shy away from it and instead find the balance between serious and light. It’s important to me as a person of faith that my books reflect the authentic lives of Christians and that definitely includes some heavy subjects. For me, there is nothing worse than reading a book where Christians are saintly, sinless individuals pitted against broadly drawn secular characters. They end up being cartoonish, I can’t connect to them. When I write, I try to be as real as possible, even when I’m not being serious so readers can feel like they are right there with the characters, experiencing the story with them.

For this new work, I’m writing the kind of book I love to read, one that some other daughter of a stoic dad who never complains and works too hard can read while she waits to see if he’s going to be okay. (My dad is, by the way, and God is good.) In this new project I’m hoping to draw the reader into a small town on the coast of Massachusetts and into the lives of Emma and Finn, the former town princess and the handyman. There will be conflict, sparks, and possibly some swooning. It’s going to be so much fun!

How about you? When you’re reading Christian fiction, do you want to dive into the deeper, edgier topics, or would you rather find something light in order to escape life’s hardships?

Readers of fiction: do you want to see heavy topics in the books you read, or not? @CricketMacD

Writers of fiction: do you want to write about heavy topics, or not? @CricketMacD

~~~~~

The Redemption Road

It’s redemption that he needs, and she’ll pay any price to help him find it.

As the new game warden in Sweet River, Alex Moretti is focused on enforcing Maine’s wildlife laws and little else. Moving from tragedy to a fresh start, all he wants is a way to fix his life in the tranquility of the north woods. Until he meets Annie Caldwell at Coffee by the Book. But his own bitter, dark life is a threat to Annie’s sweetness and light. It’s better for him to stay away.

Annie doesn’t know how to label her relationship with Alex, but she is determined to figure it out. After a few false starts and a kiss under the Christmas lights, their romance goes from fiction to fact. Annie has fallen hard. Then trouble shows up. Someone is stalking Alex, seeking to punish him for a mistake which ended in deadly consequences. When Annie becomes a target, he tries to push her away, but she won’t abandon him. Alex is desperate to keep Annie safe while he attempts to reconcile the past, but what he really needs is redemption. And she will risk her life to help him find it.

~~~~~~

Christa MacDonald began her writing career at the age of eleven, filling a sketchbook with poems and short stories. While at Gordon College she traded the sketchbooks for floppy discs, publishing short personal narratives in the literary journal The Idiom. After graduation and traveling cross-country she settled down to focus first on her career in operations management and then her growing family. When her children reached grade school Christa returned to her love of writing, finding the time between conference calls, dance lessons, and baseball games. This November Mountain Brook Ink will be publishing her first novel, The Broken Trail. When not at her desk working or writing, Christa can be found curled up in her favorite chair reading, out and about with her husband and kids, or in the garden. She lives with her family along the coast of Massachusetts in the converted barn they share with a dog and two formerly-feral cats.

Connect with Christa here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Christa-MacDonald/e/B01GGIU8D8
Website: https://christamacdonald.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CricketMacD
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristaMacDonaldAuthor/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christa-macdonald

Rules of Survival for Writers by Gayla K. Hiss

Gayla K. Hiss

In my latest book, Cold Pursuit, the hero has a set of rules for surviving the wilds of Yellowstone National Park in winter. While I was writing the book, I took a trip to Southern Utah and hiked through a couple of slot canyons, which are very narrow, cave-like passages with only enough room for one person to squeeze through at a time. From that experience, I developed my own set of rules for making it through a slot canyon, which can apply to making it as a writer as well.

1. Don’t go it alone. Like hiking in narrow, dark canyons, writing can be a very daunting and lonely endeavor. It’s important to have people around to encourage and support us and help us out of a jam. For writers, this could be a critique group, a writers’ organization, or just good friends we can count on.

2. Never give up. It can be easy to become discouraged when we keep hitting dead ends and unexpected twists and turns, but if we keep persevering, we’ll eventually get through.

3. Don’t lose your way. I discovered in the slot canyons that as long as I went in the direction of the sunlight at the end of the tunnel, I would eventually find my way out of the canyon. Likewise, we Christian writers must keep following our Light and not go off course by worrying about worldly concerns like sales numbers, marketability, and what people will think of our books.

4. Once we’ve committed, there’s no going back. Maybe you’ve discovered that your journey is harder than you thought it would be, and you’re tempted to turn back. If you do, you may never have the satisfaction of conquering your canyon (or book). Chances are, you are probably closer to succeeding than you think. The Apostle Paul said, “…press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 3:13-14.

When we apply these rules to our writing, we discover that we have what it takes to get through the tight spaces. Like hiking in a slot canyon, we may not be able to see the light at the end of tunnel right now, but if we walk by faith and not by sight, eventually we will.

Your turn: Have you been tempted to turn back? How did you handle it? What's some advice you have for fellow writers who may be facing their own hurdles?

A Writer's Survival Guide by Gayla K. Hiss

~~~~~

Cold Pursuit

Can they elude the relentless danger before it’s too late?

A December tour of Yellowstone National Park sounded like the perfect escape from Faith Chandler’s problems at home—until she discovers her tour guide is her jilted childhood sweetheart, Jake Mitchell. Faced with guilt from her past mistakes, plus a disturbing pattern of suspicious incidents, Faith has second thoughts about staying on the tour.

Despite her misgivings, the serene splendor of the winter wonderland provides a much-needed respite from her stressful life and gives her a fresh perspective. After a little soul-searching, she wants to come clean with Jake. But can he forgive her for the heartache she caused—or the truth she’s withheld from him? Meanwhile, Jake wants to keep Faith at a distance, yet he must protect her from the menace stalking his tour group.

As her enemies close in like ravenous wolves, Faith is the only one who can stop the mayhem by finding the missing piece of the puzzle. Is it a smoking gun—or a trap set to destroy both her and Jake?

~~~~~

Award-winning author Gayla K. Hiss began her writing journey painting landscapes. In her imagination, characters and scenes came to life as she painted beautiful natural settings. Her inspiring novels combine her love for the great outdoors with romance, suspense, and adventure. Her book Wildfire recently won the Faith, Hope, and Love Reader’s Choice Award for romantic suspense. Gayla and her husband often tour the country in their RV, visiting many state and national parks. She enjoys hiking, camping, and traveling, and lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Connect with Gayla:
Website: https://www.gaylakhiss.com
Facebook: https://goo.gl/BrIW6P
Goodreads: https://goo.gl/ywcRaL
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/gayla-k-hiss
Amazon Author Page: https://goo.gl/WrzGcD

The Closing of the Circle by Sara Davison

Sara Davison

How do we know when our writing has gone full circle? My guest today, fellow Mountain Brook Ink author Sara Davison, is here to share her wisdom and an aha moment that resonated with me. Enjoy! ~ Annette

 ~~

As I have always been deeply uninterested in being in the spotlight, I have often wondered why I have such a deep, driving need for the words I’ve written to actually be read by someone. At least, I have wondered about this driving need until recently, when I came across a quote in a book. The words hit me so profoundly that I literally had to set the book down and contemplate them for several minutes, letting the truth of them sink in.

The quote was by Max McLean, founder of the Fellowship for the Performing Arts, who said, “…I am amazed at the communicators who have never quite understood that a story is not a story until it has been received.”

Wham! The revelation struck me like an apple falling from a tree and bouncing off my head:

The stories I write are incomplete until someone reads them. It is in the reading that the connection is made, the process is completed, the circle is closed.

It’s the whole tree falling in the forest thing: If a writer pens a story and no one is around to hear (or read) it, does it make an impact? Of course not. And making an impact, connecting with a reader on some level, “stirring the blood” as McLean describes it, is the entire point of the story-telling process.

Which is why I long to have my words read: to establish that connection with another human being, to in some way touch them with the truth of God’s goodness, faithfulness, and love.

Whether the feedback is positive (which I love and appreciate), or negative (which I see the value of, especially if it is kindly done or at least kindly meant), receiving it affirms that my words have been read, the blood has (hopefully) been stirred, even if just a little, and an impact, however tiny, has been made.

The story has just become a story.

When does a story become a story? @SaraJDavison

The Closing of the Circle by @SaraJDavison

~~~~~

Vigilant by Sara Davison

Vigilant

She must choose between the man who represents the law and the one who may have taken it into his own hands.


Neglected by her parents for most of her life, Nicole Hunter keeps everyone, especially men, at arms’ length. So when Attorney Gage Kelly walks into the diner where she is waiting tables one evening, she fights her attraction to him with everything she has.

Gage and his brother Holden grew up in an abusive home, and Gage has baggage of his own. But the connection between him and Nicole is too strong to ignore, and Gage manages to convince them both that their relationship is worth the risk.

Then children begin disappearing in the night.

When Detective Daniel Grey starts to close in on the child snatcher, and enlists Nicole’s help, she faces her deepest fear. Everything and everyone she has clung to so tightly could be ripped from her, leaving her completely alone.

Except for one.

~~~~~

Sara Davison is the author of the romantic suspense novel, The Watcher, and the romantic suspense series, The Seven Trilogy. She has been a finalist for eight national writing awards, including Best New Canadian Christian author, a Carol Award, and two Daphne du Maurier Awards for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a Word and Cascade Award winner. She currently resides in Ontario, Canada with her husband Michael and their three children, all of whom she (literally) looks up to. Get to know Sara better through her blog: www.saradavison.org; on Twitter: @sarajdavison; or on Facebook: @authorsaradavison.

Do People Read Anymore? by Mary Davis

Mary Davis

With the advent of television, radio, computers, video games, and smart phones, do people read anymore?

Of Americans, 78% read at least one book a year. Only one? How sad. What’s even sadder is 22% don’t even read one! But the good news is 78% are reading!

The average number of books read or listened to by American adults in a year is twelve. Since this is an average, some adults were closer to the one book a year mark, while many others were reading far, far more than twelve to have this average as high as twelve, because this includes that 22% who read zero. Having so many voracious readers out there is good news for us authors.

How much time do those 78% of people spend reading? According to a 2017 survey, Americans spent an average of 16.8 minutes a day on leisure reading. This is how it breaks down by gender and age for the average minutes per day.

Gender
~~Women — 19.2
~~Men — 13.2

Age
~~15-19 — 8.4
~~20-34 — 6.6
~~35-44 — 9.6
~~45-54 — 12.6
~~55-64 — 18
~~65-74 — 34.8
~~75+ — 51

Those numbers seem low but understandable with our busy, fast-paced lives. The lowest number for the 20–34 age range makes sense because these are common years to have small children. It’s hard to find time to breathe some days, let alone read. As people’s children get older and move out (hopefully), there is more time to read for fun. Something to look forward to.

But for us writers, the number of minutes is closer to zero if not zero, zilch, zip, none, nada. Now before you get too upset, hear me out. What author can read another author’s novel and not analyze it or pick up some little tidbit to help them in their own writing? Reading fiction is no longer a leisure activity. It just isn’t. Same goes for reading non-fiction, magazines, or even a recipe. Everything goes into the writing mill. An author never knows from whence an idea will spring. Because we write, no activity is leisure, not even TV, or going to the movies. Not even a ride in an ambulance after a car accident. But that’s an entirely different story.

An author never knows what is going to spark into a raging flame of a story. Becoming an author means giving up leisure reading. I have tried to read just for pleasure, and I can’t. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy reading. It’s just no longer a leisure sport . . . but neither is it work.:)

Do People Read Anymore? by Mary Davis #amreading #amwriting

The Daughter's Predicament

The Daughter's Predicament
Book 2 in the Quilting Circle series

Can a patient love win her heart?

As Isabelle Atwood’s romance prospects are turning in her favor, a family scandal derails her dreams. While making a quilt for her own hope chest, Isabelle’s half-sister becomes pregnant out of wedlock and Isabelle—always the unfavored daughter—becomes the family sacrifice to save face. Despite gaining the attention of a handsome rancher, her parents are pressuring her to marry a man of their choosing to rescue her sister’s reputation. A third suitor waits silently in the wings, hoping for his own chance at love.

Isabelle ends up with three marriage proposals, but this only further confuses her decision. A handsome rancher, a stranger, and an unseen suitor are all waiting for an answer. Isabelle loves her sister, but will she really allow herself to be manipulated into a marriage without love? Will Isabelle capitulate and marry the man her parents wish her to, or will she rebel and marry the man they don’t approve of? Or will the man leaving her secret love poems sweep her off her feet?




MARY DAVIS is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. She is the author of The Widow’s Plight (Book 1 in the Quilting Circle series), “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection, “Holly & Ivy” in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, The Prodigal Daughters series from Love Inspired, and Newlywed Games. Coming in 2019, The Daughter’s Predicament (Book 2 in the Quilting Circle series) and “Bygones” in Thimbles and Threads. She’s a member of ACFW and active in critique groups. Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-four years and two cats. She has three adult children and two incredibly adorable grandchildren.

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