My Writing Process: Blog Tour

I'm thrilled to be taking part in the My Writing Process Blog Tour today! My friend and fellow author, Emily Ungar, posted her entry last week. You can check it out here: http://emilyungar.com/2014/06/02/my-writing-process-blog-tour/

Without further ado, it's time to answer four questions about my writing process:

1) What am I working on?

I'm currently in the final editing stages for Tess in Boots. It's a sweet contemporary romance set to be released with Anaiah Press in December 2014. The story is about, you know... a girl named Tess who wears boots. Kidding. It's so much more, of course. My heroine, Tess, gets an opportunity to step out of her routine and totally reinvent herself on a remote vineyard in North Carolina. The story speaks to the pressure we place on ourselves to play a certain role in our daily lives, and how this pressure can hold us back from conquering our fears and experiencing personal growth. Lots of secrets, twists, and turns make this story hard to put down. (So does my dreamy leading man, Thatcher. I can't wait to introduce him to my readers!) This book is funny, heartwarming, and comes with a money-back guarantee if you don't cry near the end. (Just kidding on the guarantee thing.) But seriously, get your tissues ready.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

When people hear I have a romance coming out, they often assume it's a bodice ripper. I'm a pretty awkward person. (Fortunately for me, I'm not out there in the dating world, because if I had to flirt with someone they'd probably assume I had some sort of nervous twitch and feel sorry for me.) So when people think I'm writing something steamy, it makes me blush and want to hide under the table. My work is different because it's clean. Though packed with lots of heart-fluttering moments, Tess in Boots is contracted with a Christian publisher, and there are certain guidelines the book must adhere to with respect to language, romantic scenes, etc. It's a perfect fit for me, because I'm a clean writer through and through. I love the challenge of writing a fantastic, gripping story while keeping it safe to read with Grandma looking over your shoulder. When I can strike that perfect balance, I call it a win!

3) Why do I write what I do?

Ever since I was a kid, I've always adored books that make me feel like I'm on vacation. I'm a sucker for a good escape read, and I want my readers to feel like they're getting away when they pick up my book. The picturesque setting of Tess in Boots is a vacation in itself, but more importantly, this is a story you'll get lost in and won't want to leave. Every time I finish up a round of edits, I'm a little sad because I wish I could spend more time with these characters and this story. 

4) How does my writing process work?

What a loaded question! To keep my response concise, I'll stick to a few key points with links to longer posts I've written:

• I don't sweat the beginning. Or the entire first draft, for that matter. 
• Once I get an idea, I run with it and let myself enjoy the process all the way through the first draft. Then, I go back to edit and tighten things up. (Read more about this here.)
• I write really early in the morning.
• Most days I wake up to write before 4 am. There's a lot of coffee involved. (Read more about this here.) 
• I use a calendar to map out my plot.
• Yep, a good old-fashioned, paper calendar. It helps me keep track of my characters' busy lives! (Read more about this here.)
• I know when to walk away.
• Sometimes, slacking off is a good thing. When I have writer's block, I step away from the keyboard. (Read more about this here.)

Next up on the tour, June 16th...

Deniese Kohles

Deniese Kohles is a wife of 37 years, mother, grandmother, interior designer, retired art teacher and youth minister, who resides in Grand Junction, Colorado. She was creatively inspired by a reoccurring vivid dream to write Heaven Has a Secret for You! as a gift for her grandchildren. The second book of this series, Do Flowers Go To Heaven? is coming soon.

Amanda Salisbury

Amanda Salisbury lives on the red planet of Oklahoma. All her best stories are sifted through the screens of her education and experience in history, law, finance, and mothering. She lives with her husband and boys in a lair, a classroom, or a castle, depending on the moment.

Unplugged: Recap from my (Almost) Technology-Free Weekend

I'm keeping my promise to update you all on my weekend without a cell phone, a weekend during which I was operating on limited senses. To be clear, I'm not making an analogy about how turning off my phone was like losing a sense. I'm referring to literal circumstances, in this case an intense head cold which left me unable to smell or taste. (My hearing was a little off, too.) It was fitting, though, and if this were a work of fiction it would be worthy of a few minutes of book club discussion. "I think the cold was a metaphor for our inability to navigate and relate to the world around us without the use of technology." I can hear the nods of agreement now.

Anyway. My weekend:

Friday, 4:49 pm: The phone rang a mere eleven minutes before I was scheduled to turn it off. I took the call and enjoyed chatting with a friend in much the same way one enjoys scarfing down a cheeseburger the day before a diet. 

Friday, 4:56 pm: The call ended and I spent approximately two minutes pacing around the kitchen and rethinking my decision. 

Friday, 4:58 pm: I called my mom to give her a quick update on something and to say a very dramatic (though brief) goodbye.

Friday, 4:59 pm: I sent out one last tweet because... Twitter withdrawal.

Friday, 5:00 pm: I turned off my phone.

I did it. I turned off my phone. 

This wasn't by design, but the no-phone challenge coincided with a weekend getaway for my family. It was the first time my little family of three went away by ourselves, for no particular reason other than to spend time together. This was especially fortuitous because it meant I was busy "packing" - which, when you have a toddler running around the house means you put the same things into a suitcase thirty times because toddlers love emptying suitcases as you pack them. They live for that stuff. The task of packing provided a helpful distraction from the fact that I had practically just chopped off my arm and tossed it aside to rot. (Did I mention I was feeling a bit dramatic about all this?)

By about 6:30 pm we were on the road heading to Cape May, NJ. The little one was nodding off in the backseat and my husband was driving. This would normally be a time for me to catch up on emails, find recipes on Pinterest that I have no intention of ever actually making, etc. Instead, I asked my husband a few "How's life?" questions, and we talked for the duration of the trip.

All this talking had me feeling much more emotionally present than usual, perhaps too emotionally present, because I started bawling when I entered the lobby of our hotel. The last time I had been there was on a ladies' weekend with a particularly fantastic lady who has since left this world. Walking into this space opened a floodgate of memories and I was unprepared for the rawness of the experience. If I had my phone on me, I expect I would have been distracted, if not numbed by the task of looking up our reservation details so I could be extra-ready for check-in.

The clerk at the desk (probably because she felt sorry for the crazy lady with the runny mascara) upgraded us to an oceanfront townhouse. This was awesome because it provided a great view and more space. This was not awesome because the townhouse had a fully-stocked kitchen. The kind of kitchen which includes a coffee maker, but no coffee.

This led to my first technology cheat. I awoke at 5am Saturday morning and used my husband's phone (not mine!) to locate a 24-hour Wawa so I could buy some coffee. Ordinarily I would have been able to smell it, but like I mentioned before, head cold.

I returned victorious from my mission, brewed some coffee, and sat down for my morning Bible study. I'm currently doing a Kelly Minter study on the book of Nehemiah, and usually I use my Bible app to bounce back and forth between translations. This morning, I used a physical Bible, you know - with pages and everything. It was all very wonderful and rustic.

When I was finished, I spent some time using a pencil and paper (I know, more paper... mind-blowing, right?) to map out the theme of the manuscript I'm currently editing, with the goal of finding areas where it could be tightened up. I had one of those "eureka" moments, and I'm confident I wouldn't have had it if I were using this time to browse Facebook instead.

We spent the day at a leisurely pace, taking our daughter to a park, walking through town and by the ocean, even napping in the afternoon. At one point I tried to stop and smell the roses (literally), but I couldn't smell them. Oh, well. At least I tried.

There were lots of little moments during which I had nothing urgent to do, and these were the moments I most noticed the absence of my phone. These were the moments when I would normally do a quick check to stay connected to the outside world. Instead, I found myself doing quick checks to stay connected to the world right in front of me. This resulted in some deeply satisfying bubble-blowing sessions, dance parties, and laughs. (We took our daughter to a restaurant she had no business being in, and the look on her face when the waiter approached us in a very no-nonsense, this is not Bennigan's sort of way had us in stitches for most of the weekend. For the record, she defied all expectations and behaved like Princess Kate.)

My other technology cheat was using my husband's phone to take pictures. In my defense, I packed an actual camera, but I packed the wrong charger. I decided the photos were an admissible offense, because it was certainly a weekend I wanted to capture in photos.

So that was my weekend without a phone. There are a lot of things I love about my phone. I love staying in touch with friends, and finding coupon apps, and taking digital notes so I don't have a ton of papers shoved into my purse. The phone is not a bad thing in and of itself, but getting rid of it for a while wasn't a bad thing either. I think my family felt more loved as a result, and I felt like there was more room. More room for conversations, giggles, possibilities.

It was a good exercise. I may do it again, though not in such a legalistic way next time. And hopefully when that does happen, I'll have my senses back.

Trailer Reveal: Liberty Belle by Emily Ungar

On the same day she turns twelve years old, Savannah moves away from everything she’s known in sweet, sunny Georgia to preppy Washington D.C. Not only will she miss her best friends Katie and Tessa, Savannah will start a new school. She soon discovers that her schoolmates love to brag—about their clothes, their parents’ governmental connections, and even who has the in with the school authorities.   

Unhappy and lonely, Savannah decides if she can’t make life better, she can at least make it sound that way. Soon she is living in the childhood home of George Washington, riding in the limo of the vice president’s daughter, and even moving into the former Luxembourg embassy.

All is well until she learns that her true friends from Georgia are coming for a visit. Now Savannah must create the life she’s been talking about in her letters—and fast! Will Savannah find herself or lose her friends?

Release Date:

12th August 2014

Anaiah Press: http://www.anaiahpress.com

About the Author: Emily Ungar is a graduate of Indiana University, where she majored in journalism. After living in seven different U.S. states by the time she finished college, she now lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her husband and very curious twin toddlers. When she isn’t chasing after her twin boys, Emily loves to curl up in a chaise lounge with a book in one hand and a lemon cupcake in the other. Emily loves connecting with her readers, so she welcomes you to say hi on her blog at emilyungar.com.

Connect with Emily: Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Facebook

Z is for Zeal: It's Not the Same as Commitment

It's Z day!

It's Z day, it's Z day...

It's Z DAY!

Ahem. Sorry for that. 

It's Z day, a day which has me excited to wrap up this challenge and get back to my usual sparse blogging habits. Kidding. I've enjoyed blogging more frequently, and I hope to kick things up to a moderate pace from here on out.

One of the most important things I've gleaned from the A to Z challenge is the understanding that while you generally need zeal to spark a commitment, you don't need zeal to keep a commitment. 

There were days during the challenge (cough - I day - cough - V day) when I felt like doing anything but following through to the end. The commitment to do so kept me moving forward, and that same commitment brought me a fresh sense of unexpected zeal at times. Like the day I woke up wondering, "What on earth am I going to write for W?" only to look at my sweet daughter and be flooded with words I couldn't wait to get out there. Commitment kept me focused, and resulted in gifts of renewed zeal when I needed it most.

I expect this relationship between zeal and commitment can be applied to any commitment we take on in this life. If you're feeling a lack of zeal today, it's not necessarily because something is broken. It's because commitment takes work.

Just a little encouragement from me today to stay steadfast in your commitments. Zeal will ebb and flow; commitment will move you forward.

Y is for Yesteryear: My (Slightly Scary) Time Travel Experiment

Growing up in Virginia, I got my driver's license the day I turned sixteen. I'm not saying it was the best idea ever, but I was itching to get behind the wheel of my Geo tracker and drive (or sputter, I should say) off into the sunset.

A few weeks after getting my license, I was handed a clunky rectangle-shaped object. It was rather large and if I'm remembering correctly, it had a retractable antenna. It was a cell phone, my parents said, and I was to keep it in my car in case of an emergency. I tossed it into my glove compartment and didn't give it a second thought. As I'm typing this, I'm realizing the battery probably died a couple days after I received it, so it wouldn't have been too helpful in an emergency anyway. Oh, well.

The point is, I didn't have it with me at all times. I didn't know my number. I'm not sure if I even knew how to turn it on. Perhaps I'm becoming a bit of a curmudgeon, but my heart has been feeling burdened recently by the fact that today's teens don't get to spend much time looking up at the world around them. They don't get to experience the awkward anxiousness that comes from having to ask a girl's parents if she can come to the phone. They don't get to do a lot of talking and listening, because they have to do a lot of typing and reading just to keep up with the status quo. They don't get an escape from the constant chatter; don't get to be alone with their thoughts - and they've never known things any other way.

This got me thinking about how I have known things another way. I remember what it was like to not be constantly connected, and yet I find myself forgetting to look up at the world around me. I find myself forgetting to listen; forgetting to study the faces of the people I love. I'm feeling drained by this lately, so I've issued myself a challenge:

I am committing to-

Hang on. It is a little scary to even put these words out there. Ok. Whew. I can do this.

I am committing to completely turning off my iPhone for an entire weekend. 

Deep breaths. It's going to be ok, Courtney.

I'm turning back the clock a few years. I don't have a specific reason for issuing this challenge, other than I have a feeling there's something to learn from this; something to be gained from unchaining myself in this way.

So there it is. I'm publicly committing to turning off my phone Friday at 5pm until whenever I wake up Monday morning. I'll check back in with a blog update next week on my strange journey to the past. If I come back at all, that is. ;)

X is for X-Key: Editing, the Backspace Key, and Me

It's X day today, a day I've been dreading since signing up for the A to Z Blogging Challenge.

I had absolutely no idea what this post would be about, and then it hit me! I've been staring at this little beauty for the better part of the past month:

(This is a photo of my actual keyboard, and yes, that is a coffee stain... and dust.)

X! Ha! The backspace key was my best friend during my recent round of edits. Today, I'm providing a quick glimpse into my editing process. I realize this is the authorly equivalent of blogging about my weight, but I'm going there anyway, because... A to Z Challenge.

I began with a 74,000 word manuscript. Characterization edits, additional descriptions, and a modified beginning brought my manuscript to over 77,000 words. Then, it was time to put the backspace key to work.

This statistic makes me want to cry, but it's fascinating: By cutting out unnecessary adverbs and superfluous words such as just, that, and now, I brought my manuscript down to 75,704 words. That's about 1,500 words, and not one of those words was cut out as part of a mass removal of content. I simply went through the manuscript and plucked them out, one by one. All 1,500 of them.

Shudder.

Much love to my amazing editor for seeing the beauty past the mess! Three more rounds of edits to go, and I'm sure I'll be spending more quality time with my friend the x-key.

W is for Wonderstruck: A Moment in Awe of the Great Author

I have a general aversion to being kicked in the face.

It is for this reason (and not because of any particular parenting philosophy) that I encourage my toddler to sleep in her crib. I try my best to keep her out of the bed, but sometimes it's inevitable. This week, we've been traveling, which means Little Miss has had to endure the uncomfortable confines of the portable crib. This would have been bad enough had she not come down with a cold. Just when we thought we had hit rock bottom, her two-year molars began to make their appearance. It's the toddler trifecta of sleeplessness, and conditions have been favorable for me being kicked in the face.

I awoke around 3:30 this morning to an especially rousing roundhouse kick.  

Unable to go back to sleep, I spent some time staring at my sweet little girl, who is really quite precious when she's not hurling her feet in my direction. Any mom can relate to this moment of pure awe; looking down at a perfect little human who once didn't exist and being wonderstruck by her presence.

I have been thinking a lot about characterization during my editing process, about what makes us who we are. In this early morning moment, I felt an indescribable reverence for the one who created this little girl. I have suffered loss and know full well that it is impossible for a heart to beat by man's will alone. I am certain this beautiful (and at times, spritely) person is the work of a great author. An author who has perfected the human character sketch in our DNA, and who adds His unique touch to each special creation. In a way I am thankful for being kicked in the face this morning, because it provided a welcome glimpse into this beautiful truth.

You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared    before I’d even lived one day. (From Psalm 139, The Message)