An Interview with Award winning author Linda Rondeau

Welcome to Romancing the Writer, Linda. I’d love to hear a little bit about your journey to publication.

Some say they are called. All I know is that I’ve always enjoyed telling a story, even when I was a school girl. Whenever I had an audience, I told a yarn or two. As is often the case, life got in the way of my hobby. Finally, at work, I felt the nudge. It’s now or not at all. Write for me and I will show you things you never hoped or dreamed. I don’t recommend quitting the day job. For me it was necessary. I never looked back.

I’m not sure where this course will lead, but God has provided in ways I cannot imagine. I quit the day job on June 21, 2000. Won a few awards, published a few short pieces, went to a lot of conferences, honed my craft and kept moving forward. Got an agent three years into the process but still could not seem to get that elusive book contract. Then on June 21, 2011, I got “the call.” Two years later, I have five published manuscripts with three more on the way by end of year. God is good.

Which, so far, is your favorite character from one of your own books?

I think Dorie Fitzgerald from It Really is A Wonderful Life/2012/Lighthouse of the Carolinas is my favorite. The book is about an Iraq War Widow who finds new direction when she moves to a small Adirondack town and joins a theater group in production for It’s a Wonderful Life. In some ways Dorie is me at her age. I met my husband doing community theater.

Do you have any advice for authors as yet unpublished?

Don’t rush it. So many authors either give up too soon or they rush to self-publish when they are not ready. My last few publications were actually books I’d written early in my career as a writer. In some ways, I’m glad they weren’t published then. I’m grateful God put the brakes on those books until I had learned better writing skills. It takes time. Be patient and trust in the Lord’s timing.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t write for the market…write the story God gives you. It took a long time for me to define my writing as I write very much out of the box, i.e. not genre specific or cookie cutter via genre. However, I do follow the rules of good writing. There is a difference.

What are you working on now?

I am currently finishing my second Adirondack Romantic suspense. My first one was The Other Side of Darkness. That book is going off the market, but I plan to rewrite it as a series to go along with my current work in progress, Legacy of Regrets.

A widow is hired by her former college history professor to help him with a research project involving the history of the Adirondack Railroad expansion. She begins to question her sanity when she suspects she is being followed.

What typical writing day look like?

Unfortunately, I don’t have a “typical” day since each day brings its own set of challenges to meet. However, I have routines. I typically try to do my devotion time first thing before the day crowds it out. Then I sort through my email to see what might need immediate attention. I check my two multi-author blogs and share. Then I either work on new stuff or do marketing.

I’m still recovering from my cancer so I have to rest anywhere from one to three hours in the afternoon. I typically spend another two hours after my rest, then prepare dinner, then go back to work for an hour or two, settling in for some television around 9:00pm. On days my husband doesn’t work, I try to be flexible and spend time with him at least part of the day. We might golf, go see a movie or go hiking. He’s my number one priority.

Where can we find you on the web?

The Website

Facebook

Twitter

This Daily Grind

Pinterest

And now for an excerpt from JOY COMES TO DINSMORE STREET/Helping Hands Press:

Most people looked forward to the dawning of the new millennium. For Colin O’Donnell, Christmas 2000 holds no anticipation until he learns Ma expects a visit from Joy, an adored cousin who disappeared on the girl’s sixteenth birthday. Why does she decide to visit Ma after all these years? The day Colin’s father left, Ma clutched Joy’s photograph as if it were a lifeline.

Colin suspects the two disappearances are somehow connected although they occurred decades apart. Perhaps Joy’s visit will bring answers to years-old daunting questions. First, however, Colin must wrestle with a current mystery. What did he do to drive his wife from their bed? When all is revealed and the past and present collide, will Colin fight to preserve his marriage or follow his father’s path of abandonment?

Caption This...?

This makes week two that I've posted photos of my dogs. What can I say? They're cute, and my daughter takes some great candid shots. These are good enough to ask for captions:

Jack says: "Did you see that? He cut me off!"

Riley says: "LOL! And then what did you tell the cat?"

A Woman's Work is Never Done by Christine Lindsey

I'm happy to welcome author Christine Lindsey today:

Like most women, I work, work, work...and work some more. There is truth to the old adage that a woman’s work is never done. Or is it possible that some of us gals are workaholics because we like it?

I’ve noticed something about men and women as we grow older—while our husband’s testosterone levels drop, so too do our estrogen levels. While our husbands start to slow down, our lowering hormone levels that made us want to cozy up the nest for decades, now make us speed up, grow more confident, downright assertive in many cases. How many of us ladies in our forties, fifties, even our sixties, start new enterprises, take up demanding responsibilities in the community or our church?

At the start of my fifties I began my long-desired writing and speaking career, and while things were challenging, God gave me the strength to rise to that challenge, and I thoroughly enjoyed reaching those long-sought-after goals. Oh my, I felt fulfilled. I was woman. I was strong. I was the Proverbs 31 gal, like many of us are.

But fifteen years after the fact, I also discovered that it was hard to shoehorn leisure time into my schedule. When was the last time I relaxed, took a day off? Sometimes months would go by.

This past spring it dawned on me that my dear husband was suffering from loneliness due to my extremely busy schedule. The wrongness of this hit me between the eyes. Something had to change. But what?

I was scheduled to do a bunch of speaking engagements on Vancouver Island in June, and off we went. At least my husband had the opportunity to travel with me and we enjoyed that.

While I chatted with various ladies during my speaking engagements that week, it was as if I ran into two different sets of women. Six of one and half a dozen of the other, you might say. The first group warmly reminisced about the wonderful holidays they had camping with their husbands over the years.

The other group shared that quite recently their husbands had passed away, unexpectedly, suddenly, and all these dear husbands were around the age of sixty.

This too hit me between the eyes. My husband was sixty. On the way home from that speaking trip I felt the question echo in my mind. What was I waiting for? The Lord encouraged me to take time to go away camping with my husband. That week we purchased a brand new little travel trailer.

On our first trip in July we drove through the majestic Canadian Rockies, and at the summit of Roger’s Pass I noticed a large artillery gun. I asked my husband why on earth that was there, and he explained that avalanche control experts shot artillery shells into the snowcaps to trigger avalanches. They did this to carefully control the snows from building too high and thick and thereby causing a fatal avalanche.

I mulled this over and compared that to the changes I was making in my life. My marriage had to come first, even at the expense of my writing and speaking ministry. So, like the avalanche control experts, I chose to cut back on my writing so I could spend more togetherness time with my husband.

My little novelette Heavenly Haven is the culmination of all that thinking. I hope and pray that my characters, Jack and Shaina, will inspire you to keep your priorities in line as well.

A woman’s work can and must stop at times. God insists we take time to rest with Him. He also wants us to keep our priorities in line. Take heart from the story of Mary and Martha from Luke chapter 10, NIV.

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’”

‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’”

Thank you so much for being here today, Christine. Readers, check out Christine's novella Heavenly Haven:

Avalanches happen to other people, not us. Marital problems happen to other people, not us, especially nine days before Christmas. At least that’s what Jack and Shaina Burke thought.

Married for ten years, avalanche control expert Jack, and Shaina, only wanted to celebrate their December anniversary in a romantic way, until the shifting snows on the mountain bring havoc tumbling down upon them.

Heavenly Haven is available as an Ebook on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Kobo.

Christine Lindsay would love to connect with you on her website www.ChristineLindsay.com,

or drop by her blog for inspiration www.ChristineLindsay.org

or follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest

Author Marianne Evans -- Never, Ever give up!

I'm so thankful to have the wonderful Marianne Evans here today to blog about her own personal journey to publication. She's been an inspiration to me, and I'm sure she will bless the rest of you as well:

Today's blog post is about a life lesson I learned.

Back when the earth was still being formed, I sold my first book, a category contemporary romance, to Kensington Publishing. Wonderful, yes, but let's back up a step or two to the months preceding that glorious milestone.

I had done fairly well in a series of writing contests sponsored by RWA. In addition, I had secured the support of an agent who was new to the market, but energetic and positive with just the right combination of aggressiveness and charm. Best of all? She loved my work. Her name was Kelly St. Clair – a lawyer who moved from private practice to literary representation because she loved romance.

I kept writing and Kelly began a full court press, submitting my manuscripts everywhere. We came close. Over and over and over again I kept hearing wonderful feedback...but never the magic five words: 'We want to buy it.'

After nearly a year, with an ever growing stack of 'no thank you' notes from publishing houses far and wide, I lost confidence. In fact, I went into writer's remission, uninspired and incredibly sad that a dream I'd held for decades was doomed to go unfulfilled. I needed to go to work full time because college money needed to be raised for our kids. Writing time was easy to push aside, since to my mind, it wasn't taking me anywhere. I began to think that perhaps God was trying to send me a message about my writing and I was refusing to receive it.

Meanwhile, as I stopped writing and stepped up my outside work life, Kelly kept on top of the market and new developments. And I received yet another rejection. I was ready to call it quits - and told Kelly as much in a very heartfelt, almost apologetic letter. She had been a tremendous advocate, but by that point, I felt like I was wasting her time.

She wrote back promptly, In an equally heartfelt reply, she urged me to keep going, affirming a talent she saw, but I no longer believed in. She concluded by saying how much she was looking forward to seeing me at the upcoming RWA national conference.

I had nearly canceled my registration, but her note had me deciding to stick with it. It would be my swan song – and at least I'd get a chance to thank her directly for all she had done.

Enter the blessing of timing.

At the conference I checked in at the registration desk and who did I find standing two people away from me? My agent. Kelly had heard me give my name and came up to me immediately and gave me a hug. That was our first face to face communication—and she bubbled with excitement.

She pulled me to a seating area of the hotel lobby, not far from the dozen or so conference rooms that lined the hallway. She explained Kensington was looking for publication ready manuscripts for their new “Precious Gem” line of contemporary romances, and she'd been keeping an eye out for Senior Editor Kate Duffy to get further information about the line...and tell her about me.

We couldn't get over the timing of our lobby meeting.

But that's not the end of the story. We chatted, and she continued to encourage me – and told me not to give up, and that she was determined to keep submitting on my behalf. What a gift. When I had given up, without my even really knowing about it, she had continued to push forward. Her confidence ran deep, and was authenticated by her actions.

A few minutes into our chat, Kelly stopped talking abruptly and started to smile, looking at a spot behind me. Kate Duffy was leaving one of the conference rooms, headed right for us.

We introduced ourselves, and Kelly mentioned I had written a book that might fit the Gem guidelines. Kate was delighted to hear about it – and we chatted a bit further, then Kate left. A short, sweet, perfect meeting.

Less than a month later I sold book number one. A month after that? Book number two.

Moral of the story? Never, ever, ever give up on a dream. I've often used that interlude in my life as an opportunity to tell my kids: Persevere. If a call is on your heart, follow it, and overcome the obstacles. Surround yourself with people who will support, encourage and uplift you. I'm thankful every day they've seen that axiom vindicated.

My wish and prayer is for just such benefits for you, no matter what your dream.

And now, an excerpt from "By Appointment Only"

Political dynamo Matt Bellinger understands he has an unyielding responsibility to work hard for the betterment of his community and the world around him. Life, he believes, should be built strictly on effort and tangibles, not an elusive faith.

But that belief is challenged when a bill to spearhead volunteerism leads him to canvassing efforts at Detroit's legendary diner, Sal's Place, and a meeting with Heather Cavanaugh. His polar opposite, the street-smart beauty challenges his heart and perceptions.

She's the head stylist at Optiva, a trendy, upscale hair salon in downtown Detroit, as well as a tireless volunteer giving back to the city she loves in honor of the God she serves.

Love blooms, gradually shifting Matt's perceptions. But when a life-threatening illness in his family challenges that fledgling faith, will he be able to hold fast to his newfound beliefs? Will he discover that faith makes all things possible and love makes all things beautiful?

*****************

Matt made it to the hospital in plenty of time to give Mandy’s untethered arm a gentle squeeze and dot her forehead with a kiss. He loved the way her eyes lit up at the sight of his gift—a big, pink teddy bear with get-well-soon balloons tied to its paws. Once the pre-operative sedative kicked in, Mandy became sluggish, so Matt followed his family out of the room. Only Rick and Stephanie stayed behind.

In the waiting room, the O’Connors and a few couples from Rick and Stephanie’s church that Matt had never met before convened to wait for word from the OR. As a group, they joined hands and murmured a prayer. Matt watched, compelled by the scene, and he thought instantly of Heather, of how readily and easily she had prayed at dinner, just like these people prayed now. She was comfortable with her faith and her beliefs, as well as the pattern of her life.

Matt felt a stab of yearning that had nothing to do with the love he held for Heather. Rather, the ache that swelled through his chest as the prayer session ended stemmed from the fact that he could feel the peace that flowed. He saw it in their eyes and in the more relaxed way they moved.

But he couldn’t taste it for himself. He was an outsider, hungry yet rootless, staring through plate glass at a feast meant to fill and quench.

How, he wondered, could he ever break through?

“Hey there, handsome.”

From behind, that quiet, subdued summons reached his ears…then entered his heart.

Matt spun, face-to-face with Heather who stepped straight into his arms and held on tight. The love that washed through him was so powerful, words failed.

PURCHASE LINKS:

http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/by-appointment-only

http://www.amazon.com/Appointment-Only-Sals-Place-ebook/dp/B00DE2L4BK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371227004&sr=8-1&keywords=by+appointment+only+marianne+evans

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=41524EB&item_code=WW&netp_id=1151944&event=ESRCG&view=details

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/by-appointment-only-marianne-evans/1115656436?ean=2940016796789

Doggie Love

I love my beagles, Jack and Riley. Part of it is their overwhelming love for me.

It is not unusual to be greeted at the door after having been gone for all of thirty minutes with the kind of reception usually reserved for people that have been gone for let’s just say – longer.

Sometimes when I come downstairs, and they’ve been lying around they will wag their tails in greeting and joy that I’ve decided to again grace them with my presence.

They don’t always get up because they’re lazy but I do appreciate the tail wag. It’s as if they’re saying, “Hey.”

We take boatloads of photos of our furry babies, but below is one of my favorites of Jack. I wonder what he's dreaming ...

Welcome Author Andrea Downing

Please help me welcome my guest Andrea Downing to Romancing the Writer. Andrea, I’d love to hear a little bit about your journey to publication.

First, let me say thanks so much for having me here today, Maria. I greatly appreciate the opportunity.

I guess you could say my road to publication has been quite a long one. I've been writing all my life but lacked the confidence to send anything out, despite writing two full length novels and a screenplay.

Finally, when I returned to live in New York in 2008, I was SO old I decided I had nothing to lose. I wrote Loveland and, as a western historical romance, there were a rather limited number of presses that might be willing to accept it. The Wild Rose Press was one of them, and the rest is history…western history!

How long have you been submitting your work to editors and/or agents?

Loveland was completed in 2010, and it was about 4 months before I discovered TWRP, followed by the usual process of query/partial/full.

How many years have you been writing?

As I say, pretty much my entire life. In both school and college I took every creative writing course available…but I'm not going to tell you in actual years!

Which, so far, is your favorite character from one of your own books?

I'm still in love with Jesse from Loveland. It will be difficult to replace him because I think I created my ideal man in him. But I have to say Cal, his best friend, runs a close second. :-)

Do you have any advice for authors as yet unpublished?

Keep at it, accept rejections as stepping stones, criticism as a free course to improve. And don't give up!

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

You won't be published unless you submit!

What are you working on now?

I'm just completing—or trying to complete—another western historical romance novella. I'm hoping it might be suitable for the The Wild Rose Press 'Love Letters' series as it concerns what happens when a letter goes to the wrong address.

What does your typical writing day look like?

A mess! LOL. I'm afraid it depends on a lot of things. Unfortunately, I've had a number of health issues over the past few years although they seem to be tailing off, thank goodness.

But here in New York a six hour visit to a doctor's office is not unheard of when they run a slew of tests and so on. I'm a night person anyway so if I don't get to the computer until late afternoon I still put in a good day's work. And then around 6pm I treat myself to a glass wine and really get going!

Where can we find you on the web? http://andreadowning.com

Good news, readers. Andrea has agreed to give away a digital copy of Lawless Love to one lucky commenter. And now, an excerpt from Lawless Love!

Lacey Everhart has carved out a tough existence in the wilds of 1880s Wyoming, working hard to build a secure life for herself and her younger brother, Luke. She will stop at nothing to protect what’s hers and keep them safe. Even if it means keeping a secret that could destroy their lives.

Marshal Dylan J. Kane is a man who considers everything as black and white, right or wrong. He's never seen life any other way until he sets eyes on Lacey. Suddenly the straight and narrow that he's followed has a few twists and turns. Loving Lacey offers the home life for which he hankers...but can he really love a woman who seems to be plain lawless?

************

Lacey thought of fluttering her eyelashes, but it was such a silly thing to do. How could women act like that? She just looked up at the marshal and waited, the possibilities turning over in her mind, flitting through her head but never settling.

“You wanna tell me what really happened now so we can try to sort this matter? All I can do is promise I’ll do everything in my power to sort it for you, but I cain’t help you less’n you tell the truth. You tell me lies and make me look a dang fool, there’s nothin’ I can do. You understand that?”

Along with the tiniest nod, she clasped her hands together. She looked up at Dylan Kane and saw kindness in that face, a face she could so easily have loved had things been different.

She could sense the heat radiating from his body and knew if she touched his chest, a strength would exist where his heart beat. If she ran her hand down his arms, she would find that same strength in his muscle. How she wanted those arms around her! All her life, it seemed, she had looked after herself, cared for her brother, struggled to make a home for the two of them. What would it have been like if Morgan had not...

“Lacey?” Dylan’s soft voice brought her back from her reveries. “You ready to tell the truth?” With one gentle finger, he lifted her chin so their gazes met for a moment before they each stepped back from the brink of something neither could control. “Lacey?” he repeated.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

Welcome So You Think You Can Write Winner Jennifer Hayward

Since this series on So You think You Can Write Global 2012 began we’ve had many of the contestants and finalists (some who have also gone on to publish) visit and blog about their experience with the contest. I’m happy to conclude the series with Jennifer Hayward, the grand prize winner of the contest.

Welcome Jennifer, thanks for being here today. Your debut, The Divorce Party, now available through Harlequin Presents.

What a great cover! After submitting your first chapter to SYTYCW, did you have any second thoughts or was it completely ready and polished?

Ooh, I’m not sure you ever feel totally prepared to enter a contest like SYTYCW, but I did have a couple of very awesome beta readers give me the thumbs up on my chapter before I submitted it, so I was happy with it! The full manuscript, however, was only 70 per cent done when I entered! I knew I could finish it and I felt confident about where it was going, so I went for it.

Have you entered a writing contest like this before, or any other writing contest?

Yes! I entered Mills & Boon’s New Voices in 2011 but did not place. The experience was amazing, however, as I met so many great friends and fellow writers and got some valuable feedback on my writing.

How long have you been writing?

A long time! I submitted my first manuscript to Harlequin when I was nineteen and got some nice feedback. After that my career in public relations ran away with me and I had very little time to write until I cut back on work recently. But I always kept my head in the writing game – attending RWA conferences and taking writing bootcamp courses.

What are your thoughts about the promotional aspect of the contest? Do you love social media and all its aspects?

Since I come from a marketing background, the promotional aspect was pretty comfortable for me. I really enjoy social media and connecting with other writers and readers so I found the whole process really fun!

What are you working on now?

I am finishing book three of my De Campo brothers trilogy, the first of which is The Divorce Party. It’s been so much fun to write these three sexy brothers and the woman who tame them.

Do you have any advice for someone considering entering So You Think You Can Write 2013?

Be prepared for a wonderful rollercoaster ride! Submit the story of your heart, let your voice have free rein because that will be what differentiates you and stay confident throughout the process no matter what happens. Every step is getting you where you want to go.

Where can we find you on the Web?

My website is JenniferHaywardRomance– I would love any visits

I’m also on twitter - @jenhayward

and on Facebook