This Week in Review--July 23-30, 2011

Horses, National Parks, and road trips. Oh, my! Yes, it’s been one of those weeks.

Writing-wise, all I had time for this week was researching Army uniforms of the War of 1812, which is the closest I can get to my 1816 setting. You’d think it would be a boring topic, but I found it quite fascinating. Learned what half-gaiters are, as well as neck-stocks (you’re just dying to know, aren’t you...?).

What kept me so busy? A last minute TDY for Hubby equaled a last second road trip for me and the kids. There was no way we were going to spend the last week of summer break sitting around the house and missing Daddy. The six-hour trip to Nashville turned into ten since we stopped off at the Chickamauga-Chattanooga  National Military Park on the way up. It became cancellation #6 in my National Parks Passport.

Did you know that Chattanooga is considered “The Gateway to the South”? The Confederacy fought fiercely to hold the city because it was the only pathway through the mountains. Hold Chattanooga and they would hold the Federals at bay behind the wall of the Smokies. Although they had a victory at the nearby Chickamauga Creek, they lost the city allowing Sherman to begin his march to the sea. Sad days for the Rebels.

Besides time spent with family, the highlight of our Nashville trip was a visit with Festus, the horse. Festus’ sweet mom, Shar, invited the kids and me to come for a ride. I got to help saddle and bridle him, and I’m still sighing with contentment. When I left, I once again asked God why He’s always chosen for me to live in a situation where owning a horse is not an option. It’s own of those dreams I’ve always had, although over the years, it’s morphed from owning a horse to simply getting hands-on experience with one. (See, God? I’m trying to compromise here!) Awesome lady that she is, Shar volunteered to instruct me every time I visit the area. Thank you, Shar! I’ll be taking you up on that.

What about you? Do you have a dream that you feel will never be realized? What do you think God’s reason is for withholding it? He has one, and knowing Him, it’s a good one. ;-)

The Slaughter Pen 

On the way home, we stopped by two more National Parks (another dream of mine? Visit all of them!). Cancellation #7 was Stones River National Battlefield. The kids were sworn into the Junior Park Rangers program. Way cool. They went around answering questions in their booklets and earning their first park rangers pin. It was a great incentive for them to soak up infor about the Civil War and this particular battle. A touching bit of history--Before the battle began, the military bands played throughout the night. When the Yankees struck up Home Sweet Home, the Rebel band joined in and together they mourned the threat to their homes and lives. Civil Wars are the worst sort. Above is a photo of the location were Union soldiers held the Confederates at bay at a high cost to their lives. Bullets ricocheted off the rocks and killed many as they sought cover in the crevices. If you look closely, you'll find my son's head sticking up in the center.

An hour and a half further down I24, we stopped at Russell Cave National Monument where the kids earned their second Junior Park Rangers pin and I stamped cancellation #8 in my passport. After weeding out all the Evolution, we came away with the knowledge that going way, way back this particular cave was inhabited by the first Americans. There were no cave drawings, stalactites, or anything that exciting, but we did see a lovely black a skink on the path to the cave. The whole thing was rather anticlimactic, but we’re glad we stopped. Gotta see them all!

Reading-wise, I finished The Stones by Eleanor Gustafson and recommend it for lovers of biblical fiction. Excellent writing. You can read my thought over at the COTT Book Club. What are you reading these days?

Monday, kids are off to start another year of school. I'm too young to be the mother of a 4th grader. :-)

Have a splendid week, and I'll see you on the other side of the Lord's Day!

Reflections Wednesday--Evangelizing through Fiction

Today's Reflections in Hindsight post is by guest writer, Michelle Massaro. I'm in Tennessee, for one last hurrah before school starts, so Michelle graciously jumped in for me at the last second (thanks, sweetie!) and offered this motivating article...
  

"I thought Christian Fiction just provided some clean fun and entertainment.

Can you really evangelize with novels?"

Yes, you most certainly can.  And should. Whether you are an author or a fan, delivering a good Christian story into the hands of an unbeliever can bring them one step closer to the Lord.
READ MORE

Why We Love Those Gut-wrenching Scenes

Guest post by Michelle Massaro, Asst Editor for Clash of the Titles

This week COTT is focusing on gut-wrenching passages, which are some of my favorites! So it got me wondering, why do we so enjoy reading those scenes that tear our hearts out and end with an empty box of tissues? 
Most of us already know about stress hormones and how they build up in the body, causing all kinds of problems. According to one article I read, emotionally-induced tears contain protein-based hormones as well as leucine enkephalin, a natural painkiller. So "a good cry" flushes all those stress hormones out of our system.
Well, the science is all fine and dandy but I still wanted some experiental answers. Here's what some of you had to say:
Diana Prusik: Tears are cathartic. There's nothing like a good cry during a touching scene . . except for a good cry followed by laughter. (Think Sally Fields' stellar graveside scene in Steel Magnolias. Poor Ouiser!) Something about reading or watching a scene like that feels emotionally cleansing.
Brian Heffron agrees: Catharsis
Barbara Robinson: Because a book has to touch us emotionally or it's nothing to us. It must evoke reader emotions. If I don't feel anything when I read a book, the book is not any good, and I wouldn't finish it.
Christine Lindsay: I think we need to cry as much as we need to smile and laugh. Although when we cry, it's because we are always reaching out for hope. That this sad situation will not remain, but that the sun will shine again. It's about hope.
Jessica Patch: God designed us to connect with others. The bible says rejoice when others rejoice and weep when others weep. We're built to care. We want to. Real life or fiction, we're drawn to it and good writing makes us feel like it's real even when it's not.
Those are some great answers! What about you? Why do you love those gut-wrenching scenes? (Or if not, why don't you care for them?)
~ Connect with Michelle at her blog, Adventures In Writing.

ECF Summer Blog Tour and April's Favorite Reads So Far This Year

I've been looking forward to this day for a while. Why? Because it gives me a chance to share my favorite reads with you! It wasn't hard for me to pick my top three. (Four, if I count Wounded Spirts, and of course, I will! Grin.)

To purchase any of these books (and you should!), simply click on the images. 

Wounded Spirits continues to receive rave reviews. It made the Amazon #1 best-sellers list within a month of its release and recently won first place in the Grace Awards, epic/western category. 

April Gardner is a force to be reckoned with. She is a fantastic writer that has no problem gaining and keeping your attention.--author Amanda Stephan

You don't need to be a fan of the inspirational to be left feeling a fuzzy glow from this one - do read. --The Long and Short of it Reviews

I highly recommend this book to all who love our American history, a story with a Christian influence, well developed characters, and an ending that leaves you wanting More, right now!!! --Linda Siert, a reader

ABOUT THE BOOK:

On the frontier, Adela McGirth’s life is simple, rugged, and exactly to her liking, but when a distant war among the Natives spills over into a nearby skirmish, life takes a perilous turn. Deep in enemy territory Adela must choose between the man she loves and a baby that has yet to be born.
A peace-loving yet loyal Creek warrior, Totka is forced to align with the extremist Red Stick faction whose purpose is to eradicate the Whites from Creek soil. In the midst of battle, Totka is assigned to protect those he is expected to hate–and kill. Life was simpler before his enemy became a beautiful face with a quiet strength and dignity he cannot resist.

Undercurrent was my first exposure to Michelle Griep's work, but it won't be my last. Her opening scene appeared on Clash of the Titles and it hooked me from the first paragraph. So much so that I immediately purchased it for my Kindle. The Viking setting is rare which was its first draw. The second isthe sizzling (yet perfectly chaste) romance. If you're looking for a bit of a zing, this is the one to go with! Michelle's writing is fresh and enchanting, and I learned a great deal about the Vikings, which is always a bonus to my way of thinking! Gotta love history.

ABOUT THE BOOK:Professor Cassie Larson leads a life her undergrad students hope to attain, until she tumbles into the North Sea and is sucked down into a swirling vortex...and a different century. Alarik, son of a Viking chieftain, is blamed for a murder he didn't commit-or did he? He can't remember. On the run, saving a half-drowned foreign woman wasn't in his plan. Ragnar is a converted pagan shunned by many but determined to prove his Cousin Alarik's innocence. He didn't count on falling in love with Cassie or the deadly presence of evil that threatens his village in Alarik's absence. 

Shadowed in Silk was another COTT conquering novel that yanked me straight out of my chair and into its setting--the British Raj in India. Lighter on the romance and heavier on the history, author Christine Lindsay's novel is one no avid reader should mess, but especially fans of M.M. Kaye. The setting is replete with India's vivid colors, spicy scents, and exotic customs. I can't wait for the continuing story!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

After the Great War, Abby Fraser returns to India with her small son, where her husband is stationed with the British army. She has longed to go home to the land of glittering palaces and veiled women . . . but Nick has become a cruel stranger. It will take more than her American pluck to survive.

Major Geoff Richards, broken over the loss of so many of his men in the trenches of France, returns to his cavalry post in Amritsar. But his faith does little to help him understand the ruthlessness of his British peers toward the Indian people he loves. Nor does it explain how he is to protect Abby Fraser and her child from the husband who mistreats them.

Amid political unrest, inhospitable deserts, and Russian spies, tensions rise in India as the people cry for the freedom espoused by Gandhi. Caught between their own ideals and duty, Geoff and Abby stumble into sinister secrets . . . secrets that will thrust them out of the shadows and straight into the fire of revolution.

Behold the Dawn took my breath away. The first quarter was slow, but I continued reading because I was hypnotized by the author's gorgeous prose. When I hit the quarter mark, the heroine was introduced. I became so captivated in the story, that I could hardly function until it was over. Before I'd even turned the last digital page, I'd already declared K.M Weiland to be my new "favorite author of all time". The novel is deeply historical, but the romance is equally deep and abiding. Marcus still lives in my mind, and he's welcome to stay as long as he'd like. 
All of thirty seconds after completion I bought Weiland's other novel, A Man Called Outlaw. It was almost as good, but then it will take a novel of massively amazing proportions to knock Behold the Dawn from its lofty perch. MUST READ!!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Marcus Annan, a tourneyer famed for his prowess on the battlefield, thought he could keep the secrets of his past buried forever. But when a mysterious crippled monk demands Annan help him find justice for the transgressions of sixteen years ago, Annan is forced to leave the tourneys and join the Third Crusade. Wounded in battle and hunted by enemies on every side, he rescues an English noblewoman from an infidel prison camp and flees to Constantinople. But, try as he might, he cannot elude the past. Amidst the pain and grief of a war he doesn't even believe in, he is forced at last to face long-hidden secrets and sins and to bare his soul to the mercy of a God he thought he had abandoned years ago.

This Week in Review--July 16-22, 2011

I'm behind on my Edgy Christian Fiction Summer Blog Tour announcements! It's too bad since there were some great stops this week, but you can still hit them up. If you're on the hunt for some suggestions for great summer reads, check out the following blogs:

Author Tammy Doherty's recommendations

Author Tracy Krauss's recommendations

On Monday, the tour will be RIGHT HERE!

WRITERLY NEWS

Dear friend and COTT assistant editor, Michelle Massaro, and I are exploring co-writing a novel, with the working title Better Than Fiction. It's been under prayer and consideration for many weeks, but this week we buckled down and chiseled out our characters' goals, motivations, and conflicts. The exact details are hush-hush for now, but I can say that this novel is revolutionary in the Christian fiction world. Exciting times! Keep your ears open for progress on this totally cool venture....

That dream-inspired novel I plotted out last week has consumed my mind and the more I think about it, the more I love it. Its setting (Britain, 430 AD) is one little explored in fiction and the world in general, which gives me chill bumps of excitement, but makes a story difficult to plot. I've done a tiny bit of research this week, but every time I look a little further into the lives of these barbarians, I learn that an element of my plot won't work. Lol! But it's so much fun, I can hardly contain myself.

Warring Spirits has been put on semi-hold until I get the manuscript back from my editor. It's been a great time for burrowing out those elusive research details.

Wounded Spirits was featured on writer Jessica R Patch's blog this week. I had a blast chatting with her readers. Thanks, Jessica, for having me!

My curious inner-cat prompted me to explore the editorial side of publishing and volunteer my time at Astraea Press. I'm so glad I did, because I LOVE it. Granted, I've only worked on two manuscripts, but so far, it's a rush. Maybe it's the power, maybe it's just the change of pace. Who knows? I'm certainly keen to continue the exploration!

COTT Book Club--The Stones and David's Bathsheba

We’re on to Week Three of our look at Eleanor Gustafson’s The Stones…

As a missionaries, while Stateside, my family and I traveled all over the nation visiting churches. This equaled many long, boring miles in the car with two siblings just as grumpy as I was. Like it was yesterday, I remember the day one of us grew desperate and asked Dad for a story we had never heard before. He took off on a tale of a king who had many wives but “hugged and kissed” that of another man. I remember my  horror at the thought, but it was compounded when I learned how this king covered his sin—by murdering her husband. At the end of this fascinating (yet rather embarrassing--Dad was talking about kissing. Yuck!) story, Dad told us that this king was none other than King David.

My little heart was completely broken. King David? No way! He was the lowly shepherd boy that killed lions and bears and mean giants. He was my hero. Isn’t he every kid’s? A tiny part of my innocence died that day.
I hated the story, but today, I look at in a different light—with gratitude. If David can behave in such a despicable way and still be called “a man after God’s own heart”, maybe there’s hope for me.

In The Stones, Ellie handles this portion of David’s life with brutal clarity and truth, and I thank her for it. Uriah is a sharp contrast to the king, who, at the height of his power, had become self-indulgent. In the voice of Asaph, Ellie writes:

I meditated, too, on the supreme irony of Uriah, flame of Yahweh. Had he known or guessed his wife was pregnant? He was certainly intelligent enough to put two and two together. Yet he would not do the one thing that would get David off the hook, and his very bravery and zeal became David’s weapon to destroy him. A man of gallantry, ready to die for his prince’s honor, died instead by his prince’s hand. 


Poor guy.

In her study guide, Ellie asks a couple of questions, which I thought I’d put to you, as well.

Why do you think God chose Bathsheba rather than a more “acceptable” wife (such as Abigail) to establish the House of David and the long line leading to the birth of Jesus?


In The Stones, Asaph was greatly affected by David’s colossal sin. (See Scroll Two, chapter 18). What, beyond the armband and scroll that David brought to him, restored his relationship with David?

Ellie is chatting with her readers all this month at the COTT Book Club and at our Facebook Page.

If you haven’t gotten it yet, make sure you pick up your copy of COTT champ, Delia Latham's,Destiny's Dream. We'll be discussing this fun romance next month!

--April W Gardner is the Sr. Editor at Clash of the Titles, 

and the award-winning author of Wounded Spirits

Reflections Wednesday--Wanna Blog?

Ever thought about starting a blog? Many have, but are held back by one question--What would I write about that anyone on the planet earth would care to read about? The same question stunted my blog growth for a long time too (and often still does!).

Patty Wysong is a guest every Monday this month over at Reflections in Hindsight. If you ever wanted to know anything about blogging, she's your gal. Her focus this month has been to help blog writers and blog writer wannabes identify a purpose for their blogs.

The first Monday, she spoke on How to Make Blogs Work for You. "Three years ago a realistic number for my platform would’ve been 15. Today the calculator reads 5500+ and I now have an agent. Big difference, huh?"

The second, Blog Niche vs Purpose. "As writers, we’re told to find a niche. We’re also told to use that niche to build a platform. Sounds good, but it’s not as easy as it first appears. First of all, how do you find a niche you want to blog about for months on end?"

And this week, Patty talked about Knowing Who You Are. "Blogging is not just what to write about, it’s a matter of who you are to your readers. No, I don’t mean you have to rank with the stars at all. I’m talking about how you present yourself to your readers." 

I'm looking forward to seeing what wisdom she plans to impart next Monday. In the meantime, head over to these different links and get inspired to start blogging!

This Week in Review--July 9-15, 2011

It's been a great week! Here are the highlights.

• On Monday, I shot my manuscript off to my editor for first round edits. Whahoo! After months and months of writing non-stop and all but ignoring my house, I've taken the week to CLEAN. It's amazing what an orderly house will do for the spirits!
• My sweet-heart made rank and will sew on his Master Sergeant strip sometime early next year. You rock, baby!
• With the help of my sweet self-sacrificing friend, I processed 25lbs of Georgia peaches. Four hours, 20 pints of jam, 6 quarters of peach halves, and one ruined stove-top later, we wiped the sweat from our brows, the syrup from our clothes and called it a day. Oh and FYI, boiling sugar melts and pits glass-top stoves.
• As an answer to prayer, the kids each received a scholarship to the local Christian day camp. Thank you, Jesus! Next week is bound to be a blast.
• Wounded Spirits did not final in the Carol Awards, but I am surprisingly perfectly fine with that. Got the scores back today and the numbers weren't bad at all. I find it an answer to prayer that I can actually walk away from it with a smile on my face. The first writing contest I attempted (many years ago) left me depressed for a full week.
• This morning I woke from an amazing dream, picked up my netbook, and started writing. Two hours later, I had half of a brand new book plotted. I might never write it, but it's been a blast to outline.

That was my week in a nutshell. Tell me about yours!

We're off to the next location of our ECFL summer blog tour!

Author B.J. Robinson chats about four of her favorite books:

Last Resort

Burning Hearts

The Green Veil

In Plain Sight

Reflections Wednesday--What the Bleep Did that Christian Just Say?

As the senior editor of Clash of the Titles, I recently was forced to implement one of our policies—no cussing allowed. The excerpt submitted had no swear words, but the book did. The author had signed a document saying that the book had no foul language, but it came down to our different understanding of what “foul” means. To the author’s credit, our disclaimer didn’t specify “this includes the ‘gentler’ variety,” so it makes sense that we’d eventually have a misunderstanding with one of our authors. We’ve amended our disclaimer to make it more clear, but the whole episode made me wonder what the majority of us think about even mild swear words in the books we read, specifically Christian fiction.
READ MORE...

The Stones--COTT's July Book Club Pick

-guest post by COTT Senior Editor, April W Gardner

Since we’re in the middle of Clash of the Title’s two week summer break, we thought we’d introduce you to the book club COTT has recently begun. All this month we’re delving into The Stones written by COTT champ, Eleanor (Ellie) Gustafson.

The Stones is a historical/biblical novel based on the life of Kind David. Most of us know how the story ends (wink), but Ellie presents the details in such a fresh and unique way that I find it’s almost as if I’ve never read the story before. It’s hefty reading, but I’m really enjoying it. Ellie’s prose is lovely and almost poetic. It’s enchanting. And the historical detail simply fascinates me. Actually, I’m quite in awe of all the research she’d done.

My favorite so far in the book is Abigail, David’s third wife. She was always one of my favorite female Bible characters. I think it’s rather romantic that saving her retched husband’s life earned her the (future) king’s love. Her dead husband was barely cold in the ground before David took her to wife. Talk about making an impression!

Quite the colorful character in The Stones, she’s strong-willed (which wasn’t a gift in those days) and usually the cause for tension. But it’s generally because she’s fighting for what she believes God requires of them. David’s standing before God and the people is more important to her than her staying in his good graces, which she doesn’t lose for long anyway. David loves her too much.

Care for a tiny peek into her personality? Here she is chiding David for bringing booty home from the Amalekites he’s just raided and killed.

She says, “Did you consult Abiathar and the Urim and thummin to find out if you’re the man to do it? It seems to me you’re tearing off this ‘vengeance’ thing, when it’s the Lord’s business to—”
 “Enough, woman! You have a find hand on my faults and don’t hesitate to say so.” (great line, by the way) The flare died quickly, and David sighed as he wrung a cloth and wiped his dusty face. “Abigail, Abigail, you don’t understand. We have our reasons. We—”
 “You mean Joab has his reasons. This was his idea, wasn’t it?”
 “Yes, and it’s a good idea.” His voice grew irritable again. “We must get Achish to trust us. Once he thinks we’ve made ourselves odious to the Israelites… And besides, I thought you’d like clothes and jewelry.”
 “They’re soaked in blood. I’d never wear them” (Wow. A scene with this feisty gal is always interesting!)

Historical/biblical fiction is my all time favorite genre, but I can’t help but wonder the entire time that I’m reading--Which parts are real and which are made up? In a book club setting, I get to ask the author questions as I’m reading. How fun is that?!

If you’ve ever had a question about the life of David, Ellie’s your gal. She will be available all month long at the Clash of the Titles Book Club to chat with her readers and anyone who would like to meet another of our amazing COTT Champs!

WANT TO BE A PART OF COTT STAFF?

Clash of the Titles, is on the search for a new staff member! If you are a writer who’s looking to gain exposure, connect with other authors, add bullets to you professional bio, and have a blast doing it, we would love to chat with you to see if we are a good fit. Please contact us for more details: contactcott(at)gmail(dot)com.

--April W Gardner is the award-winning author of  Wounded Spirits.

This Week in Review--July 2-8, 2011

I'd love to say I was able to get Warring Spirits ready to send to my editor, but truth be told, it's been such a crazy week that I haven't had two writing minutes to rub together.  My goal for this weekend? You guessed it--get Warring ready for first round edits. You have permission to check on me to make sure I'm not wasting away my hours on Facebook. Or Blogger!

If you've been hanging around my Facebook page, you'll have seen that I'm trying my first Nora Roberts book, Blood Brothers. Isn't she a romance author? 'Cause half-way into Blood Brothers, I'd say this one is most definitely not romance. Not yet, anyway. Since it's night and day from my own writing, I find it refreshing, despite the swearing.

At Clash of the Titles we're looking for a new staff member! From the COTT blog:


If you are a writer who’s looking to gain exposure, connect with other authors, add bullets to you professional bio, and have a blast doing it, we would love to chat with you to see if we are a good fit. 

We've had a lot of interest, and would appreciate your prayers as we choose the right person for the position.

On a non-writerly note...Morgan is going to her last physical therapy appointment today. Yay! She hasn't regained 100% movement in her forefinger. That top joint is being a little persnickety, but we're hopefully it'll eventually behave. Thank you all for your prayers.

What was the most exciting part of your week?

Edgy Christian Fiction Summer Blog Tour

This summer, I'm taking part in the

 Edgy Christian Fiction lovers

Summer Blog Tour.

We'll be visiting lots of blogs and discovering a slew of amazing books!

Our first stop is author Donna B Snow's blog where she chats about three of her faves:


DAFFODILS by Donna Snow
DESTINY'S DREAM by Delia Latham
TENDER MERCIES by Mary Manners


Head over there now!

Wednesday Reflections

It being my off-Wednesday at Reflections in Hindsight, I don't have a post of my own to share, but here's one by Lisa Lickel who has a brief interview with author Diane Brandmeyer. Diane co-wrote a non-fiction book entitled "We're Not Blended, We're Pureed! A Survivors Guide to Blended Families." Her co-author is a psychologist Mary Lintvedt and this is what Diane has to say about their writing process: "She would read my chapter and then write from a clinical view of what Ed and I did right as well as what we could have done better."

That had to have been a scary process! Lol! But I bet between the two of them, they have a load of helpful advice to give.

The book looks fun and practical, so I thought I might pass it along to those who might be interested or in need. It's available this summer so be on the look out for it!

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE

COTT Victory for Joanne Sher

Guest post by Michelle Massaro
The winner of this week's COTT battle is....

  

Joanne Sher!

Joanne joins the notable COTT Conquerors family as a pre-published author. Her writing passion is Biblical and historical fiction—paving rough roads with God’s presence. Joanne says her dream is to be able to submit to Clash of The Titles as a published author. We are confident that day will come.

Find her at http://www.joannesher.com/

Her winning excerpt came from her manuscript entitled Handmaiden to a Princess:
“Don't you have to leave now?” Mama took a sip of water and looked out at the sun. Rivka's eyes followed her mother's. The colors of the sunrise were already beginning to fade into the blue of the Israeli sky.
Rivka nodded. “Good bye, Mama. Off to the gardens.” She half-jogged toward the next part of her morning ritual.
Rivka’s sandals flip-flopped on the dirt, her steps brisk and light. The scents of the lilies of the valley and hyacinths slowed her pace the closer she got. The grass before her, still touched with the last of the morning’s dew, slapped against the sides of her sandals. She stopped, closed her eyes, and took in a long, slow breath.
Aroma fit for royalty.

read the full excerpt, and that of her most worthy competitor, Mary Hall, here. 

Some reader comments:
I felt that excerpt 'A' was really good in that the little girl was so a part of the description.
I want to go walk in the garden!
I felt the soil in my hands, and smelled the fragrance of flowers in the air. Lovely!
I could see and smell the flowers

About her win, Joanne said:
WOW - I'm SO excited! What an honor. And what a FUN clash it's been.
Like the other members of the COTT family of authors, Joanne and Mary both praised each other's work and exuded a Christ-like spirit throughout the competition.
 
Get to know Joanne through her interview with her COTT hostess, Gail Pallotta here.

Congratulations, Joanne! We can't wait to see you in print!

Join us at COTT for our next Clash. Vote for your favorite and be entered to win a free book. Have a book or theme suggestion? Send it in! Have you written the next blockbuster hit? Send us your 500 best words. We want to hear from you. 

bio: Michelle Massaro is Assistant Editor for the literary website Clash of the Titles. She has written for The Write Conversation, Pentalk, COF Ministries, and Romantic Times. She and her husband of 16 years live in sunny So Cal with their four children. Above all, she is a follower of Christ Jesus, unashamed to stand upon the Word of God from beginning to end. Connect with her on her blog, twitter @MLMassaro, and Facebook.

This Week in Review

It’s been far too long since I’ve written anything of a personal nature on my blog, and I aim to remedy that. Is it a coincidence that the very week, I finish the first draft of Warring Spirits, I suddenly have a sliver of brain available for my blog?  I think not. Life has time for only so much.

Every book I write comes easier, but it’s still a slow process for me. I just read on my ACFW writer’s loop a post by author Tricia Goyer who said that she’s written five books this year. She might have meant within the last year (versus in 2011) but regardless, I’m blow away. I’m doing good to write one. Maybe when I’ve got as many under my belt as she does, it’ll come that easy for me too.

At any rate, the first draft of Warring Spirits is two scenes from completion. For some reason those two just don’t want to come, but I’m not worried about them. They’ll behave given time. For now, I’ve set them in a corner of my mind and am working on adding meat to my characters and their spiritual arcs. It’s a pleasant change of pace.

This week I ordered and received the Flip Dictionary. It’s a thesaurus on steroids, and I’m loving it. Its tagline: For when you know what you want to say but can’t think of the word. The Flip Dictionary “offers cues and clue words to lead you to the exact phrase or specific term you need.”

 I once read a quote from Stephen King that more or less said if you need a thesaurus for a word you don’t need the word. I know the man is super-smart and even more super-rich and has like 873 book contracts, but I’ll still disagree with him. There is no shame is using a thesaurus. King might be able to store an abundance of words in his brain, but not me.  As soon as I use them, they’re gone. People think that because I’m an author, I should have flowery words at the tip of my tongue and be good at crossword puzzles and word games. Can you hear me belly laughing?

Being a writer just means I have a vivid imagination and the desire and self-discipline to train myself to put the stories in my head onto paper in an organized and creative fashion. That’s it. That is also why I have yet to win a game of Words With Friends on my iPhone. If you want an easy win, send me a game invite. 

On a non-writing note, Happy 4th of July weekend! Every Independence Day I spend in the States is more special than the last. I haven’t had many of them Stateside, so I think they mean more to me than the average gal. 

I plan to pick apples from my tree and bake a couple of pies. My tree produces some of the best baking apples. We have more than we’ll use, so if you live around here, swing on by! 

Do you have any big plans for this weekend?