Missing Thea James by Author Cathy Elliott

As I celebrate the recent release of my new cozy mystery, A Stitch in Crime, I find myself missing someone. Missing my plucky protagonist, Thea James, even amid much mention of her exploits. Once, her thoughts and movements and loves and concerns filled my head. They kept me company as I wrote recorded her adventures in the daytime and later, when I teetered on the edge of dreams, I’d plan what she might do tomorrow. 

I was so drawn into Thea’s story, often I didn’t notice certain things. Important things. Like the night I rushed into the kitchen, cut up my favorite veggies – broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage – and arranged them in the steamer. I turned on the heat, covered the pot, and hurried back to my computer. To Thea. She was in the middle of a very bad situation, in need of immediate rescue. No one could help her except me. I had to write her out of that wrong. And be quick about it.

It took about forty-five minutes to move the story past that terrible part, allowing Thea a chance to escape, but I was focused. Determined. Single-minded, if you will. And finally managed to bring Thea through without real harm. Whew. 

I sat back in my chair, happy, relaxed, breathing deep sighs of satisfaction. But wait. What was that smell? Straightening up, I did the head-cock thing. The veggies!

Like a rocket, I zoomed back into the kitchen and turned off the heat. Picking up the pot with the steamer inside, I noticed it seemed extra light. When I took off the lid, I saw why. No water. I’d forgotten to fill the bottom of the pot with water for steaming. And forgotten to set the timer. Thea’s dilemma had consumed my thoughts so much that now I had no dinner to consume.

Turning on the water, I allowed some to accumulate in the bottom of the pot. It sizzled resentfully. Steam rose up through the vegetables, moistening them. Hey, they didn’t look all that bad. I forked through and realized they weren’t burned. True, they had a curious smoked fragrance, but I didn’t see any burned broccoli. Of course, the pot was black as soot. I sent up a “thank You” that I’d used one of my heavy-duty, All-Clad pots that I love so much just for this reason. To accommodate my absent-minded, culinary skills. Especially on deadline.

What a relief. I’d saved Thea and the pots had saved dinner. A little butter, sprinkle of lemon pepper (my new favorite seasoning), a bit o'cheese, and it became a blackened feast. Okay, in truth, only the pot was blackened, but the dish had the hint of the old campfire about it, without the roasted marshmallows. Not bad.

Thea and I had many such side trips. Where her world seemed more real at times than mine. It certainly invaded most everything I did, everywhere I went, and every conversation. At Bible study, I’d admire the quilt on the back of a sofa and think, “I bet that would be a good quilt to put in the Blocks on the Walk Quilt Show.” I’d find out the details and make a note to self. At dinner with friends, someone would tell a funny story about a relative or say something in a way I’d never heard before. “Do you mind if I use that in the book?” I’d ask, writing it down. 

Thea and I had a close relationship for some time and I enjoyed every companionable moment. Not thinking about her is an adjustment. It feels a bit like empty-nest-syndrome. And maybe I’m taking too much time to say “goodbye.” I need to do so pretty soon. Once she is settled in the hearts of new readers, living out her story, maybe then. 

After all, many other characters are waiting, vying for their worlds to be created. For their stories to be told. I think it’s almost time to open the door and welcome them inside. I’ll wave to Thea as she goes and give her a high-five, knowing she’ll be okay.

Cathy Elliott is a full-time writer in northern California whose cozy mysteries reflect her personal interests from quilting and antique collecting to playing her fiddle with friends. She also leads music at church and cherishes time with her grandchildren. Cathy’s other plot-twisting works include Medals in the Attic and A Vase of Mistaken Identity.

Website & Occasional Blog - www.cathyelliottbooks.com

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/cathyelliott10/

Facebook – Author Cathy Elliott cathyelliottbooks.com

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"We Never Write in a Vacuum, Do We?" by Author Kathryn Springer

I’m sure my friend, Beth, didn’t know her question would end up in a blog when she sent me an email last week! She also didn’t know that the emergency room doctor had found a blood clot in my mother-in-law’s lung so I had been dividing my time between the computer and the hospital. She didn’t know that my emotional seams were beginning to unravel a bit. 

What a nice, “writerly” way of saying I was about to lose it! 

When I sit down at the computer every morning, I bring with me all the things, big and small and in-between, that are on my mind and in my heart. Prayer requests from friends and family. The items on my to-do list.

It was Beth’s question that helped me reset my perspective. Because life happens and we write about. . .well. . .life, right? 

And when life gets difficult. . .so can writing.

One piece of advice writers hear over and over is, “write what you know.” It makes sense, doesn’t it? When I write what I know, it gives me credibility. I can create a town like Banister Falls in The Dandelion Field because I’m a small-town, Midwestern girl. When I describe the changing seasons or a sunrise over a northern Wisconsin lake or an eagle in flight, the reader can see it because I’ve seen it. 

Those kind of details make for a good story, but I think a great story is the one where I’m not afraid to wade into the deep emotional waters with my characters instead of standing on the shoreline, taking notes. The books on my keeper shelf have one thing in common—they didn’t just entertain me for a few hours, they burrowed right into my heart because I felt a strong connection with the characters. It might be because we share a common experience or dream the same dream. Struggle with the same things. 

And that’s where the “life” part comes in! 

When life—and writing—get difficult, I take this a step further. “Write what I know” becomes, “Write what I know about God.” 

So. . .what do I know about God? 

I know He is faithful. I know He is kind. I know He gives beauty for ashes. I know He heals. Restores. Blesses. 

I know these things because I’ve experienced them over the years. I experience them every time I remember to look at Him instead of my circumstances.

In The Dandelion Field, Ginevieve Lightly is a single mom who finds out her teenage daughter is pregnant. She doesn’t know God, doesn’t know His character. . .but she meets someone who does and it changes her. Gin discovers that God can take the pieces of a broken past and turn it into a beautiful beginning. 

He did that for me, too. 

    What I know about God becomes the spiritual thread that runs through the pages. And the really amazing thing? While I’m writing my character’s story—stories of grace and courage and restoration and hope—He is weaving those things into my story, too. 

No, we never write in a vacuum. 

Thank you, God.

USA Today bestselling author Kathryn Springer grew up in a small town in northern Wisconsin, where her parents published a weekly newspaper. As a child she spent hours at her mother’s typewriter, plunking out stories about horses that her older brother “published” (he had the stapler) for a nominal fee. Kathryn loves writing about imperfect people, small towns and a great big God. When she isn’t at the computer, you’ll find her curled up (in the sun!) with a good book, spending time with her family and friends or walking the trails near her country home. 

Please visit my website at kathrynspringer.com and sign up to receive my free newsletter, or find me on Facebook at kathrynspringerauthor! 

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Unearthing Buried Memories by Author Lynne Gentry

Historical writers love it when their research reveals a truth that is stranger than fiction…unless the truth they discover is one of their own buried secrets. 

A few months ago, I was deep into the edits of Return to Exile, the second book in my Carthage Chronicles series. The plague in third-century Carthage was ramping up. People were dying. My frantic heroine, Dr. Lisbeth Hastings, didn’t know what to do. 

I was editing a paragraph about measles (the mysterious malady I’d chosen to inflict upon the inhabitants of this series and had researched meticulously) when it suddenly hit me. Staring at the computer screen, I broke out in a sweat.

I was writing about a virus I’d had as a child … and I had almost died. How could I have forgotten?

Suddenly, I was eight years old, lying on the couch and burning up with fever in our drafty old Kansas farmhouse. The sights, sounds, smells, even the foul, wet-chicken-feather taste of my blister-coated tongue came rushing back. Every lost detail was now painfully vivid.  

It was Christmas Eve. In the corner the blue lights of the tree twinkled. My mother and grandmother hovered around me. They placed a cool cloth on my forehead and tried to coerce me into drinking hot tea. Deep racking coughs ripped from my raw throat. I struggled for air but couldn’t catch my breath. Mom plastered menthol rub all over my chest while my grandmother constructed a breathing tent she made from an old sheet draped over some stretched-out coat hangers. All night my family boiled water on the stove, carried the hot pot to my bedside, and fanned the steam toward me. I could hear the adults discussing whether or not I should be taken to the hospital. I remember my mother’s frantic voice. I remember being very afraid.

How could I have blocked this memory from my mind? Even more unsettling: how could I have written nearly 300,000 words about this deadly virus and NOT remember something this traumatic? The implications left me shaking. What other memories or feelings were buried deep inside of me?

As I writer, my job is to go deep into the minds and memories of my characters; to discover their secrets and capitalize upon their fears. This incident, however, taught me an important lesson: all of my characters carry a little part of me. My fears, my dreams, my flaws show up as various traits in them. For example, in Return to Exile, Dr. Lisbeth Hastings is desperate to save those dying of measles. As I was writing, I could hear the panic in her voice. Without access to modern medicine, what could she do? In a last ditch effort, Lisbeth and her mother built vaporizer tents and placed warm poultices on the chests of those struggling to breathe. Now I know where I got the idea to research homespun medical remedies. I know why I could see the little vaporizer tents in my head.

Curious if I’d plagiarized any other memories from my past, I carefully searched my Return to Exile manuscript. I discovered the bull chase scene is fraught with the exact same terror I experienced growing up on a dairy farm. The one animal I knew to avoid was the bull. Holstein bulls have dangerous temperaments and a reputation for causing serious injuries. One day I went to the pasture to herd the cows in for milking.  Less than a hundred yards away, our bull issued a deep, braying bellow that scattered the herd. His head went down and in a split second 2,000 pounds of pure aggression charged straight at me.

I turned and scrambled toward the fence. I don’t remember how I did it but I managed to shinny up those wooden slates and hurl myself over the top board. I fell to the other side a split second before the bull’s massive head hit the fence with the force of a freight train. I stood totally paralyzed and unable to move as he rammed the fence again and again. 

An author’s experiences and memories can’t help but show up in their stories. We bring our pasts with us. This revelation into my past has taught me two important writing lessons. First, as a writer I must dig deep into my past and discover the secrets buried in my memories. Second, I can’t be afraid to live and experience new things. They are exciting fodder for future characters.

Lynne Gentry has written for numerous publications and is a professional acting coach and playwright with several full-length musicals to her credit. She likes to write stories that launch modern women into ancient adventures, such as Healer of Carthage (2014), which was the first in The Carthage Chronicles series. Return to Exile is the second, and Valley of Decision is expected September 22, 2015. Gentry loves spending time with her family and medical therapy dog.

To keep up with Lynne Gentry, visit www.lynnegentry.com, become a fan on Facebook (Author-Lynne-Gentry) or follow her on Twitter (@Lynne_Gentry), YouTube and Pinterest (lynnegentry7).

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Author Elizabeth Camden and the Writing Life

I had a ball doing research for my latest novel, Beyond All Dreams. The setting is at the Library of  Congress, and as a librarian, this is rather like Valhalla, or Mecca, or the Elysian fields…. chose whatever splendid metaphor you like, there is no library in the world to compare with the Library of Congress. I was dazzled from the moment I walked down Independence Avenue and caught sight of the Library of Congress in the distance. 

Here is a bit of interesting trivia: Did you know that the original Library of Congress was on the top floor of the U.S. Capitol? It outgrew its space and was moved into the glorious building we use today in 1897. This is the exact time my novel is set, so the librarians are busily packing up in preparation for their move to their palatial new building. I tried to provide a lot of behind-the-scenes of what went on during those years.

Research for what it was like to work in the U.S. Capitol in the late 19^th century was a special challenge.  I needed to know where they would have eaten their meals, placed a telephone call, or relaxed between meetings. I wanted to get the details right, but in a post 9-11 world, comprehensive floorplans of the Capitol are entirely off limits to the public. Luckily, librarians are a cooperative lot, and I was able to get in touch with librarians currently working for congress who answered many of my questions. Also, I was able to find some blueprints of the original building, and sure enough, they are labeled with everything from the cafeterias, cloakrooms, and staircases. I know the twentieth century brought huge changes to the Capitol, but the old blue prints were quite accurate for my 1890’s story. 

This was my second novel set in Washington D.C. My first was With Every Breath, a medical romance set primarily in hospitals and government research labs, and focused on the brave men and women searching to cure tuberculosis. I love Washington novels not only because there were so many women employed in interesting government jobs, but I think you tend to find the best and worst of humanity in Washington. Many are dedicated, idealistic people, and they are given phenomenal tools and resources to tackle some of the nation’s biggest problems. I hope to do more Washington novels in the future….especially if I can manage to squeeze in another research trip!

In my office at the college

Sometimes people are curious to see where writers work. I’ve got two offices, as I work as a college librarian by day, and scribble away at my novels at night. My office at college is pristine, but my home office is cluttered, well-lived in, and within easy reach of the coffee pot!

  

Although my home office is where I do the majority of the actual

In my home office

writing, I find that the best place for brainstorming plots and ideas happens while I am running, mowing the lawn, or some other monotonous physical task where I can simply unleash my imagination.

Many thanks for inviting me onto your blog! Writing can be a somewhat solitary occupation, so I love getting a chance to meet readers…even if it is in a virtual setting like this!

Elizabeth Camden is a research librarian at a small college in central Florida. Her novels have won the coveted RITA and Christy Awards. She has published several articles for academic publications and is the author of four nonfiction history books. Her ongoing fascination with history and love of literature have led her to write inspirational fiction. Elizabeth lives with her husband near Orlando, Florida.

Learn more about Lizzy on her website, or or visit her on Facebook.

Also, make sure to check out the Pinterest page for her latest release, Beyond All Dreams

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Getting to Know Author Elizabeth Camden

Thanks for asking me aboard! I’m thrilled to be talking about Beyond All Dreams, as this book has a very special place in my heart because the heroine is a librarian, which is my job when I’m not a writer.

I have been blessed with two careers, both of which I deeply love. As a lifelong reader and bibliophile, perhaps librarianship was a natural career choice for me. I could think of no other job where I could spend an entire day cocooned within a library, buying books with other people’s money, and getting paid to perform fascinating research. I earned my master’s degree in Library Science from Indiana University and have been gainfully employed as a college librarian ever since. 

But the temptation to write my own novel was always there as well. I love a terrific romance story, especially if set in an interesting historical period. The road to publication was a little longer and a lot bumpier than I expected, but after around five years of trying, my first novel was published in 2011. They say that you tend to be proudest of things that are hard to earn, and this is certainly true for me. I’ve heard stories of people whose first manuscript is accepted for publication, but I wouldn’t trade my five years of struggle and slogging through the wilderness for anything in the world. For a start, it made me a much better writer. It made me humble, grateful, and also a little paranoid…which is a GOOD thing if you are a writer. I know rejection will always loom just around the next corner if I don’t keep my quality up.  

People have often asked me if I have any plans to quit my work as a librarian and become a full-time writer. Frankly, I don’t! I love being a librarian, and every day I am enriched by the variety of people I encounter and the interesting questions I’m called on to research. All of this helps nourish my writer’s soul with fresh angles and originality.

I wrote five novels before I decided to give in to temptation and feature a librarian as the heroine. Beyond All Dreams is about a librarian who stumbles across a baffling mystery of a ship that disappeared at sea. The ship and the entire crew has never been heard from again, but Anna begins to suspect the government knows what actually happened to the ship. The setting is at the Library of Congress in 1898, and when the government stonewalls her attempt to learn more about the missing ship, Anna turns to a charismatic congressman for help. As the two of them begin piecing the mystery together, they become embroiled in secrets much bigger than they ever imagined. 

Washington D.C. is a terrific place to set a historical romance, simply because there were so many women who worked for the government in the late 19^th century. I prefer to have my heroines working in professional positions, so Washington is rich with possibilities for me. Of course, there were plenty of restrictions against female workers dating fellow-government employees, so that adds another wonderful layer of tension for my characters. 

Most of all I wanted to write a thrilling, deeply romantic and heart-pounding love story.  The nature of the plot force Anna and Luke to resolve their own wounds from a difficult past before they can forge a lasting relationship.  It is a deeply emotional story, but I tried to inject notes of subtle humor, hope, and inspiration throughout the novel. 

Elizabeth Camden is a research librarian at a small college in central Florida. Her novels have won the coveted RITA and Christy Awards. She has published several articles for academic publications and is the author of four nonfiction history books. Her ongoing fascination with history and love of literature have led her to write inspirational fiction. Elizabeth lives with her husband near Orlando, Florida.

Website:

http://www.elizabethcamden.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethCamden

Pinterest Page for Beyond All Dreams:

http://www.pinterest.com/elizabethcamden/beyond-all-dreams/

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The Most Famous and Widely Accepted Author in Our States by Author Sandra Hart

Robert Louis Stevenson and Mark Twain once sat on a bench in Washington Square to enjoy an hour's conversation. 

"Can you name the American author whose fame and acceptance stretch widest and furthest in the States?" Stevenson posed the question to the famous author at his side.

Twain believed he knew, but modesty prevented him from answering.

Stevenson quickly burst Twain's bubble, for it wasn't the beloved author. Stevenson then explained how he discovered the most famous author at a bookshop in Albany that displayed a large number of little books written by the same author, Davis. (Twain didn't recall the first name of the author.) All the books were compilations with a brief chapter of introduction written by Davis. Such titles as Davis's Selected Poetry and Davis's Selected Speeches were cheaply yet neatly bound. 

Not recognizing the author, Stevenson asked the bookseller about him. It astonished the well-known author to find that the books sold so well that it required freight trains rather than baskets to carry them.

Stevenson's lack of knowledge about the multi-published author didn't surprise the shopkeeper. He explained that no one had heard of Davis for his name didn't appear in print or advertisement as such publicity didn't appeal to him. Davis's books would never rise to the top; one must put on diving gear and plunge to starvation wages where the compilations were found by millions of readers. The author who sells to that market will make his fortune for these readers remain loyal. According to the bookseller, once a writer becomes a favorite in this market, his or her books will always be preferred for the fans pay little attention to reviews. They simply know what they love.

On the other hand, well-known authors must worry about reviews and the weather on the top, for winds of slander may blow and hammer away at their good name.

Stevenson and Twain discussed this kind of submerged fame and decided to call it submerged renown. Authors with submerged renown affect a great number of people they never meet or speak to, but who read their books and develop a fondness for the writers. These readers don't criticize or listen to the criticism of others for the author has found a place in their hearts.

This pair of famous, well-loved authors agreed that this type of fame was best of all. 

In this day of social media, where publishers insist on authors building a platform and getting their name into the public arena, many may feel this is no longer valid. It is frequently stated that no one will find an author's book without publicity.

Or perhaps those readers Stevenson and Twain determined to strive for will find the best of authors and books anyway.

It's definitely food for thought.

Sandra Merville Hart loves to find unusual facts in her historical research to use in her stories. She and her husband enjoy traveling to many of the sites in her books to explore the history. She serves as Assistant Editor for DevoKids.com and is a contributor for a collection of stories about answered prayer in Jesus Encounters, (Spring, 2015.) She has written for several publications and websites.

Find Sandra here:

http://devokids.com/category/stories/adventures-in-history/

http://www.barndoorbookloft.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandra.m.hart.7

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sandramhart7/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com

 You may purchase the book at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-My-Land-Sandra-Hart/dp/1941103278/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405606746&sr=1-1&keywords=A+Stranger+on+my+land.

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-stranger-on-my-land-sandra-merville-hart/1120155194?ean=9781941103272.

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The Brothers' Keepers by Author NLB Horton

I love the Protestant Reformation (keep reading because it gets better), partially for non-theological reasons.

My devotion exceeds Luther, Calvin, Knox, or Tyndale. I include da Vinci, Galileo, and Copernicus as well, men whose revolutionary ideas enriched a sixteenth-century world barreling from the restrictions of the Middle Ages into the light of the Renaissance. 

Courage and intellect created counter-cultural heroes then. And those traits define my protagonist, archaeologist Grace Madison, in the first two books of the Parched series: When Camels Fly (May 2014) and The Brothers’ Keepers (November 2014).

When I began percolating about The Brothers’ Keepers, Grace’s character, and the seminary backgrounds of the troupe of octogenarian theologians who assist her and her family, led my thoughts to the Reformation. I admit that I went willingly.

The Brothers’ Keepers is a tale of international suspense: theologically sound and scientifically correct. It is liberally sprinkled with Grace’s warped humor and slight sarcasm, and extolls contemporary family dynamics—in a family not unfamiliar with espionage and danger. 

It opens in Brussels, when Grace learns that her beloved daughter Maggie has disappeared in France, and that her son’s bride has been attacked in Switzerland. In a five-star review of When Camels Fly, one reader described Grace as a Mama Bear protecting her cubs. Her growl from Belgium in the opening chapter of The Brothers’ Keepers resonates around the globe, attracting family and friends to Paris to begin the search for Maggie. 

Grace inspires that kind of devotion as a vigorous, joyful woman trying to live fully in the image of Christ. 

Maggie inspires devotion of a different sort. As the object of affection from two very dissimilar young men, her professional success as a hydrologist balances her epic failure as a sweetheart. Will she accept the repeated proposals of the all-American who is as loyal as a drooling golden retriever? Or will the handsome sayan (helper) for Mossad break through her Herculean defense mechanisms to win her heart? And where in the world is she, anyway?

“The nut didn’t fall far from the tree,” Grace’s husband Mark says of the mother and daughter, and Grace has heart issues of her own. She and Mark are working to rebuild a thirty-year marriage after growing apart. The healing process complicates life-threatening situations in When Camels Fly and The Brothers Keepers, but reveals the devotion they still share.

Using clues Maggie has left at the American Church in Paris, where she was last seen, the Madisons pick up the trail of an ancient relic that they hope will save her life. The desperate journey crosses four centuries and three continents. Difficult choices endanger everyone the family and their friends love, and compromise nearly every belief they hold dear. 

And in the end, they discover that to save themselves, they must first rescue an old friend who deceived them.

If he’ll let them.

As with When Camels Fly before it, The Brothers Keepers is all about doing the right thing. Because sometimes, doing what’s right is all that’s left.

A member of the venerable Explorers Club, NLB Horton returned to writing fiction after an award-winning career in marketing and a graduate degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. She has surveyed archaeological digs under Syrian and Lebanese heavy artillery fire in Israel and Jordan, explored the Amazon River and Machu Picchu after training with an Incan shaman, and consumed tea on five continents—and while crossing the North Atlantic.

http://nlbhorton.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/NLB-Horton/289059931145461

https://twitter.com/NLBHorton

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A Recipe for Writing by Author Stephanie Reed

Christmas is coming. It’s a great time to share a cherished recipe. This recipe won’t replace green bean casserole or orange cranberry relish, but it’s helped me become a better writer and it can help you, too. My goal for each novel is that it should be better than the one before. That’s why I hope you will read my latest novel, The Bachelor, book two in my Plain City Peace series. 

 

Before I write, I work up an appetite by reading. Read many styles of writing, not just your favorites. You can learn great techniques from other authors. If you read library books, you can brush up on reading free of charge, yet the payoff will be huge. I believe reading is the single most important ingredient in this recipe, aside from trusting the Lord. Reading helps you soak up grammar, spelling, style, flow, dialogue, and setting. 

Write the kind of book that makes you smack your lips and beg for seconds. I love to read stories based on real people, so that’s the kind of books I write. As a Christian, I believe the Lord inspires me to write the way I do and He will inspire you to write in a certain way, too. Look at the Bible; there are many writers, many styles, and many subjects, yet the Lord inspired every one. The Lord has planned your writing career since the beginning of time, and He’s been leading you by enriching you as a reader.

As you write, remember the most important person: your hungry reader. Do you like it when a mystery writer holds back on clues? Or how about when you find a mistake in a non-fiction book? When a novel is filled with boring characters, do you keep reading? How disappointing to sit down for a feast and then leave the table hungry. Good writing is not throwing together random ingredients like you’re trying to get food on the table by 6 o’ clock sharp. It is assembling all the best ingredients with love and improving your work by fixing mistakes, like timeline problems or character eye color. Trim away the fat! When you revise your writing, you show that you care about your reader. Your writing is not done until it’s well done.

Don’t invite company over when you try out a new dish. Before you serve up your writing, do a taste test. Trade your work with a trusted writer friend or two. Don’t be shy. Critique partners can make helpful suggestions on how to fix something you may have missed (and trust me—you missed something). If you trade with someone who seems harsh, pray for wisdom on how to proceed. I have two critique partners who read my manuscripts, and I do the same for them. For you writers who aren’t published yet, revising can take as long as you like, and it can even be fun. Once you have a contract, however, edits take on a time element. Revising according to an editor’s suggestions by deadline can be stressful, like unexpected company’s coming and you need dinner on the table ASAP. Ultimately, it’s your recipe, your story, but sometimes it’s nice to have a little help. Try to think of your editor as a sous chef who makes sure all the ingredients are prepped and ready to add at the critical moment.  

Feel free to take my suggestions to your test kitchen and try them out. And don’t forget—all the best cooks add their own flourishes to tried and true recipes. One last tip: ask the blessing before you serve your readers. It won’t be long before readers will relish what you write.

  

Stephanie Reed lives on the outskirts of Plain City, Ohio, site of a once-thriving Amish community. She gleans ideas for her novels from signs glimpsed along the byways of Ohio, as she did for her previous books, Across the Wide River, The Light Across the River, and The Bargain. The Bachelor is the second book in the Plain City Peace series.  

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