Release Day!

Release Day!

Did you ever have something you were waiting for that seemed to take forever to arrive, and when it did it felt like it happened in an instant? That has been a bit what this exciting journey to publication has been like for me.

I have been writing since I was a child. It was only after my husband and I moved to New Hampshire that the idea of seeking publication began to germinate in my mind. I stumbled on some freelance opportunities and became a regular contributor to several regional and statewide travel and lifestyle magazines. I even managed to score an article in the national magazine Writer's Journal.

Around 2005, I decided to try my hand at writing a novel. I used NaNoWriMo as the impetus to get started. National Novel Writing Month is held during November, and participants commit to getting 50,000 words down on paper, on a project they begin on the first of the month. Despite being a rookie, I managed to meet the goal. By early the following year, I had finished the remaining 30,000 words and deemed my story ready for a publisher. Needless to say, it was not, and received numerous resounding rejections.

Fast forward to 2016. By then I had attended ten Crimebake conferences, several NH Writer's Project workshops, graduated from Jerry Jenkins' Christian Writers' Guild, and revised my story countless times. In between there, I had self-published some novellas. Then I was signed by not one, but two publishing companies! I had been waiting eleven years to be traditionally published, and my dream had come true. In many ways I felt every one of those years, and in other way, it felt like overnight success.

Sandra Barela of CelebrateLit Publishing contacted me and asked me to write a novelette that was included in their collection Let Love Spring. She was so pleased with my work, she asked me to write another that will be included in a Christmas collection releasing in November, 2017.

In early December of last year, Under Fire was accepted by eLectio Publishing, and a release date of July 25th was selected. The last six months have been a combination of waiting and work. Thanks to my beta readers, Jessica Baker, Rebecca Peterson, Mary Rowlette, Natalee Stotz, and Connie Tillman for taking time to read the manuscript and give me feedback. Thanks to the design team at eLectio who did such a creative job on the cover. The most common response I've had to it is "striking," and I must say I agree. Thanks to Jesse Greever and Christopher Dixon, who believed in me and my story, and have been such an encouragement during the process.

Please consider picking up your copy of Under Fire. (Hint: books make wonderful Christmas gifts too!)

I am visiting Donna Schlacter's blog History thru the Ages and Peg Bann Phifer's blog Whispers in Purple today. I hope you'll stop by.

Talkshow Thursday: The Latest from Terri Wangard

Talkshow Thursday: 

The Latest from Terri Wangard

I am thrilled to welcome back Terri Wangard who has recently released the third and final book in her Promises for Tomorrow series. It's an exciting conclusion, and you'll want to pick it up. Meanwhile, grab your favorite beverage and read on to learn more about Terri and her book.

Linda:  The third book in your Promise For Tomorrow Series has recently been released. Did you set out to write a series or did it just sort of happen?  

Terri: At an ACFW conference, an editor told me I would be likelier to get a contract if my Friends & Enemies was part of a series. I’d already started a contemporary story. That got shelved and I jumped back into World War II.

LM: Where did you find your inspiration for this story?

Terri: I wanted something different. Friends & Enemies featured a German widow and No Neutral Ground had an American woman working with the OSS in Sweden. At first I thought about the train canteens, but that would be difficult since the main characters would meet once and then be separated for the rest of the war. Plus, Cara Putman did a canteen story. While I was researching the canteens, I discovered the Red Cross clubmobiles. That’s it!

LM: You obviously have a love for the WWII era. What draws you to that time period?

Terri: Friends & Enemies was inspired by a batch of letters written by distant cousins in Germany to my grandparents in the postwar years. My grandparents sent them care packages while Germany was destroyed and the population desperate. Once West Germany turned an economic corner, the cousins no longer needed help and contact was lost. Using those letters, I crafted a story about their lives during the war.

LM: Lots of research goes into each story to ensure historical accuracy. What is your method for researching a story, and how much time goes into that before you begin to write?

Terri: I read memoirs. Lots of memoirs. People telling of their experiences offer lots of ideas for my characters. Often, I buy used books so I can refer to them throughout my writing. I have notes all over the place, and usually can’t find them when I need them. I tend to obsess about getting everything exactly right, which slows me down. My first book took about a year to write. Later, I had to go back and rewrite much of it to a narrower time span. I’ve also gotten ideas from WWII TV shows, like Hogan’s Heroes (No Neutral Ground) and 12 O’Clock High (In Soar Like Eagles, the ditched crew uses a Gibson Girl radio with balloon to hoist the antenna).

LM: Have you ever experienced writer’s block, and if so, what did you do to push through it?

Terri: I’ve never had anything long-term. If I can’t figure out how to move a scene forward, I’ll leave it. Go for a bike ride or use the treadmill and let ideas percolate.

LM: What is your next project?

Terri: I have a stand-alone WWII book, Wheresoever They May Be, coming out late this year with Celebrate Lit. That will be my last WWII book. My current series project takes place thirty years earlier, and I have an idea for something thirty to forty years before that, inspired by my family tree again.

LM: Where can folks find you on the web?

Terri:  My website is www.terriwangard.com, and you can also visit my Facebook or Pinterest pages.

Linda: Thanks for stopping by, Terri. As always it's a pleasure to chat with you.

Readers be sure to stop by CelebrateLit Publishing to pick up Terri's latest: Soar Like Eagles.

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Allison

Do you ever get so involved in a book's character that you wonder about their backstory? I do, so I thought I take a few minutes and sit down with Allison White, the main character my upcoming post-WWII novelette being released by Celebrate Lit Publishing this spring. For those of you who read Love's Harvest, you may remember Allison. She was the young woman who befriended Rosa Hirsch, the German widow who fled to England in 1940 with her mother-in-law Noreen.

Inspiration for
Allison's character

Linda: Allison, it's a delight to have to stop by the blog today. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Allison: Sure. It's a pleasure to be here. I was born on December 25, 1920 in Cotswold, England. I don't have any siblings, and unfortunately I lost my mum and dad in the Blitz, but I have a wonderful circle of friends, and Rosa's mother-in-law, Noreen treats me like a daughter.

Linda: Noreen is a basket-weaver and makes gorgeous willow baskets. What sort of creative activities do you like to do?

Allison: (laughing) Noreen tried to teach me to weave, but it was a disaster from the start. The only basket I made had a definite lean to it. Not unusable, but not my finest work. Then Rosa tried to teach me needlepoint and sewing, but those didn't work out well either. I finally found my niche in the kitchen. Apparently the chemistry of baking is a fit for me. I don't want to toot my own horn too loudly, but my bread and biscuits are lovely. Smooth texture and good taste. Rose usually has me make all the sweets.

Member of the WLA

Linda: I love to bake also. During the war, you worked for the Women's Land Army What was that like?

Allison: Brilliant. I loved it. I didn't want to be trapped inside a factory. Dark, dank, and dangerous. Sure, those girls made more money, but in the Land Army I didn't have to fear for my life. The days were long, especially during planting and harvesting seasons. We sometimes worked fourteen or sixteen hours days. But the weather was lovely, and we were making a real difference. Feeding the masses, you know. I learned to love farming thanks to the Land Army.

Linda: Is that why you chose to stay on at the Quincey's farm after the war? What sort of work are you involved in there?

Allison: With my parents gone, I have no family to speak of. There are a few cousins in Scotland, but I haven't seen them since I was a youngster. Rosa and Basil have been my family. It only made sense to stay with them. They still need help on the farm. Mr. Sullivan oversees the animals, and I handle the produce side of things. Although I must say I've seen enough potatoes to last a lifetime!

Linda:  Many young women your age don't go to university, yet you attended University of Manchester. Can you share about your experience?

Allison: My parents were keen on education, and they didn't care that I was a girl. They wanted me to get a degree, so I could be whatever I wanted. There were lots of rules, more so it seemed for the girls. Curfew and the like. But meals and laundry services were provided for us, and classes were wonderful. Lots of debate and discussion. I learned to think for myself at university. And I met lovely people, but the war changed all that. I had to do my bit, so I dropped out and joined the WLA.

Linda: How has your life changed since the war?

Allison: In many ways it hasn't. Many items are still rationed, although not as many on the farm. And even if something is available it's difficult to find. Shoes for example. I've patched my oxfords countless times. I'll be glad when I can find a new pair. But the country is moving on. We survived, so nothing seems so bad, although it's sad to see the families who have lost their boys and men. Some women lost husbands and sons. Before the war I never would have been promoted to manage anything, even part of a farm. Basil has given me a opportunity I probably would never have had. And Mr. Sullivan is coming round to working with a woman.

Linda: Thanks for stopping by and sharing a bit about yourself.

Allison: Thanks for hosting me. Folks should keep an eye on your blog and your Facebook page for information about our book coming out in the Spring. The publication date will be set soon, and a title will be forthcoming.