Revisiting old post – “Something as Simple as Watering Flowers!”

This was a post from last August that brought about a lot of discussion. I recently sent it to another blog for a blast from the past and it stirred a need to repost.

Have you ever thought about the comparison of watering flowers and life? If you don’t water the flowers, they will die

without any rain. Life is that way. We have to constantly add something in our life to entertain ourselves. We have to have food and water to live.

Just as our writing, if you don’t keep watering your audience, eventually, unless you grow really famous, your audience goes down and you die. You have to water by blogging daily, adding yourself to every site imaginable, and tweeting til your fingers ache.

I was watering the above flowers last night and thought about that. Even with my faith which I take very seriously, I have to keep read up and prayed up. If you don’t stay focused you lose some momentum.

As I tell my son all the time regarding his dogs, if you don’t feed them they will starve to death. He always comes back with they will find something to eat mom! (Kids you gotta love um!).

Ebook or Print Book?

This is such a hard decision. Do you put your ebook into a print book? I have several of mine in print, but some are not yet there. I started out with Create Space and they are really easy to work with. I signed a contract last month with Lightning Source to let them handle my print books. The reason I made a little leap, well a really big leap, was because Barnes & Noble said I needed a bigger print company to have my books in their brick and mortar stores. This is also the case with other stores.

Of course B & N has them in print on their online store, but not in their stores yet. The problem I’m now having is ISBN’s. I have so many on each book that I’ve had to create a spreadsheet to keep up with them. As per ISBN criteria you have to have a different number for each format of book.

Well, I have one for my print books, but for some reason, Lightning is having problems using them. Now I sit here and look out at the trees outside my office door and wonder, what now? If I have to purchase a new ISBN, which is what it looks like I’m going to have to do, well that’s quite a bit and not to mention the set up fee for each book on Lightning. Is the bigger market availability on Lightning’s distribution going to outweigh the extra cost?

I just don’t know, but it’s something for us as authors to think about. Sometimes we have to sit back and weigh one point against another and see which has the better result.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Handwritten or Typed, what’s your preference?

As long as I can remember I’ve been writing down my thoughts. Sometimes in journal form or just in story form. I’ll see something or someone and it’ll inspire a verse or maybe two, sometimes even a whole novel. But it’s where and when which determines the preference of my writing tools.

When I was younger we didn’t have a computer, obviously, let’s not go there. I’d get composition books and fill them with my thoughts and stories. The funny thing is I still have those notebooks. Some of the books I’ve written came from those pages. Of course I’ve changed them around to fit the times, but they’re still the basics that I wrote so long ago.

As I read over what I hand wrote all those years ago, I laugh at my innocence. I can tell when things were changing in my mind and when I started to think differently. I love reading over some of them. I’ll have to put some of them in my blog sometime.

Today I prefer my laptop as it keeps down the hand cramps and it’s quicker at times. I do keep a small pad with me for when I’m away from my laptop I can still catch the moment. I’ve even been know to take a notebook to the bubble bath to write. Those pages are usually smeared and crinkly from the humidity, but readable.

So what’s your preference?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Romance and Roses

Have you ever noticed the old adage that to make a romantic gesture, you need to include roses? Well, roses are the flower of romance, but do you need them to have a romantic setting.

Take for instance, writing romance, how many times to you read and he gave her a dozen roses? Well, some, but not every time. I’ve noticed it’s more the look and the setting.

When I’m writing my books I try to make it the non traditional romance scene. Give it a little flare. My writing is not heated romance, but rather romance with a slightly elevated temperature. But you get the picture when I write a romance scene.

I love romance and in any form. Sometimes just a look is romantic. Like maybe when a man gives you that look that says, “Hey you look good, let’s hook up.” Sometimes that look can be a danger signal and other times it’s the romantic look of the man you’re with.

What about the surprise note or just kiss in a public place? Now there’s something to be said for a brush of the hand in a very public place or the “I love you” note in your book. That’s always an indication that your significant other has been paying attention.

Well, if you’re a romance writer, bring on a new flare of romance that will inspire others. Maybe you’ll be the cause of a new romance genre. Never know…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Sunday morning shout out…

I’d like to give a special shout out to Avon Publishing for allowing me to be a contributor to their website. As I’ve been going on their site for a couple of months checking my blog post I’ve gotten to know some other romance lovers. I’ve been reading Avon Romance books for as long as I can remember. So it’s an honor for me to be part of their world if only in my blogs.

If you haven’t checked out avonromance.com then I suggest you do so. They’ve got some great authors and reviewers and bloggers. I’ve gained several new followers through this site.

I’ve also been post parts of my manuscripts on their site. They have this great place where you can share your work. It’d be great to be found by their editors on this site, but you know me, I’m patient. But I’m thinking about pitching one of my works in progress to them in the next week. We’ll just see.

So, go on over and check them out. As I’ve said, they’ve got some great authors on their site. I know you’ll be hooked just as I am.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

A country girl’s life

As some of you know if you follow my blog, I’m a country girl. I love living in the country. As a child I played in the woods, corn fields, cow pasture, and mud puddles to my little heart’s delight. I’m raising my son to enjoy and respect the same countryside that I love. Now he fishes and hunts, not to mention plays in the mud and catches frogs. It’s just a wonderful life.

Take for instance this morning. We woke to a gorgeous sunny morning here in Georgia, which here lately is a wondrous sight. After a cup of coffee and toast we headed out to cut limbs out of our trees to allow the sun and breeze to blow easily through. But not before we watched Luke Bryan in all his gorgeousness hunting on a program my husband watches.

Then it was time to weed the garden and pick the tomatoes. I gathered the ones in the bowl on the counter with the new ones. Yep, you guessed it. I canned them. Maybe you’re saying but wouldn’t it be easier to buy them already canned in the store. Well, yeah, but nothings better than in the dead of winter pulling out your frozen goods from the summer garden. It’s using God’s bounty that he generously provides us.

I did take time to clean the house some. Now I’m propped on pillows in the bed with the sun streaming through the windows. We are actually getting what I call a true summer rain shower. It’s still sun shining as the rain gently falls. I have my laptop and now it’s time to get to work.

The birds are singing outside the window and playing in the rose bushes. It would be a moment of quiet solitude if my son wasn’t two bedrooms up playing his drums and my husband is in the den watching the last Harry Potter. But it’s still peaceful in my country home.

As for the rest of the day, it will be committed to hours of working on my current manuscript. I’m excited. I worked last night until almost midnight. I would have worked longer, but my eyes were telling me it’s time to shut it down. Although my brain was still working as I tried to go to sleep.

Hope your Saturday is a pleasant one. Take a little time to listen to the birds sing and watch a couple of clouds silently pass through the blue skies.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Writing and Watermelon

It’s the middle of the summer and watermelon is in abundance here in the south. As I was having a way too big of a piece for lunch, I started to think about the similarities. Well, I know you’re thinking here she goes on another wild rabbit chase, but I do have a method to my madness 🙂

I was looking at my watermelon and noticing how the top inch or so has no seeds and then as you get into the middle it is almost completely seeded and then toward the rind for about a inch no seeds again.

In writing you start a book out with a solid story beginning. Always trying to make the story plausible so that the reader stays interested past the first chapter or two. Then you get to the middle and that’s where the real story just pops out and goes in every direction to fill in the body. The middle is full of the dark secrets of the story like the seeds of the watermelon. There are so many elements of the middle story. Then you get to the last of the book and you’re bringing it in tight again for a clean finish. One that will leave the reader wanting more if it’s a series or leaving them completely satisfied.

So, how’s your story going? Do you have your solid beginning and ending? Is the body of your story full of seeds that lead to the finale of a lifetime?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Time to Write

As a writer you have to make time to write. If not, you’re not writing. I sometimes struggle with this as I’m a busy person. As I’ve said before I’m an Accountant, Mother, Wife, Children’s Minister, Blogger, and Writer. My philosophy is you only live once so live everyday like it’s your last.

Some days I get frustrated because the characters of my books are running around screaming in my head, but it’s alright. I know that they’ll find their voice. Do you have a hard time finding time around life to write? Do you struggle with your characters being louder than everything?

Oh, and I forgot to add that I now have a small publishing service called Horseshoe Publishing. Yep, I’m a glutton for punishment. Not to mention my assistant is leaving me in two weeks to finish up college at the University of Georgia. I’m so proud of her, but that’s for another post as I’m already tearing up just saying it out loud. She’s also my niece, so I’m a proud aunt.

Let’s just say time is on short supply and I need at least 36 hours in a day. Go over and support my writing and maybe I can eliminate one of the jobs. Just kidding, I love what I do. Well, you can still go over and support my writing if you want to. I’m not a pushy person as you well know from my blogs.

As always, great writing and May God Bless You…

“Victoria” Cover Reveal

I think this has been the hardest book cover for me. I’ve had in my mind what I wanted since I started to work on this book back last summer. But what’s funny about my mind is that it has a mind of it’s own. No really 🙂

I sat down with my cover designer and drew out what I had in mind. Well after several eyebrow arches and looks of “What?” later, she told me to hunt the pictures and we’d put it together.

As I searched the pictures I found two really cool antique looking photos and well, let’s just say that was it. My mind changed and the cover took on a whole new look. What’s even funnier is that the book that started out as a stand alone has turned into a several book saga. Well, I’ve always said the mind of a writer is crazy and takes many turns. Here’s that curvy road of my mind.

So without further talk, here’s the front cover for “Victoria” the first book in the “Women of Magnolia Hill Saga” :

Let me know what you think. I’m so excited about this one. It took on a life of it’s own and with my very talented cover designers extraordinary talents it’s done. Now I’ve got to get the book done. It’s over 20,000 words and hopefully will be 3 or 4 times longer when finished.

As always, Good Writing and May God Bless You…

Brain faster than fingers

As a writer when an idea comes through your brain you either have to write it down or put in your computer almost immediately. I’ve learned as I get older, my memory can’t hold for very long. Sometimes I have to stop what I’m doing and write the thought down on anything available. My editor just loves my notes. Napkins work really well 🙂 That’s clean napkins!

Sometimes the way my brain works my fingers can’t keep up. I’ll be typing as fast as my fingers will let me, but my brain is ahead of me. That’s when it gets crazy. I get frustrated because my brain is spitting the story out like a battalion leader, but my fingers are still at start.

One day I got so frustrated that I actually sat down with a pen and paper and wrote the story. My editor just looked at me and laughed. When I didn’t say anything she was like you didn’t really hand write this did you? I smiled and said at least it got out of my head. She usually just shakes her head and starts typing. Sometimes I think she wants to throw things at me.

Is your brain faster than your fingers?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…