LOVE IS IN THE AIR-- and on the pages of my books!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

As a romance writer, this is my day! So which of my books do I think has the most romance?

You know what?  Always A Bridesmaid comes to mind. While the story is not kissy-face or heavy on the sexual tension, there’s plenty of chemistry going on between my characters, Luke and Melody.

The books was first published by Heartsong Presents, then again in Wisconsin Weddings, a 3-in-1 collection from Barbour Publishing.


Click here to find the book

Click here to find the story collection

I welcome my readers’ comments. Which of my books (OOP or current releases) do you think is the most romantic?

The Power of Two, Three -- and Twenty-three

I'm so excited! I'm registered to attend Tracie J. Peterson's winter writers retreat in Texas next month. I purchased my airline tickets last week. Plans have been made. I'll meet a friend at the Houston airport, we'll rent a car, and, before driving north to the retreat center, we'll head south to the ocean.

I'm looking forward to spending time with my friend. She has a lot of great story ideas. We'll talk about our joint projects and do some research on them, and then we'll drive on up to the retreat center. There we'll meet more friends.

Twenty authors, some published, some unpublished, will come together to spend days of praise to the Lord Jesus and quiet time in prayer and writing. The retreat's focus is primarily a spiritual one because, in removing obstacles from our hearts, through prayer, God can inspire and direct -- and redirect.

Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

As Christians we know the power of more than one -- more than just ourselves. One really is "the loneliest number there could ever be!" Remember that old song? The truth is, se can't tackle issues regarding our writing careers alone. We need God's power, just as the lamps in our living rooms or offices need to be plugged into an electric outlet, in order to shine.

Sure, you many already know and understand this principle. But when is the last time God has blessed your writing career in a way you never thought possible? If it's been a while, your dream of getting published may have dwindled. You might have settled for mediocrity instead of aspiring to greatness. If that's the case, meeting with like-minded authors is beneficial, even necessary.

In March I'm heading up a 1-day seminar. Three workshops led by published authors will be offered. They will be like "fireside chats" as the seminar will be held at Fireside Books in West Bend, Wisconsin.  If you're in the area, I invite you to attend. It's open to everyone, not just Christian authors. But, I guarantee, you'll leave inspired.

And inspired because you're not alone. There's not only safety in numbers, there's power in numbers too!

Email me to register at: andrea@andreaboeshaar.com

Writers Conferences...Why Bother?

If you’re one of those people who thinks that attending writers’ conferences isn’t important, I hope to change your mind.

Writers conferences empower, inspire, and help to crack that proverbial writers block. At conferences you fellowship with like-minded people who hear "the voices" of their characters too. Whether you're writing romance, mystery, or a great literary piece, there's a creative flare that writers share. Conferences also update you on the market in which you write. Many of them are expensive, but their prices are usually great tax deductions. Some of the major conferences I’m interested in are:

Write-To-Publish Conference
Chicago
June 8th- June 11th
http://writetopublish.com/

Romance Writers of America Nat’l Conference
New York City
June 28th – July 1st
http://www.rwa.org/cs/conferences_and_events

American Christian Fiction Writers Conference
St. Louis
September 22nd- September 25th
http://acfw.com/conference

With airfare, conference fee, and hotel fees, one of these conferences can easily cost you $1,000. That dollar amount can be a problem for writers just beginning their journey – or even for established authors, like myself. The answer, therefore, is attending smaller, local conferences. Many times the workshops offered are led by published authors. Do you know the published authors in your area? If you don’t…perhaps you need to get to know them.

My state of Wisconsin can tout a good many published authors. Jacqueline Mitchard, Mary Pierce, Deb Baker, Marshall Cook, Kathryn Springer, Lyn Cote, Lisa Lickel, and Shellie Neumeier – these are only a handful of successful, Wisconsin authors who come to my mind.

 And speaking of Lisa and Shellie and local writers’ conferences…we’re putting together a FREE 1-day seminar for writers. It’ll be held at Fireside Books in West Bend. Lisa, Shellie and I will be leading workshops in the form of “fireside chats” on the topics of beginning your novel, taxes – and my workshop called “Daytime Dramatizing Your Fiction.”

So for fellowship, empowerment, and inspiration, you just can’t get a better FREE seminar than ours. Why would you want to?

But if you’re not in Wisconsin or nearby, search the web for conferences in your area. You won’t be disappointed. In fact, you may be a better writer because of them.

Willow Success for the New Year

Happy New Year!

Oh, those pesky New Year’s Resolutions. Any of them sound familiar?

"This year I’ll get up early and exercise."
"I’ll lose a kazillion pounds."
"I’ll write 5,000 words everyday."

Year after year I have the best of intentions. But about six weeks into the New Year, I fall into a total funk, feeling like I’ve failed because I set unrealistic goals for myself.

But this year is different. I’ve learned one giant key to success is being a willow. Willow Success, is what I’m calling it. What does it mean?

It means be agile, be able to bend with the winds of change, and yet, be firmly rooted in your faith. Allow yourself to be sculpted into the unique individual that God wants you to be.

My goals this year:

Exercise, but don’t be fanatical.
Eat right, but allow myself a treat now and again.
Work hard and meet deadlines, but allow myself some playtime too.
How about you? What are your personal and professional goals this year?

"Uncertain Heart" gets 5-Star Review on Amazon.com

It's the first review of seen of my novel "Uncertain Heart" and what a great one! Here's what the reviewer had to say:

"Having read the Unwilling Warrior I was excited to read Uncertain Heart {Seasons of Redemption} Book Two by Andrea Boeshaar! I was not disappointed!"

"This 5 star book is a must read! Once again Andrea Boeshaar gives us a two-thumbs up story that will make you laugh, cry and wish for more!"


To see Tammy's full review, click here.

~~~~~~~~~

Writing "Uncertain Heart" was a special endeavor for me. The book was first release years ago under the Heartsong Presents imprint. Once it became out-of-print, the rights to the novel reverted back to me. Because of my love for the characters and the story's location (my hometown of Milwaukee, WI), I reworked and rewrote the story to fit Realms Fiction's guidelines.  I'm so thrilled that Realms has been pleased with what I've done.

I hope my readers are too!

Andrea Boeshaar
www.andreaboeshaar.com

So Where's Your Workspace?

Where do you write? You don’t have to rent an office. You can write anywhere! It doesn’t have to be formal or fancy.

I have a home office. But I didn’t at first. It wasn’t until the last of my sons got married and moved out that I got my own office. Of our three bedrooms, one is designated as my workspace. 

But it’s not state-of-the-art. I work on a scuffed up oak desk – built in the days of solid wood and it weighs a ton. My mother used to own an auction gallery and the desk once stood in her office with a matching credenza (I have it too). Certainly, you wouldn’t find this furniture in a penthouse office suite. But folks, they just don’t craft furniture this well anymore! For that reason (and for the memory factor) I love it and it’s part of my workspace.


As for the rest of the décor, it’s a hodgepodge of framed artwork and other memorabilia. On the bulletin board, I have pictures of friends and family –including my precious grandchildren. I’ve tacked up silk flowers from weddings and Bible verses that help to keep my thoughts on Christ.

I also have a painting that my 11-year-old niece made for me on my 50th birthday. I’ve entitled it “Celebrate.”

My great aunt Agnes painted a picture decades ago that’s called “Storm.” I inherited it from my grandfather’s cousin, and I cherish it. I’ve hung it on the wall near the window if my workspace.

My aunt Naya Rydzewski, a noted artist in Key West, painted a beach scene just for me. It occupies the wall directly across from “Storm” (I thought it quite appropriate).

In addition, I’ve framed a few of my book covers and hung up an award I received from ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers).

 

Impressive? Hardly. Are these things in my workspace of great value? Probably not. But they are priceless to me and they make me feel creative. That’s not to say I draw upon these items for creativity. I don’t. My gift of writing and creating comes from the Lord and through much prayer. Simply, I enjoy feeling surrounded by the finished products of artistic loved ones.

I must admit that sometimes my health issues get in the way of my ability to sit in my office and work. When that’s the case and still the deadline looms, I go to office #2….and everyone’s got one (an office #2, that is).

Yep. Grab that laptop and crawl under the covers! I’d be interested in learning just how many authors write in their bedrooms. I’m sure there are plenty who do!

The question to consider when selecting a workspace is, where do you feel the most creative? At the kitchen table near the window so you have a view of your garden? In the corner of the living room? At the dining room table?

Years ago, my husband and I toured the poet, Carl Sandburg’s home in North Carolina. His workspace is adjacent to what was his bedroom and we learned Mr. Sandburg preferred to work at night. I took heart when I surveyed his organized mess. The tour guide said that wherever Mr. Sandburg worked there were piles of papers, files, and books. Sometimes he worked on orange crates as opposed to his desk or a table.

Not exactly the hoity-toity environment you'd imagine for a famous poet, is it? But it worked for him.

What works for you? Where's your favorite workspace?

Please leave a comment and let me know. And have a fabulous Labor Day weekend!




**A version of this article is printed in Christian Fiction Online Magazine and my column "Ask Andrea."

Losing Heart: Overcoming Discouragement

There is a word that writers hate. It’s discouragement.

Actually, writers don’t hate the word they hate the feeling – the doubt, self-doubt, the disappointment, the depression. These 3-D words are as hated as discouragement itself, but seem to accurately sum up the emotion. After all, discouragement is multifaceted.

Doubt & Self-doubt

Sometimes when I’m in the middle of writing a story the enemy of my soul’s voice drowns out those of my characters. He says, “this story stinks,” “no publisher will ever buy this novel,” and “you think you’re a writer? Ha!” It’s hard to stop listening to the lies and stay positive. Why is it so much easier to believe lies than the truth?

I think in answering that question, one has to ask, “What is the truth?”

If you’re a Christian and believe the Bible, the truth is that if a story is burning in your heart, God put it there. Seek His will for what you’re to do with it. Should it be in book form? Should it be self-published? Should it be posted on the Internet? A blog? Should it be hand-written on a legal pad and read to your child at bedtime? There are lots of possibilities. But we need to be confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

This goes for all our talents and gifts – spiritual ones included. Since every good and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17), we need to be confident – and not doubt or self-doubt.

Sure, you might think. Easy for me to say. NOT SO! I doubt more than the biblical Thomas! But that only makes me have to trust God more.

Disappointment

Sometimes expectations run higher than reality which causes a letdown. Book-signings, for instance, are a primo source of disappointment for me. Whenever I have a scheduled signing at a store I plot and plan, make brochures, announce it on FaceBook and in emails…and then six people show up. Six very important people, mind you! But when I expected twenty-five, six is a bit disappointing.

In writing, as in life, disappointments occur. We all experience them; however, some of us just feel them deeper than others. That’s where the discouragement comes in, the temptation to say, “Oh, just forget it. It’s not worth it.” It’s sort of the Eeyore syndrome (remember Pooh’s friend?). Always looking on the disappointment side of life.

As Christians, we ought to believe that even life’s disappointments are God’s will. He has a sovereign plan that includes the ups and downs. They all make us who we are and cause us to depend on Him.

Depression

When trust and dependence on God get tossed depression can set in. Just like the waves are sure to crash against Lake Michigan’s shoreline, trials will certainly come our way. They’re inevitable. The question is, how will we handle them?

I can tell you honestly that there are times I’ve wished I handled situations better, with more finesse and grace. Like the time my tenant called and yelled at me because we’d put our duplex up for sale and she didn’t want to move. Instead of being patient and diplomatic, I threw the telephone handset across the room. After having to purchase a new set of cordless phones, I proceeded to mentally beat myself up because I’d reacted badly. Depression set in. Not because of anything my tenant did, but because I’d lost sight of an Almighty God who, even when circumstances seem out of control, rules the world and all things in it (including us human beings). Discouragement followed and I found it difficult to stand my ground – which Christians are allowed to do albeit politely. The Bible says “Be angry and sin not.” Anger is human emotion. But when we start breaking telephones, we’ve crossed the line!

I’d be kidding myself if I said I’ve conquered the aforementioned 3-Ds. I haven’t, but please…who has? I can tell you that as a published author and certified Christian life coach, I am very well aware of them in my life and in the lives of others.

Recently had a friend announced that she’s giving up writing. After almost thirty books in print, she feels her work is pointless, meaningless because she’s not making much money. She took down her FaceBook page and web site and she rarely looks at her emails. Why should she bother?

The opposite, however, is true for this dear friend. She has touched many, many lives with her fiction and nonfiction. It broke my heart to hear the discouragement in her voice when we talked that day. But she couldn’t hear my voice of encouragement over the lies pertaining to her paycheck-less royalty statement.

So in whom did she trust? Where was her dependence? I respectfully submit to you that it’s not in an Almighty God but in the almighty dollar. Sure, money talks. But we’re not required to always listen.

As for my friend, I have a feeling she’ll reconsider. I’ve been down the same sad road she travels and I know from experience that our God is also the healer of discouraged hearts.



~ Andrea Boeshaar
www.andreaboeshaar.com