 November starts in two days. Crazy to think about that. Also crazy that there is no Nanowrimo this year. I've been participating off and on in National Novel Writing Month for almost as long as it has existed. It's where I taught myself to write fast (50k words in 30 days, though I added to the challenge and aimed for over 70k). Almost half my books that are published, including Rendersella, were written during a Nanowrimo challenge. And I need to write another book.
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Did you ever start something only to have to set it aside for a while? Or maybe set it aside on purpose to work on something else? Believe it or not, we authors do that all the time, and our guest author today, my friend Lori De Jong, has one of those projects about to release. I'm so excited for her and if you like a bit of suspense with your Christmas romance, be sure to check out this new book!  “Bodyguards? Daddy, you know how I feel about bodyguards. I know I’m a people person, but bodyguards aren’t people. They’re … they’re … tactical gear. And just as cumbersome.”
Fiercely independent defense attorney Riley Hudson is not happy when her wealthy, Houston financier father hires a security detail for her after a failed abduction attempt. It was random, she tells him, and highly unlikely the guy would try again after she introduced his kneecap to the chunky heel of her designer boot. Not to mention the manicure she ruined clawing at his hand. So she might need to step up her own efforts to keep herself safe. But bodyguards? Uh-uh. What do you do when the main goal of your life has been accomplished? Our guest author today, Janell York, is chatting about how she incorporated some of those themes in her new book, The Day Sarah Ran Away. It sounds wonderful. See if it resonates with you too.  I was surprised when I pitched my book at a Chicago writers’ conference how many people resonated with my topic: empty nest. Since publication, I’ve received numerous phone calls, texts, and messages regarding the personal struggle of empty nesters.
Finding purpose and meaning after your children grow up and leave home can be difficult to navigate. Joining the gym, starting a new hobby, or finding ways to stay busy doesn’t fill the void, especially if you’ve enjoyed raising your kids.  Today, we have the blessing of getting to know Sue A. Fairchild a bit more. She's an editor as well as an author (as am I, so excited to find out there are more out there!) and has a heart for God. And she's giving us a peek into her newest release--perfect for this time of year. We're so glad to have you here today! Can you tell us how you got started writing?
A church friend told me that a story I told in Sunday school would make a good devotion, but I didn't know what a devotion even was! She invited me to her writing group and taught me how to write it and get it published. Since then my group has helped me publish numerous devotions, newspaper articles, and six books, the sixth of which is an Advent devotional coming out soon. I know you're an editor too. What are some ways that being an editor makes your writing stronger? Does being an author make it easier or harder to be an editor? Being an editor has definitely helped me with my writing because I am constantly learning about writing rules to help my clients. I take what I've learned and apply it to my writing. I know it's helped me be a better writer. But it can also make it harder to be a writer because I'm quite meticulous, some would say a perfectionist, which can cause me to stall my writing endeavors.  "Mom, can you send my teacher your website? She wants to order one of your books."
That's not necessarily something I expect to hear every day. Though it also didn't catch me terribly off guard. For years now, my kids have been some of my biggest marketers. As early as kindergarten, my daughter saw one of my bookmarks on my husband's desk and decided to take it to her teacher. Sure, the teachers could see my signature line in my email responses to them too. But how much attention do you pay to the signature line in an email? If you're like me, probably not much. |
This is a place for me to tell you about what I'm writing, talk about the process or where some of my ideas came from, or even have other authors come in and talk about their books.
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