Peeling Back the Layers to Capture Theme by Author Elizabeth Ludwig

Seth Michael Ludwig.

I like to say my son’s name every now and then. It reminds me that he was real—that for three months and nineteen days, he was a part of my life.

The details of Seth’s death are foggy to me. Perhaps as some sort of defense mechanism, my mind has blocked out the more painful memories. I remember calling his name, in a quiet tone of voice so as not to startle him. At last, I put my hand to his back. That was the first moment that I knew something was dreadfully wrong…

I penned those words a long time ago—almost twenty-two years now. I never imagined that they would come back to me all these years later. Nor did I know when I set out to write a series of Historical/Romantic Suspense books for Bethany House that I would be writing about grief. 

Or loss. 

Or separation. 

I knew I’d be venturing onto unproven ground—combining Historical Romance with Romantic Suspense. I spent numerous conversations with the marketing gurus trying to figure out the best way to promote these books. We talked about cover designs, titles that invoked a feeling of romance and suspense, even colors for my website, and for many weeks, marketing was my focus. 

But as He often does, God had bigger plans, though He waited until all three books were written to reveal that information to me.

“What are these books about?” an interviewer asked. “Besides the romance and suspense, what would you say is the theme?”

Normally, I do all right in an impromptu interview, but the answer that rose to my lips surprised even me.

“Grief,” I said. “These books are about losing someone you love and finding the faith to go on.”

“Grief? Isn’t that sort of an odd theme for a romance?”

I shook my head. “Not really. True love, the kind that God gives, always involves sacrifice.”

After I’d had time to ponder that conversation, I realized deep down what I’d always known to be true. These books are about loss, but not the crippling, demoralizing, paralyzing kind. They’re about cutting away everything that hinders us from relying fully and completely upon Jesus. They’re about entrusting the people and things we love most in the world to Him. And they’re about learning to cast aside every unspoken fear and throwing ourselves on the infinite grace and mercy of the Savior.

Is there anything more beautiful, or more difficult, than that?

Like my characters, I lived through the death of a parent when my mother-in-law went to be with the Lord. And I understood the passing of a sibling when my mother found the courage to tell me of her miscarriage. Most devastating of all, I learned what it means to have my faith tried through the loss of a child. I experienced the guilt—the grief-driven condemnation that I poured upon myself—and the despair that threatened to wipe away every trace of hope and faith I knew.

But it was also through these trials that I learned what it means to have a Friend who sticks closer than a brother. Over time, I tasted the goodness, grace and comfort of my Savior. I sensed His presence as never before. I learned to cling again to the promises of His Word. And I learned that love…true love…looks forward. It hopes. It heals. It gives sacrificially. Most importantly, it is modeled after the love the Father has for each one of us.

Was it not Jesus who said, Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

And did He not, by His own example, demonstrate to us the beauty, the absolute purity, of unconditional, sacrificial love?

“These books are about grief,” I told the interviewer, “about losing someone you love and finding the faith to go on.”

What I forgot to add, but what I hope every reader finds within the pages of my novels, is that we never go on alone. It is with the Lover of our souls at our side…encouraging, urging, and always…always loving.

Elizabeth Ludwig is the award-winning author of Tide and Tempest, Book 3 in the popular Edge of Freedom series from Bethany House Publishers. Her literary blog, The Borrowed Book, enjoys a wide readership. Elizabeth is an accomplished speaker and teacher, often attending conferences and seminars where she lectures on editing for fiction writers, crafting effective novel proposals, and conducting successful editor/agent interviews. Along with her husband and children, she makes her home in the great state of Texas. To learn more, visit ElizabethLudwig.com.

Contact Elizabeth: HERE

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Historical Romance Series Spotlight ~ Edge of Freedom

About Book 1

New York City, 1897 
She came to America searching for her brother. Instead all she's found is a web of danger.

Cara Hamilton had thought her brother to be dead. Now, clutching his letter, she leaves Ireland for America, desperate to find him. Her search leads her to a houseful of curious strangers, and one man who claims to be a friend--Rourke Walsh. Despite her brother's warning, Cara trusts Rourke, revealing her purpose in coming to New York.

She's then thrust into a world of subterfuge, veiled threats, and attempted murder, including political revolutionaries from the homeland out for revenge. Her questions guide her ever nearer to locating her brother--but they also bring her closer to destruction as those who want to kill him track her footsteps.

With her faith in tatters, all hope flees. Will her brother finally surface? Can he save Cara from the truth about Rourke... a man she's grown to love?

About Book 2

The nightmares of her past have found Ana Kavanagh an ocean away.

Ana Kavanagh's memories of Ireland are mostly of fire and pain. As a girl she survived a blaze that left her an orphan, left her scarred, and left her angry at God. Now in New York, Ana finds a kindred spirit in Eoghan Hamilton, who's struggling with his own anger. His twin sister, Cara, betrayed him by falling in love with his enemy.

Cast aside by everyone, Eoghan hopes to rejoin the Fenians, an organization pushing for change back in Ireland, by securing information against Rourke, the man his sister married. Ana, Cara's friend, may be his best source, and despite the attraction he feels, Eoghan determines to use the girl's sweet nature to his advantage.

Adding to the danger is a specter from Eoghan's own past, one whose thirst for vengeance knows no bounds. Eoghan must choose which road to follow--bitterness or forgiveness--and where to finally place his trust.

About Book 3

It's been two years since Tillie McGrath last saw Captain Keondric Morgan. He'd let her visit her ill fiancé before he died. Now the dashing captain has found her at the boarding house where she lives and has swept back into her life. But all is not well. He seems to be trying to protect her--from whom or what stays a secret.

Even years later, Keondric never forgot the heartbroken lass from his boat. When a crewmember's death-bed confession hints that her fiancé's death may have been murder, the captain knows he must try to save her. But his attention draws the notice of others as well, dangerous men who believe Tillie may have the last bit of evidence needed to put them away. And trying to stay safe may put them both in more danger than they could have ever imagined.

Series Trailer

About the Author

Elizabeth Ludwig is an award-winning author and an accomplished speaker and teacher. Her historical novel Love Finds You in Calico, California earned four stars from RT Book Reviews. She is the owner and editor of the popular literary blog The Borrowed Book. Along with her husband and two children, Elizabeth makes her home in Orange, Texas. Learn more at www.elizabethludwig.com.

 Want More?

• You can buy No Safe Harbor and Dark Road Home now, and pre-order Tide and Tempest (which release March 4, 2014). 

• Check out Elizabeth (AKA Lisa) and her books on the Bethany House website.

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Writing a Series with Other Authors by Sharon Dunn

My new book Guard Duty is part of a larger Love Inspired Suspense series called the Texas K-9 Unit. Each book features a separate police officer and their canine partner and of course has a romance element to it. My book had the only female officer in the series. Valerie’s K-9 partner is Rottweiler named Lexi.  

Though you can read any book separately and get a complete suspense and romance story, all the books are linked together by a big storyline which concerns a missing police dog and a crime syndicate that has taken over Sagebrush, Texas, the fictional town where the books take place.

This was my first time working on a series like this with five other authors. I had a ton of fun. Writing is by its nature a solitary activity so it was a nice change to be a part of a team. The process by which one of these series is built was interesting and I thought I would share it with you.

Once all the authors have been assigned a book to write, we get what is known as the bible, which is written by editorial staff. The bible contains a summary of the larger storyline that carries over from book to book. A list of all the characters as well as a short synopsis of each book is part of the bible. Something known as continuity elements, which are the events that have to be in your story so it fits with the other books is also included. Because this particular series all takes place in the town of Sagebrush Texas, the bible also contained descriptions of places around town where the officer were likely to go like cafes and churches.  

While the bible is a starting point, it’s a somewhat flexible document. What works in a summary doesn’t always work in a full blown story. In the summary, characters might make an appearance and then disappear without explanation, so as I writer, you have to figure out what to do with that character. With this series, there was some debate about a secondary villain. Did he die or was he in jail? The bible didn’t make that clear. 

The fleshing out of characters, details and storylines is left up to the writers. Though we each have a separate book to write, the work is very collaborative. We’re all on an email loop as well as having a place online to post files and pictures. A character who was the hero in book one, might have a walk role in book three. So we have to coordinate our descriptions as well as how the character’s life has changed from book to book. Also, the setting expands as each book is written, so we have characters frequenting the same businesses and restaurants and going to the same veterinarian.    

Once all the books are turned in and the individual books have been edited, a continuity editor reads through the whole series to deal with any inconsistencies. For example, Valerie Hansen wrote the book after mine, Explosive Secrets. Her heroine makes a brief appearance at the end of my book. In my book I said her heroin was four months pregnant.  At the beginning of Valerie’s book, the same character was three months pregnant. I just don’t think that is physically possible. All those oversights need to be dealt with.   

Like I said, writing the series was a ton of fun and would do continuity in a heartbeat. Below is a list of each of the books in the series.      

Jan. 2013. #1, TRACKING JUSTICE by Shirlee McCoy 

Feb. 2013 #2, DETECTION MISSION, by Margaret Daley 

March 2013 #3, GUARD DUTY by Sharon Dunn (that's me) 

April 2013 #4, EXPLOSIVE SECRETS, by Valerie Hansen 

May 2013 #5, SCENT OF DANGER, by Terri Reed 

June 2013 #6, LONE STAR PROTECTOR, by Lenora Worth

Sharon Dunn writes both humorous mysteries and romantic suspense. Her book Night Prey (Love Inspired Suspense) won a Carol award for 2011. Her first book Romance Rustlers and Thunderbird Thieves was a Romantic Times top pick and finalist in the inspirational Novel of the Year. Sassy Cinderella and the Valiant Vigilante, the second book in that same series (The Ruby Taylor mysteries) was voted book of the year by ACFW. Guard Duty (releasing March 2013) part of the Texas K-9 series is her sixth novel with Love Inspired Suspense. When she is not writing, Sharon spends time with her husband, three children, two cats and a nervous little border collie named Bart. 

Find Sharon here:

Website: www.sharondunnbooks.net

Blog to which I am a regular contributor: www.suspensesisters.blogspot.com  

Sharon will be giving away a copy of her newest book on Friday, here at The Borrowed Book!

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Layering in the Six Senses to Bring Your Story to Life by Deb Raney

One of the final things I do with every first draft before I send it in to my editor is to go through each page to make sure I've layered in the six senses. I believe this one thing enriches the novel more than anything else I do as a writer.

I'm (finally) learning to weave more of the senses in as I lay words down for the first time. But even so, that final pass through the manuscript is crucial. 

Here are examples of how I used the senses in After All, the third in my Hanover Falls Novels series. 

SOUND

Have you given each character's voice a distinct quality and a tone that fits his mood?

FROM AFTER ALL: “Hey… Cut that out right now.” Pete’s voice was gentle, but his words were firm. “I see where your mind is going.”

She winced. “Okay, okay… Busted.”

And don't forget, background noises are every bit as important as dialogue in setting the tone of a scene, and helping the reader experience it. 

FROM AFTER ALL: They stood in silence watching their fishing lines float like gossamer over the black water, the red-and-white bobbers rolling with the gentle current. The slosh of the water lapping at the rocks was the most soothing sound Susan could imagine.

SIGHT

Before characters ever speak (or at least very early in each scene) we need to be able to visualize them in their setting. "Paint” a backdrop and set the stage. Then, everything that follows will play like a movie in your reader's imagination.

FROM AFTER ALL: So this was the place Dave had called home. Morning sun streamed through clerestory windows high on the wall and turned the space into a jewel box of colors. Had that well-worn recliner in the corner been his?

SMELL

Think how many places you could identify by smell alone. Use that fact to add even more realism to each scene. And don't forget to show how the smell affected your character.

FROM AFTER ALL: She noticed he carried a big lantern along with the fishing gear. They came upon the river, and the scents of mud and fish and water hung in the heavy summer air. It was a good smell. Reminded her of her childhood.

TASTE

Taste conveys not only pleasure, as in the mouth-watering taste of food or the refreshment of a cool drink, but it can also express emotion.

Other than to describe food, the sense of taste is probably the most neglected sense in literature. Infuse your scenes with deep emotion by layering in tastes in ways that reflect more than the obvious.

FROM AFTER ALL: She swallowed another swell of tears and winced at the bitter taste that filled her throat.  

TOUCH

Adding literal texture to your scenes helps your novel become a figuratively textured piece of work as well. Adding in tactile sensations gives depth to your scenes and often becomes a metaphor for the emotion you wish to portray.

FROM AFTER ALL: When Ferris Park’s fireworks fizzled away, Pete's arm tightened around her and he reached up with his other hand to brush her hair away from her face. She wanted him to kiss her. There was no denying that. But she put a hand on his smooth cheek and gently held him off. "It's been a wonderful evening. Let's just…go slow, okay?"

THE "SIXTH SENSE”

The sixth sense, perhaps more than the other five, is what makes our characters most vivid and real to our readers. In the inspirational market, this sense is often considered to be that “still, small voice” of the Holy Spirit. If you write fantasy or paranormal, that sixth sense might take the form of mental telepathy, etc. In mystery or suspense novels, it could be the ultra-keen instinct of a detective. In matters of romance, it might be labeled “woman’s intuition.”  

That sixth sense infuses any story with deeper levels of complexity, intensity and mystery.

FROM AFTER ALL: She rummaged in her purse for her keys and held them at the ready before letting herself out. She was thankful she’d parked next to the building. But as she walked to her car, a shiver went through her. She wasn’t given to premonitions, but she had the oddest feeling someone was watching her.

A PINCH OF THIS, A PINCH OF THAT

Like seasoning in a fine stew, too much of one spice might overpower the more important one, but with a judicious edit, purposefully sprinkling the various senses throughout your manuscript, you can breathe new life into your story.

FROM AFTER ALL: Susan made her way across the dark parking lot. The air smelled like fresh-mown grass and though the thermometer had hit eighty today, the night air was chilly. She shivered in her short sleeves and rubbed a thumb over the teeth of her car key.

DEBORAH RANEY's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title and launched her writing career after 20 happy years as a stay-at-home mom. Her books have won numerous awards including the RITA, the Carol Award, National Readers Choice Award, HOLT Medallion, and have twice been Christy Award finalists. Deb's newest novel released from Howard/Simon & Schuster in May. She and her husband, Ken Raney, enjoy the wildflowers and native grasses in the Kansas prairie garden in their backyard. They also love traveling together to teach at conferences, and to visit four children and four small grandchildren who all live much too far away. Visit Deb on the Web at www.deborahraney.com.

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