Gretchen's Scribbles: Lancaster Writer's Group

If you live anywhere near Lancaster, PA there's a fantastic writer's group there! It's headed up by noted author and missionary, Jeanette Windle. It meets every 3rd Saturday of the month from 9:30-12. For me it's a one hour drive each way - if I'm lucky - but it is well worth it! I don't think I get to go tomorrow :( , but hopefully in November.

The Shape Of Mercy by Susan Meissner

Lauren Durough is a college student longing to break free of family expectations when she stumbles into a project for eighty year old Abigail Boyles—transcribing the journals of Mercy Hayworth, a seventeenth-century victim of the Massachusetts witch trials. Almost immediately, Lauren finds herself drawn to this girl who lived and died four centuries ago. The strength of her affinity with Mercy forces Lauren to take a startling new look at her own life, including her relationships with the mysterious Abigail, her college roommate, and a young man named Raul. But on the way to discovering the candid truth, Lauren must earnestly ask if she is playing the role of helpless defendant or the misguided judge? Can she break free from her own perceptions and recognize who she really is?
In our high-pressure, success-oriented culture, readers will identify with Lauren’s struggle to forge her own identity separate from the plan her family designed for her. Offering intrigue, romance, and heartbreaking drama, this contemporary novel with a historical twist conveys the intense beauty that emerges when we see how our stories affect the lives of others.


From early school-day projects to becoming editor of a local newspaper in Minnesota, Susan Meissner’s love for writing has been apparent her entire life. The Shape of Mercy is her latest novel in a string of books that delve into the deeper issues of life. She is the author of nine novels and lives with her family in San Diego , California . Find out more about her at http://www.susanmeissner.com/.

A Beautiful Fall by Chris Coppernoll

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Beautiful Fall
David C. Cook (October 2008)
by
Chris Coppernoll


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Chris Coppernoll is the founder of Soul2Soul Ministries, with his interviews with Christian artists airing weekly on 650 radio outlets in thirty countries. He has conducted hundreds of interviews on faith issues with personalities such as Amy Grant, Max Lucado, Michael W. Smith, and Kathie Lee Gifford. He also serves as a Deacon at The People’s Church in Franklin, Tennessee, and is currently working toward a Masters in Ministry Leadership degree through Rockbridge Seminary.

His "Inspirations" column is published monthly in the mid Michigan newspaper, The Jackson Citizen Patriot.

Chris Coppernoll is the author of four other books including Soul2Soul, Secrets of a Faith Well Lived, and God's Calling. Providence, his first novel, is his fourth book.


ABOUT THE BOOK

High-powered Boston attorney Emma Madison is celebrating her latest courtroom victory when she gets a call from a number she doesn't recognize. Area code 803 home. Juneberry, South Carolina eight hundred miles, twelve years, and a lifetime away from Boston. Emma's father has had a serious heart attack. Emma rushes to his bedside, and a weekend trip threatens to become an extended stay. She has to work fast to arrange the affairs of his small-town law practice so she can return to her life and career in Boston.

And then Michael Evans shows up. They'd shared hopes, dreams, and a passionate love as young college students during a long-ago summer. But Emma walked away from Michael and from Juneberry to finish college and start a new life. Michael has never forgotten her.

Enveloped in the warmth of family and small-town life and discovering that she still cares for Michael Emma knows she'll have to make a choice between the career she's worked so hard to build and the love she left behind.

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Beautiful Fall, go HERE

Gretchen's Scribbles: The Editing Journey

So, I have 5 more pages to go and I'll be done with my first editing pass...although I couldn't resist and I've started working on the dialogue already for my second pass. The question is...how long is this going to take me?!

Home Another Way: An Interview with Christa Parrish...and a Contest!

Don't miss Christa's interview below!

To win a copy of Christa Parrish's Home Another Way leave a comment on this blog by October 17th. Have you ever played a musical instrument or wished that you did? Share your story and you'll be entered to win a copy signed by the author!

When and how did you get the idea for your story?

The idea for Home Another Way came to me one night while I was lying in bed about four years ago. Over the next two years I did very little "writing" with the story, but it grew and developed in my head, changing in different ways as I streamlined the plot.

When do you write?

When I have time, in the minutes and hours here and there. I teach four literature classes to various homeschool groups, and I also home educate my seven-year-old son. Much of my writing is done late at night, when my son is on play dates, or - if I'm feeling inspired - during the day when Jacob is working independently (or if necessary, watching PBS).

How do you write?

Can I say, "I'm a Mac?" Seriously, I write on my iBook, but rarely on a desk. I like to leave my laptop *on* my lap, lounging on the couch or my big chair and ottoman. I also can't write with my back exposed - an odd quirk I have; I need to have my back towards a corner or against couch/chair cushion.

Do you play the violin? Where did you get the musical knowledge in your book from?

I wish! I've wanted to take violin lessons for quite a while, so I'm living vicariously though Sarah. I do love classical music, particularly the Baroque period (if you notice, three of the four pieces mentioned by name in Home Another Way are Baroque), but I did do plenty of research on technique, on reporitoire, on actual instruments, etc. Much of that was done online. Oh, also, if anyone is interested in hearing the pieces I wrote about in the novel, I do have them posted on my blog.

What is your favorite kind of chocolate? Peanut M&Ms?

At the time I started the novel, I was on a Peanut M&M kick. But my favorite chocolate tends to change depending on my mood. I have to admit, I was back to Peanut M&Ms a few months ago, and ate quite a bit on the drive to and from South Dakota (for research on my next novel), but now I'm chocolated out.

What is one thing that you would like to tell unpublished authors?

Can I say two things? One, go to a writers conference, if possible. I think it's a great experience. Two, there's so much advice out there on the non-essentials of writing - when to write, how to set up a writing space, what kind of critique group to join, how to market, etc. For a while, I really beat myself up trying to do things that other published authors told me I needed to do to succeed. It was discouraging. I finally realized that I was unique as a person and unique as a writer; what works for someone else isn't necessarily going to work for me. So, while it's important to continue to develop the "craft" of writing, there is no formula when it comes to the other stuff. Find what works for you and do it.

Home Another Way by Christa Parrish

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Home Another Way
Bethany House (October 1, 2008)
by
Christa Parrish


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Christa Parrish graduated high school at 16, with every intention of becoming a surgeon. After college, however, her love of all things creative led her in another direction, and she worked in both theatre and journalism.

A winner of Associated Press awards for her reporting, Christa gave up her career after the birth of her son, Jacob. She continued to write from home, doing pro bono work for the New York Family Policy Council, where her articles appeared in Focus on the Family’s Citizen magazine. She was also a finalist in World magazine’s WORLDview short story contest, sponsored by WestBow press. She now teaches literature and writing to high school students, is a homeschool mom, and lives with her family in upstate New York, where she is at work on her second novel.



ABOUT THE BOOK

After her mother’s death and her father’s abandonment, tiny infant Sarah Graham was left to be raised by her emotionally distant grandmother. As a child she turned to music for solace and even gained entrance to Juilliard. But her potentially brilliant music career ended with an unplanned pregnancy and the stillborn birth of her child.

In an attempt to escape the past, Sarah, now twenty-seven, is living life hard and fast–and she is flat broke. When her estranged father dies, she travels to the tiny mountain hamlet of Jonah, New York to claim her inheritance. Once there, she learns her father’s will stipulates a six-month stay before she can recieve the money. Fueled by hate and desperation, Sarah settles in for the bitter mountain winter, and as the weeks pass, she finds her life intertwining with the lives of the simple, gracious townsfolk. Can these strangers teach Sarah how to forgive and find peace?

A story of grace, of God’s never-ceasing love and the sometimes flawed, faithful people He uses to bring His purpose to pass.

If you would like to see a video book trailer of Home Another Way, go HERE.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Home Another Way, go HERE

Hometown Favorite by Bill Barton and Henry O. Arnold

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Hometown Favorite
Revell (September 1, 2008)
by
Bill Barton and Henry O. Arnold


ABOUT THE AUTHORS:



Bill Barton is a business partner with Compass Technologies. An active member and volunteer at his church, Hendersonville Chapel, Barton is a regular speaker at services and other events. He lives in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with his family.



Henry O. Arnold has been a professional actor, writer, and director in theatre, film, and television. He co-wrote and produced the film The Second Chance starring Michael W. Smith and wrote the screenplay for the first authorized film documentary on evangelist Billy Graham, God's Ambassador. Arnold lives in Portland, Tennessee.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Talented, handsome, and personable, Dewayne Jobe rose from humble beginnings in rural Mississippi to play college football in Southern California and beyond. One of the best wide receivers in college ball, Dewayne is assured a promising career in professional football as one of those rare athletes whose exceptional abilities place him in a league of his own.

He easily finds success both on and off the field. Dewayne's got a beautiful, intelligent wife running his lucrative endorsement business and carrying his child and the pristine white picket fence to boot. The only thing lacking is a road sign confirming his address on Easy Street.

But catastrophe looms right around the corner and ultimately strikes with a crushing vengeance. Will Dewayne's faith and character stand the test of such tragedy? Or will he lose everything--including the love of his life?

This modern retelling of the story of Job will capture readers with the age-old question of why bad things happen to good people--and how good people can survive.

Combining realistic sports action and a deadly serious challenge to faith, Hometown Favorite is a story that won't let you up off the turf until the game clock hits zero.

If you'd like to read the first chapter of Hometown Favorite, go HERE

"An amazing story of betrayal, forgiveness, redemption and hope. The characters are vibrant and alive. Barton and Arnold have a rare and keen understanding of human nature, making the spiritual truths of this story both profound and compelling."

~Michael W. Smith, recording artist

"Like a close game and a score that just won’t turn around, Dewayne’s true fans and Hometown Favorite readers will appreciate the daunting odds fate doles out and this story’s hard-won outcome."

~Darnell Arnoult, author of Sufficient Grace