Meet Karen Campbell Prough and Ella Dessa!

Award winning author, Karen Campbell Prough, writes historical fiction and a broad range of short stories. She knows her life-long desire to write comes from God. The love of books and the heartfelt urge to be a storyteller has been with her since childhood. Seven of her short stories were published in a variety of magazines. She has won awards at the 2014 BRMCWC and the 2015  FCWC. Her first book, The Girl Called Ella Dessa, came out April 2015.

 Welcome to my blog, Karen! Please tell us about your debut novel, The Girl Called Ella Dessa.

The Girl Called Ella Dessa, is the beginning of a young girl’s journey through grief, the reality of awful scars, and young love. The story takes place in the rolling mountains above Dahlonega, Georgia. It was a time when gold mining in the surrounding hills had put its mark on the lives of many local men. Ella Dessa loses everything close to her. But a widow, with five children, is happy to take her in and give her a home. Through the friendship of a teen named Samuel, Ella Dessa realizes the hint of love does live in her bleak world. But she does not desire Samuel’s loyal attention. It is his older brother who captures Ella Dessa’s thoughts.

         Is there anything about yourself you see coming through your main character?

Her stubbornness? J Ella Dessa is quite independent, and she knows when to accept her role in life and try to accomplish the things that matter.

     What compelled you to write this story?

Imagination is a driving force in me. I never outline or know where my stories are going when I start writing. I sometimes feel as if the characters compel me to put their story on paper—just so glimpses into their past will be saved and shared. Life is never easy, and life in the hills and mountains during 1836 was not a joyous vacation. And I love to vacation in those mountains!

      You cover some difficult issues very carefully in your book. What prompted you to deal with them in your story?

As I mentioned before, I don’t outline or plan what I’ll write. It just happens along the way, as the story grows. But I believe people don’t always know what is behind the misbehavior of all children. This world is not ideal, and no story written true to life is perfect. Children suffer things they shouldn’t have to in this world.

In the past, I worked with children, as a volunteer, through Guardian Ad Litem. I have seen the way teens and little kids deal with issues thrown at them by the adults in their lives—the ones who are suppose to love and protect them. I started writing this book and realized the period in history doesn’t matter. Bad things happened in the past. I had created a mean, unseen character who left his children and wife for the love of gold. Hurt is the same in 1836 as it is in our day and time. Children act out because of the pain and are sometimes misunderstood. I wanted to present some indications of behavior problems that might leave clues, which should raise awareness.

      Will there be a sequel? If so, would you like to tell us more about it?

There is a second book in the editing process right now. We will visit the mountains above Dahlonega, Georgia and Ella Dessa’s life once more! And love is a key factor in book two, but that’s not to say there won’t be trials and pain along the way. Have to keep an eye out for a minor character. He returns and causes major problems for Ella Dessa. Anyone want to guess who the man might be?

Have you seen any good movies lately, which you would recommend to other writers to watch for the quality of the story?

I wish I could say that I have watched a good movie, but the truth is … I rarely watch movies anymore. I find myself too busy with life and writing.

Thank you for joining me this week, Karen, and sharing about your writing journey. 
Easily enter the drawing for Karen's excellent novel, A Girl Called Ella Dessa,
through the Rafflecopter giveaway below by midnight August 6th. (The contest
will start at midnight tonight.) 

Please Tweet this:  Karen Campbell Prough shows her love of the
mountains in Georgia in A Girl Called Ella Dessa.  #historicalfiction

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meet Jayme Mansfield--Writer, Artist and Educator

Jayme H. Mansfield is an author, artist, and educator. She provides vivid imagery as she melds her inspiring writing and artistic talents. Her debut novel, Chasing the Butterfly, released in late summer 2014, by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Recently, she was awarded the 2015 Christian Small Publishers Association Book of the Year in Historical Fiction. Her passion for weaving stories about women who find their strength in the Lord continues in her upcoming novel, Rush, a historically compelling tale of the Oklahoma Land Rush in the late 1800’s. Jayme owns, paints, and shares the joy of creating visual art with children and adults at the Piggy Toes Art Studio in Lakewood, Colorado for the past twenty years. After a career in both the business and creative sides of advertising, Jayme received her teaching and Master’s Degree in Elementary Education and Creative Arts. For many years in elementary education, she has shared a passion for literacy and the writing process with her students. She teaches at Aspen Academy in Greenwood Village, Colorado. She is married to James and has three teenage boys. Visit Jayme at www.jaymemansfield.com.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

The first time I found myself in “the zone” was when I knew I had found my passion to write. Hours and hours went unnoticed and turned into full days in front of the computer. Ironically, for being an extravert, I discovered a wonderful place—to be by myself, creating new stories.

What inspired Chasing the Butterfly?

The initial seeds for the story grew out of writing assignments for the Christian Writers Guild and my personal passions for painting and traveling to France numerous times. But after that, I was inspired to persevere and complete the novel as a personal journey and challenge. At some (often many) junctures of our lives, we have to contend with forgiveness. Writing the book was my way of navigating pain, communing with the Lord, and ultimately realizing the freedom and joy that come with forgiving. I promised God I would finish the story, and when I did, I wasn’t sure if it would remain for His eyes and mine only. But His ways are surprising—that’s when the doors began to fly open.

Tell us where do your story and character ideas come from.

My characters come from bits and pieces of family members, friends, and myself. I don’t recall ever concocting all of the characters—instead, they seem to invite themselves into the story because they have something important to say or do. As for the story idea, I am fascinated by strong women who eventually figure out how to survive life’s difficulties, and ultimately find hope in the blessings. I have always been intrigued with history so weaving that with an artistic element motivates me to create story.

You are one of the busiest writers I have met. How do you manage to balance writing time with teaching school and being mom to three active boys?

I suppose I’m one of those people who have never understood the meaning of boredom. I find that I am driven by my passions to create in many forms. Sometimes, I wish I could lay aside a thing or two, but then I feel something’s incomplete. It’s probably a good thing I have three boys and a husband who are active and have so many personal interests. But I admit, there have been many days that I jump on and hold on tight!

Tell us how you came up with the lovely cover of your book.

My long-time friend, Kelly Berger, is an accomplished professional artist in Colorado. When I received word from the publisher that they would consider an original piece of art for the cover, I went straight to Kelly. She read the manuscript and fell in love with the story. I had pulled at least thirty different images and photographs of Provence, laid them out randomly in my art studio, and asked her to take a look. From those and our shared travels to Provence, we envisioned the low vantage point—poppy field with the butterfly in the distance and the sunset backdrop. Off to work she went…when the final painting was unveiled, I was stunned. Truly, it was exactly how I had imagined the cover! Our friendship has been blessed by the opportunity to share in the creation of the novel.

How did you research your setting in France? Do you have any anecdotes or interesting experiences arising from your research which you would like to share with our readers? Have any of these found their way into your book?

I’ve been to France, particulary Paris and Provence, several times. On each visit, hundreds of photographs captured the beauty and history—those images became ingrained in my mind and served as the visual memory when I wrote many of the scenes. I find World War II fascinating to read about, both in other novels and in non-fiction. Eventually, I needed to pull myself away from researching and get on with the story. On a fun sidenote, whenever I mentioned paint colors, I had to make sure the specific names of the paints existed at that time. I had a wonderful time delving into the history of art materials—it’s amazing where those unique names originated—but, that’s another story.

How do you see the importance of Christian fiction?

The presence of Christian fiction is imperative—it’s a venue for biblical truth to be woven into story in an appealing, inspirational, and fresh manner. I can’t tell you how many readers have appreciated enjoying a story without the offenses that are prevalent in much of today’s writing. Whether a reader has been a Christian or not, the discussions that have ensued from the story always contain elements of faith, hope, love, and God.

What are three things that have had the most influence on your writing process?

Belief--I have a story to create that is intended to touch the lives of others.

Gratitude and Humility – this writing journey is not merely about me, and I couldn’t do it by myself.

Challenge – writing is difficult in every way imaginable—but the process, nuances, and craft is exhilarating (even when I’m exhausted!).

Do you plot your stories out ahead of time, or just sit down and write from the seat of your pants?

Give me a horse to ride, and I’m on it! That’s my way of saying, “I love to write seat of the pants!” I get a rush from letting the story take off and run.

What events in your personal life have most impacted your writing, and how?

I write from plenty of emotion. I have discovered that I write scenes and dialogue based largely on what is currently on my mind and what themes are coursing through my heart and soul at the time.

What was the most emotional scene for you to write in your novel?

The scene at the pond ripped my heart out. Each time I reread that portion, I wept. Somewhere hidden in my greatest fears and deepest emotions, the descriptions evolved for those events.

Would you share the opening scenes of your novel with us?

ONE

                                                                                   

                                                                                         Run, 1931

I learned to run that day, really run. I gathered my scattered papers, knocking over the glass holding my new paintbrush. The blue-tinted water pooled around my knees and soaked the hem of my dress as it filled crevices between the stones on our front porch. I ran across the lawn and on to the gravel road leading to the center of town. It didn’t matter that the bottoms of my bare feet stung from the jagged stones.

            I couldn’t stop. If I did, I’d never find her—she’d be gone. My long hair tangled

and caught in the tears streaming down my face. Pushing it out of my eyes, it flew out behind me like a windstorm. My pale yellow sundress twisted between my legs and threw me to the ground. I lay there trying to breathe, then pushed myself up, hiked my dress to my waist, and ran full stride down the center of the road. My head was down, determined—running for my life.           

             I raised my head in time to see Papa’s car swerve onto the soft shoulder and skid to a halt. Except for the strained car engine, there was silence. I froze, gripping the hem of my dirty dress with one hand and my crumpled paintings in the other. Silhouetted by the setting sun, Papa leapt out of the car and ran to me. I tried to focus but my eyes were drowning.  

            “Ella! What are you doing? I almost ran you down.” Papa wrapped me in his arms. “Your feet are bleeding. Oh, dear God, what happened?”

             My lips quivered, and my entire body began to shake.

             Papa held me tighter. He sat cross-legged in the road and gathered me into his lap. He breathed hard against my neck. “Did someone hurt you? Tell me, Ella.”

            He took my face in his large hands and pushed the tangles of hair from my eyes. My breathing slowed and I felt a momentary calm like the sea before a storm.

            “She’s ... I know she’s gone.”

            “Who?”

            I shook my head slowly from side to side. “Mama.” I stared into his soft, brown eyes. “She didn’t come back,” I whispered the vicious words. “She said she was going to the market after you left for Marseilles. She was dressed up, Papa, wearing her pretty blue dress and red lipstick.” I ran my tongue over my lips, tasting the dust and tears. “I said, ‘Mama, why are you dressed up?’”

            "Bet she just wanted to look pretty.” Papa winked an eye and forced a smile.

            “That’s what she said. She said, ‘Ella, I want to be pretty again.’"

            "Again?" Papa's smile faded.

            I nodded. “I told her she’s always pretty."

            Papa tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Yes, she’s a pretty girl, just like you.”

            “But I waited for her on the porch all day.” I lowered my eyes. “And I heard you and Mama yelling last night.”

            “Your mother and I had a little disagreement. That’s all. It’s fine now.”

            “No. She had her travel case. I was coming up the path from the pond and saw her put it in the front seat.”

            “Did she tell you where she was going?” Papa stared hard at me.           

            “I tried to ask but she didn’t stop. I ran after the car as she drove away.” I breathed in deeply and stared back at Papa’s widening eyes. “I tried. I ran fast but I couldn’t catch her.”

             Papa squeezed me. “Oh, Lord, she didn’t.” I watched his eyes fill with tears. He pressed his mouth into my hair and whispered her name as though wishing her back home. “Marie.”

            But his voice confirmed the truth. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and felt a damp spot forming on his shirt as the tears rushed from my eyes.

             Finally, he gathered me up and stood to his full height. He turned towards the sun as it cast its final light on the hills. Like many evenings, we watched the color of the hills intensify to a deep crimson. Tonight they looked as if they were bleeding hearts. Then slowly, the color darkened and the hills beat their last bit of life.

            Papa carried me back to the car. My body was limp like the injured baby bird I tried to rescue last spring after a windstorm had knocked its nest out of a tree. Opening the passenger door with one hand, Papa placed me gently on the front seat.                        

            “We’re going home, Ella.”

            “Back to New York?”

            “New York?” Papa’s forehead wrinkled. “Of course not. Why would you ask that?”

            “Mama says this isn’t our home.” I whispered.

            Papa sighed. “Ella, the farmhouse is our home. Roussillon is our home.”

            “But, you told Mama she’d be happy here.”  I waited for him to say something, but his open mouth was silent. “Remember, you said we’d live happily ever after in the sweet smelling vineyards and...”

            “I know. And the far-reaching lavender fields in the south of France.” Papa’s eyes filled with tears, but he quickly wiped them away with the back of his hand.

           

            As we pulled back into the center of the road, I looked out the dust-tinted window in time to see my paintings spiraling on the side of the road as a gentle wind lifted them in unison. They chased in circles as if trying to catch and hold on to one another. I don’t know when I set them free. Perhaps I let them go the moment Papa also realized she was gone—I knew then my gifts for her would never be received. 

            As Papa drove slowly down the road, I turned and knelt on the seat so I could watch my papers through the rear window. My paintings danced—beckoning me to return and play some day. As they floated to the ground, they waved a final time, fluttered a last breath, and then lay scattered and lifeless, like the pieces of my seven year-old heart.

Find Jayme online through the following links:

Website: www.jaymemansfield.com

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jayme-H-Mansfield/669237533103946

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8432600.Jayme_H_Mansfield

Twitter: http://twitter.com/jaymemansfield

Other: Instagram : http://instagram.com/jaymemansfield

Art Studio website: www.piggytoes.com

Jayme is offering a copy of Chasing the Butterfly for this week's

drawing. Please leave a comment with your email address to

qualify by next Tuesday. Thank you! We love your comments! 

Please tweet: Like #historical fiction with strong heroines? 

Read Chasing the Butterfly #book giveaway 

Or Tweet this: Meet Jayme Mansfield, writer, artist and
Educator #Christian Fiction 

Meet Lori Stanley Roeleveld, Disturber of Hobbits!

Lori Stanley Roeleveld is a disturber of hobbits who enjoys making comfortable Christians late for dinner. She’s authored an unsettling blog since 2009; a pursuit that eventually resulted in her first book, Running from a Crazy Man (and other adventures traveling with Jesus). Though she has degrees in Psychology and Biblical Studies, Lori learned the most important things from studying her Bible in life’s trenches. You’ll find her at her website www.loriroeleveld.com. If not, know she’s off somewhere slaying dragons. Not available for children’s parties.

Lori, thank you for joining me today. Let’s begin with the question everyone asks about your book, who IS the crazy man?

My title, Running from a Crazy Man (and other adventures traveling with Jesus), comes from the story of King David. David knew God had anointed him king and had every reason to believe his path would lead straight to the throne. It must have created incredible confusion for David to find himself spending part of his life running from King Saul but we know God was present and active in David’s life even then.

What is the message in that for modern believers that you explore in the book?

In the seventies, the message communicated about Jesus was that He would make our lives better. That’s true but it doesn’t always look or feel the way we expect. Many of us begin our life with Christ with expectant hope, but not all of those hopes are realistic. When our lives detour down roads called disaster, disease, depression, or personal devastation, we’re tempted to pull off to the side of the narrow road and wonder what happened. I wrote Running from a Crazy Man for those moments in every believer’s life when following Jesus doesn’t make sense, to encourage us all to remain in the adventure.

This is such an important message you are sharing! Walking with Christ is a journey of growth, not a stroll in the park. 

Alton Gansky called your book an “unconventional devotional.” Tell us how you’ve designed each chapter.

Each chapter is adapted from a popular post on my blog so they’re short – usually under 1000 words. The titles are quirky such as Elephant Repellent, Church Bullies, and I Hope that You’re Perturbed but I include headings to help you know what each is about such as Following Jesus when You’re Feeling Useless, or Following Jesus when Other People are Mean. I’ve concluded each chapter with scripture references, thought questions, and words to remember so readers can use this book as a daily devotional or with a Bible Study/small group.

I notice that rather than a Foreword, your book has a Forewarned written by bestselling author, James L. Rubart.

Readers tell me they enjoy the humor of my posts but always know that something in the post will unsettle or challenge them in their faith. When they forward my posts to others, I’ve noticed they often warn that the post may create discomfort that may lead to action. I decided to embrace reader reaction to my voice. Challenge is what I seek in my spiritual life. I’ve loved Jesus for over fifty years and I know the temptation of settling in, getting too comfortable, or expecting to drift through my later years on cruise control. I always want Jesus to spur me on to a deeper relationship with Him. God uses hard times in my life to unsettle me and like Frodo (from Lord of the Rings), I’ve learned that even though I resist it, I do like adventure with Jesus. I hope to invite and incite others to continue in the Jesus adventure.

Is that where you came about the tagline, "Disturber of Hobbits?"

Yes, exactly. I love the Lord and I love the church. As much as I’m aware of the shortcomings of the church of Jesus, I just love the family of God. I equate believers with hobbits because hobbits like comfy settings, we like our meals on time, and we resist adventures because they make us late for dinner. When I write, I use humor but also gentle exhortation to remind us all of the goals set forth in scripture. I’ve been making comfortable Christians “late for dinner” for many years now – I included.

What advice do you have for other bloggers?

Partner with God in your work and don’t underestimate the power of “small.” I hear bloggers complain, “Only 30 people read by last post.” If 30 people showed up on your doorstep asking your thoughts on God, you’d consider that a ministry. Respect the value of a small but faithful readership. Pray for them and give them your best work. We don’t write for numbers, we write for readers. Each one has value in God’s eyes. My blog is small but God uses it in big ways for His glory.

Following is an encouraging devotional from Lori.

When All the Other Trees Are in Bloom

by Lori Stanley Roeleveld

All the other trees are in bloom.

“Don’t tell Hannah, but I think that tree is dead.” My husband said quietly, looking out on our front lawn.

“Give it a little time.” I urged.

We’ve only just moved into this home and the tree of which he speaks is impressive and promising but barren of any sign of life. Our daughter is enthralled with it, though, so I can’t imagine how she would handle news of its demise.

All the other trees were barren just a month ago but now they’ve all put on their summer clothes and are decked out in their finest greens.

My husband just shook his head. “I’ll tell you right now. It’s destined for burning.”

Every day, I watch the tree, scouring it for any sign of life.

Today, it began.

I think that most people walking by wouldn’t notice but I’ve been waiting. Scattered here and there among the maze of gray branches are the beginnings of tiny, jagged leaves. I sigh in relief. It isn’t dead it just lags behind the rest. It has a lot of catching up to do but I know that come summer, no one will know that it was late in blooming.

Sometimes I feel like that tree. I think others look at me and shake their heads. “She had such promise.” They think. “She looks like she could be something but nothing seems to be happening with her. Such a disappointment.” My leaves are so slow in appearing that people give up and go to gas up their chain saws.

Fortunately, for me, God is most patient. There is life within me yet and I have this promise from Him. “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV)

Are you a late bloomer like my tree? Do you lag behind the others and wonder when you will be touched with the full-bloom of spring?

If you have been planted in the fertile soil of Jesus Christ and your roots have dug deep into His heart, then you will bloom in your season. Don’t listen to the sound of those chainsaws, loved one, they aren’t for you.

Thank you, Lori, that was beautiful.

Readers, please leave a comment, subscribe to my blog, or Tweet to enter
the drawing for a paper back copy of Running from a Crazy Man. If you Tweet
or subscribe, please scroll down to the contact form on the right and let me
know. Thank you! 

Tweet this: Wondering why your life is on a detour? Lori Roeleveld shares hope in Running from a Crazy Man. #JesusisLord

Tweet this: What does it mean to be a “Disturber of Hobbits?” #hobbits #bookgiveaway #Christianbooks

Tweet this: How can you reach people with your blog? Lori Roeleveld shares insights. #amwriting #bloggingtips

WE HAVE A WINNER FOR THE TICKET!

The winner of Debra Coleman Jeter's

debut novel, The Ticket,  is Nikki Wilbanks! Congratulations and happy reading to you! 

Nikki, please contact me by leaving your
email address in the comment section of this post in the form of name[at]domain[dot]com and I will contact you privately.

Meet Debra Coleman Jeter - A Well Rounded Novelist

A Vanderbilt University professor, Debra Coleman Jeter has published fiction and nonfiction in popular magazines, including Working Woman, New Woman, Self, Home Life, Savvy, Christian Woman, and American Baby. Her story, “Recovery,” won first prize in a Christian Woman short story competition, and her nonfiction book “Pshaw, It’s Me Grandson”: Tales of a Young Actor was a finalist in the 2007 USA Book News Awards. She is a co-writer of the screenplay for Jess + Moss, a feature film which premiered in 2011 at the Sundance Film Festival, screened at nearly forty film festivals around the world, and captured several international awards. She lives in Clarksville, Tennessee, with her husband.

Tell us about your debut novel, The Ticket, recently published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas:

Tray Dunaway longs to be part of the popular set at school, but she's growing too fast and her clothes no longer fit right. When she wears Gram's hand-sewn clothes to school, the kids make fun of her tall, boney appearance. Tray's luck improves when Pee Wee Johnson, a down-and-out friend of her father's, buys two lottery tickets and gives one to Mr. Dunaway as a thank-you for driving him to Hazard, Illinois. When her father's ticket turns out to be the winner, Johnson demands his cut of the proceeds, but Tray's dad refuses. What seems like a stroke of good fortune suddenly becomes a disturbing turn of events as Johnson threatens to cause problems for the family and Tray. To learn more, view the book trailer here. 

 What prompted you to write this novel?

First, I wanted to write something to show of how little importance wealth really is, though we often spend way too much time thinking about money. Once I decided to write about a family with financial troubles winning the lottery, then I thought it might be interesting if someone else bought the ticket and gave it to them ... which leads to a lot of the twists in my plot.

Is there one particular message or “moral of the story” you hope readers walk away with?

There are actually two important messages. One is that wealth might not bring all the good things we sometimes envision and might create more problems than it solves. The second message is to treasure the moments with your loved ones; we never know how long we will have them in our lives.

What is your current work in progress?

I have two adult novels almost ready to go; they are set in the fictional town of Sugar Sands, Alabama, a small Southern beach town. I am also currently writing an ambitious saga about my grandmother’s life, which is based on the facts that I know, but fictionalized. I start when she is twelve and cover fifty years of her life.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I prefer to set my novels in places I can see vividly, having experienced something similar in my own life. So I typically write about small southern towns: Paradise, Kentucky, in The Ticket, patterned after the small towns of Mayfield, Murray, or Benton, in western Kentucky, where I grew up; Sugar Sands, Alabama, patterned after Gulf Shores or Orange Beach, Alabama, where my family has vacationed regularly for years; Bell City, Kentucky, where my grandmother grew up with eight brothers and sisters. I’ve spent a month each year in New Zealand for about 12 years, so eventually I plan to set a novel there.

What three things about you would surprise readers?

I start to dry out like a fish if I’m away from water too long. I’m a world- class (or least LA, as in lower Alabama, class) boogie boarder. I’ve done a fair amount of stage acting, including several of Shakespeare’s plays (Ariel in The Tempest was a favorite—I also played the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz).

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Boogie boarding (I currently have a sprained ankle from this), tennis, boating.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

I have a colleague at Vanderbilt whose signature on his emails reads “Never, never, never give up.” I think this is what I would tell writers. That, and write what you care deeply about, rather than what you think the market is ripe for.

Tell us about the giveaway you’re offering.

 To learn how to enter a drawing for a Kindle Fire, visit my media page at:

http://www.meaghanburnett.com/the-ticket/

How do you see yourself in your character’s story, if at all?

I think there’s always a piece of me in every character I create, from the most sympathetic to the least. In The Ticket, I see myself most clearly in Tray and in her relationship with her grandmother.

Where do you like to write?

When I’m writing, I get so immersed in my characters and their lives I can write almost anywhere. As a part-time writer with lots of other demands on my time, I have learned to scribble thoughts on anything and everything whenever a sentence, a phrase, or an idea strikes. It might be on a napkin in the middle of a business lunch, or on a scrap of paper in my handbag during my commute (not a recommended strategy, from a safety perspective), or even on an order of worship during a sermon. I can’t always explain where or why an idea comes to me when it does, but I try to take advantage of every one if at all possible. If I wait, thinking, “I couldn’t possibly forget this one,” I may surprise myself with my capacity to forget.

When you’re working on a project, how do you keep the immensity of it from getting you down?

I often rely on Robert J. Ray’s book on writing, The Weekend Novelist, to provide a structure. In it Ray describes a fifty-two week program designed to produce a finished novel writing only on weekends, though I never follow his plan exactly. For one thing, there are often weekends that don’t lend themselves to any extensive writing. Stuff comes up. Fortunately, my hours as a professor are fairly flexible. This allows me to start the day on certain weekdays by writing at least a couple of pages, although I aim for five pages. I can make up for this by doing my class preparation late at night, right before I go to bed.

You can find Debra online at:

• Her website
• Pinterest
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Media Page - Includes information on Debra's Kindle Fire give-away. 
• Amazon Page

Debra is generously giving away a paperback copy of The Ticket.
To enter this give away, please leave a comment below and/or

join this site through Google Friend Connect by Wednesday, July 15.
Thank you!

Share Tweets and spread the fun!

Tweet this: What's more important than money? Read Debra Coleman Jeter's debut novel, The Ticket. @DebColemanJeter #amreading

Tweet this: Debra Coleman Jeter is giving away her YA novel, The Ticket. 
@DebColemanJeter #BookGiveaway