FACE YOUR FEARS

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Georgia Shaffer here from Pennsylvania where the fall foliage is beautiful. I never yearned to be a writer. I never wanted to write a book. But life’s experiences have a way of changing you, your dreams, and your desires. After experiencing the loss of my health, job and marriage, I had an irresistible urge to write a book sharing practical information about how to restore our lives after unwanted change. There was one major problem. I couldn’t write. At least in a way that anyone would choose to read. I have four college degrees, full of A’s. But I have…

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A Baker’s Dozen of Anthologies

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Hi, Dave Fessenden here, to talk with you about writing, and here is something to consider: Do you have editorial skills? Have you ever considered doing a compilation or anthology? This is the art of choosing, organizing and showcasing the works of other authors. Such books can be very successful and have a significant ministry. A compilation project involves finding sources for material, copyrights, reimbursing authors, and editorial discernment. But first you need to decide what type of anthology you want to do. Here’s a baker’s dozen:

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Tips from the Pros: Sandra Orchard

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Greetings from Sarah Sundin in California, where fall is still failing to fall. Today I’m interviewing one of CAN’s newest members, Sandra Orchard, whose romantic suspense and mystery novels are hooking readers and winning awards. Sandra, how did you get into writing? I always wanted to be a writer, but didn’t consider writing fiction until about ten years ago, soon after discovering Christian fiction. Seeing characters navigate through many of the same issues I faced, especially loss, and emerging victorious inspired much needed hope and fresh ways of looking at my own experiences. I started thinking that I’d like to…

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WRITERS WHO SPEAK – series finale

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Fall is upon us, complete with beautiful fall colors and raging thunderstorms. It’s a busy season for getting children back to school, football games, and preparing for the holidays. I love decorating for the fall season with pumpkins, gourds and the colorful mums that abound in the markets. It’s a busy time for speakers as well, and I am also booking retreats for the spring of 2015. As I was thinking about what to discuss in this month’s blog, I made a startling discovery.

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A Christmas Gift by Kathi Macias

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A Christmas Gift, Julia knew firsthand that Chiapas was not a safe place. Could a simple man’s faith and love be enough to make her stay? About the author: Kathi Macias is a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother—and the award-winning author of nearly 50 books. She and her husband call SoCal home.   NEW RELEASES are posted by Christine Lindsay the author of the Multi-Award-Winning historical novels Shadowed in Silk, Captured by Moonlight and newly released Veiled at Midnight.

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Dealing with Overwhelm

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The 21st century with all of its technological discoveries has engendered a new disorder called Overwhelm. Grammatically speaking, “overwhelm” is a verb, not a noun.  But the case is strong for making it a noun as well.

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Tension and Conflict Part 6 – Scene and Sequel Structure

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Historical post by Gail Gaymer Martin I’ve been posting a series on Tension and Conflict and today I’ll provide some information on using Scene and Sequel Structure in fiction.  Using this method, an author can enhance tension by creating effective pacing techniques. This has to do with a balance of fast moving scenes to ones that are more contemplative. Each type of scene has a purpose, but along with purpose, the technique enhances tension. As you know, a novel is a series of chapters often divided into scenes. But scenes also can be thought of in two ways—scenes and sequels….

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Tips from the Pros: Kimberly Rose Johnson

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Fall felicitations from Marti Pieper in not-so-frigid Florida! We are having what we consider fall weather here in the greater Orlando area, although I’m not sure our temperatures qualify as truly autumnal. In any case, I want to invite you to pull up a chair, sit down with a cup of hot tea or apple cider, and enjoy this interview with brand-new CAN member, Kimberly Rose Johnson. Kimberly is new to CAN, but not new to writing, and I know she has some helpful book marketing tips. Welcome to CAN and to this interview, Kimberly! First of all, let’s get…

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NEW RELEASE–Oct. 2014–Active Boys by Jesse Florea and Karen Whiting

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Releasing October 1, 2014 The One Year Devotions for Active Boys, 365 upbeat devotions, each with a twist of humor, combine Scripture and a spiritual message with jokes, riddles, puzzles, and hands-on activities to engage tween boys. About the authors: Jesse Florea, author or more than a dozen books, is the editorial director of youth publications where he edits Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. at Focus on the Family. Karen Whiting (www.karenwhiting.com), international speaker,  author of 18 books, and former television host, loves to splash creativity n the pages she writes.     New Releases are posted by Christine Lindsay author of Multi-Award-Winning Shadowed in Silk…

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