The Calm I Seek (Guest Blog & Giveaway)

November 27, 2020November 23, 20209 Comments

The Calm I Seek

by Christina Lourens

Genre: Insprirational Fiction

Today I’m pleased to host author Christina Lourens, who will be discussing some of the challenges of writing inspirational romance in the modern world, plus some tips for authors looking to venture into the inspirational market.

Tips for Writing Inspirational Fiction in a Modern World

I never set out to write inspirational fiction. When I started THE CALM I SEEK, it wasn’t really meant to be a story about Christian redemption and forgiveness. It was “just” a story about a dysfunctional family, a damaged woman and her fight for happiness. But, being a Christian, I couldn’t help developing the story into the inspirational fiction it is now.

I’ve learned a lot from writing my inspirational romance, and from sending it off to publishers, having it edited and finally, publishing it. So here are some tips for writing inspirational fiction in a modern world.

Keep it realistic. People of faith—whatever faith that may be—are not perfect. They struggle with the same things are anyone else. They are flawed, which makes them more interesting. Their struggles aren’t confined to their faith. It is far more interesting to find a relatable problem and show how your characters deal with these very real scenarios from the viewpoint of their faith. The Calm I Seek deals with issues like domestic abuse, sexual assault and betrayal, which can happen whether you’re a believer or not. How Rebecca deals with those issues in the novel is determined by her (lack of) faith, but her faith is not the main issue in the novel.

Don’t be preachy. You’re not trying to convert your audience with your novel. Your audience is people of faith. You’re not writing a sermon or a confessional intended to convert people. It’s a novel about people who go through life and encounter problems. The modern world is full of problematic things, and it’s fine if your characters need to deal with that. But in the end, a novel is a story about characters. Leave the preaching to the preachers.

Be unafraid. When I tried to find a publisher or an agent for The Calm I Seek, I was worried that people wouldn’t want to read a Christian novel. I live in the UK and there are very few Christian publishers here. For a long time, I resigned myself to not being able to ever publish my book. But then I got courage and sent my novel to a few agents. While they didn’t take me on, because they don’t publish inspirational fiction, I still received good feedback on my novel, which gave me the motivation to keep pursuing publication. Inspirational fiction can resonate with a great variety of people, not just with believers.

Writing inspirational fiction is no different from writing any other genre of fiction. You just need to know—and find—your audience. You’re not going to please every reader, which is fine. The world is in need of all sorts of stories, and these days, it’s especially in need of inspirational ones!

Blurb

With love, betrayal and grief disrupting her perfectly peaceful life, will she fight for the happiness she deserves?

After the violent death of her husband, Rebecca Holmes is content leading a quiet life spending time with her sisters and niece. When her younger sister Hannah asks her to plan her wedding, Rebecca discovers her friends and family all think her life is empty. Determined to prove them wrong, Rebecca takes up salsa lessons where she meets the charismatic salsa teacher, Gabriel Rodriguez.

Falling in love is the last thing Rebecca wanted to do, but she is inexplicably drawn to Gabriel. Opening her heart again is terrifying, especially after what happened with her late husband. With the help of the local vicar, Rebecca starts to believe that maybe she deserves a happy ending after all.

Just when she’s decided to give her heart to Gabriel, a betrayal brings back demons from the past. Heartbroken, Rebecca closes herself off again, but when disaster strikes her family, she is forced to confront her past actions. Can there be redemption for her and can she forgive those who betrayed her?

THE CALM I SEEK is a heartbreaking novel about forgiveness and redemption.

Read an Excerpt

When I was ready to leave, Gabriel stepped to my side.

“Did you enjoy it?” he asked.

I hadn’t enjoyed the lesson, but I had enjoyed the teacher. I couldn’t very well tell him that though. “Yeah.”

“So that’s a no, then,” he said. “What did you not like about it? You didn’t do badly today. I hope you’ll come again.”

“I’m not going to quit. I promised my friend I would try it for the duration of the course and I will.”

“Sounds like you didn’t really want to do this in the first place.” Gabriel frowned. “Why did you sign up?”

“To shut up my friend and sisters who think I need some excitement in my life.” Why did I confess this to a stranger? I could have given any kind of explanation.

“And do you need excitement in your life?” he asked with a mischievous smile.

“Not really. But when all your friends and family pester you to do something, it’s hard not to cave under pressure.”

Gabriel smiled as if what I said resonated with him. “Well, I hope you’ll come again next week and start enjoying the lessons for yourself, not just because you were bullied into it.”

Ah. I shouldn’t have told him I’d only signed up to shut up my family. He was excited about salsa—as he should be, being the teacher and all that—and here I was being all Debbie Downer on him. I flashed him a smile I hoped looked sincere. “I’m sure I’ll enjoy it more when I get a bit better at it.”

“Believe me, you’re not that bad.”

Right. He probably told everyone that.

“Anyhow, see you next week,” I said brightly. With a wave, I headed for the door.

It hadn’t been a horrible experience, but neither had it been fun. The only bright spot had been Gabriel. The effect he had had on me was surprising. Had I imagined it, or had there been a spark between us? Or had I been so long out of the dating game that I fell for the first man who came close to me? All I knew was that his charm and enthusiasm had an intoxicating effect on me, and I resolved to steel my heart against him the next lesson.

Dancing lessons was one thing, but I couldn’t afford to fall for a man again. Not after I had so carefully set up my life to be independent. Not after I had finally gotten my sanity back.

Christina Lourens will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click here to enter!

Meet Christina Lourens

Christina Lourens has always been passionate about writing, but life got in the way of her writing career. She’s never given up and can be found writing in the evenings and on weekends, often accompanied by her pug. When she’s not writing, Christina keeps busy at the day job (until her writing career takes off) or snuggles up on the couch with a book. She loves crocheting, but because of her busy life, crocheting projects tend to take a long time to be finished.

Christina has lived in three countries, but is currently living in the UK with her husband of 20 years, their two children, pug, canary and pheasant.

THE CALM I SEEK is her first novel.

Links:

Website: https://christinawritesromance.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@CK_Romance

Buy links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Calm-Seek-heartbreaking-redemption-forgiveness/dp/1838115803/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-calm-i-seek-christina-lourens/1137305176

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-calm-i-seek

Apple books: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/the-calm-i-seek/id1522365717

Advice for Aspiring Authors (Guest Post & Giveaway)

February 5, 2020February 4, 20209 Comments

Today I am pleased to host author Kimberly Daniels, who is sharing some of her best advice for aspiring authors. Be sure to read to the end for information about her book, SAVED BY YOU, and find out how to enter her giveaway to win an Amazon/B&N gift card!

Kimberly Daniels Tells Aspiring Authors…

Diving into that world of writing and (gasp!) committing to becoming an actual published author can be both exciting and utterly frightening. The idea that your words, your very own stories will be out for anyone to see and experience is a scary thought. The good reviews and those pesky one and two-star reviews can really wreak havoc on your psyche. My advice to aspiring authors is to silence all that noise. Stay true to your words, your stories. No matter what agents, publishers, and reviewers say, remember that those stories are your very own masterpieces. Most importantly, write simply because you love it.

Check out the book

Saved by You

by Kimberly Daniels

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb

Cole Stevens thought he was finally given a second chance in life. With the woman he always loved now by his side, an adopted son who felt like his own since the day he met him, and a baby on the way, Cole could finally see his forever. And then his past showed up on his doorstep, threatening to take it all away.

Now forced to relive painful memories and bring dark secrets to light, Cole begins a downward spiral that leads him back to the place he spent years trying to escape. As the pain of his past collides with the present, he finds himself lost again, fighting for his family’s future. How can he find the way back in time for his forever to be saved?

Read an Excerpt

I let go of him and he falters back. Dusty wraps his arms around me to pull me back and Camryn is begging me to stop. Her voice registers, sinking through the fury that just consumed me, and my head snaps up realizing where I am. Camryn’s hands are over her mouth and I can see her fighting back tears. And that’s when I see him, my little superhero, crying and shaking at Camryn’s side. My sweet little boy, my Gavin—how could I let myself get to this point?

I reach out to him and he shudders back, sinking into Camryn even more. At that moment, my heart shatters, seeing that my son, the one I vowed to protect, is afraid of the menace I just became. My gaze travels to Camryn and I see the pain in her eyes, which I am sure I put there. “Take him home, away from me.”

She reaches her hand and grasps my wrist, pulling me with her. “Come home with us.”

I pull my hand away and begin to back away from them. “Take him home without me. Right now, he’s afraid…of me.” I can’t bear to stay here and look at what I did to Gav and Camryn, to see that the old Cole has never really left. I rush off the beach, away from my family, the ones I disappointed again with my thoughtless actions. I try to grasp the realization that I’m no longer the superhero Gavin once thought I was. Today, I became the villain.

Kimberly Daniels is Awarding a $10 Amazon/B&N Gift Card to one lucky winner. Click here to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway!

Meet Kimberly Daniels

Kimberly Daniels is a middle school English Teacher who took the advice of her students to pursue her writing hobby as a career. When she’s not at her laptop dreaming up new happily-ever-afters, she can be found glued to the TV or Kindle consumed with a new show or book addiction. She lives with her husband and two daughters in in the suburbs of Philadelphia, spending weekends at basketball games, softball fields, and dance recitals.

Connect with Kimberly Daniels:

Website: https://www.kimberlydanielsauthor.com/

FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/kimberlydanielsauthor/?ref=settings

FB Profile: https://www.facebook.com/authorkimberlydaniels

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorkdaniels

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_kimberly_daniels/

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17942227.Kimberly_Daniels

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Daniels/e/B07BPMLDY3

How a Pantser Became a Plotter

April 29, 2015Leave a comment

Every now and then, you come across an article or some other resource that talks about how to begin writing a story. Some people swear by outlines or long synopses, while others believe you should just start writing and see what happens.

The first sort are known as Plotters. The second sort are known as Pantsers.

Up until about two or three years ago, when I decided that I was going to “get serious” about this writing thing, I was a bonafide Pantser. I would sit down at the computer (or in the early years, with the spiral-bound notebook and mechanical pencil) start at the beginning, and write until I reached the end. Occasionally I would jump ahead and write out a scene that came later in the narrative. (I may or may not have spent a fair amount of time doing this during my Intro to Computer Science class in college.)

This method worked well for a while. After all, when I started rewriting the “magnum opus” in 2005, I pantsed my way through about 3/4 of the manuscript, typing along in Microsoft Word. Then one day, I realized I was spending more time thinking about what was going to happen than actually writing it. So I decided it was time to try outlining the remaining major plot points.

The hour and a half I spent to make this outline was well worth the effort (and also killed some time while I waited for the hubs to pick me up from one of my teacher certification tests). Outline in hand, I completed the first draft of the “magnum opus” within a few weeks.

Shortly after this, I downloaded WriteWayPro, a writing software program that allowed me to organize my manuscripts by chapter and scene. (Happily, it sorted the “magnum opus” automatically when I imported it). I’ve since moved on to using Scrivener, which works the same way. But the moral of the story is that I learned that plotting was not the enemy and could, in fact, help me stay on track.

I still pants to a certain degree when starting a new story. Sometimes this is due to having a little Plot Bunny nibbling at my ankle. Other times it’s because I don’t know whether or not I want to pursue a story idea. But I’ve learned that by taking the time to either outline or write an extended synopsis, I save a lot of work for myself on the drafting end of things.

Every writer needs to find a method that works for them, and for many, pantsing will always be the way to go.

As for me, I know I’ve been converted. Now that I have a contract for a series, I have to plot the next three books, or I’ll never get them done. It’s all about time management at this stage in the game.