Finding your writing niche…

Good Tuesday morning! Hope all is well in your corner of the big world. Have you ever thought about changing up your writing style or even the genre you write in? Many authors do this with a lot of success, some not so much. Let’s talk about the in’s and out’s of changing things up.

To get things started let’s say you’re a romance writer. Well, the romance genre is a widespread market going from the sweet innocent romance to the hardcore erotic style. Some writers just have the knack to write certain types of romance and when they try to go up the pole or even down they don’t seem to excel. But maybe you’re not doing well in the category you write in, what next? Try something new? Maybe…

I’ve talked to several authors that have tried many writing niches. Many authors go from romance to mystery without missing a beat, but others struggle with the change. One author changed her romance writing niche. She normally writes paranormal romance which is racy and at times dark, but then she tried a romantic comedy. It was a hit. But of course she’s known for her paranormal romances, what does she do? Well, she dabbles with both now. I’ve read both by her and have to say they’re great. It was a great transition.

Another author friend tried to step out of writing mysteries to try writing romance. Let’s just say she struggled. She told me that writing mysteries just coming easily, but trying to write a romance novel gave her a headache. I suggested just writing a mystery which is what she does best and sprinkle in some romance. Well, she’s doing that and it seems to work.

As for me, I’ve been writing romance for a long time. I’ve tried Christian Romance, Time Travel Romance, Cowboy Romance, and several others, but they’re all in the romance genre. But, I just published my first children’s Christmas book and I have to say it was fun. Now I’m working on a children’s series and it’s challenging. By no means am I leaving romance writing, I’m just venturing out a little.

So, what’s your writing niche and could you change if you tried?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Where does it stop!

Guess what I did yesterday? No not that, well maybe but it’s not what you think. I created a children’s book. It’s been in my brain for over two years and I decided to try out KDP’s new Kid’s Book Creator. My cover designer and I sat down with powerpoint and created each page.OF course she looked at me a little strangely when I said, I have an new idea. It always scares her when I say that. She usually asks when I’ll stop trying new things and I figure that will be when I’m gone. I made it easy because I’d already written the wording so it was just the point of creating the pages to go with the wording and I have to say it’s harder than you would think.

I have another children’s book in the work, but this one is for a little older age group. It’s a little more book form than picture book form. As a children’s minister I hear so much out of children. Some weeks I just sit and laugh at what comes out of their little minds and mouths. Parent’s beware, your children spill the beans often, but innocently. I know more about the parents lives and mishaps than anyone. It’s so funny and so much fun. But I do keep it all bottled up in my overactive brain. Maybe I’ll bring it out when I need extra help one day, never know.

As for the children’s book area of my brain, yep I went there. A couple of people have wondered when I’d venture to that area, especially since I work with children. Since I’m a big kid at heart it’s not too hard to slip into their mindset. Some days I feel like I’m just a bigger version of them. Some days my friends and family say I act like them too. Not sure if that’s good or bad. LOL!

So, if you get a chance go over and check out my first attempt at a children’s book. Now I have to warn you, this is our first attempt at Horseshoe Publishing so don’t be too critical.I can say it was extremely fun!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Halfway to the weekend!

It’s already halfway to the weekend and I feel like I’ve accomplished nothing. Time flies when you’re having fun I guess. I’m getting excited about my upcoming release of “Her Wish For Christmas” which is scheduled on Amazon for Thursday night at midnight. Since I’m donating 1/2 of the preorder and 1st week of sales royalties to a domestic violence charity I hope you’ve gone over to Amazon and preorder or maybe you plan on getting it Friday. It’s for a great cause.

As for my week, well it’s been busy as usual. I’m working on Ridge which will be set up for release later in the year. This is the first book in the new Five Oaks Ranch series. It’s based on a ranch and the five siblings are funny, complicated and exciting. I hope you’ll check them out as they come into being. Ridge has been an interesting character to write. He’s a hard man with a heart of stone, but he wasn’t always this hard. Two tours of duty in Iraq have changed him. But the new vet might just change that.

I hope all of you are enjoying your hump day! Don’t forget, the weekend is right around the corner.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Her Wish For Christmas… Pre order up and running

Good Wednesday morning to everyone! It’s a beautiful, chilly morning here in Georgia. I just love the crisp air that Fall offers. It’s so invigorating and refreshes my soul. I begin to get more itchy to write which is scary because some days I could write for 24 hours a day. Yikes, that sounds a little obsessive, but if you’re a writer you know exactly what I’m talking about.

I’m currently working on Her Wish for Christmas, the 3rd book in my Lean on Him Christian Romance Series. This book has torn at my heart and brought me to tears several times. I thought book 2 in the series, Faith Through the Tears was bad on my nerves, well this one has totally cleared out my tear ducts. Actually had a fan recommend sending out a box of tissues with each copy sold.

If you’re wondering why it brings me to tears, well it’s a book about a problem that plagues this nation and it’s something that just affects me so deeply. But it’s the reactions of the characters that totally takes me by surprise. If you’re not a writer, the last statement might seem strange, but sometimes as writer’s we’re surprised by how the characters take over.

Also, for this book, it’s on pre order through Amazon until the release date of November 14th at http://www.amazon.com/Her-Wish-Christmas-Lean-Book-ebook/dp/B00OJI0BN0. I’m donating 50% of my royalties from all the pre order sales and first week after release sales to a domestic violence charity. I want to help out with making a difference. This is such a problem and it breaks my heart that so many feel they have nowhere to turn.

The first couple of days the pre order was out it was in the top 100 on Amazon which is exciting. I’m so touched by the response to this book and can’t wait for it to be up and running. Since the book is almost completely through the editing process I’m crossing my fingers that maybe this book can inspire someone to speak out and get help.

As always great writing and May God Bless You…

Good morning after…

Well, all’s said and done on this Christmas season. The gifts are opened and the food consumed (Sighing heavily)… As I walked into my den this morning I groaned. I was met with the mess that I ignored last night. It looks like Rudolph and all his reindeer trampled through my den and did the two step.

I quietly poured a cup of coffee and waded through the empty gift bags, wadded up wrapping paper, Christmas balls and sat down. Sighing I took a long sip of coffee and clicked the heating pad on for my back. It’s over. The hustle and bustle of Christmas is behind us. Now for the clean up and return lines. Yeah, did I mention I didn’t read my sons new wireless controller for his game system. I bought the wrong one. I’m not game savvy ok…

Now’s time to get things in order and get back to work on my manuscripts. Especially since I have one with a deadline of January and two February. YIKES!!! So much for resting til New Year’s. HEHEHEHEHEHE…

What’s your plans for the next couple of days? Are you writing, cleaning, or a combo of both? I’ll be doing both as I ponder the new year. I wonder what the new year will hold for my writing career. I have some plans for submitting a couple of manuscripts to Avon. We’ll see how that goes.

Last week I was surprised by a wonderfully sweet card from a reader who received one of the giveaways in December. She was very appreciative and said she couldn’t wait for the rest of the Saga to come out. Of course I’m talking about the giveaway of “Victoria”. The next book will be coming out in the Spring, so keep an eye out for updates.

I do hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Merry Eve before Christmas Eve

Well it’s been another rainy day here in Georgia, but now the temperature is dropping and it’s feeling more like Christmas. As I sit here by my Christmas tree with a crackling fire I’m thankful for so many things.

First off I’m glad to be almost rid of the cold I’ve been figting for over a week, hence the long stint without a blog. Now I have a pulled muscle from coughing, sneezing and all that comes with a cold. Oh well, could be worse 🙂

Second I’m excited because tommorow is Christmas Eve and if you’ve followed my blog for the last two years you know I love Christmas. I get to be with family and friends being all Merry and happy.

Third I’m working on several manuscripts getting them polished up for a after New Year’s release. My writing has been an inspiration and a big stress reliever. I’ve gained so many new friends and fans through this blog and my writing. I’m excited about what 2014 holds for my writing. At the bottom of this post I will be giving you a sneak peak at the cover for one of my newest works that’s coming out after New Year’s.

Christmas spirit is filling my heart and soul. I almost want to write another Christmas romance but alas it’s a little late for that. Maybe it’ll keep until next year. I’m ready to celebrate the Savior’s birth on Wednesday. It’s a wonderful time of year to do something nice for someone else. Make sure you tell everyone you love them and give them a hug. Give a little Christmas spirit everywhere you go.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Here’s a sneak peak at the cover for Finding The Right Time. It’s a time travel romance and I’m really excited about this one. Take a look at this awesome cover that my cover designer created. We spent several hours on this one and I think it’s our best yet.

Romancing the real world…

In this world of tech savvy readers and writers it’s hard sometimes to gain the interest of fans. With so many wonderful romance writers the competition is large and wide. But the wonderful thing is that as a writer we get to write our own niche. We get to change the world of writing because if you are your own person then that’s your niche.

I’ve talked to many fans that say you’ve got to be different to stand out. Well, maybe your writing is different. Some publishers say go with what’s popular, but what you really need to do is stand out in the crowd. If you want to write about cowboys and everyone else is writing about vampires then go for it. Make your voice heard loud and clear. Give it your whole heart.

As for me I write mostly about cowboys and horses. That’s my niche and my fans follow that niche, thank goodness. I’ve got a couple of books that don’t include cowboys, but only a couple. Cowboys are what’s comfortable for me and inspire me, so with me you know what you’re getting. But I do try to go a little different in the angles of my stories.

Take for instance my newest Christmas book, Open The Heart. It has a handsome cowboy, horses and romance, but it’s based in snowy Switzerland on the side of a mountain in the Alps. That’s a niche in its self. So carve out your niche and make it spectacular. Give it your whole heart, not someone elses. Write about what you love and it will show.

Today’s reader is complex and they’re looking for that special romance that will warm their heart and in some instances curl their toes. Some readers want hot, steamy sex scenes, but others just want that warm fuzzy feeling you get from a real world romance. That’s what I try to carry on to my readers. A romance that could actually happen. Something real and reachable. Try it and you’ll be rewarded with smiles.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Picking the right cover photo

I know I’ve harped on this before but I can’t stress enough the importance of a great cover. I was looking at some of the new books on Amazon and to tell you the truth a couple of the covers were non imaginative. They were just bland and didn’t exactly go with the book description. But of course there were some that I was just stunned at the creativity and dare I say ‘beauty’.

Your book cover is the first thing potential readers see. If you go the extra mile it will help you tremendously. Like right now I’m scanning photos for my newest work in progress. I have in my mind what I want and it has to be perfect. I’ve looked at thousands of photos and let me tell you, it’s a lot of work, but the payoff makes it worth it.

If your cover doesn’t fit the book, why even go there. If you write a Christmas romance and put a Easter bunny on it, well you get the picture. Don’t give away too much with your cover either. This means don’t put a picture of the ending on the cover. If all the way through the book you keep the reader in the dark about if the couple is going to marry or get pregnant, you might not want to put them in a wedding dress or looking pregnant. But then again that could increase sales. Sometimes it’s a catch 22, you just have to know how to make it work.

Also, one last thing that’s a huge, big piece of advice. For next to nothing you can purchase a picture from a reputable site and make it really pop. Don’t just pull something from the family photos and make it work, unless it really goes with the book. I use several sites, but my favs are bigstockphoto.com and istockphoto.com. There are several, but these are the two I use.

As always, good writing and may God Bless You…

By the way, don’t forget that my publishing service designs great covers. Check out the tab above for Horseshoe Publishing…

Monday morning ramblings…

Well it was a busy weekend for me. Our Church put together showboxes for the local Family Children Service and then yesterday I had the Children’s Ministry Christmas party. Which this meant that I had to start my Christmas baking. I baked cookies, made rice krispy treats and smores. Not to mention red velvet and cream cheese bites. Needless to say it was a busy weekend.

As I sat yesterday afternoon just enjoying being with my family and having nothing at all to do, I received a call. It was my cousin calling to tell me a friend of ours has cancer. It was hard to hear. I’ve known him all my life and we’ve always been friends. It’s always hard to hear that word ‘cancer’. I prayed for him and knew he was in good hands.

My writing has been in the forefront of my mind lately. I have a couple of books in the works and am impatient to get them completed. I guess that’s just the life of a writer. I have to keep my focus on the writing instead of the finish. If I focus on the finish too much my writing will lack some of it’s luster. I don’t want to rush through the last couple of chapters.

I don’t know how one of the books will end exactly. Most of my books I have them mapped out in my mind and usually have a good idea how they’ll end, but this one book has changed as it has unfolded. As each chapter develops and the characters get their chance at the story it’s changed and evolved. I’m happy with the many changes, but am anxious to see it to the end.

Several fans are chomping at the bit for the 2nd book in the Alpine series. It was such an exciting book to write. I can’t wait to get started on it. All of my books are on sale for .99 until December 26th. I want to do this as a thanks to all my devoted and beloved fans. It’s been an awesome year for me and my writing.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Sunday Inspiration

Well it’s Sunday and cloudy. I’m home from Church cuddled up in the corner of my couch with my sweats on and wrapped in a blanket. To me it’s the best way to write a good romantic scene. My mind is buzzing with ideas for yet another manuscript. Yes I know, I need to finish what I’ve already got started, but that doesn’t stop me from at least whipping out a outline to keep it in my brain.

If all goes well the 2nd book in the Lean On Him series will be completed before Christmas.At lease the cover is completed and ready to go. Hopefully the other works in progress will be completed this year. Hopefully will start 2014 on a new slate.

What inspires you? Is it another book you read? I’m not saying steal someones idea, I’m just saying maybe some character or place in the story inspires you to write. For me several things can be inspiration. As I decorated my Christmas tree on Friday I was inspired about a Christmas idea. Yeah I know my Christmas romance is already out there, but I can still work on one for next year.

It’s amazing how the simplest things can inspire you to put it into words. I’m getting ready to work for a couple of hours and when I emerge from the other side hopefully I’ll be a lot closer to one finish and another start up. Let’s just see how it goes. Of course I do have a lot going on around me. We’re babysitting our grandson and watching Disney’s Planes. Well they’re watching the movie and I’m talking to you great people, but it’s all good.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…