How Writing Leads to a Book's Birthday

Last week I accompanied my husband on a trip out of state. Two of the days I was able to spend in the hotel with my laptop, writing like I hadn't a care in the world. It was the closest I've been to a writer's retreat. No meals to prepare, fewer distractions. But in a lot of ways, I'm blessed with that opportunity on a regular basis from my home office desk. I don't always take full advantage of that fact, but I usually try.

In analyzing what things keep me spending my time writing when I have no time card to punch, I've come up with a few. Maybe you have some useful tips to share as well. Here's a few:
1. Enthusiasm. Start with a scene you are excited to write, even if it's out of order from where you left off. And you just might end up replacing those trouble spots with something better.
2. Manageable Goals. Break your goals down into smaller chunks with short time frames that don't overwhelm. Go for fifteen minutes straight, for instance, and see where it leads.
3. Motivation. Having a critique group that expects my submission every week is strong motivation. Others have some sort of accounting partner or personal reward system. Find what motivates you.
4. Timing. Would changing your routine or fitting in writing into unusual time slots help? Sometimes we don't know if it's a better way until we try something new. Do you know what your body clock likes? Try experimenting in one new way.
5. Attitude. Wake up and remind yourself that you get to write today, that this story that nobody else can tell just like you is ready and waiting. You get to be creative, develop your talent, and have fun. Today you will surprise yourself and write something more amazing than you imagined. Now go for it.

All these practices add up to a finished project, like my first published book whose birthday is this week. Happy birthday to Secrets of the King's Daughter!

Week of Book Love Contest WINNERS!

Was that fun or what! I just finished running my first contest for six straight days. Whew! I had a good time posting pictures, quotes, and fun facts about my book, and I hope you were enticed to want to read it. Thanks to all who participated.


And the winners of a signed copy of Secrets of the King's Daughter are:

Sharlene Bitter
and surprise, surprise--two bonus winners!
 Sarah Marchant Montanares and
Jamie Braegger!
Congrats! Please message me with your address.

CONTEST TIPS: Things I learned from/liked about this experience:
1. Yes, you can do it yourself! It takes planning ahead and managing the scope of things. I decided to do one question a day in an 'open house' type of environment so friends and fans could participate on their own time, and I wouldn't feel overwhelmed by keeping up on a frenzy of getting my info out in a short time block. It's not over as quickly, but it's easier in some ways. Posts can be scheduled ahead on both Blogs and Facebook Pages.
2. Be aware of Facebook rules. Business-related contests need to be run from a business page, not a personal profile. I did not post directly to my personal profile page, but my blog is linked to it as a shared post, so it still made a legal appearance in my status, which helped get the word out.
3. I'm trying to widen my following on my author page and one requirement of the contest was to "Like" my page. There was some success there, but this contest was geared more to people who already were my Facebook friends and family. I didn't want to require participants to "Share" the contest, though at least one person did, which garnered a few new "Likes". Shared posts get wider participation, but sometimes you want to reward those who are already fans.
4. As a debut author, I figured participation would be small. (My publisher already did a bigger scale contest.) That suited me fine, especially for experimenting. I learned that not all participants will follow the rules, but they think they did. For example, maybe they liked a photo or post instead of the author page. You have to decide the purpose of your contest and how strict you will be on the rules before the names go into the drawing. I also had to search for comments from three different places, but that wasn't too hard. It was fun and a good learning experience.

Week of Book Love CONTEST - Day 6 (Final)

Karlinah's Beaded Hair Ties

Welcome to the final day of the CONTEST celebrating my upcoming debut book, Secrets of the King's Daughter, scheduled to release March 1, 2016. I hope you've had fun learning about Princess Karlinah and her worries, her growing faith, romance, danger, and how I use scripture as a basis for fiction. I'm excited for you to learn from and enjoy my book! The winner of the signed copy will be posted on Monday, February 22. And yes, you can go back to days you have missed until the contest closes tonight.

Karlinah makes unique clay beads to decorate the way she keeps her hair braids in place. These beaded hair ties become a clue to her location when someone searches for her. In the sequel--yes, I am writing a follow-up to this stand alone story--these beads provide more clues to finding someone. The sequel will use many of the same characters in a new adventure that can be read independently of the other, but is usually read in a preferred order. Today's question is: Do you typically enjoy series books (three or more), do you prefer single books, or both? 

CONTEST RULES: Each day February 15-20 you will have the opportunity to learn something new about my book and enter to win a signed copy. Simply visit and "Like" my Author Facebook Page and leave a comment there or on my blog that answers the question of the day. Sharing this post is optional but appreciated. One comment per question will go into the drawing for the prize. That's a total of six opportunities to enter to win!

Week of Book Love CONTEST - Day 5

Slingshot like unto Ammon's

It's day 5 of the CONTEST celebrating my upcoming debut book, Secrets of the King's Daughter. "Secrets" is scripture-based historical romance fiction. The main character, Princess Karlinah, is briefly mentioned in the Book of Mormon as a marriageable-aged daughter of King Lamoni (Alma 17: 24). There was a lot of creative license taken to build a character from so little information. However, I used the timeline and information given in several scripture chapters to base some story events. For example, how could I include Ammon as a character and not show the popular scene of him protecting the king's sheep with his slingshot and sword? In fact, you will find a Scriptures Referenced index in the back of my book.

I believe that readers will find the book engaging at any level of scriptural interest. One can simply read it through or find that spark to search the references as desired--something for everyone. I wrote a blog post about finding that middle ground between scripture purists and pure fiction lovers. For today's comment, leave your personal opinion about whether or not you think you would use the reference list: none, a little, or a lot.

CONTEST RULES: Each day February 15-20 you will have the opportunity to learn something new about my book and enter to win a signed copy. Simply visit and "Like" my Author Facebook Page and leave a comment there or on my blog that answers the question of the day. Sharing this post is optional but appreciated. One comment per question will go into the drawing for the prize. That's a total of six opportunities to enter to win!

Week of Book Love CONTEST - Day 4

Boa



 

Ceiba Tree Thorn
 

It's day 4 of the CONTEST celebrating my debut book, Secrets of the King's Daughter. Yesterday I talked about this being a Romance story, but today we find that there are dangerous thrills involved. Someone is attacked by a boa constrictor in the jungle. Someone is kidnapped. Someone gets tied to a thorny Ceiba tree and tortured.

 

Here's what H.B. Moore, Best of State and Whitney Award Winning author said in her endorsement of my book: Secrets of the King's Daughter is an inspiring story filled with danger, intrigue, romance, forgiveness, and faith--a must read for lovers of historical fiction!

For today's comment, tell me briefly of a dangerous situation you or someone you know were involved in.
CONTEST RULES: Each day February 15-20 you will have the opportunity to learn something new about my book and enter to win a signed copy. Simply visit and "Like" my Author Facebook Page and leave a comment there or on my blog that answers the question of the day. Sharing this post is optional but appreciated. One comment per question will go into the drawing for the prize. That's a total of six opportunities to enter to win!  

Week of Book Love CONTEST - Day 3

Maya stone carving at Tulum, Belize

It's Day 3 of the CONTEST celebrating my upcoming debut book, Secrets of the King's Daughter, and we absolutely need a romance day. The book, after all, is billed as a Book of Mormon romance.

In writing "Secrets", I didn't focus on genre as much as including all the elements I wanted in the book. I wanted Karlinah's personal journey, her struggle with faith, some danger and adventure, and a love interest. So, when my publishing team called it a romance, I was a little surprised. Even with all these other elements going on, it does fit the romance formula where something keeps the couple apart but they have a happy-ever-after ending.

One of Princess Karlinah's potential love interests is a stone artisan who gives her a simple lesson in chiseling stone. From the book: 
Karlinah watched them for a moment. "How do I hold it?" she asked Cumroth.
"It will be easier if you let me guide you." He bent over her shoulder from behind and touched his hands to hers. Their cheeks were less than a hand span apart. It sent a shiver through her. She tried to stay steady while Cumroth seemed intent on the task.

For today's question, leave a comment on my author Facebook page or blog about your first crush--how old were you, did they like you back, did your crushes change every other week, etc. It's okay to go back and answer a previous day's question that you missed until the end of the contest.
CONTEST RULES: Each day February 15-20 you will have the opportunity to learn something new about my book and enter to win a signed copy. Simply visit and "Like" my Author Facebook Page and leave a comment there or on my blog that answers the question of the day. Sharing this post is optional but appreciated. One comment per question will go into the drawing for the prize. That's a total of six opportunities to enter to win!
 

Week of Book Love CONTEST - Day 2

Monkey in Tree, taken in Belize

It's Day 2 of the CONTEST celebrating my upcoming debut book, Secrets of the King's Daughter.
Here's a snippet from the book about how Princess Karlinah is not so easily convinced by the words of missionary Ammon:

"Abish beamed at Hepka for a moment before turning toward the eyes she felt penetrating her. There stood Karlinah with arms crossed. Her head tilted to one side, and the familiar skeptical twisting of her rosebud mouth appeared. Abish’s heart sank. Her favorite member of the king’s household had not been converted."

The story takes us through Karlinah's journey of faith, romance, and adventure. When her youngest brother follows the monkeys and becomes lost in the jungle, Karlinah relies on prayer for the first time. Today's question: Have you ever been lost, and under what circumstances?
CONTEST RULES: Each day February 15-20 you will have the opportunity to learn something new about my book and enter to win a signed copy. Simply visit and "Like" my Author Facebook Page and leave a comment there or on my blog that answers the question of the day. Sharing this post is optional but appreciated. One comment per question will go into the drawing for the prize. That's a total of six opportunities to enter to win!

Week of Book Love CONTEST- Day One

Legendary Indian Worry Dolls

Don't worry, be happy!
Riding on the tails of Valentine's Day with its theme of love, this CONTEST celebrates a love for books and a glimpse at a very special book to me--my upcoming debut book, Secrets of the King's Daughter, arriving in a couple weeks. Each day February 15-20 you will have the opportunity to learn something new about my book and enter to win a signed copy.
HOW: It's easy to enter. Simply visit and "Like" my Author Facebook Page and leave a comment there or on my blog that answers the question of the day. Sharing this post is optional but appreciated. One comment per question will go into the drawing for the prize. That's a total of six opportunities to enter to win! Ready?

Today we'll learn something about the book's title, Secrets of the King's Daughter. Fictional Princess Karlinah is the eldest daughter of King Lamoni, a Lamanite king from the Book of Mormon in about 90 A.D. She hides a secret that causes her great worry. From the back liner: "She is not so easily convinced by the words of Ammon--especially when repentance means confessing her crime." What part does Karlinah play in her young husband's demise? That is an intriguing secret indeed.

The first question involves worry. Karlinah worries that repenting may be cause her own death. She worries about whom she will have to marry. And more worries. Karlinah needs a Worry Doll (pictured above). There is a legend amongst the Highland Indian Villages of Guatemala that if you have a problem, you share it with the worry doll. Before going to bed, tell one worry to each doll, then place them beneath your pillow. While you sleep, the dolls will take your worries away. So, what worries you? Silly or serious, share a worry by making a comment. Perhaps you will feel lighter too!

Changing Genres, Blogs Revamps, and Contests--Oh My!

Notice any changes around here? Yep, I've got some new pages up, a new background photo, colors, etc. I hope you like it. Feel free to do some exploring.

While you're here, I want to announce my "Week of Book Love" giveaway February 15-20 right here and on my author Facebook page. I'll give you the details next week.

Finally, I'll leave you with a few thoughts on changing genres. I've been writing novel-length LDS scripture-based fiction for a while now, but recently I've begun a contemporary LDS romance novella. (Check out my PROJECTS tab.) You'd think it would be easier, but any kind of change sets those gear cogs into a different wheel slot, and we have to re-adjust.

Now I can use contemporary words and draw more from real-life experience. But I also have to keep the plot moving quickly. The pages I'm writing for this joint project take up one-fourth of the book and complete my characters' story. It's a different animal. What I'm finding is that the process goes smoother when I have at least jotted down the basic events I want to happen. And I can't forget that feedback and revisions are some of my best tools, especially when I've already scrapped a few paragraphs.

Oh wait. The need for those two things--advanced planning and doing rewrites--they never change. I might have to redirect my brain, but the writing process is basically the same. So, change? Yeah, we can do that.

Join me next week for contest time!

My Sixty Seconds of Fame - Cover Reveal Success

Surreal. Like an out of body experience, watching the numbers from a distant place. Like becoming known to strangers for one minute of their life. I'll take it. That's what my first author online event was like for me. 
 
My publisher sponsored a Cover Reveal and giveaway this past weekend. (Great cover, eh?) My job was to repost and create interest. I did that through some posts and emails.
 
My biggest disappointment was a closed group on Facebook whose administrators must have been off for the weekend. The post will probably still be pending after the contest closes. My biggest thrill was seeing dozens of comments from strangers who loved the cover and wanted to read it. Definitely a good kind of surreal.

There's a learning curve to all this marketing stuff. I'm certain there were things I could have done better, but nothing worth losing sleep over. And I did pick up a few ideas through reading comments. My biggest survival tip: Have something else to busy yourself during the event so that you don't go crazy counting Shares and Likes. (I did some next-book revisions and went to a home and garden show.) Most of all, I'm grateful for the marketing rep who led the contest, that I might find a measure of success and learning. Thank you to all who participated and lended support!