Do I Need a Platform?

 

If your desire is to be a published author, I’m sure you’ve heard how important it is to have a platform.

What is a platform? It’s a number, and a bit more. A platform tells prospective agents and editors how large your reach is into the big, wide world.

How do I do it? Where do I begin?

1. Start with a bit of brainstorming. What is unique about you? Or what is unique about your book? What is a good hook to draw people to your platform?

2. Keep your online presence simple at first.

Linda Yezak loves coffee, so every day she posts a meme about coffee on social media. Simple. Easy.

You can share photos of sunsets with a Bible verse for the day. Or your breakfast plate. Or your dog sleeping while you exercise. Anything – as long as it is genuinely you.

3. Relate your social media posts to your book in some way – even if, or especially if you aren’t published yet. My next book is a cozy mystery that takes place at a Bed and Breakfast in the Black Hills. Tourists are a big part of the stories in the series, so starting this week, I’m not only posting pictures of our area, but news about what to do when you visit as a tourist.

4. Be consistent. Make a plan and write it down. For example – commit to posting a meme on social media every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And then don’t forget to do it!

5. Give shout-outs to others. Not only is it great for your friends and favorite authors when you talk about their new book, they will remember you and return the favor when your book comes out. Platform-building and marketing doesn’t need to be all about you.

6. Decide how much of you and your life you will share and draw a firm line. We all know that we only catch a glimpse of a person’s life on social media, and that’s how it should be. We need privacy and other people deserve it. I have decided to share very little about my family on line (although the dogs are on Instagram a lot!) but you might decide to make your children’s smiling faces part of your platform. No problem. The point is to decide and then stick with your decision.

What about a website? Or a blog? Or a newsletter? I thought I needed those.

Yes, you will need a website, but maybe not right now. Think of it as the place where your readers will land. How to build an author website is a huge subject – definitely too much for this post. For now, a great place to find information is Thomas Umstattd’s Author Media (link here.)

And a blog? Mine is connected to my website, and I post at least once a month. My goal was once a week, but life has gotten in the way this summer!

And a newsletter? Yes. It’s a great idea to have one. I've committed to sending out my short and simple newsletter once a month.

Again, the key is consistency. If you can’t be consistent, then don’t promise you will be. But it’s a good idea to make time in your schedule for at least a once-a-month website update and/or newsletter mailing.

Also, remember that not everyone is on social media. If you rely only on Facebook or Instagram for your marketing, you’ll be missing a lot of potential readers. 

So spread yourself out - but not too thin. I'm on MeWe, Facebook, and Instagram. I keep my website updated and post regularly on my blog. I catch a varied audience because my outlets are varied.

Are you working on building your platform? Tell us how you're doing it!

 

Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests

 

James Tissot, Woe unto You, Scribes and Pharisees,
Brooklyn Museum, 1886-1894. [PD-US]

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. 
—For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace 
they do not eat without purifying themselves. 
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds. —
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” 
He responded,
“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:
    This people honors me with their lips,
        but their hearts are far from me;
    in vain do they worship me,
        teaching as doctrines human precepts.
You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”

He summoned the crowd again and said to them,
“Hear me, all of you, and understand. 
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile.

“From within people, from their hearts,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile.”

Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

Please join us in praying for our country!

God Bless the USA!

Please pray for those in the path of Hurricane Ida.

Please also pray for the families of our fallen military as well as our deployed military still in Afghanistan and for the American citizens caught behind enemy lines. 

Lord, get them to safety and

bring them home.

The Christian Afghans who are being hunted down need our prayers, as well. 

We are so grateful for all of you—for your friendship and your support! 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.  

Weekend Edition

  

If you are not familiar with our giveaway rules, take a minute to read them here. It keeps us all happy! All winners should send their name, address, and phone number to claim prizes.  Please send to Seekerville2@gmail.com. If the winner does not contact us within two weeks, another winner may be selected.

Friday Aug 20: Winnie Griggs is late to announce her winner, but is no less pleased to congratulate Kaybee for being selected to win her choice of any book in Winnie's backlist!

Monday: Erica Vetsch brought us some bookish memes while she's trapped under a looming deadline, and she's gave away an e-copy of The Lost Lieutenant. The winner is:  Joni R.

Wednesday: Cate hosted our celebration of Anna Zogg's new LIH, Frontier Secrets. Winners are:  Linda R.,  Elizabeth, Vivian Furbay, and Sandy Smith. When you email, please indicate if you prefer a print or ebook.

Friday: Pam

Monday:  Blue Moon Monday gives us a second dose of Jan Drexler! In today's post we'll explore platforms. Do you really need one? (Hint: the answer is "yes!")

Wednesday:  Mindy will give us some tips to keep readers reading until the very end.

  

Friday: Mary

Did you know that Jan Drexler's books are available on audio?

Start here with Hannah's Choice, the first story in the Journey to Pleasant Prairie:

The Lost Lieutenant is now available in audiobook form! Woohoo! What do you think of this dashing cover art? You can get your copy HERE:

A Complete Guide to Designing Fan-Favorite Book Covers by Lewis Jorstad at The Novel Smithy

Balanced Author, Focused Author by Peter Leavell at Learn How To Write A Novel

Simple and Effective Book Ads Using Animation by LA Sartor at Book Brush Blog

Need Help Writing Your Pitch? by Steve Laube 

7 Important Sensory Elements That Writers Ignore by CS Lakin at Live Write Thrive

The Main Reason Your Story's Premise Is Important by KM Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors

ONE Tool that Transforms Your Writing by Tiffany Yates Martin at Writers In The Storm

The Storyteller's Roadmap: Your Ultimate Guide to Planning, Writing, and Revising a Book by Angela Ackerman at Writers Helping Writers

Y'all vs Ya'll (Grammar Rules) by Robert Lee Brewer at Writer's Digest

Plot or Character? What's Your Starting Point by PJ Parrish at Kill Zone Blog

Flash Fiction Approach to Writer's Block by Michael Mortenson at NaNoWriMo Blog

Trust the Process

I have an egg custard in the oven.

While it’s baking, we’re going to talk about when to take chances and when not to, not just in baking, but in writing.

So, hubby and I have been eating a mostly low carb, sugar-free diet for the last few years. I say mostly because this is an attempt to cut out processed foods, be a tad healthier and keep our weight down, not because either of us are allergic to gluten or suffer from any major health issues, praise the Lord. But, occasionally, there are reasons to take a chance. Today was one of those days.

My brother-in-law gifted us with 3 flats of double-yolked eggs. That’s 90 eggs, folks. Whoo-hoo! So, I decided to cook an egg custard. But I went with an old-fashioned egg custard recipe with sugar and flour in it. Why? Because sugar substitutes are expensive, for one thing, and flour substitutes don’t always bind well in baked goods. I have taken chances with cooking low carb and sugar-free with a few flops and a few successes. But I didn’t want to chance it. Not today. 

Have you taken chances with your writing? Have you branched out into a different genre? Maybe even wrote a character or a plot that pushed you out of your comfort zone?

I can think of several instances where I’ve done that. The villains in my Natchez Trace Novel series were definitely out of my comfort zone. But the time period and the stories demanded that they be very villainous. Some of the other characters dealt with some really hard life struggles. As a matter of fact, the plots for entire series were a bit darker than most of my work, and got darker as the series progressed. Having said that… I might be prejudiced, but I think that series is my best work to date.

On the flip side, several of my novellas were much lighter in tone, but had their own challenges. When I wrote Shanghaied by the Bride (The Oregon Trail Romance Collection, Barbour), I wanted the characters on the wagon train to represent a wide range of immigrants, so that everyone didn’t sound the same. I sprinkled in some characters from Ireland, Holland, Italy, among others. It was a lot of fun to write, but I knew I would quickly lose my readers if I incorporated too many different languages and dialects on the pages. To make sure that didn’t happen, the main characters weren’t immigrants right off the boat. They were simply moving west from east of St. Louis, with the immigrants as secondary characters and fewer speaking parts.

What about genre? Have you moved out of your comfort zone and written in a genre you’ve previously avoided? Written a character that makes you squirm? Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much. Again, the key is knowing when to take a chance and when to stick to the tried and true.

Back to my traditional sugar-laden egg custard. It turned out fantastic, and I’m including the recipe here. This recipe is several years old. I’ve had the cookbook for a long time, and there’s no date in it, so I’m not sure how old exactly. I wasn’t sure if I’d mixed it correctly because the “batter” wasn’t batter at all, but the consistency of a half-melted milkshake. Even though I had my doubts, I trusted the recipe. 

And that’s what we should do with our stories. We should trust our ‘recipe’, trust the process, our instincts, and our gut feelings about how and what to write. If we trust ourselves, our readers will trust us.

Egg Pie

NOTE: I reduced the sugar to 1 1/2 cup, and this pie is still quite sweet. Next time I'll reduce to 1 1/4 cup. And I cooked for 45 minutes, but my oven is old and slow. Check on it after 30 minutes, depending on your oven.

CBA Bestselling author PAM HILLMAN was born and raised on a dairy farm in Mississippi and spent her teenage years perched on the seat of a tractor raking hay. In those days, her daddy couldn't afford two cab tractors with air conditioning and a radio, so Pam drove an Allis Chalmers 110. Even when her daddy asked her if she wanted to bale hay, she told him she didn't mind raking. Raking hay doesn't take much thought so Pam spent her time working on her tan and making up stories in her head. Now, that's the kind of life every girl should dream of. www.pamhillman.com

Introducing Anna Zogg and Frontier Secrets Plus a Giveaway

 One of the things that has always impressed me about the writing community is the willingness of writers to help others in need. Rather than seeing fellow authors as competitors, members of this writing community are happy to lift each other, to support, to give advice, to give comfort, and when needed, to pray.

Today, we at Seekerville are blessed to be able to help a fellow writer. Anna Zogg has a new book that released yesterday as part of the Love Inspired Historical limited release program. Normally, a book release day is a joyous occasion, but sadly, rather than celebrating, Anna is busy caring for her husband as he wages a battle against cancer.

Earlier this week, Anna posted an update on Facebook about her husband's transition to hospice that ended with this:

Anyone who knows John knows he is full of life, laughter and has a unique perspective that cancer cannot extinguish. Most importantly, though, is his eye is fixed on "the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).

 

Since Anna doesn't have time to promote her book, we want to do it for her.  We also want to ask you to join us in prayer for Anna and her family as they work through this incredibly difficult time.

Frontier Secrets:

A woman seeking a new future.

A cowboy with a shadowed past.

Untamed Wyoming is nothing like polished, restrictive Chicago—that’s why Ellie Marshall likes it. On her uncle’s ranch, she’s free. Free to practice her calling in medicine. Free to finally connect with her uncle. Free to explore her feelings for mysterious cowboy Rhett Callaway. In this strange place, Rhett is her constant—the one she trusts to help and protect her…especially when sinister machinations on the ranch come to light. But will Rhett’s murky past drive him away just when Ellie needs him most?

Remember what I said about how writers love to help?

The amazing Shannon Redmon created a book trailer to support Anna's book.

Anna and several of the Seekers have offered to give away copies of Anna's book, so if you would like a chance to read Frontier Secrets, be sure to let us know in the comments (and specify if you prefer print or ebook)

There are so many things we can chat about today. 

Are you happy that Love Inspired is doing some historicals again? I know so many readers were disappointed when the line closed. 

Let's talk about the books you love to read. 

Have you been the recipient of help within the writing community? 

And finally, please join us in prayer for Anna and her husband in this difficult time.

Favorite book-ish memes!

 Erica here. I am up to my eyeballs in a deadline right now, and I could use a bit of levity. If you are part of the Inspirational Regency Readers group on Facebook, you know I love a good book-ish meme. I thought I would post some of my favorites here today.

Which one resonated with/is your favorite? Comment, and I'll pick a winner to receive an e-copy of The Lost Lieutenant! 

He's doing what he can to save the Prince Regent's life . . . but can he save his new marriage as well?

Evan Eldridge never meant to be a war hero--he just wanted to fight Napoleon for the future of his country. And he certainly didn't think that saving the life of a peer would mean being made the Earl of Whitelock. But when the life you save is dear to the Prince Regent, things can change in a hurry.

Now Evan has a new title, a manor house in shambles, and a stranger for a bride, all thrust upon him by a grateful ruler. What he doesn't have are all his memories. Traumatized as a result of his wounds and bravery on the battlefield, Evan knows there's something he can't quite remember. It's important, dangerous--and if he doesn't recall it in time, will jeopardize not only his marriage but someone's very life.

Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. She’s a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota, and she is married to her total opposite and soul mate! When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can read about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time!

Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests

Christ the Saviour (Pantokrator), 6th C,
Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai. [PD-US].

Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said,
“This saying is hard; who can accept it?”
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, “Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending
to where he was before? 
It is the spirit that gives life,
while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him. 
And he said,
“For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father.”

As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer accompanied him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” 
Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? 
You have the words of eternal life. 
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

John 6:60-69 

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

Please join us in praying for our country!

God Bless the USA!

Please also pray for our deployed military and for the American citizens caught behind enemy lines in Afghanistan. 

Lord, get them safely to the Kabul airport and

bring them home.

The Christian Afghans who are being hunted down need our prayers, as well. 

We are so grateful for all of you—for your friendship and your support! 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.      

Weekend Edition

  

If you are not familiar with our giveaway rules, take a minute to read them here. It keeps us all happy! All winners should send their name, address, and phone number to claim prizes.  Please send to Seekerville2@gmail.com. If the winner does not contact us within two weeks, another winner may be selected.

Monday: Jan took us along on her quest to increase her daily word count. It's uphill climb, but she's making progress! 

Wednesday: Debby Giusti blogged about "Taking Our Stories to Market!" The winner of her drawing is Sarah Taylor! Decide which one of Debby's books you'd like to receive and let her know, Sarah. Congrats!

Friday: Winnie discussed Story Arcs. Stay tuned to learn who the winner is for their choice of any book from her backlist.

Monday:  Erica Vetsch is currently beleaguered by a deadline, so she's bringing a bit of levity to her life!

Wednesday:  Cate is honored to host while Seekerville spotlights a new Love Inspired Historical romance from veteran author Anna Zogg. There will be multiple giveaways.

  

Friday: Pam

Why Ask Why? Because Your Readers Will by Janice Hardy at Fiction University

Living with Unpublished Characters by Vaugh Roycroft at Writer Unboxed

Things to Know About the Ending of a Story by KM Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors

What to Do When an Author Needs Rest by Lucinda Seacrest McDowell at The Write Conversation

How to Not to Write Chemistry by Angela Ruth Strong at Learn How To Write A Novel

Understanding Zero Drafts by LA Sartor at Book Brush Blog

5 Rules for Naming Fictional Characters by Lewis Jorstad at The Novel Smithy

Key Factors in Successfully Outlining Stories by CS Lakin at Live Write Thrive

Describing a Character's Emotions: Problems and Solutions by Angela Ackerman at Writers Helping Writers

The Secret to a Tight, Propulsive Plot: The Want, The Action, The Shift by Tiffany Yates Martin at Jane Friedman

Don't miss Tina Radcliffe's newsletter for writers! Writer's Inside Edition!

Story Arcs

 

Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here. Back in June I wrote a post about Character Arcs (you can find it HERE). At the time I mentioned that I’d also do a post on Story Arcs ‘soon’. Well ‘soon’ has arrived 😊

 In literature, a story Arc, sometimes called a Narrative Arc or Dramatic Arc, refers to the path your story will take. It’s called an arc because that path, which travels from the beginning to the end of your story, will normally take the form of rising, cresting and falling action.

It’s the actual shape of your story. A strongly crafted and executed arc is absolutely key if you want to pen a story that will have your reader eager to turn the pages from start to finish.

 

The arc is composed of the sequence of events that take place in your story. That being said, don’t confuse the story arc with the plot.  A plot is the actual events that take place in your story. The arc is the way those events are sequenced, emphasized and deemphasized to provide the shape of your story, the rising and falling action and emotion. It allows the reader to see the cause an effect between those story events which give them meaning and structure.  

 

So if it’s vital that your story have a compelling arc, just how do you make that happen? Here are a few steps

 

Decide on the TYPE of narrative arc you will be using in your story.
The most popularly agreed upon standards are these six.

Rags To Riches.  This type of story has but one movement – a steady rise, a continuous upward climb.

Examples would include Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw and Holes by Louis Sinclair

Riches to Rags. The opposite of Rags to Riches, this story arc is a steady, ongoing fall in the emotional and/or moral value or experience.

Examples would include Animal Farm by George Orwell and Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare.

Man In a Hole. The shape of this story shows two movements, a fall and then a rise.

Examples of this type include the movie Finding Nemo, and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Icarus. This arc is the inverse of the Man In a Hole – it’s characterized by a rise and then fall.

Examples would include the namesake mythological fable of Icarus and Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Cinderella. The shape of this arc is a rise-fall-rise.

In addition to Cinderella itself, examples would include Disney’s Frozen and Disney’s Alladin. (In fact you could expand this list to include just about every Disney animated movie!)

Oedipus. The inverse of the Cinderella arc, this has a fall-rise-fall shape.

This would include stories such as Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell and Moby Dick by Herman Melville.

 

Know The 5 Classic Elements of Your Story Arc.   
Just about every story arc has these elements in this order.

Exposition or Set-Up. This is the opening scenes of your story, where your characters and story world are introduced  This is also where we introduce e the story question which we will spend the rest of the story exploring. Note I said introduce, as in lay out the groundwork-we don’t need to know every element of her life and backstory at the outset, just enough to give us a feel of who these characters are whose journeys we’ll be sharing for the length of your story, a way to help your reader settle in to your story before the meat of the action really picks up.

Rising Action.  This happens once your set-up is complete and the inciting incident has set the plot in motion, and is usually characterized by conflict, complications, challenges and reversals. In other words, this is everything that follows the inciting incident leading up to the story climax.

Climax.  This is where all of that rising action comes to a head, where it reaches critical mass. It should be where tensions are highest and should also be the most exciting moment in your book. It’s here that your protagonist has to make a crucial decision that will drive the story on through the falling action and to its final resolution.

Falling Action. Now that the Climax is behind you, this is where you show the fallout, either positive or negative, where the tension begins to lessen as we ease toward the conclusion of our story.

Resolution. This is the actual end of the story, where all the loose ends are tied up and where we get a sense of the lasting impact of the story events on your characters and their world. The story question has been answered and your story’s message has been imparted to the reader.

 

Play Twist and Shout.

Once you have a good handle on The various types of Story Arcs, the Elements of the Story Arcs and Genre conventions, then you can play with twisting and reshaping them to put new twists on them.  

Whatever genre you choose to write in, make certain you are very familiar with tropes, conventions and reader expectations (read, read, READ). For instance, if you’re doing a take on an Aladdin story, perhaps your genie is a toddler rather than a fearsome presence. Or in your romance, instead of a meet cute you have a train wreck of a first meeting. Or you have a shapeshifter story where your protagonist can only shift into something innocuous or silly like a sloth. 

Just keep in mind, if you do play with twisting reader expectations do so with a story purpose, not just for shock value.

 

Deliver On Your Story Promise and Reader Satisfaction

Always keep in mind, reader engagement and satisfaction is key. Even when you bend the rules or genre expectations you need to deliver a satisfying story. That shapeshifter story with the sloth as the protagonist would likely work well in a comedic story, but for a serious paranormal maybe not so much. If a an action thriller type story had a weak villain or one who just gave up at the end your reader would likely toss the book against the wall.

The real world often seems confusing, unfair, chaotic – in other words, meaningless. And as people we crave meaning.  By creating the arc in your story, and making that arc your own, you can give your readers that meaning they're craving.

And a compelling, satisfying story is about change, whether that change is for good or ill. Proper use of a narrative arc is the way to show that change.

So create your story with all its twists and turns, its quirks and unexpected re-imaginings, and then keep your promise to the reader by providing a satisfying, absolutely compelling pay off in the end.

Do you have a particular type of story arc you prefer, either as a reader or writer? Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for your selection of any book in my backlist

 

 

Taking Our Stories to Market

By Debby Giusti

Every Saturday, my town hosts a Farmer’s Market. I regularly shop there and always enjoy buying fresh vegetables—vine-ripened tomatoes, okra, eggplant, corn on the cob—as well as an assortment of fresh baked breads and pastries. Various musical groups perform each week, adding to the warm and welcoming ambiance, and a wide swath of vendors sell everything from produce and plants to grass-fed beef, local raw honey and even seafood trucked in from the coast. It’s always a fun event that attracts crowds of people who enjoy small town life at its best.

My favorite vendor! Love her veggies!

As I browsed the booths last weekend, I thought of the work involved in bringing a product to market. Consider the produce vendors. Someone who doesn’t understand farming might not realize the sweat and toil required to cultivate even a small parcel of land.

The Southern Band made the day even more
enjoyable!

Mother Nature can’t be rushed nor can any of the major steps in the growing process be ignored. The soil needs to be plowed, harrowed and the land leveled before the seeds are sowed. Add the need to fertilize, water and weed—all time-consuming tasks that must be repeated on a regular basis in order to end up with a successful crop.

So how does that apply to the writing life?

Pretty watermelons!

Similar to the farmer in his fields, writers have to get down and get dirty, so to speak. We need to work hard to create new stories, to improve our craft, to understand the nuances of plot and character development and to keep writing through the good times and the bad.

This gardener loves plants as much as I do!

We start by brainstorming a new story, fleshing out compelling characters and instilling them with their own particular goals, motivation and conflict before we begin to write. Some of us use a synopsis or outline to keep focused, while others rely on their own inner compass to steer their story. No matter our technique, whether plotter or pantser, we spend long hours—sometimes frustrating hours—taking that beginning idea and turning it into a full-length manuscript. Then, we revise and rewrite until we’re satisfied that our finished product will catch the eye and the interest of an agent or editor.

Annie's French Bakery. I always enjoy her 
bread and her French accent!

Like the vendors at the farmer’s market, selling our product—our stories—is our goal, but as we know so well, stories don’t always sell. Too often writers become discouraged when a book isn’t acquired or a contract doesn’t come about in a timely manner.

A booth for our canine friends!

The lack of a sale may force us to work longer and harder to improve our story. Or perhaps we’ll move on to a new project. Both options have merit. A new story brings fresh focus, and sometimes when we write that next story we can more easily see the shortcomings in our earlier endeavor, which can eventually be revised and resubmitted.

Great honey from local hives!

My message today is that things of worth, whether fresh vegetables or honey or grass-fed beef, take time and effort to bring to market. Writing a story does, as well, so don’t get discouraged. Keep working. The only one you’ll hurt if you give up is yourself.

My friend, Lois, helps this baker from Macon, GA.

I snapped these photos last Saturday because, as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. I’ve also included a few quotes that provide food for thought and, I hope, a bit of motivation.

Who likes boiled peanuts?

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act. But a habit.”            ~Aristotle~

 “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
~Colin Powell~

Something extra for sale! Such cute pups!

                    “I see the invisible. I believe the incredible. I attempt the impossible.”                 ~Robert Schuller~

                                                 “Fall seven times, stand up eight.”                                                 ~Japanese proverb~

This little sweetie didn't want to leave her puddle.

                “Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent                                          hard work leads to success. Greatness will come. ”                              ~Dwayne Johnson~

Some of what I came home with last Saturday!

Share any inspiring quotes that give meaning to your life, and/or leave a comment about how you stay focused and on track. Let me know if you’d like to be included in the drawing for one of my stories, title of your choice.

Happy writing!

Wishing you abundant blessings!

Debby Giusti

www.DebbyGiusti.com

HIDDEN AMISH SECRETS

Her temporary Amish homecoming

could get her killed.

Julianne Graber left her Amish life behind after a family tragedy, but now she’s back to sell the family home— and someone’s dead set on getting rid of her. With her neighbor William Lavy by her side, Julianne must uncover dangerous secrets to make sense of the past and present. Can she find justice for her family—and a future with Will—before the killer hits his target?

Order on Amazon!