Writers Mirror

Bitter Blessings - a novel - Christine Mehring

2011-11-25T00:06:00.000-08:00

Review by Cindy R. Williams

The clock in the kitchen pounded out the seconds, and the neighbor's wind chimes clanged their chaotic melody until I thought my brain would explode, and then, finally, Gram said, "There was an accident on the highway this afternoon. Your mother was in it."

And the world collapsed around me . . . again.

After the death of her mother, everything seems to spin out of control for Megan. taking care of her grandmother--who refuses to received help from anyone--and her two younger sisters, Megan must depend on her best friend Adam to get through these hard times. But when she discovers an old family secret, Megan must choose between trusting her family and following what her heart tells her to be true. Thought-provoking and heartfelt, this debut novel shows that the power of love brings the best blessing even during the bitterest trials.

This back of the book sure caught my attention. I finished it in a few hours. My heart went out to most of the characters. Mahring is able to paint a complete picture of a troubled family. She gives the reader a sense of the raw emotions a teen feels as she faces life. Her writing is brave in that she doesn't gloss things over nor does she sugar coat the issues.

Thank you Christine Mehring for this heart-felt and gut check novel. Well worth the read.

Writers Mirror gives Bitter Blessings 9 Stars!

Bitter Blessings - a novel by Christine Mehring is published by Bonneville Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.

Click here to purchase Bitter Blessings by Christine Mehring.

The Assassination of Governor Boggs by Rod Miller

2011-11-21T05:01:00.000-08:00

The title alone caught my attention. It tweaks the interest of history buffs and members of the LDS Church. Everything known about Governor Lilburn Boggs speaks of controversy. Often referred to by early members of the Church as one of the most evil men and a definite thorn in the side of Mormons, Boggs was directly and/or indirectly responsible for the deaths of many early Saints; men, women and children.

Boggs is most famous for his extermination order of the Mormons on October 27, 1838, during the time he served as Governor of Missouri.

Author Rod Miller creates a novel based around Mr. Progue, a Pinkerton Detective, hired by the Bill Boggs, the son of Governor Boggs. Progue was hired to find out the truth whether Orrin Porter Rockwell, the notorious body guard of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and later, President Brigham Young was guilty of the assassination attempt. Note, Governor Boggs did not die from the gun shot through his parlor window, although three balls entered his head and one his throat. He lived another 18 or so years, most of them in California after his term as Governor ended.

Miller sets the story about 25 years after the assassination attempt. It is told through Progue as he travels around the country interviewing eye anyone who he can find that was either around during that time or reading old reports, newspaper clippings and records. Progue also interviews Orrin Porter Rockwell himself, and various parts of that interview are interspersed throughout the book.

Miller does an excellent job of taking the reader on a tour of the hardships the Saints suffered at the hands of Bogg from the eyes of the neutral character, Progue. He includes a visit with "Wild Bill", Emma Smith Bidamon and even President Brigham Young.

Miller, "Born and raised in a small town in Utah, around horses and cattle, and a veteran of the rodeo arena, he comes by his love of the West and its history, culture, and people honestly."This is explains the feeling of reality conveyed in the book about the life on the frontier in the 1800's. Miller has a knack for making the wild west come alive.

Did Orrin Porter Rockwell shoot Governor Lilburn Boggs? That is the premise of the entire novel as you journey through the history.

It is a good read, and you will have to make up your own mind as to what really happened after you travel the dusty trails with a Pinkerton Detective.

Writers Mirror gives The Assassination of Governor Boggs by Rod Miller 9 stars out of 10. A book defiantly worth reading.

Check out more about Rod Miller and his books at: www.writerrodmiller.com

To purchase your own copy, Click Here

The Outer Edge of Heaven, A Love Story

2011-10-25T05:55:00.000-07:00

Cindy R. Williams

The Outer Edge of Heaven, A Love Story, by Jaclyn M. Hawkes was a fun read. Every once in awhile you come across that book that makes you want to read late into the night, and this is one of them.

Here's the back blurb:

Montana truly is heavenly.
Especially those handsome cowboys.

Her parents want a clout wielding attorney, safely enthroned in an appropriately high end Mercedes sedan and a tailored business suit. She just wants to teach kindergarten.
When her "all-powerful" parents actually choose her future husband, who just happens to be a divorce lawyer named Elroy, Charlie opts out and heads for the Big Sky Country. After all, who marries a divorce lawyer? She and her best friend Fo, who have been buddies since the third grade, go to work on his cousin's sprawling ranch in the heart of the Montana Rockies.
Filled with colorful characters of all shapes, sizes and species, including an orphaned baby pig, most of the Langston family put the fun in dysfunctional, -give or take a couple of black sheep. There's one in every family, isn't there? Add to that glorious scenery, a horse of her own, and one extremely attractive cousin rancher, Luke Langston, and it makes for a summer never to be forgotten. Which might not be a good ting. She has the time of her life, but her heart may never recover.

Hawkes does a nice job developing likable lead characters and a few characters that make you squirm. Charlie is in quite a predicament. Does she please her parents by living the life they plan for her and give up her personal happiness and dreams or does she break out and catch her destiny? I will leave that for you to discover in this well written adventurous love story.

Writers Mirror gives a perfect TEN STARS out of ten for The Outer Edge of Heaven, A Love Story.

FALL by Jennifer Hurst

2011-09-10T04:55:00.000-07:00

by Cindy R. Williams
(*Note, Keep reading and find a contest --highlighted in green --offered by the author, Jennifer Hurst)

Back blurb of FALL:

Women and construction shouldn't mix. At least, that is what the client; Mr. Blackwell thinks when Twenty-one year old Julia D. Halstead is promoted to project manager to remodel a turn-of the century schoolhouse into a bed and breakfast. However, the schoolhouse contains a dark secret that has been hidden for nearly a hundred years. A secret that will unleash the furies of Hell and cause the Angels in Heaven to weep as ethereal brothers, Matthew and Nathan battle over Julia's very soul.

I married into family of civil engineers. When I first met my husband, I thought engineers wore puffy blue and white striped hats, overalls and tooted horns on trains. Not so, civil engineers design streets, underground facilities, roads, bridges, parking lots and the ground levels for buildings, and housing developments, etc. They do all the design before construction takes place. Living around engineers gives me insight into the lead character's career. The author nails it. Julia, or JD, is working in a traditional man's world. According to the author bio, Hurst, herself, retired from the construction industry. She knows her stuff.

Now, having given credibility to the technical aspects of the novel, let's move to the characters. JD is a good strong female lead, smart, hard working with a drive to prove herself, too naive, not the best choice in men, not the most logical female. Hurst gives her plenty of strengths and the flaws that make her human.

The setting is in more toward the southern end of Utah. Hurst paints nice word pictures of the red rock canyons and surrounding area.

Hurst weaves in the folk lore of Butch Cassidy aka Robert LeRoy Parker, who apparently helped the people in that area and was a real good guy other than his little side job of robbing stage coaches and trains.

Several times I actually got the chills from some pretty evil bad guys. I was glad I didn't read those parts on a dark and stormy night.

I don't want to give the story away, nor some of the surprise twists, but I will say The books ending lends itself to a sequel.

Get your own copy of the book at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/71705 and visit Jennifer Hurst at http://jenniferhurst.wordpress.com/

In conjunction with this blog tour, Jennifer is holding a contest. It will involve any of the blogs that Jennifer visits or where her book is featured and will close on December 31st, 2011. The entrants have to answer three questions about the book they’ve read (bought, borrowed, or stolen - shame on you) and post a link to Jennifer's website on their Twitter, Facebook, or blog (need link for verification).

Then the names will be entered in a random name picker generator (http://textmechanic.com/Random-Line-Picker.html) and announced on Jennifer's website (www.jenniferhurst.com) on January 31st, 2012. The winner will receive a gift certificate for a night’s stay at the actual bed and breakfast where the story takes place.

Other prizes include an autographed copy of FALL, and she will randomly select 3 contestants’ names to use in the sequel to FALL. Plus, they will receive a free copy of that book when it is published.

Each blog that Jennifer Hurst visits will have a different set of questions people can answer, and they may enter as many times as they want - but they can enter once per blog site that they visit. So the more sites you visit, the more you can enter your name, thus increasing your chances of winning the gift certificate, a copy of the book FALL, and your name in the sequel.

Get the book, read the book, and then read over the questions below. Once you have your answers, e-mail them to Jennifer. fall.jenniferhurst@gmail.com

Your privacy is respected and your email address will NOT be used for anything but the contest.   Once the contest is over - your email address will be deleted from the database.

Here are the questions for you to answer:

Is Quabin a Male or a Female?
What is JD's favorite animal?
What was Drogo's supernatural gift to JD?

Also, come on a fun journey and see what other bloggers have to say about FALL by Jennifer Hurst.

August 29^th Mandi Slack   http://heyyouslackers.blogspot.com
August 30^thHeather Gardner http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com
August 30^th Kris Chen http://imaginaryreads.blogspot.com
September 1^st Michelle Jeffries   http://cmichellejefferies.blogspot.com/
September 2^nd Aislynn Thompson   http://knitpurlstitch.blogspot.com
September 6^th Tonya Christensen    http://whatallthekidsarereading.blogspot.com
September 10^th Cindy R. Williams http://www.writersmirror.blogspot.com/
September 12^th Tamara Hart Heiner http://tamarahartheiner.blogspot.com/
September 15^th Debbie Davis http://debbiesinkspectations.blogspot.com/
September 15^th Jennifer Debenham www.writebycandlelight.blogspot.com
September 16^thRachel Shaw http://www.crackaspinebookreviews.blogspot.com/
September 19^th Danyelle Ferguson http://www.queenoftheclan.blogspot.com/
September 17^th Cathy Witbeck http://cathywitbeck-storypainter.blogspot.com/
September 20^th Kaylynn England  www.bookreviewsandmore.com
September 23^rd Gaynell Parker http://www.ldspaz.blogspot.com

September 26^th Jewel Allen http://pink-ink-pink.blogspot.com/
September 27^th Heidi Durant http://ldwmagazine.com/

September 29^thKaylee Baldwin http://www.kayleebaldwin.com/
October 1^st Autumn Weber http://www.queenofchaosandjoy.blogspot.com/
October 2^rd Theresa Small Sneed Bestbooksread.blogspot.com
October 3^rd Carolyn Frank http://franklycreative.blogspot.com/
October 5^th Jason Morgan http://www.jlloydmorgan.blogspot.com
October 7^th Heather Justesen http://www.heatherjustesen.blogspot.com
Cindy Hogan http://cindymhogan.blogspot.com
Cami Checketts http://camicheckettsbooks.blogspot.com

Melissa Cunningham http://melissajcunningham.blogspot.com
Karen Pellett http://FabulousReads.com
Valerie Ipson http://valerieipson.blogspot.com/
Nichole Giles http://starcrossedbookreviews.blogspot.com/
Keith N Fisher http://knfisher.blogspot.com/

Inspirational Quotes

2011-08-31T23:01:00.000-07:00

by Cindy R. Williams

The following quotes can be tweaked to fit most areas, but please read them with your writing in mind.

"If it is to be, it is up to me." Many people

"Procrastination is like a credit card; it's a lot of fun until you get the bill." Christopher Parker

"Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier." Colin Powell

"Quality is not an act. It is a habit." Arisotle

"Whatever you are, be a good one." Abraham Lincoln

"Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present." Eleanor Roosevelt

"You don't get harmony when everyone sings the same note." Doug Floyd

These last three resonate with me big time. How about you?

"Some succeed because they are destined to, but most succeed because they are determined to." Source unknown.

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." Wayne Gretsky

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." Hellen Keller

If you find one or two of these that fit where you are right now, please print them and place them on your mirror or somewhere to remind you that you CAN DO IT!

All That Was Promised by Vickie Hall

2011-08-08T05:05:00.000-07:00

Book Review by Cindy R. Williams

I must say that the front cover fascinates me. Most of it is in browns and greens, not really too catchy, however, it has an embossed design placed on top of the colors that make it quite unique. It made me want to take a second look.

The back blurb is:

AN ENCOUNTER WITH a Mormon Missionary and his unusual message of a "restored gospel" leaves Richard Kenyon, a young Methodist minister, questioning his life's work when he cannot deny a growing testimony of this peculiar American religion. But Richard soon finds himself struggling to recognize the promised blessings of the gospel when violent persecution shakes the fledgling Church in Wales.

I have ancestors from Wales, so that caught my interest. Also, I find it intriguing that a minister of another church, someone we assume knows religion, begins to understand and feel the spirit of truth. I want to know about this journey and if he is strong enough to follow the light.

It is said that a great first line leads to a great book. This may or may not be true, however, first lines of books do tell one allot about what to expect. The first line of the book told us the name of one of the important characters and that she was proud of her husband. Though not explosive, we have good information and I like her. The first chapter reveals a number of key players. We learn that the minister and his wife are good people--people you want to call friends. We also meet uppity characters like the minister's brother and his wife. Hall does well on creating characters we love, or love to hate.

Omniscient point of view, which means head hopping from Leah, to Richard, to Robert, to Leah, to Amelia, to Leah, to Amelia, to Richard . . . is somewhat confusing, but, the characters were strong enough to keep the story going.

Hall gives the reader an education in early trials of the Church in Wales. We usually hear about the Pioneers and how they were persecuted. Hall opens your eyes by creating a story that will touch your heart and increase your love and appreciation for those stalwart members all around the world.

Writers Mirror gives All That Was Promised by Vickie Hall 8 smiles on a scale of 1 - 10. Well worth the read.

All That Was Promised is Vickie Hall's debut novel and is published by Bonneville Books, a Cedar Fort imprint.

All That Was Promised by Vickie Hall

Harping and Writing

2011-08-06T18:26:00.001-07:00

by Cindy R. Williams

Two of my favorite people, Tony and Joanni Judd, on their wedding day.

This is my magical harp, Arvilla. Did you know if you are the first owner of a harp, you have the privilege and responsibility of christening it with it's eternal name? Arvilla is the middle name of my favorite, and only dear mother. The name reminds me of vanilla, a yummy taste and a sublime smell. My mother doesn't like the name so much so it's fun to tease her a bit by using the name - not that I ever yanked her chain growing up or anything.

Playing the harp channels my muse and also calms my soul. I often play late at night in the dark. It's not like playing a trumpet so I don't wake anyone. If they do happen to stumble out of bed, they think they are hearing angels so it's all good.

I have found that writing harp music is pretty much the same process as writing stories. Sometimes the notes flow out and they sound wonderful, but other times, nothing comes. Nada, stone-cold dry. When that happens, I play whatever my heart desires and enjoy the lilting music that floats around the lofty ceiling. When nonsense or no sense comes out of my fingertips on the keyboard of my computer, I often dive into the pool and float on my back make cloud animals.

Just yesterday there were dragons swooping in and out of thunder clouds along with some slashes of lighting giving me two good reasons to slosh out the pool. The first and most important was to quickly jot down the dragon scene before it slipped away and the second reason was to avoid getting zapped by lightning. Maybe not in the correct order, but both important none the less.

The muse is a tricky little minx at best. I think I will try enticicing the muse with chocolate. Has this worked for anyone? What works for you?

Pitch Contest to Victoria Marini

2011-07-30T18:46:00.000-07:00

Exciting pitch contest to literary agent Victoria Marini. Check out http://chanellegray.blogspot.com/2011/07/pitch-contest-with-victoria-marini.html

The Guise of a Gentleman by Donna Hatch

2011-07-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

Do you enjoy a well written escape into a sweet romance? -- sweet meaning, clean romance. You will find it here in The Guise of a Gentleman by my friend, Donna Hatch. I remember when she read the first chapter to us at our American Night Writers Chapter meeting. It was fun to hear and a thrill to get to add thoughts to the questions she asked as she was in the polishing stages of the novel. Now, here I sit with the finished book in my hands, tickled pink for Donna.

Let's start with the cover. There is a skull and crossbones pirates flag in the top left corner. The top right has a handsome man and a lovely lady a half an inch from kissing. You see a close-up of the back of a lady standing on the shore looking out at one of those cool pirate ships with the sails furled.

A quote from a best selling author appears on the front which reads "A fine specimen of a pirate romance." The quote is 100% correct. What a fun romp with pirates and a unique situation with a lovely and impossible romance with a pirate that is much more than he appears to be.

Donna weaves intrigue and romance with this great escape into a world of long ago. I 've heard Donna talk about all the research she did on pirates and how they lived and it shows. That's what makes this book such a great escape. Donna gets it right.

I give The Guise of a Gentleman TEN SMILES. Ten is the top of the rating system here on Writers Mirror.

To learn more about Donna Hatch and other books she has written go to: www.donnahatch.blogspot.com

The Guise of a Gentleman by Donna Hatch is available at: Amazon.com

The State of the Economy and What You Can Do About It

2011-07-11T04:27:00.000-07:00

The state of today’s economy is insecure, causing concern in many people and fear in many others. It used to be that we relied on our retirement income to see us through our golden years, but we now have to face the reality that we must take action to ensure our well-being in the future. How do we go about this? What steps do we take, where do we go, how do we know we’re doing it right?
Financial advisor John Hauserman, CFP^®, has created a no-cost website as a tool for you to use on your financial journey. This site features the amazing Planning Map, designed to help you think like a financial planner. You can begin by setting up an account at no charge, complete with your zip code which will enable you to save your progress, but your information will never be sold or given away to any outside party. Or, if you prefer, simply skip registration with a single click. As you chart out your financial situation, you will never be asked for account numbers or personal information.

As you go through and create your personal profile, you’ll feel in control of your future—a sense of freedom and independence that perhaps has been missing since the economy went downhill. You will get the tools you need to help:

1.       View the financial planning process from the eyes of a CFP^®  professional in a user-friendly format that most find easy to understand
2.       Get the whole story on various investment products, not just “the good stuff” that financial (snake oil?) sales folks talk about
3.       Find useful links to government and other helpful websites
4.       Identify if a financial advisor has been thorough in their duties
5.       Identify and avoid fraudulent advisors
6.       Make better financial decisions

You’re invited to stop by the RetirementQuest® website and see for yourself if this is a tool you can use.  Again, it’s no cost, and all you have to lose is your financial stress. Those who take action now will find themselves in a much better place later—why delay your future security? Plan ahead and be prepared.

Securities and advisory services are offered through Commonwealth Financial Network, member FINRA/SIPC. A Registered Investment Advisor.

Wednesday Writer ~ Deirdra Eden Coppel

2011-07-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

Author & Illustrator Deirdra Eden Koppel

CRW: When did you begin to write?

Deirdra: I wrote the lyrics to my first song when I was four. I was standing on top of a playground slide so I was high enough I could look over a fence and see the sunset. It was so beautiful I just started singing. I felt inspired to write the song down. Later in my life that song was recognized and published. When I was fourteen one of my songs, “The Song of Freedom” was used as the theme song for a musical.

CRW: How wonderful. Sunsets inspire you to write. What else?
Deirdra: Everything … especially trials. When life’s disasters happen now I just think “This would make a great scene.” A lot of times I work though my real life problems as my characters are working through theirs.

CRW: Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a goal of a certain number of words?
Deirdra: I write when I can. On my “normal” schedule I have eight hours a day blocked out for writing or illustrating. I have to be flexible because “normal” days are hard to come by. Sometimes I have to start my day at 4:00 A.M. to get my eight hours in. I don’t set word goals, I find myself checking how many words I’ve written instead of just writing.

CRW: What gets in your way of writing?
Deridra: Life. When I start to get down on myself or stressed I can’t write properly.

CRW: How do you get past it?
Deridra: I read my scriptures, workout, sing and take vitamin B12. My husband is good about taking care of our kid so I can have “thinking time” where I sit and do nothing but think.

CRW: What makes you CRAZY about writing? Crazy good and crazy bad?
Deirdra: The creative fairies whisper into my ear and keep me going. Unfortunately because they are fairies they don’t understand that I have to eat, sleep and maintain relationships with other humans.

CRW: I have triplet fairies flying around me all the time right now, so I know what you mean. Where is the strangest place you have ever worked on your book?
Deirdra: I’ve written in a tree house, bath tub, quiet roof top and a medieval theme park.

CRW: How long does it take you to complete a book?
Deirdra: It takes me three months to write a book. The first month I just write the raw story. The second month I go through and add more detail, fix POV and expand scenes. The third month I focus on editing and add things as I feel inspired. It takes me another three months to illustrate a book.

CRW: How wonderful that you have the talent to illustrate as well as write. Please tell us more about where you get your ideas?
Deirdra: They strike me like how some people get struck with seizures. I could be looking at a jar of peanut butter in the store then suddenly a scene flashes across my mind and I start hearing dialogue. I get some of my ideas from dreams and from ancient scriptures, especially the Old Testament and Book of Revelations.

CRW: Where do you get your character’s names?
Deirdra: Usually the Bible. Sometimes I will Google names and meanings. I will match a character to a name based on the meaning. I like to use a lot of symbolism.

CRW: What is your favorite writing food?
Deirdra: Chocolate truffles. LOL. I love this question. Only another writer would ask me that.

CRW: So true. Okay, here comes the big question. Why are you a writer?
Deirdra: I have to be. I can’t stop. If I stop I will start to die a slow and miserable death. I also feel that it is my own personal mission.

CRW: Agreed. Writing and creating in one way or another are in the blood. What do you think would be the best complement you could receive from a reader?
Deirdra: I just hope the books I write will inspire people to do great things and help them as they face “Real Life” challenges.

CRW: I had the opportunity to read a draft of your "Knight of Light." The unique cover was illustrated by you as well. Were there really women Knights?
Deridra: Yes, Scotlyn, the Knightess in "Knight of Light" is based on a real Lady Knight. Her story is fascinating.

CRW: What is the name of the next project you are currently working on?
Deirdra: I’m on my second re-write of “Battle of the Twelve Tribes”.

CRW: Please tell us more about it.
Deirdra: This book is an epic allegory about preparedness, patients, humility, courage and friendship. There is a dragon, pixie and army of other magical creatures that come to the aid of a young man who is destined to be a king.

CRW: I know you are available to do illustrations for books and other artwork. What else do you do?
Deirdra: I create the art for book covers.  I also create the artwork for children's coloring books that go along with authors books.

CRW:  What' are your website and blog addies?
Deirdra:  http://www.knightess.com/ and http://www.astorybookworld.blogspot.com/

CRW: What a pleasure to visit with you and get to know you better. Good luck on your writing and your artwork.
Deirdra: Thank you for this opportunity, Cindy.

SUMMER 2011 TREASURE HUNT

2011-05-28T20:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our 3^rd Annual
“Summer Treasure Hunt: Dig for Clues and Win Contest!” A prize a day for the entire month of June.

SUMMER TREASURE HUNT RULES:
You can send in one entry for each day’s prize, or only for those
prizes that strike your fancy.
(1) Go to the website or blog indicated for each day, find the
answer to the question for that day, then email the answer with your name and
AND MAILING ADDRESS to jdipastena@yahoo.com. No mailing list uses. All entries will be deleted at the end of the contest.
(2) Please send a separate entry for each day and type the day you
are entering in the subject line. (Such as: Summer Treasure Hunt, June 1;
Summer Treasure Hunt, etc).
(3) Deadline for each day: Midnight PST
(4) Winner will be announced on the day following the deadline.
*****All winners will be drawn by www.random.org.
Start sending in your entries right now for any day. And check back here each day between June 2^nd – July 1^st to read the names of the winners. Questions? Please email Joyce DiPastena at jdipastena@yahoo.com.
And now…let the treasure hunt begin!

June 1
SPONSOR: Canda Mortensen
PRIZE: A $25 Amazon gift certificate
QUESTION: What is the title and artist of the Princess song on
Newbie's playlist? (HINT: Scroll to the bottom of the blog and read “Newbie
Teaser”. Match the number of “Princess” with the same number on the Playlist
box (you may have to scroll down the playlist to find this, too). It will give
you the title and artist.)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http:candamortensen.blogspot.com
OPEN TO USA ENTRIES
WINNER: Melissa Brockett of Utah
ANSWER: "With You," by Chris Brown

June 2
SPONSOR: Jennifer Griffith
PRIZE: Delicious Conversation (LDS romance, an adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion,
set in a chocolate shop in Salt Lake City), by Jennifer Griffith
QUESTION: Name at least 5 kinds of candy I ate at the last
writers' conference I attended AND share YOUR favorite candy. (HINT: Read the
April 20, 2011 post. Click on April under the Blog Archive in the right hand
sidebar.)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://cottoncandy4thesoul.blogspot.com/
OPEN TO USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Crystal Dotson of West Virginia
ANSWER: Peanut Brittle, Good 'n Plenty, Hot Tamales, Mr. Goodbar, Hershey's Kisses . . .

June 3
SPONSOR: Peggy Urry
PRIZE: Choice of book: Villette by Charlotte Bronte, romance, paperback;
Airframe by Michael Crichton, thriller, paperback;
The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell, contemporary crime, paperback; or
TheMist of Quarry Harbor by Liz Adair, LDS romantic fiction, paperback; AND choice of Jelly Belly Gel Case for iPhone 3G/3GS or Jelly Belly Strawberry Cheesecake Gel Case for iPod Touch.
QUESTION: What is the name of my Work In Progress (WIP)? (Hint:
It's the title of my March 12, 2011 post. Click on “March” under Blog Archive
in the left hand sidebar.)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://peggyurry.blogspot.com/
OPEN TO USA/CANADA ONLY
WINNER: Judy Cox of Louisiana
ANSWER: "Bound"

June 4
SPONSOR: Danielle Thorne
PRIZE: Josette (sweet Regency romance, E-book) AND
Southern Girl, Yankee Roots (poetry), both by Danielle Thorne
QUESTION: Danielle supports what wildlife conservancy
organization? (HINT: See right hand column of website)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.daniellethorne.com
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Rachel Rossan of Connecticut
ANSWER: The Sea Turtle Conservancy

June 5
SPONSOR: Bonnie Harris
PRIZE: Mary Kay Microdermabrasion Set
QUESTION: What are the names of my two WIPs? (HINT: Scroll to the
bottom of the blog and click on “Work in Progress” under Labels)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http:// www.bonnieharris.blogspot.com
OPEN TO USA/CANADA
WINNER: Taffy Lovell of Utah
ANSWER: Encoded Secrets and Black Orchids

June 6
SPONSOR: Susan Kaye Quinn
PRIZE: Autographed copy of Life, Liberty, and Pursuit (YA
love story), by Susan Kaye Quinn
QUESTION: How many days do David and Eliza have on the cruise
together, before they’re forced to go their separate ways? (HINT: Click on the
“About Me and My Books” tab and read the blurb for Life, Liberty, and Pursuit)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://ink-spells.blogspot.com
OPEN TO USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: LuAnn Morgan of Washington
ANSWER: Four

June 7:
SPONSOR: Anne Bradshaw
PRIZE: True Miracles with Genealogy: Help from Beyond the Veil (non-fiction), by Anne Bradshaw – 1 print and 1 eBook – Print copy can be autographed. (Yes, there will be TWO
winners drawn for this prize)
QUESTION: Which TV station interviewed Anne?
(HINT: Answer is a short way down the middle column.)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://truemiracleswithgenealogy.com
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES; PLEASE NOTE YOUR PREFERENCE FOR
PRINT OR EBOOK, ALTHOUGH I CAN’T GUARANTEE YOU WILL WIN YOUR PREFERENCE.
WINNER: Dee Bibb of Mississippi and Cynthia Peck of Arizona
ANSWER: KCSG

June 8
SPONSOR: Cheri Schmidit
PRIZE: Autographed copy of Fateful (YA paranormal romance), by Cheri Schmidt
QUESTION: Who is the prince of darkness? (HINT: Click on “April”
under Blog Archive in the left hand sidebar and read the April 12, 2011 post)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://cherischmidt.blogspot.com/
OPEN TO USA ONLY
WINNER: Kristen Tucker of Arizona
ANSWER: Lucas.

June 9
SPONSOR: Mary Fremont Schoenecker
PRIZE: Moonglade (a sweet cozy mystery, Book Two in the Maine Shore Chronicles series),
by Mary Fremont Schoenecker The prize is an autographed First Edition hard
cover print book.
QUESTION: What special skill does character Tante Margaret use that puts her in danger during Remi's murder investigation? (HINT: Click on the “About Her Books” tab and read the Publisher’s
Weekly Review.
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.maryschoenecker.com
OPEN TO USA/CANADA
WINNER: Monica Knoll of New York
ANSWER: Tante Margaret is clairvoyant

June 10
SPONSOR: Shaunna Gonzales
PRIZE: FREE edit and/or critique of first 50 pages
QUESTION: What do his lips taste like? (Hint: click on “Sizzling
Kiss” under Post Subjects in the left hand sidebar)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.shaunnagonzales.blogspot.com
OPEN TO USA/CANADA
WINNER: Nicole Zoltack of Pennsylvania
ANSWER: Gingerbread and milk.

June 11

SPONSOR: Donna Hatch
PRIZE: The Stranger She Married (Regency romance), by Donna Hatch
QUESTION: What poses the greatest danger to Alicia’s heart? (HINT:
Scroll down underneath the book cover of The Stranger She Married, and read the paragraph directly below.
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.donnahatch.net/bookshelf.htm
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES FOR E-BOOK VERSION; US/CANADA FOR
PRINT BOOK OR PAPEBACK VERSION
WINNER: Amy Wheelwright of Washington
ANSWER: Learning to love the stranger she married.

June 12
SPONSOR: Cindy R. Williams & Planet Play Productions, LLC.
PRIZE: Award winning glossy cover children’s snuggle, giggle picture book,
Chase McKay Didn’t Get Up Today,
signed by the author and the real Chase McKay.
QUESTION: What is the name of the dragon in the upcoming fantasy,
Thundertail’s Tale: The Legend? (HINT: click on the Blog tab)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.cindyRwilliams.com
OPEN TO USA/CANADA
WINNER: Andrea Melton of Kentucky
ANSWER: Sparkin

June 13
SPONSOR: Larry Hammersley
PRIZE: Motorcycle Woman (sweet contemporary romance, E-book), by Larry Hammersley
QUESTION: What kind of motorcycle does Tess, the motorcycle woman,ride?
(HINT: Read blog post “Motorcycle Woman at Red Rose Publishing”, May 5, 2011)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://larryhammersley.blogspot.com/
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Shannon Johnson of Illinois
ANSWER: Harley Davidson Sportster

June 14
SPONSOR: Cheryl Cory
PRIZE: Autographed copy of Must've Done Something Good
(romantic comedy), by Cheryl Cory
QUESTION: What is Sylvie's all-time favorite movie? (HINT: Click
on the "Info" link in the left-hand column)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.facebook.com/MustveDoneSomethingGood
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Tarrah Montgomery of Arizona
ANSWER: The Sound of Music.

June 15
SPONSOR: Valerie Ipson
PRIZE: $15 Gift Certificate for Vinyl Lettering (http://vinylsignsanddesigns.blogspot.com)
QUESTION: What is Valerie's writing goal for 2011?
(HINT: Look in the right hand sidebar)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http:// valerieipson.blogspot.com
OPEN TO USA
WINNER: Kristen Tucker of Arizona
ANSWER: To pitch the book.

June 16

SPONSOR: Joyce DiPastena
PRIZE: Autographed copy of Loyalty’s Web (sweet medieval romance), by Joyce DiPastena
QUESTION: How do people win Joyce’s “Light Bulb Award”?
(HINT: Answer is found in the right hand column of the blog.)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://jdp-news.blogspot.com
OPEN TO USA
WINNER: Susan Arroyo
ANSWER: Wednesday Romances

June 17
SPONSOR: Danyelle Ferguson
PRIZE: Autograhed copy of (dis)Abilities and the Gospel: How to Bring People with Special Needs Closer to Christ (non-fiction/self-help) by Danyelle Ferguson & Lynn Parsons, M.S.)
non-fiction/self-help, autographed book
QUESTION: What is the name of the non-profit Danyelle co-founded?
(HINT: Check out Danyelle's author bio)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.danyelleferguson.com/
OPEN TO USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Amber Nielson of Vermont
ANSWER: Friends of GIANT Steps

June 18
SPONSOR: Teresa Thomas Bohannon
PRIZE: A Very Merry Chase (Regency Romance novel),
by Theresa Thomas Bohannon. Winner's Choice: PDF with personalized dedication,
or Ebook format for Kindle or Epub format for Nook.
(HINT: Read “A Very Merry Chase Excerpt” under
“A Very Merry Chase” in the right hand sidebar)
QUESTION: What did Lady Bethany do and why?
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.ladysilk.net
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Gayle Humpherys of Texas
ANSWER: Lady Bethany, shocked absoluetly to the core of her gentle soul, could take no more and swooned dead away . . . because Sabrina slapped the hieghwaymand and cursed.

June 19
SPONSOR: Diane Daniels
PRIZE: Autographed copy of Over The Moon
(YA fantasy romance, print copy), by Diane Daniels
QUESTION: Who is Andrew's evil x-girlfriend, Sonya, named after?
(HINT: Read the May 14, 2011 blog entry)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.overthemoonseries.com/
OPEN TO USA
WINNER: Megan Swanson of California
ANSWER: Sonya is named after my wicked orange cat who died last summer.

June 20

SPONSOR: Margaret Larsen Turley
PRIZE: critique for up to 5000 words
QUESTION: Margaret Larsen Turley is administrator for what writing group? They hold fund-raising events for Cancer Research.
(HINT: You’ll find the answer in one of her website tabs)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://margaretlarsen.com/
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES/ENGLISH LANGUAGE ONLY
WINNER: Rachel Rossano of Connecticut
ANSWER: Writers Unite to Fight Cancer

June 21

SPONSOR: Anna Arnett
PRIZE: Autographed copy of Lolly's Yarn: a memoir (older YA to adult),
by Anna Arnett, with a hand-crocheted bookmark
QUESTION: What was the verdict regarding Anna's radar photo
speeding ticket?
(HINT: Click on the Blogs tab and read “I Fought the Law and Guess Who Won?”
WEBSITE/BLOG: htt:www.annaarnett.com
OPEN TO USA
WINNER: Debbie Roberts of Pennsylvania
ANSWER: No defininition of "reasonable and prudent" or "Case dismissed," or "You may go now."

June 22
SPONSOR: Rachel Rager
PRIZE: Wednesday Romances - romance (obviously), ebook, by Rachel Rager.
This is a compaliation of three different love stories --all sweet romances.
A Season for Love, The Tiger Unleashed, and The Feather Kiss.
QUESTION: Every week I have post a new chapter of a book on my
blog. What are these posts called?
(Hint: These posts are featured every Wednesday.)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://rachelrager.blogspot.com
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Barbara Hightower of South Carolina
ANSWER: By helping her solve a particularly knotty problem with her WIP.

June 23

SPONSOR: C. Michelle Jefferies
PRIZE: 52 page hand-sewn weekly planner, with ribbon bookmark.
QUESTION: What rank is Michelle in martial arts? (HINT: Look in
right hand sidebar under “MY TANG SOO DO PROGRESS”)
WEBSITE/BLOG: HTTP://cmichellejefferies.blogspot.com
OPEN TO USA/CANADA
WINNER: Jennifer Hernandez of North Carolina
ANSWER: Red belt

June 24
SPONSOR: Valerie J. Steimle
PRIZE: Choice of two books: Home Is Where The Learning Is
(homeschool how-to book, non-fiction; autographed print copy) OR
Dogs, Blogs and Hobbits: Writings from a Widows Perspective ---(non-fiction
articles about everything from being single and single moms to inspirational
stories; autographed print copy), both by Valerie J. Steimle
QUESTION: How many children does Valerie have? (HINT: Look in the
right hand column in "About Me")
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://valeriesteimle.blogspot.com/
OPEN TO USA/CANADA
WINNER: Amy Lopez of Arizona
ANSWER: Nine

June 25
SPONSOR: Karen Adair
PRIZE: Crocheted Book Tote with matching cell phone case.
QUESTION: What commenter recently called me (Karen) "The
Queen of Sugar Land?" (HINT: Select “January 2011” under Archives and read
the COMMENTS on Karen’s January 6, 2011 post on “The 20 Minute Sprint”)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.kbadair.com
OPEN TO USA
WINNER: Sheil Heather Marinez of California
ANSWER: Shannon Hale

June 26
SPONSOR: Jaimey Grant (www.jaimeygrant.com)
and/or TreasureLine Books & Publishing (www.treasurelinebooks.com)
PRIZE: Winner's choice of 1 of 5 Regency romance eBooks by Jaimey
Grant (Honor, Betrayal, Deception, Spellbound, or Redemption. Please note: Honor
contains some marital "heat".)
QUESTION: Which of Jaimey's previously self-published titles has
recently been picked up by a publisher?
(HINT: Click the "Purchasing Options" tab)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http:// www.jaimeygrant.com
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Dara Roberts of Pennsylvania
ANSWER: Heartless

June 27

SPONSOR: Heidi Murphy
PRIZE: Autographed copy of Small Deceptions
(sweet Regency/Georgian romance), by H. Linn Murphy
QUESTION: In what country is the bridge found over which 'we' were
fighting? (HINT: Find “Blog Archive” in the right hand sidebar, click on April
and read the post titled: “The Far Bridge”)
WEBSITE/BLOG: www.murph4slaw.blogspot.com
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Brenda Child of Utah
ANSWER: France

June 28

SPONSOR: Kenneth Rosenberg
PRIZE: One e-book copy of my new romantic comedy,
Sweet Ophelia and the Tinseltown Blues, any format
QUESTION: What instrument does the character Warren August play?
(HINT: Click on the cover image for Sweet Ophelia and the Tinseltown Blues.
Read the first few paragraphs ofthe excerpt.)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http:// www.kennethrosenberg.com
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Susan G. Haws of Arizona
ANSWER: Saxophone

June 29
SPONSOR: Michael Young
PRIZE: Autographed copy of The Last Archangel
(YA Urban Fantasy, print copy - Release date July 14th)
QUESTION: What is the name of the fallen angel who is the main
character in "The Last Archangel"? (HINT: Click on the Reviews tab.
Frank Cole thinks this character “rocks!”
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://thelastarchangel.weebly.com
OPEN TO USA/CANADA
WINNER: Marie Kacerosky of Florida
ANSWER: XandirJune 30
SPONSOR: Joan Sowards
PRIZE: The Star Prophecy: a Book of Mormon Adventure (LDS novel), by Joan Sowards
QUESTION: Why do Enoch and his friends sail to Jerusalem? (HINT:
Read the blurb under The Star Prophecybook cover in the right hand column of the blog)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://joansowards.blogspot.com

OPEN TO USA

WINNER: Jessica Tidd of California
ANSWER: To find the Christ child

Lolly's Yarn by Anna Arnett

2011-05-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

This is the delightful Anna Arnett. At the ripe young age of 86, she is still a Spring Chick. She has more energy than most 25 year old's I know. I hope to grow up just like her.

Anna just published her first book, a clever and humorous memoir called Lolly's Yarn. Anna shares her story meeting the love of her life, Charles and their years together. Their time in Japan was particularly entertaining. Spend a few minutes with Anna and you can't miss the twinkle in her eye. Anna Arnett is a rare person of exceptional humor and intelligence.

Last Spring, Anna and I and our writing coach drove to Santa Fe, New Mexico together. Anna is great company on trips. The tales she tells are a slice of life. She writes with the same candor.

Anna says this is only the first of several memoires. You go Anna!

Lolly's Yarn is available at Amazon.com

Save the Child by Margaret Turley

2011-03-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

Back of the book blurb:

"You are not going to pour poison straight into her heart!" Nancy's determination to protect her daughter from the chemotherapy doctors insist she needs is fueled by boundless fury. She has seen cancer patients successfully treated with naturopathy. She wants the right to do this for Sharon, her eight year old child suffering from Leukemia.

Robert knows in his heart that chemotherapy is Sharon's only chance to survive. He follows his law professor's advice and forces himself to defend Nancy in public. As Sharon's parents they have to appear united. His work, law school and family demand more than twenty-four hours a day of him, and more than he is capable of giving.

Abby, at age fifteen, craves independence but needs understating. No longer receiving the attention she deserves from her distracted parents, she seeks adventure on-line, with a stranger. The result sends her to the same hospital as her sister in a coma.

Five year old Ben misses his sisters. He blames his mother for making Grandma go away and his father for leaving him with strangers. Jack, the family dog provides his only comfort.

Phyllis, widow of a physician, can not condone her daughter's irrational actions. But love and concern for her grandchildren pull her back to care for Benjamin amidst the raging battle.

Cancer is the enemy. Love is the remedy and Grandma is the angel who glues the family picture back together again.

Writers Mirror Review:

I have to be real here. I put off reading Margaret's book because I almost lost my little brother to cancer, and it still gives me chills. So . . . I had to muster up my courage and start the book. However, once I read a few pages, I was hooked. Margaret paints a clear and concise picture of a loving family and a little girl I wanted to root for from the get go. It is evident throughout that Margaret has done her medical research. She also gets the human emotions just right. The relationship between the parents was tenuous as would be expected. Each had their own growth arc as they worked through the toughest situation a parent can face separately or together. I won't do a spoiler here, but I will say. well done Margaret, well done.

Margaret Turley

Save the Child is available at:

Save the Child at Amazon.com

Save the Child at Barnesandnoble.com

Margaret Turley's Web site

Jimmer Fredette

2011-03-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

It's Jimmer Time. Are you a Jimmer Fredette fan? I am. The young man fascinates me. I heard a radio report on his earlier life and how he became Jimmer. It all boils down to hard work, tons of practice, working through injury and hard times, never giving up, and faith in himself.
Not a bit different in any field you choose to succeed in. If we will work hard, practice our craft, work through blocks, and excuses, never give up and have faith in ourselves, WE WILL SUCCEED! It's just that simple. (Notice: I said SIMPLE, not EASY.)
Here's to all the Jimmer Fredettes out there!

(also posted on ANWA Founder and Friends Blog)

Agent Contest

2011-03-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

If you are a YA or children's author, here is a great opportunity to strut your stuff in front of Super Agent Ammi-Joan Paquette. Go to YAtopia.blogspot.com and scroll down to the contest post. Hurry because the contest ends March 28th or when the 150 limit is met.

The Star Prophesy

2011-01-18T00:10:00.000-08:00

The adventure begins with the blog tour
for
The Star Prophecy
by Joan Sowards

We will be giving away THREE copies of The Star
Prophecy.It's easy to enter.
1. Visit the fabulous reviews and leave a comment letting us know why
you're excited to read The Star
Prophecy. Remember to include your email address.
2. If you tweet about the blog tour, or post about it on your blog or
facebook, leave the link in the comments section and you'll receive an
additional entry.

Good Luck! Entries close at midnight (MST) on January 28.

The Star Prophecy Book Blurb
Most people laugh when they hear of Enoch's dream of returning to Jerusalem to find the infant Messiah. Even Enoch's future father-in-law mocks him when he asks for a postponement of his long-awaited wedding to his beloved Rebekah. A few take Enoch seriously - the shipbuilder Omnihah, Enoch's teacher David, and the prophet Nephi.

Five years before, a Lamanite named Samuel had stood on the wall of Zarahemla and prophesied that "five years more cometh" and the Christ would be born in Jerusalem. Time is running out! Enoch knows he must set sail across the great waters in search of his dream - to see the face of the Messiah.

The Star Prophecy is a surprising story of courage and love, faith and fortitude. Sail with Enoch and his
friends across the sea through hardship and adventure in search of the Christ child.

The Star Prophecy Book Review
by Cindy R. Williams
A new favorite book by Joan Sowards. The first time I held the book in my hands, I got a little tingly all over. The name and the front cover alone looked to be a great escapade.

Intriguing premise. To become acquainted with people in the Book of Mormon times. To see their everyday way of living, thinking, acting and overall culture through the author's eyes was captivating. Sowards gets under the skin of her characters. She shows a good story rather than tells it.

Enoch was a strong character built around integrity. Yet he was given human frailties making him real. My heart went out to his little brother. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and do some major mother nurturing. Kumeni reminds me of many a teenager, a few of my own included. He has to experience things in his own way and learn from the school of hard knocks. I warmed up to him from the get go.

The Star Prophecy is rich in character, story line and adventure. I highly recommend it.

The Star Prophecy Blog Tour
January 10
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
January 11
Totally Tina
January 12
Peggy Urry
January 13
Tangled Words and Dreams
January 14
Kaylee Baldwin
January 17
Of Writerly Things
January 18
Writers Mirror
January 19
Bonnie Gets a Say
January 20
The Blessing of Family Life
January 21
Anna del C. Dye's Blog
January 22
Renee S. Clark

Wednesday Writer ~ Tristi Pinkston

2010-11-24T05:55:00.000-08:00

By Cindy R. Williams

CRW: Welcome Tristi! It’s a pleasure to have you as our Wednesday Writer today on Writers Mirror. Tristi, in one sentence, please introduce Tristi Pinkston to us.

Tristi: I’m a mom, a homeschooler, a terrible housekeeper, a blogging addict, a lover of naps, a fairly decent wife, a dedicated Cafe World player, a new Cubmaster, a freelance editor, a Molly Mormon and proud of it (especially the Molly part) and the author of five, soon to be six, published books.

CRW: (Laughing) Why did you first begin to write?

Tristi: I first started writing when I was about five years old. I wrote a poem after church one Sunday and my mother started planning my first book launch.

CRW: What inspires you to write?

Tristi: Everything. I hear a song or a news report, or the little voices in my head start talking to me, and it all leads to writing. I'm just addicted to it.

CRW: Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a goal of a certain number of words?

Tristi: I would like to write daily, but it doesn't always happen. Rather than setting a certain number of words, I write in bursts, generally in half-hour bursts, and I typically get around 1,400 words at a pop. If the muse isn't flowing, I don't write.

CRW: What gets in your way of writing?

Tristi: Generally speaking, it's just the other tasks I need to do that keep me from writing. I might have a lot of housework to do, or I might be working for an editing client, and so I'll do those things and skip my own writing for the day. Although, if I'm going to be perfectly honest, and I think I should, more often than not the housework waits.

Sometimes I do get hung up on a plot point, but those tend to resolve themselves if I let them.

CRW: How do you get them to resolve themselves?

Tristi: When it comes to the plot point issues, I'll either let it stew in the back of my brain a bit, or I'll talk it over with someone. There's something about speaking the problem out loud that makes it easier to solve. My critique group is awesome at helping me figure out details, too.

CRW: What makes you CRAZY about writing –both crazy good and crazy bad?

Tristi: The things that make me crazy in a bad way are computer glitches and the fact that authors don't make much money. But I'm crazy about it in a good way because it makes me happy. I love sharing stories with others.

CRW: Where is the weirdest place you have worked on a writing project?

Tristi: In the waiting room of a hospital.

CRW: How long does it take you to complete a book?

Tristi: It all depends on the book - some of the Secret Sisters books took just six weeks to write, and then they went through the critique group process. Other books, like my historicals, take much longer. If there's research involved, it definitely takes longer.

CRW: Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Tristi: Under couch cushions, in the lint screen ... just kidding. Ideas can come from anywhere. It's just a function of asking yourself, "What if?" You hear a news story, and you ask yourself, "What if that person had reacted differently?" and suddenly, you've got the start of a story.

CRW: Where do you get your character’s names?

Tristi: Occasionally, a character will pop into my head with their name intact. This was the case with Ida Mae Babbitt. She showed up, told me her name, and I never even considered changing it. Her counselor, Arlette, was the same way. I did change Tansy's name. She started out as Mitzie. But I have a friend named Mitzie who is very different from Tansy's character, so I decided to change the name. Took me about ten seconds to realize what the name should be.

Other times, I'll pull up a baby name website on the computer, or I'll turn to a list of names I started some years ago as I heard names I liked. I'll go through the lists until I find the name that "fits" that character.

CRW: What is your favorite writing food?

Tristi: I eat a lot of sunflower seeds, but they make my jaws tired. My #1 favorite thing to munch/drink is ice water, with lots of ice. I also consume my fair share of chocolate. I lean toward foods I can eat with one hand while scrolling or typing with the other. I consume a fair number of my meals at the computer.

CRW: What do you do when you get writer’s block?

Tristi: I put it aside and don't worry about it. Ideas flow best in a stress-free environment, and if I'm stuck, there's no reason to push it. If I get away from the computer and watch a movie or take a hot shower, before long, the ideas start to flow again.

CRW: You mentioned you belong to a critique group? Please share with us how it helps.

Tristi: I've been meeting with my group for a couple of years now, and they are invaluable to me in pointing out those little things I either don't know or space off. I wish I had them when I first started writing.

CRW: How do you prepare your WIP to submit? Do you edit it yourself, or do you hire it out?

Tristi: I work as a freelance editor, so I edit it myself, but I run it through my critique group first.

CRW: Tristi, congratulations on your newest book“Dearly Departed." It's so new, I have yet to see the front cover. Send it to me as soon as you get it and I will post it here for all to get the first look. Please give us a bit of a preview.

Tristi: "Dearly Departed" is the second book in The Secret Sisters Mysteries series. Our main character, Ida Mae Babbitt, is back to solving crime - this time, infiltrating a nursing home where she believes a murder has taken place. The first book, "Secret Sisters," is available wherever good LDS books are sold, and also on Amazon.

CRW: Please give us your best "Elevator Pitch."

Tristi: With a broken arm and a broken ankle, Ida Mae Babbitt is in a perfect position to infiltrate a suspect nursing home and discover who did away with the blue-haired lady on the upper floor. But she'll need her motorized wheelchair to catch the culprit once she learns who it is.

CRW: Sounds like a lot of fun and a premise for tons of mishaps. Who's your publisher?

Tristi: I just signed with Walnut Springs.

CRW: Wonderful Tristi! (Clapping, cheering, cartwheels!!) Please tell us about your other books.

Tristi: My first novel is titled "Nothing to Regret," and is about the Japanese internment camps during World War II, specifically the one called Topaz down by Delta.

Next came "Strength to Endure," which is also set in World War II, but from the German perspective.

After that, I wrote "Season of Sacrifice," which is the true story of my great-great-grandfather, Benjamin Perkins, who engineered the passage through the Hole in the Rock in southern Utah. This book was the most spiritually fulfilling for me to write, as it's my family history.

Then I released "Agent in Old Lace," which was my first contemporary book and also my first mystery. It has some elements of humor in it as well, as a male FBI agent must pose as a woman to bring the bad guy to justice.

Last March, I released "Secret Sisters" the first volume in The Secret Sisters Mysteries. It's a fun, light-hearted mystery which spoofs a lot of things about LDS culture in a non-offensive way.

CRW: Where can Writers Mirror Readers purchase your novels?

Tristi: They're found in LDS bookstores everywhere, but they're also all found on Amazon.com. I would recommend going there first - my first two books are out of print and no longer available, but you can get them on Amazon. Here are the links:

"Nothing to Regret"
http://www.amazon.com/Nothing-regret-Historical-Tristi-Pinkston/dp/1930980914/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290017052&sr=1-7

"Strength to Endure"
http://www.amazon.com/Strength-Endure-Historical-Tristi-Pinkston/dp/1932280480/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290017052&sr=1-5

"Season of Sacrifice"
http://www.amazon.com/Season-Sacrifice-Tristi-Pinkston/dp/0979434017/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290017052&sr=1-4

"Agent in Old Lace"
http://www.amazon.com/Agent-Old-Lace-Tristi-Pinkston/dp/1599553082/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290017052&sr=1-1

"Secret Sisters"
http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Sisters-Tristi-Pinkston/dp/1935546090/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290017052&sr=1-3

You can also get two of my books for the Kindle.

"Agent in Old Lace"
http://www.amazon.com/Agent-in-Old-Lace-ebook/dp/B0049B327E/ref=sr_1_cc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1290017052&sr=1-2-catcorr

"Secret Sisters"
http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Sisters-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B003X4M8IW/ref=sr_1_cc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1290017052&sr=1-3-catcorr

CRW: Okay, now here's the toughie. Why are you a writer?

Tristi: That's not a toughie - I'm a writer because I don't have any other choice. It just ... happens.

CRW: Well put. What would be the best complement you could receive from a reader?

Tristi: Readers most compliment me in three ways - when they tell me they stayed up all night reading, when they tell me the book made them cry, or when they tell me that the book helped them realize the truth behind an important gospel or life principle. Those are the compliments I most remember. Of course, though, any and all compliments are welcome.

CRW: If you were only able to write one more book to leave as your legacy, what would you write about?

Tristi: I already did it. "Season of Sacrifice" is the book I feel I was supposed to write. Everything else that comes after it is icing on the cake. That doesn't mean I plan on retiring any time soon, but it means that I feel a measure of accomplishment having done that.

CRW: Lucky lady, you get to cross that one off your bucket list. Where can we read more about you or contact you, such as website or blog sites?

Tristi: My blog: http://www.tristipinkston.blogspot.com/

My website: http://www.tristipinkston.com/ You can follow me on Facebook and Twitter, just using my name to search, and I also write regularly for Families.com

CRW: Thank you for sharing this with us on Writers Mirror.

Tristi: Thank you for hosting me! It's been a lot of fun!

Eat, Write and Be Merry For Tomorrow We Sleep!

2010-10-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

by Cindy R. Williams

Eat, write and be merry for tomorrow we sleep. Do you live your life like this sometimes? Do you have writing jags that keep you flying and you stay up most of the night? Maybe you are in the re-writing stage, the editing stage. the proofing stage. No matter what stage, it can happen.

I'm guilty. Sometimes the world revolves around my manuscript. I have decided it is NOT good. Oh, once in a great while it's okay, but for the most part NOT! I believe it's possible to go off the deep end if we don't learn to balance the writing life. It's far healthier for mind, body, emotions and spirit to live with a good dose of the staples of life. "Moderation of all things" is my new motto.

Read up on some of the big name authors, and you'll find that many of them plant themselves in their chair anywhere from two to eight hours a day, on a regular basis. They respect their writing and treat it as a job. Then they STOP! They enjoy the other wonderful things in their lives.

Sounds like a plan, a good plan. No need to sacrifice all sanity nor my lovely family. It can all work together with moderation in all things.

I DID IT!

2010-07-14T22:32:00.000-07:00

THE QUERY LETTER IS DONE!

What's a query letter you say? It's a letter that is meant to convince an editor that your story is the greatest story ever told and that they absolutely have to have it even more than chocolate. A query letter is your proposal of sorts, your calling card, you’re desperate plea to "PICK ME! PICK ME!" without sounding the least bit whiny or desperate.

I have been flying on Sparkin the dragon's noble back over Arizona for three years now and yet found the query letter about as much work. Wait a minute, hold the phone, and your horses or whatever it is you hold. I actually found the book an absolute delight to write. I love the characters, even the sinister ones and many times had to be called back to this planet to fix dinner, and attend to the worldly needs of my wonderful family. The query letter was more of a tear out your hair exercise that lasted through several months of research and 42 --not a typo --different versions, one to please each query letter expert. I studied the blurbs on the back of a gazillion books, and finally had an epiphany. Why not complete the exercise outlined by one of my most favorite agents that I was blessed to attend her presentation last April at the LDStorymakers Writers Conference?

So after the "why did it take you so long to figure it out?" moment, I finally hit upon what the heart of this book is about and what makes it unique. I realized it is a story of youth learning that they can do hard things, and learning that it is okay to be yourself even if you are different than others.

As Sparkin of the amazerful Stoneloch Dragon Clan would say, "It is ever so sweet" to have it complete.

2nd Annual SUMMER TREASURE HUNT

2010-05-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our second annual “Summer Treasure Hunt: Dig for Clues and Win” Contest! My author friend, Joyce DiPastena, organized this SUPER SUMMER contest again this year. A prize is given away everyday from June 1 through Juloy 8th. We have something for everyone: romance, fantasy, mystery, suspense, historical, contemporaries, young adult and middle grade fiction; children’s picture books including Cindy R. Williams' Award Winning "Chase McKay Didn't Get Up Today." (Hey, isn't she the the blogger behind the curtain here?) Also a variety of non-fiction titles. We also have some exciting non-book prizes: a hand crocheted book tote and cell phone case; a book/jewelry combo; a Mary Kay cosmetic assortment; a The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe DVD; and (you aspiring writers won’t want to miss this one!) a free edit/critique for the first 50 pages of an unpublished novel by a three-time published author!

SUMMER TREASURE HUNT RULES:
You can send in an entry for each day’s prize, or only for those prizes that strike your fancy. The rules are simple:
(1) Go to the website or blog indicated for each day, find the answer to the question for that day, then EMAIL THE ANSWER WITH YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS to jdipastena@yahoo.com. I promise you will not wind up on any mailing lists. This is only to facilitate the receipt of your prize. All entries will be deleted at the end of the contest.
(2) Please send a separate entry for each day and type the day you are entering in the subject line. (Such as: Summer Treasure Hunt, June 1; Summer Treasure Hunt, June 2, etc).
(3) Deadline for each day: Midnight PST
(4) The winner will be contacted and announced on the day following the deadline.
     All winners will be “drawn” by http://www.random.org/.
     You do not have to wait until the designated day to enter. You can start sending in your entries right now, or begin entering at any point along the way. And check back here each day between June 2nd-July 9th to read the names of the winners.
     If you have any questions, feel free to email Joyce DiPastena at jdipastena@yahoo.com

And now…let the Treasure Hunt begin!

JUNE 1
SPONSOR: Donna Hatch
PRIZE: QUEEN IN EXILE, (fantasy romance), autographed by author
QUESTION: The princess must rely upon her magic to save whom? (Hint: Look under “Bookshelf” tab)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.donnahatch.net/
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Amber Nielson of Vermont
ANSWER: Herself and her people from death and tyranny

JUNE 2
SPONSOR: Laurie Lewis
PRIZE: AWAKENING AVERY (women's fiction), autographed copy
QUESTION: Avery's signal that she isn't handling her husband's death very well comes to her when she tosses what into what? (Hint: Look under books & reviews, then click on the cover to AWAKENING AVERY and read the first chapter)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.laurielclewis.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Barbara Stilwell
ANSWER: The remote into the TV

JUNE 3
SPONSOR: E.A. West
PRIZE: RILEY'S MISSION (PDF: romantic suspense)
QUESTION: Where does Jade sit after she sees Aziz Khadoul? (Hint: Click on “Books” tab, then on “excerpt” link for RILEY'S MISSION)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://eawest.mcphitty.com/
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Judy Cox, Louisianna, USA
ANSWER: An empty chair

JUNE 4
SPONSOR: Jenna Dawlish
PRIZE: SPRIG OF THYME (Victorian romance), autographed copy
QUESTION: What is the name of the hero in Jenna's first novel LOVE ENGINEERED? (Check out “The Library” tab)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.jennadawlish.com/
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Ginny Romney, Az USA
ANSWER: Charles Lucas

JUNE 5
SPONSOR: Rachael Renee Anderson
PRIZE: DIVINELY DESIGNED (contemporary LDS romantic comedy), autographed copy
QUESTION: What is the title of Rachael's second book, being released in August? (Hint: scroll down to Rachael’s “Goodreads” titles on the right hand sidebar))
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://rachaelreneeanderson.blogspot.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Karin Tillotson, Pennysylvania USA
ANSWER: Luck of the draw

JUNE 6
SPONSOR: Linda Kay Garner
PRIZE: SOME SECRETS HURT (picturebook), autographed copy plus a homemade cuddle blanket. This picture book is for all ages. It is simple enough to be understood by a very young child, meaningful enough to appeal to teenagers, informative enough to be helpful to parents, and powerful enough to reach out to a wounded adult.
QUESTION: The only thing worse than finding out that your child is being sexually abused is ____ ____ ____? (Hint: Listen to 5 minute KSL TV interview on the right side of the website or download the free Parents’ Guide)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.somesecretshurt.com/
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Laura Lewis, North Carolina, USA
ANSWER: Not finding out

JUNE 7
SPONSOR: Danielle Thorne
PRIZE: (New/Sealed) The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (Widescreen DVD)
QUESTION: In Danielle Thorne's novel, TURTLE SOUP, what is the name of the marine biologist who inspires Sara Hart to name her deli Turtle Soup? (Hint: read the blurb for TURTLE SOUP on Danielle’s website homepage)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.daniellethorne.jimdo.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Carol Rainbolt, Arizona USA
ANSWER: Jack Brandon

JUNE 8
SPONSOR: Larry Hammersley
PRIZE: LAB PARTNERS (sweet 1950’s romance), ebook
QUESTION: What are the first names of the hero and heroine in the short story LAB PARTNERS? (Hint: Check out “WIP Report” post for April 4, 2010)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://larryhammersley.blogspot.com/
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTIRES
WINNER: Minna Gerhart
ANSWER: LeRoy and Jody

JUNE 9
SPONSOR: Linda Weaver Clarke
PRIZE: MELINDA AND THE WILD WEST (historical romance, YA and adult), autographed copy
QUESTION: What was Melinda doing when she first met Gilbert and why did he act flustered and then abruptly turn and briskly stride away? (Hint:. Click on “Sample Chapters” tab, then on the book title for MELINDA AND THE WILD WEST to read a sample chapter.)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.lindaweaverclarke.com/
OPEN TO USA AND CANADA ENTRIES
WINNER: Cassandra Cantree Utah, USA
ANSWER: Wading in a stream with skirts hiked up showing legs and feet.

JUNE 10
SPONSOR: Angela Morrison
PRIZE: TAKEN BY STORM (Penguin/Razorbill 2009), YA romance, autographed hard cover
QUESTION: A legendary LDS author of over 30 books for teens called TAKEN BY STORM, an amazing story written with a clear, refreshing and creative voice." Who was it? (Hint: check TAKEN BY STORM tab)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.angela-morrison.com/
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Diana Donahoo Illinois, USA
ANSWER: Jack Wayland

JUNE 11
SPONSOR: Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen
PRIZE: TRAPPED (romantic suspense with a hint of paranormal fantasy), autographed copy
QUESTION: The first trap Emi Warrin encounters is a mysterious letter. To where does it lure her? (Hint: Read the book summary under the TRAPPED tab)
WEBSITE/BLOG: rondahinrichsen.com
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Amanda Isbell Utah, USA
ANSWER: Austrian Alps

JUNE 12
SPONSOR: Anne Patrick
PRIZE: JOURNEY TO REDEMPTION (inspirational romantic suspense), free download
QUESTION: What did Royce use to do for a living in my upcoming release, OUT OF THE DARKNESS? (Hint: Look under the My Books link for Anne’s new release, OUR OF THE DARKNESS)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.suspensebyanne.blogspot.com/
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Cindy Schuerr Wisconsin, USA
ANSWER: He played Pro Football

JUNE 13
SPONSOR: Rebecca Talley
PRIZE: ALTERED PLANS (contemporary LDS romance), autographed by author
QUESTION: What is unique about my youngest son? (Hint: Watch the YouTube video Extra C posted on the right side of Rebecca’s blog)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.rebeccatalleywrites.blogspot.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Rachel Stanley California, USA
ANSWER: He has an extra chormosome/Down Syndrome

JUNE 14
SPONSOR: David J. West
PRIZE: HEROS OF THE FALLEN (historical fiction), autographed hardcopy)
QUESTION: What is the name of my favorite author? (Hint: Scroll through David’s June blogs. He promises you’ll find the answer!)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://david-j-west.blogspot.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Tawnya Mayo Utah, USA
ANSWER: Robert E. Howard

JUNE 15
SPONSOR: Jennifer Stewart Griffith, author of CHOOSING MR. RIGHT AND DELICIOUS CONFERSATION
PRIZE: FREE edit and/or critique of first 50 pages of a novel
QUESTION: What is the Japanese word for the hairstyle worn by sumo wrestlers? (Hint: Check out Jennifer’s favorite sumo blog, Sumo Beautiful. Look for Hama Bijin’s April 13th post)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://sumobeautiful.blogspot.com/
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES as long as the manuscript can be emailed to Jennifer and is in English.
WINNER: Tracy Astle California, USA
ANSWER: Chonmage

JUNE 16
SPONSOR: Rebecca Irvine
PRIZE: FAMILY HOME EVENING ADVENTURES (non-fiction book of FHE lessons), free e-book on CD QUESTION: What is the title of the first book written by Rebecca Irvine? (Hint: Read “about me” on Rebecca’s blog)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.rebeccairvine.blogspot.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Tracy Travis California, USA
ANSWER: Adventures with the Word of God

JUNE 17
SPONSOR: Marilyn Bunderson
PRIZE: THE MARK (YA Fiction), autographed copy with a bookmark
QUESTION: In a deleted scene from my book, THE MARK, Jon loses a bet to Shae. What does he have to do to pay up? (Hint: Found in post titled Deleted Scenes From THE MARK dated April 15, 2010)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.mrbunderson.blogspot.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Karen Haas North Carolina, USA
ANSWER: Go country line dancing

JUNE 18
SPONSOR: Heather Justesen
PRIZE: Winner’s Choice: THE BALL'S IN HER COURT (contemporary inspirational) or REBOUND (contemporary romance), autographed by author
QUESTION: How much did the FBI agent expect John's bail to be set at? (Hint: Click on "My Books" tab, then "read more" about REBOUND.)
WEBSITE/BLOG: HeatherJustesen.com
OPEN TO USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Colleen Conklin Arizona, USA
ANSWER: About half a million.

JUNE 19
SPONSOR: Nichole Giles
PRIZE: THE SHARP EDGE OF A KNIFE (inspirational historical, based on a true story), autographed copy
QUESTION: What is the correct title of the humorous anthology I coauthored? (Hint: Look in the right hand sidebar)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.nicholegiles.blogspot.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Taffy Lovel Utah, USA
ANSWER: MORMAN MISHAPS AND MISCHIEF

JUNE 20
SPONSOR: Karen Adair
PRIZE: Trendy blue/brown crocheted book tote with matching cell phone case (Check out Karen’s “Diva Strings” website for examples: http://www.divastrings.com/index.html)
QUESTION: Where did Karen learn how to type and what speed did she finally top out at? (Hint: Check Karen’s “Bio” tab)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.kbadair.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Becky Drew Arizona, USA
ANSWER: I took my first class in middle school and my latest clocked speed is 120 words per minute.

JUNE 21
SPONSOR: Lynn Parsons, co-author of the soon-to-be-released non-fiction book: (dis)Abilities and the Gospel
PRIZE: A pair of hand knit socks
QUESTION: What are three of the topics I list on the parent page of my website? (Look on “Parent Page” tab)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.lynndparsons.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Karen Tillotson Pennsylvania, USA
ANSWER: ADD/ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Autism, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Educational Activities for the Home, Transition to Adulthood.

JUNE 22
SPONSOR: Kinzie Monroe
PRIZE: RESERVATIONS FOR TWO (inspirational romance), autographed CD
QUESTION: What was Maggie doing when she and Carson first met in Reservations for Two? (Hint: click in the “Excerpts” link on Kinzie’s blog)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://kinziemonroe.blogspot.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Paige Child Utah, USA
ANSWER: Roller blading

JUNE 23
SPONSOR: Michele Ashman Bell
PRIZE: SUMMER IN PARIS (YA romance), autographed copy and Eiffel Tower bookmark
QUESTION: What is Michele "dreaming of"? (Hint: found on sidebar above picture of Eiffel Tower
WEBSITE/BLOG: micheleabell.blogspot.com
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Sharlina Mata, Costa Rica

JUNE 24
SPONSOR: Jaimey Grant and JaysDesign Jewelry
PRIZE: A signed copy of REDEMPTION, a Regency romance by Jaimey Grant, and a 19" hand-knotted strand of freshwater pearls ($45 value) handmade by Jay T Lyons of JaysDesign Jewelry.
QUESTION: Artist Jay T Lyons did a sketch for the cover of an upcoming Regency romance of mine. What is the sketch of and what is the title of the upcoming book?
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://sites.google.com/site/jaimeygrant/jaytlyons
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Cydni Tongishm Utah, USA
ANSWER: A prison hulk for the cover of RETRIBUTION

JUNE 25
SPONSOR: Christine Thackeray
PRIZE: LIPSTICK WARS (LDS Women’s Fiction), autographed copy
QUESTION: What is the name of the angel who needs a vacation in my recent pamphlet, Could You Be an Angel Today? (Hint: Play the book trailer for Could You Be an Angel Today on Christine’s home page
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.christinethackeray.com/
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Carissa Cantrell Utah, USA
ANSWER: Gladys

JUNE 26
SPONSOR: Bonnie Harris
PRIZE: Mary Kay Satin Lips Set, Travel Size Satin Hands Set and a set of mineral eye colors
QUESTION: What is the name of my African Gray and African Desert Tortoise? (Hint: Read “About Me” in the left hand sidebar)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.bonnieharris.blogspot.com/
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Cheryl Snyder Pennyslvania, USA
ANSWER: Kumba & Digger

JUNE 27
SPONSOR: Teralee Deighton
PRIZE: CUP OF COMFORT FOR NEW MOTHERS (personal essay anthology)
QUESTION: Name the editor of CUP OF COMFORT FOR NEW MOTHERS
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.adamsmediastore.com/category/cup-of-comfort-series?r=COC_Bookstore
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Susan Arroyo Utah, USA
ANSWER: Colleen Sell

JUNE 28
SPONSOR: C. LaRene Hall
PRIZE: MARTHA'S FREEDOM TRAIN (middle grade historical), autographed by both author and illustrator
QUESTION: How many short stories has C. LaRene Hall published in the humorous anthology, MORMOAN MISHAPS AND MISCHIEF? (Hint: Look in the left hand sidebar)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.clhall.blogspot.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Chris Okelberry Utah, USA
ANSWER: 14

JUNE 29
SPONSOR: Sarah M. Eden
PRIZE: COURTING MISS LANCASTER (Regency romance), autographed copy
QUESTION: In his "I Need Friends Friday" interview, what reason does Edward Cullen give for not sleeping at night?
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.sarahmeden.com/2009/11/i-need-friends-friday-edward-cullen.html
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Teryn Ercnbrack Utah, USA
ANSWER: Because I'm a Monster

JUNE 30
SPONSOR: Marcia Mickelson
PRIZE: REASONALBLE DOUBT (LDS Suspense), autographed copy
QUESTION: In what country was author, Marcia Mickelson born? (Hint: Click on “About Marcia” tab)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.marciamickelson.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Patricia Cochran Texas, USA
ANSWER: Guatamala

JULY 1
SPONSOR: Kimberly Job
PRIZE: I'LL KNOW YOU BY HEART (romantic suspense), autographed copy
QUESTION: What is the title of my current work in progress? (Hint: Look under “My Books” tab)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.scribbledscraps.blogspot.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Archana Subramaniam Georgia, USA
ANSWER: A Change of Heart

JULY 2
SPONSOR: Joan Sowards
PRIZE: HAUNTS HAVEN (an LDS ghost story), autographed copy
QUESTION: What is the name of the town in which the story of HAUNTS HAVEN takes place? (Hint: Found on sidebar synopsis of story)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://joansowards.blogspot.com/
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Jobie Marshall Ogden
ANSWER: Cassidy Springs

JULY 3
SPONSOR: Margaret L. Turley RN
PRIZE: SAVE THE CHILD (Reality Fiction), autographed copy
QUESTION: Where can you listen to an audio interview with Margaret L. Turley about her book, SAVE THE CHILD? (Hint: Click on link at the bottom of Margaret’s bio on her “About the Author” page)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://margaretturley.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Heather Perry Utah, USA
ANSWER: Authorsroost.com

JULY 4
SPONSOR: Joyce DiPastena
PRIZE: ILLUMINATIONS OF THE HEART (sweet medieval romance, a 2009 Whitney Award Finalist), autographed by author
QUESTION: Who were gifts usually given to on Epiphany during the Middle Ages? (Hint: Click on STOLEN CHRISTMAS tab and read excerpt from An Epiphany Gift for Robin)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.joyce-dipastena.com/
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES:
WINNER: Lexie Hogan Utah, USA
ANSWER: Small children

JULY 5
SPONSOR: Cindy R. Williams
PRIZE: CHASE MCKAY DIDN'T GET UP TODAY (Arizona Glyph Award Finalist and Southwest Book Awards Finalist), a snuggle, giggle children’s picture book.
QUESTION: There is a picture of Cindy holding two dragons on her website, www.cindyrwilliams.com. The names of the dragons are in the caption below the picture. What are their names? (Hint: Look on the “Book” page)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.cindyrwilliams.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Diane Pollack Iowa, USA
ANSWER: Thundertail and Sparkin

JULY 6
SPONSOR: Gail Pallotta
PRIZE: LOVE TURNS THE TIDE (inspirational romance with suspense), free e-book on CD with a pendant necklace and matching earrings.
QUESTION: Who comes to Cammie O'Shea's rescue after she has a break-in at her unit in Destin, Florida? (Hint: Scroll down to: MORE ABOUT THE BOOK)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.gailpallotta.com/
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
WINNER: Jeanette Jackson. Canada
ANSWER: Vic Deleona

JULY 7
SPONSOR: Danyelle Ferguson, co-author of the soon-to-be-released non-fiction book: (dis)Abilities and the Gospel
PRIZE: A 30 page manuscript edit.
QUESTION: Name three of the "special needs" address in (dis)Abilitites and the Gospel. (hint: Click onthe "Books" tab for (dis) Abilities and the Gospel.
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://www.danyelleferguson.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Jacque Stevends Maryland. USA
ANSWER:Autism, Down Syndrome, Bi-polar disorder, Memory loss and more.

JULY 8
SPONSOR: Karen E. Hoover
PRIZE: SAPPHIRE FLUTE (YA Fantasy), autographed copy
QUESTION: How many bloggers have posted their reviews of the SAPPHIRE FLUTE? (Hint: Check out the list under SAPPIRE FLUTE Blog Tour in the right hand side bar and count ‘em up)
WEBSITE/BLOG: http://karen-hoover.blogspot.com/
USA ENTRIES ONLY
WINNER: Paige Ray Californian, USA
ANSWER: 41

Book Review ~ "Summer in Paris" by Michele Ashman Bell

2010-04-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

SUMMER IN PARIS by Michele Ashman Bell

      "I declared bankruptcy this morning. We've lost everything." Kenzie's father took a breath and continued. "We have thirty days to auction off our belongings and move out of the house."
      Kenzie's mouth dropped open with disbelief. "Bankrupt," she whispered. That one word had the power to reduce her life from chauffeurs and credit cards to nothing.
     "While we sort this out," her father continued, "we've made arrangements for you to stay with your aunt and uncle in Paris."
     Paris. That wouldn't be so bad.
     But wait . . . her uncle didn't live in Europe. He lived in Idaho.

Reading this blurb on the back of the book had me thinking two things. This Kenzie is a spoiled brat, and the book is going to be full of situations that will humble her to the point of becoming a nice and likable person.
I was right on both accounts. The personal growth arc that Bell creates for her main character is well done.

At first I had little sympathy for Kenzie. I felt like saying, "Oh waaaahh." Kenzie just seemed like a girl with a silver spoon and the world owes her a living mentality. Bell soon changed that image by giving glimpses into Kenzie that proved that she really was a nice kid with bad things happening to her. Bell dug deep into the character and created a well rounded young lady that rose to the occasion.  My respect grew for the socialite as the story progressed.

One of my favorite characters was Rambo, aka Adam. He is about as perfect as a guy can be even though he has been kicked out of the social stratosphere for a horrible crime he was accused of, but not convicted. He brought a breath of fresh air into the town, and the story. He also seemed to bring the best out in Kenzie.

Bell fleshes out the surrounding characters by creating firm images complete with, mannerisms, and personalities.

Kenzie was given the farm chore of gathering eggs from the hens. Bell did a great job making it seem real and added humor to the situation. Readers will experience it right along with Kenzie.

I got a little confused when Kenzie turned her nose up at oatmeal for breakfast because of her strict diet as a ballerina, yet ate shakes and french fries without batting an eye. I chocked it up to the fact that she must be allowing herself the full experience of living a new and different life.

"Summer in Paris" is a fun read about coming of age and a little romance twisted throughout. Bell throws in a good mystery to keep you turning the pages. I recommend the book to read while lounging on a hammock in Paris, Idaho or France. Your own back yard will actually do just fine.

"Summer in Paris" is another quality book published by Valor Publishing Group LLC.

    Michele Ashman Bell

To purchase "Summer in Paris" CLICK HERE

Book Review ~ "I'll Know You By Heart" by Kimberly Job

2010-04-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

The day Stephanie Roberts met Jared Wakefield, she didn't realize they had met before. Running from an abusive marriage and trying to safeguard her children, Stephanie turns to Jared for support--but he needs more from her than she might be capable of giving. With her abusive husband looming in her past, the difficulties they must overcome seem insurmountable.

Is it possible for love to conquer all? "I'll Know You By Heart" is a timeless romance that explores the possibility that relationships span the entire realm of eternity---a story about abuse, hardship, and betrayal---ultimately a story about the healing power of everlasting true love.

So far so good. I love a good story, and a good romance at that. I knew from the very first page that I was in for a bit of a rough ride following Stephanie as she dealt with and faces her horrific trials. Kimberly Job doesn't hold back on the reality of the pain, suffering and fear that accompany abuse by a spouse. She also fills the reader with hope, and comfort as she takes them on a journey of discovery, strength, honesty, and healing.

In the story, Stephanie has three children and lives in constant fear from her husband's violent temper. She puts up with it for years, convincing herself that it's really her own fault and that if she could only be better, or prettier, or perfect, etc., he would not treat her this way. It was a harrowing look inside what a battered woman deals with. Job is spot on in when she writes the scene where Stephanie grows a back bone; when the abuse spills over to her sixteen year old son. I was with her, urging her along as I read. This can't continue. She MUST take responsibility and not allow her children to be abused. Job writes with such clarity, insight and honesty that the characters become real, their pain and suffering flows out of the pages and into your heart.

This novel is not all about the anguish and tragedy of abuse, but also one of great hope, healing and growth. Job brings the story to life and takes the reader on quite an emotional ride. One cannot help but be changed after reading this book. Stephanie comes full circle when her Spirit is no longer surrounded by constant fear. She is able to recognize those inner whisperings and follow her heart. The reader is able to come to grasp with our eternal nature along with Stephanie in the story.

Job has created a masterpiece of hope. "I'll Know You By Heart" is a must read.

To purchase your own copy of "I'll Know You By Heart"
by Valor Publishing Group LLC., click here.

Book Review ~ "The Thorn" by Daron D. Fraley

2010-04-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

"The Thorn" by Daron D. Fraley is a new release by Valor Publishing Group, LLC. Writers Mirror has been invited to participate in the book blog review tour. Let's start with the captivating blurb on the back.

Three tribes are at war on the planet Gan, unaware that the sign of Christ's birth on an unknown word--Earth--is about to appear in the heavens.

During a bloody skirmish with Gideonite troops, Jonathan of Daniel spares Pekah, a young enemy soldier, gaining his trust forever. These two distant brothers from estranged tribes covenant with each other to end the war being waged by a self-proclaimed emperor, and soon discover the intentions of a far more dangerous foe--a sinister general bent on ruling those he can bring into subjection and destroying all others.

I must admit my curiosity was piqued by this mixture of history and religious beliefs being tied together and viewed through the eyes of people living on another planet. I'm not a big fan of war books and movies, but started reading with hopes of a good tale. I was not disappointed. Fraley weaves an interesting story of three very different groups of people dealing with intrigue, power, murder, romance, obedience, faith, trust and forgiveness.

The names of the characters were excellent and in keeping with the story. Battle strategies were mapped out with finesse. Fraley seems to know how to stage a war. The weapons he described lent themselves well to the story. The Thorn was quite unusual, and an interesting object in itself. The sword Jonathan used was particularly fascinating. Stones that glowed with light when rubbed were another good creative touch.

The two sister suns, Aqua and Azure, were mentioned by name often throughout the book which leads one to believe they play some significant part yet to be revealed. Sniffling and teary eyes by grown men and hardened soldiers gave me pause now and then.

Spoiler Alert: The anointing of the King and the two marriages were lumped together in one event which seemed a little anti-climactic and a bit rushed since each event was a big deal.

Included in the book is a preview of chapter one of the next book which contains a disturbing hook. As an advocate for the sanctity of one's person, and particularly my daughters, I was upset to leave the new situation unresolved, but isn't that what a good hook does? I'll have to read book two and hope there is some kind of justice.

Fraley takes us on a journey back in time and gives a good look into what might have been in a universe far away. He certainly makes the possibility come alive in his novel.

To purchase your own copy right now click here.

Wednesday Writer ~ Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen

2010-04-07T00:06:00.000-07:00

Author Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen

Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen was born and raised in Rexburg, Idaho, received her Associates Degree in English from Ricks College and studied writing at Weber State University and Utah State University. Her first article was published in a 1994 magazine, and she has since published numerous articles and short stories in print and online mediums. Her first mystery novel, MISSING, was published in 2009, and her second novel, TRAPPED, will be available in stores next month.

CRW: Welcome, Ronda, to Writers Mirror. It is a pleasure to have you be the Wednesday Writer today on Writers Mirror.

Ronda: Thanks, Cindy. I’ve been looking forward to this moment.

CRW: Please tell us when you first began to write?

Ronda: I’ve been “writing” since the 6th grade, but my first published article came out in a 1994 magazine.

CRW: What inspires you to write?

Ronda: The hunger to write, no matter what. But I also have a strong desire to write books that “lift” my readers. Too few people realize how important their goodness is to this world.

CRW: Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a goal of a certain number of words?

Ronda: I try to write 5-6 days a week. I usually try to write as much as I can within the time I have. Sometimes that time involves research and planning, so it’s hard to plan a number of words. Not an excuse, I promise. Just the way it is for me at this point in my career.

CRW: What gets in your way of writing?

Ronda: Any and all other responsibilities. Honestly, the desire to write is so strong in me that I have to make myself do other things. I do better, however, if my schedule allows me to write in the morning. That way I don’t feel as guilty the rest of the day about not writing.

CRW: How do you get past it?

Ronda: If I’m having a crazy busy day, then I try to AT LEAST write down ideas or even a sentence or two on my WIP.

CRW: What makes you CRAZY about writing? Both crazy good and crazy bad.

Ronda: By crazy do you mean obsessed? I think I am a bit obsessed about writing which brings the good and bad that goes with that “condition.” But you know, it wasn’t until “MISSING” came out and I began
to have overwhelmed moments piled on top of overwhelmed moments (mostly related to promotion) that I actually thought “Why am I doing this?” The thought didn’t last long, though.

CRW: Where is the weirdest place you have worked on a writing project?

Ronda: My husband’s apartment in China. I don’t consider my car during my kids’ soccer practices as weird, because I think that kind of thing is becoming the norm among mom-writers.

CRW: How long does it take you to complete a book?

Ronda: “MISSING” took 3 years because it was my first and I had a huge learning curve. I also extensively rewrote it three or more times. “TRAPPED” took 1 ½ years. I’m hoping my 3rd will take me less than that. Experience helps a lot.

CRW: Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Ronda: To me, ideas are everywhere, just floating around us, waiting for someone to snatch them up. For instance, my first novel, “MISSING,” came from a man/child exchange I saw in a parking lot. “TRAPPED” was the union of two vivid dreams. The book I’m working on now has bits and pieces from a few shows I saw on the History Channel.

CRW: Where do you get your character’s names?

Ronda: I usually have an idea of who my characters are, so I go through Baby Name books and find those that mean something similar to my characters. I then work with those names until I find one that feels right.

CRW: What is your favorite writing food?

Ronda” If I’m under stress, I gravitate to chocolate.

CRW: What do you do when you get writer’s block?

Ronda: I’m rarely blocked in the sense that I can’t think of anything to write. When I get stuck in a scene or something, though, I read, brainstorm, research—just anything along that line that might “show” me what to do next.

CRW: Tell us about your upcoming book “Trapped."

Ronda: Like my first novel, “MISSING,” “TRAPPED” is a romantic suspense novel. However, it’s different than anything else I’ve ever written because it includes a hint of paranormal fantasy—no ghosts, though. “TRAPPED” was originally scheduled to come out later this year, but my publisher pushed it up to April. That makes two novels for me within 6 months. Whew!

CRW: Who is your publisher?

Ronda: Walnut Springs Press.

CRW: Please give us your best “Elevator Pitch” for "Trapped."

Ronda: When Emi Warrin, a sheltered, twenty-three-year-old Florida girl, wakens to find a thief in her room, she has no idea that the "trap" he left behind will eventually lead her and the man she loves to the Austrian Alps. Nor does she know that she's the powerful Firstborn. She's destined to face a world of betrayal and pagan sacrifice to save herself, her family, and the generations who come after her.

CRW: Please tell us more about "Missing."

Ronda: “MISSING” is an LDS novel about a BYU-Idaho student who’s on a choir tour in British Columbia when she spots a kidnapped child from her own hometown in Rexburg, Idaho. The story is the hunt to save the girl and includes a bit of romance with a handsome musician along the way

CRW: Where can Writers Mirror Readers purchase your novels?

Ronda: “TRAPPED” hasn’t been released yet, but I believe it will be available in the same places you find “MISSING.” “MISSING” is available online at Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, and other retailers. It’s also in Deseret Book and independent bookstores where LDS books are sold. You can find direct links to it on my website at rondahinrichsen.com.

CRW: Okay, now here is the toughie. Why are you a writer?

Ronda: Actually, that’s easy. I’m a writer because that’s what I do. It’s who I am. If I don’t write, I feel like my day Isn’t quite complete.

CRW: What would be the best complement you could receive from a reader?

Ronda: These are two of my favorite responses: ‘I couldn’t put it down!’ and ‘You made me cry.’ But you know, if I’m hearing from someone face-to-face, I also love the excited look in their eyes when they ask me when my next book is coming out.

CRW: Where can we read more about you or contact you, such as website or blog sites?

Ronda: My website is rondahinrichsen.com. I also have two main blogs I write for. One is about writing related topics on thewriteblocks.blogspot.com. The other contains information about my travels as well as serious articles I’ve written for yourLDSneighborhood.com.

CRW: Thank you for sharing this with us on Writers Mirror.

Ronda: Anytime, Cindy. It’s been fun!

Wednesday Writer - Author Nichole Giles

2010-04-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

Author: Nichole Giles and her books:

"Mormon Mishaps and Mischief"

and

"The Sharp Edge of the Knife"

Nichole Giles was born in Nevada, raised in Arizona, and graduated high school in Utah. Her early career plans included becoming a megastar actress or rock star, but she decided instead to have a family and then become a writer, in that order. Writing is her passion, but she also loves to spend time with her family, travel, drive in the rain with the convertible top down, and play music at full volume so she can sing along.

CRW: Welcome, Nichole, to Writers Mirror. It is really great to interview you today. Where do you usually do most of your writing?

Nichole: We have a den, but my kids have taken over the computer in there, so I usually opt to hide out in my bedroom with a laptop. It works for me.

CRW: Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a goal of a certain number of words or a certain amount of time?

Nichole: You know, I have four kids, including teenagers, so while I do write every day, that writing isn't always on a work in progress. Some days I'm happy to clean out my inbox and write blogs. But I try to make some kind of progress every day, and as long as I do that, I feel like I'm moving forward.

CRW: What gets in your way of writing?

Nichole: My kids, our schedule, the other parts of life like laundry and making dinner. But I will say that I often give up sleep in order to find a few minutes for writing.

CRW: How do you get past it?

Nichole: Sometimes, I don't sleep. Other times, I write on a notebook while I'm on the go. One of these days I hope to hire a housekeeper to take care of my house while I write--but until then, I take things one day at a time.

CRW: What makes you CRAZY about writing?

Nichole: Crazy as in I love it or crazy as in drives me nuts?

CRW: You choose.

Nichole: I love writing because it's a great channel for emotions, and because I get to live in another world for a little while every day. But it sometimes drives me crazy when I have characters having conversations in my head while I'm trying to concentrate on other things.

CRW: Where is the weirdest place you have worked on a writing project?

Nichole: I've been known to edit at half time during soccer games, and have also worked on things in airports and on planes.

CRW: How long does it take you to complete a book?

Nichole: It depends on the book. I work on several projects at a time, and usually an entire book takes me between a year and two years to complete and edit. But I'm talking from conception to conclusion and everything in between.

CRW: Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Nichole: From everything in life. Look around! The world is full of ideas.

CRW: Where do you get your character’s names?

Nichole: Some of them come to me already named. But when they don't, I have a huge character naming book that I pour through until I've found just the right names.

CRW: What is your favorite writing food?

Nichole: It depends on the day. Sometimes it's chocolate, but sometimes black licorice.

CRW: Tell us about your books.

Nichole: Mormon Mishaps and Mischief is an anthology of 200 short stories about the silly things people do in and around church meetings and activities. It's available everywhere LDS Books are sold.

The Sharp Edge of a Knife is based on the true story of my grandpa, who was kidnapped in 1958 by two convicts on the run. The men planned to kill him, but through his faith and spiritual promptings he managed to change the outcome of the experience. This book is available on Amazon, and will hopefully make it into stores soon.

CRW: Who are your publishers?

Nichole: Mormon Mishaps and Mischief was published by Cedar Fort, Inc. And The Sharp Edge of a Knife by Golden Wings Enterprises.

CRW: Please give us your best “Elevator Pitch” for one of your books.

Nichole: When Mel Petersen leaves for work on the morning of February 7, 1958, he has no idea what awaits him when he picks up a pair of young men who appear to be college students. What Mel doesn’t know is that the men are actually convicts on the run, who are desperate to get away by any means necessary. When one of his passengers holds a knife to Mel’s throat, he has no choice but to submit to the demands of the criminals. Mel hopes he has what it takes to talk his captors into letting him live, but fears they will kill him before he has the chance.

CRW: Why are you a writer? Loaded question I know since you need to state it in only a few sentences.

Nichole: Because I love literature, I love creating mental pictures, and because it's the only way to silence the voices in my head.

CRW: Who do you hope reads your work?

Nichole: Everyone who might find something valuable in it. And possibly a few people who will read it just for the sake of enjoyment.

CRW: What would be the best complement you could receive from a fan?

Nichole: Oh wow. Um, how about something like, "Your book helped me..."

CRW: Where can we read more about you or contact you, such as website or blog sites?

Nichole: My blog is www.nicholegiles.blogspot.com, and my website is www.nicholegiles.com.

CRW: Thank you for sharing this with us on Wednesday Writers.

Nichole: Thanks for having me. I enjoyed this interview.

###

Wednesday Writer ~ ANWA Writer's Conference

2009-12-30T08:35:00.000-08:00

If you are ready to take your writing serious, you won't want to miss the ANWA Writer's Conference. It is one of the best in the west, with some very big names in the business and the cost is about a third of most other writer's conferences.

ANNOUNCING THE ANWA 2010
WRITER'S CONFERENCE
"Start Write Now"

Open to all writers on this or any other planet.

The 2010 ANWA Writers Conference

Saturday, February 27, 2010
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Dobson Ranch Inn,

1666 South Dobson Road

Mesa, Arizona 85202-5699

Discounted Hotel reservations available on the above registration site or by calling Dobson Inn Ranch Directly at 480-831-7000 or 1-800-528-1356 http://www.dobsonranchinn.com/

Keynote Speaker
J. Scott Savage
Author of the "Farworld" Series

Aprilynne Pike

New York Times best-selling Author of “Wings”

Doug Johnston
Publicist Extraordinaire

Nancy E. Turner
Author of “These is My Words”

Dr. Pamela Goodfellow

Writing Coach, Editor and Owner of Goodfellow Publishing Services

Sara Fujimura
Author and Magazine Writer

Helen Bair
Counselor and Author of “Finding the Healer in Me”

Marsha Ward
Author of the “Owen Family” Series

Book signings at end of conference

Early Registration
General Public: $75 before February 7, 2010
ANWA Members $60
After Feb. 7 add $5

Cost includes Catered Lunch

For questions contact, the ANWA 2010 Conference Chair Person, Cindy R. Williams at cindywilliams@q.com or Conference Registrar, Krista Darrach at kristadarrach@yahoo.com

Wednesday Writer ~ Liz Adair

2009-12-23T18:40:00.000-08:00

Liz Adair, Author of "Counting the Cost"

Though Liz Adair lives in the Pacific Northwest, she has desert in her DNA. Born in New Mexico, she graduated from high school and college in Arizona before heading north to moister climes. Liz began writing seriously when most of her seven children were grown. She has published six books and is currently working on a screenplay of her latest novel, Counting the Cost.

CRW: Welcome Liz to Writers Mirror. It is really great to interview you today.

Liz: It’s nice to be interviewed. I’ve been in awe of your energy and outreach ever since we met at a writers retreat three years ago.

CRW: Thanks Liz. I remember meeting you too, and how I was in awe at how well you had it all together. Okay, now some questions so all can get to know you better. What inspires you to write?

Liz: It’s just something I gotta do. You know, fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly.

CRW: Liz has got to write. Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a goal of a certain number of words?

Liz: If I’m in the middle of a project I try to write at least five days a week. The only goal I set is to get the dang thing done.

CRW: What gets in your way of writing?

Liz: Family, work, inertia, life. There’s lots to get in the way, but people in my life are really supportive. They always ask if I’m busy before breaking into my day.

CRW: Wow, I'm impressed. People still think I am just playing. How do you get past it?

Liz: I don’t. I embrace it. So it might take a few extra months to get something written. The things that get in the way are important, too.

CRW: Well said. What makes you CRAZY about writing?

Liz: Missing obvious mistakes in something I’ve proofread a hundred times.

CRW: Where is the weirdest place you have worked on a writing project?

Liz: Sitting alongside a sewage lagoon in Chewelah, Washington. I wrote After Goliath while my husband was managing a job building a wastewater treatment plant. I worked with him, part time, and the rest of the time I sat in the job shack and pounded out the manuscript.

CRW: How long does it take you to complete a book?

Liz: The quickest I have written a book was four months, but I was able to work that one it full time. Since I still am employed, a more comfortable length of time is nine months.

CRW: Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Liz: Everywhere. From family history, from the newspaper, from standing in line at the post office, from the things that get in the way of my writing.

CRW: The line at the Post Office. Good idea. Where do you get your character’s names?

Liz: I take a lot of my surnames from family history. If I hear a name I particularly like, I file it away—which does no good, because I can’t remember where I filed it. When it finally surfaces, I can’t remember the reason I kept it, but, hey, it’s a pretty good name, I’ll stick it on this current hero.

CRW: What is your favorite writing food?

Liz: Diet Pepsi with fresh lime.

CRW: Liz, Please tell us about your book “Counting the Cost.”

Liz: This story arc is taken from family history—a family secret, really, that my mother told me just before she died. This book is different from the other books I’ve written in a couple ways: First, my other books are lite fare. Both the mysteries and the romance are nice little puzzles, mini-vacations. They’re fluff. Counting the Cost has more substance to it. Secondly, my other books were all carefully plotted, outlined, written. Counting the Cost just welled up inside of me and poured out my fingers.

Oh, did I mention that Counting the Cost was an award finalist in USA Book News’ “National Best Books 2009” award?

CRW: Congratulations! I also saw it listed in a contest for book trailers. If any of you readers would like to vote, go to http://www.yougottareadvideos.blogspot.com/ Good luck with that. Who is your publisher?

Liz: Inglestone Publishing. Cecily Markland’s company.

CRW: I have to tell you a quick story about Cecily. At our ANWA (American Night Writers Association) meeting in December, we drew numbers for white elephant gifts, and I drew the gift Cecily brought. It was a 1900? Olympia manual typwrite in it's orinal case. It's in perfect condition with a working ribbon and all. I am absolutely tickled! My children are fascinated by it. Cecily gave the ultimate cool gift for a writer!

Back to your book Liz, please give us your best “Elevator Pitch” for the book.

Liz: Set in Depression-era New Mexico, Counting the Cost is the story of a cowboy and a socialite from back east who defy convention and run away together. Though they love one another desperately, she isn’t bred to be a cowhand’s wife, and he can’t leave the range. It is only when disaster strikes that each learns what is really important.

CRW: I read the book, and also bought one for my Mom. We both enjoyed it. Where can Writers Mirror Readers purchase it?

Liz: Counting the Cost can be bought from Inglestone Publishing. Here’s a link: http://inglestonepublishing.com/index.php?cmd=display&pg=bookstore

or from Amazon.com. Link: http://www.amazon.com/Counting-Cost-Liz-Adair/dp/0977881466/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260248082&sr=8-1

You can see the trailer for Counting the Cost at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moiORkCKbYM

CRW: I left the email links with all the info on them instead of imbedding them. Sometimes a reader's computer will not pull up the link, so this way, if you are interested, you have it all. What other books do you have available?

Liz: The three Spider Latham Mysteries are out of print, but you can buy them at the Inglestone web site book store.

The Mist of Quarry Harbor is available at Deseret Book. Link: http://deseretbook.com/item/4736270/The_Mist_of_Quarry_Harbor

Lucy Shook’s Letters from Afghanistan is available at www.swanforhumanity.com One hundred per cent of sales of that book go to fund humanitarian outreach.

CRW: Who do you hope reads your work?

Liz: The person sitting beside me on the plane the next time I fly somewhere. That’s my fantasy, to get on the plane and see someone reading a book I’ve written.

CRW: That would be incredible. What would be the best complement you could receive from a fan?

Liz: “I loved your book.” It’s trite, but it sounds new each time I hear it.

CRW: Where can we read more about you or contact you, such as website or blog sites?

Liz: My website is www.lizadair.net

My blog is www.sezlizadair.blogspot.com

My email address is writer.lizadair@gmail.com

CRW: Thank you for sharing this with us on Wednesday Writers.

Liz: Thank you for asking me. It’s been fun.
I repeat. Thank you for asking me!

CRW: My pleasure!

Wednesday Writer ~ Tina Scott

2009-12-16T18:30:00.000-08:00

Tina Scott

Tina Scott, an award winning writer and artist gets her inspiration from life, but her tales gain a creative edge after taking a spin through her imagination. With seven kids and a handfull of grandkids, she has plenty of inspiration to keep her imagination alive.

CRW: Welcome, Tina, to Writers Mirror. It is really great to interview you today.

Tina: It's fun to have an interview, Cindy. Thanks.

CRW: No, thank you! Okay Tina, tell us what inspires you to write?

Tina: Life--writing has always been a part of me.

CRW: Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a goal of a certain number of words?

Tina: I do like to write daily. I'm not good at setting word-count goals though--I spend all of my time checking to see how many words I've written.

CRW: What gets in your way of writing?

Tina: My family--but that's a good thing. If it weren't for them I'd probably stay sequestered in my writing room and never see the light of day.

CRW: How do you get past, through or around it and still make your writing happen?

Tina: When I don't have time to sit down to write, such as during the holidays, I am still thinking of my current WIP. I stop and make notes of ideas that come to me so that when I do have time, I have more to go from.

CRW: What makes you CRAZY about writing?

Tina: Trying to get published. I've been trying to get an agent for a year now.

CRW: Where is the weirdest place you have worked on a writing project?

Tina: From bed. I keep a notebook, a pen, and a flashlight by my bed. On a good night I have to force myself to sleep.

CRW: How long does it take you to complete a book?

Tina: I wrote the rough draft for my 230 page fairy novel in four months. My main character had a lot to say and I had to work hard to keep up with her.

CRW: By the way, Tina placed in a First Chapter Contest with this very fairy novel. I love fairies Tina, so am looking forward to you publishing this book. I always love when an author listens to the character. Others probably think we are crazy, but they really do talk.

CRW: Where do you get your character’s names?

Tina: All over. When I wrote my fairy novel--she told me her name.

CRW: There's that talking character again. What is your favorite writing food?

Tina: I don't generally eat while writing--it takes my consentration away from my goal.

CRW: Good habit. Chocolate tends to inspire me. Tina, please tell us about your book(s).”

Tina: I have self-published a children's picture book. It's a tale about a coyote who has a dream--how he saves the day and also makes his dream come true. My sister-in-law, an accomplished artist, did the illustrations.

CRW: Who did you use to publish it?

Tina: I self published through Instantpublisher.com

CRW: Please give us your best “Elevator Pitch” for the book.

Tina: Coyote dreams of flying, but in real life his efforts are disastrous. Through hard work and imagination, Coyote learns how to make his dream come true.

CRW: Where can Writers Mirror Readers purchase it?

Tina: Through my blog, or on my website.

CRW: Tina's website and blog are listed at the end of the interview.

CRW: What other books do you have available?

Tina: I recently published another children's picture book called When I Grow Up. It's a short, rhyming story that empowers children to make right choices and let them know that their options are limitless.

CRW: Sounds like a good book for all. Okay, here is the deep question. Why are you a writer?

Tina: I've wanted to be a writer since first grade. After my youngest child started school, so did I. It was through my college English class that this dream re-surfaced. Shortly after that, I found ANWA through a newspaper ad. It really is a part of me.

CRW: For readers unfamiliar with ANWA, it is the national writing group called American Night Writers Association. I currently serve as the General Treasurer, and will take this opportunity now to blatantly invite everyone reading this and interested in writing to come to the wonderful ANWA Writers Conference on Saturday, February 27th, 2010. To learn more or to register, Google ANWA.

CRW: Okay Tina, my commercial for ANWA is over. Please tell us you who do you hope reads your work?

Tina: I hope to eventually find publishers for my novels so that everyone who wants can read them. My children's picture books were published with my children and grandchildren in mind.

CRW: What would be the best complement you could receive from a fan?

Tina: I've had several people who purchased copies of my Coyote tale tell me that their children want them to read it over and over again. That brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction.

CRW: Good for you Tina. Time to list your contact info.
Tina: http://www.totallytinascott.blogspot.com/ and my web site, http://www.tinascott.net/

CRW: Tina, we thank you for sharing some of your writing thoughts with us on Wednesday Writers.

Tina: It's been a lot of fun. Thanks for inviting me here.

Wednesday Writer ~ Valerie Steimle

2009-12-08T23:15:00.000-08:00

Valerie Steimle

Valerie J. Steimle is not your average person. She was born into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints when she was nine. She graduated from Ricks College in '79 and then attended Brigham Young University. She then went on to marry Robert Steimle at 21 and then had nine children. She has homeschooled all of her children with Robert during sometime in their life and also started writing for newspapers about family issues. She became a widow in 2006 as Robert passed away suddenly in his sleep after being married for 25 years.

CRW: Welcome, Valerie, to Writers Wednesday on Writers Mirror.

Valerie: Thank you so much for interviewing me. I love talking about my books.

CRW: Let’s start with your book called "Of One Heart: Being Single in the LDS World." When will it be available?

Valerie: It is available now on Amazon.com.

CRW: Who’s your publisher?

Valerie: They are called Createspace.com. It is a self-publishing company put out and run by Amazon.com.

CRW: Please give us your best “Elevator Pitch” for the book.

Valerie: Being single in a predominately married LDS world has great challenges. My book will help anyone who is single or knows a single friend to overcome these challenges.

CRW: How do we find your book on Amazon.com?

Valerie: Type my name Valerie J. Steimle on Amazon.com and three books will come up. You can also go to my website, http://www.strengthenyourhome.com/.

CRW: Excellent. What are the titles of your other two books?

Valerie: "Home Is Where the Heart Is" and "Home Is Where the Learning Is.: Homeschool Lifestyles from Homeschool Moms."

CRW: What inspires you to write?

Valerie: I started writing when there was an injustice occuring where I was living in San Diego. I see injustices all the time in family and social issues in our culture all the time, so I feel compelled to write about them. It's very theraputic.

CRW: Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a goal of a certain number of words?

Valerie: Yes, I do try to write daily but I don't set a word goal. I work on different manuscripts and ideas I have for several hours a day. Word counts can put too much pressure on me and I get writer's block so I set my writing time to 2 to 3 hours a day.

CRW: What gets in your way of writing?

Valerie: That's a good question. Life itself. Children, new husband, my responsibilities at church and homeschooling. There is a lot going on.

CRW: How do you get past it?

Valerie: I take my down time at the computer. I finally have an office in my home so I can close the door and write for a while.

CRW: What makes you CRAZY about writing?

Valerie: I love, love, love the publishing world. It is fascinating to me. I love that people will read my books and tell me it helped them in some way or they enjoyed what I had to say. It is so satisfying.

CRW: So this is crazy good then, not crazy bad. Where is the weirdest place you have worked on a writing project?

Valerie: When I have to watch soccer games, wait at the doctor's office, or wait to pick up children, I always have a pad of paper to write down or work on a project. I do love watching my boys play soccer but there is a lot of in between time that I sit pondering so I write.

CRW: How long does it take you to complete a book?

Valerie: Usually about a year. I have one just coming out in a few weeks as well called "Dogs, Blogs, and Hobbits: Writings from a Widow's Perspective" also on Amazon.

CRW: Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Valerie: Living life. So much can be written about the experiences we have living in a family. I also write about what happens in our country politically and how it affects families.

CRW: What is your favorite writing food?

Valerie: Ooooo. Something crunchy ususally. I'm a health nut so I get wheat crackers or something nutritional. I have also been known to sometimes hide a bag of cheese doodles in my desk drawer.

CRW: Why are you a writer?

Valerie: It is the best way for me to express myself. It is just something within me that I have to do. I think other writers can understand this.

CRW: Who do you hope reads your work?

Valerie: Everyone!!!! My books are for everyone and I hope it will help them in some way. I feel close to becoming a best seller author!!!!

CRW: What would be the best complement you could receive from a fan?

Valerie: I get emails from fans and I never get tired of hearing how my books have helped them in some way. It is very rewarding. My homeschool book probably gets me the most complements.

CRW: Where can we read more about you or contact you, such as website or blog sites?

Valerie: My website is www.strengthenyourhome.com and you can email me at valeriesteimle@yahoo.com. Once again, my website is http://www.strengthenyourhome.com/. My website also has a link to my blog.

CRW: Thank you for sharing with us on Wednesday Writers.

Valerie: Thank you for inviting me to talk about what I love. I really appreciate it.

Wednesdays Writer ~ Tanya Parker Mills

2009-12-02T06:01:00.000-08:00

Tanya Parker Mills

Tanya Parker Mills grew up overseas, and the stories she writes inevitably reflect the clashes of culture, religion, and values that her LDS family witnessed, first-hand. Her first novel, "The Reckoning," (set in Baghdad, Iraq, where she lived for five years as a child) was a 2008 Whitney Finalist in two categories and won the Indie Book Award for Multicultural Fiction. She lives and writes in Richland, Washington, sustained by her husband, two children, two cats, and a continual supply of M&M's.

CRW: Writers Mirror welcomes Tanya Parker Mills as our special guest on Wednesday's Writer.

Tanya: Hi Cindy.

CRW: Hi Tanya, I know you have an interesting and vairied background that gives you much to draw from for your writing. Please tell us about it so we can begin to get to know you.

Tanya: Shortly after my parents got married, my Dad had a choice: go to work for this new broadcasting company called NBC...or work for the government's newest agency--the CIA. Guess which acronym he went for? Of course, I didn't find out about his undercover work 'till I was getting ready to go off to BYU. It certainly lent a new perspective to our years abroad in Greece, Turkey, and Iraq! (By the time we went to Lebanon, where I finished high school, he had left the agency and gone "legitimate," as they say.)

CRW: Wow! What stories your Dad could tell, that is if he was allowed to tell them. No wonder you have so much to write about. What inspires you to write?

Tanya: Knowledge. Ever since I was a kid, I loved reading encyclopedias and you can get a ton of ideas for stories simply by reading history and biography. I find that when I come across an interesting fact or piece of history, I simply have to start writing about it in some way, in order to better understand and remember it. (It was also my best method for studying in school.)

CRW: You must have been a great student with such interesting study methods. Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a goal of a certain number of words?

Tanya: Yes, except on Sundays...but even on Sundays, I try to post to my blog. I try and write from 9 am to 11 am (except on Wednesdays when we go to the temple...then I write from 11 am to noon), when my mind is freshest. I shoot for 3-5 pages, but don't always make it.

CRW: What gets in your way of writing?

Tanya: Not my husband. He knows not to bother me during those hours. Now our cat, Peach, is a different matter (He's high maintenance, unlike our other cat, Anastasia). I'll be in the middle of a really good scene and he'll come and jump up and park himself right in front of the monitor.

CRW: Looks like Peach got caught here in this picture, but that he really doesn't care. So much like all the cats I know. So what do you do with the feline situtation?

Tanya: I have to call out to Michael to come and take Peach away.

CRW: What makes you CRAZY about writing, other than Peach?

Tanya: I can't turn the story off in my head sometimes. Today, for example, I was sitting reverently in the temple and suddenly I found myself second guessing the way I'd written a particular scene in my current story. Bad girl!!! I had to really double down to refocus on the session.

CRW: How long does it take you to complete a book?

Tanya: Too long! I hear about all these other authors who put out a book every year. "The Reckoning" really took me four years. And I've been working on this second one now for three years (though I really stopped working on it for a year or more, so I'm not sure that should count). Barbara Kingsolver is my hero...she takes her time with her books, too. (Of course, she's famous and can afford to!)

CRW: You have already told us about your rich background, but where else do you get your ideas for your books?

Tanya: Things that have happened to me...things I read about. "The Reckoning" is somewhat autobiographical in that I spent part of my childhood in Baghdad and some of Theresa's memories were mine (some, not all!)...also, I have temporal lobe epilepsy like Theresa and something similar to the opening chapter occurred to me.
Now, the idea for my current novel, "Laps" came during a walk past all the homes with pools in our previous neighborhood in Southern California. I got another idea for an historical novel from listening to an NPR broadcast.

CRW: Where do you get your character’s names?

Tanya: I need to improve in this area. For my first novel, I picked names that seemed to fit my characters, but they're not very memorable names (at least not the American or Canadian ones). I gave it a little more thought for "Laps," particularly with regard to surnames, striving for some symbolism.

CRW: What is your favorite writing food?

Tanya: M&M's, hands down. I couldn't have finished the first two drafts of "The Reckoning" in 3 months without huge bags of M&M's. (I dieted later.)

CRW: I love it. Chocolate seems to be the number one writing food! But, some of us don't bother with the diet afterwords, 'cause there is no afterwords. Why are you a writer?

Tanya: Because I think best and communicate best through my fingers.

CRW: This gives an extra meaning to the sense of touch. Who do you hope reads your work?

Tanya: Everyone! But if you mean a particular person or group of people, then I'd have to say all Americans who have never lived abroad. I'm not aiming my work at the LDS market, though I'd love to have LDS readers, because I want to help bridge the gap between LDS and non-LDS, and I think I can do that best by writing for the mainstream in a way that hopefully reflects my values.

CRW: I love your philosophy. We need to reach out with good works. What would be the best complement you could receive from a fan?

Tanya: "Your book really taught me something about _______ that I didn't know before.

CRW: That would be nice. What is the topic of the project you are now writing?

Tanya: Asperger's Syndrome.

CRW: Please tell us more about it.

Tanya: I have a son diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, and so I wanted to write a story about an undiagnosed adult who comes to better understand herself when she crosses paths with such a child.

CRW: That sounds like a very much needed book and tough to write sinse it is so close to the heart. Good luck with it. Please tell us about the current book you are actively marketing.

Tanya: Even though "The Reckoning" was published last year, I'm still marketing this story of an American journalist who gets imprisoned in Iraq before the U.S. invasion. While in prison, she gradually comes to realize that one of her captors is connected to the death of her father years before in a Baghdad prison. It's a real page-turner and I'm hoping to put together a good book trailer for it in the next couple of months that will help garner attention on YouTube.

CRW: Please give us your elevator pitch.

Tanya: An American journalist sneaks over the border into northern Iraq with her cameraman to get a story before the U.S. invasion, but they get captured and turned over to Iraq's secret police. Denied her epilepsy medication, she begins to have vision flashbacks of events from her expatriate childhood there and, gradually, she comes to realize one of her captors is connected with the death of her father years ago in a Baghdad prison. Will she get to the bottom of the mystery and somehow escape before the bombing begins? "The Reckoning" is a tale of love, betrayal, and redemption so full of twists and turns that you won't want to put it down.

CRW: Where can our readers go to buy your book?

Tanya: Amazon.com for now. "The Reckoning" is also available on Kindle.

CRW: Thank you for sharing with us on Wednesday Writers. For more information about Tanya Parker Mills see the sites below.

Tanya's website: www.tanyaparkermills.com
Tanya's blog: http://tpmills.wordpress.com

BOOK REVIEW ~ An Angel on Main Street by Kathi Oram Peterson

2009-11-23T05:48:00.000-08:00

Today on Writers Mirror is a book review of "An Angel on Main Street," by Kathi Oram Peterson. The back cover blurb gives a good synposis and hook.

Micah Conners promised his mother he would be good in his new town. But with Christmas being only three days away, being escorted home by the sheriff does not bode well. Can the towering office be trusted not to tell what happened? Perhaps the ramshackle stable that has appeared on Main Street will side track him from spilling the day's events--or maybe his interest in Micah's widowed mother would do the trick. The last thing Dawn Conners needs is to hear her son is in trouble. She has enough to worry about with her husband gone and her daughter, Annie, ill.
Even though Micah has told his sister the rustic structure in the middle of town is simply part of the town's decorations, Annie is sure that unseen angels are building the crude stable--which means baby Jesus is coming, and He can make her better. Terrified that his little sister might die, Micah vows to find the baby Jesus for Annie, even if it is only a plastic doll. But as Micah gets nearer to his goal he finds that angels are closer than he ever would have believed.

The blurb sounded interesting. I thumbed through the 100 page book published by Covenant Communications and thought it looked like a nice clean read. What I didn't count on was getting so involved in the story that I forgot to focus on reviewing the book. I just enjoyed it. I won't spoil the ending, but I did find the book page turning and my eyes moist.

Kathi has a clear writing voice. Her characters are strong and most of them quite likable. I have always tried to out think the author as I read. I usually figure out 'who done it' by about half way through a book. This time I didn't figure it out until about three quarters of the way. The only thing that seemed a bit out of whack was that several times Micah drew very adult conclusions and I had to double check that it was Micah saying or thinking these thoughts. Overall the entire book is a masterpiece in creating human emotions in both the characters and the reader.

The responsibly Micah feels toward his mother and sister is touching. His character shines through and shows that Micah is a good kid deep inside. The feeling extended beyond the book to include most youth. It is a comforting message that we have some wonderful young people in this troubled world.

The town sounds like a great place to live and has a good variety and flavor of people. Kathi allows her characters to achieve a good growth arch. She includes just enough physical and character hints that each of them come alive. They become real people, people you care about, people you want to know. One of my favorite characters was Kora, the quirky owner of the greasy spoon. Every respectable town needs a flamboyant Kora with her crazy earings for every season.

I highly recommend this book as a heart warming Christmas story. It's the whole package. It's a wonderful journey of wondering if God loves us, then why do bad things happen to good people. In "An Angel on Main Street", Kathi shows us just how much God truly does love us.

"An Angel on Main Street" is deserving of FIVE GOLD STARS!

Wednesday Writer ~ Connie Wolfe

2009-11-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

Writers Mirror welcomes Connie Wolfe as our Wednesday Writer. Connie is a member of ANWA, American Night Writers Association. She has been writing for many years. Though yet to be putlished, she is an excellent writer and will someday soon be out there.

CRW: Welcome Connie, what inspires you to write?

Connie: I sometimes notice little things that trigger a scene for me. For instance, the other day in the grocery store there was a man with his little boy (about 5). The little boy looked up at his Daddy with an expression of pure hero worship and his father returned with a look I can only describe as gentle love. In my mind I imagined them as a divorced father who missed his time with his boy and took full advantage of his visitation rights. Since I am divorced and do not see a good relationship between my sons and their father, this really struck me as sweet and noteworthy. I’d love to write something that would inspire father’s everywhere to appreciate their children and to live so that their children could always look up to them with that same worshipful expression.

CRW: Do you set time or word goals daily for your writing?

Connie: I don’t do very well at setting a daily word goal. I tend to write by scenes, not words. When I have a scene fixed in my mind, I like to sit down, close my eyes, and just let it pour out my fingertips onto the keyboard. It isn’t unusual to come to the end of the scene and realize that I have tears running down my cheeks.

CRW: I beleive that if the writer cries as she writes it, then the emotions are so honest that the reader will too. What gets in your way of writing?

Connie: It would almost be easier to say what doesn’t get in my way of writing. Life happens. I can always find something else that needs done before I sit to write and before you know it, my day is gone. Perhaps my biggest stumbling block is emotional energy. Especially if I am working on an intense scene, it tends to drain me emotionally. If I am under a great deal of stress for the day, I find it very difficult to find the energy to write.
Recently, I find that I resist being scheduled. As of three months ago, for the first time in my life, there is no one calling the shots for me; no parents, child, husband or boss. I have been wallowing in that luxurious feeling like a pig in the mud. My time is my own to do with as I choose and it has been a heady feeling. I got a little unrealistic with it for a while, but am getting things back into perspective now.

CRW: Tell us a little more about how you are coming to terms with making time for writing?

Connie: It took a while to identify some of the problems, but I am doing my best to negate them. While there is always something that needs doing in the housework department, I have identified the things that drive me crazy if undone. Since my best writing time is early in the day, I am making it a policy not go to bed at night until those things are done so they don’t take control of the next day and my wrighting time. I also try to schedule other responsibilities and appointments for later in the day so it keeps my mornings more free to write. I limit myself in the time I spend with e-mails, blogs, etc. Reading was a distraction for me. Once I start a book, I hate to put it down. So, since I like to read as I eat, for breakfast I limit my reading to an Ensign article or a Relief Society lesson. To read for fun is becoming a reward for writing.

CRW: Novel idea. (Pun intended.) I run crazy in the morning doing everthing. Once I get writing, I tend to leave this world, and time means nothing. I'm afraid I won't get even the most necessary of tasks done if I don't do them first. What makes you CRAZY about writing?

Connie: I am awful at editing as I write. If I come up with something new in my story line, it is so compelling to go back and build it in to what has already been written. It’s almost like I can’t think straight until I have set all the clues and foreshadows before I can go on. I am trying to deal with that by setting aside some time each couple of days to do the editing rather than doing it at the moment.

CRW: Where is the strangest place you have worked on a story?

Connie: A few years ago I attended a writer’s conference on a cruise ship. The ship stopped off Catalina Island and they had small boats that ferried passengers to land. Since I was still using a cane as a result of breaking my foot, I decided not to risk climbing on and off those bouncing boats, so went up on the promenade deck and wrote instead of sightseeing.

CRW: Sounds wonderful! Do you have a timeline in mind to completing one of your projects?

Connie: I’ve set a goal to have the rough draft completed by the end of the year and the editing and polishing done by the end of March.

CRW: You mentioned about the scene with the father and son in the grocery store. Where else do you get your ideas?

Connie: I love to play the ‘what if’ game. I see an unusual person, or a person doing something unusual, overhear a snatch of conversation, and I can ‘what if’ it into some really fun things. The fun thing about being a writer is that it is only limited by your own imagination.

CRW: Where do you come up with your character names?

Connie: Sometimes the names just come to me. Occasionally a character reminds me of someone I have known and I use that name. Of course, sometimes those names change as the character develops more fully.

CRW: Do you have a favorite writing food?

Connie: Chocolate and ice cream. Unfortunately, in my effort to reduce weight and get more fit and healthy, those are now off limits. In this not as perfect world of weight loss, I have resorted to almonds and lemon drops.

CRW: Why are you a writer?

Connie: I have had a love affair with books from the time I was big enough to hold one. In grade school, most of my recesses were spent on the front steps of the school with a book. By the time I could read well, I had a younger brother and sister that loved to have me read aloud to them. That added a whole new dimension to reading pleasure. It was a very small step from loving to read to wanting to write.

CRW: Good point. Who do you hope reads your work?

Connie: I tend to write in different genres. I have too many works in process—mystery, historical fiction, fantasy, and romance. These tend to be geared to young adult or women.

CRW: What would be the best compliment about your writing that you could receive?

Connie: That I am the best writer they have every read. (Just kidding.) To have a reader identify with a character and to receive strength and hope for their own lives through what they learned from that character would be like reaching out and sharing a piece of my heart and soul with the reader. To have them understand and appreciate what I shared would be overwhelmingly gratifying.

CRW: Tell us about your current work in progress.

Connie: I am working on a story based in the early 1900’s. Young Daisy (Demaris Anne Parker) is leaving the family farm to enjoy a social season with her aunt and cousins in Detroit. She meets Henry Malcolm, a young attorney who is gaining a reputation for defending the underdog. Henry’s sense of justice and responsibility coupled with Daisy’s optimism and zest for life create some interesting growth experiences for both of them.

CRW: Sounds like you have a great story coming. Connie, I really appreciate you letting us have some insight on you as a writer. How fun that you did this interview with Writers Mirror before you books come out. It's like we get a sneak peak into whats to come.

Wednesday Writer ~ Donna Hatch

2009-11-10T23:39:00.000-08:00

Donna has had a passion for writing since the age of 8 when she wrote her first short story. In between caring for six children, (7 counting her husband) she manages to carve out time to indulge in her writing obsession, with varying degrees of success, although she writes most often late at night instead of sleeping. A native of Arizona, she now writes Regency Romance and Fantasy. And yes, all of her heroes are patterned after her husband of over 20 years.

Donna Hatch writes clean romances known as "Sweet Romances." Writer's Mirror applauds Donna for her stance on keeping high standards in writing.

CRW: Thanks for being with us here on Writers Mirror today as our Wednesdy Writer Donna. What inspires you to write?

Donna: Anything might. A story I read that I wish had gone a different direction. Wondering about a secondary character in a book or movie. A song. Sometimes I just get a scene in my head, like watching a scene in a movie, and I build the rest of the story around it.

CRW: Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a goal of a certain number of words?

Donna: Word count doesn't work for me because sometimes I need time to chose just the right word or phrase. Instead, I try to write for at least two hours daily. It used to be longer, but now that I'm juggling three part time jobs, plus being a mommy, it's cut into my writing time. I write more when I'm suffering from insomnia.

CRW: In a nutshell, what gets in your way of writing?

Donna: Life. Kids. Self doubt.

CRW: How do you get past it?

Donna: Usually because I can't NOT write. Or sometimes I just make myself sit down and write something. Anything. Even if I'm sure I'll cut it later. Some of the biggest bursts of brilliance have occurred when I was sure I was writing utter trash, which most of it was, but there was often a jewel in there that I salvaged which changed the course of the story or the basic element of a character.

CRW: Intersting. What makes you CRAZY about writing?

Donna: Self doubt. My interal editor. Critique partners, sometimes, when they don't "get" what I'm writing.

CRW: How long does it take you to complete a book?

Donna: I can usually write the first draft anywhere from 3 weeks to 2 months. But I spend 4 months or more polishing it depending on how many interruptions I have. Novellas go much faster. I wrote both of my novellas in just a few days.

CRW: Where do you get your character’s names?

Donna: Nothing clever. Sometimes they come pre-named. Other times I rename them several times until I get just the right one. The character doesn't become 3 dimentional until I chose the right one. I stick to names that were used in Regency England or that were Norman Conquest names to help create that believable Regency feel.

CRW: What is your favorite writing food?

Donna: I don't eat while I write unless my stomach wakes me up out of my writing coma. And then I'm so starved that I want whatever I can get my hands on fastest.

CRW: I love that you get into a "Writing Coma" or zone. Okay Donna, here's the million dollar quesion. Why are you a writer?

Donna: I am. Therefore I write. It certainly isn't for the glory or the money, since obviously I have neither of those.

CRW: Keep it up, you will! Who do you hope reads your work?

Donna: Anyone who wants an escape into a glittering world unlike their own. Anyone who wants to fall in love. Anyone who wants to know more about the magical and mysterious Regency Era. Or anyone who will buy my book and tell a hundred of their closest friends it's the best book they've ever read!

CRW: What would be the best compliment you could receive from one of your readers?

Donna: "I couldn't put it down so I stayed up all night reading it." - or - "I totally fell in love with your hero."

CRW: Please tell us about your book you are now promoting. You know, kind of your elevator pitch.

Donna: Alicia must marry a terrifying man to save her family from ruin. But little does she know, a killer is stalking her family. Is the handsome lord tempting her to leave her husband merely a harmless flirtation...or something much more dangerous?.

CRW: I'm hooked. Please tell us more about your books. I understand that your book, "The Stranger She Married is a Golden Quill Finalist. Congratulations!

Donna: Thank you. It is book 1of the Rogue Hearts Series.
         When her parents and only brother die within weeks of each other, Alicia and her younger sister are left in the hands of an uncle who has brought them all to financial and social ruin. Desperate to save her family from debtor's prison, Alicia vows to marry the first wealthy man to propose. She meets the dashing Lord Amesbury, and her heart whispers that this is the man she is destined to love, but his tainted past may forever stand in their way. Her choices in potential husbands narrow to either a scarred cripple with the heart of a poet, or a handsome rake with a deadly secret.
          Cole Amesbury is tormented by his own ghosts, and believes he is beyond redemption, yet he cannot deny his attraction for the girl whose genuine goodness touches the heart he'd thought long dead. He fears the scars in his soul cut so deeply that he may never be able to offer Alicia a love that is true.
          After yet another bizarre mishap threatens her life, Alicia suspects the seemingly unrelated accidents that have plagued her loved ones are actually a killer's attempt to exterminate every member of her family. Despite the threat looming over her, learning to love the stranger she married may pose the greatest danger to her heart.

The next is Book 2 in the Rogue Hearts Series; "The Guise of a Gentleman." It's about a secret agent who must impersonate a pirate in order to expose a pirate ring. But the stakes raise when the woman he loves is dragged into his dangerous world of espionage and piracy. This book will be out April of 2010.
          "Combining Jane Austen with swashbuckling adventure, The Guise of a Gentleman is a fine specimen of pirate romance!" USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Ashley
          The widowed Elise is a perfect English lady living within the confines of society for the sake of her impressionable young son. Her quiet world is shattered when she meets the impulsive and scandalous Jared Amesbury. His roguish charm awakens her yearning for freedom and adventure. But his irrepressible grin and sea-green eyes hide a secret.
          A gentleman by day, a pirate by night, Jared accepts one last assignment before he can be truly free. Elise gives him hope that he, too, can find love and belonging. His hopes are crushed when his best laid plans go awry and Elise is dragged into his world of violence and deceit.She may not survive the revelation of Jared’s past…or still love him when the truth is revealed.

"Troubled Hearts" is a short novella. Desperate to escape her estranged husband and a home enshrouded with death and despair, Julia flees in the middle of the night. Little does she know, her determined husband is in pursuit. Along the journey, she discovers a telling revelation. But will it be enough to banish the ghosts of the past and quiet her troubled heart?

CRW: Where can our readers go to buy your book(s)?

Donna: At Barnes & Noble (they'll order it for you if they don't currently have it in stock.) Also, Amazon.com, or my publisher, The Wild Rose Press http://www.thewildrosepress.com/historical-historical-nonamerican-c-176_138.html?alpha_filter_id=0&filter_id=258&sort=7a&zenid=bacc7a0e2c5c1f13dd557deb8b0b7211

CRW: Donna you have this tag on your email, "Believe in happy endings…" Your books fit this so well. Thanks for sharing with us today on Writers Wednesday at Writers Mirror.

To read more about Donna Hatch click onto her sites.

http://www.donnahatch.com/
http://donnahatch.blogspot.com/
http://historicalhussies.blogspot.com/

Wednesday Writer ~ Rachel Rager

2009-11-04T01:01:00.000-08:00

Rachel Rager

CRW: Welcome Rachel Rager, to Writers Mirror, Writers Wednesday. Please introduce yourself to us.

Rachel: I’m the mother of three beautiful young girls. My husband and I have been married for eight and half years. I love to sing and have a degree in vocal performance for opera. I published By Love or By Sea in April 2009 but have seven stories that are complete and five works in progress! I love to read any good, clean romance book, ride my bike, go on picnics with my family, write, sing and bake! (Not usually at the same time, of course!)

CRW: What inspires you to write?

Rachel: I get inspiration all over the place. One day I wrote a character based on a young man I saw driving a truck through an intersection! I have notebooks everywhere so I can write down things whenever the thought strikes me. I also often find inspiration while on road trips.

CRW: Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a goal of a certain number of words?

Rachel: No. That takes the fun out of it. I try to write every day, but I don’t set myself a time limit. I prefer to take the journey and enjoy it. If I try to fulfill something, I get stressed and I find I don’t write as well and the ideas aren’t as good. I do set some goals occasionally, such as when I’d like to finish a chapter, but I don’t do that often. I prefer to just have fun.

CRW: What gets in your way of writing?

Racgel: Everything. As a mother of three young girls, finding time to write is challenging, especially as they get older and take fewer naps. However, my biggest speed bump is checking emails when I get a chance to sit down to the computer. I easily get distracted.

CRW: How do you get past it?

Rachel: Persistence. It’s something I continually have to work at. But I restrict myself from checking my email once in the morning and once in the evening. That seems to help. Then when I’m on the computer, I can concentrate on writing!

CRW: Please tell us about your book, "By Love or By Sea."

Rachel: Here is the blub on the back of the book. ALICE LIND FRANK never forgot the boy she loved when she was just six years old, even after he was lost at sea. Now a young woman, Alice has found happiness in living and working with her grandparents, and in the affections of Clarence Hielott, the wealthy shipyard owner who intends to make Alice his bride.

WHEN A RAGGED SAILOR appears in town, Alice is reminded of the young boy who once held her heart. Upon learning that the sailor is in fact her childhood love, Caleb, she finds herself falling for him again.

BUT CLANRENCE REFUSES to let this ghost from the past destroy his plans for the future. He exposes the secrets of Caleb’s past, and Alice realizes that the boy she once knew is now a man with a dark history. Soon Caleb and Clarence are locked in a fierce competition for Alice’s heart.

CAN ALICE OVERCOME HER FEARS and surrender her heart to Caleb once more? And what will she do about Clarence?

ACTION, ADVENTURE, and most of all, ROMANCE, make By love or By Sea a thrilling and emotional love story you won’t soon forget.

To read an espert of By Love or By Sea, go to http://www.rachelrager.com/byloveorbysea.htm

CRW: Sounds great Rachel. I am sorry to say I have yet to read it, but I certainly will now. Now back to more about Rachel. What makes you CRAZY about writing?

Rachel: Crazy good or crazy bad?

CRW: Either one.

Rachel: I hate it when people think they know so much about writing and say you can or can’t do something because of a certain rule. It takes all the fun out of writing. I love it when I’m writing and all of a sudden, I just can’t type fast enough. The characters and events are happening so vividly in my mind that all I can do is type out the story, not think about what comes next or how to fix certain problems. I love being ‘in the zone!’ However, inevitably, I am interrupted and have to decide if I should continue on writing or attend to whatever “emergency” has come up!

CRW:  How long does it take you to complete a book?

Rachel: It depends on the story. It depends on how well I know the characters. I wrote a short story that took me just a little more than a week to write. However, By Love or By Sea took closer to a year before I felt like it was submission worthy. Even then, it took me five years from start until it was published. But usually I can write a story in a couple months.

CRW: Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Rachel: Everywhere! I once based a character off of a young man I saw in a pick-up truck at a stoplight. I had to pull over and write down some notes to tie me over until I could get home and write him onto paper! I also find that when my family and I are traveling, just looking at the scenery is extremely inspiring. Needless to say, I have little notebooks EVERYWHERE!

CRW: Where do you get your character’s names?

Rachel: I don’t know. I’m terrible at names. In fact, I had to change many of the names for the characters in By Love or By Sea because they weren’t ‘time’ appropriate. I just pick whatever comes to mind. I’m not very good at it, I’m afraid.

CRW: What is your favorite writing food?

Rachel: Hmmm. That’s tough. I can’t dismiss chocolate, because that’s wonderful! I usually have a cherry Pepsi. Anything that I can just munch on is good. Seldom is it healthy, though. I’ve found gum a good alternative because then my hands can be busy without getting my keyboard sticky or greasy! I also get more writing done and less pounds on my waist!

CRW: Why are you a writer?

Rachel: I’m not always sure. I had other ambitions in life. I wanted to be a mom or a business woman but I never thought I’d be a writer. When I was young, I couldn’t spell well and didn’t like to read and I didn’t read well. I’d sometimes get great ideas but was too impatient to sit and write more than a page.
          Shortly after my first daughter was born, my mother-in-law gave me A Heavenly Surrender by Marcia Lynn McClure to read. I loved it and eagerly searched out more of Marcia’s books. At the time, she only had three in print, but I devoured them!
          Then one night I had a dream and when I woke up, I decided to try and write it down. Did I imagine anything might come of it? Of course not. I didn’t even know if I’d have the patience to sit and write all those words! Still, I eagerly wrote down an outline and then timidly told my husband. I will always remember the doubtful look on his face as he said, “Well…I guess if you really want to.”
          I told no one else! Instead I wrote. After a month of typing during my daughter’s naps and while my husband was in classes, I finished. And it was terrible! But I had done what I set out to do. So I edited and submitted it. (Only then did I tell my mother, who was floored by my revelation.)
          Needless to say, my first attempt was rejected, but I persisted. I kept rewriting, editing, and even began writing another book. I also broadened my horizons and read tons of books. With each rewrite or book I read, I learned more and more. Finally, after five years, I had written five stories. I submitted my third story and finally got a contract with Cedar Fort, Inc. Six years (almost to the month) after I started writing, I accomplished another goal and held a copy of my book in my hands.

CRW: Your writing journey is a great story, Rachel. Who do you hope reads your work?

Rachel: I hope that everyone who enjoys a simple, clean romance will read my work. I want people to be aware that clean romance can be just as, if not more enjoyable than romance with smut. Kissing is wonderful and there is plenty of it in my stories but there is never anything inappropriate. I hope my readers will appreciate that!

CRW: Yah, score one for my own personal motto of the "World needs more wholesome stories."   What would be the best complement you could receive from a fan?

Rachel: My sister gave me a great one. She is very critical and reads a lot. I always ask her to read everything I write first. I gave her my WIP (work in progress) one day and she wrote me the next day. She said that her house was a mess and her family neglected simply because she couldn’t put down my story. She just had to know what would happen next. That was a great complement!
          From fans, I just love to hear from them! I love to know that there are people who really enjoy my work! And I always respond!

CRW: What is the topic of the project you are currently working on? Please tell us more about it.

Rachel:  I’m polishing up one with a working title of A Dress to the Heart. Ivy Lewis is both provider and nurturer for her seven younger siblings. Plain and poor, she works as an apprentice to a seamstress, yearning for scholastic knowledge and finding her true love. Her social standing places her as an outcast among many, namely the arrogant Eleanora Key, who can’t seem to torture Ivy enough. And like Miss Key, Ivy has her eye set on Lord Sterling Bennett; the contrast lying in that she can never hope to capture his attention, let alone aspire to gain his admiration.
          When Ivy meets a mysterious man on the road, Mr. Alan, her entire world shifts. She is no longer invisible to the world. Amid trying to care for her ill mother and her siblings, she finds herself kidnapped, courted by two wealthy men, and demoralized by Eleanora Key. Through it all, she learns her worth as a woman and the importance of maintaining the values she’s always believed in. But she must discover the secrets of Mr. Alan before it is too late.
          I’m also doing some rewrites on The Tiger, Unleashed, and A Cold Heart which is a historical romance based at Platte Bridge Station just outside of Casper, Wyoming. I’m also considering writing a book about Betsy Winter’s journey. I have heard so many things about her. Everyone just loves her! So, I’m thinking about that. I have probably a dozen stories in my head and no time to put them on paper. So I hope that you will see many more books from me in the future!

CRW: I hope so too. Thank you so much for sharing with us today. The world needs more voices like yours!

For more information on Rachel see her web and blog.

http://www.rachelrager.com/
http://www.rachelrager.blogspot.com/
http://www.cedarfortauthors.blogspot.com/

Her book is available at local book stores and:

Cedar Fort, Inc. http://cedarfort.com/kahuga/product_detail.jsp?product=20067553&ProductType=Books

Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Love-Sea-Rachel-Rager/dp/1599552213/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257305868&sr=8-1

Wednesday Writer ~ Anna del C. Dye

2009-10-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Anna del C. Dye is the author of The Silent Warrior Trilogy, a high fantasy saga loved by many. She enjoys helping other authors with reviews and with tips of how to promote their work. A native of Chile, she doesn’t let the fact that English is her second language slow down her vivid imagination. She loves everything medieval, ruins, romantic music, live plays, sewing, and camping. Most of all she loves her beloved husband who is responsible for her becoming an author. Now enter the fantasy world of Anna del C. Dye…

CRW: Welcome to Writers Mirror Anna. What inspires you to write?

Anna: What doesn’t? as my husband put it. My own life lessons and some amazing people I know.

CRW: Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a goal of a certain number of words?

Anna: No, since my first book was published I spend a minimum of 8 hours a day promoting my work. I write when I can.

CRW: Wow! Eight hours a day promoting. That is amazing.  So I am afraid to ask my next question, but here goes anyway. What gets in your way of writing?

Anna: Promoting, it takes a lot of my time. It is a horrible monster but a very necessary one.

CRW: How do you get past it?

Anna: No quite there yet… if that’s possible? We do go camping and that helps with the writing. No internet, no door bell, no church meetings, no phone, no kids, you get the point.

CRW: Sounds like you are very dedicated and realize many of the sacrifices a writer makes. What makes you CRAZY about writing?

Anna: Being interrupted by the phone or dinner when I am most inspired.

CRW: How long does it take you to complete a book?

Anna: Set it to the computer from beginning to end… about three months. To have it ready for publication take about two years. Except my last one, I started nine months ago and it’s not finished yet.

CRW: Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Anna: Many places. Tolkien inspired my YA Elf Series. My Princess Series, a YA medieval romance series, is inspired by many things.
          After I watched the musical Aida I wrote “A Kingdom by the Sea.” After I met a young elder who looked like he was made out of gold I wrote, “The Golden Princess.” I visited Disney World in Florida a couple of times and wrote “Princess Magnolia.” They have beautiful Magnolia trees there and I chose flower names for her ladies-in-waiting.

CRW: Where do you get your character’s names?

Anna: Invent them, mostly on the spur of the moment. Many come to me with the story. I have been complimented by my fans for the names of my characters many times.

CRW: What is your favorite writing food?

Anna: Grapes, they are easy to grab and pop into your mouth before is time for the next idea and have low calories.

CRW: Why are you a writer?

Anna: I have tooooo much imagination and my husband said I better use it in books before I drive him insane. Love the stories… and love him, too.

CRW: Glad you added the last few words. Wise woman. Who do you hope reads your work?

Anna: Teens in trouble, anyone who need a boost of self-esteem or a reason to believe in themselves.

CRW: What would be the best complement you could receive from a fan?

Anna: That my books have inspired them to change their lives for the better.

CRW: What is the topic of the project you are currently working on?

Anna: “Curse of the Elfs.” The first elf book after the trilogy is undergoing the last revisions right now. Its underlying theme is trust. It will be published next year.

CRW: Please tell us more about it.

Anna: The book starts with war threatening in the southlands and the elfs go to help mankind rid themselves of this menace. By the time they are done with the threat the elfs have lost many of their kind, including their beloved commander and his mankind wife. (It is a rare case in which an elf has chosen a mankind woman for his eternal companion.) It continues nineteen years later when the elfs discover a new threat to their race, this time more powerful than a war. They are under the spell of a dead wizard and have been dying slowly for the past twenty years. The elfs are baffled for they are great healers; notwithstanding this fact, they can’t figure out what is killing them. Once they identify the cause of the problem, they know what to do. Their only hope of a cure is in the form of a man whom they not only have to find but also know nothing about, except that he is a servant to royalties. To find him before their gentle and beautiful race disappears is their desperate quest.

CRW: Sounds fabulous. Where can our readers go to buy your books?

Anna: My website http://www.annadelc.com
           Amazon.com
           Barnes&noble.com

CRW: Here are three of Anna's books now available.

"The Silent Warrior Trilogy"

CRW: Thank you Anna for sharing this with us.

Anna: It was my pleasure.

Wednesday Writer ~ Heather Justesen

2009-10-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Heather Justesen is an Award Winning LDS Writer and Author of
"The Ball's in Her Court" coming out October 2009

Heather Justesen is an LDS author, business owner, volunteer-EMT, puppy mama, (not to mention the cats, fish, chickens and other assorted poultry), whose much-neglected hobbies number almost as many as her pets. Her love of books started long before she could read, so she was the only one surprised when she started to write stories of her own. Once she started writing, she found she could no longer let the stories stay in her head--she had to get them on paper. Her second book is slated for publication summer of 2010.

CRW: Welcome to Writers Wednesday on Writers Mirror. What inspires you to write Heather?

Heather: Different things. Sometimes I hear something in the news, sometimes I have an odd idea in a dream--though that's never led to a salable idea yet, the idea was fun to play with anyway. Sometime I overhear things down town or at the mall. Someone says something and my brain begins to whirl. A few times I've heard a sentence and then run home to write a scene around it for one of my many, many partially finished books.

CRW: What gets in your way of writing?

Heather: The Internet, and my voracious need to read everything in sight. Oh, and real-life things like dishes and laundry, and keeping the house sort-of presentable so when unexpected computer clients stop to drop off their machines, I don't have to keep the door opened only to a crack. Thank goodness you can't see much of the kitchen from the front room.

CRW: How do you get past it?

Heather: I've actually had my husband disable the wireless signal to my laptop a couple of times so I don't get tempted to check out someone's blog or see who has updated their Facebook status. Otherwise deadlines seem to help--my critique group is excellent for that (and so many other things) because I *have* to have a new chapter to bring each week, so I can't get too distracted. As for the housework--I just try and avoid it as much as possible. It may not go away, but hey, if I sweep the kitchen floor today, it's going to need it again soon anyway, and waiting is more efficient--right?

CRW: I like your ideas on house cleaning. I have my morning routine of everyday chores, then I do three to seven loads of wash and one extra chore or project each day. I am able to pretty much stay on top of the house, but I like your way better. Now, back to writing. Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a goal of a certain number of words?

Heather: My schedule is really irregular so I just try and work around the edges. Some days I don't have time to do more than glance at my email and others I have six hours straight to work on whatever's eating at me the most. I'm an EMT so I've learned when I take a long patient transfer I bring my laptop so I can work on the way home. The back of an empty ambulance is actually a pretty good place for me to work since there aren't any distractions.

CRW: Wow! I have to say, you take the award for the most unusual place to write. What makes you CRAZY about writing?

Heather: Editing. Getting almost to the end of the book and realizing that I dropped a storyline or that I've put too much emphasis on one angle and not enough on another and so the emphasis is off. I also HATE getting critiques back from my trusted writing friends because they always find the holes in what I thought was a well-crafted story.And, they're almost always right.
I also hate when I'm working on book A and storyline E starts picking at me--I know I can't do more than make a few notes on storyline E, I have deadlines now, and I actually do have to finish mostly-written books A, B, C, and D before I can focus on E. I mean, honestly, can't they wait? The answer to that is, of course, no, so I find myself writing a scene here and there on C, D, or E when I really need to get back and finish up A.

CRW: I do the same thing. A character in one book nags at me until I write just enough to get he/she/it off my back, then get back to my main project. Heather, how long does it take you to complete a book?

Heather: That varies significantly. The very first book I ever finished only took five weeks for the first draft. Of course, it has since undergone about four major rewrites and may still never see the light of day again, but it felt good to know I could do that. I was living in a hotel while we waited for our house to finish getting built, though, so there were very few distractions. I've had some take me literally years of rewrites, but mostly now I look about five months for the first draft and two to three months of edits, interspersed with long periods between versions while others critique and I put off editing. =) Of course, if I could get the other stories to leave me alone, I could probably do that a lot faster!

CRW: Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Heather: Some from life experiences, the news, talking to friends. A lot of times I start with a general plot idea, and then after I write a bit I start to try and figure out more about the main players and their lives. I call my friend Danyelle and we brain storm for hours. She comes up with primo complications later in the books when mine all start to run out.

CRW: Where do you get your character’s names?

Heather: Most of the time I go to babynames.com and scan names until I find a few I like, but I have some characters I've named after friends and family. I find I tend to use the same names over and over. A couple of years ago I was going through several nearly-finished manuscripts and realized I'd used one particular name like six times--and never was that character a particularly well-loved one. I'm really not sure how that happened since I know several people by that name, and they're all pretty nice.

CRW: What is your favorite writing food?

Heather: I actually don't eat much when I write. I like popcorn (totally plain right from the air popper), jordan almonds, crackers, well, almost any kind of finger food. It's hard, though, to have two hands on the keyboard if you're trying to eat. Of course, if I ate a whole lot more plain popcorn, and a whole lot less of that cake I baked just so I'd have an excuse to decorate it, I'd probably be a lot better off--and so would my hips.

CRW: Why are you a writer?

Heather: How can I not write? Since I was a little girl my imagination has been one of my best friends. I read like a demon, which of course, made me a backward, socially inept youth, which led to more reading and more living in my head. About ten years ago I finally decided to put one of those stories from my brain onto paper. From there on out there was no quitting. I've taken breaks to read voraciously for months, or in some cases even watch movies like crazy while I worked on my much-neglected hobbies, but I've never been able to excise storytelling from my blood.

CRW: Who do you hope reads your work?

Heather: This first book"The Ball's in Her Court," is about a woman's journey to find her birth family, and to find herself and her own self worth in some ways. I hope that anyone who struggles with those kinds of issues will read it, or friends and family of adoptees who want to search will consider that there are many sides to every story. I seem to have a lot of themes of family and family relationships because there's nothing more important out there. And of course I love a sweet, clean romance, so I really try to deliver that as well.

CRW: What would be the best complement you could receive from a fan?

Heather: "I stayed up until 2 AM to finish it because I couldn't put it down!" That would be high praise indeed. Though, actually, I hope someday to get a compliment that will blow even that one out of contention.

CRW: Heather please tell us about your book that is coming out soon.

Heather: My first book is about a woman who was abused and neglected as a child, then put into the foster care system. Several years, and various placements later she was adopted by a family when she was twelve. The book is about her as an adult and the journey toward reunion with the birth family she never knew in order to put to rest the memories that still haunt her. And, of course, she falls in love, because it wouldn't be much of a romance without that very important angle.

CRW: Do you have another project you are currently working on?

Heather: Which one? =) Aside from "Rebound" which is being released next summer, I have third one I'm working on final edits, and a fourth one that I'm just writing the ending for--and they're all different.
I'm just finishing up a story of a woman who marries her best friend so he will be able to gain custody of his recently-orphaned niece and nephew. When his unit gets called up by the marines, she's left trying to juggle single parenthood, her career--in which strange things start to happen--and her growing love for her friend.

CRW: Sounds interesting. Please tell us more about it.

Heather: Rena is a thirty-one-year-old single woman who is past ready to settle down, but her only real option is the very pleasant man she's been dating all summer. Her non-option is her close friend Tucker--who is completely delicious (the female members of my critique group agree with me on that, so it must be true). Though Tucker is, in many ways, her ideal, their assorted romances with other people have always managed to keep them apart. Until now--when two children obliterate the careful protection they've formed around their friendship.

CRW: Great story. I look forward to it and your other books. May I list your website or blog site?

Heather: Of course! My website: http://www.heatherjustesen.com/. My catch-all blog http://www.heatherjustesen.blogspot.com/ then I recently started a new blog that I post to daily called Clean Books for LDS Families http://www.cleanbooksforldsfamilies.blogspot.com/ It has a Facebook fan page I post the blog up to also. In a world where even childrens' books are getting questionable, I thought it would be great to have a list people could trust. I've had lots of support from other writers already and look forward to seeing what it can become.

CRW: Great goals Heather. My motto is the world needs more wholesome voices. I appreciate you taking your time to visit with us here on Writers Mirror. Good luck, and keep at it!

Wednesday Writer ~ Joan Sowards

2009-10-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Joan Sowards is more than a writer of stories,

she is also a writer of music.

Please enjoy reading about this very talented lady.

CRW: What book do you have coming out soon?

Joan: "Haunts Haven", an LDS Ghost Story (Walnut Springs Press) is my first published novel. It is a romance about a young woman who inherits a hacienda inn that has been boarded up for over fifty years and the ghost who guards it. "Haunts Haven" will soon make its debut in a store near you.

CRW: Very exciting Joan! Please tell us about some of your other published works.

Joan: My short story “The Last Gift of Christmas” appeared in Covenant Communications’ 1996 book, "A Merry Little Christmas". Spring Creek published LDS Word Puzzles.

CRW: I understand you write music and offer it FREE to anyone. Is that right?

Joan: Yes, I have maintained a free LDS sheet music website for many years at:
http://joansowards.com/ that offers music for all church occasions, especially Young Women, including a song for the yearly theme.

CRW: What inspires you to write?

Joan: Any little idea. Each of my novels were sparked by one idea that someone presented—and each idea kept working on me until I had a plot. Jeni Grossman taught an ANWA writer's workshop about using newspaper photos and articles to get writing ideas, which led me to write "Haunts Haven".

CRW: What gets in your way of writing?

Joan: Life. There’s always something going on in the family, but now that my children are grown, I have a little more free time and I spend a lot of it writing. So often, I settle into writing and the grandkids come over, and who can resist grandkids? Not me.

CRW: How do you get past it?

Joan: Write when no one is wanting my attention.

CRW: Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a goal of a certain number of words?

Joan: I write daily, and sometimes I will set a word number goal if I’m trying to get something done. Writing isn’t number one, though. My family and husband get first priority.

CRW: Good for you. What makes you CRAZY about writing?

Joan: Plots. I love developing plots and subplots. I stick with it until it’s done, and usually will finish one novel before beginning the next.

CRW: Wow, that is impressive. I have so many voices, oops, I mean characters in my head that I have to write about them or I can't move on with my current main project. I have at least fifteen works in progress going on right now. Joan, how long does it take you to complete a book?

Joan: It varies. "Haunts Haven" was written in a few months. One of my favorite novels, "We Have Seen His Star," took three months, and that was writing all day, every day. I started "Chocolate Roses" a year and a half ago and had to set it aside (an exception to sticking with it till it’s finished) because I didn’t have the story to connect the beginning with the end. After a lot of pondering, brainstorming with hubby, and prayer, I picked it up again, and it all fell together.

CRW: Where did you get your idea for "Haunts Haven"?

Joan: In Jeni Grossman’s class, she handed me an article about ghosts that haunted old southern Arizona inns. She told us to ask, “What if?” So, I wondered what would happen if an unsuspecting young woman inherited one of those haunted inns, ghost and all. Haunts Haven blossomed from there.

CRW: Where do you get your character’s names?

Joan: I choose names that I feel the character wants—and they are sometimes quirky. After Walnut Springs Press decided to publish "Haunts Haven", they asked me to change three main characters’ names. They thought they were old fashioned or too odd. So, "Haunts Haven" is now the same cast, but new names.
I recently met a woman whose name is Cricket. I asked her if her parents had given her that name, and she told me that in high school there were five other girls with her real name, and that the principle told them to each pick a nickname. That night, I went home and changed the name of a supporting character in Chocolate Roses (she had a hiccupping problem) to Cricket, and also gave her the woman’s name-change story.

CRW: Cricket, what a fun name. What is your favorite writing food?

Joan: Sorry, I don’t eat while writing. I look at taking snack breaks as the way of getting my blood moving from sitting so long. I can sit and write all day, so I have to force myself to get up and move. Food is the motivator.

CRW: Why are you a writer?

Joan: Only because I love it. I’m not a master at the English language like some of my favorite authors, but I love to tell a story, work out subplots, weave it all together in a tapestry. It is very fulfilling.

CRW: Who do you hope reads your work?

Joan: Everybody! Everyone who loves an adventure. "Haunts Haven" is set in a tiny town in southern Arizona where everybody’s business is everybody’s business, small town politics prevail, and romance still happens. I think everyone—young and old—can find something to relate to in "Haunts Haven". A reader who dreams of restoring old houses can relate to Callie inheriting an old hotel and fixing it up. Along with the inn, she inherits a ghost—and everyone loves a ghost story. And for the romantic, Callie falls for a local cowboy and is also befriended by a unmarried, attractive rancher who is willing to stand with her against the ghost.

CRW: I am going to love it. I love scheming and fixing up houses, especially old ones. And who can pass up a good clean romance? What would be the best complement you could receive from a fan?

Joan: “I can’t wait for the sequel!” or “Your stories are so fun!” How about “Please send me 30 copies to send to my friends and relatives for Christmas—I loved it that much.”

CRW: Agreed! What is the topic of the project you are currently working on?

Joan: I just finished Chocolate Roses, an LDS Jane Eyre parody.

CRW: Please tell us more about it.

Joan: Rose Whitaker co-owns a chocolate stop in Tempe, Arizona and has developed a crush on a customer who comes into her store every Tuesday morning. He never pays attention to her, but unwittingly moves into her housing complex, bringing with him his four year old daughter. Rose is pulled into their complicated lives and the story goes from there.

CRW: Sounds like another great story to look forward to. Joan, I thank you for taking the time to be interviewed and wish you great success in all your writing.

For more information on Joan please check out:
http://www.joansowards.blogspot.com/
(music) http://www.joansowards.com/

Wednesday Writer ~ Joyce DiPastena

2009-10-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Writers Mirror interviewed Joyce DiPastena

Writer of mystery, adventure and

"sweet" romance in the Middle Ages

(CRW is Cindy R. Williams)

CRW: Thanks Joyce for being with us here on Writers Mirror.
How many books have you written?

Joyce: Well, I've written 5 and am working on a 6th, but only two of my books are published so far.

CRW: I just happen to have cover pictures of those two published books.

CRW: What inspires you to write?

Joyce: Reading, both fiction or medieval history books, will often get me in the mood to write.

CRW: What gets in your way of writing?

Joyce: Time restraints, but I think mostly my own insecurities and self-doubts. It's so much easier to do ANYTHING else than sit down at the computer and confront the little voice in my head that says, "You, a writer? I dare you to think of something to write today!" And the fear that it's right...I won't be able to think of something, which in my head translates into "failure!"

CRW: How do you get past it?

Joyce: The only way to get past it is to sit down and write anyway. Even if I only type out a handful of words and I hate every one of them. I just have to keep telling myself while I'm fighting through a tough writing session today, "Tomorrow will be better", and usually (not always, but usually), tomorrow is.

CRW: Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a goal of a certain number of words?

Joyce: No, I don't use word goals, I use time goals to keep me on track instead. I set a timer for, let's say, an hour and tell myself I can't do anything else but sit at the computer and work on my writing until the timer goes off. I can't play any computer games, I can't play on the internet (I bought a laptop that's not connected to the internet so I can do this in a completely different room of the house where email and the internet can't tempt me), I can't go get a snack, I basically can't even get out of my chair until the timer goes off. My only two choices are to stare at the computer screen for an hour or write something on my novel. Actually, that kind of takes the pressure off me a little. If I'm really struggling to write, I can tell myself, "You don't have to write, you just have to sit here in front of your computer for an hour. If you don't want to write you don't have to, but you do have to sit here and stare at this screen until the timer goes off." Usually, simple boredom will eventually drive me to write SOMETHING. It's very, very rare that I don't end up typing at least a handful of words, which is always better than no words at all!

CRW: What makes you CRAZY about writing?

Joyce: Do you mean what drives me CRAZY or what makes me CRAZY to write! I just picked up a plaque at Target yesterday (which won't be yesterday by the time you post this, but you get the point) that says: "I live in my own little world, but it's OK. They know me here." I guess that kind of sums up how I feel about my writing. When my writing is really going well, it's like losing myself inside a world where I'm spending time with friends. And what can be a better feeling than spending time with friends?

CRW: How long does it take you to complete a book?

Joyce: Oh, don't ask me that! My first two (non-published) books took me 6 years each...and that was just for the rough draft! Loyalty's Web took me maybe three, and Illuminations of the Heart might have taken me two, but again, that was for a first draft. Because it took me so long to find a publisher for Loyalty's Web and Illuminations, both of the books ultimately went through many, many revisions and polishings before Leatherwood/Walnut Springs Press finally picked them up. So judging from my past track record, how long it'll take me to write my next book is anyone's guess!

CRW: Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Joyce: My first book (the one I wrote way back in college) kind of came in reaction to some romances I had been reading back then. It seemed like I'd read several romances where the hero appeared to be of a lower social class than the heroine, but in the end, he turned out to be a prince or a duke or something. I thought to myself, "So what would happen if the hero turned out to be exactly what he appeared to be all through the book? Someone of a lower social strata than the heroine? How would they resolve that without resorting to 'I'm really a prince in disguise'?" Also, I'd read several romances where the hero just infuriated me. He would be totally cold and abusive (verbally, not physically) to the heroine all through the book, until the last few pages when he finally almost literally fell down at her feet in worship without any serious groundwork for the change that I could see. That hero-type made me so mad, I took him and turned him into the villain for my first book. And I made the hero a medieval minstrel, because at that age, I couldn't think of anything that could be more romantic than a medieval minstrel. :-) So I guess you could say that many of my original ideas came from trying to turn current romance themes on their heads at the time. After that, it became like Marsha described in your interview with her. I ended up creating a sort of medieval universe of characters in that first book that I've basically been playing off of ever since.

CRW: Where do you get your characters names?

Joyce: I started compiling a list of medieval names way back in college, jotting them down from medieval novels I was reading or medieval history books I was reading for my history degree in college. Then I found this WONDERFUL book called The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, by E.G. Withycombe. It's out of print now, so I was very lucky to pick up a copy when I did. This book traces the historical evolution of "English Christian names", and when each name came into usage in England, and where the names came from, such as France or Germany. From the information in this book, I was able to gather names that were "pre-Norman Conquest", "came over to England with the Norman Conquest", were listed in various medieval records that gave me actual dates for how early certain names were being used, etc. I typed up a list of Medieval Male and Medieval Female names from this book (and the names I'd collected previously) and this is the list I still use today for selecting names for my characters. If you're writing historical fiction and want to be sure you're using authentic names for your time period, THIS IS A FANTASTIC BOOK TO HAVE IN YOUR RESEARCH COLLECTION!!!

CRW: Maybe it is available on line.
CRW: What is your favorite writing food?

Joyce: I don't usually eat while I'm writing. It's one of those "you can't leave this computer until the timer goes off, even to get a snack" rules of mine. But if I'm finding myself excessively low on energy or unbearably sleepy, I'll sometimes grab a handful of Hershey Kisses to suck on. (I never chew my chocolate, so I can make them last quite awhile. ;-) )

CRW: What is your viewpoint of self publishing verses being published by a publishing house?

Joyce: Self-publishing gives you the greatest degree of control over your book, but I'll be honest, I know I've sold more books by having a publisher who got my titles into a brick and mortar bookstore than I ever would through purely online selling methods. Or at least, I've sold more, faster this way. Maybe over the long run, sales might have balanced out, I can't really say. For that reason, and because I've been blessed to have an editor who is truly enthused about my books and hence is able to give a big boost to my confidence when it's sagging, finding a traditional publisher has truly been a blessing for me. But I wouldn't rule out self-publishing again, if that were the only way to publish "the story I wanted to tell".

CRW: What is the topic of your next book that has you excited?

Joyce: I'm hoping to explore the world of the medieval troubadour a bit. But as usual, I have to admit that it's the characters in a new book that excite me more than a particular topic.

CRW: Please tell us about your next book.

Joyce: It doesn't have a title yet, because I'm terrible at coming up with titles. (Except for Illuminations of the Heart. That one just kind of came to me in a flash.) Right now, I'm just calling it "my troubadour book". It's still in the very early stages, and since I don't outline, it's hard to tell you where it's going to end up right now. But it's set a year after Illuminations of the Heart, and while Illuminations and Loyalty's Web both "played" a little with the historical character of Duke Richard of Aquitaine, the second son of Henry II, I'm hoping to use this book to "play" with the character of Duke Richard's brother, Henry the Younger, Henry II's eldest son and heir to the throne. Gunthar and Hel鮥 from Loyalty's Web have already made appearances and will have important parts to play in my new book (though the book isn't "about them" directly). My hero is a character from Illuminations of the Heart, and the heroine has ties to Loyalty's Web, although she wasn't actually in that book, but I'm not giving away how she's linked to it. ;-) Somebody has a grudge and is using a secret talent of my heroine's to achieve some vengeance. My heroine isn't completely ignorant of this and actually has some sympathy for her manipulator's cause. But when the "act of vengeance" comes, everything goes horribly wrong. (After all, what kind of story would it be if everything didn't go horribly wrong?) Can my hero sort everything out in time to save my heroine from herself? Or that's kind of the hazy plot I have in my head just now. There's no telling, though, how the story will actually play out in the end. You know, just recently I came across my original "outline" for Illuminations of the Heart. It's the only book I ever tried to outline before I wrote it. It bears absolutely no resemblance to the way Illuminations actually turned out. Someday I'm going to post that outline on my blog, just to give everyone who's read Illuminations of the Heart a really good laugh!

CRW: Thanks, Joyce, for sharing this information about yourself and your writing. I have read both of your published books and highly recommend them. I look forward to your next book.
To read more about Joyce, here is her contact information.
http://www.joyce-dipastena.com/
http://jdp-news.blogspot.com/
http://medievalresearch.blogspot.com/
http://medievalvignettes.blogspot.com/
http://anwafounder.blogspot.com/

Wednesday Writer ~ Sarah M. Eden

2009-09-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

(CRW is me, Cindy R. Williams)

CRW: Today's Wednesday Writer is the wonderful, delightful, ever gorgeous, humorous, and a bit snarky, Sarah M Eden. I am delighted to interview you for Wednesdays Writer. Please tell us a little about yourself.

Sarah: My family has lived in the arid deserts of Arizona since before the invention of air conditioning. So insanity runs in my family. Not something most people would include on a resume, but it's great for an author. Writing requires a certain degree of mental instability. And a tendency toward insomnia.
          I write a lot at night and while my kids are at school and any time I am supposed to be cleaning my house. I am sometimes overly enthusiastic when protecting my claim on a table at the back of my local library where I do most of my non-nocturnal writing. Insanity, like I said.
          My 6-year-old describes my books this way: “Kissy, romantic books where the people lived a long time ago and talked funny.” Yep, pretty much. I write clean romances that take place in Regency England (think the first two decades of the 1800s: Napoleon, Jane Austen, Mad King George). The endings are always happy, the characters are usually funny and my mom thinks they are amazing.

CRW: How many books have you written?
Sarah: I have 9 books currently available, which I regularly talk unsuspecting relatives, friends and vague acquaintances into buying. A 10th title will, if I can pull of the pseudo-miracle I am currently attempting, be available before the end of this year. An 11th was recently accepted by Covenant Communications, Inc. and will be released toward the end of 2010 to, I am certain, wide-spread acclaim and fanfare. I have completed a 12th manuscript in an entirely different genre that will, depending on the miracle-making power I referenced earlier, be published sometime by someone somewhere. I am about to start writing lucky number 13.
          Now if you will excuse me, I need a nap.

CRW: Me too, but sorry, you aren't done yet. What inspires you to write?

Sarah: Perhaps the single greatest source of inspiration for me lies in the fact that writing gives me an excuse to avoid responsible things. “Wow, I have very large piles of dishes on the counters (yes, plural) of my kitchen. Sorry. I need to write.” “The PTA is hoping I will bake 6 dozen cupcakes for the bake sale in a half-hour. Sorry. I need to write.” “What is that, children? You want dinner? There are frozen waffles in the freezer. Mom needs to write.”
         Inspiration? Check.

CRW: You sound like a dedicated writer to me. What gets in your way of writing?

Sarah: I have a deep and unshakable need to consume large quantities of unnecessary and useless calories. This need creates another need—to exercise my backside, hips and gut off. These very real needs often get in the way of my writing.

Cindy: (Can you say Cheetos?) How do you get past it?

Sarah: To my joy, I have managed to jury-rig an ingenious contraption made up of cardboard boxes, a roll of paper towels and my kitchen counter which allows me to spend some quality time with my elliptical machine while burning calories that I'd rather not become too permanently attached to and typing at the same time. I would take a picture, but it's pretty embarrassing. Embarrassingly awesome!
          I am also developing a system by which I can type and eat at the same time. I call it “Click, click, click, chew.” Fascinating. I'm thinking of writing a book about it.

CRW: Please write that book. I'll be first in line before all this sitting and writing turns me into a mound of chocolate. Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a goal of a certain number of words?

Sarah: I write 6 days a week—Sunday is my day off. My goal for the day is to write something. Anything. I don't even have coherency requirements. On some days I can eke out only fifteen minutes in which I write the literary equivalent of crème brulee. On other days, I spend hours writing nothing even remotely usable. Either way, I consider myself a success. Good writers are the ones who “do the time.”

CRW: What makes you CRAZY about writing?

Sarah: The voices. C'mon, back me up on this one fellow-authors. I am constantly bombarded by ideas and thoughts. I'll find myself having drawn-out and engaging conversations with characters. Characters! As in, people who don't actually exist. I even argue with them. I say things like, “I made you, you have to do what I say.” And, in the end, they always win those arguments.
          If that isn't crazy, I don't know what is.

CRW: I agree with you on the voices in the mind. Just as long as they are characters, I think you're are okay.  How long does it take you to complete a book?

Sarah: That depends on the book. I write historicals, and some of the storylines require a lot of research, which adds to the time requirements. I once decided to see if I could pump out a good, solid pretty-much final draft of a full-length novel in only 6 weeks.
         It can be done. If you don't sleep.
         I don't recommend it.
         On average, I need 6 months to go from story idea through first draft (second draft, third, twentieth) to final, polished draft.

CRW: Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Sarah: My books always begin with a character, oddly enough. The plot and setting develop around him or her. I write romances, so the next step is deciding what kind of person would be the love-interest for that character. Then I flesh out where and exactly when within my time period these people live, their circumstances, etc. Those things which come in the way of their being together are usually obvious at this point—if not, I figure that out.
          So, my ideas come from people. This is probably the primary reason I have no friends—everyone is afraid they'll end up in my next book. It probably doesn't help that I tell them about this possibility.

CRW: Actually sounds like power. An authors favorite saying, "Be nice to be or you may end up in my book" comes to mind. Where do you get your character’s names?

Sarah: Generally, I just know what their names are. Perhaps this another argument against my sanity, but there you go.
          Regency era names tended to be very traditional. However, at this time, people were sometimes named for things and places, as well. If I'm struggling to name a character, I'll thumb through lists until I find something that fits.
          If I don't have a name yet and haven't been able to come up with one, I have a list of stand-in names that I use. For the guys: either Poppadoo or Hippopotamus. For the ladies: either Lipstick or Peroxide. Generally, I'm so annoyed by the time I've written two or three chapters using those names and I force myself to figure it out.
          Psst. Don't tell anyone, but, sometimes I just ask the character. Characters are remarkably opinionated.

CRW: Too true, but I won't say a thing, not a thing! What is the topic of your next book that has you excited?

Sarah: I am about to start writing a Regency romance—shocking, I know—about a young lady who, unexpectedly, receives a proposal of marriage from the man of her dreams. What more could a girl ask for? A young gentleman she has loved in silence, loves her in return. Only after the vows are made and the register is signed, does she discover that he was coerced into marrying her. Suddenly, her dream-come-true has become a nightmare of loneliness and regret. Now she is faced with the arduous task of convincing her reluctant husband that she can be his dream come true, as well, before circumstances pull them apart completely.
          Ooh. Now, that's gonna be an amazing story!

CRW: Sounds fascinating. I can't wait to see how you do it. What is your favorite writing food? (Like everyone doesn't already know this one.)

Sarah: Cheetos. Period.

CRW: Your love for Cheetos is actually legend in the writing business. Maybe someday you will get your picture on the bag. ;o) Please tell us about your next book.

Sarah: The next book to come out is book five in my “Jonquil Brothers Series.” Captain Stanley Jonquil, decorated veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, barely survived the Battle of Waterloo. He has returned home to England, broken in body and spirit, to a life he no longer knows how to live and the lady he left behind. Crippled by grief and haunted by years of war, Stanley desperately needs the peace and solace that love can offer, but he no longer feels worthy of it.
          Marjie Kendrick anxiously awaited Stanley's return, anticipating a reunion filled with joy and declarations of love. She has worried over him for months, and prayed for his safety. Stanley returns changed—he is badly injured and weighed down by his experiences. Can she help him overcome his past and learn to love again?

CRW: Sounds like a great love story full of great emotions and struggles. I'm in line waiting for it.
          As a fan of your books---my personal fav is "Seeking Persephone"---My daughter loved it too. Your fun sense of humor steps out of the pages. I look forward to your next books.
          Thanks so much Sarah, for taking time out of your worldwide schedule to visit with us. It would be awesome if you had a few minutes to check out Tuesdays Tales on the blog "Write a Story Together at http://www.writeastorytogether.blogspot.com/  Writers can visit the blog and add o the story. This weeks story is "The Princess and the Masquerade Ball". It's right up your alley!

Sarah: Thanks for interviewing me.

CRW: Are you kidding me? I am tickled pink, blue, green, yellow, orange . . . to be able to have you visit us here on Writers Wednesday on the Writers Mirror Blog. Someday soon, I'll have to contact your people to get to you, if that will even be possible!

For more information on Sarah M. Eden please see her website at: http://www.sarahmeden.com/

Wednesday Writer ~ Marsha Ward

2009-09-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

MARSHA WARD

Welcome to Marsha Ward. Marsha is a well known author in Arizona and volunteers a great amount of time promoting and building other authors. She is the founder of ANWA, American Night Writer's Association, one of the fastests growing LDS Women Writer's Organization in the world. She is an amazing writer and lady.

Marsha Ward

(Please note CRW is me, Cindy R. Williams, the interviewer)

CRW: Welcome Marsha, It's a pleasure to have you visit with us on Writers Mirror. Let's get right to it. How many books have you written?

Marsha: I have written three novels and contributed articles to two non-fiction books about writing and publishing. I also have a great many publishing credits in journalism, articles, short stories, and poems.

CRW: You cover many areas and genres in writing. What inspires you to write?

Marsha: The short answer to that question is avid readers. I have the best readers in the world. The long answer is I write because I want to give people hope that no matter how very truly bad life can get, there is a bright future if you hang on.

CRW: What gets in your way of writing?

Marsha: Too much volunteer work. I'm on the boards of several writing groups and other associations, and maintain websites, write newsletters, and do a host of other tasks. Don't get me wrong. Volunteering is a good thing. However, I tend to overdo it, and that does hamper my ability to produce a larger volume of work.

CRW: How do you get past it?

Marsha: I have decided to limit myself in the future to volunteering for only a couple of groups, and cut back what I do for them. I have several more books to write, and need the time to do it.

CRW: Do you try to write daily or set goals of a certain number of words?

Marsha: Now that I'm working on a new novel, I do try to write every day, for three or four hours. If I hit a certain number of words, that's great, but if I get fewer words consistently, I'm happy with that.

CRW: What makes you CRAZY about writing?

Marsha: The hardest thing for me is plotting. I'm an organic writer, but I must have some inkling of the beginning, the middle, and the end before I can get much done. I have a couple of friends with whom I love to brainstorm, because they are really sharp in coming up with obstacles and plot twists for my characters.

When all that work is done, though, I love when a character suddenly gives me surprises, or an unexpected element comes into the plot.

CRW: How long does it take you to complete a book?

Marsha: The first novel, The Man from Shenandoah, took 38 years. Well, I wasn't writing all that time. Life was also going on. Maybe it really only took five years as I learned how to do it.

The second book, Ride to Raton, took about three years.

The third, Trail of Storms, took about eight months, once I buckled down to business.

I hope to have the fourth book completed by next February, or about six months from the first draft until the final output. It doesn't have a title yet, so right now it's called OwenFam4Draft1. Catchy, right?

CRW: I'm not sure that OwenFam4Draft1 flows off the tongue very well. ;o)
Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Marsha: I've had a folder with lists of novel ideas for a number of years, but I also get ideas from reading historical magazines, and from real life. Now that I have an established Owen-verse (my main characters are members of the Owen family), it's not hard to come up with adventures for the inhabitants.

CRW: Where do you get your character’s names?

Marsha: Some of them are set already. A few are minor historical characters. Some in my last novel were people I knew who won naming rights to characters through a Scout auction. I get names from baby books. The origins of villains' names are the most interesting. I have a collection of names from people who send me spam.

CRW: I love the spam idea. That would be a great place to collect names for villains.
What's the topic of your next book that has you excited?

Marsha: This new book features a spunky heroine who ventures into life-threatening trouble when she believes she's been betrayed by people she trusted. I'll be drawing on some personal experiences to fill in a few character traits.

CRW: What's your favorite writing food?

Marsha: Butter Pecan or Rocky Road ice cream and Cheetos.

CRW: Yum! Interesting combination.
Please tell us about Trail of Storms.

Marsha: Trail of Storms is the story of Jessie Bingham and her two sisters, and how they each deal with hard times, evil people,and turbulent emotions in a post Civil War setting. It's also the story of the men who love them, and who try to support them through their trials. During their journey from Virginia to New Mexico, these characters encounter a former neighbor who once loved Jessie but left her behind when he moved west. At that point, things get really complicated, but I promise, there is a happy ending.

CRW: I have Trail of Storms and liked it so much I have one signed by the author to give to my mother for her birthday. Oops mom, if you read this, sorry.

Thanks Marsha for sharing with us. Best of luck on your books.

For more information on Marsha Ward, please see:

Website http://www.marshaward.com/

Blog http://www.marshaward.blogspot.com/