Where do you get those ideas for your books? by Jo Ann Brown

When people find out I’m a writer, and I’m celebrating the 30th anniversary of my first book this year and I’ve published over 100 books with a variety of pseudonyms since that initial book, the first question they ask is: “Where do you get your ideas?” Maybe they’ve seen the small bank I saw this spring in a bookstore window in England and thought that I just keep them in a box on my desk.

I hope the question about where I find my ideas isn’t quickly followed (not even giving me a chance to answer) with “I’ve got a great idea for a book, but I don’t have the time to write it. Do you want it? You write the book, and we’ll split the profits.” I’ve learned to smile sincerely and say that I’m grateful for their offer, but I’ve already got more ideas than I’ll have time to write. The response is either a knowing nod or disbelief.
And you know what? Both responses are correct.
I’ve always got ideas for future books whirling about in my head. Most writers do. The amazing thing is the future ideas always feel much more enticing than the current one in the work-in-progress, especially if I’m in the midst of the middle muddles section of the writing process. That part when all those story threads that looked so straightforward when I began the project now seem like a ball of yarn that’s been on the losing end of a kitten’s attention. Many of those ideas will eventually find their way into another book, but some just drift away and are best forgotten. Some writers keep an idea notebook, but I don’t. If an idea doesn’t have the power to stay and grow – it can’t remain just an idea; it has to become a more in-depth concept—then it never was, in my opinion, more than a whim. You know how I define a whim? Just something that seems like fun in passing, but doesn’t have enough depth to become anything real.
But, every once in a while, an idea comes to me as a gift from someone else. Usually it’s from a family member (especially my husband who’s my first reader and catches all the words I leave in or leave out in my rush to tell the story). My children grew up listening to a discussion of plot points around the supper table as my part of “How was your day today?” sharing that we did each night.
The second book of my Amish Spinster Club series is one of those books where the central idea for the book (and the title) was given to me during a dinner discussion with my husband. We still do the “How was your day today?” sharing even though the kids are grown and out on their own. I was excited about the heroine I had planned for the book—an Amish nanny in an Englisch home—

but I was still pondering the rest of the details. We actually were talking about the most recent releases from Love Inspired, and I mentioned how two were Amish romances and three were western settings and the last was a small town setting in the Midwest. With a laugh, my husband told me I should try to combine them all into one book. The Midwest book wouldn’t work because the series is set in northern New York. Therefore, he said my next book should be called The Amish Cowboy. He laughed, thinking it was a joke...but I thought, “Hmm....”
I’m sure every writer (or artist of any type) understands what that “Hmm....” means. It’s the sound of the wheels of the brain kicking into motion. Ideas soon were ricocheting through my head, and the story for book which eventually became The Amish Christmas Cowboy quickly gelled in my head.
It’s not the first time my family has given me ideas for books, and I hope it won’t be the last, because no matter how many ideas I have on my own...good ideas for books are always welcome here. I guess I need to look for a small box that says that. Hmm....

Showers of Inspiration

    

It's happened to me more times than I can count. I get up early, brew some coffee and settle down at my desk in my teensy writing office, ready to tackle the next scene in my story.

     I write. I delete. I write again.  I delete. I stare goggle-eyed at the annoying cursor flashing reproachfully on my screen.

     I mentally tot up how far behind I'm getting and how soon my kids are going to be up, signaling the official end of my writing time. I seriously consider scratching the whole idea of writing books. Maybe I'll take up knitting instead. Knitting is cozy, and you can do it while you watch television.

     I remember the last time I tried to knit.

     Okay. So maybe not knitting.

     I refocus on the computer screen. I don't like my characters anymore, especially that heroine who's stubbornly refusing to cooperate with me. In my beautiful, breezy outline, she came across as delightfully spunky. Now she's like that renegade wheel on the grocery cart I always end up with--the one that makes me veer off track and crash into pyramids of canned green beans.

     I want to clonk her on the head.

     I decide this book is a total wash. No matter that I'm on page one hundred and eleven. It's garbage. I'm just going to have to start over; that's all there is to it.

     I give up and go to take a shower.

     And then--when I am physically as far away from my computer as I can get and still be inside the house, when I have no pen, no paper, nothing except shampoo and soap--it comes to me.

     I know exactly how to write that scene.

     I wish I had a nickel for every time I have hopped dripping out of a half-completed shower in desperate search of a pencil to jot down the dialogue my spunky heroine can utter that will turn the scene from a disaster into exactly the plot device I need to move the story forward.

     Apparently, I'm not alone in this. Agatha Christie, who as a murder mystery writer did have the enviable advantage of being able to kill off annoying characters, once remarked, "The best time for planning a book is while you're doing the dishes."

     What about you? Is there a non-writing activity that tends to get your creative juices flowing when you're blocked? Since I'm in the middle of a particularly balky book right now, I'd love to hear about it! Leave a comment below--or connect with me on my blog, via email or on Facebook.

And don't forget to check out my newest release A Baby for the Minister, available now! 

Sunday Scripture

Il Spasimo, Jesus carrying the cross,
by Raphael, 1516, Prado Museum, Madrid.
[PD-US]

Jesus and his disciples set out

for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. 
Along the way he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say that I am?" 
They said in reply,
"John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets." 
And he asked them,
"But who do you say that I am?" 
Peter said to him in reply,
"You are the Christ." 
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days. 
He spoke this openly. 
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan. 
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me. 
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it."

Mark 8:27-35

If you have prayer needs, please mention them in the comments section so we can join you in prayer. You do not need to include specific names or situations of a private nature, just say that you have a prayer request. The Lord knows your heart and the needs you have. It is a privilege and honor to pray with you and for you.

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Finding Your Niche by Marie Bast

Authors all want to get published, but it’s not always easy to find a publisher that’s the perfect fit for our writing. Especially when it’s our first book. I’m a new author with Love Inspired, and therefore, thought I’d share my experience on cracking the code to publication. For those of you who have been trying to capture the attention of an editor or publisher, here is my journey to my first book contract.              

Before

I joined writers’ organizations like RWA, ACFW, SCBWI, Word weavers, and two critique groups. The training and information from these professional organizations and writers were invaluable. Now, I’m going to enlist the aid of my son’s dog, Lola, who has graciously volunteered (after receiving several biscuits) to demonstrate show don’t tell for manuscript makeover. In the creative stage of writing, extraneous little creatures—over-used words, adverbs, prepositions, sentence starters and filler words had weaseled their way onto each page. They made my work-in-process (WIP) look bloated and shaggy—needing a cleanup.       

After

After scrubbing and trimming my manuscripts, they looked professional, sharp, and ready for presentation to editors and publishers. Besides publishing dozens of articles, short stories, devotionals, poetry and prayers, I contributed to four book compilations. Brimming with confidence, I wrote three adult books and five children’s books. Armed with proposals, I attended several writers' conferences. None of them caught a publisher's attention. Disappointed but I was still determined.      

 
Since I enjoyed reading Love Inspired books, I browsed their webpage and found that in February, they often held contests or offered submission opportunities. My first attempt at submission, failed, but I received constructive comments and advice. The next time I entered a contest, I made it through stage one, but rejected at stage two. Then at a writers’ conference, I attended a workshop given by Allie Pleiter. I learned a lot from Allie on how to further hone my work, and it gave me the push to submit to LI again. After submission, the whole process took around a year, but it ended in a contract.

 My advice, don’t give up. Attend writers’ conferences and workshops, find a publisher that you’d like to work with, then read their books and determine if this is the kind of niche or genre you’d like to write. Before you submit, make sure you have trimmed and polished your manuscript until the shaggy spots are gone.    

My first book, The Amish Baker releases March 2019. Have you ever had someone give you that crucial shove to try something one more time?  To get to know me better, visit my blog, follow me on Facebook, or Twitter.



 

 
 

 

On Cupcakes & Texas Homecoming Mums - Plus, a Giveaway! By Sara K. Parker

Two updates! :)

1. I spent several hours creating my first Texas Homecoming mum, and I have to admit that I actually enjoyed the process. It helped that my friend had almost all the supplies, including one of those amazing printers that can print any shape - namely, the glittery orange diver I added to the mum. My son's friend is a diver, and you can't find much diver paraphernalia at craft stores in September. 

2. I know I'm late posting, but Sherri G. is the winner of the gift card. Send your e-mail address to parker.sarak@gmail.com.

Earlier Post:
I know it’s my day to introduce myself, but can I first just tell you what's on my mind right now?

Texas mums.

And I’m not talking about these:

I’m talking about THESE:

I have been quietly giggling about these larger-than-life ribbon-stuffed-animal necklaces for years. Texans, forgive me. I’m a Maryland girl, where mums are still just flowers to be tended to and admired. But today? Today I will be initiated into the world of Texas Homecoming Mum Crafting. Actually, I made that up. What’s really happening is this:

My amazing, selfless, creative, and ridiculously patient friend Lori is having pity on me because my 15-year-old son decided four days before Homecoming to ask a girl to the dance, and this Maryland mom is completely clueless when it comes to Texas mums. Lori picked up supplies, which I can only guess include ribbons and glue and glitter and maybe feathers or some-such, and she is going to walk me through the mum-making process.

She even offered to make the whole thing herself, but with three more kids coming up through the ranks, I’m thinking that mum-making skills will serve me well over the next seven years. Or, maybe I will get rich and I will be able to pay someone to make these fancy monstrosities. If you would like to contribute to the Parker Family Mum Cause, message me and I’ll let you know where to donate. Be advised: I cannot promise that some of the funds will not be used to support my cupcake habit. When stressed, I eat, and this whole mum business is taking its toll.

From Left: Mudslinger, S'mores, Oreo

I’m mostly joking. Fun fact about me #1: I think any excuse is a good excuse for cupcake consumption.

#2 – My husband and I met on a blind date and have been married 15 years. Ironically, I asked him to never buy me flowers. I’d rather have chocolate that I can eat than flowers I can merely look at until they die.

#3 – We have four kids: two teenage sons and identical twin daughters.

#4 – We have four animals: a 16-year-old cat, two crazy dogs and a five-month-old puppy. Our dogs are named after candy: Reese, Rolo, and Twix.

Haylea, our elderly kitty.

Rolo, age 4

 

The newest addition: Twix, five months 

Reese (age 4) meeting Twix for the first time.

 #5 - One of our daughters is a Ewing Sarcoma cancer survivor, and just reached the one-year NED mark on September 9! Here's a pic of our family getting ready to board our Make-A-Wish flight to Florida for our Disney Cruise!

#6 – I write for Love Inspired Suspense, and I also teach developmental English at a nearby community college. I absolutely love doing both!

#7 – In my occasional free time, I go on long runs (AKA astonishingly slow jogs), stay up too late reading novels I can’t put down, and play the piano.

#8 – I landed my first book contract (Undercurrent) through a pitch contest my sister Shirlee McCoy encouraged me to enter in 2013. I didn’t sell again until 2017 (Dying to Remember).

#9 – My third book is coming out in March 2019 (ShatteredTrust), and I’m madly writing book number four, slotted for publication next fall.

#10 – I like to give things away! To be entered into a drawing for a $15 Amazon gift card, comment below with a fun fact about you or a question for me. Winner will be announced here at 10 p.m. CST. I’ll try to post a photo of the completed Homecoming Mum, too!

By the way, I’m still trying to find my groove when it comes to keeping up with social media, but I’d love to connect with you:

Click here to visit my Facebook author page. 

Hop over here to check out my occasionally updated Website.

Feel free to visit my rather silent Twitter account. 

And, here is even a link to my shamefully neglected Instagram account. 

Thanks for popping by to say hello!

Planning Ahead.... Roxanne Rustand

I never seem to learn my lesson when it comes to planning ahead.  Case in point: My husband and I have had a garden behind our house for years.  Nothing huge--maybe 20x20--and every spring, we would till it up into a soft, loamy bed of rich, black Iowa dirt.  And then I would head off to the garden center with stars in my eyes.  This would be the banner year!  Wonderful sugar snaps, green beans, loads of ripe, sun-warmed tomatoes for an endless number of BLTs. Onions, radishes, green and red and yellow peppers....on and on, the list would grow.  And while stretching strings between my stakes for planting straight rows, it always seemed as if there was sooo much room for just one more row...or two. Then everything grew, and grew...we'd be gone for a week here and there, and by August we had a world champion weed patch that was nearly impassable.  Are you a gardener? If so, you're probably shaking your head in disbelief.


After years of my gardening flops, my husband finally convinced me to give up on a veggie garden, plant just a few of them--green beans, tomatoes and peppers--on the perimeter, and plant perennials instead. It looked so nice in the spring! As with so many things, I wish I'd listened to him and done this sooner.  And...I also wish I'd paid a wee bit more attention to the tags on those plants.  :) 

Everything looked so pretty and well-spaced, until some of those perennials grew.  For instance, take a peek at the red flowers in the top left photo. Did you know rose mallow can grow to five feet tall and five feet wide--with beautiful blooms 6-8 inches across!?  It has now taken over almost half the garden!

I  love the flowers, and the never-ending changes of the colors as the season moves from spring to fall. 

But this latest garden adventure also reminds me that I need to do a better job of planning with other aspects of life--instead of madly cleaning the night before relatives arrive, or writing late into the night because I dawdled too much prior to a deadline.

Are you an organized person who takes everything in stride and keeps "your ducks all in a row?"  If so, I would love to hear your suggestions for  maintaining a calm and orderly life!

Five Fast and Easy Ways to Help an Author

with Meghan Carver

I came across this meme quite a while ago, and quite frankly, I can’t remember where. (I’m glad it has the url on the bottom. At least amarketingexpert.com can get the credit. 😊 )

It summarizes perfectly several fast and super-easy ways a reader can help an author. In this day of social media and online shopping, it isn’t just a matter of writing anymore.

As the image says, reviews really do matter. This past Sunday, a woman at church told me how much she had enjoyed Amish Country Amnesia and that she had stayed up way too late to finish it. (By the way, that’s one of the best compliments you can give an author. We love keeping you up late! 😊 ) But then we talked about reviews, and she stated quite emphatically that she always reads the reviews for anything that she is thinking of purchasing.

That started me thinking about all the reviews I read as I browse online. If I’m looking at a jacket online and reviewers say that the zipper doesn’t work well, I’m much less likely to follow through with the purchase. On the other hand, if several buyers rave about the soft fabric of a knit top I’m considering, then that will, most likely, seal the deal. Truly, though, I find reviews as simple as "I love it!" helpful.

On behalf of all the authors on this blog, thank you for reading our books! We appreciate you!

Q4U: How much do reviews influence your purchases?


Before you go, let's take a moment to remember what happened on this day seventeen years ago ~

May God bless the sacrifice of so many that day, the families left behind, and may He preserve and protect our freedoms!

~ Meghan

Top 3 Ways to Stay Productive This Fall

by @jillkemerer and @alliepleiter

Hello everyone! Allie Pleiter and I (JillKemerer) are chatting about how to stay productive this fall. I’ve always loved September. I load up on back-to-school sale pens and notebooks for myself, check out the cool-weather fashions cropping up at the mall, and anticipate russet leaves, cool nights, pumpkin spice everything, and cozy blankets.

Inevitably, visions of Thanksgiving and Christmas and all that hustle-bustle get me excited—Hallmark Christmas movies!!—but just as quickly, fill me with doubts.

Will I meet the professional goals I’ve set for the year?

What about the personal goals—you know, the books I want to read, the places I want to go, the things I want to do?

At this point my mind goes blank as I try to remember what those goals were. Before I know it, I’m munching on Tootsie Rolls and fighting discouragement.

How will I get everything done?

My memory is a flighty little thing, so I skim my day planner to see what I’ve already accomplished. Then I review my current projects and jot down a few personal and professional goals I want to meet by the end of the year. My plan is ambitious. Sure, I can trim it down, but what if I press forward with it? Can I find a way to meet these goals?

Since Allie has written two books on staying productive during challenging times, I’m leaning on her for advice.

Allie, you’re a master at staying on track and getting things done even when life is super busy. What are your top three tips for staying productive this fall?

Fall is an energizing time—summer’s lazy quality drifts away and our brains gear up for productivity. It’s an excellent time to take stock, tweak plans, and even do a bit of dreaming. I definitely believe us grown-ups can get in on the “back to school” atmosphere and take steps to finish the year strong. 

Here are my top three productivity tips:

1.  Make a list.

Lists help us focus and see the whole of our task load. Even if your list ends up being very long, I promise you your stress level will go down just knowing you’ve collected everything on paper (rather than hoping your brain will hold it all).

2.  Break it down into daily portions.

A huge list feels just that: huge. It’s important to have the full scope of your demands and goals laid out, but it can easily overwhelm. Look at your list and think about what needs to be done or can reasonably be done—-just for today. I do this every Sunday night for each of the days in my work week ahead. That way I’m not held hostage by waking up in a funk on Tuesday or the temptation of a Netflix binge on Friday. I’ve got a practical dose of one-day-sized tasks batched up and ready to go, before my brain or mood can take off in other directions.

3. Number your list.

Seriously, this is the single most transformative tactic I teach. Why? Because the most powerful knowledge of all is knowing what to do next. Ordering your tasks for any given day gives your ambition “marching orders.”  Your brain knows that #1 comes first, then #2, you’ll be done at #6, etc. It sounds simplistic, but try it and you’ll discover how much it helps you stay on track!

These three tips, even in the most trying of times when you feel drowning in demands, can get you up and running toward your goals. Which leads me to a fourth powerful tactic: go back daily and take a grateful look at everything you’ve been able to accomplish! Nothing builds momentum like knowing you’re gaining ground, no matter how slowly.

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Thanks, Allie! This is just what I needed. I can be hit or miss on your first two tips, so this was the nudge I needed to be more consistent. And tip 3 made me slap my forehead with a “duh.” Of course—number the list! Brilliant!

How do YOU stay productive? Please share your tips in the comments!

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Interested in Allie’s books?

I have The Chunky Method and LOVE it! Full of great advice for writers!

Can’t seem to finish that novel you’ve been writing? Want to write faster and get published but fear squelching your muse? Pleiter’s innovative Chunky Method offers practical, real-world productivity advice in an easy to read and inspiring workbook. Follow a step-by-step plan to identify your unique writing “Chunk” and wield it to create a solid plan that works “even when life gets in the way.” No matter what your writing style, The Chunky Method Handbook will help you chart an individualized path to your creative writing goals.

Buy The Chunky Method Handbook NOW!

  

Is your muse yelling “SOS”? How do you keep the words pouring onto the page when your real life feels like it’s under attack? Every writer knows how stress and personal crises can strangle your creativity. Help is on the way in this brilliantly practical guide. Inside, you’ll find advice that: - Gets you through the thick of your crisis - Gives you tactics that will energize you to keep writing - Teaches you to use your stress to inspire your writing - And much more!

Buy How To Write When Everything Goes Wrong NOW!

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A nanny at Christmastime…

Will she find love in this Wyoming Cowboys novel?

Six weeks on a ranch caring for quadruplets—aspiring nurse Ainsley Draper’s prepared for a busy Christmas. When the children’s handsome uncle opens the door, her task gets extra complicated. Marshall Graham is upholding his promise to look after his twin sister, the babies’ mom. But as family loyalty clashes with new love, will the perfect present include a future with Ainsley?

Enter the Wyoming Christmas Quadruplets Giveaway at Jill’s Blog HERE! (US residents, 18+)