Miracles Never Cease

So it truly is a miracle, I have finally finished the next book in my Butterfly Box series. It has taken over a year to complete this story. I can usually write a book in 5 or 6 months, depending on the amount of research involved. This book hasn't really required a lot of extensive reserch. So, you ask, what's my problem?

Hmm, where do I begin? I have been slightly distracted by my family. I'll start with the oldest. My son, and adorable daughter-in-law, had a baby last July. A granddaughter named Halle. I am crazy in love with her. She lights up my world. Aslo, my oldest daughter competed at the Miss Utah pageant and then, 4 months later, in the Miss Utah USA pageant. I know pageants get a bad rap, probably for good reason. I however feel there are some wonderfully redeeming qualities about the preparation and in competing. I'll save that for another day, but, I'm so proud of my daughter's accomplishments and the strengths she's gained, because she competed. She is truly my winner. One of her greatest achievements is starting an asthma program in schools to help with early diagnosis of asthma. She suffered from asthma as a child and wasn't diagnosed until she was a Senior in high school. This program was recognized by Governor Huntsman and the National American Lung Association. My next daughter spent the summer in Seattle at ballet camp, then came home and danced in Mountain West Ballet's Nutcraker, then prepared for the YAPG ballet competition, and dances at the University of Utah. Her daily schedule is exhausting. My youngest is still manageable, but is also very busy. Not to mention my husband's job that takes him out of town 3 or 4 times a month, and my two church callings. Then there's cleaning, cooking, laundry, birthdays, Christmas . . . what am I forgetting. Oh yeah, sleep.
Anyway, finding time to write has been a challenge. But I did it. And only heavenly help can explain how I managed to get a word or two written, let alone a 400 page novel. Let's just hope it gets published!
So, for anyone who is a fan, the series isn't dead, and neither am I. This story is about Jocelyn, one of the Butterfly Girls. Her story will reveal her secret and give you further information regarding Ava's death. Was it an accident? Tell me what you think?
I really want to thank and pay tribute to all the wonderful fans who spend their hard earned money to buy my books, and spend their precious time reading my books. You are the ones who make it all worth it. You are the ones who give validation to the time I spend writing when I should be cleaning, cooking, doing laundry and even sleeping.
I'll keep you posted on release dates and all the fun exciting stuff that goes along with it. I'm even coming up with a contest and some giveaways. So watch my blog for more details regarding that. In the meantime, I'm getting started on the next book. My goal is to have it done in 6 months. I'm posting that for the whole world to see, so hopefully it will keep me on track and focused. That means the end of September. Don't bet any money on that date, but if I get it done then, I am going to have one wing-ding of a celebration, and you're all invited.

SIGNING SCHEDULE

This is last minute but I just wanted to let you know I will be doing autograph signings at:

SEAGULL BOOK 17th South Redwood Road 10:00 - 12:00

SEAGULL BOOK Taylorsville 12:15 - 1:30

Hope to see you there!

PS I just finished the next book in the Butterfly Box series! I'll give you more information about it on my next blog.

Interview with Lynn Gardner

I have been a fan of Lynn Gardner's since her Jewel series. The Maggie McKenzie mysteries are her new series and have quickly become of favorite of Lynn Gardner fans. Vanished, the first book, was an engrossing mystery with some interesting turns. Her new and much anticipated novel, Pursued, is sure to deliver another installment of fast-paced excitement.

Here's my interview with Lynn:

M.B.: When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
AUTHOR: Apparently since before high school. In one of my year books, I vowed to publish a book.
M.B.: What was the pathway like for you to get your first book published?
AUTHOR: I wandered a beautiful golf course with my husband for a couple of years, concentrating on the story that was weaving itself in my mind more than on my golf game! At the end of those two years I had a finished manuscript. I went to a writer's conference at BYU-Hawaii, connected with Darla Hanks (now Isaacson) and she liked what she read and said to send it to her. I didn't hear anything for about five months, but in the meantime, I went to several other conferences, took writing classes, and discovered I really didn't know how to write a book, though I could tell a good story. So I rewrote it. I finally heard from another editor at Covenant (Darla had moved on) who said if I wanted to make the three single spaced pages of changes, they would look at it again. Of course, I did.
M.B.: Were you ever discouraged along the way? If so, how did you deal with it?
AUTHOR: The only discouragement I've felt was when I first read the rejection letter. I was totally and completely devastated. But after I reread the letter, I realized it wasn't a final rejection. I talked to some published author friends who couldn't believe that an editor would take the time to detail so clearly what was wrong with the book. So, of course, I immediately set about rewriting the manuscript. Emeralds and Espionage probably went through five total revisions before it was published. There have been some setbacks with the latest book which have been discouraging, but you just bite the bullet, go back to the computer and write again and again until you get it right! M.B.: What is your writing schedule like?
AUTHOR: I get up at 4:00 a.m. every morning so I can get prayers, scripture study and journal out of the way, and get into my writing before the world wakes up and starts its demands on my time.
M.B.: Where do your ideas come from for your books?
AUTHOR: The ideas for Emeralds came from the unique setting of the golf course - a wonderful huge old Oak tree that had a perfect pocket in the center of its intersecting branches to snuggle into and be hidden from the world. (I used to sit up in my apple tree when I was a girl and read a book. My younger siblings couldn't interrupt me and I could still keep an eye on them from up there.) Then there was a circle of stones surrounding a tall straight tree on the course, that was totally unlike any of the other twisted, gnarled trees there. It had to be a fairy circle. On the tee box of one hole, a tree had been hit by lightning and only about six feet of charred, blackened wood remained, but underneath that, a slab of rock was balanced on a big boulder. It looked for all the world like a sacrificial altar. A waterfall cascaded into a pool and the little stream that flowed from that were perfect hiding places. Some mornings, the mist nearly obscured the fairways, so the story really just evolved around all these things. Each of my stories for the gem series came from the headlines of the day, or a news article in the paper. Amethysts and Arson was born from a tiny little two paragraph article on churches being burned in the south to cover up the theft of valuable items from the church. The police had found a cache of stolen goods, but hadn't been able to find the owner of an antique amethyst altar cross. Vanished: A Maggie McKenzie Mystery came into being during the Bi-Centennial Anniversary of Lewis and Clark's historic Corps of Discovery journey to the Pacific Coast. I had been conjuring up an adventurous young photo-journalist and that was the perfect setting for her story to evolve. We were traveling to see two of our daughters, one in South Dakota and one in Louisiana, so I plotted the book as we traveled and stopped at all the places in the book to find scenes and settings for Maggie's search for the missing girl and research for her articles. Two cousins and a friend and I went to England and Wales on a family history research trip, and Pursued: A Maggie McKenzie Mystery was born. M.B.: What words of advice do you have for other writers who desire tohave their manuscripts become books in print?
AUTHOR: Learn the craft. Most everyone can tell a story, but there are certain skills that have to be mastered before it can be turned into a saleable book. Write, rewrite, edit, and edit some more to make it as perfect as you can.
M.B.: What is your process of brainstorming a story? Do you just sitdown and write, waiting to see what happens next? Or do you outlinefirst?
AUTHOR: I know the inciting incident - the thing the story will be built around. Then I put my characters in place, turn them loose, and follow them as they move through all the challenges and trials that will come to them. It's like a movie playing in my mind and I just describe what I'm seeing. I know my characters so well that I know how they will react in any given situation. I don't outline. I do know about where the story will end, but I have been surprised at times at where my characters have led me.
M.B.: Do you ever experience a snag in a story, a form of writer'sblock? If so, how do you deal with it?
AUTHOR: I don't really believe in writer's block. I think if you experience something like that, you may have written yourself into a corner and you need to back track and see where the story went wrong. This will sound funny, but maybe your characters don't want to do what you wanted them to do. They really do have minds of their own, you know, and sometimes they just want the story to go a different way.
M.B.: Do you need absolute quiet to write? Do you listen to music whenyou are writing?
AUTHOR: I prefer quiet. In fact, when I'm really into a story, I will shut my study door and ask my husband not to interrupt me. When you are interrupted, you then have to go back and read where you were, and get back into the story again. That can cause you to lose the thread of where you were going.
M.B.: What kinds of inspiration do you use during your story creation periods?
AUTHOR: Mmmm. Inspiration? Just a very active imagination, lots of in-depth research, and traveling to the places that I'm writing about so I can get the feel of the place, the smells, sounds. I want my readers to feel familiar with the place when they have finished the book. I want to know the history of what has happened there and why it was important, so I can pass that on to the readers.
M.B.: Do you use a critique group during the writing process? Why or why not?
AUTHOR: I've been in a critique group for 14 years - mostly with the same people. A few have moved on for one reason or another and we have replaced them with others. In fact, we just included two new people in our group this year. It certainly changes the dynamics of the group. But we have one gal who looks for description of the scene, and if she can't visualize it (if I've been going too fast with the action to include a good description) she'll call me on it and I'll go back and fix it. Another of my critique group looks for motivation. People always have a reason for doing things, and if my motivation isn't obvious, I get to rewrite to put it there. One is really into conflict, so she makes sure that's in place. We have one who is a perfectionist in grammar and punctuation. You can see how all of these wonderful people can help in making sure you have all the necessary elements in place. Everyone should belong to a critique group.
M.B.: Anything about yourself that you would like readers to know about?
AUTHOR: I love reading. I love losing myself in a book and entering other worlds, and I imagine others readers feel the same. The world would be a much sadder place without the comfort of good books, the excitement of vicarious experiences through reading, the opportunity of learning about places and events and people that are not in our current sphere of activity.
M.B.: Any final words you would like to share
AUTHOR: I'd just like to thank those who have been my faithful readers for hanging in there and waiting for Pursued to finally arrive. It has been a long, painful process, but Maggie McKenzie is back and I hope they'll think it has been worth the wait when they read it. Look for Pursued: A Maggie McKenzie Mystery to be released in May.
M.B.: Where can our readers go to find your books and order them?
AUTHOR: Any Seagull or Deseret book store, or Amazon.com.

Behind the Lense

I don't know if you've noticed by I tend to change my blog picture a lot. There are two reasons why. First, because I don't like any of them enough to keep them up very long, and second, I don't have many pictures to choose from because I'm always the one always taking the pictures, and I am not the type to say, "Okay, now take a picture of me!"
I operate on the philosophy that you can never have enough pictures. And nowadays with the whole digital thing, it's possible to have hundreds of pictures of events that, in the days of film, we would normally only take 3 or 4 pictures. Same with video. I am the photographer and videographer of the family, sometimes actually recording events with both cameras at the same time. (Hey, I didn't say I was good, I just get the job done, okay!)
So, as I search for a picture to put on my blog, I find that there aren't that many pictures of me to begin with, and, that most of the pictures I'm in are with other people, so I have to crop them out.
That's all. I felt like I need to explain the rotating photo thing I have going on.
Maybe I'll surprise my family one day and tell them it's their turn to take the pictures, if they can figure out how to use the cameras!

Interview with C.S. Bezas

Through various callings in the church many of us get to teach children or interact with them in some way and I can't think of a better book to provide insight and wisdom to this awesome responsibility. I want to lead in with a review of Cindy's book, Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers.

"Eloquent and thoughtful, Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers will be as welcome as sunshine for early morning seminary teachers - and anybody else who builds and blesses the kingdom one class at a time. It is a book of vivid explanation, touching spiritual insight, and helpful practicality. I've been teaching for more than two decades, but I can't wait to start my own teacher's journal and apply the wisdom - and charity - I found in this wonderful little book! I can't think of a teacher anywhere (and aren't we all teachers?) who wouldn't benefit from these powerful tips. It was a joy and delight to read!" ~Kerry Blair, author Counting Blessings: Wit and Wisdom for Women and Of Infinite Worth: Tributes to Motherhood

Born in Colorado, C.S. grew up in the Rockie Mountains and loved the beauty and wonder of her surroundings. She began reading at the early age of four and fell in love with the printed word. in 7th grade she won her first writing contest. She graduated from BYU with a Communications degree but had an emphasis in human resource development, speech and instructional matierals (along with a heavy dose of theater).

C.S. is a remarkable woman with a remarkable talent.

Here's her delightful interview:

M.B.: When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
CINDY: I remember playing with words even as a small child. I loved how they rolled around my mouth. I also played like crazy with sentence structure and emphasis. It amazed me that pushing one word harder could change the meaning of a sentence from "I'm going to the store" to "I'm going to the store." That kind of nuance fascinated me.
Later as a new teenager, instead of exploring dangerous territories (well, maybe a dictionary is a dangerous territory?), I would sit in my room for hours and read Webster's. How could there be this many words? What did they all mean? Words like "sycee" and "lithosol" and "hermeneutical" held deep fascination. To my little mind, they held the secrets to the mysteries of life (although the character "Mathemagician" in Norton Juster's The Phantom Tolbooth would disagree ... ).
M.B.: What was the pathway like for you to get your first book published?
CINDY: I remember wanting to be a writer and published author more than anything. My parents were both educators, so for me, books held the wisdom of the ages. Bookstores could get my blood pumping like nothing else. I would walk in them and feel the yearning to have something of me placed on those shelves. But my writing has taken a circuitous route. I am also a composer and am fascinated with sound and its impact. Through the years I experimented both with writing and composing. My initial efforts were aimed at stage productions. I had done much theater through the years as an actress and vocalist, so it was a natural evolution to write plays and musicals. I wanted to touch peoples' lives. I wanted to leave them different than they were when they first sat down in the theater.
This ability to move people became paramount for me as I wrote. Whether through song or through spoken word, I wanted others to know that hope is a real emotion. But as you know, hope does not glimmer its brightest shade without exposure to the darkest colors of suffering. Thus, my productions weren't necessarily upbeat, but they were important in what they wrought. I could see the joy in audience members' faces as they left.
From there, I branched out into poetry, with my poems being accepted for inclusion in different publications. After that, I began writing for both online and print media, and have hundreds of articles in print. Eventually this brought me to my book, Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers: Helping Youth Find Their Spiritual Wings. It is a book to help adults understand teens in life-changing ways. I have several novels in the works, in addition to other non-fiction pieces nearing completion. I continue to teach creativity workshops and privately coach writers in the creativity process.
M.B.: Were you ever discouraged along the way? If so, how did you deal with it?
CINDY: I think deep emotions are an inherent part of authors, artists, composers, etc. How can you hope to sculpt something--whether on a printed page, on a stage, or even in a painting--without feeling deeply? Thus, I think any great individual who is creating will be prone to discouragement and perhaps even dark feelings of despair. I know I've had my share. What I think is important for all those who are attracted to the arts is to remember there are always opposites in life. That is the great principle of the law of opposition. So if you feel discouraged, it is important to lift your head and remember the gift of that discouragement. It means you are close to finding and receiving, opening, its opposite, which gift may differ for each person.
For me, the legacy that discouragement brings is the companionship of wisdom. With wisdom, we stand ready to create something that is everlasting ... something will lift others on the pathway through life. My purpose is to bring hope through my creative works. For hope really does exist; it just sometimes requires mucking through the mud to find it. :0)
M.B.: What is your writing schedule like?
CINDY: I'm a mother and a wife. I am active in my church. I love the privilege of having all those things in my life. But I'm also intensely creative. For me, if I can't create I can't breathe (or at least it feels that way). I notice I begin to get cranky, almost like a fish whose pores are covered and is dying. Over-scheduling my days suffocates me. When those times happen, and I can't get to writing or to the piano to compose, I then have to find solace in the smile of my child. Creating those "smile minutes"--happy moments of laughter and tickle-fights and fun with my kids--helps me stay balanced until I can get writing or composing again.
I find that I write best in the mornings. And so as long as I stick with an early morning writing schedule, I do much better at actually getting to creating and moving forward.
M.B.: Where do your ideas come from? How do you know the idea is good enough to write a book or a play about it?
CINDY: Wow, that is a great question! It comes in tiny moments for me ... the turn of a phrase I overhear in a restaurant or a picture I see in a magazine. Or a newspaper clipping of a person in an anguished situation. I also love history books and am intrigued by the overlooked UNfamous people. I get to wondering what the individual's life was (or is) like. What were their greatest sorrows? Their greatest joys? It frustrates me that I can't ask that ancient person and so my mind begins to fill in the blanks. And then I want to start writing. Or it might be a concern about something occurring in today's world. That's when my non-fiction writing kicks in.
M.B.: What words of advice do you have for other writers who desire to have their manuscripts become books in print?
CINDY: I think the most startling idea new writers eventually recognize is this: very rarely does a person go from non-writing to six-figure wealth due to writing. And the writer who does succeed in this way has worked very hard. Writing is work. It should stay fun, but it is effort.
Second, new writers would do well to learn from someone like you, Michele, with more than 20 successful books to your name. Successful writers are attracted to the learning of the craft of writing, almost as much as loving the writing itself. Successful writers study to improve and continue their writing output--all at the same time. Seeing books in print is not a hobby. It's a lifetime of joyful labor.
M.B.: What is your process of brainstorming a story? Do you just sit down and write, waiting to see what happens next? Or do you outline first?
CINDY: It depends on whether I'm working on non-fiction or fiction. I love Victoria Lynn Schmidt's approach in her Book in a Month: The Fool-Proof System for Writing a Novel in 30 Days. Using her "Ten Event" technique helps clarify the power of the story, bringing it greater depth and resonance. It also is a simple approach that actually helps writing that dreaded synopsis. :0)
M.B.: Do you ever experience a snag in a story, a form of writer's block? If so, how do you deal with it?
CINDY: For years I'd had a problem with this. Jack Heffron addresses this in his book, The Writer's Idea Workshop: How to Make Your Good Ideas Great. He encourages the writer to look deeper and to see what he or she is dealing with on a personal level that prevents completion of projects. That book is an excellent resource for individuals who get snagged by writer's block.
M.B.: Do you need absolute quiet to write? Do you listen to music when you are writing?
CINDY: Quiet isn't so much the problem for me. I can lose myself in nearly any location. What is a problem for me is the way my mind thinks. I am very good at laser beam creativity. I've always been a bit this way. But my greatest strength is my greatest weakness. I can focus to the exclusion of all else, but it takes me time to sync and sink into that creative place. Once I get there, I could write for 14 hours straight (and have). My creative juices get flowing and the work output is amazing. The flow is good. The emotional resonance and vibe from it all closely arrives at what I'm pleased with. But when there are only little snitches of time here and there, I struggle to write anything that resonates on any level. It seems to fall flat. This, more than anything for me is my greatest challenge. But it's something I'm working with, now that I'm a mom. And I wouldn't trade being a "mommy" for anything. It's worth it.
M.B.: What kinds of inspiration do you use during your story creation periods?
CINDY: I demonstrate and teach a lot of different techniques during my creativity workshops. But one that is my favorite is to research a unique word from the time period I'm writing about. I'll select a singular vocab word of that era (i.e. "coinage"--a term used in 1629) and write a scene with the goal of using that word. It gives the flavor I need and keeps the writing fun. Others teach this technique also. It has a way of opening the creative flow.
M.B.: Who has made the greatest difference for you as a writer?
CINDY: My favorite writer is Shakespeare. While in college I learned that over 600 vocabulary words in use today come from Shakespeare's own inventions. He simply made up words if none existed to express what he wanted. To me, that is the height of creativity and the power of boldness.
M.B.: Do you use a critique group during the writing process? Why or why not?
CINDY: Absolutely. It doesn't matter how many times I've looked at something, there is always something I miss. It could be a grammatical term, a punctuation point (such as accidentally typing two periods at the end of a sentence), or a complete flaw in the timeline of the story. Perhaps it was an artificial emotion. Whatever it might be, I need fresh eyes to help me morph what I'm trying to say into something that actually says what I meant.
I must say, though, critique groups are hard to get used to at first. The most important thing for new writers to remember is that if you are a member of a GOOD critique group, each member of that group will be vying for your success (and you for them). Thus, the comments expressed are there to help the writer achieve quality writing, not to hurt feelings. It is important for the new writer not to personalize critiques meant to help the story. Really, if what you've written is not yet "there", embrace all feedback. Analyze it. Use what works for you. Listen to what has been said with an open mind. Then do what you choose, but remember: it exists to help make your writing better.
M.B.: Any final words you would like to share?
CINDY: I earnestly believe that talents are given to bless the lives of others. We feel joy when we've found those unique purposes and gifts. Those talents renew us as we work within them. For some, those gifts might be found in gardening. The sun on your back, feeling the fresh dirt, smelling the herbs, it all brings joy. Joy is a pretty big indicator of having found your gift, your purpose. On the other hand, if smelling the interior of books, writing in long hand, editing words ... if these are the things that bring joy and satisfaction, these then are a strong indicator of your place in this world. The more you uncover what makes you unique and worthwhile, the more joy you'll find developing those gifts and bettering the world we live in. But I still feel family trumps it all! :0)
M.B.: Where can our readers go to find your works and order them?
CINDY: Thank you, Michele. My website http://csbezas.com/ will include that information. My current book Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers is available at DeseretBook.com at http://deseretbook.com/store/product/4977585. But make sure to bookmark my blog http://csbezas.wordpress.com/ for inspiration on the creativity process and for news about future creativity workshops!