Interview With Terry's Client Claire Sanders

What is your latest project? Tell us about it.

My latest project is "Shades of Grace". It's an inspirational romance set in East Texas and centers around a Christian's response to hate crimes.


How did you research for this book?

I was already familiar with the people and culture of East Texas since I spent a lot of time there in my younger days. What caused me to do a lot of thinking, however, was wondering how Christians should respond to hate crimes. Are we called to fight the hate crime, turn a blind eye, or turn the other cheek?

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I read about several cases of arson against African American churches. That's what got me thinking. Of course, the police and fire fighters would do what was necessary to find the culprits, but how would Christians respond? As Christians, we are taught to turn the other cheek, to forgive those who hurt us, and to pray. But how would a community of believers react if their church was destroyed by arson?

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

For me, the hardest part of writing any book is perseverance. There's always some point in writing where I just want to quit, give up my dream, and pretend I don't have stories burning to get out of me. However, if I just take a few days off to reflect and think about where I want the story to go, my desire to write overcomes my self-doubts.


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

The enjoyment of a good story, characters they will remember, and thoughts about how Christians react when faced with life's difficulties.

What new projects are you working on?

I'm currently working on a story titled "The Captive Bird." This story concerns a young woman named Jenna. As a young girl, she had a crush on her brother-in-law's nephew. Fifteen years after that girlhood crush, who should show up at her front door but that nephew. Now Matt is an emergency room doctor and he's come to deliver a request. His uncle is in hospice care, and wants to see Jenna. Jenna refuses to see Matt's uncle, but sends him a written note. When Matt reads the note, he sees that Jenna has written "I never told." Needless to say, Matt is curious about the meaning of the note, and the rest of the story is about Matt's discovery of old hurts and the meaning of forgiveness.

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

The best way to find out more about me and to contact me is through my web site: www.clairesandersbooks.com

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

The best writing advice I ever got was "don't give up". The worst writing advice I ever got was "just follow the formula". In order to stand out from the crowd, I have to be original.

I Will Choose to be Happy, the continuing Book Review by Diana

As we continue our book review of The Travelers Gift, 7 Decisions That Determine Personal Success written by Andy Andrews, we find our traveler, David arriving in war torn, Nazi occupied Holland. Spinning with closed eyes David realizes his feet have landed on solid footing. He opens them to find himself in a very small space, smack dab up against a young girl about his daughters age. Everyone is frozen in mid motion, as someone knocks upon the outside of the rooms walls. He hears yelling and people running. The girl next to him puts her finger to her lips, motioning him to be quiet.

The young girl turns out to be non other than Anne Frank who's diary David our traveler had read when he was in school. With permission from her father once the danger had passed, Anne leads David up to 'the Anex', an attic space that those of you having read Anne's book will be familiar with as the place Anne often went to be alone. Here, from a large window that looked out upon the street, Anne could see the hands of a huge clock and catch glimpses of a sunny sky, floating clouds or rain. David was surprised to find Anne appeared Happy. An emotion that he felt did not fit her family's circumstances at all. After a few minutes of conversation, David learned it was 1943 and that they had been hidden behind these warehouse walls for over a year, eating what rationed foods a friend could bring to them.

"How do you not complain to me about your difficult circumstances?', David inquired of Anne. "You seem so happy." Annes' reply gives us the FIFTH decision David was sent on this journey to learn. "I choose to be happy. I learned when I was young, from my dear Papa, that just as I would choose to turn on or off the radio, I can also choose to be happy or not. I choose to be happy. Our lives are fashioned by choice. First we make choices, then our choices make us. I choose to be grateful. I choose not to complain."

Anne learned from her Papa that it was what was inside of a person that determined how successful they would be. She read great authors, sought out friendships with those of integrity. Anne Frank's many choices through out her young life filled her up, developed her strong character, lent her courage and the wisdom that she drew upon, sequestered behind warehouse walls. Anne Frank was a writer. She could not have known how her words would be shared beyond her short life, that her words would long out live her. As believers in God, we have read of the power of words. The book of John tells us our world and it's universe was brought forth by spoken words. The stars were called into being as well as the oceans and land we stand on.

Just this morning as I read Romans 5: 3-5, in 'our' tribulations or troubles we can wait patiently for our hope in God will not disappoint us. We can choose to be happy, to rejoice knowing we are loved by God. Words of encouragement. Words spoken by God through a yielded man. As writers, you can choose to write encouraging words that will make a difference long after we are gone, words of hope. Words that will be your legacy. Your offering.

The 5th decision for success from writer Andy Andrews is: I Will Choose to be Happy.

How can we apply this to our writing, agenting and editor lives?

From my heart to yours,
Diana

Why read in the genre we write in? by Terry Burns

On a writing list a person said "I once was in a critique group with a writer who wrote Westerns. Except she'd never read them. Not one." Let me put my writing hat on for a moment and comment on that.

There are reasons for reading in the genre we are writing in. First, we should be aware of our competition and know how and what they are writing. There will come a time when we need to identify comparables that will help us define our reader base. We’ll need to know why we consider them comparables but also how our books differ.

Second, it is terribly difficult to do a credible job writing in a genre if we are not steeped in that genre. If we are reading literary fiction, for example, but trying to write genre westerns, it is likely to influence our writing in a manner that editors who know what that particular reader base like will not appreciate.

Third, how do we know if our writing is any good if we don’t have anything to measure it against?

Fourth, there are a lot of “conventions” particularly in writing genre fiction. We may can find classes to teach us that, but still one of the best ways is to read in our genre a lot so we know how similar stories are constructed. To know what reader expectations are.

And finally, why on earth would we not be supporting the genre we are trying to write in?

Interview with Joyce's Client Thom Hunter

I’m pleased present to you Thom Hunter, one of my clients.

Thom, tell us about yourself and your family.

Originally from Texas (we never recover from that), I now live in Norman, Oklahoma and love it north of the Red River. I lived my dream as a newspaper editor for a number of years and then exchanged it for a sometimes nightmarish career in corporate public relations with AT&T. I came to my senses and rejected that stability and entered the risky but rewarding realm of full-time writing, though, fortunately for my four sons and my daughter, not until they were able to take care of themselves. The four boys are a private remodeling contractor, college professor, Army Ranger and a police officer. My daughter is finishing up at the University of Oklahoma with her sights set on a career in some unnamed African country. My first two books, Like Father Like Son (and Daughter, too) and Those Not-So-Still Small Voices were about family life. Let’s just say there was a lot of it to write about. Lisa and I have been married for almost 34 years and God has indeed seen us through things only He fully understands.


Describe the two books you’re writing currently.

Both of my current books focus on the problem of sexual brokenness among Christians. One of them -- Signs of a Struggle – deals primarily with the growing problem of same-sex attraction – homosexuality. The second book -- Want Grace with That? The Christian’s Return to Sexual Wholeness – presents, from a Biblical perspective, how God heals and helps Christians who struggle with all forms of sexual brokenness, including homosexuality, pornography, sexual idolatry, adultery and emotional dependency. Both books are written from the perspective of a Christian who has struggled personally. That would be me.

You are writing about a tough subject. What do you hope readers will take away from your books?

These are tough subjects. People who struggle with a sexual problem – particularly Christians – tend to internalize it or cover it up and compound the struggle with even greater suffering, layered with guilt, shame and self-loathing. I hope my readers will find hope and comfort in knowing they are not alone and that they will learn to seek accountability and forgiveness, through grace, and direct their energy towards healing by approaching their issues honestly. By being transparent and writing from a perspective other strugglers can understand, I hope to give readers the courage to move from bondage into freedom. I also hope to encourage Christians who don’t struggle themselves to get in front of these sexual issues and stop allowing culture to take the lead instead of the Church. We should be helping, not condemning, those who struggle. We should be offering a new life, not condoning a broken lifestyle.


How important do you feel the internet is to your marketing plan?

The Internet is very important, partially because of the subject matter. While I write about a subject that affects the lives of many Christians, most of them still seek information as discretely as possible. The Internet allows for that. At the same time, the openness of the Internet allows for subjects like homosexuality and sexual brokenness to be discussed from a Christian perspective in the very same media format as that used by culture, which often promotes a conflicting viewpoint. Promoting these books through on-line groups, various respected web sites, and popular blogs and through organizations like Exodus and other Christian groups via the Internet reaches people who might be less comfortable seeking help openly in a local church. While these books are written to help and support people who struggle with any issue, those who struggle with deeply personal and hidden issues may be more comfortable ordering a book over a website like Amazon.com than off the shelf of the local bookstore. That said, I think they will sell well in the bookstores because more and more people are making personal decisions to confront and understand these issues.

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

Because I always write from a personal perspective with great transparency, I am always working hard to try to write in such a way that the reader can place himself in the story rather than seeing me. I want the reader to say “that’s me,” or “now I see why he acts like he does,” or “I can understand her pain better now,” referring to friends and loved ones who struggle. The books reflect my experiences, but I want readers to see themselves or the people they care about. I’m working on being honest without being self-indulgent, so readers will trust me.


Do you have a favorite writing ‘How To’ book that you would like to recommend to other authors?

I taught PR Writing at the University of Oklahoma for five years, and, honestly, I think the textbooks I taught from were some of the best “How To” books because they were all centered on finding the quickest and clearest route to communication and making every word count. They instilled in me the ability to cut fluff and get to the point. I haven’t actually read a “How-To” that was directed at writing a book. However, I have had some great conversations with other published authors who were willing to share their success stories. I really think reading work done by authors you admire – particularly if they have a style similar to yours – is very encouraging.


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

Perhaps the layman’s label can be a bit of an obstacle in Christian publishing. My career as a journalist and then as a corporate PR executive might open doors if I were writing books about media or business. However, my heart is to write to everyday Christians from the perspective of a layman who struggles with the same issues they do. Not having that theology degree or the pastoral perspective might seem like an obstacle in the early stages – trying to get the proposal taken seriously – but in the end, the only obstacle a writer really has to fear is the inability to write well. That one would be pretty hard to overcome. I think God has opened some doors for me and I am grateful. I love this journey.

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

That’s a tough one. I can’t remember a time when I did not want to write. I always thought I would be a writer whether or not anyone ever read what I wrote. Now that I have a personal platform, I want everybody to read what I write. Don’t we all? Honest and true positive feedback from teachers helped me decide to become a write, from Mrs. “Looney” Lorts in junior high, Dr. Whitten in high school and a college journalism professor who would always require me to write both sides of an editorial position to make sure I learned to take every view into account. He said it would give me passion for my own perspective. As a Christian author, I believe true passion for writing has to come from God. He has given me a great desire to communicate about the issues which dominated my life in hopes of helping others. If we listen to Him, I think sometimes maybe we really don’t have a choice but to write.

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

Be passionate and fearless. Yes, seek plenty of input and feedback, but follow your instincts, trust your skills and stay true to your style. Instead of trying to write like someone else, strive to be able to say “no one writes like me.”

Where can we find you on the web?

My blog:
http://thom-signsofastruggle.blogspot.com/


SBC Voices:
http://sbcvoices.com/homosexuality-and-your-church-part-two/

The Baptist Messenger:
http://baptistmessenger.com/homosexuality-and-your-church/

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#/thom.hunter?ref=profile

Scribd:
http://www.scribd.com/Thomasthefree

Thanks Thom for sharing with us and thanks to all of you who read our blog. We’re honored that you take the time to visit with the Hartline agents and their authors.

May God bless and keep you,

Joyce

Interview with Diana's client Rita Gerlach

Dear From the Heart reader, it is my privilege today to introduce to you, author Rita Gerlach. Rita lives in Fredrick Maryland and has been enjoying promoting her latest fiction title release, Surrender the Wind, published by Abingdon Press.

Rita, you write in a genre that is not the usual Christian Fiction. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your supporting cast.

I live in central Maryland with my husband and two sons. Those three guys are my supporting cast. Lots of talent under my roof. My husband and youngest son are both accomplished guitarists. My oldest son is the brain in the family.

But if you are asking about the cast in my latest novel, I have a long list. So for the sake of brevity I’ll tell you about the two main characters. Seth is an American patriot of the Revolution who inherits his grandfather’s estate in England. Juleah is an English girl from a genteel family who falls in love with Seth and helps him overcome the scars of his past.

How and why did you decide to focus your writing on this historical time period.

I’ve always had a romantic soul for days long ago. It is not the fashions, the modes, the historical dates and famous names that have intrigued me. What draws me to eras like the Georgian or Federal periods is how differently people lived, how the majority had strong faith, that men believed their word was their bond, and that love and family were of greater significance than today.

Has it been a fun experience over all, promoting your book? Yes it has. I enjoy promotion. I think my favorite experience is connecting with readers through networking sites like Facebook and Shoutlife. It’s so fun to meet them.

Where did you get your inspiration from for this particular story? This thought popped into my mind one day. What if an American patriot of the Revolution inherited his grandfather’s estate in England after the War? I was intrigued by the idea and began exploring this as the premise for the novel. Ecclesiastes 2:18-19 rang loud and clear.

So your characters just pop into your head? Tell us, do you write in people you know or are related to?

They always do pop into my head. The hero and heroine are always first. Secondary characters pop up often times while I’m writing.

There has been only one time when I drew from someone related to me. In Surrender the Wind, Juleah’s father, Sir Henry Fallows, is showing signs of early Alzheimer’s. My father suffered with this disease and I drew upon my experiences dealing with this as well as his. It was painful at times, but he was, like Sir Henry, the sweetest man you could have ever met.

I have always wondered just where authors get the names of their characters. Their names come to me out of the blue most times, and fit their personalities. I made up the name ‘Juleah’ in ‘Surrender the Wind’. I wanted my heroine to have a name set apart from all others that would be memorable.

Have you traveled overseas to do any of this research or spend a lot of time at your library? I’m fortunate to live in Maryland where my novels are partially set, and I explore those places that I visualize my characters being, such as the Potomac River area. I haven’t had the opportunity to literally visit England, but the Internet is the next best thing. With the Internet, I haven’t had to go to the library. But when I wrote my first three novels, I spent a lot of time there pouring over historical archives.

What has been the hardest part of writing your novel and how did you overcome it? The hardest part is when I experience writer’s block. But I have come to realize that writer’s block, or ‘writer’s pause’ as I like to call it, is caused by distractions and stress. It is a part of life, and so the best thing to do is to keep working, but not force the writing.

What do you hope people will take away from reading your book? That when everything is said and done, in the end it all turns out all right. Love is the cohesive bond that helps us face adversity. The message of Surrender the Wind is wrapped up in fidelity and forgiveness, and the surrendering to our Creator those winds that shove and batter us.

What new projects are you working on, are they in the same genre and time period? Thank you for asking. I am currently writing three historical novels in a series that begins in 1775. Tenatively the series title is ‘Lowlands of the Potomac’. Each book focuses on a female lead character and they are all interconnected to each other. Adultery, betrayal, and blackmail will challenge them and test their faith. But keep in mind light dispels darkness. You can expect love will triumph over all these.

I would imagine like most authors, once people know you are writing you get a lot of advice. What is the best and worst writing advice you ever got? The best advice I ever got was write from the heart. Without that kind of feeling and passion, writing can be dry as an empty well. The worse advice I ever got was never make your hero your main character. I was told if I did I’d never get published. It was not true.

What new gadget have you added as a tool to help you in your everyday writing life? A Canon Power Shot digital camera. I’m taking photos of historical places that are in the 3-book series I am writing. These will help me with building the book trailers, and promoting the books on my website. I’d like to put together a pictorial journey of each book to inspire readers and help them visualize the setting.

Is there an area in your writing that you are working on improving? I am working on toning down too much descriptive narrative by writing it tighter. I’m also working on creating more lively dialogue between the characters.

What obstacles have you run up against in your writing journey? I’m sure other writers will agree that it is rejection, the doors that never seemed to want to open. I came to a point though, that I relinquished my writing career over to God. When I did that, I was at peace about where I was going with it, whether I’d be published or not. That’s when doors started opening.

Where can people find out more about you and your writing and your previously published titles?

Website http://ritagerlach.com

FB http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1396489974&ref=profile

Twitter n/a

Shoutlife http://www.shoutlife.com/profile_view.cfm?uid=36362

Blog http://inspire-writer.blogspot.com/

Would you like to offer the other authors out there a last word of encouragement? Read best selling books on writing. Learn everything you can about the craft, from character development to plotting, to how to write tight. Study how to edit your work. Study the industry and get an understanding of how publishing works. Read best selling books within your genre. Above all do not let discouragement get the best of you, and do not write for fame or fortune. If that is your goal, you are starting out for all the wrong reasons. Write because you love it and because God blessed you with a talent.

Rita, thank you so much for joining us here today and I hope our readers will check out your sites, get to know you and read Surrender The Wind. I really enjoyed it myself. I would imagine you have a healthy reader group waiting in the wings for your next release.

It was my pleasure, Diana. I’ve had a lot of readers ask me about subsequent books, and they want to read my previous novels that were print on demand published but are now out of print. Hopefully someday they will be reissued. Thanks so much for this interview!

Blessings,

Rita

From our heart to yours,

Diana

Interview with Terry's client Max Elliott Anderson

Max, you have a number of books in print and are gaining a substantial reputation on the subject of books for reluctant reader boys What is your latest project? Tell us about it.

My next book is titled Lost Island Smugglers. It’s the first in a new series called The Sam Butler Adventure Series. Two more books will be released later this year. Their titles are Captain Jack’s Treasure, and River Rampage. I’m spending most of my time, right now, increasing word count on these from the low 20,000 words to the mid 30,000 words.

How did you research for this book?

Most of my research is a combination of Internet and library research, or places I've visited. But I also like to contact primary sources for background information. Once people understand that my book project is about something they care about, they are happy to help. This has included simple email responses, all the way up to books and videos that have been sent to me on my various writing projects.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

It’s a combination of the newspaper, radio or TV news, magazines, or stories I’ve heard from various sources. When a new story emerges, it comes fully formed in my mind with a beginning, middle, and end. I don’t know about the details of the stories or the characters at that time. As I write, it’s like watching a movie I’ve never seen before.

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

When I began writing, nearly ten years ago, my stories didn’t come as a traditional series. They arrived with different characters, settings, and plots. Now that I’ve been asked to develop a series, I’m adapting some of those earlier stories by using the same cast of characters. This had been a challenge. In addition, having to increase word count has also provided interesting challenges.

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

I hope my books will provide some escape and adventure, especially for tween boys, while teaching various character and spiritual issues – without the reader tripping over those principles.


What new projects are you working on?

I have to develop four more titles for the Sam Butler Adventure Series in 2011. It’s possible that another publisher will pick up some of my other stories, under an umbrella “series.” By that I mean that the books have different characters, but will be grouped under one series name. On one of those manuscripts, I’ve already done a first revision that increased the word count to over 30,000. Since I’ve completed thirty-five manuscripts over the past few years, several could need similar alterations. I also have an interest in picture books, and have been developing a few of these manuscripts. And then, my first publisher went bankrupt late last year. That returned ownership of my first 7 books back to me. I’m working with Terry to see if we can get these re-published because a good market still exists for them.

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

Books For Boys Blog
http://booksandboys.blogspot.com

Author Web Site
http://www.maxbooks.9k.com

50 Pages of Reviews
http://maxbookreviews.blogspot.com

What is the best writing advice you ever got? The worst?
Best – Never give up.
Worst – Write every day.


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

Publishing is not for the faint of heart. I like Terry’s advice concerning the things we have to do to make sure we aren’t eliminated early in the submissions process. I’ve spent the last three years building my platform, which I think will be essential for any hope of success in the future. And I’m doing everything I know to build name recognition by writing articles and short stories for magazines like Boys’ Life, and shorter material for places like Guideposts Books. Having a book published is only the beginning of the work we authors will be required to do.

Over the Transom Submissions - by Joyce Hart

Announcing Hartline Author Awards from Barbour Publishing
17th Annual Heartsong Awards!

Each year, members of the Heartsong Presents book club vote for their favorite authors, books, and covers. Ten authors are selected for each category. This year we are proud that Hartliners were among those chosen. In fact, our authors are represented in every category!

Favorite Author:
Debby Mayne
Favorite New Author:
Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
Favorite Historical Romance:
The Master's Match by Tamela Hancock Murray
Favorite Contemporary Romance:
Noah's Ark by Debby Mayne
Favorite Historical Cover:
The Master's Match by Tamela Hancock Murray
Favorite Contemporary Cover:
Noah's Ark by Debby Mayne



OVER THE TRANSOM E-MAIL SUBMISSIONS

A few days ago Terry addressed submissions we receive in which authors ask us to go to their web sites to review their writing. We would like authors to visit our web site and send proposals according to our submission guidelines. I am well aware that it is hard work to prepare a proposal. Authors tell me it is harder than writing the book. What we ask for is exactly what the publishers want from us. The better your proposal is prepared, with the information the publishers want to see, the better chance you have of getting it looked at seriously.

Here is a sample of what we get every day:

Today I got an e-mail that says, ‘logline synopsis’ in the subject line. The author gives me no information about himself, publishing history or sales numbers – we need this information in order to make a decision about whether or not we want to consider the book. Unfortunately, I get several e-mails a day with only a summary of the book and author’s name. I am tempted to write back and say there are a zillion ideas out there, but I need more information about you. I simply don’t have time to reply to them all. Once in awhile I ask them to take a look at our web site and our proposal guidelines and often I simply delete the e-mail. I got a “Dear Sir or Madam” query today. We hardly ever seriously consider those.

A query needs to include your bio, publishing history and a summary of the book. We get many queries each day and some with only a summary of the book. Ideas are a dime a dozen, I need to see a real proposal.

On the other side of the coin, we get proposals that we love and for one reason or another can’t accept. We try to be conscientious about responding to the e-mails that we receive. We know that writing is not easy and that authors often write from their hearts. Again, do your homework and send agents well prepared proposals, or if you want to send a query make sure it contains your bio and publishing history in it as well as a summary of the book.

I hope you have a great week. We’ve had lots of rain in Pittsburgh and grey skies. The sun is trying to peek out today. It’s been in the 40’s & 50’s but going back to colder weather this week with a little sun. My husband, Jim, had a birthday yesterday and my son Jim’s birthday is Friday, so we’re celebrating their birthdays tonight. We had a busy weekend eating cake with friends!

Warmly,

Joyce