Never Give Up! Five Steps to a Book Contract

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Friends please Note: this blog appeared today, Nov. 13, 2019, on Seriously Write https://seriouslywrite.blogspot.com/ -a great help to writers!   Invited by author Sandy Ardoin  https://www.sandraardoin.com/  Check them out!

Never Give Up! By Elva Cobb Martin

Have you ever thought of giving up on getting your book finished and published? Well, I want to encourage you. Never give up that dream. God is in the business of helping you finish what He has begun in your heart, according to Philippians 1:7 “Being confident of this very thing that he which has begun a good work in your will perform it...”

I wrote my first novel, Summer of Deception, after attending a writers' conference. Once I started submitting it to publishers and agents, it was rejected 26 times. But I kept revising and rewriting. Meantime, my husband and I were called into full-time ministry, and the manuscript went into my attic for the next 20 years. End of story. Right? 

Nope. Summer of Deception, an inspirational romantic suspense, was contracted and published in 2017, thirty years after that first draft. It has spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers’ List for Women’s Religious Fiction. A prequel, In a Pirate’s Debt, the story of the pirate ancestor of the hero in Summer, soon followed. 

https://amzn.to/33Npc2L

Book 1 in my new Charleston Brides series, Marisol, released this week, depicts a heroine who would not give up. She epitomizes this spirit of not giving up when greatly tempted by circumstances. 

My Five Steps to a Book Contract

Step 1 – Keep God’s Confidence in Yourself and Never Give Up

Many may reject your manuscript, but someone will love it, if you don’t give up.

Step 2 – Hone Your Craft (Check out my Planning Your Novel blog series at http://bit.ly/2HbB5qM)

Carve out praying time, writing time, sharpening craft time, and reading time in your genre.

Step 3 – Find Writing Workshops and Critique Groups

How about your local American Christian Fiction Writers’ Chapter?

Step 4 – Help Other Writers

This is a spiritual principle. You will reap help you need when you sow into others.

Step 5 – Learn how to Submit to Editors and Agents

 Follow their submission guidelines.

Can you add to my list? What helped you not give up?

~~~~~~

Elva Cobb Martin,  a mother and grandmother, lives in South Carolina with her husband and a senior mini-dachshund named Lucy, and a sea green bird named Atticus. She is the upcoming president of her state chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers, a retired teacher, minister, and now calls herself a full-time writer. Better make that rewriter. A life-long student of history, her favorite city, Charleston, inspires her stories of romance and adventure. She desires to share exciting love stories of courageous characters and communicate truths of the Christian faith to bring hope and encouragement.

Writer's Devotion: Writing in a Fierce Culture

by Elva Cobb Martin

Second Timothy 3:1 in The Passion Translation exhorts us:

"You need to be aware that in the final days the culture of society will become extremely fierce."

This New Testament book, II Timothy, is Paul's swan song, his very last writing. He seeks to impart wisdom and courage to his spiritual son Timothy. In Chapter 3 he warns Timothy what society will be like in the last days: self-centered, obsessed with money, proud, mockers of all that is right, addicted to hate and malicious slander. "Slaves to their desires..." he says, "they will act without restraint."

Sounds like he's been reading our newspapers, watching our TV, and internet. So many disturbing things are going on, especially from the pro-abortion, pro-gay advocates that we need to take our stand against.

Our pastor put this in context for me recently when he said, "We Christians are called to show unconditional love, but not unconditional approval."

As Christian writers how can we deal with all the upsetting things, take our stand when we can, keep our sanity and focus, and still manage to write something worthwhile? Is writing fiction a valid realm to spend our time on?

Award-winning authors Brock and Bodie Thoene believe that fiction is biblical. That Jesus didn't just give people the facts of how to have a good life, he told the facts in a story context that captured their hearts. Parables. Stories. They believe Christian writers can go into all the world with their books and help change lives with Christian themes in the context of a great story.

My new novel, Marisol, will be released next week, November 12. My premise or theme for this story is:

Love, forgiveness, and determination can overcome terrible experiences and poor choices when God is invited into the equation. 

https://amzn.to/33Npc2L

Escaping to the New World is her only option...Rescuing her will wrap the chains of the Spanish Inquisition around his neck. 

 Marisol Valentin flees Spain after murdering the nobleman who molested her. She ends up for sale on the indentured servants’ block at Charles Town harbor—dirty, angry, and with child. Her hopes are shattered, but she must find a refuge for herself and the child she carries. Can this new land offer her the grace, love, and security she craves? Or must she escape again to her only living relative in Cartagena?

Captain Ethan Becket, once a Charles Town minister, now sails the seas as a privateer, grieving his deceased wife. But when he takes captive a ship full of indentured servants, he’s intrigued by the woman whose manners seem much more refined than the average Spanish serving girl. Perfect to become the governess for his young son.

As their paths intertwine on a journey filled with danger, intrigue, and romance, only love and the grace of God can overcome the past and ignite a new beginning for Marisol and Ethan.

                                                                    ***

Do you think this story might have a message that could impact our fierce culture?

Thanks for stopping by. Would love to hear your comments and please  share.

Blessings,

Elva

Elva Cobb Martin is Vice President of the SC Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of Anderson University and Erskine College. She has two inspirational novels published, Summer of Deception, a contemporary romantic suspense, and an historical romance, In a Pirate’s Debt. Both have spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers List for Women’s Religious Fiction. She has indie published a Bible study on Amazon, Power Over Satan, on the  believer's authority in Christ. Decision, Charisma, and Home Life have carried Elva's articles. She and her husband Dwayne are retired ministers. A mother and grandmother, Elva lives in South Carolina. Connect with her on her web site http://www.elvamartin.com, Twitter www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin; Facebook http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin;  and Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin  
 Link to her romance novels and non-fiction works on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI 

Coming Nov. 12, 2019  Marisol  Book 1 in Charleston Brides
          https://amzn.to/33Npc2L

Guest Post: 10 Cliffhangers that Make Readers Turn the Page

10 Cliffhangers That Make Readers Turn The Page

 by Amanda Patterson

We have put together 10 cliffhangers you can use in your writing to get readers to turn the page.

Have you read a book you feel compelled to carry on reading? You know the kind of book I’m talking about – a gripping read. You read it past your bedtime and during your lunch breaks. You read it because you want to not only know what happens next, but you also wonder what is really going on.

Chances are the author is using a series of cliffhangers to keep you interested.

What Is A Cliffhanger?

According to Oxford Dictionaries it is ‘a dramatic and exciting ending to an episode of a serial, leaving the audience in suspense and anxious not to miss the next episode’.

The term itself originated with a Thomas Hardy serial when one of his protagonists, Henry Knight, was left hanging off a cliff.

Writers use cliffhangers as a literary device at the end of scenes, chapters, and books. These end without the questions raised being resolved. The reader has to carry on reading to find out what happens.

The History Of Cliffhangers

One of the most famous examples of using cliffhangers can be found in One Thousand and One Nights. Scheherazade tells a series of stories to the king for 1,001 nights, ending each on a cliffhanger, to save herself from execution.

They were also an important element of Victorian serial novels, including those by Charles Dickens, a pioneer of the serial publication of narrative fiction.

Television series are notorious for ending seasons on major cliffhangers. The most famous example was the ‘Who Shot JR Ewing?’ ending in Dallas.

Today

Modern writers are using this device more often because readers can easily be tempted away from books. Instead of ending each scene satisfactorily, it has become quite commonly used to prolong suspense.

Cliffhangers are great for pacing. They are the clickbait that get the reader to turn the page. James Patterson has used this technique successfully using short chapters that end without major resolutions.

10 Cliffhangers That Make Readers Turn The Page

1. An Unanswered Question

This is the most common cliffhanger. Ask a provocative question or make sure that the one that started the scene is still unanswered.

2. A Loss

The loss can be physical or emotional. It can be a tangible thing or a relationship, but try to make it something that the protagonist thinks he or she can’t do without.

3. Dangle A Carrot

Show the character – protagonist or antagonist – that something he or she wants desperately is there, but out of reach.

4. A Glimmer Of Hope

A pronouncement is made that something something that is needed, new, different, or exciting will happen soon.

5. A Physical Threat

Put the character, or somebody that he or she loves (love interest) in immediate danger. If you have created empathy between your readers and your character, they have to carry on reading.

6. A Sense Of Foreboding

Use foreshadowing and body language. Use signs and symbols. Let your characters know that they will be going off into a dangerous place or a risky situation.

7. A Ticking Clock

End with a sense of urgency. A deadline has to be met.

8. An Accident

This can be a physical accident or a slip of the tongue. Set off an alarm. Reveal a secret. Break a leg.

9. Unexpected News

This includes any important information, or even a person, that shows up unexpectedly. End a scene with the protagonist receiving devastating news

10. An Unmade Decision

A character has a decision that needs to be made.

TOP TIP: If you want to learn how to write a book, sign up for our online course.

 by Amanda Patterson

                                                             ***

I hope you enjoyed this guest post by Amanda Patterson. She's a great writing mentor! Do you know of other "cliffhangers?" Please comment and share this post by clicking on the small icons below. Be blessed and keep writing!

Don't miss my next blog where I am going to share some cliffhangers I devised in my coming novel, Marisol, being released November 12.

Elva Martin

Elva Cobb Martin is Vice President of the SC Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of Anderson University and Erskine College. She has two inspirational novels published with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. Summer of Deception, a contemporary romantic suspense, and an historical romance, In a Pirate’s Debt. Both have spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers List for Women’s Religious Fiction. She has indie published a Bible study on Amazon, Power Over Satan, on the  believer's authority in Christ. Decision, Charisma, and Home Life have carried Elva's articles. She and her husband Dwayne are semi-retired ministers. A mother and grandmother, Elva lives in South Carolina. Connect with her on her web site http://www.elvamartin.com, Twitter www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin; Facebook http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin;  and Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin  
 Link to her romance novels and non-fiction works on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI 

Coming Nov. 12, 2019  Marisol  Book 1 in Charleston Brides
          https://amzn.to/33Npc2L

Book I Am Reading - Exciting New Historical by Denise Weimer

The Witness Tree:

https://www.amazon.com/Witness-Tree-Denise-Weimer-ebook/dp/B07V1JTQS1/

Past betrayal has turned John Kliest’s passion to his work as a builder and surveyor in the Moravian town of Salem, North Carolina. Now, to satisfy the elders’ edict and fulfill his mission in Cherokee Territory, he needs a bride. But the one woman qualified to record the Cherokee language longs for a future with his younger brother.

Clarissa Vogler’s dream of a life with Daniel Kliest is shattered when she is chosen by lot to marry his older brother and venture into the uncharted frontier. Can she learn to love this stoic man who is now her husband? Her survival hinges on being able to trust him—but they both harbor secrets.

Hope you enjoy Denise's new
novel! Please share on your
social media.  --Elva

Denise Weimer writes historical and contemporary romance and romantic suspense set in her home state of Georgia. She’s authored over nine novels and a number of novellas. As a managing editor at Smitten Historical Romance and Heritage Beacon Fiction, Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, she also helps others reach their publishing dreams. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

Why Do We Write Romances? Guest Blog MaryLu Tyndall

God is a Romantic at heart!  By Mary Lu Tyndall  https://www.marylutyndall.com/ Posted: 16 Sep 2019 12:30 AM PDT Sometimes people ask me why I write romance. Aren't there more important things to write in these trying times? I always answer them that I write about God, and God is a romantic!  In fact, the entire Bible is one huge love story composed of a bunch of little love stories.  It goes something like this. God seeks out a bride for Himself. A people who will love Him and follow Him and be in relationship with Him. He wants a bride who will tell the rest of mankind about Him.  He chooses the Jewish people. He saves them from bondage (Egypt), marries them on Mount Sinai, and then intends to bring them into the promised land where they will live happy and free with Him.  The Jewish people cheat on God. They run off after other lovers.  God divorces them.  Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. Jeremiah 3:8 Jesus becomes a man in order to pay the penalty for everyone's sin and bring the Jews back into relationship with God.  God loves the Jewish people (all people) so much that He is willing to sacrifice His own Son in order to win them back.   The Jews reject Jesus. Jesus turns to the gentiles to seek a new bride.  God has sent His Holy Spirit to earth to call each individual member of the bride and help them get ready for her wedding!  Note:  In the end, God will save Israel when they turn to Jesus, and they will once again be His bride.. He's not done with them yet. (This is mimicked in the story of Jacob listed below) So you see, the entire Bible is a love story!. It's all about how much God loves us, how much He is willing to pay to set us free from our prison of sin, how much He is willing to lose to bring us back to Him, how much He is willing to suffer.. It's the greatest love story of all time., and embedded within it are a dozen great love stories that all illustrate and point back to the major one: God loves you with an undying, sacrificial, unconditional, immense love! And He never leaves you and never gives up on you, and He pursues you as if you were the only object of His great affection. Don't ever forget that! Look how God has woven the same story throughout Scripture! Adam and Eve What a grand love story. Adam was lonely. He needed romance in his life. He needed to fall in love. So what did God do? He brought him Eve. What is God preparing for His Son now? A Bride, which He will bring to Jesus at the rapture. Note. Jesus doesn't come down to earth. We go up to meet him in the clouds! Just as God brought Eve to Adam. Abraham and Sarah. What a grand love story!  Apparently she was so beautiful he had to lie and tell other men she was his sister so they wouldn't kill him for her. Not his best moments. Isaac and Rebekah!  Who could forget this great love story that mimics the love story between Jesus and His bride. Abraham (Father God) sends Eliezer (the Holy Spirit) back to his homeland (earth) to find a suitable bride for his son, Isaac (Jesus). Eliezer finds Rebekah, who agrees to marry Isaac. He pays the bride price and brings her willingly home to her new husband (Jesus) Joseph, who many scholars believe is a typology of Jesus, took a gentile bride from Egypt, an Egyptian princess. Just as Jesus is taking a Gentile bride (the church) Jacob, who was forced to marry a bride he did not want at first, Leah, in order to get the bride he did want, Rachel.  Sounds a lot like Jesus who is now about to marry a gentile bride, (the church), but that is not the original bride God wanted for His Son. The Jews were to be the chosen people, the chosen bride but they rejected him. However, after Jesus marries the gentile bride, the Jews will be saved during the tribulation and they will once again become part of God's family. Moses took a gentile bride. Rahab, the prostitute of Jericho who sided with the Jews. She married a Jewish man and from their union, Jesus was eventually born. David and Bathsheba - who can forget this love story, as immoral as it started out. It was through their lineage that Jesus came as well. Ruth and Boaz, one of my favorite love stories. It it the perfect analogy of Jesus and the Church. Boaz was Ruth's kinsmen redeemer, just as Jesus is ours. If you don't know the story, I encourage you to read the book of Ruth.  Esther - who doesn't love a story about a young girl who is nobody but who then becomes Queen of the Realm!   And of course the ultimate love story. Jesus, who loved us so much, He gave up everything to become nothing, who was beaten and scorched and crucified so badly, He didn't even look human. He was rejected by men, a man well acquainted with sorrows, belittled, mocked, spit on, and harassed. And He did all of that to win your love,. to save you from eternal fire. Now, there's a love story for the ages!  In fact, many of the things Jesus said are idioms for a Jewish wedding. It's a fascinating study, and I encourage you to read this article about the Jewish Wedding and Jesus And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39 Remember you are bought with a huge price--the death of the Son of God. It is the bride price God paid for you to become His Son's bride. That makes you the most valuable thing in all of creation. Highly loved and exceedingly precious!                                                                        *** Thanks for stopping by! Would love to read your comments about this post by a dear author friend, MaryLu Tyndall. Feel free to share by clicking on the icons below. Be blessed, Elva Elva Cobb Martin is Vice President of the SC Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of Anderson University and Erskine College. She has two inspirational novels published with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. Summer of Deception, a contemporary romantic suspense, and an historical romance, In a Pirate’s Debt. Both have spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers List for Women’s Religious Fiction. She has indie published a Bible study on Amazon, Power Over Satan, on the  believer's authority in Christ. Decision, Charisma, and Home Life have carried Elva's articles. She and her husband Dwayne are semi-retired ministers. A mother and grandmother, Elva lives in South Carolina. Connect with her on her web site http://www.elvamartin.com, Twitter www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin; Facebook http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin;  and Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin    Link to her romance novels and non-fiction works on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI  Coming Nov. 12, 2019  Marisol  Book 1 in Charleston Brides           https://amzn.to/33Npc2L

Guest Blog- 4 Keys to a Powerful Denouement

Guest blog by September C. Fawkes

4 Keys to a Powerful Denouement

Posted on August 22, 2019 by Writing Coach

Often as writers, we put a lot of our focus on the starting, climax, and middle of a story, and the denouement or falling action may be somewhat of an afterthought. If you grew up like me, you were kind of taught that the denouement should just be a quick wrap up that can end the story, and you weren’t given much direction on how to do that in a satisfying way. But when crafted well, the denouement can sometimes feel like the most powerful part of a story–not because it has heightened tension and conflict, like the rest of the novel probably has, but precisely because it’s the emotional release of all that. 

Here are some things to keep in mind when working with denouements. 

1) The Proper Length

Denouements are often short, and in fact, I’ve been in some creative writing classes where we were told that you can even cut them off completely, and while that might work for some rare stories, I argue that almost every story is better with a strong denouement than without. My advice? Don’t skimp on it. (Usually.)

Because some of us were taught that the purpose of the denouement is to get out of the story quickly, some of us actually make them too short. You might be able to get away with that, but you miss out on ending your story on a more powerful note. 

So what length should they be? Well, long enough to cover the important parts but short enough to keep them interesting. So let’s talk about what they need.

2) Its True Purpose: Validation

A powerful denouement doesn’t just “end the story.” It validates it. This means validating changes that happened during, or maybe rather, because of the story. Show evidence of what has been lost, defeated, gained, or won. So after a romance conflict, you may show the couple getting married. If someone died in the climax, you may show a funeral. If the protagonist completed a character arc, we need to see him acting as a changed person. Was the antagonist defeated? Show that he, she, or it is now gone from the world. 

Powerful validation, especially one after another, is what can often bring an audience to tears–it’s the release and outcome of all the previous hardship. It can also cement the theme into readers’ hearts. 

Validate what has changed, and sometimes, what hasn’t changed. A lot of powerful denouements do some of both, which is why you’ll notice it may be similar to the beginning of the novel, but different.

3) Tie Loose Ends (and Maybe Add New Ones)

This is usually what people think of when thinking of denouements, but when you validate changes, you are often tying up any loose ends in the process. Still, there may be some elements that need to be mentioned and addressed directly. If there was a side mystery, we may need to still get that resolved in the falling action. Any information that we are lacking, should probably be in the text. Smaller conflicts that weren’t handled in the climax, may be concluded here. 

And in some stories, you may actually be adding loose ends in addition to tying off others. This is particularly true for a book in a series. Maybe what happened in the climax opened up more questions and potential conflicts. Some denouements close all the conflicts of the book, and then at the very end, add a few loose ends. Installments in a series may acknowledge any ongoing loose ends that haven’t yet been resolved.

4) Convey a New Normal

In the beginning of the novel, you probably conveyed a sense of normalcy to the audience–what was normal for this character, this setting, this society. Most satisfying denouements establish a sense of what the new normal may be. This can be big and obvious, like a couple being married. Or it may be more subtle, like what a changed character is planning to do next in life. In some cases, you may be “hinting” at the future more than “establishing” it. 

Sometimes, the “new normal” may actually be the old normal you opened up with, but in most stories, that would probably undermine all the changes that took place. Still, it can work for the right kind. But even if the new normal is almost the same as the old normal, typically it’s a good idea to at least give us a hint of how the protagonist grew, internally.
                                                         ***

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoyed this guest blog on wrapping up our novels. Has it helped you? Feel free to share.

Blessings,
Elva Martin

Elva Cobb Martin is Vice President of the SC Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of Anderson University and Erskine College. She has two inspirational novels published with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. Summer of Deception, a contemporary romantic suspense, and an historical romance, In a Pirate’s Debt. Both have spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers List for Women’s Religious Fiction. She has indie published a Bible study on Amazon, Power Over Satan, on the  believer's authority in Christ. Decision, Charisma, and Home Life have carried Elva's articles. She and her husband Dwayne are semi-retired ministers. A mother and grandmother, Elva lives in South Carolina. Connect with her on her web site http://www.elvamartin.com, Twitter www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin; Facebook http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin;  and Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin  
 Link to her romance novels and non-fiction works on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI 

Coming Nov. 12, 2019  Marisol  Book 1 in Charleston Brides
          https://amzn.to/33Npc2L