Tricia Goyer

Gina has tagged me with the five word meme. I have to personally define them, and THEN I get to tag five more people with words of my own choosing.

Gina’s words:

Silt: Silt is the nice soil in the garden that helps it grow. Of course, when it comes to writing what helps my manuscript most is when I silt in my computer chair and work! (Silt: a combination of sitting and lounging.)

Schwa: This is an exclamation of excitement that comes over me when I meet a writing goal. (Schwa: a combination of swell and boo-ya!)

Digraph: This, of course, is how I plot the main points of death for my war novels. When I need to figure out who I’m going to off in what chapter, I create a digraph. (Digraph: hand drawn graph of the poor characters in Tricia Goyer’s books who weren’t lucky enough to get the leading roles.)

Calendula: My new assistant, Amy, is my inspiration for this definition. Since I’ve volunteered with pregnant teens for many years, I know that a doula is a labor and delivery room goddess who is there to support the mom during birth. Because I have 101 things going at once, my manuscript “labor and delivery” can be overwhelming. My assistant, Amy, is my calendula. She supports me and encourages me while she also juggles my schedule. (Calendula: an underpaid assistant who makes appointments and offers encouragement and ice chips.)

And a final one from Gina for good luck . . .

Innocuous: Since there is no immunization against the worry virus, God’s Word helps me to be innocuous to bad reviews and poor sales figures. (Yes, I actually knew what this word meant!)

Now for the tag. [Insert evil maniacal laugh.randomly radomly looking in the dictionary now . . .

bloviate
latitudinarian
philomath
hebetude
and
betimes

I tag:
Ane Mulligan , Beth Goddard, Cindy Thomson, Pammer and Dena Dyer because I’m trying to give my regular tagees a break, and these were the first who came to mind.

Things have been a little horsey around here–my research for my novel that is. For this book I’m doing something a little different. I’m having a stallion as one of the character.

Okay, so I won’t have any scenes in the horse’s point-of-view or anything. I’m not that brave! Rather, a prized horse will play a part in the story. After all, not only the lives of people were affected by the SpanishCivil War.

As I research, it’s becoming clear to me that the woe of a four-legged creature is not only a good representation to the suffering of the Spanish nation, but there is a lot of symbolism going on.

For example, also playing a part in the story is Picasso’s famous painting Guernica, which he painted as an outcry to the Spanish Civil War. In the painting, two animals are part of the scene–a horse and a bull.

To me the bull has many representations of the Spanish culture and the way they cope with death. What other country has a bloody bullfight as their national sport? The horse, which also takes part in the bullfight, plays more of the victim role in the fight, and in the story.

Why am I tell you all this? Because unless you read this blog, you most likely would never know how much thought I, as a novelist, put into symbolism. You see, for these symbols to work they are painted in shades of gray. They do not stand out in the story. They will not be major plot points, yet–without the reader knowing it–both the bull and the horse will be used in interesting ways to evoke emotion. Or at least that is my plan!

For me, writing a novel involves taking concrete things such as research, plot, characters, and threading them together in interesting ways. When people read my novels they usually mention the people and the events. These things tug at their hearts, but in my opinion they do so because of the thought I put into other areas, such as symbolism, that don’t stand out and aren’t meant to.

More research for me today! And I’d love to hear your thoughts on symbolism in writing.

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Where in the e-world has Tricia Goyer been lately?

Pioneer Parenting Blog with Mary DeMuth

Jennifer Snapshots Fall Reading List

CAN Marketing Blog. Interview with Fran Silverman

Pieces of Me by The Gatekeeper

Fiction Friday by Writer . . . Interrupted

ACFW Book of the Year Winners by Camy’s Loft

Parenting Styles by Cara’s Musings

Ten Questions for Mel and Cheryl Hodde:

1. Tricia: Hannah Alexander is a pen name. How did you come up with it?

Cheryl: I wanted to emphasize the fact that Mel and I worked together as a team, as one person, and so we decided on a pen name. We tried variations of both our names, such as placing our middle names together or something. Dee Linn just didn’t work. Neither did Linn Dee. So we both chose names with which we identified. I chose Hannah because I could identify with Hannah in the Bible, pre-Samuel, as I have no children. Hannah means “her hope is in the
Lord.” Mel chose Alexander because it means “servant of mankind.” Since he is a physician, he likes the thought of being of service to mankind. An added perk that we hadn’t counted on was the placement of our books in alphabetical order. We’re next to Randy Alcorn and Tammy Alexander in the bookstores. That’s a good thing!

2. Tricia: How does your “writing partnership” work?

Cheryl: I’m the main writer of the team. Mel and I were talking one day, and we realized that I had spent as much time studying the art of novel writing as he had spent in med school. So it only made sense that I would be the main writer, and Mel would critique, edit, research, encourage, and provide insights from his day job as an ER physician. He’s always wanted to be a
part of my writing, and the teamwork is a good thing. Of course, sometimes I have to drag him away from something he’s doing, like flying his remote control airplanes, boats, cars, helicopters, but for the most part he’s willing to drop everything to help me when I need it. Since Mel’s job does lend itself well to medical plots, we always try to have at least some medical influence in our books, and he does the medical scenes for me to incorporate wherever I need them.

3. Tricia: Tell me a little about your newest release “Under Suspicion.”

Cheryl: This is our first Hideaway novel that was set outside the immediate Branson/Hideaway area of Missouri. It’s about a state senator who is killed in Jefferson City, the capital of Missouri. His oldest daughter becomes a suspect. Since his youngest daughter is Karah Lee Fletcher from Hideaway, we make the connection there. I’ve always loved Jefferson City, and set one of our very earliest books there. It seemed to work for readers, so we did it again.

4. Tricia: I read that both of you like to hike. How would you comparing the writing journey to setting out on a mountain trail?

Cheryl: Ah, a mountain trail? That would be a very good comparison, because starting at the base of a tall mountain is exactly how it feels beginning a new novel. First of all, it’s so exciting! We love to find the trail on a map…oh, well, that doesn’t work, because when we’re writing something new, there’s no map. We have to make our own map. However, learning about the
mountain, all its pitfalls and crevices and cliffs, is much like learning about the characters in our novels, all the quirks and personalities and conflicts. And as with a new mountain, a new novel brings us unexpected surprises.
I always begin a new novel with a 7-10 page outline, but since our books are actually character based, and since I’m always just learning about the character as I’m writing about her, there area always surprises. I can plot a good outline, but when the character takes shape for me–which she can only do well as I write about her–I will often discover that she wouldn’t do things the way I’d planned for her to do them. The plot has to change. Therefore, the first draft of the novel is always about climbing the mountain, which often seems like the hardest part. However, it’s possible that coming down the mountain is actually harder on certain parts of my body, such as my knees, or my backside if I slip and fall. Rewrites are the most fun part of writing for me, but when I go back through a first draft and find all the problems, oversights, character problems, it can be quite harrowing. Such questions haunt me as haunt other novelists, “What made me think I could write?” “I’m a failure!” “I’ve lost it completely!” That’s when Mel comes in.
When we’re hiking, I tend to feel overconfident. Then I slide, or get tired of carrying my heavy pack, or run out of water, or forget to pack a jacket, and Mel steps in and takes my
load, helps me up when I fall, gives me his water. Once, when I was sliding down a steep cliffside, he actually jumped in front of me to stop my fall, and nearly fell, himself. He does this when we’re rewriting. He has never felt confident with the initial plotting, since he can’t read my mind. He can help with a problem plot, though, and he often saves the day when I’m at a loss about how to fix something. He’s my real-life hero.

5. Tricia: If you had to base your next novel off a recent story to hit the Tabloids, what would you pick?

Cheryl: Actually, we’re doing that now, since Mel found himself treating a couple of the FBIs most wanted who had gone on a killing spree across the midwest a few months ago. They ended up in his ER after a drug-related automobile accident. We really never wanted that much up-close and personal research material, but since it landed in his lap, we’ll go with it.

6. Tricia: For writers who don’t have a medical professional at their beck and call, what would you recommend for writers who want to create characters who are medical professionals, while ensuring realistic details and insider insights?

Cheryl: Whatever they do, they should NOT accept television medical shows as authentic. I can’t watch a medical show with Mel because he’s constantly saying, “They just killed the patient…that never happens in a hospital…they’d get sued for that…!”
If I didn’t have Mel working with me directly, through all drafts, I would never attempt to write medical novels, or even novels with a lot of medical scenes in them unless it was something I had experienced, myself. There’s just too much that can go wrong, and too many medical personnel who love to read. Even the best novelists in the business, with excellent research abilities, get the medical wrong. It’s disappointing, especially to readers who know better. It breaks the spell. That’s not good. If I wanted to write about a main character who was a doctor or nurse or
other medical professional, I would either pay someone with that particular experience to read what I’ve written and edit it for me, or I would stay out of the hospital or clinic. You can write about someone who is medical without doing a play-by-play of his job. In fact, I have spoken with colleagues of Mel’s who would prefer to read about the private lives of the doctors–since a doctor often works too hard to have a private life if his own. If you can’t get it right, then you aren’t writing what you know, and I’m a firm believer in doing that. Don’t do what the television shows do–don’t fake it.

7. Tricia: Would you consider yourselves risk-takers when it comes to writing? Why or why not?

Cheryl: Sitting down and writing a novel is taking a risk, but so is painting a work of art, or singing a solo in front of an audience. We place our hearts out there for strangers to see, and we risk criticism. I do not, however, consider myself a risk taker, because I never read reviews, good or bad, about something I’ve written. I never go online to read our Amazon numbers,
and I usually don’t even read our published books. Why look back? Novel writing for me is all about moving forward, exploring the next story. When I stopped worrying about what everyone else said about my writing, the risk disappeared. Yes, it’s nice to receive royalty checks, and nice to hear good news from our editors, but our editors seldom tell us what to write. I write what I want, and it seems to work for our publisher. If it ever changes, I’m sure they’ll let me know.

8. Tricia: All writers like to believe their work has changed readers in some way. In what ways do you hope your work makes a difference?

Cheryl: The whole reason for writing, the whole reason for living, is to know God, and to show Him to others. We have kids as young as eleven, and adults as old as 97 who like to read our books. If we can encourage them in some way to look at God in a different way, to experience His love for them, and to show that love to others, then what we’re doing has mattered. I see the hand of God when I’m hiking. He’s everywhere, in the trees, in the birdsong, in the creek, the flowers, the very dirt we walk on. He made it all. I’ve been called to write, and that’s what I’m doing. I must trust God to reveal Himself in those words.

9. Tricia: Splashing through rain puddles or sand between your toes?

Cheryl: That’s an impossible decision. I grew up by the ocean, so I love that sand between my toes, but I love the water in all forms. We do a snow hike every year. Mel and I plan to go on a rain hike tomorrow. Can I get back to you on that?

10. Tricia: Finally, what have you learned from each other about the craft of writing?

Cheryl: I’ve learned from Mel to stay humble, to stay open to new ideas. I can’t do this alone, and he’s there beside me to help. I wrote and studied novels for thirteen years alone, and the writing became MY work, My calling. When Mel and I met and married, it suddenly became a partnership. It helps that none of my writing sold until after he and I were married, because then it really was ours, and not just mine.
I believe Mel has also learned humility. He’s always been so gifted in many areas of his life, but he knows that he isn’t going to go back and study all the things I’ve learned about writing. That’s my expertise, and medicine is his. We’re both happy this way.

Tricia, thanks so much for this great interview. You’ve come up with fresh, thought provoking questions, and we appreciate you!

Cheryl
http://www.hannahalexander.com/

10 Questions for Veronica Heley

1. Tricia: I saw on your website that you give talks, and one was in Cambridge . . . is that like England or Massachusetts?

Veronica: I do draw the line at crossing the Channel for anything but a holiday! I live in London, England, and most of the talks and workshops that I give are within reach of the capitol, but I am very happy to go further afield when someone puts me up for the night. If I go any great distance I try to give two talks, perhaps one at a public library and one to a church group. Sometimes I give workshops on writing fiction; teaching people some techniques on the use of dialogue can improve their work out of all recognition. I used to give talks in schools years ago when I was writing for that market, but nowadays my audiences seem to be a fair bit older. One tip I’ve found useful when arranging to speak at a public library, is for the librarian to have some of my books on display beforehand, with fliers saying that I’m coming to speak. This works really well. Usually I can bring a box of books to sell in addition – though I’m incapable of signing and taking money at the same time, so have to ask someone to help me out on that.

I love to meet my readers and let them tell me what they like about my books, and why they read them. One woman even emailed me last week to say that the Ellie Quicke books make her feel so much better that she even took a copy of one to read when she had to visit the Accident and Emergency department at her local hospital! That gave me a warm glow, I can tell you!

2. Tricia: Your mysteries sound wonderful. Why crime?

Veronica: It’s the battle of good against evil which attracts me. Mankind – not only Christians – have a built-in desire to see justice done and bad men defeated, but real life is a messy affair at best. I like to write stories about Christians doing their best in difficult circumstances in a secular society. Sometimes the lines between right and wrong can get very muddled in everyday life. Sometimes we make the wrong choices for the right reasons, perhaps doing wrong so that right will triumph.
The Ellie Quicke Mysteries are based on events that have really happened, although in some cases I’ve had to tone down fact to make the fiction believable. The real life happenings in Murder by Suicide were actually worse than I’ve shown! I’m fascinated by people; why they act as they do, think as they do…even marry who they do. Of course, I also write crime because I have two publishers who like it.

The Ellie Quicke Mysteries were first devised by HarperCollins Religious department, to take a Christian viewpoint out into the mainstream. Now they are with Severn House, who are library publishers, and reach a readership who may not go to church, but like the values of my heroine. That’s a mission in itself. My other publisher at the moment is Zondervan, of whom
more below.

3. Tricia: From reading your website, I see your prayer group is an important part of your life. In our busy world, why do you feel it’s important for believers to join together in prayer?

Veronica: The short answer is – for support. And do I need support, especially when giving my talks in secular places! We support one another, praying constantly. Our prayer list at church is a long one, and ties up with pastoral care and outreach. Sometimes we get a bit depressed when the list grows ever longer, and our prayers don’t seem to be reducing the number. Then we stop asking, and start praising. Believe me, it works! Praise always works. And…lo and behold! The list shrinks.

Of course we each of us have our own private list – I find that for some reason I can’t manage to pray for more than six people a night. I don’t know why. Usually the list accommodates itself to my limitations. There are also lists put out by various other Christian organisations that I belong to. It can be hard to pray for someone you don’t know anything about…but that’s just me. Other people can do it much better.

4. Tricia: Your friends think your character Ellie Quicke is a bit like you. In what respects?

Veronica: Yes and no. Let me say straight away that my husband is thankfully still alive, and is NOTHING like Ellie’s deceased Frank. And our daughter is nothing like Diana – for which I am truly grateful. Ellie is ‘fluffier’ than I am. Like me, she doesn’t drive and also like me she loves gardening, cooking, talking to friends and shopping. I can manage a computer better than her, but she can manage her mobile phone better then me. I can move into thinking like her in order to write about her, and I suppose I also have my trains (or trails) of thought as she does. I don’t have her moneyed background, though. Physically, I suppose we are alike, as we are both shortish, have hair that’s turned grey early, and like to dress in blue and white, or coral
colours. Never in black.

6. Tricia: In your opinion, what goes into a good mystery?

Veronica: Tension. Set up a problem on the first page, and solve it on the last. And, almost as important if not more so, create a character your readers can identify with, so that they want to see him or her succeed. I read crime all the time, and the writers I return to time and again have a strong sense of right and wrong, an attractive main character, and a tale that twists and turns. Some stories are like a hunt or quest…most police procedurals are like that. The Ellie books work on the basis of solving the crime in the community through help from people in the community. But in these books you also see the villain or villains at work AT THE SAME TIME as Ellie is trying to track them down. This creates extra tension.

7. Tricia: I started reading about your Eden Hall books, and I had to place one on order. I can’t wait to get it! Is Eden’s tale a Cinderella story of sorts?

Veronica: These differ from the Ellie Quicke Mysteries in two respects. The Christian publisher, Zondervan, was aiming at the Christian market, so I could let my young heroine deal with her problems by reference to the bible. This opened up a whole new area in which I could deal with matters that have long troubled me…for instance, How can God really love me, poor thing that I
am? I could deal with problems of forgiveness, and stewardship among others. I could show Minty, my Cinderella heroine, thinking through these things, arguing with God, going to the bible for reassurance and information. Although Ellie is a woman who goes to church, she doesn’t get right down to the basics as Minty does. Ellie prays and is given the help she needs, but Minty grows in faith as she meets and conquers each new, and personal, challenge.

The Eden Hall books are different also in that they are not crime books in the usual sense, but Romance/Suspense. There is crime, yes. A considerable amount of it. But they are not mysteries as such. And before someone asks, the attractive hero in the Eden Hall series is
NOTHING like my husband, either!

8. Tricia: If you could live anywhere in the world for six months, where would you
choose? Why?

Veronica: At the moment, with work piling up on all sides, the thought of getting away
from work for six months sounds wonderful. To be in a quiet and beautiful place all my myself without a computer or email…bliss!

No, it wouldn’t do me for more than six days! Well, possibly seven. I need family and friends. I need the stimulation of writing. I’d be bored without anything to do, any stories to tell. Are beautiful surroundings enough? No. Definitely not. But if I had to choose a home from home, I’d say Bruges in Belgium for its beauty, its civilised way of life, it’s food. Oh, and there’s a shop there which I visit twice a year where they have unusual and attractive clothes in my size and
they give me a discount. Not to mention the cafes, the hot chocolate, and the fact that almost everyone speaks good English. There are many places I’d still like to visit or revisit, such as New Zealand and Pompeii and the area near Salzburg in Austria. But not to live for six months! Who thought up that horrible idea?

9. Tricia: I feel like I came upon a special treasure when I discovered the “Thought for the Month” on your website. Can you tell us a little about those thoughts/prayers?

Veronica: This is one of the things we started in our prayer group, aiming for people who didn’t read the bible regularly, didn’t study bible reading notes, and who are scared by the idea of going to a prayer group – although they’re happy to give us names of people to pray for, and they might attend a house-group.

We don’t even use the word ‘prayer’. Did you notice that?

Four of us write for it, each from a different point of view, and I put it together and draw something which I hope will be appropriate on the front cover – and no, I don’t put the drawing on the web-site – I’m only an amateur. We have guests who provide contributions, and I must admit that I listen to the service partly for some prayer that might be suitable, and if I hear one, I ask permission to use it. We try not to use jargon of any sort, or to get too theological.

At first this sheet used to be distributed only in our own church, but now it goes into the magazine which is supplied to another church as well…oh, and we have a small mailing list, too.
Because it’s hair-raising getting all the prayers in by the copy-date each month, I put last year’s Thoughts into my website this year. Each time I come to write my bit, I wonder what on earth I can say. Then I pray a bit. And somehow God gives me the right words.

10. Tricia: Finally, can you share one of those prayers here, for the readers of the blog?

Veronica: A Prayer from Thought for the Month.

Summer and winter, springtime and harvest…

Lord of the harvest, teach us how to sow the seed that will yield a good harvest for you. Teach us also the endurance to wait patiently for the time of your great Harvest, when we will meet you in Glory.

Check out more from Veronica Heley here:
www.veronicaheley.com

The Eden Hall series: Zondervan
The Ellie Quicke Mysteries: HarperCollins/Severn House
Stories of Everyday Saints: Bible Reading Fellowship

Novel Update 07

I sat here for a few minutes considering if I should honestly call this a novel update. I finally decided it is. The update is . . . no work has been done on my next novel. (Yes, I hear the deadline ticking nearer!)

I do have good news though. The edits for A Valley of Betrayal are finished! Yeah. The book is on to the next stage–copyediting, but for the most part my job on this novel is done. Double yeah!

Also, this weekend, I had my friend, Gayle, visiting Thursday-Sunday. It was great to get away and explore Montana in the fall. We went to Glacier National Park and the autumn colors were amazing! In fact, I had so much fun that all anxiety about approaching deadlines disappeared. Of course, I trust that taking time to unwind is good for this writer’s soul and it will benefit my novel in the long run.

Also, I had one more thing I’ve been thinking about lately. In my morning Bible Study I’m reading The Beloved Disciple by Beth Moore. This morning’s reading was about the disciple John taking care of Jesus’ mother. Beth Moore shared that only after the job of caregiving finished was John able to travel to many places, including Rome, to share the good news of Jesus. Her words reminded me that caregiving was something Jesus asked of John, and only after he completed this task was John ready for a great revelation–literally the book of Revelation.

As a novelist, I also have a lot of caregiving going on. With three kids at home, a dear husband and a grandmother living with us (and not to mention the teen moms I mentor), I’m in a season of giving and caring. Yet as I am faithful to these things, God also gives me moments of revelation in my writing. (I know they are moments of “revelation” because there are many times I have NO IDEA what is to come next.)

God has given me many tasks, and somehow in His grand scheme of things when I care for others He prepares my heart in ways I cannot imagine. Isn’t that just like Him?

Okay, but that doesn’t mean I can just play around and not do my work. My next update will have an update about my novel-in-progress. I promise!

10 Questions for Lena Nelson Dooley

1. Tricia: Lena, you’ve worked in the writing world for many years, taking on a variety of projects. Then, in 2002 your fiction really started to take off. How many novels will you have in print by the end of 2006?

Lena: I have already had a couple go out of print, but including the repackages and sub-rights publications, I will have had eight mass-market titles, three trade paperback titles, one hardback, and one audio book. Books 14, 15 and 16 will come out in the first half of 2007.

2. Tricia: I read you have two daughters and four grandchildren. What is the one thing you are most thankful for when it comes to your family?

Lena: That they have always lived close by, until one grandson went to Germany in the Army. My husband and I have been able to participate in their lives. All my children, in-laws, and grandchildren know the Lord. Two of my grandchildren even work for our church. The strength of their spiritual life is important to both James and me.

3. Tricia: I see you’re also very involved in drama. Why do you think “story” is so powerful–whether it’s written or acted out?

Lena: The prime example of that is Jesus. He so often taught principles through parables. I try to follow His example. All of my novels have a strong spiritual principle involved. My prayer is that when readers see how my characters learn and grow and deal with issues, it will help them deal with their own issues. I’ve heard from many who have told me how something in a book helped them overcome a spiritual problem in their lives. The same with drama. People will watch a play, a sketch, or a dramatic monologue and learn from it when they won’t listen to a preacher. And it is said that you retain more of the things you see than the things you hear or even read.

4. Tricia: Oprah has the “O List” of her most favorite things. If you had your “L List” what are five things you would include?

Lena: One – my husband and family (is that allowed)
Two – Travel
Three – My computer (I’m an author. Who could do that without a computer?)
Four – I love jewelry, especially colored gemstones
Five – Getting a massage

5. Tricia: Nancy Thayer once said, “It’s never too late–in fiction or in life–to revise.” What revisions are you currently involved in?

Lena: Actually, right now I’m in the final edit stage of a novella, The Spinster and the Cowboy, which will come out next year in The Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner. I’m also writing Can You Help Me?, a novella that will appear in Carolina Carpenter Brides.

6. Tricia: If you had to describe your personal style as a flavor of ice cream, what flavor would you pick? Why?

Lena: Neapolitan, you know, three flavors swirled together. There are always several things going on in my life, all swirling around in my brain and in my time. I’m that way when I do crafty things, too. I have several projects going at once. One year, my husband asked me why I didn’t finish something before I picked up something else. So I made a concerted effort to finish all that I was working on. I found that I felt that my foundation was shaky. I didn’t have anything to pick up. I like to move from project to project according to what’s going on in my life. I’ve never finished everything at once again.

7. Tricia: A true gift creates feelings of connection and gratitude. What’s one gift you’ve received lately?

Lena: One that surprised and blessed me was a bouquet of flowers delivered last month. I had dedicated Never Say Never, my cruise novel, to the leaders of the three different Ladies’ Life Groups I have attended since coming to Gateway Church. They had each blessed me in a special way. I sent each lady an autographed copy of the book. One of them sent the bouquet. I didn’t expect anything in return. I just wanted to honor them. But those flowers filled my house with fragrance and my heart with love.

8. Tricia: More clothes or more closet space?

Lena: I assume you mean which I need. I would love to have more closet space. As far as clothes. I make most of mine, so when I want something new, I just make it. But I don’t sew as often as I used to.

9. Tricia: When was the last time your creativity flowed? How would you describe that feeling?
Lena: Hopefully, it’s been flowing every time I sit down to write. I am at the computer about six hours a day–four, five, or six days a week–according to how close a deadline is looming. After I spend time with the Lord, then ask for His guidance as I write, I love the creative process. I’m what I call a “Souped-up Seat Of The Pants” writer. Because Heartsong editors want chapter-by-chapter synopses, I use them as a road map when I’m writing. However, while I’m writing away, God often gives me ideas that make my writing better. I love those times when He changes what I had planned for a character. The creative process infuses me with energy. It’s a really high time.

10. Tricia: What is one Bible verse that has spoken to your heart recently?

Lena: While reading a couple weeks ago, I came across this verse, Psalm 16: 7 “I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.” That’s how God deals with my life. He gives me counsel, and when I have a problem, a difficulty, or even just need direction, He’s there even at night. Often I wake up with an answer in my thoughts. I’ve even dreamed a storyline that I will write someday. I believe that when we walk with the Lord, He drops the right ideas and instructions into our minds. We just need to learn to recognize them when they come.

Thank you
Lena Nelson Dooley
– Characters who grip your heart

Author/Editor/Speaker/Reviewer
http://www.lenanelsondooley.com/ – a free copy of one of my books every month
http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/

I was talking to my friend, Mike Yorkey, on the phone the other day, and he asked how I was handling writing triage. I chuckled out loud at his aptly chosen phrase, and I realized the life of a novelist is indeed similar to triage. My books are in need of care. Without my attention they will die for sure, but I must consider the most urgent and focus on that first. This week the “most urgent” has been editing my novel.

Not that A Valley of Betrayal has needed major edits, mind you. In fact, my editor commented she feels this has been the easiest edit yet. (Which is due, in part, to my wonderful writer-friends who read and edit for me as I write!)

Understand writing triage is knowing I can’t do it all at once. No one can. So while there are my many books in various degrees of completion which call for my attention, I pray every moment that God will show me “one thing” I need to do. When that is finished, I look to the next “one thing.”

Maybe this is a rabbit trail, maybe not, but let me give you an inside look at a glimpse of a writer’s life. At any given moment we have four unique focuses:

1) Our most recent novel released–which we must promote.
2) The novel in some stage of completion–which recently included edits for me.
3) The novel we are writing–which will get more attention the closer the deadline nears. And …
4) My proposed future novels–which, for me, includes a nearly-complete proposal I’m co-writing with a friend.

Quite a daunting task, don’t you think? (I’m not even going to mention life outside of writing!)

Yet, amazingly for me, God is right smack dab in the middle of all this. And somehow, when I’m working with a crunched timetable, limited knowledge of my subject (I always feel as if I don’t know “enough” before I write), and numerous doubts, God shines through.

A Valley of Betrayal is a perfect example. Though I had what I felt to be plenty of time to write the novel, my grandmother’s hospitalization (I’m her caregiver), my husband’s surgery, two surprise week-long trips, and numerous small, unexpected challenges arose. So many distractions were thrown my way, it became humorous. The only thing I could do was grin, bear it, and trust 100% in God–knowing that none of these things caught Him by surprise.

My manuscript was turned in 3 weeks late. (Thank you, Lord, for busy editors who offer grace, and for their summer vacations that granted me more time.) My manuscript was also turned in with many prayers, as I hoped that my work was sufficient.

Amazingly, both my editors came back and told me they feel it’s my best manuscript yet. Huh? With my life, my schedule, my insecurities, how was that possible?

Instead, of answering that question directly, I’m going to share a little story I read this morning in my morning devotions. It’s from the devotional book, Streams in the Desert.

Paganini, the great Italian violinist, once stepped onstage only to discover there was something wrong with his violin, just as the audience was ending their applause. He looked at the instrument for a moment and suddenly realized it was not his best and most valuable one. In fact, the violin was not his at all. Momentarily he felt paralyzed, but he quickly turned to his audience, telling them there had been some mistake and he did not have his own violin. He stepped back behind the curtain, thinking he must have left it backstage, but discovered that someone had stolen his and left the inferior one in its place.

So too this truth applies to novel writing. As a novelist I have no formal training. As a career-minded writer I have too little time to focus on the career part. These “tools” aren’t that great, but you know what . . . my soul sings. When I’m overwhelmed, when I’m uncertain if I can pull off the story in my mind, I turn to God. It’s all I can do. I pray and plead. I ask others to pray for me. (Okay, the truth is, I beg them.)

When I’m confused about research, I pray for understanding. I pray to a God who was there during those moments in history. And when I’m worried about the storyline, characters, theme, dialogue, etc . . . I pray to a God who can see the novel complete and on the shelf.

And in the midst of it all God proves that “a novel that sings” is not in the minutes we can put into a manuscript, but the moments we turn to our Maker. Because only then does He get the glory.

All that to say, I haven’t had must time lately to work on my novel-in-progress . . . and I could really use your prayers. (smile)

I have a writer friend that looks very sweet and caring, and would you believe she writes very scary stuff? You have figured it out, but I’m talking about Brandilyn Collins. And if you like books that force you to keep the lights on at night, you might like this one. Okay, scratch that “might.” You WILL like this one.

This month’s book review for the Christian Fiction Blog Tour is Web of Lies by Brandilyn Collins. It’s published by Zondervan. (Note, I didn’t write this review, but I endorse it!)

It starts out with Chelsea Adams, of Eyes of Elisha fame. She was washing dishes when her world began to blur.

Chelsea Adams hitched in a breath, her skin pebbling. She knew the dreaded sign all too well. God was pushing a vision into her consciousness.

Black dots crowded her sight. She dropped a plate, heard it crack against the porcelain sink. Her fingers fumbled for the faucet. The hiss of water ceased!

God, I don’t want this. Please!

Then enters Annie Kingston, forensic artist of the Hidden Faces Series.

Annie and her sister Jenna witness a convenience store shooting, and Annie is called to draw the face of the shooter. Her plate fills quickly.

Shortly thereafter, a project that her sister is working on, at a private airfield in their neighborhood unearths a skeleton and another murder. Annie also has to reconstruct the face.

Enter Chelsea Adams. Her national claim to fame is visions from God. And these visions always put her at odds with law enforcement … But she solves murders! Now she’s had a vision and has to get Annie Kingston to draw the face.

Annie and Chelsea are up against a cunning madman, who truly plays to the title, Web of Lies. Lives are at stake. Will they be able to stop this evil?

In my estimation, one of the cool aspects of this novel is Brandilyn Collins’ writing. Hidden Faces series books are always written in the first-person perspective of Annie. While Chelsea Adams novels are written in third-person. The two are blended together seamlessly in this novel, with the killer getting a bold third-person perspective.

In this fast-paced, dynamic novel you discover that God reveals things in His own time. And true to Brandilyn Collins style, there is a twist that will have you rethinking and rereading the whole book to find the clues!

As with all of Brandilyn Collins’ Seatbelt Suspense

don’t forget to breathe…

Brandilyn is a great writer and teacher. If you’re interested in writing, be sure to check out Brandilyn’s blogsite.

And, if you are intrigued by the story, here is the Amazon link for the book Violet Dawn.

I love spreading the news about Brandilyn because she has encouraged me in many ways, and I’m blessed to spend four or five days every year with her at her home. Brandilyn has also played a part in helping me plot my books–she’s one brilliant cookie!

10 Questions for Carolyne Aarsen

1. Tricia: First, I’m intrigued by your new book, “The Only Best Place.” Can you give me a one-paragraph description of the story?

Carolyne: The Only Best Place is about Leslie VandeKeere who has a good life; a happy family, a great career (even if it did pull her away from home) and all the energy of urban living. But all of that vanishes when her husband moves her and the kids back to his boyhood home in Montana to help his mother work the struggling family farm. Being a farmer’s wife was not in Leslie’s plan and now she finds herself dealing with dirty cows, chores and an extended family she doesn’t quite fit into. Leslie has never felt as alone as she does surrounded by so much family. And as she faced questions about her marriage, her future and her fledgling faith in God, she struggles to find the only best place for her heart.

2. Tricia: I think you’re the first “foreign” writer I’ve hosted on this blog. (Foreign as in not from the US, of course 🙂 Tell us a little about where you live.

Carolyne: The area we live in is classified as northern boreal forest and we are perched right on the edge, where farmland meets forest. As I look out my window I can look at poplar, spruce, tamarack and pine trees and that endlessly blue Alberta sky – much like the endlessly blue Montana sky!

3. Tricia: You wrote a humor column for many years. Can you share a little about the subjects of your column?

Carolyne: My children were always fair game as was my husband. The column was a wonderful place to pontificate on the joys a cardboard box can bring children, my frustration in learning to operate heavy equipment, the care and feeding of cows and kids, the surprises that melting snow gives a mother who is missing most of her cutlery, how four siblings playing croquet can turn the game from genteel to lethal with the tap of a ball. And junk drawers.

4. Tricia: How has your community reacted to your status as a published author?

Carolyne: The community’s reaction has been an interesting ride. Some people think of it as no big deal. Just this day, a woman asked me how many books I had written by now. Five? Six? Try twenty I said, laughing when her mouth fell to her waist. Some people are apologetic that they don’t read ‘those kind of books’ and others are avid fans. Mostly, though, its business as usual. I’m just Carolyne, Richard’s wife. I like it that way.

5. Tricia: What had been your most memorable fan encounter so far?

Carolyne: I don’t know if it was a fan encounter as much as an encounter with someone who had heard of my book. I wanted to come up with names for my hero and heroine that had the same initials. This was very intrinsic to the plot. I needed R. E. So I thought, Rick for the first name. I wanted something French sounding for the second name. Something with an ‘ier’ ending. What would go good with that? How about ‘Eth’? Sounded good. Rick Ethier. So the story got written, the cover copy drawn up, the information put on the web. One day I got an e-mail from a fellow who was a web developer for the Department of Defense. He asked me how I got the name of my hero so I told him. Turned out he was ragged on plenty by his fellow employees when a Google search of his name, Rick Ethier, turned up the following – “handsome but restless Rick Ethier . . .”

6. Tricia: I have personal knowledge of a special talent you have concerning a certain animal call. Care to elaborate?

Carolyne: The moose call is an elegant construct created when hands are cupped like a megaphone around the mouth and one nostril plugged. The head of the caller must begin in a low position, slowly moving upward as the caller creates a nasal resonance, with the mouth forming a delicate oval. Not as easy as it looks or sounds. I won first prize at the Alberta Trappers Association using my finely honed technique which I figured out about three seconds before I had to compete.

7. Tricia: When did you know you wanted to write professionally? What was the first step you took toward your dream?

Carolyne: I always thought I should, but didn’t know I could. I loved reading and making up stories. I would spend hours doing puzzles, locked in my room, my mind wandering all over North America and Europe with my heroine. This went on (except for the puzzles) for many years. But I had followed my husband out of the city and we lived on the edge of no and where. I didn’t know how to make my writing dream come true, living so far from New York, the hub of the publishing world. Then I saw an advertisement for a writing correspondence course. I took it and from it came my weekly column which paid for another romance writing correspondence course which helped me craft my first book, called Homecoming which I sold to Love Inspired in 1997. Yeah!

8. Tricia: Fresh garden salad or greasy cheeseburger?

Carolyne: Fresh garden salad.

9. Tricia: Looking back at your most recently finished novel, what surprises you most?

Carolyne: That it got done! . Seriously, I think my biggest surprise was how some themes ended up being reinforced without any deliberate intervention on my part. This was a gift and I am humbly thankful.

10. Tricia: If you had to compare yourself to one Disney character, who would you pick? Why?

Carolyne: The wicked witch in Snow White, because, let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to do in that smarmy little do-gooder, Snow White, with her flawless complexion and that fluty little laugh!!! OH NO! Did I really say that? (hand over mouth in surprise) Can I change that to Pinnochio?

http://www.carolyneaarsen.com/

This weekend, while most of my writer-friends were away at the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference in Dallas, I was at a booksigning at Hastings in Spokane, Washington (about four hours away from my house).

Three of my writer-friends (who weren’t at the conference) stopped by, and it was great seeing them! While I was there, I signed books and gave a presentation on my novels, and every now and then I would think of my ACFW friends. I asked one of my friends and fellow ACFW member, Gayle, if she heard any news from the conference. I was mainly interested because my novel, Dawn of a Thousand Nights was one of three finalists for Historical Book of the Year. Gayle told me the award’s banquet would be held Saturday night, but that quickly escaped my thoughts.

John and I stayed Friday night in Spokane, then we went shopping the next day. (I bought a few books and a few more clothes–as if I needed either!) We got home Saturday evening wiped out from the drive. A few minutes after walking in the door the phone rang.

I answered it, surprised by a bubbly voice on the other end. “Is this Tricia Goyer the famous author? This is Brandilyn calling.” Brandilyn Collins is my dear friend, and I didn’t make the connect with the banquet. In fact, I forgot all about it.

“What’s up?” I asked. (Yes, I still didn’t remember about the banquet even after I heard her voice! And it’s not like we talk on the phone . . . ever!)

“Tricia, I just accepted the award for you for Historical Novel of the Year. You won, girl!”

“I won?” I asked.

Brandilyn had to repeat herself at least three times for me to get it.

Whoa, I was blown away. Very cool!

I’m still in shock by it all, especially since Night Song won the same award last year. Since I wasn’t at the banquet to give a little speech (a-hem) . . . “I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank the veterans who shared their stories, my agent and editors who believed in the project, and my writer-friends who helped me plot and read through every word offering suggestions. But mostly the glory goes to God who strengths me and guides my words. Thank you.” (Smile.)

So, below is the complete list of winners. Congratulations to my friends and fellow God-seekers! May your words continue to glorify Him!

Contemporary Novella:
3rd place–Reunited by Kristy Dykes;
2nd place–Dear Baby Girl by Jane Orcutt;
Winner–Strawberry Angel by Pamela Griffin

General Fiction:
No 3rd place…
Tie for second place–Circles of Seven by Bryan Davis and The Reveal by Sarah Anne Sumpolec; Winner–Daughter of Prophecy by Miles Owen

Historical Novella:
3rd place–Missing Pages by DiAnn Mills;
2nd place–Marrying Kind by Kathleen Y’Barbo;
Winner–Legend of Mercy by Pamela Griffin

Lits:
3rd place–Kissing Adrian by Siri Mitchell;
2nd place–Hot Flashes and Cold Cream by Diann Hunt;
Winner–With This Ring I’m Confused by Kristin Billerbeck

Long Historical:
3rd Place–The Color of the Soul by Tracey Bateman;
2nd place,–A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist;
Winner–Dawn of a Thousand Nights by Tricia Goyer

Short Contemporary:
3rd place–Under Cover of Darkness by Elizabeth White;
2nd place–Miss Menace by Nancy Lavo;
Winner–Shadow Bones by Colleen Rhoads (Coble)

Short Historical:
3rd place–Renegade Husband by DiAnn Mills;
2nd place–Sooner or Later by Vickie McDonough;
Winner–Beside Still Waters by Tracey Bateman

Suspense:
3rd place–DarkStar by Creston Mapes;
2nd place–Black Sands by Colleen Coble;
Winner–Distant Echoes by Colleen Coble

Women’s Fiction:
3rd place–Potluck Club by Eva Marie Everson and Linda Eans Shepherd;
2nd place–Over the Waters by Deborah Raney;
Winner–The Winds of Sonoma by Nikki Arana

Winner of the BOOK OF THE YEAR award ….
Distant Echoes by Colleen Coble

10 Questions for Nikki Arana

1. Tricia: I’ve heard a rumor, girl, that you’ve sold everything you’ve ever submitted. Congrats! What’s up with that?

Nikki: It’s true. Though I do say, “I’ve sold or had accepted everything I’ve ever submitted because some small magazines don’t pay with money but with issues of the magazine. Still, the articles, poems, or stories are published. When I first became interested in writing I took an internet class called Writeriffic. My teacher, Eva Shaw, suggested I try submitting. She had written a book called Publishing Magazine Articles. So I bought it and read it. I wrote an article called The 5 W’s and an H of How to Get Published. I sent it to The Writer, Writer’s Digest, etc and Writer’s Digest bought it for their Writer’s Forum. My first sale. $25. After that I decided to try writing poetry. I bought the Poets Market Guide and saw that most magazines wanted free verse. I had never written free verse. So I took a class. I submitted two poems to different places and “sold” both. They were paid for with copies of the magazines. And so it went. Then someone said I was doing really well and I should write a book. So I did that, and that led to me getting an agent and a multiple book contract.

The take-away from my story is, even though it sounds easy, I chose where I sent my writing carefully. I researched and did everything I could to give my writing an advantage. I sent the magazines what they were looking for and they bought it.

2. Tricia: I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your dear Antonio. I know after all these years you’re still crazy about him. What warms your heart most about your husband?

Nikki: One can get the answer in detail by reading The Winds of Sonoma. But what has touched me most day in and day out, for thirty years, is his love for me. I often think of the scripture where husbands are commanded to love their wives as Christ loves the church. That is how Antonio loves me. One time we were in church and someone asked, “How many times should you forgive a person?” He answered in his broken English, “As many times as necessary.” He actually lives his life like that. He is humble and precious. After all these years, every time he looks at me he smiles. What more can I say?

3. Tricia: The emotions in your novel go deep. Do you feel this is because many of the experiences are your own?

Nikki: Many of my novels do spring from personal experiences. There are scenes in The Winds of Sonoma that actually happened! But more than personal experiences, I think it is because I feel passionately about my subject that the emotion translates to the page. In The Shade of the Jacaranda I was expressing my deeply held belief that God has a plan for every child that is born. And in The Fragrance of Roses I wanted to raise public awareness about the need for more minorities to donate blood to bone marrow registries.

My next book, As I Have Loved You, coming out next summer, is about the need for us as Christians to love. The Lord has gifted us all in different ways, but the greatest gift of all is to love, even when we are given a reason not to.

4. Tricia: My grandma, who is also Mexican, is your BIGGEST fan. How did you capture the culture and heart of the people so well?

Nikki: Living with Antonio and knowing his family for so many years really helps. I only write about the poor Mexicans who live in the fields. That is where my experiences with that culture have been. When Antonio and I go down and visit his family we stay with them. They live in a tiny town with dirt roads and many homes have no electricity or bathrooms. The people live simply and are so happy. I love going there, though it can be difficult because I am a spoiled American. But it is home to Antonio, and he could live there or here and it wouldn’t make any difference to him.

5. Tricia: I’ve also had a chance to correspond with your father. When did he first tell you about his experiences at Pearl Harbor?

Nikki: Actually, I didn’t find out about that from him. I was about eight years old when I found some old, yellowed newspaper clippings in a closet. There was a picture of a younger version of my father on the front page of the newspaper with a caption that read, “Private Gaynos receives his baptism under fire” or something like that. That was the first I knew that he had sent back the first eyewitness reports of the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor. I remember reading that he said he saw his best friend lying on the ground, so he went and picked him up. The young man’s arms fell off. At first I didn’t tell anyone I had found the papers, but eventually realized it was okay to talk to him about it. But he never says much about the really personal stuff. He speaks about factual things in the context of history.

6. Tricia: If you had to compare yourself to a bird, which one would you choose?

Nikki: This was a hard question because I’m not very birdlike. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t eat like a bird and I sure don’t sing like a bird. So I pick a cardinal because I like bright colors and lots of foo foo. You know, sparkly stuff. And that crest on the top of their head makes it kind of pointy and I’ve been called a pinhead from time to time. I’ve been called a donkey head too.

7. Tricia: If you had a day off with no responsibilities, what would you do?

Nikki: Antonio and I would take an early flight to Portland, rent a car, and drive to the ocean. I’d have my portable CD player and walk along the beach listening to Il Divo and holding Antonio’s hand. Eventually we would find a secluded spot and I’d put the CD player away and we’d sit together watching the waves. Being with Antonio in the presence of God’s sand and sea is Heaven on earth to me. I adore my husband.

8. Tricia: One of the most important rules of real estate is location, location, location. What do you feel is one of the most important rules for writing?

Nikki: First: Write your passion and write His truth.

Second: Thinking, thinking, thinking. For me it is ninety percent thinking, ten percent writing. I don’t put anything on paper before I begin writing other than the synopsis that is needed to sell the book. I carry the entire book in my head. I think it through from beginning to end, then I start writing. Immediately I will start seeing possibilities I hadn’t thought of and then I rethink the book through to the end because every plot twist changes the path. I wish I didn’t write this way because it makes me write slowly. But my novels always have several plot threads running through them and I never saw a plot twist I didn’t like. So I’m zigging and zagging through the story, having to rethink how to get to the end over and over.

9. Tricia: More shoes or more purses?

Nikki: Purses. I’ve never cared much about my feet. But I love those bright, sparkly purses. And I especially like knowing they’ll always fit.

10. Tricia: If you were to have your own show like Oprah, who would be your first three guests?

Nikki: An illegal immigrant farm worker, a moderate Muslim, and a street person. I would love to have a forum where these people could speak about who they are and what we have in common. We are all human beings. If we can find common ground with people and love our neighbors as ourselves, the world will be a better place. As Christians we are uniquely equipped to become a vessel through which God can love, touch, and change people . . . and the world.

Nikki Arana
Visit http://www.nikkiarana.com/