Spring into Reading with These April Releases

April doesn't only bring showers, but also some great story-adventures! Great stories and great storytellers are blooming, so check out our list of a few April releases!

 






Kathryn Cushman















The amazing Kristy Cambron

Another beautiful story by Katie Ganshert

Deeanne Gist

Dee Henderson

a debut novel by A.J. Cattapan







And there are SO MANY MORE!! To discover which new releases are com

Writing a Meet-Cute - hints from the best :-)

Happy New Year everyone.


It’s the time of new beginnings. New resolutions. Maybe some ‘firsts’ for you...or your writing ;-) That's why we're going to talk about 'first meetings' today.

One of the best moments in a novel or a movie is the first time a couple meets. In romance it’s called the ‘meet cute’. It’s a hallmark of romantic comedies and romance novels – so who better to teach us about it than the romance authors themselves?

Let’s get to it!

Jamie Carie is known for her fast-paced historical novels such as The Duchess and the Dragon or Pirate of My Heart. What does she say makes a great meet cute in novels?

For me, I love it when the hero and/or heroine is slammed with the impact of the other person. This could be an instant attraction or something deeper, like that feeling that they’ve just met their other half. In Love’s First Light, Christophé feels a mysterious, almost supernatural connection with Scarlett which leaves his already delicate emotional balance teetering on the edge of rational behavior ( i.e. he becomes somewhat of a bumbling, mad scientist in her presence). Here’s an excerpt of their first encounter.



He saw her and stopped. She was crouched low, her head down, her shoulders curled within her, stiff and unmoving. He couldn’t help but stare at her long, unbound hair. It was dark but alive with color, the pink glow of a morning’s glory reflecting in each strand.

Gold and amber and bronze and the color of glowing coals. Bright, white light. He saw the prism in his laboratory. Blinked and saw the split of white into the colors of the rainbow. Saw them reflected on his old castle’s walls. Brilliant but cold. So brilliant.

So cold.

He wanted to tell her of it. His chest heaved with the effort not to blurt it out.

She stood suddenly and whirled around—long, dark cape and glorious hair, flowers still clutched in her hand. Christophé’s gaze dropped from her frightened face to her rounded stomach and then the gravestone that glared chalk-white in the mist behind her.

“Color,” he thought as he stood transfixed. No, not a thought.

Heaven help him, he had said it aloud.

Mary Connealy is the queen of explosive first encounters. Let’s see what she says about them:

Pepper, What I like in a first meeting. One moment of attraction or connection or appreciation between them, even if it’s just a split second, then it alllllllllllll goes bad.


In this scene, thought I’ve sent it to you as the first meeting, they had one other ‘moment’ when Alex saved her life–but he did it to save his own life–or at least that’s the unflattering spin a very stressed out Beth puts on his help. He woke up, pulled a runaway stage to a stop when she didn’t have the strength to do it alone, then crawled off to be alone without saying a word.

Then she dived in to help the wounded.


She needs help. He’s not offering. That leads to this scene, their first real exchange.

 Doing her very best to set his skin on fire with her eyes, she leaned down, hoping to find a balance where she could rage at him without Mrs. Armitage hearing her. The poor woman had been through enough.

“You get up off the ground and help us, you worthless skunk.”

And wasn’t skunk just exactly the right word for the filthy pig?

“Get away from me.” The wormy, skunky pig’s eyes flashed like he had rabies.

Gritting her teeth so she could look fierce and still breathe through her mouth, she leaned closer. “You stand up right now.”

She hissed at him like a rattle snake, so she had a few animal attributes of her own. “I need help. I don’t care how hung over you are, how lazy you are or how stupid you are. Right now I need some muscle, and I know you’ve got it. Get on your feet and get over there and help us, or so help me I will rip your arm off and beat you to death with the bloody stump.”

The man’s eyes seemed to clear. Maybe she’d pierced the alcoholic fog. “I’m not drunk.”

Interesting that he hadn’t protested being called stupid or worthless or a skunk. . . what else had she called him? She’d lost track of her insults somewhere along the line.

“Oh, puh-leeze, you expect me to believe you’re this worthless without the help of whiskey?”

LOL. Oh my, I love Mary Connealy humor! And books! If you’ve never read one – GET THEE TO A BOOKSTORE NOW!!!

Speaking of great authors, Deeanne Gist has this to say about writing first encounters:

A slow, slow build. I want the reader to feel exactly what the heroine is feeling. That means I need to engage her emotions one baby-step at a time. If I do my job, then the tension building between the hero and heroine will ultimately extract a visceral response from my reader.

And the Maid to Match sample Dee provided??

“Mr. Sterling? Is everything—” A young maid stepped to the door. “Earl! What’s the matter with you?”


Black hair peeked out from beneath her small white cap. The eastern sun had reduced her pupils to dots, leaving eyes so blue they appeared almost lavender. Rushing out the door, she jumped between them, squaring off with Mack. “Stop it! Stop it right this minute.”


Releasing the man’s collar, Mack took a step back. Did she actually believe he was frightened of her? He felt a smile tug at his lips. “I’m not Earl, miss. I’m his brother, Mack.”


The disapproval she’d shown before was nothing compared to the horror that filled her eyes now. She pressed a hand against her stiffly starched apron. “Oh, no. You’re the brother?”


He nodded.


“And you came to the front door? What possessed you to come to the front door?”

“I was just looking.”


Rolling her eyes, she turned to the butler. “He’s a mountain man. He was engaged in fisticuffs when Mrs. Vanderbilt first saw him. I’ll take him round back myself and make sure he doesn’t get into any more trouble.”


Mack tucked his shirt into his trousers. “I can fight my own fights. You needn’t do it for me.”


She seared him with her gaze. “Do not say another word.”


He bristled and opened his mouth to argue.


She lifted her index finger. “Not. Another. Word.” With her finger still in the air, she turned back to the butler. “May I take him round back, sir?”


Tugging the hem of his jacket, Sterling tightened his lips. “Go ahead. I’ll talk with the housekeeper and tell you what we decide to do with him.”


Mack took a step forward.


The maid steepled one hand on his chest. With the other, she pointed toward the gate. “That way, Mr. Danver. The servants’ entrance is that way.”

YOUR TURN!
Care to share a meet cute from one of your novels? First encounters of the best kind?
Bring them on and let us see from your characters' eyes.
What do you like best about first encounters? Familiar friends or strangers, the meeting can be electrifying.
And remember - meet cutes do not always have to be 'cute'. Jane Eyre and Rochester? GREAT first encounter.
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Taking the story elements of her Blue Ridge Mountains’ heritage, Pepper  Basham writes a variety of fiction seasoned with grace and humor. From contemporary romance to fantasy or historical, Pepper likes to dip her creative interests in them all. She’s a pastor’s wife, mom of five, and university instructor. She can be found causing mischief at her group blog, The Writers Alley, or at www.pepperbasham.wordpress.com

Castle Lessons: Irresistible

Sherrinda and I were watching Castle together on Monday night. Me in Tennessee, she in Texas. The together part was via Twitter.

There is just something about a show about a writer doing his research on a level the rest of us writers could only dream of, coupled with mystery and a bit of romance, that makes it irresistable.

And that's the key, isn't it. A show, or for us novelists, our books, should be irresistable. SO much so that people want to tweet it, talk about it, come back next time (next chapter or next book) for more.

But what is irresistible to one reader could be drab and boring to others. I'm sure there are many that roll their eyes at Castle and turn the channel. (crazy people...)

At least to Sherrinda and I, some of their prime audience members, they have succeeded.

So who do WE write irresistable fiction?

Here's the thing: There is no magic formula!

No one can really predict for sure how well a book will do. That's why you hear stories of famous authors getting a billion and one rejections before some obscure agent takes them on and they go on to make millions when the book goes viral.

Even though no abracadabra exists, here are some elements (Castle-Style) that can help in your quest to put pizazz in your work in progress that will help keep readers glued to your book and giddy at the thought of your next new release.

Tight Tension - Tension is what keeps readers/watchers biting their nails and holding their breath. It's when Castle watches Kate's current boyfriend kiss her, or when a case seems to be spiraling out of control and every lead ends up in a dead end, and time is ticking before the killer strikes again. Gotta have some good tension!


Colossal Conflict - Regardless of you genre, you need a killer main conflict. A mamsy-pansy one will NOT do. I write contemporary romance... which many thing of as having tamer plots, but I still try to up the ante and put a little kick in my main conflict.

Subtle Subplots - Subplots swirl with their own sets of conflict that feed into the main conflict. Done right, they don't create unneeded rabbit trails but actually up the irresistible-factor and create depth. A good example is Castle's mother and daughter issues that are constantly going on. While they aren't vital to the main crime, make Castle realistic and ground him in reality. They help us know his background, his backstory, and make him a deeper character with roots.

Rugged Romance  - Some may disagree with me on this point. And really, it IS a bit of a preference (and in my genre, an obviously requirement.) But I have this saying that goes, "Romance makes every book a little bit better." While romance is a genre in itself, it is also able to be incorporated in all genres, even if it is just a hint. This doesn't have to be a main plot, but a little romantic tension is never a bad thing in a novel!

Murderous Mystery - Another genre of its own, I know. And Castle himself is a mystery writer, and crime shows and novels have an required mystery element. But all books can be enhanced by an element of keeping-your-reader/watcher-guessing. It's a comment complaint I hear among readers, is that they finish the first chapter and know exactly what's going to happen in the book. Keep a few cards in your back-pocket for later.

Discussion: Name an author (or more!) that you think writes irresistable fiction... and why!

I'll start:

The below is a list of my fav authors that I keep an eye out on their next new releases with eager anticipation. (this is not all inclusive... but just a few examples, as I have a LOT of favorite authors!)

• Tamera Leigh (I've teased her that I MIGHT camp out at the bookstore the night before her release day wearing my TAMERA LEIGH FAN CLUB T-shirt--I don't really have one of those but wish I did!)

• Deeanne Gist (Love on the Line is on my short-list to get next!) 

• Jody Hedlund (WRITE FASTER, Jody... this once a year thing is killing me... although you homeschool 5 kids, so I understand...)

• Jenny B Jones (Save the Date was one of my FAVORITE contemp romances of all time!) 

• Francine Rivers (who needs NO introduction!)
  

What's Up the Street For Next Week?

Pepper here, and I’ve brought you some glimpses of Autumn in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I hope you enjoy these pictures I took while hiking with my family this weekend, and may you enjoy the beautiful artwork God uses to usher in Autumn.


So, let’s talk about setting.

What setting are you using in your WIP? Why did you choose that setting? How have you made the setting its own character?

What do we have for you this week?

Monday – Plotting With a Pantster ;-) Taking the Hero’s Journey on Pepper’s new WIP.

Tuesday – October 20th was the National Day on Writing and Sherrinda’s here to share a post entitled “Why I Write” (maybe she’ll share some tasty excerpts from her medieval…hint, hint)

Wednesday – Mary Vee adds another thoughtful post from her mentoring series. On Begin Mentored: Our Responsibilities

Thursday – Romantic Suspense 2011 Genesis winner Renee Ann Smith is Casey’s guest today.

Friday – Krista’s back to surprise us with another fun-filled post as only she can write.


SIDEWALK TALK

Mary Vee helps celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness month as a guest blogger on Debra Ann Elliott's blog: http://www.highheelshotflashes.blogspot.com/ . Stop by and be inspired as Mary shares about God’s blessing in the battle.

If you missed ACFW or want to catch up on the workshops you didn’t get a chance to attend, check out Afictionado’s quick glimpse into each workshop or continuing session. It is ACFW’s ezine. Learn more about it at http://www.acfw.com/ezine/archive/2011/10/15

Sarah’s ACFW recap is up on her blog (along with her new bio pic which is FANTASTIC). Check it out at http://sarahforgrave.com/2011/10/19/acfw-conference-recap-and-pictures/

Something New:

from Thomas Nelson

Love By the Book by Cara Lynn James

A Vision of Lucy by Margaret Brownley

A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf

From Revell

A Necessary Deception by Laurie Alice Eakes

Hello Hollywood by Janice Hanna Thompson

Deeply Devoted by Maggie Brendan

A Heart Revealed by Julie Lessman (featuring The Writers Alley’s own Casey Miranda Herringshaw) 



From Bethany House

Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist

House of Secrets by Tracie Peterson

Reclaiming Lily by Patti Lacy

Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

From Zondervan

Belonging by Robin Lee Hatcher

Naomi’s Gift by Amy Clipston

Shadow in Serenity by Terri Blackstock

TOP conference tips

Okay everybody – I don’t know how many of you are planning on attending a writers conference anytime soon, but I want to take a few tips from The Writer’s Digest, as well as personal experience, and help us all get ready for our next conference.

I’m attending ACFW in Indianapolis in September (YIPEEEEEE!!) and I’ve been doing some research on how to get ready. Since ‘elevator pitches’ seem to be a hot topic on the First Time Orientation loop, I think I might try to talk about them next Monday. Or what about one-sheets? What do you guys think? I’ve learned so much from the discussion. Would you like to hear about it?

So – who’s going to ACFW? Or some other writers conference soon? Since you’ve taken time out of your busy schedule, paid money (lots of money), booked tickets, and blackmaile…er…found a roommate, the very least you can do is be prepared.

One of the BEST morsels of advice I’ve discovered in all my research is…

BALANCE - Yeah, yeah, I know. Writing is serious business. BE PREPARED. But also, it’s just a conference full of people who are just like you and me – or they used to be. ;-) In the middle of all the lecture notes, schedules, book signings, author visits, and editor pitches – stop and enjoy. Laugh. BREATHE. It’s so easy to become so overwhelmed that we miss the small opportunities to make more than just ‘paper’ memories, but friendships. One of my all-time-favorite things about conferences is being with people who talk and think like me. It’s awesome…kind of scary, I know, but amazing. It’s the fine line between business and pleasure – so make room for both.

PREPARE- What does this mean? Do your research. Know some of the editors and some of their titles. What types of ms are they looking for? (You can find this out under their descriptions). And you won’t need your entire manuscript. I’m taking the first chapter of each of my projects with me, but that’s it. One sheets and one-pagers are great opportunities to present your novel ideas without having to carry around bulk – they are also good ‘cheat sheets’ for your pitch too :-)

PRESENTATION – preparation is just the iceberg of presentation. Professionalism is another foundation for making a good impression. Appropriate attire, usually business casual, and professional courtesy will be more impressive than the slickest pitch. Remember your manners. Don’t pressure or be rude about how they MUST publish your book because it was given to you by God. Who likes telemarketers here? Any hands? Nope, I didn’t think so. :-)

PITCH –You may come in relaxed, but that’s not to say you don’t work on your pitch. Who knows what editor you might run into – or sit down with at lunch. I’m a firm believer in Providential circumstances, and being prepared for that ‘divine opportunity’ is one of the perks of being at a conference. Next week (maybe) I’ll try to go over a few tips to writing a pitch. I’m still learning about it myself –so we’ll see how I do. Basically, it’s your hook & book in less than fifty words.

PALS – Take time to make friends, exchange business cards, and make connections. Some of these may last a lifetime. One of the MOST exciting things about attending ACFW is getting the opportunity to meet some of my cyber-heroes in person. The Seeker gals like Julie Lessman, Mary Connealy, Audra Harders, Janet Dean, and even Cara Lynn James who will be with us this Saturday. Other fabulous authors who have been so encouraging to me, like Laura Frantz, Kaye Dacus, Liz Curtis Higgs, Cathy Marie Hake, and Deeanne Gist. And authors I’ve met in the past, like James Scott Bell, Steven James, DiAnn Mills, and Deb Raney.

PERSPECTIVE – Make sure you’ve set realistic goals for yourself. People usually don’t leave from a conference with a contract. What’s your focus for the conference? If you don’t have a manuscript finished, maybe your goal will be to learn and create a network. If you have several manuscripts finished, maybe you want to perfect those pitches to meet with editors, or focus on advanced courses.

Whatever your focus, remember in the middle of it all, God has you there for a reason. For HIS glory. Isn’t that the heart of why we write? He’s given us the desire, the talent, the joy – and we give our creations back to Him to do with as he will. (ooh, scary. I think FAITH has a lot to do with it ;-)

Get ready, get set, and enjoy a wonderful opportunity to grow as a writer and a person. The meet others of like-mindedness, and to laugh together with people who ‘get’ you.

So – if you’re getting ready to attend a writing conference for the first time, what are you looking forward to the most? What has been some of the best conference advice you’ve ever heard?

The Big 4 - Genre Options in Christian Fiction

On Friday, Krista had a fantastic post about the differences between Inspirational Fiction and Christian Fiction. If you want to read about it, go here.



Genre is a tricky thing anyway, I think. There are SO MANY possibilities. And so many ways to mix them together. I’ve been trying to figure them out for a while now, so I wanted to share some of the basics I’ve learned.

Here is a list of the BIG FOUR genres in Christian Fiction, and I’ll try to break some of these down into subcategories.

One of the MOST popular genre in Christian circles is Historical Fiction. Usually the ‘line’ for historical is WWII or maybe even the 1950s. I say ‘historical’ a bit loosely because there are basically two different camps of historical writers.

- People who give great historical detail, including true historical events and even historical figures (such as Nancy Moser’s historical books)

- Others use a historical period as a backdrop for their stories, but use purely fictional characters throughout.

Romance can be a part of these stories, but it usually isn’t the MAIN part of the story. Not if it’s a pure historical. For those of you who write romance in a historical setting, then the next genre is for you ;-)

THE MOST POPULAR Genre in Christian fiction is ROMANCE. Which means, the stories are about love, but that’s about all they could have in common. There are so many subgenre, it’s one of the easiest for first-time writers to enter. MANY of my favorite authors fit into here, of course. Mary Connealy, Julie Lessman, Laura Frantz, Siri Mitchell, Deeanne Gist… you get the point :-)

Historical romance

Romantic Suspense

Prairie Romance

Amish Romance

Fantasy Romance

Romantic Comedy

Those are just a few of the possibilities. We could add various combinations to romance and get another sub-genre, but remember some (BASIC) rules apply to romance. Most publishers want the hero and heroine meeting in the first chapter. The relationship between the hero and heroine is the ‘heart’ of the story and usually the story takes place over a relatively short period of time. There can be some pretty important stereotypes placed on the hero and heroine as well – so researching is an important starting point. :-)

Another BIG Genre is Christian Contemporary Fiction – which is really the ‘catch all’ of novels set in a contemporary world. Christian Women’s Fiction is usually placed within this genre. Chick-lit and Mom-lit would have fit in here, or any character driven novel. Angela Hunt comes to mind and some of Deb Raney and DiAnn Mills novels as well.

The fourth BIG genre (and one of the newest) is Christian Suspense and Mystery. The ‘who done it’ stories as well as the ‘thrillers’. The three main subgenre here are:

Romantic mystery

Romantic suspense

Cozy Mystery – these are your ‘sweet’ mysteries, without the graphic violence.

(Legal suspense novels and the new Christian ‘thrillers’ are becoming a larger subgenre here – Steven James, as an example)

A few other subgenres are – Christian Biblical Fiction (The Centurion’s Wife, Abigail), SciFi & Fantasy, Westerns, Adventure (House of Wolves is a VERY good example here), and even Horror – I might be tempted to put some of Ted Dekker’s books here)

So, when it comes to you – what genre do you read? AND what genre do you write?

Can you narrow it down to a subgenre, or do you get stuck in the gray sometimes like me? I have a historical novel that has a strong romantic element, but the heroine’s journey is as strong by itself as the romantic journey. So what do I do? Is it historical or is it romance?

Do you guys ever get a little lost in the genre fog?

Creating Character Emotion from Michael Hauge

Good mornin’ all.


Pepper here, and I’m currently going through a great DVD series by famous scriptwriter and speaker, Michael Hauge. It’s called The Hero’s Two Journeys and is filled with fantastic info I want to share with you guys.

First of all, I’d like to ask you a question.

Why do you read fiction?

I mean, really. Bare bones answer.

If you’re really honest, one of the reasons you and I read fiction is to experience adventures we don’t experience in the everyday. To become emotionally involved in a story. To escape into someone else’s journey.

At the heart of it all – emotions.

Usually, the reason we keep reading a book is because, from the first page, our emotions become involved and we MUST finish the story.

Michael Hauge gives 5 ways to help readers identify with the characters, thus building emotion. What does your hero/heroine need to capture a reader’s emotions?

1. Make the character sympathetic – For example, in the movie Sleepless in Seattle, we immediately feel sorry for Tom Hank’s character because we learn from the first that he’s lost his wife. We’re emotionally drawn into the story to see how the character will overcome, or move past this heartbreak. Or in Laura Frantz' newest novel, Courting Morrow Little, about a young girl whose family was wiped out by rebel Indians. The first chapter grabs the reader and has him/her asking questions about 'what would this type of loss cause a girl to be like when she's grown?"

2. Place the character in jeopardy or danger – Your best suspense stories start this way. Peril. All the CSI shows, or Castle (one of my favorites), or Criminal Minds. They all start with peril. The Fugitive with Harrison Ford starts off with a tragedy that immediately puts the hero in danger, AND builds sympathy because his wife dies. Jamie Carie in her novel Love’s First Light starts the first chapter with the main character running for his life during the French Revolution. While he hides, he watches his entire family go to the guillotine.

3. Make the character likeable – Good people cause us to want to read more. Not only does Julie Lessman make Faith O’Connor passionate in A Passion Most Pure, but she is kind and giving. Her inner conflict with her love for Collin versus her love for her sister and her God, makes us want to root for her.

4. Make the character funny – Nobody does character humor like Mary Connealy, and in all of her books, she starts off the stories with humor…and peril. – so you get two for one. Usually the characters are likeable too.  Humor immediately builds emotional connection. We love to laugh, so it makes us want to keep reading.

5. Make the character powerful – (skilled, determined) Is your character good at something? Skilled. Most of John Grisham’s novels have a hero who is brilliant at some occupation or particular skill. Tillie, in Deanne Gist’s novel Maid to Match, is very good at her job as one of the head maids for the Vanderbilts. Harry Potter’s own Hermoine was brilliant, a walking encyclopedia, on The Mentalist , the main character has a way of reading people’s body language to solve crimes. (He gets some of the best lines in that show too).

So, here are a few tips. Which ones are you using in your wip? It’s important to employ 2 or more to get the most emotional bang for readers.

Tell us about it.