Reaching for the Brass Ring

When I find an author I like, I will frequently go to their backlist and begin reading everything I can find. I did it when I discovered Dean Koontz in 1990 after reading Mr. Koontz’s most recent release, The Bad Place. I was deeply intrigued by the way he was able to get inside the head of Thomas, a character who has been diagnosed with Down’s syndrome.

In fact, I was very intrigued. So, I began hunting for as many of Koontz’s previous works as I could find.

I haunted used bookstores, libraries, and yard sales. Within eight weeks I found and read 13 of his previous novels and learned one inalienable truth during the process.

He got better with every book.

Does improvement in the craft of fiction happen in a vacuum? Can we become better writers by simply getting published more often?

Perhaps, if we learn from our mistakes.

But I think there is a better, more logical approach to improving our craft and it goes beyond the practice of simply writing more often. It’s an approach I’ve learned from Koontz, Grafton, Parker, Follett and others. I learned it by reading their works in the order in which they were written and by reading interviews they’ve given on the craft and techniques of fiction. There are no great revelations. There are no fast tracks or easy answers. But there are some tips – most of which you’ve probably heard – that bear repeating. And, I hope, some different approaches, as well. After all, one of the quickest paths to learning well is to learn from others.

As it has been said, “A knowledgeable man learns from his mistakes; but the wisest man learns from the mistakes of others.”

So how can we improve our craft? What must we do if we are to develop the kind of fiction and craft that we all know lies within us? How do we do it better?

As a weight lifter, I can tell you that the old axiom, no pain, no gain, is a reality. It is possible to lift a twenty pound dumbbell at 10 reps for 3 sets for 6 weeks and see some real gain. But at week 7 and beyond, the gains stop. Why?

Because the lifter didn’t tax himself.

Rule number 1: If we are going to improve in our craft, we must push the envelope.

In his early work, Koontz stuck to science fiction stories which, although they were delightfully entertaining and broke some new ground, didn’t seem to change much from one novel to the next. In interviews he’s given since his switch in genres, he’s said that he deems his real career to have begun with Whispers, his breakout novel.

During the writing of the book, Koontz managed to write around the clock on many days in order to stay in the flow. He built characters with believable motivations. He worked hard, labored long, and gave birth to the book that, in turn, would birth his breakout career.

Dean pushed himself. He researched the psychology of his antagonist, Bruno Frye, and took the time necessary – and the pain – to craft a book like none he had ever written before.

Does that mean he could have done this earlier in his career and gotten on with it? By no means. Dean’s success in pushing the envelope with Whispers came in part from the techniques he learned in his previous writing. And that, leads me to point number 2.

Rule 2: Learn from past mistakes.

None of us like a bad review. In fact, very few of us like mediocre reviews. But there is usually some truth in them, and we would do well to search it out.

I received a mediocre review for my first novel, Original Sin, which I will admit, hit me below the belt. But after reading it again – and again – I found that the reviewer was dead on. What he said not only made sense, it would also have made for a better novel.

Now I’m not saying you should love bad reviews. But if 7 out of 10 are saying the same thing, maybe you should listen. In fact, if 1 out of 10 said something that you know to be true, regardless of how painful, lick your woundd and then incorporate what was said. Make the bad reviews work for you.

Of course there are other methods for uncovering fallacies in our work, and that don’t necessarily have to be performed in the glaring spotlight of public scrutiny. If we’re honest with ourselves and diligent in our work, we can be quite capable of giving ourselves the thrashing we need without having an audience around when we do it. There are several ways to do this.

Rule 3: Take time to think about your story before you write a word.Have you ever read a novel and wondered why the author went down the road she selected rather than the one that you think would have made for a better novel?

I have.

By not taking the time to think – and I mean really t-h-i-n-k – we rob ourselves and our readers of the full flavor of the meal we’re trying to prepare. The result is that we (and by extension, they) will miss the nuances, the texture, the richness of subplot, and the opportunity for an ending that resonates. Like a good meal that wasn’t allowed to marinate, stew, or roast long enough, our readers will be served the literary equivalent of fast food.

Genre fiction and genre readers are no less deserving of a good meal. Genre fiction is not the gutter of the literary world. It is, in fact, the Main Street on which most readers live.

Give them a good meal.

Rule 4: Another technique to literary self-flagellation, done to avoid the public skewering of a bad review, is to put the manuscript away for a while and begin work on something else. Then, after several weeks or months have passed, pull the thing from the drawer, dust if off and give it a cold-eye reading. You just might be surprised by what you find.

Your characters might possibly be more hackneyed that you originally thought. The situation they find themselves in will probably turn out to be the same as the novel you were reading when writing your own (another no-no), and you will probably find yourself stumbling over your diction.


The Chinese have a saying. “Revenge is a dish best served cold.”

Now revenge isn’t something I practice, but I do write fiction, and I can tell you first hand, reading a cold manuscript is the surest way to uncovering the faults that lie therein.

Rule 5: Read your manuscript out loud. If you can’t do it without stumbling, stuttering, or finding phrases that stick to the tongue like super glue on flypaper, then your readers probably won’t be able to either. Both Dean Koontz and Michael Crichton have said they use this technique before submitting their work. If they do it, then maybe you should too.

Rule 6: Have a group of first readers. An odd number works best.Get them a hard copy of the manuscript and then let them have at it.

If 7 read your work, and 7 rave about it – get a new group.

If 7 read your work and 7 hate it – ask why.

If 7 read your work and 5 have a problem with it – ask why. Then fix it.

If 7 read your work and 1 has a problem with it – take him off your Christmas list.

But please remember, your first readers have done you a tremendous favor. Reward them. At the very least, give them a signed and personalized copy of your book as soon as it is available. A ‘thank you’ within the book would be a nice gesture too.

Rule 7: Get a grammar book and read it. Then, like the apostle James says, put it into practice.

Rule 8: Read. Read widely and then deeply.

This is a no brainer, isn’t it? Is there any reason to elaborate on this?

Rule 9: Look in the mirror. I mentioned at the beginning of this article that nothing I was going to say was new. But this one is--sort of. Don’t rely on articles or Writer’s Digest How-to books to tell you how to improve your craft.

Begin there, of course. Read them. Practice them. But then come up with some of your own. You already know things that you can do to improve your fiction and your craft.

Take a good look in the mirror. Take an honest look. Where do you fall down? Where do you need improvement? What area of your craft causes you the most concern or embarrassment?

Find that weak spot and work on it. Pick up the dumbbell and push ourself. Be second to none.

Rule 10: Avoid the cliché.

See? I told you there was nothing new here. Cliches fall on the ear like a trumpet played by a lipless man. (This is another reason for reading your manuscript out loud.)

After all, take a look at the title of this article. Reaching for the Brass Ring? Geeshsh. Is that really the best I could do?

How about, Going for the gusto? Or reaching for the stars? Or, even, going for the Brass Ring? Or …. Hey, why don’t you come up with one?

Check out Brandt's Website: www.brandtdodson.com

Interview with Lisa T. Bergren

Today we welcome Lisa T. Bergren!

Beth: Tell us about your writing journey.

Lisa: I’ve always loved to write—and read. I was one of those kids who said goodnight to the folks and then stayed up late reading under the covers with a flashlight. So the power of story is something I’ve always been drawn toward.

Beth: When do you feel like it all began to come together for you as a writer—was there a particular moment?

Lisa: Whoa. That’s a big statement—“all came together for you.” I don’t think that’s possible. No matter how many books you publish, every one begins with a blank page—and the doubt that assails every author. I wish I could say that it was different; but it’s not! However, I will say that it took about five books with my name on the cover before I’d ever label myself as an “author” or a “writer.” I think I needed a stack in my hands before I could claim anything that audacious!

Beth: Who has influenced you most as a writer and why?

Lisa: My husband, Tim. He’s always open to discussing difficult things and thinking through things that move in our world—politically, spiritually, physically, culturally. And he always sees that I can do more with the craft, so he encourages me to keep pushing forward.

Beth: Tell us about the writing process for you? Does it begin with a character, setting, or plot?

Lisa: Usually plot or setting get me rolling. They seem to give birth to interesting characters.

Beth: Tell us about this book series.

Lisa: The Gifted is about a group of spiritually gifted people in an age that would not welcome such a group. They’ve been brought together to help usher in change in the Church, during pre-Reformation, pre-Renaissance times.

Beth: What inspired you to write this particulate story? Why this setting and time period?

Lisa: Two things: the Lord of the Rings stories on film—loved the epic nature of it—and The Da Vinci Code, the first novel I’ve read in 24 hours in many years. I set out to develop a group of characters that would resonate with fans of LOTR and yet maintain a pacing and suspense factor that would come somewhat close to TDVC (and yet not be heretical!) I started asking my biblical scholar pals about a biblical mystery I could hang my hat on—and found out about the missing letters from St. Paul to the Corinthians. From there, I dug into Corinthians, centering on messages of love and the spiritual gifts present throughout the Body, and then it was just a matter of placing people representing those things in the most antagonistic time possible—which was the medieval era.

Beth: What do you think is the hardest part of writing a series?

Lisa: Ending books 1 and 2 with a satisfying enough ending, but keeping enough storylines hanging that readers want to find out what happens next.

Beth: What were your struggles in writing with a large cast of characters and who was your favorite?

Lisa: I really “felt” Daria the most, and was moved by her, but I fell a little in love with the glamorous Gianni—the studly, knight/hero with the gift of faith—the stately, mute Hasani, who has the gift of visions, and the humorous sidekick Vito, who just comes along for the ride and provides a little comic relief in the midst of all the drama and terror.

Beth: What is the message you hope to get across in this story?

Lisa: That the battle wages today, and God counts on us all to do our part to fight against evil.

Beth: What are your future writing plans?

Lisa: Book 3 in The Gifted Series, The Blessed, comes out this September. Next up is a historical suspense trilogy set in Colorado, a nonfiction book on mothering for MOPS, and a few more children’s books.

Beth: What is the best advice you ever received?

Lisa: Hmm…in regard to writing or life? On writing—don’t wait for inspiration, just get your rear-end in the chair and stay there until the page is filled with words (you can always rewrite them). On life—keep learning and loving more. Although life is short, constantly learning and loving makes it wide indeed.

Thanks for the wonderful interview!

You can read more about Lisa at her website: http://www.lisatawnbergren.com/home.html

If you'd like be eligible to win a copy of one of Lisa's book, please post a comment.

Interview with James Scott Bell

Susan: Today it’s our pleasure to bring you a “killer” interview (sorry about that) with James Scott Bell. Welcome to Keep Me In Suspense, Jim! It's a pleasure to have you here.

Jim: Happy to do it.

Susan: Try Darkness is the second book in your Buchanan series, and follows Try Dying. In the first book, Buchanan's fiancée was killed right off the bat. What's the major premise for this book?

Jim: Ty Buchanan is a lawyer who's lost everything. His fiancé, his job with a big law firm. Now he represents the poor, when a woman with a little girl comes to see him. She's being hustled out of a hotel against her will, and the law. When the woman is murdered in a transient hotel, Buchanan takes charge of the girl, who has no last name and no family. He's never been a father, but he knows he'll do anything to protect this little girl. But some bad people want the girl. And Buchanan has to figure out why, and who killed her mother.
And he has to do it all with the help of a basketball playing nun, one of the only friends he has left in the world.

Susan: How did you get the idea for this story? Did it spring off the first book, or did it come from a totally different source?

Jim: There are low rent hotels in L.A., and sometimes the owners try to get around renters' rights with something called "the 28 day shuffle."
They force residents out of their rooms before the one-month point so they don't become legal "tenants" and get the benefit of certain rights under state law.

I liked the sound of that as a legal issue, since Buchanan is helping out poor people now. And I then thought up a whole web behind it, and wrote the story with my series characters doing the heavy lifting.

Susan: In a series, is it difficult to come up with fresh premises for each book?

Jim: I don't think it's any more difficult than coming up with a stand alone premise. And there's an advantage in knowing your characters and the setting in each book. You don't have to reinvent the wheel each time. I like doing this series. I have become attached to my characters and would love to see them continue.

Susan: How do you keep your series characters consistent, yet growing?

Jim: That's the main challenge with a series. But you deal with different aspects of the characters, different secrets from the past, different challenges in the present, relationships and so on. In Try Dying, Buchanan has to deal with the loss of the only woman he's truly loved.
In Try Darkness, he's forced to deal with what he has become as a result of the loss and the violence he encountered.

My basketball playing nun character, Sister Mary Veritas, is struggling with her calling. She may or may not be the nun type, and helping Buchanan is only making things more complex for her.

It's a challenge all right, but when it's pulled off, it's incredibly powerful. That's what I find in the works of Michael Connelly. Reading one of his books makes me want to chew my arm off. I don't know if it can be done any better.

Susan: Okay, fess up. How much are you like Buchanan?

Jim: In my dreams, maybe. Part of the fun of the series is letting Buchanan do things I would never do, but would have liked to at some time. For instance, in Try Dying, he's fed up with the legal games of a big time lawyer, and gets up on the guy's conference table and does a tap dance. I don't think I ever would have done that, even on my best day.

But there are parts of me in Buchanan. The eye of the tiger when going to trial, for instance. And what caring for a vulnerable little girl brings out in him. I thought about how I feel about my own daughter.
How I know I would do anything – ANYTHING – to protect her. What would be unleashed if somebody ever tried to hurt her.

Susan: Do you think you have an advantage over other suspense writers since you are a lawyer? Does that ever get in the way when you're writing?

Jim: The legal background is definitely helpful when it comes to the courtroom scenes. There's so much that goes on in court that you don't pick up from watching TV or reading books. And you have to know the rules of evidence backward and forward, and trial tactics, and what a trial lawyer would do – and not do – in myriad situations. I trained trial lawyers for ten years on communication techniques, so all that comes out in the books.

But the suspense aspect is the same. All my legal knowledge won't matter a bit if I can't keep the reader turning pages.

Susan: You've also got a new nonfiction book out, Write Great Fiction:
Revision & Self-Editing. What need did you see among fellow writers that prompted you to write this book?

Jim: It started with the idea of giving novelists an "ultimate" checklist for revising a manuscript, so the task can approached systematically, not haphazardly. In my own experience, and that of other writers, I've found this to be a weakness that needs to be addressed. So I thought I'd address it.

From there, it grew into a basic book on the most important elements of fiction and how to assess them for yourself, in your own work.

The book can be used as a reference to strengthen your craft, as well as a guide for revision. It can be used by new writers to learn how to make their manuscripts salable and veteran writers to brush up on things. It's the kind of book I would like to have had early on.

Susan: What's the one thing new writers seem to overlook most before they send that manuscript off?

Jim: Chapter beginnings and chapter endings. There's a lot of lard that can be hacked off of each that will make the book more readable. I give some tips on this in the book. There's a lot of competition out there, as everyone knows, so these little things make a difference.

Another area I cover extensively is dialogue. I believe that improving dialogue is the fastest way to improve a manuscript. Great dialogue jumps off the page and gives an editor (and ultimately a reader) the feeling he or she is in the hands of a professional.

Susan: What's your schedule like this summer and fall? I know you'll be on the road for book signings for Try Darkness. Will we see you at any writers' conferences?

Jim: I will be at the Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference in August; the ACW conference in Spokane and ACFW in Minneapolis in September; and the ACW Caribbean Cruise conference in late November. Talk about tough duty.

Susan: What's ahead for your readers? Can we look forward to more Buchanan books?

Jim: Yes, Try Fear is in the works, scheduled for mid-2009. This one starts with the arrest of Santa Claus for drunk driving. Of course, it's just a guy in a Santa hat, and naturally Buchanan gets the case. And naturally, there's a lot more going on beneath the surface than anyone can imagine.

In L.A., there always is.

Susan: Jim, great talking to you again! Thanks for stopping by.

Jim: My pleasure.

Susan: Readers, be sure to leave a comment to be entered in the drawing for a free copy of Jim's new book, Try Darkness. You can learn more about him and his works at www.jamesscottbell.com.

Interview with Kristen Heitzmann

Kristen is the bestselling author of a number of works of fiction, including The Still of Night and Halos. In addition to her writing, she is also a teacher, conference speaker, music minister, wife, and mother of four. Kristen lives with her family in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies.

Her book, The Edge of Recall, published by Bethany House, comes out today, July 1, 2008.

1. Tell us about The Edge of Recall.

The Edge of Recall is the story of a woman living her life on the cusp of remembering a trauma from her past that has infected her nights with terror and her days with purpose. Tessa Young is a landscape architect who specializes in labyrinths. These prayer walks she creates are a path to God that don’t require the vulnerability of relationship with the Father. They are also an element in the nightmares with monsters that have caused her to keep a therapist on speed dial.Smith Chandler is the British architect who failed her once and still has the potential to cause her emotional pain. Yet the project he offers—rebuilding a historic labyrinth that was once part of a Colonial monastery—is one she cannot refuse. Facing Smith will be difficult. Unleashing the monsters could be deadly.

2. The name is intriguing. Tell us how that came about and what the book is about.

Well, the title comes very clearly out of the story. Tessa has buried an event so deeply that it haunts her sleep like the mythical labyrinth. She runs from the memory, even as she runs from the monster, searching for someone she needs to find before it’s too late. In her life and work, Tessa loves the mysterious labyrinths her dad showed her in the last memory she has of him. She longs to make peace between what she does and what she dreams, but the price would be remembering.

3. Did this book idea come from any particular incident or experience? In other words, how did you come up with the idea?

My daughter Jessica and I conceived this story together. We had wanted to co-author it until her plans changed. The starting plot and characters are mainly her idea, though they became real in the fleshing of the story.

4. Let’s talk about your journey. How long did you write before you sold your first book?

I had started Honor’s Pledge in ’96 and had it, and about half of Honor’s Price, completed when I attended a writer’s conference that same year. The series was purchased by one of the two editors I showed it to, and the first title came out in January ’98. I know this is unusual, but since I am the worst business person ever, I turned that end of it over to the Lord, and he’s handled it ever since.

5. And what is the number one thing you’ve learned from your writing journey?

I’m a fanatic about improving my craft, but I’d have to say the biggest thing I’ve learned is to trust. I am grateful for the gifts the Lord has given me, but I’m also eaten up by doubt and perfectionism. I am always overwhelmed by the ways the Lord goes over and beyond to show me that this is his work and my part is to give it what I have, then rest in him.

6. Everybody who writes inspirational fiction probably has a story about God’s hand in their writing career and how He’s guided them. Can you share anything in particular about that? Any one thing that happened that was an ah ha moment—when you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God was in what you were doing?

The book I’m completing now came to me in a dream five years ago. The dream was amazingly clear and detailed, but so dark and troubling I didn’t think I could do anything with it. All day it hovered there, but I didn’t write it down because it didn’t fit the parameters of Christian Fiction. That night, I dreamed it all again and the story went on in as great detail unfolding the deeply redemptive part of the plot. I have never dreamed the same dream twice in a row, so I woke amazed and knowing I had to pay attention. My husband suggested I jot it down just in case. I had one week between turning in the book I’d finished and starting the next. I started to "jot" down the idea and could not stop writing. In that week as we drove to visit my in-laws I wrote two hundred pages of a story that has held me in its grip to this day. It will be published by a division of Random House for the general market in the summer ’09, and every step of the way has been miraculous.

7. Do you have any future writing plans you’d like to share? Any specific dreams you’d like to accomplish?

I really don’t make writing plans. I write the stories that fall into my head and want out.

8. What is the best advice you ever received?

Take time to live, to balance all the things that matter.

9. Any parting words?

Writing is the most joyful, painful, exuberant, draining, rewarding profession I could ever imagine. It is a thing that takes hold of me like the rapids of a river until it’s run its course and I settle onto the bank to catch my breath.

Interview with Frances Devine

Today we want to welcome another Heartsong Mystery writer, Frances Devine. In her first mystery, Miss Aggie’s Gone Missing, Aggie Pennington-Brown mysteriously disappears on the same day the Cedar Chapel bank is robbed. The sheriff assumes she was kidnapped by the robbers, and the whole town seems to agree. Victoria Storm, owner of Cedar Lodge Boarding House and her elderly boarders reluctantly come to the same conclusion. But when secrets from their missing friend’s past begin to unfold, a horrible possibility arises. Could someone they know and love have harmed Miss Aggie? Could it be one of them?

As Victoria and her elderly friends attempt to solve the mystery and locate Miss Aggie, more secrets are revealed until Victoria begins to wonder if there is anyone she can trust.

Lisa: What was your initial reaction in finding out you sold your first book? In other words, tell us about. . .THE CALL

Frances: I think I screamed. Then laughed and cried. Then called everyone.

Lisa: Tell us some of the background behind the ideas for your stories and about the story itself.

Frances: Years ago, I read a book called You Must Have Seen Me Coming by Elizabeth Goudge. It was about a housekeeper who went to work at a home for senior citizens. The book was hilarious, and through the years I thought up several story ideas with groups of seniors as major characters. When I decided to try my hand at writing cozies, Victoria Storm and her boarding house residents just came to life in my mind.

Lisa: I find in my own writing that I often grow alongside my characters, especially spiritually. Is there a character who you relate to and who made an input on your life?

Frances: Probably all of them in one way or another.

Lisa: What is the number one thing you’ve learned from your writing journey?

Frances: Discipline

Lisa: Any future plans for your writing you’d like to share? Any specific dreams you’d like to accomplish in the area of writing?

Frances: For now, I want to write fun stories with fun characters. I do have some more serious ideas rolling around inside. Maybe I’ll pursue them, maybe not. I want to follow God’s leading and God’s timing in my writing as well as the other areas of my life.

Lisa: Because I know there are many aspiring writers out there, can you share any tidbits of wisdom on getting published, especially from someone who has just broken in?

Frances: The same two tidbits someone gave to me, I’ll pass on.
Don’t fall in love with your words. Be teachable.

Lisa: Any writer’s resources you could recommend?

Frances: You are probably talking about books, but the best resource I can think of is a good critique group. I couldn’t get along without my crit partners.

Interview with Sandra Robbins

Congratulations to T Warner for winning a copy of Deadly Exposure by Cara Putman. If you'd like to be entered in the book drawing to win Pedigreed Bloodlines, post a comment below.

Pedigreed Blood Lines is the first in a series. Tell us how your book and series came about.

I began writing with a goal toward becoming published in historical romance in early 2004. I attended my first ACFW conference in 2005 and met a lot of wonderful writers who offered me encouragement. I heard a few months later that Barbour was developing a line of cozy mysteries. Although I’d read mysteries since I was a child, I’d never written one. I began to research the elements of a cozy mystery, developed the characters and plot, and was ready to submit my proposal some months later.

As I came to love my heroine, I knew her story couldn’t stop with just one book, so the idea for a series began to take shape. Now as I’m working on the third book, I think I could go on for a long time with the escapades of Leigh Dennison.

How do you keep track of the clues, red herrings, and other story threads while writing your mysteries?

I found that I had to be very organized as I began to write the book. I plotted the entire story and decided on the clues and red herrings. Then I decided where I would plug them into the manuscript. I completed a synopsis before I began. Then I drafted a chapter by chapter synopsis as a sort of road map for me to travel in the story.

Of course along the way there were some twists and turns, and some scenes had to be rewritten. At one point even the identity of the killer changed, but in the end everything was tied together.

What have you enjoyed most about writing this book series?

I enjoyed developing the character of the heroine Leigh Dennison. Quirky characters inhabit the pages of a cozy mystery, and Leigh is no exception. She is an adult who struggles with Attention Deficit Disorder and has to find ways to cope with her inability to concentrate on tasks.

How did you discover this unique aspect of your heroine?

As a teacher and principal in the public schools for many years, I had opportunities every day to observe children suffering with the disorder. However, there are many adults who suffer the same symptoms.

Many people believe that individuals coping with ADD aren’t very intelligent. Nothing could be farther from the truth. They are very smart people who approach life differently from most of society. I hope in showing Leigh’s skills and determination as a sleuth that I have been able to shed some understanding on this disorder.

What has been your biggest obstacle in your writing journey?

I suppose we as writers all tend to think that rejections pose the biggest obstacle in our writing journey, but I don’t think that’s necessarily true. Although rejections hurt, we learn from them—what the market is or isn’t buying, publishing houses where our work doesn’t fit, and whether our writing is strong enough to grab and hold a reader’s attention.

For me I think my biggest obstacle has been settling into one genre and concentrating on that. I enjoy reading mysteries, suspense, and romance, both historical and contemporary. Since I began writing, I’ve dabbled in all those genres. I wish I could write in each one, but I know that may be impossible. At the present I’m trying to hone my skills at writing mystery. I’ve branched out some and am attempting some romantic mystery/suspense. If you check my website at http://sandrarobbins.net, you’ll find my tag line—Mystery and Romance, a deadly combination.

What do you read when you’re not writing?

I read mysteries, suspense, and romance. At present I’m reading the cozy mysteries that have released in Heartsong Presents Mysteries book club. The next release will have my book in it. If you haven’t read these mysteries, you can sign up for the club at my website.

What’s next after Pedigreed Blood Lines?

Murder in Small Doses, the second book in the Leigh Dennison series, will release in February, 2009. I’m presently working on the third book, Rock Around a Murder. I have a few more projects in the works and hope that some of them will find a home.

Any advice you can share for aspiring mystery and suspense writers?

I would suggest that aspiring writers study the genre and read the books that are being published. After that, the best thing to do is plant yourself in front of the computer. Begin to develop your characters and your plot and then write.

Professional organizations like ACFW offer tremendous resources and expertise for the beginning writer. Attend workshops and conferences to develop your craft, and join a critique group that will help you polish your work.

However, all these things won’t help unless your life is centered in God’s will. Pray and ask for His guidance, and let Him direct you. Whether or not you’re ever published, you can be assured of success in life if you let Him lead.

Thanks to Sandra Robbins for a great interview! Don't forget to post a comment to be entered in a drawing to win Pedigreed Blood Lines.

Interview with Cara Putman

Since the time she could read Nancy Drew, Cara has wanted to write mysteries. For years she asked God if this dream was from Him. Her life was full. She graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Go Huskers!), moved to the Washington, DC area, married the man of her dreams, worked in the non-profit world, went to George Mason Law School at night while working, and then started having children. While her life was far from empty, the dream wouldn’t die. Then she followed her husband to Indiana. Talk about starting over!
In 2005 she attended a book signing at her local Christian bookstore. The rest, as they say, was history. There she met Colleen Coble. With prompting from her husband, Cara shared her dream with Colleen. Since those infamous words, Cara’s been writing books.
Heartsong Presents is publishing a three book series of World War Two romances: Canteen Dreams (October 2007), Sandhill Dreams (May 2008), and Captive Dreams (September 2008). Love Inspired Suspense published her first romantic suspense in May 2008. Now she’s working on the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Business Law (don’t ask!) and the first book in an Ohio World War Two series. Cara is also an attorney, lecturer at a Big Ten university, women's ministry leader, and all around crazy woman. Crazy about God, her husband and her kids that is.

Beth: Tell us about your writing journey.

Cara: I’ve always loved reading and tried writing novels as a young teen. I’d always hit a point where the history or the plot would stymie me, and I’d stop. Then I started college, career, got married, went to law school, and started a family. Didn’t have much time for writing, but the dream wouldn’t die. A few years ago I went to a book-signing and after talking to an author for awhile, my husband leaned into the conversation and asked if I’d told Colleen I wanted to be a writer. That jump-started the process, and I’ve been writing every since.

Beth: When do you feel like it all began to come together for you as a writer—was there a particular moment?

Cara: I sold my first book at the ACFW conference in September 2006 – it was a quick process, and I’m so grateful for the way God has guided me and chided me when I need to spend more time with my fingers firmly attached to the keyboard. But I went to the conference needing to know that God was pleased with my efforts. And getting that first contract in front of so many friends and colleagues was an amazing confirmation.

Beth: Who has influenced you most as a writer and why?

Cara: Colleen Coble. While there have been many other writers who have become friends, for some reason Colleen took an interest in me at that book-signing in 2005. She has mentored me, introduced me to people, and been an advocate and friend. We joke that she mid-wifed my first book, by being interested and encouraging.

Beth: Tell us about the writing process for you? Does it begin with a character, setting, or plot?

Cara: It depends. Seriously. For one series I’ve proposed I started with the setting. With my Nebraska World War Two series, it started with setting and characters – the plot grew organically out of those two items. With Deadly Exposure, the plot grew out of character and brainstorming. And there was never any doubt I’d set the book in Lincoln. With a new World War Two series, I knew the setting had to be Ohio, but wouldn’t have submitted the proposal without the plot points. And those came from a couple days of intense research.

Beth: Tell us about your latest book.

Cara: In May I had two books release. Sandhill Dreams is a historical romance set at Fort Robinson, Nebraska during World War Two. With her dreams shattered, will Lainie Gardner allow God and a soldier at Fort Robinson to breathe life into new dreams that will bring her more joy than she imagined? Deadly Exposure is my first romantic suspense with Love Inspired Suspense. With a stalker closing in, will television journalist Dani Richards trust her former love and police investigator Caleb Jamison to help her and God to rescue her?

Beth: What inspired you to write this particulate story?

Cara: Deadly Exposure grew out of a desire to write a suspense story. I wanted the ticking bomb feeling to propel readers through the story. Once I knew the suspense thread, everything else had to bow to it. And with a tight timeframe of one week, it took some real thinking and praying to figure out the other threads and keep them realistic.

Beth: What is the message you hope to get across in this story?

Cara: That God is always there – even when we feel alone and isolated. That He is a sure tower of strength when we need Him, and even when we aren’t necessarily looking for Him.

Beth: What do you think is the hardest part of writing a mystery or suspense?

Cara: Getting all the threads to come together in a way that keeps the reader racing through the pages and believing the story could really happen. With Deadly Exposure, I had the challenge of creating a realistic love story in one week. Yet the romance had to be 50% of the story. God and I really wrestled on that one. I’m very pleased with the end result, but at the time I kept asking Him if I was hearing correctly!

Beth: What are your future writing plans?

Cara: This summer I’m writing the first book in a World War Two series set in Ohio. I’m also writing the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Business Law – I still smile every time I write that. Yet another way those years in law school are paying off I guess. And I’ve got ideas for more suspense books simmering on the back burner.

Beth: What is the best advise you ever received?

Cara: Join ACFW (www.acfw.com). I have grown immeasurably as a writer through what I’ve learned from fellow members. And the ACFW conference has been instrumental in my career to date. So if you’re serious about becoming a writer, join. It’s well worth the money.

Thanks Cara! If you'd like a chance to win a copy of Cara's book, please post a comment below.

blessings!
Beth

Contest Winners!

We have several contest winners. Sorry about the delay in announcing these. CarolynnW has won Colleen Coble's Anathema. Cynthia Hickey has won Where the Truth Lies, and ChristyJan won Keeping Her Safe. Congratulations ladies!