First Sale

Once upon a time there was an author - you could have called me unpublished or the politically correct term of the time prepublished.  Didn't matter.  I wanted to write, sell, and see my books on a store's shelf - even better know that some stranger in a distant land (like Florida) might actually be relaxing on a chair and reading my book.

I did everything wrong.  My first manuscript was hundreds of pages long, single spaced (I'm telling the truth) and I didn't plot at all - nada.

I realized that I knew nothing (think Schultz) so I joined a creative writing class at a nearby college where I had a topnotch teacher, found a critique group, and as a posse we all went to an RWA conference together.

I wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote.
Submitted, submitted, submitted, submitted.
got rejections, rejections, rejections, rejections.

When I finished one book, I started another.

At church one day, someone said to me, "Hey, you're trying to be a writer, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, Darlene Mindrup sold a book."

Huh?  Darlene Mindrup?  I didn't know she was writing.  She hadn't attending any creative writing class I was a part of.  What?  There'd been no mention of a critique group or going to conferences.

What!

I'd been following the plan.  You know what I'm talking about - do everything in order, check off boxes and all.

That's next Sunday I cornered Darlene.  "You sold a book?"

"Yes, to Barbour Publishing, a line called Heartsong."

"Never heard of them."

Darlene told me they were mail-ordered and then gave me a few.  I promptly sent them a book and heard nothing.

For a year.

Then, I went to my first RWA National Conference.  Back then, ACFW didn't exist so all the Christian publishers came to RWA.  I signed up for an appointment with Rebecca Germany, pitched my book, and she said, "Sounds good, send it."

I told her she already had it.  She suggested I send it again.  I did.

Two months later I headed to my apartment mailboxes.  It was early afternoon, probably 4:00.  Back then, I was an elementary school teacher and finished at 3:00.

I found an envelope from Barbour inside the mailbox.  I ripped it open and saw, "If you make these revisions, we'd like to publish your book."

Yup, I was standing alone in front of a row of mailboxes whooping and jumping around like a happy mad woman.

I made the changes - btw, the edits were done by sticky notes put on the pages that needed changing.  That was my first book It Only Takes a Spark.

Cool beans, eh?

My first book ever.
It came out in 1999.
It was my fifth completed manuscript.

 

My first book with Love Inspired Suspense (this is the Thorndake version)
It came out in 2007.
It was my eighth published manuscript.

My first book with Love Inspired

This is my sixth book with Harlequin Heartwarming
It came out this month!!!!!
Go ahead, read the blurb.

Did Tom Riley arrest the wrong woman? 

For six years, the Sarasota Falls police chief has been hunting the cunning beauty involved in his partner's death. Now here she is, back in his New Mexico town, her face a match to the one on the wanted posters. But the woman Tom Riley knows as Rachel Ramsey insists her name is Heather Graves. 

Is Heather really as innocent as she claims? And what is he supposed to do about their undeniable mutual attraction? As his search for answers uncovers secrets in Heather's past, Tom realizes that Heather is the woman he most wants…

Buy me

Thankful and then some!

It isn't quite Thanksgiving Day yet but it's always a good time to count blessings. Putting it off is like saving the good china or linen for special occasions and never enjoying its beauty. Not that I have good china or linens! My idea of a fun day is a session of puppy therapy. :) Now that's easier to do if you happen to have a young puppy - and I do. My older dogs are coping. One mostly ignores the pup and the other asks to go outside after he's had enough playing in the house.

The little one is fearless. They try to control her with reprimands and she continues to bedevil them. You'd think she didn't understand but I know she does. She simply thinks they are being ridiculous and that the world belongs to her. Around here, it sort of does.

 

I named her "Hope" without realizing what my human reprimands would sound like. I should have called her Problem or Trouble. Then, instead of shouting, "No Hope," when she makes a mistake, I could be saying, "No Problem" or "No Trouble." No Hope sounds too prophetic!

 

Deciding to add another critter to my household took a lot of thought and much research on the internet. I had been hoping to rescue a lap-size dog and did an extensive search with little success. So, I started considering puppies despite the fact that they are more trouble.

 

I mean, look at that face. How angelic. How cute. And how intelligent and mischievous! I have used a particular, heavy plastic dog food container for 7 dogs. It sits in the kitchen. Has a hinged lid. Much bigger dogs have left it alone unless I opened it. Not Hope. She's already trying to help herself! And at the table? The older, sedate dogs learned long ago that making a fuss will not get you anywhere, so they wait quietly until I am through eating, clearly hoping for table scraps. They have taught each other through the generations and this one is no different. I looked down and there they sat.

 

It was as if Hope realized immediately what was proper kitchen protocol. I could imagine her asking, "Are you sure this will get us some food?" and Booboo answering, "Just sit there and look cute, kid. Trust me. She'll weaken soon." He was right.

 

My long time love of dogs and years of experience have given me a strong base on which to build my own stories for Love Inspired Suspense as well as participating in the ongoing K-9 continuities with other authors. My next working K-9 will be in BOUND BY DUTY, the story of a Rottweiler assigned to the US Air Force. It's #2 in the series that begins in April of 2018.

 

There is no way I can ever make little Hope a working K-9 unless I use her as a therapy dog. Maybe I will. In the meantime, she can give me private chill-out sessions so I can continue to write without getting too tense. Despite the fact that I love to write Christian fiction, it's still hard work. And I wouldn't trade my job for any other.

 

So, go count your blessings. They are all around us.

Valerie Hansen  

 



Hill Country or Beach? Jolene Navarro

Jolene Navarro here checking in from the Texas Hill Country.

Setting.

This last week I was at an Art Educators conference in Galveston Texas. The focus was art, but my writer’s brain is always working.  I’m working on a short series of four sisters. Texas Daddy was out in August. The Texan's Twins will be out December 19th and the third sister, Jackie has a Christmas story that will be out 2018

Small Ranch Towns, Texas Hill Country - Jolene Navarro

The Texas Hill Country - Jolene Navarro

Texas Hill Country - Jolene Navarro

Small town life. Jolene Navarro

All of my Love Inspired books have taken place in the same fictional town, Clear Water, Texas.

Boerne Plaza - Small Town Life in the Texas Hill Country - Jolene Navarro

It’s based on a small town in the Texas Hill Country, Leakey Texas and bits of Boerne, Texas. If you are familiar with the area you might know Garner State park. I also pulled in bits from Boerne, Texas.

Leakey Texas - Garner State Park

Old restored church that inspired Jackie's story.

Country roads taking me home - Jolene Navarro

I love creating a fictional town – I can build and design the way I want it.
I love both of these towns.  My family and my husband’s family are from Leakey. My parents met there. I met my husband there at a homecoming game and later married on the Frio. Boerne and Leakey have always been a part of my life.

























I love these sitting and it shapes the people that I write about, but in a conversation with my editor she thought I might want to try a new setting for my next series.
So I’ve been thinking, do I just move down the road and create another town nestled in the Texas Hill Country or do I try something new?

This was on my mind as I spent the week in Galveston.

Along the seawall in Galveston - Jolene Navarro

Galveston, Texas

At one time the major hub of the south, it rivaled New York. Until 1900 when a hurricane wiped it out and killed between 10,000 to 12,000 people. Some say it has never returned to it past glory. https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ydg02
The seawall, the majestic homes and history make it a place of inspiration. Texas has almost 400 miles of shoreline along the coast.
Growing up I have spent most of my summers at Port Aransas or South Parade. I have to admit South Padre is my favorite.

South Padre, Texas

South Padre, Texas

Pirate's Ship at South Padre

Sand Castles at South Padre, Texas

It is at the very bottom of the Texas coast. It’s where the sea turtles like to lay their eggs.
Some of the biggest ranches are in the coastal plains. So what about a family of ranchers trying to make it work. Do they run a dude ranch, a B&B? Maybe recreational fishing along with ranching? A friend of mine owns a pirate ship in South Padre. How cool is that?
So what do you think? Small Hill Country town or a family ranch on the coast? Coastal Cowboys might work. What do you think?

God's Amazing World

This world is filled with beautiful and amazing sights. My husband and I recently took a trip to Australia and New Zealand, where we saw some fantastic scenery while we hiked. Here's a photo of us at Kata Tjuta near Uluru or Ayers Rock, Australia. This is central Australia, where the climate is arid, although we had rain in the evening while we were there.

Here I am with a koala bear. Isn't he cute? I also got to feed some kangaroos. One kicked me because I didn't get the food out fast enough. Here she is with her baby in her pouch. The baby's head is right behind her front arm.

 Here are some fantastic waves on the southern shore of Australia along the Ocean Road.

We also saw some beautiful water falls. I'll share just one from near Lorne, Australia.

In New Zealand we saw some incredible mountains and seashores. In so many places the mountains come right down to the water. The Remarkables, near Queenstown, NZ,

are in the background of this photo.

This next photo was taken in Milford Sound, which is really a fjord. We saw fjords in Norway last year, and I can say that they looked very similar. There are seals on the rock. 

We hiked to the edge of a glacier. We were supposed to do a heli-hike, but the weather was too bad for the helicopter to fly to the glaciers. Here is the tip of the glacier. This is as close as we got.

We hiked to the top of Mt. Victoria in Wellington, NZ. This is a photo I took from the top.

This photo is from Abel Tasman National Park on the north end of the south island in NZ.

Here I am hiking through the Redwoods in New Zealand with the umbrella I bought in Boston last year at Christmas when it was raining during our visit.

This is a photo of one of my favorite hikes along the coastline in New Zealand. We walked along a path that hung right on the edge and looked down on the rocks below.

This is only a small fraction of the photos I took. If you're interested in the other photos, I've been posting them on Facebook. You can view them here.

Do you like to take photos and share them when you go on a vacation or holiday, as they say in other parts of the world?

Currently, I have a sweet Christmas novella on sale for 99 cents. You can get a copy here.

I'm giving away a copy of one of my books, Second Chance Reunion, to one person who leaves a comment. I will draw the winning name on November 9 at 9PM MST.

Merrillee Whren is the winner of the 2003 Golden Heart Award presented by Romance Writers of American. She is married to her own personal hero, her husband of forty-plus years, and has two grown daughters. Connect with her on her Facebook page and sign up for her newsletter.

New for November from Our Love Inspired Contemporary Authors

Jean C. Gordon here with three new must buys from our Love Inspired Contemporary authors. Just click on a cover to buy one. And to learn more about these talented ladies, click on their names.

An Amish Proposal
by JoAnn Brown 

RESCUED: MOTHER-TO-BE
Pregnant and without options, Katie Kay Lapp is trapped between two worlds—abandoned by her baby's Englisch father, not ready to return to her Amish family. With nowhere to go, she's rescued by the unlikeliest of heroes—the man whose heart she shattered. Months ago, Micah Stoltzfus courted her, envisioned a future with her, until she chose the big city over him. Now bound by duty to protect mother and child, Micah offers a solution—marriage. Though his heart never healed, he still cares for the Amish beauty. He knows he'll be the father Katie Kay's baby needs…but can he show her he's also the love she's always wanted?

Christmas on the Ranch
by Arlene James

THE RANCHER'S CHRISTMAS BABY
The quiet holiday season Dixon Lyons had planned is abruptly derailed when his long-absent mother appears at his doorstep with a baby and stunning beauty Fawn Ambor. Soon Fawn’s generous heart and endearing belief in the strength of family and forgiveness have him wondering if this might just be the Christmas he needs.

by Lois Richer

CHRISTMAS EVE COWBOY
Dr. Elizabeth Kendall moved to Snowflake, Montana, wanting nothing more than a fresh start for herself and her daughter, Zoey. But when handsome local rancher Brett Carlisle convinces Elizabeth to lead the kids’ Christmas Eve choir, she discovers the idyllic town has a lot more in store for her—and her heart—than she ever imagined.

A Texas Holiday Reunion
by Shannon Taylor Vannatter

HIS CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING
With her foreman out of commission, Resa McCall needs horse trainer Colson Kincaid to run her family ranch through the holidays. But having the handsome single dad back in Bandera, Texas, is unsettling. Colson broke Resa's heart years ago, and she can't risk getting close again. Still, working with him and bonding with his sweet little girl is making the ranch feel merry and bright. Being at Resa's side stirs up emotions Colson thought were long gone. But he has a powerful secret that could keep them apart forever. Can Colson give Resa the one Christmas present that might finally bring them back together—the truth?

Sunday Scripture

The Way of the Cross, Jerusalem

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, 

"The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. 

Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,

but do not follow their example. 

For they preach but they do not practice. 

They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry

and lay them on people's shoulders, 

but they will not lift a finger to move them. 

All their works are performed to be seen. 

They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 

They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,

greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.'

As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.'

You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. 

Call no one on earth your father;

you have but one Father in heaven.

Do not be called 'Master';

you have but one master, the Christ. 

The greatest among you must be your servant.

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;

but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

Matthew 23:1-12

Saturday

My First Sale - Truth more Astounding than Fiction by Jo Ann Brown

Now things move at the speed of cyberspace, but that wasn't always so. Sometimes they move much more slowly, and they turn out in ways we couldn't have imagined ahead of time.
Come with me back in time. Your choice: Doc Brown’s Delorean or Mr. Peabody’s Wayback machine or...if you are of a certain age, just think back through your personal memories to 1987. That was the year I made my first sale. Actually it was my first sales.
I’ll admit that I made a LOT of mistakes on my way to get published. The only published author I knew was the cousin of a friend’s brother-in-law. In on our one quick phone call, she mentioned words like “proposal” and “synopsis,” so I knew I had a lot to learn. Finding a list of agents, I contacted the first three alphabetically and the last three. Though the others said no thanks, one got back to me quickly and asked for a complete, even though I was still figuring out how to write a synopsis. That letter arrived the day I went to my first local Romance Writers of America meeting. How thrilled I was to meet others who shared my dream and who assured me that the agent interested in my work was a respected guy! (Only later, when he arranged for us to meet, did I discover he was also Arlene James's agent.)
That first book went out to plenty of places, but no offers. In the meantime, I continued writing and I sent what I thought was my new best work, a western historical entitled Nothing Wagered Nothing Gained, off to my agent. While he read that, I kept writing.

But one Friday at the end of March 1987, I got a call telling me that someone was interested in my “new” book. My agent would let me know early the following week if it was a go. So now I waited.
Then the storm hit. A big spring nor’easter in eastern Massachusetts. Power out, phones out and our fence now lying in the neighbor’s garden. My husband alerted my agent from work, where the phones were working. Still no call, so more waiting. I’d love to say I was patiently waiting, but I think I wore out a pair of shoes and our 100-year-old hardwood floors with my pacing on Monday and then Tuesday. Finally late on Tuesday, the phone rang for the first time since the storm started. It was my agent with the news that there definitely was going to be an offer, but he didn’t have all the details and I’d have to be patient a while longer.
More waiting and pacing and I didn’t even share the news with my writers’ group that evening because I wasn’t sure whether or not the deal was going to go through. Thursday I get a call with the request to come to New York to meet with my agents in a few weeks as well as the comment that it should be a contract “for at least two books.” Our family had a trip planned to Washington, DC the week mentioned, so I agreed. We’d take the train and I’d get off in New York and meet them in DC. My big worry was if I could hail a taxi to take me back to Penn Station after the meeting.
When I reached the publisher’s office, I was greeted warmly by my agent, his wife, and the editor Kate Duffy (who started so many romance writers’ careers, though I didn’t know it at the time) as well as the publisher. Tudor Publishing was a very new publishing house, so Kate and the publisher and a secretary constituted the full staff.
My agent and I went into Kate’s office to talk, and he informed me that the contract offer was for four books with options for fourteen more if we were happy with how the first four were published. I’m seldom speechless, but I don’t think I spoke coherently the whole time all of us went out for lunch. I felt so blessed to have this opportunity. That was thirty years and many books and hailed cabs ago, but I still remember those astounding weeks so well that I get goosebumps now just relating the events. It’s always a special day when dreams come true...and I got three of them over a period of several weeks.

And when I got home from our vacation to DC, my critique partners proudly presented me with a certificate they’d made. Not for my first sales, but for being able to get a New York City cab on my own for the first time! It’s hung on my wall since right next to the cover for that first book as proof that truth can be much more astounding than fiction.

Giveaway and celebration of new release from Lenora Worth and Terri Reed

Hi. It's always fun to have a Christmas book out but it's even more fun when you have one out with a friend. I'm excited to share Classified K-9 Christmas, a two-in-one Love Inspired Suspense from my friend Terri Reed and me! We're so excited about this book that we're celebrating here and we're giving away of copy of this book and ... watch there's more.....

We're also including a copy of Tracker by Lenora Worth and Guardian by Terri Reed. These are two of the connected books in the Classified K9 Unit FBI series out this year (and still available.) Guardian is the first book and Tracker is the sixth book. The other four books are:

Sheriff by Laura Scott
Special Agent by Valerie Hansen
Bounty Hunter by Lynette Eason
Bodyguard by Shirlee McCoy


Are you as excited as we are?  Our two-in-one features A Killer Christmas by Lenora Worth and Yuletide Stalking by Terri Reed. Both are set in Montana. Just post a comment and Terri and I will draw a winner and I'll post here at 10:00 Central time tonight! Thanks!

A Killer Christmas

When FBI K9 agent Nina Atkins thwarts an attempted murder, she becomes a target of the killer--the same hit man US Marshal Thomas Grant is tracking. Even caught in the crosshairs, Nina's reluctant to share her case, but working with Thomas may be the only way to capture a murderer before she becomes his next victim.

Yuletide Stalking

Determined to stop an arsonist with the help of his accelerant-detecting K9 partner, FBI agent Tim Ramsey must protect the only witness. But when the criminal begins stalking Vickie Petrov, can Tim convince her to trust him ...and help her to survive to see another Christmas?

We hope you'll love these books as much as we do!