BOM: Results and reader Reaction

A couple of announcements before we jump into the topic for today: 

First, the second book in the Fairlawn series, SHE ALWAYS WORE RED, is now available for preorder on Amazon.com! 

Second, my pal Allison Bottke has established an online bookclub for "boomer babes"--and if you're a female boomer, that's you!  I'm so honored that her first discussion book is DOESN'T SHE LOOK NATURAL.  If you've read the book, or if you'd like to read along, you can join the discussion here. 

Reader reaction to the Heavenly Daze series depends largely on whether people are able to buy into the premise: could angels be working among us? Those who can accept that usually get into the story and enjoy it. Those who can't, don't. 

But those who can . . . do so with passion.  We established a yahoo group for those who love Heavenly Daze, and that group quickly grew to over 300 members and they're still going strong!  They even meet for annual reunions, and since there have been no new Heavenly Daze books of late, they have branched out into reading (and loving) other authors.  They are a great group of (mostly) women. 

The Heavenly Daze group (we call them "Dazers") have written fan fiction based on the series--they're good writers!  They have also established a "Red Hat Society" chapter for the Dazers, a group which I am now happy to be part of!  (Now that I'm fifty, I can wear a red hat.)  

The Dazers fellowship through email and pray for each other . . . and indulge in a bit of good-natured ribbing on occasion.  If you'd like to join them, send an email to

heavenlydaze-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

They'll take good care of you. 

Tomorrow:  have any questions? Leave them in the comments box and Lori and I will try our best to provide answers! 

~~Angie

BOM: The Editing

I think it's fair to say that most of the editing occurred when Lori and I got together after the "merge" of our stories.  We'd sit at the computer together--either at her house or mine--and go through the book with an eye out for inconsistencies, etc.  Often we'd think of funny things--a direct example of synergy--and the completed project was much funnier than what we'd written on our own.  

Ami McConnell, our editor at Nelson, used to try to guess which of us had written which story.  :-)  

Most of the time the editing went quite smoothly--no major disagreements that I recall.  A painless experience. 

Tomorrow: results and reader reaction 

~~Angie 

PS--If you're read THE ELEVATOR, check out this link!  

BOM: The Writing

Each Heavenly Daze novel is almost like two novellas--Lori and I each had to write a 35,000 word story revolving around the inhabitants of one house.  In the first book, I took the story of middle-aged Pastor Winslow Wickam, while Lori wrote of Annie and her aunt Olympia.  

I had a ball writing about Winslow's toupee, but I have to be honest--I could never have dreamed up that plot if parts of it hadn't happened to a pastor I know.  :-)  Lori tried her hand at writing the more serious story of Annie and Olympia, two women who really don't understand each other. 

While we were writing, we were also doing research on Maine, especially the "Maine-isms" that populate the book.  (Ex: ayuh).  We haven't lived there, but we surely used our copies of "Maine Lingo."  

And on it went.  In the second book, Grace in Autumn, I wrote of Babette and Georgie, while Lori wrote of Bea and Birdie and the trouble with all the letters.  

A Warmth in Winter had me tackling the story of Salt and the children; Lori write about Vernie and Stanley.  

In A Perfect Love, I wrote of Buddy and his pet sugar glider; Lori wrote about Cleta, Barbara, and Russell. 

And finally, in Hearts at Home, we brought the story full circle--back to the original buildings, but we traded roles.  I wrote of Annie and Olympia; Lori wrote of Edith and Winslow.  

Why did we stop writing at that point?  Because the books weren't selling well enough to continue.

 I hate to take time for an economics lesson, but here are the hard facts: in a co-written project, the authors do the same amount of story work for half the salary.  Sometimes it's even more work, because you have to work hard to be sure the stories don't conflict. And after five books, writing about 23 people in a town became COMPLICATED.  We not only had to keep track of what the townspeople were doing in the present book; we had to keep track of everything they'd done in their entire lives!  (Trust me, it's harder than you'd think when you have two authors with two different sets of notes, plus characters who jabber all the time about their past histories).  

We had hoped the series would take off, but though we get lots of lovely letters about the Heavenly Daze series, sales figures seem to indicate that everyone is reading copies from the library or half.com.  Not that we have anything against those outlets, but a series needs to sell if it's going to continue. The sale of used books doesn't pay the authors or count as a sale with the publisher. That's just a fact of the business. 

(Moral:  if you love an author, buy his/her books as soon as they're released if you can. Brisk sales make the publisher PRINT MORE.) 

That's why we're hoping that this new mass market edition (which will sell for much less) will breathe new life into the series. 

 

Tomorrow: the editing

~~Angie

BOM: The Research

One of the first things Lori and I did was book a trip to Maine.  (She lives in Missouri, and I live in Florida.  We didn't exactly know a lot about our northeastern-most state.) 

We booked a room in a charming Ogunquit bed and breakfast called "The Puffin Inn." (See photo).  And then we set out to explore the town.  Not much of an agenda, really--we just wanted to soak up the atmosphere. 

Ogunquit has a tourist area down by the shore called "Perkins Cove."  Lori and I spent a lot of time down there, snapping pictures and getting a feel for the terrain. We also went out on a lobster boat--my strongest memory of that experience is having a migraine.  When the lobsterman came toward me, intent on showing me the difference between a male and female lobster up close, I lowered my head and muttered that I was going to throw up if he put that lobster any closer to my face.  LOL!   (That photo was taken on the lobster boat.) 

Poor Lori, she was so compassionate with me--I think I had a migraine on and off for most of the weekend.  Anyway, after our excursion--and after my headache abated--I took her to the "Lobster Pot," a restaurant where you can pick out your lobster in the tank and then eat him.  Lori had never eaten a whole lobster--and I doubt she ever will again.  I tried to find my picture of her in her lobster bib, but it seems to be misplaced . . . 

When we weren't out taking in the town, we were back in our room at the Puffin Inn, populating the town of Heavenly Daze.  Lori has a real knack for names--so that's how Vernie and Bea and Cleta came to be.  I wouldn't have thought of those names in a hundred years. 

We also set up the structure of the book. Since we live so far apart, we knew it wouldn't be feasible to write "back and forth."  So we created seven buildings for the town, and decided that each novel would feature two buildings. Lori would write the story for the inhabitants of one building; I'd write the other.  Then we'd get together--either at my house or hers--and we'd "merge" the two stories.  We also knew we'd have to stick to a tight timeline, because Lori couldn't have her story transpiring over three months if I had everything happen in one month. 

So--we decided that each HD book would cover one month in the town.  We actually plotted enough events to get the townspeople through an entire year, but our first contract was only for three books--three months.  

We began in October, which is a lovely time of year in Maine.  Tomorrow--the writing. 

~~Angie 

BOM: How the Idea Germinated

Synergy |ˈsinərjē| (also synergism |-ˌjizəm|)nounthe interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects . 
OR:  two heads are better than one. 
The Heavenly Daze series is a direct result of synergy.  One day my good friend Lady Lori  (Copeland) called and said she'd had this idea about a small town series.  I said it'd be cute to add in some angels, but she'd have to be careful to get the angels right--none of this Hollywood stuff that's downright unbiblical.  Lori asked if I'd ever thought of co-writing such a series. I said I'd given up co-writing, unless the other writer is actually a writer, and then . . . ta da!  The idea was born.
Lori's specialty is small town life  and humor.  I usually write "heavier" topics and am more comfortable writing about deeper biblical issues. I'd never written anything funny, and was aching to exercise my funny bone. 
We were immediately enthusiastic about the concept and we KNEW we had a winner.  We set out to convince a publisher to give us a green light, so we met with a couple of different editors, took them cranberry scones, and fairly bubbled over with adrenaline. One of our publishers said he was sold on our enthusiasm alone.  :-) 
Once the contract was settled, we began our research . . . but that's a topic for tomorrow! 
~~Angie 

Book of the Month: The Heavenly Daze Series

Time for another BOM, and this month we'll do a series:  The Heavenly Daze series, co-written with Lori Copeland. 

I get more email about this series than anything I've ever written, period. The books are heart-warming and fun, and since most people read for entertainment, they serve their purpose very well.  

The premise is simple: Heavenly Daze is a town on a small island off the coast of Maine. Two hundred years ago, at the time of the town's settlement, its founder begged God to send angels to protect anyone who crossed the threshold of any home on Heavenly Daze.  That prayer was answered, and now an angel resides in each home--though the townspeople don't realize that the mild mannered "Smith" men are angels in disguise. 

Lori and I like to think of this series as "Touched by an Angel" meets "Mayberry R.F.D."  The townspeople are quirky, but the angels are biblical, and though there are many hijinks, a serious spiritual vein runs through all of the books. 

I hope you'll join me this week as we take an in-depth look at the entire series, beginning with "The Island of Heavenly Daze." 

Oh!  And Happy New Year to you! 

~~Angie

A Metaphor for the New Year . . .

That meme was really instructive . . . it seems that every ten years, the Lord leads me in a different direction.  Which makes me look at where I am and where I'm going and wonder . . . what's next, Lord?  

Whatever it is, I'm ready. I think. 

Talking about journaling also convinced me to order a new ten-year journal instead of going with the five-year-model on my desk.  Going with the five-year book seemed to imply a lack of faith.  :-)  

And as we close out 2007, I'd like to leave you with a metaphor that startled me the other day. True story. 

A few years ago I went through an "orchid" phase.  I bought about a dozen orchids and planted them on the front porch, the back porch, etc.  I bought special orchid pots, special orchid growth mediums, and special orchid fertilizers.  I found that I did pretty well with the common phalaenopsis orchids, but I had pinned my hopes on this one cattleya orchid.  Cattleya orchids are the big, frilly flowers women used to wear in corsages at Easter. 

Anyway, years passed and my phalaenopsis orchids either thrived or died.  I lost interest in orchids and moved on, happy to let my orchids fend for themselves.  My cattleya, however, just sat in its pot--didn't die, didn't grow, didn't bloom.  Just sat there.  

So about a month ago I moved it to the front step.  It's more exposed there, a location where it would have to thrive or die.  

One day last week, I ran out to get the mail . . . and stopped in my tracks.  The cattleya had bloomed--one pretty yellow flower.  Once it had fully opened, I brought it inside where I could see it more often. 

As pretty as it was, however, I think a few bugs had begun to nibble on it . . . as you can see from the picture.  So I stared at my orchid and immediately realized that an orchid is like a dream. You think it's never going to happen, you wonder if you should even continue to pray, and then, just when you least expect it, voila!  And sometimes that dream may appear a little ragged, and not exactly what you expected . . . 

But still . . . it's there.  It's alive.  And you can enjoy it.  

~~Angie 

Reading is Fundamental . . .

One of my resolutions for 2008 is going to be "make more time for reading."  I do read a lot, but I often find myself reading in bits and snatches--things I need to know for the WIP. 

I ran across this in the December 19th Wall Street Journal: 

"The reading of literature has declined so sharply that some sociologists believe it will one day become an arcane hobby. But the really bad news, says writer Caleb Crain, is that as literary reading erodes, so does open-mindedness." 

I'm not sure about that--I mean, there are as many differing viewpoints on TV and the Internet as there are books--but I found this last bit interesting: "According to a National Endowment for the Arts study, readers are more likely to exercise, visit museums and engage in civic activities." 

I think they're also more likely to have a precise vocabulary.  :-) 

~~Angie

A new meme

Kay, aka "loop de loops"has tagged me with a meme.  And since I've spent the morning going through the "stock" books in my garage (more on that later), I think I'll play. 

Kay says I'm supposed to say what I was doing 10 years ago, 20 years ago, and 30 years ago. Okay--

At the close of December in 1997, I was just finishing up the first year in my ten-year diary.   For December 29th I wrote, "A day of new beginnings. I WILL be obedient to Weigh Down. Expo is one month from today. I will get back to work. I will take a new slant in 'The Velvet Shadow.' Flanna needs to lift her sights."  

So . . . obviously, I was writing "The Velvet Shadow" and trying to get back in the mindset to work.  Just as I'm doing now.  :-)  And, just like now, I was trying to stick to a diet. And now that I've filled that ten-year diary, I'm starting to fill a new five-year model. 

Twenty years ago?  1987 . . . I was just realizing that the Lord was moving me in a different path. My first book was published in 1987, and for the previous five years I had been writing magazine articles.  We had also just moved from Virginia to Florida, so we were settling into our first Florida home and trying to get the children acclimated--they were three and four at the time, and I had just turned thirty. 

Thirty years ago? 1977 . . . LOL.  I remember that time VERY well.  I traveled with the Re'Generation from August 1976-77, and in September '77 I enrolled at Liberty University to sing with the LBC Chorale.  I was living in the old hotel and adjusting to trying to study while spending most of my time on the road (or in a big diesel bus, to be exact.) The Lord was moving me toward a different path again . . . and I had just turned twenty.  

Thanks, Kay, that was fun . . . and I had no idea how significant the seventh year in each decade has proved to be.  Am I supposed to tag someone now?  I'll just say this--if you want to play on your blog, consider yourself tagged!  

The books?  My garage is filled with bins of my books.  I usually give most of them away and sell a few through my web site, so I try to keep copies of the older books on hand so I can have them for people who can't find them through the usual channels.  But at the year's end, I can't remember what remains, so every year I do an inventory, to make sure I have copies of the titles listed on my web page--nothing worse than going through dozens of bins looking for ONE copy of something.  It's a lot of counting and a lot of lifting, and maybe I'm getting too old for this . . . but it's finished for another year! 

~~Angie

P.S.  If you're interested in a ten year journal, the link is here. 

Heavenly Daze fans . . . cheer up!

Not a week goes by that I don't get three or four emails from people who want more Heavenly Daze books. 

Well . . . you might get your wish. 

First--the Heavenly Daze books are definitely being reissued in a new, smaller format called "mass market."  For six months these books will only be available at Borders bookstores.   

If they do well, and if everything goes as planned, Lori and I have laid some groundwork to continue the Heavenly Daze series.  Everything is in the planning stage at this point, but we'll keep you posted.  

Wishing you heavenly daze, 

Angie 

The Day After

The tree is coming down.  I feel a little Scrooge-ish for taking down my  Christmas tree on the day after, but I wanted to put it away with organization, and that takes time.  Plus, it's easier to do such things now, while life still isn't quite back to "normal," because next week I'll be needing to work--and work hard. 

BTW, hubby and daughter gave me a lovely surprise for my birthday.  Hubby contacted several friends and relatives and asked them to write me a personal note or card for my "big" birthday.  Daughter then artfully arranged cards and letters into an album.  It was so sweet--I cried as I read through it, so I know I'll have to go through it again when my eyes aren't so blurry!  

I've been reading a lot over this break--ODD THOMAS and BORN STANDING UP and THE DEAN KOONTZ COMPANION and THE SOUTH BEACH DIET ('nuff said) and GOOD DOG. STAY.  All delightful reads . . . well, I don't know that I'd call a diet book "delightful," but at least it's "doable." 

Here's to the real world.  I'm ready to get back to it.  

Angie

Books! I get Books!

For some inexplicable reason, my mailbox was flooded with books on Monday--and they're all books I'm thrilled to tell you about.  

The first is from my pal Ron Benrey, and this book will be a boon to all of you who are interested in writing Christian fiction.  It's one of the "Idiot's" series, and it's The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Christian Fiction.  Ron is a practical and intelligent person, so you'll find this book loaded with intelligent points and practical insights.  I'm going to be recommending it a lot.  

The second book I received is from my sweet friend Claire Cloninger.  Claire is a lovely lyricist, writing books and song lyrics with poetic beauty and spiritual insight.  Once Claire and I worked on a church musical together.  After working at my desk, I stayed at the computer to finish up a few things, and Claire cooked dinner for us!  I was stunned (probably because I don't cook much, ever, much less for other people.)  Her new book is called Making 'I Do' Last a Lifetime, and it should be required reading for all newlyweds.  Plus, it's beautiful . . . just like Claire. 

The third book in my mailbox on Monday was Healing Stones by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn. This is one of those collaborations where one gives input and one does the writing, and Nancy is the writer on this one.  I can attest to this because I've been to a workshop with Nancy while she was working on this--I lived through several scenes as she wrote them, and I can tell you that this is a powerful book.  

Boy, is my TBR stack growing!  A sweet little bird sent me a couple of books last week, plus I have my book club book of the month to read, plus I'm well into Koontz's BROTHER ODD--I may take the rest of this week off to sit in my easy chair and work my eyeballs.  :-) 

Here's to good reading in 2008!  I'd post a list of what I plan to read in 2008, but I never know what treasures I'll discover!

~~Angie 

Blessed Christmas to you!

May your time with family be simple and significant. 

May you take time to contemplate the mystery of Emmanuel, "God with us." 

God bless you and yours during this Christmas! 

~~Angie

How Precious . . .

I got the sweetest letter the other day. 

 

A couple of weeks ago I sent a bookplate to a friend whose co-worker's little girl has my book, "The True Princess."  (Follow that?)

 

Anyway, no big deal to sign a sticker for her, so I did:  "To Megan, a true princess, Love, Angela Hunt." 

 

So her daddy sends me a lovely thank you note and says: 

"She's always enjoyed the book, but she loves it even more now. Lately we've been reading it every night at bedtime--her request--and we can't just start at the title page anymore.  Instead she tells me, 'Start with the sticker, Daddy.'" 

Awwww!  Doesn't that just make your heart MELT?  

~~Angie

Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays

This is brilliant.  Click on this link, then click on the red stoplight to begin the video. 

Merry Tossmas!  

Stickers . . . I can't toss.  But holiday catalogs?  Just watch me!

 

~~Angie

Not One Less

Thank you for all the birthday wishes.  My day was very relaxed and fun . . . probably too relaxed, because I should have been working!  And I love roses, and received two beautiful bouquets.  Now my house smells like something other than eau de dog. :-)

Not One Less is the name of a movie . . . and it's one of the best I've seen in months.  It's Chinese--and it's authentic, filmed in China by real Chinese people, not professional actors--so you'll have to read subtitles, but you don't even notice them after a while. 

You can watch it with your children, in fact, I'd urge you to.  The children in the movie are adorable and totally child-like, plus it'll give your kids a realistic view of how other children live. 

The plot is simple . . . and you'll recognize it as being similar to a parable Jesus told.  A young girl is hired to be a substitute teacher in a rural Chinese village. The departing teacher warns her not to lose any of the students--a common problem when families are so poor that even children are set to work. So she accepts the job. 

But when she loses a student, she is determined to find him and bring him back. 

 

That's it, but this movie is so honest and sweet, it had me reaching for the tissues several times.  Completely precious. 

Netflix or rent it when you can.  I hope you like it as much as I did. 

~~Angie 

Have in common . . .

What do Sharon Stone, Madonna, Ellen Degeneres, Prince, Michelle Pfeiffer, and I have in common?  We're all turning fifty! 

In fact, I confess, today is my big day.  No use in hiding your age when it's recorded in the Library of Congress on every bibliographic record.  

Daughter and hubby have been whispering about some big surprise, but I'm still in the dark.  And all I want for my birthday is a trip to the zoo.  :-)  Really.  

So . . . thank you, Mom, for giving birth fifty years ago and putting up with me since.  

~~Angie

Dear Friends and Family

Instead of sharing something cute and funny today, I want to share a sobering truth. I recently received my friend Randy Alcorn's newsletter, in which he talked about the upcoming election and the importance of taking a stand that is pro-life. 

Then I watched the video he recommended. You'll find it here. 

I urge you to watch it, especially at this time of year. We are celebrating the birth of a tiny baby, one who was the incarnation of God in man. 

And yet all human babies bear the image of God. What is the difference between me, an adult woman, and a pre-born baby?  Size, certainly--but that baby only needs time to grow.  We both need food, oxygen, shelter, and nourishment. We both depend upon others to provide our needs. We are both created in the image of God, and we are both precious to Him. 

This is an issue that we must not ignore. We cannot be complacent about the status quo. When I watched the movie "Amazing Grace" and saw those Englishmen and women fighting against slavery, I couldn't help but feel that we who fight for the rights of pre-born children are facing the same kind of struggle. 

But victory is possible . . . and God will be honored when we speak up for those who are innocent. 

The other day I was helping my hubby outline one of his sermons for middle schoolers. He wanted to talk about "Blessed are the merciful," and he said, "How do kids show mercy?" 

"They can show it," I answered, "to animals and younger children. To those who are weaker. Because we are demonstrating God's merciful nature when we look out for those who cannot always fend for themselves." 

Please take a moment to read Randy's article and watch the video. And this Christmas, as we focus on the tiny baby in the manger, let's remember that He was God incarnate from the moment of his conception. 

Life does not "begin" at birth, my friends . . . it began with God. 

~~Angie 

The New Huckabee ad

If you haven't seen Mike Huckabee's latest ad, you can watch it here. 

I've watched it several times, and I have to scratch my head--some people are off their rockers about this simple wish for a meaningful Christmas.  Some accuse Huckabee of "invoking Christ" in a political ad (and what would be wrong with it in this context?) , and Ron Paul has, in referring to the ad, quoted Sinclair Lewis: "when facism comes it will come wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross."

Why mention the cross?  Because of the cross-shaped windowpane behind Huckabee's head. 

Sigh.  Honestly. 

~~Angie 

Back by request . . .

Title Trakk has asked 31 authors about their most special Christmas memory.  If you'd like to read them, here's the link. 

Back from last year, here's the link to elf yourself!  This is me and my hubby . . . too funny!  

You can elf yourself, too--doesn't require any special software.  Enjoy!

~~Angie