Writers are readers… or at least we should be. The WritersOnReading blog shares weekly interviews with writers, talking about the books they love. I was happy to chat about some of my favourites recently (Writer Janet Sketchley on Reading). Click the link to pop over and say hello, and do browse through the other interviews. You never know who you might find! This looks like a good site to bookmark or subscribe to.
DEADLY INTENT is the second in my Deadly Communications series. It features Maven Morris, a speech pathologist (another word for speech therapist) who has a knack for getting into trouble—deadly trouble.
In Deadly Intent, Maven takes on the foster care of a small boy, abandoned in a park. She hasn’t got a clue how that decision is going to impact her life. She’s in for a lot more trouble than she bargained for.
I’m not going to ruin the story by sharing what she’s about to face, but let me assure you there’s a reason deadly is part of the title. Instead, I’ll share a bit about how I came up with Maven, a crime-fighting speech pathologist.
I was a school speech pathologist, also known as an SLP, for more than thirty years. I’ve also been writing for twenty. During the time, I never figured out a way to merge the two together until about two years ago, three things happened within a week of each other.
First I was talking with someone whose daughter had been in a serious car accident that resulted in brain damage. She was having difficulty with her expressive language skills. He was telling me about a program she planned on attending to help.
Second, my brother was talking with me about my writing. He wondered why I’d never featured a speech therapist in any of my books. My honest answer was I’d never figured out how to work a speech therapist into a suspense story. I loved being a speech pathologist but I’ll be the first to admit, it can be a bit boring listening to a student practice S or R again for the 600th time!
Anyway… later in the week I wasn’t doing anything in particular. Probably riding in the car with my husband or watching TV. Two activities that promote daydreaming in me.
All of a sudden, a ten-second movie blip played in my head. I saw a young woman running through the woods. As she emerged from the trees, she ran onto a highway where the headlights of a truck blinded her.
In that instant, the plot of Deadly Communications was born and from that Maven, my crime-fighting speech therapist was created. I love Maven. In many ways she reminds me of myself. In other ways, not at all.
She’s definitely the adventurous one!
To celebrate the release of Deadly Intent, I’m having a giveaway on my blog, Tiaras & Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com. Grand prize is a $25 Amazon gift card but that’s not all! Five more winners will get a $5 Amazon gift card. How’s that for a celebration?
All you have to do is hop over to www.lillian-duncan.com and leave a comment on the Deadly Intent announcement. The contest ends September 26. PS. When you leave a comment, be sure to tell me what blog you read about me on. Then check back to see if you’re a winner!
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Everyone belongs somewhere. The key to happiness is recognizing that place when you get there.
Maven Morris can’t seem to find that place. A childless widow, she has no immediate family. Forced into a medical leave, she has no career. At loose ends, she hasn’t a clue what’s next for her.
Her neighbor, Paul Jordan knows what he wants—to move their friendship to a new level. Maven may not know what’s next, but she does know she has no interest in romance with anyone— not even her handsome neighbor.
When a young boy is abandoned in the city park, he touches her heart. In spite of his obvious special needs, she agrees to provide a temporary foster home for him. She has no idea the impact he will have on her life—or the danger he brings to her doorstep.
Lillian Duncan: stories of faith mingled with murder & mayhem!
Lillian is a multi-published writer with several Amazon bestsellers, including The Christmas Stalking and Betrayed. She writes the types of books she loves to read—fast-paced suspense with a touch or two of romance that demonstrates God’s love for all of us
Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech pathologist, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word.
To learn more about Lillian and her books, visit: www.lillianduncan.net. Tiaras & Tennis Shoes is her personal blog at www.lillian-duncan.com.
I’m sitting here staring at a blinking cursor. Or I was before I abandoned the blank page for Janet’s blog. Of course, that meant I was staring at another blank page and blinking cursor, but at least I have an idea of how to start. I’m going to talk about starting a new book and a new series.
I’ve finished the fourth book in the Logan Point series, and the third one just came out—Gone Without a Trace, which I’m giving away this week here.
My next series is about cold cases set in Memphis. I’ve tentatively titled the first book The Case of the Murdered Roommate. I have no idea if my publisher Revell will keep it, but that’s a whole ‘nother blog. I have my characters named except for the main antagonist, whose identity will be kept secret until the fourth book. And his name eludes me. I actually thought of a great name, but it turned out that name belonged to a main character in a popular TV show.
Without his name, I can’t move forward. I don’t know why I can’t, but that’s the reason for the blank page and blinking cursor. And I can’t ask you, my readers, to help me because then you’d know who he is. *Sigh*
Why are names so important to a writer?
Well, like naming your children, I’ll have to live with my characters throughout the 95,000 words it will take to tell the story. And some of them will carry through the whole series. I’ve discovered if I don’t have the right name for a character, he won’t talk to me. Or she won’t. And it’s really important for my characters to do that. Otherwise, I don’t know what their greatest desire or fears are. They will be flat. One dimensional. This is especially important for my villain. Well, my hero and heroine, too, but they already have names and are talking to me.
Thanks for listening to me. Just getting away from the story has helped. In fact, a name came to me as I wrote this. A great name. Now to find a fitting last name.
[Patricia is giving away a copy of her newest release, Gone Without a Trace. Contest limited to Continental USA for print copy. E-copy—anywhere! To leave a comment on this post, scroll down.]
Patricia Bradley lives in North Mississippi and is a former abstinence educator and co-author of RISE To Your Dreams, an abstinence curriculum. But her heart is tuned to suspense. Patricia’s romantic suspense books include the Logan Point series—Shadows of the Past, A Promise to Protect, and Gone Without a Trace. Her workshops on writing include an online course with American Christian Fiction Writers and workshops at the Mid-South Christian Writer’s Conference in Collierville, TN. When she’s not writing, she likes to throw mud on a wheel and see what happens.
Connect with Patricia:
Website: www.patriciabradleyauthor.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/patriciabradleyauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PTBradley1
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ptbradley/
Or find her books:
Shadows of the Past: CBD; Amazon; B&N; Books A Million
A Promise to Protect: B&N; CBD; Amazon; Books A Million
Gone Without a Trace: Amazon; CBD; B&N; Books A Million
Available for Kindle (July 2015). Coming soon in print and in other ebook formats.
There are plenty of how-tos out there addressing various aspects of the writing craft, publication, marketing etc, but there aren’t many books that cultivate the writer as a whole person.
The editors of this anthology chose seven key areas that are essential for a Christian who writes:
How often do writers concentrate on a few of these while letting others slip away? Or forget that the time invested in spiritual growth and maintaining health actually contribute to the depth and quality of their writing?
7 Essential Habits of Christian Writers is produced by InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship, with contributions from 28 Canadian writers (including me). Writers, I encourage you to take a peek at the table of contents (click here and scroll down the page) to see what’s on offer.
At present the book is available exclusively for Kindle, but there will be a print version released this fall and the ebook will also be available for Kobo, Nook, iTunes etc. In Kindle form, the book is already an Amazon bestseller in Canada and has been gaining traction internationally as well.
Want to know why? Or, if you’re a fiction writer, do you find ways to release real-life frustration in your stories? Pop by James Callan’s The Author’s Blog to read my guest post and leave a comment. One commenter will win a copy of Secrets and Lies.
Link: Don’t Annoy the Novelist.
Thank you to everyone who gave input on the title choices and summary blurb for Redemption’s Edge #3. I’ve closed the poll, and the final results in the title vote are as follows:
Thank you to Polldaddy, my poll host.
And the title I’ve chosen is (insert drumroll here)
Confession time: I did not see this coming. I actually prepared this post to announce Dangerous Questions as the one I thought best fit the novel. Until I did a little chart that I can’t show you, listing five plot threads and ticking how many each title matched. Without Proof matched all five. My only hesitation with this title is that it sounds vaguely like legal fiction.
The back cover summary isn’t yet finalized, but it’ll be something like this:
“Asking questions could cost your life.”
Two years after the plane crash that killed her fiancé, Amy Silver has fallen for his best friend, artist Michael Stratton. When a local reporter claims the small aircraft may have been sabotaged, it reopens Amy’s grief.
Anonymous warnings and threats are her only proof that the tragedy was deliberate. Amy has nowhere to turn. The authorities don’t believe her, God is not an option, and Michael’s protection is starting to feel like a cage.
I’m considering adding a closing question to tie into the title, but perhaps it’s implied in the final sentences.
My working title for Redemption’s Edge #3 was No Safe Place, but early feedback said it sounded like a chase novel or a witness protection story. Since it’s neither, I’ve done a Marvin the Martian and gone “back to the old drawing board.”
I’ve considered over 50 titles so far, some downright horrible, lots in the middle, and some I really liked that were already over-used.
Below are my top 5 for your input, but first, here’s my latest draft of the back cover blurb to give some context. I’ve struggled with this blurb all week, and I’m sure the wording will change again before it’s final. As well as the suspense, it needs to convey “Christian romantic suspense.”
“Asking questions could get you killed.”
Amy Silver survived the plane crash that killed her fiancé, and found refuge with his best friend, artist Michael Stratton. Falling for Michael was unexpected, and his faith is out of her reach.
Was the small aircraft sabotaged? Anonymous warnings and threats are Amy’s only proof. The authorities don’t believe her, and Michael’s protection is starting to feel like a cage. Pushing his boundaries is not the way to win his heart, but Amy wants answers.
EDITED JULY 11: revised blurb:
“Asking questions could cost your life.”
Two years after the plane crash that killed her fiancé, Amy Silver has fallen for his best friend, artist Michael Stratton. When a local reporter claims the small aircraft may have been sabotaged, it reopens Amy’s grief.
Anonymous warnings and threats are her only proof that the tragedy was no accident. Amy has nowhere to turn. The authorities don’t believe her, God is not an option, and Michael’s protection is starting to feel like a cage.
[polldaddy poll=8972696]
If you have any comments (especially if something about the blurb confuses you!) please leave them below. Thanks!
This post’s title makes me smile. Mostly where I’ve been, writing-wise, is hunkered in my writing corner, finishing the first draft of No Safe Place.
My writing nook, complete with stuffed “muse.”
However, this introvert has taken herself and her books into the wider world, and found it’s not as scary as she thought. So far this year I’ve spoken to a readers’ group at one local church and a seniors’ group at another. Most people at the first event had read one or both of my books, and it was so much fun to be able to talk about my imaginary friends without worrying about spoilers. At the second event, I shared my writing journey so far and reconnected with people I hadn’t seen in a long time.
I’ve also set up book tables at a couple of craft fairs and a conference. I’ll be at a Spring Craft & Business Fair tomorrow at Cole Harbour Place (click the link for details). If you’re in the Halifax area, stop and say hi. [There’s a $2 entry fee, the proceeds of which go to charity.]
Sharing a table with another local author, Cynthia d’Entremont
In all honesty, I never expected to enjoy the public side of book promotion, but I’m having fun with this.
I’ve also done some “visiting” online:
Tandy Balson is an inspirational speaker and writer who uses the ordinary to inspire. Tandy blogs at Time with Tandy, and she has written two inspirational books, Inspirations from the Everyday and the newly-released Dragonflies, Snowdrifts and Spice Cake.
I met Tandy last year at Write Canada, and I’m excited to have her visiting with us today.
Janet: Welcome, Tandy! What are a few things you’d like us to know about you?
Tandy: I am a wife, mother, grandmother and follower of Jesus who makes my home in Airdrie, Alberta. My hobbies are reading, baking, walking (to burn off the baking) and I give a really good foot massage.
Janet: Useful skills! I love the whimsical title of your newest book. I had the privilege of reading an early version, and it encouraged me in my perpetual struggle to remember to live in the moment. You have a real gift of seeing lessons in daily experiences. Has this always been part of your life, or is it something you’ve developed over the years?
Tandy: I’d love to be able to say that this has always been part of my life, but that’s not the case. When I look back I can see where there were glimpses of this many years earlier but nothing I paid enough attention to. I have only been consciously aware of the lessons in everyday experiences for the past five or six years.
Janet: Tell us a bit about Dragonflies, Snowdrifts and Spice Cake.
Tandy: This book contains 130 short reflections that point the reader to the lessons that can be found in everyday life experiences. Each story is only a single page long which makes for a quick read. To quote Friesen Press Editor, Janet Layberyy, “The stories themselves offer enough insight that the lessons and comfort found in them should impact and help readers even if they are unsure of their own faith.”
Janet: You were a speaker before you became a writer? What prompted each step?
Tandy: When asked to identify the dream I had for my life, I thought of a speaker/singer that I admired and said I’d like to do what she did. Through the encouragement of friends I set out to see if I could make this a reality. Although I studied both, more opportunities opened up for me with speaking so singing slowly faded into the background. After a few years of speaking I felt God giving me inspiration through ordinary things. I prayed about what he wanted me to do with this and clearly felt I was supposed to write these lessons down and share them with others.
Janet: I’m glad you obeyed! Do you have any advice for beginning writers?
Tandy: One of the best things I did when starting out was to find a local writing group to join. There I found support, encouragement and critique that helped to improve my writing. I also joined The Word Guild and Inscribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship. These are both national groups and I have learned much through their active social media sites. Conferences have proved invaluable for learning from and connecting with other writers.
Janet: Do you have a regular writing schedule? And is location important, or can you write anywhere?
Tandy: As much as I have attempted to keep a regular writing schedule, life seems to get in the way! I do try to write every day but it may not always be at the same time. I have found that I can write anywhere once the inspiration strikes and keep a journal and pen with me at all times. If I’m at home writing, I need to be in a quiet area as I get easily distracted.
Janet: Is there a particular song or Scripture verse that’s made a big difference for you?
Tandy: Key Scripture verses for me are: Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight and Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Janet: You can’t go wrong with those verses. What do you like to do to recharge?
Tandy: Going for a walk often helps me to recharge. The best place for this is on a tropical beach!
Janet: Tell us something you appreciate about where you live.
Tandy: We moved from the Vancouver area ten years ago and at first missed the tall trees. Now I appreciate the big open sky with unobstructed views of interesting cloud formations and beautiful sunsets.
Janet: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve ever done?
Tandy: Right now my answer would be writing and publishing books. I’m getting ready to go on my first cruise and have an unusual shore excursion planned, so the answer may change soon. I’m sure to write about it on my blog when I return!
Janet: We’ll be watching! (Tandy’s blog link is below.) Enjoy your cruise, and keep that journal and pen handy!
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You can find Tandy at her website, www.tandyb.com, and her blog, www.timewithtandy.com.
Dragonflies, Snowflakes and Spice Cake is available through Tandy’s website, the Friesen Press bookstore, and at Amazon.com.
Ron Hughes from HopeStreamRadio interviewed me last month, and while it’s not archived on their site, I’ve posted it to mine. We talked about a few aspects of writing and about my novels, and I read an excerpt from Secrets and Lies. The interview is about ten minutes long, if you’d like to have a listen (just click the “play” triangle in the media player below). And do check out HopeStreamRadio. They currently provide about two hours of content per day, which repeats throughout the day. There’s teaching, music, and a variety of interesting content (including author interviews!)
[Media player didn’t show up for you? Click here to listen to the interview.]