Fun Friday - Top 3 Best Selling Books - A Surprise

WHAT HAS HAPPENED?

The top three best sellers . . . (on Amazon week June 10) two of which are cookbooks and one is a political comentary and opinon book.

That is quite different, don't you think? The political commentary is sandwiched between two cookbooks.

People have been  quarantined for over a year, so I was surprised to see the #1 and #3 best sellers were cookbooks. For most of us, being at home during pandemic, are probably ready to go out and eat. . . yet cookbooks are needed. 

And after hearing all the noise this past year with politics, I was a little surprised a political book was the number two best seller.

👉So the question is this:

Would you have guessed that two cookbooks would be in the top three books in the "Best Seller" list chosen along with a political book?

Have upi ever thought about writing a "cookbook"?

Should authors think about compiling receipes their families love and putting them together to share with others? And if we deed, would it bring more attention to our other books?

Have you ever thought about writing a comentary on the political scene?

👇

The #1 Seller -  Skinnytaste Meal Prep by Gina Homolka

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Save time, money, and calories with #1 New York Times bestselling author Gina Homolka's simple, smart solutions for healthy freezer meals, ready-to-serve dishes, grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches, ingenious "planned-overs," and more.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BON APPÉTIT

 

#2 Best Seller -  American Marxism by Mark R. Levin

The six-time #1 New York Times bestselling author, Fox News star, and radio host Mark R. Levin explains how the dangers he warned against in the “timely yet timeless” (David Limbaugh, author of Jesus Is Risen) bestseller Liberty and Tyranny have come to pass.

#3 Best Seller - Joshua Weissman  An Unapologetic Cookbook

With no regrets, excuses, or apologies, Joshua Weissman will instruct you how with his irreverent humor, a little bit of light razzing, and over 100 perfectly delectable recipes. If you love to host and entertain; if you like a good project; if you crave control of your food; if fast food or the frozen aisle or the super-fast-super-easy cookbook keep letting your tastebuds dow

Interview With Janet Grunst

 Suite T's Interview with Janet Grunst

Janet Grunst is a lifelong student of history. her love of writing fiction grew out of a desire to share stories that communicate the truths of the Christian faith, as well as entertain, bring inspiration, and encouragement to the reader. She is a wife, mother of two sons, and grandmother of eight who lives in the historic triangle of Virginia (Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown) with her husband. Her debut novel, A Heart Set Free was the 2016 Selah Award winner for Historical Romance. The second book in the series, A Heart For Freedom was the 2019 Christian Indie Award for Historical Fiction.

Janet how do you manage to write a historical novel and make it feel fresh?

While historical events and actual people are set at a specific point in time, there are often details about them that readers have little knowledge of and find interesting. Fictional characters in historical novels often experience many of the same issues mankind has struggled with throughout time. The characters’ attitudes and how they navigate life decisions are often a view into the era and culture in which they live. 

What elements do you use to make your historical fiction become what your readers want to read? 

I believe readers want a compelling story, either character or event-driven. Thorough research and accuracy in depicting everything about the era are critical. Readers of historicals expect that and pick up on an author’s errors. Those of us who write historical fiction love the research, and for me, it’s an ongoing process, not just before I start a story. It involves everything from words, idioms, and items in use at the time, modes of travel and communication, and knowledge of the area in which the story takes place.   

Where did the idea come from for this book?

 

This is the third story in a series about several families. The stories are all stand-alone and focus on a specific period of the American Revolution. A Heart Set Free takes place before the war, A Heart For Freedom early in the war. Setting Two Hearts Free is in the latter years of the war. The third story delves into what we know today as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While the condition is better understood in recent decades, often associated with war, it has been around forever. PTSD not only affects the individual but also impacts their family and friends. Both of the story’s main characters are suffering from trauma, though for different reasons.

 

Did you ask the “What if questions” and if so, what were the first what if questions?

Interesting question. My what-ifs would have to be what if my traumatized characters’ behavior is misunderstood and fractured relationships. And what if there is no easy answer to solve it?

Were you able to put a different twist on your story so it would not seem like other stories?

Yes, I had several characters coping with PTSD, and one with non-combat-related trauma who struggled with it. It’s a complex condition and I wanted to write a story of perseverance and hope. PTSD is a complex condition and isn’t always solved. However, people can learn to have fulfilling and productive lives while coping with it. 

Did you focus on a specific group of people during a turbulent time?

 The Revolutionary War lasted seven years and was our first civil war often pitting neighbors, families, and friends against each other. The series takes place in various parts of Virginia and the Carolinas centering around several families in Fairfax County and Alexandria during the Revolutionary War.  

What time periods do you like to write about?

I find many different eras fascinating. The series takes place in the colonial period through the Revolutionary War. I also have a novella The Year Without Summer, in The Highlanders: A Smitten Historical Romance Collection. It takes place in 1816 Scotland and Ireland. The story I’m currently working on takes place in 1847.

What draws you to that time period?

I find it fascinating how current events can change the course of a person's life. The circumstances my characters find themselves in are the result of personal tragedy, political, economic, cultural, agricultural, and even geological events.

Did you focus on a special individual?

Since my stories are all in the historical romantic fiction genre there are always two main characters. 

Do you think the setting enhances your writing?

Absolutely. I think the setting gives a story depth, and sometimes a vital part of the story.

What advice would you give a novice about writing historical novels?

Write the truth about history, the good and the bad. We live in an era when history is being rewritten and too often our young people are not being educated about what made our country great.

Be faithful in doing the research as much as writing your story. Accuracy is essential and in historical fiction, it will impact almost everything in your story.

And finally how do you feel the pandemic affected your writing?

Other factors impacted my writing during this period, but I can’t blame them on the pandemic. 

We want to thank Janet for spending time with us today, If you love historical fiction you will definitely love Janet Grunst stories.

Here are links to get in touch with Janet Grunst:

https://janetgrunst.com/                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

https://www.facebook.com/Janet-Grunst-Author-385405948228216/ 

 https://colonialquills.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                               

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/janet-s-grunst  

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16148716.Janet_S_Grunst                                   

 https://twitter.com/janetgrunst                                                                                            

 https://www.instagram.com/janetgrunst/                                                                                  

 https://mewe.com/i/janetgrunst

 

The Best Laid Plans…

Patricia Bradley

Well, it’s time to see how my plans worked out since my February post. At that time, it was almost the end of February, and I had set what I thought were reachable goals. Let’s see how that turned out:



February 28, 2021, I had 18,000 words. That was 2K less than I’d hoped for, but not bad. After that it was all downhill, and I don’t mean in a good way. My daughter contracted Covid 19 which threw me for a loop. She is almost 800 miles away, but fortunately she had a mild case. Unfortunately, just as she was getting ready to go back to work, she developed Covid pneumonia. Since February 26th she has been in and out of the hospital four times, the last stay lasting almost three weeks. I flew down there for eight days.



It’s amazing to me that there are writers who can write under any circumstance. I am not one of them. By the time I got my head back into the book and had 45,000 words written, guess what? Edits for Crosshairs, the third book in the Natchez Trace Park Rangers arrived. And it was a hot mess!



Three weeks later, I turned in the edits and have now started on the fourth book once more…but guess what again? As I write this, it’s the middle of May and there is no way I can meet my June 1 deadline. My agent contacted my editor and explained the situation and she graciously gave me until July 1. That means I need to write 2000 words five days a week to meet a deadline that gives me enough time to polish the manuscript. No goofing off when I’m supposed to be writing. And NO ONE can have an emergency—I don’t have time for it. (You’re supposed to grin here.)



One thing I know—God called me to do this writing gig, and he will enable me to meet my deadline.



I’ll keep you posted when I turn the manuscript it!

 

 

Patricia Bradley is a Carol finalist and winner of an Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award in Suspense, and three anthologies that included her stories debuted on the USA Today Best Seller List. She and her two cats call Northeast Mississippi home--the South is also where she sets most of her books. Her romantic suspense novels include the Logan Point series and the Memphis Cold Case Novels. Obsession, the second book in the Natchez Trace Park Rangers series, released February 2, 2021. She is now hard at work on the third book and fourth book, Crosshairs and Deception.

Links:

Website https://ptbradley.com/

Blog - https://ptbradley.com/blog/

Facebook – www.facebook.com/patriciabradleyauthor

Twitter – https://twitter.com/PTBradley1

Amazon – https://amzn.to/2S6DKGY

Bookbub- https://www.bookbub.com/profile/patricia-bradley

Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7789445.Patricia_Bradley

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ptbradley1/

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/ptbradley/

When Will Life Get Back To Normal?

 Lynn Austin

We’ve all been at war with the COVID-19 virus this past year, and the fear, uncertainty, and isolation we’ve experienced have been depressing at times. Like many authors, I began to wonder if I had anything worthwhile to say, and if I did, would anyone be interested in reading it. Then I recalled another time when world events had a similar, destructive effect on my writing, and I remembered the lessons I’d learned back then. The event was the 9/11 terror attacks. At the time, I was writing a historical novel about the Civil War, and my first thought was “Who will want to read about that when the world is in such turmoil? With news headlines commanding our attention, will people even read novels anymore?”

In the hours and days after the shocking attacks, we all wondered what would happen next. Would life as we knew it halt like all the air traffic? My daughter was in high school at the time, and one evening she poured out her fear and grief due to her disrupted life and unknown future. Would she ever have the things she’d dreamed of? Would she ever feel safe again? As I listened and wept with her, I realized that her feelings were probably the same as the young main character in my novel. Her country was also at war. An enemy threatened her city, and she feared for her life and her loved ones’ lives. I quickly wrote down everything my daughter had shared (with her permission) and returned to my novel with new insights.

That memory from 9/11 has kept me writing, and has even energized my writing, during this pandemic. What we’ve all experienced this past year—the fear, the isolation, the shortages, the canceling of our travel plans and weddings and graduations, and most of all, the specter of death hovering over us and our loved ones—has been experienced by the generations who have come before us. Their stories and their examples of courage and sacrifice can motivate and inspire us in our current times. I’ve had my dark moments this past year, but I’ve continued to write, pouring my own feelings of grief and worry and helplessness into my characters’ stories with firsthand insight.

When the pandemic struck, I had been researching and writing two novels that take place during World War II. The first book, If I Were You, released four months after the lockdown and tells the story of two young women who endure life in war-torn London, including the terrifying Nazi bombing blitz. The second book, Chasing Shadows, which releases June 8, tells the stories of three women who are trying to survive in the Netherlands after the surprise Nazi invasion and occupation of their country. The events in these novels share many similarities with the current pandemic.

Foremost are our fears: Will I survive? Will my loved ones survive? Also, our sense of helplessness, which can lead to despair, anger, and even hatred. Our many losses are the same, including our dreams and various measures of freedom. We all ride the never-ending emotional ups and downs of hope and disappointment. And we share the uncertainty about tomorrow, the inability to plan for an unknown future, and the anxiety of wondering when our situation will finally end. Of course, we know that World War II did end with the defeat of the Nazis. Life gradually returned to normal. But the men and women who lived through that war, day by day for five long years, had no idea how it would end or how much longer they would be forced to suffer.

In challenging times, we each must choose how we will respond. While some people succumbed to despair and emotional breakdown during WWII, many, many more found sources of great courage and faith that led them to accomplish selfless, courageous acts. In both novels, I chose to write about characters who responded with faith and courage. Yes, they sometimes felt fear and self-pity, but it was love for the people they cared about that helped them rise above their circumstances. I saw many examples of such selfless courage during this pandemic, especially from our medical workers.

“When will life get back to normal?” I hear that longing voiced nearly every day. I want to reply, “Probably never.” Things will never go back to the way they were. For the men and women in WWII, the war finally ended, but their lives were very different—and in some ways, better. They had learned things about themselves and had gained new strengths and new levels of faith in God that transformed them into different people. Better people. Hardship will change us, one way or another. It can destroy us or strengthen us if we allow it to. It’s my hope that the two novels I published during this pandemic will energize readers’ faith and offer this message of hope from author C. S. Lewis, who endured WWII in Great Britain: “There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.”

Lynn Austin has sold more than one and a half million copies of her books worldwide. A former teacher who now writes and speaks full-time, she has won eight Christy Awards for her historical fiction and was one of the first inductees into the Christy Award Hall of Fame. One of her novels, Hidden Places, was made into a Hallmark Channel Original Movie. Lynn and her husband have three grown children and make their home in western Michigan. Visit her online at lynnaustin.org

When God Has a Different Plan

Jill Weatherholt

When I signed my first contract with Harlequin Love Inspired in 2015, a question asked often was, “Are you going to quit your day job?”



In 2015, when I entered the Blurb to Book contest offered by my current publisher, writing was a hobby. It was something I did to relieve stress. My best friend, and mother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Escaping into my story world was a balm for my heartache.



As I advanced in the contest, I realized my hobby had an opportunity to go in a different direction. Today, I know it was all part of God’s plan, but back then, I was clueless as to what He had in store for me.



At the end of the contest, a contract for my first book was offered. It was a dream come true.

But wait—early on, I’d never dreamed of becoming a published writer. I’m not one of those authors who knew when they were a child that they wanted to write books. I didn’t even know it when I reached adulthood. In my thirties and early forties, there was no desire to see my name in print. Sure, I loved to read since I was a child, but writing a book? It just wasn’t on my radar.



Then something shifted. At the time, I couldn’t explain it. Suddenly I became obsessed with all things related to writing. I found myself journaling about how I wanted to be a writer. I was hooked on reading author websites and learning about their journey to publication. I wasn’t sure where this desire was coming from, but I was unable to escape it. I began to study the craft. I wrote short stories for fun, and even entered a few contests. In fact, one of those contests was with Southern Writer’s Magazine. They were the first to ever publish something that I’d written. Then another story was published, and contests were won.



But it was one month after I turned fifty-years-old, when things took a major turn. On August 17, 2015, I received a phone call from New York. I remember I was at my day job. When I saw the New York area code on my cell, I let it go into voicemail thinking it was a solicitor. A few minutes later, the same number popped up on my screen again. For a second time, I ignored it. Then it dawned on me, and my heart began to race. Harlequin is in New York. Wasn’t today the day the editors were going to offer a contract? I panicked. What if they didn’t call a third time? What if they moved on to the next contestant?



My fears subsided when I saw the same number appear on the screen. From that moment on, my world changed. It became a series of constant deadlines, and a future filled with writing synopses—something that doesn’t come easy for a panster like me.



It wasn’t until after I signed that first contract that I realized God knew what I wanted before I even did. How amazing is that? He instilled that determination. He gave me this wonderful gift. Knowing this is what keeps me pressing forward on those days when I sit down at my computer and wonder, how in the world I’ll ever get this book written. When I find myself overwhelmed by life, extensive edits and not enough time. I relax and remind myself who’s in control of my writing journey.



Six years later, I’m still at the same day job, continuing to publish books and helping to care for my mother. Is it tough to keep all the balls in the air? Of course, it is. Is it okay if I accidentally drop one of those balls? Yes, it is, thanks to God’s grace and this amazing gift He’s given me.

Jill Weatherholt. By day, Jill Weatherholt works for the City of Charlotte. At night, and on the weekend, she writes contemporary stories about love, faith and forgiveness for Harlequin Love Inspired.

Raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., she now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, but her heart belongs to Virginia.

She holds a degree in Psychology from George Mason University and Paralegal Studies Certification from Duke University.

She shares her life with her real-life hero and number one supporter. Their relationship grew on the golf course, and now they have one in their backyard.

Jill believes in enjoying every moment of this journey because God has everything under control.

Visit Jill at https://jillweatherholt.com/

Fun Friday ~ Cover and Title Puzzle

Amazon's Top 20 Most Sold & Most Read Books of the Week May 23, 2021.

Here are first 3 books from that list.

Fiction

The puzzle is: 

What did they do to get this many reviews?

What drew people to buy the book?

 

1. Title

    2. Cover

                    

                3. Author's Name

What are your thoughts concerning how these books attained their ranking?

Waves, Air Hugs and Hidden Smiles

Ann Gabhart

Over a year ago, when Covid19 hit and officials shut down all non-essential activities to try to slow the spread, most of us were thinking things coming to a halt for a couple of weeks wouldn’t be so bad. But then it wasn’t only a couple of weeks or even a couple of months. Normal activities came to a screeching halt. Grandparents were afraid to let their grandchildren visit. Birthdays and graduations were celebrated with drive-by waves. We shared air hugs from a distance and smiles were hidden behind masks. Toilet paper became the most sought after item at the store and grocery clerks looked exhausted from ringing up all the panic buying.  

For many people the pandemic did majorly change the routine of their lives over this last year. People worked from home. Children went to virtual school. People in nursing homes and hospitals had to go it alone. We waited in cars for our turns to see doctors or while our family members were having medical procedures done. We couldn’t be with our loved ones even in emergencies. Instead of family members, nurses were the ones to hold the hands of those breathing their last. That had to be the saddest part of this pandemic year.

With all that said, my writing life didn’t see much of a change. To write a story I have to sit at my desk, shut out the world around me, put my fingers on the keyboard and let my characters take me off into a world I’m imagining. I don’t see that changing for the stories I’ll be writing post pandemic, especially since I generally write historical novels. In fact, my novel, River to Redemption, was set during a cholera pandemic in 1833. I was very glad I didn’t actually have to live through that dreadful time when deadly cholera swept through our country.   

While my daily writing routine didn’t change, other things I enjoyed as a writer did. In person book events were canceled. I didn’t get to meet readers and talk books. I do hope those kinds of events will start happening again as we go forward. I also hope the new or perhaps I should say renewed appreciation for books as a great source of entertainment doesn’t change. I have always loved books and reading has been a favorite way to enjoy some leisure time ever since I first learned to read as a kid.

As we take steps to defeat this pandemic and have things return to something nearer the normal we once took for granted, I hope to keep coming up with stories. At the same time, I don’t think I will ever again take family visits and in person church attendance for granted. I hope to take full advantage of good times with family and friends in the days ahead even though things do have to be juggled a bit when I face a writing deadline. However, somehow I always find time for my kids and grandkids no matter what the deadline calendar says. Mothers and grandmothers do have to have priorities, after all.  

I’ve been writing many years. My first book was published way back in 1978 when I still had young children at home. So I’ve had plenty of practice squeezing everything in as I’ve written and published over thirty-five books since then.

The actual writing I did during the last year was the same as I have done with all my books. I came up with my idea, spent time researching and considering some “what if” questions to develop the idea, and then worked to bring my characters to life through letting them talk to one another and by their actions in Along a Storied Trail.

I liked getting to know my mountain characters and going along with my packhorse librarian, Tansy Calhoun, as she rode her horse up the mountain trails to the people along her book routes. I am relieved I only had to imagine the cold snowy weather and the shock of that icy water when Tansy had to ford those mountain streams that caused her boots to freeze to her stirrups.

I’m sure if I had lived during that time in those hills, I would have been one of those eager readers running out to meet Tansy, the book woman, to see what book she might have brought me.

Tansy was an appealing mountain character in Along a Storied Trail, but I had a whole book full of people I liked bringing to life. I especially had a great time getting into the skin of Perdita Sweet who had a contrary side to her personality. I’m not sure what enjoying giving voice to a contrary old woman says about me, but perhaps some things shouldn’t be examined too closely!

Along a Storied Trail is a book about stories, where storytelling is front and center. So it’s perfect for me since I love storytelling. I had fun in this book making up a Jack story. Mountain people sometimes told Jack stories around their fireplaces or out on their porches to add a little entertainment to their lives. When books are rare, people do still find a way to have stories. So I decided to make up a Jack story for Aunt Perdie to tell.

I liked returning to the Eastern Kentucky Appalachian Mountains for a new story after the two I’d written about the Frontier Nurse midwives, These Healing Hills, and An Appalachian Summer.  I especially hope readers will be glad to head out along my story trail to meet my characters and enjoy some mountain storytelling in Along a Storied Trail.

 

Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of several Shaker novels—The Refuge, The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker, The Blessed, and The Gifted—as well as other historical novels, including Angel Sister, These Healing Hills, River to Redemption, and An Appalachian Summer. She and her husband live on a farm a mile from where she was born in rural Kentucky. Ann enjoys discovering the everyday wonders of nature while hiking in her farm’s fields and woods with her grandchildren and her dogs, Frankie and Marley.

Learn more at www.annhgabhart.com.

So…What Now?

 Suzanne Woods Fisher

A few weeks ago, I received my second vaccine for Covid-19. Afterwards, driving home, I felt such a sense of relief, like I’d been holding my breath for a long time and could finally release it. Not only is our country finally on the downhill side of a global pandemic, but my (very large, extended) family made it through relatively unscathed. My niece, working as a physician’s assistant on the Covid floor of a NYC hospital, never caught the virus. Early in the pandemic, she begged everyone she knew to send M-95 masks to her. My youngest son, who became infected late in the pandemic, recovered swiftly.



At long last, “normal life” is starting to return. For me, and probably for most full-time writers, it’s not so very different from pandemic life—I’ve always been protective of the time needed to write well and stay on top of deadlines. A question I’m often asked is whether I’m writing more quickly, more efficiently, because of the lockdowns. My answer, “Not really,” comes with a shrug of my shoulders. A manuscript is like a hungry bear. It requires all the time it’s allowed, right up to the deadline. If it’s given more time, it just consumes more time.



Still, there is a lesson from the pandemic that will stick with me: Life can change in the blink of an eye.

That theme circles through At Lighthouse Point, the final book in the Three Sisters Island series. The storyline has nothing to do with a pandemic (who wants to read about that?!), and everything to do with main character Blaine Grayson’s acute awareness of her vulnerabilities. After an absence of two years, Blaine returns to the little island in Maine with big plans and high hopes, only to discover that any control she thought she had over her life was an illusion.



Hold on! The story doesn’t end on a bleak note. It would, if God weren’t part of the conversation. Happily, He is. For Blaine, for me, for you. The Lord God has plans for this world that’s emerging, slowly, from a global pandemic. Good plans. Ones that are full of hope, full of a bright future. Plans for each one of us. There’s a verse in the book of Isaiah that’s just as relevant today as it was in 700 BC, when the prophet penned them:

“Forget about what’s happened;

don’t keep going over old history.

Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.

It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?

There it is!” (Isaiah 43:18-19, msg)

With over one million copies sold, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a bestselling, award winning author of over 30 books, ranging from novels to children’s books to non-fiction. She is a Christy Award finalist, a Carol and Selah award winner, and a two-time finalist for ECPA Book of the Year. She writes stories that take you to places you’ve never visited—one with characters that seem like old friends. But most of all, her books give you something to think about long after you’ve finished reading it. Suzanne lives with her very big family in northern California.

Readers are invited to stop by www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.

Hope In the Midst of Illness

 

Tracy Crump

In my friend Johnnie Alexander’s suspense novel, The Mischief Thief, the lead male character tells an amusing story about his collie, Griff, who locked himself in the bathroom. The book was fiction, but I happened to know the story was true. Johnnie’s collie, Griff, did just that!

Whether we write fiction or nonfiction, our work reflects life events.

Shortly after I began writing, a friend encouraged me to submit a story to a Chicken Soup for the Nurse’s Soul book, knowing I had worked as a nurse many years ago. I ended up sending five stories. Two, both true accounts of patients I cared for in intensive care, were published.

Those stories started a string of anthology acceptances about anything from my family and pets to a horse that dunked me in a pond. People wanted to hear about my life—to laugh or cry with me, to know that we are more alike than different.

I also published a number of magazine articles and later moved into writing devotions. Short and tightly focused, these jewels are most effective when they immediately connect with the reader, usually through a personal experience story. Again, stories from my life became the basis for a whole new area of writing. They allowed me to gain the reader’s trust and paved the way to talk about deeper issues. I could then invite the reader to look at Scripture with me and envision God’s unfolding plan together.

After years of writing devotions for a number of different publications, I put together my own book of devotions. And what topic did I choose? One that would resonate with a wide range of readers on multiple levels: hope in the midst of illness. Basing it on my experiences as a nurse, I once again wrote about events from my life with which readers could connect. I had come full circle.

What about you? What experiences can you write about that will make readers say, “Yes, I’ve been there” or “I know how that feels”? Can you incorporate those experiences into your fiction to give it a genuine, true-to-life quality? If you write nonfiction, have you investigated anthology callouts for topics you might be able to write about? What about devotions? I recommend writing for several devotional publications to get a feel for different formats before attempting your own book. That way, you can better determine what style works best for you.

A friend once said, “Our lives are not one long memoir but thousands of little stories lived out every day.” Write about those stories, and let the circle of life draw readers in.

Visit Tracy :https://www.tracycrump.com/

 

Former ICU nurse Tracy Crump dispenses hope in her new book, Health, Healing, and Wholeness: Devotions of Hope in the Midst of Illness (CrossLink Publishing). Her writing has appeared in diverse publications, including Woman’s World, Focus on the Family, Upper Room, and Guideposts books. Best known for publishing 22 stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul books, her course on writing for the series is one of Serious Writer’s best sellers, and her popular newsletter, The Write Life, includes story callouts. Tracy co-directs Write Life Workshops, speaks at conferences, proofreads for Farmers’ Almanac, and edits for private clients. But her most important job is grandma to four completely unspoiled grandchildren. Connect with Tracy through https://linktr.ee/TracyCrump. You can find her book at https://tinyurl.com/y37mcflo.

Happy Memorial Day

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

Memorial Day! An American holiday, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.

Background:

Originally known as Decoration Day which came about in the years following the Civil War. It was made an official federal holiday in 1971.

Whether we honor by visiting cemeteries, or memorials, holding family gatherings or participating in parades –– let us remember our men and women who died while serving and protecting our country.

Time Set Aside:

On Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at

3:00 p.m. local time.

Happy Memorial Day

Fun Friday ~ A Puzzle With Covers and Titles of Mystery Books

 

An interesting thing about these books. What do you see that all three of them have in common on the cover?



Do the titles convey the story hidden in the enclosed pages?

How Do You Balance a Full Time Job and Writing?

Stephanie Payne Hurt

The article that you are about to read I wrote for Suite T in 2013 after I'd been a published author for a little over a year. Now, in 2021, I've published over 50 books and become a bestselling author. It's amazing to look back on my accomplishments and the hard work that brought me to where I am today. I still use the methods in this article, and it must be working because I somehow seem to get it all done. So, take a trip back in time and remember, you too can find your dreams. Just follow the path that leads you there. All my best!



By Stephanie Payne Hurt

2013



Juggling a job and family can be hard to do sometimes, but when you add writing into the mix it can get hectic. As a busy Accountant I put in a lot of hours, but I’m also a Children’s Minister too, not to mention a mother, wife and writer. It’s amazing how I find little pockets of time here and there to write.



I’ve learned a lot about myself in the year since I published my first book. I was overwhelmed at first, but as time went by I realized the dream I’d had since I was a teenager had come true. I was a published writer. I’ve been writing since I was a teenager which was a long time ago and we won’t talk about how long.



The first step to finding the time is to make a list of your jobs. Sit down and make a schedule. I learned that I could clean house on Saturday mornings and spend the afternoon writing. I also realized that while I was sitting at night watching television I could have my laptop in my lap writing. I usually do my best writing while sitting with my family at night.



Prioritizing my day has helped a lot. I’ve even set up a schedule in my Accounting office to make sure that I get everything that needs to be done completed, but I also have time in the mornings to blog, tweet and do my author promotions. It’s amazing how much time I wasted just going through the normal day to day things.



In 2012 I published 6 novels, which amazed me. My first was “Ghost Lover” and it was all uphill from there. I was never a social butterfly so doing the social media round was a little daunting, but I managed it. Now I’m on every site I can manage. I now have 9 books published and 5 in progress. I could never do all this without my wonderful assistant. She edits my books, all I do is tell her my idea for a cover, and she designs it. I write contemporary romance, Christian romance and historical.

So if you have the desire to write, you can find the time if you prioritize. Don’t let your dreams die, but let them flourish and take flight. You’ll be glad you did. The fans you meet through writing can be great people and the support you get is amazing. It’s great to hear from fans. I’ve now got people from all over the world writing to me and asking for advice or just to tell me how they like my books. It always makes this southern girl smile.

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Stephanie Payne Hurt picked up her first romance novel in her early teens and fell in love. She began to pen stories in notebooks in her teens and throughout her twenties. It was in 2012 when she decided to publish her work and let the world in on her version of romance. Now she has 50+ books published and many more in the works.


A busy woman, she's a accountant, children's minister, wife and mother. Her life may be busy, but when she sits down at her laptop the world slips away and she goes into another place. Sometimes it's a ranch full of horses, or back to the Civil War saving a heroine find her love, but as always, she'll find romance even in the most remote places.


All of her books are clean, wholesome romances, some even dubbed as Christian romances. Her books range from western, historical, time travel, Christian, and she might even dabble in a little paranormal from time to time.

Visit at:https://www.stephaniehurtauthor.com/