Writing at the Ranch conference -Abiquiu NM

For many, many years it was the Glorieta Christian Writer's Conference. It's the place over ten years ago where I went through the process of deciding how I needed to incorporate my faith in the writing I was doing. (See the writing testimony on my website at www.terryburns.net)

Now it is still put on by CLASServices but it is at a place called The Ghost Ranch up above Santa Fe nestled in a box canyon in some of the most amazingly beautiful country you ever saw. The movie "City Slickers" was filmed there which would give you an idea, or as soon as Saundra has time to get them ready I'm going to put some pictures up on my website. But this is the place where Georgia O'Keefe lived and did the bulk of her painting, so that should tell you about the beauty of the place.

Sweater or Jacket cool in the morning and evening, the temperature was perfect during the day. It was a laid back conference, without cell phone acess and limited internet which I found very inconvenient . . . for about an hour . . . then I discovered how much that was going to enhance the retreat experience. A writing conference is one thing, but a writing retreat is yet another.

The program and content was excellent and because of the retreat environment the faculty and attendees were in constant contact, sharing ideas getting to ask all the questions that was on their mind. Many of the attendees were very new writers, which I found to be delightful. Their enthusiasm and dreams helped set the tone for the conference. Of course this conference has always been not only a tune up for our writing but a tune up for our soul as well and the praise and worship content fit right in with the retreat format.

Everyone I talked to was leaving refreshed and renewed. It is true that it takes a travel committment to get there, driving or flying into Albuquerque and being shuttled out. That remoteness is what makes a retreat format work and for those who were mentally prepared for it provided a decompression time to get into the retreat attitude.

They prevailed upon me to read a little cowboy poetry at the campfire session (along with some folks singing some great gospel music) and although I don't consider myself a poet by any stretch of the imagination it did put me in a mood to write a new one about the experience:

Parting thoughts

Brilliant colors on the mesa, morning sun just lights it up
as I sit in the quiet to take it in with my morning coffee cup.
Animals stir all around, as they have all through the night
but as people arise they begin to fade back away from sight.

A gentle breeze it stirs the leaves with a sound like falling rain
and the leaves on the ground answer back with an echoing refrain.
The Ghost Ranch calls us back, fore we’ve even had time to go,
or bids us stay as we pack our bags still warming in the glow

of a time with friends both old and new, sharing words and sharing souls;
refreshing spirits and strengthening hearts where the world has taken toll.
It’s been a trip to an earlier time, a slower pace for sure,
the time to reflect and to learn new things, write words we hope will endure.

It’s been a time of quiet reflection, a time to take it in…
the stark beauty God crafted here, a time to newly begin
to set our feet on a brand new path or redirect our minds
in a manner we came and hoped to do, though of many different kinds

of people, ways and dreams to fill and now with different goals;
formed and nourished through this time in many different souls.
The conference sends us forth with hope while it also calls us back
to finish with the things we start . . . and give us what we lack.


11/8/2009 Terry Burns

Folks, put this one on your list for next year . . . it's a great experience! You can find out more at the CLASServices website http://classeminars.org/Events/Writers-Conference/

A good healthy negative attitude

What? All we hear about is keeping a positive attitude, what’s up with that?

Over the course of a year I’ll look at somewhere between 1500 and 2000 submissions out of which I can only take a handful. Most agents and editors face that kind of numbers. To narrow it down we aren’t looking for something that is good enough, we are looking for something that is exceptional, and something that is ready to go. We aren’t inclined to overlook a lot of format errors, grammatical errors, people that blatantly ignore submission guidelines and all that sort of thing.

No, when I send something to an editor I want to assume he will get to it late Friday afternoon after a hard day. His mind is already on going to the lake and reading another submission is the last thing he wants to do, but it’s too early to leave and he has time to kiss off one or two more. He doesn’t want to read it, knows the odds are that it isn’t one that will survive to the "ask for a full read" pile, and just plans to read far enough to toss it in the “send a rejection” pile with a clear conscience.

I assume that is the guy I am sending a submission to and I have less than 30 seconds to hook him into reading and 3 minutes to keep him reading. My job is to pull him in, keep him in, pass test after test until I end up being one of those few on his desk that he actually has interest in and wants to read more. My mantra is “publishing is not a selection process, it is a survival process,” and that survival is not up to them, it is up to us.

It does no good to get mad at an agent or editor if they fail to connect with our work, it isn’t their job to like it, its our job to make them like it. I ask for no hard copy submissions, I like to run a paperless office as much as I can, so when that envelope comes in the mail it is thrown aside in favor of the people who are doing what I asked them to do. When I open an email submission and it is a bunch of files instead of a single, professional proposal that I could see myself using to interest an editor the same thing happens. It’s about passing tests and moving on and these people failed the very first test. I’ll probably look at them sometime anyway . . . or not.

This evaluation goes on test by test until we survive our way to the end. Now it isn’t about tests, its about the best writing, and that’s where I want decisions to be made, on the basis of the writing, on the fit of the product to the publishing house. It can still lose out even then of course. Maybe that editor is reading a dozen manuscripts for a single open publishing slot. But the author who has made it this far is in the 15% that is really in the game.

So a good healthy negative attitude can help us survive. I’m still an optimist at heart, I believe the best is going to happen, but only if I look at the reality of the situation and take appropriate steps to make it happen. This is not the place for rose-colored glasses. “The obstacles don’t matter, my writing is so good that it will rise above it.” It is all about the writing in the final analysis, and the best thing we can do to be published is to write an exceptional book. But if we don’t take care of business too, we may not get far enough in the process for the writing to come into play.

This is not the part of the business that we want to do, we want to write, not do business. But it has to be done or we may find ourselves writing in vain.

Interview with Diana's author Eddie Jones

Dear From the Heart Readers, I introduce to you, author Eddie Jones. Eddie is a humor fiction writer who also has his hand in many other enterprises related to the writing field. Currently Eddie teaches writing at various workshops on the east coast and offers a course online at the following link.

www.writerscoach.us

Our Writer’s Workshop will teach you how to craft a compelling story using your words, knowledge and voice. We’ll examine the basic structure of plot and teach you how to map both your fiction and non-fiction story. Yes, all writing, including non-fiction, is story-telling and a well crafted plot pulls the reader forward. This is a four week class for anyone who wants to improve their writing skills and break into the lucrative world of non-fiction and fiction writing.

Eddie, tell us a little more about yourself:

SWM looking for a free-spirited NSF with a love of the sea. I have blue eyes, blonde hair, great pecks and what’s been described as cute… wait. We are talking fiction here, right?

What are you hoping your writing to accomplish?

Usher in world peace, solve the energy crisis, stop global warming and save baby seals. Oh yeah, if it helped pay the mortgage and reflect the grace of God that’d be good, too.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Dreams. Both when I’m sleeping and awake. And from things I want to do but haven’t or can’t. Plus, news events. If you watch and listen to people you’ll realize they’re pretty strange. Doesn’t take much to twist them a little more and send them careening off on an adventure.

Is there an area in your writing that you are working on developing more?

Dialog. ‘Nuff said.

What is your all time favorite writing ‘How To’ book? One that you would like to recommend to other authors.

Fiction first aid, Raymond Obstfeld | Writing the Breakout Novel, Donald Maass | Plot and Structure, James Scott Bell

Have you had to overcome any obstacles in your writing journey?

Only every day. But once I’m out of bed and hitting the keys the boulders roll away. Seriously, the biggest obstacle is believing that anything I write could inspire, enlighten or entertain another person.

What is the most important thing on your current ‘To Do ‘ list?

Land three book contracts. Those are outside my control, though, so I’d say finish the re-write on the first Caribbean Chronicles novel, complete the second story in that series and get back to work on my three other adult novels. I miss my characters and am always glad to find them waiting patiently for me in the Docs folder.

What lead you to the career choice of becoming a writer?

I didn’t have a choice. God made me this way. I’ve always heard words, told lies and spent a lot of my time making up stories in my head. Plus, I’m lousy in math and science and can’t put air in a tire, much less change it. Writing is a terrible way to make a living but really, it’s all I know how to do.

What is your latest fiction book you have written and can you tell us about it?

The Curse of Captain LaFoote. This is the first in The Caribbean Chronicles series. The book tells the story of a boy who has a near death experience and is propelled back into an era of pirates, buried treasure and stunning beauty. ( ah… a pretty girl) The take away for the series is virtues. I have a professional life coach helping me with that part.

What genre do you write and why?

Middle Reader and adult. MR because of the Caribbean Chronicles series and because I never grew up. Adult because I know some of those, too.

How did you research for this book?

I’ve owned sailboats, sailed around the Caribbean and spent a lot of time hiding and finding treasure.

Bridging reality with make believe is the hardest part of writing this series. The “going back in time” gig is common and kids today are so rooted in reality that getting them to believe that there’s more to life that what they see is a challenge. Not sure if I pulled it off, but the trip was fun writing.

What do you hope people will take away from reading your book?

First, I hope kids will find it a fun read, a book they would read again. Second, I hope readers will see the virtue of courage and how when we sacrifice our lives for others we’re following the pattern of Christ – a path that really does lead to abundant living… just not in the ways we’d expected.

What new projects are you working on?

Dixie Chicken, ‘Till Death Do We Part…Again, Jamaican Jerk. I have lots.

Where can people find out more about you and your writing? The programs and speaking that you do?

eddiejones.org | writerscoach.us | ChristianDevotions.US

Some of the best writing advice you ever got involves an animal, can you elaborate on that?

Bring on the bear. Guy Owen, the author of the Flim Flam Man, told our class if there was a bear in the scene to show it in the first paragraph. As long as the reader knows there’s a bear lurking they’ll hang around to see what happens.

The same advice does not always work for every writer. What doesn't work for you?

Plot out your story first. There is a structure to a story but not every pit stop has to be mapped before the journey begins. Some writers can’t leave home without knowing every stop. Others, like me, have a general idea of where we’re going and what they’ll need along the way. Gas, food, rest stops and a place to bed down. Part of the fun of the story is finding those stops along the way.

Anything else you'd like to take this opportunity to say?

Where ever you’re going that’s where you’ll be. Set a course for your dreams today.

Queries, attachments and What We Are Looking For.

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Good Morning!

How do you write a query letter? Every day I receive probably ten to twenty-five queries. This doesn’t include actual proposals. I hope most of you know that a query is not a proposal. The confusion is what to put in a query letter. I realize that there are varying opinions and directions on how to write a query letter on the internet and in books, but for Hartline Literary Agency, this is what we would like to see:

A professional introduction using agent’s correct name
The name of the work
Author’s name & contact information
Author bio
Publishing History
One or two paragraph summary of the book
Completion date of work – this can be a general idea.
Word Count

This can all be on one page. A query is just to see if your book is something we would be interested in seeing. If we are interested we will ask for a complete proposal. Most of the queries I receive are simply summaries of the book. That just isn’t enough information, there are a zillion ideas floating around out there, but we need to know who you are and why you are qualified to write the book. We automatically reject this type query.

Another subject, attachments. We don’t open attachments without the author’s name, a bio, publishing history and a summary in the body of the e-mail. This is almost the same as a query. The main difference is the proposal is attached. We need to know who you are before we open the attachment because of the many viruses out in cyberspace. Unlike some agencies we like attachments. We do require that the proposal be in one big file. We cannot open proposals with each chapter in a separate file.

What are we looking for? Romance, romance, romance. We will look at women’s fiction, which includes girlfriend stories or any well written book that will appeal to women. Stories with women protagonists are best. We also like comedy and some mysteries and suspense, although that particular market isn’t huge right now. Competition is fierce these days and the publishers are looking for authors who are published and whose sales numbers are substantial.

Non-fiction, we are looking at books by authors with a platform and books that are well-written. New, fresh ideas are good. Give us an idea of which publishers you feel your work will fit. Also, know the word count of those publishers. Visit their web sites; see what they are looking for, what type books they publish. If you are a new author, Steeple Hill is a good place for you. Also, some other CBA publishes will look at new authors. That’s where an agent helps you; we know the publishers and the editors.

There is more information on our web site, or if you have questions, ask us. We’re happy to reply.


God bless,

Joyce

Interview with Terry's Client Jennifer Hudson Taylor

Today I'm interviewing client Jennifer Hudson Taylor. Jennifer, your newbook Highland Blessings is coming out from Abingdon Press in May, tell us alittle about it:






Scotland, 1473
Highland Blessings is the story of a highland warrior who kidnaps the daughter of his greatest enemy and clan chief to honor a promise he made to his dying father. While Akira’s strength in the Lord becomes a witness to Bryce, she struggles to overcome her anger and resentment when he forces her to wed him, hoping to end a half-century feud between their clans. As Akira begins to forgive, and Bryce learns to trust, a series of murders leaves a trail of unanswered questions, confusion, and a legacy of hate that once again rises between their families. Clearly, a traitor is in their midst. Now the one man Akira loves no longer trusts her, and her own life is in danger. Can Bryce look beyond his pain and seek the truth? Will Akira discover the threat against her before it’s too late? How will God turn a simple promise into bountiful Highland blessings?

You write in several different time periods, tell us about some of yourprojects that we're currently pitching:

Awakened Redemption (English Regency)
Awakened Redemption is the story of Elyse Brigham, an abused woman who believes God has forsaken her, but when Preston Mallory offers her a nursemaid position, freedom is in her grasp and love builds renewed hope. Elyse realizes that God never abandoned her. This knowledge awakens her dormant faith and brings her redemption. Elyse accidentally discovers Preston’s true identity—that he is the Earl of Somerset posing as a commoner. Angry and hurt, she flees to London. Preston follows, hoping to mend their misunderstanding. His plans are thwarted when his former fiancée is murdered in London. With plenty motive and no alibi, Preston is arrested. How will God help him prove his innocence, convince Elyse to forgive him, and redeem their love with a new foundation of forgiveness and trust?

Heir of Grace (Ireland, 1867)
When Gregory McCain receives a missive that his grandfather left him two grand estates, he leaves his American home for Ireland and walks into a conspiracy blackmailing him into posing as the leader of the Fenian Brotherhood. He finds himself in jeopardy of losing his heart to Briana Kate O’Sullivan, a daring woman who may be the key to the mysteries surrounding him, or the deadly destruction to his very existence.

Risking her father’s political career with the British government, and her own life, Kate secretly joins the Fenian movement in hopes of exposing the adversary threatening her father’s life. A trusted friend becomes her worst enemy, and Gregory may be her only hope. Deception, murder, and a Fenian bomb explosion in London requires all their faith to trust each other. As doubt turns into belief, and treachery into loyalty, a foundation of love is ignited between them and God, withstanding the only barrier left to discover—the identity of the real Fenian leader.

How did you research for these books?

I did a lot of research online and bought research books I knew I'd use over and over. One very important resource is "English Through the Ages". I needed this book for every time period I've written. One book that helped me with Highland Blessings was "Collins Scottish Clans & Family Encyclopedia". My Regency was the hardest to write. I had to literally immerse myself in the time period. I watched Jane Austen movies for days on end, much to my family's frustration. I was determined to master the dialect and word usage for my dialogue.Where do you get your inspiration from?While many things inspire me such as people, places, historical facts and discoveries, my ultimate source is God. When I have writer's block and I need a breakthrough, I pray, and He delivers. God gives me dreams and goals for my writing.

Where can people find out more about you and your writing? The programs andspeaking that you do?

My website at http://www.jenniferhudsontaylor.com/. I have a Speaker's page on my website that lists specific topics. If you have an interest in writing tips, new book releases and historical facts, I blog three times a week at http://jenniferswriting.blogspot.com/. If you have an interest in things related to Scots-Irish, I blog once a week at http://carolinascots-irish.blogspot.com/.

What is the best writing advice you ever got? The worst?

Never give up, for those who do, are the ones who will never be published.

As for bad advice, most of that has been from critiques or judges who were inexperienced. They would hear a "writing rule" and think it applies to every sentence, every paragraph, not realizing that the "writing rule" should be applied in areas where it makes sense to apply it and/or layered throughout.

Anything else you'd like to take this opportunity to say?

To pre-published authors, keep writing and revising. Don't be discouraged by the things of this world. Know that you know that you know that writing is your gift.

Thank you Jennifer, and thank you blog reader for dropping by. Please consider becoming a follower at http://cowboymusing.blogspot.com/ so you will be notified every time the blog changes content.

Terry

Hallows Eve? All Saints Day? Reformation Day? Or should I say Happy Fall Y’ all!?

Since we are interested in printed words on paper and story as well- and most readers of the From the Heart blog come at this process from A Christian Worldview I thought I would share with you some of the words I have gathered from various blogs and online sources pertaining to Halloween. (which we here in America celebrate October 31st)

Halloween is the one of the oldest holidays still celebrated today and one of the most popular holidays, second only to Christmas. While millions of people celebrate Halloween without knowing its origins and myths, the history and facts of Halloween make the holiday more fascinating.

The name Halloween is a shortening of All Hallow's Eve and signifies the night before All Saints' Day. For centuries on All Saints' Day the Church celebrated the lives of Christians who went before us. And rightly so: We can learn so much from those whom the author of Hebrews calls that great cloud of witnesses. The tradition of remembering the Church triumphant dates back to the time of the first Christian martyrs.

Some people view Halloween as a time for fun, putting on costumes, trick-or-treating, and having theme parties. Others view it as a time of superstitions, ghosts, goblins and evil spirits that should be avoided at all costs. As the Christian debate goes on, celebrating Halloween is a preference that is not always viewed as participating in evil. “Halloween is not Satan's birthday," says Steve Russo, co-host of Focus on the Family's "Life on the Edge -- Live!" radio program (http://www.family.org/) and author of "Halloween: What's a Christian to Do?" Halloween is often celebrated with no reference to pagan rituals or the occult.

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic religious festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). All of the sources I checked agree with this accounting.The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. Samhain, which was the supreme night of demonic jubilation (Oct 31st). Celts believed that on the night before the newyear, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. It was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth, both benevolent and nasty ones that caused trouble and damaged crops. They began to wear costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, to blend in with the ghouls released from their deadly prisons walking amongst them (This is the origin of Halloween masquerading as devils, imps, ogres, and other demonic creatures.) and sometimes placed lights in the windows of their houses to ward off the evil ones. These lights were often placed in carved out turnips or beets. Some cut faces in them to further scare off the demons. They would have been carried around the village boundaries or left outside the home to burn through the night. Another version says Samhain was a fire festival. Sacred bonfires were lit on the tops of hills in honor of the Gods. The townspeople would take an ember from the bonfire to their home and re-light the fire in their family hearth. The ember would usually be carried in a holder - often a turnip or gourd.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain. This is called syncretism. Syncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate or contrary beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. This may involve attempts to merge several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, and thus assert an underlying unity allowing for an inclusive approach to other faiths. (Syncretism also occurs commonly in literature, music, the representational arts and other expressions of culture).

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday, a typical practice at the time. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

Others trace "trick-or-treat" to a European custom called "souling". Beggars would go from village to village begging for "soul cakes" made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors.

Traditional Halloween symbols (witches, black cats, pumpkins, candles, masks, parties and pranks) appeared in the U.S. during the late 1800's. In 1848, millions of Irish emigrants poured into America as a result of the potato famine. When the Irish emigrated to America they could not find many turnips to carve into Jack O'Lanterns but they did find an abundance of pumpkins. Pumpkins seemed to be a suitable substitute for the turnips and pumpkins have been an essential part of Halloween celebrations ever since. The holiday of Druidism found its new home on alien shores. Proudly Celtic, they kept the traditional observances.

The conversion of Celtic peoples to Christianity did not dampen their enthusiasm for the pre-Christian year-end custom of feasts, bonfires, and masks, essentially newyear's eve costume parties. The proximity to the developing Christian feasts of All Saints and All Souls resulted in an attempt to move the celebration to the evening before All Souls, when children would go door to door receiving treats for a promise of prayer for the dead of the household. This attempt to associate the Celtic remembrance of the dead with the Christian memorial ultimately failed and the celebration remained a year-end custom (by the old Celtic calendar), though Halloween remains primarily a children's feast.

Maybe Halloween just isn't for you or maybe you don't want your children coming home with bags of candy. Let's face it. Halloween isn't for everyone. With all the hooplah you may be looking for alternatives to celebrating Halloween. Associatedcontent.com has a great article on 7 alternative harvest party ideas. http://www.associatedcontent.com/ article/2194415/halloween_alternatives_7_great_ideas.html?cat=74 Amongst their suggestions: Trunk or Treat Tailgating in the church parking lot- Weiner roasts and campfires. Throwing a Block Party, bowling or skating party, hosting a fall tea party allowing the kids to dress fancy, or scheduling a fun Hayride.

Christiansolutionsmag.com suggests we celebrate Christ who through His death and resurrection conquered death and evil and suggest we use this time to educate your children of what this means to them in particular.

Hartline author Kathi Macias and well known author and Breakpoint host Chuck Colsen both have great articles on ‘Breakpoint’ (see link below) suggesting we celebrate All Saints Day. After all we do share a rich Christian heritage with a Great Cloud of Witness’. So may I encourage you all to prayerfully consider how you celebrate this day and consider a few alternatives for a change?

Have fun and Honor Him who loves us!
From my heart to yours,
Diana

Sources I viewed for this article and recommend as interesting reading material:

http://www.crosswalk.com/parenting/kids/11609094/
http://www.churchsolutionsmag.com/hotnews/5ah10103217.html
http://www.religioustolerance.org/hallo_cu.htm
http://www.history.com/content/halloween
http://www.jeremiahproject.com/culture/halloween.html
http://www.halloween-website.com/history.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween
http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/hallween.htm
http://www.meridiangraphics.net/halloween.htm

Interview with Joyce's client Lena Nelson Dooley

Please meet Lena Nelson Dooley, popular author, wife and mother.

Lena, you have a unique story about why you write Christian fiction. Will you share that with our readers?

When I first started writing Christian fiction, it was so my daughters could have decent fiction to read. But the more I wrote, the more I loved it. Then in 1984, God spoke to me three separate times in one week, telling me that He wanted me to write fiction. I have the long version of the story on the bottom of the main page of my web site – www.lenanelsondooley.com .

I now know that God created me to be a writer in this season of my life. He placed within me the talents and called them forth in His timing.

ACFW has been important in your life, in fact you are a charter member. You won an award a couple years ago for Mentor of the Year. How has ACFW helped your writing career?

Actually, I’m almost a charter member. I believe ACFW stated in February, and I joined in May. My membership number is 42. I love ACFW. I did sell my first book before joining, but through this organization, I have grown as a writer, learning how to fine tune my work. The online classes offered free to members are wonderful as are the national conferences where we learn as well as network with industry professionals. I actually met Joyce, my agent, at the first ACFW national conference.

I’ve become friends with authors, editors, and other agents through this organization. And we get the lowdown on what’s happening in the industry as soon as the information is available.

You are an encourager and a mentor to many authors. And you have a critique group that meets in your home. Tell us how you find time to help others so much.

I consider what I do to help other authors as being a tithe of my time. Since God gave me the talents and abilities, by helping others, I’m giving back to Him and helping build the kingdom through fiction. There are a lot of people who will pick up an interesting book and read it but won’t really listen to a sermon in church. The novels illustrate how God works in our lives instead of preaching to readers.

Your blog is one of the most popular among Christian writers – give us your blog address and tell us what you offer to the writers. Why do you think it’s so popular?

Actually, the blog is really popular among readers, too. That’s what’s important. The blog is aimed at readers, introducing new books to them:

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

When I first started blogging, I didn’t know what I was doing, and I didn’t have more than 3 or 4 people a month come to the blog. Then I asked God if I should be blogging, and if I should what should I do. God told me to lift up other authors and promote their work, and He would promote my work.

On the blog, I interview the authors so readers can connect to them. We always give away a free copy of the book. I believe I was the first Christian blogger to do that. Readers are drawn to the free book but then they keep coming back, because they love getting to know the authors as well. I often receive messages from readers telling me how much they love my interviews.

Publishing companies and literary publicists as well as authors have recognized the power of my blog. Many of them contact me with their new releases. I have it down to a science, and it usually only takes me less than half an hour a day to maintain.

Do you think these social networks such as Facebook and Twitter are important for a writer’s career? Explain.

Yes. I am on Facebook with both a profile page and an Official Fan Page. I also have a Shoutlife page. Shoutlife is like a Christian Facebook. I’m also on Twitter.

We need to use these social networking sites to connect to readers, but as an author, I’ve learned to limit the amount of time spent on the sites, but maximize the impact.

Tell us about your current projects.

Right now, I’m finishing writing a novel for Summerside Press – Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico. I love this book, and I’m really excited about the May release.

I also have several other projects that we’re marketing right now – a women’s fiction, a three-book historical series, etc.

What do you hope people will take away from your work?

I want them to see that no matter what is happening in their lives, God is there with them. If they are fearful, He will provide them hope. If they feel unloved, He will provide love. If they don’t have a good self-image, He will show them how He sees them. If they have gotten themselves into a dark hole, there’s no pit so keep that He can’t lift them from it.

What has been the hardest hurdle you’ve had to overcome in your career?

When I first started writing novels, I really didn’t know that much about things like point of view or showing versus telling. I was a storyteller. But I’ve learned through writing and taking workshops and classes. I hope to always be learning something else about writing, since the market is always changing.

One thing that I had to learn was to realize I needed to trust God to take care of my writing career. If He wants a particular publisher to buy a manuscript, that editor will buy it.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

I love my readers. They are who I tell the stories for. I want them to be able to put a book down and smile, because even though there were tough times, the ending brought hope. I want them to love my characters so much that they seem like real people to them.