My House Luncheon and Fund Raiser

A number of years ago, my friend Joan Rorabaugh was watching The Oprah Winfrey Show on TV and happened to see Donna Carson, a social worker for the neonatal ICU at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, GA, talk about the home she was providing for medically fragile babies. Donna saw too many infants left to linger in the hospital nursery when their mother's couldn't or wouldn't raise them. Sadly, many of the moms were drug addicts who returned to the streets with little thought about the babies they left behind.

Donna knew the infants needed love and attention and a home where they could thrive. Using grant money, private donations and a check for $100,000 from Oprah's "Use Your Life" award, Donna soon had an inner-city Victorian house furnished with baby items and ready to accept seven children.

That was in 1999. Since then, a steady stream of little ones has lived at My House where a full-time staff and over 250 volunteers give the children round-the-clock care. My friend Joan became one of those dedicated volunteers. After hearing her talk about the miracles she'd seen when babies who weren't supposed to survive grew healthy and strong, I wanted to get involved. In 2002, I wrote an article about My House for Southern Lady magazine, and soon after that I joined the Sponsor-a-Baby program.

Today Joan and I will join more than 200 My House friends for a luncheon and silent auction to raise more money so that the work Donna started in 1999 can continue into the future. If you'd like to help, go to www.myhouseweb.org or contact Donna Carson, P.O. Box 55127, Atlanta, GA 30308.

Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby

The Season is upon us!

I couldn't believe it. On November 1st, the radio stations started playing Christmas music. Now I love Christmas music but really! Can't we at least wait until after Thanksgiving?
And the stores are decked out in red and green cheer and the television is advertising the latest and greatest new...whatever. The malls are crowded already with people wanting to 'get their shopping over with'. I'm tried already of the hype.
My husband and I tried one year to not do gifts in an attempt to bring the focus of the holiday back to the reality of what it means, but the kids and the extended family about had a cow. So we do gifts and a tree and the decorations and the music and all the other things that are supposed to make the holiday season bright.
And it does, but there's so much more to Christmas and I wanted to share with you this wonderful book I found that has helped me to keep our family unit focused on the true meaning of Christmas. The title is The 25 Days of Christmas by Rebecca Hayford Bauer. The book provides a enjoyable and user friendly way to count down the days proceeding December 25, the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Every page of the book gives practical advice on the more mundane aspect of the season, such as, when to mail out Christmas cards, when to mail packages, recipes for cookies, tips on decorating the tree and the house, etc... But what I love the most about this book is every day also reforces why we celebrate the coming event with songs and scripture and family connectedness. From this book I discovered the beauty of advent (I'd heard the term before but had no idea what it was).
From the time my children were old enough to understand, I have told them that we give gifts to others as an expression of love just as God gave us the enormous gift of His son. And now I have a tool to help us remember the true meaning of this season.

Tears

I almost cried yesterday morning during church services. No, not the SOB kind of tears but the pringly watering eyes of JOY kind of tears. You see, I went down to the two-year-old Bible class, retrieved my son, and escorted him to the nursery. I went in; he didn't. He stood in the hall with tears in his eyes. "Come on, Mikey," I urged.

"No, Mommy."

For the last month, my husband and I have been retrieving him early trying to train him for the main service. It hasn't been much of a success. Usually, it involves me getting Mikey, me talking to him about 'inside voice/no voice' in the foyer, and then the minute I enter the auditorium, Mikey yells, "Daddy!" Then, back to the nursery we go.

So, yesterday, when I had this little guy standing in the hallway with tears in his eyes because he wanted to stay with us, I made a decision: Let's try it.
My husband eyes us with worry as we entered the auditorium. I explained quickly, and Don said, "He'll last five minutes."

"Honnnneeeyyyyy."
Secretly, I agreed.

Our little guy made it 25 minutes!

I'm a Mommy-Come-Lately. I found that term on the Internet before Mikey was born. See, I was 43 when the rabbit died and 44 when this little perfect being was put in my arms. I spend a good deal of my time worrying about whether I'm too lenient, too hard, too- well, too everything. I've been convinced lately that Mikey might be twenty before he's calm enough to sit during service - if then.

Yesterday, sitting there in church, with my son in the middle, my husband on the end, I got tears in my eyes. No, not the SOB kind of tears but the pringly watering eyes of JOY kind of tears. You see, I went down to the two-year-old Bible class, retrieved my son, and we joined my husband in worship.

Settings....intriguing, or not..

Hi, Everyone!

First of all, I need to apologize for not being here last Saturday. I was with my family up on the north shore of Lake Superior-- at the beautiful, rustic resort that my parents visited every October from 1943 until the year before my father died, in 1999. I grew up enjoying the brilliant fall colors and deep sapphire blue of the lake on our annual fall trips, and now my own children love it, too... but another big reason to go is to take my mother, so she can continue to enjoy that magnificent place.

That area of Lake Superior-- though not that specific resort-- became the setting of my first book back in 1999. The drama of the storms up there, the wild beauty of the rocky cliffs and waterfalls and incredible vistas seemed like the perfect setting for a romantic suspense. Imagine a lake so powerful that in 1905, there were twenty shipwrecks on that side of the lake in a single day!

Since then, I've set all of my books in places where I felt the landscape and the history of the land would lend themselves to the kind of stories I wanted to tell. I was speaking at a conference back in September, and when someone asked about settings for novels, I listed the ones that have really called to me so far--the mountains of Colorado, Wyoming, Montana. The vastness of Texas. The beautiful lake country of northern Minnesota or Wisconsin. The Enchanted Circle. I jokingly said that I would never succumb to my husband's request that I set a novel in our rural Midwestern state. It has been a wonderful place to raise our family, but I figured it might not hold the romantic and suspenseful allure of other places.

I then learned that a couple of the other speakers had written highly successful books set in my state, and remembered that there are several suspense writers who have set entire series here. One of these days, I will need to give it a try!

So... to those of you who are writing, whether this is your first book or your 15th, what do you start with when you began a story? With the setting, or characters, or a specific conflict? There's no one right or wrong way, believe me.

Ask most authors, and they'll tell you that they have a consistent starting point. Some start with plot. Some with a great crisis situation. Some with an intriguing character. Some with a specific setting. I usually start with setting. Why? Because I'll essentially be living there for the months it takes to write a book. I want to use areas that interest me. Places that might intrigue readers.

Readers--do you have a setting that you love to read about? Or does it make any difference at all? If you were to pick up a book and read the blurb on the back, are there settings that would keep you from reading the book?

Next week...I'd like to talk about intriguing characters. Hope you'll be back!

Blessings,
Roxanne Rustand

PS: Starting on November 12^th, I'll have a FREE online read at www.eharlequin.com called Dangerous Redemption.

The twenty short chapters will run Mondays-Fridays for four weeks. It's a romantic suspense set in the Wyoming Rockies, and I hope you'll join me !

Countdown and Contest Winner!

The COUNTDOWN begins to the official release date of Cradle of Secrets. In 6 days it will be hitting store shelves and I couldn't be more thrilled! If you're in New England, you'll probably be seeing me stuffing books with bookmarkes and signing at Walmart and wherever else Steeple Hill Books are sold. I'm making November my get out and sign month.

I'd like to ask a favor of all of you. If in your travels to the bookstore or bookracks you see Cradle of Secrets on the shelf, post here on the blog that you've seen the book and where you've seen it! We authors never know exactly where our books will end up, so it'll be kind of cool for me to mark the map every time someone lets me know the book has been received.

I'll be setting up a virtual booksigning for those of you who would like to receive an autographed copy of Cradle of Secrets and don't happen to find one of my signed books on the shelves. More on that next week when I have more details.

Now, for contest news. I received an overwhelming number of entries in my Texas Hearts series contest, many from bookclub subscribers and some from people who've read my blogs. Thank you so much for all your support and excitement about Cradle of Secrets. I couldn't be happier. I'm thrilled to announce that I've pulled the name of one lucky winner out of a hat and that winner is bookclub member Carol Griese. She will be receiving the entire Texas Hearts series from Avalon Books which will include Her Heart for the Asking, His Heart for the Trusting, The More I See and Gypsy Hearts.

If you didn't win, don't be disappointed. You can still read these books by checking them out of your local library. If you're library doesn't have a copy, you could always ask them to order the book or get it through inter-library loan.

Thank you again. I'm so blessed to have all this support for my new book. Until next week, many blessings!

Lisa Mondello

Interview with Author Denise Hunter

My friend and fellow Indianan Denise Hunter has a new book that released a couple weeks ago. Surrender Bay is her first book with Thomas Nelson, and you should hear the buzz. I just bought the book yesterday and can't wait to get started reading it. Here's some of the feedback:

"I've always thought Denise Hunter was an amazing writer but this wonderful story sets her firmly at the forefront of compelling love stories. How Landon breaks down Samantha's determination that she is unworthy of love kept me glued to the pages. An amazing story!"

--Colleen Coble, author of Fire Dancer (Smoke Jumper Seri

While Denise does not write suspense, she is an amazing writer. With her first trade novel, Mending Places, she created an amazing story that showcased forgiveness. I kept thinking she can't be going where I think she's going, and she went even further. It was an amazing, gripping story. Denise has kindly agreed to an interview. Her sweet spirit and commitment to craft comes through in her answers. Enjoy!

1) Surrender Bay is the start of a new series for you. What is the inspiration behind this story and series?

Surrender Bay was born out of my desire to tell a unique love story. After three women's fiction books, I realized my main passion is romance, yet I didn't want to write a trite romance novel. I wanted to write something that showed God's love in real way, something that stayed with the reader for days afterward. I hope I managed to accomplish that.

The fiction team at Thomas Nelson really helped me hone this series into something unique. On the surface, they are stories of couples falling in love. At the heart, these stories are parables, with the hero of each story representing some quality about God's love. Surrender Bay focuses on the theme that God will never leave us. Hence, Landon never leaves the Samantha . . . regardless of what she does to chase him away.

2) This series is set in Nantucket. How did you decide on that location for the setting?

I was looking for something unique. Well, romantic too. :-) I tried to think about what settings appealed to me as a reader and yet haven't been overdone. Once I settled on Nantucket, my family visited the island, and I fell in love with the place!

3) Your prior series had a strong women's fiction bent. This one is different. In what ways?

Well, first of all, this one is pure romance. My last women's fiction novel, Finding Faith, had a subplot that was a romantic thread, and I noticed when I was writing that book that I enjoyed writing the subplot more than the main plot, even though it was only a simple romance plot. I also noticed as a reader I was having trouble finding love stories that were clean, well-written, serious, and emotional. I figured if I liked that kind of story, surely there were other readers wanting them too.

The other difference is something I alluded to above. The women's fiction novels had an overt faith threat in the plot. The characters talk about God and their faith--nothing wrong with that! With the Nantucket series, I decided to try the parable approach. I think parables have a unique way of showing us the familiar in a very fresh way. That is my hope with Surrender Bay.

4) As you wrote Surrender Bay, what did you learn from the characters?

I learned they had minds of their own! Just when I thought I knew what they were doing next, they went and changed things up on me.

5) Time for a fun question...if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be and who would you take with you?

Alaska! I've never been before, but I'd love to find a quaint little town to set a story or series in. I'd take my family. We love trekking around together, and I'd want to cover as much of as Alaska as possible, taking in the gorgeous scenery and wildlife. The boys are 15, 12, and 9--great ages for traveling!

Thanks so much for joining me, Denise. If you haven't read any of Denise's books, I encourage you to give them a try. She's a gifted writer.

Halloween Fun--Dress As A Favorite Character!

Happy Halloween!

It won't be long and the little ones will be knocking at my door, saying "Trick or Treat!" My eldest daughter started a tradition when she was too old to go out but enjoyed dressing up and passing out candy at our home. She always made the kids do a trick before they got a treat. It's become a family tradition, and we enjoy seeing what the children come up with each year. Often they'll sing a song or do a little dance. Sometimes they give up, and say they can't think of anything. Then we quickly offer suggestions. "Can you hop on one foot?" we'll ask. "How about turning in circles?" Relief usually washes over their faces when they realize they don't have to do anything too difficult, and the candy treats they receive at the end of their "performances" makes it all worthwhile!

Many of the schools in my area encouraged the children to dress as their favorite characters in a book. I'm sure we'll see lots of Harry Potters tonight. That got me thinking about the characters I loved when I was a child . . . Carolyn Keene's Nancy Drew is perhaps my all-time favorite. I read every book Ms. Keene wrote and then reread them! Another story I liked to reread was CHARLOTTE'S WEB, by E. B. White.

By middle school, I was hooked on the big sagas and loved James Michener. Anyone remember HAWAII? I googled Michener and found a news report published when he died that said he lived in Waikiki when he was writing the huge tome. His daily schedule was to write from 7:30 AM until noon and then do research in the afternoon. It also said he finished the book in ten months!

Many, many, many years later, I read my first romance, SHANNA, by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. That tale swept me away to another time and place, and I've been hooked on romance ever since. What about the suspense stories I love to read? I'll have to save them for another post. It's time to get ready for the trick or treaters!

Have a fun night with your ghosts and goblins!

Wishing you abundant blessings!
Debby

Libraries and Romance

I recently attended two conferences this month. The first conference was in Redmond Oregon at the Eagle Crest Resort. What a beautiful place and with the fall leaves turning colors, shades of gold, brown, green and reds with the occasional burst of deep burgandy popping through. I was part of a panel that spoke about romance to a group of librarians. What could be better than talking about the romance genre to people who love romance books?! The librarians were so interested in the Christian romance genre. They asked tons of questions and were very enthusiastic. I had a great time and even managed to write on my free time. The second conference was in the Seattle area, a very pretty city, by the way. The venue for this event was a bit different. It was to introduce the romance genre to librarians in the King County library system, the second largest system in the country. There were about thirty romance authors representing all the different subgenres of romance. We each had a table where the librarians would come and sit for ten minutes and talk romance with the authors, then they'd shift to the next table. This was a fun and exciting way to explore the romance genre for the librarians. Many were very surprised by the genre and many were avid romance readers. Going to the library is a wonderful way to test drive an author before investing in their books and once you find an author you like, the library will usually be able to find that authors backlist for your reading pleasure. And did you know that for every five requests of a book title the library will buy the book to have on stock. So if you can't find a book at the library, ask your librarian if they can get it for you and tell your friends.

A Tribute

Years ago, I remember taking a picture of my Uncle Arnold. He was sitting in his living room reading a book. He was 94 years old. At the time, the RWR (Romance Writers Report) was doing segments about "Who" read romance. In my picture, Arnold - a onetime railroad employee - was holding my first book: a romance. No, the picture really wasn't staged. Arnold read all my books. Not just the ones I wrote, but all my books.

My parents thought I was a bit strange. They would take me to the toy store and say, "Go pick out a toy." Have I mentioned I was raised an only child? I would go get a book. In amazement, they would look at the book, look at each other, and say, "We'll get you the book. Now, go pick out a toy, too." Seven books and one toy later, we would leave the toy store.

Arnold didn't think I was strange.

I never really came home after college (color me stupid). Mom and Dad finally packed up most of my stuff and put it in the basement (right next to the stuff I packed up after college). For the next few years, my dad would go down in the basement, pick up a box, and carry it over to Arnold.

Yup, you got it. Inside those boxes were books. I probably had 5000 (I'm not joking) in boxes down in the basement. And, Arnold, now retired, needed more books. He read all my books! He read my Steven Kings, my Dorothy Daniels, my Douglas Adams, my Nora Roberts, my James Herriots, my Danielle Steels.... He should have been a reviewer.

Last Tuesday, my Aunt Auralie died. She's my aunt on my husband's side. She was 81 (Arnold died when he was 97, by the way, and read almost the whole time). She was a reader! Oh, she was a hoot. I'd give her my books, she'd read them, and then she send them to relatives. And, she loved gathering her books and heading to the used bookstore exchange so she could get even more books at a bargain.

These two people were not my fans, they were my family, and my eyes tear up at remembering the final chapter of their lives.

Opening Up the Writing Toolbox...

Last week I talked about different writing profiles. We all have different profiles and many times we actually have a combination of several profiles. The same goes for the tools we use when we're writing. For years I have wanted to be a linear writer, starting on page one and typing through in order, revising and cleaning up along the way so that when I type The End, the story is pretty much finished. Life (writingwise) would be so much simplier if I could only do that.

And so, I've tried to develop the habits of a linear writer, using tools that they might use to organize their writing to make my task easier. Unfortunately, it doesn't work with me. As much as I try to write linear, my brain doesn't work that way. I'm definitely a combo of puzzler/pantser, writing out of order enough so I can see how the story is going to unfold and fly by the seat of my pants to piece it all together. What I've found is that just as no two writers are alike, no writing tools should be used alike.

Let me explain. One of my favorite writing tools is a big piece of paper. That's right, just a big piece of paper. I fold the paper into fourths and in each section write 1-4. I base this on the screenwriter's 3 act structure for storytelling, breaking the second act into 2 sections because it's the middle of the book and has more meat to the story.

Now, I didn't invent this writing tool and I realize that not all tools will work the same for every writer. What I did do is discover that even though this is a tool that is meant to be use to plot out a story and make sure there are no holes in the plot, not every writer is going to use it the same way. For instance, a linear writer will write all the basic details of the story all the way through to the end, hitting only the opening, high points, black moment, and conclusion. A plotter won't be satisfied with a small piece of paper and will usually have to either get a really big poster board size piece of paper or write really small. Both will usually complete their 3 act structure plotline before they start the book.

But a puzzler and a pantser doesn't always know what is going to happen in the story. When I write my 3 act structure, I have an idea of how I am going to start the story and can fill in those details simply enough. I may have a scene or two in my head revolving around a turning point in the story and if I'm lucky, I even know the ending. (I do have some proposals written where I've jumped ahead and written the ending before I've written the middle of the book. I love happy endings.) A pantser won't know where they're going until they get their and like a puzzler, will use the 3 act structure AS they write the book to keep them on track and to recognize any holes in their story as they write. It's all organization and can help keep you from getting off track and having to cut chunks of your story during revisions.

If anyone would like to get a copy of my 3 act structure outline with details on what information should be placed where, simply comment here on the blog with your email address and I will email you a copy of the form I use. It's a great tool and I keep it handy for every book I write.
Next week I'll talk about using index cards as a tool for writing.

Don't forget, there is still time to enter my contest to receive the entire Texas Hearts series from Avalon Books. Just email me at lisamondello@aol.com with the word CONTEST in the subject line and you're entered!

Until next time, many blessings,
Lisa

10, 20, 30 Years ago

My friend Crystal Miller tagged me with this question: Quick: What were you doing ten, twenty and thirty years ago?

Ten Years ago: It was 1997. I was 23 and had just started my first semester of law school at George Mason Law School. I'd been married almost two years and lived in an apartment in Alexandria, Virginia with my hubby. I worked for a non-profit, the Leadership Institute, and I believe the organization was still in Springfield, VA, renting space in the Right To Work building. Though we were getting awfully close to moving to Clarendon in Arlington. The challenge was working full time and traveling most weekends during the semester and going to school five nights a week. Yikes!

Twenty Years ago: It was 1987. I was 13 and we lived in Seward, Nebraska. My mom and dad had our first Runza franchise. We were in our third year of homeschooling, and I loved school. Dad was starting to get the itch to open another store, so we'd move to North Platte within the year. I was active in a youth group in Lincoln, and this youth group revolutionized my life. It took my faith and made it active and incredibly real. The youth group camps were amazing -- no one treated us like kids and expected us to move in the Spirit. Foundational year for so many areas of my life. And we still lived mere miles from grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We probably butchered chickens that summer, too. Ugh.

Thirty Years ago: Umm, I was three. And I don't remember much. We probably still lived in Phenix City, Alabama. I had a younger sister and a dog named Blitz. What, you expect a three year old to remember more! :-) I know that Joanna Nash and I were already good friends because we were already celebrating our birthdays in joint parties.

I've loved each stage of my life, but am really enjoying this one -- even though it's filled with lots of changes and transitions. It's fun to look back and see how God has directed my life. So what were you doing 10, 20, 30 years ago?

I'd tag specific people, but I have a feeling you've already been tagged. Here we go anyway: Sabrina, Janna, Joanna, Colleen, and whoever else wants to join in the fun.

Today's Heroes!!!

I've been glued to FOX News and the coverage of the wildfires in California! My heart goes out to all the folks who have had to evacuate, often just ahead of the flames. So many of them are holed up in shelters, waiting to learn whether their homes and possessions have been destroyed. Yet when they're interviewed by the news reporters, invariably they're upbeat and optimistic about the future. They talk about their overwhelming gratitude to be alive and to be together as a family, and they always mention the firefighters!

So today I wanted to send a shout out to the California firefighters! Despite soaring temperatures and lack of sleep, they continue to work round the clock, putting their lives on the line time and time again. They're heroes in my book.

True story: A news clip last night showed a pile of photographs, family albums and other mementos the firefighters had pulled from a burning home. Covered with a thick plastic tarp and somehow skipped by the fickle flames, the items await a family who will eventually return to find their home destroyed. No doubt, the objects the firefighters saved will be treasured always.

If you've heard of a story, please share it with us. Know some special guys or gals you'd like to recognize from your local fire department? Leave a comment and tell us about them.

I'd like to thank the firefighters in Fayette County, Georgia, for all they do to keep us safe. They're the greatest! A special thank you goes to my nephew Nick, who's a firefighter in Marin County, north of San Francisco. Nick, we're proud of you!

It's almost time for the nightly news so I'm heading for the television to see the latest update, praying the end is in sight!

Wishing you abundant blessings!
Debby

Creating Suspense

I've learned so much in the past few years about writing suspense. I've learned how to keep the tension high by ending scenes with cliffhangers, questions, and disasters. I've learned to up the pacing by being careful with how much introspection I use and by converting as much narrative into dialogue as possible. One thing I just learned with the book I just turned in, was that there are different types of suspense stories and that some are easier to write than others.

1)there is the hero or heroine as some sort of law enforcement person, whether a small town sheriff as in my Feb 2007 release Double Deception, or a cop, or an FBI agent, or a lawyer, or a private investigator or or a DA, or Firefighter, or EMT etc...you get the idea. By the very nature of their job, suspense is built in and they have the resources to pursue the villians.

2)another type of suspense story can have a reporter, insurance investigator, the body guard or the miliatry character. Again by the nature of the characters career choice you can build a believible suspense story.

3)then there's the type of suspense story where the protaganist is in danger, hiding, running, keeping one step ahead of the bad guy. This element of suspense works well with the other two types because if one character is the hunted, then the other by their skill set can protect and help solve the crime, mystery, bring down the bad guy.

4) but what about the type of suspense story where the two main characters are normal humans with average, everyday lives. This is the trickiest type of story to write and keep suspenseful. I've found in this type of story, there is a risk that the characters are mostly reacting to what's being acted upon them rather than actively pursuing the bad guys/solving the mystery.

How does an Economics College Professor and a cocktail waitress/actress work together to stay alive and bring down the guy? This was the feat I had to accomplish in the book I just turned in. What I did to keep the book suspenseful while keeping the hero/heroine together (to build a romance) was to have several subplots threaded through as well as getting inside the head of the bad guys. My current book will also be one of these types, with an investment broker hero and a woman trying to save her family's flower farm. They must work together (and build a romance) to try solve the mystery of who's sabatoging her flower farm. As I start to write I'm sure I'll add a police officer as a secondary character who can be a resource, but as with any good romance, the hero and heroine must be active together.

Are there other types of suspense stories? What are some ways you've found to up the suspense your writing? As a reader of suspsense what do you like about the suspense genre?
I would love to hear what you think!!

I'll Huff and I'll Puff...Nope, not enough wind...

Crawling from bed, I'm thinking about posting. I'm thinking good things because I actually have something to post about - something that I think is interesting.

Sitting in front of the computer, I (blurry-eyed) wait for the thing to boot up and I'm amazed by all the messages that have amassed since yesterday. Then, I realize they're e-cards, and I remember, "Oh, yeah. It's my birthday."

It's my birthday but that's not the interesting thing I'm going to post about. Oh, and don't ask me my age. Suffice it to say, I still miss hip-huggers and bell-bottoms.

This past Saturday was the sixth meeting of CWOW (Christian Writers of the West). It's a fledgling little group of inspirational writers. It's a diverse group with everyone from multi-published to dabbling. Right now, it's very small. We only had six yesterday, but the six who attended really gained a lot of perspective about characterization.

Of the six, we have one man. He's fascinating and always adds to the discussion. Saturday, he added without meaning to.

Here's the scenario. I'm 30 minutes late for the chapter meeting of which I'm president. No, I'm not a late person. My son woke up with a rash. I made the doctor's appointment well in advance of the meeting, but the doctor took almost two hours to see us. Thus, I'm literally running from doctor to meeting. I come into the restaurant and sit down. As I'm trying to organize and redirect the meeting, I notice Ralph's hat.

It says, "Center for Domestic Preparedness".

Now, see, my husband was at the doctor's with me. He and I both dealt with a two-year-old who got more than antsy after being in an examining room for almost two hours. Husband knew I had a meeting and was not running late but running past. Needless to say, soon there was tension not only between screaming two-year-old but also between non-screaming-but-very-much-wanting-to-scream Mommy and Daddy.

"Ralph," I asked casually. "Did you go to this center before you got married?"

"Huh?"

Me, I'm thinking about sending my husband. Clearly he needed to be domestically prepared. I only wished I'd known about the center before we married.

Cathy spoke up, "Yeah, where is this center?"

Kimmy said, "I thought the hat was a joke."

Ralph said. "What are you ladies talking about?"

"Your hat," said I. "Is that place for husbands who want-"

"-and need help in the marriage relationship," finished Cathy.

Ralph shook his head sadly. "Uh, ladies... I'm in the Reserves. This is a military defense center."

Hmmmm. Well, one thing for sure. Sometimes this thing called love does feel like war. Luckily, in my home, there's always a happy ending, and when we wave our little white flag, there's a red heart in the middle of it.

What kind of writer are you???

After years of struggling with the way that I write, I've come to realize that all writers fall into one of 4 writing profile categories. Understanding which type of writer you are can help you write more efficiently.

Linear Writer
This is the type that I always admired. A linear writer writes an outline, starts at the beginning of the story on page one and writes chapter by chapter. After each chapter, she revises, gets the chapter in good shape before moving on to the next chapter. When shes done with the book, all she has to do is a read through to tweak words here and there and shes done.

The Plotter
The plotter is someone who loves to immerse themselves in every detail of the story. They will spent long hours getting to know their characters. They fill in long character charts that tell them everything from the hero and heroines favorite color to what they had for breakfast that morning. This is all before theyve written a word of the manuscript. Plotters love to find out everything they can about the story before they write.

The Pantser
The pantser is the writer who sits down at the computer and doesnt know where her story is going to take her. This is very exciting as some writers like to discover their characters the same way the reader does. Some writers feel stifled by outlines and lose interest in a story if they know too much about it. Unfortunately, if the writer doesnt know where shes going with story, she may spend a lot of time wandering about on the page while she tries to find the story.

The Puzzler
Like the name implies, the puzzler writes their story like a puzzle, writing scenes out of order and then piecing them together to make the story whole. Puzzlers usually see scenes of the story very vividly and feel the need to write them down before they lose them. They see the beginning, the end and some of the scenes in the middle. How those scenes transition from one scene to the next is another story. Thats for them to piece together.

Although writers might favor one type of writing profile, most writers are really a combination of two of the above types. Knowing how you write can help you choose the best way to organize your writing and write more efficiently.

2007 Lisa Mondello

Crimson Eve Review

WARNING! Do not pick up this book unless you have time to read it straight through.

Brandilyn’s books have never disappointed me, but this one was simply impossible to put down. Even when I figured out one of the plot points with 100 pages left I…COULD…NOT…PUT…THIS…BOOK…DOWN.

Crimson Eve is a classic woman in jeopardy story with plenty of twists ala Seatbelt Suspense. I have read all of Brandilyn’s suspense, but can’t think of one that has the tight timeline combined with knowing who the villain is. Usually in her books, the reader races to figure out who did it before the heroine stumbles in to harm’s way. And Violet Dawn had an extremely tight timeline, but Brandilyn did not reveal the real reason behind the actions until practically the end of the book.

This time, the reader knows much sooner exactly what is going on with enough fog to keep us guessing. At the same time, the knowing ratchets up the suspense to new levels.

Let me back up…Carla Radling, the realtor who participates in the Scenes & Beans blog, takes center stage in this third installment in the Kanner Lake series. She takes a potential buyer out to see Edna Sans (yep, that Edna Sans) estate. Everything seems okay until he tries to kill her. With quick action, Carla escapes but is completely isolated with nowhere to turn and no idea why someone is trying to kill her. Far as she can tell, she has done nothing to attract a price on her head of $500,000.

With her usual skill Brandilyn weaves layers and plot twists deftly into the story. Why is a woman in Washington State being threatened? And the folks at Java Joint, led by an upset Wilbur, are worried because Carla never just disappears.

As with the other Kanner Lake books, Brandilyn bounces the reader between the present and the past. And as she warns in the foreword, it’s almost impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins.

While I figured out much of the motivation, the twists and turns woven into the plot through the last page further mixed up what I thought about Carla. Another example of the deep characterization that fills this book.

So if you are looking for a suspense that will keep you up until the wee hours of the morning, race out and buy this one!

Blogging and stuff!

Welcome, Roxanne! We're so glad you're one of the Craftie Ladies of Suspense!

Blogging on Wednesday is always fun because it signals the middle of the work week. I'm currently pushing to finish the rough draft of my fourth Love Inspired Suspense--COUNTDOWN TO DEATH will be out in October 2008. Seems like a long time from now, but it takes about a year to turn a manuscript into a book.

What's my writing style? I like to do my first draft on my AlphaSmart, a small and sturdy word processor that was originally developed for school children. Since the Alpha has a tiny screen and few editing options, I'm forced to move forward with the story, getting words on paper that turn into scenes and build to chapters. When I've finished writing for the day, I download the text into my computer and count the pages!

I'm more than half finished and right on schedule. Of course, once I complete the first draft, I'll go back and start rewriting. That's the fun part! I love moving words around on the page and working to make dialogue stronger, the pace faster, the suspense more gripping . . . you get the idea. If you're nodding your head in agreement, then you're a writer too!

By the way, visit www.seekerville.blogspot.com, a new blog started by a group I belong to called The Seekers. We came together in 2005 for online support. All of us were unpublished at the time, doing well in contests and hoping "The Call" would come in the not-to-distant future. Now six of us are published and the others are so, so close. Camy Tang set up our blogspot. Thanks, Camy! Mary Connealy, Janet Dean, Cheryl Wyatt and Myra Johnson have posted their comments so be sure to stop by and take a look. Also, Myra has a great website that's lots of fun. She challenged us to look back 10, 20 and 30 years and remember where we were then. Check out her blog at www.myra.typepad.com.

Since Myra tagged me to comment about my life back then . . . ten years ago I was a full-time mom and a part-time writer, doing freelance magazine work. Twenty years ago I was living at Fort Polk, LA, with my sweet hubby and three beautiful children. My writing was on the back burner, and my schedule was filled with church and community volunteering. Thirty years ago . . . I'm not sure I can remember back that far! Just kidding! I had two babies, we lived in Kirksville, MO, where my hubby taught ROTC at what's now Truman State University. Toward the end of our three years in Missouri I wrote a piece about being an Army wife called "Sisterhood," which continues to be given to Army wives throughout the country. Okay, that's my look back. Now, you're tagged. Where were you 10, 20, 30 years ago?

Have a great week! See you on the blogs!

Wishing you abundant blessing!
Debby Giusti

Humble Pie

Prologue: It was a dark and rainy night. Our heroine (the writer) drove through the gloomy night as lightning flashed dire warnings of doom. Shadowy figures appeared and disappeared on corners, behind trees, and beside telephone poles (sigh - a telephone booth would be scarier). Gray cars, with muted licenses plates and tinted windows, followed, only to turn away just when our heroine (the writer) started to get suspicious. On the passenger side seat lay a package. Often our heroine would look at the package, shudder, and then with grim determination continue her course. Time was of the essence (think deadline). Finally, the destination loomed ahead.

Knock Knock

Brave Reader (Liz) : Pam, you're here.

Brave Writer (Pam) carefully holding out package: Yes, it was a dangerous drive. Many times I almost turned back.

Brave Reader (Liz) eye package suspiciously: Do you want to tell me about it?

Brave Writer (Pam) just one sob, then a stoic look: It was a line editor with a loaded pen. She bled on every EVERY page, well except two. She rewrote paragraphs, deleted great chapter endings, eliminated humor. She, she, almost killed it.

Brave Reader (Liz) gingerly accepting package: I, I'll read it. I, I'll try to help.

Brave Writer (Pam) hanging head: I hope it can be saved.

Two weeks later

Epilogue: It was a phone call, of all things, that ended the story. Brave Reader (Liz) talking to Brave Listener (Doris).

Brave Reader (Liz): Have you read Pam's first two books?"

Brave Listener (Doris): I tried to buy the first one, but it's out of print.

Brave Reader (Liz): I'd lend it to you but I don't think I have it.

Brave Listener (Doris): Why not?

Brave Reader (Liz): I read them in manuscript form before they go to the editor. I look for mistakes. And, by the way, I'm reading the third in the series and it's the best one yet.

Later Doris picks up the phone and call Brave Writer Pam and tells her...

Letters to Brave Writer (Pam) can be sent care of

RestHaven Home for Neurotic Writers
123 She's Still Blubbering Incoherently Lane
Shock, Arizona 85257

Nuff said!

Hi, everyone!

Hello!

I was supposed to post on Saturday, but had a bit of trouble figuring out how to do it. That got me thinking about how much has changed since I wrote my first book. That one came out in 1999, and the years since then have brought such amazing changes in technology for writers.

With my first few books, I amassed stacks of research books to make sure the details were exactly right. Now, at the touch of a key, the entire world unfolds on my computer screen through the wonders of Google. Changes in the publishing industry? Word travels at the speed of light. Computers have more bells and whistles, the printers are faster, the storage media we have is smaller and so much more portable. I now dictate text to Dragon, and it speedily types out paragraph after paragraph...yet still, the long hours spent planning and writing and fine-tuning a manuscript are just the same.

My topic will be "the craft of writing", and I look forward to the coming weeks so I can talk about something that I enjoy so much. I would love to hear from you, regarding what you'd like to discuss, here. Are aspiring or published authors reading this blog? Readers, who are curious about some aspect of the writing business? Let me know!

Just to introduce myself, I've written nineteen novels thus far. I switched gears this past year, and I'm so excited about that! My first three romantic suspense novels for Love Inspired Suspense will be coming out starting in December (2007), then February and March of 2008. It's an honor to have this opportunity to join the wonderful writers here at Craftie Ladies of Suspense...and it will be an honor to meet those of you who are following this blog.

Soooo...what would you like to talk about?!

Blessings,
Roxanne Rustand

What's in a name CONTEST...

I love putting animals in my books and creating a personality to go with them. Usually these animals mimick some personality trait from an animal I currently have or once had.

The reason I'm on this topic is that a friend of mine called me this morning to ask me to help her brainstorm the name of a dog she was going to use in her WIP (Work-in-Progress). I usually like coming up with names because they can add interest to the characters. And since animals have their own character and don't have to have conventional names like Sara or Ruth or John, you can have a little fun.

In past books, I've used names like Otis the Wonder Dog (seeing eye dog featured in The More I See) and Dexter the cat (lazy friend and confident to the heroine in Gypsy Hearts) and Sweet Sassy's Smile and Smokin' Diesel E(Cutting horses in The More I See). It's fun and I've come to love those characters as much as the hero and heroine.

I'd like to have a little fun with this while helping out a friend. Come up with a bunch of interesting names for a playful little golden retriever and post them here in the comments area. If my friend picks your name, I'll send you an autographed copy of Cradle of Secrets, my 11/07 release from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. It's available right now at eHarlequin.com if you can't wait until it hits the store shelves.

And remember, the contest to win my entire 4 book Texas Hearts series from Avalon is still being held until November 1st. Simply email me with the word CONTEST in the subject line and I'll enter you into the drawing.

Until next time, many blessings, Lisa