Everyone has been talking about e-books. Christmas is over and we've heard it was a record breaking year for Kindle and Nook as well as myriad others in the e-book wars. I have a Kindle and love reading on it, especially when I'm traveling since I can load tons of books on it.

Labels: Blue Moon Promise, e-reader

You may remember when we Smitten girls went on our retreat in the fall. Besides brainstorming the second Smitten story, we were also there to shoot a video which our publisher had arranged for.

Here you'll see we were able to capture a whole 5 minutes of worthwhile material from over an hour of nerves and giggles. We were lucky to get that. Our editor Ami McConnell was there, giving direction--and believe me, we needed it.

Kristin laments a goof that made it into the final cut, but listen, when you're nervous and a camera's rolling, there's no telling what will slide off the tongue.

Last week in an interview, I encouraged listeners to buy Smitten on audio and listen to it during their commute instead of the radio--did I mention this was during a radio interview? Fortunately, they couldn't see me beating my head on the fridge at my stupidity, even as the words were leaving my mouth.

So, be amazed that the video crew managed to salvage five minutes of film. All I can say is, I wouldn't want to see the cutting room floor.

Labels: behind the scenes, Smitten, video

With so many changes happening in the publishing industry, writers and publishers alike are nervous. What will happen if eBooks continue with the art department for the beautiful covers and selected fonts inside of the book? What will happen to editing? How will a reader know if something has been edited or thrown out there by someone who claims to be "published" and has just thrown their book on the Internet? It's all a lot of the unknown and we all wait with bated breath.

I'm sure things will sort themselves out soon enough. I own a Kindle, but I still prefer a real book. I like the "pretty" of a book. Its cover and its design interior, so I'm not wanting to see this industry completely go electronic. Although I will say, it's easier to read the Kindle in the bathtub, but then again, I haven't dropped it yet.

My biggest concern is for the publishing houses and my editors. I don't think a non-writer can understand the beauty of a good editor. She knows your voice and she can fill in things for you. She can remind you where you haven't tied up loose threads and she will make the book 100 times better than it could have been. This is my biggest concern. For them and for the quality of the books. You don't want to see my books without editing.

As a reader, what concerns you about the brave new world of books?

Kara and I have been on a Downton Abbey kick all week. We watched all the first season episodes and have one final episode to watch tonight to be caught up. Being so enthralled in these characters' lives was in sharp contrast to another movie we watched Sunday afternoon. We watched The House of Sand and Fog. There was not one likable character in the whole movie. I wouldn't have watched it for more than fifteen minutes but my daughter left it on so I watched it with her. I complained all the way through the movie about how weak and stupid Kathy, the main character, was.

Labels: Downton Abbey, House of Sand and Fog, likable characters

Some seasons are declared the warmest on record, others the coldest. I'm not sure if they keep track of these things, but I think this winter should be declared the weirdest on record.

It started around here (Indiana) with a big snowfall way before Thanksgiving then led right into the holidays which featured mild springlike weather. Santa got disoriented when he visited Christmas Eve and thought he was in Georgia.

We were stunned after Christmas to drive into Vermont for skiing and research and find--no snow. We prayed, however, maybe too much, because the next day 10" fell. :)

New York was springlike on New Years Eve and so was Indiana when we returned home. We finally got a decent ground covering last week. I should mention, by mid January, most Hoosiers are usually sick to death of snow. Not this year. Especially the kids, who haven't had a single snow day.

Then last night, the ground covered with snow, I was awakened by two unexpected sounds. One, some of the loudest thunder I've ever heard. Two, Daisy, giving a sharp bark somewhere in the vicinity of my ear. She's not fond of storms.

All this during a winter that was supposed to include more snow storms, high snowfalls, and extreme temperatures. But winter isn't over yet, and if there's anything I've learned about Indiana weather, anything can change at a moment's notice.

I'll tell you right now, I hate competing, especially if the competition is against a friend I wouldn't want to hurt. And that's not to say I'd win any competition. Some, of course, are a no-brainer. I could eat my weight in maraschino cherries, and Mel can't stand them, so I'd win that contest without even a showdown.

Labels: Competition, men or women?, photos by Eugene Arthur Patterson, Who's better

TODAY IS COLLEEN'S BIRTHDAY!!

Labels: birthday, cake, candles, Colleen Coble

Confession: I LOVE a good Gothic romance. HEATHCLIFF!!! The latest Jane Eyre was really good, too. Now, there's a new movie coming out and I saw a trailer for it last night. It's called, "The Woman in Black" and my son was in the room when the commercial came on and said, "Oh Mom, that looks like your kind of movie."

It's English. It's creepy. It IS my kind of movie. Jane Peart once did a fabulous Gothic series in the CBA . She was the author of "The Montclair Brides" series and one of my very favorites when I started reading Christian fiction. She's gone to be with Lord now, but I always remembered how she transitioned and it worked.

I really liked "Her Fearful Symmetry" by the author of "The Time Traveler's Wife" for the same reasons. It was set in an English cemetery, and just had that element of the outer-worldly combined with day-to-day living. I have always loved the Gothic novel, but then I remember so did Jane Austen, and that resulted in "Mansfield Park" (which is not a great book.) And I think if Jane couldn't do it, what makes me think I can?


Do you have a genre that you really enjoy, but doesn't seem to fit your character? Do you know of any great Gothic novels I may have missed?

Labels: genres, Gothic novels, Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

I have a new book shipping to stores this week! Don't you love the cover? :)

Labels: Blue Moon Promise

I hate grocery shopping. That's no surprise to anyone in our household where, "When are you going to the store?" is the most common question uttered.

I love it, on occasion, when Kevin makes a grocery run, say 1 or 2 times a year. (He says 3 or 4--and I'm bad with numbers so who knows?) He leaves, and I settle on the sofa, pull out a novel, and wallow in the fact that I'm here, on my comfy sofa, with a lovely book in my hands, and he's milling through aisles and aisles of products that he'll pay through the nose for, products that will evaporate from our shelves in 12 minutes flat.

While I'm lounging in luxury, I always forget what comes next. I don't know why, but I always do.

See, there are certain items I never buy. Never. They are too tempting for my weak self. Oreos. Twinkies. Fritos. Cheetos. Doritos. Any kind of Tos. Hostess cupcakes. Those pink snowball things. Circus Peanuts. Totino's Pizza. Sweedish Fish. The list goes on.

Kevin, not knowing my numerous achilles heels, brings them home, unloads them into our pantry. Then off he goes to work, far away, where he can't see the food, smell the food, or hear the food murmuring sweet nothings, and leaves me to fend off the yummy treats all day. I, with said treats in the house, am like a dog in a room made of peanut butter. I do not win this battle.

So, next time I must get in the car and run the hated errand, I will remember that at least I'll get to choose which foods will be calling my name for the next week. I will win the Hostess battle at the grocery so I don't have to fight the war at home. That is the only way I'll win.

Labels: chores, grocery shopping

Downton Abbey is back, and with it, inspiration for all who write. If you're not familiar with Downton Abbey, it's on Masterpiece and very much like "Upstairs, Downstairs." We know the goings-on in the great house for the servants and the masters and it's most entertaining.

It's such a great metaphor for how life is -- how there is the home life that is presented and then, the reality. The reality is people create a lot of their own drama. It reminds me of the first line in "Anna Karenina" which is "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

I notice when a family is happy, the media will do its utmost to tear that apart. Case in point: Joel Osteen was on Oprah's new show on the OWN network. Joel is a generally happy person. The kind of person who is so happy, you almost don't believe it, but I think that's who he is. Naturally, Oprah had to bring up Scripture and what he thinks about gay people.

In the end, his hour-long interview and the discussion on running the biggest church in the world is curtailed by his view of what Scripture says. It's really hard to have an opinion that doesn't gel with society's. Modern-day McCarthyism. But what struck me about the interview is that we as a society, really hate to see a happy family. And what a terrible crisis that is for our country. The desire to tear others down is a natural, sinful instinct and how sad for us.

Drama is great in fiction, but wouldn't it be nice if we could leave it there instead of tear others apart? I vote that we all watch "Downton Abbey" instead!

Labels: Anna Karenina, Downton Abbey, happy families, Joel Osteen, Oprah

I've gone to Kansas City to brainstorm with some fellow authors for years now. This is a pic of our 10th year. From the back left, Stephanie Grace Whitson, Nancy Moser, Deborah Raney, Judith Miller, Me, Doris Fell (Till) and Rene Gutteridge. We had a great time and I had some super ideas for the book I'm working on. We always go to Nancy's house, and one of the most fun parts of the weekend is cooking dinner together on Saturday night.

Labels: Warning

This is a billboard we saw as we were driving into NYC over the holidays. I'm not here to bash Herman Cain; I don't know what he has or hasn't done, but well, OUCH.

Labels: Herman Cain, sin

I know we've talked about where we get story ideas on here before but yesterday something was so real to me I just have to share.

Every story needs conflict, and often that calls for a villain or two. Maybe your villain isn't out murdering people (Colleen!) Maybe they're only a catty bridesmaid at a wedding who gives your heroine the stink eye -- they still have to be believable.

What makes us believe a person could inflict evil on another? Usually, it's some internal wounding that the villain carries around with them, but you've got to find that motivation to make your villain or antagonist, multi-dimensional. For example, let's take a man who is a huge presence on the forefront of Christian Evangelicals. He is a master preacher. People are moved by his words to love God more and one day, he leaves his wife and five kids for a beauty queen. Without explanation or any sign of remorse.

There are two multiple ways you could go with his motivation for inflicting such evil on the people he is called to love and cherish. (Keep in mind, this would be the kind of villainy that could have a lot of collateral damage.)

1. He realizes his faith has never been more than a show. He is a fraud, and he wants to get away, but doesn't know how. So he takes the coward's way out because he doesn't want people to tell him that he can come back. He's been preaching the Word for years, he knows what it says. He no longer believes it, and feels it's more honorable to give his wife a chance with someone who can love the Lord and her.

2. Or...the teenager could have been in danger from a trafficking ring, and he has taken her as a bride to protect her because he knows the group would not dare come after the girl when he is under surveillance for the huge scandal.

3. He has attachment issues from a lifetime of being passed around from foster home to foster home and though he wants to be there for his kids and give them a different life, his need to matter is bigger and he can't fight it anymore. He's given his kids more than he ever had, and rationalizes that his wife can sell the house and live for years on the profits.

You get the idea. Find a reason your antagonist acts the way they do. Don't just make them villains. We ALL have the ability to inflict evil. The question is, what would make us do it?

Labels: CBA, Christian Books, companions in writing, villains, Writing advice, writing characters

Below is first chapter of “The Accidental Bride” which releases on Tuesday (YAY!). See if you can spot the lines that pique your curiosity.


http://www.denisehunterbooks.com/excerpt_jan2012.html

Labels: story, writing