You’ve got a friend

Sometimes you just need a friend. 

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and things are a bit different this year. These are some very difficult times that we are living in right now. I am doing a Friend Check-in. Showing support for other people who might be struggling. We can’t connect in person, so let’s connect virtually. Leave a blog comment or a Facebook comment, however you got to this page. I promise to reply, because after all, we're all in this together.

I also promised you a sneak peek at the next cover. I think you'll like the story, and I included the original legend in the acknowledgments. What's it about?

The Legend People of canyon country are protected by the indigenous Tribes, but that protection prevents Nascha from finding out what happened to her missing mother. When another of the Legend People shows up in Nascha’s canyon on a quest to beg leniency from the ruling Coyote, Nascha is given the opportunity to get the answers she seeks. On their way to the Coyote’s canyon, they get caught in the downdraft from a plane that carries them off course to Illinois. Now they must enlist the help of the pilot to get back to Utah.

Pilot Devin Sike mistakes the mysterious woman who follows him at the airport for a Native American Princess. Lost, she asks him to transport her back to Utah—a request he’s disinclined to accommodate—until she triggers an echo in his heart, a pinger beacon that synchronizes when she touches him. The more he finds out about her, the more determined he is to come to terms with his own lost heritage.

Their journey enlightens them both to a destiny neither expected.

What do you think?

Yes, you can preorder it

 

Finally, I want to take a moment to be thankful for everything I have, and not feel victimized by current circumstances. While I may not be with family, which makes me sad, I am thankful for the family I have. We can still connect, even if not in person. I'm thankful for children, for grandchildren, for sisters and cousins and friends.

Wishing you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

Characteristics that shape a story

I've been in sort of a funk the past few months - heck, most of this year! Recently, however, I saw a headline that poked my inner muse.

When authors talk about what inspires them, you get a wealth of answers. The real answer? "Everything." The headline that caught my eyes this time was, unfortunately, one of the many obituaries that have been in the news. We've lost a lot of people this year, and often when we see "who died today," we remember them by a distinguishing characteristic. Sean Connery, for instance: "Bond. James Bond." with a hint of a lisp and one cocked eyebrow. 

One recent death gave me a brilliant idea for a character. I guess that means there will be another book to follow Hillendale 4!

What am I talking about? 

I don't want to give away something I haven't written yet, so I'll use COOKIE THERAPHY as an example. When I started writing it, I went with a characteristic for my main character. Elizabeth Lambert is a klutz. I started with an accident - minor, but you know how klutzes can be (speaking as one myself). I knew who the hero was, because I had to redeem a previous series character who had transgressed. Two compelling characters (or at least they were in my mind!). I had no idea when I started (this is called pantsing - flying by the seat of your pants) what her story was until I started writing, and right there, in Chapter 1, I found her backstory. A minor incident that triggers a hidden trauma. 

“That’s okay, I’ll buy the box.” She grabbed one from the stack and snapped it open—she needed a cookie now. While she headed to the checkout, Elizabeth took out a cookie, but when she tried to close the box, the plastic edge sliced her left palm. She dropped the box and clutched her hand to her chest.

What else could go wrong?

Blood oozed through Elizabeth’s fingers and she blinked to fight off the cloud of gray that threatened her vision. She squeezed her eyes closed while panic took over, screams echoing in her head, blood everywhere, people running, ducking under desks.

 A case of being inspired by a characteristic. 

I'm hoping to do a cover reveal for you next week, so you can see how nature has inspired me, and if I want to use the mysterious characteristic that inspired my NEXT book, I guess I'd better finish writing Hillendale 4!

What unique characteristics have you seen in your favorite book friends?

Virtual Vacations

I've been reviewing pictures of Bryce Canyon and Antelope Canyon and Zion National Park in honor of my upcoming release. Since a large part of the country is still "safer at home," I thought I'd invite you along on a virtual tour of canyon country through the pictures I took.

The swirls and slots of Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon

Hoodoos and grottoes in the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater

The brilliants colors of Bryce Canyon

Where the river begins in...

Zion National Park

Yep, that's me. Dwarfed beside the mountains

Impressive country we live in, no?

Reading, Writing and 'Rithmetic

 What was your favorite subject in school?

For me, it was (no surprises) English. For the most part, I was a good student, although I hated history/social studies. Not a fan of science, either, although I took the time to learn and got me a well-rounded education. Even in the subjects I wasn't fond of, I learned a lot. For instance, I remember vividly a social studies class where we were given a project, to pick stocks from the market and choose a country to represent. Then we had to figure out how to build our country's economy, which became a lesson on international trade (even if "international" meant the kid sitting next to me representing that country). And despite being bored to tears, I still remember learning about Charlemagne and foreign history. 

Reading opened up new avenues of learning for me. I found more entertaining ways to absorb history. Most importantly, I understood the value of learning from the past in order to shape our future.

George Santayana is popularly known for aphorisms, such as "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" and "Only the dead have seen the end of war." His words are especially important to me today. 

As much as I disliked learning about history in school, never understood the value of learning about all those dead people from the past that I had no connection with, we are all connected. Omitting "inconvenient" or "boring" lessons of the past creates a gap of ignorance that condemns us to relive painful moments a second time to reinforce the knowledge we are lacking.

However you learn, knowledge is a valuable tool. Whether you're reading from a textbook or reading for entertainment, I've found that books provide a wealth of information that fills in the gaps.

"The More You Know...."

It's not as easy as it looks

 I've been at this job for almost 20 years professionally, and I can't tell you how many people over the years have commented on how easy writing must be. You just sit down and write a story and voila! You're done. Nope. Not quite that simple.

Taking a story from a point of inspiration to a finished product takes lots of hours and hard work, and for the most part, I love that work. Imagine reading the same story over and over and over and over until you know every word almost by heart. By the time I've reached the end, before the editing starts, I've already read the book probably a dozen times. I read to get a "running start" on the day. I read to check for what I've already written. I read to see if it makes sense. I read to ground myself in a character. The test of whether or not I take it to market is whether, after reading it a dozen times, I'm still invested in the story. 

For the most part, I have a good handle on structure, on character goals, on motivation, on conflict, on plot. When I discover myself getting lost along the writing path, I stop to consider what I've missed. Is the story moving forward? Are the characters developing and growing along their character arc? Generally, when I get stuck, it's because I'm writing words and not writing a story. As long as I'm invested in the people I've created, I can find the story, fix it, and move ahead.

Sometimes the stories are easy to write. They flow easily (despite the inevitable muddle in the middle), although there are some that require a lot more thought and craft. So why am I writing this post today?

I've been teasing my next book for several weeks now, a book I wrote while touring canyon country. I'd set it aside after I wrote the first draft (ten years ago!) and left it there. One of my friends asks me about it every so often. She'd read it and said she really liked it. So here I am, resurrecting it. Ten years ago, my skills weren't as mature as they are now, so I've spent a large amount of time correcting "the basics." Picking up a rough copy was HARD WORK, but I persisted. The story was there, it just wasn't "clean." When I finished, I sent it to my editor, and after "sweet sixteen" books together, she sent me the first really tough comments I've ever had from her (or at least that I remember). Don't get me wrong - tough comments are good. They tell me I'm not done putting the work in. After twenty years, I've learned to put the work in during the writing process rather than trying to fix a completed project. 

So back to work, fixing the problems that remain. I'm grateful to my critique partners and my editor for sticking with me on an ugly, older, unrefined manuscript. The good news is that I'm close to a marketable product, but I'm here to tell you - this writing gig isn't as easy as it looks.

And now, in case you're looking for a Halloween treat, have I mentioned that one of my bundles is on sale through the end of the month? Four ghost stories from The Epitaph Series, the McCormick collection, are available for just $1.99. Grab it while it's hot!

Buy it here

Christmas books, already?

 I've been getting notifications for dozens of Christmas books! It isn't even Halloween! I suppose people want to start stockpiling for the weeks ahead, but for me, it's still TOO EARLY.

Okay, now that I got that off my chest...

The autumn leaves are just about done. The colors this year have been outstanding! Brilliant crimsons and sunny yellows and burnt orange. Kind of like taking pictures of snow in the winter, I can't seem to stop taking pictures of the pretty colored trees on my walks when I get out and about. I suppose some of that is because the colors aren't as vivid every year. Sometimes the leaves just die and fall, or sometimes the colors aren't as uniform, so you get more half-and-half trees. Like with the snow. I take pictures because "look how pretty," or "look how deep it's getting." Every snowfall is different (even when it's the same) and every autumn is different.

{clever segue coming up}

And THIS autumn, I've written something a little different (even when it's still kind of the same). Years ago, I wrote a book while traveling through canyon country, but I thought it was too far from what my readers normally expect from me and shelved it. With all this hanging around at home stuff, I pulled it out off the shelf and decided to share it. After all, one of my favorite authors used to change things up regularly, from historical to contemporary and sometimes a little spooky. I'm hoping my readers are willing to take the ride with me. I'm expecting edits for CANYON LEGACY from my editor today. I'm also revisiting my friends in Hillendale and writing the fourth installment in that series.

While you're waiting, if you're looking for a Christmas book, I have two options to consider, one "sweet" - the Hallmark variety of book (WHILE WE WERE SHOPPING) and one steeped in legend with a psychic twist (MIST ON THE MEADOW) - in case you needed a recommendation. 😉

ARC and Beta copies

I often forget when I read an ARC or beta copy that its prepub and uncorrected. I’m not alone. As I’m reading for a friend, I’m seeing the errors. I know my ARC readers always send me the errors they find. How distracting is that? 

 Beta readers can expect more errors, simply by the fact the author is looking for feedback on what works and what doesn't. Technically, its still in development (although it should be darn close to done). The author is the alpha reader by virtue of creating it, and they're looking for a second opinion, or beta reader.

There there's the ARC. I know I've released a couple of books to ARC readers that were uncorrected, and I heard about it. An ARC should be one step away from a final version. That doesn't necessarily mean perfect, but the errors should be minimal, if any. This is the version that is in queue for publication. I've read uncorrected ARCs by other authors, too, but I've also received feedback on uncorrected ARCs of mine that the remaining errors turned readers off. For that reason, I've stopped sending "uncorrected" ARCs. The last couple I've sent out were "one proof" away from final (which means they'd been through multiple sets of eyes to spot those pesky errors that don't want to be caught). Even at that stage of production, there are bound to be errors, and I thank my readers for pointing them out to me. 

As a reader, how annoyed are you with errors when reading an advance reader copy or beta reading for the purpose of providing feedback to the author? Do you accept that those mistakes will likely be cleaned up before the book is finalized?