Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Birthday Bash Bonanza



 





 Woohoo! One person will win all three of these fabulous Historical Romances. Here are the giveaway details:

1) You must be a Follower of Christian Writer/Reader Connection.

2) The giveaway is open to residents of the United States.

3) To enter, comment on this post.

4) You can get an additional entry for each of the following. (Let me know in the comments section what actions you've taken.)

     A) Post the contest details and link on your blog.

     B) Post it to your Facebook page.

     C) Post it on Twitter.

5) Contest deadline: Saturday, June 2, 2012, at midnight. The winner will be notified by email. If you do not leave me an email in the comments and do not respond to the Winner Announcement on the blog by Saturday, June 9, 2012, another winner will be selected from the entries.

Disclaimer: I have not received any payment from either the authors or the publishers for doing this giveaway. These books are from my personal collection.


Monday, May 28, 2012

Finding Your Blog's Niche - Guest Post by Diane Estrella



Diane Estrella and I met in the blogosphere. When her husband came to this area on business, she tagged along. We got to spend a whole day together. She's a good friend and has much to share. Here's Diane...

This carving out your place in cyber-world is sometimes harder than it looks.

Does your blog or website have a theme? A niche, an activity for which a person or thing is best fitted, can make or sometimes break your blog.

My very first suggestion would be: Plain and simple, showcase and talk about what you love.

You don’t even have to be an expert at it. Your passion and enthusiasm for your topic should carry you along. If you don’t love what you’re doing, you will fizzle out, and so will the pizazz of your site. The good news is if what you’re doing isn’t working for you anymore, then change it! I grant thee permission to try something new. We evolve as people with new likes and dislikes, and so can your blog.

Secondly, if there isn’t one theme that is your total “You complete me” area, then find a way to incorporate many. I see a lot of people out there with varied interests: scrapbooking, photography, writing, homesteading, quilting, and on, and on, and on…

Maybe showcase the different areas on specific days of the week. Have regular features that your audience will know you’ll be talking about on certain days, so they can follow what they love about you too.

Finally, find others with similar interests. There is nothing more encouraging and powerful than to have a whole community of people behind you. Learning new ideas or lifting others up can be empowering for you and give you even more ideas for your blog and how to make it better.

How about you…do you have a niche? Where does your blog fit in?

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Winner of The Last Operative by Jerry B. Jenkins



Congratulations to:

                                                   KARENK!

You've won Jerry B. Jenkins' book, The Last Operative. I've sent you an email. Please send me your snail mail address, and I'll get your book out after the Memorial Day holiday.

Thanks to all those who participated in the drawing. Don't forget to stop by on Wednesday, 5/30, for the Blogoversary Grand Finale.

Have a blessed weekend and stay safe!


Friday, May 25, 2012

Friday Round-Up - #207






Gail Gaymer Martin, at Writing Right, gives us a primer on the suspense genre. Check out the nine tricks she urges us to try when writing this type of novel.

Writers: Which one caught your eye and why?

Readers: Did you know there was a difference between mystery and suspense?

Have a blessed weekend!

Photo: firehawk77

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Blogoversary Fun - Giveaway #4 - The Last Operative by Jerry B. Jenkins






The Last Operative by Jerry B. Jenkins will make your heart race. This spy novel had me guessing from page one.

Which do you prefer: mysteries or suspense? While I like a good whodunnit, the suspense books add an adrenaline rush.

Giveaway Details:
 

1) You must be a Follower of Christian Writer/Reader Connection.

2) The giveaway is open to residents of the United States.

3) To enter, comment on this post.

4) You can get an additional entry for each of the following. (Let me know in the comments section what actions you've taken.)

     A) Post the contest details and link on your blog.

     B) Post it to your Facebook page.

     C) Post it on Twitter.

5) Contest deadline: Saturday, May 26, 2012, at midnight. The winner will be notified by email. If you do not leave me an email in the comments and do not respond to the Winner Announcement on the blog by Saturday, June 2, 2012, another winner will be selected from the entries.

Disclaimer: I have not received any payment from either the authors or the publishers for doing this giveaway. These books are from my personal collection.




Monday, May 21, 2012

If At First You Don't Succeed...Guest Post by Jessica Nelson




This is not a post recommending we writers never put a manuscript under the bed. Rather, it’s to encourage writers to objectively look at their work, and if it has promise, to never give up on it.

Last month I became a debut published author. Love On The Range was released by Harlequin’s Love Inspired Historical line. So exciting! This story was my first finished manuscript. I penned it in 2007. I submitted it to Love Inspired Historical in 2007.

And it was rejected.

Publisher rejection is the point where a writer decides if he will continue submitting a particular manuscript, or hide it away for good. I considered hiding mine simply because the word count didn’t make it viable for any other publishers (at the time), and I was in the midst of writing my second manuscript.

After the rejection, I sent the story to Harlequin’s critique service and continued writing new works. When the critique came back, there was a seed in it that planted in my heart. At the end of the story, the critiquer wrote, “…you have written a beautiful and intriguing novel.”

How could I not explore that in my manuscript? Three years and many revisions later, I resubmitted to LIH, and you know the rest of the story.

What seeds are planted in your heart today? Was there ever something you didn’t feel you could give up on?




In keeping with her romantic inclinations, Jessica Nelson married two days after she graduated high school.

She believes romance happens every day, and thinks the greatest, most intense romance comes from a God who woos people to himself with passionate tenderness.

When Jessica is not chasing her three beautiful, wild little boys around the living room, she can be found staring into space as she plots her next story. Or she might be daydreaming about a raspberry mocha from Starbucks. Or thinking about what kind of chocolate she should have for dinner that night. She could be thinking of any number of things, really. One thing is for certain, she is blessed with a wonderful family and a lovely life.

Jessica loves to talk books and writing and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads and her blog, BookingIt.

http://www.jessicanelson.net
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJessicaNelson.com/























Sunday, May 20, 2012

The Winner!

Congratulations to:

                       JESSICA NELSON!

You've won Catherine Palmer's book, "The Gunman's Bride!" Please send me your snail mail address.


Friday, May 18, 2012

Friday Round-Up - #206






Do deadlines tie your stomach in knots? Jean Fischer, at Something to Write Home About, gives five tips for meeting deadlines stress free.

Writers: What tips can you offer?

Readers: We all have those beat-the-clock days. How do you stay sane?

Have a blessed weekend!


Photo: hisks

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

4th Blogoversary Bash - Giveaway #3 - The Gunman's Bride by Catherine Palmer


Catherine Palmer is a perennial favorite here at Christian Writer/Reader Connection. When I pick up one of her books, I know I'll want to read more. So, for Giveaway #3, I'm offering an opportunity for you to own The Gunman's Bride.

Do you like historical romances set in the Old West? Why?

Giveaway Details:

1) You must be a Follower of Christian Writer/Reader Connection.

2) The giveaway is open to residents of the United States.

3) To enter, comment on this post.

4) You can get an additional entry for each of the following. (Let me know in the comments section what actions you've taken.)

     A) Post the contest details and link on your blog.

     B) Post it to your Facebook page.

     C) Post it on Twitter.

5) Contest deadline: Saturday, May 19, 2012, at midnight. The winner will be notified by email. If you do not leave me an email in the comments and do not respond to the Winner Announcement on the blog by Saturday, May 26, 2012, another winner will be selected from the entries.

Disclaimer: I have not received any payment from either the authors or the publishers for doing this giveaway. These books are from my personal collection.






Monday, May 14, 2012

Guest Post - Linda O'Connell




When I began my freelance career thirteen years ago, writing personal essays and submitting for publication made me feel somewhat uncomfortable. It was constricting, like wearing a new pair of shoes that gave me friction blisters. Did I really want the world to know about my personal life? I was overly cautious and concerned about revealing too many personal details. I stepped around issues as though I were tiptoeing through a flower bed. Consequently my essays sounded forced and, or formal. I would either ramble or retreat, fearful that readers would judge me instead of my writing ability.

After several rejections, I decided to step out in faith and write from my heart. And that is when I hit my stride. My inspirational essays have been published in fifteen Chicken Soup for the Soul books and many other anthologies and publications.  

Like an artist who uses paints and brushes to create pictures and evoke emotions, I use words. I make every effort to move the reader with imagery and authentic writing, whether my topic is joyous, sad or humorous. I have learned that my hook sentence is a crucial element. Powerfully written openings make editors want to read on. I begin with punch, pizzazz. In writing an inspirational essay, I make certain that my story has an "aha' moment. I give my reader something of value to take away. A satisfying conclusion reflects my opening paragraph.

In the beginning, I wondered if anyone really cared about my experiences. I discovered that the answer was yes. We all have had similar life experiences. It's the honest emotions conveyed that makes each of our personal experiences unique.  
I am not a gardener, yet I had an inspirational story published in The Ultimate Gardener about my grandchildren planting artificial flowers in Grandpa's garden. I could have begun with the fact that my husband was recovering from foot surgery and was unable to plant on time, but instead I enticed the reader with this attention-grabbing sentence: "Along with a healthy crop of tomatoes and peppers, one season, compassion grew in my husband's garden."  I summed up my personal essay with a reflecting statement. "Thanks to the compassion that grew in Grandpa's garden many years ago, the children now have a deep appreciation for the good earth and the bounty that it produces."

Just as a gardener plants, waters, weeds and cultivates crops, writers plant a seed of thought, fertilize their words, weed the unnecessary in order to produce a personal essay worthy of publication.

Keep in mind, writing for inspirational markets is not the same as writing with a particular religious slant. There are subtle ways to acknowledge God and all His goodness, and I make every effort to do so without specifically targeting a religion.

Linda O'Connell, a preschool teacher writes from her heart and blogs at http://lindaoconnell.blogspot.com
Linda is co-creator of Not Your Mother's Book...On Family, one of thirty-five, Publishing Syndicate anthologies in development. Contact her at billin7@yahoo.com

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Blogoversary Winners!

The winner of Kathi Macias' book, The Train-of-Thought Writing Method, is:

                                             KAREN LANGE!

The winner of James L. Rubart's book, The Chair, is:

                                             JANETTE DOLORES!

Please send your snail mail address to: susanjreinhardt AT gmail DOT com. Karen, I'll forward your address to Kathi, who will send it to you. Janette, I'll get your book out ASAP.

Thanks to all who participated in these two giveaways. The third giveaway is still active, and a new one will start on Wednesday, 5/16.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there!


Friday, May 11, 2012

Friday Round-Up - #205






Cindy Wilson, at the Writers Alley, talks about specific character descriptions.

Writers: What tips do you have for effective character descriptions?

Readers: Is it hard for you to visualize what a character looks like? Do you rely on the book cover?

Have a blessed weekend!



Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Blogoversary Giveaway - The Chair by James L. Rubart






When I ordered my copy of The Chair from Amazon, I accidentally ordered two! Instead of returning it, I decided to keep it for a future giveaway. What better opportunity than the 4th Blogoversary of Christian Writer/Reader Connection. :)

For those of you who like mysteries with a supernatural (but not occult) twist, this book will hit the mark. The guys in your life will also enjoy reading this story.

Question: Are you a fan of mysteries with a supernatural component? Why? What novel was your favorite?

Giveaway Details:


1) You must be a Follower of Christian Writer/Reader Connection.

2) The giveaway is open to residents of the United States.

3) To enter, comment on this post.

4) You can get an additional entry for each of the following. (Let me know in the comments section what actions you've taken.)

     A) Post the contest details and link on your blog.

     B) Post it to your Facebook page.

     C) Post it on Twitter.

5) Contest deadline: Saturday, May 12, 2012, at midnight. The winner will be notified by email. If you do not leave me an email in the comments and do not respond to the Winner Announcement on the blog by Saturday, May 19, 2012, another winner will be selected from the entries.

Disclaimer: I have not received any payment from either the authors or the publishers for doing this giveaway. These books are from my personal collection.




Monday, May 7, 2012

Guest Post & Giveaway - Author Kathi Macias







Kathi Macias and I met at a writers conference last year. She's become a good friend and mentor. When I asked her to guest post for my 4th Blogoversary, she not only agreed but offered to do a giveaway. The details are at the bottom of this post. Here's Kathi!




THE TRAIN-OF-THOUGHT WRITING METHOD:
Practical User-Friendly Help for Beginning Writers
By Kathi Macias
             It is said that writing is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration. I absolutely agree, and I’m sure most successful writers would echo my sentiments. Inspiration is the easy part.
            Over the years I have spoken with and taught beginning writers from all around the world, in all sorts of settings. I have helped them review, edit, and rewrite their work, and I have found one common thread among those would-be writers who eventually become published authors: They are willing to devote themselves to the not-so-easy part of writing—the 90 percent perspiration.
            As I worked with these many writers I discovered what I consider to be the simplest and most practical writing method available: the train-of-thought method. This excellent, well known writing method did not originate with me (though I’ve tweaked it a bit), but it seems no one had ever taken the time to put the method into book form. I therefore decided to do so myself, personalizing each chapter with my own experience.
            This is not a book about proper grammar or punctuation, or how best to choose the voice or set the scene for your great American novel. There are already countless books covering those subjects, if that’s what you’re seeking. But if you want to know how best to take your thoughts and dreams and put them into a clear, compelling, readable manuscript, then this is the book for you. Having personally seen the train-of-thought writing method help so many new writers learn to organize, write, and polish their ideas into successful manuscripts, I offer this book to those who would do the same. May it direct and encourage you as you enter into the 90 percent perspiration phase of your writing career—the serious phase through which true writers are formed.

***Direct order link (available in soft cover and Kindle):

Giveaway Details:

1. The contest is open to Followers of Christian Writer/Reader Connection.
2. Only U.S. residents are eligible to enter the drawing.
3. One entry per person by commenting on this post.
4. Deadline: Saturday, May 12, 2012 at midnight. The winner will be announced on Sunday, May 13, 2012. If the winner doesn't contact me by Saturday, May 19, 2012, another person will be drawn from the entries. Instructions will be given on the blog on how to contact me.
5. Once I have the winner's name and snail mail address, I'll forward them to Kathi Macias, who will send out the book.
Question for writers: How do you organize your thoughts when writing a manuscript?
Question for readers: When you write something for school, a letter, or some other correspondence, do you put them in some kind of order prior to the actual writing? How?


Sunday, May 6, 2012

The Winner of Love on the Line






Congratulations to:

                                                   CONNIE ARNOLD

You've won Deeanne Gist's book, Love on the Line! Please email me at susanjreinhardt AT gmail DOT com with your snail mail address.

Thanks to all who participated in this giveaway. The Last Operative giveaway is still active, and a new one will be posted on Wednesday. Come back and celebrate this banner month with me.



Friday, May 4, 2012

Friday Round-Up - #204


Dena Netherton, at God n Me, encourages writers to write more like God.

In what ways do you "write more like God?"

I'll start off the discussion. I noticed how Jesus used stories and illustrations to make a point. It's one of the techniques I use to communicate to readers.



Happy Weekend!

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

4th Blogoversary Giveaway - Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist


I'm so excited about all the surprises I have in store for my readers! Be sure to stop in and check out the special guest posts (Mondays) and giveaways (Wednesdays) during the month of May.

We're kicking off the celebration of Christian Writer/Reader Connection's 4th Blogoversary with a giveaway of Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist.

Have you read any of Deeanne's books? Which one is your favorite?

Here are the giveaway details:

 
1) You must be a Follower of Christian Writer/Reader Connection.

2) The giveaway is open to residents of the United States.

3) To enter, comment on this post.

4) You can get an additional entry for each of the following. (Let me know in the comments section what actions you've taken.)

     A) Post the contest details and link on your blog.

     B) Post it to your Facebook page.

     C) Post it on Twitter.

5) Contest deadline: Saturday, May 5, 2012, at midnight. The winner will be notified by email. If you do not leave me an email in the comments and do not respond to the Winner Announcement on the blog by Saturday, May 12, 2012, another winner will be selected from the entries.

Disclaimer: I have not received any payment from either the authors or the publishers for doing this giveaway. These books are from my personal collection.