First Friday: December 2015

Well, December has certainly arrived here in New England!!! :-) We don't turn the heat on upstairs in our house until *we absolutely have to* -- so I am sitting here writing to you all well-wrapped against the cold, a bit like Jo March:

{click for source info}

The advantage that I have over Miss March, warmth-wise, is that I have a pug, whose purpose is To Keep Others Warm. ;-)

Now, in this wonderful month of the Child-Child's birth, let me share a bit of what I'm up to with you, friends. It is, after all, the First Friday of December. :-)

In December, I'm looking forward to...

• The fresh, cold scent of new-cut pine
• The taste of warm sugar cookies, pulled just-now from the oven
• The feeling of frozen feet gradually gaining warmth from an old pair of Irish stepdancing socks
• The sight of the first *real* snow -- We can hope for a white Christmas, no?
• The sound of my family's exaggerated "ooh"s and "ahh"s at the Christmas tree's first lighting

And right now, I'm currently...

• Reading (fiction) - Francine Rivers' A Voice in the Wind - So far, I am loving it!
• Reading (nonfiction) - John Piper's When the Darkness Will Not Lift - Good thus far. Will be beginning Eric Ludy's Wrestling Prayer soon, which comes highly recommended from both my mama and my husband.
• Reading (in Scripture) - 1st Peter - I'm trying a new kind of Bible journaling/study pattern and perhaps will share how I like it in the weeks ahead. :-)
• Writing - Book Three in A Time of Grace! Please pray for perseverance for me. :-) (You can check to see my progress in the little word-count meter on the side-bar here.)
• Thankful to the Lord for - the wonderful way in which "the pug book" has been received; the joy of having kindred spirits in my sisters and Mama; and the way in which the Lord from on high descended to earth, bringing - *being* the Great Gift to each of us. 
• And pinning this: 

  

  {click to repin or for source info}

What are you anticipating, reading, or doing this month of Advent, friends? :-)

Grace and peace,
Alicia

Heads-Up: Special Treat Ahead! :-)

Just popping in here today to let you blog readers and friends know that I'm preparing a special treat for my e-newsletter subscribers this week! :-) Heads-up: Subscribing to my blog by e-mail is one thing -- My author e-newsletter is different. :-)

YES -- The treat has something to do with All Our Empty Places. :-)

If you'd like to make sure that you receive that secret special treat this week, you can sign up for my e-newsletter here:

http://eepurl.com/Z0lyL

So I Finished the Rough Draft... What's Next?

Those of you who don't use Facebook may not be aware of the joy-filled announcement I made last Saturday evening regarding the sequel to The Fragrance of Geraniums. Namely, this:

THE ROUGH DRAFT IS FINISHED. :-)

God has been so gracious to me - I originally thought that this sequel would be more of a stand-alone companion novella, not a novel in-and-of-itself. But then He poured ideas into my brain, and the outline became longer and more detailed, twisting itself like morning glories vining their way around a trellis. :-) I'm a thankful lady. Thankful to the Lord God for the story ideas and themes, and thankful to you folks who read The Fragrance of Geraniums and asked for a sequel. :-) To you, for your encouragement and prayers - and to the Lord for answering prayer.

So, of course, what's next for this sequel? :-)

1. I am roughly editing this draft before passing it along to the small circle of brutally-honest readers who will tell me their honest opinions and where they believe the novel could be improved. :-) I'm almost finished with the rough-editing, so I should be able to pass this draft along to them within the next week. 

2. While they read, I'll be working on the cover for the sequel with my cover designer. If you have a mind to, I'd love for you to pray that we find just the right images for this novel! I'll also work on the blurb during this time.

3. With the remarks of those early critiquers in mind, I'll return to editing the draft, polishing it until it shines the best it possibly can for you.

4. More editing and proofing. Sending it to my proofreaders here, too. :-)

5. Read-throughs and more corrections.

6. Formatting for paperback and e-book.

7. Release! :-)

Lots of work ahead, but again, I'm so glad to have finished this draft - so excited to share with YOU more of the Picoletti-Giorgi-Kinner story.

Have a blessed weekend in the Lord!

Grace and peace,

Alicia

P.S. FOR THOSE OF YOU ASKING ABOUT THE TITLE: Yes, the sequel does have a title - sort of! :-) Just this past week, I thought of changing one single word in the title. I'm asking for opinions... and will return with my final decision! :-) Thanks for being so patient!

 

Writing Update: In Which I Discuss Sequels, Themes, Pugs, and Regency Books :-)

THE SEQUEL

Well, I promised you all a writing update this Friday -- particularly one about The Sequel to The Fragrance of Geraniums! :-) {Just typing that makes me smile... :-)}

I'm loving returning to these characters - Yes, even though The Sequel is {planned to be} a stand-alone {i.e. you shouldn't have to read The Fragrance of Geraniums before reading this one to understand what is going on in the story}, there are several returning characters whose stories are not quite finished yet. :-) Thus far, Sarah, Grace, Sam, and Paulie are all "making the cut" - These four are the main focus of The Sequel.

The story begins shortly after the funeral described near the end of The Fragrance. Earlier this week, I began writing, intent on packing away a goodly number of words by Friday.

That did not happen. About 1600 words in, I realized that one of two things was going to happen:

1. I would write more slowly and "figure things out" as I went along -- and probably publish this one in the mid-to-late summer or fall.
2. I would stop now and plot/outline deeply and thoroughly -- and probably publish this in late spring/early summer.

I chose the second option. Which means that you won't be seeing that "word count meter" on the sidebar of this blog moving much - if at all - for a week or so as I complete my outlining process. :-)

But I would like to let you in on a key theme for The Sequel. It comes from one of my favorite devotional authors, and I felt that the Lord really pressed it on my heart as I've been praying and thinking about this sequel:

NOW ABOUT THAT "PUG BOOK" ...

I said it would be out in January...

That changed to February...

And now I'm thinking March might be the month of publication for Mr. Portly the Pug Finds His Purpose. 

But I'm not promising anything! ;-) The formatting for this one has been a steeeeep learning curve for me, and it's still not finished. {I thought that I had it "right" a few weeks back - and then I found that, quite simply, it won't work the way I thought it would.} So, I'm persevering and will alert you when the book is ready to go. Everyone who is waiting for this one, thanks for being so patient with me! :-)

AND JEMIMA?

The second book will probably be out this summer. :-) I'm very enthused about getting back into the Sudbury family's home!

Grace and peace,

Alicia

The Midnight Special {A Writing Update}

Folks, as the Justice of the Peace said in that fabulous Little House on the Prairie episode, "This is going to be the midnight special: short and sweet." :-)

{If you haven't seen this episode, I highly recommend it makes it to the top of your to-watch list.}


Did I meet my goal?

Yes! :-) Praise the Lord, I wrote slightly over my word-count goal that I set at the beginning of August ... Right now, my draft of "The Geranium Story" runs at just over 70,000 words. {This is a working title only.} Funny, I thought this story would just make it into novella territory {20,000 words}, but a couple of wonderful characters appeared one day and twisted things around a bit -- well, quite a lot, actually!

Is this first draft done?

Not quite. When I set that word-count goal, I thought that it would finish the first draft. It didn't, and that's okay because I think we're getting a richer and fuller story as a result. However, stories should always leave you wanting a little more/should always let your imagination fill in some gaps ... so my best guess right now? The final first draft will rest around 80,000. So, there's another bit to write yet, but I know pretty much where all of that writing will go. {The basic ending is already done, so this is filler.}

 

What is this story about?

Overall? It's about how God works all things in this fallen, oh-so-sinful world together for the good of those who love Him ... and about how He longs to bring His people to Himself.

 

What's next?

Well, I'm finishing up this first draft, then weeding through it to ensure basic consistency with names and ages. {They've changed a couple of times!} Then, it goes off to my beta-readers {a fancy name for non-professional proofreaders}. Then I revise again. And again. And again. :-) From there? Off to be published, Lord willing and the crick don't rise.

Thank you, dear readers, who pray for me and my writing ... May our Lord be pleased with it, and may He use it to minister to His people.

Looking Ahead + Elisha Press Giveaway Winner

{source}

Looking Ahead...

I've been busy as a proverbial bee this week, so there is very little in the way of a blog post for you, my friends! :-) However, I thought you might like to see this pic that reminded me so very much of Lady Tarian ... Looking forward to writing the sequel to The House of Mercy perhaps this late fall/winter, Lord willing. And Lady Tarian seems to insist on playing a large role in that sequel, which some of you will be most happy to hear. :-) Meanwhile, I'm pinning away {different from "pining" away - see the difference a letter makes?} - this is one of my "pins" - and I would LOVE to have you follow along: click here.

I'm delighting in some of the boards I'm currently following - the picture of Lady Tarian comes courtesy of fellow author-friend Rachel Rossano's fascinating boards.

Meanwhile, we have the Elisha Press giveaway winner to announce!

With over 200 raffle entries, the winner is...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please look for an e-mail from me soon, Kris!

Happy Independence Day!

May you have a blessed week.

Good News, an Interview, & a Giveaway!

Well, I promised you all an update!

My next-to-be-published book is a middle-grade fiction read, set in Regency England. :-) My inspiration? First, I've long admired Jane Austen's books, and second, my 9-year-old niece expressed the need for more high-quality, wholesome, interesting books for her age/reading level! Thus, Jemima and the Mystery of the Missing Cufflinks has been born. Jemima strikes me as a mixture of Jane Austen and the Mandie series, meant for ages 9-12, though younger children with higher reading levels would enjoy it, too, as well as slightly older children.

 

This is the first book in what I intend to be a five-book series (Lord willing) entitled, "The Sudbury Family Adventures." Each book will center around one of the Sudbury family children. What is Jemima about? Read on! :-)

In Regency England, Jemima and her siblings can hardly contain their excitement when they learn that Cousin Aimée plans to come for an extended visit. Eleven-year-old Jemima especially looks forward to Aimée’s arrival, as her cousin is exactly her age.

However, Aimée turns out to be a different sort of girl than Jemima expected. Disdainful and rude but oh-so-accomplished, Aimée certainly doesn’t want Jemima to be her friend … and Jemima doesn’t want to spend any more time with Aimée than she must! Yet when household items start to go missing, including Reverend Sudbury’s heirloom cufflinks, Aimée accuses the Sudburies’ faithful servant Robert of theft. Secret searches, overheard conversations, and night adventures lead to a solution to this mystery story in which Jemima learns that Jesus can give her the power to love her enemies.

 

Planned Release for Jemima and the Mystery of the Missing Cufflinks: Mid-summer!

Expect to hear more about this book and its wonderful characters in the weeks ahead! :-)

 

And... I have another book (the one I've been working on this late winter/spring) planned for release in September/October. The exact date is yet-to-be-determined, but I will be slooowly leaking info about this as the Lord allows it to come together. :-)

So, lots of exciting things coming up on the road ahead. I covet your prayers for me, dear readers, as I seek to write for Christ's honor and truth.

 

And, as Jane Austen's Emma would say, "Now for the Cream..."

Here I was, looking for a great new medieval read, and to my delight, I discovered ...

Another Alicia! :-)

 

Alicia A. Willis is the author of To Birmingham Castle {Comrades of Honor #1}, In Search of Adventure {Comrades of Honor #2}, Remembering the Alamo, and God of Her Fathers. She's a homeschool graduate, church pianist, and writer who lives with her family in New Mexico (hence the Alamo connection). Writing fiction, Alicia concentrates on deep historical authenticity; her books will bring the past to life and are great for supplementing historical studies in school as well as for personal enjoyment. :-)

I asked Alicia if she'd like to visit with us today because her latest book, From the Dark to the Dawn releases July 18, 2014, and - BE STILL, MY BEATING HEART! - it is set in Ancient Rome!

Here's a peek at the {very exciting} cover:

Now, pour yourself a cup of coffee (my recommendation) or tea (if you must) and pull up a chair. We're talking about inspiration, favorite books, and the writing process. We'd love for you to visit with us! :-)

What authors have inspired you to write? Do we see any of that inspiration in your writing?

Alicia W: Florence Kingsley and Louisa May Alcott were my biggest inspirations. Some folks have told me that they see a classical style in The Comrades of Honor Series, so I am assuming that they did rub off on me! However, it would seem they influenced me only in my medieval books.

Can you let us know your favorite books?

Alicia W: Prisoners of the Sea, Pearl Maiden, and Sir Knight of the Splendid Way. They are all classics and all historical-fiction.

Alicia, as a fellow writer, I'd love to know - What does your own writing process look like?

Alicia W: I begin by forming some characters and a general plot in my mind. I then start doing research for whichever era I am writing in. When I have enough information to start, I begin writing! I am a perfectionist and endeavor to write the manuscript correctly the first time around, mainly to save myself editing time (I dislike getting sick of a book by too many rewrites). I continue to research while I am writing. When the manuscript is complete, I do one rewrite and several proofreads. Then the book goes off to my endorsers and beta readers for a final proof.

Has your writing changed since you wrote your first book? How?

Alicia W: My first two books (and the final book in The Comrades of Honor Series will be written this way) were written classically. I intended it this way, as I feel the Middle Ages is best represented by a classical touch. However, since then, my three other titles were written with a more modern writing approach.

How do you come up with titles?

Alicia W: I base the titles off of a particular theme I wish to incorporate in the book. For example, Remembering the Alamo is about a youth group who – guess what?! – remembers the story of the Alamo.

Is there a particular theme that comes out in your writing?

Alicia W: Mercy and chivalry seem to come out a lot! Mercy is my spiritual gift, so that makes sense. And what young lady doesn’t like polite gentlemen? J

What literary character are you most like?

Alicia W: Do you mean from my own books? If so, disposition-wise, Moriah in From the Dark to the Dawn has some strong similarities to me. Interestingly enough, Philip (of the same book) is also like me in many ways. I wouldn’t say that characters from any of my other books are similar to me, however.

What are you reading right now?

Alicia W: I am reading Chasing Mona Lisa by Tricia Goyer. A fascinating, page-turning work of historical-fiction!

Dear readers, if you would like to learn more about Alicia, The Comrades of Honor Series, or her other books, she'd love to have you stop by:

Her Facebook Page - Be sure to like it for updates!
Her Website
Her Blog
Her Amazon Page 

 

If YOU would like to WIN an e-book copy of YOUR CHOICE of Alicia's currently-published novels, enter the GIVEAWAY below! :-) 

Alicia will be providing a PDF e-book copy, which works on any e-reader. Don't have an e-reader/Kindle/Nook/etc.? Amazon provides a FREE Kindle reader for your desktop, so don't be shy... Drop your name in the hat! :-) And feel free to share so that others can join in the raffle!

 





a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Current Enterprise - Update

There are plotters...

There are discoverers...

And there are cuckoo-clocks.

I am all three.

{There are also jabberwocks, but that is a discussion for another time.}

I often start with an inkling of an idea... combine it with several others... throw out some of the characters... change the direction of the scene halfway through .. and {usually!} end up where I thought I was headed in the long run.

This leads to massive revisions at times to make everything fit just so.

I am on the brink of completing the first draft of my current enterprise. Lord willing and the crick don't rise, as my Latin teacher used to say, I will finish this draft by the end of next week if my coffee supply doesn't run dry. ;-)  Needless to say, I am VERY EXCITED to complete this first draft - the first draft always - always - always takes the longest for me to finish.

After that, I'll be taking two weeks to revise - revise - revise.

Then, my "beta readers" will take it over to critique it, make suggestions, and all that good stuff. :-)

Then we get another revise - revise - revise session to incorporate suggestions and to make corrections.

Then final readings and formatting to catch whatever slipped through the cracks in previous revision sessions.

Then it goes to my "street team" ... more on that another time. :-)

I can't wait to tell you about this story! :-) It's sat on my heart and boiled in my brain for years. But I want to finish the draft before letting the rabbit out of the hutch, so to speak. :-)

 

MEANWHILE ...

 

If you haven't LIKED my Facebook page, we've got ourselves a new little widget to the right. Click on it, and you'll be directed right there. :-) More little tidbits get onto my author FB page than this blog - since it's updated more frequently - so if you're interested in knowing the latest, hit "Like" and on the drop-down menu, set your preferences to receive all updates in your newsfeed. :-) Feel free to "Share" as well.

AND

The House of Mercy {Kindle edition} has a NEW COVER! :-) If you like John William Waterhouse and the Pre-Raphaelites, you'll love it. Let me know what you think as I may be changing the print cover as well. :-)