Writer's Life: Candice Sue Patterson

Welcome to another edition of Writer's Life, my interview series with authors of inspirational romance. Today I have the pleasure of hosting Candice Sue Patterson! Candice and I met online through ACFW, and I'm so happy to have her here! She has two beautiful Christmas novellas published through White Rose Press (Pelican Book Group), and she's graciously giving away a copy of her Christmas novella, Silver White Winters. Enter the contest below!

Let's get to it!

1. What about writing makes your heart sing?

Writing is therapeutic for me. I’m an emotional person, I feel deeply, and writing is an outlet for all that craziness. I love creating three-dimensional characters who face real issues and learn lasting lessons. One thing about writing that surprises me the most is that I learn something through the story, whether it’s realizing that I’m struggling with the same hurdle as the characters or discovering something about myself I never knew before. God truly speaks to me through my writing.

2.  What is the biggest hurdle you’re facing right now as a writer?

Knowing what direction to take next. Do I continue to stay at home and write full-time, or work a part-time job now that our youngest is reaching school age? Things like that. I’m also seeking an agent right now, which takes patience. Something I’m not great at.  

3. What do you do to fill your creative well?

I read! Inspirational romance is my favorite genre, but I also read historical fiction and non-fiction, biographies, and non-fiction on subjects I’ve always wanted to learn about. This sparks ideas for new stories and causes me to reflect on my own life.

4. What are you working on now?

I’m currently seeking a publisher for a novel I’ve been writing over the last two years set in coastal Maine. In the meantime, I’m working on the first draft of the next novel in the series.

***

Thank you so much for being my guest today, Candice! I completely understand about not knowing which direction to take. I reviewed all my options several times over the years. I hope you find your path soon! And I love that you grow with your stories. I do too. I'm often surprised by the spiritual applications that pop up!

***

About Candace ~

Candice Sue Patterson studied at the Institute of Children’s Literature and is an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons in a restored farmhouse overtaken by books. When she’s not tending to her chickens, splitting wood, or decorating cakes, she’s working on a new story. Candice writes contemporary romance with threads of nostalgia. Her debut novella Bright Copper Kettles is available now. Connect with Candice on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

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Click on the book above to purchase through Pelican Book Group! Other merchants linked below.

Silver White Winters ~

She thought she had it all. Until she discovered the treasures in the snow. 

          Country music singer/songwriter Raelynn Rivers is a has-been. According to the latest gossip magazines, that is. Her last number-one hit was six years ago, and her songwriting ability has vanished. Her foundering career is all she has left, and she’s determined to once again hold the title of “Country Music Queen.” But Raelynn’s dreams are derailed when a coal mine collapses in her home town of Eve Hollow, West Virginia, trapping her daddy and brother inside.

            The man in charge of the mine rescue is Lane Ryan, her childhood best friend and the former fiancé she abandoned twelve years ago for her career. In the snow-covered mountains of Appalachia, Raelynn reconnects with family and rediscovers her musical abilities—and her faith. And no one has inspired her more than Lane. She’s finally ready for a relationship, but the secret Lane carries around is as big as Coal Mountain.

            Will Raelynn sacrifice her title, or say goodbye to Lane forever? 

Available Now!!

Purchase through Barnes & Noble
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***

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Have you read any Christmas books or watched any movies yet?

Have a wonderful day!! 

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My Post-Conference Routine

Last week I had the pleasure of spending five days surrounded by other Christian writers. To say I enjoyed ACFW's annual conference would be an understatement! All good things do end, though, and my post-conference duties kick in.

Once home, I jot a quick list of must-not-forgets. Then I plan for as much of a quiet day as I can. This year, I had a full day of rest after coming home, but it's not always possible!

 

My Post Conference Routine

 

a. Compose important business e-mails

This one is pretty self-explanatory!

b. Upload and tag pictures to Facebook while everyone's names are still fresh, also add new contacts to my social networks

I know this probably seems self-indulgent, but all of those lovely friendship seeds won't sprout if we don't water them. Adding pictures, leaving messages, and just reaching out to our friends is important. Do it while you're still excited!

 

c. Unpack conference materials and stack them in my office to deal with later

I'm usually too excited about returning to a manuscript to review and file my workshop notes, so I keep it all in my office until I'm ready to deal with them.

d. Nap

Conferences are so much fun--but they're also exhausting. I rarely sleep enough or well. Add to that the extra energy of meeting new people, trying to get to appointments on time, finding the right room for the workshop, and making sure I look presentable--well, it adds up to me being super tired! Frequent naps are a must when I come home.

e. Drink extra water

I've yet to attend a conference where the air didn't suck the moisture from my body. I drank extra water during my stay, but I still feel parched.

f. Create a game plan for the next week or month

Chances are I have ideas for a new book, plans for my current work-in-progress, tweaks to make to a requested proposal or manuscript, and any number of other tasks banging on the door for my attention. I can't do everything at once, so I spend time prioritizing and planning.

g. Thank everyone who made my conference extra special.

Some people go out of there way to make me feel special. I appreciate them and want them to know it.

***

Thank you for keeping me in your prayers! Thank you also for the well-wishes with the Genesis Contest. I didn't win, but I felt like a winner just for being there!

What does your post-conference routine look like?

Have a fantastic day!

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Smile--It's September!

September? I love it! Love it!!

Every September represents a new beginning for me. The kids go back to school, the hot, humid days grow cooler, and visions of new projects, fall colors, cozy sweaters, and hot tea come to mind.

I already cleaned off my desk, organized my office, and emptied my bulletin board. Like I said, September is all about renewal in my world!

All month this song runs through my head. It's a goodie!



When Earth, Wind & Fire start playing, I feel like dancing! Oh, yeah!

We're celebrating a few birthdays this month (including mine, gulp!). I'll be shuttling my kids to sports events every weekend. College football pre-shows dominate Saturday mornings in anticipation of the afternoon games. And I love it!

Apples will be picked. Roasts will slow cook. Shorts will be packed away.

The thing I'm looking forward to most this September, though, is heading to ACFW's annual conference. It's the only time I see the majority of my writer friends, and I plan on smooshing every bit of fun into the four days as possible. Yes, I'll take lots of pictures. When I get back, I'll share my embarrassing moments--they're inevitable in my world--and anything else you might be interested in.

How do you feel about September? Love it? Hate it? Why?

Have a wonderful day!

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Conferences: Lonely and Overwhelmed?

You walk into the lobby and already see groups of writers hugging and laughing. A part of you thinks, Great, everyone is friendly! but the other part worries, I'm not part of the group. Will I be alone the entire conference?

On Monday I shared my best conference tip for those going to ACFW, and the comments hit close to my heart. Conferences can seem like the first day of high school. It's easy to feel lonely and overwhelmed.

Let me assure you: You Are Not Alone!! Trust me on this! Not everyone has friends at the conference. Not everyone is having the time of her life.

Conferences can bring out the insecure in anybody. You see the laughter. The hugging. The "You have to meet so-and-so." And if you aren't the one laughing, being hugged and introduced to others, you can feel very alone.

Just when you're starting to feel comfortable, you'll realize it's time to pitch. Many writers get enthusiastic, "send me the full" requests, but other writers get gentle criticism instead. Guess what? It then gets worse! You hear all the excited writers gush over how so-and-so wants to see their full or how this author introduced them to that editor. Your heart shrivels inside. It's at this point, the whole conference becomes overwhelming.

You may wish you were home. You may wonder why you even try. Did you waste your money? Why do you spend so much of your energy doing something everyone seems destined to succeed at but you? There will be tears. You'll wish there was booze. But...

You Are Not Alone.

You're not. And I'm going to tell you something else--God has this. He has it.

You may think you went to conference to land that agent, but God really led you there to smile at the person in line behind you, to get over your fear of flying, to build inner strength about rejection, to break you down so you will lean on Him, to you-fill-in-the-blank.

Yeah, you feel lousy. You're not seeing anything but FAILURE in flashing lights. There's a prayer room for a reason. Go in there. Pray. Chances are, some kind writer will be in there with a shoulder to lean on.

Last year--and I'm talking all of 2012 from beginning to end--was difficult for me. On every level. I desperately wanted to go to ACFW's annual conference to meet all of the friends I'd made over the years and to pitch in person. My expectations were high. While I loved meeting friends (and met many new ones!), the conference itself challenged me, the same way life in general challenged me.

At one point I skipped a workshop, bought a coffee, sat alone in the lobby, called my husband and, with tears in my eyes, said, "I just wish I was home."

Me!! The girl who loves being around writers, who adores conferences, who has been blessed with a supportive agent and caring friends.

Yes, anyone can feel lonely and overwhelmed at a conference.

So how can we deal with this?

1. Lean on God. Pray. Know you're entering a potentially overwhelming situation and ask for His strength to get you through.

2. Be friendly, especially to those who seem new, confused, shy, or upset. God may not be calling you to meet your dream agent--He may be calling you to put your arm around someone who is struggling.

3. If you have a roomie or a trusted friend, meet up with her and discuss your feelings. Just having someone who will hug you or listen to you is a huge blessing. Jessica Patch and Cynthia Herron helped me get through a difficult hour last year. I'll always be grateful. (If you don't know anyone at conference, please contact me! I'd love to meet you! And if you get to conference and are struggling, I would love to be that ear for you.)

4. Get out of your room. Yes, it's tempting to hide away in the room when you're feeling overwhelmed, but get out. Get a coffee or a soda and get your buns to a workshop or a common space. Chances are you'll run into someone friendly who will lift your spirits. You'll just feel worse in your room!

5. Stay connected with your loved ones. You might feel isolated at conference, but a text message or phone call to your mom, spouse, child, or best friend will ground you.

Conferences can be exciting, but they can also be overwhelming. Please e-mail me at jill(at)jillkemerer.com if you're going to ACFW! I'd love to meet you!

Have you ever had a less-than-wonderful conference experience? Are you nervous about going to a big writer's conference?

Have a fabulous Wednesday!

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My Best ACFW Conference Tip

Every September hundreds of Christian fiction writers gather together to bond, learn, pitch projects, and worship together at ACFW's annual conference.

R-L: Cynthia Herron, Jessica Patch, Me, Ruth Douthitt, Lindsay Harrel, Michelle Masarro, Gabrielle Meyer, Keli Gwyn, and April Gardner

Attending a conference is a big decision. Many writers are introverts, and the thought of conversing with so many people stresses them out. Others wonder if their manuscripts are ready for agents or editors. Some face travel concerns or family issues that make going to conference daunting. For everyone, the cost is a factor. Going to a conference isn't cheap!

R-L: Julie Jarnigin, Susan Crawford, and guest

But if you've made the decision to go, I have a tip for you. It's not just any tip. It's my best tip.

Before I share it with you, I'm going to be very honest. This tip does not come naturally to me, and I have to remind myself of it often. I've been to various conferences, and sometimes I've left this tip at home and later wished I hadn't.

R-L: Melissa Jaegers, Gina Conroy, and me

Here it is, my best ACFW Conference tip.

Pray for God's will to be done, not yours.

See, I had the wrong idea when I started writing. I thought if I worked hard enough, studied enough, built my platform, continued to write daily, got an agent, went to a conference and pitched my story, and you-fill-in-the-blank--I would, of course, be published!

R-L: Amy Leigh Simpson, Katie Ganshert, Gabrielle Meyer, Cynthia Herron, and Sarah Forgrave

My mind-set would naturally focus on "doing things right" at conference. Practicing my pitch. Being engaging. Having a fabulous one-sheet. Not making a fool of myself.

Me and Jessica Patch--prepare yourself, lady! (You, too, Cindy H.!!)

But God doesn't need my help. I'm not saying working hard and preparing and persevering aren't important--they are!! It's just, too often I've put my fate in MY hands. Then I would be miserable when my perfect pitch fell flat, an editor barely glanced at the one-sheet, or I talked too much and made a fool of myself.

Two of my favorite ladies! Lindsay Harrel (top) and Melissa Tagg (bottom)!

We all have different writing journeys, and when I first started writing I was under the delusion whoever was published first was best. It's not true.

God has it worked out. My job is to show up, do the work, and leave it in His hands.

Still wish I could convince this lady, Wendy P. Miller, to come!

This year at ACFW, I plan on looking for God-opportunities that in the past I may have overlooked by being too focused on my own agenda. I will still talk too much. I will still be nervous pitching. And editors will barely glance at my one-sheet (I'm convinced they could care less about these papers!). But I'll pray each day for the good Lord to show me where to go, what to do, who to speak with, and when to rest.

God, Your will be done. Not mine.

Are you going to ACFW this year? Is there anything I can pray about on your behalf?

Have a wonderful day!

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Contest Emotions

As many of you know, the finalists of the RITA and Golden Heart awards were announced last week. Romance Writers of America awards the RITA for excellent published books and the Golden Heart for excellent unpublished books. They're both prestigious and highly coveted awards.



I didn't enter the Golden Heart this year. I simply had nothing ready. So when I scanned the list of finalists, I clapped in delight for a name I recognized, Keli Gwyn. Keli's been finaling and winning the contest circuit all winter for her book, Violets and Violins, and she also recently landed Rachelle Gardner of WordServe Literary as her agent. For those of you familiar with Keli's blog Romance Writers on the Journey and her personal blog, Keli Gwyn, you'll understand why I couldn't stop smiling at her exciting news. Keli's just a generous, fantastic person!

When I congratulated her via a direct message on Twitter, she humbly sympathized with all who didn't final. Her response provoked my thoughts all day. I hadn't even considered those who'd entered and didn't final, and here she was aching over their disappointment. Have I mentioned her generosity? Yes?

Well, I'll follow it up with class. She has class.

Contests emotionally open up a thirty-gallon vat of worms. On the one hand, we desperately want to final. Are we being selfish or arrogant? I don't think so. Some of us desire feedback from judges, and others crave validation. A contest final means someone loved our writing. Who doesn't want that? It can also pave the way for an agent to take a chance on us or for our manuscript to get into our dream editor's hands.

But what if we don't final? Oh, the crushing disappointment! It hurts. Feedback from judges on non-winning entries can slice us to the bone. And validation? It's difficult to feel validated when you have no chance of winning, not to mention, the manuscript didn't land in your dream editor's hands.

Here's the final blow. Your friends may have finaled. Your critique partner may have entered the same contest and finaled, while your entry sailed home to you.

Your response may confuse you. Maybe you're genuinely happy for your friends, but you're a bit envious too. Maybe you're slightly bitter, what do they have that I don't? Or maybe an uglier emotion rears its head--spite. You think you deserved it and no one else did.

The best way to deal with contest emotions is with a dose of humility. If you've finaled, take Keli's example and remember the feelings of your competitors, but by all means, celebrate! If you haven't, try to put the experience in perspective and not spiral into the ugly emotions of envy, bitterness, and spite. They'll only make you feel worse.

In a few months, American Christian Fiction Writers will announce the finalists for the Genesis contest, similar to the Golden Heart. I know many of you entered. I submitted an entry to the Genesis contest and my critique partners did too. While it would be fabulous if we all made it to the final round, I'm realistic that it probably won't work out that way.

Handling disappointment becomes easier when we remind ourselves that whatever the outcome, God has a wonderful plan for us. We took a big risk--dreamt big!--and we should congratulate ourselves on taking a chance.

Have you been disappointed by a contest result? Have any of your friends won a
contest you entered? And did you enter any contests this year?

Join me on Wednesday for sickeningly sweet photos of my furry writing partners!

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Writing Organizations

Writing organizations: useful or useless?

100% useful!


Photo by mukluk

I love the organizations I belong to: Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers. Both offer tremendous resources for any writer. Each has a website filled with fantastic information for their members. There are online critique groups, writer loops, and they also have local chapters if you're lucky enough to live near one. Each hosts a national conference for members and sponsors prestigious writing contests for unpublished and published authors.

RWA also publishes a monthly magazine, Romance Writers Report, packed with helpful articles.

I've been blessed to live within driving distance to the local RWA chapter, Maumee Valley Romance Writers of America. You wouldn't believe the information about the publishing industry and writing in general that I've learned from other members. It's a boon to discuss queries and realize nailing the book's genre really is important. Or to attend a meeting and learn tips on a variety of topics like networking, writing the dreaded synopsis, promotion, and so forth. These reasons alone make it worthwhile.

I also appreciate the availability of a variety of affordable online workshops given by other RWA chapters. Many chapters host contests, and some even host small conferences.

However, what I most love about MVRWA is also what I love about blogging. I've made wonderful friends. Friends who understand the ups and downs of writing. Friends who support me whether I have good news or bad. Friends who share what they've learned, not because they have to, but because they're kind.

If a writing organization has a local chapter near you, give it a try. You don't have to write romance to belong to RWA.

I also wanted to welcome and thank all of the new followers. I'm looking forward to hearing your comments!

Join me on Friday when we'll discuss staying on top of industry news.

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August Topic: Believe in Yourself

The last hurrah of summer--August! I know many of you will be attending ACFW's conference in September, and I wanted to encourage you as you prepare. After my experience at RWA National Conference, I can guess what many of you are feeling in the days leading up to such an exciting event.



Please take a few moments each day this month to believe in yourself. It doesn't matter if you're writing your first book or have completed your tenth--you're a writer and that's enough. Do not feel inadequate if you aren't published yet. Do not pin every hope on your current manuscript. And do not wish you were further on your journey. You are exactly where you need to be right now.

If you're attending next month's conference, relax. Soon, you'll be out of your cocoon, surrounded by talented writers, and it will be an absolute rush. But it might also prove intimidating for anyone not published. Don't worry and don't compare. No one will think less of you if you aren't published. And if you are published? Please take time out of your busy schedule to encourage a few writers who aren't. They'll remember you forever.

If you aren't attending next month's conference, relax. Maybe you desperately wanted to go but couldn't afford it. Or maybe you've never heard of it and could care less. Either way, you're blessed with time at home to focus on your current project. When it's the right time for you to go, you will.
So join me as I share practical tips on keeping your confidence level high this month. No matter what step you are on in your journey, you should feel elated. You're in the game. That's all that matters.

Happy Writing!

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