Hello! I'm New Here!

Hello! I am super duper happy to be a new regular contributor to this site. Nice to meet you all.
Let me share a bit about my life and my writing.

Reading and writing have always been an important part of my life. My parents shared their love of reading with me. We visited the local library and bookmobile weekly. Newspapers, magazines and books were read everyday. I frequently positioned myself beside my parents and waited for them to finish reading pages of the newspaper and hand sections to me.

Literature classes in school were always my favorite. I was blessed with encouraging teachers who noticed my love of reading and writing stories.

#Reading and writing have always been an important part of my life #seriouslywrite @mimionlife

As an adult, I continue to have a great love for the written (or typed or spoken) word.

My husband (Alan) and I moved from Virginia to South Carolina in 2017. We had not planned on relocating. Yet when we learned our son and daughter-in-love were expecting our first grandchild, we made the wonderful decision to pack up our belongings and move from Mechanicsville, Virginia to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

The Low Country of SC is very different from Virginia. We are learning about lizards, alligators, flooding, hurricanes and more. Finding the best grocery stores for our needs, choosing physicians and meeting new friends has given us many opportunities to explore the area. We are blessed with caring, compassionate neighbors. Family from Virginia have been able to visit and explore the sights and sounds of the Low Country.

I write inspirational messages and pray the words will lead people to a closer relationship with God. My first children’s book, “Licky the Lizard” was published in 2018. The story is based on my personal experience with lizards. The way the small creatures jump from place to place and run faster than I can blink made me a little fearful. Pausing and remembering God created lizards
and God created people gave me a different perspective.

The lizards are fun to watch. I don’t want them to find a way inside the house but I do enjoy watching them from a distance.

The question is asked. “When is your next book coming and what will the story be about? I am considering a story about alligators. I’m putting on my thinking cap and waiting to see what happens.

Let’s keep in touch. Hope you’ll stop by and enjoy a read on the fourth Monday of each month. I’ll be here to share with you.

Our family motto is “It’s Always A Story With The Henderson’s”. Check out my website/blog
and read some of the interesting experiences.

Here are ways we can connect.

Website and blog : http://www.melissaghenderson.com
Amazon link to “Licky the Lizard”
Facebook : Melissa Henderson, Author
Pinterest : Melissa Henderson
Twitter : @mimionlife

Looking forward to getting to know you better.

Blessings,
Melissa Henderson

Don’t Let Life Pass You By – JoAnn Durgin

Don’t Let Life Pass You By

When most people randomly pass by an unusual or intriguing scene, they might stop and think, “Well, that’s interesting.” Then they’ll likely move on and forget about it. Creative minds, however, approach a situation from a completely different perspective. As writers, we often record “mental snapshots” from our daily lives. Why? They sometimes reveal a truth about the human condition—those things of life that bind us all together. For whatever reason, they affect us on a deeply personal level, and we don’t want to forget them. Without fail, those moments also raise questions in our mind. Whether or not we ever draw upon the inspiration in a story or a book, the memory becomes embedded inside us.


Although I’ve stored up many “mental snapshots,” here are a handful I’ve never forgotten:

*A pair of well-worn men’s cowboy boots sitting on a step, seemingly abandoned, in downtown Dallas.

*In Rome, a handsome young priest walking away from St. Peter’s. His robes flowed about him and pigeons perched on his outstretched arms while beggar children clamored for his attention.

*A man dressed all in black meeting with a steady parade of girls visiting his corner table at the fast food restaurant in London’s Piccadilly Circus.

*A young woman running on the sidewalk in front of a suburban Boston Marriot on a Saturday at midnight—dressed in wedding finery—alone and barefoot.


Now, here are five poignant scenes I witnessed on a single morning as I drove to work:

*Four elderly women standing outside a Catholic church, arms linked, waiting to cross the street.

*An older man carrying a plastic bag and using a long metal stick to pick up trash on the side of the road—a common sight in his white T-shirt and jeans, shoulders slumped, mouth downturned.

*A homeless man wheeling a heavy cart on a downtown city street. Puffing on a cigarette, he pokes around in a garbage can with his bare hands.

*With school buses lined up in front of a local museum, a little girl runs up the stairs to grab the hand of her assigned partner.

*An ambulance, siren blaring and lights flashing, pauses and then speeds through an intersection.


Writers should always be observers, listeners, and students of life. Be open and be aware. Question, think, and then write from the heart. While many, if not most, of life’s lessons are learned at home, if you’re short on inspiration, change it up—get out of the house! Effective writing taps into emotions and feelings on a visceral level that translates into the lives of your characters. In turn, these “people” become real and jump off your story into the hearts and minds of readers.

Until the next time, embrace and observe life…and then write it down to share with others.

Blessings,
JoAnn

*Modified significantly from the original version of “Don’t Let Life Pass You By” on the blog, Reflections in Hindsight: Grace in the Rearview Mirror…it’s closer than it appears, March 9, 2011.

The Piccadilly Circus vignette referred to in this blog is referenced fictionally in the life of my heroine in A Serendipity Christmas (featured below).

Why writers should create "mental snapshots"! #seriouslywrite #encouragementforwriters via @Gr8tReads

Short on inspiration? Change it up—get out of the house! #seriouslywrite #encouragementforwriters via @Gr8tReads

A Serendipity Christmas

A Serendipity Christmas

The holiday season has rolled around once again, and the townspeople of quaint Serendipity, Pennsylvania, are preparing for their annual Christmas Challenge. This year, the funds raised from the various events and activities will benefit the continuing relief efforts in the aftermath of a brutal hurricane season.

Victoria (Tori) Harper agrees to participate in the more physically demanding sporting events of The Christmas Challenge alongside her brother and new father, Donovan, on behalf of his HarperMorgan Advertising Agency. But why has Donovan invited the insufferable and irritatingly appealing Henry Adams to join their team? The man seems determined to drive her to distraction, but Tori’s not about to fall under the charms of a handsome man with a smooth line, even delivered with Henry’s irresistible British accent.

As the youngest attorney in town, Henry has grown to love little Serendipity, and especially his verbal sparring sessions with Victoria Harper in The Coffee Nook and elsewhere around town. She might call him a Snooty Scrooge, but he’s determined to win her heart. If he can’t win that personal challenge by the end of the holiday season, he might as well move on and accept a tempting job offer from a New York law firm.

The second in The Serendipity Christmas Series (following The Christmas Challenge), join Henry as he seeks to win Tori’s love and they’re both reminded of how God is always faithful in His promises. A beautiful celebration of love, faith, family, small-town charm, and the true miracles of the Christmas season!

JoAnn Durgin

JoAnn Durgin is a USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty contemporary Christian romance novels, including her signature Lewis Legacy Series. A native of southern Indiana, JoAnn likes to say she’s “been around in the nicest sense of the word” after living in four states across the country before returning to her hometown with her husband and three children. When she’s not writing, JoAnn loves to travel and spend time with their first grandchild, Amelia Grace. Feel free to connect with her at https://www.facebook.com/authorjoanndurgin or via her website at https://joanndurgin.com.

Lessons Writers Can Learn From Throwing Axes by Sandy Kirby Quandt

Recently my husband, son, and I went to a local axe-throwing establishment. Right off let me say I loved it. Two hours hurling axes at a wooden target and scoring multiple bull’s eyes, what's not to love?
There were groups of all ages and axe throwing abilities. Some of us were newbies and it showed. Others like the bearded, Viking-hair-shaved, kilt wearer who brought his personal bag of axes were obvious pros.
As I threw axes at targets, I realized there are lessons writers can learn from throwing axes.
• In axe throwing if we're going to hit the target, we have to get in the game, grab an axe, step up to the line, and throw the axe toward the target in front of us. As writers, if we want our words to hit the target and find an audience, we need to get in the game, step up to the line, and put our words on the page.
• If we hurl an axe toward the target and it doesn't stick the first, second, even third time, we pick the axe off the floor and throw it again. If our first attempts to hit the publishing target bounce off the wall and land with a solid thud to the ground for all the world to hear, we pick up that manuscript and send it into the publishing world again.
• Just because our axe hits a bull’s eye once doesn't mean we'll score another bull’s eye on the next go round. Nevertheless, we keep trying. We may score an acceptance with one manuscript then miss with the next one we pitch. Nevertheless, we keep trying.
• When we throw the axe and it doesn’t score a bull’s eye, we don't discount the 1s, 2s, and 3s we have scored. All points big and small add up for the grand total. They don’t have to all be bull’s eyes. Each step forward in our writing journey is important no matter how small we may feel it is. We don’t dismiss those which seem insignificant in comparison to our overall goal.
There are no disqualifiers for hitting the target - wooden or written. What truly matters is a willingness to get in the game, grab that axe, step up to the line, and give it our best shot. Over and over and over again. Enjoying each step of the journey along the way.

Sandy Kirby Quandt is a former elementary school educator and full-time writer with a passion for God, history, and travel; passions that often weave their way into her stories and articles. She has written numerous articles, devotions, and stories for adult and children publications. Her devotions appear in two Worthy Publishing compilation books; So God Made a Dog, and Let the Earth Rejoice. She has won several awards for writing including the 85th and 86th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition in the Young Adult category, First Place in the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Children’s Literature 2016 Foundation Awards, First Place in the 2017 Foundation Awards in the Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Flash Fiction categories. Looking for words of encouragement or gluten-free recipes? Then check out Sandy’s blog, Woven and Spun. twitter.com/SandyKQuandt

Branding: Why do I have to have a Blog? by Patty Smith Hall

Patty here. I’d hoped to introduce my newly designed webpage and show how I’d incorporated my brand into it, but technical problems are causing a delay. So today, we’re going to press ahead and talk about social media, in particular, your blog.

Now, if you don’t have a blog, that’s okay. There are a lot of writers who, for various reasons, hate to blog, me included. It’s one of those things that you either fully commit to or don’t even want to start. For years, I’ve tried (and failed) at starting my own blog.

But recently, my husband gave me a compelling reason to try again. A little background information—Danny has always been interested in the business side of my work which is great seeing as I’d rather be writing. So a few weeks ago, I gave him Edie Melson’s book on social media, hopeful that he could help me get a grip on my own. He read it in a week between downtime at his job and actually made a list of talking points he wanted to go over with me. On the three-hour ride to my mother-in-law’s house, we talked about the list. One of his questions jumped out at me.

“Why don’t you blog?”

Because I’m too lazy. Because I’d rather be making up stories than blogging. Because I don’t have anything to say. “Because I don’t like it,” I answered, thinking the matter was settled.

“Besides, I write once a month for a writer’s blog.”

He shook his head. “The book says you need to blog at least two to three times a week. And what about your readers? They don’t read writer’s blogs.”

I was beginning to dislike Edie and her stupid book. “What would I say? It’s not like I’m that interesting.”

He reached over and squeezed my hand. “You’re a lot more interesting than you think. How many people do you know who actually took a gold-mining class so she’d know how her characters felt in a book? Or what about the time you talked that WWII bomber pilot at Love Field into showing you how to take off and land a Spitfire so you could describe it correctly.” He nodded. “Stuff like that would be popular with your readers.”

Danny was right. I never considered that my readers would like the story behind the story. Danny’s idea had a lot of merit and stayed in line with my brand as a history nerd. Just because you’ve bombed out of a blog in the past doesn’t mean you can’t have success with it now, especially if it will help build your brand.

How to get started

Before you start, you need to be ready to commit to writing for your blog at least two days a week, three if you can. This builds up a trust in your readership that you will be there for the long haul. Trust is important. Remember, we’re building relationships.

If you have an author website, most have an option to add pages. Use one of these to start your blog. If you don’t have a website yet, it might be a good time to consider starting one. Most publishers want their authors to have a presence on the internet. Building a following before your first contract shows them you’re serious about your work. I use Wix because it’s easy and even someone with my limited tech skills can build a great looking webpage. Wix (as well as GoDaddy and Wordpress) have templates to help you design your page. Once your webpage goes live, you’re ready to post your first blog.

A little side note—when you start to set up your webpage and other social media, go with one name across all medias. It makes it easier for people to find you. When you’re ready to post your first blog, remember to connect it to your Goodreads and Facebook pages (as well as your Amazon page if you’re published.) It’s a good way to generate traffic to your webpage.

I’ve got a blog. Now what?

Consider your brand. Do you write books that feature bakers or chefs? Then share recipes. Medical romances? Talk about the research you have to do to make it realistic or share why you write what you write. Or if you’re a nurse, tell a funny doctor story. Talk about your favorite writing place—one of my most commented posts on Facebook were of pictures I took while writing at a local lake. It was basically the same view every day, but people love it—and my readers knew I was working on something new.

More suggestions:

1)  The first chapter from an upcoming book of another author.

2) A weekly chapter from a novella you’ve written.

3) Pictures/Videos of things you’re doing.

4) Devotionals.
 

The important thing to is be yourself. Your brand is you.

Homework: Check out the blogs of writers in your genre. Come up with two or three ideas that will promote your brand.

Just because you’ve bombed out of a blog in the past doesn’t mean you can’t have success with it now. via @pattywrites #SeriouslyWrite #Blogging #AuthorBrand

~~~~~~

A multi-published author with Love Inspired Historical and Barbour, Patty lives in North Georgia with her husband of 35 years, Danny; two gorgeous daughters, her son-in-love and a grandboy who has her wrapped around his tiny finger. When she’s not writing on her back porch, she’s spending time with her family or working in her garden.