A Decade of Dreams (and FEARS) on the Writing Journey

In October 2007—ten years ago—I was an award-winning but agentless UNpublished writer venturing out with my Seeker Sisters to start a blog that we hoped would offer other aspiring writers encouragement, inspiration, and practical teaching on the craft of writing and the world of publishing. A supportive “Village” such as the one the Seekers had found with each other.

Little did I know that a year after we started Seekerville one of my contest entries would land on Senior Editor Melissa Endlich’s desk at Steeple Hill Books (the previous name of Love Inspired). Nor did I know that the following year my first published book, Dreaming of Home, would be on the shelves. Or that 10 years after we started the blog, even though still working a demanding, full-time day job, I’d have completed my fourteenth contracted book.

 But back to 2007….

During our two years pre-blog, Seekers hung out together daily in a “virtual world,” praying for each other, encouraging, brainstorming, growing as writers, and periodically celebrating as some slipped a foot inside the publishing world door. Others of us weren’t there yet.

That’s when in early autumn 2007 Seeker Tina Radcliffe initiated “Plan B” for those of us who were basically treading water (telling us she’d be sending out invitations to a meeting along with a box of Kleenex and two Hershey kisses). She said we needed to meet in a chat room, talk plans, brainstorm, discuss what had worked and what hadn’t, how we could help each other—and commit to moving forward.

That night I wrote “optimistically” (ha ha) in my writing journal: I don't know if I have the time or the energy or the inclination for this. I'm not sure if I should keep beating my head against a wall. Maybe it's just not God's timing for me to be published. Maybe it's NEVER going to be God's timing.

But join I did, and Tina kicked things off with pre-meeting homework of hard-hitting questions for which we were asked to write a “dig deep” paragraph or two, including: How badly do you want to sell? How close are you to giving up? What are your fears? Where is God in all of this?

Here’s what I wrote in my writing journal as I mulled over the questions before fleshing-out the requested response:

What are my fears? On good days when I'm rested, I have NO FEAR. On days when I'm exhausted from the day job, I have BUCKETSFUL.

Fear # 1: That I've wasted a lot of years pursuing something that isn't in God's plan for me and missed out on the things I should have been doing and am better equipped to do. (The dream started in grade school—and I spent decades off and on writing toward that dream that wouldn’t go away.)

Fear # 2: That I'm deluding myself in thinking I will ever have what it takes to be successfully published. It's one thing to win a contest with opening chapters--but am I capable of writing solidly constructed, entertaining stories throughout? If I am, can I sustain that in book after book?

Fear # 3: That being published will only add more stress to my life than I can deal with and demand more time than I'm at liberty to put toward it.

Fear # 4: That I’ll sign a book contract—and be incapable of producing a book on deadline.

Fear # 5: That I’ll disappoint my readers.

Where is God in all of this? Somewhere out there...God refuses to take “The Dream” away from me even though it's been offered up time and time again, so I must assume there are things I have to do and become first.

Our little band of “Plan B-ers” read each other’s “essays,” then met in a virtual chat room to discover that all of us had so much in common with our responses. Fear that we weren’t good enough, that we were seeking something outside God’s will, that there was something we weren’t “getting” that was holding us back. How REAL those fears felt!

Going forward we committed to praying for each other, shared daily scriptures, offered encouraging feedback, took on-line classes, and listened to a CD by a published writer on not giving up. We paired up to read and critique each other’s manuscripts, re-evaluated what we were currently writing and targeting, shared articles on the writing craft, researched publisher guidelines for “best fit” for what we wanted to write, and learned how to better utilize contests.

Throughout those intense weeks of digging deep, refocusing, and re-launching ourselves, Tina kept asking Dr. Phil-like regarding our earlier, unsuccessful efforts: So, how’s that been working for you? And always she encouraged us to pray for each other, seek God’s clear direction, and to THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX we’d found ourselves trapped in.

That beginning jump-started the straggling-behind Seekers. And the rest, as they say, is history! Today all of us are published.

Do some of those original fears STILL linger? Are some of them realities that continue to challenge us? Oh, yes. But you know what? Many of those fears were False Evidence Appearing Real—fears that I could have easily allowed to hold me back from even trying. Looking over the past decade reminds me that God is in charge. My writing is His to do with as He pleases, so I’m deeply grateful for doors He opened to share my stories with the world.

God doesn’t promise to make all our “dreams” come true, but I believe He does plant certain dreams in our heart that He wants to fulfill--if we cooperate. Different journeys for different people. But, as the saying goes, God can’t steer a parked car. I must trust Him, look to Him for guidance, listen for His answers, and prayerfully step out daily to do my part. He can’t sell a book that’s never written.

If you're a writer, please share with us today where were YOU were on your writing journey 10 years ago when Seekerville first opened its doors! What were your hopes and dreams for your writing? Your fears? How far have you come since then?

If writer OR reader, when and how did you discover Seekerville? (Some of you, I realize, may have been in grade, middle or high school when Seekerville launched!) Why do you stick around?

If you’d like to be entered in a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card along with a Kindle-copy of one of my books (your choice), please mention it in the comments section!

NOTE: The photos shared in today’s blog are from a late September trip on the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in Colorado!

Glynna

GLYNNA KAYE treasures memories of growing up in small Midwestern towns--and vacations spent with the Texan side of the family. She traces her love of storytelling to the times a houseful of great-aunts and great-uncles gathered with her grandma to share candid, heartwarming, poignant and often humorous tales of their youth and young adulthood. Her Love Inspired books—"Pine Country Cowboy” and “High Country Holiday”—won first and second place, respectively, in the 2015 RWA Faith, Hope & Love Inspirational Reader’s Choice Awards. Just out in May 2017 was “The Nanny Bargain,” out now is “Mountain Country Cowboy,” and coming in April 2018 will be “Mountain Country Courtship” (the final story in the 6-book Hearts of Hunter Ridge series).

Mountain Country Cowboy. When he’s offered a job at Hunter’s Hideaway, single dad Cash Herrera immediately accepts. It means the former bad boy can start over and gain custody of his son, Joey. Still, small-town folk have long memories—especially Cash’s pretty childhood nemesis. Rio Hunter is now a lovely, courageous woman…and Cash’s new boss. Past betrayal makes them both wary, and Rio’s secret promise will soon take her away from Hunter Ridge. Yet working with Cash and teaching Joey about her beloved horses draw her closer to both. Can she create a loving family with the man who’s claiming her future?
BUY HERE

Birthday Greetings from Seekers Sandra Leesmith and Glynna Kaye!

IT IS SEEKERVILLE'S 10th BIRTHDAY….Give Yourself a Gift…Go Wide

BOOK #3--TOO FAR DOWN--RELEASES TOMORROW!!!

I fell down the other day.

I’m just fine. A scratch on the palms of my hands, a bruise on my knees. But while I lay there, face down, on my basement floor (no I didn’t hit my head, my eye is fine) I had this thought.

“My world just got narrower.”

I’ve witnessed this in my own life but I’m probably more aware of it with my mom and other elderly relatives than with myself, though I've been moving with great caution lately because my balance and depth perception are affected by the changed vision in my left eye. There on the floor I was thinking about being MORE careful. Get more light down here. Don't walk around the car this direction again. My choices to be cautious added up to my world getting narrower.

With my mom and mother-in-law, it wasn't a choice to make their world narrower. They had no choice.

My mom--with her walker--and a fall that landed her in the hospital for three weeks and a nursing home for three more, will never leave her house to go for a walk again.

Why? She’s afraid she’ll fall.

My mother-in-law quit going out to eat in a place she wasn't familiar with.

Why? Some bathrooms weren’t suited to someone with her senior citizen impairments.

My dad, I remember the day he said he’d never go to another Nebraska Cornhusker Football game again. He realized all the walking, all the stairs to the cheap seats, were beyond him.

I witnessed all of them say (in other words), “My world just got narrower.”

And while I lay there on my basement floor I knew it was my turn. At least until my eyes get better.

So I’m not even saying that’s bad. It’s just reality as you age. You’ve got to make choices, and those choices narrow your world.

But as authors, so much of our world is MENTAL. And that never has to get narrow. I am pretty completely branded as a historical western romance novelist. And I love that. I’m all in for that brand. But I can be WIDE within that.

Chance to win a Kindle Fire!

My heroines don’t always have to be feisty. How about I write a timid woman…and have her grow in courage. Kylie Wilde in Tried and True. Angie in Long Time Gone.

My heroes don’t always have to be heroic alpha males. Seth Kincaid the Crazy Man in Over the Edge. (okay Seth's pretty alpha in his own lunatic way) Alex Buchanan in Doctor in Petticoats.

My plots can vary more widely than I usually dare. How about the hero is a city boy who’s been to Harvard and prefers to wear a suit to work? He's tough enough, but still, he mostly pushes a pen…and that pen has ink in it, not cattle. Cole Boden in Too Far Down—WHICH IS RELEASING TOMORROW.

Sometimes life can get sticky… (sez the woman who had emergency surgery this summer) Our physical world can of necessity get very narrow. Maybe for a time, maybe forever. But that narrowness doesn’t have to extend to our minds or to our writing.

Today, to celebrate our tenth anniversary I’m giving away a signed copy of my new release Too Far Down AND I’m giving away a Kindle.

Let’s talk about a time you took a chance with your writing. A time you went WIDE. Wrote a different kind of character, tried a different genre. And if you haven’t done that, then what about a dream? What would you LIKE to try?

I’ve always thought it would be fun to write a regency romance. And I’ve never even tried. I suppose I should sometime, but the terms, the clothing, carriages, the architecture, not to mention whether an earl is a bigger deal than a Baron. I know Duke is a big deal...anyway, you get why I hesitate. What is a chemise anyway?

I can’t get excited about the research…although I’ve toyed with the idea of having a ‘second son’, an aristocrat’s child, in America. So I could have some of those Regency England accents and attitudes.

Will I ever do it? Can I? Can you?
We need to keep our minds wide open to the possibilities.
Never is that more important than among authors who are creating people and lives and worlds.

Give yourself a gift for the Seekerville Birthday and GO WIDE!

Leave a comment to get your name in a drawing for a Kindle and a signed copy of my new release Too Far Down. Two prizes, two winners!

When an explosion kills men and damages the CR Mining Company, the Bodens realize their troubles are not behind them as they thought. Shadowy forces are still working against them.

Cole Boden finds himself caught between missing his time back East and all that New Mexico offers. Sure he fights with his siblings now and then, but he does care for them. He enjoys running the mine and, when he's honest, he admits that Melanie Blake captures his interest in a way no other woman ever has.

Read the exciting conclusion to the Cimarron Legacy Series...Too Far Down!

CLICK HERE TO READ AN EXCERPT OF TOO FAR DOWN

NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP HERE!

 Three awesome Nebraska writers send their birthday greetings! 
Renee McBride above & LoRee Peery below!

And Jennifer Slattery!

As if writing a book isn’t enough of a challenge!

TOO FAR DOWN IS FINALLY COMING!!! OCTOBER!!!

I’ve tossed around ideas for a blog post for today and I am telling you all I can think of is the last couple of months and my stupid EYEBALL SURGERY!!!!!!

Yes, I know, I’ve whined until people’s ears are bleeding. And I know the challenges others face.

For some reason every time I say, Eye surgery, I seem to be met with, “Well, my neighbor is taking chemo…my sister’s child is in the hospital…my friend lives in Houston and lost EVERYTHING.

Okay, I get it. Count your blessings. Lots of people have it worse. I KNOW!

And I am grateful that such excellent surgery exists that I am going to be fine.

But still…it’s been a long couple of months!

I

My new writing posture. Left hand numb. Grrrr!

’ve spent too much of it having to hold my computer ridiculously close to my face because my eyes are just not working right. The surgery either messed up the eye glasses prescription I need or…I need more healing time. As a result, I hold the computer funny if I really want to COMFORTABLY read. I spend most of my writing time Uncomfortably reading…BUT TO COMFORTABLY READ I balance my laptop with my left hand while I type with one finger on my right hand. And because of that, my left hand is now numb. I’ve looked it up…and know the cure. Stop bending your elbow so much. It’s called cubital tunnel syndrome. It’s like carpal tunnel is to your WRIST this is to your elbow.

I’m sure in an effort to cure that I’ll cause some other affliction. (whining again)

I’m getting to my point.

Sometimes we have to just keep going. I picture those folks in Houston wading through waist deep water. They just keep going. Through hardship, tragedy, loss…against the current…whatever is happening to you, sometimes as writers with deadlines…or even without deadlines but with a desire to get our story onto paper…we just do our best. We struggle on.

2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Now to me, as a rule, this verse is something you say at a funeral. I remember saying it, or maybe thinking it, at my dad’s funeral. “He fought the good fight.”

Which to me just meant he lived his faith to the end through a long, slow, hard death from cancer.

But it also means to me right now…getting through. Not through life, but through hardship.

Which brings me to another point, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” (no I’m not complaining…much…about this stupid eye…because this is an old question) The answer to this question is that God’s first love for us, his first priority for us, is our souls.

Yes he loves us and intercedes with our lives through our prayers, but bad things do happen, despite our prayers. But we need to check with what is happening through these hard times to our SOULS. God tends us on a spiritual level. If a child dies a lingering death, but has a true faith, then there I rejoicing in heaven.

If a wealthy, comfortable man lives to be 93 and dies surrounded by love and family and furniture bought at Neiman Marcus, but doesn’t believe…then to God this is a tragic life.

So it’s time to remember this. Has the eye surgery, the struggle, the stupid numb hand affected my soul? No. I won’t say this has been a spiritually enlightening time either. It’s just been a time to fight the good fight. To finish the race. To endure and mostly…to keep the faith.

We all go through this. Life isn’t a stroll through a bed of roses. There’s a reason they call where we live now the earth. Why earthly things can be fraught with trouble. Because the earth is the earth. It's a separation from God that is healed in heaven.

So I type weird. I’m far more prone to typos thanks to blurry eyes. I’ve had to cancel a trip because my eye doctor sez I’ll go blind in an airplane (still planning on ACFW--I hope). I have a weird dark bubble in my left eye, like looking through tinted sunglasses in a circle that covers about 1/3 of my eye. It's getting smaller but man-oh-man is it slow...The doctor also said if I flew in a plane the pain would be so awful I’d be screaming at the pilot to land, to let me off.

I told him to chill with the drama. He had me at blind. But I could tell he liked the ‘screaming’ part of his diagnosis, and he couldn’t be stopped.

I type on. I’ve let far too much go in the rest of my life, but I’ll make my book deadline…hopefully with a book not loaded with typos. I’ve got a daughter lined up to read it before I send it. Check for typos that don't light up spell check. 'If' instead of 'in'. 'Us' instead of 'up'. Stuff like that.

I’ll add another less Biblical saying. When at last you come to the end of your rope…tie a knot and hang on.

Or how about one my beloved mother-in-law used to say.

This too shall pass.

Hang in there. This too shall pass. Keep the faith.

Leave a comment...I'd like to here ONE TIME in your life you struggled. Please let it not only be ME who is a whiner.

To get your name in the drawing you've got to mention at least one STRUGGLE!

General comments are welcome but today's giveaway is to those who struggled.

Now it is time for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A PRIZE!!!!!!!!

BOOK #3 IN THE CIMARRON LEGACY SERIES IS HERE AT LAST!!!

I WILL PICK A WINNER NOW AND SEND THE BOOK AS SOON AS I GET IT.

TOO FAR DOWN

Smother yourself....on doctor's orders. HARSH

Cowboys, Action, Humor, and History Collide in Connealy's LatestWhen an explosion kills men and damages the CR Mining Company, the Bodens realize their

Cole Boden finds himself caught between missing his time back East and all that New Mexico offers. Sure he fights with his siblings now and then, but he does care for them. He enjoys running the mine and, when he's honest, he admits that Melanie Blake captures his interest in a way no other woman ever has.

Melanie has been a friend to the Bodens forever. A cowgirl who is more comfortable with horses and lassoes than people, she never expected to find herself falling for someone. Particularly for refined Cole Boden, a Harvard graduate who may not stay long at the ranch. She's determined, however, to help the Bodens finally put an end to the danger that's threatened all of them. But will putting herself in harm's way be more dangerous than anyone expected?

troubles are not behind them as they thought. Shadowy forces are still working against them.

Writing Like You Have Nothing to Lose

with guest Natalie Monk.


Hi, Seekers and Villagers! I feel a little surreal typing this, since I’ve loitered in the comments for years, never dreaming I’d one day write a Seekerville post as a published author! I’m so excited! 

Today, we’re talking about writing like you have nothing to lose.

Remember the early days when you got a glimpse of character, dialogue, or scenery, and your brain itched until you had spun an emotion-laden image onto the page, emptying yourself of all those words and filling your writer’s heart to the brim? Remember what it felt like to write with abandon, untroubled by whether your premise would pass an editorial board? There were no rejections, no thoughts of market preferences, no eviscerating reviews to stop you. You just wrote. And you loved it. 

Is it possible for an author to return to the first joys of writing after fear of failure creeps in to paralyze creativity? 

Yes. And the solution is simple. You make a choice. To start writing like you have nothing to lose. 

Let’s unpack this a little. Why do we let our inner editor stifle us in the first place? What are we afraid of? The worst that can happen is you write a novel that doesn’t get published, and you steal away from the project carrying more wisdom and writing muscles than you had before. Not a bad deal. Taking a few months to write an educational dud is tons better than not writing for a year, then drowning in guilt and even more fear that you can’t write after so long without practice. Maybe instead we should ask ourselves, What’s the best that can happen? 

Most of the time, the choice is up to you to take a story idea and decide this one’s for you, or your spouse, best friend, favorite niece, or the cute barista guy at the coffee shop who will probably never read your work but somehow still inspires you. Ahem. But in some cases, the decision to write like a daredevil is made for you by someone or something else. Like when I wrote my novella for the Of Rags and Riches Romance Collection…

My household was undergoing an internet apocalypse when I received the invite to submit a novella idea for a Barbour collection. Before we resolved reception issues, my family departed for a mountaintop getaway—also undergoing a cyber death. By the time I drove to a McD’s, where I saw said email, the deadline for submission was a WEEK away. 

ACFW conference, where Susan May Warren taught her Story Equation method. Praise be! I also reviewed notes from K. M. Weiland’s Creating Character Arcs, Cathy Yardley’s Rock Your Plot, and Melissa Jagears’ tips on writing novellas, then relegated myself to the sofa beside a cabin-esque bear statue and a Tiffany lamp. 

Six things I learned during that week. Invaluable, writerly things I don’t want to forget. (Believe me, I’m preaching to myself today.) 

1. Don’t wait until you’re ready to start. My OCD self never feels “ready.” According to Mark Twain, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Famous TV producer Mark Burnett says in his book, Jump In!, “Nothing will ever be…perfect, and nothing can be totally planned. The best you can hope for is to be about half certain of your plan….” Sling some words on that page!

2. “Write the book you need to read.” Francine Rivers shared the previous sentence with me after I asked her what one piece of advice she would give to a new writer. I don’t have to list her writing credentials here. Y’all know. Heed her wisdom. If you write to satisfy your reader-cravings, you’ll be feeding others with the same tastes. Market-pleasing worries solved.

3. Set a time limit. Struggling with your newest plot? Give yourself a week (or less!) to plot that sucker. It may be horrible, but now you’ve got something to work with! As the adage goes, you can’t revise a blank page. 

4. Don’t overthink your creative ideas. When you’re stuck, every idea is brilliant. Questioning comes later, during revision. Or sometimes during the synopsis when problems and their solutions can surface simultaneously. “Ain’t nobody got time” to mull over whether it’s believable for Georgie Ann to trip the criminal into a pit of fire ants when you’re plotting on a time limit. Dip your bucket into your creative well and see what comes up. You’ll have a chance to rearrange later when all the pieces are in place. Right now, you’re “tube riding” in the barrel of your creative wave. Think tunnel vision. Don’t look back, or you’ll lose momentum.

5. Give your story permission to be different. My current plot held me in chains for a year as punishment for expecting perfection. I internalized the fear that I couldn’t produce a novel worthy of the premise in my head. I kid you not, I contemplated calling up one of my writer friends to say, “Here’s an idea for you. You’re way more talented, and I’m just too afraid I’m going to ruin the story.” Ridiculous, right? Why? Because God didn’t give the idea to my writer friend. He gave it to me, with all my insecurities and zany life experiences that will make the finished product the story God wants it to be, and I’m now hoping to finish the imperfect version of it before the end of this year. God doesn’t give us gifts to set on a shelf or give away to someone else. Take your gift and go be amazing!

6. Throw your novel in God’s lap. When things get tough as they always do, I say, “Okay, God. This is Your book. I can’t make it any better by myself. If you want it to be terrible, no good, horrible, and very bad, so be it. If not, I’m gonna need some help.” Not that we can “make” God do anything, but He loves us and is always ready to help when we ask. Reminder: God + any story = an amazing story. When we keep ourselves in submission to His leading, we hold the pen, but He is the author and finisher. Then when all is said and published (or not, as He sees fit), God gets the glory, and lo and behold we get the benefits of having written another novel with Him. Win, win! Remember the old standby: Work like everything depends on you, but pray like everything depends on God.

I’ve been reading In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. The essence of the book is “do it afraid.” Whatever God calls us to is going to be bigger than we can handle, because God’s plan is always bigger than us. But He is the one who fights the battles, not us. He simply wants us to be willing to step into the unknown and risk all the what-ifs. 

I’ll close with a few quotes from chapter seven of Mark’s book:

“Newsflash: you’ll never be ready.”

“If you wait for perfect conditions before you seize an opportunity you’ll be waiting till the day you die.”

“More often than not, the only thing between you and your dream is a rational excuse.”

“Willingness to fail is a prerequisite to success.”

“Lion chasers don’t let what they can’t do keep them from doing what they can…Success is doing the best you can with what you have where you are.”

When was the last time you threw caution to the wind and did something you’ve always wanted to do? What were the results? Did things turn out like you feared or better? Do you have any regrets? 

I’m giving an e-copy of any book mentioned in this post to two writers, winner’s choice. For readers, I’m giving away two copies of the Of Rags and Riches Romance Collection: a paperback to a U.S. reader, and an e-copy to an international reader. Winners announced in the next Weekend Edition.

 “For Richer or Poorer” in the Of Rags and Riches Romance Collection:

In order to bring her starving family to New Jersey, Polish immigrant and housemaid Marcella Lipski must marry wealth…so she dons her employer's discarded ball gowns and goes husband hunting at Newark's tourist spots. There are a few problems, though. Ella's shy. She knows nothing of the rules governing American high society. She'll lose her job if she's recognized. Oh, and she can't speak a speck of English. When a poor-but-mysterious cart driver catches her eye, she must protect her heart at all costs. She won’t leave her family hopeless.

Woody Harris has no desire to be rich, and he lives out his faith by giving most of his possessions away to the street kids on his freight route. When his horse spooks and bowls over Ella, inflicting bruises, Woody offers her free conveyance for a week and starter lessons in English as compensation. He's soon charmed by her innocent, farm-girl ways and her concern for "his" kids. But by the time he learns Ella will only marry for money, it's already too late for his heart.

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Natalie Monk is an award-winning writer of historical romance. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. A preacher’s daughter from South Mississippi, Natalie is a piano instructor, nonpracticing certified wedding planner, and former post hole digger. She loves book-talk, porch swings, old movies, and all-male a capella ensembles. Readers can chat with Natalie on her website www.nataliemonk.com, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Losing Ground This Summer? Let Our Virtual Retreat Get You Back on Track

Here's the skinny: There are more excuses for not writing every day than there are writers who finish a book.

It's too hot.

I'm too busy.

The kids are out of school.

The kids are going back to school and need this, that and the other thing.

The kids are driving me crazy.

The sun is up too late and I can't sleep.

The sun is up too early and I can't sleep.

The sun is up.

(Get it? SO MANY EXCUSES FOR NOT MAKING YOUR DREAM COME TRUE!)

I'm going to help you. I, along with a couple of very sweet friends, am hosting a Virtual Writers Retreat at the Rocky Ridge Ranch in Northwestern Idaho next month.

Come see the rolling hills meld into mountains majesty.... Mount farm-broke horses and explore the distant hills and the nearby trails. See Cookie as he makes his famous Campfire Snake Stew and Chicken Biscuit Pot Pie..... and Laraby (Laraby is a woman, she had Very Western Parents) will be in charge of desserts and pastries and in-between meal snacks... including homemade Rocky Ridge Dustbuster Ice Cream, a ranch favorite.

You don't need a printed invitation.

You don't need to pay one red cent.

You don't need to be accountable to anyone for what you're doing or where you're going because the Rocky Ridge Ranch lies no farther than your imagination...

What you DO NEED is to give yourself a little time each day to be inspired, to chat, to laugh, to throw out ideas... to do whatever it is you need to get you back on track.

I know summer can be rough. I know holidays can be rough. Hey, winter can be tough...

And then you throw in illness, family emergencies, family celebrations, Holy days, Sundays, shopping days, and before you know it, your writing hasn't taken a back seat... it's literally fallen off the bus.

So join us in August.

WHEN? August 13 -20, 2017

WHERE? Rocky Ridge Ranch, Ghost Falls, Idaho

COST?   Nothing but time, baby!

WHAT TO WEAR?  Bring imaginary ranch-type clothing, nights are cool, blue jeans, shirts, hoodie, boots, sneakers.

HOW DO I SIGN UP?   E-mail loganherne@gmail.com and tell Ruthy you want to sign up.

ARE YOU SURE THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO DO????  I am reasonably certain because (Ruthy leans closer....) it's "virtual". That means pretend. Make believe... but the encouragement is So Very Real!!!

Last month I got an e-mail from Barbara Wallace, an RWA Director-at-large.... She was researching out of the norm ways of motivating writers and she stumbled on our past virtual retreats... so I told her about them, then I realized we hadn't done one in a very long time.

So I'm rectifying that.

If you've stumbled on your writing goals, there is half a year left... come to the "retreat" and get re-inspired.

If you've let your dreams take a back seat to everyone elses, come to the retreat and get some time management tips.

If you've thought about developing a better relationship with other authors but have little time, come to the retreat and see that we're all in the same boat.

Each day has 24 hours.

My/our goal isn't to stretch that... it's to encourage folks to make the best possible use of it!

Join us as we hang out at the ranch with Shane, Cookie and Laraby.... and whoever else happens to stroll in during the week.

There are no prizes for coming to the retreat... your prize is learning to use time and inspiration that God gave you and putting it to good use as you are able, and as it fits your schedule!

We're all different... but in so many ways, we're the same and it's fun to show that love and support for one another.

E-mail me to sign up and I will put your sweet names on the list of attendees... and let me know in the comments what's holding you back. What's your stumbling block? Is it fear? Lack of discipline? Too much temptation?

Let's talk about why excuses often weigh heavier than reasons... and for everyone who leaves a comment, I'll toss your name into a cowboy hat for a copy of any one of my cowboy books... His Montana Sweetheart, Home on the Range, Back in the Saddle or Peace in the Valley...

Any one of them is guaranteed to put you in the proper frame of mind for an amazing Western vacation!

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Award-winning author Ruthy Logan Herne has sold over a million books... and just keeps on writing! She's a pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps kind of gal and figures there's really not much of a secret to this writing gig... you either write the book(s). Or you don't... :) She's got a passel of kids and grandkids, a farm and a part-time job but one of her favorite things is inspiring other writers to buckle down and give it their very best shot... Friend her on facebook, shout out on Twitter or visit her website ruthloganherne.com.... but the best thing you can do for any author at any time is to buy their books! Because Western, romance, thriller, small town, suspense: Whatever the genre: Numbers Talk!

Best of the Archives: "Happy for No Reason"

By Missy Tippens
Posted Originally on August 13, 2008

I recently saw an interview with Marci Shimoff, author of “Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out.” And she said something really interesting. We all have a happiness set point. And it means that no matter what happens to us in life, we tend to settle around the same happiness level unless we do something consciously to change it.

She said that our set point is 50% genetic (we’re born with it), 10% circumstances, and the other 40% is due to our habits of thoughts and behavior. That 40% is the part we can change. She said we have 60,000 thoughts per day, and for the average person 80% of those are negative. Sooooo…

We’ve got to stop the negative thoughts! And we’ve got to replace them with positive thoughts.

The road to publication and the business of writing can be difficult. None of us is immune to rejection. And then there’s the negative feedback (those painful contests score sheets and tepid or even bad reviews). Even when things are going great, we worry about what’s ahead. We wonder if we can keep producing good manuscripts or if we'll ever sell again. But we have to plow ahead, to keep our chins up and tell ourselves that we’re strong, we’re good at what we do, and we’re going to be successful.

Okay, so maybe you’re thinking I’m a wannabe therapist. It seems with every post I’m trying to force you to do self-reflection. But actually, I think I'm more of a wannabe cheerleader. (Yeah, you guessed it. I was in band in high school.) So here I go once again with a self-help assignment. So sorry! But you have to do it anyway (yes, I can be as mean as Ruthy). :)

Come up with two or three affirmations you’re going to tell yourself this week (and maybe post them on sticky notes on your bathroom mirror). I’d love to hear if changing your self-talk worked for you! I'd also love for you to share what you've come up with.

Gosh, I guess I’ll go first… I’m organized. I’m competent…

I’m skinny.

What? That one doesn’t count? (Don’t you wish we could “self-talk” the pounds away?!) Okay, a third affirmation: I’m creative.

I will succeed! And so will you. Now your turn...

Rah Rah!
Missy :)

Missy Tippens, a pastor’s wife and mom of three from near Atlanta, Georgia, made her first sale to Harlequin Love Inspired in 2007. Her books have since been nominated for the Booksellers Best, Holt Medallion, ACFW Carol Award, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Maggie Award, Beacon Contest and a 2013 RT Reviewer’s Choice Award. A House Full of Hope was a Romance Writers of America 2013 RITA^® Nominee. Visit Missy at www.missytippens.com, https://twitter.com/MissyTippens and http://www.facebook.com/missy.tippens.readers.

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Comments have been turned off today so you can focus on writing and practicing your positive self-talk. :)