Tag Archive | writing

Author Confessions: The Blank Page

May18
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Author Confessions: The Blank Page

One of the biggest challenges for an author is exactly what I faced when I sat down at my laptop to write this post. The Blank Page. 

All that white can be intimidating, or all that black if you write in dark mode (black background and white letters which can be kinder to the eyes). That’s why even in real life, a blank wall in a house is calling for decoration. When we moved into our tiny apartment while building a house, I determined that I would only put one hole in the wall, and that was for the clock we are conditioned to look to to check the time. I’ve kept to to that. But the white walls bother me and seem so–sterile.

It’s probably why we can’t seem to keep any surface from also having things one it, whether it is a decoration on the dining room table, or all the stuff we drop on it when we get home.

There is something in the human condition that rebells against that stark emptiness. Probably because God created us for beauty and color. Texture and depth. But we also need space and emptiness.

The blank page is too much emptiness, just as a lot of walls with no color, design, or decoration. Too much, however, becomes clutter. My documents in my word processor are automatically set for a one inch margin. When I write I usually have double spaced as well, especially when writing a story. Filling a blank space is good but too much is difficult for the brain to process.

The beauty of writing in this day and age is editing, deleting, can be done with minimal effort. I was working on edits the other day and slashed over 3,000 words from a novella. For comparison this post has 775 words. That’s a lot of words! The stuff I deleted will make the story better according to my editors and I agree with them. I printed it out without the removed words so I can read it again and make sure I didn’t make any other mistakes. No rewriting by hand. Technology can be such a blessing.

When writers start writing, however, it can be a daunting thing to look at the blank page. Sure we can put in the capter number, a header and insert page numbers, but those things do not make a story come to life. Neither do the margins, although lack of them can be bothersome for a reader.

There is such a thing as free-form writing where the author writes whatever comes to mind. Any thought. Journalling can be like this where the blank page becomes filled with all the random thoughts that occupy it. Sometimes getting those things out clears the clutter for the good stuff that make up a text: sentences and paragraphs a reader might want to read.

I journal on a daily basis and sometimes it’s brief and short. I have an audio diary that I will often speak into on my phone where I can just ramble (I talk like I’m talking to God) about whatever is on my heart. It goes faster as not every thought that crosses my mind is something my husband or friends might want to listen to. But if it is on my heart then I figure God doesn’t mind hearing it.

The blank page can be hard for authors but the reality is this: You can’t edit a blank page. With modern technology writings can be saved in other documents to be used for a later time, or forgotten which is more likely to happen to me. We can easily delete. Even writing a blog I have started some that sat in draft mode for a while before I finally decided they weren’t worth sharing with the world wide web, or whomever visits my blog.

Do you want to write? Then write. Don’t worry about the rules, you can learn those later. No matter what your age, we are in a world where re-writes are so much easier. I remember grade school and high school–before computers–and all the paper crumpled up on the floor. Don’t let the blank page intimidate you into pouring out your thoughts and ideas on paper. Even if no one else sees it, writing is beneficial. My journaling is with pen and paper. The audio journal is digital. Thankfully, word processing has made writing books easier than ever.

So whether you’re writing a letter to a friend, a thank you note, a prayer, or the next best-selling novel, write. Don’t let the blank page win.

 

Author Confessions: Getting To Know You

Apr6
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Author Confessions: Getting To Know You

When we meet people, there is often a process of “getting to know you,” that takes place. For most of us we don’t blurt out our entire life’s history at a first meeting. We share information, bit by bit, as we deem someone is safe to share with. The superficial before the deeper, more intimate secrets, we might carry. That’s true in fiction as well.

I’ve mentioned before that I write by the seat-of-my pants. I will do a back page blurb and have my two main characters and inciting incident where they meet and then I eagerly jump in and write. I can write fast when I put my mind to it. Not as fast as some but it is a matter of discipline. The reality is when I’m excited about something I can’t wait to get back to it!

That’s the definition of an ideal job, right?

I wish I could say that every part of writing and editing is pure, unadulterated joy. It’s not. It can be grueling and hard. Grit your teeth and git-‘er-done type of work. However, the initial excitment of starting a story, especially when it flows and the characters are engaging, can be so much fun to write.

I’m often too impulsive to do a basic character interview with my main characters so I jump right in and let them surprise me when they reveal parts of their past that I didn’t know. Sounds mysterious, right? It’s a creative process. I pray that I’m following where the Holy Spirit leads as I write stories that I hope and pray will give glory to God.

This year I do not have a Christmas gnome novella releasing as I focused on one I co-authored with DeeDee Lake called Mission: Matrimony, the last of our military romance series. I also finished, with great joy, writing Sealed With a Kiss, a contemporary Christmas romance based on letters from WWII that had been germinating for years. With planning a house, there wasn’t time to produce another novella. Both of those should release this November, 2026.

Space opened up in my schedule and I’ve longed to write a romance for Quincia Bellpepper. Puck’s twin sister in Gnomebody But You, needed her own story and perhaps I should start writing it. This time I decided to do a character interview with Quincia and her love interest, Jinx Jingleheimer. That takes prayer and time. Real life people don’t give up all  their secrets at once and neither do fictional ones. I should always do this and my writing would be better for it.

When I wrote Sir Micheal’s Mayhem, it was probably the first time I’d done a character interview. Something as simple as the answer to the question, “Do they have any scars and how did they get them?”, resulted in a focal point in the story that revealed secrets and brought the couple back to the spot. I won’t give anything else away, you’ll have to read it to find out, but Sir Michael and Katrina are one of my favorite couples, maybe because I got to know them so well during that interview process.

There was another reason to do an interview for the gnome novella. Gnomes have unique names and I needed to map out family and friends with their requisite names! Picking names is always part of the fun for any story, but the names in the gnome novellas adds whimsy to the tale. It is no different with this one! And even though I’m the one who comes up with their backstories, they still reveal themselves to me in a deeper way through this process. Not everything in that interview will show up on the page but it might influence their actions and choices. Eventually the reader might be privy to the why they behaved as they did. The slow unveiling of a characters past makes the story more enjoyable instead of dumping their individual backstories in the first chapter. A reader wants to experience the adventure, not read their biographies.

If you are an author or aspiring author who would like to write a character interview and acquainted with your characters before you write, there are likely some examples on line. Or you can email me at silygoos@gmail.com and ask me to send my blank chart that I developed for couples (I might have a single one as well). Since it’s a Word doc file you can modify it to your heart’s desire. I’ve taken what others have done and made my own but I don’t proclaim to own rights to it. You might find other questions you’d like answers to.

If you’re a reader, I hope you enjoyed getting a peek behind-the-scenes of an author’s “Getting to know you,” process. I hope the characters that spring from that will bring you a few hours of enjoyment, and inspiration.

Author Confessions: Reviews are Important

Mar9
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Author Confessions: Reviews are Important

Authors will often request that if an author likes a book, that they write a review.

I realize, as authors, we are asking a lot of our readers.

First, we want them to actually spend money to purchase a book. While libraries and borrowing a paperback are wonderful, they don’t get us a royalty per copy sold. Obviously, we work hard to write that handheld doorway into a wonderful imagination and story, an escape from the trials of this world and a more worthwhile distraction than playing a video game. It would be nice if the author, editior, copyeditor, cover artist, and publisher could all make some money.

Secondly, after we ask you to buy a book, we hope you will actually read it and enjoy it. But after you’ve reached the end of the book we want you to go back to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, GoodReads or the publisher’s web site and write a review. You probably thought book reviews were left behind when you graduated high school.

Here’s the truth.

  • Writing a review takes a little time, true. You need to log into whatever site you’re choosing.
  • A review doesn’t need to be long. Just tell other readers what you liked about that book. It can be short and sweet.
  • Telling others, in person, or on social media that you recommend a book can help a lot.

Reviews on Amazon help other readers find our books and book sales help authors continue to write those stories you might have enjoyed.

Lastly, if you really love a story or an author’s voice, tell them personally. Send an email or text or if you see them in person, go ahead, and fan-girl or guy around them. Writing and getting a book published (two seperate endeavors) takes a lot of hard work. I doubt your words of encouragement will swell their heads but it might give them the motivation to keep writing and doing all the hard work to provide you with another great story.

Who have you read lately that deserves a little “atta boy” or “atta girl” for a story you enjoyed? Got ahead and write that review. Reviews are important.

Author Confessions: Stumbling Blocks in Fiction Part 1

Feb16
Reading Time: 5 minutes

Author Confessions: Stumbling Blocks in Fiction Part 1

After writing last weeks post which you can find here, I started thinking of stumbling blocks in fiction. I’m going to focus mostly on Christian fiction as there are differences between that and the secular marketplace.

I used to be a reader that if I read the back page and liked the concept and checked out the book–I would read it to the end. It wasn’t too many years into adulthood that I decided it wasn’t worth my time if I wasn’t enjoying the story. Readers now are being more particular.

Here are some examples of stumbling blocks that authors sometimes overlook but will possibly cause a less interested reader to move past and finish a book. These are also things that as an editor might cause me to reject submisson.

Slow start

Sometimes an author can get caught up in writing very descriptive scenes with eloquent words that really say nothing but they sound nice. And this can go on for more than a paragraph where as a reader, I’m left wondering, “What is this story about? Who is it about? When does this take place?” Now having said that, in older literature this was the norm. Creative writing and beautifully crafted scenese before you ever truly understand what is going on in the story. That doesn’t work as well now.

Annoying characters

Characters should be likable. Thus says the author who has enjoyed quirky and sometimes annoying characters as Sherlock, Doc Martin, and House. Characters should have some relatable qualities that make them likable, or at least tolerable. Quirky isn’t necessarily annoying but that depends upon the person. A character might have some personalilty defect but if the reader doesn’t sense that they might change as the story progresses, they are not likely to stick with the story.

Too many people or complicated names

I’ve read science fiction and that genre is spectacular for the made up and sometimes difficult to pronounce names. I had a character in Truffles and Traffic initially called Benedict and one of the editors told me that was too harsh sounding so I changed it to Benjamin, which wasn’t a painful decision as it’s one of my favorite names, and that was before I met my husband. When I wrote the book Pesto and Potholes, Antonio has a large family and I actually had a genogram of all the relations in the order in which they were related to help me keep the story straight. Thankfully, only a few made significant enough appearances that it was easier for the reader to not worry about how all the rest were connected. I wanted the family tree in the book but was told I  couldn’t do that. :-(.  Stumbling over names or having names too similar even, can make it hard for the reader to navigate the story, and anything that pulls the reader out of the story, even to look back to see who is connected to who, is frowned upon.

The story doesn’t move along

Stories that drag from the start or start out gang-busters and then fizzle will challenge the most ardent reader. I find this even when we are watching movies or television series that if they start out slow and the pace plods along, my husband will tell me to find something else. Maybe it gets better by episode three but they lost us in the first fifteen minutes. The same is true for a piece of fiction. The first sentence, paragraph, five pages, might determine whether a reader keeps going. As an editor, I’m often generus enough to read through chapter 3. When editing a book its possible that the real story starts there and I’ll need to tell the author to revise and delete the first two chapters. When I started out writing, I had to do this myself when I realized my error and a kind mentor pointed it out to me. Nothing wasted, but it would have been if it had gone to print that way.

I also read story submissions to the end. I don’t rely on the author’s synopsis. I’ve had books cross my laptop that started out strong but fell apart quickly. Huge disappointment but I’m glad I didn’t offer a contract to them. It would have meant a lot more work for me and the author because the book wasn’t ready.

Time and place are ambiguous

Who, what, where, when, and why, are not only key words for a journalist, but for an author as well. If I can’t tell if the book is historical, sci-fi, fantasy, or contemporary, right away, it is a red-flag and annoys me to no end. Where is it taking place? Is it in America, Africa, Germany, Cuba, Mars, a space-station? Is it during the civil war, WWII, the 80’s, or 2278? If the author can’t tell me that in plain words or by their description, I get incredibly frustrated.  Thankfully, that’s only crossed my desk a handful of times and they were a quick rejection but I did give them my complaint so they could do better. It’s not something I’m required to do but when it’s stuff like that and I’m irritated enough, I will, and hopefully save some other poor reader that frustration.

Main character does foolish things

Now we all do foolish things at times. Maybe I should say stupid things? These have to be pretty big or perhaps dangerous and perhaps even triggering. Not every story is for every reader but no reader wants to spend the six or more hours reading a book, yelling at the character “No!” time and time again. It gets exhausting.

Lack of change or growth in the main character

Characters should change through the story, whether it’s an emotional growth, relationship choices, spiritual, or simply gaining in wisdom that provides a benefit for themselves and others. If the character ends the story in the same state he or she started out, it will leave a bad taste in the mind of the reader.

I realize I’ve talked about some of these things over the years and this is a different, if not negative, approach to the stumbling blocks in fiction. It’s not a conclusive list by any means. But even as a reader I bet you’ll be more aware when you pick up the next book and either you’ll be cheering for the author because they got it right and you’ll enjoy the story, or you’ll find yourself as frustrated as I do when these things happen.

Reminder, I’m not perfect and I’ve made these mistakes in the past. And I might make them in the future. I hope I’ve grown enough as an author that these stumbling blocks in fiction don’t show up in my stories, and if you find them there (because this can be subjective) then I humbly apologize.

 

Author Confessions: Purge, Delete, and Simplify

Jan19
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Author Confessions: Purge, Delete, and Simplify

I was deleting a bunch of emails this morning and it hit me how cluttered life gets. Right now I live in a tiny apartment and there truly isn’t enough space for everything to have it’s own place that is easy to find and manage. I try to file my papers and receipts and keep things in order but the mess often overwhelms me.

Now part of this might just be me and my ADHD brain. But I do understand that when the clutter is cleared up, there is an emotional benefit.

When I moved 7 years ago, I sold, purged, and gave away a lot of things. When we moved this last summer I did the same. My husband joked that he liked my way of moving by selling stuff. All my bookshelves were sold. They were not strong enough to keep being moved and moved and moved without falling apart – so I sold them cheap to others who would benefit and enjoy them. Once we can occupy our home, I can try to figure out what I want for bookshelves. Maybe my husband could do a built in bookcase? He could but he has so many other projects and I wouldn’t trust myself with his saws to make it myself. I’ll probably be back on Facebook marketplace to find what I need.

I digress. As we are moving into this new year, what about things you might want to purge, delete, and simplify?

I’m going to spitball some things:

  • Less screen time
  • Less impulse shopping
  • Less negative thinking
  • Less criticism and judgement
  • Less social media posturing about politics

I know someone who years ago gave up physical books. He went to everything on his kindle. I can’t do that as much as I do love reading on my kindle, there is something about physical books…  Having said that, I might be purging, as against my wishes, boxes of books ended up in a storage hoop that eventually collapsed under heavy, wet snow. I won’t know until spring if the books were damaged by moisture. Cardboard boxes only provide so much protection, but I was assured they would be fine and my requests for them to be wrapped in plastic were forgotten. I could have moved them, but I couldn’t get at them without hurting myself, so I surrended. Our wood stove might have some extra fuel if those books are damaged, and I’ll need to re-evaluate whether I purchase those titles again in hardcover or paperback…or get kindle copies if I think I still might want them.

Getting rid of things, and thoughts, often leaves a vacuum which can easily be filled with something else. I can clean off our kitchen table but it soon becomes a dumping ground. We are unable to NOT think of something. Just thinking about not thinking of something forces you to think about it.

So perhaps instead of less screen time, pick up a book or do a hobby. Or instead of avoiding Amazon, re-evaluate your closet or shop at a thrift store if you want something “newer” in your wardrobe. I have some pieces I’m still wearing and love after many, many years that I found that way. Instead of negative thinking, how about thinking about positive things: practicing gratitude, or memorizing Scripture. Let praise and compliments flavor your speech instead of focusing on criticism. Not that we can’t speak the truth in love, but perhaps focus on positive things more. As for social media? Decide who you really want people to see there, and what they walk away with when they think of you and your posts. Granted, if that’s your job, fine, but otherwise, perhaps shine a light in the darkness instead of contributing to the mess.

I’m preaching to myself here.

As a writer we often try to get rid of redundant phrases or words that are unnecessary. The same is true in life. I’m a writer and will confess to an overabundance of writing implements and notepads. Yes, I do a majority of my writing on my laptop but I do still love pen/pencil and paper for many things. Too often not being able to find paper or pen has given me a need to have them everwhere! I’ve even got my hubby using legal pads to make lists – but he often uses a marker to write things down big on those pads as he outlines the things he doesn’t want to forget!  Even on my laptop there are far more files than need to be there and some are saved on external hard drives because I can’t seem to be bothered to erase them. The rough draft of a novel I wrote over 10 years ago doesn’t really need to be saved, does it?

How about people or relationships? I firmly believe that people are important and we need to make time to develop and foster good relationships, but not all of them are beneficial. Where do you draw the line and stop trying to connect with people that aren’t reciprocating? Or perhaps are using you? That can be difficult to do and I’m not saying be mean and cut people out of your life all together unless they are toxic, then no-contact is great. What I am saying is: be wise about who you spend your time with. Focus on those relationships where you can. When that door closes on their side, walk away knowing God has someone else to connect with that He will reveal in His due time. The waiting can be hard.

It’s not spring yet, or time for spring cleaning, but I know that when I’m done writing this post I’m taking out the garbage and loading up paper waste in my car along with some others stuff that needs to be gone from our space. Once that happens I’ll emotionally be in a better place to tackle the other things on my to do list. None of it is fun, but it is necessary.

How about you? What do you need to purge, delete, or simplify in your life? I’d love to hear your ideas!

 

Author Confessions: When Purpose Drives You

Nov17
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Author Confessions: When Purpose Drives You

I got a text from a new author who is pursuing getting a book published. It won’t be something the pubishing house I work with would go for, but it is exceptionally good. I’ve spent time with this author, encouraging her, coaching her, and helping her network to pursue getting the story that is on her heart, out to those who will benefit from it. Purpose drives her.

My husband is up early to pick up a helper that he pays to get work done at our property, fixing things, getting his soon-to-be-classic truck road-worthy, and overseeing the building of our home. Purpose drives him.

When I’m in the midst of writing a book, or focused on edits or marketing, I hate to be disturbed. When my kids were younger I once forgot to pick them up from school because I was so into the story taking shape. My sweet Middle Hobbit asked me why I was late. I said “I was writing,” almost ashamed to admit that to my grade-school son. He wisely suggested, “Maybe you should set a timer.” And after that, it is exactly what I’ve done! Purpose was driving me but it needed boundaries!

When you find a project where you lose time and are eager to get up early or work late… purpose is driving you.

I guess the question I have though is this: Is this purpose driven life for your benefit or for others?

The first woman I mentioned is called by God to write out what could be considered deeply personal and embarrassing moments in her life. While she is making it fiction for the sake of protecting others, it is very much her story. There is no way most people would do that and work hard writing, rewriting, editing, meeting people, speaking in front of groups, if God were not putting that purpose on her heart. Her book is unique in its format which would not work in traditional Christian publishing but I’ve encouraged her to write it anyway. Purpose drives her.

When God gives you a specific purpose–you need to obey.

My sweet husband, dubbed MacGyver but those who know him best, is the same way. Building a home was something we both felt God was calling to. Cleaning out a home and huge garage/shop and putting a house on the market, moving out, putting stuff in storage and living in a small apartment which is comfortable but challenging for me because of the lack of space for the things I love to do. Probably 90% of my craft/books/office are in storage. I’ve been out on the construction site myself because for both of us, purpose drives us. God called us here and we can hold tight to the vision He gives us for the life and ministry we will be able to lead from that location. Purpose drives us both.

Meeting one-on-one with authors is a sacrifice of time, energy and can involve travel. I don’t do it a lot–but when it do it is because God has given me a desire and giftedness to encourage those. His purpose drives me.

Writing, marketing, editing. I’ll admit that sometimes I try to avoid that hard work, but it can be fun as well. It involved energy and focus to write a story. To edit it requires, time, energy, and a dying to self to brutally tear apart those words, sentences, paragraphs, and chapters. I need to be obeying God’s purpose and when I am in the grove – that purpose drives me.

Doing hard things are easier when God’s purpose drives me.

I am an introvert but when God calls me to step out of my comfort zone, I try to obey. It becomes an intentional purpose. I’ll confess I cannot do that without Him at work in me. He’s opened up the doors to meet people and connect with them in my new neighborhood. With challenges we’ve faced between the house and even just getting new checks to our new address, the staff at my bank has become quite familiar with me. None of it is their fault so when I go in and proclaim “Your problem child is back!” They laugh because I have tried hard to be someone who brings more than checks to deposit or problems to solve. I hope to bring joy and encouragement and leave them feeling better than before I walked in because I want to show them Jesus. Only Jesus could enable me to do that. Only Jesus could provide the opportunities to connect with 10 people, so far, in our apartment complex (only four addresses live in our hallway). I’ll confess, my attention seeking puppy, Oliver, helps with all that! Who can resist his cute face? So far no one!

The question I have for you is what is the purpose God has placed on your heart? What are you doing to pursue that?

 

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! 

Writer Wednesday: Kendra Broekhuis

Nov5
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Writer Wednesday: Kendra Broekhuis

I’m happy to welcome author Kendra Brockhuis to my blog to discuss her writing journey.

When did you decide you would be an author? Was it something you fell into, felt called to…?

My husband and I got married and one month later moved to Guatemala to teach at an English immersion school. I realized the “cool” thing to do when one moves overseas is to start a blog, so I did. This is where my deep love for writing began. While in Guatemala, writing became much more than a way to keep in touch. It was also a way for me to process whatever was happening in my life, including our move overseas, my passage into motherhood, and my grief. I wrote Christian nonfiction articles and social media for about a decade before pivoting to fiction in 2020.

What’s your pet peeve?

I asked my husband for help on this question and he said: “You don’t love clutter.” He’s right. It’s not about having a perfectly clean house—though I do enjoy the two seconds after I’ve cleaned my house that it stays clean—it’s more about holding onto things our family doesn’t use that take up space in our home and make me feel sensory overload.

What was your most embarrassing moment as a writer?

I once visited a book club who’d just read and discussed my book. A few days later, one of the women from that book club posted a review online saying how much she didn’t like it. Readers are very much entitled to their opinions on what they enjoy, but it was slightly embarrassing to rub elbows in the intimate space of a living room with someone who goes on to publicly bash your work.

What has been your most difficult challenge as an author?

See above answer. I love getting to create. I love getting to work with a publishing house of people dedicated to helping me write the stories I want to write! The hard part is learning to be okay with my work not being everyone’s cup of tea. It’s all too easy to focus on the negative, even when you have encouragement coming from people who both enjoy and invest a lot in your work.

How do you process rejections and/or negative reviews?

Rejections are hard because in the writing world, they often come after 6-8 weeks of waiting and checking your phone for email notifications an unhealthy amount of times. Negative reviews are hard, and I’ll stop jabbering about why. Here’s a random list of a few things that help me:

  • Giving myself a day to feel hurt by those things, then opening my computer and getting back to the work that I love.
  • Buffering myself from reviews in general. Author Camille Pagán shared the idea of having someone you trust read your reviews and give you the basics. My husband has done this for me recently.
  • Being around people who “get” the difficulties of writing books—they remind me I’m not alone.
  • Being around people who know nothing about writing books—they remind me there’s a great big world out there I am not the center of, and there’s more to life than this work.
  • Clarifying my motivations and mindset. I am playing the long game in writing and publishing. This requires an attitude of accepting feedback and realizing how much I still have to learn. Also, I’m creating stories for the joy of creating stories. The work is the reward. The most joy I experience as an author is not even reading a positive review, but those precious days of getting to stare at the Word document of my current Work In Progress.

What do you feel is the best success so far in your writing career?

I’m constantly having to redefine success, and maybe that’s a success in itself? Here are a few things that make me feel successful as an author: Being adaptive to the publishing world in order to keep writing. Putting in the time to finish writing an entire novel. Getting to connect with other people—both authors and readers—who love the joy of books.

Creativity and connection—those are things I celebrate as a success!

What is your current work in process?

My next novel is a quirky dramedy called The Housewarming. It’s about a family who moves into a strict HOA neighborhood and, on their first night there, the house next door burns down, sending the block into juicy, what-just-happened spiral of drama.

Bio: Kendra Broekhuis writes stories on life’s heavy stuff with a dose of humor and a lot of love. She is the author of the novels Nearly Beloved and Between You and Us, as well as the nonfiction book Here Goes Nothing: An Introvert’s Reckless Attempt to Love Her Neighbor. For her day job, she stays home with her four kids and drives them from one place to another in her minivan. She and her family live in Milwaukee.

Website: http://www.kendrabroekhuis.com

Newsletter: http://www.kendrabroekhuis.com/newsletter

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kendrabroekhuisauthor

Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kendra-Broekhuis/author/B06W5CRG3K?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=45a40d7e-7426-4551-872e-11065655c2fc

Latest book release: Nearly Beloved with WaterBrook.

Author Confessions: A Firm Foundation (Part III)

Nov3
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Author Confessions: A Firm Foundation (Part III)

Now that I’ve written about the solid need of a firm foundation for life and faith, I figured I should apply this to the craft of writing because it does have application here as well, and it’s good for readers and writers to understand this. You can read the previous two posts here and here. 

There are basic principles of writing that need to be adhered to, unfortuntately for an author, those sometimes change over time when it comes to grammar and style. I will still have people argue with me over not having two spaces between a period and the start of the next sentence but that changed a long time ago and I still sometimes unintentionally add that extra space out of habit.

Any writer needs to understand core principles of story telling, that is true, and they can vary depending on whether you are writing for the secular or Christian market. You can still have a perfectly written book that will not get contracted if the content is not saleable, redundant, offensive, or in the Christian market: theologically in error.

There is a wide variety of faiths out there though so how does an author navigate that? For instance, I had an author who approached me about a story where the female protagonist was a pastor. I told her that personally I had an issue with that and that so would my publisher. I’m not putting down female pastors by any means, but my understanding of Scripture makes that a hard thing to swallow. We brought in a literary agent to discuss the concept and he agreed that for the purpose of selling a novel, there were some markets that would not promote a book like that due to the theological differences between denomoniations. She would not want me as her editor if I had an issue with that.

That was also the reason I wouldn’t write Amish romances when my agent asked me to. “They sell!” She insisted. I told her that while I understood the popularity of Amish inspirational romances, I had a difficult time theologically with some of the Amish which can seem cultish to me. Now that I’ve learned how horrible they are with dogs in their puppy mills, the only way I’d write one would be as one exposing that kind of thing, not romanticizing that religion. I have two traumatized puppies who were going to be killed by the Amish: one didn’t produce enough pupplies and the other one they couldn’t sell. Both are sweet loving dogs who have enriched our lives and challenged us as we have navigated helping them heal from the abuses they endured.

So how does a writer navigate the wide range of denomoniations when writing a faith-based story?

  • Avoid naming any specific denomination.
  • Stay away from denominational practices that are not salvation related and potentially divisive (infant baptism, speaking in tongues to name a few).
  • Focus on the individual faith journey of the main characters sticking close to Scripture when possible even if you never cite a Bible verse.
  • Avoid promoting or glorifying any sinful behavior: drinking, murder, sex outside of marriage, swearing, drug use. That doesn’t mean those can’t be elements of a story or journey to Christ, but they cannot be viewed as desirable.

I need to also mention that authors themselves need to try to live a life that would glorify God. People are watching us and while many of the readers of my books may have never met me face to face, there are those who have, and I might meet some and have no idea that they have read my books and will be making sure I’m trying to live out the faith I write about, even if my characters are not real-life people.

There are authors who have gone astray and when it has become public, usually a more well-known person, their books have been pulled by their publisher and distributers. Not that this hasn’t happend in the Christian music industry as well.

This all goes back to my the original post where we need to be connected to other people lest we become a stumbling block, or an irritant to others. We live our lives best (and write best) when we engage in community.

It is also wise for readers to be evaluating the writing they are injesting. There are several non-fiction authors I will not read because of errors in their theology. Sure, they made lots of money and gained fame through their work, but that doesn’t mean they were theologically correct. I may not always get it right either so I’m not casting stones. We are all held accountable for how we handle the gospel that has been entrusted to us, whether we ever write a book or not. So be wise in all things and make sure you stand on the firm foundation of God’s Word in all you do.

I’ll keeping seeking to do that as well.

Author Confessions: It’s The Little Things, Part I

Aug18
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Author Confessions: It’s The Little Things Part I

My husband and I watch movies together and my husband delights in finding things that are wrong in a movie. Like fully leafed out green leaves covered in fake snow to illustrate a winter, Christmas season.

Tiny details can matter when writing a story and for an author it can be a challenge to keep track of them.

For instance, in my novel, Whitney’s Vow, she wore glasses, or contacts. Throughout the story I had to remember whether she had her glasses or was wearing contacts. She would take out the contacts if she had migrains which she suffered from. Throughout the story I needed to keep in mind what she could or could not see based on whether she was wearing contacts or glasses. This can be exhausting! Some authors keep a style sheet with information about each character. Sometimes I do character interviews before writing. That’s how I discovered that Katrina had a scar on her hand from a fall after climbing a tree. (Sir Michael’s Mayhem). It was funny how important that scar, and that tree, became to the story.

When an author embues a character with a quirk, whether it is clothing, a speech pattern, physical infrirmity, the author needs to keep that in mind. Or if they are injured in some way, like when Pastor Dan in Bratwurst and Bridges broke his leg skiing, that had to be top of mind when he was navigating through events in the story.

Details, even tiny ones, can be essential. Especially in a mystery. A stray piece of hair. A bit of skin under a fingernail. A small piece of glass. Even before DNA it is sometimes small clues that could link someone to a crime.

If you’ve read enough of this blog, you’ll note that there are a myriad of details that an author must pay attention to, but even so, it is sometimes the smallest of things that can make a difference in a story.

Are there any unusual or interesting details you’ve noticed in books you’ve read lately? Perhaps innocuous but still essential to the story or characters the authors penned? I’d love to hear about them.