November 2005 Newsletter
BLUE MOUNTAIN BACKROADS
It's a sunshiny day here in the Ozarks. Most of the trees have lost their leaves, but a few oaks are golden yellow. Usually they just turn a russet brown but this year they fairly glow with color. The skies are still an October blue and the sun has a lot of warmth. We have several ricks of fireplace wood stacked against the fence, a full tank of gas for the heating stoves, the kerosene lamps are filled, I have a neat little battery powered lamp that gives out a limited light, but strong enough to read by, and my bookcase is full to the bursting point. I'm ready for whatever Mother Nature sends our way.
I can't believe it's almost time for Thanksgiving,
which seems to be a forgotten holiday. The day after Halloween, Christmas candy hits the store shelves. Doesn't the world take time to be thankful anymore? Has Thanksgiving just become a time to watch football games? Sometimes it seems that way. Well, I'm thankful. Thankful for the pleasant weather we've been having even if we desperately need rain. I'm thankful for family and friends, for the roof over my head and the clothes in my closet, for a well-stocked pantry and freezer. I'm thankful for a fire in the fireplace, a cup of hot tea sweetened with honey, and for good books to read. Most of all I'm thankful I know Jesus as Savior and Lord of my life, I let Him down occasionally, but He never fails. I met Him when I was thirteen years old and each year the relationship grows sweeter.
WRITING NEWS OF THE MONTH
Shirlee McCoy has another contract with Steeple Hill Suspense and it will be out in 2007. Way to go Shirlee. Proud of you.
Sharon Hinck has a new cover and it's a good one. You can see it at www.sharonhinck.com
Sharon's first book The Secret Life of Becky
Miller will be released by Bethany House in June 2006.
New Christian Blog. This is the blog for the Christian Authors Network, launched at ICRS in Denver. It's a group of 40 CBA authors working together to support retailers and get Christian books into the hands of readers. They do retail events, publish ezines for fiction and nonfiction readers, sponsor contests and work with the media to promote Christian books. Their website is: www.christianauthorsnetwork.com. Their blog is: www.christianauthorsnetwork.blogspot.com Check them out. You'll find them very helpful and an idea long overdue.
Meredith Efken's book, SAHM I Am, published by Steeple Hill has a November release date. It can be found at bookstores and on www.amazon.com SAHM I Am will be the featured book on the Need To Read list in the December newsletter. If you haven't read it by then, I'll tell you all about how good it is. Multnomah Publishers has offered Jill Nelson a 3-book contract. Jill's agent is Andrea Boeshaar of Hartline Literary Agency. This is Jill's first book contract. That's great, Jill, happy for you, and good work Andrea. When you have additional information let me know and I'll post it here. Molly Noble Bull was a guest on Christian TV out of Odessa, Texas on November the 3rd. Unfortunately I can't get it here, but, knowing Molly, I'm sure she did a great job.
MaryLu Tyndall has a signed a three book contract with Barbour. It will be an historical pirate series set in the 1600's in the Caribbean. The first one, due out in September 2006 is called The Redemption. The other two, The Reliance, and The Restitution will be out in 2007. Good news, MaryLu. Happy for you.
Cup of Hope, Hope Wilbanks new magazine encourages, uplifts and motivates you through invigorating inspirational articles, thoughts, and ideas. To read these inspiring articles go to http://www.invigoratinginspiration.com. (To contribute, please refer to the Writer's Guidelines page on the website)
Virginia (Ginny) Smith's book Just As I Am will be released by Kregel in March of 2006. Ginny has a great interview with Gina Holmes on http://www.firstnoveljourney.blogspot.com.
If you have any news or know of anyone who has had a contract or
book published, let me know. I'm always looking for information for
this segment.
BULLETIN BOARD
Check out the Bulletin Board at http://www.barbarawarrenbluemountainedit.com
for latest news about fellow writers and their books. If you have anything you want posted there, let me know. I hope to use the newsletter and the bulletin board to spread the good news about our writing successes.
WHACKY NEWS OF THE MONTH.
(News too weird to make up)
Did you read about the man who spotted a police helicopter against the dark evening sky? He had one thought. The cops were after him. No problem, he could handle that. He dived into a store sewer and crawled through a dark maze of water and sludge-filled sewers to a storm grate about three quarters of a mile away. Since he had no idea how to find his way back and he couldn't remove the grate so he could get out, the poor guy was stuck in a dark smelly place. Even jail would have looked good at this point.
After a night in the sewer, about 10 a.m. he spotted a man walking by and shouted for help. The man called 911, which brought the fire rescue squad, an ambulance, the utility company and the sheriff's department, the very people he had hoped to avoid. After removing the grate the cops had a lot of questions, which our hero tried to answer, but finally he admitted that he crawled into the sewer because he thought they were after him. This puzzled the police because they didn't know they were supposed to be after him.
Turned out that the two outstanding warrants for his arrest, one for driving with a suspended license and a second for probation violation weren't exactly the type to generate a full-scale manhunt requiring a helicopter. Apparently, like a lot of our other so-called celebrities he wasn't quite as important as he had thought. But they had him now.
The arresting officers said there was a strong aroma coming from the back seat of the car and as soon as they had him booked, he was getting a shower. I don't know if he likes to read, but I'd suggest Proverbs 28:1 "The wicked man flees though no one pursues."
WRITING TIP OF THE MONTH
I've read a lot of books on writing and I think they leave out something very important. We need to learn the nuts and bolts of writing. We need to constantly strive to become better writers, but the way we tell the story is important too. The best advice I can give you, and I wish someone had given it to me years ago, is to be yourself on the page.
I know a writer who writes for his own enjoyment. He doesn't really expect to be published. Ask him about his book and his eyes light up and he starts talking. He lives the story. It's exciting, alive, and interesting. Have him put it down on paper and all the light is gone, because now he's not talking the story, he's WRITING.
Remember when you were starting out your freshman year in high school. You were afraid you wouldn't be able to find your locker or your classroom, afraid of new experiences, afraid no one would like you. If your mother was like mine, she had one good piece of advice. Just be yourself and they'll like you. That's good advice for writing too. Don't try to copy someone else's writing style, just be yourself.
Remember this, you're not writing for your friends. You're not writing for the people you work with or go to church with. You're not writing for your family or your critique group. You're writing for people like you who have the same interests you have. They're the ones who will buy your book. Not everyone will like your book.
Not everyone likes Stephen King's books. Do you think that bothers him? Considering his sales, I'd say probably not. Identify your audience--people like you. They'll like what you like, they'll read what you read and they're probably as knowledgeable as you are about the interests you share. Don't try to write over their heads, using a fancy flowery style that isn't the real you. They won't appreciate it. Don't write down to them, explaining every little thing, you'll
just bore them. Be yourself. They'll love you.
Discovering your own voice will open up a new world of writing and it will bring about some of the best work you've ever done. Give a dozen different writers the same story idea and no two books would be the same, but at least half of those books will sound the same because they are written in the same voice. We as writers are afraid to be ourselves on the page. We're afraid of rejection, afraid people won't like our writing if we sound like ourselves, so we try to write like Mary Higgins Clark, like John Grisham, or like our favorite famous writer. After all, these people make mega bucks writing. We can't make a mistake by sounding like them, right?
Wrong. Editors aren't looking for the same old voices, they're looking for that special voice that doesn't sound like anyone else. They're looking for someone that sounds like . . . you. Don't adopt a style that's not your own. That's the best advice I can give you. Think of your favorite writers. Why do you like them? I'm guessing it's because they don't sound like anyone else. Some of my favorite well known authors; Tony Hillerman, Anne George, Margaret Maron , each has a unique style I'd recognize anywhere. And yet I don't want to be the next Anne George or Margaret Maron, I want to be the first Barbara Warren. That should be your goal too, be the first "you" to hit the publishing world.
You'll have a better chance of being published if you trust your instincts, trust your voice, and be yourself on the page. You're a likable person with a great personality. People like you. They'll like you on the pages of your book too. Don't be an imitation, be the real deal. Just be yourself.
NEED TO READ BOOK OF THE MONTH
DYING TO DECORATE BY CYNDY SALZMANN
Dying to Decorate by Cyndy Salzmann
Cyndy Salzmann's book Dying to Decorate is a delight. When Lucy inherits a Civil-war era mansion, her friends, the six members of the Friday Afternoon Club or FAC, rally around. They take a road trip to Locust Hill planning to help Lucy whip the house into shape. No one counted on finding a secret room complete with old clothing and blankets, a stoneware water jug and what appear to be shackles. Lucy's Aunt Bette gives them an old journal written by Anna Simmons Crawford, one of Lucy's ancestors.
As the women read the journal they discover Locust Hill was a station on the Underground Railroad. They learn about the very real danger faced by the teenage Anna and her family, about the desperation of the fugitives, and they question their own dedication to living out their beliefs.
Cyndy has provided a light-hearted tale about a likeable group of characters, but woven through the story is a dramatic history lesson. Dying to Decorate will make you laugh and make you think, and the recipes at the beginning of each chapter are an additional treat. Check out Drucillina's "Death by Chocolate," page 39 or Liz's "Triple Chocolate Pecan Brownies" on page 146, or . . . well, you get the idea.
Dying to Decorate is available at bookstores and at www.amazon.com Definitely a good addition to your "need to read" list. As an additional service, this review will be posted on Amazon.com
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
If God is your co-pilot, switch seats.
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
CROCKPOT BAKED POTATO SOUP
4 cans chicken broth
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans cream of chicken soup
5 to 8 strips of bacon, chopped, (precooked)
3 to 4 chopped green onions
Mix together and cook until bubbly for a few minutes Add 3 cans of potatoes, chopped and drained. Pour into crockpot and cut up and add 1 block of Velveeta cheese (2 lb size) let cook on low until cheese is melted and vegetables are tender. This makes a lot. You may want to cut recipe in half.
Barbara
Blue Mountain Editorial Service
www.barbarawarrenbluemountainedit.com
But they that wait upon the
lord shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they
shall run, and not be weary: and they shall walk, and not faint.
- Isaiah 40:31 KJV
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