Tuesday Tip: Be Prepared!

You sit down at your desk and are ready to work. However, just when you are about to get started, you realize you are missing some basic supplies. Now, the time you had dedicated to writing will be spent running errands instead. 

To help your precious writing time be productive, here is a list of items you should keep on hand and frequently monitor to ensure that they are available when you need them.

1. Pens, pencils, and highlighters: Everyone has their favorite, so be sure that you do not run out. If possible, purchase these items in a pack. You may find that it is beneficial to keep certain colors for certain tasks. And if you like to use pencils, be sure you have a pencil sharpener as well.
2. Sticky notes: I believe these are one of the greatest inventions ever! I use them all the time and have them everywhere. Bright colors may be beneficial to your projects. A different color could be used for each task to help you prioritize and organize things.
3. Printer ink and paper: Again, this is something you may wish to purchase in bulk, especially the ink. You can often find good deals on printer paper, and it may be beneficial to buy an entire box to ensure that you do not run out.
4. Paperclips: These little guys come in quite handy. For fun, I like the multicolored variety. One box can last you quite a while.
5. Memo pads: I take a lot of notes! I have tablets of various sizes and colors all over my desk. I prefer the ones that are lined, but choose what works best for you. 
6. File folders: It is important to stay organized, so these can really help keep your desk and projects in order. As with the paperclips, I like the folders that come in various colors.

Don't let a lack of supplies be the excuse for not meeting your daily word count goal. Your readers need your supplies to be well-stocked so you can be productive. They want to get their hands on your next book!

April Featured Book #2

Statistics show that one in twenty-five people is a sociopath, which may make you wonder if you’ve ever met one. This is exactly what led Lisa Scottoline to pen her latest, “Every Fifteen Minutes.”

My review...

Doctor Eric Parish is well respected at work and adored by his young daughter. His wife, on the other hand, is looking to move on. His job as chief of the psychiatric unit is promising. Yet things take a turn when he meets Max Jakubowski. Max is a high-risk patient who is also dealing with OCD and obsessive, violent thoughts regarding a girl he likes. When she is found dead, Max becomes a suspect… and so does Eric. Along with his custody battle, Eric is now in a battle for his freedom, as well as his life. Who is setting Eric up? Is Max as innocent as Eric believes? This psychological suspense grabs the reader’s attention from the first sentence and takes them inside the mind of a sociopath. Just when you think you have all the twistS and turns figured out, you realize you’re wrong. The complex plot and stunning conclusion are riveting and leave no doubt as to why Scottoline is a top-selling author. Along the way, the story sheds light on how mental illness is, unfortunately, not taken as seriously as physical illness, though the two are closely linked.

About Lisa...

Lisa Scottoline is a New York Times bestselling author and also writes a weekly column, called Chick Wit, for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Lisa has won many honors and awards, notably the Edgar Award, given for excellence in crime fiction, and the Fun Fearless Female Award from Cosmopolitan Magazine. She also teaches a course she created, called Justice and Fiction, at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and regularly does speaking engagements. There are twenty-five million copies of her books in print, and she is published in over thirty other countries. Lisa graduated magna cum laude in three years from the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. degree in English, and her concentration was Contemporary American Fiction, taught by Philip Roth and others. She graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She remains a lifelong resident of the Philadelphia area, where she lives with her array of disobedient pets.

You can find her online at:

https://www.facebook.com/LisaScottoline

 http://scottoline.com/

As Anton Chekov stated, it is important to "Show, don't tell." This is advice every writer has heard numerous times. Showing makes the reader feel that they are truly a part of the story. 

Example of telling:  "The pizza was delicious." Really? How is that going to keep me, the reader, engaged?  Instead, show me.

Example of showing: "Stringy, white mozzarella cheese bubbled over the spicy red tomato sauce while pepperoni was piled in thick layers on top. The cheese dripped over the edge of the slice, and black olives sat on each piece of pepperoni. With every bite, I was able to savor the individual ingredients. It was better than I imagined." As a reader, you now have my attention...and my stomach grumbling.

For writing to be effective and engaging, it is important to show the story. When the author shows the story, it allows the reader to become part of the book and experience what the characters are experiencing. It is important to have a balance between showing and telling. Telling states facts and observations. Showing goes a bit deeper.

Ways to show the story…

·         Use dialogue: This is one of the easiest ways to engage the reader and allow them to see the story through the eyes of the characters.

·         Use descriptive language: This includes using adjectives, adverbs, and sensory words. However, adding too much can overwhelm the reader.

·         Add specific details when possible: This makes it easier for the reader to visualize the story. Specific details should be used to describe locations as well as the characters. However, at times, you do want to leave certain things to the reader’s imagination.

If you try to envision your story as a movie, it might help you. Every scene does not need to be tied up neatly before moving on to the next one. This can create cliffhangers, which will keep the reader engaged. However, be sure to show the cliffhanger. You can draw the reader in even more by describing the lighting and music that may accompany the scene. Giving your characters something active to do is also helpful. Try to place your reader smack dab in the story.

Keep in mind that it is not possible, or recommended, to show every scene. If you did, your book would be thousands of pages long. It would be hard to find someone interested in reading, or even editing, that book! Though the reader is not technically inside the mind of your characters, that is how they should feel.

April Featured Book #1...and a GIVEAWAY!

Dana has graciously offered to give away a hard copy of "Presumed Guilty" to one lucky person. In order to be entered, leave a comment and your email address. The last day to enter is April 14, 2015. If you are chosen, I will be in touch to get your mailing address to pass along to Dana.

Before sharing my review, here's a bit of information from Dana.

A Word from Dana...

I loved reading suspense but had never really given much thought to writing it, mostly because I doubted my ability to do it. In 2013, an idea started bouncing around in my mind about a woman falsely accused with a crime. What if she went to prison? What if she had to go to the cop who arrested her? What if the real killer was after her?

The idea continued to pester me. Early in 2014, the editors of Love Inspired Suspense announced they were seeking new authors through a contest called “The Search for a Killer Voice”. I took a leap of faith, and on February 14, 2014, I submitted my first page. The date is forever cemented in my brain. Over the next few months, what was an idea developed into a book.  

My Review...

Melanie Swanson spent four years of her life in prison for a crime she did not commit. Few people have been willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, including Lieutenant Jace Tucker, who is now tasked with protecting her. Someone is trying to prevent Melanie from recalling details from the past. However, she is determined to remember, as the truth is all she has left. Jace is forced to admit that recent events are more than just coincidence, especially when jurors from her case turn up dead. Is someone who is sworn to protect her involved? This is an exciting debut from this promising storyteller. The opening scene grabs the reader immediately, and it is easy to connect to the heroine. Lynn keeps the reader guessing until the end. The pace and plotting are ideal for reader engagement, and they will anxiously await a (hopeful) sequel.

About Dana...

Dana grew up in Illinois.  She developed a love for the written word very early on and started her first “book” in 5^th grade. Although she never got more than a few pages written, the dream was planted in her heart. She met her husband at a wedding and told her parents she had met her future husband. Nineteen months later, they were married. Today, they live in rural Pennsylvania with their three children and enough pets to open a petting zoo. In addition to writing, she works as an educational interpreter for the deaf and is active in several ministries at her church.

Links:  http://www.authordanarlynn.wordpress.com

            www.facebook.com/WriterDanaLynn

      www.twitter.com/DanaRLynn 

Tuesday Tip: How Short is Too Short?

Tuesday Tip

So, you're stuck on your current work in progress and ready to give up on writing. Perhaps it's time for a change of pace. Consider writing a short story.

A short story is a fictional tale, limited setting, and one major event. It is intended to be read in a single sitting. They are generally under 1000 words. Some people create a number of related short stories and compile them into a novella. There is even a category called micro-fiction, where the word count is under 100 words.

Another popular trend is "flash fiction." These stories are between 250-1000 words. They are particularly popular in the science fiction genre, as they are just short enough to leave the reader with questions to ponder.

All of these are options to consider if you are feeling stuck or have a limited amount of time to write.

March Featured Book #2 … And a GIVEAWAY!

Before sharing my review, here's a bit of information from Lee.

A Word from Lee …

Greetings! Lee Tobin McClain here, giving some background on my latest novel for Love Inspired. Engaged to the Single Mom comes from a couple of pretty deep places in my heart.

First, I'm a single mom myself. And while my situation is not in any way as challenging as my heroine's —I have a home, a job, and a healthy child — it's still hard to raise a child alone. Worries and struggles loom larger when there's no one to share them. At the end of a long day, there's no one but you to kill the spiders, repair the furnace, and calm the juvenile emotional storms. You're forced to rely on your own inner resources and on the Lord.

Though single parenting is a difficult path, there are so many blessings along the way. Most of the single moms I know have grown into strong, resourceful people because of the difficult path they've taken. And most of us are very close to our children. My daughter is the best part of my life, and raising her well is worth any difficulties I face along the way.

So my novel features a single mom. With all of Angelica's struggles, and with how adorable her son Xavier is, you really want them to catch a break … especially a break in the form of handsome veterinarian Troy Hinton! It's my hope that readers will be rooting for these three to form a family as much as I was. Of course, as the author, I had to put them through all kinds of challenges first!

The other reason this book hits close to home for me is its focus on dogs. I love animals, and my little senior rescue dog is my best friend. Dogs never have a bad day, they're always glad to see you, and they have hearts full of love. I think everyone would be happier if they'd adopt a rescue dog! So writing a story about a whole farm full of rescue dogs was a joy. I'm especially fond of Bull, Troy's old bulldog who faces his own challenges during Engaged to the Single Mom. And good news: if you like Bull and the dog rescue farm, stay tuned for book two of the series; they'll be back in early 2016.

Meanwhile, consider taking a look at my website to learn about my independently – published series. The Sacred Bond novels feature heroic, passionate former delinquents who grow up to be heroes. You can download a book one for free, and if you like that, sign up for my newsletter for another exclusive freebie!

Thanks for letting me be on the blog, Leslie! If your readers comment today, let's enter them into a drawing for a copy of Engaged to the Single Mom, okay?

Sure thing, Lee! Just for commenting, you can be entered into the drawing to win an electronic copy of Engaged to the Single Mom. Leave an email address in your comment, which must be posted by March 31, 2015. I will do a random drawing and contact the winner at the beginning of April.

My review…

Single mother Angelica Camden is struggling to do her best for her son Xavier, who has leukemia. She needs to find a house, a job, and a father figure for him. She reluctantly takes a job with local veterinarian, and her ex, Troy Hinton. She broke their engagement after a devastating event, which she never shared with him. Troy believes her to be disloyal, but he needs the help so he hires her for the sake of Xavier. Troy loves his job, but longs for a family. Xavier longs for a father. Would a marriage for Xavier’s sake be possible? Can they learn to trust each other? How will things change when Angelica’s secret is revealed? The author makes a solid Love Inspired debut. At only six years of age, Xavier is a strong character who will tug at the reader’s heartstrings. Angelica demonstrates that it is possible for one to keep their faith through life’s struggles. Overall, this is a heart-wrenching, yet sweet, tale of trust, hope, and second chances.

To connect with Lee…

Website/Newsletter: http://www.leetobinmcclain.com

Tuesday Tip: Make Time Your Friend

Mother Teresa stated, "Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin." 

Everyone must figure out the best way to make use of the little time we are given, and writers are no exception. There never seems to be enough time. We are spread so thin, between being a parent, a child, an employee, or whatever roles we are called to play.

So, how can you find more time in your day for writing? Here are some suggestions:

1. Schedule It: In order to be sure that it is a priority for your day, schedule time for writing.If you treat it like an appointment, you will be less likely to push it off for unexpected events that occur.It may be easier to schedule a set amount of time for the entire week, so that way there is some flexibility on a day-to-day basis.
2. Eliminate Time Wasters: This could include decreasing the amount of time spend on social media, watching television, running errands, or even household chores (though you will need to do those at some point!).While you do need downtime in your day, you may be wasting more time than you realize.
3. Writing Corner: Designate a specific place to write. This could be a room or corner in your house, or it could be the local coffee shop. Choose whatever works best for you.
4. Use Your Time Wisely: Don't be overly focused on achieving a set word count every day. The most important thing is to write. And if you happen to be stuck, remember that any writing is better than none. Write a letter to a friend or even a shopping list. Just write!

The important thing is to make your writing a priority. If you don't, no one else will either.

March Featured Book #1

Before sharing my review, here's a bit of information from Amy.

A Word from Amy...

I think most writers would agree that any truly heartfelt story draws at least some inspiration from people and events which have touched their lives. Then Sings My Soul is no exception. I braided three of my passions together to create this story: my work as a registered nurse caring for elderly patients and their families; my grandfather, who was a savant hobby lapidarist and died a month shy of his 95th birthday; and my love for the people of Ukraine (where my ancestors are from). I wanted to reveal the hope that exists in an often forgotten segment of the population — the elderly — while at the same time show how God moves steadfast and unchanging, but also unexpectedly, through our lives. I incorporated these things into the story of 94-year-old Jakob quite like the way a lapidarist goes about his craft, through the ugly, even filthy beginnings of a raw stone, to the cutting and angling of the different facets of a gem, and eventually to the shine and brilliance of the finished piece. I developed quite a crush on Jakob as I wrote, and I think — I hope — readers will find courage in his often painful but ultimately triumphant journey. So many times we cannot see God in the midst of our journeys. As Jakob and his daughter Nel navigate what seem like overwhelming loneliness and endings, they find that God never left them, and that he is working on and through all of our stories, always. (A note to readers: the blue gemstone on the cover is one my grandfather actually faceted! There is an explanation of this very special stone in the back of the book.)

My review...

Nel Stewart returns home after the death of her mother to help care for her father, Jakob, who is suffering from dementia and a broken hip. Nel feels she failed her parents by not being there and plans to remedy that, even if it costs her a relationship with her boyfriend. Jakob is carrying a lifetime of shame and guilt and does not want to be a burden on anyone. He agrees to share his story with Nel after she discovers information regarding his brother and a life in the Ukraine that she knew nothing about. Will learning about her father’s past bring healing and a renewed relationship for them? Told in alternating time periods and viewpoints, Sorrells deftly tackles a difficult to read topic in a raw yet gentle way. Sensory details, lyrical prose, and dramatic scenes wrap the reader as the story unfolds. The horrors associated with Eastern Europe in the early 20^th century are skillfully balanced with present-day hope. The religious aspect does not overwhelm, instead exemplifying people relying on God, His amazing grace, and His unconditional love. This book is one to read in a thoughtful manner (and not just skim) so that the descriptions can be fully appreciated and understood. The characters will stay with you long after the final page.

To Connect with Amy...

Join Amy and her stories in the following locations:

Website: http://amysorrells.wordpress.com
Email: aksorrells@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amysorrells
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amy-K-Sorrells/265415650723

Instagram: http://instagram.com/amyksorrells/
Sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/EBFPT
Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author.amysorrells
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6999533.Amy_K_Sorrells
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/amysorrells/

Tuesday Tip: Overused Words

Tuesday Tip

When writing, you can do yourself, and your editor, a favor by eliminating some overused words. There are some that are universally overused, and these should be replaced with fresher ideas. Here are some to avoid when possible:

wonderful                                               amazing

it                                                             literally

really                                                      very

exactly                                                    actually

stuff                                                       things

whatever                                                 seriously

bad                                                         fine

suddenly                                                 probably

good                                                       happy

Every writer has key words that they fall back on at times. Look back over your writing and see if you can identify other words to add to this list. In the long run, your readers will thank you. And so will your editor.

February Featured Book #2

Before sharing my review, here's a bit of information from Lisa.

A Word from Lisa...

     In MANHUNT, Eric has been transferred to a team of US Marshals who catch wanted fugitives, which is a far cry from his ‘calling’ as a WITSEC handler. He’s unhappy, and questioning if this can be God’s will for him. Hailey is his partner on the Marshals’ team, a single mom determined to keep her work and home lives separate. It was so much fun to throw all kinds of crazy situations—a devastating flood, an escaped fugitive and an unsolved theft from years ago—at Eric and Hailey, just to keep them guessing about how they were going to get out of it!

     My next LIS book EASY PREY features Jonah Rivers, Eric and Hailey’s team leader. Easy Prey is coming fall 2015!

  

My Review...

MANHUNT by Lisa Phillips: After a felon they are transporting escapes, US Marshals Eric Hanning and Hailey Shelder are on high alert. The duo has butted heads in the past, but this time they must work together. Eric has recently been transferred out of WITSEC, and he is not impressed to be sent to a small town in Oregon to apprehend a fugitive. As a single mother, Hailey has no time for romance. When her 12 year old daughter is almost kidnapped, Eric and Hailey find their bond strengthening. It is likely that the escaped felon is linked to stolen jewels, and that Hailey’s ex-husband is somehow involved. It appears that someone believes Hailey is involved, too. When the felon vows to seek revenge, many people will be placed in danger, including her daughter. Can they trust the members of their own team to help keep them safe?  An escaped fugitive, a flood, dirty cops, an ex-husband, and an unsolved theft combine to create intense action that begins early on in this page turner. Hailey is a strong, determined character. Eric will be familiar for readers of other books in the series. The romance and faith elements do not overwhelm. There is a good buildup of suspense, vivid imagery, and lots of close calls to engage the reader.

To Connect with Lisa...

You can find me at www.authorlisaphillips.com where you can sign up for my mailing list, and find out what’s Coming Next.

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter @lisaphillipsbks and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LisaPhillipsNataliaGortova