Is Bigger Better?

 

Just received my author copies for my upcoming release, Riptide, yesterday. Actually I received only four of them because they are the True Large Print versions. Not LARGE PRINT, but TRUE large print.  This version is like a trade-sized novel and yes, the words are huge.

Of course, on our e-readers we can adjust the size of fonts to make for easier reading if needed.

So choosing your book is no longer just about about whether or not you prefer to hold the hard copy in your hand, it’s what size of font you prefer. I’ve picked up some mass market books with print so small that even with my glasses it was a strain to read them.

So what’s the consensus out there—bigger is better?

Blessings!

Elizabeth Goddard

 

A Double Standard?

I hesitated to write this, but I thought I’d think alound and ask the question. I think it’s safe to say that for many readers, books aren’t their only form of entertainment. The realm of what we call inspirational or Christian fiction is a rather small circle when compared to the general reading population.

We are quick to point out in a “Christian” book if there’s something that offends us or we don’t like. But we tune into television shows that cross many, many lines.

Take the crime shows for example. They show the grittiness of life. Some of us don’t take much issue with the violence and/or gore. “That’s part of the story,” we say. Characters dropping references with sexual innuendo, hopping in and out of bed with each other. “Oh, that’s part of the story,” we say. Lying for the sake of an investigation or to trick someone. “That’s what cops and investigators do,” we say.

For example, I adore the television show “Castle.” Why? Snappy dialogue, crimes with some good plot twists, the fact that there’s a writer as one of the main characters. However, all of the above have occurred in the story lines of this show. So I guess in a way I’m referring to myself and I’m not comfortable with the observation.

Yet, some of us can be so much harder on Christian writers in what they “show” and “don’t show.”

“You didn’t have that character get redeemed,” we say. Well, in real life, that doesn’t always happen.

“You character did something underhanded to help solve the crime,” we chide the author.

Where do we draw the line of what’s acceptable in “entertainment?”

Or, do we move that line to suit our own tastes or to fit the author or television show? Is all this relative?

I find it ironic that readers–viewers–will watch certain shows and not be offended, yet they will pick up a book and find all types of moral infractions, trivial or no.

Am I mistaken? Does this really happen? Am I the only one who has a double standard?

When We Don’t Get Things Write

Yes, I used the word “write” instead of “right” on purpose. Today during home school, I reviewed the differences between the two words with my youngest son and we worked on writing sentences for each word. While we worked through the correct use of each word, I pondered with another writing issue. A few days ago, I started reading a new book and discovered early on that the author had made a mistake. This isn’t something new and, to tag onto Maureen’s post, it’s part of the writer in me that I can’t turn off.

Except this error wasn’t a typo or anything simple, it was pretty big—an oversight, I’m sure, but still I thought maybe I was the one who was wrong because I couldn’t imagine this author or publisher would have missed this.

I’ve chosen to go with the grace card on this. I mean, we’re only human, right? We can’t be perfect all the time. We can’t get things right, every time, even when writing novels. I’ve made mistakes in my own stories, so I can’t throw any stones.

There is the element of artistic license, as well—when we choose to change the facts up to fit with our stories.

Here’s a question for you—do you feel that writers have any responsibility or obligation to get the story right—it’s fiction, isn’t it? Often writers include a letter to the reader to explain fact versus fiction, but sometimes not.

As readers, what is our responsibility to understand the difference between fact and fiction? How often do we believe the author, trusting that something we read in a novel is truth (beyond the obvious fictional storyline)?

Thoughts?

Blessings!
Elizabeth Goddard

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Let’s make a few lists.

A. I wrote several pages listing everything that I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving. I started with breathing. That’s right. We should be thankful for each and every breath. If you start there when creating your list, you realize the list can go on and on. The list is infinite.

You better understand the scripture:

1. O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His loving kindness is everlasting.1 Chronicles 16:34

Or . . .

2. Psalm 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

God’s love is infinite. It never ceases, therefore our thanksgiving and praise should never cease.

The list of thanksgiving scriptures goes on.

B. Then I also wrote a list of things needing prayer, and things overshadowing my Thanksgiving. Two things that loom darker than the rest are:

1. Israel

2. Black Friday

The two hardly seem to go together, but there it is. There’s nothing more I can do for Israel except pray and prayer is most powerful. (And yes, our  nation needs major prayer too.)

On Black Friday, I have a question for you. I have never been one to brave the chaos on Black Friday, which has now morphed to include Thursdays, too. If you’re one of those brave souls, I assume you’re in it to save hundreds of dollars, otherwise what’s the point?

I’ll share with you that my dear grandmother beat the crowds to the Dollar Store one Black Friday. That’s right—the Dollar Store. Ahem. . .there wasn’t exactly a crowd there either. But picture that in your mind, and I hope it makes you smile.

Back to the topic. Are books ever on your list of items to grab during the chaos? No? Do you ever enter blog contests to win a free copy of an autographed book? They make great Christmas gifts to the book lovers among your friends and family. If you’re not interested in taking the time to comment on blogs for free books, perhaps consider shopping at your local Christian bookstore. If we want to remain thankful for the ability to shop at these stores, we need to support them.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Be Blessed!

Elizabeth Goddard

Lifetime Readers

Maureen mentioned her non-fiction reader friends react somewhat negatively when she brings up a book she just read. Jim mentioned that he’s facing an empty-nest, but the good news is his wife is starting to read novels.

So where do lifetime readers come from?

In one of my previous posts, I talked about receiving a big box of books for my home schooling efforts.  I remember reading somewhere  that home schoolers are driven to produce readers. I know that’s true for me. Unfortunately, I’m in competition with the video gaming world, but the good news is—I think it’s working!

Life has interrupted a few times, and I had to put off reading to them. I wasn’t even sure they enjoyed our reading time, or if they were listening. But apparently all three of them have listened.  My middle son has been spouting off silly metaphors he learned from one of the books.

Imagine my pleasure when my oldest asked when we were going to read again—he really missed that particular story. I was ecstatic, too, that the kids groaned when I finished the chapter because they were anxious to hear what happened next.

Don’t get me wrong, they read a lot on their own, which I anticipate will also produce the desired results—lifetime readers.

If you’re an avid reader, never give up on your efforts to enlighten the non-readers around you.

 

Blessings!

Beth

 

Elizabeth Goddard is the award-winning author of Treacherous Skies, releasing November 27th.

 

 

 

A “Perfect” Book

I’m going to piggyback my post with Beth’s from yesterday. The ACFW awards gala was amazing. It was a special evening to recognize winners in published and  published fiction. The air felt weighty with anticipation: whose work will win the top awards?

This year one book in particular that won the Carol Award for women’s fiction, Dandelion Summer, by Lisa Wingate. What distinguished it this year is that it’s the first book that received a perfect score from all five judges. Perfection.

When they closed the book, I’m wondering what went through their minds. Were they tired, or exhilarated? Did they wipe the tears away? Did certain turns of phrase resonate in their minds, even when they laid the book aside and went about their business?

I had the opportunity to interview Lisa on my online radio show, The Flashlight Reader, on Tuesday evening. She was stunned, thrilled to win, but also equally pleased that her book touched readers.

When I asked her about how she developed the characters for the book, she told me that the elderly male character in the book was based on a very-real character who was involved in the Howard Hughes space program. He’d become a fan of Lisa’s books and one day, while she was away researching, he told her his own story. One of the things he told her was he’d never told his story because he didn’t think it mattered to anyone.

Of course it did. Of course ours do.

His story went on to become the genetics of Lisa’s character. To think if she’d never heard his story or took the time to listen.

We all have stories, maybe none of them perfect. But our own stories can resonate with someone.

What’s the best true–or fictional–story you’ve read lately? Anything “perfect?”

———————–

Lynette Sowell writes fiction for the inspirational market, from contemporary romance to mysteries. She’s always looking for the perfect recipe for a story–or a great dish–and is always up for a Texas road trip. You can listen in to the Flashlight Reader on Monday nights here.

Novel Recommendations by Elizabeth Goddard

I can’t believe I’m the first one to post on this!  I returned from the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Conference on Sunday with an armload of books to read. Usually, I don’t bring too many books back because it’s tough getting them into the luggage for my flight home. But this time I drove to the conference so I could take as many books as I wanted.  One of the fun things about the conference is there are a lot of free books.

Thomas Nelson gave out copies of The River by Michael Neale, and Zondervan shared copies of Falling to Pieces by Vannetta Chapman, for starters.  I came home with many more books that I’m eager to start on but I also purchased a few from the Carol Award Winner’s list, including a book the earned a perfect score in the contest–Dandelion Summer by Lisa Wingate. I also plan to read the finalists, too.

While my TBR (to be read) pile is growing, I’m working hard on getting the books read and loving every minute of it. In case you haven’t seen the list, I’m sharing the 2012 Carol Award Winners here.

Be blessed with some of the best that Christian fiction has to offer.

2012 Carol Award Winners

Debut Novel
Fairer Than Morning by Rosslyn Elliott (Thomas Nelson)

Long Contemporary
The Search by Suzanne Woods Fisher (Revell)

Long Contemporary Romance
My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren (Tyndale)

Long Historical
Fairer Than Morning by Rosslyn Elliott (Thomas Nelson)

Long Historical Romance
To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer (Bethany House Publishers)

Mystery
Falling to Pieces: A Shipshewana Amish Mystery by Vannetta Chapman (Zondervan)

Novella
An Accidental Christmas from A Biltmore Christmas by Diane T. Ashley/Aaron McCarver (Barbour Publishing)

Romantic Suspense
Lonestar Angel by Colleen Coble (Thomas Nelson)

Short Contemporary
Lakeside Reunion by Lisa Jordan (Love Inspired)

Short Contemporary Suspense
Nightwatch by Valerie Hansen (Love Inspired Suspense)

Short Historical
The Deepest Waters by Dan Walsh (Revell)

Speculative Fiction
Broken Sight by Steve Rzasa (Marcher Lord Press)

Suspense/Thriller
Fallen Angel by Major Jeff Struecker/Alton Gansky (B & H Fiction)

Women’s Fiction
Dandelion Summer by Lisa Wingate (Penguin Praise/Berkley)

Young Adult
The Merchant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson (Zondervan)

How Do You Choose a Book? by Elizabeth Goddard

When you visit your local bookstore and browse the books, what are you looking for? What catches your attention—the author’s name, the cover art, or the back of the book blurb that tells you what the story is about.

Then if everything is right—the cover and the blurb intrigue you—do you open the book and read the first few pages to see if you’re hooked?

What about when you browse the books online at Amazon or Barnes and Nobles? Is the cover still important? Do you read the back cover copy and look at the reviews too?

Something new that I’ve been doing is downloading a free sample of the book. Then if I’m hooked by the time the free reading is over, I’ll most definitely buy.

The pressure is even greater now for authors to hook readers within the first few pages.  But there have been many books I’ve greatly enjoyed because I’ve pushed through the slow opening to be rewarded with a spectacular ending.

I’ve asked so many questions in this post because in this changing publishing world I have no answers. I’m curious about the changes in the way we decide what book we will buy.

Thoughts?

What Are You Passionate About? by Elizabeth Goddard

A picture is worth a thousand words. The old adage means that a picture will tell us so much more than we can easily put into words. What is the above image worth?  A thousand words, more or less?

One of my first thoughts when I saw these pictures was  about passion. People busy themselves with what they’re passionate about. They go out of their way.

My niece participated in the Great Texas Balloon Race in Longview, Texas  last week as part of the crew, which meant the family got up in the wee hours of the morning to get there. Depending on responsibilities in the event, someone on the balloon crew might have to get up at 2, 3, or 4 in the morning.

Now that’s passion. But the pictures tell us that the balloonists’ efforts are well worth it.

Writers have to be passionate about what they do because the process is painful, requiring time and sacrifice. Without that burning fire that drives an author, readers wouldn’t have books.

Book lovers are passionate about their books. About reading. We’re committed to reading, even if it means we only get a few minutes a day to read.  But mostly, we love it when we can read a book through to the end. Maybe we read through the night, finishing a novel in the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes, we even re-read the ending to experience the euphoria again.

Or is that just me?

Elizabeth Goddard is the author of OREGON OUTBACK  available  wherever books are sold.

Making a Connection by Elizabeth Goddard

Does point of view or narrative form play a role in your decision to purchase a novel? For instance, some people prefer reading novels that are written in first person over third person. For a while, I was stuck in third person—if I picked up a novel in first person, I would put it down. But I’ve learned to enjoy any narrative form.

Then there are people who prefer stories that are written in only one point of view. Others prefer more than one or two points of view. I enjoy reading stories that have multiple character views and the author reveals the story through their eyes. I love how an author will end a scene with a cliffhanger that’s  in one character’s view, and then I’m left to read through another character’s scene and resulting dilemma before I find out what happened in the last scene. These sorts of twists and turns will keep me on the edge of my seat. Add to that, I’m left to consider how these characters will meet or how their stories will fit together further along in the book.

If the author is skilled, I end up caring about all the characters. I feel connected to them.

I once met someone who would skip over a point of view switch so she could stick with the same character throughout the novel. Imagine!

I’m not sure how she could keep up with the story, considering how much is revealed through multiple characters. But she was an avid reader, so somehow she made this method of reading work for her. I’ve often pondered why she would read this way.  Had she grown comfortable with the character and become unwilling to let go? Perhaps it went much deeper—she connected with the character.

Photographer Michael Adams makes a good point in his article* when he says: “People will pay for connection; it’s what’s missing in their lives.” Though his article is about photography, it applies to everything because he’s right—connection is what’s missing in our lives, which is strange considering how much more we’re connected in this digital age.

Maybe when we read, we’re searching for that missing connection in the characters of novels.

At the end of the day, or ahem, the end of the novel, it’s all about connection and how deeply you connected with the characters. That’s the novel that will stay with you.

What was the last book you read that you felt connected with the characters in a personal way?

* http://digital-photography-school.com/3-things-i-learned-from-a-rock-star-about-the-business-of-portrait-photography#ixzz1zffkUbxC

How Books Change Us by Elizabeth Goddard

Someone once told me that when you read a book you should walk away changed in some way. As a reader, I should expect the book to change me, and as an author, I should write a story that will impact my readers.  As a Christian writer,  I can do my best to develop a theme but most of the time that theme grows as the characters come alive during the writing process. Ultimately,  God is the One who directs much about the story that will change someone. By change I mean creating a positive influence on the way a person thinks or feels about various aspects of life. That could be spiritual or otherwise.

This month the Christians Read team is holding a contest over at The Book Club Network and featuring a huge giveaway. We’re having a great discussion with readers if you’d like to join. Reading through the discussions made me think about the way books can change us. Lots of folks have shared how Christians novels, specifically, have moved them in a variety of ways.

I thought it would be fun to share here which books left me thinking for days, even weeks, after I finished the book. This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, because I’d love to believe that every book I’ve read left me a different person in some way. After all, I’ve spent hours in the story world and have potentially experienced new situations through the eyes of the characters–situations I wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.

It goes without saying that the Bible is the not only the most popular book of all time, but has also had the most impact. For this post I’m referring to novels. These are a few that have impacted me the most. I’m sure many of you will recognize these stories and agree.

1)Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers:  This novel affected me in a profound way by opening my eyes to how much God loves us. Of course, my new understanding isn’t anything I can put into so many words, but it’s there. I’m a different person for having read it.

2)Mark of the Lion series by Francine River: It’s easy to understand why she’s a big author, isn’t it? In this series, I learned so much about the Roman Empire and saw so many things within our own society that reflect that of Rome during this period. Scary.  More importantly, I felt like I had witnessed first-hand how a true Christian should react in all situations. Hadassah serves as an example to me to this day.

3)Arena by Karen Hancock: This novel was an allegory of our Christian walk and revealed so many truths that I hadn’t put much thought into before reading this. I thought about the story, felt something move in me emotionally and spiritually,  for several weeks after reading it.

4) Byzantium by Stephen Lawhead: The incredible journey of a Celtic priest and how he lost his faith in God after too many hardships and found it again. I can’t say enough about how often I was brought to tears, especially at the profoundly written conclusion.

Again, this isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, but maybe this will get you started. Care to share which books have impacted you and why?

I’ve Let 4,000 People Borrow Your Book!

Do you let people borrow your favorite books? I used to.

If I loved a book, I had to share it with others. So I’d lend it, hoping they’d get the same rush from the story as I did.

But things have changed. Now that I’m an author, my perspective is different. (Funny how that works.)

My guess is most of us authors on this blog have had a reader come up to them and say, “I absolutely loved your book! I’ve passed it around to at least a dozen people!” We smile and say thank you and sincerely mean it, but if we’re honest, there’s a tiny spot inside that says, “I wish a few of your twelve friends could have skipped two trips to Starbucks and bought a copy.”

Not so we can get rich. But make a living? Yes. There’s this dream most authors carry of not having to work another job. Of writing full-time. And when we’re making eighty cents to a $1 per every book we sell, yeah, we’d love it if there’d be less passing and more buying.

But now I’m going to contraindicate myself and tell you to pass our books around as much as you want. Why? Because there will always be the library reader who hasn’t stepped into a Barnes and Noble in ten years, and the borrower who reads a book and never needs to see it on his shelf, but on the other hand there will also always be the reader who must own their own copy of a favorite book—be it in paper form or e-reader form.

And the best way to tell those people about our novels is to have you hand them a copy of one of our books. So pass on, we appreciate it greatly.

Talk to us. Are you a buyer or a borrower? A library connoisseur? Do you lend your books out? Are there some books you’ll rarely lend out because you might not get them back?

CHRISTIANS READ MEGA CONTEST AT THE BOOK CLUB NETWORK

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Christians Read has teamed up with The Book Club Network for a special contest.  Details follow!
June 19-21

Enter the contest atThe Book Club Network HERE.

Contest runs for the month of June.  Be sure to enter–otherwise, you can’t win!

And please join us on FACEBOOK  and Twitter!

Blessings,

All the Christians Read Authors

The Best Job in the World by Elizabeth Goddard

In my writing career I’ve always juggled several deadlines at the same time. Sometimes writing more than one book at a time has been overwhelming. There are days when I wish I had a week without a deadline niggling at the back of my mind. Other days, like today, I remind myself I have the best job in the world.

I get to dream all day long.

So, today I’m praising God that He’s blessed me with this dream to write books in the first place, and He’s made that dream come true. In a way, you could say I get to live my life vicariously through my characters. Whatever I have an interest in knowing more about, or perhaps even doing but I’m unable to do, I can create characters to do these things for me.

My husband often tells me I live in another world. That’s a huge exaggeration, of course. Maybe I have one foot in each world—my story world and my real world. But that’s not so different than anyone who has a job.

Regardless, creating characters and conflict and the setting of my choice allows me to use my imagination and travel to new places without leaving my home.  This is the best job in the world.

What would your favorite job be?

What are other interesting jobs you would love to read about in a novel?

Elizabeth Goddard is the award-winning author of Oregon Outback, a four-in-one novella collection releasing from Barbour in July.  Beth has a lot of fun in this one, living life through her characters.

Books to Movies by Elizabeth Goddard

Summer is blockbuster movie season and my family is looking forward to having something to do that keeps us out of the hot Texas sun. Plus, we’re movie buffs, owning almost as many DVDs a we do books.

Reading Jim Rubart’s post about movies in heaven, and then Mareen Lang’s about the nearly thousand page novel she tackled got me thinking about books made into movies.  One of my all-time favorite books, PILLARS OF THE EARTH by Ken Follett, is nearly a thousand words. I’ve read it twice. But that particular book should never have been made into a movie.

When I learned the book had been made into a mini-series I was ecstatic and at the same time questioned how movie-makers could depict a story spanning thirty-five years. Unfortunately, I can’t say enough about how completely disastrous the mini-series was. In fact, I shared the book with a friend and she refused to read it because she’d tried to watch the mini-series and it was terrible.

Having your book made into a flop of a movie has to be a writer’s worst nightmare. But where does the fault lay? The screenwriters who adapted the book for a movie? The director?

In the end, are there some books that should never be made into movies?

The relationship between a book and movie is story, obviously.  I wasn’t able to discover any sort of statistic on what percentage of books are made into movies, but as you can imagine, the list is extensive and includes the classics, both popular and obscure books, those simply based off the novel,  and even the reverse where a movie is turned into a book—the novelization of a movie.

Every article I read pointed to the IMDB (Internet Movie Database) as the movie authority. You can check there to see if a book has been made into a movie.  Goodreads lists over two thousand pages containing fifty books each of popular books made into movies. In this case, that includes the classics as well as newer books.

Here’s a pretty extensive list of books to movies: http://www.ocl.net/bookinfo/if/movies.shtml

I’ve never heard anyone say that the movie was better than the book, have you?

Do you think there are some books that shouldn’t be made into movies?

Elizabeth Goddard is the award-winning author of more than a dozen novels, including the romantic mystery, The Camera Never Lies—a 2011 Carol Award winner. Oregon Outback releases in July 2012.