This week’s volunteer in the spotlight is Lisa (Elizabeth) Ludwig. She has been a Zone Director for the Southwest Area for a while. She is the coordinator for The End Program for ACFW, verifying all the books as complete manuscripts. And on top of that, she also volunteers every conference she attends. Thank you, Lisa, for helping the members of …
Getting Away from it All…to Write
by Mary Ellis When most people think getaway weekends, or week-long vacations somewhere warm and sunny or even day-trips into the countryside, they want to disconnect from work. But after writing a dozen books, I’ve discovered out-of-office experiences can greatly enrich my stories. As writers, we spend too much time staring at computer monitors, the wall in front of our …
New Releases – February 2012
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website. Love Finds You in New Orleans by Christa Allan — (Historical Romance from Summerside Press – Guideposts). Picture Perfect Family by Renee Andrews — Missionary Daniel Brantley has returned to Claremont, Alabama to raise his orphaned nephew; however, Mandy Carter, the woman whose proposal he …
Building a Better Relationship with your Editor
by Melissa Endlich An editor/author relationship can be just like a marriage-to get the most from it, you need to work at it. Here are some hints and tips to help create a great working relationship with your editor! • She likes my book. Now what?: Everyone wants to get off on the right foot with their editor. After you’ve …
An Agent’s Tips for Your Manuscript
by Mary Sue Seymour The Seymour Agency I am looking for Amish romances and also inspirational historical romances. I have never circulated an Amish romance or inspy historical I haven’t sold to a major Christian publisher. I like to see the first fifty pages, a synopsis and an author’s bio. Some authors seem to be a bit fearful about writing …
Book Review: Springtime of the Spirit
Title: Springtime of the Spirit Author: Maureen Lang Publisher: Tyndale House Date: March 2011 ISBN: 978-1414324371 Genre: Historical Romance Reviewed by: Michelle Sutton Set after the Great War has ended, Springtime of the Spirit shows how there is little to celebrate. After four years of fighting for his homeland, the hero returns to find little left of what he once …
Book Review: The Harvest of Grace
Title: The Harvest of Grace (An Ada’s House Novel, Book 3) Author: Cindy Woodsmall Publisher: Waterbrook Press Date: Aug 2011 ISBN: 978-1400073986 Genre: Contemporary Amish Reviewed by: Laura V. Hilton Sylvia Fisher loves Elam, but she isn’t sure she wants to marry when Elam thinks they should. She’s taken over her dad’s dairy cow business, which is beginning to show …
How You Respond to Change
by Allen Arnold Thomas Nelson, Inc. Let me cut to the chase. Do you embrace change or worry about it? Does the topic of change stir butterflies in your stomach or a sense of adventure in your soul? If you default to worry, The Publishing Industry will certainly keep you busy. Christian Fiction is unquestionably in a state of rapid-fire …
ACFW Volunteer Spotlight
The highlight of my week is announcing the person in the volunteer spotlight. This week it is Jennifer AlLee. She has been a volunteer at ACFW’s national conference. When I was the Volunteer Officer, I really appreciated that help at conference. She is also the hostess of the Women’s Fiction genre loop. Thank you, Jennifer, for taking the time to …
When Everything Stalls
By Sandra Heska King My first novel-to-be stalled last summer. Then I took a hammer to it. I haven’t even made writing goals for this year. Gasp! Well, except for pouring out words almost daily on my blog. June. I think June will be a good time. I had goals last year, but they dried up. I know. I know. …