Author: Written Dreams

LUMBERJACK JESUS: How to Develop Faith Despite Pitfalls, Roadblocks, Stupidity, and Prejudice by Bruce Kirkpatrick

Written Dreams

Christian Men’s Memoir

 Insightful and uplifting, Lumberjack Jesus reminds us all that we need and deserve unconditional love.

In a series of essays written in memoir form, Bruce Kirkpatrick shows us a God who is loving, a good conversationalist, and often looks like a lumberjack. God comes alive in these pages in everyday life—in stories about Vietnam heroes, cowboy movies, wrestling matches and chemistry sets.

Bruce Kirkpatrick discovered that as he was consumed by anger, shame and guilt—quite literally dying on the inside—Jesus came to him, looking like a lumberjack, in a red plaid shirt and a short-cropped beard. Even as he pushed Jesus far away and with such belligerence that reconciliation seemed impossible, Jesus was always there.

Bruce learned the love of Jesus is not just for caring Christians who never falter or fail at life. If Jesus can love and accept an uncaring, self-centered, lustful dope like Bruce, he can do the same for you. Nobody is beyond his reach or his hand.

In a unique and introspective style, these stories will help you see faith in almost every circumstance in your life.

 

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Bruce Kirkpatrick spent over 30 years in Silicon Valley as an executive and entrepreneur. Since his move to Southern California, he now divides his time between writing and serving on nonprofit boards of directors, including Christian Education Development Company and Extollo International. His nonprofit work includes helping to train Haitian men and women in employable skills, so that they can find jobs, feed their families and have hope for the future. His first novel, Hard Left, was published in 2007. He is currently working on his next novel. To learn more, visit Bruce’s website at: BKirkpatrick.com.

LAND SHARKS: #Honolulu Law, #Triathletes, & a #TVStar by Katharine M. Nohr

Written Dreams

 

Legal Mystery

 

“Katharine Nohr’s brilliant debut has it all: smart characters, crisp dialogue, a breathtaking setting, and an ingenious plot that will keep you turning the pages until sunrise.”
-Doug Corleone, Author of Robert Ludlum’s The Janson Equation
 
LandShark-front
Land Sharks, a May 2016 Release from Written Dreams Publishing

LAND SHARKS takes readers on a swim through the murky waters of Honolulu law, a spin through the competitive world of triathlon, and a sprint through the set of a Hawaii TV show.

Young attorney, Zana West, is assigned the perfect case for a triathlete—a lawsuit filed by Brad Jordan, a man who claims he was paralyzed during the Honolulu Olympic triathlon trials. As an added bonus, Zana’s television crush, Jerry Hirano, the star of “Fighting in Paradise” by night and attorney-by-day playboy, represents another defendant in the case. Jerry insists upon date-like evenings with her to discuss the investigation.

Clues mount up, but Jordan’s attorney, Rip Mansfield, a shark in an attorney’s suit, takes every opportunity to harass Zana. To make matters worse, she’s always one mistake away from being fired and she’s stuck working with her boss’s mini-me, Lucas Rossi, who would rather play video games than help with pre-trial discovery. Will Zana be able to figure out the truth before the case goes to trial?

 

 

 

To listen to an interview with Katharine M. Nohr, click here:

 

Katharine M. Nohr Photo Copyright by Katharine M. Nohr.
Katharine M. Nohr
Photo Copyright by Katharine M. Nohr.

 

Katharine M. Nohr is the author of Managing Risk in Sport and Recreation: The Essential Guide for Loss Prevention (Human Kinetics, 2009) and is a frequent international speaker on Olympic Games, professional athlete and triathlon risk management. She is a principal in Nohr Sports Risk Management, LLC, which offers career longevity/reputation risk management coaching for professional athletes. A former District Court (per diem) Judge, she continues her work as an insurance defense attorney, practicing law in Hawaii. During her free time, Katharine swims, travels and writes. Visit her website at: katharinenohr.com

Marketing: Having a Cause

Written Dreams

As an author, having a cause or charity that you support is both noble and marketable. It’s a way to support something you believe in, and help your community. And even though I know a lot of authors will donate their royalties towards a specific cause, in most cases, it doesn’t hurt overall book sales. It’s a great way to get your name out there in different circles, to people who believe in helping the same cause. It can also help your self-esteem and make you feel good about yourself for doing the right thing.

Jim C. Hines writes in his blog about having more awareness about rape and sexual abuse issues: http://www.jimchines.com. Brenda Novak does a fundraiser for juvenile diabetes: http://www.brendanovak.com/for-the-cure-2/. Both are people who have a cause they support and donate to, who happen to be authors.

Jim had a friend who was sexually assaulted. It’s something he doesn’t want to see happen to anyone–with good reason. Sexual abuse is a huge problem in today’s world. Helping others to get educated on the subject and be more aware is very dear to his heart. He’s broadened a lot of minds, including my own, with his unique approach.

Brenda’s son was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes as a young child. As a mother myself, I understand the desire and willingness to do anything and everything to protect your child. Brenda did what any mother would do when faced with a challenge out of her control. She brainstormed. As of today, she’s raised well over $2 million towards research for a cure.

These authors are just two examples of people doing good by their writing. They’re raising awareness for a cause they believe in, and in doing so, they’re helping their community. Has their audience for their own books increased because of it? Maybe. The important thing here is that they’re doing what they can to help this world be a better place.

For myself, I have several charities I support.

Michael and Brittiany in 2007 at Red Smith SchoolMy church, the local no-kill animal shelter, and raising awareness for psoriatic arthritis, an arthritis many people still don’t know exists. It’s a disease my husband has been living with for close to twenty years, and I’m hopeful someday he’ll have a pain-free day. To learn more about this autoimmune disease, go to: https://www.psoriasis.org/psoriatic-arthritis.

So, when you’re marketing your next book, be more creative. Don’t think about the “Buy My Book” posts that need to be created for your new release. Think about who you are as a person and who you want to be. Think about those you’d like to help. Think about what you really care about in your life. Think about the needs of your family, friends, and community, and let things happen naturally.

 

Picture of Brittiany and Michael Koren © copyright 2015 by the Koren family.

WOMEN OF TODAY: LOVE, LIFE, FAMILY The Journeys and Stories of Six Strong Women Edited by Brittiany Koren

Written Dreams

Women’s Fiction/Romance Boxset

 

Women Of Today Box(2)

WOMEN OF TODAY is a collection of six women’s fiction/romance full-length novels edited by Brittiany Koren. The novels include strong female characters who face diversity and must look within to find their own strength to overcome their challenges, and possibly find romance along the way.

Greta’s Grace by Virginia McCullough:

Lindsey Foster longs to heal her emotionally distant relationship with her daughter, Greta, an accomplished landscape photographer in Door County, Wisconsin. But Lindsey’s priorities change quickly when Greta is diagnosed with cancer and the whole family is forced to examine old and complex issues. Nothing is certain, except that everything is bound to change, including the way Lindsey looks at love.

Quilts Galore by Gini Athey:

Two years after the death of her husband, professional quilter Marianna Spencer makes the brash decision to buy a quilt shop in the nearby small town of Wolf Creek. She and step-daughter, Rachel, and Rachel’s baby, Thomas, forge a new life in the tight-knit community. And there’s an attractive jeweler next door that tilts her world.

It’s Never Too Late by Donna MacQuigg:

Recently divorced attorney, Kathryn Sheldon, has sworn off men and chosen instead to leave Baltimore to follow a nearly forgotten dream of running a quaint bed and breakfast in Taos, NM. A chance encounter with a handsome half-Navajo, half-Caucasian truck driver, John Hawkins makes her doubt her decision about the opposite sex, but she’s a determined woman and it will take an equally determined man to change her mind.

Love’s Perfect Surrender by Chiara Talluto:

Love’s Perfect Surrender is about a troubled married couple with flawed expectations, and an imperfect, beautiful child with congenital limb deficiency who teaches them to surrender so they can mend their broken union.

If Truth Be Told by Lynda Fitzgerald:

Christie O’Kelly’s journey toward understanding the precious balance between truth and compassion is the heart of Lynda Fitzgerald’s novel, If Truth Be Told. Set in Melbourne Beach, Florida, If Truth Be Told begins with teenage Christie gaining a second mother in her uncle’s wife. She also gains a new cousin, and this new family is going to turn her world upside down. As the years pass, what she learns challenges her beliefs about life and those she loves, and requires the most difficult evaluation of truth, compassion and forgiveness that Christie has ever faced.

Better Than Dessert by Casey Clifford:

When dessert no longer interests her and cleaning closets wins over answering her phone, recent widow Katy Krueger knows she’s in trouble. But how does she handle her heart wanting and needing to be in two places…

The WOMEN OF TODAY collection includes heart-warming, family-oriented women’s fiction novels about women who must listen to their heart in order to move forward with their life decisions that can and will change their lives. The editor, Brittiany Koren, and the authors, all hope you enjoy this wonderful women’s fiction novel anthology. WOMEN OF TODAY is Brittiany Koren’s seventh anthology she has compiled.

 

Marketing Your Books To A Larger Audience

Written Dreams

How are you marketing your books? What are you doing to grow your audience? Here’s a few tips that might get you thinking in a new direction! Good luck!

1)      Networking Your Sales Team: Every writer has a sales team. Figuring out who your best sales people are is the trick. Here’s some examples of where you might find them.

  1. Social Media friends and acquaintances
  2. Personal Family, Friends, & Co-workers
  3. Writers Organizations and Critique Groups

2)      Posting on Social Media Sites: What are you posting on Social Media sites? Buy my book? Or, this is who I am and these are my books? These examples help to market you and your books.

  1. New releases coming soon
  2. Summary of individual books
  3. Talk about links on your website
  4. Share an author bio
  5. Pictures of what you find interesting
  6. Book Covers
  7. Info on Appearances/Conferences.
  8. Character interview
  9. Tips on writing
  10. Guest writers or other professionals on your blog
  11. Links to where your books can be purchased

3)      Promoting Yourself at Community Events: Meet new people and talk about what it’s like to be a writer. Pair up with other local authors to cross-promote one another.

  1. Talk with independent book store owners & librarians (ask them to add you to their event newsletter, if they have one and willing to)
  2. Readings/book signings
  3. Presentation for the local writer’s group or book club
  4. Donate books to the book store/library
  5. Presentations/Readings at University & High School libraries or in the classroom
  6. Presentations/Readings at Senior Citizen Centers/Wellness Centers/Community Events/Church Events

4)      Use Promotional Materials that have your book title, book series, or your author name on them: Why? Because people will remember you if they’re holding something with your book title or name on it. It’s also a great way to get new readers unintentionally. Think–useful items.

  1. Book marks
  2. Bumper stickers
  3. Magnets
  4. Tote bags
  5. T-shirts
  6. Pens
  7. Coffee Mugs

5)        Mailings: Again, be creative in how you contact your fan base. If you’re sending out an e-newsletter, have tips other people would like to learn or fun facts about your books or characters.

  1. Newsletters and E-Newsletters
  2. Postcards
  3. Fan letters
  4. Mass E-mails

6) Traditional Media Marketing: Use an old idea and make it new–by promoting who you are and your book(s) locally and nationally.

  1. Interviews on: radio, television, newspaper and blogs
  2. Commercials/Ads on radio, television, newspaper, streaming radio, and billboards
  3. Live Broadcasts at an event

Of course this isn’t a complete list, but it’s a good start. Don’t be afraid to step out of the box when thinking of how to market your books. There are readers just waiting to discover your stories!

E. Tip of the Week: Writing Challenge

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I’m teaching a session of writing classes to a group of local writers. Some of the participants have been writing for years, and others are just beginning to take the craft seriously. My challenge to them last week was to double their word count from what they wrote two weeks ago.

Some writers wrote less than 1000 words two weeks ago, some wrote more. One woman wrote 4000 words in less than two weeks, so her challenge is to double it and write more than 8000 words by next Thursday.

Writing challenges can be a great way to get out the excess words that are built inside of us just waiting to come out. Usually not all the words will be used in a final product, but the adrenalin rush from writing so many words in such a short time span can be exhilarating!

My own personal challenge is to write 1000 words a week, or 1000 words on Sunday, my day off from editing. Some days I can write the 1000 words in 30 minutes or so, other days I have to really work at it. But whatever the challenge is, it’s a great feeling to reach my desired goal.

What are some of your own personal writing goals? Are you making them? Is it time to double up your word count and challenge yourself?

WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGY

Written Dreams

ROMANTIC FANTASY

OUT OF PRINT

Cover Art © 2013 by Written Dreams.

 

We asked the 10 authors to write a romantic fantasy short story about the trials and tribulations we endure in order to make our dreams come true. Included are ten romantic fantasy stories written by Esther M. Friesner, Abby Goldsmith, Christen Anne Kelly, John Marco, Victoria Murray, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Laura Resnick, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Randy Tatano, and Tricia Zoeller with a special poem from Lessie DeGroot.

A special thanks goes to Kim Wickman for the amazing cover art, and to all the authors for giving us such great stories to include in this anthology.

Writer’s Wednesday: An Interview with the Edgar and Stoker Nominated Author, Billie Sue Mosiman

Written Dreams

I first discovered Billie Sue and her writing in the mid 90s about a year before she edited the anthology, Never Shake a Family Tree. It is with great pleasure to have her as our guest today. Please help me welcome her to The Editing Essentials!

Billie Sue Mosiman is an Edgar and Stoker Nominated author of  more than 50 e-books. She published 13 novels with New York major publishers and recently published BANISHED, her latest novel. She’s the author of at least 150 published short stories that were in various magazines and anthologies. Her latest stories will be in BETTER WEIRD edited by Paul F. Olson from Cemetery Dance, a tribute anthology to David Silva, a story in the anthology ALLEGORIES OF THE TAROT edited by Annetta Ribken, and another story in William Cook’s FRESH FEAR. She’s an active member of HWA and International Thriller Writers. She’s working on a new novel of suspense titled THE GREY MATTER. You can visit her at: The Peculiar Life of a Writer http://www.peculiarwriter.blogspot.com, or at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/billie.s.mosiman or on Twitter: @billiemosiman or at Billie Sue’s Amazon Page.

WD: Does your family support your writing career, and if so, have they always?

BM: Yes, my husband has always supported me in my career. Before I sold a novel, all my other women friends had a job and I was at home, writing. I’m sure they thought I was being lazy because didn’t everyone work? My husband continued supporting the family and believing in me until I got my first contract. My daughters were raised with a writer so they understood what I was doing (I probably lectured them enough about how important Mama’s work was!). They tried hard not to interrupt me when I was at the typewriter and the computer.

WD: Does anybody in your family write because of your influence on them?

BM: No. My daughters are creative in various ways, but they haven’t been writing.

WD: What inspired you to begin writing?

BM: I can’t imagine. Since I wanted to be a writer from the time I was thirteen, I can’t say what inspired me. I think it was because I was raised around Southern storytellers who sat around telling one another tales, but it could also be because, or in addition to, my love of reading books.

WD: What author or authors influenced your own style?

 

BM: There were several. John D. MacDonald, Jim Thompson, Phillip K. Dick, Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, and a whole raft of mystery and suspense popular writers during the 70s and 80s.

WD: What is your own process for getting a manuscript complete? Any habits? How do you stay focused?

BM: I believe in dedication and discipline. I was under contract from year to year so I had novels to turn in and expected of me. I would write every day five days a week and take weekends off to devote to my family. That kind of schedule became a routine. I stay focused by reading over what I’ve written the day before and falling into the page, falling into the story so that I can see it in my head and can write the next scene or chapter.

WD: What are your thoughts on how the industry is radically changing to benefit the author? How do you see the industry changing for the better or worse?

BM: With digital books it’s changed almost completely. Writers in my early years of course sent their paper manuscripts in manuscript boxes to New York publishing houses or agents. Today writers can simply upload them to a digital online bookstore. I think the industry has changed for the better in giving the author more control and it’s changed for the worse in making people believe their work is ready to be “published” digitally when it isn’t, or when as writers they really have some way to go to be professional writers. I expect it will all shake out eventually, but the transition might be rocky.

WD: If you could give one tip to a new writer, what would it be?

BM: Write like it means something to you, like storytelling is your life’s goal and you want to tell the best stories anyone ever told. Try to write in a humane way, with heart, and hope to touch people. Write with nerve, take risks, try to do what hasn’t been done or do what has been done better. Lastly, get an editor. Your prose probably isn’t as polished as you think it is.

 

Thank you, Billie Sue, for being with us today! If you’d like to leave a comment or question for Billie Sue, we will be happy to pass it on to her.

E. Tip of the Week: Character Count

Written Dreams

Characters are the life of every story so it’s important to treat them with respect and pay close attention to the details. However, it’s easy to get carried away and forget about  some of the “don’ts” that come along with character building.

  • If your reader needs to keep a notebook by their bedside every time a new character is introduced in your book, you’ve got too many characters.
  • If you are having trouble keeping your characters straight in your own head, it’s time to limit the number of characters in the story.
  • If your characters are screaming to have their own story, and not be a supporting role, it might be time to start an outline on a new story.
  • If you have multiple characters whose names all start with the same letter like “s” or “m” consider changing two of the characters names to start with a different letter so the reader can keep the characters straight in their head. Or, decide if you really need those other characters.
  • If you have a character just so the main character isn’t talking to themselves out loud, is that “friend” really necessary.

There are many more character “do’s” and “don’ts” but these are just a few I thought worth mentioning now. What are some of the “do’s” and “don’ts” you’ve learned over the years?