Squirrel's Treehouse

Monday, November 19, 2007

TRAUMATIZED BY.....CORNBREAD?

Yes. It's true. I have this severe (and I mean SEVERE in a neurotic way) aversion to cornbread. Here's why: when we were little and living in New Mexico, we had the nicest babysitter. BUT....she had one itty bitty ghastly penchant for making cornbread. She would put a big hunk of cornbread about the size of a small shoe into a HUMONGOUS green bowl....and pour syrup over it to the point that the syrup ended up being about three to four inches thick in the bowl.

Then she would pour milk, big dollops of butter and sprinkle sugar on top. Sometimes peanut butter.

And then (YICK!) make us eat it. Every. Last. Drop.

To this day, my sister and my brother (who is really my cousin but my parents had legal custody of him and he lived with us) cannot STAND to eat cornbread. Can't even stand to smell it. If any of us are in a kitchen and we get whiffs of the stuff...we'll flee.

My husband loves Jiffy cornbread. I'll cook anything for him, but I tell him..."with cornbread....you're on your own unless you want to see me urp." Even the smell makes me nauseous.

I had a discussion this morning with my cousin who moved from another state to near me recently. She also went to this baby sitter's growing up. We laughed because neither of us realized how traumatized we all were by this icky cornbread. She said she can't even stand to eat out of green bowls because of the whole ordeal. That made me realize why I can't stand to have green bowls in my house. I'd forgotten Nancy served the cornbread out of green bowls...always.

All of our siblings and cousins and even the baby sitter's own children...none of us can stand to eat cornbread to this day. LOL! I think maybe we all need to go to counseling......

(Nancy, if you're reading this....we love you....just not your cornbread.

Your goulash was out of this world though!!!!)

So, bloggers....what food did you eat growing up that you cannot stand now?

Talk away...it is much too quiet around this treehouse......

Squirrel

Cheryl Wyatt

Saturday, November 17, 2007

WONDERFUL FEEDBACK...THANK YOU!

Guess what I got in the mail right before I went to North Carolina?

MY BOOK! I got it through Steeple Hill's book club. So that means all subscribers who receive four books now have my book!!!

I came back home to about seven reader letters in my Inbox....all expressing how much they loved the book.

I never dreamed the elation and humility and profound gratitude I'd feel as I read (and re read and re read..LOL!) those precious letters.

So far all the letters have been positive.

The really great thing is I remember pouring my heart out to God in private prayer times years ago while researching, plotting and writing the first military stories, asking Him to please, please, please help me honor military servicemen and women and their families and not offend. Since I'm not military myself..but have family who is and was....this was one of my constant prayers and one of my fears...that I would somehow dishonor those who have served and sacrificed to keep us free. Only God could know how much it meant to me that most of those letters I received are from military personnel and or their spouses.

Thank you for taking time to write to the authors whose books touch your life in some way. Readers, you guys think our books touch you...but I wish you knew how very much your letters mean to us.

Thank you so much for your encouragement and prayers. I am deeply touched.

Squirrel

--
Cheryl Wyatt   Gal. 2:20   Pouring my vial of words over Him.

www.CherylWyatt.com   www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008
A SOLDIER'S FAMILY~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Mar. 2008

www.Steeplehill.com   www.Loveinspiredauthors.com

Friday, November 16, 2007

CALL FOR BLOG TOUR PARTICIPANTS for A Soldier's Promise and A Soldier's Family

Hey all...

I'm going to be doing a blog tour in January and in March for my two debut novels.

If you're interested in being a part of one or both....drop me an e-mail or comment here, leaving some way for me to contact you.

Remember to put a space somewhere in the text if you leave your e-mail address so the phish and spiders don't scoop up your address.

I appreciate your readership!!!!

Warmly,

--
Cheryl Wyatt   Gal. 2:20   Pouring my vial of words over Him.

www.CherylWyatt.com  www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008
A SOLDIER'S FAMILY~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Mar. 2008

www.Steeplehill.com   www.Loveinspiredauthors.com

Thursday, November 15, 2007

One use for STEW PID SPAM

Okay...so today I'm deleting my Spam folder...and I'm rolling my eyes as usual because....uh....hello...I don't NEED a you-know-what enlargement patch...well..because I don't exactly have a you-know-what.

I'm deleting, deleting, deleting when I see a new one.....

"Unleash the man in you."

Oh-kay.

Interesting since I'm a girl.

Stupid spam.

Here's the upside to this cyber annoyance....if you're a writer you really can get some interesting character names off the fake names those spammerr-errrr.....I mean people use.......

Spam-sick-Squiirel
--
Cheryl Wyatt   Gal. 2:20   Pouring my vial of words over Him.

www.CherylWyatt.com   www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008
A SOLDIER'S FAMILY~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Mar. 2008

www.Steeplehill.com   www.Loveinspiredauthors.com

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

The Man Rules

My brother-in-law sent this to my My Space Inbox....I'm thinking my husband paid him to......

I must admit....it's pretty funny. I'm definitely using some of it to try and better nail the male point of view in my stories. LOL!

At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down finally, the guys' side of the story.

(I must admit, it's pretty good.)

We always hear "the rules" From the female side.

Now here are the rules from the male side.

These are our rules!

Please note... these are all numbered "1"
ON PURPOSE!

1. Men are NOT mind readers.

1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.

1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one:

Subtle hints do not work!

Strong hints do not work!

Obvious hints do not work!

Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do.

Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a Problem. See a doctor.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 Days.

1. If you won't dress like the Victoria 's Secret girls, don't expect us to act like soap opera guys.

1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of them makes you sad or angry, then we meant the other one.

1. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials.

1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing is wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle, besides we know you will bring it up again later.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear!

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine...Really.

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as football, the shotgun formation, or golf.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!

1. Thank you for reading this. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight;

But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

Written by a guy......obviously! LOL!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

WRITERS' BRAINSTORMING RETREAT

I deeply apologize for the sporadic posting. I've been working on my next proposal and traveling a LOT. I have much to catch you up on...all exciting!

Just returned from a writers' brainstorming retreat in the mountains of Franklin, North Carolina with fellow Steeple Hill authors Missy Tippens, Lynette Eason, and Zondervan author Camy Tang, as well as up and coming authors Pammer James who writes kick-bottom FBI suspense (Faith-Based-Intrigue), and Jennifer Hudson Taylor whose Carolina historicals will one day knock your socks off.

Until I get time to catch you up on blog posts, here are some links to pictures and posts about our brainstorm retreat from Lynette and Jennifer:

http://jenniferswriting.blogspot.com/

http://suspensewithatwist.blogspot.com/

--
Cheryl Wyatt   Gal. 2:20   Pouring my vial of words over Him.

www.CherylWyatt.com  www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008
A SOLDIER'S FAMILY~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Mar. 2008

www.Steeplehill.com  www.Loveinspiredauthors.com

Thursday, November 01, 2007

CONGRATS ANNUAL PROMPT CONTEST WINNERS 2007!

Are you ready to find out who won my annual Squirrel's Story Starter Contest?

Drum roll please.........

First Place: Hope Chastain
Second Place: Lacy Williams
Third Place: Jean Kinsey

Honorable Mentions:

Melody Sproule
Nike Chillemi
Patricia Woodside
Shauna Sturge
Cheryl Rose
Kimberly Wesdyk
Laura Brizendine
Caren Fullerton
Steve Youngblood
Trudy Bally
Michelle Rogers
Cheryl Shaw
Lara Spiker
Kay Malone

First place winner received a six month subscription to any Steeple Hill line of their choice, free copies of my January and March release, plus a gift pen and bookmark.

Second Place winner received a four month subscription to any Steeple Hill line of their choice, free copies of my January and March release, plus a gift pen and bookmark.

Third Place winner receives a three month subscription to any Steeple Hill line of their choice, free copies of my January and March release, plus a gift pen and bookmark.

Honorable Mentions receive free copies of my January and March release, plus a gift pen and bookmark, free copies of my January and March release, plus a gift pen and bookmark.

All other entrants receive a gift pen and bookmark.

Thanks so much for supporting my blog and for entering the contest.

It will start back up in January of 2008 so stay tuned.

PS> IF you entered more than three times in the year and are NOT on the Honorable Mention list, please e-mail me STAT.

Also, if you entered AT ALL this year, and I have NOT e-mailed you, please e-mail me STAT. Everyone who entered receives a little thank you gift from me.

Thanks all for supporting my blog with your readership and for entering my contest.

Warmly,

Cheryl Wyatt

Monday, October 29, 2007

From Max Lucado

Permission to forward.....

Found in Crosswalk UpWords from Max Lucado

The Gift of Hope
by Max Lucado

The aspiring young author was in need of hope. More than one person had told him to give up. "Getting published is impossible," one mentor said. "Unless you are a national celebrity, publishers won't talk to you." Another warned, "Writing takes too much time. Besides, you don't want all your thoughts on paper."

Initially he listened. He agreed that writing was a waste of effort and turned his attention to other projects. But somehow the pen and pad were bourbon and Coke to the wordaholic. He'd rather write than read. So he wrote. How many nights did he pass on that couch in the corner of the apartment reshuffling his deck of verbs and nouns? And how many hours did his wife sit with him? He wordsmithing. She cross-stitching. Finally a manuscript was finished. Crude and laden with mistakes but finished.

She gave him the shove. "Send it out. What's the harm?"

So out it went. Mailed to fifteen different publishers. While the couple waited, he wrote. While he wrote, she stitched. Neither expecting much, both hoping everything. Responses began to fill the mailbox. "I'm sorry, but we don't accept unsolicited manuscripts." "We must return your work. Best of luck." "Our catalog doesn't have room for unpublished authors."

I still have those letters. Somewhere in a file. Finding them would take some time. Finding Denalyn's cross-stitch, however, would take none. To see it, all I do is lift my eyes from this monitor and look on the wall. "Of all those arts in which the wise excel, nature's chief masterpiece is writing well."

She gave it to me about the time the fifteenth letter arrived. A publisher had said yes. That letter is also framed. Which of the two is more meaningful? The gift from my wife or the letter from the publisher? The gift, hands down. For in giving the gift, Denalyn gave hope.

Love does that. Love extends an olive leaf to the loved one and says, "I have hope in you."

Love is just as quick to say, "I have hope for you."

You can say those words. You are a flood survivor. By God's grace you have found your way to dry land. You know what it's like to see the waters subside. And since you do, since you passed through a flood and lived to tell about it, you are qualified to give hope to someone else.

What a wonderful God we have--he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us.
(2 Cor. 1:3--4 TLB)

From A Love Worth Giving: Living in the Overflow of God's Love
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2002) Max Lucado

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Tricia Goyer's My Life, Unscripted.

I am surrounded by teens, tweens and girls approaching that time. 98% of them are girls. When I read an excerpt of Tricia Goyer's My Life, Unscripted, I let several of my nieces read it. I really wish this book would be recommended reading for junior high and high school girls. LOL! How I wish I'd read a book like this when heading into my teen years. Boy, would my decisions have been different.

Tricia's candid story and her insight was really touching and a pleasure to read. I got to know her a bit when my husband and I contributed to one of her previous books. GenX Parenting. You may still be able to order it on www.amazon.com. Check it out.

I was so impressed by that GenX Parenting book that I couldn't wait to get my hands on Unscripted. Now, I know you're not here to hear about me. So here's what Tricia has to say about her new book:

Tricia’s Script:

Looking back at my drama-filled teen years I now wonder … What was I thinking?

The truth? I wasn’t. I lived from day to day on every wave of emotion. Some days excitement and passion partnered up, pattering wildly within my heart.

Other days, depression and anxiety were my silent friends. I lived each day as it came, with no plan for my future, for my relationships, or for my heart.

I lived my life completely unscripted … and, well, it didn’t go well for me. Teen pregnancy and a broken heart were only two consequences. Yet my prayer is that when teen girls are asked Who’s Writing Your Life? their answer will be ME … with the guidance of God, My Director.

If you have teenagers, especially girls, or work with teens, do yourself and them a favor by ordering this book, or picking it up at your local bookstore. It should be available anywhere books are sold.

Another great place you could get it is at your local Barnes and Nobles. It’s part of their back-to-school endcap promotion!

INTERVIEW WITH TRICIA
__________________________________
my life, unscripted

Summary:

Drawing on Biblical prinicples, My Life, Unscripted guides girls through the tumultous teen years by teaching them to have a plan of attack before temptation or hardship come.

Tricia's Script:

Looking back at my drama-filled teen years I now wonder ... What was I thinking?

The truth? I wasn't. I lived from day to day on every wave of emotion. Some days excitement and passion partnered up, pattering wildly within my heart.

Other days, depression and anxiety were my silent friends. I lived each day as it came, with no plan for my future, for my relationships, or for my heart.

I lived my life completely unscripted ... and, well, it didn't go well for me. Teen pregnancy and a broken heart were only two consequences. Yet my prayer is that when teen girls are asked Who's Writing Your Life? their answer will be ME ... with the guidance of God, My Director.

________________________________
An interview with Tricia Goyer!

Q: Tell me about My Life, Unscripted

Sure! With real-life scripts, screenwriting terms, and timely topics, My Life, Unscripted helps teen girls explore their own inner struggles and outward relationships. It's my hope they'll learn the importance of "scripting" their own responses BEFORE challenging life-situations arise.

By contrasting real-life with TV/movies, it's my hope that teen girls will understand they don't have to get caught up in the drama. They don't have to face situations as they arise, but rather they can think about, pray about, and consider how to face these situations before they hit the big screen of their lives.

Q: Is it true that much of YOUR story shows up in these pages?

Gulp. Yes, I'm afraid so. In fact, I shared parts of my story that I SWORE I'd never tell a soul.

My teenage script (portrayed in the book as Trish Valley) wasn't one I'd suggest my daughter, nor my readers to copy.

Q: Tell me about these scripts.

The introductory script of Trish Valley shows a scene where Trish urges her mom to follow Trish's boyfriend into the McDonald's parking lot so she can "spill her news." The other girl in the car and her boyfriend's response to Trish's pregnancy are unfortunately not fiction. I wrote out the scenes as they would appear in an actual script. I even use all the correct terms and layout.

Q: In addition to teen pregnancy, what are some of the other "scripts"?

Do I have to tell? Well, I guess it's in print now! Let me see: fists fights with a rival, sneaking out of my parents' house, getting caught by my boyfriend kissing his best friend--does that give you an idea? Do I have to go on?

Q: No, you can stop there. But WHY? Why did you decide to share these stories?

First, because I want girls to understand the heartache of unwise decisions. I want to them to be able to relate to me, rather than feeling preached at. Also, I wanted to share my stories because many young women have faced the same type of situations, or they know friends who have. And finally because they are great object lessons for the importance of following biblical truth. That is something I did learn!

Q: What does your teenage daughter think about this book?

Leslie thinks it's great I'm able to connect with other teens. She's heard these stories for a while! She was 11-years-old when we first started volunteering together at a support group for teenage mothers together. As I taught the young moms things like nutrition and potty training, Leslie assisted adults in babysitting the toddlers. And while we loved giving and serving, it was the ride home that soon became the most meaningful part. As Leslie sat in the passenger's seat, I could see her mind considering my life as a teen mom, and she started asking questions.

Although it was hard to talk about my past mistakes, I knew this was an ideal opportunity to share real-life truths with my daughter. Each person walking this earth has regrets. Our talks showed me that instead of hiding my past troubles (and hoping my kids didn't find out) sharing my mistakes could actually give my daughter a better understanding to why values and wise decision-making skills are important.

Q: So now you're "having a heart-to-heart" with other teens through this book?

I sure hope that's how they see it! Those first talks with my daughter brought us closer, but I knew not every girl has had someone to offer advice such as: "build a supporting cast of people you can trust" or "consider the character qualities you'd like for a leading man."

Q: Okay, so your book is for teens, but what about the moms out there who feel they have past mistakes they don't want to share?

Well, they could each write a book about their teen years! Ha- just kidding!

But for those moms out there, maybe your teen years were not as drama-filled as mine. Or, if they were, maybe you are fearful of sharing them with your teen. The truth is, teens learn best not with information and knowledge, but rather by hearing life examples and understanding how decisions can affect all parts of our lives. So, time to get brave, Mom. Open your heart and share what worked and what didn't. It just might help your daughter write a better script for herself.

Oh, yes, and consider buying your daughter My Life, Unscripted! Hopefully every teen girl can get some take-away to scripting a bright future!

Places you can find Tricia on the net:

Tricia’s Blog: It’s Real Life

Tricia’s Website: www.triciagoyer.com

Tricia's Upcoming Releases:

A Shadow of Treason (Moody Publishing) 2007
Generation NeXt Marriage (Multnomah) January, 2008

Also, on Wednesday, October 30, 2007, I’ll do a drawing for a copy of Tricia's My Life, Unscripted. To participate, simply leave a comment on this post!

Thanks for dropping by my blog!

Cheryl Wyatt aka "Squirrel"

Monday, October 22, 2007

Steeple Hill Harvest Festival This Week!!

Hey all!

Steeple Hill is having a Harvest Festival. Come on over and join the fun! Many of your favorite authors will be there. Many opportunities for prizes the authors have donated...so what are you waiting for? Come visit at

http://community.eharlequin.com/webx?50@@.4a84a266/0

Schedule of Events:

Monday October 22nd
Harvest Cook-Off with Allie Pleiter
(Readers will post candy-related recipes on the boards. Winning recipe will
be announced on Friday)

Great Moody Pumpkin Writing Challenge with Janet Tronstad
(Using 250 words or less, write a partial scene set in a pumpkin patch
anywhere in time or place that shows a mood. Winner will be announced at the
end of the Festival)

Referral contest: For every person who posts and says they were referred by
someone, the referrer will be entered in a drawing for a prize on Friday.

Delurking contest: Every person who posts saying they've delurked will be
entered in a drawing for a prize on Friday.

Tuesday October 23rd
Dunking for Authors with Cheryl Wyatt
(since Cheryl's books aren't available yet, we'll be giving away books from
other authors as prizes)

Wednesday October 24th
Buried Secrets Scavenger Hunt with Margaret Daley
(Readers will read excerpts from Margaret's recent release, Buried Secrets,
and answer questions)

Thursday October 25th
Pin the Tale on the Author with Cheryl Wyatt
(Again, we'll have prizes from other authors. Readers will match correct
author and title)

Friday October 26th
McKaslin Moments with Jillian Hart
(A trivia game based on Jill's McKaslin books)

Sunday, October 21, 2007

ATTENTION STORY STARTER ENTRANTS

Hey all,

Before I announce the big winner (or winners..that's right...could be TWO!) for the annual prize of a six month subscription to any Steeple Hill line of your choice, I want to double check that I didn't miss any entries to Spam.

For the next week, until Nov 1st, please comment here if you have entered my prompt contest 10 or more times out of the last 12 months.

The first week in November I will be notifying the winner or winners and, with their permission, posting their names here on my blog.

I will also post the top ten entrants for this past year, so stay tuned.

--
Cheryl Wyatt   Gal. 2:20   Pouring my vial of words over Him.

www.CherylWyatt.com   www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008
A SOLDIER'S FAMILY~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Mar. 2008

www.Steeplehill.com  www.Loveinspiredauthors.com

BLUSH AND CRINGE

Okay, since I was tagged with a Blog Friend Forever award by my friend Camy Tang ( Web site: http://camytang.com/ or Blog: http://camys-loft.blogspot.com/ ) and she mentioned my infamous Blush and Cringes (do u know how many of those I've chickened out and deleted seconds after sending? LOL!) I thought I'd better post one.

Today after church we were eating at what my husband calls the human food trough (Golden Corral). I'd been praying to be able to remember teachers who encouraged my writing journey. Difficult since we moved three times during high school.

As I came back from getting my second helping of scrumptious food, I passed a man who looked familiar. Though he wasn't actually one of my teachers, I remembered him coordinating the Friends in Christ club....which is one of the places I came to know God for the first time. I asked him if he was Mr. Carrol, and he said yes. I remember thinking how unfair that he doesn't look a day older than I remember him, and yet I'm sure I've aged in 20 years. LOL!

Anyway, I asked him if he remembered the creative writing teacher's name. He went through a couple names. I remembered one as being a teacher who encouraged me to pursue writing. I told him her doing that and about me recently contracting two Christian novels with an Inspirational publisher. http://SteepleHill.com/ He was very happy for me. Prior to that though, his face kept kind of twitching and he'd eye my neck. I knew I'd layered my clothing so it couldn't be too much cleavage or something. I thought maybe as I told him what year I graduated, he thought I had to many jaw wrinkles for that or something.

I go back to the table, sit down......and discover I have a huge splotch of potatoes, gravy and corn below my neck, above my collar. I mix those items together and eat them like that. I'm not kidding when I say there was a quarter size glob on my skin. Have no idea why I didn't feel it hit. Who knows. Anyway, I'm 99.9% sure he noticed it but was too nice to mention it. LOLOL! No wonder he was twitching and blinking and trying not to stare. LOLOL!

God knows how to keep us humble, eh?

I tell you, people don't believe me when I tell them I need an adult size bib when I eat. LOL! Until after they eat with me.....
--
Cheryl Wyatt   Gal. 2:20   Pouring my vial of words over Him.

www.CherylWyatt.com  www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008
A SOLDIER'S FAMILY~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Mar. 2008

www.Steeplehill.com  www.Loveinspiredauthors.com

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

SONY READER OR IPOD?

I'm holding a contest in a couple of months where I'll be giving away either a Sony Reader, an iPod. I thought about giving away an Alphasmart before, but I'm trying to have a prize that appeals to readers, writers and non-writers alike.

So let's have a vote.

Would you prefer the newest iPod, or a Sony Reader?

Don't know what a Sony Reader is? It's a digital book reader.

Check out this site for more info.

http://SonyStyle.com/

And the link for eBooks:

http://ebooks.connect.com/

Please leave a comment, or an e-mail letting me know which you'd prefer.

Dear King....

Ever have those moments when life's flurry melts away,

and you realize

an emptiness so deep

it stops you in your footsteps

to wonder

why you're feeling so down and out of sorts

when moments ago you were laughing?

Then you recall how long it's been since you

connected with Him

Then an answer so swift and truth so sweet and a longing so strong

snuffs out the melancholy

drizzle

of forgetting

if even for an hour

what it's like to be with Him.....

I had that kind of moment today. So I wrote Him a letter......and, upon the tablet of my heart, through knee-mail...I felt His answer scripting across my soul....

Maybe it will minister to you, but mostly, I hope it causes your spirit heart to take pause, and the lungs of your soul to breathe deeply

of Him

and live again

in His presence

in unbroken communion.

I'll post the poem here:

-----------------------

Dear King

by Cheryl Wyatt October 15, 2007

Dear King,

It was bloody and brutal
and I cannot

imagine
you having to
die
without honor
so willingly.

. . . . .

Dear Princess,

I was humbled and honored
and I could not

imagine
me having to
live
without you
for eternity.

--------------------------

Introspective Squirrel

--
Cheryl Wyatt   Gal. 2:20   Pouring my vial of words over Him.

www.CherylWyatt.com   www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008
A SOLDIER'S FAMILY~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Mar. 2008

www.Steeplehill.com   www.Loveinspiredauthors.com

Sunday, October 14, 2007

BAYOU BASH WITH ROBIN CAROLL

Hey Bloggers!

Welcome to this "limb" of Robin's blog tour!!!

I have the extreme pleasure of posting from Arkansas where I've spent the weekend with Robin Caroll.

Her family and friends put together a Bayou Bash to honor her for the release of her debut novel, Bayou Justice.

We traveled with Robin to Louisianna for her Bayou Bash and book signings at Shreveport Barnes and Noble, and Pierre Bossier Mall's Border Books.
I got to see the Bayou up close! I've never seen one before.

Great news.....Robin SOLD OUT OF BOOKS AT BOTH SIGNINGS!!! She sold close to 100 books in all! She also held a drawing for a Cajun basket, which she put together. Her agent, Kelly Mortimer, handmade her THE cutest alligator soap bar! It was even glittery! Bayou Bling!

I hope you enjoy her Bayou Bash and debut book signing pictures as well as her interview. (Posted below)

Robin’s Interview.

1. If your main characters from Bayou Justice could blurb you, the author, what would they say?
Coco: Robin can be demanding and stubborn, but at least she understands the area and the wildlife.
Luc: Robin is grounded spiritually and creative.

2. What is the best part of working with an editor? Seeing how someone else in the industry interacts with my characters, and getting her perspective.

3. What is it like to get reader feedback from non-writers? It’s gratifying to hear people discuss these characters I’ve lived with for so long, as if they’re real people.

4. Bayou Justice is book one in a series. Though each book can stand on its own, what links your stories together? Clearly, the Bayou setting. But also the strong family ties that are so popular in the Cajun culture.

5. Out of all the characters in your Bayou Series books, who has been the most challenging to write and why? Felicia in book three (Bayou Judgment, to be released from Steeple Hill Suspense in May 2008) because she is the least like my own personality. I had to use other inspiration to capture her traits and qualities.

6. On that note, where do you draw inspiration from for your characters and plots? For plots, from news, newspapers, and I ask a lot of “What if?” and I imagine the opposite. Meaning, I ask, “What if the opposite had happened?” Example: A court removing a child from foster care because of abuse, I would “What If” the court was removing the child from foster care when it was in the child’s best interest to stay? That’s how my mind works when I’m plotting. Characterization: I draw inspiration from aspects of people I know or have met, a little of myself, and by observation. I’m a huge people watcher. I love to study how people interact.

7. Speaking of reader feedback, what would be the highest compliment a reader could give you? That the story spoke to them or moved them in some way.

8. You recently had your first book signings, which were a HUGE success! (Robin sold completely out of books at both locations-Shreveport’s Barnes and Noble and at Borders! Wahoo!) What would you advise debut authors regarding coordinating their first book signing? Set it in an area where you have a lot of support such as the area surrounding the setting of your story, or your hometown, etc.

9. With a published book out now, people (aka bookstore owners, librarians, etc) will introduce you as “Robin Caroll, the author of Southern Mysteries of Suspense to Inspire your Heart.” What part of your identity prior to publication would you least like to lose? Meaning, if God Himself were to introduce you to a group of people or angels, what would you hope Him to say? “This is my daughter who is obedient.”

10. If aspiring authors could have seven tools crucial to publication, what would you say those are? Strong prayer life. A desire to learn. A good network of other writers. Strong critique partners. A vast reference book library. (Example: Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook). Determination. Perseverance.

Thanks for a wonderfully insightful interview, Robin!

You're welcome!

Thanks for stopping by Robin's blog tour! Don't be shy....pull up a seat, post a comment and spend some time with this fabulous Romantic Suspense author.

Visit Robin's Web site here: www.robincaroll.com
There are more pix of her Bayou Bash and book signing there...and you HAVE to see the Cajun basket she put together! It even had crime scene tape around the basket! LOL!

Bayou Justice is IN STORES NOW!
Be sure to order the next books in Robin's Bayou Series:
Bayou Corruption Feb 2008
Bayou Judgment May 2008
Bayou Paradox Sept 2008

Link to Robin's site or blog for news on upcoming releases.

C'est tout! (Cajun for "That's all!")

Squirrel

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

VIEW MY COVER ON BARNES AND NOBLE DOT COM!!!

Hey! I made a cool discovery this morning. I searched to see if my book was available on Barnes and Noble for someone who has a gift card.....

It's not only available for pre-order there now....YOU CAN SEE THE COVER!!!!

Go to http://barnesandnoble.com and type in the search bar, "A Soldier's Promise by Cheryl Wyatt"

I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that cover!!!!!!!!!

Hope you all go take a look and pre-order the book. Heck, order two or three or five or ten and give them away to your friends and family. LOL!

Warmly,

Squirrel

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

FEEDBACK REQUESTED and WRAP-UP OF SQUIRREL'S STORY STARTER CONTEST

Hey all,

Lacy's comment reminded me I need to bring you up to speed on what's going on with the contest.

The annual winner will be announced in November. I am going over all my spreadsheets for the year and making certain of how many entries each person had. Then I'm e-mailing entrants to verify numbers.

This is taking some time. Winners will be announced in November. If you've won, I will be contacting you with permission to announce your name (or names!) on here. Yes, there could be a tie, which means more than one of you would get the 6 month Steeple Hill subscription.

You guys have been wonderful, wonderful, wonderful this year and I have seen your writing grow from one entry to the next.

Next year, I might consider implementing the offer of sending your entries back critiqued. I will be asking for your feedback on that. The critique/feedback would be confidential between the entrant and I. As in the entries, nothing is made public.

Next year, I'm also considering announcing the monthly winners on the blog. Let me know what you guys think about that. If you've entered, don't be shy, let me know what you'd like changed as well as what you hope doesn't change about the monthly prompt contests. I'm open for suggestions and comments here.

Also, there will be more incentives to enter next year. If you send a friend to enter, that will earn you more points toward winning the annual prize.

I may change the way I do things because people coming in in June don't have the same chances that someone coming in in January have to win the annual prize. Once the contest grows so folks know about it, that won't be a problem. But right now, folks are still stumbling onto the contest for the first time.

Suggestions are welcome.

Talk away!

Monday, October 08, 2007

TALLADEGA!

' DEGA BOUND!!!

Gentlemen....START. YOUR. ENGINES!!!!

Can you hear the Vrrooooom?

I'm back from the races and can still hear it. LOL!

Was MIA from blogdom for a few days. Went to the NASCAR race in Talladega, Alabama.

Since my good friend Camy Tang informed me that ideal blog posts are 250 to 400 words, I'll keep these shorter from now on. LOL! I'll spread the info out.

Above are pics from the Mountain Dew Series Truck races.

I'm sorry to inform you that all the good wrecks happened as we left the park Sunday. LOL! Seriously, glad no one got hurt, but cars got crunched for sure. Disappointing for drivers.

We hope to be in Atlanta Motor Speedway at the end of the month.

Met some wonderful people while we were there. More info and pics in a different post. For now, suffice it to say we got to hang the entire weekend with some of the greatest people to walk the planet. Downhome kind of people who, once you meet them, you don't want to leave their presence.

Most were affiliated with the River band who does NASCAR entertainment. http://www.abandcalledriver.com/ and Bob's Party Bus folks. Fun weekend! Great music!

Took lots of notes while I was there and got several ideas for really unique character careers. In addition, for future sensory descriptions I had notecards. At the top of each, I'd written: "Sight", "Sound", "Touch", "Smell", etc. I filled out each of them. So when I go to write these stories, I'm not having to rely solely on my brain to recall it all. LOL!

I took copius pictures of the strangest things so I could get my scene and setting descriptions accurate and realistic. Took lots of notes and asked tons of questions.

If you write and go on vacation or a research trip, take notecards with you.

I kept them on me at all times as I walked around. I tried to be supersensitive to everything. Even down to what the red dirt looks like. (Do you know how hard that stuff is to get out from between your toes?)

Talladega has THE most wicked fire ants. Found out that sensory detail the hard way when one crawled in my dusty crock and couldn't get out. So it kept stinging me. That, or there were two in there. OUCH. Still hurts. Write down everything you sense, see, hear, smell, see, feel, touch, taste (like the mouthwaterint jumbalya our cajun friends served us. Needed a fire extinquisher when I breathed afterward though. LOL! GOOD food. Great people) even if you don't use it. Even nuances of their accents, I listened.

When one of my senses took something in, I'd write a description of it. Be intentional about it. If I didn't know what something was, I'd ask the people with us, or experts around me what that was. For example, the alcohol gasoline smell and why there are a team of rappellers gearing up before the race.

Tune in this week to find out more. I'll devote the time to talking about where some of my character and story ideas come from...because this weekend...after being around 400,000 people....I have some GREAT character ideas. GRIN!

No story ideas yet. On this future racing story, I'll have to know my characters first I guess.

Remember, I'm working on my PJ (Pararescue Jumper) series right now. I worked on the synopsis on the drive to Talladega, bowed out of Friday's concert and race to proofread, then polished it on the way back. I'll probably keep tweaking it until I get my critique partners' verdicts then mail it off.

I start researching books 6 months to five years before I begin writing them. Since I'm contracted and things may move a little quicker, it will probably be more like six months to a year before I switch gears (pun intended) and speed off with a new, non-military series.

We'll see what comes of it. Regardless, we had a BLAST this weekend.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

ROBIN CAROLL's BAYOU JUSTICE

Robin Caroll's first book in her Bayou series will be hitting the shelves ANY DAY NOW!

Robin also writes for Steeple Hill. She's sold four books now to Steeple Hill Suspense, all in this series.

So I hope you will order her book or pick it up anywhere books are sold.

Her work has gotten rave reviews from top places like Romantic Times Magazine, etc.

She is an outstanding writer and a wonderful friend and I feel like I'm telling the world about my new niece or nephew being born as I'm posting this.

I'm so thrilled for her. We've cried over rejections together on the phone, and we've celebrated our finally contracting our books. I count it a blessing that I got to be on the phone with her the very moment her debut novel arrived at her home. She sqeaked! Then was utterly speechless except for sniffling...and I was shrieking and crying! LOL! I hope she gets to be on the phone with me when my books arrive. Or maybe not....I may blow her eardrums out. LOL!

Check out Robin's site here! She has a contest going on right now for a cajun basket giveaway!

www.robincaroll.com

Squirrel

Above Photo: Copyright © 2007 by Harlequin
Enterprises Limited, Harlequin and Steeple Hill
® and ™ are trademarks of the
publisher

A SOLDIER'S FAMILY AVAILABLE ON PRE-ORDER

Hey all!

The second book in my Wings of Refuge Series (about a team of U.S.A.F. Pararescue Jumpers and the ladies who capture their hearts), A Soldier's Family-to be released from Steeple Hill Publishers in March 2008, is now available on www.amazon.com for pre order. You can also probably order it on Border books too, or any online bookstore. The books are also available in Large Print.

It will eventually be available on www.eharlequin.com or www.SteepleHill.com

AND.....I got the cover art for my first book (A Soldier's Promise) today! It's a Soldier (decked out in desert camo) hugging a little boy with a vivid blue pond in the background! I so badly wanted a cover with a soldier hugging a little boy...and I got it!!!! The scene is serene, poignant and emotive and I am so pleased with it. The soldier has a slight smile on his face and deep, kind eyes. The little blond boy is hugging his neck. If you look really close, you can see what looks like an eagle superimposed on the denim of the little boy's shirt. (Yes, I looked that close and that long! I am so taken, I just keep looking at it! For the past four hours, I bet I've peeked at it fifty times! LOL!) The green foliage around the pond looks EXACTLY like the woodsy area this series is set in! And there is a blue sky with clouds, which I'm glad for since the soldier is a Special Forces skydiving Search and Rescue paramedic.

I am SO excited!

I will post a picture of my cover when I gain the legal permission from my publisher so STAY TUNED!!!

Sunday, September 30, 2007

WONDERFUL DISCOVERY: MARGIE LAWSON

I took an early bird course at the recent American Christian Fiction Writers www.acfw.com conference. Margie Lawson taught us ways to deepen character emotion and touched on her EDITs system.

During the course of the class, we worked on three chapters of our manuscripts and ALREADY I can see drastic improvement in my writing.

I HIGHLY recommend you get yourself to one of her workshops if she comes within six hours of you. I'm serious when I say she is an absolute genius when it comes to deepening emotion, AND she's a FUN teacher. Really neat lady.

She also has online courses, which I plan to take. For more information, visit her Web site: www.margielawson.com

There was so much information presented that I'm going to purchase her handouts. I know it will be well worth the money.

I can't wait to get them and apply what I've learned to my fiction.

Margie has no idea I'm posting this on my blog. This is not a paid advertisement. LOL! This is a writer who seeks to get better with each book, and who has a heart to help other writers get better with each book, and therefore raise the level of excellence in Christian fiction.

I feel very strongly that Margie's techniques will bump your writing to the next level. Check out her site today.

On my Web site www.cherylwyatt.com I have had a link to the non-verbal dictionary. Margie touched on this, as well as using body language in our characters to communicate emotions. I was so affirmed to hear this because my fiction craft shelves hold three or four of the body language books she mentioned.

Also, her course helped me to see how much my 16 plus years practicing nursing really helped me to pick up on assessing people for sympathetic and parasympathetic response to stress, pain, etc. I have been incorporating that into my writing some, but I need to do it more.

If you want to bump your writing to the next level and learn techniques to deepen character emotion and how to apply fiction methods and rhetorical devices beyond the use of typical hyperbole, metaphors, analogies, DO take her online class, or go to one of her live workshops.

Warmly,

Squirrel
--
Cheryl Wyatt   Gal. 2:20   Pouring my vial of words over Him.

www.CherylWyatt.com  www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008
A SOLDIER'S FAMILY~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Mar. 2008

www.Steeplehill.com   www.Loveinspiredauthors.com

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Regarding the last Plotstorm

I've had many of you say the last edit list was overwhelming. Let me assure you that most of that stuff you will never have to worry about because not making some of those mistakes will come naturally to you as you develop your craft.

Don't get so caught up in self-editing that you halt the pulse of the story. Just write, write, write!

I write dirty (as in messy, not raunchy) the first time. I just get the words down without thinking of all the problems.

Admittedly, each rough draft I write ends up cleaner than the last, requiring less editing after the initial mess draft is complete.

So I urge you....just get it written....don't worry about getting it right, especially if you've never completed a manuscript, or only one or two.

Hope this helps.

Happy writing!

Squirrel

Saturday, September 15, 2007

CONGRATS BOOK WINNER Melissa Meeks!

I'm a day late posting this...but Melissa Meeks won the drawing for Camy Tang's Sushi for One!

Thanks for "entering" guys!

Squirl

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

PLOTSTORM BEN'S STORY--DAYS 8-11

In days 8-11 I reached 30,000 words in the ms. (The first three chapters are pretty much finished) All I'm doing now is tweaking here and there and polishing. Nit picky kind of stuff. Proofreading. I distanced myself from the story every other day in order to be able to read scenes with a fresh eye. Then I went back through and checked for:

1. Passive sentences. Changed them to active. (For instance, "He was stricken with..." became "...struck him."

2. Places I slipped from Deep POV

3. Places I've told instead of shown (nearly the same as the above).

4. Places the story dragged.

5. Places I needed to put a proper name in place of a pronoun. Going back and making sure every "he, she, her, him, his," etc. refers to the last spoken name.

6. Reworking any sentences that contain indeterminate "Its," etc.

7. Looked for repetitive phrasing. Made sure I didn't use the same word or words too close together in passages.

8. Seek and destroy overused words such as "So" and "Gaze." My characters are gazers and grazers. LOL! I mention eyes and food a LOT! Probably because I'm fasting from some type of food and media when I'm churning out a rough draft. LOLOL!
9. Checked the chapter, paragraph and sentence construction. Broke up or shortened any long passages. Made sure every sentence I'd placed on a line by itself NEEDS to be that way for maximum impact.

10. Made sure I haven't overused dashes, ellipses, exclamation points, etc.

11. Made sure I could envision the scene and setting. That I knew where the characters were in any given section.

12. Made sure I've used all the senses to enrich setting/sensory detail without going overboard. Sparingly added a few tactile words, smells, taste, sounds.

13. Read portions aloud to make sure nothing snags or drags.

14. Made sure dialogue is snappy and realistic.

15. Broke up run ons.

16. Made sure my characters have come through the way I intended them.

17. Made sure I maintained tension and conflict throughout. For instance, I upped the stakes again in this layer by having heroine not only need to get to a job, but have her boss be a Meany and tell her if she's not there by Tuesday he's not keeping the spot for her. Not only is the doctor not releasing her if he thinks she's going to skip town, her car is in the shop. Or maybe I'll have it impounded first so she really doesn't know how she's going to make it there. At this point, her scene goal (which is a step toward her story goal) is to make it to Missouri by Tuesday because (she thinks) everything hinges on her getting this job. You and I know God has different plans for her, but she's not to a point where she recognizes that yet.

18. Made sure I've not violated POV. For instance in a scene in Ben's POV, I must have forgotten because I had Hayyven have a fleeting thought. He can't know her thoughts.

19. Made sure my characters' goals and motivations are coming clearly across. And that conflict is already rampant. LOL!

20. Cut down on overuse of introspection (a BIG weakness!) and internal monologue.

21. Made sure I didn't use a dialogue tag (he said) if I've already used an action beat (something the character does.) You don't need to use both. Beats can effectively show who is speaking.

22. Made sure I didn't start too many sentences with the same word in close proximity. For instance, on one page, I'd started the paragraph sentences out with "Ben.." or "She" and not much else. So I changed one of the "She's" to "Hayyven" and switched a couple of Ben's sentences so the dialogue came before the action beat since the reader could tell who was speaking due to the stint being on a line by itself. Every time a new person talks, it needs a new paragraph.

23. Made sure I didn't stay in a particular scene too long, and that the pacing is on target. To do that, I don't stop and edit...just read straight through and don't stop for anything. In fact, that's what I always start my writing sessions out doing. Read through what I've written to check for flow, pacing, coherency, clarity, succinctness, etc.

24. Made sure I haven't added in too many names or people for readers to have to keep up with. Condense and cut where you can.

25. Made sure I didn't refer to anything in previous books that will confuse readers who haven't read the previous books. Though this story is part of my Wings of Refuge series, it should also be able to stand alone so readers coming in in the middle of the series won't be confused or have to have read the previous two books to figure out what's going on in case my editor acquires this story.

26. Did a Seek and Destroy of all Taboo Terms. For a list of these, go to www.eharlequin.com. Steeple Hill has a conservative readership, so there is a list of terms and scenarios they have deemed off limits. Taboo Terms is their word for that list. For instance, I had a character say, "That totally sucks." I changed "sucks" to "stinks." I don't think sucks it's on the Taboo list but it occurred to me that phrase in its entirety has obscene roots. Only when most of us say it, we don't think of it in the sexual context. We just mean it as...that stinks. But some readers might be offended, so be mindful of that if you write for or are targeting a house that caters to a more conservative readership.

27. Made sure I haven't left any gross or graphic images in reader's mind.

28. Forgot to mention right off the bat that I always, always, always pray before I type one word or put my fingers to the keys. I ask God to order my day and to help me strengthen my story. He always comes through with a poignant image, etc. that I can then add to make the story emotionally compelling.

29. Made sure I have an equal balance of dialogue verses narrative.

30. Tweaked chapter length.

31. Made sure all my characters' reactions are believable and that nothing is coming across as jerkish, whiny, immature, unlikable, or contrived.

32. Made sure it's clear who is speaking at all times.

33. Made sure I haven'tt repeated anything. Another weakness. LOL!

34. Made sure I've used the correct names for places in town that were mentioned in books one and two. Such as Refuge Community Church, and Faith Elementary, etc.

35. Made sure secondary characters haven't stolen the spotlight from my hero or heroine.

36. Made sure nothing plot wise or subplot wise has overshadowed the romance. That needs to be front and center.

37. Made sure my hero and heroine are meeting/interacting as soon as possible in the story.

38. Made sure nothing goes on too long or too short scene wise or conversation wise.

39. Made sure I've italicized sparingly and only during direct thoughts or prayers.

40. Made sure I haven't overused "was" and any time I could, replaced a stronger verb there. Especially cut down on the use of "was" in conjunction with an "ing" verb. Most times the prose is stronger if you can replace the "ing" verb with an "ed" verb. An example would be to change "He was sprinting" to "He sprinted"

41. Made sure I haven't misused any wrong words my spellchecker might have missed. For instance I might slay something I really don't mean. See? Spellcheck will only pick out misspelled words, not misused ones. LOL! It wouldn't have flagged "slay." Those are the things you'll hopefully find on proofreads.

There's much, much more but I'm out of time right now. More another day.

Squirrel

Cheryl Wyatt   Gal. 2:20   Pouring my vial of words over Him.

www.CherylWyatt.com  www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008
A SOLDIER'S FAMILY~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Mar. 2008

www.Steeplehill.com   www.Loveinspiredauthors.com

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

INTERVIEW WITH CAMY TANG, BOOK GIVEAWAY AND CAMY'S CONTEST INFO!

Hello all!

As part of her SUSHI FOR ONE Blog Tour.......I am SUPER, DUPER THRILLED to present an interview with my good friend and Zondervan debut author Camy Tang.

Enjoy and PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS TO STOP BY FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF CAMY'S DEBUT NOVEL!

To enter for the book drawing, simply leave a message stating so in the comment section. Leave contact info or check back THIS FRIDAY to see who won.

Also, Camy is having a fantabulous contest on her blog. See the info at the end of this interview for a chance to win baskets of Christian Fiction, AND an iPod Nano!!!

> 1. When did you first know you wanted to write?

When I read Anne McCaffrey's Pern books, especially Dragonsong and
Dragonsinger. It totally made me want to create my own fantasy world
and cool heroine. So I took over the family's Apple IIe computer (am I
dating myself? LOL) and chugged out my 500+ page fantasy manuscript.

> 2. What are your other passions besides writing?

I've really gotten into knitting the past few months. I've discovered
that it helps me to write because I need the tactile stimulation when
I'm in right-brain creative mode. I also really like the challenge of
making things for myself and for others. I just recently finished a
knit skirt edged with hand-knit lace (for me to wear to church).

> 3. If your three current heroines from your Sushi Series could write a blurb
> about you, the author of their stories, what would they each say?

Lex (from Sushi for One): She's an okay volleyball player, and she
gets hit by so many balls it's past coincidence and it's gotten into
scarily freaky, but she's nice.

Trish (from Only Uni): She's cool! She leads a rockin' worship team on Sunday.

Venus (from Single Sashimi): I like her. She's efficient, logical, and
she says what she means.

> 4. What would be the highest compliment a reader could give you regarding
> your writing?

"This book was so fun, I told all my friends to go out and buy a copy!"

> 5. What do you have to have each day before you begin to write...as in
> something you bring to your desk with your hands, or something on your desk,
> and why?

There isn't anything in particular I need each day to write, unless
it's the fact that I've elevated my monitor, keyboard, and trackball
so that I can stand as I write. I alternate sitting and standing at my
desk during the day because it's better for my back.

> 6. Is your writing journey how you envisioned it? Or different? If so, how
> so?

It's funny, but my writing journey is nothing like I envisioned it.
For one, the first book I shopped around was DREK and I'm embarrassed
so many editors and agents saw it. I had always envisioned polishing
my work and sending out a jewel of a manuscript, but my knowledge of
the craft was so poor that what I thought was a jewel wasn't even
close. That's the "Bad Book," which is buried in the depths of my
computer somewhere.

For another, I didn't realize how bad I am at time management until I
started writing full-time. I suck at it! I thought it would be heaven
(and a piece of cake) to spend only an hour at emails and the rest of
the day on writing, but I quickly discovered that wasn't the case. I
have to work really hard to be efficient during the day, and while
some days I do well, other days i don't do so well. I'm ashamed to say
that I had better time management when I was working full-time.
However, thankfully I'm getting better at it.

However, one thing I did envision about my writing journey that's come
true is how much I love what I do. I really enjoy what I'm doing now
and I'd do anything--even going back to work in biology in order to
pay the bills--just to be able to keep writing fiction.

> 7. What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Keep learning more writing craft. I'll be brutally honest here, what
you think is brilliant is not as great as you think it is (remember I
mentioned the "Bad Book"?). My mistake was in shopping my manuscript
when it wasn't ready. I should have just spent my time working on more
books, learning and improving my writing craft, finding more critique
partners. Some writers sell their first or second book, but most have
to write several manuscripts before they perfect their craft enough or
hit on that really unique story idea that makes an editor sit up and
listen.

> 8. It's unusual for debut authors to contract (especially three books! WOO
> HOO YOU!) with a bigger house such as Zondervan. What advice would you give
> to those targeting bigger houses? Do you think it's easier to break in with
> category romance versus single title? And why?

I certainly don't think it's "easy" to break into category romance. In
fact, it's darn hard. Even though category romances are shorter books,
the editors still require a high standard of writing. Krista Stroever
has the reputation of being one of the best and hardest editors in the
business. I get very frustrated with writers who flippantly dismiss
category romances.

I think the decision to target category versus single title depends on
the writer. Sometimes, you're just a big book writer. Other times,
you're able to write succinctly and emotionally at the same time.

I'm actually a rather succinct writer, but the manuscript that sold
for me happened to be a single title. It's actually a shorter book
than a lot of other novels out there.

There's also the undeniable fact that a lot of category writers
eventually write single title novels. Some of the biggest names in the
business have done that--Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Cathy
Marie Hake.

Whether you target single title or category houses, I think all
writers need an agent. For one, a lot of houses are relying on agents
rather than their slush pile for manuscripts--in fact, many houses
don't even accept unsolicited manuscripts anymore.

However, writers need to be SMART about picking their agent. Spend
time talking with them and with their clients. Figure out their
working style and communication style, and determine if it's a good
fit for you.

> 9. How much emphasis do you think authors should put on promoting themselves
> before they're published? What are some of the things you did?

I always tell writers to only do what you WANT to do. Don't do
anything you don't want to. If you don't like blogging, then don't
feel pressured to do it. If you don't like teaching, then don't do it.
If you don't like booksignings, then don't do it.

If you only do what you like doing, then you actually find you're more
open to occasionally moving outside your comfort zone for promotion. I
don't like doing booksigning, but I'll do one occasionally. The rest
of the time, I do what i enjoy most--blogging.

The only non-negotiable for a writer is a website. It's your business
card on the web, telling people what you're writing and about
yourself. They're very inexpensive and very easy to set up.

Marketing before you're published is helpful but not necessary. I
happened to have an internet presence before I contracted, and that
helped to beef up my marketing plan in my proposal, but the difference
was that I was blogging within my marketing brand. If you blog about
something totally different from your brand, it doesn't help your
career much. If you market yourself before you're contracted, be very
selective about how you do it, what your focus is.

> 10. How much emphasis do you think authors should put on promotion and
> marketing once they're contracted? What are some of the best marketing ideas
> you've heard of? I just loved your homemade cards by the way! I might use
> that idea. LOL! and by the way, Camy's chopsticks are THE coolest marketing
> tool I've seen!

Thanks, Squirly. Again, I think writers should only do what they want
to do, what they can afford to do. I also think writers need to be
SMART about what they choose do spend their money on. The chopsticks
were both cheap and fit in well with my brand.

> 11. How important is your faith to your writing?

God has really impressed on me the importance of being faithful in my
quiet times with Him. I couldn't write without His blessing on it. I
couldn't write without the right attitude in my heart, and that only
comes through vigilant prayer and study of the Word. Francine Rivers
and Debbie Macomber both spend an hour or two with God every morning,
and while I'm not up to a couple hours yet, I do try to emulate their
faithfulness and discipline. I earnestly want that time to become
vital and important to my day, every day, no matter what I have to do.

> 12. What are you working on now, and when can we expect another release from
> you?

I'm working on a new series proposal right now, but my next release is
Only Uni, Trish's story, which comes out in February 2008.

> 13. You are big on networking. How important do you feel networking was to
> your journey to publication? What are some effetive ways to network in your
> opinion?

Networking was one of the most important things I could ever do. After
all, that's how I met you!

Meeting and becoming friends with other writers--both published AND
unpublished--is vital for a writer's journey. I met my prayer partners
and critique partners through online discussion boards and
conferences. I met a few published authors who were able to give me
advice for the journey. I personally think a writer becomes too
arrogant and delusional without other writers for critique, prayer,
and accountability.

> 14. Who has been your favorite character and why?

Venus, whose story is Single Sashimi, releasing in the Fall 2008. I
like how brutally honest she is. She's also as slender and sexy as I
wish I was (sigh).

Thanks for the interview, Squirly!

>You're very welcome Camy!

Also, Camy has a huge website contest going on right now. She's giving away baskets
of Christian fiction and an iPod Nano! Only her newsletter YahooGroup
subscribers are eligible to enter, so join today!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Camys_Loft/join

Please visit Camy's web site here:
http://www.camytang.com/

--
Cheryl Wyatt   Gal. 2:20   Pouring my vial of words over Him.

www.CherylWyatt.com  www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008
A SOLDIER'S FAMILY~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Mar. 2008

www.Steeplehill.com  www.Loveinspiredauthors.com

Saturday, September 08, 2007

SEPTEMBER STORY STARTER

Hey entrants!

This marks the LAST prompt for the year. Contest may resume in January of 2008.

As always, write a 500 word scene using one of three Scene/Story Starter Sentences. Use at least five of the ten Prompt Words. Email entries to me at Cheryl at CherylWyatt . com (close spaces before and after "@" and ".".

Scene/Story Starter Sentences:

"I told her it would happen."

Surely she's not going to . . .(
fill in the blank here, or leave it as is)

"That's the funniest thing I've ever seen."

Prompt Words:

ladder

paint

crash

plank

mess

wood

harp

bottom

fall (in any context...even the season)

floor

Everyone who has entered my prompts (whether you've won or not) will be entered in the annual contest. The person with the most entries will win the 6 month subscription to any Steeple Hlll line of their choice through the Harlequin book club, paid for by me.

As an added bonus, I am also giving prizes to the second and third place winners.

ALSO, since this is the lasts prompt of the year, and your LAST chance to enter, I am giving a bonus prompt. If you use EVERY word (all 20) in the bonus prompt in your scene and use them all CORRECTLY and in their proper context , I will add one more "entry" to your tally. Yes, I'm gonna make you work for this one. :-) You may have to break out your grammar books. He he he.

Here are the 20 bonus prompt words:

1. past

2. passed

3. its

4. it's

5. altogether

6. all together (must use both)

7. reek

8. wreak

9. affect

10. effect

11. there

12. they're

13. their

14. rung

15. wrung

16. pail

17. pale

18. rapt

19. wrapped

20. rapped

PLOTSTORM BEN'S STORY--DAYS 5, 6, 7

As you can tell, the plotstorm has morphed into the actual execution of the plotstorm, which is simply brainstorming a plot. I include my character development with my plotstorms. Just FYI.

Moving onward....

What I've been doing the last three days is:

I let the story gel for about a day and a half. Separated myself from it so I could see it with fresh eyes. Then I went through tightening the writing. More on that in a second.

Normally I do that after the book is finished, but since I only have to turn proposals (three chapters versus a completed book) into my editor from now on, I've changed the way I normally do it. I usually write the mess draft in a matter of days. No editing or proofing, just write, write, write straight through and get the story down.

This time, I've been polishing and proofing as I go. When I finish a scene, I go back through and polish/proof/correct errors. Then I do this when I finish a chapter so what I'm writing the first pass is actually pretty clean.

I actually got on a roll though and in the past four days have written 27,000 words even though I only intended to write the first three chapters. Out of those, I may have 20,000-25,000 usable or keepable words though.

Regarding the tightening: I am aware that I almost always over write by several thousand words. I usually end up having to cut between 3000-10,000 words...and that is before I even send the book to my acquisitions editor for consideration. So I've gone through and made sure that every single sentence belongs there. Every sentence must serve at least one purpose for being in the book. I also make sure that sentence needs to be in the book right then. I had a couple paragraph passage where I must have gotten off on a back story tangent, so I cut and pasted all but one or two sentences of that to the back of the book. I will break it up and sprinkle it in as I go, just not in the first three chapters.

One thing we often do as beginning writers is put too much back story or background in at once. This is called a back story dump and it bogs the reading. You want the story to have forward momentum as much as possible. If, while I'm reading any portion of my WIP (Work in Progress) and I find my mind wandering from the story, I know that I have stumbled upon a problem area in my story. I do something to ramp the tension in that moment. A snappier piece of dialogue, etc. Something to keep readers' attention.

Also to tighten the writing, I'm reworking sentences. Omitting every and all unnecessary words. I'm ruthless with "ly" adverbs. LOL! If I originally wrote, "she moved quickly to hide behind him." I changed it to, "She darted behind him." You get the same meaning while giving the reader the correct visual. She didn't saunter behind him. She didn't crawl. She didn't hop on one leg. She darted. Just by changing one word in a sentence, you can form images in the reader's mind. I also omitted the part that said "to hide behind him." Give your readers credit to be able to figure stuff out on their own without you having to tell them.

On that note, if you've ever received a critique or a contest comment that used the words, "RUE" that means you need to Resist the Urge to Explain. If you've crafted your sentence well enough, you won't have to explain things to your readers. They'll get the picture. In this case, it was a little girl hiding from a DCFS caseworker. She darted behind my hero's leg and peered at the woman. Then I changed it to "Wide-eyed, she shot Miss Harker looks that said she was up for a showdown of wills if necessary." So you see, not only is the child scared, she's strong-willed and defensive. Probably how she deals with her fear. I can show this without saying it or having to explain it to the reader. The hero feels her trembling hands clutching him. So he knows though the child is acting defiant, she's really scared. If he knows, the reader will know. On second pass, that sentence was shaved down to "Wide-eyes shot Miss Harker looks revealing Reece was up for a show-down of wills if necessary." Basically, the caseworker was trying to woo her to come with her, but the child only felt safe with my hero.

You never want to write a scene where you talk (as the author) to your reader. Well, anyway, this is just my personal preference. I don't like when a story has an author intrusive feel.

Another way I've tightened the writing is rearranging sentences. Seeing if I could replace three words with one stronger one, such as the above example. Other examples are: "He reached down and picked her up" became "He lifted her." Stuff like that. Saying the same thing with less words. Gives the writing more punch in my opinion. You can experiment with sentence structure in this manner. Use how you construct your sentences and your paragraphs to convey tone. For instance, if something is really, really, really important....put it in a line by itself. But do that sparingly, so the reader understands the gravity of the sentence. If you use that technique too often, it will lessen the effect when you really need it.

Same thing with exclamation points. I have a personal rule not to use more than 5-10 my entire manuscript. I'm serious. I've seen over twenty in the first three pages alone. That gets old and lessens the effect for when you truly want to convey stuff. I always use it in dialogue or internal monologue. Never in narrative. You can show tension and suspense by making shorter sentences. Long rambling sentences describing the landscape when someone is being chased through a forest will seem odd.

For instance, in Ben's story, in one tense scene, I had one sentence written something like this: He reached for the door handle and pulled but it was locked. Here we have a woman passed out in a hot, locked car. I can't ramble. So I changed the sentence to this: He jerked the handle. Locked. Not only did I break one long sentence into two, I put "Locked" on a line by itself.

Yesterday I went through the line edits of my other two books to make any stylistic corrections to my book. Such as, I wrote USAF just like that. But the copy editors switched it to U.S.A.F. in the first two books, so I switched it to U.S.A.F. in this book to make their jobs easier if they decide to buy the book.

There's much, much more that I've been doing, but as I am swamped the next two weeks so I can't put more at this time. Hopefully there's something here that you can use.

Warmly,

Squirrel