Changing for the better, by Myra Johnson

My last couple of blog posts have dealt with our recent move from North Carolina home to Texas. As anyone who has ever moved can understand, even after three months we’re still getting settled. It’s…a process. 

And though we love almost everything about our new home, there were a few changes we needed to make. First item on the list was fencing the backyard so our doggies would have a safe place to run and play. They’re taking full advantage, too, romping or sunning in “real” grass (plush and durable St. Augustine vs. the scraggly fescue that struggled to survive in our shady NC lawn).

Penny & Poppy enjoying the lawn.

Another no-go in our new home was a master bathroom with a lovely soaking tub…but a single sink and NO shower! Especially with our daughter’s family of six expected for a visit next month, no way could all eight of us take turns using the shower in the guest bath! So for the past several weeks, we’ve endured the come-and-go of plumbers, carpenters, painters, electricians, tilers, and granite installers as we change the master bath to a tub/shower combo and add a sink. The end result will be both functional and attractive, the bathroom redesigned exactly as we’d envisioned.

Stages of our remodeling project from start to almost finished!

Writing a book has a lot in common with a remodeling project. The first draft may tell a good story, but it usually needs a little help (or a LOT!) before it’s ready for publication. A scene that goes nowhere? It’s out. The character who chose a certain course of action when the plot really needed her somewhere else? Gotta fence her in. Once character and plot are working in concert, then we get down to the nitty-gritty of polishing sentences and paragraphs, checking spelling and punctuation, and ensuring the finished book reflects the vision we began with.

And just for fun, a photo of Denali getting some outdoor time since he's not allowed to roam free.

It’s also good to remember that since God is the Author of Life, He is constantly at work on a remodeling project in each one of us. Unhealthy habits, harmful choices, negative emotions—these are all things God can help us change so that, day by day, we are growing into the people He created us to be. It takes patience and persistence, along with an unshakable faith that even when progress seems slow and we feel frustrated or discouraged, God knows exactly what He’s doing.

Have you undergone a remodeling project recently? Learn any important lessons along the way?

~~~~~~

Native Texan Myra Johnson writes emotionally gripping stories about love, life, and faith. She’s currently at work on a new Love Inspired mini-series, Hill Country Haven, with returning characters from Her Hill Country Cowboy and Hill Country Reunion. The first book in the series, The Rancher’s Redemption, released last month. Book two, Their Christmas Prayer, will be out in October.


Also look for the updated editions of Myra’s earlier romances:

Autumn Rains

Romance by the Book

Where the Dogwoods Bloom 

The Horsemen of Cross Roads Farm (3-book collection)

And…mark your calendars for June 27-July 1, when Pearl of Great Price will be free for Kindle and other e-readers!

An abandoned Arkansas lake resort holds the key to a young woman’s past . . . and her future.

Myra is a three-time Maggie Awards finalist, two-time finalist for the prestigious ACFW Carol Awards, winner of Christian Retailing’s Best for historical fiction, and winner in the Inspirational category of the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Awards. After living five years in Oklahoma, then eight years in the beautiful Carolinas, Myra and her husband are thrilled to be back in the Lone Star State enjoying wildflowers, Tex-Mex, and real Texas barbecue! The Johnsons share their home with two very pampered rescue dogs who don’t always understand the meaning of “Mom’s trying to write.” They’ve also inherited the cute little cat (complete with attitude) their daughter and family had to leave behind when they moved overseas.

Website

Facebook

Twitter: @MyraJohnson and @TheGrammarQueen 

Goodreads

Instagram

Pinterest

Sign up to receive Myra’s e-news updates here!

How quickly things change…

The leaves outside my window have turned from summer’s green to the myriad hues of autumn. All too soon, the bare branches of winter will fill my view, and I’ll be pining for springtime buds and new life to return.

Whether it’s the seasons, advances in science and industry, or our children shooting up to adulthood before our eyes, change is inevitable.

How quickly things change really hit home this year as I revised and updated a few of my earliest novels for republication. It hasn’t even been a decade since the books first released, but wait—were my characters really using flip phones back then? The vehicle one of my heroes was driving isn’t even manufactured anymore. And—horrors!—I’d shown characters stopping at a once-popular video store to browse the aisles for a movie to rent!

Yep, I had a little bit of editing to do to make those books realistic for 2018. And another 10 years from now? Who knows!

Here are some fun facts I found on the web:

• December 1997—Toyota Prius, the first mass-produced hybrid auto, debuts
• April 14, 1998—Netflix launches DVD rental website
• September 4, 1998—Google is founded
• December 1998—PayPal is founded
• 2004—first Keurig model for home use
• February 4, 2004—Facebook debuts
• March 21, 2006—Twitter is launched
• January 9, 2007—Apple announces the first iPhone
• November 19, 2007—Amazon releases the first Kindle
• April 3, 2010—Apple introduces the iPad
• June 2010—Uber launches in San Francisco
• August 26, 2010—Blockbuster announces plans to file for bankruptcy
• October 6, 2010—Instagram debuts
• Summer 2016—Amazon experiments with drone delivery

How many from this list have made a direct impact on your lifestyle? What other significant changes have you observed in the past 10 or 20 years?

~~~~~~~

Myra Johnson writes emotionally gripping stories about love, life, and faith. She’s currently at work on a new Love Inspired mini-series, Hill Country Haven, with returning characters from Her Hill Country Cowboy and Hill Country Reunion. The first book in the series, The Rancher’s Redemption, is slated for a May 2019 release.

Also look for the updated editions of Myra’s earlier romances:

Autumn Rains

Romance by the Book

Where the Dogwoods Bloom 

The Horsemen of Cross Roads Farm (3-book collection)

Myra is a three-time Maggie Awards finalist, two-time finalist for the prestigious ACFW Carol Awards, winner of Christian Retailing’s Best for historical fiction, and winner in the Inspirational category of the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Awards. Originally from Texas but now residing in the beautiful Carolinas, Myra and her husband love the climate and scenery, but they may never get used to the pulled pork Carolinians call “barbecue”! The Johnsons share their home with two very pampered rescue dogs who don’t always understand the meaning of “Mom’s trying to write.” They’ve also inherited the cute little cat (complete with attitude) their daughter and family had to leave behind when they moved overseas.

Website

Facebook

Twitter: @MyraJohnson and @TheGrammarQueen 

Goodreads

Instagram

Pinterest

Sign up to receive Myra’s e-news updates here!

Many steps from idea to published book, by Myra Johnson

This week I’m finishing up the first round of editorial revisions on my next Love Inspired romance. The beautiful thing about working with an editor is the powerful synergy that comes from sharing ideas. My editor never pushes me to use her exact suggestions. Instead, she points out weak areas in the plot and characterization, then offers her thoughts about possible fixes. I use those ideas as jumping-off points to brainstorm changes that will address the problems while best preserving my vision for the story.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

There will be more back-and-forth as the manuscript is polished and the final text proofread, but all those extra eyes on every page help to ensure a book worthy of the Love Inspired imprint. Yes, the occasional typo, research error, or cover art discrepancy is bound to slip through, because we’re all just human beings, each of us doing our best to provide an enjoyable and inspiring reading experience.

And the Love Inspired readership is a voracious bunch! It still amazes me to realize Harlequin publishes SIX brand new Love Inspired romances and SIX Love Inspired Suspense novels every month! That’s a lot of hours logged by writers, editors, copyeditors, and proofreaders, plus the art and marketing departments and everyone else involved from the germ of an idea in the author’s mind until it becomes the published book you’re holding in your hands.

12 books a month = 144 books a year!

Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash

Readers, what questions have you always wanted to ask about the book publishing process?

Authors, which aspects of publishing have taken you most by surprise?

~~~~~~

Myra Johnson writes emotionally gripping stories about love, life, and faith. She’s currently at work on a new Love Inspired mini-series, Hill Country Haven, with returning characters from Her Hill Country Cowboy and Hill Country Reunion. The first book in the series has been officially titled The Rancher’s Redemption and is currently slated for a May 2019 release.


Myra is a three-time Maggie Awards finalist, two-time finalist for the prestigious ACFW Carol Awards, winner of Christian Retailing’s Best for historical fiction, and winner in the Inspirational category of the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Awards. Originally from Texas but now residing in the beautiful Carolinas, Myra and her husband love the climate and scenery, but they may never get used to the pulled pork Carolinians call “barbecue”! The Johnsons share their home with two very pampered rescue dogs who don’t always understand the meaning of “Mom’s trying to write.” They’ve also inherited the cute little cat (complete with attitude) their daughter and family had to leave behind when they moved overseas.

Website

Facebook

Twitter: @MyraJohnson and @TheGrammarQueen 

Goodreads

Instagram

Pinterest

Sign up to receive Myra’s e-news updates here!

Unraveling the Tangles

© Szemeno | Dreamstime.com

Keli Gwyn here with a tangled tale. Well, actually the tale isn't as tangled as it once was.

What am I talking about?

My second Love Inspired Historical. Yes, second! How cool is that?

I received the verbal offer for this story back in October and inked the official paper copy of the contract and sent it off to Canada this past week.

Two weeks after the initial offer came, I received my revision notes from my editor. Since the (as-yet-untitled) book isn't due out until early 2016, my deadline for completing the revisions was generous.

The leaner, cleaner story doesn't have to hit my editor's inbox until the end of January, so I was able to enjoy the holidays.

Taking time away from the story enabled me to figure out fixes for the flaws and weaknesses my editor pointed out.

Before I began writing, I had no idea how much work a fiction writer does to get a story ready for readers. Oh, I knew there were edits, of course, but I didn't know that I would be required to take my stories apart and put them back together.

I learned that there are threads in a story. When woven together, they create a pleasing whole.

The trouble comes when I have to pull, tug or yank some of those threads out. I had to do just that during the revisions process for my second LIH.

The result was a tangled mess.

Not to worry. I took on the untangling as a challenge, determined to have fun replacing those weak threads with stronger ones. And I have.

I've spent the past two weeks working new threads into the story, and I'm much happier with it. Thanks to my savvy editor and the changes I've made as a result of her excellent input, I have a story I hope readers will enjoy.

* * * * *

If you're a reader, were you aware how much work goes into a story before it ends up in your hands?

If you're a writer, did you realize how many changes your stories would undergo before they were ready for readers?

Ask Elnora--About Multi-tasking?? Lenora Worth

Elnora only has two hands. I'm counting them both right now. So how is it possible that I'm juggling so many plates in the air? Oops, just about dropped one. It was a lovely old china plate, too. Let me review my week. Started out in Florida, trying to finish one book and trying to do revisions for another. While the dolphins played in the bay, I sat in my office, looking out the window to the front where the view is a street and the townhouses behind ours. This is not as fun as watching the dolphins playing in the bay. But I soldiered on and fixed the weak spots in the revision book then wrote a chapter for the book that's due like NOW!! (October 1)My bad back protested a lot, so I did take breaks which required me to go downstairs in search of coffee and chocolate and to glimpse longingly at that beautiful bay. Especially since the weather had turned nice and it was actually rather pleasant outside.

But back upstair and work for me. Then neither my flash-drive nor my external hard drive would work since my laptop was protesting and didn't want to acknowledge them. Arrgh. Sent a copy of the revised book to myself and my editor, so I wouldn't lose the whole thing. Which would have made Elnora jump in the bay!!! Then Big Daddy got that fixed and we soldiered on. Wednesday, packed up for the eight hour drive back to Louisiana. Today, did my Love Inspired Authors blog (which I forgot in all the excitement), worked on an upcoming RT ad (which is going to be so cool!)worked on a plot point that I figured out on the revision book at three a.m. this morning when my eyes opened and I suddenly realized I needed to tweak the ending a bit. Sent that FINAL copy to my editor. Finished the next chapter on the book that's due like NOW! Worked on another project that has a local flavor, worked some more on the RT ad. Stumbled downstairs and fell into my easy chair and begged Big Daddy to find me some food. He ordered pizza. Collapsed and watched back-to-back episodes of "Army Wives." Came upstairs to write this blog! And there is more to be done, of course. So that got me thinking about all the things writers do besides write. Let's discuss. How many plates are you juggling? Or do you toss balls in the air? Or do you throw ideas against the wall to see if they'll stick? Do you have a long row to hoe? Too many irons in the fire? Bigger fish to fry? Can you think of any cliches I've missed??? Let's discuss the busyness of life!

Groundhog Day History and the Writer Take Two

Kim Watters on Groundhog Day-Take Two.

Isn't Punxsutawney Phil cute?

Because of our wonderful Valentine's story, my blog was postponed for a month. Being the type of writer who hates to delete things, I'm revising it and reposting. Gee, the story of a writer's life.

Well, it's been a month now, has Spring sprung yet? I don't believe Phil saw his shadow so what's with the weather? We had snow in North Phoenix over the weekend!

For those of you who don't know, the following is a bit of history of how the day began.

(Adapted from "Groundhog Day: 1886 to 1992" by Bill Anderson) Credit given to The Official Punxsutawney Groundhog Club

European Roots

Groundhog Day, February 2nd, is a popular tradition in the United States. It is also a legend that traverses centuries, its origins clouded in the mists of time with ethnic cultures and animals awakening on specific dates. Myths such as this tie our present to the distant past when nature did, indeed, influence our lives. It is the day that the Groundhog comes out of his hole after a long winter sleep to look for his shadow.

If he sees it, he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole.

If the day is cloudy and, hence, shadowless, he takes it as a sign of spring and stays above ground.

The groundhog tradition stems from similar beliefs associated with Candlemas Day and the days of early Christians in Europe, and for centuries the custom was to have the clergy bless candles and distribute them to the people. Even then, it marked a milestone in the winter and the weather that day was important.

As a writer I can relate to poor Phil.

We hibernate as we write our manuscripts, venturing out only when we have to to eat or do laundry or other tasks that keep the household running. We slave away in our dark, little caves, churning out page after page of wonderful prose destined to meet with editorial and reader approval.

And then comes the revision letter.

If it's an easy one, (no shadow), we can emerge from our caves and enjoy life a bit more as the winter season has passed.

If it's a complicated one, (shadow), we scurry back into our caves for a few more weeks of a writing frenzy until we can emerge again and enjoy the spring.

As for this writer, I just emerged from my cave for a bit, waiting for my editor's reply.