First off, guys, I just want to say how much fun I had doing this little series with you!! I hope you learned more about your favorite authors and maybe found a few new ones to check out!

To all of the following winners: Please send email me (erynnmangum@gmail.com) your full name and address as soon as you can! If I don’t hear from a winner by next weekend, I will redraw the winner.

And now, without further ado, drumroll please, I give to you our winners!

For the signed Betsy St. Amant book, it’s…

Lanae!!

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For the signed Jenny B. Jones book, it’s…

Hannah Kruse!!

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For the signed Tamara Leigh book, it’s…

Little Buttercup Baby!!

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For the signed Jenness Walker book, it’s…

Madison Akins!!

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For the Diana Prusik ebook, it’s…

Lynola!!

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For the signed C.J. Darlington book, it’s…

Sarah Pickens!!

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For the signed Christa Banister book, it’s…

Cjoy!!

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For the signed Sketchy Behavior, it’s…

Andrea!!

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For the signed book of mine, it’s…

Meghan!!

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AND…for the grand prize.. the Old Navy gift card, it’s…

MARTHA A!!! 🙂

Congratulations to all of you!! And thank you to everyone for playing!! 🙂

Just to give y’all a little bit longer to get your names in the hat for the Fall Fiction Frenzy drawings! 🙂

Here are a few of my favorites from the last couple of weeks. Excited to hear yours!

1. Jif Natural Peanut Butter

SO delicious! As a general rule, I don’t like natural peanut butter. Mostly because of the texture and the fact that you have to stir it for like a decade before it’s pliable and then you have to store it in the fridge where it gets rock hard and demolishes whatever bread you’re trying to spread it on. But this stuff looks and acts exactly like normal peanut butter except without all the additives. YUM.

2. Ramona and Beezus

I know, I know. I’ve mentioned this before. But I just absolutely adore this movie! Every single thing about it. If you haven’t seen it, stop reading this blog, drive to the nearest video rental place and settle in with a blanket and a big cup of coffee.

3. Playing in our grassy backyard!

We’re finally able to walk on it!! I think Nathan might have had a little bit of fun. 🙂 It was very cold yesterday though, so we all had to bundle up.

4. Starbucks Verona Blend

To go with that Ramona and Beezus that you’re about to rent. 😉 It’s hands-down my favorite coffee.

5. My little Tiger

Oh, how I love my little boy. And he is SUCH a boy. 🙂

He had his 15 month appointment today. He’s finally starting to gain some weight! I’m planning a catch up post over the last two weeks and I’ll write his stats down there. But I had to post this picture of him today after his doctor’s appointment. Little doll. 🙂

Hope you’re having a good day! Don’t forget to get your comments in before tonight. 🙂 And, if you’d like, I’d love to hear some of your favorites this week!

Well guys, we are drawing Fall Fiction Frenzy to a close! Tomorrow, I’ll draw all of the winners – including the winner of the Old Navy gift card. So be sure to get your comments in by 6PM pacific time!! 🙂

Today, I want to do things a little differently! Obviously, I won’t interview myself (though I do tend to talk to myself quite a bit – particularly when trying to figure out what I’m going to wear that day), but I did want to answer a few of the more popular questions I get asked frequently in emails. And, side note, if you have a question for me, please don’t hesitate to email me! I’m not the best at responding, but I am trying to get better. Having a 15-month old who can’t seem to play by himself without getting in tremendous trouble makes it kind of difficult. 😉

Will there be a fourth Lauren Holbrook novel?

Sorry guys – unless I get a surprise call from NavPress, I’m not expecting to write a fourth Lauren Holbrook novel. But I do love the way it ended – I feel like it closed most strings and left a few open for your imaginations. 🙂

I want to be a writer – what should I do?

First, I hope that this current series is helping a little bit! Every writer has a different story of how they got published – I LOVE that because it just shows how uniquely God has planned each person’s life!

As far as practical suggestions, I would recommend checking out one of the excellent Christian writing organizations – The Christian Writers Guild or the American Christian Fiction Writers. They both offer fabulous annual conferences with great speakers, information-overloaded workshops and LOTS of opportunities to meet with publishers and pick editors’ brains. I hope you noticed how many of the people I interviewed got published because of one of these conferences!

Also, the Christian Writer’s Guild offers correspondence courses. I’ve graduated from both the Apprentice and Journeyman courses and they were excellent. I saw HUGE improvements in my writing!

How do you plot your books? How do you come up with your characters?

I don’t plot, actually. 🙂 I have a basic idea of a story I want to write, I sit down at my laptop, type “Chapter One” and go from there. It makes it interesting for me everyday because I never know exactly what is going to happen.

Characters are almost the same story as plotting. I know the basic details – name, approximate age, occupation. Then I learn everything as I go. Lauren Holbrook showed herself to be a caffeine-addict and chocoholic very quickly. Maya Davis had a sweet, tender heart that I discovered along the way. Kate Carter had a way of looking at the world that was SO different than anyone I’d ever written about before!

The key to characterization is to think about whether or not YOU would be friends with whoever you’re writing about. Do they seem real? Do they have faults and quirks and annoying habits? Do they struggle with something?

Are you anything like your characters?

A little bit of me ends up in every character I write. Lauren’s caffeine habit was definitely true of me – particularly at that stage in my life. When I wrote about her, I was also living at home, I was also very involved in a singles’ Bible study that was quickly becoming the Young Marrieds, and I still do love to watch movies (though, I don’t get to as much and when I do get the chance, I usually end up falling asleep!). 🙂

I feel like whatever I’m currently learning in my walk with God always, always ends up in my stories – even if I never intended them to go that direction. Maya’s struggle with learning to trust God with her future was a HUGE struggle for me as well – I was newly married, we were pretty much broke and Jon hadn’t gotten hired on as a teacher yet. We learned a TON about trusting God that summer!! I finished the series when I found out I was pregnant with Nathan and again, I had to trust that He cared not only for me, but also for my unborn child.

Do you have as much fun as your characters do?

Yes. 🙂

Will you reply to my email?

Oh you guys! I so wish I could reply to every email I get! I hate, HATE not having the time to do that! Please know that I do read every email and every single one is SO wonderful to read. You guys are the BEST readers any writer could ever ask for! I am seriously trying my best to write everyone back, you just may not get a response for a few months. 🙁 Between trying to get my writing done, trying my best to be a good mama to my son and a good wife to my husband, as well as have time to spend with Christ, go grocery shopping, clean the house, cook dinner, etc, etc, I just don’t have the time I used to. I am SO sorry. But I do hope to write you all back very soon!!

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Guys, I absolutely LOVE having the opportunity to do this little series!! I hope that you have all enjoyed it as much as I have!

Today, I’ve got one last book giveaway! I’m going to be giving away the winner’s choice of any of my novels. 🙂 One last reminder – only one comment per person, please leave some sort of identifying information and lastly, have fun! Every comment over these last two weeks enters you in the big drawing for the Old Navy gift card as well! And if you haven’t had the chance to comment on the other posts yet, hurry and go do it! I’ll be drawing the winners tomorrow night!

Today’s comment question: If you could steal anyone’s hairstyle, whose would it be and what would it look like?

See you tomorrow for the drawing!

Guys, I need to introduce you to my amazing Australian friend, Rel.

I get a ton of emails asking me how to get involved in reviewing books. Rel has been running Relz Reviewz for a while now and she’s now one of the best (not just in my opinion!) book bloggers for the Christian fiction market out there.

Plus, she’s Australian.

I think I might have mentioned that already, but it is very important. 😉

And she’s just about the nicest person I’ve never actually met. Are y’all seeing a trait when it comes to being a writer? How all of your friends are just pictures you see on the internet and signatures on emails??

Anyway, here we go! 🙂

@font-face { font-family: “Wingdings”; }@font-face { font-family: “Cambria”; }@font-face { font-family: “Arial Unicode MS”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; text-decoration: underline; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Erynn: You blog about books which is SO cool. Tell us how you got started. Rel: I began by writing a few reviews for my local Christian bookstore and started my blog, Relz Reviewz, to have a record of them. I stumbled across the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and began reviewing books for blog tours and subsequently publishers, publicists and authors. I couldn’t have imagined that five years on I would be turning away books due to an overload of books! I used to read. Then I had a baby and even a shopping list seems like reading overload. How long did it take you to build up a blog audience? Honestly, I haven’t really paid much attention to that aspect of my blog. My passion is to share great books and authors with my readers by way of reviews, author interviews and character spotlights and somehow, in doing that, I have been blessed by people reading my thoughts and those of the authors that I highlight on my blog. I’m still amazed that I have an audience at all – LOL! It has steadily built up over the past five years. I love my readers and appreciate every comment I receive. 🙂 I think this is awesome. What genre do you most love to read? Romantic suspense is my favourite ~ high on the suspense with a subtle but meaningful romance. That said, other than sci-fi, I read and enjoy all genres. Any books that just released you’d highly recommend? That’s asking for trouble!! LOL! I’ll try to keep it to a minimum! Wolfsbane by Ronie Kendig The Colonel’s Lady by Laura Frantz Shadow in Serenity by Terri Blackstock Restless in Carolina by Tamara Leigh The Doctor’s Lady by Jody Hedlund Torrent by Lisa T Bergren (Waterfall & Cascade are must reads first!) And…….Sketchy Behavior by one Erynn Mangum!! Aww, now I’m blushing. Thanks Rel! How do you develop contacts with publishers and authors? You need to show publishers and authors you are serious about blogging and reviewing and you are not just in it for a free book! Book blogging is very time intensive and accordingly significant commitment is required. Reviewing books you already have or have borrowed from the library is a good place to start. Publishers and authors need to see that you are writing genuine reviews before they will be willing to send books your way. Join some of the publishers’ book blogger programs and establish your credentials with some well written reviews. Once you have a “folio” of reviews you will be in a better position to approach authors or publishers directly (if that option is available). All this great info!! So, now the most important question of all… What is your favorite hot drink? Hot water with a squeeze of lemon! Strange, I know, but coffee and tea just don’t do it for me ;-D I think the problem is you just need to come here for a bit and I’ll treat you to a Pumpkin Spice Latte. 🙂 For my readers who would like to start their own blog reviewing books, what is the one most important thing they should do? Write honest, well written reviews that are respectful even when offering a criticism of the writing. Do you ever get sick of reading? 🙂
No, but sometimes it is lovely to just read a book I don’t have to review! It is a more relaxing read 🙂 I bet! You live in Australia, which makes me incredibly jealous. What’s the best thing about living there? Mmmm…..that could be a long list, too! I love that as a culture we don’t take ourselves too seriously, we can laugh at ourselves, fabulous open spaces, beaches and, of course, vegemite! I am on my way to Google “vegemite”. Any additional advice for readers wanting to know more about review blogging? Check out some of the established book review blogs around and see how they do things on their blogs. Think about the focus for your blog ~ do you want to review Christian Fiction or have a YA focus? Write a review policy that reflects your individual requirements. Never, never give away spoilers in a review! Finally, love what you do! Thanks Erynn ~ loved the questions and hope my answers are of some help to your readers :)Thank you so much, Rel!! I hope that those of you who are interested in book blogging learned a lot! So, you guys know the drill now – leave a comment on this post to win an autographed copy of Sketchy Behavior!! And remember, every comment left during Fall Fiction Frenzy enters you to win the Old Navy gift card!Please, guys, only one comment per person. Today’s comment question: If you could buy only one thing for your house or future home, and money was not an issue, what would it be?

Welcome to another edition of Fall Fiction Frenzy!

So, I have to introduce you to my friend Christa Banister. She’s another one of my fellow Scribble Chicks and she’s got one of the coolest jobs in the writing industry – she’s paid to go watch movies! Granted, she’s not just sitting there with popcorn (that I know of).

I’m so glad Christa decided to drop by today!

Me: Ok. We have to know. What’s your favorite kind of cheesecake?

Christa: Pumpkin and any Italian cheesecake where they use mascarpone instead of cream cheese. It makes it so much lighter in texture and so incredibly delicious.

Drooling now. Tell us a little bit about how you got started writing.

I’ve been obsessed with writing ever since my grandfather started reading to me. I think my first “book” was about a turtle named Buddy who went to a birthday party. Why that wasn’t the biggest book of my career, I’ll just never know! Ha ha. In all seriousness, I knew I wanted to be a writer when I read my first Judy Blume book, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. I figured if Judy got paid to write crazy imaginative stories for a living, well, then that’s exactly what I wanted to do. So I wrote for the school newspaper, treasured every creative writing class I took, read everything that even remotely interested me and eventually majored in Journalism. After college, I moved from Minneapolis to Nashville and started working my way up at the magazine I always dreamed of writing for. After five and half years there, I launched my own freelance writing company and review movies, music and books, write for several magazines and had my first two novels published in 2007 and 2008, respectively.

Oh! I loved Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing! Fudge. That was the brother, right? Speaking of, Chocolate Chip or Oatmeal Raisin cookie?

Mmm, can I have an oatmeal raisin cookie with chocolate chips in it?

Why not? So, any new books coming out or in the process of coming out?

I’m working on my third novel, Tuesday Nights in Italia, as we speak, which has been totally been this labor of love. After working on a couple different book ideas, this was the one I fell in love with, and I love seeing the story unfold day by day.

What a great title! What is your least favorite part of writing?

Transcribing the interviews that’ll eventually be the quotes in my articles.

Tell us a little about the genre you write in. Why did you pick that route?

I write what I call romantic comedies in novel form. I love to play with this format because it’s a perfect match for my voice, plus it’s a genre I enjoy reading myself. The title I’m working on now, however, is more in the woman’s fiction category, and I love the freedom it’s given me to switch things up, which has been a refreshing change of pace.

I love that – it’s so important to write something that you would enjoy reading. So, what is your favorite part of writing?

Well, everything. Characters. Dreaming up crazy plot lines. Creating the perfect setting. Finding the perfect word to encapsulate what you’re thinking. Yeah, I’m a total writing geek.

Ha! 🙂 Favorite character you’ve ever written?

Probably Lucinda Buffington, the boss of Sydney Alexander, my protagonist in Around the World in 80 Dates and Blessed Are the Meddlers. I love her warped sense of reality and how high-maintenance she is. But at the very core of her (and really, only a few people have ever seen this side of her), she’s a decent human being with the same hopes and fears as everyone else. But her voice is just so much fun to write because she’s sort of ridiculous.

Got any advice for prospective authors?

Read. A LOT! Great writers are readers, so read everything in the genre you want to write in and put your own spin on it. Also, don’t be afraid of rejection—it’s even happened to your favorite author. Everything worth doing is worth fighting for, so if you want to write a novel, work on it diligently and don’t give up!

GREAT advice! Ok. You’ve got one minute to grab whatever you can at Target and money is no object. What do you buy?

Wow, how did you know that I’m a Target-o-holic? I’d head over to the section with all the dishes, candles and homey-type things and grab all the latest patterns. They always have the cutest stuff for your home at Target, so I’d go crazy and redecorate a bit.

Love it! Thanks so much for the interview, Christa!

Christa is being WAY generous and giving away a copy of her book, Around the World in 80 Dates today! Every comment gets a chance to win – and don’t forget the rules! One comment per person, please. And remember, every comment over these next two weeks gets you a chance to win the Old Navy gift card!

Today’s comment question: If you had to pick, would you want a star or a street named after you and why?

Some people have amazing stories of how they got published. Like the one I heard one time about the author who hit someone with his car. The other driver turned out to be an editor, the author told the editor his five-minute pitch while they were waiting for the police and then got signed to the publishing house a little later.

DISCLAIMER: I do not recommend plowing down editors in your car in attempts to get your book published.

While my friend C.J. Darlington doesn’t have quite such a dramatic story of publication, she does have a very fun one! She’s the co-founder of TitleTrakk.com – one of the absolute best Christian review sites out there. But, she also wanted to be a novelist and in 2008, she submitted her novel, Thicker than Blood, to the Christian Writer’s Guild Operation Novel contest. It won and she got signed with Tyndale. Wow!!

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C.J.: Triple grande cappuccino. Sometimes I order with sugar free caramel or vanilla flavoring too. Yummy!
Oo. That does sounds really good! Tell us a little bit about how you got started writing.
I’ve loved to read for as long as I can remember. I think that’s what really spurred on my writing. I too wanted to tell stories like the authors I read. I actually dabbled in guitar and oil painting as well but was never completely satisfied with them. I realized later both were attempts to tell stories, but nothing clicked like writing fiction. When I was a teen I discovered you could actually learn how to write better through instruction books, and I devoured every one I could get my hands on. Through years of practice and plenty more reading I was blessed to have my work published. My first short story was accepted for publication when I was eighteen. Little victories like that helped me stick with writing until eventually my first novel, Thicker than Blood, was published by Tyndale House.
Such an amazing story! I love how you mentioned that writers tend to also be creative in other ways as well! Summer or winter – which one do you prefer?
If I can’t have fall, hands down I’d pick winter. I am not a heat/humidity kind of gal! I’d rather bundle up.

Yay! Me too! With a hot cup of coffee, preferably. Any new books out or in the process of coming out?
My latest novel is Bound by Guilt, which released this past spring. It’s the story of a troubled teen named Roxi Gold who finds herself on the wrong side of the law. She’s searching for love and acceptance, and through her journey I hope readers will catch a glimpse into God’s heart for those like her. I’m currently writing my third novel. Hopefully I’ll finish it up before year’s end!
I absolutely love your novels! I love how real your characters are. What is your least favorite part of writing?
Plotting doesn’t usually come easily for me. Once I have an idea of where I want to go, the writing flows so much more smoothly. Problem is, I’m not an outliner, so most of the time I’m discovering things right alongside the reader. That often makes for some cool serendipitous moments, but it’s also frustrating at times. But really… if writing were easy, everyone would do it.
Love hearing that you aren’t an outliner either. I think it makes writing so much more interesting for the author! Tell us a little about the genre you write in. Why did you pick that route?
I never consciously chose to write in the contemporary fiction genre. It just so happens the stories that spoke to my heart fit into that genre. Often I’ll sprinkle in elements of other genres, like suspense or YA, into my stories. I write the stories God puts in my heart and let the genre chips fall as they may.
That’s exactly what I tell everyone who asks me what genre is selling – you’ve got to write what you feel God is calling you to write, not what is currently selling. So, what is your favorite part of writing?
When the picture in my head ends up appearing on the page exactly like I envisioned it. This usually doesn’t come on the first draft, or even the second or third. Most times it takes lots of editing and tweaking and honing to get it right. But when I’m done, it’s thrilling when a scene really works.
I love that feeling? Care to share who’s your favorite character you’ve ever written?
Roxi Gold is one of my favorites for sure. She’s so vulnerable and yet shows a great deal of strength throughout the story of Bound by Guilt. Another favorite is Beth Eckert, the young veterinarian from my first novel Thicker than Blood (and who also has a cameo in Bound by Guilt). I had a lot of fun writing her!
Got any advice for prospective authors?
Write the story of your heart. Don’t worry about markets, editors, or readers. At least not when you’re first starting out. There’ll be plenty of time for that later. But if you’re not passionate about a story, it will show on the page. And remember—writing is an apprenticeship. Go in knowing it can take years to be published and you won’t be as discouraged on the hard days.
Wonderful, fabulous advice! Ok. You have an entire day with nothing planned – what would you do if money was no object?
I’m a pretty simple gal. I’d probably go to Starbucks, then go horseback riding, and after that take in a movie (with lots of popcorn!) before heading out to dinner. I’d fall asleep with my doggies in bed reading a good book.
Thank you SO much, C.J.!!

C.J. has been SO generous and offered to giveaway the winner’s choice of either Thicker than Blood or Bound by Guilt! WOW!! I know you guys will just love her books!

Entry rules are still the same: Leave a comment to enter, one comment per person, please leave your name or sign into your Blogger account, etc. 😉 And, don’t forget that every comment in the Fall Fiction Frenzy enters you into the drawing for the Old Navy card!

Today’s comment question: If you were accidentally left overnight inside a restaurant, which one would it be and why?

Sometimes I wonder what people who lived even two hundred years ago would think of the world we live in right now. The cars we drive, the cable TV, the MacBooks, the flameless LED candles.

Amongst other things.

Like, for instance, the e-book. I have a confession to make: When the Kindle first released, I swore I would never in a million years read a book on one because I really love the feeling of holding a book and turning actual, touchable pages.

But then I got an iPhone and I downloaded the Kindle app and found ALL MANNER of free and very low cost books for instant download. And when I was nursing in the middle of the night? Instant, lit-up book.

I changed my views on the Kindle right then and there.

With the future of books looking more and more like it will continue swinging to the digitalized side, it’s important for authors and would-be authors to keep this in mind.

Which is why I’d like you to meet my friend Diana Prusik! Diana and I have a very weird story on how we met – her daughter’s grandmother-in-law is very good friends with my grandmother and gave her my books. So fun!

Diana is a mom, grandma, gifted photographer and a Tyndale author! Her novel, Delivery, is part of a new Tyndale Digital First e-book initiative. Very cool! Diana has an AMAZING story on how she became a writer, so I’ll let her take over now!

Erynn: Okay, Diana. Big question. What’s your favorite kind of cheesecake?

Diana: Since I’m all about simplicity, topping-free New York style is my first choice. If you drizzle a little caramel on top, I won’t complain. Add a little fudge? Still not complaining. I rarely complain about these things as well. Particularly if it involves cheesecake AND fudge. So, you have a great story! Care to share with us a little bit about how you got started writing? I have no short explanation, but I can point you to this recent guest blog entry, now Spire Reviews’ most popular post, that describes my blessing-filled journey: http://spirereviews.blogspot.com/2011/09/debut-author-spotlight-diana-prusik.html. Wow! That’s an incredible story! A little less of an incredible question now: Chocolate Chip or Oatmeal Raisin cookie?

One of each? Okay. If I’m forced to choose, soft and chewy oatmeal raisin wins. Or wait! Maybe chocolate chip . . . . See, usually I would be indecisive about food, but my mind gets made up the second I hear the word “chocolate”. Any new books coming out or in the process of coming out? Characters follow me wherever I go, tapping on my shoulder, whispering in my ear, disturbing my sleep. I’m taking notes of tales they share, and I’m devouring all the information on writing I can find. I recently attended the American Christian Fiction Writers conference in St. Louis, which set me on fire with new ideas. Next month, I’ll attend the Story Masters Workshop in Houston to learn from experts like Chris Vogle, Donald Maass, and James Scott Bell. When I get home from Texas, my keyboard will be smoking! I love, love, LOVE the high that comes from attending writing conferences! Highly, highly recommended if you are hoping to become a writer! So, what’s your least favorite part of writing?

My heart aches when the story comes to a close. By the time I wrote the final chapter of Delivery, I loved the Wilson’s Florist gang as if they were my dearest friends. While I typed those final sentences, I grieved that our journey together had come to an end. The florist shop was such a great setting for your story! Made me want to start arranging flowers, something I have no talent for. Tell us a little about the genre you write in. Why did you pick that route? Experts often advise, “Write what you know.” I know small town life. I know strong yet wacky girlfriends. I know heartache. And I know God’s amazing love and mercy. So Christian contemporary fiction/women’s fiction is my niche. I write, as my website says, Small town stories. God-sized grace. I love that slogan!! Want to tell us what your favorite part of writing is? I love when the story feels so real that I forget I’m not part of it–when my characters suck me into their lives so completely that I laugh when they laugh, blush when they blush, and cry when they cry. Not going to lie. I have definitely made the same face in the mirror for much longer than I’d like to admit to just so I could try to describe it. Sort of like how I just had to try all kinds of lattes to get the taste descriptions right for the Cool Beans series. 🙂 What’s your favorite character you’ve ever written?Without a doubt, my favorite character is Mom Robinson, Delivery’s community matriarch. She takes weekly strolls down Main Street to offer gifts she receives at one business to employees she visits at the next–sharing the weekly edition from the newspaper office with customers at the bakery, pastries from the bakery with the flower shop gang, and posies from the florist with tellers at the bank. She is no stranger to heartache, but instead of becoming angry or bitter about her losses, she performs quiet acts of kindness that speak one loud message of unconditional love. When I grow up, I want to be like her. Any last advice for prospective authors?

Read. Learn. Write. Pray. And never, ever, EVER give up on your dreams! Amen and amen. Ok. You’ve got one minute to grab whatever you can at Target and money is no object. What do you buy? First, I’d empty the gift card rack. Then, I’d race for the greeting cards, especially the new postage-paid kind. Cards adorned with handwritten notes work wonders to brighten someone’s day. Our world could use some brightening, so I’d launch a send-a-card campaign. I’d tuck an unsigned greeting card inside each signed card I’d mail, include a gift card for each, and send instructions for the first recipient to “pay it forward” by choosing the next recipient– much like my Share the Gift Double Kindle 3G Giveaway, where the winner of the first Kindle 3G will choose the recipient of the second Kindle 3G, Mom Robinson style. And if a second or two remained, I’d snatch an Almond Joy bar on my way to the check out! Definitely going to check that contest out on your site now!! Thank you so much for hanging out with us, Diana!

So, Diana has very graciously offered to give a copy of Delivery to one lucky winner! Leave a comment on this post to enter. Remember, one comment per person and please leave some sort of identification in there. Diana’s book is an e-book, but there are lots of completely free downloads available for all kinds of computers, phones, droids and GPS systems. Just kidding about that last one.

Today’s comment question: In true s’macon fashion, what would be the most adventurous thing you would ever put on a s’more?

Today is my baby sister Cayce’s 21st birthday – what a treasure she is to me! I love you, Kiki! 🙂

Have a great night!

Hope you guys are enjoying this little series! I love learning the people behind the stories. And remembering what my writing used to be like in the olden days before I had a fifteen-month-old splashing in my toilets. I feel like I’m hosting a mini-Hallmark channel on this blog.

The Way I Used to Be – The Erynn Mangum Story.

Anyways.

Today, I get to introduce you to my friend, Jenness Walker. Jenness has a way cool story about how she got published and I’m excited that y’all get to meet her!

We’ll start with the all-important question. Favorite kind of cheesecake?

Cheesecake Factory’s 30th anniversary cheesecake!

Cheesecake Factory. Good answer. We are still friends. So, tell us a little bit about how you got started writing.

My first memory about writing is from 1st grade, where we had a class contest to see who could write and illustrate the best story. I remember thinking I was a shoo-in for the winner. (Um…I wasn’t.) So I don’t know if I’d been coming up with stories before then or if that was the beginning, but I’ve been writing ever since.

Another important one, so take a deep breath. Chocolate Chip or Oatmeal Raisin cookie?

Is that a real question? 🙂 Chocolate Chip. Of course.

Again, we’re still friends. 🙂 Any new books coming out or in the process of coming out?

I’m involved (with my coauthor Tracy Bowen) with the Bloomfield series, which is a series written by various authors and is being published by B&H. I believe the first book in the series is coming out next year. The stories all take place in the quirky small town of Bloomfield. So far it’s been a lot of fun!

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Serious rewrites. 🙂 Sometimes it’s very hard for me to rethink plot elements or scenes when they’re already written. Maybe because the story becomes so real to me, that what’s written is history, you know? You can’t change the facts. 🙂 So sometimes it takes some time beating my head against the wall to be able to get past that block.

Tell us a little about the genre you write in. Why did you pick that route?

I actually write in a few different genres. I do contemporary romance/romantic comedy with Tracy. I went that route with her because humor is something she excels at, and I needed help in that area. I mean, I thought I was funny, but… 🙂 That’s the voice that works for us as a team, and we have a lot of fun with it. It’s also a nice switch-up from my other stuff.

On my own I write romantic suspense, probably because that is the majority of what I read growing up. I’m also currently working on kind of a darker women’s fiction. I’m not certain I picked that particular route. I think it just appeared before me and said, “You’re supposed to write this story. Deal with it.”

So, I think it’s great that you are getting to write in two different genres. I think people often assume that writers can only write ONE way and that’s their branding for the rest of their lives. What’s your favorite part of writing?

It’s a tie between the very beginning—the exciting new idea and the brainstorming that follows—and the last few chapters with the rush toward the end. Both can be exhilarating.

Totally agree. My two favorite words are “the” and “end.” So, what’s your favorite character you’ve ever written?

To make answering this one a little easier, I’m going to limit this to characters from my completed manuscripts. 🙂 And that would have to be Jake. He’s the hero in the first (as of yet unpublished) romantic suspense I wrote. And rewrote. And wrote again. I guess I love him best because we spent so much time together. And because he’s one of those wounded but devastatingly sweet and heartbreakingly handsome heroes that many of us swoon over. 🙂 (Jason, if you’re reading this, don’t worry—I love you more.)

Ha! Love that. The “completed manuscripts.” Ain’t that the truth. I’ve got a couple buried in my hard drive. Got any advice for prospective authors?

The obvious things are to read and to join writers’ organizations and find a good critique group/partner. So instead of expounding on the virtues of those things, I’ll repeat something I heard from a recent workshop. Allen Arnold reminded us that we are to have no idols. We’re not to bow down to the story. “The calling should be more important than any one particular book. Your story is the fruit of the calling but should not become the focus.”

So, pre-published authors, remember why you’re writing and Who you’re writing for. Keep working toward the goal, but don’t be afraid to move on to a different story to continue to grow into the writer He wants you to be.

Perfectly said! Ok. You’ve got one minute to grab whatever you can at Target and money is no object. What do you buy?

Furniture! I heart furniture, even though I don’t have anywhere to put it. (No, seriously. My house is full, so I loan furniture to friends instead of getting rid of the surplus.) And Target has some great chairs…oh, and a desk I really like…and—wait. Do I have to carry them myself? This could be tricky…

Thank you, Jenness!! 🙂

Jenness has been WAY generous and offered to give away Bliss to one of you!! All you’ve got to do is leave a comment below. Don’t forget that every comment left during these two weeks is also entered to win the Old Navy gift card!

Also don’t forget that it’s one comment per person, please. 😉

Today’s comment question: Two hours to do whatever you want to do – where will you go, who will you see and what will you do?

I am REALLY loving all of your comments on these posts! I’m now trying to figure out how I could plan an outdoor movie marathon while watching the leaves change colors with all of us together. And we might have throw some s’mores in there too.

Or s’macons. 😉

Several years ago, I worked as an intern for my church and one of the best parts of the job was that I got to go have coffee dates with all these amazing high school girls. One of my favorite places to meet was the Borders coffee shop – I’d always show up early, find the little nookish area that was Christian Fiction, grab a novel and sit and read until the girl showed up and made me stop.

The novels I always, without fail, navigated to? Tamara Leigh’s. The novels I started buying for myself and my sister? Tamara Leigh’s. And the novel that I received in the mail for an endorsement and did the HUGEST happy dance over? Tamara Leigh’s!!

Tamara Leigh has SUCH an amazing testimony! One that I really want y’all to go read! She’s a great inspiration to me because not only are her books hilarious and very well-written, but she’s also another stay-at-home-writing-mom. I love that!

Erynn: So, I think we can all agree that this is probably the most important question I’ve been asking. What’s your favorite drink to order at Starbucks?

Tamara: I especially enjoy the fall and winter drinks—pumpkin spice latte, gingerbread latte, and salted hot chocolate—but I always come back to Caramel Macchiato. I like it hot, but in the summer nothing beats an iced one.

You are my new favorite person. We have the same favorite drinks! Tell us a little bit about how you got started writing.

A couple years after graduating with a master’s degree in speech and language pathology, my husband and I decided it was time to have children. Long story short, wanting to find a way to stay at home and raise our children, I took a chance on my love of writing and medieval romances. After completing Warrior Bride, I signed with an agent, made the changes she suggested, and suddenly had several publishers offering on the book. That was the easiest and most exciting publishing road I’ve ever traveled. But though writing as a career can be difficult, the journey has been worth it.

That’s so amazing! What a dream come true! So, summer or winter—which one do you prefer?

You had to make that one hard, didn’t you? I don’t like any extreme weather and, in Tennessee, summer is definitely extreme when you factor in the humidity—especially when it’s the year of the cicada. As for winter, it’s definitely mild here compared to when I lived in the Lake Tahoe area, but I really don’t like the cold. So…it’s a draw.

Ick. I don’t like humidity at all. Love snow, though! Any new books out or in the process of coming out?

This past July, the final book in my Southern Discomfort series, Restless in Carolina, was released (I’m still going through withdrawal from the Pickwick family). Currently, I’m revisiting the medieval romance genre that gave me my start in the publishing world in 1994. When I was transitioning from the secular to the inspirational market in 2005, I was told medievals don’t do well with readers of Christian fiction, but I think I might give it another go.

I love that you’re writing what you feel called to write – regardless of what is currently “being published”. I think that’s the best way to write. Write what’s on your heart, the story that God has given you. If He wants it published, He’ll find a way. So, what is your least favorite part of writing?

My least favorite part of writing has little to do with the actual creation of stories, but what, increasingly, goes hand in hand with it: promotion. I know it’s necessary, but it’s so hard to let go of a scene or the development of a character or a wonderful romantic twist and re-enter the non-fiction world.

Tell us a little about the genre you write in. Why did you pick that route?

All seven of my inspirational novels have been in the contemporary romance genre. When I was unable to bring my medieval romances into the Christian market, my agent asked for something “different.” How much more different can one get from twelfth century England than twenty-first century United States? As I enjoyed lighthearted romances, it seemed the natural choice.

I love your novels! They’re so fun and relaxing to read! What is your favorite part of writing?

There is nothing like a scene in motion, discovering a character’s depth, and bringing together two people who were meant for each other even though they certainly didn’t believe it in the beginning.

I love that part – matchmaking people in stories is a personal favorite. 😉 Speaking of favorites, care to share your most favorite character you’ve ever written?

They’re all dear to me. If I had to choose, medieval wise, I’d pick Lady Lizanne of Warrior Bride, my first novel published with Bantam. Inspirational-wise, I’d go with Adda of Stealing Adda, my first novel for the inspirational market. Why? I’m not sure, though it might have something to do with each being the start of something good. 🙂

Adda was awesome!! Got any advice for prospective authors?

Write, write, write, read in your chosen genre and on the craft and business of writing, and connect with local and online writing organizations such as ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and RWA (Romance Writers of America).

Last question and it’s a big one. You have an entire day with nothing planned—what would you do if money was no object?

Every day I’m surrounded by my wonderful guys—hubby and sons—so I’d probably want to spend a day with my mother and sisters who live out west. Since you’re only giving me one day, I’d fly them nonstop to Tennessee. And what a day we’d make of it! Obviously, I see them way too little.

Well, I hope you get to see them soon!! Thank you so much, Tamara!!

Tamara has SO generously offered her latest novel, Restless in Carolina, for a giveaway!! YAY!! I just know you’ll absolutely love this hilarious series!

Y’all know the rules by now – one comment per person per post, please leave your name or some way of identification in the comment (Starbucks drink orders do not count, regardless of how distinctive they are), etc., etc. Don’t forget – every comment during Fall Fiction Frenzy not only enters you in a chance to win the book, but also a chance to win an Old Navy gift card! I’ll draw all of the winners on November 4th!

Today’s comment question: Music can be energizing, cathartic, deafening and make you want to put your head in the freezer (John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, I’m looking at you). If you had to pick a song that would be YOU set to music, what would it be?

See you soon!

So, there are days when all I want to do is lay around in my pajamas, eating chocolate chip pumpkin bread and reading something light and funny. Preferably with snow falling gently outside.

While my friend Jenny Jones can’t really provide the pajamas, the pumpkin bread or the snow gently falling (or the time to do it, unless Jen’s now offering babysitting services), she can and does provide the light and funny reading.

So. Thank you, Jenny.

I’m so excited to introduce you to my friend, Jenny B. Jones! She’s a full-time high school teacher, loves to travel, and somehow still finds the time to get a ton of books written. How she does she do all this? Teach me, Obi Wan Kenobi.

Erynn: All-righty. Time for the Most Important Question I have for you: What is your favorite kind of cheesecake?

Jenny: Almost any kind besides pumpkin or raspberry. I don’t eat gourds or raspberries. I used to hate cheesecake, but as an adult, I grew to love it. Why can’t I have that experience with peas and carrots?

Lost some respect for you there, friend. I’ll make you some of my famous chocolate chip pumpkin bread. It’s spoken of on a daily basis by at least one person. Tell us a little bit about how you got started writing.

I have told this story a bunch, so forgive me if you’ve heard it. But I went to a writing conference in ’05 with 20 whole pages. To make a long story short, God turned the impossible into possible, and six months later I got a contract through divine appointments at this conference. Those twenty pages turned into In Between, my first book. I can’t recommend writing conferences enough.

Amen. Chocolate Chip or Oatmeal Raisin cookie?

Oh, gosh. I love both. How about oatmeal chocolate chip?

I guess that would be okay. Any new books coming out or in the process of coming out?

There You’ll Find Me just came out a few weeks ago. It’s a YA that’s a spinoff of my women’s romance, Save the Date.

The story is about eighteen year old Finley Sinclair, who books her trip to Ireland as a foreign exchange student, where all she wants to do is let her heart heal, see the sights in her brother’s favorite country, and work on her college audition piece for a prestigious music conservatory. She plans to use her brother’s journal from his time in the Emerald Isle as her guide during her stay, yet from the moment she boards the plane and sits next to Beckett Rush, teen star of the hottest vampire flicks, nothing goes according to her well-ordered plan.

The peace and beauty of the Irish village are no match for the chaos that soon becomes her life. When she gets roped into working as Beckett Rush’s personal assistant, she finds this famous wild child is not quite what he seems. And as she grows closer to the mysterious actor, her own secrets refuse to stay put.

And, it looks like I’ll be doing some downloading to my Kindle app tonight. What is your least favorite part of writing?

Sitting. Sitting. And sitting. I really dislike that part of it a lot. There is nothing more exhausting and hard on the body than being immobile.

My son would agree with you. Tell us a little about the genre you write in. Why did you pick that route?

I write YA romance and romantic comedies for women. I work with teenagers all day and have always been plugged in to that culture. But when my publisher suggested I write a romance for women, I was intrigued. I enjoy both a lot.

So, what’s your favorite part of writing?

Readers. Getting feedback and hearing that your book touched a heart or made someone laugh. I love nothing better than making someone laugh.

Love that! Favorite character you’ve ever written?

Maxine from the Katie Parker Production series. She’s stylish, bossy, outrageous, and says whatever she wants. She was the most fun I’ve ever had in writing. If I could put her in every book, I would.

She was a great character! Got any advice for prospective authors?

Read a lot. Read wide. Don’t just read in the little category you’re most interested in. And don’t wait til a full idea settles in your head or inspiration strikes to write. I rarely have a full plot or inspiration. So don’t think just because you don’t have 90 thousand words spinning in your head, you’re not a writer. Take it a chapter at a time.

Ok. You’ve got one minute to grab whatever you can at Target and money is no object. What do you buy?

Target cards. I worship and adore Target. Love their home stuff. I could write poetry about Target. Except nothing rhymes with it. . .

Ha! Thanks so much, Jenny!!

Jenny has been SO gracious and offered to giveaway one of her novels! Leave a comment on this post to automatically be entered to win. And don’t forget, every comment during Fall Fiction Frenzy enters you in the contest to win the Old Navy gift card! Please, guys, only one comment per person. 🙂 And be sure to leave your name or sign into your Blogger account for the drawing!

Today’s comment question: They say the best things in life are free (unfortunately, I have not found this to be the case at Starbucks). What is your favorite free activity to do this time of year?

See you guys tomorrow!