Writing Challenges, by Author Dianna T. Benson

Persephone’s Fugitive

Book Two,  Cayman Islands Trilogy

by

Dianna T. Benson

*** SPOILER ALERT *** Reading Persephone’s Fugitive (including the book blurb) before The Hidden Son (Book One in the Cayman Islands Trilogy) will ruin the ending of The Hidden Son. However, both books are standalones.

When a routine 911 call turns deadly, Paramedic Sara Dyer finds herself held at gunpoint by Jason Keegan, an injured psych-ward patient charged with murder. The situation spirals out of Sara’s control when the confrontation becomes a tense standoff between Keegan and the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service.

As Keegan’s hostage, Sara fights to save them both before he blows them up. She realizes his warning to the Cayman police is no empty threat since he’d rather die than spend the rest of his life in a prison cell. Sara soon discovers Keegan is just as determined to survive as she is - provided he can escape Grand Cayman and disappear forever. As she struggles to trust in God’s protection, help from an atheist turns her struggle into a lure away from her faith.

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Dianna T. Benson is the award-winning and international bestselling author of The Hidden Son and Final Trimester. Persephone’s Fugitive is her third release. An EMT and a HazMat and FEMA Operative since 2005, Dianna authentically implements her medical and rescue experience and knowledge into all her suspense novels. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and their three children. www.diannatbenson.com

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As with any career, life as a novelist has its thrilling peaks and dark valleys. In dealing with the valleys, self-doubt in myself as a writer often creeps in and I question my career choice. A publishing industry career is notorious for extreme highs and lows – Example: A glowing review on the same day with nothing but a blinking cursor or awful written pages going nowhere.

For me, one of the biggest challenges as an author is bouncing back and forth from the business side of writing to actually writing my fiction. So I’ve learned never to write on the days I have a radio/TV interview, a book signing, a speaking engagement, or any other type of marketing task. Whenever possible, I bunch my marketing together in the same week(s) and take time off writing. When I’m not releasing a new book, thus buried in marketing, then I dig in and focus on writing. Every writer is different and needs to find their way – what works for one writer, won’t work for another.      

Once my first book was released in 2013, the pressure was intense from readers/fans, all the kind reviews, etc. I realized it was imperative to produce the same caliber of book or better the second time. With every book, it’s expected to write just as good a book, if not better. That pressure mixed in and compounded with the stress from the severe medical issues my son, daughter, and husband were battling. However, I forced myself to push through, encouraging myself to write. The tactic backfired on me, causing me to hit writer burnout. I recently recovered from being burnt out by allowing myself time to have fun in life, enjoy reading and watching movies, spending time in nature; basically, I healed from writer burnout by being gentle to myself. My zeal never disappeared – I truly wanted to write, but resistance inside me locked up my creativity and buried my muse. Knowing my love to write is still so strong in spite of all of this, I was determined to fully heal from burnout and never allow myself to reach that point again by knowing the warning signs and refusing to ever ignore them. 

The life of a writer is a lonely one – we spend so much of our time writing about people for people yet we’re all alone. I’ve learned to appreciate the writer’s world by seeing the work force (not working from home) as a place where I’d need to deal with commuting, the negatives of co-workers, pointless rules, rigid daily hours/schedules, office politics, etc. Life is all about how we view it, isn’t it?

Yes, God gave me the gift to story-tell via the written word, but I chose this career, and apparently it chose me back. The statics are mind-boggling – 1% of people who say they want to write actually start writing; 1% of people who start writing actually finish a book; 1% of those people actually submit their manuscript; 1% of the people who submit are ever offered a publishing contract. So I beat those staggering odds and have published three books to date with my fourth scheduled to release next year. If I can achieve that, than I can overcome any challenge as a writer. What about you? What are your challenges as a writer and how do you push through and continue?    

Dianna's latest release, Persephone's Fugitive, is available on Amazon and at Books-A-Million and Barnes and Noble.

      

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Unbelievable Real Life, Believable Fiction: Author Dianna T. Benson, EMT

Have you ever thought: “That’s so unrealistic,” while watching a movie or reading a book? The following will sound like unbelievable fiction yet it’s actually what occurred to my young family of five.

Spring 2009, an off-duty cop barreled into our car, injuring our oldest daughter, our son, and myself. My husband and our youngest daughter escaped uninjured. The two kids (ages 15 and 12 at the time) quickly healed; I suffered shoulder and cervical injuries.

A few months following the car accident, my husband’s biopsy on an enlarged lymph node in his neck was negative, but a few months later he was diagnosed with head and neck cancer (the biopsy results were wrong). In 2009 and 2010 he endured two surgeries and radiation. During this same time, our son battled a mysterious illness, Lyme disease was suspected. For the love of playing hockey as a goalie, our son fought the pain and continued to play. Unfortunately, he suffered a shoulder separation during a game. In a sling for that injury, he had a MRI on a cyst the size of an orange; thankfully, it tested benign. After numerous appointments with various MDs, an infectious disease MD diagnosed him with Lyme’s and treated him for the disease. Also in 2010, I finally had surgery to repair the labral tear in my shoulder.

Fall 2011, our son suffered a severe concussion from head trauma in a hockey game. Fall 2012, he suffered a second concussion. Spring 2013, he suffered a third, yet this one in a car accident (another car hit the car he was a passenger in while being driven to school). December 2013, his neurologist cleared him to return to sporting activities. While snowboarding, he suffered his fourth concussion, yet this time he didn’t even hit his head. Simple jostling of his brain now causes a concussion, which ended his hockey career (he was drafted into Junior Hockey). It’s unknown how long he’ll suffer post-concussion syndrome.

Our oldest daughter was diagnosed with scoliosis in fifth grade and wore a full body brace for years. While swimming for Virginia Tech under a full scholarship, her scoliosis worsened. May 2012 she endured a five-hour surgery (13-inch spinal incision). Due to the rotation of her curvature, her rib cage was concaved in four inches (think: thoracic spine curved to the side and twisted inward). Two titanium rods and twelve screws now hold her spine straight in-line. Unbelievably (many patients are still in bed seven weeks post this surgery) she swam in the 2012 US Olympic Swim Team Trials for a spot on the US Olympic Swim Team that competed in London at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Understandably, she was unable to swim anywhere near her best at Trials and didn’t make the team. During the 2012-2013 college swim season, she pushed herself, especially at ACC and NCAA Championships—she won two ACC Championship Titles. Nerve damage, unfortunately, ended her swim career.

In August 2014, on our oldest daughter’s 21st birthday, I was bicycling in a crosswalk with a stop sign when a car ran the stop sign, failed to stop in the crosswalk, and struck me on my bicycle. I suffered injuries head to toe and I’m still healing.

Our youngest daughter was only nine years old in 2009, so young to watch all this happen to her family during her elementary and middle school years. During what seemed like endless years of medical battles, I called the five of us: “As the Bensons Turn” – it just all seemed so ridiculously unbelievable. Laughter, a positive attitude, and our faith, plus the love and support of family and friends sustained our strength. More than anything, God carried the five of us; He reminded me and my husband, Leo, we are well practiced in dealing with life’s mountains. When I was a junior in high school, my dad was killed in a bicycle accident and from that day on I was on my own. Leo’s brother committed suicide when I was pregnant with our oldest daughter; I went into labor at the funeral. Leo and I have lost three babies.

All that said (whew), next time you think something is unrealistic in fiction, ask yourself – “Is it really?” I weed what I see in EMS and what all I’ve experienced in life into my fiction, giving those trials purpose as well as turning them into a positive. The way I see it, our struggles in life strengthen our endurance and better our souls; I believe that is God’s point.
   

Dianna T. Benson is the award-winning and international bestselling author of The Hidden Son and Final Trimester. Persephone’s Fugitive is her third release. An EMT and a HazMat and FEMA Operative since 2005, Dianna authentically implements her medical and rescue experience and knowledge into all her suspense novels. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and their three children. 

Learn more about Dianna at www.diannatbenson.com.

Her latest release, Persephone's Fugitive, is available at Amazon, Books-A-Million, and Barnes and Noble.

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These Happy Golden Years by Elizabeth Ludwig

My father said something to me recently. Upon learning that he had been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, he bitterly decried the latter half of his life as “golden”.

 “Golden for the doctors, maybe,” he said. “Is this what I’ve worked and saved for? To have all of my money go to pay for doctors and tests?”

That question stung, and I have pondered it many times over the past few months. Yes, I do believe that part of his outburst sprang from the fear. I also believe that deep down, my father regrets the choices that led to his condition. But mostly, I think he just wishes he could have what we all yearn for—to spend our last years in peace and comfort, relaxing on some sunny beach.

Right?

Except…where do we get this image of the ideal retirement? What word or revelation has led us to believe that we are deserving, or I daresay, even entitled, to a peace-filled, pain-free end?

 Now, before I go further, let me just say that I despise the fact that there is dread and disease and dying in the world. I HATE that my dad is sick, and I break down in tears just about every time I think about the possibility of a world without him in it.

Thankfully, I have the comfort of knowing I have a Heavenly Father who sees and understands my heartache. God does not delight in the afflictions of His people—quite the contrary. He is waiting for us to call upon Him, waiting to supply our every need, to soothe our every fear, calm our every doubt. He told us we would have trouble in this world…did we think those years after retirement wouldn’t count?

I think God wants to prove Himself able…not just in the big things of everyday life, but in the secret things. The fearsome things. The things we dare not voice.

 I hate liver disease. But praise God and hallelujah…so does He! And I can pray peace and comfort for my father. I can lift him up in faith, believing that my God is able and eager to meet his needs. I can look to Jesus, who said we would have trouble in this world, but then also boldly proclaimed,

“But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

To this, I can only add…even so, Lord Jesus. Even so!

Elizabeth Ludwig

BIO: Elizabeth Ludwig is the bestselling author of Christmas Comes to Bethlehem, Maine and the highly successful EDGE OF FREEDOM series from Bethany House Publishers. Her popular 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 her on the web at:

Website: ElizabethLudwig.com 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabethludwig102
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ELudwig_Author

Or contact Elizabeth: HERE

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Devotional: He Was Led

So, what did Pilate, Herod, and the Jewish religious leaders do after exhausting their questions and accusations?

Take the bruised, bloodied, and tattered Man, remove the beautiful purple robe and replace his own humble garments, then lead him out for crucifixion.

And that itself should give one pause.

He was led.

He went willingly.

Why would He do this? Why? I’ve asked this question here, before. We know it was for love. Love of fallen humanity.

“And He, bearing His cross ...” (John 19:17)

Wait a minute. We see in the other three accounts, as they came out, Jesus must have faltered. The Roman soldiers seized a man who was there “from the country,” a Jew from Cyrene, a city in eastern Libya, to carry the cross for Jesus. A stranger who was just in town for the great feast of the Passover, co-opted to carry the instrument of death for the ultimate sacrifice.

Did he know anything about what had been going on with this Jesus dude? Or was he just caught in the press, in the wrong place at the wrong time?

He too was led away.

Did he watch the bloody footprints of this man whose face was more marred than anyone else’s had ever been, and wonder if he’d be crucified as well? Did he feel a sense of relief when it turned out he wasn’t?

Do we all only feel a sense of relief when we escape some terrible fate?

I wonder too, are we willing to walk the road to the Cross, regardless of what awaits us at the end?

⁴ Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth. (Isaiah 53)

²⁰ And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him. (Mark 15, all NKJV)

(This post first appeared March 30, 2014)

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Author Elizabeth Maddrey Acts Out — Scenes, That Is

Authors are a funny bunch. I’m not sure if you know that (if you are one, well, you know it. But if you’re mostly a reader, this might be news.) 

One of the things I do (and I know I’m not alone in doing it) when I get stuck trying to figure out the physical actions of my characters is... act it out. Now, as I generally write romance, I usually need a second person for my scenes. Enter my very understanding husband, who is an incredibly good sport.

Usually it goes something like this: we’re hanging out in the evening, each doing our own thing. I’m writing, he’s reading or playing a game. I hit a snag. First, I set the laptop aside and try to figure out how whatever I’m trying to write should work. (Honestly, I have the worst time figuring out if the people are sitting or standing in such a way that they can comfortably hold hands. You’d think that’d be pretty straightforward, but for whatever reason, I struggle.) After a few frustrating minutes, I say, “Hey. Can I borrow you a second?”

He usually shrugs and says, “Sure.”

So I set the scene, going over the dialog leading up to the point and what’s going on. And then there are a million awkward attempts to hold hands reminiscent of first dates in high school. Eventually I figure it out after moving us around and trying out various things (and sometimes he even has some good suggestions – though usually he just rolls his eyes at me.) Then I pick up the laptop and get back to work.

It’s helpful though – and so if you’re a writer, I heartily recommend acting out the scenes that are giving you fits. And sometimes, if you’re having your husband help out, go ahead and act out those kisses, because even if that’s not what’s causing a struggle, it’ll make him less hesitant about helping out the next time.

In my latest release, A Splash of Substance, I didn’t have very many scenes that I needed to act out until after I got my edits back. When Paige and Jackson hang out and watch the fireworks on the 4th of July early on in the book, I had them sitting next to each other on a picnic blanket. And then there was a hip bump. Now, if you think about it, the last time you bumped someone’s hip with yours, you were probably walking. Go ahead, sit next to someone and bump their hip. (That’s now been fixed, so you won’t get to snicker when you read it and wonder what kind of contortionists I’m writing about.)

You can find A Splash of Substance on Amazon. It’s also available for Nook, on iTunes, and Kobo.

Elizabeth Maddrey began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of math and organization steered her into computer science for college and graduate school, she has always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace.

Elizabeth lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys. She invites you to interact with her at her website www.ElizabethMaddrey.com or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMaddrey

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Author Elizabeth Maddrey Talks About Guilt

One of the things I’ve learned about myself is that I have a tendency to assume guilt, even when there’s no need to do so. Before my husband and I had kids, I mostly had that tendency under control. I’d learned not to take things so personally and to evaluate the truth of things in God’s eyes before taking on guilt.

And then we had kids and “mommy guilt” reared its ugly head. Was I doing everything that I should be doing? Was there more, or less, or different? Yet, at the end of the day, I’ve had to realize that the majority of “mommy guilt” I feel isn’t a worthwhile thing, designed to sharpen and mold me into a better mom, but a lie from the Evil One, seeking to rob me of my joy.

Some days though, even knowing it’s not a voice of Truth, the guilt I feel over silly things like choosing to spend a few minutes cleaning the house instead of continuing to play cars with the kids leaves me breathless. And it’s in those moments that I’m learning to step back, take a deep breath, and turn to God. He’s helping me learn to separate worthwhile guilt that leads me into a deeper, more meaningful relationship with my kids and Him from the rest and restoring the joy that the guilt was leeching out of my life.

In my March release, A Splash of Substance, Paige Jackson struggles with feelings of guilt for wanting to strike out on her own and start a catering company instead of going to work for her dad at his restaurant. As with my own guilt, Paige’s guilt is solely based on her perception of other people’s reactions to her decisions rather than their true feelings – and her relationships lose some of their joy because of it. While it’s not the primary focus of the novel, Paige does make some steps in shaking off guilt and reclaiming joy over the course of the story.

You can find A Splash of Substance on Amazon.

It’s also available for Nook, on iTunes, and Kobo.


Elizabeth Maddrey began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of math and organization steered her into computer science for college and graduate school, she has always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace.

Elizabeth lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys. She invites you to interact with her at her website www.ElizabethMaddrey.com or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMaddrey

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