Five Tips for Publication Success by Aaron M. Zook, Jr.

Aaron, M. Zook, Jr.

Our heavenly Father works in a variety of ways. A comment he received turned out to be the answer to Aaron Zook’s prayers, and it sent him on a journey to publication. He shares five important tips as to how he arrived. ~ Dawn

Five Tips for 

Publication Success

Outside I smiled. Inside, I pumped my fist, gave a shout, and kicked my heels in the air. I held my first full-length fiction book, The Secrets of the Castle, lay in my hands, ready for distribution and sale. I loved the cover, the words of intrigue, and the sense of accomplishment it inspired in me. In the past, I wrote short devotional stories and articles that became part of several books published by CLASSeminars (Christian Leaders, Authors, and Speakers Seminars), the Focus on the Family Clubhouse Magazine, and The Upper Room. However, this was my first novel.

How did I get published? And how can you find the same feeling of victory in the writing process? I’ll give you five tips that helped me achieve success.

Tip #1. Write about your passion. When I retired from the U.S. Army as a Colonel, I prayed to the Lord for guidance on my next focus in life. One of my sons suggested I write and publish the stories I used to entertain them as we drove around Germany, stories about two boys and their dogs, Thunder and Lightning. After thirty-two years in the military’s structured environment, my transition coach said I was now free to pursue creative things only I could produce, like my stories. His words hit me like a brick. I took a deep breath and nodded my head. That sparked my passion to be the creative person God created me to be.

Tip #2. Get connected to a local writer’s group. After retirement, we settled in Canyon Lake, Texas. I connected with the San Antonio Christian Writers’ Group (SACWG) led by Allison Pittman and Brenda Blanchard. The drive was an hour, one-way, but every bit of gas money I spent was worth it. The group was instrumental in developing me as a writer and for the road ahead. After prayer, we broke into small groups, fiction or non-fiction, and read short sections of our stories to receive constructive comments. I loved the face-to-face interaction.

Tips #3. Attend a good Writer’s Conference annually. My entire concept of writing was changed when I attended the first CLASSeminars Writer’s Conference at the Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. The experience and staff connections captured my heart. The Writer’s Conference was an intense teaching time where I learned from award-winning, published authors who easily taught me not only writing techniques but also pointed me in the right direction. I learned so much, that I couldn’t put it all into practice immediately.

Tip #4. Build relationships. As in any field of endeavor, writing requires strong relationships to build on and grow your writing skills and business. I became friends with authors, editors, publishers, and agents in San Antonio and at CLASSeminars conferences. These connections were crucial after my first book came out, leading to a multiple-book contract with Karen Porter’s Bold Vision Book Company. We now have four published books in my Thunder and Lightning series and I am working on my fifth as I write this blog. Amazing!

Tip #5. Hire a professional writing coach or editor before publishing. I chose to pay for a coach for my first book because I wanted the end product to be my calling card. My coach, Larry Leech, is the reason I’ve achieved award-winning status. Larry lifts me up, listens to my concerns, and helps me over the rough spots in my writing. He’s a gifted teacher.

I’ve still pursued leadership in other areas of my life while fulfilling my passion to write. You’ll find my books and story at my website: https://www.zookbooks.org. Let me encourage you to write when you can, letting your passion flow!

The Isle of Intrigue

The Isle of Intrigue

Book 4 of the Thunder

and Lightning Series

Dateline: Spring 1991. 

Location: Naha City, Okinawa, Japan

On a foggy Okinawan night, a stranger disrupts the Zanadu family’s first island-unique dinner at a seafood restaurant. His violent search for a flying microbot leaves the family devastated, with Gabe and Alex Zanadu’s mother unconscious on the floor. An Okinawan government official’s son, Mike, whose father was also assaulted, leads the boys in a search for the fleeing thugs. Unsuccessful in bringing the attackers to justice, Gabe and Alex, their two dogs, Thunder and Lightning, and their new friends, Mike and his older sister, Crystal, find themselves hunted by the Okinawan and mainland-Japan mafia. When the Japanese mafia grabs Alex and Crystal, the race is on for Gabe and Mike, along with the dogs, to find and free their siblings before they meet an untimely end.

Aaron M. Zook, Jr.—an award-winning author and speaker—entertains with a purpose in his books and presentations. He’s thrilled thousands of readers through his YA Christian mystery/adventure Thunder and Lightning series about two inquisitive boys and their dogs who solve one crisis after another around the world. Aaron volunteers in church and in the community. Check out his info, fun facts, and books on his website—https://www.ZookBooks.org, BoldVisionBooks.com, or Amazon.com. Aaron is a retired U.S. Army Colonel and lives with his wife, Joyce, in Holly Lake Ranch, TX. They have two married sons and four wonderful grandchildren.

Connect with Aaron:

Email: zookaaron@yahoo.com

FB: Facebook.com/ZookBooks

Twitter: @ZookAaron

Instagram: ocf.fthstx

Group Therapy by C. Kevin Thompson

C. Kevin Thompson

Would you visit a doctor who doesn’t keep up with the noteworthy medical journals in his or her specialized field? Or never attends conferences about the latest, greatest breakthroughs in medicine? Would you call 911 and trust a law enforcement officer who doesn’t recertify regularly on the gun range? Or never attends trainings that teach him or her what to do in an emergency?

Why are those things so important? Why is it a good idea for the pilot of an airplane to have logged significant hours behind the controls of the aircraft he or she is flying? Is it because you want them to be competent? Even confident? Your safety and the lives of you and others are at stake, right?

Of course. But there is one other aspect to a doctor going to a medical conference, a police officer attending a conference on terrorism, or a pilot meeting with other pilots at a training session.

They get to meet with others like them. They get to “talk shop.” They get to swap stories. They get to hang around people who “get them,” before they head back to their places of employment and become bombarded by us.

Now, on this blog site, we may not be talking about life and death here, but let me ask you a question. Do you attend a writers group? Regularly? Do you fellowship with other writers and actually talk about your writing? Do you read the latest and best books out there on the craft and swap those titles with those group members?

I am a chapter president of a local writers group. I helped establish one about seventy-five miles away from my home several years ago and decided it was time to help establish another closer to home. Why? Because it’s important to me. I need other people’s eyes on my work. I need to hear what people have to say about my writing…the good…the bad…and all the comments in-between. But it’s always a blessing to be able to sit and chat with people who “get me.”

You fellow writers know what I’m talking about. Family members love us, but if they are not writers, they don’t understand how we can get so excited about sentences, grammar, character development, and plot. They may be listening with a smile on their face, but their inner dialogue goes something like this:

“Oh, my word, how I wish I hadn’t ask how his writing is going…How can I excuse myself from this conversation…” Your aunt scans the nearby bystanders. “I always run into people in the grocery store. Why can’t there be anybody I know standing around here now? When I really need them? But noooo, they always stop me in the aisle when I’m in a hurry to get home.”

She takes a quick peek into her purse, acting as if her phone just rang. “Oh yeah, I am a concealed weapons permit holder…I could just shoot myself…in the foot…accidentally, of course. Looks like I have no other choice.” She grabs her gun, aims the purse downward, and—

“Harriet? Is that you?”

Startled she looks up and sees the man from her neighborhood—the one who lives two blocks over, has a long beard, severe dental issues, and who has been arrested three times for stalking other women.

Harriet slowly releases the gun and zips up her purse. “Oh, hi, Bernard, long time, no see.” She turns to you. “Honey, can you excuse me for a minute, I need to ask Bernard something.” Your aunt leans in close and pinches your cheek like she did when you were four years old. “Unlike some famous authors I know, this poor guy can’t catch a break. And I’ve been looking for someone to start mowing my lawn. Thought I’d give him a chance to get on his own two feet, you know?” She gives you an exaggerated wink and pats you on the shoulder. “I am so glad to hear that your writing is doing good. It’s been great catching up. You tell that momma of yours to call me, will ya? Phone lines run north and south.” And with that cliché and a wave, Aunt Harriet walks off with the makings of a serial killer.

You’re a writer. You’ve been there. You have your own “getaway” stories. You understand. But the Aunt Harriets of the world don’t. No fault of their own, but they just don’t get us. That’s why writers groups are so important.

At our group, we also pray for each other and get to know one another just a little bit more every second Saturday of the month. However, the best thing that happens when I leave each meeting is the boost of encouragement I receive from the group to “get back at it” with a renewed fervor. So much so that I have two series going now at the same time. Call me “insane,” but aren’t all writers? Just a little?

So, fellow author, to what writers group do you belong? What? You aren’t part of one? Why not? Oh, there aren’t any in your area? Why not start one? Maybe God is waiting for you to do so. What? You don’t have the time? Have you ever heard the phrase, “If it’s important to you, you make the time?” Hmm....

It’s really all about group therapy: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 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” (Heb. 10:24-25).

Was the Apostle Paul just talking about “church”?

I think not.

The Tide of Times

The Tide of Times

(The Blake Meyer Thriller Series, Book 3)

A Perverse Tale. A Precarious Truth. A Personal Tribulation.

Supervisory Special Agent Blake Meyer is at an impasse. Bound and beaten in a dilapidated warehouse halfway around the world, Blake finds himself listening to an unbelievable story. Right and wrong warp into a despicable clash of ideologies. Life quickly becomes neither black nor white. Nor is it red, white, and blue any longer.

Every second brings the contagion's release closer, promising to drag the United States into the Dark Ages. Tens of millions could be dead within months.

Every moment adds miles and hours to the expanding gulf between him and his family. What is he to believe? Who is he to trust?

C. KEVIN THOMPSON is an ordained minister with a B.A. In Bible (Houghton College, Houghton, NY), an M.A. in Christian Studies (Wesley Biblical Seminary, Jackson, MS), and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership (National-Louis University, Wheeling, IL). He presently works as an assistant principal in a middle school.

His Blake Meyer Thriller series is out! Book 1, 30 Days Hath Revenge, is now available! Book 2, Triple Time, is also available! Book 3, The Tide of Times, just released! Also, the second edition of his award-winning debut novel, The Serpent’s Grasp, is now available!

Kevin is a huge fan of the TV series 24, The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, and Criminal Minds, loves anything to do with Star Trek, and is a Sherlock Holmes fanatic, too.

Website:                                www.ckevinthompson.com/

Kevin’s Writer’s Blog:         www.ckevinthompson.blogspot.com/

Facebook:                              C. Kevin Thompson – Author Fan Page   

Twitter:                                  @CKevinThompson

Goodreads:                            C. Kevin Thompson

Guideposts for the Writing Journey by Carla Gade

Carla Gade

As writers, we’re always looking for ways to do what we do better—in writing, marketing, and even keeping balance in our lives. Author Carla Gade shares four things we can do in our journey that will help us keep on track, and I think each one is equally important. Well . . . actually, the last is most important. 

~ Dawn

Guideposts for the Writing Journey

In my novel, Love’s Compass, by all appearances, my hero and heroine come from vastly different worlds. Eliana is a young white woman in the mid-1870’s living under her father’s protection in western Colorado as his photography assistant. Yiska is a half Navajo trail guide, with aspirations of journalism, trying to earn a respectable living in a white man’s world. As the story progresses and they come to know each other, they realize that they are up against similar odds.

Independently, in their efforts to make their mark on the world, they resort to certain tactics: anonymity, disguise, and false pretense. These tools work for a while as they plow forward in the roles they are trying to achieve. It seems almost necessary for their safety and success, given the circumstances of the historical times and place. You see, if they are not accepted as they are, they must prove themselves otherwise. Once proven, perhaps the masks can come off.

Sound familiar?

A few women writers of yesteryear come to mind. Jane Austen, Mary Ann Evans, the Bronte sisters eventually could put their pseudonyms aside. But for the most part our society allows us to go bold faced into uncharted terrain. Yet we still hide. Though we are compelled to pursue our passion, we still can get caught up with things that can be cumbersome to our writing journey. Here are some guideposts that can help us along the way.

Transparency: For many years before I was published, I would never allow anyone to read my writing. It took a great deal of courage to finally allow others to read what I wrote, and even more to critique and edit my work. Learning to be transparent was a big step for me. I was letting people see me after all and I hoped they would like me. It didn’t mean that there wasn’t room to sharpen my skills, but the affirmation I received that I had a gift wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been willing to share it.

Authenticity: Being authentic is important as well. We all have unique abilities ways of expressing them. Our “voice’ is like no other. We may be drawn to the writing style of a favorite author or a popular literary theme. Guard the genuineness of your own distinct way of writing. Stay true to yourself.

One more for the road. The one that helped my hero and heroine bond.

Relatability: As you tell the stories that are on your heart, be relatable. Your own journey of life sifts into to every article, story, every character your write. Although it’s a different journey than your reader’s journey, choose some guideposts for them, moments or emotions that they can relate to and connect with. It’s the heart of what you write and your sincerity that will show them who you really are as an author. 

Above all, be sure to let the Lord be your compass, in your writing journey.

What guideposts help you stay on course as a writer?

  

Love’s Compass

Love's Compass

Colorado Territory, 1875 –

Daring Eliana Van Horn aims to make her mark by joining her father as his photography assistant—disguised as a young man--on a survey expedition to the remote Four Corners. Living in the shadows of his native heritage, trail guide Yiska Wilcox is thrown off course when the shadow catcher's daughter opens up the uncharted territory of his heart. As they travel through dangerous terrain in the mountains and deserts of Colorado and New Mexico, Eliana and Yiska must learn to overcome the barriers of culture, faith, and ideals to discover common ground. Though they are worlds apart, will they stake a chance on love?

New Englander Carla Gade writes from her Victorian home in central Maine. With ten books in print she enjoys bringing her tales to life with historically authentic settings and characters. An avid reader, amateur genealogist, photographer, and house plan hobbyist, Carla’s great love (next to her family) is historical research. Though you might find her tromping around an abandoned homestead, an old fort, or interviewing a docent at an historical museum, it’s easier to connect with her online.

https://www.facebook.com/CarlaOlsonGade

http://colonialquills.org

https://www.pinterest.com/carlaolsongade/

Writing Through – The Emotional List by Angela E. Arndt

Angela E. Arndt

This began as a post directed toward those writers who struggle with chronic illness, but as I wrote, I realized that these points apply to any writer. There comes a time in our writing life when we think we've reached bottom. We want to quit. We think there's no place for us. But before we throw away our adverbs and delete our weasel words, let's try focusing on these nouns for just a bit:

Contentment

We all have a tendency to compare yourself with others: number of books published, awards and good reviews received. (And yes, Christians do this, too!) Something I’ve learned is that everyone doesn't produce at the same rate. Some may produce two books a year, while other may take two years for one book.

But what if we looked at our writings another way? What if we were grateful for whatever we're able to write? A very wise woman (waving at Reba J. Hoffman) once told me that if your glass is half-full, drink what you’ve got.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

Patience

We have a rescue dog that has been abandoned more than once. Whenever we leave, we have to put the trashcans away because she’ll dig through them for food if we’re gone too long. (Her definition of “too long” is anything over fifteen minutes.)

I wish she knew that while she’s digging in the trash for scraps, I’m bringing home the expensive all-protein, best-thing-next-to-filet-mignon dog food that the vet says she needs. She just needs to wait for me to come home.

 

The picture of patience ... um, no.

Don’t we act like that sometimes? Rather than trust our Creator for what’s best for us, we panic and grab what’s available. 

"Wait upon the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart." Psalm 27:14a (KJV – because that’s the way I memorized it.)

Perseverance

We doubt our gift. We doubt we’re called to write. We doubt that anyone would want to hear what we have to say. The key to overcoming such derogatory self-talk is to keep writing. (If God has put this dream in our heart, we have little choice anyway.) If we just persevere, some day we'll accomplish His purpose. 

 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6. (ESV)

So, if you struggle with the writing life, how do you cope? Do you have any favorite verses or quotes that help you? Please share them with us below. (Don’t forget, comments are moderated, so it may take a minute to show up.)

Click to Tweet

If your glass is half-full, drink what you’ve got. @rebahoffman Click to Tweet

Do we scramble through the trash or wait for the “good stuff?” Click to Tweet

Do you ever doubt your calling? What helps? Click to Tweet

Update:
This was waiting for me when I got home from choir practice tonight. A picture says a thousand words.

The Long and Winding Road by Sherri Wilson Johnson

Sherri Wilson Johnson

Welcome to another Fortifying Friday, the day at Seriously Write devoted to giving authors the opportunity to share their personal journeys to publication. They also offer encouragement to writers who may have only begun and those who have reached one destination and are traveling on to the next. Today, author Sherri Wilson Johnson tells her story. Enjoy! ~ Dawn

 The Long and Winding Road 

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a published author. I dreamed from an early age about having my books on bookstore shelves. I wanted to take writing classes but my family couldn’t afford them. This was before the age of home computers and the Internet. Information on how to write and be published wasn’t readily available.

I was at point A and wanted to get to point B but I didn’t know how. And I wanted to be rich and famous.

I started writing To Dance Once More in 1993 and after numerous rewrites, countless rejections, a writing course, a conference, and practicing the craft, I achieved the goal of being published in 2011 and again in 2012.

The road to publication was different than I thought it would be. I had planned to study journalism and be an anchorwoman or a street reporter while working toward my goal. Instead, I worked in an office. I married, became a mom, and helped my husband run our business. I planned to write fulltime when my kids went to school but God called me to homeschool. Some would take this as a sign that it was time to give up the dream. But I didn’t! During my fourteen years of homeschooling, I worked several part time jobs but in my free time I wrote and somehow managed to write three novels and a variety of other things.

Because my journey to publication took so much longer than I thought it would, I have a richer, less selfish, more purposeful life. Because of my experiences, my mistakes, my jobs, and the people who have come in and out of my life, I have depth to me that I didn’t have before. That depth is reflected in my writing.

Because of His direction, my goal is no longer to be rich and famous but to spread the news of His great love to the world. Of course, I’m still pressing on to realize the fullness of my dream—a spot on a bookstore shelf.

God knows what’s best for us and He directs and narrows our paths. His timing is always perfect. Each of us has a unique journey to publication and it’s not always about the end as much as it is about the road between point A and B. I hope this has inspired you to strive for your dreams and to never give up!

Tweetables:

Sherry Wilson Johnson discovered advantages in taking a long road to publication. Click to tweet.

God knows what’s best for us. His timing is always perfect. Click to tweet.

It’s not always about the end as much as it is about the road between point A and B. Click to tweet.

Song of the Meadowlark

Song of the Meadowlark is a Contemporary Inspirational Romance full of hope, forgiveness, and second chances at life and love set in South Georgia on a ranch with an ornery cowboy.

When trusting others only leads to pain and rejection, and loving ends only in loss, what will it take to restore hope again? Shunned by the uncovered truth about her missing husband’s secret life, Cora Buchanan sets out on a road trip for home to mend her broken relationship with her parents. When her car breaks down, she’s stranded in a small Georgia town. While staying at the struggling Southern Hope Ranch, she meets little Susie O’Reilly, who unexpectedly fills a void in Cora’s heart. But Rex, Susie’s rugged cowboy father who lost his wife a year earlier, seems to go out of his way to either confront or avoid Cora. It doesn’t help her comfort level that the news continues to report missing and murdered women in the area. Cora has no idea just how close to home the crimes will hit…or how much the sweet sound of the meadowlark’s song at the ranch will impact her future. 

Sherri Wilson Johnson—Where Faith and Fiction Collide. Sherri lives in Georgia with her husband, two children, and two dogs. She is an Inspirational Romance novelist, a speaker, and a former homeschooling mom. She works with the women’s ministry at her church and she loves to make people laugh. She’s passionate about purity and sexual integrity. She’s a bird-watcher; loves the ocean, ice cream, Jesus and her family. She is the author of To Dance Once More (OakTara) and Song of the Meadowlark (OakTara).

To learn more, please visit:

http://sherriwilsonjohnson.com   

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Author-Sherri-Wilson-Johnson/138396456193536   

https://twitter.com/#!/swj_thewriter   

http://nicoleodell.com/sherri-wilson-johnson-on-inspiring-purity   

http://www.habitsforahappyhome.com   

http://pinterest.com/sherriwjohnson/   

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5233294.Sherri_Wilson_Johnson