Guest Blog with Shawna Williams

If you’re here for the query letter blogfest, my entry is here.
If you're here for the Crazy Holiday blogfest, my entry is here.

 Everyone, let's welcome Shawna back to my blog. She's hear to talk about her latest book, Orphaned Hearts:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27 NIV

Orphaned Heart is my latest release. It's a wonderful little story set in Northwestern Arkansas, during 1932.

The story is about a minister, David Langley, and his search for a home for Caleb, an orphaned child with a missing arm. David is especially concerned with Caleb's situation because David knows that Caleb's disability will affect how people see him. David, who also grew up orphaned, was severely burned in the fire that killed his family. As an adult he is able to hide these scars beneath his clothes, but he always felt that his disfigurement was the reason he was never taken in by a family when he was a child. For these same reasons, he believes he'll never have one of his own as a man. So, in a way, finding a home for Caleb proves there's still hope for him.

Sadie, the town spinster, has been in love with David for years, but she doesn't think he can see past her label. Circumstances bring Caleb into her home on a temporary basis and her love for the boy blossoms, healing his pain and hers. But things become desperate when they learn of danger at the orphanage and that Caleb must soon return. David and Sadie team up, both working to find a permanent, loving home where Caleb will be safe, but while searching they discover a family instead.

Orphaned Hearts isn't my grandparents' story, but it was written because of them. My grandfather grew up in the orphanage I based the one in this story upon, and some of the details of his experiences there are woven into the story's pages. My great-grandfather was hired to work the orphanage's dairy during The Great Depression, bringing his young family with him to Arkansas. That is how my grandparents met.

My grandparents served as foster parents for many years and I have often wondered how many lives they affected. At my granddad's funeral, I sat in the pew marveling at the fullness of his life, but also thinking how unfair it was for him to have been orphaned as a young boy. Then I remembered a story my grandmother told me of a young girl who came to live with them through Child Welfare.

She was pregnant and cast from her house. My grandmother had been told that she would be a problem, but that wasn't the case at all. She was sweet, appreciative, and longing. For a few short months she got to experience a home -- a real, loving home. She decided that's what she wanted for her child and gave her baby up for adoption. The girl left not long after her baby's birth and my grandparents moved from the area. Life went on.

Many years later my grandmother ran into an old friend who went to church with the family who had adopted that baby. She learned that the little girl had grown into a lovely young Christian woman. She was smart, attending a university and had a bright future ahead. I can't help but wonder; had my granddad not been an orphan, had that compassion for hurting children not been embedded deep within my grandparents' hearts, what would have happened to that little girl, and so many of the others they took into their home.

To Nonnie and Papa.

Your story inspired mine.

Here's a short excerpt:

David ran back to the bench and removed his suit jacket. Sadie raised her brow. In the five years she'd known him, he'd never been without a coat and tie. A little peculiar -- yes -- however, he did take his position as a minister seriously. Perhaps Caleb was also helping David to realize that ministers could take time off for fun.

"Join us," David said.

"Join you?" Sadie looked down at her 'too full to be fashionable' skirt and then at her gloved hands. No telling how much flour was caked beneath her nails.

"But I'm--"

"You are the same girl who ran around in overalls, hoping to be a miner someday?"

She glanced up and noted David's challenging smirk. Suddenly the ball hit her in the shin. Caleb broke out into a fit of laughter.

With her youthful, tomboyish spirit revived, Sadie narrowed her eyes, shooting Caleb and then David an 'I'll-show-you' look. As an only child she'd fulfilled the roles of both daughter and son. Neither David nor Caleb had any idea just what she was capable of. If she was still capable?

Sadie picked up the ball and stepped away from the bench. She carefully set it on the ground and took two long steps back. She glanced at the ball, then -- squinting her eyes -- looked through the rays of sunlight streaming through the trees, off into the horizon and imagined the ball flying into the distant mountains.

Furrowing her brow in concentration, Sadie fixed her gaze on the ball, lifted her skirt to her knees and took in a deep breath. Then she rushed toward her target, slinging her right foot back and propelling it forward. It connected in a loud thud. She watched as the ball flew higher and higher, threading between the trees and disappearing from sight.

Sadie dropped her skirt and heaved a satisfied sigh as she dusted her hands. Both David and Caleb stood frozen with their mouths gaping wide.

"Wow!" Caleb gawked and took off running in search of the ball -- which may very well have rolled down the base of the hill. She hadn't considered that. Suddenly her mothering instinct kicked in. "Caleb, wait. There could be snakes."

Shaking his head, David chuckled. "I'll go with him." The spring in his jog showed of amusement more than worry.

Sadie smiled as she watched David close the distance. A euphoric sensation surged through her, and some strange power beckoned her feet to take flight.

Not just her feet. Her heart.

What a wonderful excerpt, Shawna! Thanks for dropping by. Shawn's website is here and her blog is here. The link to purchase Orphaned Hearts is here.

And if any authors would like to contact me about a guest blog spot or an interview, just email me. Nicole.Zoltack@gmail.com

Guest Blog with Shawna Williams

Back in May, Shawna Williams, fellow Desert Breeze author, stopped by my blog for an interview in honor of her release, No Other. Now she's back with a guest blog to spread the word about her newest release In All Things. Take it away, Shawna!

Hi, Nicole! Thank you for having me on your blog today. Last time I visited I shared about my debut Novel, "No Other". Today, I'd like to share about my newest release, "In All Things", and some of my favorite elements of story-telling.

"In All Things" is the sequel to "No Other". The story picks up with Jakob and Meri ten years later. Jakob has put all of his effort into fulfilling his promise to Roger by making Meri's dreams come true. They've moved to Hollywood and Meri is a successful actress. But what you have to ask is this; was this really Meri's dream, or was it what he thought was her dream, and by achieving it was he really trying to prove himself?

                

Meri on the other hand has her own set of issues. She's tried to put the past behind her, but a part of her still craves her parents' approval – something most children want even when they come from an abusive home. She hopes that time and her success have brought a change of heart to her parents, but when she finds that it hasn't she sets out with determination to shove her success in their faces and shame them that way.

Both Meri and Jakob are faced with coming to terms over the fact that success has proved dissatisfying. Likewise, an unhealthy nature to their relationship has stifled their growth in Christ, and they have to overcome that, too.

Along with Jakob and Meri's story is the story of healing that takes place in Jakob's family. Though, some things get worse before they get better. This story is actually more literary in that sense than romance. It's very focused on the characters' personal journeys.

One of the questions I get asked most is how I go about developing my characters. I'm most definitely a character writer! For me, characters define the story. I may have a sense of what the storyline is, but how it will play out to completion is very much determined by my character's response to events within the story. I think an author has to allow room for this or else you end up with a puppet and not a believable character. I've found that what helps is for the author to know what has taken place in the character's life before the book they're writing. In detail! Like flesh and blood people, a character should be molded by events. In this book, "In All Things", this was a little easier because much of the back-story was laid out in "No Other". However, my characters have quite a back-story beyond that book, too. 

When I profile my characters, long before the writing begins, it goes far beyond hair and eye color, height, occupation, etc. Those are the least important if you ask me. It's all surface stuff. To really dig into a character you need memories -- experiences that mold and define -- and you need both spectrums -- good and bad -- as well as stuff in between. These are the things that a person draws on when facing choices. They guide the course.

Another element of story-telling that I like, and believe adds depth and meaning to a story, is symbolism. If you'll notice on "No Other's" cover, and "In All Things", there is a farmhouse and a locket. Yep, they're important! The farmhouse is Jakob's childhood home, and it coordinates heavily with both stories' themes. In "In All Things" it becomes Jakob's personal mission to see the house restored. At the same time this is taking place within his family, which is still recovering from the lingering effects of their internment during WWII.

Meri's journey is represented through other objects, like the locket and a brooch in this story, but she is also very much tied with the farmhouse. Very much! 

The last element of good story-telling I want to talk about is conflict. Without it you have a whole lot of snooze. There are different kinds of conflict, but since I'm a character writer I'm going to talk about my favorite, internal. As I mentioned, my stories tend to be character journeys and usually my main characters serve as both protagonist and antagonist. They are their own worst enemy. The nature of their struggle is a mixture of plot and character development. As mentioned previously, my characters are molded by life experiences. These frame how they will handle the external issues of the story

I'll use Jakob's situation as an example. I worked out his family's history all the way back to their immigration from Germany. He is of a dual culture, born in America, raised in a German home. He claims both cultures, speaks both languages, so in "No Other", when these cultures clash, he has a major identity crisis. It's very difficult for him to process why certain things have happened to his family. So that story started off with heavy emotional conflict right at the start. 

That inner conflict evolves during the story of "No Other" so, in "In All Things" there is a new source that Jakob must come to terms with, as well as some unresolved old stuff..

Meri is a whole other story. In "No Other" her background isn't laid out in quite as much detail for the reader, but it is shown to have been pretty terrible. "In All Things" digs far deeper into this so the reader can see the pit she's trying to dig out of.

The process I use for resolving conflict is first to fully understand it. I do a lot of journal writing for my characters, where I ramble, in character, as to what they feel, what they think they need or want, and how they plan to get it. 

Then I work on scenarios that might bring this about.  Usually the first drafts are entirely too preachy because I'm trying to clarify the message to myself, but I go back and edit to try and make it so that the message is conveyed to the character, and not to the reader. I don't want to pull the reader out of the book for a sermon. I want them to experience the growth of the character.

The last thing I'd like to leave you with is this: We've all heard the phrase, 'write what you know.' I think it's equally important, if not more-so, that an author writes who they are. Yes, we have to learn the craft, pay attention to trends and whatnot. Those things are important. Just be sure that in doing so you don't lose yourself. The best stories come from the heart.

Nicole, I'd like to give away a freshwater pearl bracelet and a pdf copy of either book, "No Other" or "In All Things". I also have pdf files of the first three chapters of each book that I'll give to anyone who wants. Just email me at shawnawilliams@allegiance.tv

For more about me:

Website

Blog

Purchase In All Things

Thank you so much for dropping by, Shawna! I'm sure whoever wins will love your book. Inspiring Mondays will be back next week.

Interview with the lovely Shawna Williams

I love Shawna, and I swear that has nothing to do with her (and her daughters and niece) loving my books. She a kind-hearted soul, and a wonderful person. I can't wait to read her new book, No Other, available today from Desert Breeze Publishing.

And now, onto the interview!

First, Shawna, could tell my blog readers a little about yourself?


I'm pretty ordinary. I'm a mom of three wonderful kids, and I've been married to their dad for 18 and a half yrs. We live on a ranch in Mena, AR, where we raise cattle, horses, goats and rabbits. My interests vary a bit. Apart from writing I also design jewelry, review books, try to keep up with a blog, and look after my family. I'm nerdy in that I think it's fun to study geology and ancient cultures. I'm sentimental in that I can never pass up an abandoned ruin of a house without snapping a picture, and at least trying to convince my family that I'll only be a minute in exploring if they want to wait in the car. My sense of adventure is motivated by curiosity as opposed to the adrenaline rush, and while I love people, I'm an introvert who needs her alone time to recharge. This is when my muse gets a hold of me and fills my head with ideas. I'm also a dog lover. LOVE DOGS!

You make awesome jewelry that I've won in prizes. I love the earrings! And I tend to be an introvert too, although I'm try hard at conferences to put myself out there and establish connections. What us writers will do for our craft! When did you start writing? And why?


I started writing eight years ago after I had a really bizarre dream. The dream was like a story, and it came in "scenes," if you will, with me sometimes observing and sometimes as one of the characters (that's how I've come to think of the people in this dream). The whole thing made so much sense that I found myself thinking about it, all of the time, for about six months as I tried to fill in the periods between "scenes". It finally became so complicated that I had to start writing it out. It eventually turned into a very long and horrible book that sat as a file in my computer for a few years. Every so often I'd get the urge to revise it and attempt to make it better, and while doing that I'd think, "Maybe I'll try to get it published," but then I'd chicken out. This went on for six years, and then two years ago I decided to get serious. I started with books about writing, and then critique groups (Yeouch!), more books, more critiques. Finally, I started submitting short stories and did pretty well with the few I wrote, getting published fairly quick. This gave me the encouragement to keep after the book. 

In essence, that dream is now two books. The first, No Other, has just released, and In All Things comes out in November of this year. 


While my writing started because of that dream, I now have a head full of ideas. I also have a third book, not related to the dream, which will be published in December of this year.

I get story ideas from dreams all the times. And I write a lot of fantasy so that tells you something about my dreams, lol Where else do you find inspiration? And in particular, No Other?



I'm inspired by those moments we all have in life, in which something profound hits us and we're changed forever. It might be something totally obvious, like finding love, but sometimes it's something so simple, and I like to try and draw that out, define it and give it meaning, and hopefully touch the reader in an unexpected way.


I've already said quite a bit about how and why I wrote No Other. The inspiration for it morphed over the years. Initially it was like a puzzle, piecing things together until they made sense. Over the course of the years though, the characters in this book and its sequel, have themselves become the inspiration. I know them intimately, and I feel compelled to share their journey. I'm just so grateful to have the opportunity.
Taking inspiration from our own lives makes our writing more real, at least I think so.

I love the title, No Other. It's so sweet. How did you come up with it?


The title came from the Bible verse, Isaiah 45:6 "So that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know that there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other." 


The underlying theme of the book is God's sovereignty. But I wanted to write a book that had a good story with complex characters to capture a reader's attention whether they enjoyed reading Christian fiction or not. Weaving in the faith element was easy once I knew the story and characters. What I wanted to avoid was preachiness. Nothing turns a reader off faster, and I didn't want to preach anyway. This was meant to be Jakob's story, about a young man who is a Christian, and how he views his faith and his choices in light of that faith.  He's not perfect -- far from it actually, which is where -- to me -- the heart of the story is. Stories with perfect people are boring. I can't relate to any of them so I never feel engaged. 
I can't stand stories about perfect characters! You're completely right, they're boring. And don't get me started on Mary Sues. I have a tendency to not finish those kinds of books.

Speaking of books, what books are you currently reading?


I read just about every genre. I love fantasy (ahem...your books). I love suspense and scifi. I haven't read many paranormals, but that's just because my 'to read' list is so long. I've got quite a few waiting on my Kindle. I, of course, love romance, but it has to have a strong, character-driven story. Romance is the story of emotion, and it doesn't mean much to me if I'm not attached to the characters.  


Recently I've read K. Dawn Byrd's suspense, Queen of Hearts (very good). I'm currently reading a contemporary romance called The Heart's Journey Home. It's by Jen Stevens, and is her debut novel, and so far it's very touching. I love Francine Rivers, Nicholas Sparks, and Tess Gerritsen. I also enjoy Tom Clancy and his political thrillers. Read most of the books, and saw all the movies, and Harrison Ford is the best Jack Ryan in my opinion. And yes, Love me some J.R. Tolkien and Lord of the Rings.

You sound like me, I'll read anything! :)

Do you have any advice to offer writers?

Persistence! Be true to yourself. Study, study more, critiques, more study, repeat this process forever. Last, chin up, it'll happen.
 
Sage advice! Now for some more fun questions: how would you describe yourself in three words?  

I. Don't. Know.


In you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? 


Oooo...now we're talking! Okay, any super power I want. I want to read minds. Do you know how many heartaches I could've saved myself if only I could read minds? Communication would be so much more efficient.

If you could be a paranormal creature, which would you be and why? 


A paranormal critter, huh? Hmm...well, since I'm a dog lover, I guess I'll go with werewolf, as long as I don't have to shave in between full moons. 

LOL I love the responses to that question, but yours was definitely one of the funnier answers.

Anything else you would like to add, Shawna? 


Nicole, I'd like to give away a pair of freshwater pearl earrings, a pdf copy of my book, and signed postcards today on your blog.

Wow, that's some wonderful prizes. Blog readers, be sure to leave a comment to be entered to win.


Also, on the last day of May I'm doing a drawing for three prizes. The first includes:

Grand prize

Book, Poster, Notebook, Sterling silver-gold overlay Locket, Goat's milk Soap & lotion, Postcards, $10 Amazon Gift certificate, Pearl bracelet and earrings. 

2^nd Place

Book, Poster, Notebook, Postcards, Pearl bracelet and earrings, Honey Soap. $5 Amazon Gift certificate 

3^rd Place

Book, Notebook, Postcards, Pearl bracelet and earrings, $5 Amazon Gift Certificate 

This contest runs the whole month, and you can enter multiple times. For everyone who leaves a comment today on Nicole's blog, there's one entry (please include your email with the comment. I promise these will all be destroyed after the contest). If you follow me on twitter, my blog or my Facebook fanpage, that's an entry for each. Throughout the month, check my blog for a question (http://shawnawilliams-oldsmobile.blogspot.com/) or the latest blog I'm touring on, and email me the answer (Shawnawilliams(at)allegiance.tv) and you either get one to three entries, depending on how hard it is to find the answer to the question. Leave a comment on any blog on the day I'm touring, like Nicole's today, and that's an entry. If, at some point in the month, you decide to purchase my book email me (honor system) and I'll enter your name five times. And last, if you post this contest on your blog, let me know and I'll enter your name three more times.  


The question for the extra entry today is, "What is Jakob burning in the first chapter of the book?" You can read the first chapter on my blog, click the coverart and it will take you there. A sample can be downloaded for free on Kindle and you can also read the first 4 chapters on Freado. 


Nicole, Thank you for hosting me today. I enjoyed this very much.  


For more about me
 http://shawnakwilliams.com/
http://shawnawilliams-oldsmobile.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/shawnakwilliams
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Shawna-K-Williams/236629884245?ref=ts

Thank you so much for joining us today, Shawna, I had a great time. And your contests are lovely. Be sure to leave a comment, guys!

Blog Award!

The wonderful Bethany Wiggins at Shooting Stars gave me this great blog award, the Blogger BFF. Thanks, Bethany!

There are so many awesome bloggers out there. My favorites are one from fellow authors as they chronicalize their writing journey.

And now it's time for me to give the Blogger BFF to some great bloggers.

Drum roll, please!

And the recipients are:

Aubrie Dionne
Cherie Reich
Sarah Simas
Steph Burkhart
Shawna Williams

All of your blogs are wonderful, and I always enjoy reading them. Keep up the great work, ladies!

First Reviews in for Knight of Glory

First, Knight of Glory received 4 Cups from Coffee Time Romance:

I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to seeing how the next phase of the war goes. From dwarves to kings to mages, this book has almost every fantasy character available. Betrayers, liars, and spies round out the list of characters. The battles are interesting and the search for power is fascinating. The dialogue is good, and the lead up to the next book in the series is well done.

Plus Shawna Williams left me a review on Amazon:

I loved this book! It's very Lord of the Rings'ish' without being copycat, AT ALL. Nicole took great care to create characters, plot and settings that are as unique as they are captivating. Sir Geoffry is the noble night with a vulnerable heart. Jenanna is tough, yet feminine; independent, but lonely. And Celestia turned out to be a complete surprise as to what I had expected. Nope, I'm not gonna give anything more away on that.

My absolute favorite thing about this series is that I'm able to share it with my kids and my niece, who is a medieval nut (and I mean that in a good way, Lauren). I love that this series is not only entertaining, but memory making as well.

Thanks Nicole! Can't wait for the next.

Mertales Call for Submissions

I found a new call of submissions.

Wyvern Publication is looking for YA stories about sea creatures for its Mertales Anthology. The 2010 anthology has the theme of mermaids and sea monsters. Although the theme and teen genre is set, the story can be as folklorish as you like! Mertales is planned to be compiled and published at the end of 2010 and submissions will be accepted from 1 Sept 2009. Deadline for submission is 1 Aug 2010, although if the anthology is 'full' before then, new manuscripts will not be considered. Word count should be between 2,000 and 5,000 words. More details here.

I wrote a story for this anthology today and I sent it in already. A little over 3,800 words. Varun loves to sing to his little cousins but they aren't the only one who likes to listen. One day Varun's voice brings a young maiden to him but is she human?

What I like most about this story is that Brenna is not a typical mermaid. But I won't say anything more about it, hopefully you'll be able to read it in Mertales. I called it Beauty is Only Fin Deep.

In other news, I guest blogged at a fellow DBP author's blog about my writing journey. Read it here and leave a comment please!