InSpire

BOOK LAUNCH ! Before the Scarlet Dawn

2012-01-28T10:08:00.000-05:00

Book 1 in

The Daughters of the Potomac Series

Has Been Released!

When I first signed the contract for the series with Abingdon, and saw that the first book would not be released until 2012, I thought 'that is so faraway'. But the time flew by and now, with a thankful heart, the book is officially on the shelves.

* * *

On a windswept night in April of 1775, Eliza sat at her father’s bedside hoping he would recover. Forced to leave the home she grew up in, Eliza grows desperate. She could marry her former suitor, but cannot bear the thought of a loveless marriage.

Instead she falls in love with Hayward Morgan, the condescending son of a landed gentleman. When Eliza learns of his plans to leave England and build a life in the Maryland frontier, she decides to present a proposal of her own.

* * *

Writing a series was an amazing, challenging experience, especially since the heroines in the stories are attached in some way to the others. In book 1 there is Eliza, a daring heroine willing to do all she could to be with the man she loved, even if it meant living a life in the wilderness of Maryland during the Revolution. She is not without flaws, however. So keep a box of tissues handy as you journey with her through heart-wrenching trials.

When book 2 comes out, Eliza's daughter Darcy continues the story from her point of view, as she quests for answers about her past, and the meaning of unconditional love in Beside Two Rivers.

Book 3, Beyond the Valley, will be Sarah's story. She appears throughout book 1, and will take readers on a journey from the coast of Cornwall, England, to the wiles of Virginia and Maryland.

Some reviews have come in for Before the Scarlet Dawn. Here are a few snippets.

“…a big, beautiful, well-told story of love, faith, and the struggles of war that changed lives...and hearts.

~ Author Loree Lough ~

With as many twists and turns as the Potomac, and a VERY unexpected conclusion, I found myself not wanting to let go of this story even after I was done reading. I simply cannot wait for the next book in this series, and next time I will have the tissues handy!

~ Diana Flowers, book reviewer ~

If you would like to help promote this book, please post the below link on your Facebook page. Or feel free to copy and paste the content and share it on your blog. I would appreciate it more than words can say. And if you purchase a copy, either in paperback or e-book, thank you! I love my readers, and write with them in mind.

http://daughtersofthepotomacseries.blogspot.com/

~ Read Chapter One for free ~

http://www.abingdonpress.com/forms/displayImage.aspx?pcid=2517746

New Cover

2012-01-27T16:59:00.000-05:00

I am thrilled to announce that the first book in the Daughters of the Potomac Series, Before the Scarlet Dawn, has been released. It is available in paperback at bookstores everywhere, and all the online bookstores, including Kindle, Nook, and other available electronic downloads.

Also I received the cover for book 2, Beside Two Rivers, to be released in August. Do you like it?

I want to encourage aspiring writers to keep at it. Don't give up on your writing when you receive a rejection. Keep moving on. Keep writing stories. Keep submitting. Remember faith without works is dead.

A Few Words of Advice

2012-01-20T13:22:00.000-05:00

Have a teachable spirit and the willingness to listen to an editor or an established author. If you think not one jot or tittle of your work should be touched, you will fall short in your efforts to improve your writing and to be published.

If you are not yet published, listen to constructive critiques. A constructive critique will give you guidance on how to make your story better in content, narrative, dialogue, etc. Don't shoot me, but if all you get in a critique is don't use 'was', 'ing', or 'ly' ever, or 'you broke a rule', you are being critiqued by inexperienced writers.

To keep the passion alive for writing, try variety. Listen to inspiring music. I prefer classical and movie soundtracks. Take your laptop outside on a warm day, or move to a different area in the house. If you don't have a laptop, write by hand in a notebook away from your computer. Don't answer the phone, unless the caller id screen tells you it may be important.

When you have those moments where the words are not flowing, be patient. As a writer friend told me when I shared with her what was happening, 'continue to stare....something BIG is about to break!' But do not neglect your muse. Dwell on the scene. Listen to inspiring music and read or watch a movie in your genre.

Next time you sit down and open a novel think of the work that the author put into writing it. It took months to write, perhaps a year. They went through moments where they froze, moments of intense creativity, moments of despair wonder if it was good enough, and lonely moments too. Writing is hard work. But we do it because we love it and we love our readers and want to please them.

Look at Rejections as Stepping-Stones

2011-12-23T16:02:00.000-05:00

When I read accounts of aspiring writers expressing their disappointment after they’ve received a rejection, my heart goes out to them. I've been in that exact same place where rejections seemed an endless circle for several years after I began writing seriously. They caused me to wonder if I’d ever be published, if I were on the right career path. But deep down in my heart the desire to be write beat on. I could not give up, and neither should you if you are feeling like throwing in the proverbial towel.

There are three things a Christian writer must have besides a tough skin, persistence and patience, and the belief God has blessed you with a gift, whether it is to write one story or a thousand. You continue to write, improve the craft, send out queries, put your writing career into God’s hands, and commit your work to Him.

But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Romans 8:25

Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established.

Proverbs 16:3

Rejections come with the writing life. However, the day you land your first publishing contract, all that you went through to get to this point will be worth it, no matter how long it took. Still, you might get a rejection from your editor on a new proposal, but you can ask what you can do to make the manuscript better, what can you change to meet her expectations. As you grow as a writer you'll begin to view rejections as stepping stones to something better...to make you a better writer, a motivation to make your manuscript the best it can be.

Some may disagree, but I tend to think we need to change the wording from ‘rejection’ to ‘a pass’. Wouldn’t that make it a little less gut wrenching for writers? Editors and agents will tell you, most passes are because the book’s premise does not intrigue them, or they haven’t the room for another client or author. But that is not to say a lot of submissions are given a pass based on poor writing and weak plot lines.

When I had finished writing Surrender the Wind, I started sending out queries right away. Frustrated after a year of receiving passes from agents, I sat down at my desk one July morning in 2008, and asked the Lord to show me what He wanted me to do with this book and with my career. I have a verse in a frame on my desk that says ' Commit your work to the Lord' and when I looked over at it, I decided that was the only way to go. Commit it all into His hands. If He wanted my novel published, it would be. I had to be patient for the right door to open at the right time and place.

Fifteen minutes later I read on Brandilyn Collins’ blog that Barbara Scott had been hired as the new acquisitions editor at Abingdon Press. They were starting a fiction line and she was looking for novels in my genre—inspirational historical romance. I sent Barbara a query and she requested the manuscript. I was offered a contract and Surrender the Wind came out August 09. In June 2010, I signed again with Abingdon for a historical series Daughters of the Potomac.

I'm not sharing these successes to toot my own horn. My goal in writing this article is to encourage you to look at rejections in a different light. Remember they are stepping-stones to something better. Be patient and persistent.

********************************************************************************

Beginning February 1, 2012, Daughters of the Potomac, will be released. Titles are:

Before the Scarlet Dawn

Beside Two Rivers

Beyond the Valley

A Christmas Treat

2011-12-21T11:05:00.001-05:00

'Tis the week for festive cookies and desserts.

This week I'm sharing a Shortbread Cookie recipe I've made for years. When my sons were little, I'd cut out the dough in fun shapes. This year I patted the dough into a roll and cut them into little squares. You can add sprinkles or icing.

Shortbread Cookies
3 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract (almond and lemon extracts are also good.)

Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. Cream butter and sugar until creamy, then slowly add sugar, egg, and extract. Gently fold in the flour mix and form dough.

Roll out on floured surface. Cut in different shapes and add sprinkles.
Bake on ungreased cookie sheets 10-15 minutes at preheated 325 oven. Cool on racks.

Here's a treat I found online that you can purchase. But they are easy to make yourself. Just dip the marshmallows in white chocolate and roll in crushed peppermint candy. You can vary the recipe with other candy or chocolate.

FROM THE MILES KIMBELL WEBSITE

Serve these fancy, festive hors d’oeurves for sweet snacks or satisfying desserts! Boasting soft, billowy marshmallows, hand dipped in white chocolate and rolled in crushed, peppermint candies, each indulgent treat has its own wooden stick for merry munching. 4.2 oz. package includes 6 individually wrapped snowballs.

http://www.mileskimball.com/MilesKimball/Shopping/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=BC00362089&ICMP=Search&SourceCode=10509000007&mr%3AreferralID=6e7d43ec-2b4d-11e1-8a48-001b2166becc

Let's Talk 'HEROS'!

2011-12-18T17:09:00.002-05:00

HERO: a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.

In today's market, most novels focus on the heroine. Here are a few questions about heroes that I hope you'll take a moment to comment on.

Have we missed out on the hero being the strong central character in CBA novels?

What is the reason the heroine has taken the lead?

If the hero did take a stronger role in CBA novels, would this give female readers the wrong image of what a man should be, or can writers portray him to be a godly man with flaws, yet willing to lay down his life for others as Christ would?

I'm preparing a proposal for an Edwardian series. Three heroines will be the central characters. However, the heroes are going to shine through these stories as much as the ladies.

In order to have a deeper vision of my characters I keep a file of old photos. Here are a few. Tell me how would your visualize each of these gentleman as a hero. These are early 20s and 30s actors.

Present day actors are still a source for inspiration. The thing I am seeing in books, movies, and television programs is the tough, manish heroine.

I feel these give the wrong message to girls about womanhood. We can still be feminine and be strong. But we don't have to act like a man to be a heroine.

Are these types of stories emasculation the hero?

What My Grandmother Taught Me ~ Part 3

2011-12-11T10:32:00.001-05:00

During the Great Depression, my grandmother Bess had to feed a family of 12. She did a lot of canning in those days, and one thing that was stored in many a cellar were apples.

In those days my grandfather would return home with bushel baskets of apples, sacks of potatoes, and other produce in bulk that he would acquire from local farmers outside the boundaries of Washington DC. Grandmother taught me that tough times call for ingenuity.

Since Colonial times in America, apples have been stored over the winter months in cold cellars. In this final post on recipes from my novel 'Surrender the Wind', I have a delicious stewed apple recipe for you from my novel Surrender the Wind.

Claire in the story is a servant at our hero's estate, Ten Width Manor. Here is a snippet.

The path widened the closer Claire got to Ten Width. She stopped, looked down the hill, and caught her breath. There stood the house, the brick washed with dew and morning light as if an ornament chiseled from an artist’s hand.

With her sleeve, she wiped the sweat from off her face and moved on.

She rushed down the hilly path. The neigh of a horse caused her to glance up a few yards ahead where a rider pulled rein. His tall, black horse shook its wiry mane and looked at her with wild yellow eyes.

Claire's Stewed Apples

6-7 firm apples, 1/2 stick of unsalted butter, and 1 cup of sugar, 1 tbs. cinnamon, 1/2 cup water. Peel, core, and slice apples into chunks. Sprinkle with sugar. Melt butter in a skillet on low heat. Add the apples and cinnamon. Cook until tender, and serve after a hardy meal. . .but not to such odious men such as Constable Latterbuck who insulted my apples, even though he thoroughly enjoyed my seared beef, bread, and potatoes.

Claire ~ Ten Width Manor

Please visit my website to read more about Surrender the Wind, and the new inspirational historical series, Daughters of the Potomac, that will be released beginning February 1, 2012.

http://ritagerlach.blogspot.com

For the Holidays, Cokesbury Bookstore is offering Surrender the Wind at 70% off the cover price for only $4.00! If you need a gift for the book lover on your list that enjoys inspirational romances, this is the book you want for them. And if you would like a large bookmark to go with your book, just send me an email ( rpkg@comcast.net ) with your request and address and I'll get it in the mail to you right away.
http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=783958

In the next post, I'll be sharing a wonderful Christmas recipe with you!

2011-12-01T00:32:00.001-05:00

Today I am sharing a tea cake recipe that my heroine, Juleah Fallows Braxton, would have made in the Colonial period.

Allow me first to give you a snippet from my novel 'Surrender the Wind', an inspirational historical romance set in the Colonial era.

Juleah’s reflection appeared in the window glass. Unlike a mirror, it was a translucent image, her eyes and face pale, her hair ghostly soft about her face. She saw one person, one woman, instead of a couple. How incomplete she seemed without Seth beside her.

Her eyes filled and blurred the reflection before her. The horse chestnuts trees her father had planted on the hilltop beyond the garden came into view. Lances of sunlight poured between them, made the grass luminescent, matched the color of the lichen in the pond.

“I wish I could paint that scene,” she whispered, leaning her head across her arm. “But I shall never excel at watercolors.”

Juleah's Colonial Tea Cakes

1 cup of butter, 1 cup of sugar, 3 eggs, and 4 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Cream butter and sugar together until creamy. Add slightly beaten eggs and remaining ingredients. Roll on floured board and cut. Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 400 for 12 minutes. Serve to guests, especially ladies, with good English tea and dusted with powdered sugar.

Visit my website and read about Surrender the Wind, and a new series, The Daughters of the Potomac, to be released beginning February 1

http://ritagerlach.blogspot.com/

Food for Thought

2011-11-21T10:18:00.001-05:00

From everything I've been told about my grandmother, she was an excellent cook. She measured flour with her hand instead of a measuring cup. She could take a head of cabbage and feed a table of ten with it during the Depression. She'd bake dozens of dinner rolls every morning to feed her family and share with needy neighbors.

A few of her recipes were past down, and one thing my grandmother taught me was recipes mean a great deal to families --- they are in fact a part of a family's history. So when I was writing my novel 'Surrender the Wind', I decided to include cookery, as it was called in Colonial times, to the story. Three women, each having their own best dish. A hero that loves his wife's baking. A housekeeper to an Annapolis lawyer that frets over whether or not her roasted chicken is to his dinner guests' liking. And a servant whose stewed apples tempt the hardy appetite of a local constable.

Over three posts, I will include their recipes. First here is Mrs. Partridge's Colonial Maryland Roasted Chicken. Let me share a bit about her first from the novel.

Stowefield sat at his desk dozing, his steel spectacles hanging low on the bridge of his nose. His hair was a mass of gray locks, matching a pair of bushy eyebrows. His housekeeper nudged him on the shoulder and he shook and sputtered awake.

“What is it, Partridge?”

Seth waited inside the doorway. He smiled at the pronouncement of the woman’s name. She resembled the bird, with her tiny eyes and spherical face, stout neck and body, the way her arms hung away from her sides when she walked.

“Mr. Braxton here to see you.” Partridge folded her hands over her apron. “You must rise from your nap.”

Mrs. Partridge's Colonial Maryland Roasted Chicken

1 Tender hen

1 Sprig of Rosemary

1 large Onion cut into quarters

Enough red-skinned potatoes to feed the Continental Army

Stuff the fowl rosemary and onion

Cut potatoes and toss with butter

Lay hen in baking dish and surround with potatoes

Roast at 325 until done

Do not allow the fowl to overcook, nor for the skin to blacken. . . even though gentlemen such as Mr. Stowefield ( her employer and Annapolis lawyer) and Mr. Braxton ( the hero ) say it is quite delicious.

Visit my website and read about Surrender the Wind, and a new series, The Daughters of the Potomac, to be released beginning February 1, 2010

http://ritagerlach.blogspot.com/

Happy Thanksgiving Recipe

2011-11-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

Here is one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes perfect for your Thanksgiving Day menu. I never liked the traditional whipped sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top. A few years ago I found this one and it is de...li...cious!
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole
3 cups of mashed sweet potato (about 2 1/4 pounds)
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons margarine or butter melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
Topping:
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Combine: first 7 ingredients in a bowl, and stir well. Spoon sweet potato mixture into an 8-inch square backing dish coated with cooking spray.

Combine: 1/2 cup brown sugar and flour in a bowl, and cut in 2 tablespoons chilled margarine or butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the chopped pecans and sprinkle over sweet potato mixture.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Yield: 8 servings - 1/2 cup each

Slide show

2011-11-16T11:11:00.003-05:00

I'm putting together a slide show for my website.

Could you help me out?

If you have a copy of my latest novel, 'Surrender the Wind', either paperback or on Kindle, would you be so kind to send me a photo of you holding it? I'll add it in. I would really appreciate your help.

Finding Inspiration in Photos

2011-11-09T14:02:00.001-05:00

I've learned, as an author I am a visual writer. I visualize the unfolding of a story in my mind like a movie. I see my characters moving through scenes. Old photos also inspire my muse, especially when it comes to my heroines. It's odd that I have not found as many stunning old photos of men that do the same.

So today, I thought I'd share a few with you. This is a technique you may want to explore for yourself, whether you write or read. As a writer, old photos and paintings for historicals, and contemporary photos for contemporary fiction, can help you develop the image of your characters, not only in appearance but in demeanor. Photographs can express personality, and that is what I look for. It's simple to do. Just type into Google something specific to your genre, the time period, and character.

For example. I am currently writing a proposal for an Edwardian series. In the first book there will be two elderly aunts. So, I typed in my Google box '1900's old women' and found the one here on the left. Are they not perfect. The year is 1910. I've named these aunts Mildred and Maude.

I found photos a plenty for heroines and I will not share they quite yet, not until I have a book contract and I begin writing the stories. But here are a few more.

I searched for 'working men, orphans, families, weddings' in the early 1900s and found a group photos.

As a reader, photographs and paintings can help you visualize the characters in the book you are reading.

Now some people may say that this dismisses the use of the imagination. Go overboard on anything and that is true. So the key is moderation.

So tell me . . .

2011-10-31T18:10:00.001-04:00

Why do you read blogs?

What are you hoping to gain from reading blogs on books, writing, the publishing industry?

What would make it worth your while to read a blog weekly?

Did you know I write another blog in addition to InSpire? . . . Well it is more like a website where I showcase some of the most excellent authors in the inspirational category. They share their stories, their lives, what motivated them to write their novels with Stepping Stones Magazine for Readers.

http://steppingstones4readers.blogspot.com/

Questions, Questions, Questions

2011-10-18T08:53:00.000-04:00

Readers are often interested in what life is like for an author, the process of writing and what it is like to turn an idea into a novel.

For those of you that are pre-published (notice I did not say unpublished), you probably have a lot of questions about what happens after you get an acceptance. Wouldn't it be nice to get a leg up on what to expect when you do? Your work will be cut out for you and you will be busier than ever.

The other day I posted on Facebook that I had gotten a glowing review from author Marylu Tyndall for the first book in the Daughters of the Potomac Series, Before the Scarlet Dawn, and that Marylu had read the 'ARC'. A writer asked me what I meant by an ARC.

An ARC is an Advance Readers Copy. Publishers send these out to book reviewers and authors in order to create a buzz and acquire reviews in advance of the release date. It is not the final proofed copy and cannot be sold. Often times things like the dedication, acknowledgements, and book club questions are not included. But it does have the cover that will be released.

So here's your chance to ask a published author all the questions you want. I'll do my best to answer them. Please post them in Comments.

Wonderful Readers Photos

2011-10-14T11:39:00.001-04:00

I'm putting together a slide show for my website.

Could you help me out?

If you have a copy of my latest novel, 'Surrender the Wind', either in paperback or on Kindle, would you be so kind to send me a photo of you holding it? I'll add it in. I would really appreciate your help.

Just email me a jpg to rpkg@comcast.net

A funny morning...

2011-10-09T10:40:00.000-04:00

On Saturday morning over bacon and eggs, my husband Paul and I came up with a fake series, called 'The Heir Apparently Series', a husband and wife tag-team production. We sat and laughed and almost cried over the visual images of these characters and their predicaments. You have to have some humor in life. How else would we get through it.

Book 1 ~ The Bare Heir

Due to a lack of income, Tilly Dresser is forced into being a nude artist's model in Paris until she inherits her eclectic father's gift shop in Tater Peeler, TN (a real place) in 1905 and meets prosperous potato farmer Ralph Russet and realizes there is more to life than what is skin-deep, and helps him invent a new hybrid potato without a skin .

Book 2 ~ The Odious Heir

In order for Kitty Hawkins to inherit her father's deodorant factor in Nitro, West Virginia (a real place) she must drive a caravan wagon up and down the east coast for one year selling the latest in odor-masking cakes. But when she meets door-to-door banjo salesman, and itinerant preacher, Wilber (Willy) Hayseed, and hears his banjo playing, her life goes in a totally different direction in the Irish Spring of 1904.

Book 3 ~ The Air-headed Heir

After flunking out of Radcliffe Women's College in 1910, Bernice Beavis heads to New York City to work as a mime on the Vaudeville stage. When she inherits her father's oxygen tank factory in Wind Blow, NC (a real place) and meets George Von Hummerstein, a Quaker windmill builder, she must either chose, out of love, to sell the factory and sink all her money into George's business, or remain silent about her feelings for him the rest of her life.

Fall Comfort Food for Readers and Writers

2011-10-05T00:06:00.000-04:00

Curling up with a good book.
Settling down in front of the keyboard.
Comfort food in fall weather is a nice addition.

Banana Bars with Browned Butter Pecan Frosting

Banana Bars with Browned Butter Pecan Frosting (Adapted from Land O Lakes)

For the cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the frosting

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

To make the cake

Preheat oven to 375

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined. Add sour cream, mashed banana and vanilla - mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.

Scoop the mixture into a 10" x 15" baking pan coated with nonstick spray - spread the top smooth with an off-set spatula. Bake until golden and a toothpick placed in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached, about 18 to 25 minutes. Place on a wire rack and cool completely.

To make the frosting

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium - continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the butter releases a nutty aroma and just starts to turn golden, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.

In a small bowl, mix together browned butter, confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, vanilla and salt until well combined and smooth. Spread frosting over the bars and sprinkle with pecans.

From the blog, 'Culinary in the Country.
http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/banana-bars-with-browned-butter-pecan.html

Growing As We Write

2011-09-28T10:02:00.011-04:00

As of today, September 28, I am 9 chapters into 'Beyond the Valley', which I began writing on August 1. This is the first novel I have written this fast -- 20,000 words in less than 2 months, and I'm picking up the pace.

For my readers: This is a story of love being tested by prejudice, tragedy, and extreme hardship, in a time when class boundaries ruled. It is the third book in the 'Daughters of the Potomac' series. If you liked 'Surrender the Wind' you are going to love this series. Each story takes place in a turbulent time in history --- the American Revolution and post-Revolution eras. Each story has settings in England and along the Potomac in Maryland and Virginia. Each story is about a woman searching for truth, love, and redemption. Each story blends with the others.

For my writer friends, I listened to an interview with author Geraldine Brooks that had me nodding in agreement. She gives some simple answers to good writing.

Listen for her take on research. She's so right on about overloading yourself with the research that it takes forever to write the novel. I was at that point at one time. Research is important, but now I do it as I write, and I pull myself away once I find the answer instead of going off in other directions and spending hours reading about other details.

What writing tips did you pick up from this interview?

ACFW and Surrender the Wind

2011-09-22T19:09:00.004-04:00

Lots going on this month. The American Christian Fiction Writers is holding their annual conference in St. Louis. I was unable to attend this year. However, my writer friends that are there are posting on social networks all the happenings.

ACFW's book club chose my inspirational historical romance, 'Surrender the Wind', for the read this month.

To celebrate, I'm letting everyone know that Cokesbury Bookstore is offering copies at 71% off the retail price of $13.99. The cost ---- only $4.00. If you haven't gotten a copy, please do. Or perhaps buy a copy for a friend for Christmas.

http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=783958

I was saving the best for last. My prior editor at Abingdon Press has joined WordServe Literary Agency as an agent. She asked if I would be interested in being one of her clients, and if I were the shoutin' type, I would have screamed 'YES!' I didn't scream, but I gave her a resounding yes and shed some tears. She is such a godsend. Barbara is an amazing person. Not only does she know the industry inside and out, and have connections everywhere in CBA, she is an advocate for writers. I am so blessed. Three years ago, I was sitting at my desk staring at my Word doc for Surrender the Wind feeling like I was fighting an uphill battle. I prayed that day, committed my work to Him that gave it to me, and that very day the doors swung wide open. You can read my journey on my website.

http://ritagerlach.blogspot.com/p/encouragement-for-writers.html

If you are pre-published, hold onto your dream. Do not give up. I could have so many times and missed out on God's blessings.

Reading Into It...

2011-09-17T09:38:00.003-04:00

Avid readers,

Were you the child that sat in the classroom, chin in hand, staring out the window, the voice of the teacher drowned out because you were somewhere else? Are you still the one among family and friends that has a vivid imagination, that craves the telling of a good story.

I was the child staring out the classroom window 'day dreaming'. My parents got plenty of complaints. They were not book readers. Newspapers and the church bulletin were their literary fix. The earliest reading adventures I had, though, were Golden Books. Some of them were small, and I can still see in my mind the watercolor pictures of castles and princesses.

One book that sparked my desire to read and to write was a story about a little girl who wanted to be so small she could live in her family's garden. The illustrations were fun and provoked my imagination. This fearless, tiny heroine flew on the back of a butterfly and lived in a tin can. Sounds weird, but it was a really good story.

What has nagged at me though, is I cannot remember the title or the author. I wish I could discover it again.

When I write, I visualize everything and everyone in a scene. It is important, because if the writer cannot do this, we shouldn't expect our readers to. So writers, challenge yourself to write so well that you see, hear, taste, and touch all that your characters are. And readers, next time you pick up a novel, ask yourself if you see the characters the same way as perhaps the writer did.

Here is a couple lines from the novel I am writing. . .book 3 in the Daughters of the Potomac Series, 'Beyond the Valley'. Do you see the scene in your mind's eye?

The rattle of the carriage wheels over the sandy road seemed endless, until it slowed and drew to a halt and the din of the sea overtook the quiet. The coach door swung open.

Hero and Heroine ~ Making an Entrance

2011-09-10T09:09:00.005-04:00

It is commonly referred to as making a stage entrance when an actor / actress steps out onto the stage or on-screen in the persona of their character. The audience is given the first glimpse at the character's physical appearance. Their costume reflects the period, as does their hair, makeup, and the setting surrounding them.

It's much the same with writing the novel. When your hero and heroine make their first appearance, you want to give your readers the building blocks that create a mental image in their mind's eye. Begin at the opening of the book. Deftly weave their image into the narrative. Mention it in dialogue. Let your reader see them from the eyes of the one that is destined to love them. You want your readers to be drawn into your character in order to care about him/her, just as much as you want them drawn into the story. Without living, breathing, characters, a story will fall flat.

You ask how can one do this without being overly descriptive, or what is commonly referred to as 'wordy'. Here are a few things to do.

First, write out the description, whether in a notebook or a character chart, as if you are meeting your character for the first time and looking straight at him/her. Here is one I wrote, loosely based on my husband.

He's not a tall man, but towers at least four inches over me. He has the most interesting shade of brown eyes, gold like autumn wheat, and when he laughs little crinkle lines form in the corners. His hair is the same shade, but I've started noticing he's getting a lot of gray. His nose is Romanesque. His jaw strong. His lips are full, and when he smiles he has dimples in his cheeks. At age fifty-five, he weighs about one-hundred and ninety pounds. His legs remind me of a Greek statue, firm and muscular, and I envy him in the fact he has no hair on his calves.

Now, when you are doing the actual writing, do not give your reader a long paragraph describing your character. Break it up. For instance, when your heroine first sees the hero, she might lock first onto his eyes. Most people do. You write what she sees. There follows some dialogue and when he laughs at a comment she makes, you describe the crinkles in the corners of his eyes, or the way his cheeks dimpled. He strides to his horse, or his car, and she notices his built, the way he swings up into the saddle, or into the front seat.

Some charts have everything lumped together, from physical descriptions to occupation. In my writing notebook, you could break the categories down into sections. Here's a site that offers a printable pdf version of a character chart that is broken down into sections.

http://www.eclectics.com/articles/character.pdf

Which ever method you use, the goal is to flesh out your characters in your description of their physical appearance, in their actions, their speech, and their motivations.
Is there another method you use for fleshing out your characters?
As a reader, when you are reading a novel, what things stand out to you the most that help you visualize the characters?

Jam Roly-Poly

2011-09-02T09:08:00.000-04:00

While writing book 3, 'Beyond the Valley', in the Daughters of the Potomac Series, I had to do a bit of research on the kinds of foods they ate in Cornwall, England in the late 18th century.

Jam Roly-Poly was one I came across, and it looks delicious. Most claim this dessert was made popular in the 19th century Victorian era. But who is to be sure when it comes to recipes passed down in families.

I won't be using this food in my novel, just to be on the safe side historically. But I'll save it in case I need it for a future book set in the Jam Roly-Poly era.

Traditionally, Jam Roly-Poly was made with suet. But this recipe from Bon Appetit is made with butter. . . my preference.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/cookingclub/2008/04/rhubarb_and_raspberry_jam_roly_poly_with_vanilla_custard_sauce

Book Titles and Editoral Suggestions

2011-08-25T22:39:00.002-04:00

The initial title Margaret Mitchell gave 'Gone with the Wind' was 'Pansy', the original name for Scarlett. Her publisher persuaded her to make the changes. Good thing she listened to her editor and the book became a best-seller.

There is a good lesson here for writers. When you land a contract, listen to your editor. Consider her advice. Just think if Margaret Mitchell had refused to make the changes, her book may have not sold as well with a title like 'Pansy', and it may not have become a movie. Another lesson is to think about your titles. You want them to have 'oomph', not be blah-say.

Someone not long ago told me she thought my titles for the book series would not bowl over readers and instead I should have titled them with the main characters role. I did not agree. After reading about Margaret Michell's changes, I am glad I chose the titles I did. So was my publisher.

Heroines and Blueberry Cobbler

2011-08-18T10:55:00.000-04:00

There are so many ingredients that make a story good. Strong narrative and dialogue. Sensory description. I love these elements of writing, and the small additions that make a book come alive in a reader's mind.

Some of these additions are animals, pets, clothes, craft, and food. Food can express a mood, and if you are reading or writing a historical, it can transport you back in time.

Currently I am writing book 3 in the 'Daughters of the Potomac Series', entitled 'Beyond the Valley'. Here's a little snippet where I use food as a way to evolve my heroine Sarah.

“And I am a good cook, baking mostly.”

Mr. Sawyer’s brows shot up. “I am exceedingly fond of blueberry cobbler.”

“I can do any task required of me, sir, including cobblers. I’ve run my own house, though a humble one.”

“You would fit right in with my staff. My cook is in need of another pair of hands . . . .

Without giving the scene away, it seems she has hooked Mr. Sawyer with visions of blueberry cobbler and other delights on his china plate at the supper table.

I found this fabulous blog, Vintage Victuals. Here's a blueberry cobbler recipe that is to faint over.

http://www.vintagevictuals.com/2009/05/blueberry-cobbler.html

Cover for 'Before the Scarlet Dawn'!

2011-08-08T10:37:00.003-04:00

It has arrived!

In 1775, Hayward Morgan, a young gentleman destined to inherit his father’s estate in Derbyshire, England, captures the heart of the local vicar’s daughter, Eliza Bloome. Her dark beauty and spirited ways are not enough to win him, due to her station in life.

Circumstances throw Eliza in Hayward’s path, and they flee to America to escape the family conflicts. But as war looms, it's a temporary reprieve. Hayward joins the revolutionary forces and what follows is a struggle for survival, a test of faith, and the quest to find lasting love in an unforgiving wilderness.

A Colonial Recipe From the Up-and-Coming Novel, 'Beside Two Rivers'.

2011-08-06T08:35:00.000-04:00

From The Compleat Housewife, or, Accomplished Gentlewoman's Companion by E. Smith, published in London, 1754.

Instructions:

To make an Apple Tansey,
Take three pippins (apples), slice them round in thin slices, and fry them with butter; then beat four eggs, with six spoonfuls of cream, a little water, nutmeg, and sugar; stir them together, and pour it over the apples; let it fry a little, and turn it with a pye-plate. Garnish with lemon and sugar strew'd over it.

You can print this recipe out on a 3x5 card from here:
http://www.history.org/Almanack/life/food/appletansy.cfm

Some romantic inspiration.

2011-07-24T18:07:00.005-04:00

More fodder for my files for future scenes.

100 years ago ~ July 24, 1911 ~ in my local newspaper it was reported that a young woman was rescued by a star football player. I wonder if she did not fain her trouble in order to get the attention of 'Eddie'. Kind of romantic to be saved by him, and since he was a star tackle for Princeton, this would have been big news in a small town newspaper.

Miss Elizabeth Whitter, daughter of Mr. Francis M. Whitter, of near Adamstown, who is spending the summer at Brighton Beach, N.Y., narrowly escaped drowning. Miss Whitter floated out beyond her depth and was rescued by “Eddie” Hart, captain of the Princeton football team. This is Miss Whitter’s second mishap, as on July Fourth she was rendered senseless by being hit by a floating log and was carried ashore by bathers.

This is Eddie Hart's photo and a link to a site more about him. www.collegefootball.org/famer_selected.php?id=10047

Incomplete Jane Austen

2011-07-19T12:18:00.007-04:00

You never know, what you have tucked away in a draw may be worth a lot of money in years to come, or become a precious family heirloom passed down from generation to generation. For Jane Austen it took 207 years to find out what an incomplete manuscript was worth.

She began writing ‘The Watsons’ in 1804 after she had finished the first draft of Sense and Sensibility. She hadn’t gotten far into ‘The Watson’s’ and literary experts assume she had only written one quarter of the book in her own hand about a young girl brought up by her aunt.

For writers like myself who are fascinated with authors such as Jane, our eyes will gobble up her handwriting of this work in progress with notations and revisions. Hang on to your hat! You can see it here and read the text.

http://www.janeausten.ac.uk/index.html

Click on ‘Manuscripts’ and on the page click the manuscript you are interested in viewing. To the left will be the text typed out for you. To the right the text in Jane’s original hand.

This is an exciting manuscript. I loved reading through it, seeing how she made corrections and revisions. Imagine her sitting at her writing desk, dipping her quill into the inkwell and penning the words, her mind racing with imagery and the storyline she is so anxious to get down on paper. She had no telephone to interrupt her. No internet to distract her. It was just Jane and her imagination.

‘The Watsons’ manuscript was expected to sell at auction for as much as $490,000. But it ended up selling for a whopping $1.6 million in London this July. You can read about the auction here, and view the video of the sale.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-14152092

If you read the text, please share your thoughts. Where do you think she was going with this story?

This Week's 'How We Lived' post.

2011-07-13T08:52:00.002-04:00

In Colonial times, quilts were more utilitarian than decorative for the common family. The wealthy were able to obtain elaborate fabrics and the colonial lady could stitch beautiful bedcovers, whereas the lower classes made quilts from the scrap-bag.

The earliest Colonial quilts were made of Indian chintz and palampores. Colonial era chintz was an expensive fabric and threatened the mills of France and England as the upper classes were buying this gorgeous fabric over the plainer linens and cottons of Europe. Thus chintz was banned by Parliament in 1720. However the ban was lifted in 1759 once the mills had acquired the necessary skills to make chintz, ending much of the import from India.

One pattern still popular today is toil de jouy, which originated in France and was a popular design in Colonial America. Most likely you have seen it as wallpaper and fabric. A relative of mine once papered her bedroom in blue toil and it was beautiful. I find it 'a joy' that toil de jouy is still popular after more than 200 years.

Palampores were cotton or linen panels that were hand-painted or dyed. Only the wealthiest of Americans could afford this fabric and you would find it in plantation and estate houses throughout the Thirteen. The designs were colorful and elaborate, made up of ivy, flowers, horses and peacocks. Each design was one of a kind. One thing of interest is how the quilts were made at the end to slip between the bedposts.

Some Colonial quilts were made of whole cloth. Fine stitches were made in ivy and floral patterns.

In time, the Colonial housewife used quilts that were utilitarian, to keep her family warm and comforted. Slave women made quilts from scrapes and you can find some in museums that tell a story of family and culture. Block designs have been handed down through the generations.

Here is a quilt I made in between writing historical novels. I've made several, but this is one of my favorites. I change the wall hangings in my foyer with the seasons. I have a leaf quilt for autumn, a snowman quilt for Christmas, and this floral basket quilt for spring and summer.

In closing, if you were living in Colonial times, what kind of quilt would you have made? Would it have been practical, or decorative?

This post is also featured on the 'Colonial Quills Blog' under 'Ye Good Ole Days'.
http://colonialquills.blogspot.com/

Living, Breathing, Characters

2011-07-07T01:30:00.001-04:00

Writing a novel plunges a writer into another world. It demands that you become so intensely immersed into the lives of your characters, and I mean all of them, minor and major, that they become living, breathing, people to you. If you do this, you will develop your characters fully. You will 'flesh them out' and your readers will grow attached to them.

Writing good fiction is not a formula. Formulas do not necessarily create a page-turning story. What does is vivacious characters caught up in intrigue and crisis. What exactly makes up your characters and brings them to life?

Dialogue
Describing their appearance
Showing actions that reflect their personality

Let's start with dialogue. This is a conversation between characters that gives the reader insight into the characters' lives, personalities, likes and dislikes, their past, future goals, opinions, and concerns. It should flow naturally, but with emotion, whether intense or stoic. Dialogue is the best way to reveal a character's past instead of using either backstory or flashbacks. Watch a movie in your genre and listen to the dialogue between the characters. Listen to a conversation between people in your presence. How did her husband explain why he forgot their anniversary? How did the wife reply?

When it comes to describing your characters, give the reader just enough information that allows them to paint a picture in their mind of them. If you have trouble with this try this technique. Go online and look at a portrait. If your book is historical find a portrait of the past. If contemporary find a photo that reflects your character as you see him or her.

Say you are writing a historical and your female character is a beautiful woman of the Renaissance. She is totally stuck on herself due to her beauty...and possibly her wealth and family status in society. The painting here is called 'Vanity' by artist Frank Cowper 1907. Write down what you see about this woman. Her hair - its texture, color, and length. Her skin which is luminescent and pale. The strings of pearls, how she has looped them through her fingers. Her eyes, how they are looking downward, not shyly, but arrogantly. The curve of her mouth and the tilt of her head. Flesh this character's appearance out and give your reader a strong visual of what she looks like, and how her looks reflect her personality of vanity and arrogance.

Please share your description of this young woman, and let's compare notes. Each of us will see her differently, I guarantee.

Wahoo! Get a Free E-Book!

2011-06-30T09:09:00.003-04:00

Yes, it is true what you are hearing through the grapevine.

I got some great news from my publisher, Abingdon Press. Who doesn't like free stuff? They are offering, beginning today through July 6, free downloads of my historical 'Surrender the Wind'. The e-book is available for free on Amazon for Kindle and Christian Books for other devices like ipads, android, and your pc.

If you get a copy, you have my thanks and I hope you enjoy a little respite back in time to post-Revolutionary War England.

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/3lqy473

Christian Books.com
http://tinyurl.com/3rs6q52

Please pass it on.

Blessings,
Rita Gerlach
http://ritagerlach.com/

When 'The Email' Arrives ~ Macro Edits

2011-06-23T08:04:00.000-04:00

There are several phases your publisher will put your novel through. But you aren't dwelling on it too much since you sent in your manuscript and you are distracted by writing another book. . .right?

Then 'the' day arrives when you open your email box and see you've received an email from your editor telling you the first round of edits is ready and waiting, and you have a two week deadline. Then your eyes move down to see there are several files attached.

Three of the files were 'Comments and Suggestions', 'Overused words' and another 'Timeline'. Both were extremely helpful. My palms sweated before clicking 'open' on the macro file. Ah, pretty pink and blue track changes, and not too many of them. Trust your editor!

Here are a few tips on making it through the 'macro edit' phase.

1. Breath deeply.
2. Calm down, and save the files.
3. Open files that are not the manuscript first.
4. Print these out.
5. Find a quiet place in your house and a comfy chair.
6. Sit down and read these over before you open your manuscript. Highlight important sections.

Note: At first you might feel a bit freaked out. But read these files over a couple times and let the leading of your editor sink in.

When you finally roll up your sleeves to work on your edits, remember this one important thing. Your publisher's goal is to polish your book to a high sheen. You will not be required to accept every change, but consider them carefully before you reject them.

The editing phase can be a fantastic experience. You will learn so much from the editorial team, and it will make you a better author.

For those of you who have gone through the process, how was it?
For those of you who have not yet gone through an editing phase, post your questions.

Happy Writing!

Wednesday's Wanderings ---- Locations

2011-06-15T11:12:00.000-04:00

A lot of writers dread researching details for the settings of their novels. There is so much reading to do; so much time spent searching the Internet for information. Some of it can dampen inspiration. But there is a way to make research one of the most enjoyable aspects of your writing life and kindle that flame of inspiration, and here’s how.

You can find inspiration in your own backyard whether your setting is local or distant. To keep this post brief, I will outline for you steps you can take to find inspiration in your research that is local.

Begin online by searching your county’s historical sites. A good source is your local historical society website. Make a list of sites according to places that are from the time period your novel is written in. For example, your heroine lives in a Revolutionary War period manor house. You can visit one nearby to feel the ambiance of such a place, soak in the architecture and lifestyle.
Pack a lunch, your camera, and a notebook! Gas up the car and set out through country roads to these locations. But watch for interesting little known places along the way.
Explore plantations, fortresses, battlefields, old houses, and small towns. I’m fortunate to live in a historically rich area in Maryland. I’m currently writing a series entitled ‘Daughters of the Potomac’. Not far from me are the Potomac River, Harpers Ferry, Rose Hill Manor, and Schifferstadt House, all places where my books will be set or places that are representative of places in the stories. In visiting them, taking photos and notes, my heart swells with inspiration, and history comes alive in my mind, much more so than reading a document online.
Now, while you drive throughout the countryside, keep an eye out for interesting places you may not find listed, such as old houses, memorials, old cemeteries, and churches. They will be out there, and they are worth a pause.

So here are a few links to the places I have visited that have inspired my writing.

Frederick County Historical Society

Rose Hill Manor

Frederick County Landmark Society:

Fort Frederick

I hope you enjoy your time researching your story!

Blessings,

Rita Gerlach

http://ritagerlach.blogspot.com/

Character Attitude

2011-06-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

"Never let your characters relax or feel comfortable in a scene. Remember that people are not always entirely rational, especially in stress situations. If you're character's "craziness" seems in character, consider allowing him to blow up or make some stupid mistake. Your story people -- even in the toughest scenes -- are not wholly logical robots. Show clearly that the viewpoint character considers the oncoming scene as vitally important. Have him say so, or think so, or both.

Never allow a lead character to enter a scene with a lackadaisical attitude."

Jack M. Bickham

Wednesday's Wanderings ---- Locations from 'Daughters of the Potomac' Series

2011-06-01T08:11:00.001-04:00

A Walking Path in the Hope Valley, Derbyshire, England.

Winnet's Pass, near Castleton in the Hope Valley

The old church and this stone house are the inspiration for the Church of St. Andrew's
and the vicarage in books 1 and 2.

______________________________________________

'Daughters of the Potomac Series' starting in April 2012.

Book 1 - Before the Scarlet Dawn

Book 2 - Beside Two Rivers

Book 3 - Beyond the Valley

2011-05-27T12:49:00.001-04:00

Marketing Tip:

For many writers when they hear the words 'multi-author book signing', the first thing they think is 'competition'. While it may be true when it comes to signings with a lot of authors, you can turn that 'competition' into a benefit if you team up with one or two other authors. You can join ranks to promote the event, thus help each other.

And it is a lot more fun than sitting a by yourself at a table.

Create a brief video through Animato and post it on your website, blog, and Facebook, featuring the team of authors.
https://animoto.com/account

Some Marketing ---- Pictorial for 'The Daughters of the Potomac Series'.

2011-05-20T13:30:00.000-04:00

Hi All,

So many book trailers have gotten to be the same, at least to me. Narration or lines of a synopsis on the clips. I wanted something different, and so I came up with this pictorial. There is no narration, or a synopsis of the stories. I want to give the reader a 'glimpse' and spark their imagination and interest. I want them to glean from the clips what the stories may entail.

Some of the photos are my own, such as the plantation manor, cabin, stone house, and Potomac River scenes. The women are from the age of silent film and early 20th century opera.

Have I accomplished my goal in your opinion?

Preparing for a Book Signing Event

2011-05-10T14:22:00.000-04:00

Advertising:

This does not have to be costly when you use the following.
The Internet
Events Page
Blog post
Facebook
Animoto - Create a simple 'Save the Date' video. You can make a 30 second video for free. It's very easy to do. https://animoto.com/

Packing Up:

Have all the following to pack. I recommend using a suitcase with rollers. Boxes are too difficult to carry in and out of an event. And if you are attending an event where you must bring your own books, a suitcase is perfect for hauling them.

In advance order books and bookmarks. I carefully watched as readers came to my table, what they chose to take with them, besides a copy of 'Surrender the Wind'. Bookmarks were the popular thing. I had standard size postcards and not one was picked up. But the bookmarks were gobbled up! Extra large postcards were picked up too. These had the book cover on the front and were the same size as my book. But bookmarks were the most popular. I buy all these items from Vista Print and have gotten most of them for free.

In your arsenal:
Books
Bookmarks
An Address Book for your readers to add their addresses for when you advertise through the mail. When my new series comes out, I'll be mailing the large postcards with all the information on the back. Each person that bought a book gladly wrote in their names and addresses for me. I assured them, I do not give out their names and addresses to anyone.
Pens
Small pad of paper
Gift bags (Get them cheap at a dollar store)
A large poster of your book. Vista print provides posters. They are not expensive, and once you've started purchasing from them you will receive email announcements for free produces. You can purchase a ready-made frame and set your poster up near your table. An easel is best for this. It's an initial purchase that will go a long way. You can purchase an easel for as low at $25 on Amazon.

I was blessed with a sister who is a graphic designer. She generously made me a retractable banner. These are very expensive. I've seen them online from $100 up to $400. If you cannot, or are not willing to pay that much for a banner, let me suggest Vista Print to you once more. They have lots of banners. I bought one, actually I got it for free. What Vista Print offers are not the retractable kind, but they are nicely made of vinyl and can be fixed across mostly anything. I only had to pay for the upload of the images I used. Buy 250 business cards from Vista Print ( sometimes they have a free offer) and start getting emails for free offers.
http://www.vistaprint.com/

Setting Up:

Check with your hostess if she is going to provide a tablecloth. If not bring one of your own. Use a solid color. A pattern will clash with your book cover. Chose a color that compliments your book.
Stack several copies of your book on one end.
Place bookmarks and your address book beside them.

Extra Tips:
Do not over dress.
Smile and greet people warmly.
Focus on pleasing the attendees rather than how many books you sell.
Gimmicks don't work.
Do not overprice your book. At the most recent book signing, I sold more copies than most because I offered a Mother's Day Special of half off the cover price at $7. Some of the authors were selling their books for over $20 because 'they are signed'. They either sold a couple copies or none at all.

Photos: My high school classmate Marty came to visit. I appreciate all the support she gave me.
Ann Aubaugh drove a long way to see me. She's a Baltimore area writer and a former Maryland Romance Writers president.

Mothers

2011-05-09T03:28:00.000-04:00

Here are a few quick stories about the matriarchs in my family.

My mother Rose: During WWII she worked at the Navy Yard in Washington DC, growing crystals for the sonars in submarines. One day President Truman visited and came into her shop. He was fascinated and put his hand out to touch the machine that formed the crystals. My mother shouted, "No, Mr. President", and shoved him back. "You could have killed yourself." The machine was electrified and if he had touched it, Truman would have gotten a shock that would have knocked him to the ground.

My grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Robertson: One day, during the Great Depression, my grandmother had a knock on her door. A ragged 'forgotten man' stood outside it and asked her if she could spare a little food. Kind-hearted Bess offered him to join her family for the evening meal of bread and cabbage. He refused and took his cabbage sandwich to the curb. After the Depression, a black limo pulled up in front of her house and the man she had helped that day had returned with a roll of cash. He wanted to give it to her, thanking her for what she had done. She suggested he place it in the 'Poor Box' at her church on the corner, and that is what he did.

My grandmother in law, Mary Sullivan: Mary was a Red Cross nurse for over 40 years. She filled in for a nurse one night at Walter Reed Hospital during WWII. While at the nurses' station, the elevator doors opened and attendants brought an unconscious soldier on a gurney onto the floor. He had lost his dogtag and no one knew who he was. Mary stepped over to him, looked down into his face and said, "I know exactly who he is. This is my nephew from Massachusetts.

Nana loved gardens. Since I do not have an uploaded photo of her, my photo of a butterfly in my garden is in honor of her.

Book Signing Venues

2011-05-05T14:57:00.001-04:00

In my experience as an author, the best book signings to schedule are through bookstores. The reason is they will supply the books and take the sales and this will save you a lot of money, time, and the responsibility of handling payment.

The other choices are libraries and literary events. If a library schedules an event where there is more than one author attending, it can be worth your while. However, you will have to supply your own copies to sell and take money from patrons. It is often difficult for many an author to sell a lot of copies at a library when solo. You sit there by your lonesome hoping patrons will buy a book. The thing to remember is people go to the library to check books out for free. I have had three library signings in the past and honestly they were not successful.

Some literary events such as book festivals can be very expensive. For example one book festival near me charges authors between $75 and $100 per table, and an additional fee to rent a canopy for $150. A canopy is required at this particular event. I've learned to watch for the events that do not charge, that supply a table and chair, advertise, and host multiple authors. I'm attending one this Saturday. I'll let you know how it goes.

Some bookstore chains require your publisher to contact them to set up signings. My suggestion is to make a list of bookstores in your area within a mileage radius you are willing to drive. When your book is about to be launched, ask the publicist at your publishing house to call and schedule signings. Though it would be nice to walk into a Borders or a Lifeway Bookstore, meet the manager and set up a signing, having the publicist handle it has a more professional touch. That is not to say you shouldn't stop into a store and introduce yourself. Give them a handful of bookmarks.

So the bottom line is to be selective, choose venues that will supply books and handle payments, and team up with other authors. But if you do attend an event where you have to supply your own books, check with your publisher about your discount. Don't solely rely on getting the best discount from them though. Do an online search of bookstores and check prices. I was stunned when I found a bookstore willing to sell me copies at 70% off the cover price.

One more tip: You can advertise your signing on Book Tour. Members are sent updates through email of authors signing within driving distance of their zip codes.

http://booktour.com

For those of you who have had book signings, what are some of your experiences?

Wednesday's Wanderings --- Locations from Surrender the Wind

2011-05-04T03:29:00.000-04:00

This old stone house is located in Virginia where Seth grew up. It is the perfect image of the house his father would have built out of mountain stone along the Potomac River. In the story, you will find this homestead settled in fields of wheat, nestled in grazing land for horses, banked by great trees. When Seth returns from the Revolution, imagine how he must have found it after the British ransacked it. Fortunately it was not burned to the ground like other homes.

Book Signings

2011-04-27T10:04:00.003-04:00

I'm getting ready for a multi-author book signing event on May 7. I thought it might be fun to put up several posts dealing with book signings.

How to schedule a signing.
What the best venues are.
Preparing for a book signing event.
What marketing items are the most popular with readers, and how to acquire them.
What to have on your table.
Solo or Multi-author?
What I learned from a Multi-author book signing event.

Is there something I missed that you would like me to cover?

My Favorite Carrot Cake Recipe

2011-04-20T19:04:00.000-04:00

This is so good, that it would be wrong not to share it. So here goes.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of shredded carrot
2 tbs. lemon juice
1/2 cup crushed pineapple (drained)

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teas. baking powder
1 teas. baking soda
1 teas. salt
1 teas. cinnamon
1/2 teas. cloves
1/2 teas. nutmeg
1/2 teas. allspice

3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup of golden raisins
1 cup of walnuts

1. Shred carrots.
2. Mix with lemon juice and pineapple. Set aside
3. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Mix well
4. Add oil and beat.
5. Add eggs one at a time and beat until well blended.
6. Add raisins, nuts and carrot/pineapple mixture. Blended.
7. Pour batter into 2 prepared loaf pans.
8. Bake at 350. 45 minutes.

Cream Cheese Icing

1 8oz. package of cream cheese
1 stick of butter
16 oz. powdered sugar
1 teas. vanilla

In a mixer, blend together softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar and mix until fluffy. Spread over cool loafs. For an added touch you can sprinkle crushed pecans or shredded coconut on top.

Create a Playlist to Write By

2011-04-18T14:15:00.001-04:00

I created a playlist for the series I am working on. I find music affects my emotional mindset. My playlist sparks my imagination.

You can create your own playlist at www.mixpod.com
Type in the search box 'soundtracks'.

Here is a playlist I put together I call 'Music to Write By'.

Can a Main Character be both an Antagonist and Protagonist?

2011-04-08T10:42:00.001-04:00

Jessica Nelson over at BookingIt Blog, posted an interesting piece about rooting for the good guy....the guy that starts out as a bad boy. You know he is the hero in the story, and so as you read about him you begin to hope he will turn himself around and do the noble things a protagonist should.

An example for me is Rochester in Jane Eyre, perhaps my all-time favorite novel. He is dark, broody, and self-centered. He is also crushed inwardly. If you haven't read it, it is a masterpiece of human flaws and human passion. Everything is wrong about him. And so you root for him in hopes he will be redeemed by the gentle soul of Jane.

Another is Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. In the BBC 2009 film version, I rooted for Heathcliff as I did in the 1939 version with Sir Laurence Olivier. Sir Laurence played a kinder Heathcliff. But British actor Tom Hardy brought out the worse in this character. Heathcliff slipped slowly, then rapidly when Cathy married Edgar Linton, into madness. He too was dark, broody. But he was also vengeful and extremely cruel. In the end, he is never redeemed from his demons. The character I ended up rooting for, and feel sorry for, was Isabella.

If you were to write a sequel to Wuthering Heights for the Christian fiction marketplace, how would you tell Isabella's story?

Have you read a classic where the characters took on the roles of both protagonist and antagonist?

Wednesday's Wanderings ---- Locations from 'Surrender the Wind'.

2011-04-06T11:27:00.001-04:00

Clovelly Harbor

On the coast of Devonshire

The Manor ~ Ten Width, which Seth Braxton inherits is not far from Clovelly, a historic fishing village on the cost of Devonshire, England.

The streets are cobbled, and there is no car traffic. To tour Clovelly, you have to walk. Tumbling down a 400 foot cliff, there are age-old whitewashed cottages, gardens, and inns. What better place to be the nearby village to Ten Width than Clovelly?

Can you imagine spending a few nights at the Red Lion Hotel on the quay, taking in the sea air, and the tranquility of village life. I often wondered while writing Surrender the Wind, what it would be like to live in such a place, away from the hustle and bustle of life in Maryland.

I am not so fortunate as to have traveled to England to the locations in my novels. I can only dream and thank the Lord for the Internet. But I have explored all the places in my books near me, such as the Potomac River, Harper's Ferry, WV, Frederick, MD, Western Maryland, the Potomac River Walk, and Annapolis.

Have you traveled to the locations in your novels? Is there a place where you would love to visit from a favorite book?

Wednesday's Wanderings --- Locations from Surrender the Wind

2011-03-31T10:46:00.000-04:00

Along the Coast of Cornwall

A little something to add. Cokesbury Bookstore is offering 'Surrender the Wind' at an incredible discount this month. 71% off the cover price of $13.99. It's on sale for only $4.00!

www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=783958

With Mother's Day approaching, a novel that sweeps readers away to another time and place is an ideal gift. If you purchase a copy, let me know. I'll be happy to mail you and your mom a few goodies.

Some of my readers have been asking me how the book series is going. Very well. Book 1, Before the Scarlet Dawn, is with my editor. She is sending me the micro edits very soon. I'm hoping and praying the manuscript doesn't come back to me dripping in red. Book 2, Beside Two Rivers is progressing with lots of twists and turns. The first draft is only 20-25,000 words away from being complete.

Why do I bore you so with these details about my writing journey? To let you know that if I can do it, you can do it. Writing takes an awful lot of patience and discipline. If you have those two things, which I believe you do, otherwise you would not have the desire to be a storyteller, keep at it despite a rejection.

Do you have the desire to write?
Does it burn in you when you think of your story?
What kind of reaction do you get from family and friends when you tell them you want to be an author?

Edwardian Lily Elsie

2011-03-25T17:36:00.010-04:00

She is perfect for a new heroine I am dreaming up for a new book series. I have yet to write a proposal but have titles and a series title.

To quote Lily:

The only way to succeed is to peg away. Work as hard as possible, and never appear to find things a trouble.

Wednesday's Wanderings --- Locations from Surrender the Wind

2011-03-23T11:29:00.000-04:00

Derbyshire

Painting of the Week That Inspires Writing

2011-03-18T14:58:00.004-04:00

Dear Writers,

In an exercise to get the creative energy flowing, write a brief description of the above painting in one or two sentences. Let your readers see, hear, taste, and touch, what this painting presents. The lady is your heroine...and a talented one at that, from an upper class family in 1787.

Wednesday's Wanderings ---- Locations from 'Surrender the Wind'.

2011-03-16T14:54:00.011-04:00

The Ripple Effect

2011-03-10T09:33:00.001-05:00

Spring is almost here. My husband is gearing up for a season of fly fishing, which makes me think of this analogy.

Toss a stone in a pond and you will get a ripple effect. Perfect circles will fan out from the center and, depending on the force of the throw and the weight of the stone, the ripples will reach as far to the shoreline as possible.

When it comes to marketing a novel, the ripple effect is how I think of it. The center can be thought of in different ways. Your hometown. Your target audience. Your workplace, school, or any club or organization you belong to. Each can be a focus of marketing.

What marketing techniques have you used to promote your book that have translated into book sales?

Colors

2011-03-10T08:50:00.014-05:00

Do you get weary with the formal names of colors, while reading or while writing? Do you wish you could find a more descriptive word for red, blue, yellow, green, without the word being too flowery or too big? You can use words that describe colors that give the reader a double doze of visual imagery.

Your heroine is wearing a red gown to the ball. Instead you could say her gown was scarlet. See how much stronger that word is?
Your hero is wearing a black suit. Instead you could say his suit is ebony. Ebony is more than just black. It is a deep, resplendent black.

Here are a few sentences taken from my historical romance 'Surrender the Wind', where I do not use the formal color word.

His waistcoat and linen shirt were blotched with crimson, the right sleeve torn at the seam.

Instead of saying his clothing was blotched with blood or using the word red, the use of 'crimson' gives the reader a word that paints the picture in the reader's mind of a wound, of both the noun and a word describing it. Crimson is a deeper red, dark and adds an ominous feel to the narrative.

At an hour when the light of day painted the sky magenta, a man on horseback rode through the gates of Ten Width.

Some writers might not use a color word in this sentence at all. But you ask the question how did the light of day paint the sky? The word 'magenta' presents the image of a sunrise. Magenta is a soothing color, a rich purplish red. And if you want your scene to express that kind of mood the use of this color fits it.

Liquid gold edged the clouds.

The writer could say 'yellow edged the clouds', and that is fine. But think for a moment what a cloud looks like when the sun is behind it and has either a gold or silver lining. Beautiful, right? So why not paint that same image in your reader's mind? Gold is a warm or hot color.

Here is a simple color list that might help.

RED - Burgundy, Rouge, Magenta, Maroon, Scarlet, Garnet, Crimson, Claret, Vermilion, Wine, Ruby, Fuchsia.

WHITE - Eggshell, Ivory, Alabaster, Pearl.

YELLOW - Topaz, Canary, Honey, Maize, Amber, Gold.

BEIGE - Bisque, Taupe, Sand, Shell, Fawn, Buff.

BLACK: Onyx, Jet, Charcoal , Ebony, Raven.

BLUE - Navy, Cobalt, Sapphire, Slate, Teal, Turquoise, Aqua.

BROWN - Copper, Bronze, Burnt umber, Nutmeg, Cocoa, Chocolate, Chestnut.

GRAY: Charcoal, Slate, Ash, Smoke, Pewter.

GREEN - Jade, Chartreuse, Olive, Shamrock, Emerald, Moss.

PURPLE - Lavender, Amethyst, Violet, Plum, Mulberry.

ORANGE - Coral, Salmon, Copper, Melon.

In the comment section, tell us what colors you would use to describe the following gowns.

Small Words

2011-03-07T08:44:00.007-05:00

Short words are as good as long ones, and short, old words - like sun and grass and home - are best of all. More small words than you might think can meet your needs with a strength, grace and charm that large words don't have.

Big words can bog down: one may have to read them three or four times to make out what they mean. Small words we seem to have known from the time we were born, like the hearth firer that warms the home.

Short words are bright like sparks that glow in the night, moist like the sear that laps the shore, sharp like the blade of a knife, hot like salt tears that scald the cheek, quick like moths that flit from flame to flame, and terse like the dart and sting of a bee.

Richard Lederer from Writer’s Digest, May 1989.

Edifying and Inspiring Readers

2011-03-05T02:59:00.000-05:00

From the 'The Calling of Christian Writers' by Richard Doster

'“Christian fiction”—the books we find in the back of the bookstore—often edify and inspire us. And just as we need composers to create hymns, the church needs writers—novelists and theologians alike—to build up the body, to enhance our worship, to delight us with stories that exemplify the truths of the Christian faith. Still—it may be time to confess that we’ve left literature in the hands of those who have no hope to offer. It might be time to reconsider our neighbors and their need to make sense of the world; their need for books, poems, and short stories that probe life’s mystery, that offer hope without flinching from the Fall’s consequences, that don’t—by their sentimentality—mock our true state, or the price that was paid for the world’s redemption.'

To read the full article go to http://www.christianity.com/Christian%20Foundations/The%20Essentials/11624886/print/

The Measure of Success

2011-02-27T09:29:00.004-05:00

Dear Aspiring Writer,

Do you feel that unless you are published you are not successful as a writer? That if you go through life without seeing your work in paperback or electronic format, that you failed? Is the measure of success a contract with a publishing company?

Let me encourage you. You are successful as a writer if you...

1. Finish a manuscript.
2. Have the desire to grow and hone your writing skills.
3. Keep writing the stories in your heart despite rejections.
4. Maintain a humble spirit.
5. Reject the temptation to be lifted up with pride.
6. Write with the idea in mind that you are leaving a legacy to your children, grandchildren and future generations.
7. Write because talent is a gift from God that you cannot cast aside.
8. Have goals in mind that move your work forward.
9. Write because you love it.
10. Write because you are not seeking fame and fortune, but you are persistent to continue submitting your work even if it will take years before you land your first contract. It is worth the wait.

What will make you feel successful as a writer? What are your goals?

Editphobia

2011-02-25T09:10:00.000-05:00

It is one of those things that begin at the beginning. At first, a writer may not realize it until a manuscript is returned with a rejection. Proper editing is essential for success.

For many new writers the idea of eliminating a single line of their book is out of the question. You dare not touch a single word. This is their 'baby'. The new writer has discovered the joy of creating a story, and the words have to stay. Weren't they what flowed out of them in the first place?

Do not allow 'Editphobia' to get a foot in the door. Lock it out before it ever can take hold. It's an enemy, a saboteur.

Confidence Builder

2011-02-23T04:22:00.001-05:00

Write the first sentence. Hook the reader. Make them ask for more.

Write the last sentence. Cause the reader to sigh with satisfaction.

Share a first sentence that you either wrote, or one that is a favorite.

My first sentence from my novel Surrender the Wind:
On a cool autumn twilight, Seth Braxton rode his horse through a grove of dark-green hemlocks in a primeval Virginia forest distressed he might not make it to Yorktown in time.

Inspiration and Faith

2011-02-22T04:24:00.005-05:00

Write the story you are inspired to write.

Then believe the hands that are meant to find it, will.

Update on Writing a Series

2011-02-20T09:34:00.006-05:00

It is hard to believe, but it is almost March. A year ago I signed the contracts for three novels in a series and thought how faraway the release dates were. My then editor encouraged me by saying time will fly. It's that the truth?

Book 1, is in the capable hands of my editor, Ramona Richards. I expect soon I will receive the first round of edits. Several weeks ago she sent me a questionnaire for the book cover. So that is underway, as well as some of the marketing I will need to do.

I am putting the list of influencers together. These are mostly bloggers who have promised if they like the book they will feature it on their blogs. And when I do receive the approved book cover, I will have postcards made through Vista Print to mail and give away. By this time next year we will be getting ready for the release of Before the Scarlet Dawn.

As of February 20, I am 62,000 words into the manuscript for book 2, Beside Two Rivers. I am now at a critical point in the story, and writing has taken on a more intricate turn. When you reach this juncture in your story, it must be writing with as much precision as possible. Notice I did not say perfection. At this point secrets are being revealed, dangers are rearing, and the characters challenged.

One of the challenges of writing a book series where you carry forward the characters, is to be sure that what was in book 1 is accurate in book 2, then in book 3. For example, if one of your characters in book 1 is blind in one eye, be sure he is blind in the same eye in book 2 or 3.

I wish you all the best in your writing endeavors. In the comments, please let the readers of InSpire know how you are doing in your writing journey. What are you working on?

Write, Think, Commit

2011-02-20T04:36:00.006-05:00

Write every day --- even if it is a trickle.

Think about your story every day --- with a notebook on hand.

Commit your work every day to the Lord who gave it to you.

Breaking out of Writers Block

2011-02-18T04:38:00.001-05:00

When you have Writer's Block --- pick up a pen and a notebook and write.

Don't stop to read what you've written or to edit. Just write something. It will help to unblock you. Or as I like to think of it --- push the pause button free.

Your Voice

2011-02-15T16:42:00.001-05:00

There is no one else in the entire world now, in the past or future, that has your voice.

It is a gift from God.

Use it to inspire, heal, and bring joy.

Enthusiasm

2011-02-14T07:50:00.010-05:00

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

Are you enthusiastic about the book you are writing?

Enthusiasm begins with motivation and a love for the craft. What do you do to stay motivated and pick yourself up during those times of discouragement?

It could be months or years before you get an offer for a book contract. What will you do to stay the course and not give up?

Emotions

2011-02-09T17:18:00.003-05:00

No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.

Robert Frost

Questions:
What makes you cry when you write? How emotionally involved do you become in your story?
What do you write that would make your readers cry?

Constructive Guidance

2011-02-06T09:31:00.008-05:00

My first editor at Abingdon Press told me, she would polish my manuscript to a high sheen. Do not be afraid of an editor's pen.

If you are not yet published, listen to constructive critiques. A constructive critique will give you guidance on how to make your story better in content, narrative, dialogue, etc. Don't shoot me, but if all you get in a critique is don't use 'was', 'ing', or 'ly' ever, or 'you broke a rule', you are being critiqued by inexperienced writers.

A Teachable Spirit

2011-02-05T17:20:00.008-05:00

Passion for Writing

2011-02-05T15:13:00.003-05:00

Embracing 'Writer's Pause'.

2011-01-28T08:59:00.006-05:00

Ever have those moments in writing when everything comes to a screeching halt? I call it writer's pause, and I've learned to embrace it. It is a time to allow the scene to simmer and wait for that extra spark of inspiration to pull you back into what you see visually that will enhance the scene. The other day I was working on a pivotal scene in 'Beside Two Rivers'.

Adventurous Darcy can't stay confined inside four walls for long. She has an innate curiosity for the outdoors. And so she heads off astride her grandmother's mare across the moors in the Hope Valley.

When I realized that the scene would be a cliff-hanger and a critical turn of events, suddenly my mind froze. For two days I mused over what I had written. I sat at my computer, staring out at the falling snow outside my window, watching the flakes float down and the layers growing on the tree branches. I began to worry. Why was I stuck?

I walked away from the book for a while and read. My mind was still on the scene. I was at a crossroads. Remember those books for kids where you could go one way or another in the story? I visualized each possibility and the effect they would have on the rest of the story. Should the antagonist come riding up? Or should Mrs. Burke, Darcy's grandmother's housekeeper, come lumbering up the hillside calling to her to return to the house? Or should Ethan chance upon her?

Suddenly my mind began to churn with images of Darcy on horseback. I saw what she would see - the green moorlands, the barren tors rising against a cloudy sky. I heard what she would hear - the whisper of the wind, and the murmur of the grass as the breeze brushes through it. Then I began to feel what she would feel. Lonely. Homesick. . .and a longing for the man she loves. I went back to the scene and wrote the bare bones out in my notebook, then to the computer I went and the scene was enhanced tenfold. I'm glad I waited.

When you have those moments where the words are not flowing, be patient. As a writer friend told me when I shared with her what was happening, 'continue to stare....something BIG is about to break!' But do not neglect your muse. Dwell on the scene. Listen to inspiring music and read or watch a movie in your genre.

If you are not a writer, but you read, next time you sit down and open a novel think of the work that the author put into writing it. It took months to write, perhaps a year. They went through moments where they froze, moments of intense creativity, moments of despair wonder if it was good enough, and lonely moments too. Writing is hard work. But we do it because we love it and we love our readers and want to please them.

Darcy's Childhood Memories

2011-01-22T10:19:00.004-05:00

Hello, dear InSpire readers. I hope your new year is going smoothly and you are either getting a lot of writing and/or reading accomplished.

Beside Two Rivers is progressing nicely in its first draft. One challenge I have faced in this second book in the Daughters of the Potomac Series, is dealing with the bits and pieces of childhood memories that Darcy has tucked away that deal with her parents and the days she lived at River Run, their estate along the Potomac River.

Darcy's memories are crucial to the story, and to avoid dumping backstory into the narrative, I've had to learn how to weave her memories into the tapestry of the incidents she experiences.

Childhood memories, or memories in general, can have a potent affect on the reader and add depth and motivation to your character. But they most be brief, intense, not long and drawn out. A few keys to writing memories into your novel are as follows.

Remember to use sensory influences - sight, sound, smell, taste, touch.

Do not tell all. Allow the reader to wonder what your character's memories mean. Allow your character to wonder the same.

To avoid 'telling' allow your character to react to the memory. Perhaps they grip their hands together, or their eyes fill up with tears. Some kind of reaction to the memory adds depth.

Use one particular memory to be center stage but only an image. One example in Beside Two Rivers is Darcy remembers the swing made for her, tied to a massive tree, and remembers it in winter, its ropes encrusted with ice. This was her place of refuge and on a day when she rides out to see the old house, the swing is long gone. Her refuge is no longer there, but she remembers and it causes a craving in her heart to feel that sense of protection again and finds a new place of refuge, a secluded cliff high above the river. Just as she was able to swing high and see her world in a different perspective, the cliff enables her to high above the river gorge and see a wider world about her.

When revealing a memory, make it poignant, make it reflect on a serious event.

Create in your characters actions that imply their pasts and how it shaped their future, instead of writing out long accounts with a lot of detail.

If you are writing a series, be sure that the memories your characters reveal in the subsequent books are in line with the prequel.

* * *

Share with us your thoughts on the use of memory in your writing. Are you writing a novel where the events in your main character's life are influenced by the past?

Do you have a particular childhood memory that is only an image that brings you joy when it is recalled?

Mine? The huge sycamore tree on the hill past the next yard, that I saw from my swing in our backyard, and the little house beyond it, across the street, that had a little chicken coup. The tree is still there, and the house. And when I visit my mother, and see that tree, I feel happy thinking back to those summer days, pumping my legs on the swing to go higher and higher.
I'm in the photo to the right, at age 15.

Besides the Writing...

2011-01-09T11:14:00.009-05:00

Many aspiring writers have the conception that once a writer has a contract, that their work is done once they hand in their manuscript. Actually, your work continues, and the load is bigger than the writing of your story.

Last month I turned in the first draft for 'Before the Scarlet Dawn', early to my publisher. She was delighted and will be working on the first rounds of edits called 'substantive'. In the meantime, she sent me an email on Friday with a 'Book Cover Design Information Form'. I have no doubt other publishers ask their authors for input of how they visualize the cover for their novels. But there are some that do not, and those I've seen are mostly print on demand publishers. Be wary of them, dear writer.

Anyway, I was given a list of questions about the tone of the cover, what I want readers to feel when they see it, descriptions of the hero and heroine, photographs and descriptions of places in the story, and to include book covers that I like that have the same ambiance I'm hoping for.

Some of my Facebook friends offered some great suggestions, and I'll have something special for them when the book comes out.

Now you know something else to expect once you sign a contract. As time goes on I'll share the next phases that come my way in the production of this novel, book 1 in the Daughters of the Potomac Series.

Here are a few covers that I selected to send to the designers.

Here are photos of actors that I feel depict my heroine, Eliza Morgan, and my hero, Hayward Morgan.

How would you describe your hero and heroine of the book you are writing?

Dialogue and Narrative Writing

2011-01-04T10:56:00.003-05:00

With each book, with each short story, we should grow as writers. As I write book 2 in the Daughters of the Potomac Series, 'Beside Two Rivers', I've been pondering what makes a story flow and glow. Dialogue? Narrative? Is it a balance of both? Or is it more dialogue and a sprinkling of narrative?

In her book 'Between the Lines' author Jessica Page Morrell states the following.

A reader's eye is naturally drawn to dialogue because it is staged, action-intensive, and auditory.

More importantly she writes: Rapid-fire dialogue with little or no extraneous information is swift and captivating, and will invigorate any scene. . . snaps and crackles with tension. Reactions, descriptions, and attributions are minimal. Don't create dialogue exchanges where your characters discuss or ponder. Instead, allow them to argue, confront, or engage in a power struggle.

I agree. Except that there are times when your characters will need to have a lighter conversation. Still, this should move the story forward. In 'Beside Two Rivers' my heroine Darcy has arrived at Havendale to meet her grandmother. Naturally the first person she meets is the housekeeper, an old retainer that has served the family for years. I did not want her to be a 'Mrs. Danvers' kind of character. Instead, she is lighthearted and welcomes Darcy warmly.

Their conversation is light, but it is leading up to a more intense conversation between Darcy and her grandmother Madeline.
_________________________

Darcy untied the ribbon beneath her chin and removed her hat, while the servant took her cloak from off her shoulders. She noticed the look of concern when her eyes ran quickly over her clothing. “I walked a long way,” she said.
“Hmm. From the fork in the road I expect.”
“Yes. I hope I do not look too bedraggled.”
“Well, you’ve had a weary journey, now haven’t you? It’s a long walk from where they left you, so I imagine you are very tried, the brave girl you are to journey all the way from Mary’s land.
“I am. . .a little.”
“We’ve a warm guest room waiting for you. It has a comfortable bed, and I’ll bring up a tray of food.”
“You are very kind. But I’d prefer to see my grandmother right away.”
“Of course, and without delay.”
_________________________

The dialogue then goes slightly deeper. Questions are asked and Darcy ponders the state of the house, why the downstairs is darker than the upstairs.

__________________________

Downstairs the walls were paneled with dark oak, but the hallway upstairs held a warmer effect, painted pale yellow with large windows that allowed the light to flood inside. Darcy scanned the paintings on the wall and the pattern the sunlight made across it.
“This floor is very different from downstairs.”
“My mistress had the old panels ripped out after she married Mr. Morgan. . .

____________________________

A sprinkling of descriptive narrative is enough to give the reader a visual image of the house, the walls, the staircase, and the windows. There is both a gloomy and an uplifting atmosphere, of two places that are complete opposites.

Narrative can build tension and atmosphere. Sprinkle it in with interesting dialogue and the merger of the two becomes one scene that will sweep the reader into the world of your characters and move your story ahead.

So in conclusion, where I have grown while writing this series is in depth of dialogue. I am now 230 plus pages into the manuscript.

What are your views on dialogue and narrative?
Do you prefer to read a novel with a balance of both? Or one more than the other?

My Applesauce Cake Recipe

2010-12-30T19:30:00.007-05:00

Family recipes are always a treasure to pass down. I remember my mother making this cake all the way back to when I was a little girl. It was my father's favorite, and my husband claims I reeled him in with this delicious cake. It is an old fashioned recipe passed down and I have no idea how far it really goes back. I've guarded this recipe but it's time I shared it with you, my friends.

Rita's Grandmother's Applesauce Cake

1 cup of shortening - butter or margarine. (My grandmother and mom used Crisco)
1 cup of sugar

Cream these together until well blended.

Add:
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of nutmeg
1 teaspoon of ginger

Mix well.

Add together -
3 cups of shifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

Add to mixture. Then add:
2 cups of applesauce
2 tablespoons of dark molasses
1 box of raisins
1 cup of walnuts (optional)

Bake at a preheated 350 oven for 1 hour.

Icing is optional. If you use icing, use a glaze made of powdered sugar and milk.

Chance to Win a Signed Copy of 'Surrender the Wind'!

2010-12-22T11:15:00.003-05:00

Melissa Morris has posted a piece on her blog about 'Surrender the Wind'. Those that comment have the chance to win a signed copy of my novel.

So jump over there as soon as you can, add your comment, and let's see who wins!

http://faithchats.blogspot.com/2010/12/win-free-autographed-copy-of-surrender.html

Book 2 in a Series

2010-12-15T10:33:00.004-05:00

Okay, I promised I would blog regularly about the evolution of a book series. I'm doing my best to keep my word. So, to help me along with this, post questions in the comment section and I'll try my best to answer them.

Book 1, Before the Scarlet Dawn, is now in the capable hands of my new editor Ramona Richards at Abingdon Press. It is ahead of the due date, but that is mainly because I started this novel exactly a year ago. Now I am working on Book 2, Beside Two Rivers. I hope I am not being repetitive, but this book originally began as a stand alone. Barbara Scott, the editor at Abingdon at the time, gave me some plot ideas and I started to rewrite those first chapters I had sent to her. Then it occurred to me this needed to be a series.

Anyway, I am saturating myself into Darcy's story in book 2. It has started off a bit on the humorous side in regards to the family she is living with. A nervous aunt, an understanding uncle, and five female cousins. She is unlike them all, except for having some of the traits of her Uncle Will, who is her father's half-brother.

I had to set this novel aside in order to write book 1. What I am doing now is revisiting the over 200 pages I wrote, and editing them as I go. This gets me back into the story. Then I'll pick up the pace to finish the book.

Here is a tip for writing a series. As you write book 1, keep a log in your other notebooks, of events and scenes that have those characters in it. This way when you are writing books 2 and 3, you will be able to transition to them easily.

For example, Darcy sudden recalls an event from book 1 when she was a child, but only in part. This scene will play a major role in book 2 when Darcy questions what it means, what exactly had occurred that day, and how she deals with what her father told her. It certainly struck fear into this child's heart.

'Darcy shut her eyes and forced back one memory. That of her mother lying still and pale. She could not see Eliza’s face, only a flow of dark hair. She remembered the firm touch of her father’s hands, the sound of his voice, and the words—You’ve heard of Hell, haven’t you? Well, that’s where your Mama will be.'

It is a terrible thing to tell a child, but such were the times she was living in. Since it was a major event in her young life, I have had to reflect on how it effected her, and how this plays out in her life as a young woman.

So keep a good record of events for the subsequent books. It will make writing them much easier. You won't have to jump back and forth between your manuscripts, nor will your readers ask why they were not included. If I fail to include what I shared with you from book 1 in book 2, the story would lapse in authenticity and flow. However, do it with a delft hand. Do not rewrite the scene, only mention it in a way that moves the story forward---briefly in either narrative, which should be very short, in or dialogue. I'm not suggesting flashbacks. They are lengthy and bog down the story. Avoid them, because the reader's interest will be in the unfolding of events in the present.

A brief mention of an event (backstory) that occurred in your character's past that has had an effect on them in the present will add depth to your character's motivation, illuminate their struggle, and explain who and what they are.

Finished...for now.

2010-12-07T15:54:00.002-05:00

I cannot describe the feeling when I clicked 'send' and off went the manuscript for Before the Scarlet Dawn to Ramona Richards, my new editor at Abingdon Press. Nervous? A little, yes. Worried? A bit. I think every author goes through these feelings. You wonder if the manuscript is good enough, and will the editor like it. You wonder if you polished it enough when you did the self-edits. And you hope readers will like the book. It's natural, I think, to have these thoughts.

I will say that even if this book were not going to be published, it still would have been a joy to write. Writing my other novels was a wonderful experience. But for some reason Eliza Bloome Morgan leapt out at me and took hold of my heart. She became so real to me, that when I typed the last line, my eyes teared. I wasn't saying goodbye. No. I was saying, 'I'll see you in book 2, Beside Two Rivers'. I have a glimmer of what is to happen to Eliza, the kind of things she will be experiencing. Will she ever regain acceptance in society? Will she ever see again a particular person that meant more to her than anyone in the world?

If you are not yet published, but you are writing, please enjoy the journey. Don't allow yourself to be blue for too long when you get a rejection. Write because you love to and because you are called. Be patient with your work. That doesn't mean you don't work on it every day. At least try to get some writing done each day. I have a schedule where I work Monday through Saturdays and I take Sundays off. I work in between loads of laundry, grocery shopping, making meals for my family, etc.

I titled this post 'Finished...for now'. Do you know why? Because a book is never finished until the editor give the final approval and it goes to print. Novels will go through at least three major edits. So keep that in mind. Your editor will be your partner in polishing your novel to a high sheen.

Keep writing.
Don't give up.
Be patient and persistent.

Writing from Life

2010-12-03T08:44:00.010-05:00

Not long ago, I received a phone call from my friend and fellow storyteller, Wanda Dyson. During our conversation, she told me how a snake had found its way into her chicken coop and devoured several eggs and almost all her baby chicks. I'd been working on a scene for 'Before the Scarlet Dawn' and this tale of snake and chicken owner sparked my imagination. I was, however, heartsick for the poor baby chicks.

I declared to Wanda, I could use this in a scene and that I'd give her credit for the inspiration. She thought it was a great idea.

And so, when you read 'Before the Scarlet Dawn' you will come to a scene where Eliza's servant bounds into the house, wide-eyed and trembling, once she has seen a large black snake slivering in the coop that scares all the hens up to the rafters. Eliza loads a musket and out the door she goes to take care of the thief. Here is a snippet.

Her eyes scanned the nests and she backed away upon sight of the snake’s sleek body slipping over the edge of the box down to the straw-laden floor. The head she could not see but frowned at the sight of the egg-shaped bulge. A shiver rushed through her limbs, and her hands gripped the musket, and when she cocked the hammer, she raised it to her shoulder. But before she could fire, the serpent wound its way through a crack in the boards and slipped out.

“Oh no you don’t!” She hoisted her skirts to her knees, and hurried to the back of the coup where the snake wound its way between clumps of grass. She raised the musket again, sucked in her breath and took aim. Squeezing the trigger, the musket cracked. Smoke blinded her view and she stumbled back. Fanning it away, she stepped cautiously forward and looked to see if she had gotten the dreadful intruder. Indeed she had, for the flesh lay torn open, red against motionless black and the green grass.

She smiled. Hayward would be so proud of me. Then her breath caught in her throat at the cry of a jay. And when a flock of sparrows sprang from the edge of the forest, a cold sweat prickled over her skin. Hayward had taught her the signs, and she made Fiona swear to hide with Darcy at the first sight of danger.

I won't spoil any more of the scene than I have to, but this leads Eliza into serious trouble. Can you imagine what kind? The year is 1781. The place, the Maryland frontier.

Keep a sharp ear when people share their experiences with you. Think of some of your own and draw from them. But never use something someone shared with you that is personal and private in a scene.

Have you drawn from experiences of your own when writing, or from incidents others have shared with you?

Holiday Chex Muddy Buddies Recipe

2010-11-24T15:11:00.001-05:00

This is a fun recipe for a holiday snack, especially for the kids.

Chex Muddy Buddies Recipe

Ingredients:

9 cups Chex cereal
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Pour cereal into large bowl; set aside. In 1-quart, microwave-safe bowl combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and margarine. Microwave at 100-percent power for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring after 1 minute. Stir in vanilla. Pour chocolate sauce slowly over cereal, stirring to coat evenly. Pour cereal into large plastic bag. Add powdered sugar and secure; shake to coat well. Spread on waxed paper to cool.

Makes 10 cups

2010-11-23T09:41:00.002-05:00

Holiday Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup of raisins ~ optional
1 cup of chopped walnuts ~ optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray loaf pans with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Add raisins and walnuts. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

________________________________________________________________

Read Chapter One to Surrender the Wind

http://www.abingdonpress.com/forms/displayImage.aspxpcid=1173111

Homepage: http://ritagerlach.com/

Special sale at Cokesbury for only $4. Normally $13.99

http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=783958

Available in Kindle from Amazon.com

In a Series of Questions

2010-11-11T10:03:00.018-05:00

Have you written a novel series? Or perhaps you have considered writing one but feel a bit overwhelmed by the idea? Have you a proposal you want to send to publishers? Perhaps you are not a writer, but you enjoy reading historical series.

Wherever you are in this journey, in the 'comments' section of the post, please send in your thoughts and questions about writing a series.

This is your chance, too, to have some promotion on my end. I will go through the comments and post back snippets in this post along with links to your websites and blogs.

I look forward to reading what you have to say.
Read the below authors' comments in full by clicking on the 'comment's link.

*********************************************************************

From Roseanna White: I like to have a unifying theme in a series (location, social group, etc( but have a new hero and heroine for each.
Blog: http://roseannamwhite.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.roseannawhite.com/

From Loree Lough: I've written about a dozen different series ("Suddenly," "Accidental Blessings," "Turning Points," "Lone Star Legends," etc.) and in each, there's at least one "connecting thread." It could be the characters (or even secondary characters), the setting, or a time period.
Blog: http://theloughdown.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.loreelough.com/

From Marylu Tyndall: Joining with the other answers, the three things that tie them together are characters, setting, and theme.
Blog: http://crossandcutlass.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.mltyndall.com/

From Carrie Fancett Pagels: Overcoming trials is the theme and how immigrants must release their old lives and embrace new ones.
Website & Blog: http://cfpagels.blogspot.com/

From Golden Keys Parsons: I really enjoy series -- both writing them and reading them. I agree with all of my colleagues concerning a unifying theme.
Blog: http://goldenkeyesparsons.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.goldenkeyesparsons.com/tp40/Default.asp?ID=167731

From Laura Frantz: I'm beginning my first series of a family that spans 100 years (4 generations), so what others say here is so helpful.
Website: http://laurafrantz.blogspot.com/

From Melissa K. Norris: I have quilts as one unifying theme throughout my books. You can see a picture of my current quilt, which also ties in with my first novel of proposed trilogy, Journey of Promise, on my website. http://www.melissaknorris.com/
Blog: http://faithchats.blogspot.com/

From J M Hochstetler: I'm also developing several secondary characters into POV characters and adding their storylines as the story develops in order to broaden the series' scope. I really feel you can give a story more impact and characters more depth when you allow them to develop over time.
Website: http://www.jmhochstetler.com/
Blog: http://americanpatriotseries.blogspot.com/

Evolution of a Novel Series ~ Setting

2010-10-31T14:12:00.004-04:00

Not long ago my fabulous editor, Barbara Scott, shared with me how the setting of a novel, a location such as a manor house, home, etc. can be a character in your novel. How so? It is the touch point for several elements.

Time: Seasons. Day or night. Month or year in scene.
Place: A fictional or real town, city, village, or dwelling. Showing a scene inside or outside.
Mood: Brings forth the atmosphere of the scene and setting. Is the setting a dark place? Is it a cheerful place? It could be a drafty old house, or a warm one with hearth fires and heavy quilts on the beds.

Your storyline will need a setting that reflects all it encompasses.

Here are a few links I've used to help me narrow down a setting. Obviously, in the Daughters of the Potomac Series, the setting is along the Potomac River in the late 18th century. The books are also set in England, in the Hope Valley. I chose both settings for a purpose. They reflect the storyline.

If you are contemplating where to set your novel, try these links.

Pictures of England is a wonderful website showcasing towns, villages, counties, and attractions in England. http://www.picturesofengland.com/

America in Pictures: http://www.terragalleria.com/america/

Discover USA Places: Click on cities on the map and get information. http://www.discoveramerica.com/uk/places.html

Castles of Britain: http://www.castles-of-britain.com/
Castles of America by state: http://www.dupontcastle.com/castles/

Selecting Your Series Time Period

2010-10-24T10:12:00.001-04:00

I had to ask the question, what are today's CBA publishers looking for in a novel series?

They want three books that can stand on their own, that conclude with all the plot threads wrapped up.
A trilogy with some thread that ties them together.
Heroines as the main characters.
Romance, and with historicals the facts, as one editor put it, as 'window dressing' to the story.

With that in mind, the deepest question to ask is, 'How do I tie these stories together?' I think it is evident in all our lives, that the lives of others have influenced us. Knowing this, I have created three heroines that have made decisions that ultimately effect the lives of the others.

There are other writers following the same vein. Marylu Tyndall is an excellent example in her 'Charles Towne Belles Series', three novels, three sisters. Each novel can stand on its own, but the reader is given the chance to follow each sister, each making an appearance in each book, and see how the decisions one makes effect the other two. It's a fascinating concept, although it is challenging to write.

My advice to those of you who are not yet published, or you have only published one or two novels, try your hand at creating a novel series. How?

Determine what time period you want these stories to take place in. Do not write in a time period you do not like. I for example you may not a fan of ancient history. So do not write a story that takes place in ancient Rome. You will regret you ever started. You must love the period you are writing in, in order to love writing it, love the storyline, and connect with your characters.

You do not have to be a historian to make this decision. Simply ask yourself the following.

What time in history fascinates you?
What time in history do you like in the novels you read?
What are some of the more popular times readers seem to prefer? Go to Amazon and browse the historicals.
What time periods are publishers most interested in? Go to their websites and check out there list of novels they are promoting.

One way to narrow this down, and to gather some interesting historical facts to 'window dress' you novel is website that have time lines. Here's a good one.

This site has both BC and AD years. Click on a year and they will give you a calendar of events that took place that year.
http://www.historyorb.com/events-by-year.php

Are you considering a novel series?
What do you find the most challenging about writing a series?

Visuals When Writing a Series

2010-10-17T13:18:00.007-04:00

One thing that helps me develop my characters is visuals. I love old photographs in black and white or sepia. They take us back into the past, and away from the bright lights that distract us in our times.

Visuals enable a writer and her readers to 'meet face-to-face' with characters. I had to search Google for these, but they are the closest images to how I see my heroines in the Daughters of the Potomac Series. And this is how I want my readers to see them. Not a drawing on paper, or a painting, but images from the past that portray such a character.

The first photo is an exact representation of Eliza Bloome in Before the Scarlet Dawn. Everything from her expression to her stance speaks of her. Her gaze is somewhat defiant, as if she could take on the world. It expresses bravery and fortitude.

This image is how I see Darcy Morgan, Eliza's daughter, in the novel Beside Two Rivers. Her face shines with loving kindness. Gentleness and femininity glow in her eyes. Can you see what kind of young woman she is? Passionate and poetic?

And finally, her is Sarah, my heroine in Beyond the Valley. She has a faraway gaze that matches the title. She is beautiful, but her expression is one of loneliness.

So, while writing your novel, search for an image of your character and draw from it their inner and outer qualities.

In the comments, please share if you have done this, and if you have your image on your blog or website, share the link with us.

Evolution of a Novel Series -- Eliza Bloome

2010-10-12T08:27:00.006-04:00

Once the idea for the series took shape, I had to set aside Beside Two Rivers and begin book 1 Before the Scarlet Dawn.

Book 1 ~ At the beginning I had questions.
Who is Eliza Bloome?
Where did she grow up?
Who were her parents?
What does she look like?
What are her beliefs?
What does she want?

Eliza began to take form deeply in my imagination. I saw a young woman with raven hair, clear skin, and violet eyes whose heart is longing to be loved for the person she is, not for her beauty. She is a bit naive when it comes to the ways of the world.

She is the daughter of a vicar and lives with him at a small vicarage in the Hope Valley in Derbyshire, England until his death. Her mother died when she was a baby.

Eliza loves God and wants to do the right thing. She believes with all her heart that He is guiding her to the man she longs for. What she wants most is to be loved unconditionally, and to be accepted for her mind and soul, to find a husband who treats her as his equal.

To get this all down on paper, I jotted down these attributes in my notebook for Before the Scarlet Dawn. In writing the story, the best technique for me is writing the scenes out by hand first in the notebook. Each novel has its own. Writing freehand, for some reason I cannot explain, causes the words to flow out of me. It is raw, unedited prose. Perhaps it has to do with the right side of the brain, the creative side. All I know is this technique is what helps me start and finish a novel.

The story begins its evolution with Eliza sitting at her father's beside late at night. A knock on the door echoes up the staircase. The servant of a local gentleman must speak to Reverend Bloome in private. And what he has to tell, launches the story.

Sounds a bit crazy, but I pictured Eliza telling me 'write my story'. She became to me a person who once lived, breathed, and walked this earth. If I could not achieve that, my readers will not connect to her.

So in the evolution of book 1 in the series, I began with characterization. Eliza, being the main character, comes on stage in chapter one awaiting the inevitable. She then moves on and readers begin to meet the people in her life. Her devoted servant, Fiona Goodall. A suitor whose sees winning her as a challenge named Langbourne. And then the man Eliza loves above all others - Hayward Morgan---proud, wealthy, and in search of a stalwart wife. The major players are in place, and the question arises. Will Hayward love Eliza unconditionally? Will he see her as his equal, and be devoted to her no matter how much the storms of life rage against them?

As a reader, what intrigues you the most about a series?

As a writer, what kinds of things intimidate you about writing a series?

Evolution of a Novel Series ~ How it came to be.

2010-10-03T13:56:00.007-04:00

Two years ago, after I had signed a contract with Abingdon Press for my stand alone novel 'Surrender the Wind', I sat down at my computer and wrote three words.

Winter came early.

In my mind's eye a heroine by the name of Darcy Morgan appeared. The year is 1778. The setting is the Maryland wilderness.

In the opening Darcy is a little girl, with a head full of ringlets and large dark eyes. In another room her mother is giving birth, and Darcy is bewildered by the event going on.

I titled the novel Beside Two Rivers. In my notebook I wrote: the place ~ along the Potomac River in Maryland. Time ~ the Revolutionary War era.

I kept writing, and when I had enough chapters to submit to my editor, I sent them off. She called me and said as is, she could not accept it. I asked her why. She went on to tell me it had to do with two characters in the beginning chapter, female slaves. This is a soft spot for some readers. But I think Barbara was seeing something deeper. This novel needed to evolve into something more.

I asked her if I could change the characters and resubmit. I could and a revision began. These two characters that I reinvented would turn out to be more than just blips on a page. They would change the course of the book.

One character I rewrote became Fiona Goodall. Fiona is British, middle-aged, the housekeeper to Reverend Matthias Bloome, who helps him raise his daughter Eliza after his wife's death. Fiona is the most loyal individual you'd ever want to meet, full of warmth and devotion. She never leaves Eliza's side if she can help it. Although she is a servant, she gives sound advice and pearls of wisdom to Eliza when she is in need of guidance.

The other character evolved into Sarah Carr. Sarah, also English, is a mild young woman with a big heart. She has an impediment. One leg is shorter than the other, and so she limps, and endures being less than perfect in people's eyes. Sarah's story will be told in Book 3, Beyond the Valley. But she appears in Book 1 which sets up some of the scenes in her novel.

It was amazing enough to have my dear editor point out the changes needed to be made in my characters. But more amazing were the revelations that unfolded one morning while I was in the shower. It hit me like the water suddenly going to freeze mode. I had written a good portion of Darcy's story in Beside Two Rivers. But I realized I had to write her mother Eliza's story. And then! I had to write Sarah's story. Thus came the series, Daughters of the Potomac.

I sent Barbara the tip sheets, and she took it to the fiction committee. They offered me a contract, and gave me deadlines.

Now, to get into this serious business of writing this series, I'll tell you what I do to start. This may help if you are considering writing a series. A lot of CBA publishers want them. I gather supplies. Yes, supplies. You ask, "Isn't the computer enough?" The answer is 'no'.

My list>

The thickest spiral notebooks I could find for each title.
A ton of pens.
A small note pad.
All the classical music CDs we have in the house, downloaded to my Windows Media Player.
Boxes of printer paper.
A box of tissue...for those moments when I get weepy over a scene.
A sign for my door. There it is opposite. I found it on a clip art site.

As I write 'Evolution of a Novel Series', I would love to hear from you. What questions do you have, or comments, about writing a series? Please post them, and I'll attempt to answer every one of them.

Evolution of a Novel Series ~ Introduction

2010-10-03T03:20:00.005-04:00

Ever wonder what it is like for a writer to develop a book series? If you are not yet published, or you are but your books have been stand-alones so far, perhaps you'll be interested in reading these posts as I unfold over the next year the evolution of a book series.

A book series in today's market consists of three novels. The stories can stand alone or be connected. To sell a series to a publisher, you first have to write a proposal. I am open to sending mine for 'Surrender the Wind', my stand alone novel to anyone who would like to see what goes into a proposal.

Typically, if you are unpublished, you must have a book completed in order to send it to a publisher. So if you are in this situation, write a novel, and work hard to get it published. It isn't easy, but believe me, it can happen. Once your foot is in the door you can begin writing proposals and selling books before they are written. Then the fun begins of facing deadlines.

I know I'm throwing a lot out here at once. So let's get to the point. This book series thing...I'll be posting about the progress, so you'll know the ins and outs, the ups and downs, and see through this author's eyes the evolution of the Daughters of the Potomac Series --- from the first blank page to the last in book 3.

I hope you stick with me. And I hope I can inspire you to fulfill your dream of writing a series.

Truth in Fiction

2010-10-02T10:08:00.003-04:00

My fabulous editor at Abingdon Press writes an outstanding blog called 'The Roving Editor'. She shares with her readers valuable information about the Christian publishing industry. Her blog is a 'must read'. On Friday she wrote about Truth in fiction.

She wrote: Christian fiction contains more truth than the realities of life in our confusing world. Grasp that fact, write from the truth in your heart, and you will not need to include a conversion scene in your novel. His Holy Spirit will show the truth in your stories to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

I'm attaching this to my computer as a reminder of how I should write fiction, not from a world view but from a view of the Truth. Our characters are to face the harsh realities of life, and through faith find deliverance, freedom, redemption, and forgiveness.

Think about the book you are writing now. Are you writing from the truth in your heart? How do you 'show' through your characters Truth to your readers?

You can read 'The Roving Editor' by clicking on this link.
http://therovingeditor.blogspot.com/

First Lines

2010-09-25T09:11:00.013-04:00

There you are sitting at your desk in front of your computer, staring at the blank, stark white screen before you. Finally you lift your fingers to the keyboard and type in your name, address, and email address in the upper left hand corner, single spaced. You come down the page, type the title and your name. Then you move to the next page and type CHAPTER ONE.

Again there is a long pause as you contemplate the first line to your story. You see your heroine in your mind. What is she doing? Where is she?

You type a sentence, erase it, and begin again. You know it has to draw the reader in, make them want to keep reading. This first line is crucial. It has to motivate the reader to read on.

Most people will tell you when they are in the bookstore and they are searching for something great to read, they first look at the cover, then the back cover blurb, then they read the first line. Covers by their beauty can capture the readers imagination, and the back cover blurb give them a little taste of what the book is about. But that first line or two will be what cinches a sale. If it is dull, if it doesn't give the reader a strong visual image, they will like put it back on the shelf.

So how does a writer come up with a great first line? Here are some tips.

1. As you begin, close your eyes and visualize your character, where they are, and what they are doing. Write what you see in your mind's eye.

2. Use strong verbs to bring out the action.

3. Do not write a rambling sentence that goes on and on.

4. Go back later and read your first line, and ask yourself would you buy this book.

If you want your reader to be emotionally involved in your character, the opening lines are the key because it is the introduction between your heroine and your reader.

Here are a few first lines from the Daughters of the Potomac Series I am writing for Abingdon Press. Which make you want to keep reading and why? Which do not?

From 'Beyond the Scarlet Dawn', Book 1.
Eliza Bloome woke from the tattered high-backed chair when the front door downstairs slammed shut.

From 'Beside Two Rivers', Book 2
It had been her favorite place to retreat since she was nine, when she had discovered it one summer twilight while trekking with her cousins over the ridge that shadowed the Potomac.

From 'Beyond the Valley', Book 2
Sarah Carr would never look at the moon in the same way again.

Do you have a first line you'd like to share? Post it in the comments. Comment to some of the others poster's lines. Let us know, if you'd buy this book.

2010-09-17T09:20:00.003-04:00

Can you imagine this being printed in the newspaper today? It was printed in the Frederick News Post 100 years ago on September 17, 1910.

'Troubles in the family of Mr. Lewis Tomlin, West South street, resulted in a fight between Mr. and Mrs. Tomlin last night. The scrape it is alleged, resulted in Mrs. Tomlin getting the best of the bargain, as Mr. Tomlin is said to have received a bad cut on his wrist, which bled profusely and which required the services of a physician.'

I guess nothing is new under the sun. We read all kinds of terrible things in the newspapers . . .things much worse than this. But the wording of the clip is what got me.

Paige Turner's Book Club

2010-09-14T18:21:00.003-04:00

I've a new blog spot to tell everyone about. Please pass the word. Fictional character and lover of all things literature, Paige Turner has a site listing some great novels.

Hope you check it out.

http://paigeturnerbookclub1.blogspot.com/

A Deeper Look into Surrender the Wind

2010-09-08T11:02:00.007-04:00

~ When an American patriot of the Revolution inherits his grandfather’s estate in faraway England, he inherits more than an isolated manor house. He discovers Juleah’s love and a plot that leads to kidnapping, murder, and betrayal, in this stirring tale of fidelity and forgiveness. ~

Instead of answering interview questions, I’m commenting on some quotes from reviewers to give my readers a deeper glimpse into the storyline in Surrender the Wind.

* * *

From author Marylu Tyndall ~ Ms. Gerlach's historic research is evident throughout the story, and her attention to detail and literary descriptions of scenes placed me right in the middle of the action.

If a writer wishes to write a historical novel, research is a vital, essential part of developing a great story. When I began Surrender the Wind, I read numerous accountants of the Battle of Yorktown where the book opens in the prologue. I researched uniforms, dress, weaponry, food, and culture.

As the book moves forward into Chapter 1, the reader is taken to England, to a crumbling manor house in Devonshire. The historical research from this point on had to be in the details. I wanted my reader to see in their mind the scene, outdoors and indoors. Everything from a tallow candle in the socket of a brass candlestick, to the blue and white pitcher and bowl on the heroine’s washing table, adds strong visual imagery. My editor told me once that a place can become a character in a book. I feel that is true for Ten Width Manor. It's walls hold secrets of lives past and present in the story. Because it is the ancestral home of the Braxtons, Ten Width has a stronghold on those living in it.

Then there are the historical cultural markings in a book that make up the characters. Dress. Etiquette. Traditional family life. I studied 18th century wills and marriage customs, the fashions of the period, and how the classes interacted with each other.

* * *

From author Linda Clare ~ The American Revolutionary period comes to life as Gerlach explores themes of patriotism with a faith element.

In America today there is a resurgence of patriotism. We are returning to our roots, our Constitution, and faith. In the 18th century faith played a major role in the lives of people in both the Colonies and United Kingdom. In Surrender the Wind, I bring faith into the story as a lifestyle. It is delicately woven into the characters' personalities. One thing I did not want to do is write a ‘religious novel’. My goal was to write a novel where readers would become immersed into the characters by relating to the struggles they faced which bring about spiritual breakthroughs.

* * *

From Annette Temple ~ A Well-Watered Garden Blog' This book is one of the most romantic books I've ever read. The passion and love that is poetically described between Seth and Juleah was rousing.

I am so grateful to Annette for this comment. She helped me realize that I achieved my goal. Most of us ladies want a bit of romance in our stories, don’t we? We want a hero that is tough with the world, but tender with his lady. And a heroine that is strong in the face of tribulation, but swept away by the love of a man. Romance in a novel, in my opinion, is the most intriguing when what is written is just enough to leave the rest up to the reader’s imagination. In Christian fiction a writer brings out romance deftly, love that goes beyond the material, but deeper into the heart and spirit of the characters.

I’ll close here with a romantic excerpt from Surrender the Wind . It is Seth and Juleah’s wedding night. I hope you will consider reading my novel, and keep an eye out for the release of book 1 in a new series, Daughters of the Potomac, coming out in May, 2012, entitled ‘Before the Scarlet Dawn’.

* * * * * *

In his bedchamber, which they now shared, Juleah slipped on her silk nightdress. Thin white ribbons laced the front. She sat at the dressing table brushing her hair. Tinted with the golden splendor of the candles, she smoothed it over her shoulder and ran her fingers down its length. Excitement filled her, tripped over her skin along with desire. She glanced around the room. How masculine it appeared. A fresh coat of paint would improve its appearance, and white curtains over the windows would bring it warmth and light.

She set the candlestick on the table next to their bed. The brass clock on the mantelpiece chimed out the hour. She paused to listen to the musical sound it made, while she pulled down the coverlet. The door drifted open. Seth came inside, shut it, and proceeded to pull off his waistcoat.

“Ah, have you seen the moon?” She opened the drapes wide to let the moonlight pour in. It bathed the room soft blue. “Is it not lovely, Seth?”

He joined her at the window. Wrapping his arms around his wife’s waist, he stood close behind her. His breath brushed against her neck and she sighed.

He whispered in her ear. “Doubt thou the stars are fire. Doubt that the sun doth move. Doubt truth to be a liar. But never doubt I love.”

It pleased her that he, a Virginian rebel, had memorized the beauty of Shakespeare’s verses. Melting with longing, she turned to him. He took her into his arms. She reached up and pushed back a lock of hair that fell over his brow. “I will never doubt your love, not for anything in the world.”

He brought his lips to hers and she strained against him. Love rose within each heart. He lifted her, and her feet dangled above the floor. Holding her, he kissed her, turned with Juleah toward their bed, and took his bride away from the window.

* * * * * *

Read Chapter One: http://www.abingdonpress.com/forms/displayImage.aspx?pcid=1173111

Rita’s Website: http://www.ritagerlach.com/index.html

Surrender the Wind is available wherever books are sold. Kindle additions available from Amazon.com

Cokesbury Bookstore is having an amazing sale. http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=783958

Note: If you would like to post this on your blog, please do. Let me know. And many, many thanks!

My Getaway

2010-09-02T15:00:00.002-04:00

It always sounded so glamorous to me. The writer going off to some secluded place to write. Well, I can tell you it is wonderful. Today's blog is written from beautiful western Maryland at the Wisp Resort, a ski resort in the mountains. Naturally there is no snow on the slopes, just green grass and lush trees. Since it is off season no one is here. It appears we have the entire place to ourselves. Not a sound.

We stopped at Swallow Falls State Park to see the waterfall in the Muddy Creek. To get there we hiked along a path through a dark hemlock forest. Some of the trees are over 300 years old. So quiet as we paused and listened to the water tumbling over the shale cliff in the distance.

Paul will be fly fishing, while I'm secluded in the room or the restaurant to finish book 1 of the Daughters of the Potomac Series, Beyond the Scarlet Dawn. I am in the homestretch, and with a word count to meet, I am wondering how I'm going to put everything in my head into the last 25,000 words. I'm confident I'll do it.

I prayed the other day as I was working for the chance to have a few days uninterrupted to finish. God answered. I'm here now, in a beautiful room - no phone, and no emails.

I'll let you know how it is going.

Empathy

2010-08-30T10:27:00.003-04:00

Okay. What I'm about to write is not to toot my own horn. It is meant to illustrate the title of this blog post. So bear with me.

Sitting outside on my mother's porch one afternoon, she told me some of the comments she has gotten from her friends that are reading 'Surrender the Wind'. She said, "Inga said she is in love with Seth, and so worried about him and Juleah, that she can't put the book down. Annette said the same thing. She loves Seth too, and is worried about Juleah." She then let out a little giggle. "I know what they mean. I fell in love with him too, and I worried so much about what was going to happen to him in Juleah that I couldn't stop reading."

I replied, "Thanks, mom. That's what I needed to hear."

Why? you ask. Because it should be the goal of every writer to cause the reader to be worried, concerned, and attached to your characters, especially to your hero and heroine. They want to feel these emotions. I know I do when I start a novel. And if I do not, I usually do not finish the book. I must be captured by emotion. I must be drawn in so closely to the problems, the fears, the danger that the characters are in to keep me glued to the pages. I must be worried about the heroine and hero. I must be concerned about what is going to happen next to them.

To sum it up:

Strive to bring the reader to the place where they feel the emotions of your characters. Do this by action. The sweat on your hero's brow, trickling down his neck. The tension your heroine feels as she watches danger approach.

Keep in mind that for most people emotions, such as empathy, are deeply felt and deeply hidden. Do not be afraid as a writer to keep it this way --- in check and in control. If your hero keeps his passion in control, let's say his desire to strike out due to mounting emotions, wait for the right time and the right place to let loose, then you will avoid melodrama.

The greatest way to tap into your readers' empathy is by exposing your characters deep-seated emotions. While writing about the suffering your heroine is going through, perhaps she suffers privately, when she is alone, without others noticing. Something might trigger her hidden pain, either through scene or dialogue, and suddenly she opens up. Or the whole dam breaks.

In the novel I am currently writing, Before the Scarlet Dawn, my heroine, Eliza, longs to be loved for who and what she is on the inside, not for her outward beauty. I take her on a whirlwind of experiences that lead up to a day when she is broken and gives in, surrenders to that longing. At the end of the chapter, when 'he drew her inside and shut the door' the reader is left with the question 'what happened behind that closed door?'. This ending builds worry in the reader. Moving forward it unravels, and when Eliza is faced with the deepest of rejections, her life takes a drastic turn leading to . . . well, you'll have to read the book when it is released in early 2012.

In what way are you building empathy in your work in progress, or in a novel you have written?

An Old Book is a Treasure

2010-08-19T18:51:00.003-04:00

Last night I watched 'The Scarlet Letter'. This movie brought me to tears.
On my bookshelf I have an old copy of this novel. It is one in a collection of several editions of famous writers works passed down to my husband from his grandfather's collection of books. It is a hardcover, with a blue jeweled binding. The pages are yellowed. And there is a scent that only old books can have...that musty smell of dust, age, old paper and ink.

There is so much buzz about digital books these days. I think they have their place, but to me they will never replace something I can hold in my hands. Hardcovers are special to me, and I tend to hold on to them longest. I wish publishers would return to the hardcover in trade paperback size, you know the kind your parents and grandparents read.

On my self I have books that belonged to my grandparents, my husband's grandfather, and four novels that my father owned as a boy.
Treasure Island
Battle for the Union
The Washington Boys
Tom Sawyer

These volumes will be passed down to my sons, and hopefully their children. I don't think I can do that with a digital book. I can pass down my print copies of the books I write. But who knows what the future holds? Maybe there will be a way were digital books will be archived. Still they will not be able to replace the original, material, the tangible.

What is your opinion about digital books, old books, print books? Do you have any treasures passed down to you sitting on your bookshelf?

(Image of books by John C. Hulse)
http://www.miamiartzine.com/vol3/issue56/artistspotlight.htm

Intensive Writers Workshop

2010-08-13T09:21:00.001-04:00

What I am about to present to you is an incredible opportunity for any writer, at any level, both unpublished and published. I wish I had had this chance years ago when I put out my first three manuscripts for publication. How many acquisitions editors of a major publishing house do you know that will spend the entire day with a group of writers in an intense writers workshop? Barbara Scott, acquisitions fiction editor at Abingdon Press is the only one I know of that has stepped out of a cubical to share her invaluable skills.

Here is a re-post of Barbara's post, from her blog 'The Roving Editor', about why you should attend this workshop.
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A sign used to hang in my mother-in-law Betty's kitchen that read, "Life is short. Eat dessert first." The older I grow, the more I understand this axiom. Rather than worrying about things that might never happen and wasting our lives cleaning the refrigerator more than once a year, we should spend more of our time living our lives for God.

Has God called you to be a writer? What are you doing about it? Do you attend a conference once a year, get fired up, and then put writing at the bottom of your "to do" list when you arrive back home? If writing is God's calling, shouldn't it be near the top of your list of priorities? To help you in your quest, here are my top 5 reasons to attend a day-long writing intensive workshop with me:

1) You deserve to spend time working on your craft with people who share your passion and can help you grow as a writer.

2) As an editor, I can rend the veil between writing as a hobby and succeeding in the Christian publishing business. It's a chance to ask me every question that's ever plagued you about how to break in.

3) We'll spend time working on your individual project so that you have a solid writing plan when you leave.

4) I'll teach you what kills an editor's interest in the first paragraph of your sample chapters, and how to write a proposal that sparks my interest.

5) I'll help you discover your unique voice, refresh your knowledge of the basics of fiction writing, teach you how to self-edit your work, and hopefully, make writing fun again for you.
______________________________________________________________

Doesn't this sound great? The cost for the all-day workshop is only $159. If you are interested in hosting a workshop, or you are looking for one in your area, contact Barbara at barbara.therovingeditor@gmail.com

Barbara's blog is full of insightful information about publishing.
http://therovingeditor.blogspot.com/

I am planning to hold one in May in central Maryland. If you are in the area and are interested in attending, let me know.
rpkg@comcast.net

Writers Write Day

2010-08-06T08:31:00.003-04:00

Writers Write Day ~ Wednesday, August 11

Writers, there is a tug-o-war going on for your attention. It mostly comes in the guise of the Internet. Next Wednesday, August 11 is Writers Write Day. The goal of this all day event is to immerse writers in their manuscripts without the distractions of blogs, Facebook, social networking sites, news sources, etc.. Let's admit it, they do pull us away, and sometimes hours go by and we have lost valuable writing time.

Here is what to do.

1. Put a 'do not disturb' sign on your door.
2. Write for at least three hours in the morning. If you start at 9am that will bring you up to the noon hour.
3. Take a lunch break.
4. Write for four hours in the afternoon.
5. That evening post on your blog, Facebook, etc. how it went. How much work did you get done?

Here is what you CANNOT do.

1. Do not peruse the Internet. That includes Facebook and other social networking sites.
2. Do not make phone calls unless absolutely necessary, and make them during your break.
3. No text messaging.
4. No television or radio, but by all means listen to inspirational music that helps the creative juices flow.

Let your family and friends know that you will be going into a day of seclusion to work on your manuscript. Hope you have an incredible time writing.

Note: If you work and can't write most of the day, then try to schedule an evening of writing with no distractions from the Internet, Facebook, emails, etc.

1 Year Anniversary

2010-08-04T10:08:00.008-04:00

It's been one year since the official release of Surrender the Wind.

Cokesbury's online bookstore has a fantastic deal going on. They've discounted the cover price by 71%!

It's true. Readers can purchase copies for only $4.00.

http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?vsl=0001&pid=783958

What could you do with a copy besides read it yourself, if you already haven't?

1. Buy a copy for a friend, your mom, mother in law, sister, etc. etc.

2. Stock up early for Christmas gifts.

3. Buy a few copies for your church library.

( My mother Rose and her copy.)

Recently a reader in the UK sent me this message.

Hello Rita, just finished reading your book Surrender the Wind , what can I say it was absolutely amazing the best book I've read for a long long time , intrigue suspense, passion love. I've never ridden so fast on a horse as i did with Seth. God certainly gave you a gift keep using it. From Deborah (England)

I want to send my thanks to everyone that has read 'Surrender the Wind', to those who were gracious to host me on their blogs, and those that wrote reviews. It's been a great year!
Watch for the new series due out early in 2012...Daughters of the Potomac.

Book 1 Before the Scarlet Dawn
Book 2 Beside Two Rivers
Book 3 Beyond the Valley

Please visit my website: http://ritagerlach.com/

Inspired by Period Clothing

2010-07-22T10:58:00.000-04:00

Of late I've been inspired by period gowns. I thought I would share a few more with you. I picture the heroines in my series, Daughters of the Potomac, in these. Although they are beautiful, I cannot imagine having worn stays, corsets, and heavy gowns day in and day out.

2010-07-21T10:05:00.001-04:00

There is an interesting post over on Barbara Scott's blog this morning, 'The Roving Editor' entitled 'Every Character Needs Motivation'.
http://therovingeditor.blogspot.com/

My reply to her is as follows.

I've been at a place in 'Before the Scarlet Dawn' where a blizzard hammers River Run. I drew upon my own experience from last February when those two storms barreled down on the east coast, but I had to get into an 18th century mindset. Can you imaging living through a blizzard in 1778? We think we have it so hard.

I remember laying in bed the night of the second storm listening to it roar outside my window. The wind was constant, shoving and pushing against the walls of the house. This storm was unlike any blizzard I experienced. It seemed to have a life of its own...a monster possessed with rage coming down on us with such force that it was frightening.

So in the novel, I guess I can say the weather becomes a character in the story.

What if we included in our proposals storms and animals in our list of characters? That might be pretty interesting to do, and give our agents and editors a deeper view into the story. We endeavor to 'flesh out' our characters. Wouldn't that be a way of 'fleshing out the story'?

Have you any animals or significant weather in your writing, and how do you bring them into the story as 'characters'?

18th century gowns

2010-07-19T12:25:00.000-04:00

I love the clothes of the 18th century. So, I thought I would share some of my favorites. These have aided me in the writing of my historicals, and if you are writing in the genre, then be sure to research the clothing of the era your story is set in.

Is this gown not beautiful? It is newly made for a wedding dress made of pale pink silk. If I was a young bride today, this is the dress I would want, even if it did cost me an arm and a leg. Go to the Rossetti website to view more images of this stunning gown. In US dollars it costs $4565. Close up shots really show the beauty and amazing craftsmanship of the embroidery and lace.
http://www.rossetti.vispa.com/c18-17.html

In the novel I am currently writing, Before the Scarlet Dawn, my heroine Eliza Morgan has stitched a beautiful gown and wears it to her first social gathering in the Colonies. It is July, and she knows all the ladies will no doubt be wearing calico and soft, pale cottons due to the heat. But when her husband's eyes glow with pleasure with her in it, she is convinced it is the right choice.

This gown also by Rossetti, is the perfect image of what I have in mind for Eliza.

I took this photo at a historical fair at Rose Hill Manor in Frederick, Maryland. If only I had not gotten the table legs in the photo it would have been much better.

How important is dress to you while reading a historical novel?

When writing, do you include brief descriptions of the clothing your characters are wearing?

What moments in a story are most important when it comes to including the gown your heroine is wearing, or the suit of clothes your hero has donned?