Full of Character with Erin Howard

November 13, 2018November 13, 2018 / bythebook724 / 4 Comments

Today’s Full of Character Author Interview guest is Erin Howard. Erin is the author of The Seer, a great Christian fantasy story that takes you into the spiritual battle raging that only a select few characters can see. Welcome, Erin. Let’s get to it.

What character from the books you’ve read has impacted you more than all the others?

You know how to ask some tough questions! I’ve read so many wonderful books, that it’s almost impossible me to narrow it down to just one. That’s one reason why I think reading is so wonderful, we can take something away from every book we read, and it’s always different depending on what we may be going through at that particular time in our lives.

I’ve not received that answer before, but I like it. What character you created was the easiest to write? The hardest?

The easiest character for me to write was Viktor. I think that’s because I was able to show the conflict that Viktor has raging inside of him. Who he was and what he’s done is the core of who he is, but he also has this desire to have peace, to leave those ways.

I think the hardest for me was Matthias. I love his character, and I’ve always been fascinated by angels, so I wanted to make sure that his character was just right.

I have to say, I loved Viktor. I’m anxious to see where he goes in the next book. Scripture is full of real people who had character to spare. Which one do you most relate to orenjoy reading about?

I think Paul is one of my favorites because before he had an encounter with Jesus, he was the worst of the worst. He has a fantastic redeeming story.

Do you plan your characters and their backstories before you begin writing or are youas surprised by them as your readers?

I think it’s a little of both. I have a general idea when I start writing, but then they surprise me. I love digging deep into their backstory, and see how they respond to what is going on around them.

If someone wrote a movie about you, who would you like to play your character? Why?

Oh my goodness, what a hard question! I would have to say, Melissa McCarthy. I loved her playing Sookie on Gilmore Girls. She was so funny and clumsy in that role. I like to joke around with my family and friends, and I’m definitely clumsy!

Thanks for having me, Heather!

Keep reading to find out more about Erin Howard and The Seer. Then, head over to Facebook on November 26th for A Literary Feast. This event is an online book party. You’ll be introduced to new authors, have an opportunity to chat with them, get great ideas for books to add to your Christmas list or to give to others, and have a chance to win great prizes. You can sign up to attend the party using this link https://www.facebook.com/events/283923535583862/.

Author Bio

Erin R. Howard is a Developmental Editor, Fantasy/Speculative Author and has earned a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing/English from Southern New Hampshire University.

When she’s not writing, Erin enjoys spending time with her family, being a youth leader, and teaching crochet and cake decorating classes. Erin resides in Western Kentucky with her husband, three children, and a cantankerous tabby cat named Jack-Jack.

Erin is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the KenTen Writers Group.

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/E.R.H.Fiction/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErinRHoward

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinrhoward/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/erinrhoward/

Blog/Wordpress: https://erinrhoward.wordpress.com/

Website: https://erinrhoward.com/

FC-The-Seer---Larger More about The Seer:

Viktor has one order to follow:
Kill the girl before her eyes are opened.

For thousands of years, his job has been to torment and kill seers: humans that have the gift of seeing the spiritual realm. So it was no surprise when his brother Matthias was once again sent to stop him and protect the girl.

Now the last of the seers’ bloodline hangs in the balance, as the estranged demon and angel brothers are forced to work together to save a girl’s life and escape to the sanctuary city of Bethesda.

Join the Parties!

November 10, 2018November 12, 2018 / bythebook724 / 2 Comments

Instead of reviewing a single book today, I’d like to invite you to a couple Facebook Book parties coming up. These are a great way to learn about new authors and get to know more about some of the authors you may already read. In addition to great grand prize giveaways, some of the individual authors are doing some giveaways. For my part, I’ll be giving away signed copies of Faith’s Journey and some handmade Christmas ornaments that were inspired by those in my book.

The first one is the Christian Fiction Lovers Women’s Fiction Party on November 16th. Here’s a little about that party:

4 Featured Authors with 4 Christian Women’s Fiction Novels
Grand Prize: $50 Amazon Card
Runner Up Prize: 4 featured books (Prizes could be eBook or print – author’s choice)

HOW TO ENTER:
• Click you will attend the party.
• Share the party on your timeline.
• Comment on a post by any 2 authors during the party.

Authors may give additional prizes. Winners of all prizes will be announced at the end of the party. Individual authors will post requirements for each individual prize.

You can use this link to find and join the party: https://www.facebook.com/events/1787789031343732/

The second party is happening on November 26th in honor of Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. Here are some details about that one:

Join us during this come and go event as fifteen different authors discuss books, Christmas, and yummy recipes. Each author will be doing an individual giveaway during his/her scheduled time, and we’ll be doing a grand prize giveaway of an Amazon Kindle to one individual at the end of the party. To be entered to win the grand prize giveaway, please mark “going” on the party and comment on at least three different posts.

Links to both events can be found on my author Facebook page. So, if you are in the United States (because I’m pretty certain those are the rules to be eligible to win the prizes), you can sign up to “go” to the parties from there. Find me on Facebook by searching @AuthorHeatherGreer.

Oh, and while you’re there, look for my Thanksgiving pie post. If you follow my page and comment on which you think is my least favorite of the four pies, you could win an old-fashioned cook book. I’ll be doing more giveaways on my Facebook page between now and Christmas.

Write Stuff Wednesday – Writers Write

November 8, 2018November 8, 2018 / bythebook724 / 1 Comment

“This is how you do it: You sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it’s done. It’s that easy and that hard.” – Neil Gaiman

There are days when writing comes easily. I’m perfectly rested. Focus is my middle name. I have nothing pressuring me for my attention other than my work in progress. My time is my own, and I make use of it. The words flow, and the story comes as naturally as breathing. Those days are like a perfectly wrapped Christmas present opened to find an equally perfectly picked item inside the paper.

Then come the days when you open the gift and realize the giver merely wrapped something, anything in order to have a gift. You were an afterthought worked in at the last minute. It’s a box of chocolates for the one who everyone knows has been dieting for a month or an iTunes gift card for the person who has an Android phone. Those are the times when no matter what you do, the story doesn’t want to flow from your brain through your fingertips and onto the screen. Your amazing story idea stalls in the middle of the telling. You write, but it simply doesn’t feel right. Doubts creep in. Maybe you don’t have another story in you after all.

Good days or bad, a writer does one thing. They write. Even when it feels bad. Even when it is bad. They write. We write. We bask in warmth of the days when it’s that easy. We fight our way through the difficult days knowing that there is no mistake that cannot be edited out. We continue in hopes that the sun of successful days will soon shine on us again. Through good and bad we keep writing and growing stronger through the journey. We do it because we are writers.

It’s this same attitude we need to bring into living our faith each day. How do we be Christians? We get out there every day and live like Jesus lived. It’s as easy and as hard as that. We’ve been given the instruction manual and the perfect example in Jesus. Some days godly love flows easily through our actions. Our priorities are ordered by God’s word. Keeping God’s commands don’t seem like a burden at all.

Then come the days when we just can’t seem to rein in our thoughts or control our attitudes. We are in a funk, and it shows. The difficult people push our buttons, and the last thing we feel like doing it loving them with the love of God. We realize selfishness, discontent, anger, deceit, or pride has taken root in our hearts. We want to do good, but we find ourselves giving in to temptation. We feel like failures of the faith.

But good or bad, we don’t give up. We keep coming to God in repentance for our failures. We turn back to Him and find not only forgiveness but also strength for the next battle. We bask in the good days, not because we’re so great but in praise of the One who gave that day to us. We glean lessons from the bad days, and we find our faith stronger because of it. We do it because that’s what believers do. We are followers of Jesus, and to be that we must keep following.

Full of Character with Amy C. Blake

November 6, 2018November 6, 2018 / bythebook724 / 2 Comments

Today’s author interview is with Amy C. Blake. I’ve enjoyed reading and reviewing her books, and I’m so happy she joined me for Full of Character. Keep reading after the interview to find out Amy’s books and how you can connect with her.

What character from the books you’ve read has impacted you more than all the others?

Honestly, Jesus is the most influential character from all the books I’ve ever read. As for fictional stories I’ve read, I’ve gleaned from characters in a number of genres. And as for characters I’ve written, Levi Prince from my YA Christian fantasy series has had the most impact on me. Since his is a four-book series about four consecutive summers in his young life, I’ve spent a good deal of time assessing his character growth. He’s also a kind of conglomeration of my own kids (homeschooled pastor’s kids), and so I’m very invested in how he turns out.

What character you created was the easiest to write? The hardest?

Patience from Whitewashed was the easiest because I can relate to her impatient tendencies and her strong desire to accomplish her goals. Christy from Colorblind was the hardest because she’s very sweet and yet, for most of the book, not a Christian because she’d believed her false-teacher daddy’s preaching.

I loved both Patience and Christy. All three of the girls in that series are very different but such good friends. Scripture is full of real people who had character to spare. Which one do you most relate to or enjoy reading about?

I enjoy reading about Peter because he said some of the most audacious and wrong-headed things and yet understood exactly who Jesus was when others still didn’t get it.

It always amazes me that we can get it wrong even when we get who Jesus us, but even more amazing is that He still uses us. Do you plan your characters and their backstories before you begin writing or are you as surprised by them as your readers?

I like to at least have a pretty good idea of their personalities and backstories before I write. However, they do sometimes surprise me with their behavior.

If someone wrote a movie about you, who would you like to play your character? Why?

My first thought is, why in the world would somebody write a movie about boring old me? If for some reason they did, I don’t honestly know who I’d like to play me. I can think of several actresses I admire, but none that I would really want to play my part.

I’d like to thank Amy, once again, for joining me today. If you haven’t read her Main Character Monday interview with Nat, check out last Monday’s post.

More about Amy C. Blake:

Amy C. Blake

Author, Homeschooler, Pastor’s Wife

http://amycblake.com/

Amy C. Blake Facebook author page

Amy C. Blake Twitter page

amazon.com/author/amycblake

Now available: Whitewashed, my Christian suspense novel about 18-year-old homeschooler Patience McDonough (Book 1, On the Brink series)

Now available: Colorblind, my Christian suspense about 18-year-old homeschooler Christy Kane (Book 2, On the Brink series)

Now available: Tie-Dyed, my Christian suspense about 19-year-old homeschooler Nat Montgomery (Book 3, On the Brink series)

Now available: The Trojan Horse Traitor, my YA fantasy novel about 13-year-old homeschooler Levi Prince and his adventures in Terracaelum (Book 1, Levi Prince series)

Now available: The Fall of Thor’s Hammer, my YA fantasy novel about Levi’s second summer in Terracaelum (Book 2, Levi Prince series)

Change and Hope

November 3, 2018 / bythebook724 / Leave a comment

hopefortomorrow I drove down the narrow tree-lined road and past the trio of houses from my childhood. They looked the same way they’ve looked for years. But they’re not.

I live in the same place I lived when I was a child. I don’t mean the same neighborhood or the same city. I mean I live within a couple miles of the home I lived in until I was five, and I live across the field from the home I lived in from the time I was six until I got married. I walk down the same road, past the same houses, that I used to ride my bike down when I rode to my grandma’s house. It looks the same. But it’s not.

The houses are still there. The flower gardens still bloom in the spring. The roads still rise and fall and twist and turn as they always have. But everything has changed. The houses on that narrow tree-lined road are filled with people I don’t know. My grandparents and aunts and uncles don’t call them home anymore.

At one time I knew everyone on the road by my house. My other grandparents, my great-grandmas, a slew of great-aunts and great-uncles, and family friends that had known each other for years filled ninety-five percent of the houses along the road. I trick-or-treated down that road without coming to the house of a stranger. There are still some I know. A few family members still live there. But I no longer know a majority of the families living there.

The changes wouldn’t be visible to someone who didn’t know the area personally. What’s outside is similar enough, but what’s housed inside is vastly different. Those are the changes that make a difference. Those are the ones that give the neighborhoods a completely different character.

Some changes are like that. They leave what’s on the outside untouched, but the internal changes affect everything. It’s a lesson Logan De Witt is confronted with when he returns to his childhood home in Hope for Tomorrow by Michelle De Bruin. With his father’s unexpected death and no other males in the household, the responsibility of keeping his family’s farm running for his mother and sister falls to him. It’s a duty he’s more than willing to accept even though it takes him away from the church he pastors.

Arriving home, Logan is greeted by the familiar. The farm, the work, and his home are all as he remembers. But the people are not left untouched by the same grief he faces. When the town’s new teacher arrives to board with Logan’s family the toll their father’s death has taken on his sister becomes glaringly apparent. Instead of finding solace and friendship with the new woman in the house as Logan expects she will, Tillie’s internal struggle is vented in her direction. The more the internal bitterness is given space in her life, the less she acts like the sister Logan remembers.

Logan finds himself in a life that looks like it used to on the outside while struggling to make sense of the truth that life will never be the same again. Financial struggles, discontent in his home, fear to love and possibly lose that love, and this new, unwelcome side of his hurting sister combine to make Logan’s transition to this new reality rocky at best. And even if the storms cease, the real substance of their lives will never be the same.

Change is inevitable. We can fight it, or we can grow through it. We are not meant to stay the same. God sent His Son so we can be different. He wants us to become a new creation. He wants the old, sinful things to pass away. God’s desire is for those who believe to develop the mind of Christ.

God doesn’t really care about our outer packaging. Just like with David, God looks at our heart. He wants us to seek Him first. Our priorities, beliefs, and actions should be shaped by His word. When these changes take place, they may not be noticeable just from a look, but it’s the inside that makes us who we are. What is in our hearts determines our character, and our character determines our actions. These are the changes God desires. These are the ones that will make all the difference.

Traditions and Recipes

November 3, 2018November 3, 2018 / bythebook724 / 3 Comments

I love reading and writing. Those pursuits and how my faith affects them is what this blog is all about. But I have other hobbies too. In honor of the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, I’d like to share one of them with you.

I hold many fond memories of these holidays. No other time of year focuses so heavily on things like family and tradition. And one of my favorite activities is enjoyed more at this time of year than any other.

I remember my grandma baking at Christmas. Every year she made divinity, peanut brittle, and lace cookies to share with friends and family. I picked up the hobby after my freshman year food and nutrition course in high school. Every year since then, I’ve collected holiday cookie recipe books and spent hours in the kitchen. Before kids it wasn’t unusual for me to make 120 dozen different cookies and candies. Now, I’m lucky to get 20 to 30 dozen, but that’s okay. One day I’ll be able to devote a week to baking like I used to.

I look forward to creating in the kitchen every year. This holiday season, as thanks for sticking with me and this blog, I’d like to share some of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes. Come back every Friday for a new one, and if you get the chance take a look at some of my review and writing posts too. Today’s recipe was passed down to me by my grandma. It’s a staple of my cookie list every year, just like it was hers. I hope you enjoy it! recipe1

Write Stuff Wednesday: What I Need

November 1, 2018 / bythebook724 / 6 Comments

“A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” –Virginia Woolf

An author friend of mine used this quote on Facebook this week as she shared about her new space dedicated to her writing. It caught my attention, and so I did what any good author does. I borrowed her quote for my blog post.

On a side note, Linda Fulkerson has four fun and creativity inspiring adult coloring books for writers available on Amazon. If you enjoy coloring, quotes, coffee, or a combination of the three you’ll enjoy her books. I have one myself and have pulled quotes from it for Write Stuff Wednesday more than once.

Anyway, back to the quote at hand. I think it resonated with me because of my own writing journey. Starting out I wrote in my room, lounging on my bed. With a house full of kids, it was the only place I could call mine. Even sequestered in my personal space, the noise of television, music, game systems, and arguing children chose to disregard my very real walls of separation. This was initially the reason I started writing to music, a practice I continue to this day.

As my family grew up and my children started working, I moved from my room to the living room couch. I had to contend with my kids’ frequent trips to the kitchen for snacks or into the utility room to do their laundry. Trying my best to block out everything that was not writing I plugged in my headphones and kept my eyes fixed on the computer screen as much as possible.

My bedroom and living room writing arrangements were less than ideal. I did the best with what I had available because I had to write. In September, things changed. My oldest son married and moved out leaving his bedroom empty. Tonight I write this post from my office. It houses everything I need to write in peace and comfort. The simple act of having my own space has increased my productivity and given me greater opportunity to keep my writing business organized.

My office makes up the corner in an L-shaped trio of rooms. The other two belong to my two remaining sons. If you have teenagers, I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that I still have to deal with noise, but that’s okay. The difference is amazing.

My biggest struggle in writing has changed along with the changes in my family. Now, instead of a room of my own, I deal with lack of funds. Teenagers are expensive. I have no choice but to work a full-time non-writing related job to help pay the bills. There are nights when I come home too tired to write. There are nights when no matter what I do I can’t make enough time to write on my work in progress, blog, market, and continue to learn about the business of writing. If only I had the funds to stay home and write full-time. How much more could I accomplish? How much faster would projects be completed?

It’s frustrating and discouraging. But still, I keep going. It may not be the way I pictured it, but I’m getting to do something I’ve dreamed about since I was a little girl. I’m getting to carry out the purpose I’ve always felt God had for me. And if what I do encourages or challenges one person in their faith, then it’s worth all the difficulties.

The decision to keep on despite the hurdles is one that I find I have to carry into my faith walk too. I want to be able to spend my time in ministry and not just my writing ministry. There is so much I’d like to do, but I have to weigh each thing carefully due to a lack of time. But the issue is more than a simple shortage of time. It’s about my expectations versus God’s reality.

I want to be stronger in my faith. Spiritual growth is important to me. An increased and deepened prayer life appeals to me. I know how I’d like those things to happen. I’d like to be able to spend more time in detailed study of God’s word and enjoy closeness with Him that naturally springs for my time with Him. It happens that way sometimes, but it’s not been my experience the majority of the time.

My faith has grown and my prayers have deepened more often through the devastations of life. I’ve felt closest to Him when I’ve had no choice left but to lean on Him completely. I’ve learned first-hand the truth in “counting it all joy” and considering “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Though I never sought to go through hard times, I’ve seen God do pretty amazing things in my life because of them. I just had to keep on despite the frustrations and disappointments.

Whether in faith or in writing, it’s important to remember reality may be different than the dream. It’s not a reason to give up when frustration sets in. We choose to keep going because what we’re doing means more to us than what we’re going through. One day maybe we’ll have the room of our own and the money to go with it. Until then, keep putting pen to paper and faith into action.

Main Character Monday: Nat Montgomery

October 30, 2018 / bythebook724 / Leave a comment

tie Welcome to Main Character Monday. Today’s guest is Nat Montgomery from Tie-Dyed by Amy C. Blake. Thank you for joining me Nat.

If you could choose only one thing to buy without money being an issue, what would you buy?

Before my grandmother Gigi left me enough money to cover tuition for my art history degrees, I would’ve said cash for college, because school is expensive! But now, I’d have to say a tour of the major art museums of the world.

That sounds like a lot of fun. Given your area of study, I’m sure it would be beneficial for you too.

The New Testament tells the story of two sisters who react to Jesus visiting in very different ways. Mary chooses to spend her time with him, while Martha chooses to see to the physical details of his visit. Are you more a Mary or Martha?

I’m a blend of the two. I’m willing to sit, read Scripture, and ponder God’s Word, but I do have to call my thoughts back from wandering to all the things I need to do.

Focus is a difficult thing to achieve when the world doesn’t slow down around you. “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27 – Do you think this verse, lived out would have made a difference in your life? If so, how?

Absolutely. If my mom had lived the “keep oneself unspotted from the world” bit rather than indulging in drugs and live-ins, my childhood would’ve been so much better. Thankfully, Gigi as much as adopted my virtually orphaned self and lived out the gospel before me.

It’s such a blessing when there are people in our lives to help make up for what we’re missing. Your Gigi sounds like a wonderful woman.

What scripture verse would you claim as a life verse?

Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Gigi always pressed this passage on me, and I learned the truth of it more deeply during the difficult events of the summer.

If there was one message you could give those reading this interview, what would that be?

Trust God and His great love, even when your life looks like an abysmal mess.

Just for Fun:

Indoors or outdoors: Outdoors—with my bow. I love archery, though I haven’t found a place to shoot yet in DC.

Reading or writing: Reading, definitely. It takes a lot less effort than writing.

Apples or pears: Pears are my favorite!

Early bird or night owl: Did you read the tactics my roommate sometimes has to use to wake me up in the morning?! Night owl, no question.

Nat, please describe Amy C. Blake in three words.

Tall because she’s 5’8, and I’m . . . far shorter than that.

Restrained because she doesn’t usually make the smart-alecky comments that often land me in the doghouse.

Blessed because, unlike me, she has a set of wonderful Christian parents who taught her the love of Jesus from a very young age.

I want to thank Nat for joining me today. And thank you to Amy Blake for sharing her with us. If you’d like to know the rest of Nat’s story, check out Tie-Dyed available now on Amazon. And while you’re at it, keep reading to find out more about Amy and her books.

http://amycblake.com/

Amy C. Blake Facebook author page

Amy C. Blake Twitter page

amazon.com/author/amycblake

Now available: Whitewashed, my Christian suspense novel about 18-year-old homeschooler Patience McDonough (Book 1, On the Brink series)

Now available: Colorblind, my Christian suspense about 18-year-old homeschooler Christy Kane (Book 2, On the Brink series)

Now available: Tie-Dyed, my Christian suspense about 19-year-old homeschooler Nat Montgomery (Book 3, On the Brink series)

Now available: The Trojan Horse Traitor, my YA fantasy novel about 13-year-old homeschooler Levi Prince and his adventures in Terracaelum (Book 1, Levi Prince series)

Now available: The Fall of Thor’s Hammer, my YA fantasy novel about Levi’s second summer in Terracaelum (Book 2, Levi Prince series)

Write Stuff Wednesday: Why

October 25, 2018October 25, 2018 / bythebook724 / 4 Comments

why-2028047_1280 “Maybe it won’t be famous. Maybe it won’t be a movie. But that’s not why I started it. And that’s not why I’ll finish it.” – Ryan Reudell

Maybe one day my books will be as famous as those by Karen Kingsbury or Melanie Dickerson. It would be amazing if a production company approached me about making one of my stories into the newest Hallmark movie. (I don’t know if you know this about me, but I love Hallmark movies. All of them. Not just the Christmas ones.) I recently saw a social media post about another author on that path right now. Congratulations to her! I hope it’s an awesome experience for her.

That could happen to me too. It would be wonderful if it did. But I can live my life as an author and consider myself successful even if neither of those things takes place. Why? Because that isn’t why I write. I come home from my 8-5 job every day to spend my evenings working on marketing, blogging, and my newest manuscript until long after I should be asleep. My reasons are simple. I love to write, and I feel like God wants me to use whatever talent I have in that area to help encourage others in their faith. Writing is a way I can encourage and challenge others that I might otherwise never get to meet.

If my books never reach the popularity of Karen Kingsbury’s books or get made into a movie, it’s okay. I’m doing what I feel God would have me do with the interests and talents He has given me. I’m sowing whatever seeds of faith each story contains, and I trust that God will allow those seed filled stories to make it into the hands of whoever needs them and grow what He wants in their lives. If He chooses to bless my hard work with a best seller I’ll be ecstatic. If not, I’ll trust Him and keep writing.

By the Book: What talents has God given you? Have you ever asked Him if and how He wants to use them?