Little Footprints Making a Big Impression at My House

I've taken the last few months off from my blog and my writing projects for one small (but very important) reason. We welcomed a new little baby girl into our family earlier this month - a whole week late, I might add. Baby Tara has turned everything upside-down instantly, and we couldn't be happier! She is a calm, happy, sweet little girl.

This is when Allie first met Tara 
 (before the melt-down when Allie learned she would not be allowed to carry Tara around like a dolly)

 

Tara - 1 day old

Sisters - destined to be great friends!

 Baby and I are both doing well, though I may seem a little zombie-ish for the next few months. Just ignore anything I say or do that seems like my brain isn't banging on all cylinders. Sleep deprivation and I don't get along very well. Fortunately, I've got my wonderful husband here to help me (he works from home). And, my brother, Ean, is staying with us for a few months and helping out a lot. I feel pretty blessed right now.

So now, when I can keep my eyes opened and I'm not taking care of the baby or my exuberant little two year old, I'm getting an itch to get back to reading books and writing my own. It's been a long time coming, but I'm working on final edits to IN AN INSTANT. Then, I'm super excited to get back to work on TEMPO. Click on the titles to find out more about both of these projects, and look for more details to come.

When Life Happens

I wish I had time to write everyday (or even every week, for that matter). Sometimes, I'm in a groove and I get lots of writing done day after day. Then ruts (like the one I'm just getting out of) happen. Or rather, life happens. I haven't written anything - blog or book - in over a month. It's not that I don't have anything to write or desire to write. It's that I have a full life to live on top of my love of writing.

So, since I last blogged, I've been camping with a toddler (call me crazy), said good-bye to a nephew for 2 years as he heads off to Japan on a mission, found out I'm having another girl (Yes, I'm pregnant! Due in January). Oh, yeah, and I'm pregnant so I'm tired. I'm beta reading a book for another author. And then, there's simply trying to keep up with all the odds and ends of running a house and being a responsible parent and adult. Just thinking about it is making me tired.

Fortunately, I'm pretty well caught up on life for now and can put things back in some degree of balance, making a little time for writing. First off, I'm back on my blog, yea! And, I'm getting back to work on IN AN INSTANT. I have a draft of the synopsis written, and will be getting that critiqued soon. I'm also finishing up some last minute touch-ups to the manuscript based on feedback I've received from beta readers. My query letter has been done for months, so I just need to brush it off and make sure I'm still happy with it.

First goal: Start querying literary agents by the end of October, at the latest.

Second goal:  Blog more often. It's no fun having a blog if I never post to it.

Here's to life staying balanced and keeping a little time for writing in the mix!

  

Do You Book Group?

Book clubs and groups are a great way to learn about new books and share your love of reading with others. I have a local book group I attend occasionally, and I am also a part of several groups on Goodreads. I'll admit that I'm not the most regular attendant at these groups, but I still enjoy being a part of them, and often I read the books even if I can't make it to the meetings.

Book groups offer several great advantages. If you find a group you fit well with, you have a network of other enthusiastic readers who understand your love of books and can help you find new books to read. Hopefully, you'll enjoy most of these books, but it will also challenge you to step out of your book-box and try some things you may not have otherwise. You'll likely be surprised from time to time.

Interestingly enough, a book group can open up new opportunities for you. I've come across several authors who are willing to do free skype chats with book groups (something they won't do for you personally, but will do for a whole group). You can even ask for review copies of books and may get them sometimes for free (assuming you are actually willing to write the reviews). I recently sent out free advance ebooks of a novel I'm currently writing (In An Instant) to a book group who offered to read it and give me their feedback. I greatly appreciate this as an author.

You'll also have a group to discuss the book with who can help you see it from new and interesting perspectives. This is fun and will help you understand things you may have missed initially. You'll bring those expanded perspectives to every book and interaction you face in the future.

And, book groups are a great way to get out and do something a little different from time to time. If reading is something you enjoy, or would like to get into a little more, I highly recommend finding a book group that shares your tastes and interests.

Are you a member of a book group? 

What are you're thoughts on book groups?

Outlining: A Love-Hate Relationship

When starting a new writing project, should you make an outline or not? This is something that I have personally gone round and round about at different times. Clearly, there are advantages to writing an outline.

First off, you have a clear picture of how the whole story will unfold before you ever type the first word. This way you don’t get to page 100 and realize, let’s say, that it was actually the school teacher that kidnapped the president, and you should have been dropping hints all along the way. Now you have to go back and work these details in, which can be a lot of work and lead to inconsistencies if you don’t pay close attention and edit well. I’ve even had to go back and add in whole characters when I didn’t plan well. Not an easy task.

Another advantage of an outline is that you have a quick reference of your whole book at a glance. This can be helpful for submitting to agents and publishers, especially if you are trying to write the ever daunting synopsis. It can also be helpful when you think of something you want to change, but can’t remember what chapter Aunt Sue lit her hair on fire. It saves a lot of time from paging through the manuscript to find it. Admittedly, though, an outline for these purposes can be drafted as you write the book or even after it is complete.

Image by Stuart Miles
from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Something everyone tends to be short on is time, and writing an outline lets you do all, or at least a good chunk of the planning work up front. From it, you can write faster and have a better idea if the work is worth writing at all before you even start.

So with all of these advantages to outlining a book at the onset, why am I bothering to write this post? Shouldn’t it just be: Outlining – Do It! And I end the post right there? Well, to me, it’s been far from so simple. I have tried several times when starting a new book to outline the entire plot and subplots before I started chapter one. What I got had mixed results.

Once, I spent several days outlining a book that I was so entranced with I couldn’t stop thinking out it. As soon as I completed the outline I instantly lost interest in the project. For a long time, I thought the outlining had ruined it for me. As I reflect now, I think that I realized that my story wasn’t as interesting and complex as I imagined in vague snippets in my head, so it was a good thing I didn’t waste my time writing the whole book.

Another book I outlined went differently. I finished the outline, thinking that I had a pretty solid book and went to work writing it, still enthused about the project. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that the plot looked a lot more interesting all condensed in bare-bones outline form. Once I tried to flesh it out and write the story around the outline, I found that my plot was pretty skeletal. When I ditched the outline and just wrote the story from scratch, it filled in remarkably. This book still needs some major re-writes, but it’s not a lack of outlining that was the problem, but rather my lack of adequate vision until after I’d written it and set it aside for several months.

For a long time, my bad experiences with outlining, and the challenge they can be to write, made me think that I was better off not trying.

My most recent book that I am working on now, currently called TEMPO (you’ll hear more about this in the future, I am sure), has taught me a different lesson. This is, by far, the longest and most complex book I have written to date. I knew when I started that I had to outline, or I would get lost. I didn’t just make a skeletal and dry outline, I wrote a 29 page outline. When I thought of a line of dialogue or a perfect description or analogy, I wrote it in so I could include it in the final book. This kept it creative and interesting. I found that I really enjoyed the process because I got to discover what happens in my story, which is one of the most exciting parts, quickly. The process took a couple of weeks.

I feared that once I finished the outline, like my previous experience, I would lose interest in the book. On the contrary, I was anxious to start crafting my exciting plot-twisting tale into beautiful and full scenes, characters, and descriptions. Crafting language is fun, and I now knew that I had a great story to mold it into.

I am currently about one quarter of the way through the first draft, and it has been a great experience. I have made changes, which I update the outline to reflect, but they mainly deal with detail and pacing rather than substance.

Simultaneously, I'm re-editing IN AN INSTANT to finalize the manuscript. That is a book I did not outline, and that hasn't really been a problem except that I have frequently gone back to add new scenes that broaden understanding of the characters journey and the meaning of the book. But, I think that nothing short of time and experience would have brought those to light for me. With or without an outline, I would still be adding to this captivating and heart-wrenching novel.

So, my final verdict is: Outline! If you lose interest in the project afterwards, it probably wasn’t worth writing. If you’re having trouble writing from it, then it’s not complete enough and needs more work. I am positive I will outline all of my future books with scary-long outlines like the 29-page monster I am working from now for TEMPO.

Still, if an outline is preventing you from getting started, then forget it and just write. The most important part of writing isn't an outline—it's passion. As long as you have passion, you're writing is well worth the effort and will move your readers to feel, know, love, and hate right along with you.

Happy writing!

I've Decided to be Happy!

“I have decided to be happy;
it is excellent for one’s health!”
—Voltaire

I came across this quote today, and I have to say - I LOVE IT. It is good for your health to be happy. As a nurse, I can state this as a fact. And, I truly believe that happiness is a choice. So, I've come up with the following list of reasons that I have to be happy today (and every day). Hopefully in sharing them, I'll spark some realizations of why you should be happy too!

• I have a husband that is my best friend, who I love very much.
• I have a beautiful little daughter who makes me smile everyday.
• I went on a nice walk today with my family in the cool weather.
• I have a comfortable home to live in, where I feel safe and loved.
• I have been reading some interesting and fun books. (Check out my Goodreads page).
• I have pretty good health. Again, as a nurse, I truly appreciate what a blessing this is.
• I have the opportunity to work with the teenage girls at my church, whom I love and am inspired by.
• I have great friends that I know I can rely on and trust.
• My husband and I are both able to work from home together.
• I had delicous homemade chicken soup for dinner.
• I'm going to see my mom this weekend.
• My daughter has slept through the night since she was 3 months old.
• Chocolate - need I say more?  

How Writing Impacts My Life

To say that writing has impacted my life is probably too obvious to even mention. But how it affects my life is well worth discussing, I think. Here are the main 8 ways that writing has, and still does, impact my life.


1. Writing helps me make sense of my life. Everything I write has a little (or a lot) of me in it. Don't spend too much time analyzing and guessing what aspects of my work pull elements from my real life, because you'll likely be confused and guess wrong. But the fact of the matter is that I pour a little of myself into everything I write, and it all has special meaning for me. Through the course of the stories and development of characters, or even just the way I describe something, I find a little more meaning and sense in the world that is my real life.

2. Writing is one way that I connect to other people. Through my stories, I can share a little of myself that I may not otherwise divulge. My husband often claims to better understand the workings of my mind after reading a new story I have written.

3. Writing helps me say what I want to say. I'm not always the most eloquent person, but I have a lot I want to say. I love crafting those messages into stories that not only tell my message, but illustrate it in such a way that it, hopefully, comes alive for people. I want to make the world a better place.

4. Writing is my most consistent hobby. Through the years, I really can't think of many things that I have consistently stuck with. I do crochet, but otherwise, my hobbies change regularly and may never see a rekindling in months and years to follow. Writing is the one major exception. I have been writing stories and poems since I was in elementary school. I'll write a novel, then edit and re-edit it even if I don't think anyone else will ever read it. I get absorbed in my books and characters, and it is truly an enjoyable experience.

5. Writing lets me use words, which I love. Ever since I was a baby, I have loved words. I love it when I find the perfect word to convey the precise meaning and connotation that I am trying to share. I love it when a phrase makes me ponder or see something in a new way. I seek to create some of my own ponder-able statements.

6. Writing helps me relieve stress. At times, when I have faced a particularly aggravating situation, writing about it in the context of a fictional story, and letting the characters work it out, helps me see the situation from a different perspective. Often, it's the key to calming my emotions and seeing the solution. And no one gets hurt.

7. Writing is always a great conversation starter. If you write and have ever talked to someone about it, it's likely that you've often heard one of two things: "I'm also writing a book" or "I know someone who is writing a book". It's astounding how many people write. Taking the time to take genuine interest in other people's literary pursuits always leads to fascinating conversations and builds friendships.

8. Writing is just a whole lot of fun. What else can I say. I write because I love it. I can't count how many hundreds of hours I have devoted to writing. And I have loved ever minute of it. It is challenging, exciting, and rewarding. Even if I'm the only person who ever reads some of the things I've written, it was, in my opinion, time well spent.

My Favorite Non-Fiction Books

This is my list of favorite non-fiction books. They make the list if I found them to be BOTH useful or educational AND entertaining. I'll be honest, I don't read a whole lot of non-fiction books, so the list is a little short, but here it is.

POP! by Sam Horn- This book is ll about how to come up with POP! out, get-your-attention titles, taglines, and marketing slogans. It's incredibly useful and helpful in addition to being a great read with lots of humorous and intriguing examples.

Me Inc. by Scott W. Ventrella- All about running your own life based on principles of successful businesses. It's interesting and insightful, and draws amazing parallels showing that truths remains constant through all venues it is applied to.

How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card - Since I primarily write speculative fiction, this was a great resource, though it is useful for tips on good story telling and writing in general. It is written in an interesting and engaging manner that makes it an enjoyable read.

Three Weeks With My Brother by Nicolas Sparks and Micah Sparks - This is the autobiography of Nicolas Sparks (one of my favorite authors). I love reading the story of how other authors "came to be", if you will.

The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood - This book looks at true life stories of people who have survived unthinkable circumstances in an effort to quantify what makes some people better at surviving than others, and how you can be a better survivor.

The E-Myth Revised by Michael E. Gerber - This is a great book about the problems most entrepreneurs and new businesses suffer from, and what to do about them. Being an entrepreneur, reading this book was like talking to someone who knew all my biggest business secrets.

The Other Side of Heaven by John H. Groberg - This is the exciting, humorous, and poignant tale of a Mormon missionary sent to Tonga and the adversity he faces, things he learns, and ways his life is changed as he helps others. Disney made a pretty good movie of this about ten years ago, but, of course, the book is better.

The Four-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss - This is a great book for anyone thinking about becoming an entrepreneur, but terrible for anyone trying to fight the independence urge.

Editing, Writing, and Reminiscing

Life is exciting for me right now for quite a few reasons:

First off, I'm in the process of final edits on a new book that I will be adding a sample of to my website soon. The book is called IN AN INSTANT. It deals with the poignant question we all face when something changes in our life: What would life have been if this hadn't happened? The book follows the two divergent paths of Liz - one where she is diagnosed with leukemia, and (in alternating chapters) what would have happened if she didn't have cancer. Are the difficulties in life really the tragedies?

I'll be sharing the first few chapters soon, but if you'd like to be a test reader of the entire book, please email me.

The second exciting thing I'm working on is a new book I'm writing called TEMPO. I'm on chapter 19 of what my outline tells me will be around 65 chapters. I'm not ready to give too many details about this book, except to say that it deals with the questions: What if you could live more than 24 hours in a day? How would it change your life and the world we know? And what cost could you accept?  More details on this book will be forthcoming.

Third, and unrelated to my writing, but extremely exciting, I spent the last weekend with my brother, Ean, who just returned home from two years in Guatemala. He has been serving and teaching the people there, and I am so proud of him. I had a great visit with him. He is an inspiration to me to work harder and always give my all and very best.

Life is great. Time to get back to work!

My Favorite Baby/Children's Books

I've mentioned before that I have a one-year-old daughter named Allie. She is a HUGE fan of books, which is awesome! She'll sometimes sit in her rocking chair pulling books off the nearby shelf to look at for half-an-hour at a time. I love reading with her, even though it's a departure from my usual literary standards.

Here is a list of my favorite books to read with Allie (in no particular order). I'd love to know what books you like to read with your little ones, as I'm always on the lookout for new books for my little bookworm.

No Matter What by Debi Gliori - This is a sweet book about the enduring nature of love a parent has for their child.

 
 I Love You All Year Long by Steve Metzger - Love endures through every season and the fun and special activities of those times.

That's Not My Monster by Fiona Watt - A touch-and-feel book where each monster isn't quite right "eyebrows too hairy" or "paws too bumpy" until finally, the little mouse finds HIS monster and "It's ears are so fluffy."

Where's My Teddy by Jez Alborough - This is an adorable book I actually memorized as a teenager because it was just so fun. Eddy's looking for his teddy in the woods, only to discover a real bear who is also frightened and looking for his own teddy.

I'm Not Sleepy by Jonathan Allen - This little owl can barely stay awake, every parent that has seen their child fight sleep will understand and relate.

Thank You Bear by Greg Foley - A perfect book for anyone who has ever had something truly great, even if those around them didn't see as much value in it.

Henry Babysits by Robert Quackenbush - A cute book about a favor to babysit that keeps snowballing out of control.

With You All the Way by Max Lucado - A meaningful allegory about how God is "with us all the way" if we ask him to travel with us.

But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton - I never expected to have a favorite board book author, but I do, and it is Sandra Boynton. All of her books are really cute and cleaver. This one is really probably my favorite.

It's a Little Book by Lane Smith - A cute little story about all the potential uses of a book if you didn't know what a book was for.

Good Work, Amelia Bedilia by Peggy Parish and Lynn Sweat - Amelia Bedilia is a maid who takes everything completely literally, making for hilarious events.

My Favorite Books (Part 2)

See the first half of my list here.

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - I won't say I completely agree with Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism that she presents in this book (especially where it comes to her atheistic view and aversion to doing anything nice solely for the sake of being nice). However, she presents excellent points about truth, rationality, responsibility for actions, and the value of hard work. The philosophy is conveyed through the vehicle of dynamic and compelling characters and events that makes this an enjoyable book that I would call a must-read.

The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld - This is a fun, futuristic sci-fi series about a dystopian society of tyrannical control. It's a page-turner for sure.

Watchers by Dean Koontz - An exciting and emotional tale that examines the dichotomy of good vs. evil.

The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins - A futuristic dystopian society punishes former rebels by making their children battle it out to the death in "The Hunger Games" each year. Excitement, adventure, and a sweet little romance weave through this gripping trilogy.

The Giver by Lois Lowery - I guess I like futuristic dystopian stories about oppressive governments, because here's another one. This is a great, thought-provoking tale of safety verses freedom, choice, and progression.

If You Could See Me Now by Cecilia Ahern - This is a fun story. It turns out that imaginary friends are real, wonderful confidants, and even open to a little romance. Sounds strange, but it's very fun and heart-warming.

A Walk to Remember by Nicolas Sparks - The heart-wrenching tale of young love, loss, and finding meaning in life.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer -Alien body-snatchers have taken over the world, but they didn't count on human tenacity and the way love changes people to the very core.

The Children of the Promise Series by Dean Hughes - This is a historical fiction series that takes place during the onset of WWII on through it's conclusion. It follows a family of Mormons as they are pulled into every aspect of involvement from life back home to life as a P.O.W. and more.

The Fablehaven Series by Brandon Mull - This is a fun and fabulous fairytale series (comparable to Harry Potter) where fables are real and the mythical creatures live on preserves where only certain people are privy to the truth. It is fun and gripping, and full of deep truths about the nature of good and evil.


What are your favorite books? 
I'm always on the lookout for something new to read and love!

My Favorite Books (Part 1)

In addition to writing, I love reading. I thought I would take a little while to catalog some of my favorite books, and share them with you. I'm going to split this into 2 posts and I'm sharing them in no particular order, just as they occur to me. This is fiction books. I'll make another post for non-fiction later.

Please share your favorite books with me in the comments and maybe they'll become new favorites of mine.

The Declaration by Gemma Malley -This is the first of 3 books, and I include them all here. This is the tale of a future society where the secret to eternal life has been discovered. The catch: to op-in to life-ever-more you have to sign The Declaration vowing never to have children, thus keeping the planet's population stable. Anna, is a surplus (an illegal child). Let the fight against injustice begin.
 

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown - I love lots of books by Dan Brown, but this is my favorite. Dan Brown is a master of creating mystery and tension that keeps you engaged and turning the pages.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - Along with this, I'll include all of the Ender books and the entire Shadow series, which is a companion series. This is a great sci-fi series filled with an awesome world, fantastic and dynamic characters, and pearls of astonishingly poignant truths about life and human nature.

Empire by Orson Scott Card - This is a thriller about a modern day civil war in the U.S. It's full of political maneuvering, deception, and manipulation. Especially great for anyone who cringes at the thought of the word "progressive" when it comes to politics.

The Choice by Nicolas Sparks - I love almost all of Nicolas Sparks' book, but this one was especially compelling. It features not only a sweet love story, but a heart-wrenching choice everyone who's truly loves dreads ever having to face.

Deception Point by Dan Brown - This is my second favorite book by Dan Brown, also filled with great gotta-know-what-happens suspense. This is a mystery of Political maneuvering and government cover up with a side of astonishing scientific discovery. 

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling- It's a modern classic. I think what I love most about these books is how detailed and integrated they are. A minor, though interesting, detail in one book will later turn out to be a key clue to an important mystery one or two books later. As an author, I take my proverbial hat off to J.K. Rowling. 

The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer - I know, I know. These books are cheesy and melodramatic, but they are also fun and create such vivid characters. I enjoy the books just as much on a serious level as I do poking fun at them. They had to make the list since I've read them all at least half-a-dozen times (gasp).

The Odd Thomas Series by Dean Koontz - A fascinating tale of a guy, Odd Thomas, who can see dead people. Though his ability pulls him into some truly terrifying situations confronting sadistic, monstrous people, Odd Thomas manages to remain truly good. Good in spite of the evil, not because he's sheltered from it, but because he chooses to be good knowing full well what the options are.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin - I love the subtle and clever wit as much as the love story. Jane Austin is one of my favorite authors, though I love listening to the audio books best.

Lightning by Dean Koontz - This is an exciting thriller about love, tragedy, strength through adversity, history, and the future, with a fabulous and surprising sci-fi twist.

Lost December by Richard Paul Evens - A modern-day Prodigal Son story told in a relatable, surprising, and gripping manner that makes this book an enjoyable and thought-provoking experience.

Part 2 of My Favorite Books list