Tag: fiction

It Truly Takes A Village to Raise a Debut Novel

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens7 Comments

By Jennifer Hallmark

When I began my writing journey in 2006, I thought of me and my computer tucked away in my study tapping away at the keys, only emerging to run to the bank to cash my royalty checks. Yes, I had a lot to learn. Though writing is a solitary endeavor, many people came by my side to help and influence me along the way.

I know I can’t name everyone or even try to because someone would be left out. So, I’ll talk about three ladies I love who had a part in seeing my dreams come true.

  1. Fay Lamb. I met Fay when she was the coordinator of the ACFW Scribes group. That’s the online critique group for the American Christian Fiction Writers. I didn’t really have a clue to what I was doing. After being in the big group for a while, she moved me to a small group and even did editing for me at no charge. She was my first real online writer pal and I am so thankful for her past mentoring and for being my friend to this day.
  2. Betty Thomason Owens. I met Betty in that first critique group and we became friends. Later, we joined with Christina Rich to start a blog for writers, a way to give back to the writing community. The blog, Inspired Prompt, has grown tremendously and much of that credit is due to Betty and Christina. I had ideas but sorely lacked technical skills. They helped me to learn so much. Betty and I have ridden to many conferences together and I consider her one of my best friends and a great influence on any writing success I have.
  3. Eva Marie Everson. When Firefly Southern Fiction first came on the scene a few years ago, I knew I wanted to write for them and Eva Marie Everson. I was able to meet her at the Catch the Wave Conference in Atlanta and sign up for every class she taught. I came to her with a raw story and she was interested enough to give me a chance to better it. She mentored me and I learned so much about writing and editing. And on June 17th, Jessie’s Hope was released into the world.

Influence. John Maxwell said that, “Leadership is influence.” These ladies to me are strong leaders and have influenced my life for the better.

Thank you.

 

Jennifer Hallmark writes Southern fiction and has published 200+ internet articles and interviews, short stories in several magazines, and has co-authored three book compilations. Her debut novel, Jessie’s Hope, released on June 17th, 2019.

When she isn’t babysitting or gardening, you can find her at her desk writing fiction or working on her two blogs.  She also loves reading detective fiction from the Golden Age and viewing movies like LOTR or Star Wars. Sometimes you can even catch her watching American Ninja Warrior.

www.jenniferhallmark.com

www.inspiredprompt.com 

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Jessie’s Hope

Years ago, an accident robbed Jessie Smith’s mobility. It also stole her mom and alienated her from her father. When Jessie’s high school sweetheart Matt Jansen proposes, her parents’ absence intensifies her worry that she cannot hold on to those she loves.

With a wedding fast approaching, Jessie’s grandfather Homer Smith, has a goal to find the perfect dress for “his Jessie,” one that would allow her to forget, even if for a moment, the boundaries of her wheelchair. But financial setbacks and unexpected sabotage hinder his plans.

Determined to heal from her past, Jessie initiates a search for her father. Can a sliver of hope lead to everlasting love when additional obstacles–including a spurned woman and unpredictable weather–highjack Jessie’s dream wedding?

June Blog Tour Giveaway Extravaganza

June 10th-June 30th

Prizes include:

  • $25 Amazon Gift Card
  • $10 Starbucks Gift Card
  • Print copy of Jessie’s Hope
  • 2 Kindle copies of Jessie’s Hope

 Giveaway details: Go to my Rafflecopter Page to enter and possibly win one of five prizes to be drawn by Rafflecopter. Winners will be revealed on the author’s blog on July 1st. You can only enter by visiting my June blog tour from June 10th until June 30th. My visits include:

June 13th–Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud/

June 14th–Favorite Friday Fiction/

June 15th–Inspired Prompt/

June 17th–Author Trish Perry/

June 17th–Southern Writers Magazine

June 18th–Author Liz Tolsma/

June 19th–Inspired Prompt/

June 21st–Snark & Sensibility/

June 24th–Fear Warrior/

June 24th–Author June Foster/

June 25th–Trumpet Tuesdays/

June 26th–Seriously Write/

June 27th Author Betty Thomason Owens

June 28th–Heartfelt, Homespun fiction/

June 29th–The Write Conversation/

 

The Ties that Bind: Delilah

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens, review2 Comments

This post is what you would call “two birds, one stone.”

Hello, Thursday Morning readers! I have a treat for you today. I just finished reading Delilah, by Fay Lamb. It was delightful. This is book four, the final book in her “Ties that Bind” series. I’ve loved all the books in this series, and hate to say goodbye.

Delilah has been a lasting presence throughout this series. In the beginning, she was the character I loved to hate.  If she had walked off the face of the earth, or been eaten by an alligator, I would not have minded, except the stories may not have been so interesting. She did at least provide plenty of conflict.

The change in Delilah actually begins in book three, aptly entitled “Hope.” You don’t have to read Hope, or any of the other books, but I urge you to begin with Charisse and read your way to the end.

Delilah (the book) begins with conflict as she (a former judge) stands before a judge. In fact, this story keeps the conflict wire live, piling on enough to break Delilah. At times, I wondered if she could hold onto her newfound faith.

Isn’t that just like life? Everything’s going well, then along comes the tests and trials that strengthen our faith. They’ll make or break us. Delilah (the woman) was always a tough cookie, so I was hoping for the best. She didn’t disappoint.

Of course, Lamb added romance, complete with a dollop of steam and a near train wreck when little hateful sister arrives. Yes, more conflict. Nothing is going to be easy for Dee. Would you expect anything less for such an edgy character?

The Ties that Bind series offers an ensemble cast. You meet them in Charisse. You get to know them better in Libby. The friendship deepens in Hope, and matures by the end of Delilah. These ties are strong, which is a good thing, since they’ll be stretched to the limits by all that life throws at them in Delilah.

This is a story with a message of forgiveness and grace. Saying “I forgive you,” may be easy, but true forgiveness which is coupled with forgetfulness is difficult. You have to forget the past in order to truly forgive. You can’t keep rehearsing the sin or circumstance.

I loved the character arc that completes in this final episode, as Delilah learns to live among people without chewing their heads off.

So, why “two birds, one stone?” Well, I needed to review Delilah, and I also needed a blog post this week. Simple, right? Now I have both, and y’all have a possible list of four books to read while on vacation.

Delilah – Ties that Bind Book 4

Calling a truce with the man you love? What’s the fun in that?

Newly elected judge, John M. Turner, tries his best to call an end to his war with former Circuit Judge Delilah James, the woman he bested in the election by only a narrow margin. Delilah refuses to accept his flag of surrender. Worse yet, a vengeful assistant state attorney, the other candidate whose entry in the race actually handed the win to John, is seeking to have them both removed from the Florida Bar, and the game Delilah has forced upon him has given their enemy ammunition for his disbarment.

Delilah likes the give and take she shares with John. What fun is there in surrender? She wants to make amends but makes a mess of every attempt. Added to her foibles, life has become complicated: John’s teenage sister hates her, and Libby Carter has been arrested for battery on a police officer and has embroiled Delilah in the plight of the homeless. Her past has returned to haunt her, and if that’s not enough, she’s deep into the one experience in life she never thought would happen to her. She’s fallen in love.

Fay Lamb has always taken joy in forming words that tell stories that will enrich the lives of others. She tackles issues that she has had to face. She isn’t afraid of the hard issues and takes delight in weaving humor into the lives of her characters, even in the direst of circumstances.

Fay has contracted with Write Integrity Press for three series. The Amazing Grace series is complete and available as are the first three books, Charisse, Libby, and Hope, in her Ties that Bind contemporary romance series.

Fay loves teaching the art of fiction and has taught at several conferences over the last five years. She is currently the co-host of Publishing Laine, a monthly radio talk show on the Along Comes a Writer Network on BlogTalkRadio.com

Fay and her husband, Marc, reside in Titusville, Florida, where multi-generations of their families have lived. The legacy continues with their two married sons and six grandchildren.

What Happens Now

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens

Hello, Thursday Morning readers! I’m looking at sunshine and blue skies right now. And a big, yellow forsythia bush, the abode of an extremely territorial and illusive cardinal.

This morning, I took a long, leisurely walk in the sunshine. On the way back, I noticed all the flowers blooming. The really early ones, like crocuses and grape hyacinth. Wild flowers too—well, weeds, really—but they still have beauty.

Sunshine certainly improves the mood. And it energizes me. But I didn’t need a lot of help today. I’ve completed the final book in the Kinsman Redeemer series. In a few days, I’ll send the manuscript to my publisher and then I’ll wait. And hope.

I’m excited about this final book for several reasons. It’s the last in the series (kind of sad). This ends me working on two series at the same time (not doing that again). And, it means something new is coming.

That’s not all. The final Kinsman Redeemer book is a baby without a name right now. I’m calling it, “book three.” And I have to confess, I went through an entire box of tissues writing the end of this book. And they were good tears. As I drew to a close, the readers on my critique loop were sending me threatening emails: please DO NOT send through another cliffhanger. So I had to send through two chapters at once. 🙂

What happens now? As soon as the manuscript is on its way, I’ll start building my Pinterest board for this book. I loved doing that for Rebecca’s Legacy. If want to follow me on Pinterest, click here. Then the marketing begins. Stay tuned!

coffee, cup, laptop, memeIt started with the book of my heart. I wrote a story near and dear to my heart, set in a familiar place and era. It was a retelling of the story of Ruth, that mixed in elements of my mother’s life.

The final book brings the story to a satisfying finish. As Annabelle’s neighbor, Tom, says, “Once you have Annabelle Cross in your corner, she’s there for life.”

Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.—Psalm 30:4-5 NKJV

See you in April!

Another Thursday Morning

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens2 Comments

Hello! Can you believe it’s already Thursday morning? I’m beginning to think there are two per week, they  come around so fast. Life is zipping by…

The hot summer weather we’re enduring reminds me of my latest young heroine, Amy Emerson. She was “sentenced” to a summer of service by dear old Dad. The first few days were sheer torture for this big city debutante.

I remember summers on Grandma’s farm in West Tennessee. The nights were so hot, sometimes it was hard to sleep. The days in the hot sun were worse, but we were busy working in the fields or the garden, so the days went by fast.

Back at the house, we made straight for the window fan, sat in front of it until the sweat dried and we’d cooled down enough to talk into the fan and laugh at the funny sound of our voices.

It’s amazing how wonderful a breeze feels, or the shade of a thick oak tree. We  carried ice water in bell jars, which we left beneath the trees to keep cool. We had to wear long sleeves and wide-brimmed hats to shield ourselves from the brutal, southern sun. Any exposed skin could mean a second- or third-degree burn. It was serious business.

What about you? Did you ever work outside in the summer? Or lived without air conditioning?

At home, our family of five shared a single bathroom. I was the only girl, so sometimes having time to myself was difficult. I could commiserate with Amy when she had to wait in line for a chance at a bath, and then the water was no longer hot.

Although, I think she should have been glad to have a bathroom. Grandma’s farm had no indoor plumbing. We had to tote buckets of water in from the well. The “bathroom” was an outhouse in the yard. A bath was taken in a large, galvanized tub on a Saturday night, so everyone would be clean for Sunday. These days, I wouldn’t really call that clean, since I was seldom first in line for the shared bath water. Yuck!

I survived, and so did Amy, though more hardships awaited her down the road. Sometimes, life hits a rough spot and it seems like it will never let up. But, then it does, and all those troubles end up in the rear view mirror, rolling farther and farther into the past. That’s when you’re thankful for the grace of God that got you through.

I was reminiscing with my mom the other day about our trips to the beach when we lived in San Diego, California. I remembered watching with great anticipation, sometimes stretching over the back of the front seat, trying to catch that first glimpse of dark, blue water. And then we topped a hill, or rounded a curve, and there it was—in all of its glory—the great Pacific Ocean.

The sight sent shivers down my spine. There’s a scene like that in Rebecca’s Legacy, when Amy catches a glimpse of sea. She begs to stop so she can get out and feast her eyes on the view, smell the salt air, and listen to the roar of the waves.

Rebecca’s Legacy happens one summer. So, many of my beloved summer memories made their way into the story. I am so excited to share it with you.

We have grand plans for the release of Rebecca’s Legacy, and the festivities will begin very soon. I hope you’ll join me in welcoming my latest story to the world.

What will it take to teach a spoiled heiress that the greatest legacy is love?

Nancy and Robert Emerson’s daughter Amy Juliana is doing her best to follow in Mom’s rebellious footsteps.

Her desperate attempt to escape Dad’s control comes at the worst possible time. A threat against their family and Sanderson Industries has Robert Emerson taking extra steps to guarantee his family’s safety. He sends Amy, an heiress and a debutante, to the country to work on a produce farm run by Aunt Rebecca. Humiliated and angry, Amy contemplates a path that will lead her even farther from home, away from Dad’s protection.

Will Aunt Rebecca’s quiet strength and unconditional love be enough to still the prodigal daughter’s rebellious ways, and open her heart to the plight of others around her?

Matt Wordsworth is the man Robert calls upon to help keep his daughter in line. She thinks the guy is an old fuddy-duddy. By the time her ideas about him begin to change, it may be too late. When an old friend tests her loyalty, she is forced to face her past to overcome a guilty conscience. But, is she playing into the hands of the enemy?

Release date: August 7, 2018

What Now?

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens2 Comments

coffee, cup, laptop, memeHello, Thursday Morning! We’re expecting a little sunshine today. I’m hopeful as I wait to see if it will happen.  I’ve even arranged my violets to catch a few rays.

While trying to decide what to write about this week, I remembered a quick encounter with a new acquaintance over the weekend. I often run across people who are interested in writing. Many times, as soon as they find out what I do, they bring up a story idea, or tell me they’ve “always wanted to do that.” But, they don’t know how to begin.

As a member of the planning committee for the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, I’m in a position to help them. A writers conference is a great place for brand new writers to get information and training. Among the valuable things you’ll receive, is fellowship with other writers.

Yes, writers conferences require an investment. A smaller, local conference usually costs less, and you don’t always need to pay for a hotel, unless you have a long drive home, or just want to stay nearby.

Many conferences also offer tuition help. Check their website for information.

How do you know if it’s a good conference? Sometimes, you can find enough information on the website. Many conferences have reviews and testimonials posted. But the best way is to look at the faculty and keynote speaker. If you’re not familiar with any of the names, look them up.

Another important consideration: what classes do they offer? Does anything pique your interest? For instance, if you’re planning to write a memoir, or a devotional, do they offer nonfiction workshops?

Where do you begin? Check the internet–Google “writing conferences”–and you’ll get a lot of suggestions. But be specific. If you’re interested only in romance writing or speculative fiction, input those words to narrow your search. Also, a good writers magazine will list conferences and make suggestions.

If you’re looking for a good faith-based conference in the mid-south, there’s a one-day conference near Memphis, Tennessee. Here’s the link to the website: Mid-South Christian Writers Conference. It’s a one-day conference, happening Saturday, March 17. They have a Friday night meet-and-greet listed as well.

The Kentucky Christian Writers Conference is a two-day conference, June 22-23, with a meet-and-greet in the evening on June 21. It’s held in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. They offer fiction and nonfiction education and encouragement, as well as marketing, business, and technology.

Why do you need a writers conference? As I mentioned before, the opportunity to meet other writers makes a good conference fun. Also, there will be opportunities to meet agents, editors, and mentors. You’ll gain knowledge of the industry, and be encouraged to pursue your dreams.

A good regional conference is the first stepping stone on a journey that may lead to your destiny. The important thing is to go with expectation. Make yourself friendly, and you’ll gain more than knowledge.

When you’re ready for something bigger, check out a conference like the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference ACFW, being held in Nashville, Tennessee later this year.

What now? If you can’t afford a conference, these conferences have Facebook pages. Like their pages and get involved with other writers. There are so many good writing blogs, where you can learn the tools of the craft of writing. I’ve listed several good writing blogs below.

What now? The important thing is, pursue your dream. Write. Get information and learn the craft.

The Write Conversation

Almost an Author

Southern Writers Magazine (blog)

Inspired Prompt

There are so many more!