COMING SOON ~ Book Two of the Peace in the Mountains collection

BUILDING BOOK TWO FROM BOOK ONE

When you discover the book you just purchased is actually part of a series and the book in your hands is Book Two, do you set it aside so you can read Book One first? I’ve done that, because like most readers, I want to read the entire saga in chronological order. I like being introduced to the characters and the events that brought those characters to where they are in the right order. Otherwise, I’m confused when I encounter statements or descriptions that don’t make sense because I didn’t read Book One.

I especially dislike dangling story threads that leave the reader hanging and biting her nails waiting for the next book to come out. Sometimes it’s almost a year until the next book comes out, for Pete’s sake!! I understand the reasoning: publishers want to sell Books Two and Three, and they think the best way to do that is to leave a story thread in Book One unresolved. Unfortunately, as a result of this practice, many readers simply won’t buy books that are part of a series. This is sad because they are missing out on some great stories. But I also understand the frustration of being coerced into buying the next book.

For that reason, many authors, myself included, write their stories as stand alones, even if they are part of a series. It makes no difference in what order they are read. The stories are tied together by the setting, the theme, characters’ occupations, personalities, or family members. So instead of the three or four books being a “series,” they are a “collection.” The fun thing about writing a collection is that the author can let the main characters from one book have a cameo role in another book while still making each book stand alone.

The collection I am currently working on is entitled Peace in the Mountains stories. All three books are/will be set in the same place, and the reader will glimpse characters they recognize from another book in the collection. Fun! Book one of my Peace in the Mountains collection is BREATH OF WATER, and follows the saga of Dulcie Chappell and her grandparents as they strive to maintain possession of the land that has been in their family for five generations.

Book two is going to release soon, and is entitled JOURNEY OF PEACE. As the title suggests, the characters in JOURNEY OF PEACE are seeking resolution to some very unsettling events in their pasts–like most of us. All of the books in this collection (I am currently working on book three) are set in the mountains of western North Carolina, the little town of Hot Springs, in the late 19th century. Some of the town folk the reader meets in BREATH OF WATER show up again in JOURNEY OF PEACE. But I promise: no unresolved plot lines, no untied story threads, nothing to leave the reader hanging except that (hopefully!) she will want to revisit the community and historical time frame again. It won’t be long now–keep watching this blog, and my Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/ConnieStevensAuthor for more updates.

Posted in Appalachian highlands, Breath of Water, creating characters, creating setting, fictional characters, historical fiction, JOURNEY OF PEACE, new release | Leave a comment

GUEST BLOGGER — MARTHA ROGERS

It is my joy to welcome Martha Rogers to my website and blog today. Martha is a long-time friend, and I’ve enjoyed her books for several years. Martha’s writing journey is unique in that her first full-length novel was published after she turned 73! Her story proves it’s never too late, and God’s timing is always perfect!

Her new release is A GIFT OF LOVE:

JOURNEY TO A DREAM
My writing journey began when I realized how much I like to make up stories and live in a fantasy world where I could create the perfect family, especially after my parents’ divorce. I made up stories for my paper dolls and my dolls using them as the characters. I wrote short stories as a teenager and my first novel as a freshman in college, still using it to escape into my “ideal” life.

After retirement from teaching English to college freshmen, I became serious about my writing. I met DiAnn Mills at a writing conference, and she took me under her wing, mentored me, and formed a critique group. She also convinced me to join a new writing group, American Christian Romance Writers. That was the best thing I could have done.

Through ACRW and then ACFW, I met and made friends with some wonderful authors who gave me great advice and information and met Tamela Hancock Murray who became my agent. At the age of 65, I had little hope of being published, but with the encouragement of Tamela and my friends, I persevered.

DiAnn, Kathleen Y’Barbo Turner, Janice Thompson, and I collaborated on a novella anthology, Sugar and Grits and submitted it in 2001. Patience paid off as we waited until 2005 when we were offered a contract for it. When it was published in 2007, I thought now I would be on my way. Two years later I still didn’t have another contract, but I didn’t give up.

I adopted Galatians 6:9 as my writing verse because I knew if I didn’t give up on my dream of what I believed God wanted me to do, I would reap a harvest. Then in 2009, on my seventy-third birthday, Tamela called me with the news that Strang Publishing was interested in Becoming Lucy. They first sent an offer letter then a contract for one book with an option for three more. In September of 2009 I signed the contract the Winds Across the Prairie series. From that came a prequel to Lucy and a Christmas story on the same characters.

Since then I have over fifty-five novels and novellas published. When God opened the door, He kicked it wide open.

The road to publication was not easy, and the hundreds of rejections hurt. However, I learned from the rejections. I paid attention to what my critique partners and judges in contest said. Of course some of what they said made me a little angry, but then I settled down and began to think things through.

I faced detours, bad roads, hazardous conditions, stop signs and other road difficulties that tried to distract me from my dream and my goal. Prayer and patience guided me along with perseverance. I learned God’s timetable is not mine, and He is always on time—never too early and never too late. Now at age 84, people are asking me if I’m still writing. I tell them yes, and I will continue to do so until I hear Him telling me it’s time to stop.

♥♥♥

Martha Rogers is a multi-published author and writes a weekly devotional for ACFW. Since receiving her first novel contract at age 73, Martha has written and published over 50 books. Martha and her husband Rex live in Houston, Texas where they are active members of First Baptist Church. They are the parents of three sons and grandparents to eleven grandchildren and great-grandparents to six. Martha is a retired teacher with twenty-eight years teaching Home Economics and English at the secondary level and eight years at the college level supervising student teachers and teaching freshman English. She is the Director of the Texas Christian Writers Conference held in Houston in August each year, a member of ACFW, ACFW WOTS chapter in Houston, and a member of the writers’ group, Inspirational Writers Alive.

Find Martha at:
www.marthawrogers.com,
www.hhhistory.com
Twitter:  @martharogers2
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarthaRogersAuthor

 

Posted in ACFW Author, Christmas fiction, Guest Bloggers, Martha Rogers, writing journey | Leave a comment

CELEBRATING THE RELEASE OF BREATH OF WATER

Now that BREATH OF WATER has officially released, (WOOOHOOO!!)  I’m inviting y’all to celebrate with me!

I’m doing a giveaway!  Between Sept 21st and Sept 30th, post a comment here about your favorite character in the book. (PLEASE, NO SPOILERS! In other words, don’t mention any specific events that happen past chapter three.) Just tell who is your favorite character and why. Three comments will be chosen by my publisher on Sept 30th.

Get your copy of BREATH OF WATER and fall in love with the characters.

Posted in Breath of Water, favorite characters, fictional characters, giveaway, new release, Promotional giveaway | 6 Comments

Sneak Peek into BREATH OF WATER: What makes the main character tick?

In my new book, BREATH OF WATER, Dulcie Chappell has a huge load of responsibility on her shoulders. Between the daily farm chores and processing the wool into fine woolen cloth and one-of-a-kind rugs, she maintains a fierce determination to care for her aging grandparents. Holding a grudge while balancing all her duties adds to the heaviness, but when the grudge is against God, she encounters more of a burden than she can carry.

 

Posted in Appalachian highlands, Brainstorming characters, Breath of Water, conflicting emotions, creating characters, family history, fictional characters, historical fiction, strong female characters, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Another sneak peek at BREATH OF WATER

In my new book, BREATH OF WATER, the Chappell family raises sheep for their wool as part of their family heritage. It’s a lot of work, but one of the characters fills an important role in helping to care for the sheep. Meet Malachi, sheepdog, faithful companion, and hero.

 

Posted in Appalachian highlands, Breath of Water, character's occupations, family history, fictional characters, historical fiction, new release, sheepdog | Leave a comment

TAKE A SNEAK PEEK . . .

My soon-to-be-released novel, BREATH OF WATER, features the Chappell family who has birthed several generations in the mountains of western North Carolina. Dulcie Chappell has a special relationship with her grandma, except for one thing: Grandma has a deep faith in God, and Dulcie has nurtured her resentment toward God for eleven years.

Because she dearly loves her grandparents who have raised her, she doesn’t want to hurt them by voicing her bitterness. But as Dulcie discovers, it’s hard to pull the wool over Grandma’s eyes.

Posted in Breath of Water, conflicting emotions, creating characters, family history, fictional characters, historical fiction, new release, Relatable characters, Sneak peek, strong female characters | 1 Comment

SNEAK PEEK at Breath of Water

 

The highlands of western North Carolina have embraced the Chappell family for five generations. Their heritage runs as deep as the natural springs that water the land. But trouble is afoot in the form of outsiders who arrive and spin their web of deceit in an attempt to defraud the landowners. The land is Dulcie Chappell’s birthright, and she will fight to protect it as fiercely as she protects her grandparents.

BREATH OF WATER releases September 20th.

Posted in Breath of Water, family history, historical fiction, new release, Sneak peek | 1 Comment

SETTING — Is it a place you want to visit?

Have you ever been so pulled into a story that you felt you’ve “been there” before? You’ve walked down that street, you’ve inhaled the fragrance of baking bread from bakery at the corner, you’ve heard the rumble of the train crossing the trestle. Can you see the ramshackle house with the missing shingles and broken window? Are the roses lining the driveway pleasing to your senses? Does the pristine white door and attractive wreath beckon a welcome? Do you feel the oppressive heat and humidity, or the biting cold that steals your breath?  When the reader is transported to the place where the story happens, and she stands in the middle of it instead of watching it on a screen or through a porthole, she becomes part of the story experience.

Sometimes authors become so focused on crafting “real” characters or building intriguing plot lines, that they forget the story has to happen in a “real” place. When the setting isn’t clear, the characters move through the story in gray fog. The reader has difficulty anchoring the characters in the scene because she doesn’t know or can’t see where they are. The author may very well envision the setting during the writing process, but that setting must be communicated in such a way that the reader can see it, feel it, and even anticipate it.

In my new release, BREATH OF WATER, much of the story occurs at the Chappell family homestead. This setting with the house and barn, the split rail fence and the sheep meadow, is as important to the story as the characters. It’s imperative for the reader to be able to see how the meadow slopes, the mountain ridge above it, and the work shed tucked away into the trees. She must be able to hear the thump of the loom shuttle, and experience the uneven cadence of Grandma’s cane on the pine wood floor. The reader needs to feel the morning dew on the grass, and hear the soothing music of sheep baaing. She must be able to imagine the family graveyard in the corner of the meadow surrounded by scrub junipers and rhododendron. The setting must become a character in itself.

Opening the door and letting your reader walk into the setting of the story is an invitation for her to stay a while and keep turning pages.

 

Posted in backdrop for characters, Breath of Water, creating characters, creating setting, Description, new release, setting as a character, setting details, settings | Leave a comment

Introducing . . .

One of the most FUN things a writer of fiction gets to do is make friends with people. Yes, writing is a solitary business, and as a writer I am mostly alone at my computer with no other co-workers except the cat. But she isn’t the only friend sitting at my desk.

While working on my upcoming release, BREATH OF WATER, I made several new friends. They might be “imaginary” friends, but they are real to me. My characters must come alive for me. I have to be able to “hear” them (no, I don’t need to be on medication), and converse with them (please do not call the authorities to take me away) in order for them to tell me their story. If my characters don’t feel real to me, they won’t feel real to a reader, either.

So, without further ado, allow me to introduce you to my new friends:

DULCIE CHAPPELL — Dulcie is the fifth generation of the Chappell family. She loves the land and her legacy that has been handed down to her from her grandparents, and she is fiercely protective and loyal. Heaven help the person who speaks a word against her grandparents, because dealing with Dulcie’s wrath is a little like trying to baptize a cat.

 

 

GAVIN DEWITT — All his life, Gavin has lived in the shadow of his older brother, and has believed he must attain the goals set for him by others in order to be successful. When he meets the Chappell family, all his pre-conceived notions are trampled, and he is challenged with choices he has never faced before.

 

 

JAMES CHAPPELL — Dulcie’s grandpa is a simple man, but possesses more wisdom than most “educated” people. His love for his family is strong, his roots go deep into the mountains of his birth, and his faith in God is unwavering. His greatest desire, after loving God, is to see Dulcie inherit the land and the legacy that goes with it.

 

 

VIRGINIA CHAPPELL — Dulcie’s grandma can be a spitfire, but her heart is tender when it comes to her husband and granddaughter. She is doggedly determined keep working until the Lord takes her home, and by her example she teaches Dulcie to embrace their heritage.

 

 

 

ARNOLD DEWITT — is the guy readers will love to hate. Arrogant and haughty, he believes there is nothing more important than making money, no matter who he has to manipulate.

 

 

MALACHI — this guy turns out to be a hero more than once!

 

 

 

BREATH OF WATER releases on September 20th! I hope you will enjoy meeting this cast of imaginary friends as much as I enjoyed writing about them.

 

Posted in Breath of Water, character photos, creating characters, fictional characters, historical fiction, names of fictional characters, new release, News, strong female characters | 11 Comments

Where Is Your Strength?

Welcome Marilyn Turk to my blog today.
Congratulations, Marilyn, on your latest release, ABIGAIL’S SECRET.

Newly widowed Abby Baker returns home to Hope Harbor with her young daughter to help her ailing mother, hoping to restart her life. Weighed down by grief and fear of failure, she wishes she had the strength of her grandmother, who had the challenge of raising a young child alone while also taking on the duties of a lighthouse keeper after her husband drowned. What was the secret of Granny Abigail’s strength?
Carson Stevens is a lighthouse enthusiast who has bought the deteriorating Hope Island lighthouse to restore it and turn it into a bed-and-breakfast. When he meets the attractive granddaughter of the former keepers, he wants her to be part of the restoration.
What awaits them at the lighthouse? As Abby and Carson work together, they discover clues to a family secret that threatens to change Abby’s life forever.  But someone is trying to sabotage their efforts at restoration. Are they trying to keep something from being found?
Renovating the old lighthouse might be their goal, but renovating their hearts may be what Abby and Carson need the most.

♥♥♥

Have you ever felt like you had more on your shoulders than you could handle? Has the burden of your responsibilities weighed you down? And not only do you feel overloaded, you feel guilty that you’re struggling to manage. What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you handle life the way your ancestors did?

In Abigail’s Secret, we meet Abby, a young widow trying to care for her young daughter and her ailing mother. Still dealing with grief from the death of her military husband, she moves back home and leaves the life she had started on the other side of the country before she got married. Trying to start over, she is faced with the memory of her late grandmother who took her husband’s place as a lighthouse keeper after he drowned. She too, was a widow raising a young daughter alone. Yet memories of her from Abby’s childhood were of a strong woman who could do anything and not feel defeated. How did she manage all alone? What was the source of her strength?

Several years ago, I took a survey of over 100 women for a Bible study I plan to write. In the survey, I asked who the respondents thought was the strongest woman they’d ever known? Overwhelmingly, the answer was their mothers, and especially, their grandmothers. Why? Because life was harder when they lived, yet they managed.

I’ve often thought of the pioneer women, the ones who traveled across the prairies in destitute situations, many walking, often not having enough food to feed everyone so they fed others first even if they didn’t get to eat anything themselves. Somehow, they survived (although not all did). Still, can you imagine cooking at the end of a long day over a fire, even if that meal only consisted of some “bread” out of cornmeal and beans? And can you see traipsing across the country with all those clothes on in the heat? No A/C and no heat. No thank you.

Yet, even with all our female ancestors had to deal with, I wonder if they ever considered themselves strong? After all, men were strong, and women were the weaker sex. Of course, we women know that’s not true; we just have different kinds of strength.

♥♥♥

Marilyn Turk sees the world as the miraculous creation of God. As a writer, she tries to capture His truths in everyday life through her historical novels and heartfelt devotions. Her passion is to encourage women to develop their God-given gifts and find their strengths, a message she delivers when she speaks to audiences.

Marilyn is the director of the Blue Lake Christian Writers Retreat, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, American Christian Fiction Association, Word Weavers International and the Faith, Hope and Love chapter of RWA.  She and her husband are avid lighthouse enthusiasts, having visited over 100, and her popular lighthouse blog features true lighthouse stories. In her spare time, you can find her boating and fishing with her husband, taking walks or playing tennis in her home state of Florida. Connect with her on http://www.marilynturk.com and through social media.

 

Posted in conflicting emotions, creating characters, lighthouse, Marilyn Turk, military widow, Relatable characters, renovations, strong female characters, Where is your strength | Leave a comment