Team-Writing a Continuity for Love Inspired Books

 by Guest Blogger Val Hansen!

Good morning, all!  Ruthy here! This past winter I had the pleasure and honor of teaming up with Love Inspired editors Shana Asaro, free-lance continuity creator Marcia Adirim, and five other Love Inspired authors to work on the 2014 "Big Sky Centennial" continuity series. With Val Hansen as lead author and Arlene James pulling all the threads together as the anchor, the six of us worked together to transition six distinct stories into a book-a-month series. I HAD SO MUCH FUN! First, it was awesome to get to know these ladies, and I'd work with any and all of them again in a New York minute! :) (Because we Yankees don't know the meaning of s-l-o-w, of course, LOL!!!!)

And I learned so much by sitting back and listening...(yes, Tina and Mary, I CAN listen, I just don't do it often!) For the next six months we're featuring a continuity author here in Seekerville and today we start out with my new friend Val Hansen... Go get 'em, Val!

(SIDE NOTE!!!! THIS PREQUEL IS FREE RIGHT NOW TO KICK-OFF THE SERIES, AND YES, OF COURSE, I'M GIVING YOU A LINK RIGHT HERE BECAUSE I LOVE YOUSE!!!)

Hello, Seekers and friends! It's great to be visiting again. Right now I'm involved in another continuity series which will be my - wait, let me count - thirteenth, not counting the ones I've done all by myself that are more loosely tied together by "Serenity, Arkansas", my favorite fictional Ozark town.

(And here is a link to Val's opening book of the Big Sky Centennial, "Her Montana Cowboy"!!!)

You're looking at the covers for my 12th series, "Big Sky Centennial", HER MONTANA COWBOY, and the digital prequel, MONTANA REUNION, set in Jasper Gulch, Montana. I had actually completed the book, which is #1 in the series, when I was asked to write the prequel. 

Believe it or not, that can be tough to do. I borrowed the hair stylist from Carolyne Aarsen's story and then decided to use the town vet, with a twist from their past that made this a tense reunion. And, loving animals and especially dogs the way I do, I decided to use a litter of puppies to help accomplish my goals. 

I LOVE ME SOME PUPPIES!!!! VAL, THESE GUYS ARE ADORABLE! 

When 6 authors work together to create a series like this, we can sometimes drive each other crazy - in a nice way! I have always enjoyed meeting and getting to know different writers. This group is a prime example of how serious professionals with a good work ethic, sense of humor and strong faith and prayer life can become real friends in the course of their work. I cannot begin to tell you how much Ruth Logan Herne, Carolyne Aarsen, Brenda Minton, Jenna Mindel and Arlene James helped me. They each brought their special touch to this series and made it wonderful.

WHERE'S THE "LOVE, LOVE, LOVE" BUTTON??????? 

In case you don't know, we all write at the same time, using many characters in some aspect or another, and finish our books at about the same time. This means that we can't wait and read the earlier books to help us. We all have to dive in together. Every street, every description of a building, every background element as well as the characters themselves must match. Totally. Even if they're not our main interest, everyone who is mentioned should be described so a reader can picture them. My favorite background character in this series is old Rusty, a town fixture who is old enough to dish out homespun wisdom without being ostrasized for speaking his mind. And believe me, he does!

I love Val's country home!!!! Isn't it charming? I could sit on that porch, sip tea or drink coffee and think up stories all day!

My heroine, Julie Shaw, raises sheep for wool in cattle country, not the most popular form of ranching there, while my hero, Ryan Travers, follows the professional rodeo circuit and considers himself a free spirit who will never settle down. Julie loves her home town, rodeo rough-stock events and handsome cowboys. Ryan loves winning. Why he feels so compelled to always be the best is a secret he carries hidden in his wounded heart.

        

The other two pictures are of me and my old farm house. Both have a lot of miles on them but belong just as you see them; planted with deep roots and blooming in the Ozarks.

Blessings,

Valerie Hansen 


HERE IS VAL'S PICTURE FROM NORWAY>>>> I love it, Val!!!!

Ruthy again: Val is giving away two copies of Book One of the Big Sky Centennial "Her Montana Cowboy" !!!!  I brought a nice pot of coffee, a red-white-and-blue confetti cake to celebrate the 4th of July and patriotic plates to serve it on! In Big Sky Country, they love America, ranches, horses, cattle, ridin' range and good food... and of course, romance! Mosey on in and set a spell... We'll get the weekend fireworks display ready with help from some town locals, Chauncey Hardman and Rusty Zidek, two fun characters you'll love getting to know in Big Sky Centennial!!!

Seekerville Welcomes Guest Valerie Hansen

There are times when I feel as if I’m having such a wonderful life writing the books I love, I must be dreaming. Then, I realize that if it were a dream I could put off the deadlines for finished manuscripts as long as I wanted! That would not be good for me. I seem to crave pressure.

If you’ve ever written a book you know it’s hard work. The way I look at it, as long as I’m having a blast and really enthusiastic about my job, the labor is well worth it. One glance at my bio will tell you there are a lot of miles on me. LOL. But they’re good, blessed, useful miles and I wouldn’t go back and live my life over again if I could. An author is the sum of her experiences and her books reflect her personal views whether she realizes it or not. She is who she is. I am a wife, mother, grandmother (don’t tell my editors!) and a born-again Christian. I love animals, especially dogs, reside in the rural Ozarks and spend far too much time at the computer when the compulsion to write takes over. I can’t NOT write. It’s so much a part of me I don’t know what I’d do with myself if I weren’t kept busy.
And speaking of being busy…..

A little over a year ago I was offered a multiple book contract by Love Inspired. I nearly dropped the phone when my agent told me it was for 6 books, plus a seventh in a continuity series. Mercy! Of course I said I’d do it but then reality smacked me upside the head and I started to wonder how in the world I was going to manage.
   
Well, I’ve finished four of the seven, so far, and was down to three remaining when I got ANOTHER call asking if I’d like to participate in an upcoming continuity about K-9 cops. There was no way I’d turn that down, so I’m back to owing my editors four more books and have a year to write them. Piece of cake. Right?

All I have to do is get up early every morning, pour a cup of hot coffee and pinch myself to make sure I’m awake and not just dreaming.

 "Law enforcement in Fitzgerald Bay, Massachusetts, is full of Fitzgeralds, from the chief of police to brand-new officer Keira Fitzgerald. Are they tampering with a murder investigation to protect one of their own? Internal Affairs detective Nick Delfino is sent in undercover to investigate the powerful clan. Yet the deeper he digs, the more Nick comes to admire the Fitzgeralds...especially his rookie partner, Keira. When a killer targets Nick, can he maintain his cover, catch his attacker and protect Keira while the looming danger closes in?"




Valerie Hansen’s basic nature is to enjoy every day to the fullest – and that includes her writing. She’s always loved stories about people who have successfully met and overcome life’s challenges, as has she. 

Valerie and her husband now live on an eighty acre farm in northern Arkansas. She loves to hike the rocky, wooded hills behind the picturesque old house they renovated, watch for the wildlife so abundant in the area, and think up new ideas for her many books.



Today Valerie has generously offered to give away a copy of her recent release, The Rookie's Assignment AND her October 2011 release, Nightwatch, both from Love Inspired Suspense. The two winners will be announced in the Weekend Edition. 

Now let's pick this woman's brain. How does she keep all those books straight? What's her writing schedule like? Come on let's get some answers!