Writers...Sheesh!

Reyna Cruz here, main character in Raquel’s book, Purple Knot. I’m here to give you a peek inside the strange world of her writing habits.


Ever seen one of those Bugs Bunny cartoons where Bugs is talking and then all of a sudden the artist erases his ears and draws antlers on him?  How about when he’s eating a carrot and then the artist draws a wick and fire and it’s suddenly dynamite?  Yeah…it’s like that.

She starts out with a pretty good structure. I know what’s going on. I have a goal…a mystery to solve and then, WHAM!  My ex-fiancé, Jimmy, is suddenly at my front door.  What in the world?  So okay, there’s a good reason.

But then she adds something tragic. Someone I love is in trouble…dire danger and I’m all ramped up and still dealing with the feelings over Jimmy being back in the picture. But she’s decided we’re in love still, right?

Uh, no. She just got some comments from her Beta Reader, darn her! Apparently I’m conflicted about Jimmy and though I want to kiss him…I don’t. And then there’s a total misunderstanding and he’s pulling away. Raquel is so mean!

So now she’s writing in a plot twist that’s not too bad, I can totally handle it. Wait…what?  Critiques are back from her writers group. Oh, no.  That plot twist is now so much more dramatic, the stakes so much higher. I can’t believe she turned the tables on me like that! 

Okay, well it’s time for her to do the report cards for her kids. She homeschools, you know. So I’m just stuck here, probably for days, mid-air…literally.  I wonder if she’ll write something soft for me to land on?

Ouch! Not quite the way I expected that to end. She’s ramping up to the climax of the book, making Jimmy declare, uh, wait she deleted that.  Now she’s pacing and eating chocolate. Not good.

Uh, oh. I recognize that crazy look in her eyes. Her fingers flying over the keyboard at break-neck speed. I’m shocked…I had no idea what was coming!  And Jimmy and me, we…are you serious?

Raquel may be a bit crazy and she may make a lot of changes, but it’s always an adventure. I hope you come with me along an amazing journey in, Purple Knot! You won’t be sorry.

~Reyna "Rain" Cruz, Private Investigator


(Post originally appeared on Purple Knot blog tour.)

Photograph by Todd Huffman.

Clash of the Titles - If You Had To Choose...

Ever wonder what a writer thinks about other genres, authors, and books? Let's find out! I put together some fun questions for our Clash of the Titles authors, as well as our current anonymous Clashing authors. 


Some of their answer surprised me. Others made me chuckle, or made me think about my own motives.
Here they are!


If you had to choose... 

...to do only one of these for the rest of your life, which would it be? Read or write?


Amanda Flower-- Read- I write because I was reader first.


Lisa Lickel-- I’ve written twenty-five novels so far, published five of them and hope that’s not it, and it’s not like I feel I’ve written everything I wanted to...but between Kindle and my p-tbr-pile, there’s well over a hundred books just calling to be read.


Jennifer Slattery- Write, definitely, because that's when I feel God's presence strongest. I also process through my writing, whether penning articles, devos, blog posts or novels. So I imagine if I quit writing, I'd have horrendous therapy bills!


Gail Pallotta--  It would be extremely hard not to read, but I'd write because I feel that God can use my writing, even if it's in a small way.


Michelle Massaro-- mmm, read. That's why I write and it's also a whole lot easier! Lol


...only one genre to read for the rest of your life, which would it be?


Amanda Flower-- Mystery- I'm a huge mystery fan.


Lisa Lickel-- Ouch! Hit a girl where it hurts. Fantasy.


Author of Excerpt A-- History. I love science fiction, but I have a passion for history.


Jennifer Slattery-- Women's fiction. I love reading about characters ultra dependent on God's grace


Gail Pallotta--  I would read classic books that get at some truth about humanity.


Author of Excerpt B—Romantic Suspense


...only one author to read for the rest of your life, which would it be?


Amanda Flower-- Nevada Barr- Her description of the nationals parks is amazing.


Lisa Lickel-- Hmmm...besides you, of course...um...Mary Stewart.


Author of Excerpt A-- Jack London. He wrote a lot of man vs. nature kind of stories, which I enjoy a lot.


Jennifer Slattery-- Hm...I'll give three. I love CJ Darlington and the real-life issues she writes about, but I also loved Diana Prusik's debut novel, Delivery. Then there's Athol Dickson. Wow, that fella can write


Michelle Massaro-- C.S. Lewis. He has such a variety of books to read and they all contain such spiritual truths. Screwtape Letters, Chronicals of Narnia, Space Trilogy, Mere Christianity, I'd be all set
.
Author of Excerpt B--  Tough one!  I'll go with Mary Higgins Clark


....only one book (in addition to the Bible) to read for the rest of your life, which would it be? 


Gail Pallotta--  Other than the Bible, I rarely read a book more than once, but My all-time favorite book is An American Tragedy.


Author of Excerpt A-- Drat, you took away my answer. Since I can't pick the Bible, I would say Homer's, The Illiad.


Michelle Massaro-- Could I choose the whole set of Narnia books? If not, I'd have to go with Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. (hehe, is this answer a cheat?)


Author of Excerpt B-- The one that comes to mind first is Danger in the Shadows by Dee Henderson.


What about your COTT reader? What would your answers be to these same questions?


At the Clash of the Title Book Club this month, we're discussing COTT champ Delia Latham's novel, Destiny's Dream. Head over there and see what all the hype is about!

~ April Gardner is the Sr. Editor of COTT, and best-selling author of Wounded Spirits

5 Things I Learned When I Got Published...

Me in a submarine...no reason.

It’s the holy grail of writing. Seeing your book in print is every author’s dream. Elusive for so long, what I learned about getting published once it happened came as a surprise.  Here a few things I’d like to share with you.

·         It takes a long time. Not kidding. A long time. I used to think that signing with an agent meant publication was just around the corner. Not so much. It may take a year or more to find a home for your manuscript and then the real waiting begins.

·         The editorial process isn’t as painful as I’d feared. I used to hear horror stories about evil editors with blood-red pens slashing the life out of stories. This couldn’t be further from the truth. They want you to succeed. They want to help you make your book better, tighter, more compelling. Let them.

·         Your proposal informs a lot of what marketing says about your book. This was my biggest surprise. The blurbs and taglines you create all get used both by your agent and the publisher for your media kit. From back cover text to book trailer snippets, your words help to sell your novel, so make sure your proposal is amazing.

·         You have to learn marketing. No matter the size of the publisher from big box to small imprint, you need to educate yourself. How to give great interviews. How to deal with bookstore owners. How to connect with readers. These are all important skills, and you have to teach them to yourself.

·         It’s not the finish line. One book release does not a career make. You have to keep producing for your agent and the publisher. Get on a schedule. Write your ideas down and find the time to keep writing.

Publication is only as wonderful as your outlook. It’s not about numbers or validation. It’s about achieving a dream and sharing your love of storytelling. I’ve learned to keep in mind why I started this crazy journey in the first place.

It’s the love of creating worlds and characters, a passion to tell a riveting tale, and my need to write no matter what.

(Post originally appeared on Purple Knot blog tour.)