A Tribute to a Mentor by Sandra Robbins

I recently told a friend that writing can be a very lonely profession. An author spends the day alone in an office as he/she struggles to translate the story in the head into words that will catch the interest of readers and keep them turning the pages. Before we know it, we may feel isolated and question if we’re really cut out for this kind of work. That’s why we all need someone—a mentor who understands our doubts, our fears, and our hopes because they’ve walked that path before.

To my way of thinking there are two types of mentors: the professional one and the personal one. The professional mentor is usually a colleague who understands the writing life and what it takes to get a book published. They offer constructive criticism on areas that need improvement and advice on making the right choices that will impact the writer’s professional future.

The personal one may never have had a desire to write one sentence, but they possess characteristics that make a person want to become the best they can be. They are people who are well-respected and who care about those around them. They offer support and are always available to listen. The word that comes to mind is cheerleader. They are the entire cheerleader squad rolled into one individual who stands on the sideline and chants for their mentee to make that goal.

Although I’ve had both types in my life, the most important one was my mother who never stopped being my cheerleader. She encouraged me to step out on faith and write my first book even though I had a full time job as a school principal. When it was published, she rejoiced more than I did and took my characters to her heart. One piece of advice she gave me many times was a quote one of her teachers wrote on her report card when she was a girl: Hitch your wagon to a star, and you’ll go far. She knew that I could achieve my goals if I put my trust in God and let Him lead me. And she was right. God opened doors for me that I could never have done for myself.

July 31st is her birthday, but I won’t be celebrating it with her this year. She passed away on May 9th after a long illness. At her funeral I wasn’t surprised at the stories told to me by friends and family of how she’d helped and encouraged them in their lives. She had written her eulogy in the inspiration and support she’d given others throughout her life.

So I offer this tribute to her today. I pray that I can be an encouragement to someone like she was to so many, because I want the joy she received from giving to others. But what about you? There’s someone out there waiting for you to become their mentor. I pray you find each other soon.

Sandra Robbins and her husband live in the small college town where she grew up. Until a few years ago she was working as an elementary school principal, but God opened the door for her to become a full-time writer. Her books have been finalists in the Daphne du Maurier Contest for excellence in mystery writing, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the Holt Medallion, and the ACFW Carol Award. Since Sandra is a Southerner by birth, she enjoys setting her historical romance and romantic suspense books in both the past and present-day South. Her latest book Angel of the Cove releases August 1 from Harvest House Publishers. To find out more about Sandra and her books go to http://sandrarobbins.net or send her an email at sandra@sandrarobbins.net

In the first book in the Smoky Mountain Dreams series, Angel of the Cove, acclaimed author Sandra Robbins weaves a tale of love, loss, and God's faithfulness in every circumstance.

Anna Prentiss has never wanted to be anything but a nurse. Before she can start school in New York, however, her brother sends her to Cades Cove, deep in the Smoky Mountains, to spend a summer apprenticing to the local midwife. Anna is determined to prove herself and then head to the big city.

But nothing could have prepared Anna for the beauty of the Cove, or the community and friendships she finds there. And she certainly wasn't prepared for Simon Martin, the handsome young minister, or the feelings he arouses in her. Has God's plan for Anna changed? Or is she just starting to hear Him clearly?

Build it Right Series: Housewarming by Dora Hiers

Housewarming: Celebrate Success, 

Hold a Housewarming Party, 

Consider and Pray about Your Next Project.

Build it Right series 

by Dora Hiers

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.  

(Ps 100:4-5 NIV) 

Celebrate success.

It’s done! After months of waiting, watching, crying, whining, wringing your hands and praying, you can finally move in to your new house. Yay! You offer a thanksgiving prayer, shake the builder’s hand, and then get to work moving in furniture, unpacking boxes, and settling things in place. When it’s presentable, you invite friends and family for a housewarming party.

What do you do when you type "The End" on your story?  

Offer a thanksgiving prayer. Celebrate. Go out for a special dinner. Visit the spa. Meet a friend for coffee. Whatever you do to celebrate victories and accomplishments. 

Hold a housewarming party.

 

Typing “the end” doesn’t mean the project is finished. In the writing industry, the end is really the beginning. Your next step is to submit your completed and polished work, whether it’s directly to the publisher or to an agent. Show it off! But be warned…just as friends and family will praise and criticize certain elements of your house, expect the same from agents, publishers and readers.

Consider and pray about your next project. 

Who better than the Creator of the Universe to approach for ideas and inspiration? Chat with God. Praise Him. Worship at His feet. 

God has such an imagination and a sense of humor. Ask Him for a spark, just a speck of sand, from His creative well and open your mind to His possibilities. 

Where can you find ideas?

•          Scour newspapers, magazines, and books
•          Soak up your favorite television shows
•          Browse through news articles and local news sites
•          Wade through files and notes, research online
•          Dreams. (OK, I hear you laughing here, but don’t discount the idea. My opening scene for Journey’s Embrace actually came to me in a dream.)
•          Consider life experiences: weddings, funerals, jobs, family issues, hobbies, etc. 

In My Father's house there are many dwelling places (homes). 

If it were not so, I would have told you; 

for I am going away to prepare a place for you. 

(John 14:2 AMP)

I’m so thankful for the Master Builder and His creative well. What about you? Do you incorporate God’s blueprint in your writing?

Thank you for joining me on this Build it Right! journey. 

~~~~~

Journey's Edge:

A Routine Audit? Hardly. Red flags-including some goon who's following her-raise McKinley Frasier's suspicions that numbers don't add up at the insurance firm. When someone tries to snatch McKinley's daughter from school, she turns to police officer and ex-fiance, Renner Crossman-the cop who walked out on her a month before their wedding. But Renner's not the same guy who broke her heart ten years ago. He calls himself a "new man." She trusts the new Renner with her daughter's safety...but what about her heart?

(print)                          (e-book)

~~~~~

After a successful auditing career, Dora Hiers left the corporate world to be a stay-at-home mom to her two sons. When her youngest son didn’t want her hanging out at school with him anymore, Dora started writing heart racing, God-gracing books. Dora belongs to the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the Carolina Christian Writers. Her first inspirational romance, Journey’s End, released with White Rose Publishing in 2011, and her second, Journey’s Edge released in March 2012. White Rose also contracted her third book in the Marshals of Journey Creek series, Journey’s Embrace, and her first short romance, Small Town Treasure. Dora and her husband make their home in Kannapolis, North Carolina. 
 

Connect with Dora:

Website: www.dorahiers.com

Email: Dora@DoraHiers.com

Blog: http://dorahiers.blogspot.com/

Facebook: Dora Hiers Author
Twitter: @DoraHiers

Getting Around the Block by Christy Barritt

The positive results we receive after accomplishing daunting tasks can often feel more rewarding than others. Today on Seriously Write, author Christy Barritt shares great tips and encouragement for facing some writing and non-writing challenges. Enjoy! ~ Dawn

Getting Around the Block

by Christy Barritt

I made a New Year’s resolution to walk around the block at least three times a week. Some days, I have a million excuses why I can’t do it. I don’t want to get sick (and it’s cold outside). It’s too hot. I have too much laundry to do.

It’s almost August, so by now I’ve been around the block a few times, and I’ve learned some lessons along the way. Similarly, sometimes it’s also hard to get around writer’s block. You can feel stuck and that blank page can feel like your worst enemy.

Here are some tips to get around the block—both for walking and writing:

1. Do it regardless. Though I don’t always feel like walking, once I’m actually doing it, I feel invigorated. When I’m facing writer’s block, sometimes if I just write, things fall in place. Those first words that I write for my draft aren’t necessarily beautiful. First drafts usually aren’t. But I can always go back and change them.

2. Find a buddy. Finding someone to walk with me and keep me accountable has been a lifesaver—and it makes the journey a little lighter. Find a writing partner to help keep you on track. A writing buddy will keep you on target to reach your word count, to keep going when you want to give up, and to keep your goal in sight. Having someone walk beside you may be just the push you need.

3.  Listen to music. Upbeat music makes my walk go by more quickly. Putting on music while writing can be an inspiration. Give it a shot when nothing else is working. I try to listen to suspenseful music while writing tense scenes, love songs when writing romance, etc. Movie soundtracks can provide great inspiration!

4. Pick a different route. Walking a different path makes life a little more interesting. If I’m really stuck on a WIP, sometimes it helps to work on another writing project for a while. On occasion, I also skip ahead and write a different scene in the same book—maybe a scene at the end that’s vivid in my mind.

5. Pick a different location. Maybe you need more than a new route to freshen things up. Maybe you need an entirely different location. Change your environment. It helps me if I take my laptop and go to a coffee shop. Sometimes I even sit in my van and write! I’m always amazed by how changing my location can create new ideas and renew my energy!

6. Try a different time of day. I’m not a morning person, so walking early doesn’t work for me. But early afternoon is perfect. Mix things up with your writing and try a different time of day also. Wake early or stay up late.

Whether you’re working on getting healthier or trying to reroute after a dead-end in your book, I hope some of these solutions will help you get around the block!

Click to reach Amazon.

Christy Barritt is an author, freelance writer and speaker who lives in Virginia. She's married to her Prince Charming, a man who thinks she's hilarious—but only when she's not trying to be. Christy's a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who's known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado. She's only won one contest in her life—and her prize was kissing a pig (okay, okay... she did win the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery for her book Suspicious Minds also). When she's not working or spending time with her family, she enjoys singing, playing the guitar, and exploring small, unsuspecting towns where people have no idea how accident prone she is.

For more information, visit her website at: www.christybarritt.com.

Become a Book Reviewer

Hey everyone, Annette here. Last month I talked about reading in your genre. Afterward it occurred to me that a great way to explore a multitude of books in your genre is to read for review. Here are some of the perks:

~ Free copies. Publishers and authors are desperate to get word-of-mouth marketing kicked into gear even before a book releases. They do that by getting their books into book reviewers' hands. Publishers are beginning to send e-book copies for reading on your e-reader (saves bookshelf space). They often send ARCs (advanced reader copies, which are pre-proof) and you'll get to read the book before it's even released, all in exchange for an unbiased review. 

How do I get connected? Sign up with various publishers'  bloggers' networks. These allow you to choose from their collection. They generally do not require a review by a certain time, though often they'll request the review be posted on your blog as well as amazon.com, bn.com, etc. within a month of the book's release.

Another way to get connected is to sign up with various blog tour publicity, like Litfuse or Kathy Carlton Willis Communications, for example. These will require a specific timeline for posting your review. 

~ Research. Reading an abundance of books in your genre can only help you as a writer. You'll find (and honor) your own voice. You'll see what publishers are looking for. You'll watch publishing trends change. See my post from June about reading in your genre: A Key Writing Tip for more on this.

~ Build a Platform. You need to focus your blog on something, right? Why not post book reviews? I started out posting them on my main blog, but then found I was so overwhelmed with books to read for review and reviews to post, that I decided to launch a separate blog. But even if you keep it all to one, you can mix things up and post reviews occasionally. Plus, all the while, you're getting your name out there. 

~ Practice writing. Book review writing is different from book writing. Even if you normally pen non-fiction, you're still in a different mode than book review writing. But, you can let your voice shine through in those reviews. 

~ Making contacts. Long ago, I made a decision to support Christian fiction. I believe in in. (I'm sure you do too, my dear writing friends). So I work to support other writers, their books, Christian publishers, etc. That's my motivation, and through those connections, in the spirit of promotion, I've made some great friends. You never know when your review might be the best part of some struggling writer's day. The Christian publishing world is small. Keep that in mind as you share your opinions and make contacts. And focus on service. Then you can't go wrong. You'll also endear yourself to publisher house's publicists, editors, etc.

Those are just a few benefits of becoming a book reviewer. Can you think of others? Do you read for review? What kind of contacts have you made? How has reading in your genre helped you grow as a writer? 

Read on!