Good-Bye Blogging?

I've lost the will to blog.

I am not saying good-bye forever. I'm only saying good-bye to regularly scheduled posts. With FB, twitter and all the other social networking sites so active, I feel like if I put up a post it doesn't necessarily need to be on a schedule. In the meantime, there are lots of other things crowding the plate and so it's time for this wonderful blog to slow down in its old age.

Later this month I'll be putting up a post about a good writing opportunity.

I'm curious. What is your favorite online social venue?

Menehunes and Whatnot

Cheryl Linn Martin's newest book just released!

Menehunes Missing is another action-packed mystery for the younger reader featuring the kids of the Hawaiian Island Detective club, Leilani, Maile and Sam. And sometimes Leilani's pesky little brother, Kimo.

If you have middle schoolers who love to read, I highly recommend this series! Cheryl also has a very cool website, kid-friendly with great Hawaiian factoids and games.

Do you buy your children books? As a kid, what was your favorite genre for reading? Any guess as to what a Menehune is?

When Should and Want Collide

After some internal conflicts of my own, I came to a great realization.

"Should" and "Want" can be two different things...and boy, can they fight!!

Is your story lacking conflict? Does it feel lukewarm? Do your characters seem a little too happy to be interesting? Take a look at what your protagonist wants (goal). Now, take a look at what the protagonist SHOULD want.

Are they different?

If you can make what the protagonist SHOULD DO come into conflict with what the protagonist WANTS TO DO, then you'll have immediate tension in your story.

Have you ever experienced this in your life? Did you choose to go with principle or emotion? What about your main character?

This Girl is on Fire (and she might Burn Up!)

Beware of fire...it can burn.

I feel like that song by Alicia Keys except I'm not sure I'm as competent as the heroine in the song. If I'm not careful, I might go up in flames! LOL Here's what's going on:

1. Love Inspired Historical bought a second book from me!!! I'm SO excited but I also have some revisions to do for the story.
2. I have two articles to write. Articles make me feel like I might suffocate. I don't know why but I just work through it, even if I turn blue.
3. I'm working hard on my WIP. Loving it but am sweating trying to get in 1k a day.
4. Before the end of 2013 I'll be indie/self-publishing a contemporary romance. Trying to get the cover, editing, etc. done has added some poundage to my plate.

So, all in all, this 2013 is going beautifully. I feel like I'm on a roll but I don't want to get too much friction going because that could lead to a spark which might lead to me running away from the computer, hair on fire. :-)

What's on your plate? How is 2013 turning out for you so far?

Below is a local radio interview I did with another author. Fun stuff!

Jackson, Hero of With Eyes of Love

Today is an interview with my critique partner, Linda Glaz, who is also a wonderful writer, amazing literary agent and one of the best people you'll ever meet. :-) I'm so excited that her debut novel just released from Heartsong presents! I decided to do an interview with her hero, who is a charming yet wounded kind of guy.

With Eyes of Love
She has the perfect life…or so she thought

Barbara Richardson is living a charmed life. Perfect family, beautiful voice, wealthy fiancé. But when she realizes her soon-to-be husband only values her for her pretty face, her life is suddenly in turmoil. Then a handsome young man comes to her rescue when she's stranded in a storm on Christmas Eve. And the world suddenly seems full of possibilities….

Unlike her former fiancé, Jackson Judge loves Barbara for everything she is, inside and out. But how could so lovely and talented a woman ever love a scarred monster like him? All he can see, shut away in his room, are his wounds from Pearl Harbor. Jackson finds himself questioning God's plan, but Barbara knows real love looks deeper than beauty or scars. Eyes of love see straight to the heart.

Jackson, welcome. I’m still amazed at how you and your friends were able to pull all of those people out of the water.
-Probably not as amazed as we were. Trust me, being in a small boat against a wave of water with nothing but a paddle and length of wood wasn’t like anything I’d ever done before, and hopefully never will again.
Were any folks lost in the flood?
-It might have felt like Noah’s adventure, but this time, no one was lost. We got to all of them before they disappeared. Only one area flooded badly, the rest were trapped because their cars stalled. But the Richardsons’ car was caught on a slight rise surrounded by the deeper water.
What did you think when you looked in the car window and saw the three girls in the back seat?
-Well, I just did what I always do. I winked at them like I do to my sister when she’s upset, but it didn’t exactly calm them. Instead, the older one stuck her nose in the air like I’d tried to pick her up or something.
I’m sure she was just afraid. You being a stranger and all.
-I have no doubt. But it was like one of those old sayings, no good deed goes unpunished. She was sassy as one of those yippy little pups, pint-sized and full of attitude. And had plenty to say to me before the day was over.
I’m intrigued, what did she say?
-She said not to flirt with her? Flirt with her? I was trying to be nice, and then she tells me about some guy named Elliot VanDusen or something that she was “almost” engaged to back home. What was that all about? Like I cared…
Did you?
-Don’t think I’ll talk about that right now.
Sounds like you all had quite the Christmas in New Hope with all those folks stranded.
-It was quite the Christmas, all right. The kindness of folks always comes out in disasters, don’t you think?
The world was on the cusp of war when the Richardson family met the Judges, how did that impact your families?
-My brother and I knew right from the start that we’d serve. What man wouldn’t? There were folks at home who needed to be protected.
Anyone in particular?
-I get the feeling your trying to get me to discuss old bright eyes. Like I’d spoil the story for the readers. Nice try, Jessica, but you’ll have to read the book to find out. Just make sure you have a box of tissues. I was totally on my game in the romance department.

Do you like charming heroes like Jackson who hide their wounds? What debut novel have you read this year?

Interview with Fellow Blogger Susan J Reinhardt

I am so very excited to have Susan J. Reinhardt at my blog today. She and I have been blogging buddies for several years and she is a true inspiration. Not only for her caring heart, but for her tenacity. She has quite the writing story and now her book, The Moses Conspiracy, has been contracted and is available! I can't wait to read it. The cover is amazing and I know the story is going to rock!!
Susan was kind enough to do a short interview with me. :-)



1. How long have you been writing fiction with the intent of publication?
Thanks for having me on your blog, Jess! I've been writing fiction since August of 2005. Originally, I wrote non-fiction and still submit to periodicals/devotionals/compilations on occasion. The switch occurred in 2005 after a trip to Gettysburg with my late husband. While standing in an old town square, I "heard" the voices of the forefathers. They were fading like a distant echo. After several attempts to write a non-fiction piece based on that experience, I put the idea aside. Beloved popped up one day and said, "That's it! That's your book." The rest, as they say, is history.

2. Was there a turning point in your writing, where you think you went from unpublishable to ready?
I attend a conference every year and present my work to various agents and editors. At some point, they began saying things like, "You can write," and expressing interest. Of course, there's always room for improvement.

3. What advice do you think every writer should know?
Pay attention to the details. If you have problems with the nuts and bolts of writing, work on that aspect. Editors and agents appreciate a clean manuscript.

4. Do you have any other projects in the works?
The Moses Conspiracy is the first book of a trilogy. Each book is a stand-alone novel, but features another character. Book 2 has a working title of, "The Scent of Fear," while Book 3 is presently called, "Lost and Found."


A trip to post-terrorized Washington, D.C. in 2025 and a buggy accident in Bird-in-Hand, PA set in motion events that expose a diabolical plan to destroy the Christian community. Ellie and John Zimmerman find themselves embroiled in a life-threatening investigation, fighting a shadowy enemy.
Convinced it's now safe to visit D.C., Ellie and her 8-year-old son, Peter, travel to the nation's capital. Both mother and child make an effort to enjoy the sights, but they're unprepared for the challenges they face. Her nightmares come true when she and Peter are separated.
Back home, John witnesses a neighbor's buggy accident. The suspicious circumstances and law enforcement's refusal to take them seriously prompt him to take on the role of detective. He and a tenacious reporter band together and vow to find out what's happening in Bird-in-Hand.
Extended family squabbles erupt when John's sister, Annaliese, faces off with Ellie for blowing her D.C. experiences out of proportion. She'd rather ignore the warnings than deal with the growing danger.

Susan is running a fabulous contest! Enter in the rafflecopter below. Do you have any questions for Susan? What is your favorite genre to read?
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Time for Writing

It has come to my attention that if I ever want to get any writing done, I need to do it in the morning. Before laundry, vaccuming, dusting...before everything, or I just won't do it.
My goal this year is to complete one rough draft and one submissible book.
Needless to say, my house is looking less than pristine.

What are your goals this year? Have you had to reavaluate how you're prioritizing?