Celebrating Independence

In the United States, July Fourth is also known as Independence Day, the holiday when we celebrate our nation’s freedom and all that comes with it. So in today's blog, I’d like to reflect on the importance and blessings freedom brings all of us around the globe. And I'd especially like to express my appreciation via food. ;)

Typically in the United States, July Fourth is celebrated with family, barbecues, picnics, getting outdoors or playing on the lake, and town parades. The food portion of this celebration often includes cold watermelon, grilled burgers and hot dogs, and various casseroles and cakes. Oh, and let's not forget the cocktails!

Photo courtesy of the FoodNetwork.com blog.

My sister celebrates with a red-white-and-blue mojito. Click here for the recipe. It has to be healthy with all of those berries, right?!

Calico Beans - Photo courtesy tasteofhome.com

My father's family has a lake house in Michigan. While we lived many miles away in Texas, we occasionally got back to celebrate with Grandma and a couple dozen aunts, uncles, and cousins for a week during the summer. Whenever we did, my aunts made a delicious casserole called "Calico Beans." Here's a link to the recipe.

Just thinking about those summer days at the lake conjures memories of fireflies and fireworks (which they shot off right over the hill behind the lake house), waterskiing and canoeing, and playing dominoes or cards with my aunts and uncles. It was a tiny house with one bedroom and one bathroom (no shower or bath), and we all slept on the floor, but it was always filled with warmth and love—the perfect way to celebrate the blessings freedom brings.

As my kids discover a love for cooking and baking, I'm always on the hunt for new, fun recipes.  A "4th of July S'Mores" recipe from Delish.com came across my Facebook feed last week, and so of course we have to try it! After we enjoy some BBQ'd burgers and hot dogs. ;)

This year, we hope to continue the family Fourth of July traditions with food and cocktails, relaxation and grilling, and pausing to reflect on the blessings of freedom. I am so grateful I live where I do, and am blessed that others fought for that freedom.

Happy Fourth of July to all! May your celebrations be safe (and yummy)!

If you’re not in the U.S. (and I know many of you read our blog from around the world), what is an equivalent holiday or celebration in your country? Tell me the story behind your independence. (And feel free to share a recipe!)

I SPY: Writing Rehab

Join the authors and friends of Not Your Usual Suspects for an occasional series of posts about their world of reading, writing and publishing.

Short and sweet, hopefully both informative and entertaining - join us at I-Spy to find out the how's and why's of what we do.

TODAY'S POST: I Spy something beginning with ...

Writing Rehab

Some call it refilling the well. Some call it getting back on that horse. Some call it fighting your way out of the abyss you've fallen into.

Whatever you want to call it, recovering your creative spirit after some time away from writing can be difficult. I blogged last year about burnout. I’ve also blogged about finding the *write*balance. But this past year tested my limits in new ways, and I felt like I lost my creative energy.

When I blogged about burnout in February 2016, I was in the midst of pushing myself to my limits, trying to put out three books within about 6 months (plus another 14 months total, if you include planning and some initial writing phases, but the bulk of the intense editing and production occurred within that last 6 months).  Little did I know at that time that right around the corner were financial issues for our family, as well as physical issues that required major surgery and eight weeks of recovery. Add to that three growing children who have needed an increasing amount of parental time, especially a middle child who’d just hit the pre-teen years and was testing our boundaries right and left… Well, you can imagine how the writing took a backseat to the rest of life, and the creative burnout was just beginning.

And that’s okay. Well, not exactly okay. Burnout is never fun, and it wasn’t "okay" at first, but it had to become okay or I would have completely lost my mind. (If you inserted echoing, maniacal laughter here, it would be totally appropriate.)

But I’d learned from my days as a counselor, and from life experience, that times of trouble were often a sign of changes to come—and usually those changes were for the better...eventually. So I kept the faith (most days) and trusted (some days) that it would all work out. And March and April of 2017 have been infinitely better.

What did I learn from this 18-month crisis period? That sometimes you just can’t be creative. Creativity takes massive energy. Psychic energy. And when you don’t even have physical energy, how can you have the psychic energy? You may have heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need, and writers are not immune.

Image from: TheBlaze.com.

This hierarchy indicates that if your basic physiological needs such as food, shelter, clothing, and safety are not met, then you can’t reach the higher needs like esteem and self-actualization. And I believe that writing is a form of self-actualization. It’s trying to understand who people are (via characters) and why we exist (via stories).

Recalling this hierarchy helped me get through some tough times. After all, if I’m in physical pain and working hard to meet those basic tiers at the foundation of the pyramid, how can I expect to focus on the pinnacle?

Regaining my creative self is a work in process, but I feel I’m finally getting there. At first, I gave myself permission to take three months off (from writing, anyway). I focused on my physical health and my family. And then I tried writing again. I gave myself permission to write whatever I wanted, so I skipped around on various projects, trying to find my voice again, and trying to be thrilled with 100 words on a good day when I used to be able to write 3000. Trying to find that story that impassioned me.

Nothing did.

So I gave myself some more time off and permission to keep playing around, celebrating those100 words a day, even if I knew they would eventually be deleted. And I focused on getting my physical health back (which was getting close to requiring surgery at that point). And on getting my financial upsets settled (which included relocating my mother-in-law). And on putting my family time front and center (giving that middle child the time and energy he needed).

So here are my "REHAB" tips:

R:  Rest/Read

Get enough sleep, but also rest the mind when needed. Reading craft books as well as reading for fun (when I finally found it fun again) was helpful.

E:  Exercise

This includes physical and mental exercise. Getting back into a routine where I was up and moving a couple hours a day, either via walks, a yoga app, getting the house clean, or whatever, was really helpful in feeling like I was meeting a goal where I was in control. Also, the reading of craft books was part of my mental exercise, as was getting those 100 words a day. Gradually increasing those goals (both physical and mental) re-developed old habits.

H:  Health and/or Help

Finding that balance between rest, exercise, and hobbies that feed the creativity was imperative to overall health. But I also knew I had to seek help, because I was feeling really alone. Whether through counseling for depression or finding friends who would listen and understand, it was important to reach out and let others know I could use a hand.

A:  Assess and/or Actualize

Daily, I try to assess what would make me happy. Life is too short to live in misery if you have other options. I try to choose daily goals that help me reach that self-actualization tier. Activities that help me believe in myself and my talents again. I tell myself daily that I can do it, and set goals that reinforce that fact. (Note to self: Don't bite off more than you can chew! It only leads to disappointment.)

B:  Behave and/or Breathe

I regained a writing habit by rewarding myself when I met my goals. This is helping me get back into the writing habit. But I also have to remember to breathe. It's just life. We don't have to be perfect. We don't even have to write if we don't want to. But breathing...yeah, that's kind of necessary. In fact, that's the first thing on the hierarchy of needs.

So, it's April 2017 now and I feel good about myself again, and gradually, the creativity is coming back. I still struggle, but I’m trying not to be hard on myself. Trying to take it one day at a time. Trying to focus on how far I've come since this time last year.

Gradually, I’ll get there. And I’ll be stronger knowing that if this ever happens again, I’ll get through it with the "REHAB" tricks I've learned.

What things do you do to restore or refill that creative well? Any REHAB tips?

Anne Marie has always been fascinated by people—inside and out—which led to degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, and Counseling.  Her passion for understanding the human race is now satisfied by her roles as mother, wife, daughter, sister, and award-winning author of romantic suspense.  

She writes to reclaim her sanity.

Find ways to connect with Anne Marie at www.AnneMarieBecker.com. There, sign up for her newsletter to receive the latest information regarding books, appearances, and giveaways.

Book Festivals

Photo courtesy of Laura Orsini.

As a reader, the thought of spending a weekend surrounded by books and fellow lovers-of-books absolutely thrills me. As an author (and an introvert), it's not always thrilling to talk about my own books for hours on end. Still, interacting with readers can be a fabulous experience, if you're prepared.

On March 11-12th, I attended the Tucson Festival of Books at the University of Arizona to man a table. Well, half a table. This was my second year at this event, so I went in with a bit of experience, but I always learn something new. I thought I'd share my takeaways (note that these will be mostly from an author's perspective, rather than a reader's).


PROS:

I've attended many signings at conferences where readers can be numerous or few, but the experience in Tucson was different. Not necessarily better or worse, just different.

I definitely met people! Boy, did I meet people. The festival's website claims the attendance is somewhere around 130,000 book-lovers each year. Some just wanted to stop and ask directions to a booth or to food, but others wanted to talk about their writing projects and still others wanted books. I found some new readers, and gave away a ton of excerpt booklets and links to my free download.

The crowd consisted of a wider variety of ages and interests than the romance-genre crowd I'm used to at specialized conventions and conferences. Everyone from young children to older people, with interests from kids' books to nonfiction (especially history) to fiction, walked the UofA mall that weekend.

I met some new-to-me authors as well as got to catch up with friends I knew from previous events.

Because we shared a booth, the cost of the table for two days was minimal compared to some venues. Only about a couple hundred dollars.

The event held many draws for readers, and the lines to attend speaking events and workshops were very long, so the events were well-attended.


CONS:

LONG days! It was a two-day event, and we were at our tables from 9:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. each day.

While you never know what the weather will be like when you book the event several months in advance, this is an outdoor event and it turned out to be pretty darn hot. (Especially because I'm used to mountain weather and was coming from 40-degree temps to the high 80s.) It didn't help that my table was situated so that I had the afternoon sun from about 2:30 onward.

Our tent was a mixed bag of books. While all of our tent's authors were, of course, fabulous, we were a combination of many genres, from science fiction to paranormal to cozy mysteries to romance. And the label on our tent wasn't clear about who we were. Maybe because we didn't have a clear identity. We were the "Desert Dreams" group, which reflected our dreams of writing and being published but at least a handful of visitors wondered if we analyzed dreams and such. I had to wonder how many readers didn't approach, or didn't find us at all, because they didn't know who we were.

Parking was a challenge. Well, I should say that the long walk from the university's parking garage to the tent, while loaded down with a suitcase and additional bag of books, was a challenge. It helps to have an assistant. Several authors had hubbies or friends to help with the load, and to bring them refreshments. I highly recommend this. Unfortunately, my husband had to stay home with the kids, hundreds of miles away.

Sales stuff. I detest "selling myself." Promoting myself just isn't me. But I learned a lot by watching those around me and hearing their "hooks" and pitches. While I avoid any kind of high-pressure salesmanship, I can appreciate the way it worked for some. You have to do what you're comfortable with.


THINGS TO NOTE:

A rolling suitcase or other manner of toting books and promo items was immensely helpful. (Finding a husband or other willing family member or friend to help seemed to work best for many authors.)

Bring water! Stay hydrated. And if you're an introvert like me, water breaks had the added benefit of providing a few minutes of quiet time to stretch and get away from the crowds.

Having a bookseller on hand was useful in that I didn't need a license to sell (requirements may vary by state), but there was a commission deducted for this service, so be prepared to forward some of your royalties to the person managing the cash. (In this case, it was thirty percent.)

Finally, I can't stress enough the importance of going into something like this with a good attitude. For this introvert, the weekend was a marathon and mentally and physically exhausting. Plus, it's tempting to compare your sales to your fellow tent-mates' but I highly recommend you turn a blind eye to how other authors are doing. Instead, I tried to focus on making each person I met feel "heard" and responded with a bright smile to everyone who approached. This helped the introvert in me cope. ;)


How about you? Have you attended a book festival? If so, where, and what was your experience like? What tips did you learn, either as a reader/attendee or a signing author?

I SPY: The Write Balance

Join the authors and friends of Not Your Usual Suspects for an occasional series of posts about their world of reading, writing and publishing.

Short and sweet, hopefully both informative and entertaining - join us at I-Spy to find out the how's and why's of what we do.

TODAY'S POST: I-Spy something beginning with ...

The Write Balance

(The following is a repost of an older I SPY from 2013, but seeing as we're at the beginning of a brand new year, and my attention always turns to goals and what I want to improve in my life, I thought it might be good to revisit it. All of us here at NYUS wish you a very happy—and balanced—2017!)

The longer I live, the more I’m convinced that a balanced life is the key to happiness. This is true for writers as much as anybody else.

The needed amounts will vary among individuals, but when I analyze the balance (or lack thereof) in my life, I basically look at four realms that impact each other and often overlap. 

Physical

• Regular Exercise Routine – 30 minutes a day seems to be the recommendation, including a combination of strength-building and aerobic activities. 
• Diet – While I grew up with the “food pyramid,” my kids are learning about the “healthy plate.” A combination of the two seems to explain what is considered a balanced diet. Drinking water is always a great idea.  Eating plenty of plants is also recommended, and they say half your plate should be plant-related sources.
• Sleep – While 7-8 hours a night seems to be the immediate answer to “how much sleep do I need,” the National Sleep Foundation says there are many individual and environmental factors that can affect this. For more information, follow this link.

Psychological/Emotional/Cognitive

• Express yourself – i.e., don’t bury emotions. When emotions threaten to overwhelm, writers can naturally channel them into their writing, but when that isn’t so easy, we are a creative lot. Consider other creative outlets such as scrapbooking, journaling, painting, or dancing.
• Challenge your brain – I may be biased, but it is my belief that writers use more of their brain, and more parts of their brain, more regularly, than anyone else. We have the ability to imagine and create at the same time we are analyzing grammar and sentence structure. We are amazing creatures.
• Coping with rejection – Nobody enjoys being told they aren’t wanted, needed, or desired. The business of writing necessitates hearing these words on occasion. Finding a way to manage the stress of being told “no thanks” is the key to perseverance.
• Comparing yourself to others – Writing is often a solitary profession, where sometimes it feels the only way to measure progress or gauge success is to look at the sales, readership, or awards of others. But writing is also an individual journey. Each author’s path to success is different, and we would do well to remember that when the temptation to compare arises.

Social

• Family – While some people find safe harbor at home, others find family members might not be so supportive. As with any career, it’s sometimes difficult to balance the needs of spouses, children, pets, and extended family, but those same people can also bring a joy and satisfaction not found elsewhere.
• Conferences, Writing Groups, and Critique Partners – Feeding the writer’s soul via gathering with other writers can be rejuvenating. As mentioned above, in such a solitary career, it’s important to find like-minded individuals with whom to share.
• Get out and about (a.k.a., leave the writing cave) – Inspiration is often found from the real world, which is why you need to get out and do things. Step away from the computer and experience the world.
• Get to know other people – This is another way of filling the creative well. Whether meeting new people, getting together with friends, or just interacting briefly with the barista at the local coffee shop, seeing other people reminds us what (or who!) we’re writing about. Inspiration for character abides in the real world.

Spiritual

• Feeding your soul - Whatever suits your belief system - communing with nature (gardening, walking, etc.), meditating, prayer, church attendance – DO IT. It’s so easy to put these needs aside to squeeze in time for things that are more temporal, but your spiritual health is just as important as the other realms.

Disclaimer: There is rarely a time in our lives where all of these “boxes” are equal or proportionate. More likely, there is always going to be something out of whack. The key is to be in tune with your needs – physical, psychological, social, and spiritual – and adjust as needed.

How’s your balance? What things do you do to maintain happiness, and what things do you think you can change to work toward your own happy-ever-after?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anne Marie has always been fascinated by people—inside and out—which led to degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, and Counseling. As a games hostess at Sea World, tutor, waitress, personal and family counselor, and high school counselor, she indulged her curiosity through sanctioned professions. Now, as a stay-at-home mom of three children, her passion for understanding the human race is satisfied by her roles as mother, wife, daughter, sister, and writer. She writes to reclaim her sanity. 

Connect with Anne Marie at her website, Facebook page, or on Twitter.

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I SPY: Business Plans for Writers

Join the authors and friends of Not Your Usual Suspects for an occasional series of posts about their world of reading, writing and publishing.

Short and sweet, hopefully both informative and entertaining - join us at I-Spy to find out the how's and why's of what we do.

TODAY'S POST: I-Spy something beginning with ...

Business Plans for Writers

Most writers long to spend their time writing, not thinking about the business side of, well, the business. But in this day and age, spending all of our time dreaming up worlds and characters isn’t an option. There are a plethora of other things to wrangle, manage, and deal with, from marketing to social media to creating an indie book to finding agents or editors to shop in a traditional market. And everything in between.

At the RWA conference last month, the first workshop I attended was one I had hoped would get my head back in the business of writing. It was entitled “Plan for Success: Create a Motivational Business Plan for Your Writing Career” and was presented by author Stephanie Bond. Sitting in that workshop brought back memories of a chapter workshop I attended a couple years ago with a similar topic: "Dream, Dare, Do!" presented by Shelley Coriell. And it reminded me that I never sat down to finish that business plan that was begun that day. And I certainly hadn't updated my scrawled notes in the intervening years.

Since I've been looking for focus lately, I made creating a business plan my priority when I returned home from conference a couple weeks ago. I started by exploring more about business plans online, and integrated a lot of that fabulous information here.

First, Jami Gold says, “no one will ever care about our success as much as we do.” And therefore, we must have a business mindset. If we have clear goals and a personal definition of success, we can make better business decisions. Amy Atwell says it’s important to think of writing as a “career,” which is why a business plan is helpful. On her "Author E.M.S." website, she refers to other sources, where one can use worksheets to come up with her business plan. She also reminds us the plan isn’t set in stone, and should be revised or updated regularly.

Second, before creating your document, Angela Ackerman recommends brainstorming what you want to accomplish, identifying themes, and then grouping together areas of focus. Then, try to step back and see the big picture, assigning importance to what you need to accomplish.

When you've done some big picture and small picture thinking, put them together into one handy document that summarizes your career plans and goals for the coming year:

THE BASICS of a BUSINESS PLAN

OBJECTIVES (a.k.a., Dreams!)

What do you want out of this business? Do you simply want to see your name on a book? Do you want to hit a bestseller list? Win a RITA award? An Edgar? Do you want to make enough money to quit your day job or put your kids through college?

This is where you put anything you want out of your writing career. Dream big!

MISSION

A mission statement is often brief, and for writers it can be as lofty as “to encourage people to grow through my writing,” or as generic as “to entertain.”

PRODUCTS (or Product Plan) & BRAND

Here’s where you think about what you are creating, which of course, includes your books. Also think about what makes them different/unique, and what formats they’ll be available in, and whether you plan to publish via traditional publishers, indie, or both. Don't forget about audio, film, and even nonfiction items such as series-related coloring books.

Kimberley Grabas also suggests delineating your “ideal reader” as you create your business plan, as well as your “brand personality and culture.” This includes the vibe you want to give off when people land on your website or other social media pages, or when you speak at events. How do you want to be perceived by the public/readers?

Think about what makes you different, and what makes you the same. Everything from business cards to website design to the font and your name placement on your covers should reflect what/how you write.

GOALS (a.k.a., the things I can control!)

This is where we get down to the nitty gritty.

Keeping your dreams and objectives in mind, what can you actively and reasonably DO to make those dreams come true in the short term? This can include such things as attending a signing or conference, submitting to agents, finding a critique partner, researching your next series, etc.

For instance, one of my dreams is to win a RITA. I obviously need to enter the contest to even have a chance of making that goal happen, so entering the contest is listed under my goals and has been added to my calendar. Similarly, to hit a bestseller list, I’ll need to write books and increase my audience, which led to my current annual goals of building my newsletter list and increasing advertising and amount of time spent on social media. 

MARKET ANALYSIS (or Competitive Analysis) & SETTING YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS

What do you need to do/change to achieve your dreams? Do you have the necessary equipment, time, and energy? What is the state of the market in your genre/subgenre? How crowded is it?

This includes looking at your “competitors’” or fellow authors’ bodies of work and how they’re advertising them. What are their price points? What things are they doing well, in your opinion? Is it something that should be added to your goal list?

For me, one of the items in this category is to read several top-selling romantic suspense novellas, as I have not written one before but hope to this year. I want to study how the character arcs and plots differ from full-length books, so that I know what novella readers expect.

STRATEGY & IMPLEMENTATION SUMMARY (or Development Plan)

This includes setting up your calendar. Will the amount of writing you do this year be increasing/decreasing from the previous year? What publishers or agents do you want to target and how are you most likely to get your work in front of them? Do you need to register for some conferences or enter contests?

The first item on this list, for me, was writing a business plan. J The second item was transferring my task list to my planner/calendar.

FINANCIAL PLAN

How do you plan to support yourself while you implement these other plans? When would it be a good time to incorporate? To meet with an estate planner or tax consultant?

For me, I plan to create a “Body of Work” document that contains all of my books and information my husband would need to access them, should something happen to me. I also have a note to consider drawing on savings to create audio versions of my new series, but have yet to make a decision on whether that’s a wise investment. But it’s something I can revisit next July, when I update my business plan.

Have you written a business plan? Do you update it regularly? What things do you make sure to include on your plan? 

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See the left sidebar for previous I SPY posts and watch for future I SPYs for more discussion of the craft and business of writing...

We welcome everyone's constructive comments and suggestions!

Redeemable Characters

Broken, hurt, angry. We’ve all been there. Those are emotions we can all relate to. While I try not to make decisions while in a state of emotional upheaval, sometimes that's hard to avoid. But the extreme choices, the ones that would cause a person to seek retribution or exact vengeance or put someone in danger... Those, I reserve for my characters. Exploring the "what ifs" is part of the fun of being a writer.

That must be why characters who tend toward the extremes, who seem irredeemable—and then redeeming them—is so appealing to writers and readers. In my Redemption Club series, I enjoyed exploring heroes and heroines who didn’t always display the most heroic traits. We all have our skills, our strengths, and those usually stem from our life experiences. 

But what if your experiences weren’t primarily positive? What if you were raised on a ranch, off the grid, among anti-government rebels? Or by parents who ran con games for a living? Or by a father who was wanted for running a secret, underground crime ring? How would these influence your behavior and worldview? 

I enjoy exploring how what others may perceive as weaknesses can become strengths. How the gun-for-hire heroine uses her survival skills to hunt an evil man. How the ex-con artist uses her experience in manipulating people in order to set up a sting and take down a bad guy. Or how the daughter of an infamous crime boss finally learns who she can trust (the hero, of course!) to help bring down her father.

What characters have you enjoyed reading about lately? Have any of them surprised you, using a tarnished past, perhaps, to save the day?

RAISING THE STAKES (Redemption Club, Book 3)

Ivy Stone works hard to maintain her ice queen image. Without the façade, people get close—and then she gets hurt. Still, as manager of a luxurious Las Vegas hotel, sometimes she has to put herself in the limelight to protect all she’s worked for, especially when her father’s rumored association with the underground crime web, Redemption Club, risks everything. When idle threats become a very real danger, forcing her to consider the unthinkable to protect herself, she approaches a rival with an unusual deal.

At Global Security Solutions, Devlin Grimm is more accustomed to playing bodyguard than kidnapper. However, when the beautiful and untouchable Ivy Stone enters his office with a strange request, it’s like a gift from the heavens. She could be the key to finally taking down the notorious Redemption Club. However vulnerable and enticing she appears, Dev suspects the woman has secrets, and she may well be manipulating him. Will Ivy be the source of his salvation or his demise?

Victor del Fuego seeks one thing—to destroy Robert Stone. And there’s no better way to crush a man who’s intent on leaving a legacy than to use his own daughter against him. But when the men face off, with Ivy caught in the middle, there’s more at stake than anyone realizes—including Ivy and Dev’s newfound love.

iBooks  |  Kindle  |  Kobo |  (& more e-tailers to come!)

About ANNE MARIE:

Anne Marie has always been fascinated by people—inside and out—which led to degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, and Counseling.  Her passion for understanding the human race is now satisfied by her roles as mother, wife, daughter, sister, and award-winning author of romantic suspense.  

She writes to reclaim her sanity.

Find ways to connect with Anne Marie at www.AnneMarieBecker.com. There, sign up for her newsletter to receive the latest information regarding books, appearances, and giveaways.