Category: Kitchen Chat

A place to chat, share what’s happening in our lives, updates on works in progress.

Faith Blum on Writing Novellas

 

Faith with Rikki-croppedWe are happy to welcome author Faith Blum once again to Rebekah Lyn Books. Faith is a 24 year old home school graduate who enjoys doing many right-brained activities such as reading, crafting, writing, and playing piano. Her favorite genre to read and write is Historical Fiction, more specifically, Westerns. In the Hymns of the West series, she has endeavored to create clean, fun, and challenging Western stories for the whole family. She currently has three novels and Onisha invited her today to talk about the series of novellas she has begun writing.

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Good morning! I’m excited to be here today. I’ve been asked to talk about writing novellas particularly in four different areas:

1. Why do you write novellas?
2. Pros and cons of novellas
3 Easier to market or more difficult
4. Character development in a novella

I’ll start with the first one. The reason I wrote these three novellas and plan to write at least six more, is because I fell in love with some of the minor characters in one of my novels and couldn’t let them go without telling their stories.

In Amazing Grace, I wrote three mail order bride advertisements. The first one was for the heroine of my story. The other two were not mentioned besides in their advertisements. The heroine of the novel wrote back to two men, the hero and Cole Baxter. After writing a scene with Cole Baxter, I couldn’t just leave him there. I had to add more to his story. So, I wrote I Love Thee. Then I got an idea for the other two mail order brides who advertised.

I have ideas for six novellas that will go with my next two novellas, three for each. So, I guess my short answer would be: because I couldn’t leave these minor characters alone and needed to tell their stories.

Pros and cons of novellas

Pros:
• They are faster to write, edit, and publish
• Readers seem to like shorter stories to read

Cons:
• They are harder to market
• It is harder to create a complete story

Easier to market or more difficult

I guess I kind of already answered this question. They are harder to market. Most advertising places don’t advertise novellas unless they are part of a boxed set. The good thing is that there are a few places that take them.

Character development in a novella

Character development is hard in a story of any length. In a novella, the development is just slightly more condensed. It’s challenging, but it can be done. It can be fun, too. I honestly can’t tell you who my favorite characters are in each of the novellas. They all have things I like so much about them.

 

I Love Thee Promo

 

Cole is uncertain, but kind. Overwhelmed, but full of ideas. Charming, witty, hardworking, spontaneous, and loves God above all else. Rhoda is strong-willed, sweet, opinionated, devoted follower of God, and not afraid to take on a challenge. Like baking bread with four children ages 2-8. The children are all super cute and were fun to write as well.

 

Pass Me Not Promo

 

Timothy is gentle, kind, slightly short-tempered, loving, and a devoted believer in God. Abigail is motherly, self-conscious, willing to do anything, and firmly follows God. Louise is an exact replica of her Irish father only more feminine. She is difficult, has a quick temper, is rebellious, hard working, and usually willing to make sacrifices for her brother. Tessa is only five, but she knows right from wrong and tries to obey her older sister.

 

Redeemed Promo

 

Alex. If I had to pick a favorite character of all the male characters in my three novellas, I think I would pick Alexander Granger. He’s the spoiled son of a rich rancher who doesn’t like being told what to do. He’s arrogant, self-serving, and hard to deal with. And yet, behind all of that hides a kind, generous, hard-working spirit. Mona is determined to rise above her station and live a life of luxury. When circumstances change, she proves that she can adapt easily and is hard-working and thoughtful.

I hope you have enjoyed finding out how I write novellas, why, and how I market so far.

Feel free to ask any other questions you may have. Who knows? I may even make it into a blog post someday.

Faith has a fun giveaway!

The first prize winner will receive:

~A paperback of the novel that started the novellas, Amazing Grace (or novel of choice)

~One handpainted bookmark (painted by the author’s sister)

~A silver pen nib bookmark

 

First prize

 

The second prize winner will receive:

~An ebook copy of Amazing Grace (or ebook of choice by Faith Blum)

~Two handpainted bookmarks (painted by the author’s sister)

Second Prize

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Good News!

From August 24-28 only, I Love Thee will be free!

Also on sale during the blog tour are A Mighty Fortress which will be$0.99 from August 23-30 and Be Thou My Vision which will be $0.99 from August 30-September 6.

This is going to be a busy week for Faith.

Be sure to check out the other stops on her blog tour.

Novella Blog Tour

 

Monday, August 24

 

Tuesday, August 25

 

Wednesday, August 26-RELEASE DAY!

 

Thursday, August 27

 

Friday, August 28

 

Saturday, August 29

 

Sunday, August 30

 

Monday, August 31

 

 

Lizzie’s Wedding Journal ~Dresses

Wedding Journal;

I have a new respect for the brides that I’ve dealt with at Hotel Lago. Most of them have been nice to work with, despite the mountain of decisions they have to make outside of the venue. Dresses, accessories, flowers, bridal party gifts, it becomes  overwhelming. I understand the bride wants to be the most beautiful woman in the room, but do designers have to make bridesmaid dresses so hideous?

After weeks of searching magazines and websites, I finally found five that I could live with. Once I took Stephanie and Mona to the bridal shop to try them on, I was relieved to find one that was quite flattering to both of them. It’s a dove grey/silver color with a fitted bodice and a skirt that falls just above the ankles. We found sandals that are a perfect match, helping to balance out the formality of the high neckline. When the clerk told me I could add a sash at the waist in the Christmas ribbon I’ve been considering as an accent, that sealed the deal.

I don’t know how I will ever choose a dress for myself! In that arena the designers are out doing each other. I have piles of magazines with scads of pages ripped out and pinned up all over my house. I wish I could wear them all. I even tried on a couple while Stephanie and Mona were being fitted for their dresses. It’s a good thing some of them look better on the hanger than on me. Trying them on has helped me narrow my focus, though. I hope I can report a final decision on that front soon. There’s the alarm clock. It’s time to get up and get ready for work. Will write more later.

I almost forgot, here is the link to my pinterest board for bridesmaids

https://www.pinterest.com/itsrebekahlyn/lizzies-wedding-plans/

 

Grace Awards Summer Book Bash ~ day two | Grace Awards

New Adult Christian Fiction
Book 1

The Grace Awards 2104 Summer Book Bash in now in full swing offering exciting reads by accomplished authors.

SUMMER STORMS by Rebekah Lyn

Summer Storms is a story of love, loss and renovation. Thanks to the love and support of friends and a renewed commitment to her faith Elizabeth Reynolds has moved past the hurt and anger of her parents death. Her job as concierge at Hotel Lago, a boutique hotel in downtown Orlando is challenging and fills her need to be successful but one thing is missing. When a once in a lifetime opportunity to renovate a broken down home comes along she snaps it up. Sparks and clashes with her handsome, but deeply troubled contractor, Jeffrey Robbins threaten to slow the renovation but when Orlando becomes the target of three summer storms, hurricanes Charlie, Frances and Jeanne, her team bonds together. In the aftermath of the storms what will be the fate of Lizzie’s home and heart?What a great summer read.

Source: Grace Awards Summer Book Bash ~ day two | Grace Awards

Lizzie’s Wedding Journal~The Venue

We met with Pastor Donovan this weekend and he seems as excited about this wedding as we are. He said he’s never heard of a proposal like ours and was touched to hear our story. I had forgotten about the prayer chapel we have on the campus. He took us to look at it after we finished talking. It’s perfect! He said it can accommodate 150 people and I can’t imagine we’ll have that many guests. There is a lovely stained glass of the nativity that made me certain this was the right place for our ceremony since it will be so close to Christmas.

Finding a place for the reception has been harder. There is an Italian-style country club outside Orlando that I loved, but they are booked almost two years out. It probably would have been a bit fancier than we want anyway. We must have visited close to two dozen places around town before we found something we both liked and that had an opening in December. The Avalon Grove Inn is beautiful.  Originally it was a small, family owned packing house for citrus. In the early seventies it was purchased from the family and renovated as an Inn. Some of the original grove is still maintained, but most of it has been lost to freezing temperatures over the years. The banquet room has hardwood floors and the rafters are all exposed wood beams in the same espresso color. When we were there it was decorated for another wedding, with white lights wrapped around the beams, and draped with white organza. The walls are a warm golden-yellow and at the end of the room is a fireplace surrounded by large stones. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this place before . We stumbled on it when we were driving around Winter Park. It’s less than twenty minutes from the church and has plenty of parking in an adjacent field where they had to remove a large portion of the original orange grove. Photos of some of the other places I visited are on my Pinterest board.

The catering manager is an absolute gem. She and I hit it off right away. I can’t wait to start working with her on the menu and the linens. She had some great ideas as soon as we told her our date. I think I will invite her to the next Concierge Club dinner, or maybe I should wait until after the wedding. She might feel uncomfortable mixing business and pleasure, but I know she’ll fit right in.

If I could just decide on who I can ask to be my bridesmaids, then I could start thinking about their dresses.

 The story Lizzie’s romance and proposal is chronicled in the

Seasons of Faith Series

Summer Storms, Winter’s End and Spring Dawn

available on all major online books sites

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