The Tale of Two Books

with guest Jordyn Redwood. 

As a Christian, I believe there is truth. Not just my truth—especially in this age where everyone is seemingly operating by their own set of facts—but one truth. The Truth. Ultimately, that there is a God who created the world we currently all occupy. Everything in our lives stems from this truth of God’s character and nature. I believe we get a hint of this nature through God’s creation, God’s word, and the presence of miracles still happening today. 

I know this could shock you, but not everyone believes this way.   

I like to go to author talks. I may not necessarily read the author’s work, but I think there is value in listening to particularly successful authors’ presentations for many reasons. What do they talk about? How do they engage an audience? What have they learned about the writing craft? Three authors that I’ve heard speak live are Jodi Picoult, Lisa Scottoline, and Dan Brown. I heard Dan Brown’s talk in the last month. 

The last author on that list, Dan Brown, pertains to this discussion so just hold his name in your mind.

I also went to a talk given by Douglas Axe shortly before Brown’s. Axe is first a scientist and secondly an author whose debut book, Undeniable, a nonfiction title that puts forth an argument (along with some very interesting scientific research) for intelligent design over evolution. You can find Douglas giving a talk on that here. I was more interested in hearing Douglas Axe talk about the subject matter and not necessarily his writing process.

However, this is not a discussion of evolution versus intelligent design, but of writing and writing truth. 

Douglas Axe’s talk was attended by approximately one-hundred to one-hundred-and-fifty people. It was given at a local Christian university. He was enjoyable to listen to, but didn’t talk much about the writing craft. He spoke exclusively about how his research helps prove intelligent design. 

Contrast that with Dan Brown’s talk, whose latest novel, Origins, has an evolutionary bend. In fact, the tagline of his talk was Can God Survive Science? It is fiction highlighting his recurring character, Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon, made infinitely more famous by Tom Hank’s portrayal of this hero in three hit movies. Brown’s talk was attended by nine-hundred people and given at a local hotel with a large conference room.

What struck me most is that one side of the debate is clearly winning. The author of a fiction title espousing evolution was attended by six times as many people as the nonfiction title discussing intelligent design. 

 You might say, of course, he’s a bestselling author and who knows about this Douglas Axe guy anyway? 

True. True. 

I might say—this also highlights what people are hungry for, and it’s not the truth, but I also might say Dan Brown might be closer to stumbling on this truth—of intelligent design—than even he might realize. 

Which is why all truth is God’s truth no matter who speaks it. 

In Dan Brown’s talk, he discussed his perspective that scientists feel that man will eventually create artificial intelligence that will develop consciousness. And if that artificial intelligence has self awareness and is left alone by itself in a box without knowing its creator would it not ask the same questions we do about God? 

Keep in mind, a good thirty minutes of his speech was spent talking about how the intelligent design discussion has pretty readily been disbanded by Darwin’s theory of evolution. That man creates gods to fulfill a knowledge gap and give explanation to things we don’t yet understand scientifically, and the reason we still hold on to a god is that we haven’t ultimately answered the question of the beginning of our species and why humans have consciousness. His view is that once science answers these questions—God will ultimately die. 

I was struck most acutely by his statement on artificial intelligence in italics above because if it would take man to create an artificial intelligence that would eventually have self awareness why is it such a stretch to think God did the same thing in us? Which is why I say Dan Brown may not be as far from realizing the ultimate truth of God as creator.

Ultimately, what I think the contrast of these two talks showed me was that fiction is a powerful way to spread a message and that even someone who stated in his talk when posed the question “Who is God for you?” responded by saying, “God is the love between people.” can spread ultimate truth even if he doesn’t personally believe it.

God is truth and ultimately owns all truth. Right? 

Lastly, what I found most interesting was the cover of both of their books shown in the photo. Interesting right? That two authors on opposite sides of an issue could have book covers that so resemble one another.

Tell me what you think Seekerville. Can God’s truth be spoken by unbelievers? Is fiction valuable in spreading a message? If it is, what are some of the best ways for Christian authors to get the truth out in a novel without feeling like they’re Bible thumping? Give an example of a novel that has done this well in your mind. 

Jordyn has brought an amazing prize package with her to celebrate the release of Taken Hostage from Love Inspired Suspense. Leave a comment for your opporunity to win! Thank you, Jordyn. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition. 

Taken Hostage

A DEADLY RANSOM

When neurosurgeon Regan Lockhart’s daughter is kidnapped, the abductors want to make a deal for the little girl’s life. If she wishes to ever see her child again, Regan must hand over the virus she uses in a radical cancer treatment. But bounty hunter Colby Waterson can’t let her trade the cure, which is his sister’s last hope. He’s already lost a wife and baby, and he won’t lose anyone else. But when a mistake leads both him and Regan into the hands of the bad guys, the kidnappers up their demands. Now Regan must create a biological weapon or her daughter dies. For Colby, no case has ever been this personal. He’ll need every skill he’s got, because only he can save both his sister and the woman he’s growing to care for.

Jordyn Redwood is a pediatric ER nurse by day, suspense novelist by night. She hosts Redwood’s Medical Edge, a blog devoted to helping authors write medically accurate fiction. Her first two medical thrillers, Proof and Poison, garnered starred reviews from Library Journal. Proof was shortlisted for the 2012 ForeWord Review’s BOTY Award, 2013 INSPY Award and the 2013 Carol Award. Poison shortlisted for the 2014 INSPY Award and the 2014 Selah Award. In addition to her novels, she blogs regularly at Redwood’s Medical Edge and the WordServe Water Cooler. You can connect with Jordyn via her website at www.jordynredwood.com.  

Should Authors Write Book Reviews?

with guest Jordyn Redwood. 

Sometimes, I’m slow on the uptake in the world of publishing. Or maybe I’m not slow, just not tuned into some things that are considered controversial because I don’t feel like they should be controversial. Out of all the things we as writers can get bent out of shape about, we pick book reviews. Not just our own book reviews but leaving book reviews for other authors. 

I first realized this was a fairly controversial subject when I read Kristen Lamb’s blog where the first piece of a few posts on the subject stated (in summary) it was a social media faux pas to write a fellow author a bad review. In a follow-up post, she also notes it’s a bad idea because an author leaving a review is really giving a literary critique—that our knowledge of the writing becomes part of the review (like POV problems, pacing problems, etc.) which will ruin the magic for the reader.  And in a final piece, she discusses why authors should not particularly write bad reviews for another writer. In short, the most powerful point she makes is that criticism should be done privately to the author via e-mail and not publicly. 

And then there’s Amazon (oy vey!) which is a separate issue I’ll discuss briefly at the end. 

I have left critical reviews for other authors—some in Christian fiction publishing circles. I’ll be the first to admit this is risky because many writers don’t take a critique as an evaluation of a product but rather a criticism of a biological child. I think Elizabeth Gilbert in her book Big Magic has a healthy way to approach reviews. She states that our only job as a writer is to put our product out there—whatever happens after that is not our responsibility (as in how people receive the product.) We have done what our passion dictates and shouldn’t get emotionally wrapped up in people’s response. They are entitled to their opinion. 

When I leave a critical review, I usually say the author is a good writer, but their book wasn’t for me and here’s why. I do think there is value in offering that opinion because of my readers. People who love my books are also interested in what I read. Or if they like the books I read, they’ll probably like my novels because I write similarly to what I love to read as far as storylines and pacing.

Let’s consider a simple pro/con list on the subject.

Reasons to leave a review:

1. For readers. This can work many ways. People who like my novels might take a chance on reading a book I recommend. People who like what I read might take a risk on reading one of my books. I’m helping promote author friends to readers who aren’t known to them. I’ve actually had reader letters to this effect—they read a book specifically because of my review on Goodreads. I’ve done the same. 

2. Word of mouth spread. In today’s social media environment, word of mouth spread includes how much exposure a book gets on social media. The more a book is talked about the more likely it is to be picked up by someone. I’d heard someone say a reader needs to be exposed to a book six times before they make a purchase. If I scan my Goodreads feed and everyone is listing the same book then I’ll investigate it on Amazon. 

3. Reviews matter for algorithms. The more a book is reviewed (good or bad) the more likely it is to show up while searching sites like Amazon. 

4. To learn. Criticisms that pan across several reviews should be taken to heart. Learn from these. Many readers commented in reviews on the ending of my first novel, Proof. And you know—they were right. I changed the way I wrote endings moving forward. Reading those negative reviews made me a better author. 

Reasons not to leave a review (particularly a critical one.):

1. The author will take it as a personal attack. Even though a large majority of the population wants to write a book the world of publishing is small. I could meet face to face with the person I reviewed less than favorably and they may not like me just for that reason. I personally don’t take a critical review personally in the long term. Does it sting at first glance? Sure. But so does editing. So do a lot of things in publishing. How about rejection letters?  We should be able to move past it. It’s part of being a professional. 

2. It hurts your career moving forward. Say you critically review a book by a particular publisher you want to work with in the future. Will it hurt your chances to publish with them? Possibly. But one, if you don’t like what they publish, are they the publisher for you? 

3. It’s not nice. I think there is an adage in Christian Publishing, particularly that we just need to be nice and friendly—that it’s a safe place to be. Leaving a critical review is not what Jesus would do (I don’t know this for certain but what do you think?)

**Note: I don’t think any critical review should include profanity or tear the author down personally. That is not behaving like a professional either.**


Amazon

Recently, Amazon shared some community guidelines for leaving reviews. I suggest you read them. 

There is specifically this comment about leaving book reviews. “Book authors and publishers may continue to provide free or discounted copies of their books to readers, as long as the author or publisher does not require a review in exchange or attempt to influence the review.”

Keep in mind, you still need to disclose if you got a free copy of the book you are reviewing to comply with FTC guidelines. 

I’m excited to hear your thoughts on this! What do you think? Should an author leave reviews? Should an author leave a critical (one or two star) review?

Be the first to know of my Jordyn's releases and win more great giveaways by subscribing to her newsletter and blog. 

Leave a comment today and your name goes in the pumpkin for this grand prize Jordyn brought that includes:

1. Hand stitched (by Jordyn!) crow and pumpkin decorative pillow.
2. $10.00 Starbucks Gift Card.
3. One print copy of Fractured Memory. 
4. Boo-tterscotch M&M's!  

Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

Jordyn Redwood is a pediatric ER nurse by day, suspense novelist by night. She hosts Redwood’s Medical Edge, a blog devoted to helping authors write medically accurate fiction. Her first two medical thrillers, Proof and Poison, garnered starred reviews from Library Journal. Proof was shortlisted for the 2012 ForeWord Review’s BOTY Award, 2013 INSPY Award and the 2013 Carol Award. Poison shortlisted for the 2014 INSPY Award and the 2014 Selah Award. In addition to her novels, she blogs regularly at Redwood’s Medical Edge and the WordServe Water Cooler. You can connect with Jordyn via her website at www.jordynredwood.com.  

Fractured Memory 

 United States marshal Eli Cayne saved Julia Galloway's life once…and he's prepared to do it again. But his task would be easier if she could remember him—or the murderer who almost put her in an early grave and seems to be hunting her once more. To protect Julia from the latest threat against her life, Eli has to consider the possibility that he put an innocent man in jail. Julia has no memories of the serial killer called the Hangman, though, and no reason to trust Eli. But with the killer getting closer, she must work with Eli to confront her past—and the feelings growing between them.

FYI: The entire ebook collection of Jordyn's Bloodline Trilogy are on sale for $1.98. Yes. That's for the entire collection.

What I Would Change About Publishing

with Jordyn Redwood.

Hello, Seekerville!

I’m so honored to be here. Thanks to the Seekerville gang for hosting me again. 

It’s hard to gauge how long I’ve been in publishing. Do you start from the time your dream to pursue publication started (2002), when you got your agent (2009), or when your first novel published (2012)? I’ll let you gauge how long my time has been, but now that it’s been a number of years there are certain things I would change if I had the magic wand to do so. 

I’ll be anxious to engage with Seekerville readers about what they would like to change. I’ll be focusing on the traditional publishing model (and other quirky publishing things) as I’ve not yet gone indie—though hope to later this year. 

Now that my fourth book, Fractured Memory, just released, I feel like I have a solid understanding of publishing. This is what I would change. 

1. The emphasis on trilogies. It’s very common in publishing to have an author do trilogies. The thought behind this is if a reader gets hooked on the first book then they’ll happily buy the whole series. What publishers don’t tell you, but seems to be well known, is that readers consistently fall out of the series and the third book generally has the least sales. What would I like to see? I would like to see Christian fiction try what works well in mainstream fiction by perhaps embracing a strong character that repeats through several stand-alone novels like Jack Reacher, Alex Cross, or Kay Scarpetta. Readers have expressed frustration that character arcs not being resolved in each book (this is what generally crosses over multiple books) even though the plot may be resolved. 

2. Focus on social media. Social media following translates into a certain number of sales and therefore the bigger the numbers the better the author’s sales will be. This tends to be the focus more in non-fiction than fiction, but this emphasis is increasing for fiction authors as well. 

First of all, I haven’t seen any hard data that proves this is true. That if an author has ten thousand followers then the publisher automatically knows that one hundred books will sell. Second of all, social media is a huge time vacuum and, more often than not, distracts the writer from writing and spending time improving their craft. Should authors drop out of social media? No. But nor do I think social media following should be a tipping point of a publisher’s decision on whether or not to take on an author. The quality of the story should always prevail. Would a publisher prefer a bad book by a social media star and a one-time, quick million because the person can’t write? Or, should they work to develop an author they like who writes well who can sell a million copies eventually, but consistently over the long term after taking the time to build a readership? 

3. Author development. Don’t drop an author you like due to poor sales after one book or a trilogy. Work with them to develop a new idea both of you like. I akin this to orienting a new nurse to the ER. It takes a lot of time and money to get someone “up to snuff”. When that person quits, it is wasted time and money, hence a lot of talk in nursing circles about retaining employees. I think the opposite happens in publishing—that if a certain number of sales aren’t achieved, then drop that author in hopes a new one will sell better. But what if you like that author—as a person? They work well with your staff. They did a lot of marketing outside the publisher’s efforts. They were kind and respectful. What was lacking was their sales and/or follow-up idea. Would it not be easier to stay with a known quantity and develop a strong idea together? And then jointly aid the author in building a readership? 

4. E-book prices are too high for debut and newer authors. I truly believe that if you have five books or less published, your e-book should not be priced higher than $3.99. I honestly think it doesn’t help a new author build a readership to have e-book prices higher than that. The goals are different for a new author from their more seasoned counterparts. A debut or new author is trying to build a readership. For readers to take a risk, the price of the e-book should always be low. 

Say a reader loves Fractured Memory (currently, the e-book is $4.99) and they want to check out my other titles. Each of the Bloodline Trilogy e-books is priced at $9.99. Personally, I think a publisher should only price an e-book that high if the author has reached reputable best-selling status (such as the ECPA list) and has a committed, large readership. I don’t mind paying $10-$14 for an e-book for well-established authors. But an author that’s new to me? I won’t risk it. 

5. Goodreads allowing authors to rate their own book. This is my quirky one, but I’d love to hear your thoughts. I don’t know why Goodreads does this. Of course, who won’t give themselves five stars? If you rate yourself lower, are you putting out a book you didn’t think was good enough? 

I actually did come across a book that received a one-star review from the author. Their reason? "I hated to write about the topic of this book, but felt these things needed to be said." 

I just don’t know what to think about that. 

I’d like to know what you think. Do you agree with the things I would change about publishing? Why or why not? If you could wave a magic wand—what would you change about the traditional publishing model? 

***As a side note, I have very good relationships with all my publishers and this blog piece isn’t speaking specifically about any one publisher in particular, but is an amalgam of stories from other authors and some of my own experiences.***  

Jordyn Redwood is a pediatric ER nurse by day, suspense novelist by night. She hosts Redwood’s Medical Edge, a blog devoted to helping authors write medically accurate fiction. Her first two medical thrillers, Proof and Poison, garnered starred reviews from Library Journal. Proof was shortlisted for the 2012 ForeWord Review’s BOTY Award, 2013 INSPY Award and the 2013 Carol Award. Poison shortlisted for the 2014 INSPY Award and the 2014 Selah Award. In addition to her novels, she blogs regularly at Redwood’s Medical Edge and the WordServe Water Cooler. You can connect with Jordyn via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, her website and via e-mail at jredwood1@gmail.com.


Jordyn's giving away three print copies of Fractured Memory. Winners announced in the next Weekend Edition.



 SHROUDED PAST 

United States marshal Eli Cayne saved Julia Galloway's life once…and he's prepared to do it again. But his task would be easier if she could remember him—or the murderer who almost put her in an early grave and seems to be hunting her once more. To protect Julia from the latest threat against her life, Eli has to consider the possibility that he put an innocent man in jail. Julia has no memories of the serial killer called the Hangman, though, and no reason to trust Eli. But with the killer getting closer, she must work with Eli to confront her past—and the feelings growing between them.

God—You Want Me To Write What?!?

with guest, Jordyn Redwood.

Happy Birthday, Seekerville! Thanks so much for having me. I always enjoy the conversation when I’m here.  

When you get your first book contract—it is truly an amazing event in the writer’s life. An occasion to be celebrated. My agent said to me, “Congratulations! You’re on your way to a great writing career.”

Despite my hard work to drive sales of my debut medical trilogy and even after my first two novels got nominated for a few awards—well— I was met with the sound of crickets chirping. My follow-up proposal wasn’t picked up. 

This was followed by multiple announcements that authors dread hearing. Bookstores closing. Fiction lines being shut down. Well known and better selling authors were getting released from their contracts. 

As an ER nurse, in the words of the sage Survivor host Jeff Probst, I began to strategize. 

I decided to indie publish the books from the proposal that got rejected and started to write the first one. The main crux to do this was to have something for readers by this Fall—about two years after my last book, Peril, released.

I was very concerned, even doubtful, that I would see another traditional publishing contract and the financial reality of going indie and the work behind accomplishing that goal began to weigh on me. At the same time, I witnessed fellow nurses in their “prime” getting forced out—particularly if they didn’t have an advanced degree. 

These concerns and financial pressures led me to have a serious discussion with my husband about going back for an advanced nursing degree—which would seriously hamper building a writing career.

The very next day, I got an e-mail from Guideposts asking me to audition for a cozy mystery series. I auditioned for two—and washed out of both. 

I write thrillers. Edgy ones. Romance is not my strength. It pains me to write outside my comfort zone. But I felt God asking me to do just that. Looking back, I think the Guideposts auditions showed me that it was possible and I could even enjoy it.

I’d heard about Love Inspired’s Blurb to Book contest but didn’t consider myself a good fit for the line. One—the romance—let’s just leave it at that. I put it out of my mind. 

Then one night I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Seriously—I like my sleep so it was annoying. 

“Okay,” I mumbled to God. “I’ll check the guidelines because I’ll bet the deadline for submissions has passed.” 

No. Three days left. 

I’ll give it one day and if I’m still this restless then I’ll enter as a matter of obedience.
I’ve never felt like I’ve wrestled with God until those sleepless nights. I couldn’t figure out any other reason to feel this way about a book line I felt completely inadequate to write for. Kissing scenes?!? Please—I’d rather deal with a medical emergency.

I continued to not sleep so I put together an entry the day before it was due. God, I did as you asked. Now, let me sleep. 

Needless to say, I didn’t expect to move on in the contest. Then, I progressed to the second round where I had to write the plot synopsis and first three chapters. 

There, God. I did as you asked. I know you’re having fun with me.

Then I made it to the third round. 

WHAT?!?

Now I had to write the whole novel and edit it—in about eight weeks. 

Lord, you saw that vacation on my calendar? 

I made the deadline and wasn’t expecting to hear anything until August 30th. Then on July 29th, the day after I found out I didn’t get a nursing promotion, I got the call from Emily Rodmell that they were offering me a contract for my contest entry. 

WHAT?!?

I think what this year has taught me is that God has the writing life planned for me but not in the way I expect it might come together. Isn’t He funny that way? The things I said I would never write became the only things I could write with a traditional publisher. This year became about learning about God’s provision for my writing life even when I faltered and didn’t quite believe I could make the whole thing work. This year was about taking opportunities—even if they required me writing outside my comfort zone. It is possible—and it’s good to stretch those writing muscles. 

Be open to opportunities you normally wouldn’t consider. If God means for you to make a go of being a published author—it will happen. He will find a way. 

How have you seen God speak into your writing life?

 

Jordyn Redwood is a pediatric ER nurse by day, suspense novelist by night. She hosts Redwood’s Medical Edge, a blog devoted to helping authors write medically accurate fiction. Her first two medical thrillers, Proof and Poison, garnered starred reviews from Library Journal. Proof was shortlisted for the 2012 ForeWord Review’s BOTY Award, 2013 INSPY Award and the 2013 Carol Award. Poison shortlisted for the 2014 INSPY Award and the 2014 Selah Award. In addition to her novels, she blogs regularly at Redwood’s Medical Edge and the WordServe Water Cooler. You can connect with Jordyn via her website at www.jordynredwood.com. 

Seekerville loves that Jordyn sold to Love Inspired Suspense thanks to a contest. We love it so much that we're going to offer to critique the first TEN pages for one writer to prepare your manuscript for a contest. 

For one reader, a lovely assortment of inspirational romances.

Winner's of both giveaways announced in the Weekend Edition!

Dangerous Curves Ahead : In Pursuit of Publication

with Guest Jordyn Redwood

You hear a lot in writing circles in regards to the pursuit of publication—just persevere. Keep at it. You’ll get there.

I heard this a lot when I was going for my ultimate job in nursing. I really wanted to be a flight nurse. After I got the required experience I began the application process. Something like seven interviews later I still didn’t have a flight nursing position.

I’ve spent lots of time theorizing why and I still would love to do this position but in my heart I think it’s not going to happen. It’s just not God’s will for my life no matter how much I desire it.

It may not be popular to talk about quitting the pursuit of publication on a writing blog. But then ER nurses rarely do what’s popular—they do what’s needed. I was pursuing flight nursing when I was supposed to be serving God writing. Maybe you’re pursuing publication when God has another dream for your life that will impact people more than what you’re pursuing right now.

But just how do you know? I’ve been obsessed with learning God’s will. I often say I wish I’d wake up with a gold note card on my pillow with the answer but it is never that easy.

All truth is God’s truth no matter who writes it. Isn’t that an amazing statement? I think I found some of God’s truth in a little (literally—it’s seventy-six half-size pages) book called The Dip by Seth Godin.

In the beginning, he makes some pretty profound statements. The phrase all of us learned, “Quitters never win and winners never quit,” is profoundly wrong. Godin says winners quit all the time.

They just quit the right stuff at the right time.—Seth Godin

The trouble is telling the difference. The dip refers to the process of learning when you’re taking on a new project you’re excited about—like a new novel. The dip is that moment you wonder why you started to write the book. You don’t think you can pull it off. You’ll never finish it.

If you can push through these moments of the learning process then extraordinary benefits accrue to the tiny minority of people who are able to push just a tiny bit longer than most.

But, Godin states, the opposite is also true. Extraordinary benefits also accrue to the tiny minority with the guts to quit early and focus their efforts on something new.

Again—it’s telling the difference.

To help, Godin discusses three curves.

1.    The Dip: The valley of learning. Successful people don’t just ride out the dip. They lean into it. Push harder—changing the rules as they go. Part of knowing you’re on the right path is that you do get small amounts of positive reinforcement along the way. You final in a contest but maybe don’t win it all. You get positive comments from an agent and/or editor.

2.    The Cul-de-Sac: This is where you work and work and nothing much changes. For me in my nursing career—I have never gotten any promotion I ever applied for—in twenty years! Honestly, you would think I was the worst nurse ever. I’m actually a very strong nurse but something has kept me stuck. If that hadn’t happened I would have never pursued publication where the doors opened much easier for me. But perhaps this is the pursuit of publication for you. You’re in the cul-de-sac.

3.    The Cliff: It’s a situation you can’t quit until you fall off, and the whole thing falls apart. The example Seth gives here is cigarette smoking. Cigarettes are highly addicting but you do get a good feeling even though it’s detrimental to you—which in the case of smoking could be lung cancer and then death.

Godin hypothesizes that The Cliff and The Cul-de-Sac both lead to failure and it’s best to quit these pursuits early and move on to the thing you’d be successful at. That thing going through the dip would be worth it for. 

I would never tell anyone to stop writing—ever. Writing is a creative outlet that soothes the soul and spirit. It can ease tension, stress and frustration because spilled words on the page is cathartic. But—the pursuit of publication is a whole other animal. It takes time, money, resources, and sleep. 

And perhaps God is calling you to do something else.

I picked this topic because I know you Seekers have a lot to say. So tell me—what is a dream where you’ve persevered through the dip and had great success? On the flip side—is there something you’re pursuing that perhaps you are considering quitting and why?

All italics are quotes from Seth’s book. I hope you’ll take the time to read it. 

 Jordyn Redwood is a pediatric ER nurse by day, suspense novelist by night. She hosts Redwood’s Medical Edge, a blog devoted to helping contemporary and historical authors write medically accurate fiction. Her first two novels, Proof and Poison, garnered starred reviews from Library Journal. Proof was shortlisted for the 2012 ForeWord Review’s BOTY Award, 2013 INSPY Award and the 2013 Carol Award. You can connect with Jordyn via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and her website.

Peril Synopsis (From CBD): Medical mystery thrillers with a chilling diagnosis—the only cure is to keep reading! Dr. Reeves implants superior memory cells into soldiers’ brains with amazing results—until negative symptoms appear. When his daughter is taken hostage by enraged research subjects, can he discover the answer they demand before Morgan’s life is in serious Peril?



Today Jordyn is giving away an entire set of the Bloodline Trilogy to one visitor. Proof, Poison and Peril. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

Finishing Your Goal with Guest Jordyn Redwood

Wow, do I feel honored being here during Speedbo! How is everyone doing on their goals? Are you reading this for a break? 

If so, let me offer some words of encouragement or some thoughts on how to meet this goal of yours—whatever it might be. Writing a book is flat out—hard work. So one, congratulate yourself for taking on this endeavor. Many people start—few people finish. 


You. Are. Going. To. Finish! 

I have to confess . . . I do set goals every year. I think it keeps us active in this life to be shooting for something . . . whatever it might be in your world. But I’ve learned some things along the way about setting goals that might help you achieve your goal(s) that I’d thought I’d share here during your Speedbo break.

1. Have an overall dream (I’m going to finish my novel!) but then set smaller goals along the path.

For YEARS, I said I was going to finish my book but until I sat down and divided up that elephant into smaller achievable steps, it didn’t happen. What would get you there? Sometimes it’s hard to know HOW to actually do the work of finishing a novel so here’s what I’ve found and I’m not a super-speedy novelist.

Writing 1,000 words a day (when I’m not doing a 12 hour nursing shift) is fairly easy. Writing 2,000 words a day is my general maximum before my brain starts to meltdown. This word count should happen in about three hours (if you stay off social media and generally know what you’re going to write about.) Aim to write 20,000 words/month. Really, that’s just 10 days staying completely on task and getting 2,000 words on the page. Four months of JUST doing 10 days of 2,000 word counts and you have a first draft! Don’t edit yourself. Just get the words on the page. You can’t edit an empty page. And now you have an 80,000 word NYT Bestseller document that will need a lot of work–but you DID IT!

2. Make the goal realistic for you and your life.

I’ve been working out with a personal trainer for a couple of years. I needed to lose some weight (a lot!) and knew I needed the accountability of another person to help me do it. I am almost to my goal and my trainer would like a much faster process than me. He set a CRAZY weight loss goal for December (hello, Christmas cookies) and in my mind I said, it’s not going to happen. And so, it didn’t happen. I did, though, achieve the smaller goal I set for myself. If what I outlined above makes your eyeballs glaze over, cut it in half or one quarter but just get started.

3. Have an accountability person.

It really does help. I’m not talking about a critique partner though those are good, too. What you need is just someone in your corner (thanks, Casey!) who will keep tabs on you and your goal. Send you an e-mail to ask if you’re making progress. Celebrate your victories by posting lots of these (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) on Facebook.

4. Don’t give up.

I was a person who used to give up easily. If I ate bad one day, the whole month could be shot. Everyone has bad days and doesn’t meet their goals. My trainer confessed to me just today about eating handfuls of chocolate covered raisins, pizza AND french fries which made me a little too joyful inside BUT he’s already back in the gym. When you fall off the path . . . the next day . . . sit back down and get back to it. Life happens but don’t let it run you over.

5. CELEBRATE!

As you’re traveling down whatever goal you’ve set for Speedbo, celebrate the small achievements (making that daily word count goal) and the big achievement (Yes, I DID finish that novel in one month!) with lots of chocolate and then do it again.

Set another goal.

Please, I’d be interested in knowing what goal you’re working toward—please leave it in the comment section.


Jordyn Redwood is a pediatric ER nurse by day, suspense novelist by night. She hosts Redwood’s Medical Edge, a blog devoted to helping contemporary and historical authors write medically accurate fiction. Her first two novels, Proof and Poison, garnered starred reviews from Library Journal and have been endorsed by the likes of Dr. Richard Mabry, Lynette Eason, and Mike Dellosso to name a few. You can connect with Jordyn via her website at www.jordynredwood.net. 


Today THREE commenters will receive one of three Poison and Proof two book gift-sets. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

 Poison -Bloodline Trilogy Book 2
Five years ago, Keelyn Blake's armed, mentally ill stepfather took her family hostage in their house in rural Colorado. She and her half-sister Raven made it out alive, but others did not. Authorities blamed the father's frequent hallucinations about a being named Lucent, but in the end, even the best of the FBI's hostage negotiators failed to overcome the man's delusions and end the standoff peacefully.

Now, Lucent is back, and he's no hallucination. In fact, he is a very real person with dangerous motives. He has kidnapped Raven's daughter, and--Keelyn worries--maybe has hurt Raven as well. Though she is estranged from her sister, Keelyn feels the immediate need to find Raven and save what family she has left. But when others who were involved in that fateful day start dying, some by mysterious circumstances, Keelyn wonders if she can emerge unscathed a second time.

Proof -Bloodline Trilogy Book 1
Dr. Lilly Reeves is a young, accomplished ER physician with her whole life ahead of her. But that life instantly changes when she becomes the fifth victim of a serial rapist. Believing it's the only way to recover her reputation and secure peace for herself, Lilly sets out to find--and punish--her assailant. Sporting a mysterious tattoo and unusually colored eyes, the rapist should be easy to identify. He even leaves what police would consider solid evidence. But when Lilly believes she has found him, DNA testing clears him as a suspect. How can she prove he is guilty, if science says he is not?

Check out the Speedbo tab for more information!

Thriller Tension: Killing your Reader with Guest Jordyn Redwood

Are you a lover of suspense novels? I know I am. I read and write them. There are many authors I admire but those I crave and anxiously anticipate their next novels are those that have so much tension on the page, you can barely keep the book in your hands without throwing it aside because you must read but can’t bear to read the next sentence.

That is perfection.

As a debut author myself, I want to create that experience for my readers. Tension. Angst. Worry.

Here are five tips to increase the tension in your suspense manuscripts. How many have you tried?


1. There must be death or danger of death in the first chapter: Recently, I reviewed a manuscript that’s major plot surrounded children being kidnapped. The first chapter had a father and son at an amusement park. The son goes missing for a short amount of time (maybe 1-2 hours) then is found and returned back to the father. Not a scratch on the child to be seen. Video showed an employee took the boy somewhere he shouldn’t have. Hmm—okay. Nothing really too frightening is happening. How do I know it just wasn’t an employee being helpful when the boy lost sight of his father? Too slow. Particularly for suspense, the reader must be worried in the first chapter—first page is best. Most agents/editors make a decision about your ms after reading only the first page.



2. If you’re bored, the reader is falling asleep: If the passage you’re editing bores you as the author, use this as a signal to change the scene. Possibly, it needs to be outright discarded. Another option is to write the chapter in another POV. Bring in a character that can add conflict. Or, as James Scott Bell says—have someone walk in with a weapon.



3. Say what shouldn’t be said: For this, I’m not talking about vulgar language. In my second novel, Poison, I have two characters (Nathan and Lee) that were part of a hostage situation in my first novel, Proof. It was one of my favorite scenes to write and you can find it here (Chapter 2). In the second novel, these two are teamed up working a case. In Proof, Lee disagreed with Nathan about when SWAT should respond and people died. In the original scene, Lee says, “Nathan, I don’t blame you for what happened.” Then I thought, why shouldn’t he blame him? Adds tension. Adds conflict. Adds dimension to their relationship. So—no more Mr. Nice guy and Lee let Nathan have it. Warranted or not. I love dialogue in fiction for this reason—you can say things that in real life you would normally stay mum about or gloss over in a PC way.



4. Use descriptive elements to add spookiness. The challenge of the fiction author is to use your prose to engage all five senses in a way that will add tension for the reader. The master of descriptive, tense prose (in my opinion) is Dean Koontz. Here’s one example of his from The Moonlit Mind. “His breath plumes from him as if he’s exhaling ghosts.” I just love that. Does that not add to the tension? This also speaks to a concept that Donald Maass (his books on writing are a must read) teaches about called microtension. In a suspense novel, there’s the overall story arc of murder and mayhem. Microtension is ensuring that each sentence in the novel propels the reader forward to the point that they cannot set your novel down.



5. Make it look structurally pleasing: There are several techniques you can use in the structure of your novel that will quicken its pace. Short chapters. Good use of sentence fragments. James Patterson is famous for this. But also, long sections of description will make suspense readers eyes gloss over. Shorter paragraphs interspersed with dialogue. Not every sentence of dialogue needs a tag as well.




Who are some of your favorite suspense authors and why? What are some techniques you’ve used to increase the tension of your manuscripts—suspense or otherwise?

Jordyn Redwood is a pediatric ER nurse by day, suspense novelist by night. She hosts Redwood’s Medical Edge, a blog devoted to helping contemporary and historical authors write medically accurate fiction. Her debut novel, Proof, garnered a starred review from Library Journal and has been endorsed by the likes of Dr. Richard Mabry, Lynette Eason, and Mike Dellosso to name a few. You can connect with Jordyn via her website at www.jordynredwood.net

 

Proof: Bloodlines Triology 1 (Bloodline Trilogy) by Jordyn Redwood (Kregel Publications)

 Dr. Lilly Reeves is a young, accomplished ER physician with her whole life ahead of her. But that life instantly changes when she becomes the fifth victim of a serial rapist. Believing it's the only way to recover her reputation and secure peace for herself, Lilly sets out to find--and punish--her assailant. Sporting a mysterious tattoo and unusually colored eyes, the rapist should be easy to identify. He even leaves what police would consider solid evidence. But when Lilly believes she has found him, DNA testing clears him as a suspect. How can she prove he is guilty, if science says he is not?

Today Jordyn is giving away THREE copies of Proof to THREE LUCKY commenters. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition. Thank you, Jordyn!!!