Welcome to the Weekend Edition!
As we launch into week 4 of SPEEDBO!
Do let us know how you are doing in the comments!
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. Send to Seekers@Seekerville.net
This week's Speedbo prize winners can be found here.
Monday: "A Foot in Two Worlds: Writing in Two Different Genres" with guest Dana Mentink. Jessica Ferguson gets to have her cake and eat it too! She won both, Dangerous Testimony and Sit, Stay, Love.
Tuesday: The 3 winners of Myra Johnson's upcoming release, A Rose So Fair, are Jackie Smith, Patti Jo, and Marcia!
Wednesday: Debby Giusti encouraged us to "Dream Big!" The winner of the very first Seekerville giveaway of an advanced copy of her May release, AMISH REFUGE, is Wendy Newcomb. Congrats, Wendy!
Thursday: Debut Harlequin Heartwarming author, LeAnne Bristow is our guest with her post, "Pressing on When Life Pushes You Back." Jessica Baughman is the winner of Her Texas Rebel.
Monday: Janet Dean's post "Speedbo Got You Down? Give Yourself the Gift of Kindness." Leave a comment for a chance to win a five page critique or an eCopy of one of Janet's novels.
Tuesday: Amanda Cabot joins us today to discuss "The Power Of A Family Tree." Having trouble keeping family members straight as you write a trilogy or saga? Amanda shares with us the advantages of giving your characters a lineage and how organizing your character's history from the very beginning can save you major headaches as you continue to create. A copy of A Stolen Heart, Book 1 in the Cimarron Creek Trilogy, will be the prize of the day!
Wednesday: Bestselling author Elizabeth Musser will be in the house to offer a glimpse into her very unusual writing life and how she's managed to remain relatively (but certainly not totally) sane! Stop by for a chance to win her most recent release, The Long Highway Home.
Thursday: Jill Weatherholt is our special guest with her post, "The Payoff of Perseverance." She's celebrating her debut release from Love Inspired. Stop by and comment for a chance to win one of two copies of Second Chance Romance!
Friday: Seekerville brings you another Best of the Archives to inspire your Speedbo week. Comments are closed on Friday so we can catch up on our reading and writing.
Tina Radcliffe will be speaking to the Christian Writers of the West (ACFW) on "The Romantic Arc," on Saturday, April 22 (the weekend AFTER Easter). This date has been updated from April 15.
Details on the CWOW webpage.
Sign up here to get the latest updates from Love Inspired and 3 free eBook downloads.
RITA & Golden Heart finalist calls go out on March 21. Answer your phone!
5 Sneaky Ways to Steal Time to Write (The Write Practice)
Second Chance at Love—Get it Right the First Time (Romance University)
Five Bad Habits of Good Writers -Free Download (Alicia Rasley)
3 Golden Rules for Your Amazon Author Page (SPR)
Publishers Plan for Future Without Family Christian (PW)
Critiquing an Agent's Pitch Letter (Janet Reid)
Why Write a Synopsis (Steve Laube Literary Agency)
Three Things to Consider Before Talking with an Agent (MacGregor Literary)
What Kind of Advance Can I Expect ? (Books & Such Literary Management)
Advice from Kurt Vonnegut that Every Writer Needs to Read (ProWriting Aid Blog)
All Day to Write, But Where Did the Time Go? (Live, Write, Breathe)
April 1 Deadline! Enter and send proof of entry to us. Details here.
Happy Weekend, Seekerville. Praying for a big, huge, ginormous writing and reading weekend. I am now officially off the grid. See you on MONDAY!!!
ReplyDeleteYay for you! I will be doing my usual Saturday bill paying and housecleaning chores. However, I DID finish the first draft of my wip AND started on my next proposal this week. So PROGRESS!
DeleteBlogger ate my first comment.
ReplyDeleteSpeedbo update: A crazy 10 days here, filled with Mother Nature caused drama... But I'm looking at 13 days left of Speedbo, and if the drama lets up for a while.... A week would be nice!!! I should get this book done.
I don't know if it will be as polished as I want it to be, and that's an aggravation, but it should be done.
I've sent in new proposals and working on one in my quiet times....
But the book is clutch, and I love it so I want to get to the ending!!!!
This Speedbo has been a unique challenge for me, so if you're having problems....
If you want to kick someone or something...
If you are wondering if you can ever, ever, ever really DO THIS...
The answer is "Yes." Yes, you can.
Daily.
Smiling.
Reporting for duty.
Let's go military and get the job done, my friends!
I've been praying for you. You are such an encourager.
DeleteThanks, Ruthy! I second Wilani's comment.
DeleteI love you guys.... And Wilani, thank you!!! We weathered the storm well, and we were able to help other families... some here at home, and some with Farmer Dave and his chain saws... But I'll take those prayers and hugs, my friend! :)
DeleteLaura, thank you!!!! Sending you hugs!
DeleteI did three quick links... The one about advances was interesting.... The comments were, too...
ReplyDeleteThe one about Family Christian... Ay yi yi, I know we need outlets, but I don't know how Family Christian dared complain about credit terms after they had millions of dollars of product payment forgiven... and the publishers and wholesalers received nothing...
I'm sorry to lose an outlet, but when professionals blame others for their own lax business practices, that's just wrong. Especially as Christians, shouldn't we own our mistakes?
Note to all of us: The word "Christian" in a name/title/business doesn't necessarily mean what you think it means. Don't be misled, and it's okay to check things out and pick who you support with your hard-earned dollars. Just like you do with charities...
I'm 100% behind being a smart consumer when it comes to anything because it's so easy for us to be misled.
Ay yi yi!
I'm diving into WIP and going for a thousand this morning.... And wishing everyone a great, marvelous, wonderful writing sprint(s) as the weekend progresses.
GO YOU!!!!
I appreciate the examples you shared. Those little nuances can be so subtle. Sometimes it's hard to write emotions without telling. Balancing inner monologue with action. Once I get this rough draft done and the rewrites begin I'll probably spot plenty of tells.
ReplyDeleteOh man, we all do... Those rewrites are our best friends. That's like the polish on the silver... the glitter on the card... the sprinkles on the cupcake!!! :)
DeleteCongratulations to all of the winners!
ReplyDeleteLooks like some great links to check out, Tina...thanks!
Happy reading and writing to all!
I'm so glad you're going to be with us next week.... DEBUT NOVEL TIME!!!!!!!
DeleteJill, saw the cover on your website. Lovely!
DeleteNancy C
Good points Ruthy. We don't have a Family Christian in my area, but I can see where it would be a good resource and a good outlet for our work. I agree, people, especially business owners, have to take responsibility.
ReplyDeleteI have THREE chapters left in my Speedbo WIP, so I can't complain. I got derailed by a revise-and-resubmit, but that's a good kind of derailment. Also got derailed by the day job and another blizzard, the not-so-good kind of derailment. Hope to catch up this weekend. But I'm taking off now, have a 2 1/2 hour drive to do a nonfiction gig for a magazine. It payeth the billet.
Going to go back and look at Sandra's archive post at some point, one of the criticisms in the revise-and-resubmit was not enough Showing and too much Telling. I thought I was over that, but are we ever, really?
Entered Genesis this week. One day before deadline.
See you Monday,
KF
Always more to learn and skills to polish, KB! But a revise-and-resubmit? Priceless!
DeleteKaybee, congrats on entering Genesis!!! I just unearthed my old Noble Theme awards when I was painting the office... (Genesis used to be called Noble Theme) and it brought back so many memories!!! That's when we started the Seekers... and then the blog... Hooray!!!!
DeleteAnd an R&R is a great way to derail.... and now when I get a revision letter (once I get over the shock that I am NOT PERFECT!!!!) :)
.... I get to work reconnecting the dots.
And it works!!!!
God bless those editors and their savvy ways!
And Myra... That picture.... GORGEOUS.
Congrats to all of the winners!
ReplyDeleteTina, I don't guess they are streaming your class live, are they? I'd love the link!
Thanks for all of the links, and have a great WE!
Congratulations to all of this week's winners and thanks again for all of the wonderful posts. I always leave Seekerville with added inspiration and motivation!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Connie
Happy weekend, everyone!!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYAY...I am so thrilled to win Myra's new book! Loved the others in that series.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all the winners!
Happy weekend to all!
So glad, Jackie! I'll be sending you a copy as soon as it officially releases on April 4!
DeleteCongratulations to all the winners.
ReplyDeleteI think I did the right thing this year. I basically set 2 goals One that I knew I could probably meet and an even higher goal that I'd like to meet. I achieved the first goal on Wednesday and hoping to make the second goal as well. Ruthy is Right you can do this. I've been battling vertigo and bronchitis and still I have gotten in 27,012
Every one keep chugging away on your word count. You can do this.
Way to go, Wilani! You are persevering through Speedbo17!
DeleteGreat job Wilani. You are an inspiration to all of us.
DeleteWilani, that is absolutely wonderful. I'm not only proud of you, I'm so stinkin' happy for you!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!
DeleteGood morning, Seekerville! Congratulations to all the winners. And congratulations to all those who are keeping up with their Speedbo goals. I'm hanging in there. My words don't always feel inspired at times, but I'm getting them down anyway :-) Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you, TINA, for the great WE. Off to read the links.
DeleteYou know, even if we don't quite keep up... if we produce more than usual... or if we feel like we've made significant progress... that is such a good feeling. It's the kind of thing that tells us we can do this!!!!
DeleteSince I barely got my Genesis entry in due to the author picture. Thank you Pam for helping get one to work, I have a question about the author pictures. Do I actually need the print picture or can it just be a file on the computer so it can be sent electronically.
ReplyDeleteMy church is updating their church directory. I have an appointment on Friday. It costs so much for the packages the company offers. Plus who wants a large picture of just you when you are my age.
Where can I find the details of the size etc.
Any advice about this?
Wilani, I don't think you will need a print photo for the Genesis. They just need the digital copy for what they will use it for.
DeleteCongrats on getting your entry in to Genesis, Wilani!! So glad you got a photo to work for you!! That photo issue nearly caused me to be late also. I thought the photo I always use would work...it turned out to be the wrong size. I spent half a day trying to find one to work..blessedly, my daughter rescued me with one she had. Next time I'll try the "test photo size" ahead of the due date!
DeleteCongrats Wilani. And yay about the photo.
DeleteHappy Weekend, my Friends!! :) GREAT WE as always, Miss T!
ReplyDeleteCONGRATS to all the winners, and I am THRILLED to win MYRA'S BOOK!!!! Thank you sooo much - - I was so excited when I read my name I squealed and startled several nearby kitties. ;)
Will come back later to read the links posted today, but for now heading to my SPEEDBO WIP! Logged 3K words yesterday, but really need to do that everyday until March 31 - - have gotten behind but will keep writing!
Hugs (along with peach muffins), Patti Jo
Oh, goodness, don't scare those kitties!!!
DeleteWow, 3K in one day??? I am sooooo envious!!! Great going, Patti Jo!
Congrats on 3 K woohooo
DeletePeach muffins. yum
I had a moment of panic when I read that we're in week four of speedbo--there are generally only four and a half weeks in a month, and by my calculations I'm only halfway to my goal. But then I actually looked at the calendar to see how many days remain. Whew. I'm right on schedule--even slightly ahead, and looking to increase that margin with my free morning.
ReplyDeleteHappy writing!
P.S. MYRA! Is that a new profile pic or am I just now noticing it? VERY LOVELY!! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Just updated it this week. I'm transitioning gradually to my "natural" color, which is NOT brown anymore, and not blond either, for that matter. But baby steps . . .
DeleteNeeding to renew passports for an upcoming trip and I'm having a hard time deciding exactly what hair color to put down on my application!
You have a rare and amazing courage, darling. I'm pleading Dolly Parton on this one... It takes a lot of money to look this cheap. :)
DeleteI love Dolly quotes...her zeal for life and her one-liners are inspirational!!
DeleteWEEKEND HEADS-UP...Erica Vetsch, Seekerville friend, has her 5 Star, with over 100 reviews, "My Heart Belongs in Fort Bliss, Texas: Pricilla's Reveille," as a free Kindle book today. Erica is one of the best there is at the Historical Western Romance.
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting us know, Vince. I will head over there to get it!
DeleteVince, thanks for telling us! I don't think I have that one (although I like buying Erica's stuff because those paid-for book numbers add up...) but this is fun advertising for her and all of her hard work! I'm so glad you told us.
DeleteThanks for the heads up Vince. And thanks for writing reviews. You are the best.
DeleteThanks, Vince! Downloaded to my iPad. Love Historical Western Romance :-)
DeleteNancy C
VINCE thank you for mentioning this. I just went and grabbed a copy!!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to all the winners!
ReplyDeleteHope everyone is having a great weekend. Mine hasn't started out the best. At work last night I was moving a box and temporarily put it aside. Well, as I was unpacking the box that had been underneath, I tripped on the box I had moved. I didn't fall, but tore my leg--as in the skin peeled away. It was awful looking. The urgent care clinics were all closed so I went to the doctor this morning. My own doctor wasn't there on this Saturday morning. I had a choice of two doctors: Dr. Bone or Dr. Goldfish. Seriously. If I were giving names to doctors in a book, the editor would surely say those names were too weird to use. I ended up seeing Dr. Bone. (Although when he came in and I saw the name on his jacket it is spelled Bohn. But still!) Anyway he decided I didn't need stitches and closed it with steri-strips. Oh, and strange, but as badly as my legs were torn, my jeans did not have the slightest rip in them. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteSo now I am spending a quiet day in the recliner with my feet up. Will have lots of time for writing and reading. I have still reached my 1000 word a day goal everyday. Yesterday I took a break from writing on my book and wrote a rough draft of a short story instead. Now I am on Spring Break for a week, so no excuses! (At least I didn't hurt my hands!)
Oh, Sandy!!! I have to agree about those doctor names!
DeleteSo sorry about your accident, and glad it wasn't any worse. Good excuse indeed to put your feet up and write to your heart's content!
I love that your jeans are all right!!!! #totalgirl
DeleteSkin repairs... jeans are pricey! Huge congrats on your daily word count. You're amazing, Sandy.
Great note about the doctor names! Glad your accident was not worse...and I'm envious of your word count!! Good job, Sandy!!
DeleteSo glad you're okay, Sandy. And how funny about the doctor names. You're right. Those would probably be nixed.
DeleteThanks, everybody. I appreciate the good thoughts!
DeleteGreat WE, Tina! BTW, my "cowboy" arrived this week. *wink*
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to all the winners!
Have a great weekend everyone! ((((HUGS))))
So, glad, Caryl! Enjoy!
DeleteMYRA!!! LOVE the new pic, my friend. My prayer partner who is about eight years younger than me let her hair go from brown to white, and it's a really pretty white. She looks like a million bucks, and I am SO jealous she doesn't have to do SQUAT to it, and praying you won't either!!
ReplyDeleteSUPER CONGRATS TO ALL OUR WINNERS!!
Thanks, Vince, for the heads-up on Erica's book.
Ruthy, have NO doubt whatsoever that you will meet any and all writing goals for this month, girlfriend.
Just got back into town one hour ago after being gone for two weeks to Birmingham, helping my daughter and SIL rehab their "new" house from 9 to 9 most days, followed by a sad trip to St. Loo for a funeral. But we are home now, and I am ready to write! In the immortal words of Dorothy from Wizar of Oz, "there is NO place like home"!!
HUGS,
Julie
Oh, Julie, I won't meet one... I had a proposal I wanted to get totally done and ten days of kids and people and storms nixed that, but that doesn't have a due date... as long as Welcome to Wishing Bridge is done on time... and the early month stuff... I'm happy!!! I can do the proposal the first week of April, I hate to rush it because I'm researching and writing at once.
DeleteHow fun to rehab their house, Julie! What a fun job. I love fixing, painting, trimming, all that stuff.
Although we have a mouse in the house, I have found EVIDENCE and now have baited my poison stations.... So soon we will have dead mouse smell.
But a dead mouse is better than a non-dead mouse.
stinkin' vermin!!!!
Congratulations to the winners. Good luck writing!
ReplyDeleteBecky
So far I have been able to meet my writing goals of 1,000 words a day, but this past week I really lost steam and was only able to do so just barely. I'm five hundred words away from the 10,000 word mark. Shooting for that, and hoping that I wake up sometime soon. What is it about Saturdays that always make me so drowsy (besides the fact that I bore myself out of my brains and practically put myself to sleep doing my chores)?
ReplyDeleteI love you. You are such a delight to have here, and your frank honesty just makes me laugh! I work with several teenage girls and I love them to pieces because they're amazing, just like you! Funny, a little cryptic, sassy, and searching for what they want, where they want it... and how to get where they're going!
DeleteI love teenagers!!!!
Way to go Nicki
DeleteHappy weekend Seekerville!
ReplyDeleteI'm fighting a dragging cold. Not awful, just a pain.
But I'm keeping up with my writing pretty well. Knowing Seekerville is hovering in the air, over my head, WATCHING ME! Has helped to keep me motivated!
Hang in there. Drink lots of hot tea.
DeleteA spring cold. Caught from grandkids no doubt. Feel better.
DeleteJust getting this newsletter...seems mine is coming a day late here on the west coast. I have to go to the prior newsletter and click on "Newer Post" to get the most recent one. It's worth it.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all the winners...and I'm one again! Yay me! Thanks also for all the encouragement from all of you.
Getting behind in my counts...It's already getting into the 90's here in NV, so I'm rushing to get my garden in. Building a frame this year for shading. And adding more organic soil to my 25' x 4' raised bed garden.
I've had to stop and do some plotting...I've got a couple of twists that have to work out just right, so some foreshadowing, and perfectly worded sentences are needed. Hoping to up my word count this week to make up for lost days.
Blessings to all of you on this day that the Lord has made. xo
Marcia
You'll make it Marcia. Hang in there. Yes, this is a day the Lord has made. yay
DeleteWow, Marcia, "into the 90's" sounds heavenly!! And, already planting...fantastic! Do you find gardening helps when brainstorming stories? I love dirt for thinking!! LOL Wishing you abundant word count this weekend!
DeleteWhen you subscribe it comes a day late to everyone. That's the nature of Feedburner. I don't get it, but that's how it works.
DeleteThanks for clearing that up for me, Tina. Somehow, my brain wasn't figuring it that way.
DeleteKathryn, it's when it gets into the triple digits that it's not "heavenly"! I have to work early, early, in the morning to avoid the heat, but, yes, I do a lot of talking to myself then...better known as brainstorming.
I'm hanging in there, Sandra, every word counts.
Marcia
Congrats to all the winners. Once again, we have a terrific Weekend Edition. Way to go!!!
ReplyDeleteTina, I'm bummed you changed from the 15th. I could have gone on the 15th as we'll be in town. But I know the group will be blessed. Hugs.
It wasn't my decision. They figured a lot of folks would be out of pocket for Easter. :)
DeleteMyra, love the new photo.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to all the winners! Good job all you Speedbo participants...keep up the good work and hang in there!!
ReplyDeleteMy Speedbo count is down a bit. Today I'll catch up and overcome!! Movin' FORWARD--that's my One Word for this year!!
May your Sunday be full of joy and shouts of "Praise the Lord!"
Go, Kate. And you got in some golf. Way to live a balanced life!!!
DeleteWhat a great lineup for next week! I look forward to the posts!
ReplyDeleteI hope you've all had a great weekend. My daughter was sick and came home from college Friday evening, so I've been able to enjoy spoiling her a bit. I'll be sad to have her leave again.
Home from Romancing the Smokies! Thanks for all the prayer coverage. The weekend was delightful. I met so many wonderful readers and writers! Pictures on FB.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all the winners!
Looks like a great upcoming week!
Catching up on SPEEDBO!
Hugs!
Just read the link All Day to Write But Where Did the Time Go? Boy can I relate to that. Will remember that this week when I have the week off for spring break! And now I must quit procrastinating on Seekerville and head back to writing.
ReplyDeleteGood links! Thanks to all! The advice from Kurt Vonnegut was interesting, especially this: “Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.”
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to Jill's post about perseverance.
Congrats to all you winners -- looks like some good reading ahead for you :-)
Cheering on all the Speedbo-ers. This month is going by sooo quickly. Gotta meet my goal. Gotta meet my goal.
Thanks, as always, for the WE, Tina.
Nancy C
MYRA! Wonderful new picture!
ReplyDeleteNancy C
Sandra L., I am reading Current of Love and loving it! Have had it a while...got hidden in my TBR pile, but it is JUST the read for me now...so relaxing and I need that pre-surgery (back) this week! lol
ReplyDeleteHello everyone. As far as Speedbo, I'm still plugging away on my editing. I should have this round of edits done in a week and a half. It's been a busy weekend with my local chapter meeting and taking the twins to a movie today, but I've been editing and correcting page by page. I'm also reading a craft book and I actually went back and looked at my first page with the advice from one of the chapter and made some edits based on that. So it's been a busy month and I'm looking forward to starting the edits on my other WIP by the end of the month. Happy writing and/or reading.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone. I am marveling over the "necessity" of reporting-in with my Speedbo numbers. It makes me feel more accountable and I find myself purshing that little extra bit...I need to keep this going AFTER Speedbo is over! Yeah! Speedbo rocks!! I had a very busy weekend, so only completed about 1200 words. But every page is one closer to the end. Blessings to you all!
ReplyDeleteI'm a day late, but since I think this is the place to report in, I better. :) I was doing great with my speed-bo goals, but this last week I had to adjust some. My daughter was home from the Air Force so I had to entertain her, so most days I didn't meet my goal. I have one week left of spring break and the house is finally quiet, so I'm going to try to double up this week and catch up. :)
ReplyDelete