Recently, I had the privilege of attending the She Speaks conference in Concord, NC. I had never been to this particular conference, but because I am starting to get requests to speak at various events, I thought it might be a good idea to take the speaking track. On Friday, we had a three minute presentation and on Saturday, we had a five minute one. I thought I would share with you my three minute one. It went something like this:

Hello, I’m Lynette Eason and I’m a writer. Which is why I’m taking the speaking track. Yeah. Right. Go figure.

Now, I’ll be honest. When I first started writing, I had no idea what getting published would entail. But apparently people think that if you can write and get published, you can speak. And while I’m sure that’s true for a lot of writers, for others, like me, it’s not so true.

Speaking is not where my comfort zone is. But God didn’t call me to stay in my comfort zone. And I’ve always believed Him when he said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” I was willing, But I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to do that. I mean, I was married now, with other responsibilities. So what was my role now in furthering the kingdom of God? At first I thought that maybe I was supposed to volunteer at church or ride on the tail of my husband’s ministry.

You see, about 14 ½ years ago, I got married to a guy whose job entailed a lot of travel. He was doing praise and worship music all over the country and I thought that I was just supposed to do whatever I could to help him in his ministry. Which was not a bad thing at all. I was willing to do that.

So, at first, I went with him as much as possible, but then we had our first child and I stayed home. A lot. Alone. The only adult in the house for days on end. Sure, I did MOPS and play dates and that kind of thing, but the nights were the worst. I was lonely. Crying myself to sleep didn’t seem like a really good way to end the day. So one day, I was trying to figure out something I could do to ease the loneliness. And something inside me – God? said, “Why don’t you write that book you keep saying you want to write?”

I thought, yeah, why don’t I do that?

So, in 1999, I pulled out an old laptop my husband had and started writing the great American novel that I just KNEW was going to be a best-seller, glorify God and make me rich, too. Ministering to others through my books and glorifying God was the most important part, of course, but if He so chose to bless me financially then by all means I would graciously accept that.

Thirteen books later, I still live in the same house, I don’t own any beach front property or have an amazing stock portfolio. Or even a mansion on a hill. But I’m so honored to get emails from readers who say that my books have touched their lives, that God became real to them through the characters and words He allowed me to create and have published. And I’m thrilled to say that I DO have a mansion waiting on me. And it’s in heaven where I’ll spend eternity praising my King. And I pray that one day, my Savior will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Happy Monday to all, hope you have a great week!

Does duMarier's Rebecca stand up to today's rules?

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderly again.”
Dana Mentink here and last night I finished listening to a spectacular audio recording of Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 novel, Rebecca. I was riveted of course, through all 12 disks, but I found myself wondering if Rebecca, arguably one of the best romantic suspense novels ever written, follows the tried and true rules of modern day romantic suspense novels. Let’s just check it out, shall we?
Rule #1: No flashbacks. Good novels are action packed, moving forward without plot devices that stop the forward momentum.
Rebecca is actually one giant flashback as the second Mrs. de Winter relates her memories from their residence in exile. Hmmmm. A novel sized flashback? I'd be hard pressed to sell that to my editors.
Rule #2 : You need a strong heroine. I’m sure I’m going to get some e-mails about this one, but the second Mrs. deWinter is relatively powerless. Yes, I know the year is 1938 and women didn’t have much status in society but Mrs. de Winter is so powerless she can’t even manage to change the dinner menu, much less assert her place in the de Winter household with the nasty Mrs. Danvers. The book is largely about power and position so the protagonist fits in perfectly in her era, but she would not be a good fit in today’s romance novels. Heck, we don’t even learn the protagonist’s first name!
Rule #3: The heroine must clap eyes on the hero in chapter one and they need to be together on virtually every page. Nah. Du Maurier’s characters are strong enough to handle a little separation. Maxim is often tootling off to London and it’s a good many pages before the hero is even introduced in the story in the first place.
You’d think a novel which breaks so many rules would be hopelessly outdated and unattractive to the modern reader. So why does Rebecca still continue to fascinate seventy two years after it was penned? Because, though it doesn’t follow today’s formulaic rules of writing, it give us two critical components. The first is unforgettable characters. Personally, I rather despised Maxim and thought Mrs. de Winter was somewhat of a fool to follow Mrs. Danver’s advice about the fancy dress ball, but I found myself thinking about these fascinating, flawed characters long after I finished the book. Second, du Maurier does what all suspense authors aspire to accomplish: she neatly leads us into believing one thing will happen, and then completely turns the tables on us. I was absolutely convinced that Rebecca had conceived a child with Favell and Dr. Baker’s revelation at the end of the novel floored me. That happened many times in this amazing book right up to the fiery finish. The author never gives you what you expect, including a happy ending.
Oh yes. That is cardinal rule #4. Always give the romance reader a happy ending. In Rebecca? Not so much.
What do you think, dear reader, about Rebecca or any other classic novel that doesn’t follow our hard and fast rules?

Killer Chocolate -- A Valentine Mystery (#11)

by Cara Putman

Lovey stared at Athena unsure what to do next, or what those glowing lights might be. She'd never trained for something like this. She ran a chocolate shop after all. She didn't even like spy movies or read suspense novels. No, she wanted hers coated with romance like a thick layer of dark chocolate icing on one of her homemade brownies.

She'd lived an ordered life for so long. Then she met Ryan. The fairytale had died with his disappearance. It had taken effort, but she'd finally moved back into her comfortable pre-Ryan life. Most days, she could pretend she was content, even happy.

But that had been when she thought her life was settled, filled with a few good friends. Now as Athena held the gun steady and pointed straight at Rouen, the truth seemed to scream at her. Athena had used her, too. All for something called Luxor.

The red lights drew closer, but she felt a drip of water land on her head and looked up. The storm must have started since they climbed in the accursed cave. But if the drops landed on her maybe there was a way out through the roof of the cave.

Athena chewed her bottom lip and then waved the gun at them. "Step aside you two. Or better yet, step into that cross-hatch of lasers. I want inside that chamber, and you're as good a way as any to do it. Lovey, you stand there, and Rouen, you can walk on through. Hesitate and I'll shoot her."

Rouen stared at the mish-mash, as if studying it for a way to slip through the defenses.

Lovey racked her brain. Somewhere she had to know the combination for the security system. "Can you see a keypad, one we could use to disengage it?"

Rouen flicked his penlight along the walls. "No...wait over here."

Lovey closed her eyes, tried to imagine what number Ryan might have used. "Try our wedding day."

"What?"

"Type in what was supposed to be our wedding day. 02142005." If she'd ever meant anything to Ryan, maybe he would have used that date.

Rouen looked at her. "Are you sure? Some of these are one and done systems."

"What choice do we have? It looks like bullet, bomb or brine at this point."

Rouen searched her gaze another moment, looked at Athena, then nodded. "All right." He slipped her behind his bulk, then tapped in the numbers.

The breath caught in Lovely's throat as she watched each deliberate press of the button. 0. 2. 1. 4. 2. 0. 0. 5.

Nothing, then a click. A moment later the grid disappeared.

Bit and Pieces of Protecting Her Child

By Debby Giusti

Writers weave bits and pieces of their lives into their books. A snippet of conversation, an act of bravery or a favorite location often find a home in the stories I write.

PROTECTING HER CHILD, the second stand-alone book in my Magnolia Medical series, came to life because Pat Rosenbach, a dear friend of mine, told me about her friend Eva. (In the photo above, Pat Rosenbach (L) stands next to me, holding a photo of Eva.)

I’m a medical technologist and diseases fascinate me so when Pat told me about Eva’s long and courageous struggle with Von Hippel-Lindau disease, I did some research and soon learned tumors—actually clusters of capillaries—appear sporadically in VHL patients. Initially, they attack various organs such as the retina or spinal cord or adrenal gland. The tumors must be surgical removed and sometimes result in debilitation, such as blindness or paralyses. While benign at the onset, once they attack the kidneys, the tumors turn malignant and can lead to death.

Throughout her lifetime, Eva had seven surgeries to remove growths in her body. Physicians at The National Institute of Health followed her and eight other members of her family who had the genetically acquired condition. Medical researchers believe that by studying VHL they will someday learn better ways to treat other cancers as well.

My friend Pat hosted a birthday party--a celebration of life party--for Eva shortly before her death. I met Eva that night, and her heroic determination inspired me to write PROTECTING HER CHILD. I hope my fictional tale will increase awareness about the disease as well as honor Eva and all of those who struggle with cancer.

On a lighter note, I set part of the story in Savannah’s beautiful historic district as well as the rural Georgia coast south of the city. Whenever in the area, my family and I always stop at the Sunbury Crab Company, a rustic waterfront restaurant in Sunbury, GA, which was the Dock House Restaurant in my book. While feasting on buckets of steamed blue crabs pulled fresh from the ocean, we watch the sun set over the low country and reflect on how good life is in Georgia. Next time you visit that neck of the woods, head to Sunbury (www.sunburycrabco.com) for the best seafood in the South. It’s a treat you won’t forget.

If you’re a writer, post a comment and share how much of you own life experiences are reflected in your books. As a reader, do you try to separate fact from fiction in the stories you read? Leave your email address to be placed in the drawing for a copy of my current release, PROTECTING HER CHILD.

Happy writing! Happy reading!

Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti

Visit Debby online at www.DebbyGiusti.com, blog with her at www.ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com and www.seekerville.blogspot.com.

Eva’s sister, Peggy Marshall, started www.vhlconnections.org as a source of information and support for those with VHL. To learn more about the work they do, contact Peggy at vhlconnections@bellsouth.net.

“WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BABY?”

Wealthy heiress Eve Townsend is close to death. But before she dies, she has to know: what happened to the daughter she gave up for adoption twenty-four years before? Did she inherit her mother’s life-threatening disease? Medical researcher Pete Worth is ready to find answers by tracking her down. And when he finally locates Meredith Lassiter, he finds her widowed, pregnant and on the run. The loan sharks who killed her husband want her dead…and Pete is the only one standing in their way.

Winner of the 2008 Daphne du Maurier Award for Inspirational Suspense, medical technologist Debby Giusti writes spine-chilling Christian fiction for Steeple Hill. PROTECTING HER CHILD, her fifth book and the second story in her Magnolia Medical series, was released in May. CHRISTMAS PERIL will feature her novella YULE DIE in December, and KILLER HEADLINE will follow in February 2010. Her first three books, NOWHERE TO HIDE, SCARED TO DEATH and MIA: MISSING IN ATLANTA are available in hardcover by Thorndike. In addition to full-length fiction, Debby has written articles for numerous magazines, including Southern Lady, Woman’s World, Our Sunday Visitor, Army and Family. For over twelve years, she served on the editorial advisory board of ADVANCE for Administrators of the Laboratory and wrote extensively on emerging infectious diseases for that magazine. For more information about Debby and her books, visit her web site at: www.DebbyGiusti.com.

April Showers?

PROTECTING HER CHILD
By

Debby Giusti

“What happened to my baby?”

Wealthy heiress Eve Townsend is close to death. But before she dies, she has to know: what happened to the daughter she gave up for adoption twenty-four years before? Did she inherit her mother’s life-threatening disease? Medical researcher Pete Worth is ready to find answers by tracking her down. And when he finally locates Meredith Lassiter, he finds her widowed, pregnant and on the run. The loan sharks who killed her husband want her dead…and Pete is the only one standing in their way.

My area of the country has been deluged with rain. Drastic changes in temperature have spawned tornadoes that force us into our basement as sirens blare a warning to find shelter. Trees have been uprooted, streams have overflowed their banks and hail has caused damage to vehicles and property. All great fodder for a suspense writer to use in upcoming books.

Weather plays an important role in my stories. My first book, NOWHERE TO HIDE, featured a hurricane that trapped the heroine and her son in an ocean cave. In SCARED TO DEATH, a tornado struck while the villain stood over the hero and heroine with a loaded gun. MIA: MISSING IN ATLANTA had a snowstorm that blanketed the city and impacted the hero’s ability to fight off the villain. Wind and rain played a role in COUNTDOWN TO DEATH, and the book I’m currently working on ends with an ice storm.

Writers strive to up the stakes and put their characters in threatening situations. Inclement weather compounds the problem and is a universal danger readers understand. If you want to increase the tension in your story, take a tip from Mother Nature and make the weather miserable. Throw in tornadoes, hurricanes, snowstorms, hail and ice to enhance the suspense and improve your story.

Happy writing!

Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti
http://www.debbygiusti.com/

Visit me at http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/ where I’m also blogging today.

The hottest new (old) romantic suspense

The hottest new romantic suspense on my bookshelf is one that was written almost seventy years ago and you know what? It’s an absolute page turner. I refer to Mrs. Mike, by Benedict and Nancy Freedman. For those who haven’t read it, it’s the story of Kathy, a young Bostonian girl, who winds up marrying a Candian mountie and living in the middle of the remote Canadian wilderness. All I can say is WOW!
I’ve tried to determine exactly why this book lingers in my heart and mind. Is it the romance? Yes. The bond between Kathy and Mike is one that gives her the strength to leave her world, her culture and her weaknesses behind. It’s also the kind of love that triumphs over the adversity and hardship they both face in a savage land.
Is it the setting? You bet. I couldn’t in my wildest imaginings have come up with a place so cut off from civilization, so chock full of native peoples, white trappers and the odd displaced Frenchwoman. Every page brought a fascinating new challenge, some humorous, some heartbreaking, borne of this remote location. The amazing characters like Oh Be Joyful and Jonathan Forquet could only exist in such a fantastic setting.
Is it the plot? Absolutely. It’s part mystery. (Who really killed Cardinal?) Part suspense. (How are they going to survive the tensions between the natives and whites that constantly threatens to boil over?) It’s a tender story of family. (The diphtheria epidemic and the fire were completely mindblowing.) All of the elements are presented without over sentimentalizing or dropping into the predictable “romantic misunderstanding” or overdone plot devices so common to our genre. This book continually hints at one thing and delivers another with such soul satisfying emotion that the reader can only turn pages in wonder.
****I offer a side note here. In California it is a growing trend to refuse to immunize children for fear it might contribute to autism. I can only say after reading the diphtheria epidemic scene in Chapter Twenty Four, thank God for the gift of immunization!
I can’t imagine why it took me so long to stumble upon this worthy book. I hope it challenges me to craft a story of poignant relationships, extraordinary courage and most of all, the highs and lows of human nature.

The Lion and the Lamb

This month the Craftie Ladies have applied the saying about March coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb to writing Love Inspired Suspense. The lion/lamb extremes are especially applicable to the suspense and romance arcs in our stories. On the one hand, we need to put our characters into life-threatening situations, but we also must ensure they fall head over heels in love. Adequately developing each arc can be difficult.

I write stories that take place over a short period of time. The hero and heroine are thrown together and, within the opening pages, embark on an adventure sometimes before they have time to catch their breath. While they need to be aware of the escalating danger, they also need to be aware of that special new person in their lives.

In order to set up a believable romance, the first meeting is important. That initial interaction between the hero and heroine must reveal both the attraction and the danger. Is there apprehension? Rivalry? Wariness? Reservation? Or love at first sight? For me, striking the right balance demands attention to detail and lots of rewrites.

The next time you read a story or write one, focus on the first-meeting scene. Despite the changing conditions of the unfolding story, the reader should recognize the attraction between the characters and the romance that is sure to follow.

May your life be enhanced by the books you read!

Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti
http://www.debbygiusti.com/

http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/

March Madness

How often does it snow in Atlanta? Usually once a year. For 2009, the storm rolled in on Sunday, March 1, while my family and I were in church. We came out of the sanctuary to see big flakes falling like confetti from the sky, covering everything in sight.

The snow continued throughout the day. Temperatures that had been in the balmy mid-60s earlier in the week dropped below freezing as Mother Nature reminded Georgians spring wasn’t here yet.

She failed to tell the flowers. My front walk was lined with snow-tipped daffodils. Azalea bushes, red buds and Bradford pears were blanketed in white, and the pansies got a frosting. The last of the white stuff melted today, and we’re expecting warm temperatures by the end of the week.

March Madness? You bet! With a start like that, the rest of the month could be whirlwind. My first continuity is due on my editor’s desk March 15th. I’m into the rewrites and spending lots of time with my hero and heroine to get their act together on the written page. Lucky me, I'm honored to work with a fantastic lineup of Steeple Hill authors, including Craftie Ladies Margaret Daley, Barbara Phinney and Lenora Worth.

As soon as that manuscript is headed to New York, I’ll start working on YULE DIE, a Christmas suspense, which will be out in December as a two-in-one with Craftie Lady Margaret Daley. Again, lucky me!

Best of all, my son and daughter-in-law are expecting their first child any day now. Hubby and I are waiting for the phone call and the good news about our precious new grandbaby.

Hope your March is full of madness! The fun kind, of course.

Happy reading! Happy writing!

Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti
http://www.debbygiusti.com/
http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/

Creating Suspense without Special Effects...

Ever watch a really suspenseful Hollywood movie and find you can't STOP watching because you're so riveted by what's happening on screen? How does the hero make it through the tunnel unscathed just as the truck explodes, sending fire and debris raining down upon him. How does a tiny figure that can fit into the palm of your hand suddenly grow to mammoth proportions? How does a shot with a few actors in costume suddenly become a scene filled with menacing Orcs numbered in the thousands?

Special effects have become a staple in many Hollywood movies. It seems that almost anything can be created with the help of a blue screen, a computer and a sound studio. Special effects have become so popular that in 1939 an OSCAR category was estatblished dedicated to special effects, one for visual and one for audio. Visual and audio effects help to create an overall movie experience. Color, sound, movement all work together to build drama and suspense because they naturally dazzle the senses.

What about suspense books? Writer's don't have the luxury of writing their prose against a blue screen for a Hollywood film specialist to manipulate into a great action scene the reader can see. Or to have the reader hear that ticking clock or the blood curdling scream the heroine lets loose when the villain finally finds her. Books don't have soundtracks that go along with them. (Although I do admit to making a soundtrack for each book when I write them.) The only thing writers are armed with are words. Granted, those words are powerful...if we allow them to be.

Here are some tricks you can use to help build suspense while writing:

• Let the reader see the Hero and Heroine in a safe environment before the action starts. For instance, in Cradle of Secrets, Tammie Gardner is in her office grading papers at the University she works at. She has no clue that her world is about to be turned upside down so when it does happen, the reader has already connected with her on a "safe" level and feels how devastating the news she receives really is.
• Use setting and season along with the 5 senses to create drama. Too much information can bog down your story, but slowly feeding the reader information as the story moves along will help create the image in the reader's mind that danger is afoot. Your readers aren't going to be able to see the small cabin high in the hills or the fact that it is snowing, but you can show them with words that the lights flicker because of old wiring and that it is snowing heavy. So when the power goes out, the reader doesn't know if it is weather related, outdated electrical, or that the power has been cut by the villain. In the dark, anything could happen and it adds to the drama and suspense of the scene.
• Let the reader in on a secret that the hero or heroine doesn't know. This is especially helpful if you are writing in two different points of views. Let the hero talk to someone else about a particular danger or piece of evidence that the heroine is not aware of. That way when the scene changes to the heroine, the reader knows this information and can anticipate danger before the heroine does, adding drama and suspense.
• Foreshadow with foregone conclusions that are erroneous. Ever hear a scrape against the window and automatically think that a bush or tree branch is moving in the wind? Most people will explain away little details as being nothing. Of course you (and sometimes your reader) will know that the little piece of information is really a foreshadow of something that is to come.

There are so many ways to build suspense using words. You don't need special effects or a high-priced recording studio to make it happen. When you write suspense, allow your words to become powerful by building the scene in the readers mind. Use all the senses to allow the reader to see, hear and smell the danger ahead.

Until next time, many blessings, Lisa Mondello

Growing into the Killing

The first thing I ever tried to write was a biography of Daniel Boone. His story captureed me because of the wilderness adventure blended with his romance with his wife Becky. I was only seven, but already fascinated by characters. I created any number of imaginary playmates, including Trixie and Dixie, the twins who ran the gas station (aka the sand mound between two Southern pines) where I “fueled up” my bike. By ten, Robin Kane had caught my imagination, along with the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and the Power Boys.

I returned to romance in my teens, then a few advanced English courses convinced me that I should aim “higher” – even though I wasn’t sure what that meant. I tried mainstream short stories, science fiction, and non-fiction. I sold a few pieces and worked a lot at the day job.

Finally, in a “trust your gut” moment, I took a chance on an old romantic suspense story . . . and it sold to Steeple Hill. I’m been pushing that plan, which seems to be His plan, ever since. My third book, The Taking of Carly Bradford, releases in May, and the fourth, Field of Danger, in November.

In romantic suspense, I’ve found the perfect home for the gifts God has given me. It helps that I love building suspense in a story while coaxing the hero and heroine a bit closer together. And it doesn’t hurt that I’m entranced by forensics and investigation techniques as well as the astonishing ways people find to hurt or kill each other. I never stop asking “Why?”

Or dreaming about the next murder mystery, and the intriguing hero and heroine who will be working together to solve it.