Book Review: Come Back To Me by Melissa Foster

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Title:Come Back To Me

Author: Melissa Foster
Pub. Date: Nov. 1, 2011
Publisher: Greenforge Books
format: E-Book
Pages: 307
ISBN# 9780984716



Book Description:
 Tess Johnson has it all: her handsome photographer husband Beau, a thriving business, and a newly discovered pregnancy. When Beau accepts an overseas photography assignment, Tess decides to wait to reveal her secret—only she’s never given the chance. Beau’s helicopter crashes in the desert.

Tess struggles with the news of Beau’s death and tries to put her life back together. Alone and dealing with a pregnancy that only reminds her of what she has lost, Tess is adrift in a world of failed plans and fallen expectations. When a new client appears offering more than just a new project, Tess must confront the circumstances of her life head on.

Meanwhile, two Iraqi women who are fleeing honor killings find Beau barely alive in the middle of the desert, his body ravaged by the crash. Suha, a doctor, and Samira, a widow and mother of three young children, nurse him back to health in a makeshift tent. Beau bonds with the women and children, and together, with the help of an underground organization, they continue their dangerous escape.

What happens next is a test of loyalties, strength, and love. 





My Review:
My first words for this book are: Amazing, Excellently written, and a Tear Jerkier!
WOW!! Melissa Foster has written an exceptional story about love, war, hurt, and emotional challenges. I have only read two of Melissa's books, but I can honestly say that I would read her books over and over.

I  was automatically thrown into Tess' life. Tess is an awesome self made strong (so everyone thinks) woman. She runs her own company and married to a very successful photographer. Tess finds out she is expecting, and knowing their five year plan, she decides to wait to let everyone know. Is that a good idea?


Beau, oh my, decides to take an assignment that takes him into Iraqi. Then the worst thing happens, the helicopter he was in was hit and crashes. Tess and everyone believes he is dead. Can Tess, friends, and his family get on with their life?

There are so many twist and turns, heart wrenching, heart warming, screaming, loyalty divided and wonderful memory scenes in this amazing book. I will not get into specifics due to not wanting to give away the book. But let me say this. This is a "Must Read Book for this year!! Just make sure you have a box of tissues waiting.

So since I was able to get into the story line right away, could not put it down, characters were believable I am going to give this book my breath of life rating of:


*The image above came from We Heart It!*  

5 Clock Rating!

Make sure you check out this great book the link is below, just click it!!! 

Book Review: The Legend of Lady Maclaoch by Becky Banks

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Title: The Legend of LADY MACLAOCH
Author: Becky Banks
Pub Date: May 27, 2011
Publisher: Ha'iku Press
Format: E-Book
Pages: 260
ISBN# 9780578075662



Book Description:
A legendary love, an unforgiving curse, and the discovery of a lifetime ...
Centuries ago a vengeful curse buried itself deep into the history of the MacLaoch clan and become a legendary tale told by all those not cursed by its words.

In present-day Scotland, the laird and chieftain of the MacLaoch clan is an ex-Royal Air Force fighter pilot who has been past the gates of hell and returned a changed man. Rowan MacLaoch does battle with wartime memories and a family curse that threaten to consume him—unaware that his life and that of the history of the clan will be changed forever by the arrival of an American woman.

Cole Baker, a feisty recent graduate of a master’s program, stumbles upon the ancient curse while researching her bloodlines. Moved by the history of the MacLaoch clan and the mystery of its chief, she digs into the legend that had been anything but quiet for centuries.

On their quest for answers, Cole and Rowan travel to places they have never before been and become witnesses to things they have never before fathomed. The legend—one started with blood—will end with more shed as its creator finally exacts her justice




My Review:
I have often dreamed of going to Ireland. Seeing the "little guys". I love hearing someone talk that is from Ireland. So when my daughter started telling me about this book and how the Author Becky Banks was so awesome, I just had to read this book myself.

I know it is set in present-day Scotland, and there is no "little guys" in it. But let me say this, there is a lot of real life, down to earth, suspense, love, hate, and mystery to boot. Author Becky Banks in my book is awesome as my daughter told me. Her character building and story line are so in-thralling that you are automatically within the pages yourself. And you feel everything that Cole Baker, as well as the other characters with in the pages are going through.

Cole finds herself trying to find out her family roots after. While doing so she is meet by some difficulty due to the miss spelling of Maclaoch name. Cole's search send this feisty American to Scotland. While she is not sure she is heading in the right way she still keeps going.

Becky Banks character Rowan MacLaoch is one you love to hate. There were times when I could have put my own arms around him to try and soften him up. Then there were times when I could have strangled him.

I am not one for history lessons as I have often said in some of my other reviews. But in trying to do research, Cole has made digging in to some of their family history fun.

So once again,  since I was able to get into the story line right away, could not put it down, characters were believable, and just plan fascinating. I am going to give this book my breath of life rating of:


*The image above came from We Heart It!*  

5 Clock Rating!

Make sure you check out this great book the link is below, just click it!!! 

It's Monday... What are you reading

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*The image above came from We Heart It!* 
Guess what...Its Monday! What are you reading this week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week. It is hosted
 by  Book Journey. 


What I Read Last Week: My Emily by Matt Patterson
Last Weeks Reviews:
Sweeter Than Birdsong by Rosslyn Elliot
Duct Tape Bags By Authors of Instructables
Come Back to Me by Melissa Foster
The Legend of Lady Maclaoch by Becky Banks

 What I Am Reading: Board to Death
 Board to Death is a Trio of Mysteries in the Dangerous Games Series. The book is written by Amy Barkman, Debbie Roome, and Tracy Ruckman.
Baby Boomers Polly Nichols, Lindsay Wilson, and Gretchen Anderson may live worlds apart, but they have one common hobby – a penchant for board games.
Polly’s serene Kentucky campground turns sinister when the manager is a VICTIM of murder.
In New Zealand, Lindsay’s life is turned upside down when MIND GAMES and evidence drag her into a murder case - as a suspect.
At the Kettle’s On Campground in Georgia, Gretchen matches wits with a murderous wordsmith intent on winning the latest game of SENTENCED.
You’ll love the games, the characters, and the stories – and we promise, you won’t be BOARD to Death!
To our readers: Our characters are Christians, just as the authors are who created them, so their lives and their stories reflect this viewpoint. We hope you enjoy our fun and unique stories.

  Insurgent by Veronica Roth
 One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

"New York Times" bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian "Divergent" series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature

Convergence by J.D. Watts
In modern times, mankind believes they know all that there is to know about the world around them. Arrogant in their ignorance, they travel through life completely unaware of the other beings in their midst, the other Children of Creation. Celestial Angels and Fallen walk amongst them unseen, while the third beings of creation, the Guardians, live along side them, protecting them from attacks of the Fallen.

Daniella Rossi is a nineteen year old college student who sees the world quite differently than those around her. From infancy, she was aware of the beings that walked among her kind who were not like them, as well as her own personal Guardian who watched over her. Dani always knew she was different, but she never dreamed the full scope of her importance. 



So, that's what I'm reading...What are you reading this week?
And as always, Happy Reading.....   

Teaser Tuesday:

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*The image above came from We Heart It!* 
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teas. 

I WAKE WITH  his name in my mouth.
Will.
Before I open my eyes, I watch him crumple to the pavement again. Dead.
Page one

Book Review: My Emily by Matt Patterson

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Title: my emily
Author: Matt Patterson
Pub. Date: 11/16/2011
Publisher: CreateSpace
Format: E-book
Pages: 98
ISBN# 1449951554 



  Book Description:
 This book is about a hurting family, an amazing little girl and a mysteriously faithful God.

Emily wasn't born perfect - so one might think. She was born with Down Syndrome and many would jump to the conclusion that she would have very little hope for a life with any significance. Two years later came the diagnosis of leukemia. What little hope remaining turned to no hope whatsoever - or so one might think. This short story tells how the life of one little girl, with all its perceived imperfections, had great meaning. Her loving nature and courage touched the hearts of everyone she met. She also taught them how to value their own lives - even with their many "imperfections."

My Review:
I was so overwhelmed by this book. Not sure that I would have been able to write such a story. But Matt Patterson has diffidently wrote a very special book. Emily was an amazingly sweet girl. And Matt allowed us through this book to come into their life and see how the Lord can take something and or someone such as cancer and Emily to become a blessing within our life that we know we have to share it. 

I was so moved by the insights and the background given. So hard to read about the issues of Down Syndrome then to be also diagnosed with leukemia. Some times I know we tend to blame God for things like this. But even when this family was angry and did question, they still stepped up to the plate. 

Reading this book is a must for any family or friend that you know of that is or has gone through trials that doesn't seem fair. Read to find out how precious life can be or become when what some might see as tragedy. To find out how satan can try to turn things around to make you believe God must hate you. But Matt and his family are so down to earth. They try to move heaven and earth to make their family what God wants them to be. 


Since I believe that Matt Patterson done an awesome job writing this book, even through his own pain and joy of it being about their daughter. I could not put it down, cried, smiled and prayed for family. I am going to give this book my breath of life rating of:



*The image above came from We Heart It!*  
5 Clock Rating!

Make sure you check out this great book the link is below, just click it!!! 

20 Tips for Writing Lovable Romance Novel Heroes with Adrienne deWolfe

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 Today we are delighted to welcome fiction instructor, book writing coach and author, Adrienne deWolfe to Seekerville. Give her a big Seekerville welcome!  Readers of Romance novels want their heroes to be role models or larger than life.
Romance novels are fantasies, and the reader wants to escape into a world where she can experience the thrill of falling in love with a man who, in real life, might be the tiniest bit too scary to date because he’s so bold, handsome, sophisticated, powerful, witty, rich . . . You get the idea!

Perfect people make boring characters. The essence of all fiction is conflict; that’s why Romance novel editors often advise aspiring authors, “Sparks have to fly between your hero and heroine!” When your Romance characters first meet, they are going to be antagonists. (Surprise!) Your job is to develop the relationship slowly so that the reader can believe that these two antagonists are falling in love.
A hero needs more than brawn to satisfy your reading audience. In fact, in polls conducted by Romance Writers of America, readers often rank intelligence and humor as the top two traits that they prefer in their Romance heroes. On a scale of 1 to 10, “physical attractiveness” often ranks dead last!
So how do you strike that elusive balance between brain and brawn, sass and class, emotional caring and physical chemistry, that will make a reader fall in love with your novel’s hero?
I’ll help you jump-start your creativity with these

“20 Tips for Writing Lovable Romance Novel Heroes:”
1. You let him embrace new challenges or activities. (Example: For the heroine’s sake, he attends the season’s opening night performance of the local symphony, even though the reader knows the hero would rather be country western dancing at the state Rodeo.)
2. You prove that he’ll be a good caretaker. (Example: He romps through the park with a puppy.)
3. You reveal his protective nature in a positive light. (Example: He chides his 17-year-old niece for sneaking out of the house to attend a neighborhood party where there are no adult chaperones.)
4. You give him an optimistic outlook. (Example: When everyone else is grumbling about the weather, he whistles to himself, pleased to think that he’ll soon have new flowers growing in his garden.)
5. You continually reveal his deepening admiration, respect, and love for the heroine. (Example: The first time the hero meets the heroine, he thinks her physical appearance is plain. As he grows to care about her, he can’t imagine why he didn’t see her beauty before.)
6. You make him act with kindness and compassion toward his staff or the working classes. (Example: He gives his secretary time off, with plane fare, to visit her ailing mother.)
7. You challenge his integrity, and he comes out smelling like a rose. (Example: He has the option to fib about his age in a dating chat-room. Instead, he reluctantly tells the truth and wins a date with the heroine.)
8. You produce evidence that he is well-liked and well-respected by his colleagues, subordinates, family, friends, etc. (Example: his nieces claim that he gives the best “horsie” rides.)
9. You give him a social cause that women can respect. (Example: he plants trees to help “green” the neighborhood.)
10. You make his rival grudgingly acknowledge one of his positive traits or talents. (Example: Mr. Rival admits that the hero is too honest for his own good.)
11. You reveal his resourcefulness, especially in stressful situations. (Example: The heroine drops her keys down the grate and is frantic about getting to the airport on time. Mr. Corporate Lawyer hot-wires her car.)
12. You give him a drop-dead gorgeous smile that makes up for thinning hair or an over sized nose.
13. You show that he respects women. (Examples: He is especially careful to teach his daughters to love and respect their bodies; he encourages his lady friends to stretch their wings when they’re afraid of taking business risks.)
14. You paint him as generous. (Example: He surrenders the last piece of cherry pie to his sister’s bratty kid.)
15. You show that he can keep a secret. (Example: At a party, the heroine professes that she baked the lasagna herself; he furtively peels the Deli price tag from the bottom of the dish.)
16. You create a small but endearing idiosyncrasy for him. (Example: his junk drawer contains a mysterious, three-inch stack of chewing gum wrappers bound by a rubber band.)
17. You show that he’s conscientious. (Example: Even though he has driven half way to work, he turns the car around because he remembers that he forgot to feed the dog.)
18. You make him classy and sophisticated, capable of mingling with aplomb in almost any crowd. (Example: Despite his New York accent and his Wall Street hair cut, he has no trouble making friends at the Cajun Crawfish Boil.)
19. You reveal his tolerance for other characters’ faults or idiosyncrasies. (Example: He chivalrously walks his eccentric neighbor home in the dark, because she claims that she’s afraid of low-flying bats.)
20. You make him grow as a character, and therefore, as a man. (Example: At the beginning of the novel, he was intolerant of the heroine’s overprotective mother. By the end of the novel, they are chatting cozily over coffee – much to the heroine’s bemusement.)




Adrienne deWolfe is a fiction instructor and a book writing coach. Her five historical Romance novels have earned 9 writing awards, including "The Best Historical Romance of the Year," and have been nominated for two Rita Awards by Romance Writers of America. Her website, WritingNovelsThatSell.com offers numerous writing resources for aspiring authors, including her free report, “20 Questions Editors Ask Before Buying Your Book,” which you can download. Adrienne enjoys mentoring aspiring authors through manuscript critiques and professional coaching. For help with your fiction-writing, check out Adrienne's online course, "How to Write Novels That Sell" and her fiction writing workshops. You can also follow Adrienne on Twitter, Google +, and Facebook.

Today Seekerville is giving away a Seeker current release book of choice to one commenter in honor of Adrienne's visit to Seekerville. 
Just share how you use these tips in your manuscript or if you're a reader share how you've seen these great tips used in books you've read. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.
And feel free to ask Adrienne any questions you have about applying these tips!

How I Built My Latest Story

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By Debby Giusti
I love kids and kids’ toys, especially building blocks.  Recently I watched a group of young children stack the wooden squares and rectangles and cylinders, one atop the other, and realized playing with blocks is similar to constructing a story.
      
THE COLONEL’S DAUGTHER, the third book in my Military Investigations series comes out in August, and having just completed the fourth story in the series, THE GENERAL’S SECRETARY, I was ready to come up with a new tale to tell.     
I always think creating a proposal will be easy, but the opposite is usually the case. I start with an idea that forms the foundation for the book and build upon that initial concept by adding various “blocks,” such as an inciting incident, black moment and climax that fit together to move the story forward.          One of my reasons for writing the Military Investigations series is to showcase various aspects of military life, and the Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) is a success story I wanted to feature in this next book.  The program started after 9/ll to help soldiers seriously injured in the line of duty.  Each wounded warrior is assigned an AW2 advocate as a liaison, of sorts, between the soldier and the military.  The advocate helps with paperwork and medical care, career counseling and the soldier’s transition to civilian life.
LAYING THE FOUNDATIONLike many writers, when I begin a new story I start with the standard what if.  What if my heroine accepts a position as an advocate in the Army Wounded Warrior Program at Fort Rickman, GA, the fictional army post I created for the series?
ADDING BLOCKSMore what ifs. What if my heroine, Stephanie Upton, is from the nearby small town of Freemont?  Her younger brother Will enlisted in the army after graduating from high school along with two of his high school buddies.  Will and a friend were injured in an IED explosion in Afghanistan and were reassigned to the Warrior Transitional Unit at Fort Rickman.
BUILDING SUSPENSEWhen a killer comes after the high school buddies, the hero—Criminal Investigation Division special agent Brody Goodman—is called in to investigate. (The book is a romance so Brody and Stephanie eventually fall in love and live happily ever after.)
BACKSTORYWith the basic foundation in place, I focused on coming up with an incident in the past that played into the heroine’s internal conflict.  Had there been a car crash that resulted in the death of one of her brother’s friends?  Was Stephanie at fault? Was her brother driving? Did the boys enlist in the army as a result of what happened on that summer night?            What if the incident caused friction between Stephanie and her brother?  Perhaps Will transferred his own guilt to his sister who, he believed, was the catalyst that started the string of events that eventually leads to the story’s climax.          ADDING AN ANTAGONISTThe villain needs to be a worthy adversary with his own GMC.  I wanted his motivation to stem from what happened in the back story. The car crash didn’t work so I added and discarded “blocks” until I came up with a new solution.
INCITING INCIDENTNeeding a high-action opening scene to hook the reader, I decided the villain would attack one of Will’s buddies. The CID hero investigates the crime and becomes suspicious of the brother, which increases the conflict between the hero and the heroine. Stephanie wants to protect Will so, as much as she’s drawn to the CID agent, she is also worried about her brother.          ATTACKS AGAINST THE HEROINEAfter writing eleven Love Inspired Suspense stories, I’m always searching for new ways to place the heroine in danger. The nightly news and Metro section of the Atlanta newspaper are great resources that provided new and devious tricks for the villain to use to up the suspense.                   
CHECK MY STORY STRUCTUREI needed the back story to be resolved in the climax and revolve around the hero and heroine’s internal conflict as well as their external goals.  Each time I checked, my GMC seemed a bit off center, which, in my opinion, caused the plot to fall flat. I took long walks to clear my mind and discussed a number of different options with my daughters and husband until they rolled their eyes and backed away whenever I mentioned my story. Night after night, I would awake to weigh various scenarios until I finally came up with a satisfying back story.                    HERO’S INTERNAL JOURNEYPreviously focused on the heroine, I changed directions and looked at my hero’s internal journey.  Brody wasn’t as difficult as Stephanie, and I soon had a situation in his past that worked. Then wanting to up the tension, I tweaked his back story to make it more intense and personal.                   BLACK MOMENTThe black moment occurs close to the climax when the problems between the hero and heroine seem insurmountable, and the reader wonders how they will ever be able to resolve their differences and end up together. Working on the black moment exposed how the conflict between the hero and heroine  needed to be more compelling.  I made some changes until what started out as mild disagreements morphed into significant differences that made me wonder how they could ever fall in love.                   FAITH JOURNEYOnce the story was in better shape, I added the faith journey for my two main characters and established how their relationship with God played into each character’s internal conflict, the black moment and the climax.          ADDITIONAL “BLOCKS”I established turning points for the romance and ensured the black moment was adequately motivated. I included the hero and heroine’s worst fears, reviewed the pacing and plot progression and ratcheted up the danger.
FACT CHECKI rechecked characters’ ages, the dates and years that had passed since the back story incidents.  In order to learn more about the AW2 program, I interviewed the Atlanta AW2 advocate and arranged to talk to her counterpart at Fort Benning as well as the Fort Benningexecutive officer for the Warrior Transition Unit.
At long last, my story construction seemed sound with all the building “blocks” in place.  

How do you structure your story? What are the important elements you consider when coming up with a new idea for a novel?  Share your process and leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for one of my books, winner’s choice.
Wishing you abundant blessings,Debby Giustiwww.DebbyGiusti.comwww.craftieladiesofromance.blotspot.comwww.crossmyheartprayerteam.blogspot.com

 THE COLONEL’S DAUGHTERLove Inspired Suspense ~ August 2012UNDER SIEGE
A ruthless killer is targeting the families of soldiers in a U.S. Armycolonel’s brigade. Special agent Jamison Steele, of the CriminalInvestigation Division, vows to stop him—because this time,Jamison’s heart is involved. The colonel’s daughter, the woman who loved and left Jamison without a word, came face-to-face with the murderer. Protecting Michele Logan means constant surveillance. And solving the mystery of the serial killer’s motive requires asking Michele the questions she least wants to answer. Questions that may lead them both into a deadly trap.


Still available: The Officer's Secret, book 1, 
and The Captain's Mission, book 2.

The Well-Trained Author: Supercharge Your Brain to Generate Great Ideas with Guest Beth Goddard

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This is my first time to visit Seekerville as a guest, and I’m so excited to be here.


I know it seems like such a “no-brainer” that you need an idea if you want to write a novel. That’s the basic building foundation, right? But I’m here to tell you that you need much more.

When I attended my first writer’s conference back in 2001 (American Christian Writers), I met DiAnn Mills, Lynette Sowell and Kathleen Y’Barbo.  I think they were the only novelists at this particular conference. I asked them how they came up with their ideas. Looking back, it’s hard to imagine I would ever ask such a question because since then, I’ve trained my mind to do just that and now it’s a struggle to shut the idea machine off.  But at the time, I didn’t have a clue.

So if you have an idea and you’re working on your novel, I have some news for you. Publishers don’t want a book.

They want an author.

Let me explain. Editors want someone who has more than one book idea and not just someone who has one book idea, but an author who has great ideas—lots of exceptional and unique ideas.

Maybe you’re there already or maybe you’re still learning how to find the ideas. But even with a well-trained mind, you probably need to refresh your process for honing those unique ideas that will catch an editor’s attention. I know I do.

Sure you need to find your voice, perfect you craft, and network—no one ever stops doing that, even someone at the top of their game. But I’ll venture to say that more than great writing, editors and agents are looking for that great story and lot of them to follow. They want a prolific author.

The good news here is that with unique and exceptional ideas communicated through great hooks and pitches, you’ll see less rejection. A great idea will open doors for you.

An agent I spoke with at length on this topic shared that at conferences, he listens to people pitch their books all day long.  Example: Someone will pitch a book. It’s the story they’ve been working on for a year, two years, maybe five. But they only have one.

One is not enough. This particular agent wants to see that someone is a prolific writer. 

Over the years as I’ve learned how to find ideas, my question has morphed from where to find them into how do I find enough time to turn them all into stories.

I translate that into: So many ideas, not enough time, or so many ideas, not enough brain.

But here’s the catch: Though ideas are everywhere, not all of them are blockbusters. Not all of them are something that will catch an editor’s or agent’s attention.

One way to develop an eye for not only what makes a great story idea that will catch attention, but compelling writing to showcase that idea, is to judge a contest. You’ll quickly begin to see how to open a story in the best way and what kind of story and writing stands out. 

The point is that the more you practice, the more easily you’ll be able to come up with ideas to create a pipeline of potential novels. You’ll be able to prove that you’re an author. Not just someone who has written a book.  And you won’t have to count yourself as one of the many who one day wants to write a novel. Anyone can do that, as self-publishing has shown us. But not anyone can write a great novel with a great idea, and do that repeatedly.   

Of course story ideas start differently for everyone. For some people it starts with a character, for others a setting, or some other plot element. I write romantic suspense, or romance with a suspense element. Normally, I start with a setting or a situation..

I’ve listed a few things to get you started on filling an idea file. Again, this list might seem like a no-brainer if you’re a seasoned author, but it always helps to refresh and remind ourselves.

1) Curiosity—stir up your curiosity to learn more about things that interest you.

2) Teach yourself to be interested in more things. Broaden your horizon by reading widely from magazines and watching the news, discovery channel, etc., to find stories. TIP: I don’t read looking for stories, I simply read. When something snags my attention, then I know to look more closely. 

Make a list of the magazines or other reading where you could elicit ideas. One of my favorite magazines to generate ideas is Wired Magazine—I love this one because the articles are completely random. You never know what will be included. Because I enjoy adventure and travel stories, I also take National Geographic and National Geographic’s Adventure Magazine. I even read through my local electric company co-op magazine.
       
3) Talk to people and observe them. They’re a wealth of story ideas and also inspiration for characters.

4) Real life (goes hand in hand with talking to people)

    Example: In my story The Camera Never Lies, I knew I was going to be short on word count and needed to add another chapter or so. Friends shared a story about the husband taking Ambien and they discovered that he was buying Jesus, Mary and Joseph dolls from an infomercial while sleeping. That inspired me to write about my main character’s mother sleeping walking and added another layer to the mystery—had her mother committed murder in her sleep. Of course, I also added the purchase of the Jesus, Mary and Joseph dolls.

5) Explore things that you’re passionate about. Example: Growing up in Texas I was always fascinated with the redwood trees that I’d learned about in school. I dreamed of seeing them one day. I never imagined I’d end up living close enough to drive to one of the state parks for an afternoon hike—it’s one of my favorite places in the world. I’m so excited that I now get to write those three stories set in the redwoods.

6) Constantly ask, “what if.” This one IS a “no-brainer.”

7) Make a list of all your favorite novels and movies and try to figure out why you enjoyed them. Is there a related theme that interests you? Or look for existing movies or plots and twist them around changing them up until they no longer resemble the original. Remember, there are only a few basic plots. Stars War, Harry Potter, and Eragon all share the same basic plot.

8) Most importantly, train yourself to recognize the right idea—that one that will stand out.


At this point, you might think you have a lot of ideas, but the next step is to determine if the idea is unique, memorable and marketable.

If something catches your attention as unique, unusual, or memorable, chances are it will catch the editor’s attention as well, and more importantly, the readers’ attention.


Tip: Be careful about where you get your ideas. We all filter similar things like a TV show, a country music song, an emailed urban legend, and the like that sparks an idea for developing a novel. Editors will see that same idea repeatedly. Avoid that.

This is KEY: Dig deeper into that idea and look for the not-so-obvious.

9) Last but certainly not least is a technique that I frequently use, though I don’t think it’s that popular. Be random. 

This is one of my favorite ways to generate a story. I come up with a random blurb and then it’s like a game or a puzzle to turn that into a compelling plot with complex characters and high stakes. You’d be amazed at how successful this can be.

I hope you got something for this article, and now that I’ve written it, I’m itching to find something new and unique that I can use to write my next proposal!




Elizabeth Goddard is a 7th generation Texan who lives in East Texas with her husband and four children. She and her family recently spent five years in Oregon, which serves as the setting for several of her novels, but in 2010 they returned to Texas to live near family again. She writes for Barbour, Heartsong Presents and Love Inspired Suspense. 

You can find her on at www.bethgoddard.com or on Twitter and Facebook.




Oregon Outback - a four-in-one novella collection - Coming July 2012 from Barbour Publishing.

The harsh, yet peaceful Oregon Outback molds the lives of four rugged brothers who stumble into love.

FBI agent Jonas Love has brought trouble back home, endangering his life and that of an old flame. Cattle rancher Carver Love finds himself falling for the sheriff in the midst of chasing down modern-day rustlers. Thrill-seeker Lucas Love fears nothing—until he meets a beautiful bookkeeper. Justin Love is trailing a fugitive who’s heading too close to home—and one particular lodge keeper.

How will God protect these men as they risk their lives to defend the ones they love?



Today Beth is giving away one copy of Oregon Outback to one of our visitors. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition!  Thanks, Beth!

Please welcome our guest Nikki Arana

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Why Do First Manuscripts So Often Get Rejected?

Nikki Arana

The biggest reason that new writers receive rejections is because they send out their ms (manuscript) before it is ready. Quite often emerging writers think when they finish their first ms, they have a book that is ready for the marketplace. In almost all cases, that isn’t true. If it has been written with the guidance of a critique group of other unpublished authors, it's probably a good first draft. If it was written without any mentoring, it's probably a detailed outline. That's what the first draft of my first book was . . . the agent I sent it to is the one who tipped me off! (grimaces)

After you’ve learned all you can about writing fiction through the resources available to you, the next step toward publication is to become familiar with the elements of commercial fiction and be sure that your novel has them. If it doesn’t, the chance of agents and publishers rejecting your submission are very high. Do you have an internal and external story for the protagonists? Does your novel open with the inciting incident?  (That is the moment/incident that sets your hero/heroine on their journey.) Is your novel cohesive? Meaning does EVERYHING relate in some way to the plot. Even the sub-plots need to tie-in in some way to the storyline. Are scenes followed by sequels that move the plot forward? All of these are the solid building blocks of commercial novels that will garner sales advances that will allow you to make a living from your writing. 

Really study the elements I’ve listed above. If some of the terms are unfamiliar to you, try looking online for further explanation. The most difficult one to fully understand is the internal and external story. When I teach story structure I explain it this way: It is like the book of Hosea in the Bible. Hosea is the story of a man who married a prostitute. That is the external story. But it is really about God’s love for Israel. That is the internal story. 


You may want to hire a professional editor to help you reach the next level in your writing. I'm writing my sixth book and still use a professional editor to guide me. I consider the money I spend on editing as my college tuition. Yes, there are always those stories of a newbie sending out an ms and selling it. But out of the hundreds, even thousands of writers who submit mss every month, that happens very rarely. It is getting harder and harder to break into print with a royalty paying publisher. If difficult finances prevent you from using an editor, then try and find a pubbed author to guide you. They can be just as valuable, but often can't give the time needed. There are also conferences, workshops, and classes. It will just take a little longer going that route. Which of the commercial elements do you need to study? Where do you think you can find resources to help you?

Click to Buy on Amazon

In the Wizard of Oz the external story is about a girl who is caught up in a tornado and goes to a mythical land called Oz. But it is really about Dorothy’s self-discovery that there is no place like home. Perfecting the technique of writing a universal truth through an external story is well worth the work it takes to learn how to do it. It will set your book apart from the many others that agents and editors have to choose from.
Pray with all your heart and work with all your might. Give your God-given call and God-given talent every opportunity to prosper.

Today I'm giving away a copy of The Next Target. An e-book or hard copy here in US, e-book only out of the country. Leave a comment to get your name in the drawing.The Next Target--When extremists murder Austia Donatelli’s student and then set their sights on her, she must untangle a web of deception to save herself, her underground ministry to Muslims in L.A., and the women she serves. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Author and speaker Nikki Arana has received numerous awards for her writing, including the American Christian Fiction Writers' Book of the Year award and Christianbook.com Top 20 Novel of the Year for The Winds of Sonoma. Through her ministry, A Voice for the Persecuted, she inspires hearts toward evangelizing the Muslim community. Visit Nikki at: http://www.nikkiarana.com/

Close Only Counts in Horseshoes and Hand Grenades. Or does it?

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The other night, I heard a really good sermon on “almost”.

You know the scripture. Acts 26:28. “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”
King Agrippa wanted to believe, and he had an open mind toward Paul’s preaching, but he stopped short of that final step. Almost wasn’t good enough in the end.
I know it’s a big jump, but let’s talk about horseshoes, hand grenades, and our writing.
You know the old saying, “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.”
Horseshoes is a game where you throw horseshoes at a post and whoever hooks the post or gets the closest wins. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that if I get the hand grenade close enough to my target, it’ll do the job.
I read one comment that sums this up pretty accurately, “I almost won the lottery! I was only off by one number.” lol
So, what does it mean to be “this close” to some of your publishing dreams?
Let’s throw out some oft-heard comments…
~ I was this close to entering that contest.~ I'm this close to finishing my manuscript.~ I was this close to winning the The Genesis, The Golden Heart, The Rita, The Carol (take your pick).~ I'm this close to landing an agent.~ I'm this close to publication.~ I'm this close to another contract.~ I’m this close to landing on the NYT Bestseller list.
Uh huh.
You can be “this close” for a long, long time in this business.
So what can you do to tip the odds in your favor? Hmmm, let’s take another look at horseshoes and hand grenades.Take a gander at TheBest Horseshoe Pitcher Ever. But come right back. We’ll be waiting…

This video was posted in 2010, and it says, “Alan Francis has won the horseshoe pitching world championship the past seven years.”


Seven years? Wow!


Did you see the still shots in the video? Pictures of Alan as a kid, and as a teen throwing horseshoes in competition? Intense concentration. The right attire. The right form. He even has his own horseshoe pit in his backyard. And practice, practice, practice. Even though close would be good enough, he’s not taking any chances, and it looks like most of his throws are dead ringers!


I didn’t find a Hand Grenade Champion. Go figure.


But I did find specific throwing instructions for hand grenades. Obviously, soldiers are trained to throw grenades to maximize the destruction of the target while keeping themselves and their buddies safe. I’ve never thrown a hand grenade. I’ve never been trained. I would probably panic and blow myself (or someone else!) up.


It stands to reason that the more someone practices throwing a grenade, the more control they’ll have over their throw, and the closer they’ll get to the target every time. Sure, close works for a hand grenade, but dead on target (pun intended) is even better.

We’re all holding our thumb and forefinger about an inch apart and saying, “I’m this close” to something. 
Whether it be finishing a manuscript, entering that contest, or waiting for the phone to ring with the news of a contract.
Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
Or does it?
Keep holding your fingers close together.
Because that gap between your thumb and forefinger could close with the click of an email, or the ringing of the phone.
And then you will be THERE.

Review: The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons

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The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons
Genre: Historical fiction
Pages: 368
Publication Date: December 27, 2011
Publisher: Plume
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Description (from the publisher):

With the advent of World War II fast approaching in Europe, Elise Landau and her family realize that it is no longer safe for Jews in Austria. Elise’s father, Julian, and her mother Anna, a novelist and a singer respectively, urge her to advertise herself as a domestic servant in England and trade the loving, bourgeois lifestyle to which she was born for an interim life of servitude away from the Nazi threat. Traveling with only her clothes, a few smuggled keepsakes, and Julian’s secret unpublished manuscript hidden in an old viola, Elise embarks with great trepidation for her new life at the estate of Tyneford, owned by Christopher Rivers.

Between worrying about her still endangered parents and struggling to adjust to her new life, Elise learns very quickly how much she has left behind. But when Mr. Rivers’ fun–loving son, Kit, returns home, a romance erupts between him and Elise that challenges the aristocratic orthodoxy. Despite his devotion, Kit gets pulled into the war, in a test of their love and the fading of a bygone era.

The House at Tyneford is a story of the possibility of transcending social and class boundaries, as well as a novel about tradition, change, loss, and enduring love.

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This was one of my favorite reads in 2011. The House at Tyneford is a novel full of suspense, mystery, love, and loss that quickly pulled me in and had me madly turning the pages until the end. From the first lines I was reminded of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca because of the importance placed on a house in both stories, and because both stories are told by a narrator reminiscing about events in her past. Further, at a certain point the main character seems to be haunted by the ghosts of the house's past, but not in the same way that the main character of Rebecca was haunted. This isn't a re-hash of Rebecca, but a story that brought Rebecca to my mind.

Set during the years leading up to and during World War II, the story follows the experiences of Elise Landau, who relocates to England before the war breaks out to escape increasing violence and repression of Jews in Austria. She plans to shortly meet up with her family in the United States but things don't go as planned when her parents are unable to escape Austria as the war begins. So Elise finds herself in a situation where she must learn to be a domestic servant--quite a feat for a girl whose family was affluent enough to have their own domestic servants back home. As the war rages on, Elise struggles to keep up hope for her parents' safety and to find happiness in her new life.

The historical setting of this book was one of the main things that drew me to this book. It explores how Jewish families were affected in their attempts to escape Hitler's expanding influence in Europe. In Elise's case, she is separated from the rest of her family and forced to grow up quickly in learning to take care of herself and keep her employment. The novel also shows how the British homefront was affected and how soldiers' families were so deeply devastated when their sons and lovers didn't return home. The war had a profound effect on everything and everyone in the story--including the town, the houses, and the lives of the inhabitants.

This book was published as The Novel in the Viola in the UK, which works well with the story as Elise's father sent an unpublished novel with her to England inside of the family's viola. The novel has a prominent place in Elise's heart, even though she has no idea what it is about and is hesitant to break open the viola to find out. When she does finally get into the viola, the novel holds surprises she didn't expect.

I highly recommend this book. It was a bit predictable at times, but I still found it to be a moving, well-written, and introspective story about love and loss, sadness and hope, and second chances in life and love.

Related Linkage:

• Connect with the author at her website, blog, on twitter, and on facebook.
• Read an excerpt from this book.
• View the book trailer.
• Read my favorite lines from The House at Tyneford.
• Purchase this book at The Book Depository or IndieBound (affiliate links)

Challenges: Historical Fiction

Book Beginnings on Friday: January 20, 2012

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How to participate: Share the first line (or two) of the book you are currently reading on your blog or in the comments. Include the title and the author so we know what you're reading. Then, if you would like, let us know what your first impressions were based on that first line, and let us know if you liked or did not like the sentence. The link-up will be at A Few More Pages every Friday and will be open for the entire week.

Thanks to Becky at Page Turners for starting this meme and to Rose City Reader for inspiring it!

This week I read First Date by Krista McGee. Here are the first lines:

'You're going to be on television, Addy,' Mr. Lawrence said, as if it were a good thing. As if all seventeen-year-old girls dreamed of being told that and Addy should jump up from her seat, squeal, and thank him for the opportunity.

Clearly Addy is not excited about the prospect of being on television. I can relate. I wouldn't want to deal with the pressure of being on television.

So how does your current read begin, and what are your thoughts so far? Please leave the link to your specific post, not just to the front page of your blog.

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Review and Tour Stop: The Shadow of Your Smile by Susan May Warren

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The Shadow of Your Smile by Susan May Warren
A Deep Haven Novel
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction
Pages: 384
Publication Date: January 2012
Publisher: Tyndale
Source: I was provided with an e-galley to participate in a Litfuse Blog Tour.
Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Book Description (from the publisher):

A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage. After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce . . . just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle's memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it would. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember? Will their secrets destroy them . . . or has erasing the past given them a chance for a future?

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Early last summer I read My Foolish Heart, a wonderful book from Susan May Warren's Deep Haven series that I really enjoyed. So when I saw there was another book coming out in the same series, I decided to jump on board with the blog tour organized by LitFuse. I was expecting the setting to be familiar, but was surprised that the Deep Haven of this book felt so different from the Deep Haven of the last book.

Part of the difference was in the setting. Deep Haven in winter is very different from the Deep Haven I got to know in My Foolish Heart. Plus Noelle and Eli basically live on the outskirts of town, so the story feels different in that sense. The other difference is that the couple at the center of the story, Noelle and Eli, face different circumstances. They are a married couple, with sons in their teens and twenties. Their marriage is falling apart and on the brink of divorce when Noelle loses her memory in a fall. She wakes up in the hospital thinking she is still in college, unable to remember her husband, children, or the life they had together. She has to get to know them all over again and try to reconcile herself with a life that she doesn't recognize and that her college-age self hadn't even anticipated.

There are fewer light-hearted moments in this story than in My Foolish Heart. There is a lot of pain here, and not just with a marriage on the rocks and the struggle of a family to cope and heal after Noelle's accident and resulting amnesia. Eli struggles with whether he should tell Noelle about the daughter they lost when she was killed at her job in a convenience store. Part of the reason their marriage was falling apart was because Noelle and Eli were devastated by their loss, and mourned for their daughter in different, incompatible ways. They didn't know how to comfort each other. There were also a lot of secrets going on in their marriage, as Eli developed what I would consider an emotional affair with Lee, one of Noelle's best friends, and Noelle had secrets of her own (which were difficult to work out with amnesia).

There is a good amount of suspense in this novel, with danger lurking on the edges of the story related to Noelle's accident. I wanted to know if she would regain her memory and what revelations would follow. I was also kept on pins and needles wondering what would happen between Eli and Lee, and whether they would do the right thing or not. There was also a nice side-story involving Noelle and Eli's oldest son, Kyle, and their daughter Kelsey's best friend Emma (Lee's daughter), as they get to know each other as adults and figure out what they want out of life (and love).

I really liked that the characters in this book were complicated and their relationships messy. Although I felt at times that there were too many coincidences lining up just right in the storyline, the characters and their relationships helped ground the story and made it feel more realistic. I felt frustrated with every one of the characters at different points in time, but at least it wasn't because they were too perfect--they definitely had human flaws and weaknesses. I found that I could identify with Noelle's struggle to recognize herself as she realized that the life she had led over the past 25 years was so different than what she had planned as a young adult. We kind of lose sight of those idealistic hopes and dreams for the future as we focus on present demands, worries, and decisions. It is true that my younger self would probably have a hard time recognizing the present me. It was quite thought-provoking to consider this question as I read.

So far it appears that the novels in the Deep Haven series don't really need to be read in order and stand alone quite admirably. Susan May Warren has impressed me again with the depth of her characters and the relevant issues raised within the pages of The Shadow of Your Smile. If you like Christian Fiction that makes you think and that you can sink your teeth into, I would definitely recommend it. I'm liking what I've read so far in the series, and I am looking forward to reading more.

Related Linkage:

• Connect with the author at her website, blog, on facebook, or on twitter.
• Read an excerpt of this book.
• Discussion guide
• View the book trailer.
• Read my review of My Foolish Heart.
• Purchase this book at The Book Depository or IndieBound (affiliate links)
• Check out more stops on this LitFuse blog tour!