2012 Releases: January – April
Here are the books my clients have released in the first four months of 2012. (Lots more coming in May!)
Man on the Run: Helping Hyper-Hobbied Men Recognize the Best Things in Life
by Zeke Pipher
(Howard/Simon & Schuster)
Publishers Weekly: Both an outdoorsman and writer as well as pastor of the Heartland Evangelical Free Church in Nebraska, Pipher notes, “As a pastor, I spend several hours a week counseling pursuit-driven, ambitious men” in need of strategies to form healthy relationships. Reflecting on a period when he had 34 hobbies, Pipher observes that while many “hyper-hobbied” men are motivated by a desire for adventure, a need for challenge, and an inability to suffer a dull moment, a surfeit of activity leads these men to neglect those who are close to them. He examines issues and ideas he’s learned from personal experiences and those of his family, friends, and others. Pipher’s optimistic, up-tempo essays encompass a wide range of subjects: ambition, community, competition, depression, fatherhood, friendship, loneliness, loyalty, marriage, shame, and strength of character. His flair for motivational writing peaks in the final chapter when he outlines how active, hard-charging men are driven by dream images of the future they desire. “Dreaming is easy,” Pipher writes. “The challenge is choosing the best dreams.”
Sweeter than Birdsong
by Rosslyn Elliott
(Thomas Nelson)
Publishers Weekly: Kate Winter’s dream of being one of the first women to graduate from Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio, in 1855, is shattered when her fear of public speaking wreaks havoc. But even more than graduating, she dreams of fleeing the hidden brokenness of her family and starting anew. As she makes plans, Kate is drawn to fellow student and songwriter Ben Hanby, whose musicale offers her a chance to escape, but also opens her heart to a future she couldn’t foresee. The pair becomes embroiled in a daring slave rescue which not only brings them together but reveals to Kate the evils of slavery and the work of the Underground Railroad. Author Elliot (Fairer than Morning) creates a pleasing blend of fact and fiction in this second installment in the Saddler’s Legacy series. Hanby is best known for his song “Up on the Housetop,” and slave rescuer John Parker is a real figure large enough to seem legend. Readers will appreciate the well-told tale as well as its historical basis.
Always the Designer, Never the Bride
by Sandra D. Bricker
(Abingdon Press)
Library Journal: Clothing designer Audrey’s greatest accomplishment so far is designing nine of her friends’ wedding dresses. She has just vowed never to do it again when her best friend, Carly, asks her to come home to Atlanta and design hers. Feeling trapped, Audrey obliges, but the wedding preparations have her wondering whether she will ever be a bride herself. But when Audrey meets J.R., the groom’s tattooed, Harley-riding brother and best man, it seems she just might be designing a wedding gown of her own in the not-too-distant future. VERDICT Bricker’s quaint contemporary refreshingly lacks the preachy tone of so many Christian romances. Audrey is a three-dimensional character dealing with real issues (like struggling to pay bills), and the chemistry between the two protagonists is believable. This third humor-filled series entry (Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride; Always the Baker, Never the Bride) should appeal to readers who enjoy Melody Carson.
Stars in Her Eyes
by Erica Vetsch
(Barbour/Heartsong Presents)
Should he marry to please his church or follow his heart? Pastor Silas Hamilton has always been of the opinion that when he meets the woman God intends for him to marry, he’ll know her immediately. And so far, she hasn’t appeared.
But when he rescues a young woman from a near-fall into the river, he feels that mysterious connection he’s been waiting for. It isn’t until later, when he attends a play at the newly opened theater in town that he realizes his dreams have been caught up in the lovely Willow Starr—an actress bound for the bright lights of New York City.
Can a pastor love an actress? Certainly — but only if she’s willing to abandon the stage for the life of a pastor’s wife.
Her Restless Heart
by Barbara Cameron
(Abingdon Press)
Mary Katherine is caught between the traditions of her faith and the pull of a different life. When Daniel, an Amish man living in Florida, arrives and shares her restlessness, Mary Katherine feels drawn to him and curious about the life he leads away from Lancaster County. But her longtime friend Jacob has been in love with her for years. He’s discouraged that she’s never viewed him as anything but a friend and despairs that he is about to lose Mary Katherine to this outsider.
Will the conflicted Mary Katherine be lost to the Englisch world—or will she embrace her Amish faith and recognize Jacob as the man she should marry and build a life with?
April Book Club Selection: The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan
Grace Winter, 22, is both a newlywed and a widow. She is also on trial for her life. In the summer of 1914, the elegant ocean liner carrying her and her husband Henry across the Atlantic suffers a mysterious explosion. Setting aside his own safety, Henry secures Grace a place in a lifeboat, which the [...]
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Friday Fun: Downton Sixbey Episode 1
My apologies if you’re (a) not a Downton Abbey fan; (b) not into funny YouTube videos; or (c) lacking a sense of humor. I got a kick out of the latest Downton spoof from the Jimmy Fallon show. Let’s look at it as a course in humor writing! Enjoy, and have a good weekend.
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Are You Responsible For What Your Characters Say?
Guest Blogger: Mike Duran Writers love to go on about the autonomy of their characters. You know, these make-believe people who start acting in unexpected ways and change the course of their story. Well, it’s a buncha bunk. Several years ago, Director Ron Howard found himself in the crosshairs of controversy, not because of something [...]
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How to Cut Thousands of Words Without Shedding a Tear
Strategies for Writers, part 3 of 3 Is your book too long? Does it feel a bit wordy, perhaps slightly bloated? Or . . . does it feel perfect but it’s a little high in word count? There comes a time in every writer’s life when they need to reduce their word count. Ack! Not my [...]
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Writing Methods: Have it Your Way
Strategies for Writers, Part 2 of 3 Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us, all we ask is that you let us… serve it your way. If you were born much later than, say, 1970, then you may have missed that tasty morsel of a Burger King commercial. But for the [...]
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Train Your Muse Like You Train a Puppy
Strategies for Writers – Part 1 of 3 One of the difficult things about being a writer is having those days when you’re lacking inspiration, the words aren’t flowing, and you feel stuck. Pile enough days like that on top of one another and pretty soon you have the dreaded writer’s block. Ugh. But that never [...]
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What Makes the Writing Life Hard?
What’s the most difficult thing about being a writer? Leave your answer in the comments so we can all commiserate together. (I like hearing how things are for those on the other side of the desk—hopefully it helps me take better care of my clients!) Have a good weekend…
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Are You a Craft Junkie?
Guest Blogger: Jillian Kent Craft. Are you familiar with it? I’m not talking scrap-booking here. I’m talking about the craft of writing, and I’m going to come right out and say it: I can’t stop buying books on the craft of writing. I want to learn how to be the best writer I can possibly [...]
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Today’s Publishing Landscape: What Do You See?
Every once in a while I have to stop my work, look up from my computer, and take a good long look around me. What does the publishing landscape look like from one agent’s perspective? Here are a few things I see: ♦ I see a higher level of stress surrounding publishing than I’ve ever [...]
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Beware the Perils of Social Media
We’ve all heard stories of people who’ve messed up relationships or jobs by making silly mistakes on Facebook or Twitter. You know, the ones who get fired because pictures of them partying in Cabo show up on Facebook the same day they call in sick. Or the ones who change their relationship status prior to informing [...]
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Are You in this for the Long Haul?
I have a lot of conversations with clients about their writing careers. Usually they say to me, “I want to be in this for the long haul.” It’s given me the opportunity to have some great discussions about what helps a writer accomplish this goal – and what can sabotage their efforts. It’s an important [...]
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New Book Club Selection!
Far From Here by Nicole Baart A She Reads Selection ~BOOK GIVEAWAY! SEE BELOW.~ “Pulsing with passion and saturated with lush language, Baart’s latest will leave an indelible mark.” ~Publishers Weekly “Nicole Baart is a huge talent who has both a big voice and something meaningful to say with it. Far From Here is a [...]
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Being Authentic While Protecting Privacy
Guest Blogger: Susan DiMickele As a non-fiction author, I tend to air my dirty laundry. After all, it’s my choice whether or not to share personal information with the public, isn’t it? Enter my husband. Does the spouse of an extrovert writer have a say in what gets published? I happen to be married to [...]
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If you're new to publishing, please start here: How To Get Published.
You may also want to watch this 14-minute video: Advice for New Authors.
My Twitter name is @RachelleGardner.
My passion is partnering with authors to bring worthwhile books to publication. I started this blog as a way to create a community of writers, both published and seeking publication. I write about a wide variety of topics of interest to writers, and I consider the reader comments even more important than my own posts.
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