Posts Tagged ‘Kaye Dacus’

Posted on January 3, 2012 - by Shannon Vannatter

Profound Advice Times Two

When I started writing, I just did it. I wrote 6 books without ever attending a writer’s meeting or conference. I’d hear about such things, but think why spend time learning to write when I can just do it? 

But it doesn’t work that way. Writers have to learn to write. They have to learn to put what they see or hear in their heads on the paper where the reader can see and hear it too. After I’d been writing for a year or so, I met a fellow writer in the office where I worked, Peggy Stirling. The first thing she asked was if I’d joined a writer’s group. 

Peggy wasn’t published, but had won some writing awards, and was related to Catherine Palmer. How cool is that? Peggy even sent my first chapter of my first badly written book to Catherine to see what she thought of it. That makes me shiver now. I really hope Catherine didn’t read it. She sent me a nice letter saying that she’d long ago had to set up a policy of not critiquing other writers simply because she didn’t have time. Last month, I signed with Spencerhill Associates, the same literary agency that represents Catherine Palmer. How cool is that?

Anyway, it took another year or so for me to actually follow Peggy’s advice. By then, I’d had a very badly written book Print on Demand published. My sales were dismal since the book was overpriced and not in stores. I finally took Peggy’s advice. In fact, she went with me to my first writer’s meeting and conference. 

I’ve lost touch with Peggy and I have no idea if she knows I got published or not. I did name my hero in my first contracted book (White Roses) after her, Grayson Sterling–a perfect name for a pastor. If not for Peggy, I might still be cranking out badly written, very telling stories—instead of taking my reader along for the ride and showing how the story plays out. 

My second profound piece of advice took place years later. I’ve talked about Kaye Dacus and writing my second contracted book (White Doves) before. Once my editor asked if White Roses could be a series, I threw together two one page synopses using Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method. With a few changes and tweaks, I had a verbal promise of a three book series. But then I had to expand the synopses into chapter by chapters before the other two contracts could be signed. 

I’m a pantser. When I begin a new book, I know the main characters, the beginning, a couple of big issues or problems, the black moment (but not necessarily how to resolve it) and the end. That’s all. I have no idea what will happen in chapter two, eight, or thirteen. 

Writing that first chapter by chapter for White Doves was TORTURE. I used the Snowflake Method and eked out every possible thing that could happen with these characters. I expanded a word at a time, a paragraph at a time until finally I had three pages of exactly what would happen in the book I hadn’t written yet. 

It was enough and I signed the contract for book two of my series. I then had eight months to write the book. But I already knew what was going to happen in every chapter, what had to happen in every chapter. With no room for creativity or pantsing. And I had a deadline to get it finished.

I couldn’t do it. For the first time, I realized writer’s block was real—not a myth. I tried going for walks, taking bubblebaths, mowing the yard—all things that free my mind and usually get my creativity and ideas flowing. But I couldn’t be creative with the book. I’d already told my editor exactly what would happen. 

I attended my monthly writer’s meeting excited when I heard we’d managed to land Kaye Dacus in Little Rock. I think Kaye taught on editing. We’re talking 2009 and I’ve slept a few times since then. What I do remember—I knew Kaye wrote for Barbour which meant she had to write chapter by chapters pre-book. 

After her workshop, I asked if she was a pantser or plotter. She said she used to be a pantser, but since she’d learned to write chapter by chapters, she’s part pantser and part plotter. I told her my dilemma. She said she writes her chapter by chapter, then puts it away and writes something else, or reads a book, anything but think about the book she has to write. Once it’s totally off her mind, she writes the book. Then if she gets stuck, she looks at the chapter by chapter to jog her memory. 

I followed Kaye’s advice and it worked. Before long, the words were flowing from my fingertips. Since then, I’ve made a point to write my chapter by chapters several months in advance of when I need to turn them in. By the time, the contract is signed, the chapter by chapter is out of my head and I just start writing.

Six chapter by chapters later, my words are still flowing for the most part. Some books have been harder to write than others, but I’ve met all of my deadlines so far. So, if not for Kaye, I might still be stuck with the motherlode of writer’s block and only have one book published.

BTW: The picture is actually the cover of a book. Years ago, when all I had to prove I was a writer was over two-hundred rejection letters, my husband believed in me enough to buy me this nifty little book. The book is in the shape of a cube and is chock full of pictures and prompts to inspire writers.

We’ve discussed this before, but we probably have new readers since then, so here goes: Writers–are  you a pantser or plotter?

Posted on November 3, 2011 - by Regina

CAPTAIN HOOK

Hooks.

Captain Hook’s hook doesn’t have much to do with the kind of hook I mean, but you might be surprised when he comes up again, later . . .

A hook is that part of a book, television show, movie, etc., that leaves you wanting more.

There’s a great writing exercise that points out just how important those first lines of a novel can be.  Go to a shelf in your library, or your home library, and look at first lines of your favorite novels. It is an amazing, eye-opening activity that certainly made me look at first lines differently.

In my first manuscript, I started out with a dream sequence:

There was restlessness within me as I made my way through the forest.

Since it was based on an actual dream that I had, it was the best way to start the book, right? WRONG. About three revisions later, I came up with this first line:

“Who needs a man when I have a great big hunk of dog to keep me company?”

Which one makes you want to read more?

Hooks aren’t just for the first line of a book. Another area where a hook is important is at the end of a scene – EVERY scene. “Scene and sequel,” or “what happens,” and “what happens next” can either keep your reader with you, or send them scurrying to another novel! Always know where you’re going – but don’t get there all at once.

Back to Captain Hook . . .When we first see him in the Disney version of “Peter Pan,” we know he’s evil, and we know he has a hook. We’re curious, but confident that he lost it in a violent fashion. Must learn more! We find out midway through the story of Peter Pan that Peter was the cause of his losing his hand, and gaining a hook. And of course, since he’s evil, he deserved it, right? Hmmm . . . but then we learn that Captain Hook has but one fear – a crocodile – and not only ANY crocodile, but the one that swallowed his clock AND his hand with it. The fact that the movie ends with Captain Hook being pursued by the croc is not only humorous, but satisfies all those little “hooks” we’ve experienced throughout the story.

If you’d like to learn about hooks from someone who really knows, check out the “Writing Series Index” on Kaye Dacus’ blog. And while you’re there, check out her other topics!

So, got a hook that you’d like to share? (the literary kind, if you please)

Posted on September 8, 2011 - by Regina

COFFEE WITH KAYE

Kaye Dacus has been one of my favorite inspirational authors since I read Stand-In Groom a few years ago, then connected with her via her amazing blog at http://www.kayedacus.com. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know her in person, and she’s as much fun in person as in print. 

So, while we’re visiting with Kaye, let’s pretend we’re breakfasting at the Starbuck’s in the lobby of the Indianapolis Hyatt at last year’s ACFW conference, enjoying a muffin (Mine was pumpkin-cream-cheese – YUM) and a Grande coffee (or for Lorna, we’ll offer tea, as well!).

Me: Kaye, how old were you when you started writing, and what compelled you to write?

Kaye:  Even though I started writing when I was a young teen (because I wanted to be able to continue the next day the story I’d been playing out with my Barbies—until one day, I forgot to pick up the dolls and just went straight to the pencil and paper), it wasn’t until I was sixteen or seventeen when I really felt like writing was what I wanted to do with my life. I just didn’t have anyone around me who knew how to direct me. My parents encouraged me, but they weren’t sure how to give me guidance. I had a wonderful Creative Writing teacher in high school and that was when I knew for sure that I wanted to be like him—I wanted to be able to teach others how to do what it was I loved doing so much. But it wasn’t until much later in my life, at the age of thirty when I attended my first writers’ conference, that I truly realized God was calling me to pursue publication.

Me:  If you could set a book anywhere in the USA, whether you’ve been there or not, where would it be, and why?

Kaye: Las Cruces, New Mexico, the city where I grew up. Because it means I’d have to go there to do research (I’ve only been back once in the more than twenty years since I graduated from high school). And if I’m there, it means I have to eat New Mexican–style food, which just so happens to be my favorite kind of food on the face of the planet! Plus, it’s beautiful, charming, and welcoming; it was a wonderful place to grow up; and it’s chock-full of history.

Me:  Cowboys or pirates? Businessmen or construction workers? What kind of man is your favorite pick for a hero in a novel?

Kaye: Let’s see . . .a personal assistant–chef–lawyer–law-enforcement agent–artist–advertising executive–navy captain–pirate. Can one man fit all of those categories? For me as an author it’s less about what he does and more about who he is. Can he make the heroine (i.e., me) laugh? Does he have depth—of character, soul, and mind? Is he someone I want to spend time with? As a reader, because I prefer reading historical romance, I do tend to gravitate toward heroes with slightly more alpha-male qualities. . .but with occasional flashes of beta tendencies, just to keep him balanced (after years and years of reading the Warrior/Caveman type of hero in the general-market romance novels of the 1980s and 1990s). In my contemporaries, I think my heroes lean a little more toward the beta-male end of the spectrum (Dylan in The Art of Romance in particular). But more than anything else, he has to be someone I can fall in love with. Daily. For as long as it takes me to read someone else’s book or to get my book written, revised, edited, and off to the publisher.

Me:  The ACFW conference is coming up in two weeks! I know you’ve been involved in ACFW for a long time and have been an officer in the past. How has the organization changed over the years? How has the CBA changed over the years, in your opinion?

Kaye: The most obvious change in the time that I’ve been a member was when I was serving on the board and we changed the name—and the scope—of the organization from American Christian Romance Writers to American Christian Fiction Writers. (Which seems like it’s a simple, obvious change—but, believe me, we discussed and brainstormed and debated for quite some time before we came up with the idea to change “romance” to “fiction.”) And second to that, also obvious, is the growth the group has seen since I joined in 2001 as member number 120. It’s amazing to see how we’ve gone from forty or fifty people at the first conference in 2002 (Kansas City) to almost twenty times that many last year in Indianapolis—and I’m sure even more will be in St. Louis in a few weeks! (And I have to share—since that first conference in 2002, I’ve only missed attending one, 2009 in Denver, and it about killed me knowing everyone was there having a good time without me.)

The changes in Christian publishing. . .wow! Used to be the only Christian fiction books available were prairie romances with an occasional retelling of a Biblical story in fiction form. But now—spy thrillers and science fiction and epic fantasy and romantic suspense and mystery. . .every genre in the general market is now represented in the Christian market (and thank goodness romance, both contemporary and historical, continues to be popular).

Me:  For those who follow your blog faithfully and see you on Facebook and Twitter, we know you have minions and that they are thrilled to be called such. What is the best part of mentoring new writers?

Kaye:  I’ve shared on my blog about how, twelve years ago, God told me that I will not have children of my own (and given that I’m still unmarried at forty years old, this seems like a no-brainer at this point) but that He would still give me the fulfillment that other women find in motherhood—and He’s done that through the writers I mentor. My minions (a term that came about through a slip of the tongue during a conversation with an agent at ACFW last year) are my “quiver full,” the personal fulfillment for me of Isaiah 54:1: “‘Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child; break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; for the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous than the sons of the married woman,’ says the LORD.” And just like any parent, my greatest joy comes from seeing my “children”—my minions—successful in their writing journeys.

Me:  What author, dead or alive, would you like to mentor YOU? Why?

Kaye:  Considering that I’ve loved both her fiction and her nonfiction, it would have to be Madeleine L’Engle. Her book Walking on Water, to which I was introduced in 1999 when it was used as required reading for a college creative writing class, has taught me more about myself as a writer—not so much storytelling or the craft of writing, but the spirituality of being a writer, what it means to be inspired, and how to replenish my soul so that my creativity can continue to flow, even when I’m at my lowest point physically or emotionally.

Me:  What, to you, is the best part of living in a city like Nashville, TN? I’ve always said that if I had to live in a large city, Nashville would be at the top of my list.

Kaye:  Having lived in the Washington DC area before moving to Nashville in 1996, I quickly discovered that even though Nashville has a large population, it doesn’t feel like a big city (except when sitting in rush-hour traffic) because it’s maintained a neighborhood/community feel that makes it seem like a much smaller town. Plus, it’s Nashville! What isn’t there to love about living here? It’s the best of Southern living, yet with the cosmopolitan experience of being a melting pot of people from all over the world (I know very few people who aren’t transplants from elsewhere).

Me:  Why do you write in both Contemporary and Historical romance? Is one easier than the other?

Kaye: You do realize I did two blog posts about this a couple of weeks ago—and still didn’t fully express an answer to this, don’t you? (Yes, I know, but inquiring minds want to know! ) The short answer is: I write both contemporary and historical because I’ve had ideas for both contemporary and historical novels. I also enjoy writing both. While they take the same amount of effort creatively to come up with the storyline and develop the characters, there is more work that goes into writing the historicals due to the higher amount of research (yes, contemporaries take research, too) and making sure I’m using era-appropriate language as much as possible. For me, I like alternating writing them, because one is almost like a palate cleanser for the other. Each challenges me in a different way, and I do truly love writing both.

Me:  You have a new book out, Ransome’s Quest, another coming out in November (Turnabout’s Fair Play), which means you’ve basically completed three series:  Brides of Bonneterre, Ransome Trilogy, and Matchmakers (well, almost). Tell us what’s next for Kaye Dacus?

Kaye: Well, from my point of view, I have completed all three. . .as I turned in TFP in May and finished all edits on it last month (and it’s already in the hands of reviewers through Net Galley). Next for me is another historical series with a new publisher, B&H Publishing Group. This time, I’m taking readers to early Victorian England and featuring Prince Albert’s Great Exhibition, one of the first world’s fairs, drawing millions of tourists from all over the world. The series will be more like my contemporaries in that the books will be able to stand alone, each focusing on a different story. It will also give me a chance to write more of the “sitting room” type of romance novel, which I was able to do with Ransome’s Honor. Each book in The Great Exhibition series will also feature two romances—so hopefully, they’ll be double the fun! The three books will be out in May and October 2013 and April 2014.

Me:  Wonderful! I can’t wait to get started on these, and Turnabout’s Fair Play can’t come too soon, in my opinion!

Now it’s time for me to turn the tables and get some feedback: what question would you like to ask our readers?

Kaye: Imagine you’ve been chosen to star in a film version of your favorite book. What book would you choose, what character would you play, and what actor would you choose to play opposite you?

Tough question, but one I’m sure our readers will have fun answering!  Thanks, Kaye, for visiting with us today! Anyone for a second muffin? More coffee?

Remember, there’s a bundle of inspirational fiction books up for grabs for one blessed commenter over the last two weeks!

Posted on August 27, 2011 - by Brenda Anderson

Company’s Coming!

Oh my, company’s coming to Inkspirational Messages!

And, we’re giving away books too!

Does that mean you have to scrub the floors? Dust on top of the ceiling fan? Take a toothbrush to the grout?

Goodness, no. Just make yourself comfortable. Take your shoes off, pour yourself a cup of lemonade, grab some chocolate, and relax in your recliner.

Ah, that’s better, right?

Now, who’s stopping by, you ask?

Well, we’ll be catching up with our own Lorna Seilstad, Shannon Vannatter, Linda Fulkerson, and Shari Barr. We’re welcoming some old friends: Laura Frantz, Mary Connealy, and Kaye Dacus. We’re even meeting new friends: Sandra Orchard, Gina Holmes, and Jennifer Rogers Spinola.

So, please come on over these next two weeks and chat with us. We’d love to meet you too!

Oh, and don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about those free books. For those of you who stop by to chat, you’ll have an opportunity to win books by a couple of our guests: Deep Cover by Sandra Orchard, Love Remains by Kaye Dacus, and The Colonel’s Lady by Laura Frantz. PLUS, we’re throwing in two additional books from the Love Inspired line: Marrying Miss Marshall by Lacy Williams and Hearts in Flight by Patty Smith Hall.

Now, there are a few small rules you need to follow if you want a chance to win the books, but no worries, they’re not too difficult:

Contest Rules:

Comment on our “Company’s Coming” topic dated August 29, 2011 through September 9, 2011. Every time you comment, your name will go into a drawing for the books. Contest closes Saturday, September 10, 2011 at midnight. The winner will be posted on Sunday, September 11, 2011. Winner must provide a mailing address in an email to Brenda AT brendaandersonbooks DOT com. Do not post your address anywhere on this blog.

Posted on January 4, 2011 - by Shannon Vannatter

Behind As Usual

It’s me. The least well-read Inkster. You’ve heard the familiar tale. I haven’t had time to read anything lately.  Between deadlines, booksignings, a potential new series, hubby, pastor’s wifing, and mothering, not necessarily in that order, my life is a constant race. This year, I plan to try to do better. But as usual, I’m behind so I’m reaching into last year to read the books I never got around to reading.

I’ve wanted to read They Almost Always Come Home by Cynthia Ruchti since it’s debut. The story of a woman whose husband is missing and she’s mad at him for finding an out before she could intrigued me. I’ve heard Cynthia speak several times at the ACFW conferences and I got to meet her at the Barbour Publishing dinner last year in Indy. She exudes sweetness, gentleness, and kindness. It caught my interest to hear she wrote such a complicated book.

When Libby’s husband Greg fails to return from a two-week canoe trip to the Canadian wilderness, the authorities soon write off his disappearance as an unhappy husband’s escape from an empty marriage and unrewarding career. Their marriage might have survived if their daughter Lacey hadn’t died…and if Greg hadn’t been responsible. Libby enlists the aid of her wilderness savvy father-in-law and her faith-walking best friend to help her search for clues to her husband’s disappearance…if for no other reason than to free her to move on. What the trio discovers in the search upends Libby’s presumptions about her husband and rearranges her faith.

Several months ago, I read something on a blog. I can’t remember where or the exact words, but the gist of it: The reader was amazed that Myra Johnson, writer of a sweet book like Autumn Rains also wrote One Imperfect Christmas. I googled the second title and loved the cover. Another complicated book with complicated characters. I met Myra in Indy also and convinced her to be a guest on my other blog. We featured the book and I was sold. I’m in the process of receiving a copy in my hot little hands.

Graphic designer Natalie Pearce faces the most difficult Christmas of her life. For almost a year, her mother has lain in a nursing home, the victim of a massive stroke, and Natalie blames herself for not being there when it happened. Worse, she’s allowed the monstrous load of guilt to drive a wedge between her and everyone she loves-most of all her husband Daniel. Her marriage is on the verge of dissolving, her prayer life is suffering, and she’s one Christmas away from hitting rock bottom.

Junior-high basketball coach Daniel Pearce is at his wit’s end. Nothing he’s done has been able to break through the wall Natalie has erected between them. And their daughter Lissa’s adolescent rebellion isn’t helping matters. As Daniel’s hope reaches its lowest ebb, he wonders if this Christmas will spell the end of his marriage and the loss of everything he holds dear.

Hmm, I think I like to read about messy marriages. Not really, but I love to read about broken people who finally realize they can’t fix it, but God can. Just like life.

On Seekerville, I read the totally shocking opening of The Husband Tree by Mary Connealy. Expecting a grieving widow, it had me laughing. Out loud. But I’m a contemporary gal. When I heard Mary was delving into contemporaries, that caught my interest. Mary’s tagline, Romantic Comedies with Cowboys, tugs at me. What woman can resist a cowboy? Before it’s over with, I might just have to read The Husband Tree too, but I’ll start with The Black Hills Blessing trilogy. 

Enter the world of compelling, contemporary romance with award-winning author Mary Connealy’s spellbinding three-in-one collection. Ride the range with Buffy Lange, a woman bent on seeing majestic buffalo reclaim their territory, no matter how hostile local cattleman Wyatt Shaw becomes. Meet rancher Emily Johannson who would leave her derelict neighbor Jake Hanson alone if she didn’t feel duty bound to keep saving his hide. Take a stand with Jeanie Davidson, a single-again woman who’s finally gotten her life together, only to have her ex-husband Michael walk right back in, determined to make amends. Can love redeem these hearts and lives?

I met Kaye Dacus in Little Rock when she spoke for my local writers’ group. No particular book intrigued me, but Kaye did. Instead of going to the school of hard knocks, Kaye went to college. Her thesis became her first published book Stand In Groom. Struggling at the time, I asked her for advice, which she freely gave, and it worked like a charm. I like this series because there are men on the cover. I’d rather look at a nice-looking man rather than a woman any time and I like the premise. She thinks he’s getting married. It’s bound to get complicated.

When wedding planner Anne Hawthorne meets George Laurence, she thinks she’s found the man of her dreams. But when he turns out to be a client, her “dream” quickly turns into a nightmare. Will Anne risk her heart and career on this engaging Englishman? George came to Louisiana to plan his employer’s wedding and pose as the groom. But how can he feign affection for a supposed fiancee when he’s so achingly attracted to the wedding planner? And what will happen when Anne discovers his role has been Stand-In Groom only? Will she ever trust George again? Can God help these two find a happy ending?

My final selection is White Doves, the second in my series. This book was the hardest I’ve ever written. I’m a seat of the pants writer and I hate, hate, hate outlines. But I had to turn in a chapter by chapter synopsis of White Doves before I wrote the book in order to sign the contract. How was I supposed to know what would happen in chapter nine or any other chapter for that matter. I groaned, gnashed my teeth, and churned out the synopsis. My editor liked it and I signed the contract.

Then from out of nowhere, writers’ block clamped its unyielding jaw around me. Writers’ block which I’d believed to be a myth, until it got me. With great advice from Kaye Dacus, the block lifted. Yet every word was like pulling wisdom teeth. I wrote the beginning almost word for word as it is now, then decided that wasn’t good enough and stuck a whole different scene in front of it. 

Halfway through, a great detail revealed itself, which often happens in my books. This detail pulled the whole puzzle together, but it wasn’t in the synopsis. So, I tried to stick to the synopsis, but added this whole new conflict.

I turned the book in before my first deadline with days to spare. A week later, I got a gentle e-mail from my editor. The gist of it: I’d packed everything but the cast-iron kitchen sink into this book, when I should have forgot the synopsis and went with the new conflict. We had to do an extra content edit and pull several entire threads of the story, before we could even do a regular content edit. One of the threads to cut: my second beginning scene. 

So yes, I’m anxious to read White Doves and see how my wonderful, worth their weight in gold, genius editors pulled this book out of the toilet for me. After all that work, it’s kind of a blur. I’ve only had my author copies since October. Did I mention I’m behind? Thankfully book three wrote itself. 

It’s a good thing. At this rate, I’ll be behind all year. Have you read any of these books yet?

Posted on September 23, 2010 - by Regina

THE PLEASURE OF READING

For once, this topic is an easy one for me. Yes, I’m a librarian. Yes, I love to read, and in fact spent from about 7^th grade and up with a novel tucked neatly in my math book. But college, parenthood, and other grown-up things made reading take a back seat.

A year ago, I realized that in my desire to spend as much time writing as possible, I had given up one of my biggest pleasures in life. Reading. So, I made myself a list of goals. One of them was to read more fiction.

And, since there are always more books out there than I can possibly read, I roped my husband into reading more fiction, as well. I told him it was good for him. He agreed, sweet man that he is.

I could get him to read some books that weren’t as “romantic” as what I usually preferred, but I wanted to know about them. He turned me on to Robert Whitlow after reading his book, The List. Great read—suspense with enough romance in it to keep me interested, too. He also greatly enjoyed First, the Dead, the first of Tim Downs’ “Bug Man” series. I will definitely put that in my TBR pile, especially after hearing Downs speak at ACFW.

Another of my goals was to read different KINDS of fiction. I picked up and read the first of Kaye Dacus’ “Ransome Trilogy,” Ransome’s Honor. Then as soon as it came out, I picked up and read the second, Ransome’s Crossing! I don’t know how I’m going to survive until the third comes out next SUMMER! ACK! If you like Regency England, British naval dramas, and adventure on the high seas, this is a series for you!

I went back even further in time with Laura Frantz’ The Frontiersman’s Daughter. Set in Kentucky in the 18^th century, it’s a very real look at what life was like in Kentucke Territory before statehood. It was so amazing that I couldn’t imagine loving her next book as much. But you know what? Courting Morrow Little came out, I bought it as soon as I SAW it, and I fell in love all over again. What a beautiful, unexpected romance!

So I found out that in order to enjoy historical romance, one did NOT have to JUST read “bonnet romances.” There are so many eras to choose from these days!

Of course my first love is contemporary romance, which is what I write. Romance with enough humor and enough reality to make it seem like I’m talking to someone with whom I simply want to spend time. Kaye Dacus fills the bill with that genre, as well, with the first of her newest contemporary series, “The Matchmakers.” Love Remains introduces us to Zarah and Bobby. What happens when an old love shows up, of all places, in your singles’ Sunday School Class? I highly recommend it – the book, not an old love showing up in your Sunday School Class…… J

And then there have been more…. Irene Hannon’s “Heroes of Quantico” series which I fell in love with and could not stop reading until I’d read all three – in a ROW! If you like hunky FBI agents as heroes and strong-willed and somewhat exasperating (to said hunky heroes, anyway) independent women as heroines, then this is the series for you. Very much in the style of Dee Henderson’s “O’Malley” books, these three volumes will stand right up to them in entertainment value, and you’ll fall in love with the characters in each book.

Add to this list Beth Patillo’s Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, Ruth Logan Herne’s  Waiting Out the Storm, and assorted titles by Janice Thompson, Lisa Wingate, Christine Lynxwiler, and Mary Conneally.

And what am I reading NOW? Why, Lorna Seilstad’s debut novel, Making Waves, of course! And it’s a treasure, I can already tell.

So, what have YOU been reading? Since I need to increase my writing time again, I may have to ride on the coattails of a year of intense reading and live vicariously through your reading enjoyment! Read a good one for me, OK?

Posted on June 3, 2010 - by Regina

QUAKING IN HER BOOTS

A heroine, by the very nature of the word, is going to be tough, bigger-than-life, vulnerable at times, but overall, will have the world by the tail by the end of the story.

So what is that piece of a heroine that makes me identify with her? That makes me say, “hey, I could be a heroine, too!”

It’s fear. Everyone is afraid of something. Usually rejection. That fear may touch off a show of strength, but it may show the character, the reader, or the viewer vulnerability that makes a great character completely irresistible.

In the John Wayne classic, The Quiet Man, Maureen O’Hara portrays Mary Kate Danaher. She’s sick to death of taking care of her father and grown brothers, and has basically scared off any would-be suitors that might come calling. Is SHE fearful? Of course she is! She goes about trying to rein in her temper, doing her “Christian duty,” all the while afraid of being left “on the shelf” without a chance to marry and have a home of her own. Later, she realizes that she fears much more than this. It takes a true test of her character to make her the truly strong woman that she is destined to become.

In fiction, two recent characters came to mind in two different series: Bella, in Janice Thompson’s “Weddings by Bella” series; and Alaine Delacroix in the last installment of Kaye Dacus’ “Brides of Bonterre” series, A Case for Love.

Bella Rossi has it all. She’s running her family’s wedding facility in Galveston, TX, trying new things such as “themed” weddings for the first time. Her parents have so much faith in her that they’ve decided to retire and leave it in her capable hands. She can do this! Or can she? There’s this bit of her that’s quaking in her boots—and if you read the first book, Fools Rush In, you’ll find that she has plenty of boots to quake in. She has a fear of disappointing her family, even though they’ve proven, time and time again, that they have confidence in her.

Alaine Delacroix is a high-powered television reporter when we first meet her in the second “Bonterre” installment, Menu for Romance. Cool, calm, and collected, she exudes confidence and professionalism wherever she goes. She’s going places. When her family and her neighborhood is in trouble at the hands of wealthy landowners, she’s going to fix it, quietly. When she’s alone, she’s just little Alaine, the girl from the wrong side of the tracks. She’s not fearful of losing her job, but simply of people finding out that she doesn’t really belong, in her own mind, in the world she’s created for herself. It takes falling head-over-heels in love with a man, outwardly perfect, but himself unexpectedly struggling with fear of rejection, to make her realize that God is not in the voice of the crowd, but in that still, small voice.

On television, I’ve mentioned Kate Beckett of CASTLE when commenting on “strength.” She is a tough lady. She can take down a criminal—or Castle, for that matter—in a matter of seconds and barely leave a mark. Unless she wants to. For all that she’s one tough cop, there is a fearful, vulnerable side to her. She resists facing her mother’s death. As a homicide detective, this is totally against character. Except that this time, it’s personal. It’s HER mom. She fears opening up to her true feelings about Rick Castle. Is she afraid she’ll be rejected? Probably.

There’s a part of all of us, men and women alike, that fear rejection, for whatever reason. We think, eventually, we’ll be “found out” as the frauds we really are.

I’ve created a character that I love. She’s funny, smart, has weathered a few storms in her life, and is ready to make a change. She’s also fearful. In a recent contest in which I did not final, I got some good feedback. After I stopped feeling sorry for myself, I realized that I had done my character a disservice. Fear was actually a theme all through my book, but honestly? I didn’t make her fearful ENOUGH.

I realize now that I need to include that bone-crushing hurt and fear that she had to experience when she realized she’d been betrayed by someone she once loved. Can she trust again? Does she fear rejection? Uh, yes. She’s BEEN rejected. She’d lived what most of us only have nightmares about.

Time for some rewrites. Gotta up the angst quotient a bit.

Fear. We all have it. I know I avoid it like the plague, even in my writing. But you know what? For some reason reading about OTHER people scared out of their wits makes me feel better about myself, reassuring me that even though other people fear all these same things that I do, and more, there is always hope for a happy ending.

Posted on April 24, 2010 - by Regina

CONTESTS AND WINNERS AND INTERVIEWS . . . OH MY!

Just a quick note to announce the winner from our giveaway! The winner of her very own copy of Kaye Dacus’ recent novel A CASE FOR LOVE is Jaclyn!!  Thanks, Jaclyn, for reading and commenting! Hope you visit OFTEN!

And an important announcement! This Thursday, April 29, Author Sarah Sundin will be our special guest!  Be sure to stop by and check out another great author interview! Her new release, A DISTANT MELODY, is book one of her WWII series, Wings of Glory!

Have a great weekend, and look for a new topic next week – Navigating the potholes on your writing journey. Visit with us, tell us about YOUR journey, and hear about a variety of potholes, a variety of roads, and a variety of takes on something that means a lot to the ten writers on Inkspirational Messages.

See you soon!

Posted on April 15, 2010 - by Regina

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR KAYE DACUS

Kaye Dacus has become one of my favorite authors, and I follow her blog  faithfully – check it out!  I read her first novel, Stand-In Groom, Book One of the Brides of Bonneterre series, and fell in love with her writing style and the folks that populate the fictitious town of Bonneterre, Louisiana. The other books in the series are Menu for Romance, and the last, just out this past February, is A Case for Love. Keep reading for a chance to win your own copy of A Case for Love!

RM: Kaye, welcome to our little writing nook. Tell us a little about yourself!

KD: I’m originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, though I’ve only lived there a small portion of my life. When I was just a year old, the Army sent us to Alaska for three years and then to New Mexico, where we lived for fourteen years and where I graduated from high school. Then it was back to Louisiana to attend LSU (Geaux Tigers!), and, after I dropped out at age twenty-one, I moved up to the Washington DC area to live with my parents for a few years. In 1996, I felt God calling me to move to Nashville, and I’ve been here—and loving it—for the last fourteen years. Before becoming self-employed in late 2008 (as a writer and freelance editor), I worked most of my adult life in the newspaper/advertising industry before moving into the book publishing industry as an editor.

As far as my personal life, I’m a thirtysomething single and my household is comprised of just me, myself, and I—so I travel as often as possible to go visit the rest of my family: my parents, who have recently retired to my dad’s hometown of Hot Springs, Arkansas, and my grandmother and my sister and her family who live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My large extended family (my mother is the oldest of six children) is the inspiration for the large Guidry family in the Brides of Bonneterre series. While we’re much more geographically scattered than the Guidrys, it was fun imagining what our family dynamics might have been if we’d all stayed in Baton Rouge as the Guidrys have stayed in Bonneterre.

RM: I know aspiring writers pick your brain every day—and I’ve been one of them. When did you know you wanted to write, and what drew you to Inspirational fiction?

KD: When I was that young, I wasn’t a writer—I hated writing, as a matter of fact. I made up plenty of stories, but they were acted out with my Barbie dolls or in my imagination as I played outside—other people, other places, other times all came alive in my mind’s-eye and I didn’t mind playing by myself. In fact, I rather preferred it, because then I didn’t have to explain to anyone else what I was envisioning and try to get them to play along the way the story went in my head.

As an adolescent, I started to read voraciously. My fancy turned to romance novels and by the age of twelve, I was reading one or two historical romance novels a week—mostly YA, but some adult fiction in there, too. These books grew in me not only a love for history, but a love for story telling because they inspired me to write. I wasn’t content with a kiss and a happily-ever-after ending. I wanted to know what happened the next day, the next year, the next decade. So the first writing I ever did was around fourteen years old when I started writing “sequels” to my favorite books. This, then, inspired me to start putting some of those stories that were always running through my head down on paper.

That experience—realizing I could put words down on paper and express the stories that I’d always had within me—opened a flood-gate; and for the last two decades, I’ve never stopped writing.

As far as writing “inspirational” fiction, I fell into it naturally, as the characters I write have similar lifestyles, upbringings, and worldviews as me—meaning that they’re Christians who try to attend church regularly who have day-to-day struggles with what it means to be a Christ follower in the 21st Century.

RM: Having read every book you have out, I have to say your most recent book, A Case for Love, is my favorite so far! What was your inspiration for the main character, Forbes? We met him first in Stand-In Groom, briefly in Menu for Romance. What made you decide to make him the main character of A Case for Love?

KD: When I first wrote Stand-In Groom, I needed a puppet-master character, one who knew the ins and outs of the secret identity of the groom and had the authority to grant—or not grant—George the right to reveal his true identity to Anne. That’s when Anne’s cousin Forbes Guidry first came to me. When Alaine Delacroix walked onto the scene in Menu for Romance, it was in the role of the vixen—the woman who was going to deliberately set out to come between Meredith and Major. But the more scenes I put Alaine in, the more I realized that she was simply misunderstood—and that she was someone who could give Forbes lots of grief. So when Barbour asked for a proposal for the third book in the series, I realized that by choosing Alaine as the heroine of the book, and by coming up with a legal case that would involve both of them, I had the perfect setup for what would become A Case for Love.

Once I started writing Case, I wondered if I’d made a mistake choosing Forbes as the hero—because he gave me all kinds of trouble, control freak that he is. It sounds somewhat psycho to admit it, but it’s hard to get a character like Forbes to let go and let me—his creator—get inside his head. It felt like he knew what I was going to put him through—forcing him to give up control over everything in his life (as well as his family members’ lives)—so he fought me almost every step of the way. But I’m glad I didn’t give up on him!

RM: While the Bonneterre books are contemporary romance, you also have a series that is historical fiction, set in Regency England, no less (the second in the Ransome Trilogy, Ransome’s Crossing, comes out this summer). I am in awe of the research that goes into a historical. How difficult do you find it to switch back and forth between the contemporary genre and historical?

KD: I started writing Ransome’s Honor, the first book in what became the Ransome Trilogy, when I was in the revision process on Stand-In Groom during graduate school. I’d been working on Stand-In Groom for three years, and I was ready for something with a totally different style, a totally different sensibility to it than the contemporary. I’ve had plenty of reviewers say that the style of my contemporaries is somewhat old-fashioned (in a good way), so I guess my voice as a writer has adapted to writing in both contemporary and historical settings.

I look at it this way. Many, many years ago, I took voice lessons in which I sang classical English, Italian, and German pieces (arias, excerpts from operettas and cantatas) in an almost operatic style. But I’ve also sung Southern Gospel, pop, and more jazzy/swing style music. Writing different eras is much the same thing: training myself to have a good “ear” and picking up on the rhythm and cadence of the language and losing myself in it.

RM: What’s next for Kaye Dacus? Can you tell us about your NEXT series?

KD: Well, after Ransome’s Crossing releases on June 1, I’ll be getting ready for the release of the first book of my next contemporary series, Love Remains—book 1 of The Matchmakers series, with Barbour, which releases in August 2010:

The Series:

Every grandmother wants to see her grandchildren happy, especially when it comes to their love lives. Join five active senior ladies—and one gentleman—who take a great interest in the lives and loves of their single grandchildren and become The Matchmakers.

Love Remains, Book 1:

Nashville native Bobby Patterson has just returned home after many years away to take a position with the Tennessee Criminal Investigations Unit. His new job: lead a task force investigating potential real estate fraud connected with the Middle Tennessee Historic Preservation Commission. Zarah Mitchell, who’s worked at the Commission for more than a decade, is about to face a piece of history that could ruin the life she’s built in Nashville: Bobby Patterson—her first love and the reason her father kicked her out fourteen years ago. When Bobby realizes Zarah is part of his investigation, he is tempted to use his grandmother’s not-so-subtle setups as a way to learn if Zarah is involved in the fraud. Zarah, at her grandmother’s suggestion, tries to put the pain from the past aside to see if any love remains between her and Bobby. But when she learns he’s been investigating her, will she be able to forgive him a second time?

And I’m currently writing the third book in The Ransome Trilogy, Ransome’s Quest, which comes out July 2011.

RM: Our readers are a mixture of published, about-to-be-published, and hope-to-be-published authors. If you could come up with your top five pieces of advice for writers, what would they be?

KD:

1. Above all else, FINISH YOUR FIRST DRAFT. As I just mentioned in a class on writing opening hooks, don’t stress out about perfecting your opening hook before you have your entire story written—until you get to the end, you don’t really know what your story is about, no matter how detailed your outline/synopsis is.

2. Put your manuscript aside for as long as you possibly can after you finish the first draft. You want to forget as much as possible about it before you start revisions—that way, you can be more objective about it.

3. Move on to something new as soon as possible. Don’t spend too long revising your draft. Get feedback, polish it up, but don’t get caught up in a continual revision loop.

4. Read five published novels in your genre for every one craft book you read. So many writers, especially new writers, get so caught up in “learning the craft” that they lose sight of “writing.” You can learn more from critical reading of published novels (breaking them apart, learning how/why they work or don’t work) than you’ll ever learn from reading a how-to book.

5. Story trumps craft. Carefully consider each critique you receive. My local writing group has adopted a line from Captain Barbossa from Pirates of the Caribbean when it comes to comments received from critiquers or on contest entries: “The code is more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules.” It doesn’t matter how many writing how-to books you memorize and how skillfully you apply the “rules” you’ve learned from them—if you don’t have a good story, none of the rest of it matters. Yes, the guidelines of good writing are important, but don’t let your story get lost in an attempt to “follow the rules.”

RM: Thank you, Kaye – good advice! I can’t wait to get my hands on your next book!

I’ve read and loved A Case for Love, and I can’t WAIT to share it with the rest of you. Yes, as mentioned earlier, I’m talking about a GIVEAWAY – our first on Inkspirational Messages! For you, our readers, I have a copy of A Case for Love that will be mailed to someone who comments on this post! Leave your email contact, and if you’re the winner, I will contact you and arrange for you to have your VERY OWN COPY to enjoy!

So read, comment, and ENTER!

 

Bio: Kaye Dacus is the author of contemporary and historical romances with Barbour Publishing and Harvest House Publishers. She holds a Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, is a former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, and currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers. She loves action movies and British costume dramas; and when she’s not writing, she enjoys knitting scarves and “lap blankets” (she’s a master of the straight-line knit and purl stitches!). Kaye lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and even though she writes romance novels, she is not afraid to admit that she’s never been kissed.

Posted on February 11, 2010 - by Regina

HAPPY ENDINGS

What do you get when you mix a wedding planner determined to live up to her “Happy Endings, Inc.” name by planning the perfect wedding, and a groom who is legally bound to lie to her – all the while becoming more and more attracted to her?

You get Kaye Dacus’ Stand-In Groom. As the subtitle suggests, “Planning This Wedding will be No Honeymoon.”

In her contemporary romantic debut, Kaye brings us the first of three adventures in the “Brides of Bonterre” Series, set in Louisiana and focused on the large Guidry family of brothers, sisters, and cousins. This one is centered on wedding-planner-extraordinaire Anne Hawthorne, cousin to the Guidry clan, who is reluctantly attracted to tall, attractive, and British George Laurence.

Throughout the book there are questions. What will Anne think when she finds out the reason for George’s lies? Why does George not act like the usual enamored bridegroom? Will it mean the end of Anne’s professional reputation if she falls for the groom? Will George risk his career to have, and to keep, the woman he loves? And finally, will Anne overcome her greatest fear to find enduring happiness?

While it was the cover and title that drew me initially, I couldn’t put it down once started.  The romance, the family connections that will remind you of many of your own, and that deliciously off-kilter feeling of being in love, vicariously, through wonderfully-developed characters—they all come together in a story that will keep you within the pages. As compelling as the book was, it kept drawing me in until those last few chapters that had me reading at full speed because I couldn’t WAIT to see how it ended. Then I had to go back and read different parts slowly, to savor every word!

Some of the authors recently reviewed on Inkspirational Messages are tagged on the cover of Stand-In Groom. M.L. Tydall said, “Absolutely delightful! I found myself laughing, crying, and rejoicing right along with the characters.” Mary Connealy wrote, “Stand-In Groom is as sweet, beautiful, and chaotic as a perfectly planned wedding.” 

I couldn’t agree more.

The “Brides of Bonterre” series continues with Menu for Romance, which features the tenuous romance between event planner Meredith Guidry and her head chef, and then concludes with the story of lawyer Forbes Guidry, whom we met in Stand-In Groom, in the recently released A Case for Love.

Kaye is also the author of Ransome’s Honor, book one of “The Ransome Trilogy” set around the Royal Navy in Regency England. Book two, Ransome’s Crossing, will be out summer 2010.  Little Whispers of Comfort for Busy Women, a gift book in the “Life’s Little Books of Wisdom” series is recently available, and the first in her contemporary “Matchmakers” series, Love Remains, is due to come out later in 2010.

 If you like your fiction with humor, tenderness, and those irritating relatives that you can’t help but love, then Stand-In Groom is a must-read. Then, once you’ve read that one, you’ll be like me, chomping at the bit to get your hands on the rest of the series!

 If you’d like to keep up with Kaye Dacus, check out her website!