Caller ID by Rachelle Christensen

From the back cover:

When twenty-three-year-old Courtney Beckham, the privileged daughter of a highly successful land developer, is abducted in the mountains near her home, FBI Agent Jason Edwards investigates the ten-million-dollar ransom and turns up more than just a kidnapping crime.


And when Courtney catches a glimpse of the caller ID in her kidnapper’s home, what she sees sends ice through her veins. Even if she escapes her captors, something much more dangerous lies ahead.


From the author who brought you Wrong Number comes another story featuring Agent Jason Edwards that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

You can learn more about Rachelle Christensen here.

Here's a link to the calendar to follow the blog tour.

To celebrate the release of CALLER ID, Rachelle is hosting a contest for a new Ultra Flip Video Camcorder (4GB memory, Records 120 minutes Value $149.99) and other great prizes. You can enter to win between now and April 14, 2012. Winners will be announced and notified April 16, 2012.  For how to enter, click here.

Join the Book Bomb effort taking place Thursday, March 22nd. Click here for details.

You can purchase Caller ID here.

Using an Open Mind to Motivate Characters

I can’t count the number of times I’ve been watching a movie with my wife when a character does something that doesn’t make sense and she’ll say, “Why did he do that?”

Since I’m a wise guy, I’ll usually respond with something like, “Because it's in the script.” But what I’m really saying is, “I agree—the writer really didn’t set up that character’s motivation very well.”

But what exactly is motivation, and how do you use it as a writer?

Motivation is the internal force that drives a character to action. Steven Levitt, economist and co-author of the book Freakonomics, said, “If you can figure out what people’s incentives are, there’s a good chance you can figure out how they’re going to behave.”

Sometimes it's easy to understand someone's motivations. We've spent our whole lives watching other people, and consciously or not, we've picked up quite a bit of insights into the motivations of others. As a result, we usually know when a character's behavior is consistent with their motivation.

Sometimes, though, it takes effort to understand what’s motivating someone else. How often do we say or think the words, “I just don’t understand how anyone could possibly…” and then fill in the blank?

It's not always easy putting yourself in the mind of someone who is very different from yourself. But if you can do it, the rewards are tremendous.

There is a technique used by actors called Method Acting that can provide some help in this area. From Wikipedia:

“In [Method Acting] the actor analyzes deeply the motivations and emotions of the character in order to personify him or her with psychological realism and emotional authenticity.” Here are those words again—realism and authenticity. You’ve got to understand your character; in a way, let a small part of yourself become that character, so that their motivations and emotions ring true as you write them.

“Using the Method, the actor also recalls emotions or reactions from his or her own life and uses them to identify with the character being portrayed.”

This is easy to do when our characters are like us. In Bumpy Landings, Jordan MacDonald needs to confront his insecurities and stand up for himself, an experience that I shared and understand very well.

But what about characters who do things we haven’t—who do things we don’t believe we could ever do? The man who robs a liquor store; the woman who fakes a terminal illness; the teen who murders his parents—how do we begin to understand their motivation?

Let’s take the first one. Have you ever been so worried about finances that you did something you later regretted? Maybe nothing as big as robbing a store; maybe it was simply taking out a payday loan or selling a treasured family heirloom. But something that at the time seemed like a good idea, and in hindsight turned out to be a mistake.

That’s the kind of experience you can draw on. Plant it in your mind, nourish it with your imagination, and let it grow into an understanding of how someone might make a bigger mistake; an understanding of what it would take for a person to reach that life-altering decision.

In a recent interview, actress Thandie Newton said, “One of the special things about the creative world is that you can turn your discomfort into empathy. You explore the lives of other people and different modes of thinking, and that opens you up.”

For me, this open-minded empathy is one of the greatest joys brought about by writing.

How do you make money as a writer?

                                                                  by Trina Boice
                                                               www.trinaboice.com

Have you discovered Steve Harrison yet?  He's awesome.  I've been listening to his teleseminars for over a year now and am so impressed with the great quality content he shares for free.

Are you where you want to be as an author, speaker or expert in your field?
Are you getting as much publicity as you should?
Are you selling as many books as you should?
Are you getting the recognition you deserve as one of the top experts in your field?
Are you making the level of income you should?
Are you having the impact on others you should?
Are you hearing from lots of people about how your work has changed their lives for the better?

If not, let Steve Harrison, show you some faster -- often MUCH faster -- ways to get where you want to be.
Join Steve on Wednesday, March 21st for a free webinar (or telephone seminar) on which he’ll be revealing
'Fast Track Promotion Strategies for Authors, Speakers and Experts.'

 https://m164.infusionsoft.com/go/QL15FT/A12889      You can register with this link


Here's just some of what you’ll discover on Wednesday:
* A proven way to land speaking engagements much more quickly. Steve used this strategy to speak to over 1,000 people at a conference with Brian Tracy.
* A key strategy the author of 'Skinny Bitch' used to make her book a New York Times Best Seller with over
2 million copies in print.
* What to write in your subject header when emailing the media. Steve will reveal a 'magic phrase' which got a producer from the Today Show to call a few hours later wanting to book the guest.
* How a job search expert was able to stand out from all the other job experts out there and sell 10,000 books in three weeks by using one technique Steve taught him.
* How to overcome any fear or hesitancy you have about promoting yourself. Steve will reveal a simple but profound principle which changed his life and has helped him generate millions of dollars over the last 20 years.
* How to get on your local TV in a matter of hours, not weeks or months. Steve will share how one of my clients didn’t even know who to contact but three hours later the local news crew was interviewing him.
* Years ago when Steve and his brother/partner Bill were first working together in their two-bedroom apartment, struggling to pay their bills, they discovered an important marketing lesson which took them from struggling to successful. He'll share it with you because he knows it will help you too.
* How to write and publish your books much more quickly. The surprising difference that allows million dollar authors to be much more productive and achieve success faster than everybody else.

Again, go here now to register for Wednesday's webinar or telephone seminar:
https://m164.infusionsoft.com/go/QL15FT/A12889
 
I'll be listening to it too!
Trina

Just the Right Book!

Each Christmas we give each child at least 2 books. This makes me feel like a good parent because even though good fiction is entertainment it can also be educational. Sometimes I really get in the bookgiving mood but I struggle to know exactly what book to buy. Have you ever faced this dilema? There is a website called Just The Right Book! that can help you in choosing that perfect gift.

It seems that the days of going to bookstores and browsing by category/genre/author may be disappearing before our eyes but at this virtual bookstore you can answer questions about the preferences of your intended reader to help you choose the right book. What is the readers age? Interests? Favorite authors? Favorite genres? By doing a little sleuthing (ie. checking their bookshelf, goodreads, or simply asking about their favorite books) you can answer these questions and allow the website to identify just the right book for that reader. You can do it as a one time gift or a monthly subscription. Cool concept. And if you are only shopping for yourself but find that you're in a rut, try it out yourself and see what book is right for you.

I had never heard of this site until a couple of days ago when an article in Publishers Weekly told the story of how this website is expanding. At the bottom of the article it also mentioned that the website is running a contest on their Facebook page where people have a chance to vote for their favorite authors in head-to-head match ups. I was shocked to see that I was listed in 1 of the first 4 match-ups. I am matched up against no less than Pulitzer Prize winning author Anne Tyler. Hardly a fair contest in terms of literary accomplishment but it's fun nonetheless. The concept of the site and this Peoples Choice style of voting- you can click here to vote for me- is intriguing and I am happy for help in discovering new books for the readers in my life.

Good luck to you as you search for Just The Right Book! for yourself or for your favorite readers.

On an unrelated matter- My new youth novel, Crater Lake: Battle for Wizard Island had it's official release yesterday. This may be just the right book for you or your juvenile reader looking for some adventure!

E-books Open Up A Whole New Can of Worms

                                             by       Trina Boice
                                             www.trinaboice.com

Amazon now sells more e-books than regular books!  While publishers, authors, readers, and the electronic companies who put them all together scramble to figure it all out, one thing is clear...the publishing world has changed.
Apple didn’t get to bask in the glory of its new iPad for long. The Justice Department has warned the company—along with five of the biggest U.S. publishers—that it plans to sue them for allegedly colluding to raise the price of electronic books, sources tell The Wall Street Journal.

The case alleges that just before the release of the first iPad, Apple worked with publishers to adopt a retail model in which the publishers set a price and Apple took a 30 percent cut of sales. The move was a reaction against Amazon, which had frightened publishers by selling e-books at $9.99.
 
After Apple adopted the pricing model, the publishers were able to demand a similar one from Amazon.

Holistic Writing

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a holistic kind of a woman. (This is evidenced by my personal blog.) I believe that optimum health and well-being comes from not just the body, but also the mind, spirit, and emotions. When one of these elements is out of place, it can affect the well-being of all the others, creating imbalance and discord.

I've noticed this about writing a good book as well. So the following are some elements of a book that I think are important, in order to have balance:

The body of the book: Is it well written? How is the grammar and editing? How is the flow of thoughts?

The mind of the book: Does it make you think? If it's fiction, are there any plot holes? Are there any moments where the potential audience may be thinking, "How many more pages are left in this thing, anyway?"

The spirit of the book: Is there a message or overall feeling you wish to convey to your audience? Uplifting, peace, action, or love?

The emotion of the book: This one is super important to me. Okay, these are all super important to me, but this one is especially so. Does it make you cry or laugh or say, "What in the world was she thinking?!"

Of course there are many other factors that go into a good book besides these elements. But the point is, just like good health, strengthening all these areas is ideal for balance and your (and your audience's) well-being.

Write Here in Ephraim Free Writing Conference

You’re invited to: WRITE HERE IN EPHRAIM – 2012

Saturday, April 14 at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah
Free admission - door prizes - published author instruction!

Greenwood Student Center
250 E College Ave. (100 N) Ephraim, Utah
Class descriptions listed after following schedule:

(PLEASE NOTE: some classes are offered twice!)

7:45-8:30 a.m. Registration
8:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. Welcome and door prizes
8:50 a.m. – 9:35 a.m.

Philadelphia Room: Greenwood Student Center:
Karen Hoover, Idea Factory- Pt. 1 of 2

Blue Bell Room: Greenwood Student Center:
Abel Keogh, Memoirs

Classroom 204: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Andrea Pearson, Working on manuscript from start to finish

Classroom 205: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Rebecca Talley, Show Don’t Tell

Classroom 206: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Gregg Luke, Suspense

Classroom 207: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Kathi O. Peterson, How to Grid Your Story

Classroom 216: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Clint Cox, How a Plumber Wrote a Book

Classroom 217: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Jenni James, Romance

Classroom 218: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Ali Cross, How to Write Ninja Style

9:45 a.m. – 10:35 a.m.
Philadelphia Room: Greenwood Student Center:
Karen Hoover, Idea Factory – Pt. 2 of 2

Blue Bell Room: Greenwood Student Center:
Michael Young, Avoid Cliché Like the Plague

Classroom 204: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Andrea Pearson, Working on manuscript from start to finish

Classroom 205: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Rebecca Talley, Show, Don’t Tell

Classroom 206: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Heather Justesen, Plotting

Classroom 207: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Ronda Gibb Hinrichson, How to Avoid a Series of Unfortunate Pitfalls

Classroom 216: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Clint Cox, Marketing and Publicity

Classroom 217: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Rachelle Christensen, Suspense

Classroom 218: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Ali Cross, How to Find and Develop Your Own Brand

10:45 a.m. – 11:35 a.m.
Philadelphia Room: Greenwood Student Center:
Karen Hoover, pre-writing

Blue Bell Room: Greenwood Student Center:
Joan Sowards, Dressing up your Prose - Figuratively Speaking

Classroom 204: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Connie Hall, Time Flies

Classroom 205: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Rebecca Talley, Story in a Sentence

Classroom 206: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Jewel Adams, Short Stories

Classroom 207: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Cindy Hogan, Self publishing

Classroom 216: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Kathryn Jones, Writing Your Book Workshop

Classroom 217: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Jenni James, Comedy

Classroom 218: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Angie Lofthouse, Science Fiction/Fantasy

11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.:
Main floor, Greenwood Student Center:
AUTHOR Q&A PANEL: Gregg Luke, Kathi Oram Peterson, Michael Young, Cory Poulson, Joan Sowards, Karen Hoover, Ali Cross, Clint Cox, Angie Lofthouse, Elizabeth Mueller

12:30-1:30 p.m. LUNCH and MASS BOOK SIGNING (bookstore will be set up in commons which is adjacent to college cafeteria.)

1:30 p.m. -1:45 p.m. door prizes

1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Main floor, Greenwood Student Center:
“First Page Shred” panel: Julie Wright, Ronda Hinrichsen, Christine Mehring, Pendragon Inman, Gregg Luke, Andrea Pearson, Kathryn Jones

3:00 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.
Philadelphia Room: Greenwood Student Center:
Christine Mehring, Hero Journey

Blue Bell Room: Greenwood Student Center:
Abel Keogh, Marketing and Publicity

Classroom 204: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Andrea Pearson, Self Publishing

Classroom 205: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Julie Wright, Nuts and Bolts

Classroom 206: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Gregg Luke, Suspense

Classroom 207: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Pendragon Inman, Story Structure

Classroom 216: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Kathryn Jones, Conquering your Writing Goliaths, pt. 1 of 2

Classroom 217: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Rachelle Christensen, Revising

Classroom 218: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Angie Lofthouse, Finding Time to Write

4:00 p.m. – 4:50 p.m.
Philadelphia Room: Greenwood Student Center:
Christine Mehring, Hero Journey

Blue Bell Room: Greenwood Student Center:
Abel Keogh, Memoirs

Classroom 204: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Andrea Pearson, Formatting e-books

Classroom 205: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Julie Wright, Nuts and Bolts

Classroom 206: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Kathi Oram Peterson, How to Grid your Story

Classroom 207: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Pendragon Inman, Story Structure

Classroom 216: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Kathryn Jones, Conquering your Writing Goliaths, pt. 2 of 2

Classroom 217: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Jenni James, Romance

Classroom 218: Lucy Phillips Blg- 2nd floor:
Angie Lofthouse, Science Fiction/Fantasy

5:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. door prizes

5:15 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. LITERACY GAME SHOW

6:00 p.m. pack up and go home smiling!

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:

AVOID CLICHE LIKE THE PLAGUE - Michael Young
Keep your writing original

CONQUERING YOUR WRITING GIANTS - (2 pt. class) Kathryn Jones
A spiritual Journey Workshop - Do you love to write, but are you afraid to put your manuscripts out there? What can you do to overcome your fears or feelings of inadequacy? What can you do to garner the courage to submit your first piece of writing? What can you do to get published? This spiritual journey workshop will get you to the heart of the matter; your matter. What makes you tick and what it’s going to take for you to master all of your writing fears. Check one possible fear off your list by attending this thought-provoking two-part class.

FORMATTING EBOOKS - Andrea Pearson
Come learn from an eBook-formatting pro! We'll discuss the nuts and bolts of formatting your eBook for the different eReaders, along with talking about which retailers you'll want to upload to directly. Q&A at the end.

FRANKENSTEIN - NUTS AND BOLTS - Julie Wright
Using all the parts to create something that breathes.

HOW TO AVOID A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE PITFALLS - Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen
Learn how to overcome several pitfalls every writer faces on their path to publication.

SHOW, DON'T TELL - Rebecca Talley
Don't tell readers your story, show them. Learn techniques that will invite readers to experience your story instead of just reading it.

STORY IN A SENTENCE - Rebecca Talley
Learn how to boil down your story into one sentence that you can use to not only keep you on target while writing, but also answer the all-important question, "What's your story about?"

HOW TO FIND AND DEVELOP YOUR OWN BRAND - Ali Cross
A step-by-step approach to identifying who you are as a writer and how to use that identity to build an on-line presence.

HOW TO GRID YOUR STORY - Kathi Oram Peterson
Archeologists use grids to help them unearth fossils and other treasures. For the writer, a grid can help keep track of character conflicts and plot your story.

HOW TO WRITE NINJA STYLE - Ali Cross
The way of the ninja as it relates to writing an awesome novel

MARKETING AND PUBLICITY - Abel Keogh
Aside from your mother, no one else cares that you’ve published a book. Unfortunately, most authors don’t know how to successfully sell themselves to the press, bloggers, and readers. Here’s a hint: it has nothing to do with your book. Learn how to create a compelling story that will have the press, bloggers, and others asking for interviews and get great coverage for your books in the process.

MEMOIRS - Abel Keogh
Memoirs are the most personal and powerful form of storytelling. You don’t need a dramatic life experience, crazy parents, or a troubled childhood to write one. Find the extraordinary in the ordinary, create and convey meaning, and share a thought-provoking story that will keep readers engrossed from beginning to end.

PLOTTING - Heather Justesen
Plotting--No plotting style is right for everyone, or even for every book. In this class we'll discuss several different ways to develop a plot so you can find one that works for you.

SELF PUBLISHING - Andrea Pearson
Come learn the ins and outs of how the successful self-published authors did it! We'll examine what others have done to become successful, then we'll go over things such as the pros and cons of self-publishing vs traditional, self-publishing myths, advertising (and understanding the lingo), and marketing/promoting. Q&A at the end.

SHORT STORIES - Jewel Adams
I absolutely adore short stories! I love reading them, as well as creating them. In this creating stories workshop, I will share some fun creative writing ideas and we will talk about why short stories are so popular. By the end of the class, you will be oozing with story ideas!

SUSPENSE - Gregg Luke
We'll cover essential elements in creating nail-biting, page-turning suspense, including characterization, pacing, detailing, anticipation, conflict and resolution, and a few secret tricks of the trade.

WORKING ON MANUSCRIPT FROM START TO FINISH - Andrea Pearson
Find out what you should be doing with your book during every stage of the writing process. We'll cover things such as: when (and when NOT) to edit, what to edit for in each revision, knowing who to use as beta readers and when to have them read, knowing if your book is ready, and other topics. Q&A at the end.

WRITING YOUR BOOK WORKSHOP - Kathryn Jones
Overwhelmed about writing your first book? Each of us has a book within us, and I help you find it! This hands-on workshop takes you through idea, plot, setting, and characterization and gets you started on your first winning paragraph.