RECLAIMING NICK

A Modern Day Prodigal Comes Home...
NICK NOBLE HADN'T PLANNED ON BEING THE PRODIGAL SON.

But when his father dies and leaves half of Silver Buckle--the Noble family ranch--to Nick’s former best friend, he must return home to face his mistakes, and guarantee that the Silver Buckle stays in the Noble family.

Award-winning journalist Piper Sullivan believes Nick framed her brother for murder, and she’s determined to find justice. But following Nick to the Silver Buckle and posing as a ranch cook proves more challenging than she thinks. So does resisting his charming smile.
As Nick seeks to overturn his father’s will--and Piper digs for answers--family secrets surface that send Nick’s life into a tailspin. But there’s someone who’s out to take the Silver Buckle from the Noble family, and he’ll stop at nothing--even murder--to make it happen.

Stop by and visit Susan, or you can even visit Nick's blog. Pick up a copy of Reclaiming Nick today!

GENRE JUMPERS...

As I may have mentioned in previous posts, my first few forays into novel writing were, well, disastrous. Talk about bad writing--wait--let's not go there. Suffice it to say, it was bad. Part of it was due to being a complete novice (head-hopping, complete and utter lack of plot, etc.) and part of it, I have come to realize, was writing in the wrong genre.

As a seventh-grader I started with mystery (Death on Penthouse Avenue.) As an adult I tried my hand at women's fiction, and it stank so bad I couldn't finish it. Then came my NANO novel, which didn't have even one good character. (Actually, there was one, but I killed him in an accident halfway through the book.) Anyway, I didn't hit my stride until I started writing chick lit--my true love.

In real life, people think I'm funny. At least I think they think I'm funny. And I have been known to clear my fair share of restaurants, with the help of a few boisterous friends. So writing humor and sass comes natural, plus I have a wacky view of the world. But lately I've been toying with the idea of trying something new, maybe a straight romance, maybe a romantic suspense. Maybe even a (gasp!) women's fiction--but armed with a new set of skills.

So here's the question I pose to you: do you actively genre jump? Or do you focus your skill and energy on one genre, at least until you're established? What do you write?

P.S. If you haven't chimed in on yesterday's post, I'd still love to hear your answers!

WORDS TO INSPIRE

Wow, can you believe I only blogged once last week? It was my oldest daughter's Spring Break so we had tons of things on our plate, namely preparing our home for selling. Hopefully we'll be moving soon, but it all depends on when we get a buyer. Please pray for us if you think of it! (BTW, those weren't the WORDS TO INSPIRE!)

Last week I started reading a book by one of my favoritest authors, Jodi Picoult. Nineteen Minutes is her latest release, and boy is it awesome. There are some authors that inspire me to be a better writer, and she is on the top of that list. Jodi has a wonderful use of detail, careful characterization, and ponders questions that aren't black and white. Every time I read one of her books, I want to be a better writer, to practice what I've learned and take my time with each story. This is one book I want to savor, and don't feel compelled to race to the end. And in some small way, I hope that one day my books will have the same effect on people. (Of course, I write a totally different genre with different reader expectations, but you get the idea.)

Which authors do that for you?

USED BOOKS AND STUFF

I'll start with a disclaimer: I'M NO INDUSTRY EXPERT. OK, there, I said it.

From everything I've read, book sales are not as strong as anyone would've hoped. (However, Inspirational Fiction is still expanding!) I admit here and now that I don't buy every book that I read. I go to the library, especially for older books that I'm unfamiliar with. I also go to the used book store every now and then for the same reason. I want to buy books new to support the industry because it's good for all of us. (And I've mentioned before how much I actually spend on books, which is no small number!)But here's my question:

Exactly how damaging is it to filter books through used book stores? I hold onto most of my Christian fiction books because I'd rather see readers buy new books to support our authors. But at the same time, I envision a day when I'm a published author (a girl can dream, can't she?) and want to see my books on the shelves. Would I rather have my books sitting on people's personal book shelves, or out in the public to reach a wider audience, thereby creating new readers who will someday buy my books new?

I guess this topic is hot on my brain because I'm running out of shelf space. Maybe I should start holding drawings here on the blog. (Although then I'd have to consider postage, which is going UP, BTW!) I'd like to know your thoughts on re-circulated books, and also what you do with all of your overflow.

TAG, YOU'RE IT!


Kaye tagged me, so now I'm tagging you! Quick, go take a picture of your refrigerator!

Obviously, my fridge doens't look as clean as it did the day I took my picture for Honey Do--but of course, it isn't Monday, LOL!

On the right we have my freezer. If you look close you can probably see the ice cream (in the peach-colored tub) that I mentioned in yesterday's post.

NOW GO TAKE YOUR PICTURE AND LET ME KNOW!

Strawberry Cheesecake Premium Ice Cream...

I finished Honey Do--at least the hard parts. Needless to say, I was in a celebratory mood which naturally led to a tub of ice cream. Because my teen was awake, I had to share because she loves strawberry cheesecake as much as I do.

Now for the hard part--a query and synopsis. I drafted the synopsis when I first started writing the book thinking I'd have a head start at the end (if that makes any sense.) But somehow the story morphed away from the synopsis I wrote so I have to start all over again. That's all right, the story is way better now than it was before.

Oh, and the other hard part? Working off the strawberry cheesecake premium ice cream.

CHARIOTS OF FIRE!

I wanted to dust the cobwebs off this blog long enough to tell you that this is the song looping through my head. I'm almost finished with the second full draft of Honey Do, Inc.--two chapters to go!

That's why I haven't been blogging, or visiting blogs this week. Well, that and my hubby's badly sprained ankle, my daughter's choir concert, baby gymnastics, my mother's retirement party, getting the window on the car fixed, and a host of other activities.

Anyway, back to writing!!! Hope yours is going well, too!

MORE THAN A FEW COINKY-DINKIES...

I thought writing fiction meant making everything up. But the more I write, the more I see bits of myself creeping into my work, mostly in the form of food. No joke.

We've been eating veggie trays lately, almost every weekend. And what do you know--a veggie tray snuck into my book. Diet Coke--that's a given, all of my heroines drink Diet Coke. My current heroine is addicted to coffee, as am I. Oh, and let's not forget my last book where the heroine was circling the pastry table in the foyer at church, fighting for the last creme-filled donut.

But it's not limited to food. In my last book the heroine is a stock broker--hey, I was a broker, too. My current book has a heroine who is a professional homemaker--OK, I'm not a professional, but I could be! I think that's about all for exact pieces of my life sneaking into my work, although my general worldview is all over the books.

Every time I read a book I kind of wonder what exact pieces of the author are on the page. So, do tell, what tidbits of your life are in your books?

HE'S DONE IT AGAIN!

Look what my Tweety Pie has done for me--more books! For the last two weekends my Honey has taken me to the bookstore. And what I mean by TAKEN ME is that he didn't actually let me go in and pick my own books...he chose them for me, LOL.

Some were good picks, some were...well, not so hot. (That'll be our little secret. Shhh!)But the point is that he bought me books because he loves me. And now my pile is, once again, spinning out of control. I grabbed these books off the shelf to show you--and these are only the fiction books. There are also about four or five non-fics I've been wanting to get to.

My reading has slowed down considerably the more I work on my own book. That's a good thing, right? But now I'm down to reading about one book a week, two if I'm super-fast. (Super-fast for me is probably way slower than super-fast for you!)

Looks like I have a few months supply of reading at this pace. How's about you?

A Valley of Betrayal

From the back cover:

Artist Sophie Grace has one goal: finding her beloved Michael in war-torn Spain. His work as a news photographer has taken him deep into the country wracked by civil war between ragtag Spanish patriots and Nazi-backed Franco forces.

Secrets abound in ruined Spain. Michael is loving but elusive, especially about beautiful Maria. The American who helped Sophie sneak into Spain turns up in odd places. Michael's friend Jose knows more than he tells. When reports of Michael's disappearance reach her, Sophie is devastated. What are her feelings for Philip, and American soldier who comes to her rescue? Sophie must sift truth from lies as she becomes more embroiled in the way that threatens her life and breaks her heart.

Acclaimed author Tricia Goyer creates a riveting cast of characters against the backdrop of pre-WWII Spain. Love, loss, pain, and beauty abound in this first book in her new series, Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War.

CLICK HERE TO GET THIS BOOK!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tricia is a members of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance. She also has a blog, It's Real Life and a parenting blog Generation NeXt.TRICIA GOYER is the author of five novels, two nonfiction books and one children's book. She also was named Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference Writer of the Year in 2003. In 2005, her novel Night Song, the second title in Tricia’s World War II series, won ACFW's Book of the Year for Best Long Historical Romance. In 2006, her novel Dawn of A Thousand Nights also won book of the Year for Long Historical Romance. Tricia and her husband, John, live with their family in northwestern Montana.