Coming Soon

My baby has a face.

I'm excited to announce my second novel, The Sisters of Madelaine Street, will be published next month. I don't have an exact date yet, but I believe it will be mid-month.

The Sisters was a tough, but touching book to write. So many things happen between siblings, some of it purposeful, a lot of it not. I wanted to capture the misalliances, misunderstandings, and abiding loyalty that exists between, in this case, sisters.


I hope you will look for it on Amazon next month.

Thank you.

Let's Eat Quiche!

One of my characters in my upcoming book likes to make quiche. I like to make it too, however, I have no one in my house who will eat it. So, I make quiche when I have some sort of social food gathering, such as I had yesterday, at the Ozarks Romance Authors' Christmas party, and I get to indulge with others of like quiche mind. Quiche is a great, versatile dish, lending itself easily to salads and fruit bowls. And, you can put anything in it, whatever you like, and it's still quiche.

So, here goes, here's how I made mine:

Ingredients:

1 refrigerated pie crust
1 TBSP butter
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms, and chop them up a bit
3 green onions, slices
3 cups fresh spinach, rinsed and patted dry
3 large eggs
1/2 teas. salt
1/4 teas. pepper
dash red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 shredded smoked Gouda cheese
3/4 cup diced cooked ham

First thing, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Unroll your pie crust and press into a pie plate. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork so that it doesn't bubble up when baking. Bake your crust for ten minutes. Lower oven temperature to 325 and set crust aside.

Drop butter into a medium skillet and add mushrooms and green onions. Cook for 5 minutes over medium  heat, stirring often. Add spinach, making sure all the water's been pressed out first, and let it heat until the spinach begins to wilt and set aside.

Break eggs into a large bowl, add milk and salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, whisk until well combined. I actually wisk up my eggs just a bit before adding the other ingredients to make sure the yolks are broken and the mixture is yellow before adding the rest in. Add ham, cheeses spinach and mushroom mixture. Stir until well combined.

Pour into pie shell and bake for 50-55 minutes or until center is set.

Remove from oven and allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Mange!

Harriet Klausner, of Morrow, Georgia, died October 15, at age 63. She was a former librarian, newspaper columnist, and a lover of books.

Why is the death of Harriet Klausner important, you might ask.

Harriet not only loved books; she reviewed them, and posted 31.014 reviews on Amazon. At one time, she was the #1 ranked reviewer on Amazon. She never gave more than four stars to any book she read. In 2006, Time magazine chose her as person of the year, as one who impacted the information age.

Harriet Klausner represents the way books are read, reviewed and sold today. Harriett Klausner lived an ordinary life as an ordinary wife, mother and working woman. However, she had a passion for the written word, to not only read it, but write about it. Her reviews were coveted by ordinary writers, like you and me.

Today, we look to our peers for reviews and opinions about our books. We no longer scour The New York Times Best Seller List; we don't call up Barnes & Noble and ask them what the big seller is today. No, we turn to the reviews and opinions of ordinary people. People just like us, who love to read and want to read good books. We also hope to receive reviews of our own work from people just like us. People just like us is the new The New York Times Best Seller List.

I think Harriet Klausner did more for book reviews and books sales than any big time newspaper could have done. She supported writing and readers. We should do the same. We may not post a meg-number of reviews but we should make our voices heard regarding our fellow authors' work.

So, salut Harriet, where ever you are. I hope you have an armful of books still.

Springfield Writers' Guild - 22nd Annual Poetry & Prose Contest

Good morning, folks! Time to get your poetry and prose groove on!

Why? Because in just under two weeks, The Springfield Writers' Guild's Annual Poetry & Prose Contest is set to open. Yes, on June 15, at 12:01 am, we will begin taking entries from...YOU.

Please see the guidelines below, Our guidelines can also be found at www.springfieldwritersguild.org. Read the guidelines carefully before submitting your entries. Failure to follow said guidelines could cause your entry to be disqualified, ruining all your hard work.

Springfield Writers’ Guild

22^nd Annual Prose and Poetry Contest

June 15 - September 15, 2015

www.springfieldwritersguild.org/contests

Divisions and Awards

Prose and Poetry Division

Fee $5 per entry. No limit to number of entries, but the same entry may not be entered in more than one category.

Prose: Maximum 1,000 words, double-spaced

Category 1 – Fiction, any genre

Category 2 – Nonfiction, any subject

Category 3 – Humorous

Poetry: Maximum one page, single-spaced

Category 4 – Humorous, any form

Category 5 – Any subject, any form

Awards each category 1-5: First Place $50, Second Place $25, Third Place $15, Two Honorable Mentions

Jim Stone Memorial Poetry Division

Fee $5, one entry per person. Entry must not have been entered in Categories 4 or 5.

Poetry any subject, any form. One page, single spaced.

Awards this division: First Place $150, Second Place $75, Third Place $50, Two Honorable Mentions

Best of Springfield Writers’ Guild Award

SWG members who enter any category automatically will be considered for a $100 award at no additional entry fee and in addition to other awards they may receive. This category judged separately.

Bonus for SWG Members: Submit two entries and receive a special link to submit a third entry free of charge. One free entry per member.

Submission Guidelines

1.      Read these guidelines carefully. Failure to follow the guidelines may disqualify your entry.

2.      Contest period is 12:01 a.m. Central Time, June 15, 2015, to midnight Central Time, September 15, 2015. Entries and fees will be accepted only during the contest period and only at www.Submittable.com; see link at www.springfieldwritersguild.org/contests.html. Payment by debit card, credit card, or PayPal. Each entry must be unpublished, original work of contestant, and entered in only one category. You keep all rights to your entries; entries will not be published.

3.      Double space prose, single space poetry. Title each entry except haiku. A list of your entries will be accessible at www.Submittable.com. Enter the prose word count or poetry form in the box provided. Number prose pages. Do not put your name on entries.

4.      Once an entry is submitted to Submittable, it will not be extracted or exchanged for another entry for any reason. Writers may resubmit another entry accompanied with the $5 fee.

5.      Awards will be presented at the Springfield Writer’s Guild meeting, October 24, 2015, or by mail for those unable to attend. For a list of winning entries and judges, visit www.springfieldwritersguild.org/contests.html after October 24, 2015.

Questions? Contact Contest Chair, Yvonne Erwin: writer716@gmail.com 

New Release! Tierney James, please step forward!

Let me introduce to you, my friend and fellow author, Tierney James, a wonderful, warm person and fine author.

Hello Tierney James. Tell us about you. Give us a glimpse into Tierney James.

Okay, well, I once lived on a Native American Indian Reservation, in mining communities in Northern California and Missouri. I followed a friend to China to help her adopt a baby girl, as well as slept in a tent near the Kalahari Desert in Africa where elephants and hippos sometimes wandered into camp. While I was in college, I sang in a Christian band, performing twice at Great Lakes Naval Base. To this date, I cringe at the cover of the album we made so long ago.

You lived in a mining community for 25 years. Tell us something that might surprise your readers about living near lead mines.

Every day around 3:00 pm, underground charges were set for explosives. If you stood quietly you could hear the pop, pop, pop deep in the earth. There is a huge difference between mining coal and mining lead. Hard rock mining is much safer for working. You aren't dealing with dangerous methane gas like you might find in coal mines. Lead mines are huge and cavernous with a year round temperature of 65 degrees.

Did anyone in particular influence your characters when you started writing The Rescued Heart?

No. Garrett Horton and Fawn Turnbough were combinations of many wonderful people who live in this small Ozark town. Since I lived in the area, I used names that would sound familiar and be authentic to the culture. Some of the places are slices of the real thing. My town of Westfork is large and thriving town. The real Westfork you might not notice if you drove through. Rocky Fork Mine was actually named after a creek on my farm.

In a couple of sentences give just a glimpse of The Rescued Heart.

After returning home to put her life back together, Fawn finds her ruthless father is still trying to outwit her former fiancée, Garrett, the man who drove her away ten years earlier. Garrett seems bent on picking up where he left off with Fawn, the woman he could never forget, Garrett finds himself torn between her hardened heart and the mines who could kill him. Discovering a plot to destroy him and all he holds dear begins to unravel a heart that is in need of one last rescue. Trapped 1000 feet underground, with water rising, means he might never get the chance to make things right with Fawn.

How were you able to write about a mine collapsing in on itself?

Those kind of accidents have happened. It’s not that hard to research and find out about them. It actually happened to another company in the area not long after we moved to Viburnum. Fortunately nothing like that ever happened where my husband worked. Because he was a mine engineer he was able to teach me about explosives, reclaiming pillars safely and the routines of miners. He gave me geology and mining books to read, which honestly were like chewing cardboard. Ha. But I did it anyway. I also took a week long mining workshop sponsored by The Doe Run Company which taught me a great deal.

What would you like readers to know about mining?

“If it can’t be grown it has to be mined.” We were very proud of that saying. The men and women connected to the mine industry learn early on not to take life for granted nor do they worry about tomorrow. Miners are strong, smart and resilient. Mining is very important to our economy and we should support it for a free America.

Was there anything in The Rescued Heart that readers might actually visit in the Ozarks?

One of the events in the book is Old Miner’s Day. The first Saturday of October in Viburnum, Missouri celebrates mining and the people who make it possible. There are mine tours, crafts, a parade, terrific entertainment and of course, wonderful food. Check it out! Beautiful people and a great day of fun.

How can readers get in touch with you?

www.facbook.com/TierneyJamesAction

http://www.ptierneyjames.blogspot.com

Twitter: @TierneyJames1

http://www.pinterest.com/ptierneyjames/

Coming this summer: 

Thank you, Tierney James and best of luck to you on your release this summer! It's been a pleasure having you here. 

Sunday Dinner

Hello friends. It's been a long time since we've cooked together, hasn't it. Since my camera battery is dead but charging, I can't give you a photo of what I cooked today, so hopefully, the photo attached to this post will do.

My next book is rife with food, as with the old book, and so let's get back in the groove and talk about food, real life soul cleansing, heart mending, memory making, love inducing victuals!

Ready?

Okay, so let's heave ourselves out of our armchairs, and hustle to the kitchen and whip up a Sunday dinner. Sunday dinners are important around my house and I try, more Sundays than not, to make sure we gather around the table to share a meal together. Our lives are hectic; everyone's schedule is different during the first six days of the week and many times, we don't see each other until Sunday, therefore, we  have Sunday dinner as often as we can.

Here is what we ate today:

Hamburger-Broccoli Pie

Ingredients and instructions follow:

Double crust pie crust
1 pound ground chuck
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 TBSP flour
1 clove garlic, pressed and chopped
3/4 teas. kosher salt
1 1/4 cup milk
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg, beaten
1 head of fresh broccoli, chopped, without the stems, cooked and drained
Monterey Jack cheese, sliced
red pepper flakes
black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown chuck, onion, garlic and red pepper flakes, drain excess fat. Stir in flour, salt, and some pepper. Add the milk and softened cream cheese, cook until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Add a moderate amount of meat mixture to beaten egg; return to mixture in skillet. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stir in cooked, drained broccoli. Spoon mixture into pastry-lined pie pan, Slice Monterey Jack cheese and arrange slices on top of meat mixture. Lay top crust over filling, seal, flute edges, Cut slits on top and brush the top with a little milk if desired, then back for 40 to 45 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

I served this with buttered carrots, cooked in chicken stock, salt and pepper. Now, if you want to go farther than broccoli with the green factor, maybe spinach would work in the hamburger pie. That's something to consider for next time, but I think it might work quite well.

But, wait, how about dessert? Never fear. We'll have some. It's Sunday, after all, and Sunday is a day for dessert!

Peach Upside Down Cake

I discovered a can of peach slices in the back of my pantry and I thought about peach upside down cake, similar to pineapple upside down cake but without the traditional pineapple rings and maraschino cherries. I also found some blackberries in the fridge that needed somewhere to go, and so, viola! Peach upside down cake.

1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar

Drop this mixture into an  8 x 8 baking pan and shove it in the 350 degree oven to let the butter and brown sugar melt together. In the meantime, in a mixing bowl, beat together the following:

1/4 cup Crisco
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

Combine the following in a separate bowl:

1 cup sifted cake flour (or 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour)
1 1/2 teas. baking powder (unless using all purpose flour, then reduce it to 1/2 teas.)
1/2 teas. salt

Add alternately with 1/3 cup milk and 1/2 teas. vanilla to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Pull brown sugar/butter mixture from the oven; alternate peach slices and blackberries on top and pour cake mixture over. Bake about 45 minutes or until done. Remove cake from pan while warm by inverting over serving plate or platter.

Enjoy!

Video Teaser

Take a look at this video teaser, produced by PixelTwister Studios. If you're looking for a small, intimate company to make a book trailer for you, this company is the real deal.

Jeremy and Ellen possess a unique collaboration - yes, they're husband and wife, but more than that, they're a team, each complimenting the other, working in tandem as if they're one person.

They understand music, they understand light and direction, they've just got it all.

PixelTwister can be found at the following links:

http://www.pixeltwisterstudio.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pixeltwisterstudio

Give them a call if a book trailer suits your needs.

Now What?

As you know, The Discovery of Joy was released to the world on February 2, 2015. The fact that my release date was also Groundhog's Day in the US didn't phase me; in fact, I found it hilarious. Sort of figures, actually. February 2 was a placeholder for another reason - the midpoint of winter, the beginning of the look forward to spring, Imbolc, or whatever name you know it by. The idea of my book being released at that particular point in the ongoing seasons pleased me. Seemed to give it a new meaning somehow.

But to start, let's give credit where credit's due. This book would not have been birthed but for the efforts of people besides me. I have to say, I had a great editor, Rebecca T. Dickson, who pushed this work into something that could be published. My cover artist, Niki Bradley-Fowler brings quality work to everything she does. The girl rocks it out. My publisher, Paperback-Press and Sharon Kizziah-Holmes, could not have asked for better. My beta readers, which were Sharon and my fellow author friend, Ellen Harger, they rocked it out as well. Hmmm....maybe it does take a village to publish a book.

But, what's an author to do once the bouncing baby book is birthed? 

Well, quite honestly, I'm doing pretty much the same things I've been doing for months. I'm building associations, mostly on social media. I'm promoting, again, on social media. I'm joining author groups, women's fiction groups, independent author groups, anywhere I can find an avenue to promote TDOJ. I'm on twitter, but I'm not tweeting my book. I'm finding other independent groups who will tweet my book, IndieAuthorNews is one of them. Since my book came out, IndieAuthorNews has been fantastic for me. I'm on the front page, have been since February 3rd, and will be all next week. After that, I'll have a place on the sidebar for a week. IndieAuthorNews pushes my book out, seven times a day, I simply retweet their tweet. 

I joined a facebook reviewers group - I've gotten some nice reviews, one from South Africa, 

Of course all writers obsess. The girls at ORA laughed at me today as I tried to tone down my obsession with createspace. "You mean, you don't think WE do that?" Okay. I'm not so strange. I watch the graphs regarding sales rank and author rank - I have a small idea of what they mean, but it seems my numbers are pretty good right now. I've had some sales. I've had some good reviews, mostly from people who don't know me, who have no investment in me at all. And then, there's goodreads. It's odd to me that I have more reviews on goodreads than on amazon, but maybe that's okay. 

The other thing I'm doing, maybe the more important thing, is I'm working on the next book. Bing!

And this photo is a hint of what's to come. A family home. Sisters who've pursued different paths, sisters who don't communicate, a troubled niece trying to emerge from a terrible happening, a long-time family friend who sees things, and a man who may be the answer to someone's loneliness, and then, there's the food. Among other things. If I'm calendaring this right, the next book will be available March or April, 2016. 

Stick with me, folks. Let's go on this next journey together. 

I'd be so pleased to have you go along with me.

The Proofs Have Arrived

The proofs of my novel were waiting on my doorstep for me when I got home from work last night.

Yes, the proof copies (I goofed up and ordered two rather than one). And here they are, proof that this book exists. It's out of my head and sits between a front and a back cover.

Thing was, I couldn't stop looking at them, touching the cover, flipping through the thing to see this page or that, did the acknowledgements turn out okay and I realized, I felt this way when I gave birth to my children. In particular, I'll compare it to the birth of my first child, Michael.

"The first time's a novelty," a more seasoned mother told me after church one day as we dismounted the church steps. "The second time is a pain in the ass."

Oh. Well, I'm still in the throes of the thrill, thank you.

When I was pregnant, I was filled with such awe that such a thing could be taking place in my body, that a tiny egg could germinate to a living being, that the living being was being nourished and nurtured within my body, growing to fruition to a point when it would emerge, it's own person, separate and apart from me. I wondered so many things. Who will you be? Will I be able to raise you well? Will I protect you, teach you, will I love you enough? Will you have all your fingers and toes, will you be healthy? and at times, when I was overtaken by sheer terror, Can we call this whole thing off?

And then Michael arrived, all eight pounds one ounce of him, and as I held him in my arms I was stunned, filled with an all consuming joy, head over heels, fierce, relentless and never ending. I fell instantly in love.

It's not that different birthing a book. All the steps that led to this point are similar in nourishing, protecting and giving birth to a child. Laying the baby on my chest for the first time reminds me of bringing the germ of an idea to fruition. Reading through my story last night gave me a lot of pleasure. When I finished proofing the same feelings flooded back as when Michael was born. I still love the story. I still love the characters and I'm pleased with how they turned out. And I hope others will be when they read it. My first character, Julie, is not so likable at first but her growth process pleases me more than the other two, I think. I'm proud of her, actually.

How do you feel when your work is published? Do you feel the same, that the process is similar to giving birth to a human child?

Now Available for Pre-Order as an E-book on Amazon!

Just a quick note - this is so exciting!

The Discovery of Joy is now available for pre-order as an e-book on Amazon! Get your copy today. All reads and reviews would be appreciated!

A Short Review of The Discovery of Joy

I am so excited about this, friends. What an awesome review of my women's fiction novel, from....a man. Holy cow.Jumping up and down, blowing party whistles, throwing glitter all about, my party hat askew, dancing to Roy Orbison. Well? Wouldn't you?  

What affirmation. I mean, really. Still dancing. 

But the clock strikes midnight and well, we have to get dignified (crap) in spite of our very best selves, and so...here we go. 

My friend, RIckey Pittman, graciously agreed to review my novel prior to release and wrote this "short" (not so short) review. Just a bit of history here - I met Rickey a few years ago, at the Ozarks Creative Writers' Conference, in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Since that time, RIckey and I joined forces in reviewing one another's work, and giving critiques and reviews of and for each other. So, I was so pleased when he agreed to review my women's fiction novel, The Discovery of Joy. Rickey is an accomplished novelist, songwriter, musician and storyteller, as well as being an educator. And, he is a dear friend, while we're at it. Here is a link to his website: https://www.bardofthesouth.com/. With that, here is the "short" (not so short) review of The Discovery of Joy." I intrude a bit, notice the italics.

The Discovery of Joy by Yvonne Erwin: A Short Review (hahahah - that's me laughing)

The Discovery of Joy is a first novel by Yvonne Erwin.  I think this novel will help set her on her way as a romance writer. (Romance? DId he say romance? I like, even though I never thought of myself as a romance writer. Oops, Rickey, go on.) And yes,  this is a romance novel—reminding the reader of how easily and quickly one can fall in love and the price one may have to pay for those forays into love’s territories.

Erwin writes with a strong sense of narrative, a style that reminded me of Candace Bushnell. In her writing, (Candace Bushnell? Sex in the City? That's big, baby) I see scenes rich in vivid imagery and emotion. For example, the early scene of the moving van is one that will not be easily forgotten.  Many of the scenes are quite sexy and she accomplishes this without being graphic. (OMG, this means he read it, he read the freaking book. Wow.)

After reading the book, I feel like I know the characters well, even down to the interior conflicts and conversations—the talks  and questions we have as we experience life and question our own value and sanity. The reader will gain insights into what Erwin describes as the “caustic void” of the legal world, and the heart-rattling realities of divorce. Erwin’s writing causes us to think about the angst, the secrets, the lies, the memories, years and “twisted, gnarled roots of our life” that sit between people. There is a wide variety of characters that the reader is sure to identify with in this (to borrow a phrase of Erwin’s) “waltz of discoveries." (Mhmmm, mhmmm.) The reader will encounter the sincerely religious, the crazies, the cruel, and the fair-weather friends. The reader will feel how marriage and conquest change people, about secrets, about lies. (And, you're gonna eat a lot, or at least thing about eating a lot. This is a foodie book as well.)

Though there are men who are key characters, this is a story about women—the women of Springfield, Missouri.  We discover their self-doubts, the struggle with self-image, about what a woman feels when she is caught in the rut of a dead-end job and existence, how it feels to be fired without explanation, and how marriage can be a paradise or a nightmare, exceeding or disappointing our expectations.

If you are a reader or a writer of romance, you are sure to enjoy, The Discovery of Joy by Yvonne Erwin.

Thank you, Rickey Pittman. Looking forward to your next work.

The Heckmasters, Book 2 - Release Date April 7, 2015!

Here is the second volume of The Heckmaster series, written by my friend and fellow Ozarks Romance Auithors member, Allison Merritt. Allison is a prolific writer, with an amazing talent for the written word. This volume will be released April 7, 2015 - Read on. 

If love can’t save them, there will be hell to pay.

Grateful for his mother’s human blood that cools the dark fire of his demon father, Eban Heckmaster has set up a medical practice in New Mexico territory. But there’s no hope of living a normal life until he rids himself of a seductive demon that’s been pursuing him.

Vanquishing it won’t be as simple as sharpening his demon-hunting sword. The clever creature is hiding inside his best friend’s head, and she has no idea of the havoc she’s been wreaking, especially with his body.

Beryl suspects Eban knows why she’s been waking up with no memory of where she’s been or what she’s done, but he’s not talking. But when she inevitably learns what he’s hiding—or rather, what’s hiding inside her—she wonders if her love for him is real, or an illusion created by the demon’s lust.

Eban is losing the battle to hold his rising desire in check. There may be only one way to extricate Beryl from the beast entangling her mind. Call upon his demon blood...and offer it as a sacrifice.

Warning: Contains a half-human, half-demon doctor who can heal anyone except himself, and a woman who’d blush if she could remember the sensuous torture she’s been inflicting on him. Could make you wonder if you should start listening to the voices in your head...

About the Author:

A love of reading inspired Allison Merritt to pursue her dream of becoming an author who writes historical, paranormal and fantasy romances, often combining the sub-genres. She lives in a small town in the Ozark Mountains with her husband and dogs. When she's not writing or reading, she hikes in national parks and conservation areas.

Allison graduated from College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri with a B.A. in mass communications that's gathering dust after it was determined that she's better at writing fluff than hard news.

Social media links:

Blog – http://havenovelwilledit.blogspot.com

Facebook – http://facebook.com/allisonmwrites

Twitter – http://twitter.com/allison_merrit

G+ - http://gplus.to/allisonmerritt

Goodreads – http://goodreads.com/AllisonMWrites

Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/allisonmwrites/

Read the first book in the series: Wystan (The Heckmasters)

Buy links:

Samhain - http://store.samhainpublishing.com/wystan-p-73651.html

Amazon - http://amzn.com/B00L501TJK

B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wystan-allison-merritt/1119847207?ean=9781619222892

Rafflecopter Giveaway HTML:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

or the link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/78d9580/?

Release Date!

I am happy to announce the release of my contemporary women's fiction novel, The Discovery of Joy, will be February 2, 2015! You will be able to find it on amazon.com and bn.com.

Releasing my baby to fly free is a thrilling and frightening process, not to mention a little astounding. How did I come so far? I'm torn between a feeling of buyer's remorse (is it good enough? Will everyone hate it?) and wanting to jump up and down shrieking, "Yes!" not to mention grabbing complete strangers by the shoulders shouting, "I have a book! A published book!"

I'm also grateful. I tried doing this, the publishing process, before I was ready and certainly before the book was ready. Obviously, I met outstanding failure. When I allowed people into my life, people who didn't feel the same bond with my book as I did, the book began to change. And I began to change as well. For one thing, I stopped rushing about trying to arrange every detail and keep control. I started listening to advice from people who've been around a little bit and know more than me. What evolved from that? Well, here it is; look at the photo.

So.

Thank you to Rebecca T. Dickson, my editor. Thank you for demanding that I see farther than my fingertips on the keyboard. Thank you to my beta readers, Ellen Harger, and Sharon Kizziah-Holmes and an unknown friend of Sharon. Thank you to my cover artist, Niki Bradley-Fowler. Thank you Paperback-Press for taking this project on.

So, on or after February 2, 2015, should you feel like reading a book about women, about love and betrayal, heartache, food, personal growth and the discovery of joy, please order my book. I hope you like it.

January 3, 2015 Mega Write-In and Critique

Hey folks - just a quick note to let you know the link is up and available for pre-registration for this event. Please go to:  www.ozarks-romance-authors.com and you will find the link to the Mega Write-In and Critique.

You can also find the link on my Events page.

All genres and skill sets are welcome - we'd love to see you there!

Cover Reveal - One Step Closer

It's becoming more a reality now.

Here it is, my thoughts, my dreams, my hopes, everything I've ever thought about being, and it has a gateway, a cover. Wow.

I've always been interested in the concepts of re-inventing one's self, and personal redemption, not necessarily on a spiritual level, coming into a place of growth. Personal growth, to me at least, brings joy, a completion of sorts.

In this book, I've given you three main characters. Each woman is at a crossroad in her life, each must face her challenges and overcome the challenges life throws in her path, to come to a place of joy. I'm also serving up some food goodies here and there; cinnamon rolls, chicken and pasta, and a nice turkey-blue cheese-pear sandwich for the tummy's sake.

We're one step closer to publication but not quite there yet. Look for me after January 1st - I don't have a set-in-stone release date but once I do, I'll be sure and let you know.

Cover art by Niki Bradley-Fowler.
Publisher: Paperback-Press.

ORACon 2014

 ORACon 2014 is behind us now and we're looking ahead to our 2015 conference. Look at all those smiling faces. We were having fun, y'all!

I first attended ORA's conference in 2013 and I thought it was good but I believe this year surpassed last year. Our speakers this year included Leigh Michaels, Liz Pelleteir, Nicole Resciniti, Mia Marlowe, Tish Beaty and Holly Atkinson. Our conference volunteers worked tirelessly for a year to make this happen, never losing sight of the ultimate goal, which was to educate, inform and assist fellow writers.

The workshops were tremendous. Leigh Michaels spoke on fighting the battle to sell to and work with traditional publishers and what the author needs to think about before taking the plunge and going with self-publishing.

Mia Marlowe held a Red Pencil Thursday on Saturday - 500 words to hook an editor. Talk about a challenge!

Angie Fox spoke on the seven key elements of plot. Every burgeoning writer needs to know this.

Agent Nicole Resciniti (the Seymour Agency) spoke on the difference between selling and slushing; in other words, good versus great.

And finally, Liz Pelleteir of Entangled Publishing, spoke on How to Edit a Best Seller.

Plus, we held pitches with editors and agents. Headshots were taken by appointment by Sharon Keeling-Davis. Awards were handed out for the Weta Nichols Contest. And there was lots of food!

Truly an amazing event. We're already looking to next year's conference and how we can make it better than this year.

So, if you're interested in a modestly priced, action-packed one-day conference in the heart of the Ozarks, consider ORACon 2015. We'll be posting details on our webpage: www,ozarks-romance-authors,com. Traditionally, we host the conference the 3rd weekend in September, so put that reminder on your calendar, in your phone, on a sticky note on your refigerator. You will be glad you did.

Developing Your Characters

Yesterday, August 23, Jan Morrill, author of The Red Kimono, spoke to the Springfield Writers' Guild about interviewing your characters. Jan brought a list of potential questions you could ask of a character and she asked us to choose one, as an exercise, and write something about that question.

I chose a question about anger. Anger is a powerful force, a strong emotion, that causes us to act or react in sometimes self-revealing ways.

And I've had a story simmering in the back of my mind for sometime, a sisters story. Whether or not I'll ever be able to write it is a question mark - I foresee me curled up on the couch with a box of kleenex and a gallon of chocolate genache ice cream, tears rolling down my face should I open the door and face it.

But, at any rate, I took the question on anger and I visualized two sisters with different lives. They're having a conversation the day they bury their mother. The reaction to "why are you so angry?" would go something like this:

"Why am I angry? I stayed here, took care of Mom and Dad and you come waltzing back in here like nothing ever changed, waving your 'I'm the oldest' flag, and now you act like you're so entitled. I'm angry with you, India. You look down on us, you think you're better with your fancy vehicle and your designer sunglasses. I'm angry with the way you make me feel. I'm angry with how I feel about you. And I'm mostly angry my life didn't turn out as pretty as yours."

Interesting. I knew the second sister was angry and resentful toward the older sister for leaving the hometown and making a life somewhere else, and I knew the second sister believed the older sister looked down on her for her life choices but I didn't realize until it spilled out, the second sister was angry because at the hue her life took when she made the choices she did.

This exercise reminded me again how important it is to give your characters depth and layers. Interviewing, asking them questions, brings ideas not known before, to the surface. It's an astonishing thing,  how the words fly from your fingertips when you let your character reveal to you what their true motives and intentions are. These revelations bring a richer, deeper dimension to your writing.

Try it. Your characters won't fail you, trust me.

Jan Morrill is the author of The Red Kimono, Doll in the Red Kimono, and Life; Haiku by Haiku. She lives in Dallas, Texas. Photo is courtesy of Jan Morrill.

Working with an Editor - Do You Need One?

I recently hired an editor to work with me on my women’s fiction novel. It was an important decision in my hopeful career as an author and an important investment in me.

Some years ago I was all agog over Nicholas Sparks books. Yes, I know, communal gag now and we’ll move on. I read Nicholas Sparks like the world was on fire. And after awhile, I don’t remember which Nicholas Sparks missive it was, but I put the book down upon finishing and said, I could write that. In fact, I could write that better than that. 

We all know the story of Nicholas Sparks – he hit it out of the park with mega-agent Theresa Parks and she made him a celebrity and she’s got no worries now, she takes his work and it’s published and everybody’s a millionaire and they're dancing with glee. I said, I could be that guy.

And so I started writing. And I kept reading. Eventually, I became acquainted with Barbara Samuel, an author out of Colorado Springs, and took writing classes from her. And I wrote my great American novel, and I rewrote and I polished and I edited and I said, it’s done. Time to query. I’d done my homework and that’s what you do next, right? My naivete had no bounds. I queried agents who were looking for what I was writing. I queried 70 times. And I got 69 either outright rejections or no response, which is the same thing, and one “maybe.” The maybe didn’t pan out and querying before my project was polished wasn't getting me any closer to outrunning Nicholas Sparks.

Numb, I put my manuscript away for years. I wrote other things but my brain and my heart kept going back to that one manuscript. I brushed the dust off on January 1, 2013, read through it again and set it down. Oh my. All I ever wanted to be is a published author, a good one – a Nicholas Sparks success story. I learned enough by that point to know something was wrong and my book wouldn't be published in its present state.

I asked a couple of friends to read it and give me some feedback as to where I was going wrong. One of my friends, a fellow ORA member (I read and reviewed her novel for her) came back and said, “The story is there but, you’ve gone as far as you can with your friends. You need a professional here.” On a whim, she sent five pages to her editor, who promptly sent them back complete with redline and comments. A little fire lit in me. My feet got set on a path. My friend gave me good recommendations on her editor and after researching the gal and thinking about it for a while, and gathering the funds together to pay her, I reached out to Rebecca T. Dickinson, Rebecca T. Dickson Agency, out of New Hampshire, and as they say, the rest is history. We work very well together – she refines my words without taking my voice away. Becky's the polish, the “why?” and the “explain this, say what you bloody well mean.”  She provokes me, she makes me dig and she makes me be transparent. She makes me see the bigger picture.

So why hire an editor in the first place? Simple. You are too close to your words – you are not objective. You need an unbiased eye to review your work, and tell you in plain terms where you’re screwing up. I told a friend I’d hired an editor and she said, “I don’t think I could take anybody messing with my words.” Classic mistake. Check your ego at the door. You hired a professional, which you are not, and the professional is going to mess with your words. And, quite honestly, if you can’t be edited, the hope of being published by any traditional means is nil. If you publish on your own, the results may be dismal at best. Listen, even Stephen King has an editor, actually, a whole line of them. Nobody's above it, in other words.

Be aware. Editors are expensive. You’re going to pay for their services. Some charge, as mine does, by the word, others charge by the page. However you go about it, you will pay for the service. As I mentioned earlier, I made a clear investment in me, in what I want in my life.

Will an editor baby you around and kiss your butt and let you languish in writers’ junior high? Not so much, no. That is not what an editor is there to do. I remember early on working with Becky, she asked me about the way I was labeling my chapters because I was using the character’s name, along with the date of whatever day this new thing was happening. I thought the technique was so clever and I wasn't sure how to respond the first time she asked me about it and so I went selectively deaf for a moment. I really liked it the way it was. Then she asked the second time and I quite graciously explained that this was my more creative way of labeling chapters, much more original than chapter 1, 2 and so forth. I made my case. She responded with one word – “Nope.” NOPE???? Seriously? But, I'm so clever! I let myself fume for a minute or two and then, I read her suggestion and I realized, she’s right. This is exactly what she's here to do - help me. I haven’t always immediately agreed with some of her edits but I’ll tell you in all honesty, when I go back in and read the sentence the way she’s reconstructed it, I say, yeah, that’s better, that’s polished, that’s right. I have had no issues with her messing with my words, so to speak.

So, are you brave enough to seek out an editor? There may be some people available in your area, particularly if you're part of a writing group. Otherwise, check out WritersDigest.com, kirkus reviews, and predatorsandeditors.com. 

Be prepared for the journey of your life, the investment in YOU.

Caught Between Two Curses by Margo L. Dill

Hello All! I'm pleased to have novelist Margo L. Dill on my blog today. Her YA novel, Caught Between Two Curses, is available now. Here is my review of her book:

Caught Between Two Curses is a refreshing young adult novel, perfect for baseball season, perfect for a summer read. It's a fast-moving smart story of 17 yr old Julie, an orphan, who lives with her aunt Lizzie and uncle Henry, and their young son, Stevie. Julie's parents were killed in a fire before her father's 35th birthday. As a matter of fact, the men married to women in Julie's bloodline tend to die before they're 35, due to a curse put on the family by a jilted lover years ago. Julie should be at the top of her game - she has the cutest boyfriend in school, Gus, and her best friend in the whole world, Matt, by her side. Unfortunately, Gus is pressuring Julie for sex, something she's not ready for yet and, at any rate, isn't ready for sex with him in particular. And then there's Matt, who becoming closer and closer to her all the time. However, when Julie's uncle Henry is struck down first by a bad hot dog at a Cards/Cubs game, and then is taken down by a stroke, Julie learns of the family curse from her aunt Lizzie. Uncle Henry will turn 35 in a few months, so Julie has a limited window to figure out how to break the curse. Uncle Henry is a baseball enthusiast, he loves the Cards and the Cubs but the Cubs are also suffering under a curse. They''ve never won a world series, always the bridesmaid but never the bride. Can Julie break the curse on her family and save uncle Henry and in doing so, release the Cubs from their curse? It's a race against time as Julie attempts over and over again to break the curse until one perfect play in a perfect baseball game. 

Here is my interview with Margo:

Margo, tell me how Caught Between Two Curses came to be - were you inspired by baseball? You're a Cardinals fan, right?

I am a Cardinals fan, but I have to admit I like the Cubs, too.  I get this from my dad--he loves all baseball, and has always had a soft spot in his heart for the Cubs. This is unusual--most Cards fans do not love the Cubs. As for the story idea. . .Two news stories in 2003 finally inspired me to explore a question I had always wondered: why do some people survive accidents or tragedies and others don’t? Are the survivors supposed to DO SOMETHING before they die? The two news stories were when Steve Bartman interfered with a foul ball at a Chicago Cubs playoff game, and everyone blamed him for the Cubs not making it in the World Series. I thought, It’s not Steve Bartman’s fault (of course); The Curse of the Billy Goat strikes again. The second story was about a little girl who had survived a car crash where her parents died. She was actually in the car for a few days before the police found her, and she ate snacks from her diaper bag. So I created 17-year-old Julie whose parents both died under mysterious circumstances in a fire when she was three. When the novel opens, Julie thinks her only problem is that her boyfriend wants to have sex, when she’s not ready. But it turns out she seems to be the one in her family destined to break two curses that are killing her loved ones. 

Your main character, Julie, seems wise beyond her years - is she based on a real person? 

That's nice of you to say about Julie! :) She is not based on anyone real, although a bit of me as a teenager is definitely in Julie. I wanted to create a quirky character who was cute and fairly popular and struggled with dating and her future. SO, I hope I was able to do that in this novel. 

What is your writing process?

Well, I seem to change all the time, based on my life experiences, but so far, with the two novels I've had published (Caught Between Two Curses and Finding My Place), I write a draft and have it critiqued by peers, while writing it, then I go back and revise. Then I usually send it to publishers too soon and receive rejections, so then I revise some more. I don't write every day on my WIP--sometimes I will go weeks without working on it, but I usually have a good sum of it finished before I take a break. I've also attempted NANOWRIMO--and I liked the process. I haven't finished, but I had more words down on paper than I would have without trying it. 

Tell me a little bit about your writing background. 

I started writing and trying to get published in 1999 or so, when I was taking a correspondence course on children's writing. Then I joined a critique group and they talked me into trying things besides just writing for kids--essays, short stories, articles--and I started to get published in both fiction for kids and adult nonfiction, and I loved it. SO, I had quite a few magazine and newspaper publications before I started my own editing and writing coaching business in 2006 AND before I got my first novel published (Finding My Place) in 2012. Currently, I teach online classes for WOW! Women On Writing where I also blog and edit, write book reviews for a newspaper, do a lot of freelance editing and writing coaching, and write and promote my books. 

I'm not surprised, but I'm pleased by whom Julie ends up with at the end of the novel.Was that the plan in the beginning or did it evolve?

It was actually the plan from the beginning! I don't really outline my novels, but I do know a basic plot line and where I'm going toward the ending when I am writing. A lot of things changed during the writing--how to break the curse, why Grandma was never able to before, how much of a jerk Gus was--but Julie's love interest at the end never changed. 

6. What is your next project?

I am working on two novels right now--one is REALLY close to being finished and is a middle-grade novel about a super sleuth who has his own trophy stolen and this is one mystery he can't seem to figure out. He's blinded by sibling rivalry.  I have a draft started of another YA--but it's not close to being done. It's about two guys in high school--one popular, one not so much--and what happens in their lives AFTER a community shooting in a local pharmacy. Both of their fathers are killed--one dad was the shooter, and the other a cop. 

I see that you're published through Rocking Horse Publishing - what type of material do they take? Are they looking for new authors?

Rocking Horse Publishing is a small, wonderful press that takes a lot of different types of books--mostly fiction, but they do consider some non-fiction. They publish children's, young adult, and adult as well as genre novels--sci-fi, mystery, romance. They are currently accepting submissions. You can check out the guidelines here: Submissions

Find out more at http://margodill.com/blog/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Caught-Between-Curses-Margo-Dill-ebook/dp/B00J8UWR4K

Indiebound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780991069569

Book trailer: http://youtu.be/foFvYdh8KNs

			Submissions Please send an email that includes one sample of a sketch, attached as a .jpg, as well as your rates.
			View on www.rockinghorsepu...	Preview by Yahoo

Big Announcement!

Release the pigeons, alert the news media, here it comes folks. I'm gleefully rubbing my hands together, eager to share my news. 

Okay, so we'll go without a drum roll but...

I hired an editor. I hired a professional editor to work with me on my women’s fiction manuscript, the baby I've incubated for years and years.

What’s the big deal, you ask? First thing, it means I’m taking myself seriously as a writer, not fooling around with this “l’il hobby” anymore. It means I’m standing up and owning the life I want. It means I mean it.

Her name is Becky and she lives in New England. Becky is a puller – meaning, she asks tough questions and she makes me answer them. She’s forcing me to reach deep down and clear out everything that makes no sense in an effort to get to the gem lying at the bottom of the dark well. And she swears. A lot. I'm looking forward to working with her.

So, I jumped in with both feet. It would be so much easier to scurry back into the closet and slam the door behind me and not try. But I can't do that. If I'm going to be a credible writer, the time is now. Point is, if I can do it, so can you.

What's holding you back?