Eating your way through a book

Patricia posted a delightful recipe yesterday as part of our idea to include recipes with some of our posts. I had already decided to do the same today. I hope you enjoy.

Are you one of those people who gets caught up in the food that characters in books are enjoying?
I always find myself craving whatever is in the book. I went on a tea and scones binge the entire time I was reading the Tea Shop cozy mystery series by Laura Childs.
This one included a recipe for lemon scones.

Or how about Christmas stories and Christmas cookies.

I could go on and on. Clearly, I'm very suggestible.

The trend also holds true when I'm writing my own books. I'm currently working on one book set in Texas and one set in Maine. Since I often spend summers in Maine, this is a great chance for me to enjoy some of my favorite dishes. All in the name of research and getting in the mood, of course.

In a scene I was writing the other day, my character was enjoying a hearty dish of fish chowder (chowdah!). I was so jealous. I wanted one too. Maybe because it reminded me of a favorite moment I shared with my husband.

Back in 2014, we celebrated my sale to LIS with dinner at our favorite lobster house in Maine.

We started off the meal with their fabulous fish chowder.

Long after we were home, I was craving this haddock chowder, so I played with some recipes and came up with one that I thought came close. (Although nothing could compare to that restaurant deck overlooking the harbor.)


This recipe is really pretty simple.

Start with @ 1 pound of haddock fillet and a pot of boiling water. I like to use my Dutch Oven for this. (You could also substitute cod or any firm white fish if you don't have haddock available.)

Boil the haddock in the water.  You'll have to skim off the foam, but after boiling it for about 10 minutes, you'll have a nice fish stock.
Note: Many recipes call for salting the water, but I find the fish salty enough. So, add salt to taste.

Remove the fish and break it into bite-sized pieces. Then add about 3 cups of chopped potatoes and a cup or so each of chopped onion and celery to the stock. Cover and simmer until tender.

When everything looks ready, add the fish back in. You can add some salt and pepper at this point, and then swirl in 1 cup of milk/cream/half and half (depending on richness you want) and a pat of butter.

Add a fresh loaf of crusty bread and you're all set for a hearty Down East meal. My character was sitting in front of a fire during a storm, but imagine sitting with this view.

As I was going through my photos, I found one of this fish chowder from a different restaurant. As you can see, they added shrimp as well as fish. Even more yum!

So, I'm curious. Please tell me I'm not the only one who gets cravings for certain foods either when you read about it them books or write them into your own. Let's here about what tempts you.

Counting Our Blessings

by Lisa Jordan, @lisajordan

As families and friends are gathering together around the U.S. to celebrate Thanksgiving, we'd like to take time to count our blessing beginning with our readers who read our books and share our stories. Without you, we wouldn't be able to write the stories that glorify Him and minister to others. So, thank you. We love you. We appreciate you. 

And here are other things we're thankful for: 

~*~

I'm thankful for my darling grandchildren who are a constant light in my life.  I'm also thankful for the path my career has taken and all the people along the way who continue to bring me joy and support when I need it the most. -Tracey J Lyons 

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I am thankful every morning at the moment when I open my eyes because then I know God has given me a precious gift. Another day. Without the time to enjoy life, nothing else really matters. -Valerie Hansen

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Wishing everyone a blessed and happy Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for my dear family, for the extra time I’ve gotten to spend with my dad and for the many blessings the Lord has given me, including a wonderful career in writing, an awesome agent, Pam Hopkins and my talented and dedicated editor, Emily Rodmell. -Patricia Davids 

~*~

I'm thankful for all the blessings in my life, especially my family and my new son-in-law! -Laura Scott 

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I'm thankful for the miracle of words. They are literally my lifeline. I would not be me without them. And to all the readers who love words too! -Sherri Shackelford

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I give thanks to God for all His blessings...for the gift of life...for the gift of my wonderful husband, my beautiful children and grandchildren...for extended family...for dear friends and for wonderful readers who are the reason I write. I am so very grateful! I pray this season of gratitude will be filled with joy and love and laughter for all of us! Happy Thanksgiving! -Debby Giusti

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This year I’m particularly thankful for those who were called to be eye specialists, joints specialists and back specialists because hubby and I have needed all three recently and we’re so blessed to have been cared for. Blessing to all and have a Happy Thanksgiving. -Lorraine Beatty   

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I'm thankful for my Mom. I feel incredibly lucky to still have her in my life when so many of my friends have lost their mothers. -Christa Sinclair

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So many things to be thankful for, but I'm especially thankful for our freedom to worship where we wish and to write the books we desire. I'm thankful for my family and friends who support me with their love and encouragement.  -Lisa Jordan

~*~

Heart, home, and faith have always been important to Lisa Jordan, so writing stories with those elements come naturally. Represented by Rachelle Gardner, Lisa is an award-winning author for Love Inspired, writing contemporary Christian romances that promise hope and happily ever after. Her newest book, Season of Hope, releases in March 2019. She is the Operations Manager for My Book Therapy. Happily married to her own real-life hero for almost thirty years, Lisa and her husband have two grown sons. When she isn’t writing, Lisa enjoys family time, kayaking, good books, and playing in her craft room with friends. Visit her at lisajordanbooks.com.

Allie Pleiter on teaching young writers

For two years now, I’ve had the pleasure of guest lecturing at Taylor University’s Professional Writing program. Since the first year I met some of the students at the Write to Publish conference, I’ve been impressed with the talent, skill, and professionalism of these young writers of faith.  These students are getting ready to launch careers that utilize their gifts on behalf of God’s kingdom—even if they don’t end up in professional posts at faith-based publications. I have no doubt all of the publishing world is gaining some great assets in these up-and-coming scribes.

What did I tell them? 

• Work hard. 
• Conduct yourself with integrity and professionalism, because even exceptional talent will only get you so far. 
• Find your style and speed (of course, I taught them the Chunky Method) and stick to it.
• Mentors and writing heroes are great, but steer clear of paralyzing comparisons. 
• Ignore “overnight successes” because they never are what they seem. 
• Be the writer who makes the long, steady climb in the right direction, because those are the careers that last. 
• Celebrate every little success.
• Allow yourself to yell “ouch” when the failures and hurts come, but don’t stay down long. Pick yourself up and start over, or start new, or just start anywhere you can find a foothold.

I enjoy giving back to my profession. What do you do to bring up young people in your field of work, church, or community?

PS: Happy Veteran's Day and my heartfelt thanks to all who serve.

What are you thankful for--Lenora Worth

It's that time of year. November is upon us and I have to stop and think where all the time went this year. I had an eventful year where I enjoyed several writing retreats, some with large groups and some with close friends I've known for years. I also traveled to Denver, Colorado to attend the RWA conference and spend time with friends, editors and my ever-so-wonderful agent. By then, summer was over and I headed to Nashville with a friend to attend the ACFW conference where I visited with friends and got lost in the massive Gaylord Resort dome! 

One day home from that, I turned around and headed east to St. Pete, Florida, for Novelist, Inc and more writing adventures with friends. I'm home now for a while but I have two library events coming up this month. It's always fun to spend time with readers in the library!

I've made new friends this years and loved spending time with friends I've know for years. Writing gives me that kind of network. Most of these ladies and a few gentleman writers, have helped me through plots, edits, life and both good and bad times.

So I'm thankful for my writing and reading community. I have plans to see readers and writers next May in New Orleans at the first annual Booklovers Conference! Can't wait for that one. I'm sure I'll have more adventures with readers and writers next year.

I'm thankful for all of you. You keep me going and I love being a part of this writer's life!!

Now tell me what you're thankful for this year!

                     

Writers Need Hobbies

by Lisa Jordan, @lisajordan 

If you walked in my attic, you'd probably suggest it for an episode of Hoarders. I don't have a problem...honest...unless you count lack of time to clean and organize the boxes and totes of crafting supplies. 

My creativity isn't limited to words. I've done almost all of it--sewing, counted cross-stitch, crocheting, scrapbooking & stamping, crocheting and knitting. In my spare time, I love to stamp and make cards. Papers and stamps and inks...oh my!

  

Every writer needs a hobby other than writing. Since writing is my career, I no longer consider it a hobby. Something about deadlines and royalty checks, you know. In addition to caring for my family, I work part-time, write, and juggle church obligations. And someone needs to clean the house, shop for groceries, and fold the laundry. 

So when in the world do we have time for a hobby?? 

Well, I schedule time to craft with friends on a regular basis. I need the downtime to recharge my batteries. 

Sometimes, if I'm home alone, I'll put in a movie, and then make a stack of cards while getting caught up in someone else's happily ever after. Cardmaking relaxes me and allows me to focus on something other than my growing to-do list. I've even used that time to brainstorm plot points in my novels. Once I've created a stack of cards, I send them to family and friends, hoping to add encouragement to their days. 

Whether you work at home or outside the home, you need a hobby. Hobbies aren't limited to things like knitting or scrapbooking. Hobbies can be physical too--running, hiking, fly fishing, bird watching, miming in the park--whatever makes your heart happy...but keep it legal.

Hobbies allow you to express yourself in creative ways to be in touch with both sides of your brain. Hobbies allow you to de-stress in a positive, tangible way. Hobbies allow you to have time for yourself when others demand so much from you.

If you don't have a hobby, think about what you enjoy, and then consider trying that. You're never too old to learn!


Your turn: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Evolution of a Writer

I'm sure you know the old adage: the more things change, the more they stay the same.

But do they? Really?

Last week I dug out an old copy of my educational philosophy. I wrote it back when I was finishing grad school, and now I need to update it because my school is going through a transition.

Reading through it reminded me of some similarities in my writing and teaching careers.

When I first decided to become a teacher, I took a job teaching history in high school. That was 31 years ago, but I still remember saying to my husband, "I can't believe they're going to pay me to talk about history all day."

All my fellow teachers can stop laughing now. 😂 It didn't take long for me to realize that there was far more to teaching than "talking about history all day."

About that same time, I was writing my first book - a looooong historical novel. No surprise that, although I got positive feedback, I was often told that the history needed to take second place to the story.

Fortunately, for both my students and my readers, I learned my lesson.

I learned that teaching is more about the students than the content, and I learned that writing is more about the reader than my love of history. I guess you could say I really took that message to heart since I now write suspense rather than historical fiction.😇

Anyway, as I was pondering the changes in both my educational philosophy and my writing, I kept coming back to how much the world has also changed in the past 30 years.

The technology that pretty much rules our lives now, was fairly nonexistent at that point. In school we still used those mechanical copying machines that left you covered in purple ink. For my writing, I relied mostly on a legal pad and pencil before eventually upgrading to the miraculous word processor that didn't require whiteout!

But how have things changed?

~  My students cannot conceive of a world where you can't reach someone instantly.
I think fondly of those wonderful AOL message boards which (apart from early RT and RWA conferences) were my only link to other writers.

~  Today, readers email us or post messages on FB or Twitter. It's not at all unusual to be friends with your fans or with other writers.
I cherished the letters sent by Mary Jo Putney in response to my fan mail. (Snail mail, of course. There was no other kind.) She was my first link to the world of "real writers," and I appreciated the time she took to respond to a newbie.

~  At night, after my children were asleep, I used to seclude myself in a quiet room and write my heart out.
These days, if I haven't gotten sidetracked by FB when signing in to #1k1hr, I'm constantly tempted to "just log in and see what everyone is up to," a classic case of the FOMO that Terri Reed wrote about a few weeks back.

~ I have walls of research books I could lose myself in, but when I need to know what a particular town in Texas looks like, I can have an image in the amount of time it takes me to type the name into a search engine.

For me, the single biggest change also has to do with technology.

Thirty years ago - or even ten, I never would have had the courage to write inspirational fiction. I didn't think I knew enough, was eloquent enough, or had sufficient experience to write about faith in my life, let alone others' lives.

But I learned something about that too. And I learned it on the internet.

I don't remember exactly how I stumbled across Matt Maher's music videos, but from them, I gained the courage to try to find my voice in Christian fiction.

I'd pretty much stopped writing at that point. But then I heard this song.

And if I ever need to be reminded that I'm not in this alone...

It's easy to bemoan the changes the internet has wrought (especially in terms of distraction and lost work time), but there are so many amazing benefits.

Maybe the more things change, the more they stay the same in their essence.  That's especially true if you consider the greatest truth of all.

This may be my favorite of all Matt's songs, and it's a wonderful reminder of why those of us who write inspirational fiction write what we write - we lift high the banner of the cross.

I thought it might be fun today to talk about how our writing lives (or just our lives) and expectations have changed due to technology.

So, has the internet changed you and your writing? For better or worse?

First Sale Friday: From Dream to Reality

by Lisa Jordan, @lisajordan

When I was sixteen, I read The Promise by Danielle Steel. By the end of the novel, I knew I wanted to write books--I wanted to create that same heart sigh with my readers. I majored in fiction writing in college but then left to marry a handsome Marine and have a family.

Over a decade ago, I decided to get serious about becoming a published author. I wrote during NaNoWriMo, joined ACFW, attended conferences and worked with amazing writing mentors. I wrote a novel, making many newbie mistakes, and ended up shelving the book several times. 

Then, in 2009, I entered the ACFW Genesis award, taking 2nd place in my category. Additionally, I had pitched it to Love Inspired editor, Tina James and literary agent, Rachelle Gardner. Both requested the full manuscript, but Rachelle asked me to send it to her first. After submitting to Rachelle, she offered representation. She submitted my manuscript. 

On January 7, 2011 at 3 PM, I received the call that turned my dream into reality--Love Inspired editor, Melissa Endlich had read my manuscript, loved it, and wanted to offer me a book deal. I cried so hard my poor husband thought someone had died. 

Lakeside Reunion debuted in November 2011. The following year, it won the ACFW Carol award in short contemporary romance. 

This is the story of my heart and a love letter to my husband because Lindsey's fears about her former fiance's job keep her from finding her second chance at love. When Hubby and I were married, he was a military policeman in the United States Marine Corp and dreamed of becoming a police officer like his dad. I was so afraid of losing him in the line of duty that I begged him to give up his dream. And he did. At the time, I wasn't a Christian and didn't have God to carry my anxieties. When I told him this novel was my way of having closure of keeping him from his dream, he reminded me he was the one who made the choice. 

With the encouragement, mentorship, and prayers of good friends, I've been able to fulfill my dream of becoming a published writer. Since then, I've had the privilege of working with Love Inspired to publish 4 more novels. The thrill of seeing my name on a book cover doesn't get old. 

Inside a Writer's Brain

Should I subtitle this post  - A Scary Place to Live? Or, would you go with A Wonderful Place to Reside?

Let's chat about it.


I think for a writer, the scariest place to be is one bereft of ideas. I experienced that horror as I planned this blog. I'd been batting around ideas for my post, but nothing felt quite right.

I don't have a new book out right now, so I don't have that to write about. I've read some really wonderful books lately, but I didn't want it to seem like I was playing favorites. This is a really busy time at school, meaning there's not as much writing time, so nothing there.

Hmmmmm.

Lots of things were circling in my brain, but nothing felt "big" enough for a blog.

Please bear with me, I'm going to piece some of those thoughts together.

I was never one of those people who knew she was going to be a writer.

As I've mentioned before, I was too in awe of the people who wrote my beloved books to think I could ever be one of them.

Honestly, I thought I was too boring, 

But I always entertained myself with my stories. For as long as I can remember, I "read" myself to sleep by making up stories. There were two problems with this. First, I was kind of confirming the boring part in my mind because I made myself fall asleep each night. Maybe I should have marketed my fiction as a cure for insomnia.😧

The second problem was that I never finished a story. Each night, I'd start over and then fall asleep. Eventually, I got so tired of not finishing a particular story, that I wrote it down. The happy part of that was that it got me writing without worrying about boring anyone. I was only writing for myself.

Eventually I entered a contest - the Golden Heart. (Nothing like aiming high right out of the gate!)
I still remember my reaction when I got a call that my manuscript was a finalist. I was overjoyed because it meant at least some readers didn't find me boring!!!

I never did sell that original manuscript, but every once in a while I pull it out and toy with updating it. Maybe some day. It was historical and I write suspense now (mostly).

Which brings me to some of those other thoughts.


Honestly, inside a writer's brain is a wonderful place to abide!


On Tuesday, Jo Ann Brown was talking about where people get ideas for their stories. Then yesterday, Valerie Hansen shared some interesting thoughts about exploring history through our writing. Both of those posts tapped into some of the ideas that had been rolling around in my head.

What do people think about if it's not stories?

That probably sounds crazy, but my brain is always playing with ideas. I rarely go anywhere that something doesn't attract my interest and have me wandering down the "What If" trail.

For example, one day I was walking to work and saw a girl's First Communion veil in the gutter, all muddied and torn. You can bet my suspense writer brain went to work on that one!

I took my class on a trip - and started wondering, what if a family member used a class trip as a cover to kidnap a child?

For my current book, I was reading about the Amish who traveled to Texas to help out after Hurricane Ike, and I started wondering, what if they liked it and stayed - but ran afoul of the drug cartels?


Amish and drug cartels and muddied Communion veils are a far cry from the colonial girl rescuing a privateer that I first dreamed about. And I think that's what I love best about writing. There are endless possibilities to explore.

One of my favorite poems is by Emily Dickinson. It begins

There is no frigate like a book

To take us lands away 

These days, I find that line applies as much to writing those books as reading them. What an adventure this writing gig is!

And hopefully I'm not boring anyone. 😏


I'd love to hear from other writers. Does any of this resonate with you?
And readers, do you ever consider what goes on in the mind of the author whose book you are reading? Wonder what generated those stories?



And I promise I'm not playing favorites when I give a Thursday Shout Out to the wonderful writers I am privileged to work with at Love Inspired Suspense. These are the current May titles.