Author Mae Nunn & Her Mama's Bravery

My guest today is a great gal (I don't call every woman a "gal." To me that means, a good-hearted woman who always has a smile for everybody.") I love this photo of her sitting in a field of Texas bluebonnets. She's a Texas gal you see. GRIN

So today's great gal guest is Author Mae Nunn. Here's Mae:

"Mama was my spiritual guide. She brought me up to love Jesus and she prayed for me to return when I occasionally strayed from His will in my twenties and thirties. About a dozen years ago when I was writing my first book she called me one weekend to see what I was up to. Since Saturday was my only full day to write I said, “I’m working on my book, like always.” Mama shocked me by asking, “Are you writing filth?” After I picked my jaw up off the floor I grinned and answered, “No, Mama, I’m not writing filth. I could! I certainly know all the words. But I promise I won’t ever publish anything that will offend you.” She seemed satisfied and closed the subject by saying, “Well, I just had to ask to be sure.” I sold my first book in 2003 just a few months before my precious mama went home to be with our Lord. I’m grateful that she held me accountable for the words I was writing and I will always be thankful to God that she bravely asked the question that was worrying her heart.

Some form of my mama’s bravery shows up in every single one of my heroines, whether it’s asking the tough questions, taking a leap of faith or going it alone if that’s what God requires. In Her Forever Family you’ll cry and cheer for Doctor Alison Stone, a survivor of the most heinous of abusive backgrounds. Instead of stifling the brutal memories, Ali studied the psychology of abuse so she could help children overcome their victimization and let God take what was intended for evil and use it for His glory. I know you will enjoy meeting Ali, a woman so brave her friends call her The Rock! Until we meet again, let your light shine!"--Mae

That's a wonderful story about your mama, Mae. I hope you'll all seek out more about Mae and her stories,Her Forever Family, April 2010
A Season for Family, November 2010 at
www.MaeNunn.com
www.LoveInspiredAuthors.com

Did your mama ever ask you a question that stuck in your mind?--Lyn

First Page of Deliver Us From Evil--Author Robin Carroll

First Page of Deliver Us From Evil:

Where was backup?

Roark Holland squinted past the harsh streetlight glare to the vehicle that’d arrived only minutes ago. A van parked in a darkened part of the street. Parked at the curb of the old building housing the Pugsley family in Witness Protection. The family Roark needed to move to another safe house.

The family’s cover had been blown. With the Pugsley’s whereabouts known, their enemy would seek the total annihilation of anyone who could identify them, namely Mr. Pugsley.

Roark glanced in his rearview mirror. Still no team.

A light flipped on inside the van, just for a fraction of a second. But in that heartbeat, Roark took in the black jackets. The guns.

Grabbing his Beretta 98 in one hand, he pressed the transmit button on his radio with his other. “Demott, we have movement on the street. Where’s my backup?” He wasn’t prepared to go in alone—no tactical equipment, no comm, no extra ammo.

“Stay put, Holland. Team’s ETA, less than five minutes.”

The van door slid open.

“No time to wait. I’m going in.” Roark’s grip tightened on the Beretta.

Three men, decked out in black, stepped onto the road.

“Wait, Holland. Don’t go in without backup. That’s an order.”

But he could control the situation. “There’s three of them. No time.” Roark turned off the radio and slipped it into his coat pocket, eased open the door, and stepped onto pavement.

Author website: www.robincaroll.com

Deliver Us From Evil fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Deliver-Us-From-Evil-Fan-Page/251751772974

Deliver Us From Evil webpage: http://www.robincaroll.com/deliverusfromevil.html

Purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0805449809?tag=autrobcar-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0805449809&adid=0778Q06WHQ5BACPP3SN5&

Deliver Us From Evil (Feb '10, B&H Publishing) "The kind of novel 'Ripped from the headlines' was meant to describe. Compelling."--James Scott Bell, author of Deceived and Try Fear
Dead Air (March '10, Steeple Hill Suspense) Fear No Evil (Aug '10, B&H Publishing)

New Feature--First Pages

Hi Friends!
Starting tomorrow, I'm adding a new feature which will come EVERY WEDNESDAY!

I'm going to post just--JUST--the first page of a current inspirational novel.

If you're like me, I often don't have time to read an excerpt on a website, but I always have time for the first page.

And if you think about it, that's about as much as you read of a book--in a bookstore aisle, looking over possible purchases.

I hope you enjoy this and find it beneficial when you're looking for something good to read!

Drop by every Wednesday, starting tomorrow and take time to preview a book, you might find compelling enough to buy!

Also leave a comment if you like what you read. Authors take a lot of hits and a kind word is always appreciated.

Book Monday-Author Irene Hannon & In Harm's Way

My guest today is Author Irene Hannon and her latest book is In Harm's Way. I'll be interested--What do you think of Irene's choice?

Here's Irene:

Just Say No

Early in my writing career, before the inspirational market took off, trying to sell romances without sex scenes was tough. Publishers were demanding more and more explicit romantic encounters, many of which happened outside marriage, and that’s not what I wrote.

On the other hand, I wanted to sell a book.

As time went by, I began to think that compromising my principles might be the only way I would become a published author.

I was more convinced of that than ever when I submitted one of my novels to a well-known publisher and got a serious nibble. The editor liked the story, liked the characters, liked the writing—but there was one little problem.

No sex scenes.

She sent me a letter, pointing out places in the manuscript where sex scenes could be inserted, and went on to say that if I added a few she’d love to take another look.

In other words, the book was fine as it was—except for the lack of sex. Put that in, and I was pretty much assured a sale.

Every writer who aspires to see his or her work in print knows how tempting it is to say yes to any offer. Writers have been known to make any requested changes, practically give their books away, or even go the vanity publishing route just to hold that printed volume in their hands. I was no different.

But I couldn’t compromise my principles. No matter how much I wanted that sale, the price was too high. If I did what the editor asked, I’d end up ashamed of the book. I’d know that the story had been perfectly fine before the sex scenes, and that I’d added them just to satisfy a boilerplate requirement. To me, this was gratuitous sex, plain and simple. And outside of marriage to boot.

So I said no. And resumed my search for a publisher.

It took a few years, but eventually I found one. And I sold that book—without the sex scenes. More than two dozen books later, I’m still selling books without sex.

I tell this story not to toot my own horn, but to encourage other writers to stick to their principles, despite the lure of publication. You won’t be sorry.

I’ll illustrate this with one final example. A few years after my moment of truth, I ran into a well-known inspirational author at an airport while we were waiting for our flights after a conference. We’d never met, and I was still very much a newbie. We chatted about our publication history, and she mentioned that early in her career, she’d tailored a number of books to the secular market (i.e., included sex scenes) and that she had always regretted doing that.

I’m glad I don’t share that regret. And I continue to believe that good writing will win out in the end. Maybe not in our time—but in God’s. Patience, hard work and integrity really do pay off.

RITA-award winner Irene Hannon is the author of more than 30 novels, including the bestselling Heroes of Quantico suspense series. A four-time RITA finalist (Book 2 in her Quantico series, An Eye For An Eye, is a current finalist), she has also been honored with a Reviewers’ Choice award from RT BOOKreviews magazine and a HOLT medallion. Her latest book, In Harm’s Way, has just been released. For more information, check out her website, www.irenehannon.com.

So did she make the right decision?--Lyn

Author Margaret Daley & Ruth

My guest today is Author Margaret Daley who has written over 60 books! Here's the scoop about her latest and how her heroine reminds her of Ruth. Here's Margaret:

"Alexa Michaels, the heroine in Love Lessons, my April Love Inspired book, is young and less than a year away from getting her teaching degree. But for her to even be a teacher meant she’d had to go against her father’s wishes. Her dad was a doctor and wanted her to follow in his footsteps. She couldn’t stand the sight of blood, so didn’t see how she could become a doctor. Besides, all her life she’d wanted to be a teacher. She’d always tried to please her father, but in this case she just couldn’t. Alexa ended up leaving home to pursue her dream, moving hundred of miles away and paying for her own way to college, which took longer for her to get her degree. But to her, she had done what she felt she was meant to do even if it took almost two years longer than if she’d let her father pay for her schooling and had gone to college full-time. It was important to her to do what her heart desired."

Do you know a woman who had to fight the odds to do what she felt was her destiny? In the Bible I think of Ruth who left her country to follow her mother-in-law to a place where she was a foreigner. Life for her was a series of unfamiliar situations that couldn’t have made her feel confident, and yet she stayed with Naomi and fulfilled her destiny."--Margaret

Here is more about Margaret and her books.
Cowboy Protector, Love Inspired Suspense, March 2010
Gold in the Fire/Light in the Storm, Love Inspired Classic, March 2010
http://www.margaretdaley.com
http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com

How It Works-Being an Author--What is An Author Brand?

In my banner, “Strong Women, Brave Stories" is my brand. What does that mean to a reader?

Branding is a complex concept. First, it has to do with what it is about my writing which sets me apart from other writers. But second, it also causes me to think about what my reader-needs or wants or who my writing appeals to. The first is relatively easy, but the second is more difficult.

The first part (see above) should be clear to any author after 5-10 books (though some get it much earlier). I think that “brand” develops as a writer gets into her stride. But the author must be writing the kind of book that really reflects HER DISTINCTIVE VOICE. My voice comes through most clearly in my historical sagas.

In my historicals, I always have a crusading heroine who is passionate about something. I call her a heroine ahead of her time. I also have a multicultural cast since I find that this brings natural conflict and because American history isn’t monochromatic. Finally, I always make sure my historical detail is accurate so I immerse my reader in the historical setting and period. At the end, I always write a Historical Note so that the reader will be able to know what I made up from the actual historical events.

Tom Morrisey, another author, helped me understand the second part--what my readers want. He asked me several questions about my “ideal” reader (the person most apt to buy my books), things like what kind of shoes she’d wear, where she would go on vacation what is her fave food and why. This helped me understand that my “ideal” reader is a woman very concerned with social justice, with human dignity. So my crusading heroines, my strong brave women, would be right for her. This part takes thought.

Some authors believe a tagline or signature line is the same as a brand. It isn't. Most of the taglines I see don’t really mean much because they are so general. I think everyone saw them being used by a few and just decided that it was to be a description of one’s type of writing.

As you can see, it is so much more. I would suggest beginner’s drop taglines until they really understand what their writing essence is and who it appeals to. Tom doesn’t do workshops on deeper branding but Randy Ingermansson does. His website is http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/. Drop by and click Tiger Marketing on the right column for some ideas.

My tagline gives only the most important part of my brand—strong women who take on injustice with bravery. If a writer chooses to have a brand, do it right. Otherwise, don’t bother. Just a tagline does less than nothing for you and for readers.

A Reader Gives Her Opinion--Not April Fool!

Hi --Watch yourselves today! It's the day of--Look on your head--a spider! Don't fall for that--or any other prank.

Yesterday I read a very good comment on a blog titled Callapidder Days, a "mom" website and blog by Katrina. Here's the link

http://callapidderdays.com/2010/03/the-book-i-didnt-like.html#comments

The Katrina, leader of Callapidderdays, launched a discussion about reading a book which had no likeable characters and wishing she hadn't. As an author, I am always sensitive to this. If my reader doesn't care about my lead characters, they won't buy my next book or check it out at the library. I can make many mistakes and be forgiven, but NOT THAT ONE.

Then another blogger Lisa commented:

"Things that irritate me in a novel (a few among several):
*Too much perfection. The heroine is perfectly dressed, perfectly beautiful and falls in love with a perfectly handsome guy. Bleh.

*Gratuitous, unnecessary language, violence and s*x. With only a very few exceptions, I maintain that including such elements only shows the laziness of the author. True talent can tell the story without resorting to crudeness. That’s my opinion, anyway.

*Characters without any depth, kind of what you’re saying here. A flat, cardboard characterization is very difficult to sympathize with or identify with.

*Easy, generic, everything-is-roses faith that lacks realism and depth. I like redemptive, Christian fiction. I do not like caricatures of Christianity.

Guess you could say I’ve got an opinion! Great food for thought!"

I agreed completely with Lisa's points and then visited her blog http://lisaspence.com/

And found it interesting also. So this was not an April Fool prank. There is a blog titled Callapidder Days--really!- DO YOU HAVE ANY PET PEEVES ABOUT NOVELS YOU'D LIKE TO VOICE????--Lyn