A Writerly Interview with Melissa Tagg

Today I am delighted to introduce y'all to one of my favorite writer people, Melissa Tagg. Melissa has this infectious joy that simply makes her a delight to be around. She is bright, incredibly gifted as a writer, and has this heart that is after God. I love her! Can't you just see the joy in her smile? Anyway...She has a new book, Keep Holding On, releasing this month, and here's a link to the first chapter. I asked Melissa if she would join us for a quick Q&A. She graciously agreed. So without further ado, here's Melissa.
 

We're going to start with an easy question: what's your favorite writer fuel? 

 Okay, this is going to sound terribly cliché but it’s the truth: coffee. Actually, beverages in general. I like to have a glass of water and a cup of coffee and then when I get stuck, I trade in the coffee for a Diet Coke with Lime. I’ve been trying to be more diligent about drinking water lately, though, so I generally don’t allow myself a second jolt of caffeine until I’ve finished off a couple glasses of water.

You're so healthy! What's the one thing you wish you had learned early in your writing career? 

That I am not a girl who handles deadlines very well. LOL! But seriously…when I suddenly went from writer to contracted writer, this writing gig took on a whole new flavor. And because I have a full-time day job that’s also very much a calling for me, dealing with deadlines got…not so fun. But honestly, I think it’s good to learn these things about ourselves. Because once I realized why I was struggling so much, I was able to make some decisions to help smooth out what had become a very wrinkled and exhausting schedule. I had to take some risks to change things up, but I feel like a different person now than I did earlier on—i.e. I’m healthier and happier and don’t come into work looking like a zombie anymore. And frankly, I think my writing is better for it.

Also, I wish I’d learned earlier that it’s okay to do things differently than other authors. I think I spent a lot of time trying to perfectly shadow others, write and market and just be exactly like them. And in doing so, I was pushing against the kind of writer and woman God wants me to be.

That not copying others is hard! What's your favorite book of all time? Other than the Bible. 

Oh man, that is SO hard to answer. I don’t know if I can truly pick just one, but one of the books I have read over and over and over from childhood to adulthood is Christy by Catherine Marshall. In fact, it’s been a couple years, so I’m pretty sure I’m due for a reread.

Now for some writing book related questions. Do you have a favorite writing book? What is it? Do you have a fight favorite writing tool? What is that? 

My favorite writing book is any craft book by Susan May Warren. She has this awesome way of teaching that just works…doesn’t matter whether you’re a plotter or pantser or smack in between like me, you can incorporate her teaching and truly grow in the craft. I also love every writing book I’ve read by James Scott Bell, including Plot & Structure and WriteYour Novel from the Middle.

As for my favorite writing tool, it’s an app called Freedom that turns off your Internet for however long you specify. It’s such a great tool to help me focus. (Although, sometimes I just go super hard core and turn off my wi-fi completely and hide my phone in my garage or walk-in.

What surprised you most while writing Keep Holding On?

This shouldn’t have surprised me because it legit happens with every. single. book. And yet, somehow it’s still a surprise every time…and that’s the moment when I realize exactly why God has me writing this story at this time. It’s usually because he’s working on something in my heart. I know, I know, the appropriate author sentiment to express is that we write to uplift and inspire readers…which, of course, I do. But truly, deep down…I write because that’s how God communicates with me. He just does.

Somehow, in journeying with my characters, He whispers (or sometimes shouts) exactly what my heart needs to hear and what my mind needs to process. And in the case of this latest book, that thing I needed to hear and chew on and really truly grasp is that God keeps holding on. I don’t know about you, but I have seasons where my passion dries up…my faith gets all dry and dusty. And then I feel guilty. And then that ugly mix of apathy and guilt just sorta builds a wall between me and any kind of intimacy with God. And yet…God keeps holding on.

Even when I’m on the brink of letting go, he’s still there holding on. That is a life-giving, soul-quenching truth and something I’ve very much needed to spend some time dwelling on. Funny thing is, I had no idea that’d end up being such a personal journey for me back when I titled the book Keep Holding On.

What's your favorite Needtobreathe song? Just had to throw that one in there for fun.

Oh my goodness, this is almost even harder to answer than the favorite book question. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!! People think I’m joking when I say I want to just quit everything and become a roadie and follow them around the country…but I’m about 75% serious. If I HAD to pick a favorite song, it’d probably be Wasteland. I first heard it during a hard season in my life and I felt like it’d been written just for me.

What's your favorite kind of coffee or writing beverage? 

Coffee-wise, I love hazelnut coffee. I drink it straight black. Oh, and a good Americano makes my heart soar. As I mentioned above, I also love Diet Coke with Lime.

At what point in the book did you hate it? And at what point in Keep Holding On did you go oh my gosh I really can write? I know when I'm writing I usually have one or the other if not both...in the same weekend.

You know what’s crazy? This is probably the first book I’ve written where I didn’t actually have a moment of hating it. Some big things changed in my life while writing this book that removed a lot of previous stress, so I’m sure that’s part of it. That said, I ALWAYS struggle with two specific chapters in every book (I won’t say which two ‘cause I don’t want anyone to read them and go, “Yep, I can see why she doesn’t like these ones). And that was definitely still the case this time around. I wrote and rewrote those chapters and they still don’t feel entirely right to me. But there comes a point when you have to just say, “Okay, whatevs. It’s done.” LOL!

As for a moment when I thought, “Oh my gosh, I really can write”… that actually happened while writing the very first scene, which is super unusual for me. But I just love the first scene of this book! It’s the first time I haven’t drastically changed my opening from first draft to final draft. What you’ll see on the page now is very close to exactly what was on the page when I first drafted it. And I feel good about it. Which is nice.

Thanks so much for joining us, Melissa. Folks, I love her books. She writes such fun contemporary romance, you really need to try them if you haven't. You can find all her books listed on her webpage or anywhere books are sold.

____________________

Cara Putman

An award-winning author of more than twenty books, Cara is a lecturer on business and employment law to graduate students at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Putman also practices law and is a second-generation homeschooling mom. She lives with her husband and four children in Indiana.

'Tis the Season -- Holiday Books at their Finest!

I never really noticed a lot of "Christmas" books in past years. I've seen them before, yes, but this year, everywhere I turn there seems to be a Christmas book coming out!

It MIGHT be because my OWN first Christmas book means I'm paying more attention, but that's only a wild theory :-)

I thought I'd highlight some of the ones I'm seeing that look REALLY good and are definitely on my to-do list.

 

 

 

   

(uh, those last two were a little self-serving...I know!)

WRITING a holiday themed book was interesting. I had to get in the "Christmas" spirit in July, which was kinda funny since the hook of my book revolves around the heroine celebrating Christmas 365 days a year! It was, for me, a bit easier too, because part of the "theme" of the is pre-decided -- It's CHRISTMAS!

So what about you? Have you ever thought of writing a holiday themed book? Do you enjoy READING holiday themed books? Have your read any of the above books yet?? Any other christmas-themes novels/novellas you'd recommend?!?

I dunno, I'm just in the mood to chat CHRISTMAS today, so fa-la-la-la-la and ho-ho-ho!! 

*************************************************

Krista is a follower of Jesus, a wife, a mother, and author of Sandwich, With a Side of Romance, A Side of Faith and A Side of Hope. AND nnow the author of A (kinda) Country Christmas! She blogs about finding JOY in the journey of LIFE at http://www.kristaphillips.com. She is represented by Sarah Freese of Wordserve Literary.

Conflict Vs. Tension - A Guest Post by Melissa Tagg!

Friends, I am SO excited to be hosting the fabulous Melissa Tagg on the Alley today! She is a dear friend of mine and such a talented writer. If you haven't already read her new book, From the Start, be sure to pick up a copy... I know you'll love her writing as much as you'll love her! -- Ashley

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Hi, guys! It’s so fun to be back at the Writer’s Alley. Thanks bunches for having me.

So, recently a couple writer friends played superhero to my damsel in writing-distress. I’m in the final stretch of rewrites before my late-June deadline. And for weeks, I’ve had this pit in my stomach that something was wrong with my story. I thought it was just the meet-cute—you know, that point where the hero and heroine meet. It wasn’t, well, cute enough, I guess.

So I sent out a SOS to some of the coolest writers I know and had the immense blessing of spending some valuable Google Hangout time with Rachel Hauck and Beth Vogt. They asked all the right questions…got me to the point of admitting the problem with my story wasn’t just the meet-cute but, ahem, kinda the whole story. And by then end of the Hangout, I’d decided to remove one rather massive thread from my story.

I’m hopeful my editor has fully recovered from the shock of the news…but perhaps only time will tell. J (Actually, honestly, both my editors were hugely gracious about my “plot schizophrenia” and even helped me dig to make sure all the story pieces are in place as I make the change. So it’s all good. And I’ll still make the deadline!)

But I bring up all this as a looong way of introducing what I’d like to talk about in this post: Conflict vs. Tension

If you’d asked me a few years ago to describe conflict or tension in a story, I might’ve given the same definition for both. They feel similar on a surface level.

But they’re actually two very different things. At least in my head. I’ve come to define them this way:

Conflict: The stuff that happens in the story. The obstacles. The disappointments. The problems.

Tension: The taut feelings that happen in the story. The push and pull, the strain, that sense of being torn.

In the original version of the story I’m currently working on, I made the mistake—as I think we novelists often do—of thinking my hero needed more conflict. More to do. More in his way. Because the story felt a little too light. So I threw an extra story thread at him.

And it backfired. You know why? Because in filling the pages with one more conflict, I robbed myself of space for tension. Internal tension. Romantic tension. Spiritual tension.

In removing that thread and replacing it with something a little more logical and a little less complicated, I’m giving my guy—Logan Walker is his name and I love him!—more time on the page to develop and deepen as a character.

Don’t get me wrong. We NEED conflict in our books. We need obstacles and challenges and disappointments. We need to throw crappy stuff at our characters and see how they deal with it all.

But the best stories aren’t just rife with outward conflict…they’re hefty with a depth that comes from internal tension. The tension that forms from a fear of failure. Or a romance that can’t possibly work. Or the push and pull of conflicting values or goals. Tension is a little harder to pinpoint, it takes a little more finesse to craft…but when it’s there, it’s THERE.

I think of conflict as something that widens a story…and tension as the thing that deepens the story. And I think the best story tension grows where a character’s greatest dream collides with his greatest fear.

And here’s where I take a turn for the spiritual. I think sometimes I approach my life as a series of goals to meet and conflicts to work through and chapters to complete and story threads to add. I let life get wide—possibly wider than it should be—and my faith becomes like a subplot that hobbles along, not fully developed, trying to exist alongside everything else…  

And what I really want? What I really crave? A life that’s deep. A life where I’ve got space to develop into the person I want to be…instead of a character who just hurries from one chapter to the next, juggling too many story threads.

I want to recognize the threads that aren’t working and take the time to get untangled.

I want to find that tension-filled place where my dreams and fears meet up…and see what God will do when I let him deepen the story of my life.

Melissa Tagg is a former reporter, current nonprofit grant writer and total Iowa girl. She writes romantic comedy for Bethany House, and is also the marketing/events coordinator for My Book Therapy, a craft and coaching community for writers. When she’s not writing, she can be found hanging out with the coolest family ever, watching old movies, and daydreaming about her next book. Her latest book is From the Start, the first in her new Walker family series. Check out the FREE enovella prequel, Three Little Words. Connect with Melissa at www.melissatagg.com, Facebook, Twitter (@Melissa_Tagg) or Instagram (melissatagg).

Freebie Friday!

Check out these freebies by some amazing authors!

Welcome to Last Chance by Cathleen Armstrong

 

She's learned you can't count on anyone--but she didn't count on landing in Last Chance.

The red warning light on her car dashboard may have driven Lainie Davis to seek help in the tiny town of Last Chance, New Mexico, but as she meets the people who make this one-horse town their home, it's her heart that is flashing bright red warning lights. These people are entirely too nice, too accommodating, and too interested in her personal life--especially since she's on the run and hoping to slip away unnoticed.

Yet in spite of herself, Lainie is increasingly drawn into the small-town dramas and to a handsome local guy with a secret of his own. Could Lainie actually make a life in this little town? Or will the past catch up to her even here in the middle of nowhere?

Click to link to freebie download

 

Shattered Rose by Tammy L. Gray

“For any girl who has struggled to love herself.” –Tammy L. Gray

Avery Nichols knows how to wear the mask. Perfect student, perfect daughter and perfect friend. Nobody would ever guess that inside Avery is a prisoner to her own self loathing.

Then she meets him…and everything changes.

Handsome, charming and self assured, Jake Matthews sweeps Avery off her feet in an effortless fashion. Avery knows that Jake is everything she needs and all she has ever wanted.

She would destroy herself to be loved by him…until he walks away.

Broken and lost, Avery meets Parker. His genuine, caring nature reaches past the mask and the shattered pieces of her heart slowly begin to heal. But just when Avery starts to feel whole again, she faces the impossible truth.

Jake never really left.

Click for link to freebie download

 

 

With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin

They know everything about each other--except their real names.

Lt. Mellie Blake is looking forward to beginning her training as a flight nurse. She is not looking forward to writing a letter to a man she's never met--even if it is anonymous and part of a morale-building program. Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer stationed in North Africa, welcomes the idea of an anonymous correspondence--he's been trying to escape his infamous name for years.

As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other's true identity. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face-to-face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage by their pasts?

Combining a flair for romance with excellent research and attention to detail, Sarah Sundin vividly brings to life the perilous challenges of WWII aviation, nursing--and true love.

Link to freebie download

Three Little Words by Melissa Tagg

Ava Kingsley and Seth Walker might be the most unlikely friends ever. The only thing these two polar opposites have in common is a knack for wordsmithing. Back in college, they were known for their written sparring in the campus newspaper's popular "He Says/She Says" column.

At their ten-year college reunion, they pick up right where they left off. Except this time their squabbling leads to a surprising turn: friendship and a year-long exchange of emails. So when Ava approaches a crossroads in her athletics department career in Minnesota, Seth is quick to offer the open apartment above the restaurant he's been remodeling in Maple Valley, Iowa.

Ava doesn't know where her career will lead her next, but she's starting to suspect she might see Seth as more than a pen pal. Which would be exciting...except for the fact that he only sees her as a friend.

As Maple Valley grows on her, Ava wonders if there might be something here for her even though Seth is unavailable. And maybe, just maybe, after all the words the two of them have exchanged over the years, they'll finally be able to say the three that matter most.

Link to freebie download

 All for Anna by Nicole Deese 

 

 

If guilt is a prison; Victoria Sales has given herself a life sentence.
Held captive by regret, 23 year-old trauma RN, Tori Sales, has seen the reality of many nightmares. But there is one nightmare she will never wake from—her last memory of Anna.

Her efforts to save the little girl were not enough; she was not enough.
After a year of living alone, Tori is forced to return home—a place where heartache, loss, and broken relationships lurk around every corner. Isolation is her only solace; running is her only escape. But she cannot outrun the truth forever.

When a handsome, compassionate stranger enters her world, Tori is inspired to deal with her past and focus on the future—one she never believed possible. But before her quest for closure is complete, a new revelation surfaces, tainting her world yet again.

Link to freebie download

 

 

 

The Unveiling by Tamara Leigh

 

12th century England: Two men vie for the throne: King Stephen the usurper and young Duke Henry the rightful heir. Amid civil and private wars, alliances are forged, loyalties are betrayed, families are divided, and marriages are made.

For four years, Lady Annyn Bretanne has trained at arms with one end in mind—to avenge her brother’s murder as God has not deemed it worthy to do. Disguised as a squire, she sets off to exact revenge on a man known only by his surname, Wulfrith. But when she holds his fate in her hands, her will wavers and her heart whispers that her enemy may not be an enemy after all.

Baron Wulfrith, renowned trainer of knights, allows no women within his walls for the distraction they breed. What he never expects is that the impetuous young man sent to train under him is a woman who seeks his death—nor that her unveiling will test his faith and distract the warrior from his purpose.

 Link to Freebie

 

 

Eyes Wide Open by Ted Dekker

Who am I? 

My name is Christy Snow. I'm seventeen and I'm about to die. 

I'm buried in a coffin under tons of concrete. No one knows where I am. My heart sounds like a monster with clobber feet, running straight toward me. I'm lying on my back, soaked with sweat from the hair on my head to the soles of my feet. My hands and feet won't stop shaking.

Some will say that I m not really here. Some will say I'm delusional. Some will say that I don t even exist. But who are they? I'm the one buried in a grave. 

My name is Christy Snow. I'm seventeen. I'm about to die. 

So who are you? 

In a return to the kind of storytelling that made Black, Showdown and Three unforgettable, Ted Dekker drags that question into the light with this modern day parable about how we see ourselves. 

Humming with intensity and blindsided twists, Eyes Wide Open is raw adrenaline from the first page to the last pure escapism packed with inescapable truth. Not all is as it seems. Or is it? Strap yourself in for the ride of your life. Literally. (Young Adult)

 Link to freebie

Jenna's Cowboy by Sharon Gillenwater

 

Can you ever get a second chance at your first love?

Jenna Callahan Colby thought she was content. A partner on her father's successful ranch, she is surrounded by family and friends. But she never expected to see Nate Langley back in town--the first guy she ever noticed, the one her father sent away all those years ago.

And she never thought the attraction they felt would be as strong as ever.

Jenna's cowboy has some healing of his own to do, though, after two tours of duty in the armed forces. With the help of good friends, strong faith, and a loving family, he hopes to put the horrors of the past behind him--and become the man Jenna deserves.

 Link to freebie

Necessary Proof by Camy Tang

 

After opening his heart to Jesus in prison, Alex Villa has left his criminal past behind him. However, his efforts to take down a gang producing meth in Sonoma have made him a target. Set up to look like he's being bribed by the gang, the police blame him for the death of a cop. Only the evidence on an encrypted laptop can prove he's innocent.

Software engineer Jane Lawton has been betrayed by the men closest to her, including a God she thought would protect her. She won't let Alex down, because she knows what it feels like to be disbelieved and abandoned.


However, the men after them have orders to repossess the evidence and make sure Jane and Alex take their knowledge to the grave. Can they prove Alex's innocence before time runs out for them both?

 

Link to freebie

 

Happy Friday! Feel free to share any freebies that I've missed! Read on.

What's Up the Street Next Week?

Spring is right around the corner. Are you ready?
I've heard of some nice spring books coming our way or ones that I've just arrived. In fact, I just received Siri Mitchell's newest, Love Comes Calling. ADORABLE cover!
And Melody Carlson's, Dating, Dining, and Desperation. 
Or what about A Heart's Rebellion by Ruth Axtell.
Oh boy! What fun!
Do you have any books your looking forward to reading this month?

Speaking of wonderful books! Our winner of 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life ebook is the fabulous Melissa Tagg. Congrats, Melissa!!

What's happening at The Alley this week?

Pepper's feeling a bit of blog post envy from Amy's fun Friday post on Puckering Up. So on Monday stop by the Alley to share your 'first meeting' posts. What makes a powerful initial romantic meeting?

Tuesday - Sherrinda is interviewing Caryl McAdoo about her upcoming release, Vow Unbroken. Stop by and comment for your chance to win a copy of her book.

Wednesday - Mary's getting us contest ready with a post called Why Bother Sending Thank You Notes.

Thursday - Krista's joining us for her usual fun-filled and thoughtful posts.

Friday - Linnette Mullin is our guest.

THANKSGIVING--- Author Style!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING from The Writer's Alley!

What are AUTHOR'S thankful for this year?

I set out on a quest to find out just that-- and here is what I got!

Jody Hedlund, author of Rebellious Heart

"I'm thankful for a bottomless pot of coffee, a laptop that didn't die this year, and for fun-sized candy bars that fuel my creativity."

Tamara Leigh, author of The Unveiling (Age of Faith)

"I am ever so thankful for the ability to self-publish books for which my publishers did not believe there was a market--and, of course, the readers who are proving there is."

Kristin Billerbeck, author of A Billion Reasons Why

"I'm thankful that I've got my writing mind back. It was such a stressful couple of years that I really wasn't able to have much creativity. I'm so grateful those dark years are past and that I feel the hope of future books in my system."

Lisa Bergren, author of Glittering Promises: A Novel (Grand Tour Series)

"I'm grateful for the chance to slow down a bit. I was edging close to burn-out! Rest is a good thing for the creative cycle."

Becky Wade, author of Undeniably Yours

"I'm so thankful for Dani Pettrey, my author friend and prayer partner. For two years she's prayed over my writing (and occasionally my family and my health) every single week. We've helped each other keep perspective on this sometimes thrilling sometimes discouraging work we've been called to do."

Patrick Carr, author of The Hero's Lot (The Staff and the Sword) 

"I'm thankful for finding out it's not just my immediate family who likes what I write."

Keli Gwyn, author of A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California

"I'm thankful for the opportunities I've had to encourage new writers this year."

Liz Johnson, author of SEAL Under Siege (Love Inspired Suspense)

This year I'm especially thankful for a critique partner who doesn't take it easy on me. Sometimes her red marks feel like a chainsaw, but then I realize they're more like sandpaper, polishing the rough edges I left on my manuscript. Every time I turn in a story after she's worked on it, I know I'm turning in a better project. Thanks, Michelle! "
 

Carla Laureano, author of Five Days in Skye: A Novel

"I'm thankful for the writing friends with whom I've shared the joys, tears, and glorious insanity of this publishing business. Without them, I wouldn't have made it this far!"

Melissa Tagg, author of Made to Last

"What I'm thankful for...oh wow, I could talk (write?) your ears off about that, but in a valiant act of brevity I'll simply say I'm SO thankful for all the people who made my very first book release so special. Family, friends, mentors, my awesome agent and fabulous editor...everyone! I love 'em all."