CAN SCAVENGER HUNT BLOG STOP #11

LINDA KOZAR, I’m so happy to feature you on my blog for this CAN Scavenger Hunt. What book are we featuring today?

WEIGHTY MATTERS, Book 6 in my Until The Fat Ladies Sing cozy mystery collection. 

When a traveling circus comes to Wachita, Texas, bad things begin to happen under the Big Top. Super-sized sleuths, Sue Jan and Lovita take to the tents to track a crazy clown killer, even though Lovita is fixing to give birth in a few short weeks. Then a scary Sasquatch is sighted in the Wachita woods, attracting a TV news reporter, a Bigfoot investigative team, and a reality show film crew. The townsfolk are shaking in their cowboy boots but Sue Jan and Lovita aren’t clowning around. 

What encouraged you to write this story?

I've always been fascinated with circuses and terrified of clowns. So of course, I had to write a mystery involving a circus and a creepy clown. Plus, my characters Sue Jan and Lovita are a hoot. I miss them when I'm not writing about them. It's like we're friends. When you write a series, you really feel like you know your characters. Gosh, maybe that clown isn't so weird. Maybe I am!  

I know our readers will want to know more about you. Please tell us a bit about your family.

I've been married to my sweet husband Michael for 27 years. He works for ExxonMobil. We have two beautiful daughters and a feisty JRT named Gypsy. My oldest daughter Katie is married to Dan, a Baptist pastor. Katie graduated from Baylor with a masters in social work and is employed as a behavioral interventionist in the public school system in Waco. Dan graduated with an undergraduate degree in Business from A&M and received his Masters in Seminary at Baylor. My youngest daughter, Lauren graduated from UNT, did an internship at NBC in LA, then returned to Texas and did an internship at The Richards Group, a Dallas ad agency, and they hired her a few months later in public relations/digital journalism.

I love my family and do not put my writing before them. That said, I do believe in boundaries. If I needed a block of time to write, I expected my family to respect that. Did that always happen? No. But I don't regret closing my laptop and offering my shoulder to a tearful teen or going to the movies with my husband. I love writing and they all know it. So hopefully, you'll be reading a lot more from me in the coming years. I have so many ideas for great stories! 

What are some of the things you like to do for fun?

Oil painting is really relaxing for me. Also painting with acrylics. I really lose myself in the creation. Writing makes you think, but painting is different. You go with the muse of the moment. I like it. However, since we got a Jack Russell Terrier puppy, the word, "relax" isn't part of my daily life much any more. Gypsy is going on ten months now and a bundle of energy and mischief. I haven't been able to paint much. I have enjoyed a bit of crafting though. My oldest daughter Katie and her husband Dan asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I asked them to finish a project for me. Turned out to be the best gift ever! A friend down the street replaced one of her large brass and glass lanterns with a chandelier, so I asked her for the lantern. I decided to make a terrarium out of it and fill it with succulents. They did it for me! And I was overjoyed. Check out the photo of it! 

How many books do you have out now?

Fourteen and counting. I am traditionally and independently published. I write fiction and nonfiction. Everything from devotions and anthologies to cozy mysteries, historical romance, contemporary romance, speculative fiction.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Weighty Matters

Chapter One

Not My Monkeys, Not My Circus 

“Did you hear?” Breathless, my best friend and business partner, Sue Jan Madson, burst through the door of the Crown of Glory Beauty Salon and Boutique. She tipped her head down, hands on her knees, panting. “Lovita, d-did you hear?” Sue Jan looked up, eyes wild with excitement.

“Hear what?” I flicked off the blow dryer, my last nerve standing on end.

Now, normally, I’m supposed to handle the boutique part of the Crown of Glory Beauty Shop and Boutique, with the pretty dresses and shoes and purses and such, but when the need arises, everyone knows I step in to do blowouts, cuts, and color. Even Homecoming and Prom Do’s. And this morning, as usual, the need arose.

Sue Jan messaged that she had some sort of “errand” to do on the way to work, so I wound up doing the whole shebang for her new nitpicky client, Mrs. Barlow.

“The circus is coming to Wachita!” Sue Jan batted the air as if an invisible piñata would dispense goodies.

I sniffed, which rhymes with miffed, which I was. “Is it ‘the’ circus, or ‘a’ circus? There’s more than one circus in the world, you know.”

Sue Jan stuck her tongue out. “Don’t be all uppity with your language smarts, Lovita. ‘A’ circus is coming to town tomorrow! It’s called ‘More Deck Eye’s Circus and Slideshow, and we’re going!” She reached into her purse and pulled out a small bag of boiled peanuts, cracking a few open at lightning speed.

I was about to address her use of the word “Slideshow” instead of “Sideshow” when Sue Jan’s pesky client spoke up.

“A circus?” Mrs. Barlow, a sixtyish, salt-and-peppery-haired woman with a beak where a nose should have been, suddenly perked up.  “What kind of circus would come to this town? The only kind of circus this ‘one-hearse town’ would attract is a flea circus.” She swiped her nose across her sleeve. 

Where can the readers find you on the Internet?

Linda’s Website:  http://www.lindakozar.com 

Along Came A Writer Radio Show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/search?q=gate-beautiful 

Babes With A Beatitude Blog: http://www.babeswithabeatitude.blogspot.com

Bookish Desires Blog: http://bookishdesires.blogspot.com 

Cozy Mystery Magazine Blog: http://cozymysterymagazine.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindaKozar 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/linda.kozar 

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lindakozar/boards/ 

Linked-in: http://tinyurl.com/m8vspxu 

I’m so glad to have read your funny, quirky first page of your latest book, Weighty Matters. That little taste certainly makes me want to read more! And it was so enjoyable getting to know you a little. Thank you so much for visiting on my blog. For new visitors, my bio and latest book is below. Be sure to look for the SECRET PHRASE.

LEAVE A COMMENT TO WIN EITHER A COPY OF ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS FEATURED ON THE PREVIOUS BLOG OR A COPY OF RED IS FOR ROOKIE. THERE WILL BE TWO WINNERS, EACH ONE WILL RECEIVE THEIR CHOICE OF ONE OF MY TWO NEW RELEASES.

ANNE GREENE delights in writing about alpha heroes who aren’t afraid to fall on their knees in prayer, and about gutsy heroines. Her Women of Courage Series spotlights heroic women of World War II, with the first book Angel With Steel Wings available. Enjoy her private investigating series, Handcuffed In Texas by reading the first book, Holly Garden, PI, Red is for Rookie. Visit Anne at AnneGreeneAuthor.com.

Phrase: about books to  

Anne’s latest book, Red Is For Rookie highlights Private Investigator Holly Garden. PI’s don’t usually track kidnappers, but Matt is Holly’s lifelong friend. During the race to save him, Holly discovers Matt’s in love with her. Her mother’s convinced Holly will end up dead, so she hires a bodyguard to protect Holly. She needs Stryker’s expertise and help, but risks her heart working with the danger-loving man. With Matt and Stryker turning her life upside down, can Holly make a choice?  

Next Stop on the CAN Scavenger Hunt #12

http://bookishdesires.blogspot.com -  Next stop.

If you’re ready to enter the CAN group Scavenger Hunt contest, click here to send in your entry: http://christianauthorsnetwork.com/newreleases/

                     THE CRUCIAL FIRST CHAPTER

                   

Anne Greene, here. Welcome to my writing class.

Down through the years of writing and being a charter member of ACFW when it was ACRW, I’ve learned so much of the craft of writing that God is nudging me to share all that valuable information. I believe my new writing class will cut five years off the learning curve to writing award-winning Christian fiction.

So, let’s get started!

Open that fresh-idea book with an exceptional hook that grabs the reader and keeps her reading the next sentence…and the next…and the next. Dig deep into your imagination and find the first exciting, action-filled scene and plunk the reader into the middle of that movement. The first sentence should also point to the book’s theme.

 

Skipping to the end of that first crucial chapter, leave your reader with a cliffhanger. Just as the opening line must hook the reader, the end of the chapter must grab the reader and entice her to keep reading. Never tie up your chapter’s loose ends here. Instead, have your hero/heroine make a decision for further action or have him/her pose a new story question. 

 

After your opening hook, the main characters must be introduced. The first time each character is mentioned, their entire name must be revealed. The reader needs to picture the main characters in their minds as early as possible. Perhaps have the hero describe the heroine and vise verse. And, of course, no hero or heroine describes themselves. Don’t introduce too many characters in the first chapter. When you do introduce a new character, give the reader of picture of him/her. Each character deserves an introduction.

 

Introduce the main characters' utmost desire and the obstacles keeping them from attaining what they would just about die to get. Be strong bringing in each character’s motivation. The main characters should have a flaw which will allow a character arc to build during the story.

 

Introduce a character’s faith or lack thereof. (This is good for contests that drop points if you don’t have this part covered early in your story). Other than for contests, the faith element may be introduced in a later chapter. When you do introduce the faith problems, drop in tidbits of his/her faith need through the way the character reacts to various circumstances in their lives.

 

Develop the character and his/her emotions. I’ll discuss this in more detail at my writing school. Be sure to keep checking the ACFW loop for details.

 

Make the hero and heroine vivid, likeable characters. Give them some quirk to make them come alive. Give the character room to change and grow.

 

Make the secondary characters believable. Add them only to provide a valid addition to the story. Don’t let your secondary characters take over the story. Tell them to wait for their own story. Please don’t have too many secondary characters. This can be confusing to the reader.

 

Read my next article on Make Your Manuscript Sparkle, and climb inside the character’s skin. Write only what the POV character can see, think, feel, taste and know. This draws your reader into totally relating to your character. Of course, SHOWING is different. I’ll have a lesson on that interesting subject as well. 

 

Set the dialogue first in a paragraph. Don’t bury it at the end. Make what the characters say real and relevant. Listen to your characters. For me and many other writers, the characters lead the action and write the story. Take time to listen to them.  

 

Check each fact for accuracy. Give details. This makes the story authentic. I know this slows your writing, but it is soo important. One wrong reference can make a reader disbelieve your entire story. If she’s like me, she will throw the book against the wall and never pick it up again.

 

Give the reader a sense of where the characters are at all times. Descriptions of rooms, sense of space and flow are all important. No talking heads. Vividly-written action supplies mood as well.

 

The first chapter is important. Don’t let the reader down. So, now I just made writing that first chapter easier. I wish I had known all these tips when I started writing! Go with God and write the excellent Christian fiction book He wants you to write. And don’t forget to look for this blog with the free writing classes.

 

Has this class helped you? Leave a comment and one reader will receive an autographed copy of my book, Masquerade Marriage.