Tag Archive | books

Author Confessions: Gnomebody But You (Book Release)

Nov10
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Author Confessions: Gnomebody But You (Book Release)

Sooo, life has been crazy in my world and some days I’m barely treading water with all I’m trying tt juggle and technology doesn’t always help me like I’d hoped it would.

For instance, I thought, wrongly, that my Christmas novella, Gnomebody but You, was releasing December 1st.

I was wrong. It comes out TODAY!

Here’s the back page blurb:

Love and trouble are brewing at TrueSpark Trucking… Tali Shadowgrace just wants a fresh start. After escaping an abusive ex, she’s moved to a new state, landed a job at TrueSpark Trucking, and is almost convinced she’s safe. But trust? That’s another story. Especially when it comes to men.

Enter Puck Bellpepper—yes, Puck—a man with three non-negotiables for a relationship: she must be shorter than he is, willing to tolerate his twin sister Quincia, and, most importantly, share his faith. When he meets Tali and discovers she works with Quincia, he starts to think his prayers might’ve been answered. (Even if her name does sound like a cartoon villain.)

But when strange “accidents” start plaguing TrueSpark, Puck’s determined to get to the bottom of it…and spend more time with Tali. Is her ex back for revenge? Or is someone else stirring up chaos? With sabotaged trucks, a meddling twin, and a Christmas party that reveals all, Puck and Tali must figure out: Can love bloom when danger’s lurking? And will Tali ever believe that a man like Puck, a gnomebody as sweet as he is quirky, is exactly who she needs?

A whimsical Christian rom-com with a dash of suspense, faith, and holiday magic—perfect for fans of:

  • lighthearted romance,
  • quirky characters, and
  • love stories where the hero’s name is literally Puck Bellpepper.

WHY GNOMES? 

This is a question I often ask myself. I love the gnomes and resisted collecting them for years. I’m not gnome-wild, mind you but since I’m on the short side and my husband isn’t super tall and wears a short beard… well, you get my affinity for gnomes!

The challenge for me was that gnomes, while fictional, are considered to be mischiouvous creatures. They can be considered magical which I don’t believe in because of my faith in Jesus Christ and my publisher won’t go for anything like that. So I decided to try to have fun with the silly names gnomes can have but set aside the unsavory aspects of them that don’t jive with my faith, and create human gnomes. I get to write stories of real life people with a heaping side dish of whimsy.

The hard reality of life can be lightened with the silly names and gnome-like characters and that made them fun to write. And Christmas is a perfect time for a little bit of whimsy, don’t you think?

MY WONDERFUL PUBLISHER

My Editor-in-Chief was willing to give this risky recipe a shot. While there may be nothing new under the sun, there were no inspirational gnome romance stories I could find, much less Christmas ones. Who knows, maybe gnomes will be the new Amish fiction explosion! LOL! An author can wish. I’m grateful that I was given the freedom to try something new and fresh in the world of Christian publishing.

I hope you’ll purchase the book! I have a vareity of other Christmas novellas. I’ll list them below by catagory.

If you enjoyed I’ll be Gnome for Christmas, you’ll probably love Gnomebody but You!

My publisher created a wonderful book trailer for it which you can see here:

OTHER CHRISTMAS NOVELLAS:

All are available in Ebook format. Some can be purchased directly from me in print but they are not offered online in that format with the exception of Operation: Camoflague Christmas.

Historical (Prairie):

Fragile Blessings (I have print copies)

Historical (Regency)

Gabriel’s Gift

The Doctor’s Daughter

A Husband for Christmas (audiobook https://amzn.to/47qOGpI)

Jingle all the Way

Contemporary:

Sugar Cookies and Street Lamps

Pixie’s Almost Perfect Christmas

A Slam-Dunk Christmas  (A spin-off of Whitney’s Vow)

A Tangled Christmas (A spin-off of Whitney’s Vow)

Military (with DeeDee Lake):

Operation: Camouflage Christmas prequel to the Rules of Engagement series (I have print copies)

Gnomes

I’ll be Gnome for Christmas  (I have print copies) 

Gnomebody but You (I hope to have print copies soon) 

WHAT ABOUT 2026?

I have two Christmas novellas in the works already for next year but might still want to add a Gnome-themed one! We’ll see. I  think Puck’s sister, Quincia Bellpepper deserves to find love too. Do you have any suggestions for a fun holiday Gnome title? I’d love to hear your ideas!

REVIEWS 

As always, a simple review on Amazon goes a long way to helping an author as well as telling your friends (whether in person or via social media) about books you enjoy. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising for an author!

Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoy Gnomebody but You! 

Author Confessions: Be Who God Created You to Be

Sep29
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Author Confessions: Who God Created You to Be

In light of events in the past few weeks there has been a lot of focus on one man. His videos are being watched by millions and many want to use his name as a calling card and a rallying cry. This is not a post about that man, or any man.

It is amazing what some people accomplish in this world. People can be so amazing. We can point to great parenting, deep faith, dizzying intellect or any other number of things to explain why someone would be so polarizing and inspiring all at the same time.

Here’s the truth. God called you to be you.

Your journey on this earth will be uniquely yours.

It’s nice to look up to people and admire them but the reality is our only focus should be on Jesus, God the  Father, and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit within those of us who claim to be His redeemed children.

Any little thing we do can have a ripple effect through eternity and we may never know what that impact will be. If you’ve never read The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews, check it out at the library. It’s a short read but inspiring. He also has a children’s book called The Kid Who Changed the World which has similar content.

While some people seem to be having an impact due to number of followers on social media or a blog, how many watch an interview on television or a podcast… the reality is, we can never fully know that impact and to do any of that to seek numbers, followers, or money, is a vain and foolish goal.

When we sold our house I asked our realtor if it was unusual to have so many showings so quickly. She said, “Yes, at your price point this is unusual, but you only need one right buyer.”

Just one. We did and he loves the house.

If I spent years working on a manuscript between writing, revising, editing, pitching, revising again, editing, submitting to a publisher, contracting, editing, editing, editing, marketing and trying to get that book out, how many people will make those hundreds or maybe thousands of hours of work worth it? f I’m trying to be compensated fairly for my time the number would be quite high.

If I’m writing the stories God tells me to write, then the true answer is: the right reader who needs that story. Five hundred people could read it but it might be one person who needed that story to take that next step of faith. That has eternal value.

An author sat down to pitch a story to me at a writer’s conference and she started out by saying, “I know you don’t like Amish fiction, but…” I stopped her. “You knew I didn’t want that yet you’re here to pitch it? Why did you write Amish fiction?” She said she wrote it because it sells well. That was true at the time and even my agent wanted me to write Amish romances, but I refused for a variety or reasons that maybe I’ll write about another time. I told her that as a Christian author she should write the stories God tells her to write, not just what will sell.

Why does obedience and faith need to be tied to a price tag or a quantity of people validating it?

This post is not about any big name who died doing what God called them to do. It’s not about any well known person who is getting attention in this world. Yes, their lives matter.

Don’t compare yourselves to them or try to be anything other than who God created you to be. It’s a reminder to me as well. My journey is my journey and it has at times been unconventional, but I’ve always sought God’s leading through the Holy Spirit along the way. Have I obeyed flawlessly? No. None of us can. But I’m still here and I’m still trying to be who He needs me to be, which is ME and no one else, using the unique gifts, calling, and opportuinities as they present themselves, for HIS glory and not my own.

Don’t focus on a big name or someone who seems popular. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, and be exactly who God created you to be. Let God take care of the rest.

Author Confessions: A Love of Alliteration

Nov11
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Author Confessions: A Love of Alliteration

Alliteration is when you have a phrase with a similar letter or sound starting words that are in close proximity to each other. I’ve had people accuse me of loving alliteration. Why? Well, simply because of some of the titles of my books. Before I start listing those that have this lovely literary feature, let me first say that it wasn’t intentional when I started, I just liked the way the first book titles sounded in two series and then decided to keep writing in that same vein. Having titles that are somewhat similar in length or content can be helpful for the reader in recognizing it as your book, especially when there is a series. Alliteration can capture attention and as an author I want people to be drawn to my books, but that is not the only way to get their attention. Designing a captivating title is an art in and of itself.

My first was my Regency series. I started with The Virtuous Viscount, then wrote a prequel called The Baron’s Blunder. Subsequent books as I went on realizing I had enough ideas for an entire series are: Lord Phillip’s Folly, Lord Harrow’s Heart, and The Captain’s Conquest. That series came to an end, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t abandoned the idea as I have some Regency novellas with this feature: The Doctor’s Daughter, and Gabriel’s Gift. Some of my other Regency Christmas novellas do not have that feature. I try to use whatever works best for the story I’m writing.

I started writing contemporary after I tried my hand at historical and then every year for many years I was writing one of each. That first book was Pesto and Potholes, only because I wanted something that would work potholes into the title and be intriquing. Then someone suggested I write another book called Salsa and Speed Bumps and well, I liked the idea of that so I did. After that the challenge was on to pair a food-related item with a road-related item. How do you think I did? Titles include: Feta and Freeways, Root Beer and Roadblocks, Bratwurst and Bridges, Donuts and Detours and finally, Truffles and Traffic (as a fellow writer really wanted me to write a book with truffles in the title!). I actually have a sheet of  ideas of possible future titles for this series, so who knows? That one could continue indefinitely if I wished, and could come up with titles. The challenge is that the food must be part of the story, which is the easy part, and the road-related reference has to be a metaphor used in the story, whether obviously as in Pesto and Potholes or subtly in others. The title must make sense to me and to the reader.

Most of my contemporary Christmas novellas do not have this feature.  Sugar Cookies and Street Lamps was originally supposed to be Sugar Cookies and Street Crossings but that was nixed by my Editor-in-chief. Oh well, she felt it sounded better as street lamps and she featured one on the cover. Who am I to argue? It’s more about the story than the title and as I’ve written about in the past, not everyone gets the title they want. Just doesn’t always happen that way. The metaphor worked either way but I lost the full alliteration I was trying for.

I’m not the only author to use this for purposes of titles. Consider:

Also in visual entertainment:

  • Mamma Mia
  • Dr. Dolittle
  • Mork and Mindy
  • Midsomer Murders
  • Gardians of the Galaxy

Character names as well:

  • Lois Lane
  • Peter Parker
  • Bruce Banner
  • Bilbo Baggins
  • Big Bird

So here’s the question, do you like alliteration in titles? Why or why not? I’d be curious to know!

Author Confessions: It’s All Been Done Before

Jul8
Reading Time: 5 minutes

Author Confessions: It’s All Been Done Before

Ecclesiastes 1:9 famously states: What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.

This collides horribly with our desire to be unique or feel like we are special or that no one has ever gone through what we have gone through. It’s a tightrope to walk between realizing the truth of that as not minimizing the struggles, challenges, traumas, that we all go through at one time or another on a world cursed by sin. Ouch.

In writing a story we are told to try to be unique, yet when it comes to marketing we are to compare our stories to similar authors or tales, while at the same time explaining why our book is different and the world needs this manuscript to be published. While this is more for non-fiction, it is sometimes applied to fiction as well.

As we learn and grow as humans we have “Aha” moments, right? Moments when we discover a truth or a unique hack that makes life make more sense or better. Often we don’t share those things because it may be foolish to others because “I was today-years-old when I learned….” Have you been there? I sure have!

Like when I found out that the best way to dry out my children’s wet shoes was to stuff them with newspaper. By morning they were dry. Amazing!

Social media has exposed us to so much information, so many “hacks”.  Lots of stories of personal triumph and tragedy. It can be overwhelming. But after a while it all starts to sound familiar, doesn’t it? People get sick. People die. Someone is grieving putting down a pet. Someone has a cancer. Someone is struggling financially. Someone has to move or is looking for a job. The list goes on but if you spend any time on social media you are familiar with pain and struggles. And the sales pitches.

When it comes to writing however, familiarity also rings true. While the exact combination of words and characterizations might be unique, there are similar story lines. The term used for them is plots. The more a readers consumes fiction, the more he or she will understand that there are some overarching plot lines. There is not a definitive list but here are some I’ve come across:

In Romance there are a few, called “tropes” that stand out as well and many overlap with the above plots:

I’ve put as many of my books into some of these categories but as you might be able to tell, there can be overlap and more than one “trope” in a book! This is not an exhaustive list by any means. There is a reason that some people love Hallmark books and movies, because they have a formula for their plots that works and for many that similarity is a comfort.

All that to say, hopefully the writing, in spite of any tropes, is good enough to keep the reader engaged to enjoy the journey even if it is perhaps similar to one someone else has read. As an editor I’ve had to reject books that were too similar to other books I was aware of. One especially was too similar to another by a famous author, and while I can’t accuse her of plagiarizing the work it was too similar for me to be comfortable with, which was sad because the writing was great.

There’s nothing new under the sun, yet as creative people, authors are still trying to create something fresh within the reality that it’s all been done before in some form or fashion. It is gratifying when a reader will tell me how a book surprised them. Even if something’s been done before I hope my readers will find enjoyment and perhaps learn something as they read my stories. If you find that an author has surprised you and you really enjoyed a book, please help them out by writing a review on Amazon so others can enjoy it as well. It really does help!

What’s Your Favorite Flavor?

Jun30
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Image courtesy of debspoons / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of debspoons / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? My oldest son is pure vanilla. My daughter loves cherry and my middle son love Reece’s ice cream.

Hubby will eat about anything. I don’t think he has a favorite.

I love a mint chocolate chip but have been known to enjoy butter pecan or praline ice cream at times. Because ice cream messes with my asthma, it’s a few and far between treat…and it better be the best there is when I do have it.

Now if you asked me about favorite popsicle flavor I would be all over the board. I love cherry but also root beer and banana!

Our reading tastes are as varied and diverse as our taste for cool deserts in summer. For instance, I love a good romance, but I’m not as keen on southern romances and avoid Amish. I’m a fan of western historical and Regency time period. I have friends who love WWII fiction. Others who love thrillers or mysteries. I love a good romantic suspense but not a pure suspense. Women’s fiction is great but not my “go to” kind of thing.

Reviews can reflect more the taste of the reader than the quality of the book. Let’s face it. I’m not a fan of Stephen King but that doesn’t mean he is a poor writer. He’s not. He’s brilliant and has carved out a career for himself. Nicholas Sparks has a following too but while I’ve read him, he’s not my fave either. Now personally, I won’t do reviews on books like that if I don’t absolutely have to. “Have to” is when I’ve been given a free copy and in return write a review–good, bad or indifferent about it. As an author (or even a reader looking at reviews to decide whether you want to read the book), take that into account as you read the especially negative ones. My favorites are those who got a free copy of a Christian book and then take issue with the faith element. Um, duh? It was clearly stated that there was going to be an inspirational component! Yeah, not all readers are as smart as you and me.

Editors and Agents have preferences too! Sometimes a book could be well written but just not quite what we prefer. At Prism Book Group we will often ask another editor to read it to see if they want to take it on. Sometimes we just don’t have the time though. It is hard to say no to a great story, but sometimes we have to because it has to be a favorite, not just dessert for the sake of ice cream.

Even publishing houses have their flavor. I had friend say, “I don’t have a Bethany House voice.” I had to stop and think about that because I do read a lot of Bethany House authors and I think that writer is correct. There is a particular kind of voice they like. But another publisher may not. And you may not either. I’ve had friends read a book I raved about and been disappointed. It wasn’t their flavor! And that’s okay.

Editors and Agents don’t like to give rejections, but let’s just face it. If I don’t love your story as much as you do, then you do not want me to do the editing job on it. It’s hard work to edit a book but I like to enjoy my work and if I have a less than thrilled attitude going in, no matter how hard I try, I can’t guarantee I’ll be bringing my best game to your project. Not that I wouldn’t try. I would. But you want your editor or agent to be a champion for your book, to cheer you on, encourage you to make it the best. You need to know we aren’t being nasty when we give you those edits, but we are trying to polish your book, make sure its flavor is the best it can be, so the right readers can enjoy it too.

What is your favorite flavor–of ice cream or novel?