A Cool Writing Tool!

Whether you're participating in Speedbo (hosted by the Seekers over at Seekerville), working on a book with a deadline set by a publisher, or simply writing on your own timetable, it's nice to have a way to keep track of your progress. As a participant in Speedbo, I went on the hunt for a widget to put in the sidebar of my personal blog that would display my current word count along with my goal word count. I found a progress meter widget I really liked on a friend's blog (Legacy of a Writer), and I created my own through the Story Toolz site.

Now, I've only been using this widget for about a little over a week, but from what I've seen so far, it's quite helpful. Here's what the widget for my WIP looks like as of now (Sunday night):


I like the colors, and it's fun to have my WIP title on there, too!

Story Toolz allows you to write a general note about your book (probably safest not to put TOO much information on this public site, if you know what I mean!), as well as comments for every word count entry you enter. It also creates line graphs for your weekly progress.

I think having a widget is nice so that you can see how each little chunk of writing adds up. And this particular one is extra cool because of the notes it allows you to make along the way, which can either help you when you go back to edit, or at least put a smile on your face when you look back on your thoughts as you finished each scene. =)

Note: You do have to create an account by entering your e-mail and creating a password. I haven't experienced any adverse effects because of this, but again, I haven't been using it for very long. So, in other words, proceed at your own risk!

Do you have another word count widget you prefer? Or do you know about some other cool author tools?

(P.S. If you go to my personal blog, you can click on the widget in my sidebar to see examples of the graphs/notes I have so far.)

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Winners!

Happy Saturday, BB fans! Thanks to everyone who participated in our "puzzling" Friday giveaway! Keep all those facebook and Twitter notifications, coming!

This week's winner is:

deb reilly - Beauty for Ashes by Dorothy Love!

Congratulations, deb! Please use the button in the upper right side of this page to email me with your email address. Then, sit back and wait for your book to arrive.

Thank you all so much for stopping by The Borrowed Book!

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Weekly Drawing

It's fun Friday at The Borrowed Book, and you have several chances to win. Here's how - instead of leaving a comment, leave the time it took you to complete the puzzle in the comments section. Winners will be drawn from ALL of the times, so the person with the fastest time may not be the actual winner, but by leaving your time, you double your chances.

Want another entry? Tweet your puzzle time and mention The Borrowed Book, get another entry. RETWEET our Tweet, get two entries!

Post your puzzle time on BB's Facebook wall and...you guessed it...get another entry!

Post it on your OWN Facebook wall and you could get as many as FIVE entries.

It's all a way to spread the word about the great giveaways on BB. So c'mon! Help us spread the word, and have a little fun at the same time. :-)

This week's puzzle feature is brought to you by Dorothy Love and her newest release, Beauty for Ashes.

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Dorothy Love Interview

I'm thrilled today to have my dear friend Dorothy Love as a guest on The Borrowed Book. Growing up in Nairy County, Tennessee, Dorothy spent every spare moment writing stories to share with her classmates. As a college student in Texas majoring in teaching and English literature, she co-edited her university newspaper. After earning a master’s degree and a Ph.D, she authored dozens of magazine articles before breaking into book publishing with a number of award-winning novels for preteens and young adults. The Hickory Ridge series (Thomas Nelson Fiction) marks her adult fiction debut. When she isn’t busy writing or researching her next book, Dorothy loves hiking and hanging out with her husband Ron and their two golden retrievers, Major and Jake.

Welcome, Dorothy. Your book Beauty for Ashes just released, and I want to congratulate you on writing such a wonderful story. Give our readers a short blurb about it.

Carrie Daly is a beautiful young widow. Griff Rutledge is a Charleston gentleman with a thirst for adventure. Both need a place to call home. Though they are instantly attracted to each other, Carrie’s friends warn her away from the handsome adventurer. And Griff isn’t sure that he is the marrying kind.

This is the second in your Hickory Ridge Series, your first being Beyond All Measure which I also loved. What made you set your stories in post-Civil War Tennessee?   

I was born in west Tennessee and as a girl loved the beauty and mystery of the mountains the Cherokees called The Land of Blue Smoke. I’d read dozens of historical novels set in the west, but very few in the South. I wanted to introduce readers to the history and beauty of this area, so I invented a place called Hickory Ridge.

You've inhabited Hickory Ridge with some very interesting characters, one of which is your appealing heroine Carrie Daly. What has happened in her past to make her fear she’ll never find the weak-in-the-knees kind of love?

As a very young woman, Carrie married Frank Daly, a local Hickory Ridge boy with big plans for himself and for their life together.  Then, after only a few months of marriage, Frank went off to war and was killed at the battle of Shiloh. Frank was her first love, and Carrie doubts she will ever again feel for any man what she felt for Frank.

I loved your hero Wyatt Caldwell in Beyond All Measure, but you’ve created another winner in Griff Rutledge. Tell us about this handsome man who comes to Hickory Ridge.

Oh my. Well, to begin with, he is just handsomer than any man has a right to be. Tall , dark, and gorgeous, and with a perpetual glint of amusement in his eyes. He’s well spoken, and an astute business man, though, like many other Southern businessmen, he has suffered financial reverses as a result of the war. A native of Charleston, South Carolina, he is an expert horseman, and this gift is the one that keeps him in Hickory Ridge. Griff  is estranged from his family and deep down, he mourns that void. He needs a home as much as Carrie does, but it takes a while before he realizes it.

You've said that your novels reflect the emotions, concerns, and values of women everywhere. What do you hope readers will take away after reading Beauty for Ashes?  

The thing I love  about storytelling is that each reader brings her own experiences and expectations to the reading of a novel, and takes away her own meaning from it.  I hope readers will love the elements of romance and mystery in each of the Hickory Ridge novels, and that they will love the weaving of the historical and the personal into each book.

What is the title of the third book in the Hickory Ridge Series and what is it about? 

It’s called EVERY PERFECT GIFT. It’s the story of Sophie Caldwell, the little orphan Wyatt and Ada adopt at the end of the first Hickory Ridge book. Now Sophie is grown, and returns to Hickory Ridge to revive the defunct town newspaper, the Gazette. Sophie has spent her life guarding her heart and hiding a life-changing secret. In Hickory Ridge, she meets Ethan Heyward who is there to build and manage Blue Smoke, a luxury resort. Ethan, too is hiding a secret. One he can’t share with anyone, even Sophie.

I know you’re also busy working on a series set in South Carolina. When can we expect to see the first in that series?

Actually, I’m writing two stand alone novels set in the Lowcountry. Right now I am writing  one in which Charlotte Mills,  my main character is working to revive her family’s rice plantation following the Civil War. This story is inspired by the life of Elizabeth W Allston who ran her family’s rice plantations until the turn of the 20^th century. Her book, A Woman Rice Planter is fascinating. This book will come out sometime in late 2013.

What encouraging words would you like to leave with our readers who are hesitating about taking a leap of faith in their lives?

If we look at ourselves as servants of Christ, his ambassadors here on Earth, and make that our goal, then any leap of faith we want to take in His name will somehow be blessed. Even if it doesn’t turn out as we imagine it will, behind the scenes, it still will be used for His good.  For all things work together for good, for those called according to His purposes.  I think this is especially important for writers of inspirational fiction, who may be discouraged by rejections, by poor sales figures, by hurtful reviews. Even though we can’t understand these “failures” if we remain true to our calling, then it’s all good.

What wonderful words to leave with us today. Thank you for stopping by, Dorothy. You can find out more about Dorothy and her books at her website http://dorothylovebooks.com/.

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Field Trip Feature ~ White River Light Station in Whitehall, Michigan

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Book Spotlight: Love's Sacred Song by Mesu Andrews

Standing in the shadow of his famous father, young king Solomon wavers between fear and bravado, wisdom and folly. In the uncertain world of alliances and treachery, Solomon longs for peace and a love that is true and pure--a love that can be his cornerstone.

A shepherdess in the northern city of Shunem, Arielah remembers the first time she laid eyes on Solomon in Jerusalem when she was just seven years old. Since then she has known that it was her destiny to become his bride. When her father, a leader of their tribe, secures a promise from King Solomon to marry Arielah as a treaty bride to help unite the kingdom, it seems her dreams may come true.

But how can this simple shepherdess live as part of Solomon's harem? Can Solomon set aside his distractions to give himself completely to just one woman? Or will he let duty, deception, and the daily routine divide his heart?

• Preorder Now:
• FictionFinder
• Amazon
• Barnes and Noble
• • By: Mesu Andrews
• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Revell (March 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800734084

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Where the Past Meets the Present: Writing is Hard Work!

Anyone else out there participating in Seekerville's Speedbo challenge this month? "Speedbo" runs from March 1st through March 31st, and the purpose/goal is to finish whatever it is you're currently writing - whatever rough draft you've been wanting to finish but just haven't made the time for. I'm an official participant (you can find out more about that on my personal blog), and let me tell you, I'm being reminded that writing really is hard work, especially when you want to write anything longer than a blog post!

For my 17th-19th Century British Literature class, I recently read excerpts of Samuel Johnson's (1709-1784) work. Today I thought I'd share with all you writers out there (whether you're participating in Speedbo or not) some of Johnson's words about, well, words...

• "The chief glory of every people arises from its authors: whether I shall add anything by my own writings to the reputation of English literature must be left to time..." (from A Dictionary of the English Language, "Conclusion")

I think it's safe to say that Johnson certainly did add something! ;) Authors do play an important role in society, and I think this is a great reminder that writing is a worthwhile and meaningful endeavor.

• "...no book was ever spared out of tenderness to the author, and the world is little solicitous to know whence proceeded the faults of that which it condemns..." (from A Dictionary of the English Language, "Conclusion")

Mmmhmmm... As a book reviewer, this is a bit convicting! But as a writer, I think that this is helpful and somehow comforting. Yes, if you're published, you probably won't be spared harsh criticisms - but know that you're not alone, as "no book was ever spared."

• "To a poet nothing can be useless. Whatever is beautiful, and whatever is dreadful, must be familiar to his imagination: he must be conversant with all that is awfully vast or elegantly little." (from The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, "Chapter 10")

As novelists, we're like poets in the sense that we paint pictures with our words and use symbolism to convey deeper meanings. And so, I think this quote offers some good advise about drawing from all areas of life to fuel and enrich our writing.

Wherever you are on your writing journey, hope this trip to "where the past meets the present" encouraged you! Anyone have any other Samuel Johnson quotes to share? Or feel free to share any recent writing news so we can celebrate with you or cheer you on!

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