Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long have you been writing?

Um . . . since I could write? That would be about age six or so. I still have a lot of the stories I wrote in the first and second grades. Hilarious stuff, lemme just tell ya. Hi-larious.

2. What do you write?

Oh my. I have several passions. I love history, so there are a number of historical romances in my arsenal. Most of those have European settings, like England and France and Monaco. There's a Chicago Mafia trilogy in the mix (only one's written--and yes, it's a Christian Mafia story. Sounds fun, eh?)

I also enjoy writing quirky contemporary romances--the kind that make you laugh, snort, and whip through those pages to see what might happen to these nuts next.

3. Where can I get A Stray Drop of Blood?

Right now, the best place is through my mom's online bookstore, www.CrossPurposesBooks.com. It'salso available from Amazon, etc., but is cheapest at CrossPurposes. =)

The book is releasing in paperback 1 December 2009, and hopefully this version will be stocked by more distibutors and able to be found in bookstores.

4. How did you research this book?

I get this one a lot, lol. Biblical fiction requires a ton of research.

I cheated. I attended a school that spends two-ish years studying ancient works. I absorbed it like a sponge. Ancient Greek and Roman texts, Old Testament studies, early Christian philosophers . . . I soaked it all in and took copious notes. As I wrote Stray Drop, I kept many of those texts handy for reference. You can get a lot of my research through my Companion Guide.

I know I still got some details wrong. Forgive me, please. It took me six years to write this book, so at a certain point I had to say "Stop!" on the research and just write.

5. I'm a new writer. Do you have any advice for me?

Absotively, posolutely. First, plug into the industry. Join a writers association like ACFW and any sub-groups you might fit with. Learn the "rules" and the craft . . . preferably in easy-to-swallow chunks so you don't lose your love for it.

Find a critique group. This would be fellow writers who complement you--not "compliment," mind you, but "complement." You need writers who have different strengths than you, so that they can find things you miss.

Learn about your genre. Through discussions with the groups above, learn where your manuscript fits and, hence, who to target.

Once you have a better idea of where you hope to go, find other ways to weasle your way into the industry (tee hee hee). I chose to write reviews.

Finally, GO TO A CONFERENCE!! These are expensive, yes. But well worth it. You learn so much, meet so many awesome people--and it's the best way to meet agents and editors. That's where I met my fantabulous agents. =)

6. What's the value of a critique group?

A critique group can generally find the problems in your manuscript and work with you to fix them. A well-balanced group will cover all aspects of plot, characters, setting, and style.

Finding such a group can be a challenge. When I decided I needed one, I just started answering people's emails to ACFW with "Hey, I'm workin on this too. Want to join my critique group?" That got me several replies. Two of those backed out within the month, but I still had Mary (Hi, Mary!!). Mary writes romantic suspense now, but when we first started working together she was working on a Biblical love story. She's invaluable at picking up on problems in craft--and I know that my endings are right when I get her stamp of approval.

At the '07 ACFW Conference, I met my other two critters (as I fondly call them;-). Stephanie is close to me in age and has the same quirky edge. She writes Young Adult fiction (her first book released from Revell in July 2009--Go, Stephanie!) and totally rocks. Stephanie always offers tons of encouragement on line-by-line stuff and is great at finding holes and pointing out sentences that don't work.

Carole writes historical romance as well as contemporaries. She's got a keen eye for those "weasle words"--words or phrases I overuse. I eagerly await her verdict on my characters--if she doesn't like 'em, I know I better get out the red pen (my computer screen just winced at that threat).

Of course, the nature of this kind of group dictates that you have to read their work, too. This is great for many of us. If you don't have that kind of time, you may want to look into a professional editor instead of a critique group.

7. Would you read my manuscript for me?

There are occasions when I say "yes." Generally when it's someone I've been working with on other projects or who is from my home town. So you can ask. But don't be surprised if I say, "I'm so sorry--I don't have any time right now." But I'll do my best to point you in a helpful direction, even if I'm not it at the moment.