When Tina Whittle, author of Deeper than the Grave, the new book in her Tai Randolph series, challenged me to write about a protagonist in one of my books, I chose to write about Grace St. John from The Vessel of Scion. I regretted that decision very quickly, because she’s a complex character to define. But here goes.            
Grace St. John began life as a Cajun man, but the plot didn't work with a male protagonist. He morphed into a 26-year-old woman who lived a strange isolated life in an old Louisiana house called Belle Inconnu.[Beautiful Stranger] Tante Jeanne Marie and two men named Pierre and Marcel were her constant companions until she reached the age of 16.  Then they took her to Narbonne in the South of France aboard a luxurious private jet.           
 There, she lived in a luxurious chalet, spending all her time with a local boy named Luc. The inevitable happened. As soon as Tante Jeanne Marie learned Grace was pregnant, they boarded the jet and flew home to Belle Inconnu. A woman named Bridget joined them and cared for Grace through her pregnancy. Her only memory of the birth was an IV that put her to sleep. She woke with no baby, no Tante Jeanne Marie, and was told she must forget the whole experience.                                                                                                                    
 She settled into a quiet life, practicing advanced martial arts and weaponry under the direction of Pierre and Marcel. Love came along when Arnaud, a mysterious older man with an accent she couldn't quite place, arrived.                                                                                                                  
On an autumn night in 2003, armed men invaded Belle Inconnu and killed Pierre. They seemed intent on killing Grace as well. She fled with Arnaud on the same private jet that flew her to Narbonne. Bernard, the pilot, seemed to know all about her. The plane was stocked with supplies that included a wardrobe for her, complete with her favorite lingerie, all a perfect fit. Creepy.                                                                                                                                                           
Arnaud presented her with a new passport, and a new identity. She must become Madeline Grey.                                               During a brief time in Rome, she had vivid dreams of another life as a small girl named Tamara with a younger brother named Jesus Justus.  They and their mother saw their father, The Teacher, crucified, and fled to the mountains in the South of France for safety.                
 The day after the dream Grace and Arnaud visited cardinal Malachi, who asked how they faired under the moon. She learned about the Cathar prophecy of the moon of remembering, which would bring dreams of past lives to reincarnated Cathar martyrs. It would appear on the night of a lunar eclipse when the moon aligned with the planets to form a six-pointed star in the heavens. That took place on November 8th 2003, the night of her dream.                                  
 At a restaurant north of Rome, she met some of Arnaud’s friends. Fiona seemed hauntingly familiar, which disturbed her. A messenger rushed in to tell them of an assault on a stronghold and the kidnapping of a little girl named Tamara.  The men immediately rushed Grace and Fiona away and flew them to an isolated island in the North Sea where she was hidden away in a mysterious place they call the fortress. They believed it to be the only place on earth where she would be safe.                                                                                                                  
 She learned more about her identity, and the identity of the kidnapped child. Arnaud is grand master of an ancient order that has protected her bloodline since before the time of Abraham, and will continue until their purpose is fulfilled.              Grace gradually changed from the pliable, protected girl from Belle Inconnu, to a warrior in her own right. Pierre and Marcel prepared her well. She came into her own with the refusal to remain hidden away for safety.                                            
 Her reunion with Luc, and the demands of her heritage, threatened her relationship with Arnaud, but love triumphed in the end. She proved to be a worthy partner in the order, even when things got bloody. She became part of a covert order that fights a stealthy secret battle that includes a false pope, a conspiracy by an alliance of powerful men to rule the world, and failing governments worldwide.                                                                                                             
When the call came to return to the fortress, She arrived with a battle scarred but victorious group of champions who finally realize what they, and those gone before, have fought for through thousands of years.  The world will never be the same, not for Grace, or anyone else                                                                                                                                                                   Check out The Vessel of Scion on Amazon.com, and read more of her story. and don't forget to leave a review. 
                    
 Now I must issue the challenge to two fellow writers. The two I pick are Jaden Terrell [ http://www.jadenterrell.com.]           
and Raymond Atkins. You will love hearing about their characters.

 

 

I’ve been challenged, and I’m afraid I don’t know how to say no to a challenge, so when Mary T. Wagner contacted me with this, I ignored a to-do list the size of a full length novel, and said yes. I mean, how unlikely is it that Mary and I should ever meet in the first place, a woman from rural Wisconsin who wears actual stilettos, and a tomboy from coastal Georgia? A look at her book, Running in Stilettos, and a glance at her bio, convinced me we had a lot in common. Mary has been described by reviewers as "the Midwest's answer to Carrie Bradshaw" and favorably compared to humorist Erma Bombeck...but "in sexier shoes. Her newest book, "When the Shoe Fits...Essays of Love, Life and Second Chances" is a "best of" complication drawn from Running with Stilettos, Heck on Heels and Fabulous in Flats.

The challenge she issued requires that I answer three questions, so here goes:

What am I working on?

I usually have two or three projects going at once. If I get stuck on one, I pick up another. My primary project is the sequel to Conjuror, my literary thriller under contract to Mercer University Press and due out in September 2015. The sequel is tentatively titled Covenant, and it’s a pleasure to work with these characters again. The second one is a supernatural mystery entitled Sabilla Sees. I have turned in the first two books in a YA mystery series under contract to Ecanus UK, and have a good start on the third. Book one is soon to be released.

How does my book differ from others of the same genre?

Everything I write seems to take a weird turn somewhere. Conjuror is a good example. It started as a reimagining of some of the old Cherokee legends I learned growing up in Robbinsville NC, with my mom’s Cherokee people and a grandfather who was a master storyteller. Remembering took me back to a different world, and that world flowed onto the screen like magic. In it, I was still a little girl, believing in enchantment and looking for little people in the woods. My parents, brothers, parents and grandparents showed up and came to life, participating in the mystic tales I believed in with my whole heart as a child. As improbable as the story is, it’s the closest I’ll come to writing an autobiography.

Why do I write what I do?

I write what I would like to read, and I have eclectic tastes. Twisted Hair came from a homesick place in my soul, where I felt the sorrow of the elders who told stories of the Cherokee people, from the time they lived in the fabled mother town, through the removal and trail of tears, and it ended before the lost mother town was found and reclaimed. I’m doing a new edition to reflect the fact that the Eastern Band now owns the site where it used to stand.

Those are the only two books from my Cherokee heritage. I wrote them to honor my mother’s people and to express the memory that resides in my DNA of days gone by, and will ever call me home to the Smoky Mountains.

Too Big Buck is my only children’s book. I ghosted it for our 35 pound Pomeranian, Buck, who was unwanted because he was much bigger than his owner anticipated. I’m passionate about kindness to animals and pet rescue, and this was a way to express to children that good dogs, like good people, come in all shapes and sizes.

I wrote my YA paranormal mystery series because writing it was more fun than I’ve ever had as a writer. Watch for it this fall, and you’ll see why.

How does my writing process work?

Sometimes, it doesn’t. I have several half-finished books that languish unfinished and probably will continue to do so. If the writing becomes forced, it shows in the finished product, so I put it aside and work on something that wants to be written. I write a short blurb, just the basic beginning, middle and end, to give me a bit of a guide line, then I start writing and give my characters their freedom to evolve. I often write in the middle of the night when everyone else is asleep, because that’s when I’m wide awake.

Now that I’ve completed the challenge, I’ll follow Mary’s instructions and pass it on to three other writers.

First, is Charlotte Henley Babb.  She is a mythologist who teaches her readers to rediscover the joys of fairy tales in a fresh new way.

Second: Tina Whittle. I’m reading a proof of Deeper than the Grave, and can’t put it down.

Third, Lee Lofland. He writes fiction and nonfiction, but his poetic rendering of true stories from his law enforcement background will touch your heart. His blog, The Graveyard Shift, is a must for writers of police procedurals.

Next month, I will be presenting at the South Carolina Writers Conference in Myrtle Beach SC.  I'm looking forward to spending time with writers, and with the  impressive staff of publishing professionals this conference assembles.

As I prepare for my presentation, and consider panels and workshops I'm on, I think of the questions we usually hear from writers trying to break into print. The answers I would give today, are very different from the past. Here are a few examples.

How do you feel about hiring an editor. 
The stock answer used to be, "Money should always flow to the writer, not away." We discouraged writers from paying an editor, because a good writer should be able to present a polished manuscript to an agent, ready to be submitted with perhaps a little tightening up. 

I question that advice now. Agents are already doing twice as much work for half as much money, and they are swamped with submissions, which doesn't leave much time for polishing a manuscript. An agent can afford to pick and chose, selecting books that are ready to submit. A good editor, who knows what is expected of a manuscript, can give a new writer a better chance. It's expensive, so if you go that route, determine the cost, what you want the editor to address, and ask her to explain any changes she wants to make. Treat it like an educational expense and learn from the editor.

A writer with a publisher breathing down his neck, reminding him of an upcoming deadline, might finish writing that book and turn it over to a trusted editor. If his books are selling, his publisher will want them to keep coming, and they have to be good.  That writer you envy, the one with a new book coming out every year from the publisher you would kill for, has one of the hardest jobs in the business. A free lance editor is a godsend to a busy successful author. 

How do you feel about self publishing? 
That might have earned the questioner a derisive stare a few years ago.  A real author waited, perfecting his craft, until a real publisher, preferable one in New York, accepted her in the club and legitimized her work. Now, some successful authors are rescuing their out of print books and giving them a new life as self published books. Publishers  sometimes see successful self pubs and make offers.

Sometimes when you tell a writer it might be years before they see that first proof copy of their book, They just can't wait. Once, I explained to a mature writer that even if we sold his book, it wouldn't be published for two or three years, he said, "I might be dead in two or three years. He self published, and his books are selling enough to make him happy. He has written and published two more since then. He's happy with his choice and feels like a successful author.

The bottom line, maybe it's best not to put all your eggs in one basket. Keep writing and perfecting your craft. Submit, and pay attention to any comments that come with rejections. Make a decision about a time frame. How long will you give the big houses to discover that best seller you're sending them before you chose another direction. Will you self publish, or go to a small press?

I have been blessed. When Jack and I planned our wedding fifteen years ago, we knew we couldn’t be married in the Roman Catholic Church, which was his background. We had both been previously married and divorced. We didn’t expect the Church to change their policy just for us, but we knew we belonged together. The minister who officiated at our wedding under the oaks at Gascoigne Bluff, knew it too, and gave us his blessing. He prayed that God would bless our union and guide us in our life together.

There were no legal roadblocks to maneuver, no protests from religious groups, no political objections,just a group of family and friends who wished us well. Not one single person pointed out Bible verses or  told us we were sinners, even though it’s right there for all to see.

Matthew 5:32 
But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery. (NIV)

Nobody objects when other couples like us, who are clearly not in compliance with scripture, are open about our ex spouses. Nobody wants to pass laws to prevent what we did or stop us from adopting kids. It doesn’t surprise anyone that we are good people, living a simple life in a neat home full of books,including Bibles and prayer books. We’re accepted.

My point is, if you have a problem with a loving gay couple standing before God, family and friends,

and vowing to love, honor and cherish each other, and be legally recognized as married, think about why. If scripture is used to justify that stand, we have to consider all the Biblical teachings about marriage. Be prepared to be very confused if you start researching the traditions of marriage. I won’t try to list them. You can easily find them throughout the Bible if you’re interested in what it really says. For me, the bottom
 line is; I’m an imperfect human being doing the best I can to live according to another verse that matters a lot to me:

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”  
These are the words of Jesus, and I prefer Him to any politician, talk show host, or religious leader. 

As a priest, serving God to the best of my ability with all my human frailties, I’m blessed with bishops who embody that proverbial three legged stool of the Christian life, Faith, Intelligence, and Love. I value their guidance, wisdom, knowledge, and their willingness to discuss the hard topics and seek a clearer understanding of God’s will in a complex world. It’s an ongoing dialog, but inclusiveness and love are always at the forefront of discussions. I have many friends who disagree with me, but that’s
 not a bad thing. Our ability to maintain civil debate is essential to our continued enlightenment.

It is my desire that we can learn from, and support each other. Many blessings to all who desire a more loving and supportive interaction among our diverse communities.

Barnes & Noble shares fell Tuesday after the struggling bookseller announced that retail revenue and sales of its Nook e-reader took sharp dives in the second quarter. Investors are likely also reacting to news that founder and board chairman Leonard Riggio dropped his bid to buy the company.

With this headline, another nail pounds into the coffin of the brick and mortar book store business. Readers still buy books, authors still write, and publishing houses still publish books, but the way we buy books and read them is changing. Even the biggest supporter of the local indie book store, surrenders to the ease with which we can order on line. I confess, I do it too. The last book I read for fun was on my smart phone. I don't even bother with my Kindle anymore. I've purchased one hardback book this year, and I'm a total bibliophile. 

A few years ago, we were sure the big chain stores would continue to thrive and the small independent book stores would disappear, unable to compete. Now it seems the indies are hanging on, and the big chains are losing ground.  I would like to hear from readers who shop at book stores. Where do you buy your books, and why? What does your favorite store do to earn your loyalty? 

What's the future of the book?

 For South Carolina Writers Symposium. October 26th.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
When writers get together, the conversation inevitably turns to the state of the publishing industry. Much hand wringing and sighing accompanies the discussion of how it’s all going to hell in a hand basket. The changes come so fast we can’t keep up with them. Nobody likes this much change.

We went into shock when the first trusted big house added a vanity publishing line. More followed, until it’s no longer a shock, just confusing. We were told money should flow to the author, and to run away from people who asked for money to edit or publish our books, now the big guys are doing what we were warned to avoid. With the demand for a book a year, top authors pay editors to polish their books. The mid-list we once considered the bread and butter of the industry, is threatened. Authors, who once thought they had a solid career, have to start over, looking for a home.

I confess to catastrophising along with the rest. The few elites among us get good advances, are courted by editors and agents, have publicists, are scheduled for book tours, and sell books. How do you get those perks when you are a struggling writer trying to break into a business that insists on building barriers across every door you try to enter? As an agent, what do I do with a solid mid-list book that would have been easy to sell a few years ago? How do I help an author break into the business when everybody is looking for a best seller and has no interest in building a career?

Some writers give up, but others see opportunity where none existed before. One of my author friends wrote an excellent first book and was signed by the first agent she submitted it to. He quickly got her a contract for a series with a very good publisher. She met the deadlines ahead of time, turned in well written books that needed very little editing, and garnered a faithful following, including me. When she turned in the fourth book in the series, just about the time everything started going haywire, her editor informed her they were cancelling her series. That was that.

A few short years ago, that would be a career ending event, but she has other options now. Her publisher is releasing audio and e-books. She has the print rights back to her back list and can easily publish them. With her history of traditional publishing, combined with the ability to produce printed books on her own and sell them on Amazon, she becomes a hybrid author, and she is in very good company. Her career is revived and picking up steam.

Long time ago, back in one of my marketing classes, an instructor defined the difference in sales and marketing. Sales, he described as having a product you try to convince someone to buy. Marketing, he said, was defining your customers, determining what they want, and providing it to them. As writers, we tend to produce a product, then try to convince our customers they want it. Sometimes, that works. More often, you end up with your product stacked up in the garage with no takers. So what do you do?

In the future, we will discuss options. How do you improve your chances for getting published? How do you build a career? Where do you learn to write what they want, and is that for you? What gets your book rejected? In the meantime, keep writing, and bring your work to the conference in October. We’ll see if we can find some answers.

I just finished reading Snake Oil, by Episcopal priest, Becca Stevens, published by Jericho Books. It is now  my new favorite book and Becca is my newest hero.

 Several times I had to put the book down and dry my tears. Stories of women who escape life on the street, addicted, hurting and hopeless, to find healing and grace at Thistle Farms, lifted my spirits and at the same time, broke my heart.       
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
Young women who found their way to safety and recovery, came with scars, both psychic and physical. Women who had been repeatedly bought and sold, abused as children until they learn to accept abuse as their due,  discover they have worth and value in a circle of women who understand because they have been there too.    
                                                                                                                                            
Becca Stevens is the chaplain at St. Augustine’s at Vanderbilt University, the founder of Magdalene and Thistle Farms, and someone I consider a true priest. She ministers not just to the soul, but to the total human being. She celebrates a resident’s joyful dancing to gospel music, the sense of humor of another, and the ability of  one to find decorative ways to use found objects. Without judging, she acknowledges their past, accepts that some of them won’t make it, and continues to loves them.      
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
The formula for  healing oils and balms that begin each chapter, inspired me to create my own, or to order them ready made from Thistle Farms.  Learn more at:
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                www.thistlefarms.org.  Thistle Farms is a social enterprise of women who have survived lives of prostitution, trafficking, addiction, and life on the streets. By hand the women create natural body care products. Magdalene is the 2-year residential community. We believe love is stronger than all the forces that drive women to the streets.