Interview with Terry's Client Bill Garrison

What is your latest project? Tell us about it.

“The Solomon Project” is currently being pitched. It is a corporate suspense novel about a corporate prodigy that discovers fraud at the company he is working for. The fraud may involve his family and closest friends, and threatens to destroy everything believes in. The plot revolves around a construction company bidding for a large state contract. I have experience in that field, so I was able to “write what I know”

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I really get inspired by the feeling I get from reading a good book, whether it be thrills, chills or tears. I want to create the same feeling in the reader when they read my novel.

What has been the hardest part of writing your latest book and how did you overcome it?

It’s been awhile, so I can’t remember too much, but I did learn a lot about POV while writing that book. It finally clicked for me.

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

I want people to realize they don’t have to be a pastor or a minister or a saint to be a witness to someone. No matter what you’ve done or how far you’ve fallen, God can still use you for someone who is searching.

What new projects are you working on?

Current project is “The Day She Died,” a suspense novel with an element of time travel. Who hasn’t wished they could relive their formative years knowing what they know now? I know I have. That served as a launching point for this novel in which the main character gets to relive parts of his life, including the day his girlfriend was murdered, to try and find out who killed her.

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

I’m not published, so I’m not active in speaking or teaching yet, but I’m on facebook and shoutlife and have web domains bought for future use…

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

Best would be that “being a published writer is hard” which helped me realize I couldn’t do it all by myself and that it was okay to ask for help. ACFW has been a great resource for me.

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

Other than that Terry is the best agent ever, I think there is no greater thrill than reading a good book. The publishing industry may change over time, but there will always be a place for good writers.

Interview With Joyce’s Client Christy Barritt

I’m pleased to introduce my client Christy Barritt to you. Christy has just recently received a contract from Steeple Hill to write a story for their Love Inspired Suspense line. We believe this is only the beginning of her career with Steeple Hill. Christy writes really good mystery stories. Her Squeaky Clean series published by Kregel Publishing was a favorite with my church book club.

Tell us about your family and your ministry.

I’m married to a wonderful man named Scott, who’s a teacher and youth minister. We have a three year old boy and another baby on the way this summer. When I’m not writing and spending time with family, I’m very active with our church. I’m also on staff part-time there as a worship leader.


What do you write besides books?

For the past seven years, I’ve been writing for my local newspaper. I write feature stories about people doing positive things in the community—I love it and have gotten to meet some wonderful people through these articles. I also freelance for various magazines and publications.

What book are you writing presently?

I’m currently working on a book titled “Keeping Guard” for Love Inspired Suspense. The book is about a woman who goes to a small Virginia town to escape a man who’s been stalking her. While there, she works for her brother’s best friend, a former Coast Guardsman who’s taken over his father’s restaurant. Their past relationships have tainted their view of each other—and of God. They both must work to overcome their pasts in order to save their futures as a madman closes in.

Where do you get your inspiration?

The better question might be “Where DON’T I get my inspiration?” LOL I seem to find inspiration in so many things—from watching the news, to eavesdropping on conversations at the hair salon, to visiting new places. For me, ideas always come pretty easily.


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

Even as a published author, I’m always working to develop my writing more in every area. I have to say that plotting comes pretty naturally to me. I have to constantly work on characterization, however. I can see characters in my head, but I have to remind myself to express their thoughts and explain their actions within the book. Having both a strong plot and strong characters is so important to a well-developed book.

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

I really do like Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne and King. I think I discover a new gem in that book every time I read it! It’s loaded with so much helpful information, both for new writers and seasoned ones.


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

I’ve had to overcome discouragement many times before. Writing isn’t an easy business and I daily have to surrender everything to God and trust that He’s in charge. Balancing writing with family can be a challenge also, so my mantra is that people always come before projects. God will take care of the rest as long as loving Him and loving others is my priority.


What has been your best and your worst advice?

I think it’s funny because in high school, people always told me that no one could make a living with either writing or music, that I should find a “real” career. I’m happy to say that today I’m making a living with a combination of both music and writing! So, even though I know what the intentions were behind that advice, it was probably the worst advice I could have listened to. The best advice I’ve received would be “Don’t give up!” Giving up can be very tempting when rejection letters pile up! Tenacity is a required trait for those who seek to be published.

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

It’s not writing-related, but honestly, right now the most important thing is just to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby! Since I’ve had some pregnancy hypertension issues, this means I have to take it easy. Not easy for a Type A!


Tell 3 things that we wouldn’t know about you.

Three things? Hmm…I love potato chips (almost any kind), but I wish I didn’t, I’m clumsy—as in, I can trip over lint clumsy, and I sing or hum constantly—without even realizing I’m doing it sometimes!

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

I’ve always loved to write, ever since I can remember. In fact, I wrote two or three novels in high school (that will never, ever see the light of day, by the way!). I knew I couldn’t make a living as a novelist, so I went to college, studied communications and got a job as an assistant editor with a Christian publisher. When my dad became ill, I decided to move back home (12 hours away) so I could be near him. This move propelled me back to my love of writing. I began freelancing and working on my books again. Eventually, many rejections later, I got my first book contract! To this day, I simply love stories. They’re my passion!


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

Hartline is a great agency to be with. They truly care about their clients and I’ve never once regretted signing with them! Having a good agent is so important nowadays.

Where can we find you on the web?

My website is www.christybarritt.com. I’m also on Facebook and Shoutlife! I love connecting with readers there.
Thanks Christy – it’s a joy to work with you. I love your writing.
Christy’s Squeaky Clean series from Kregel is available on her web site or on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Book 1 – Hazardous Duty was an ACFW book of the year in the mystery/suspense category, Book 2 – Suspicious Minds won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery.

Diana's Review of the 7 Decisions for Personal Success

In the final chapter of The Travelers Gift, Seven Decisions for Personal Success, before our traveler returns to his family, he walks into the future and glimpses the probabilities of his personal success due to the application of the Seven Decisions.

Last night our book club met. Our leader choose this book for our Feb. read. I wanted to wait before writing this final blog to hear what they had to say about this book and how the author, Andy Andrews, wrapped the story up in it's final chapter. And an interesting discussion it was. Some ladies felt the books focus was too material. Should financial gain be our focus as a believer? We agreed not. Others did not take it that way at all, seeing the practical aspects of the decisions for a believer in all aspects of our lives. All agreed that the decisions themselves were great and that anyone who would put these decisions into practice will have a different life than they might have if they do not. A more successful life, not necessarily materially successful, but spiritually and inter personally in our relationships as well.

We spoke about the word of God, how we are to meditate on it, believe God wrote that book for us to have the opportunity to get to know Him. In Proverbs and all throughout we see divine principles that if we heed, will result in less pain and heartache to the believer and a more abundant life offered to us by a loving God. In the end we gave it a thumbs up as a great read and we appreciated getting acquainted with the Seven Decisions.

For review I have listed them here in one place for your consideration as you consider your goals for 2010.

7 Decisions for Personal Success:

1: The buck stops here. I am responsible for my past and my future.
2: I will seek wisdom. I will be a servant to others.
3: I am a person of action. I seize this moment. I choose now.
4: I have a decided heart.
5: Today I will choose to be happy. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.
6: I will great this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself.
7. I will persist without exception. I am a person of great faith.

May this year bring you to a place where you are experiencing all that God has in store for you in your writing goals and personal relationships. May those success' bring Glory and Honor to He who has given us, 'everything we need for life and godliness'.

From my heart to yours,
Diana

Introducing Joyce’s client, Amanda Cabot.

I’m pleased to introduce Amanda Cabot to you today. Her latest book Scattered Petals has just been released by Revell Publishing.

1. Tell us a about a little bit about yourself

From early childhood on, I had two dreams – to live in Europe and to write a book. Though I would never have expected it, the two wound up being related. I lived in Europe, first in France as a college student, then in Germany when my husband was stationed there with the U.S. Army. Those experiences provided the background for my first short contemporary romance, my first long historical, and my first book for the CBA market, Paper Roses.

For pretty much as long as I can remember, I’ve been writing – first short stories (seriously lacking in plot and characterization, but what do you expect from an eight-year old?), neighborhood newspapers (no competition for The New York Times) and plays for my grade-school classmates. (No, they didn’t make it to Broadway.) On the positive side, all that writing helped hone my skills, for I’ve sold more than twenty-five novels, four non-fiction books and what I describe as “enough technical articles to cure insomnia in a medium-sized city.”

For many years I worked in Information Technology and was a director of IT for a Fortune 50 company. Now I’m delighted to be a full-time writer and speaker living happily ever after in Cheyenne with my high school sweetheart who’s been my husband for more than thirty-five years.

2. What led you to the career choice of becoming an author?

I really cannot remember a time when I didn’t write – or at least want to write, and so I wrote sporadically until I was almost 29 (graduating from short stories and plays to novels). Since then I have come to believe that authors have at least one thing in common with oysters, namely that we need irritation to produce our pearls … er… our books. For me, that irritation was moving to a new city and discovering that what had appeared to be an ideal job was truly awful. Of course, that happened at a time when jobs were hard to find, so I stuck with the one I had for over three years. But the irritation was enough that I decided it was time to become serious about writing. After I sold my first book, I continued working full time but still managed to write at least one book a year.

3. What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on the first draft (sigh!) of Book One in the Wyoming Winds series. The reason for the sigh is that first drafts are my least favorite part of a book. I refer to them as the skeleton, and like the skeletons you see at Halloween, they’re ugly, but they form the foundation for the book. It’s not all drudgery, though. Since I live in Wyoming, I’m having a lot of fun, introducing readers to my new home state.

Wyoming Winds is the trilogy that will be published after the third of the Texas Dreams books.

4. How do you do the research for your historical books?

I spend a lot of time at libraries. (I suspect that I’m the queen of ILL (inter-library loan) in Cheyenne.) One piece of advice I was given (and which I give to other writers of historicals) is to start in the children’s section. The books there give enough detail to provide the framework for a story but don’t bog you down with thousands of pages. You can fill in details once you’ve outlined the story or – in my case, written the first draft. By then you’ll know exactly what information you need. That advice has saved me countless months of research.

I also travel to each of the locations I’m writing about. As wonderful as the Internet is for research, it can’t tell you what the air feels like or what colloquialisms people have. Even though most of the towns in my books are fictional, the details come from first-hand visits.

5. What has been the hardest part of writing your books?

First drafts are always the most difficult part for me. I typically get to the middle of the first draft and am convinced that I’ve just written the worst prose ever found in the English language. If I didn’t have a contract, I’d probably stop writing right then. But when I reach the end and start the second draft, I realize that my fears were unfounded. Sure, what I’d written wasn’t perfect, but it gave me the skeleton I needed before I could add the flesh and blood.


6. What do you hope people will take away from your books?

My most fervent prayer is that my books will touch readers’ hearts and deepen their faith.

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

The best was to write in multiple genres until I found my niche. The worst, to follow market trends. Some authors can do that successfully, but I can’t. I need to write from the heart, not necessarily for the market.

8. What new projects are you working on?

I have six more books to write for Revell, the three Wyoming Winds books and then three set in New Jersey during World War One. I’ve also just completed a proposal for a Christmas novella and am waiting for a decision on that.

9. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

My advice to aspiring writers is to never give up.


Give us a short summary of your book that is being released currently, Scattered Petals, the second in the Texas Dream series.

Scattered Petals is a historical romance set in the Texas Hill Country beginning in late 1856. Although completely accurate, isn’t that a boring description? Who would read a book if that was all you knew about it? Let’s try again. Here’s the back cover blurb, which I hope intrigues you more than that plain vanilla first sentence.

Longing for adventure, Priscilla Morton leaves Boston in 1856 and heads for the Texas Hill Country, never dreaming that the adventure she seeks could have heartbreaking consequences. Although attracted to her, ranch foreman Zachary Webster knows Priscilla deserves a cultured East Coast gentleman, not a cowboy who’s haunted by memories of his mistakes.

When necessity draws them together, Priscilla and Zach begin to forge a life filled with promise. But then the past intrudes.

Book 2 of the Texas Dreams series, Scattered Petals weaves a tale of drama, love and second chances as beautiful as the Hill Country itself.

For more information about the book and to read an excerpt, please visit my web site: www.amandacabot.com.

Thanks, Amanda. It’s such a pleasure to work with you and I love your stories. I hope our readers will go find your books in their bookstores or online.
Thanks to our faithful readers for following our blog.

In His service,
Joyce

Will the publisher sell my books? by Terry Burns

The question: Typically, when it comes to promoting the book, once published, what promoting is done on the publisher’s side? I understand my side, ie: signings, radio, speaking… but what should the publisher be doing?

That is the ultimate measure of a publisher. Think of it as a scale with a small print on demand publisher or even vanity press on one end and houses like Random House and Simon Schuster on the other. There is a difference in the amount of editing houses do and how good the final product is, but setting that aside and assuming all books are the same the difference would be distribution and sales. On the very low end the author gets a book in print, period, and the sales and promotion are strictly up to them. On the high end, particularly with an A list author, there is advertising and sales and representatives selling into bookstores and into chain stores and buying end-caps and placement, etc etc. With a mid-list or more so with a new author even the big guys offer less support and depend more on the author to generate sales.

The question is where does your publisher fall on this scale. The one you described would be on the low end, but some low end publishers work very hard at helping their authors get books sold. One caveat, however, hearing that your publisher distributes through Ingrams or Baker and Taylor or some other known distributor does not mean your book is going to be in stores. It simply means it is available for order. Someone has to make the sales calls or contacts to get the stores to order books. It is unlikely that a very small press would have a sales force out doing this so most of the burden is on the author but they may have a sales strategy to help. Some discussion with them on this would certainly be in order.

There are a lot of strategies out there on accomplishing this and some good books on the subject. I would make it my business to see what tools are available to me and set about using them. I hear some authors say they can hardly wait until they are well known enough that they don’t have to do this. I smile as I tell them that even Stephen King and Tom Clancy and the other big name authors do publicity and promotion, they just get a bigger stage to do it on. They do Good Morning America or the Tonight show or something like that instead of trying to get a plug on the local radio station.

That is called platform, and the better the connections we have to create that invaluable word of mouth publicity the better the sales and the more attractive we are to publishers. So you see, there isn’t a simple answer to your question other than to work with your publisher to see what they’ll do to help and to find out everything you can do to make it happen as well.

Once you choose to publish with a small press or even more so if you self publish and you do it as a strategy to interest a larger publisher in your work, it becomes all about sales. You need to generate enough sales to interest a larger publisher. Since your book is already in print and the first rights are consumed, that generally means selling reprint rights and not a lot of publishers are interested in reprints. For those who will look at them having those good sales is critical.

Regardless of the size publisher we work with the author has far more at stake on the book being successful. The publisher has a model where they expect to be okay on the book and they don't expect every book to sell through anyway. The author on the other hand has all their chips in the game and need to do anything and everything they can to make the book a success.

Diana Interviews Founder and CEO Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary Agency

Dear reader; Today I have the privilege of interviewing Hartline Literary Agency's founder and CEO, Joyce Hart.

Joyce, you have been in the 'book' business for a long time. Were you a devoted fan of reading, even before you got into the business?

Yes, I’ve always been an avid fiction reader. One Childhood memory is of sitting on a blanket in the shade of a tree with my book and my dog beside me. The librarians at my local library knew me well. I rarely leave the house without a book. I might get stuck somewhere and have a few minutes to read, even in my car, or in a line or in the doctor’s office. What a pity to waste that time when I could be reading.

Are you a self taught business woman or did you have someone mentoring you along the way?

I had some mentors along the way. Of course I learned the business at Whitaker House Publishing, where I worked for 11 years. When I went to work there I knew I had found my niche. My love of books just fit perfect in that job.

Your first venture into the publishing industry was not as an agent. Please share with our reader just how you got into this business.

I started out as a secretary to Bob Whitaker, Jr, the Vice President of Whitaker House and as the secretary to the editors. Eventually I moved into sales and I loved selling books to bookstores and distributors. It was so exciting to tell people about books and advise them what to buy. I was the Vice President of Marketing for the last three years of my employment. Then I decided to quit my job but I wanted to stay in publishing, so I started Hartline Marketing and became an independent sales rep for small companies. I helped a couple of small companies grow their businesses and that was fun too. I had a friend who was also an independent rep and he helped me learn how to set up the office, things about the computer, etc. He was invaluable to me those first years. He and his wife are still good friends, and the Whitaker family is too.

One of the book buyers paid you a compliment. Please share it here with us. I think it is something that we all need to put into practice to be a success.

He used to introduce me to his boss and friends like this: “this is Joyce Hart, she is consistent and persistent” Of course that’s because I called him every week for months to get him to buy our books. His company eventually became my largest account.

How exactly did you transition into Agenting?

When Ingram bought Spring Arbor Distributing, that changed a program I had with Spring Arbor. I was a vender with Spring Arbor and I took books from small publishers and self-published books and helped them market with this large distributor to the bookstores. Ingram closed my program, so I had to regroup. All along I had been getting manuscripts from people who wanted me to read them and give them my opinion. So I decided to become an Agent. I sold the first book I represented to the first publisher I called. They told me they didn’t like to deal with agents (this was in 1992). I asked them why and they said because agents are pushy. I said “I’m a nice agent” and they give me to an editor, who bought the book.

Your agency has grown to you now having a team of four agents at Hartline, Tamela, Terry and Diana. Has that growth been a result of the steady success of Hartline Marketing?

I think so, because I dealt with key accounts and distributors I was known in the industry. It simply takes getting in the office every day and going to work. I give the Lord all the glory, because when I first started, I would lay my head on my desk and cry and say “Lord, I can’t do this” and then I would start to work. Again, it’s persistence and consistence. Make those phone calls, write those letters and e-mails and God will help you reap the benefits.

I would imagine you have seen this industry go through many phases. What are a few of the changes you have seen along the way.

Probably the largest changes have been consolidation of distributors and bookstores. There used to be 4 major distributors and now there are only two. Many mom and pop bookstores are gone, they’ve been bought by chains. We used to have 3 Christian bookstores in our area, now we have one.

Some Christian publishers have been bought by secular companies, that’s a big change.

In your estimation has book publishing changed for the better?

This is a hard question to answer. I’m thankful that publishers are still in business, but it’s the way we do business that is changing constantly. The editors are asking for name authors more and more. Several companies want authors whose last books have sold 20,000 to 40,000 copies. 5,000 used to be considered good.

Technology has changed the business for the better in many ways. It’s so much easier to send a proposal via e-mail instead of having to make hard copies and mail them to the publisher. E-mail has changed the way we communicate with editors. Rarely do we talk to anyone on the phone, it’s all e-mail. We even get contracts via e-mail. It’s wonderful.

The Internet has changed the way we market, web sites, e-mail addresses, social networking are a must for an author. We don’t accept an author who can’t use a computer. We’re living in a fast-paced world and we insist on e-mail proposals according to our specific guidelines.

Can you share with us a few of the personal joys, the highlights you have been blessed with through the years that stand out to you.

I love it when I get a contract for an author that we’ve tried to sell his/her book for a long time. This just happened recently with an author whose writing I love, she is so talented. I also love it when we can work with an editor and help develop a writer’s career. We’ve had several of those successes. The best formula is when we can work with editors who catch the same vision the author and I have. We’ve helped a lot of first-time authors get established and that is so rewarding. I am thankful when those authors stay with us once they succeed. I love our authors and I love working with them and helping them to mold their careers. It is so nice to have a job that you absolutely love. I love working with the Hartline Agents. They are a special group and I’m thankful to be a part of their lives. God is so good to us as an agency.

What is your favorite Genre to read and why?

I like mysteries, I’m a, 'Murder She Wrote', fan. I like cozies although as a rule CBA doesn’t. I also like women’s relationship books and contemporary romances and historical books. What can I say, I just plain like fiction and I love to read.

Joyce as a recap, where do you see this industry headed?

I don’t think print publishing will ever go away, although it will probably get a little smaller. I feel e-books are making an impact on the industry. We’re seeing larger numbers from e-book sales on the royalty reports. I think this will grow. Young people today read from a screen, be it telephone, computer or e-reader. I think we’ll always see books in print, too many of us love to hold a book in our hands and share a favorite book with our friends.

Thank you so much for sharing these little known gems about your life with us. I know Tamela, Terry and I are proud to be associated with this agency, it has a wonderful reputation. I pray it will continue to be a force for authors and the resultant published titles. May God continue to bless you Joyce personally and professionally.



Diana

Interview with Terry's Client Barbara Warren

What is your latest project? Tell us about it.

My latest project, which Terry is pitching for me is a mystery set in the beautiful Ozark Mountains where I live. Cassie Richards, whose parents were town trash, drug dealers, you name it, has come a long way from her upbringing. She has a thriving business, an elegant home, a good bank account, and none of it matters anymore. Her sister, LeAnn is missing. Cassie leaves town and goes to Tolbert Springs determined to find her sister, even though Police Chief Ike Carpenter has made it clear he doesn’t want her help. Cassie soon finds she has an unknown enemy in Tolbert Springs, and as several attempts are made on her life, she finds she is turning to Kip Horton, reporter at the local paper for help. Cassie, who accidentally killed a man, doesn’t think she’s good enough for Kip and the people he goes to church with, but God has plans for Cassie Richards, and when He gives, it’s full measure, tamped down, and running over.

How did you research for this book?

We often hear true stories of serial killers, psychopaths, people who do terrible things, yet live normal lives, often working in the community or church. Their neighbors are astounded that that nice person they know and trust could be guilty of such horrible crimes. The monster living among us, the darker side of human nature and what it does to its victims. I read a lot of those stories and I tried to imagine what I would do if someone I loved disappeared, and found it was too horrible to contemplate. I understood how Cassie felt, her pain became my pain. And I knew what it was like to stray from God and have to find my way back. The setting is at a lake where my family and I go every summer for a week. I’ve walked around that lake, sat on the dock, seen the herons and otter. I could picture it in my mind, and picture Cassie walking where I had walked.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

From many places, stories I hear, comments someone makes. I collect newspaper articles about crimes that grab my attention. And I get inspiration from my own life, my fears, my desires, and from the lives of my family and friends. I carry a small notebook with me everywhere to jot down those little snippets I might be able to use later.

What has been the hardest part of writing your latest book and how did you overcome it?

The hardest part was thinking of how I would feel if a member of my family disappeared. We have a family in our area whose daughter disappeared ten years ago. Nothing has ever been found that would point to where she is. I know that mother’s pain, and sometimes I had to put that aside, concentrate on Cassie, and remember this was just a book, not something that really had happened.

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

That we can never run so far from God that we can’t come back. And that no matter how dark our valley, God is there, and He’s our light.


What new projects are you working on?

I have just finished a manuscript set on Dauphin Island, Alabama where I went with my sister and her family two years ago. It’s a mystery, of course, a young woman is forced to go back to Dauphin Island because her grandmother needs her. But Kelsie fled the island the year she graduated from high school because someone tried to kill her. She doesn’t know who her enemy is, but she does know he’s still after her because every year on the anniversary of the time he tried to kill her she gets flowers. The first year she also got a book of the language of flowers, and the offerings she receives mean things like rejected, deceit, heartbroken. Now she has to spend a week on the island, and she’s afraid she’ll never leave alive.
Now I’m working on a humorous mystery about five women in their sixties who decide to start a murder solving club. There hasn’t been a murder in their town in years, but it isn’t long before they stumble over a body and end up being the prime suspects. I’m having fun with it.

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

I have a website, http://www.barbarawarrenbluemountainedit.com I also send out a monthly online newsletter featuring writing news, book reviews, wacky news stories, and writing tips.

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

The best writing advice was to be myself. The worst was to pick out my favorite author and try to write like her.


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

I appreciate the opportunity to interact with other writers. Only another writer can understand the pain of rejection, or the joy of acceptance. And I’m grateful for a hard working agent like Terry Burns who does so much for his clients. He’s truly a blessing.