LitFUSE: My Book Therapy's LOVE TO WRITE blog tour

Is your book lacking in plot? Are your characters flat? Is your setting ho-hum? Are the voices in your head too quiet?

Sounds like you need to schedule a session at My Book Therapy with book therapists, award-winning authors Susan May Warren, Rachel Hauck, and recently Sarah Sumpolec have teamed up to provide book therapy for writers whose work is in dire need of counseling. :-)

Welcome to the Love To Write blog tour!

Below you will find the links to the stops along the tour. Each blogger will be posting different articles, interviews and tips from the My Book Therapy team or "therapists" as they're better known as, Susan May Warren, Rachel Hauck and Sarah Sumpolec!

My Book Therapy is a boutique fiction editing service that helps writers discover the writer inside!

Check out the video trailer here!

Want to win a copy of the book for yourself or a discount on a Book Therapy session? Visit the blogs to learn how.

Christa at Fictionary
Mary at Home Steeped Hope
Julie at The Surrendered Scribe
Nicole at Gidget Goes Home
Sunny at Life in the Estrogen Ocean
Deborah at Comfort Joy and here
Cathy at Word Vessel
Gina at Portrait of a Writer
Stacey at Jamee Forever
Amy at The 160 Acre Woods
Pam at Without Fear
Laura at Wild Things
Margaret at The Cappuccino Life and here
Melanie at Melanie Writes
Scoti at Springs Writers
Jamie at Surviving the Chaos (Jamie's posted several great articles)
DeeDee at FiddleDeeDee
Jill at Christian Work At Home Moms Interview podcast!
Laura at Lighthouse Academy
Kaylea at My Scrappy Life
Annette at Net's Book Notes
Pamela at Pammer's Ramblins
Lisa at Musings
Heather at Literature Crazy
Kelly at Scrambled Dregs
Diane at Diane Meyer Photo
Kate at A Simple Walk
Tyora at Tyora Moody Several great posts 2/23 - 2/27
Donna at Write By Faith
Mimi at Mimi's Pixie Corner
Deena at A Peek at My Bookshelf
Pattie at Fresh Brewed Writer and here and here
Janice at The Nearsighted Bookworm
Suzanne at Clicking Her Heels
Lauren at Reading Grounds
Lynn at Faith Fiction Fun and Fanciful
Lissa Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library
Carla at Carla's Writing Cafe
Marjorie at The Writer's Tool
Erica at On the Write Path
Beth at The Writing Road Several great posts 2/15 - 2/20
Jennifer at Quiver Full Family

1. From the Inside…Out: Discover, Create and Publish the Novel in You

Blurb: Have you always wanted to write a novel, but didn’t know where to start? This book is for you. With proven techniques, easy to understand explanations and practical steps, From The Inside...Out will teach you how a story is structured then take you through the process of creating and marketing your novel. Topics include: Character-driven plotting, How to HOOK your reader, The elements and flow of SCENES, How to build STORYWORLD, Secrets to Sizzling Dialogue, Proven Self-Editing techniques, Synopsis and Query letter writing, How to manage your writing career ...and everything in between!

Link to buy the book: http://stores.lulu.com/mybooktherapy

Lisa's comments: I bought this book before the tour started and LOVE it!! The conversational writing style and concrete examples help this visual learner understand what Susie is saying. There have been a couple of points that finally clicked after reading the lessons in this book. With hands-on worksheets, writers can use the lessons in this book to figure out the problems in their own novels! Great book at a low price!

2. Blog-A-Book!

Blurb: Write a book with My Book Therapy Voices in 2009!

Remember those games you used to play where your friend started the story, and you finished it? Or the “Choose your own ending” books? Ever wanted to be a part of the story process, giving input on the character’s decisions, learning how to write a book as you go? Me too!

Here at My Book Therapy, we love to write, and we love to teach writers how to find their voice. So, in 2009 we’ll be writing a book together! Starting in January, we’ll create characters, a plot, develop conflict, the black moment, the epiphany and finally…the happy ending. Then, week by week, you’ll be a part of the creation process, voting on the next step of our hero’s journey, watching the book take life, and learning the nuances of crafting a story. You’ll Blog-A-Book with the My Book Therapy authors and get tools to help you how to write your own novel.

And, at the end of the year, we’ll have a book we’ve all created, something that we’ll publish! And, best of all, the proceeds will go to support IJM, an organization that fights human trafficking around the world.

I’m really excited about our new project, and can’t wait to see what the collective mind put together.

So, Come and Blog-A-Book. Learn. Fellowship. Bless.

My Book Therapy…Discover the writer in you.

CFBA Blog Tour: Cry in the Night

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Cry In The Night
Thomas Nelson (February 3, 2009)
by
Colleen Coble


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Author Colleen Coble's thirty novels and novellas have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA award, the Holt Medallion, the ACFW Book of the Year, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers' Choice, and the Booksellers Best awards. She writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail and love begin with a happy ending.


AWARDS:
2004 More Than Magic winner for Best Inspirational Romance
Without a Trace, Thomas Nelson
2004 American Christian Fiction Writers Mentor of the Year



ABOUT THE BOOK

The highly anticipated novel that delivers what romantic suspense fans have long awaited-the return to Rock Harbor.

Bree Nichols gets the shock of her life when her husband-presumed dead-reappears.

Bree Nichols and her search and rescue dog Samson discover a crying infant in the densely forested woods outside of Rock Harbor, Michigan. Against objections from her husband, Kade, who knows she'll become attached, Bree takes the baby in. Quickly she begins a search for the mother-presumably the woman reported missing just days earlier.
While teams scour the forests, Bree ferrets out clues about the missing woman. But she soon discovers something more shocking: Bree's former husband-long presumed dead in a plane crash-resurfaces. Is he really who he says he is? And should she trust him again after all these years?
An engaging, romantic suspense novel from critically-acclaimed author Colleen Coble.

If you would like to read the first chapter of , go HERE

CFBA Blog Tour: Against All Odds

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Against All Odds
Revell (February 1, 2009)
by
Irene Hannon


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Irene Hannon is an award-winning author who took the publishing world by storm at the tender age of 10 with a sparkling piece of fiction that received national attention.

Okay…maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. But she was one of the honorees in a complete-the-story contest conducted by a national children’s magazine. And she likes to think of that as her “official” fiction-writing debut.

Since then, she has written more than 25 romance and romantic suspense novels that have sold more than 1.5 million copies. Her books have been honored with the coveted RITA award from Romance Writers of America (the “Oscar” of romantic fiction), the HOLT Medallion and a Reviewer’s Choice award from Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine.

Irene, who holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full. She is happy to say she has no regrets! As she points out, leaving behind the rush-hour commute, corporate politics and a relentless BlackBerry that never slept was no sacrifice.

In her spare time, Irene enjoys hamming it up in community musical theater productions. A trained vocalist, she has sung the leading role in numerous musicals, including “South Pacific,” “Brigadoon,” “Oklahoma” “The King and I” and “Anything Goes.” She also regularly performs with a six-person musical review troupe and is a cantor at her church (where she does NOT ham it up!).

When not otherwise occupied, Irene loves to cook and garden. She and her husband also enjoy traveling, Saturday mornings at their favorite coffee shop and spending time with family. They make their home in Missouri.


ABOUT THE BOOK

For FBI Hostage Rescue Team member Evan Cooper and his partner, dignitary protection duty should have been a piece of cake. Unfortunately, Monica Callahan isn’t making it easy. Estranged from her diplomat father, who is involved in a sensitive hostage situation in the Middle East, she refuses to be intimidated by a related terrorist threat back in the States…until a chilling warning convinces her that the danger is very real—and escalating. As Coop and his partner do their best to keep her safe, David Callahan continues his work—triggering an abduction that puts his daughter’s life at risk. And with every second that ticks by, Coop knows that the odds of saving the only woman who has ever managed to breach the walls around his heart are dropping. Because terrorists aren’t known for their patience—or their mercy.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Against All Odds, go HERE


WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

4 ½-star, “Top Pick” rating from Romantic Times BOOKreviews!

"Brava! Award winner Hannon debuts the heroes of Quantico series with a wonderful
array of believable characters, action and suspense that will keep readers glued to each page. Hannon’s extraordinary writing, vivid scenes and surprise ending come together for a not-to-be-missed reading experience.”
~Romantic Times BOOKreviews~

“I found someone who writes romantic suspense better than I do. I highly recommend Against All Odds as one of the best books I've had the privilege of reading this year. This is a captivating, fast-paced, well written romantic suspense destined for my keeper shelf. I loved this book, and highly recommend this author."
~Dee Henderson~ Author of the O’Malley Family Series

CFBA Blog Tour: Word Gets Around

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Word Gets Around
Bethany House (February 1, 2009)
by
Lisa Wingate


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Lisa Wingate lives in central Texas where she is a popular inspirational speaker, magazine columnist, and national bestselling author of several books. Her novel, Tending Roses, received dozens of five-star reviews, sold out ten printings for New York publisher, Penguin Putnam, and went on to become a national bestselling book. Tending Roses was a selection of the Readers Club of America, and is currently in its tenth printing.

The Tending Roses series continued with Good Hope Road, The Language of Sycamores, Drenched In Light, and A Thousand Voices. In 2003, Lisa’s Texas Hill Country series began with Texas Cooking, and continued with Lone Star Café, which was awarded a gold medal by RT BOOKCLUB magazine and was hailed by Publisher’s Weekly as “A charmingly nostalgic treat.” The series concluded with Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner.

Lisa is now working on a new set of small-town Texas novels for Bethany House Publishers. The series debuted with Talk of The Town and continued with Word Gets Around. A new series is also underway for Penguin Group NAL, beginning with A Month of Summer (July 2008), and continuing with The Summer Kitchen in July, 2009. Lisa’s works have been featured by the National Reader’s Club of America, AOL Book Picks, Doubleday Book Club, The Literary Guild, American Profiles, and have been chosen for the LORIES best Published Fiction Award.




ABOUT THE BOOK

When Romance Is In the Air, Word Gets Around Lauren Eldridge thought she'd wiped the dust of Daily, Texas, off her boots forever. Screenwriter Nate Heath thought he was out of second chances. Life's never that predictable, though. Cajoled by her father, Lauren is back in town helping train a skittish race horse set to star in a Hollywood film. But the handsome screenwriter gives her more trouble than the horse. And Nate is realizing there's a spark of magic in the project--and in the eyes of the girl who is so good with horses. Daily, Texas, has a way of offering hope, healing, and a little romance just when folks need it most.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Word Gets Around, go HERE

What people are saying:

"Lisa Wingate writes engaging stories that strike the heart. God has gifted her with a marvelous talent and I, for one, am most grateful."
—Debbie Macomber, New York Times #1 bestselling author

The Importance of Play--Published Article

February marks the debut of my first official article as a columnist for PG (Parental Guidance) Magazine. I received two copies in the mail and was thrilled to see my article bolded on the front cover. Even though I'm not being compensated for my articles, I do retain all rights and can submit them elsewhere.

Check out The Importance of Play

25 Random Things About Me

I've been tagged by a few people on Facebook to do 25 Random Things About Me. Since my original blog post will be pushed to later in the week, I decided to post my 25 Random Things in today's post. Here they are in random order:

1. I love Jesus.
2. I'm a computer junkie.
3. I love my MacBook.
4. I'm a writer.
5. I'm a bi-monthly contributor to a regional family magazine.
6. I love to sing, but don't expect to see me on American Idol any time soon.
7. I'm never without a book, even if it's an ebook on my iPod.
8. I love to fly.
9. In my free time (ha!), I love to scrapbook and stamp.
10. I will graduate in May with my degree in early childhood education.
11. Hubby and I eloped 20 years ago in October.
12. I have green eyes.
13. My favorite color is blue, even though it's considered a boy's color.
14. My soul pines for summer skies, warm sand, and tropical weather.
15. I know all the verses to the song "The Wheels on the Bus" and even make up a few of my own.
16. Faith, family, and friendships are the backbones to my being.
17. I love chick flicks and happily ever after stories.
18. I love chai tea.
19. My china pattern is Old Country Roses.
    
20. I get teary-eyed thinking about my son's high school graduation in June.
21. I prefer water and fat-free milk over pop. Yes, that's what I call soda.
22. One of my biggest pet peeves is the incorrect usage of your and you're.
23. I hate the taste of coffee, but love the smell.
24. I love puns, especially the groaners.
25. My 40th birthday present will be to learn to play the piano