And The Winners Are....

BLOG WINNERS FOR OCTOBER!!!

First, the winner for the $10 Bath and Body Works Gift Certificate is:

DEBBIE CLARK

Debbie, you'll be getting an email from me with details. Congratulations!!!

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Second, the winner of an autographed copy of my book, JOSHUA'S HOPE is:

TAMMY DOHERTY

Tammy, you'll be getting an email from me asking for information to send your book. Congratulations!!

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Please stop by my blog tomorrow to meet Karen Robbins, who will be my guest blogger!

Why Do You Purchase a Book?

Recently, one of my email loops discussed the value of social networking to sales. According to several surveys, readers are not moved to purchase a book due to advertising on social networks, websites, or publishers websites. Readers purchase books that someone else has recommended, or from an author they have already read and love.

So what is a beginning author to do? You must be famous to be famous?

Just look at our bookstores and libraries. Shelves chock full of books, many different genres, many, many authors. What distinguishes one book over another? A cover? A title? A name?

Speaking as a reader, not a writer, what motivates you to purchase a book?

All comments today will get your name entered into a drawing for an autographed copy of my book, JOSHUA'S HOPE, and also get your name entered into my monthly drawing for a Bath and Body Works Gift Certificate. Winners will be announced on my blog on November 2. It is up to the winner to contact me with their mailing information.

A Time for Healing

Tamelia Tumlin's newest release is available for purchase today. White Rose Publishing is offering a special for today only.

As an active church member, Jaci Sinclair believes the Christian message that forgiveness is open to all…all except her, that is. Years ago, Jaci made a life-changing mistake, and now she’s sure she doesn’t deserve the one thing she wants the most—a family of her own. But when Hunter Grant walks into her life, her world is turned upside-down. Not only does he make her desire a family even more, he shines a lamp on the one thing she refuses to see.

Ex-FBI hostage negotiator, Hunter Grant, has lost the one thing he treasured the most—his family. Filled with bitterness and anger towards God, Hunter vows never to let anyone close to him again. He moves to Yellow Rose, Texas, trying to forget the tragic deaths of his wife and son—deaths he should have prevented. Wanting to lose himself in the sleepy little town, he is not prepared for the powerful feelings Jaci stirs within him.

As Jaci’s and Hunter’s worlds collide, neither is prepared to face the demons that haunt their pasts and hinder their future together, but for everything there is a season…even a time for healing.


Release Day Special offer! Purchase any edition of A Time for Healing, White Rose Publishing’s latest release, and receive a $5 WRP Gift Certificate FREE. Purchases must be made on 9 July 2010 to be eligible, so hurry before time runs out. http://bit.ly/9tE9DP

Character Goals, Motivations, and Conflicts

I've been playing around with a story in my head and I just can't get it to seem reasonable, or exciting. My brainstorming sessions with only myself seem to run in the same direction. My heroines seem to have similar backgrounds, baggage, and reasons for being in peril. So, is the wrong?

It can be, if the immediate goal is not worthy of drawing in the reader and making them care about the heroine or hero.

Goals, motivation and conflict are essential to writing a story that will sell. First comes goals, both external and internal. I'm very good at pinpointing internal goals. It's the external goals that seem to be less enticing. When that happens, the story is doomed. That larger than life external goal will move your character through the story and the subplots will come from that movement.

However, all six things need to be in place. Both external and internal goals, motivations and conflict. Anayzing my book Joshua's Hope the GMC looks like this:

Hope's External Goal: To gain custody of her stepson
Hope's Motivation: He's in danger
Hope's Conflict: Finding an attorney to represent her

Hope's Internal Goal: She wants to redeem herself
Hope's Motivation: She shouldn't have put her own needs ahead of her stepson by divorcing her husband.
Hope's Conflict: Guilt

Hope realizes Joshua is in danger, but since she's not his biological mother, no attorney will represent her. Danger makes the goal immediate. If she doesn't do something, her stepson will suffer the consequences. She feels guilty for saving herself without thinking of what might happen to the little boy she loves. Her own mother turned into a bitter soul after Hope's father abandoned them. Hope doesn't want to be like her mother, but fears she might. So, she works at two jobs and saves every penny to pay for an attorney, but none of them wants to take on a losing battle. If she wants to reach her internal goal and save her stepson, she'll have to do something drastic. Thus, the plotlines develop and the story moves forward with lots of conflict.

Once the GMC is determined, the rest of the story will flow. However, getting GMC right isn't an easy task. Allow plenty of time to work on this.

That's where I'm at, dear readers. I really need to find a brainstorming partner.

It's Electrifying!!!

Word for the Day: Tired

What I'm Reading: Cup of Joe by Teri Wilson

Picture of the Day:

I love my book cover. It's "electrifying!"  Why am I posting it? Because if you haven't read Joshua's Hope, I'm inviting you to purchase it from my publisher, White Rose Publishing, or if you prefer, from Amazon.

Check out the latest review which posted on Associated Content yesterday:

Book Review by Sarah Coiner

Thanks for stopping by!

I'm a Turtle...

Quote for the Day: I try to leave out the parts that people skip. ~ Elmore Leonard

What I'm Reading: Teacher's Plans by JoAnn Carter

Picture of the Day:

This is one of the rocks I painted. When I paint a rock, I look at it and envision the creature inside. This one clearly spoke to me. No dallying around. Just..."look, I'm a turtle waiting for you to bring me to life." So I did.

That's what writing is like for me as well. I envision a character in a setting and then I'm magically inside his or her head. I know what mood they're in, what they are thinking, what is troubling them. From there my story becomes clear.

When I read, I don't want to read all the details that detract from the action of the story. I'm one of those "Give me the facts and cut to the chase" kind of readers. I guess I'm like that in real life as well. I told you how my hubby can draw out a story, going off in tangents that have nothing at all to do with the punch line. So, when I'm reading and run into a bunch of words that are meaningless detail or description, I pull my head into my shell. I hated history in school. There were way too many boring dates and things that to me were meaningless. Hmm. Maybe that's why I don't write historicals!

And, since I like fast moving stories that suck me into the pages, maybe that's why I write romantic suspense. My books are full of dialogue and action. They are character driven. I admit it...I'm plot challenged. I can't sit and plot out my story. If I do that, I can't write. I allow my characters to draw me in and lead me through their life. I love it. I never know what's going to happen next. I know the basics, but the exciting things I discover on the journey of writing. And, I do try to leave out the parts that people skip.

The reviews on Amazon for Joshua's Hope all seem to reflect that I've succeeded in my goal. If you haven't yet read Joshua's Hope, hop over to Amazon and read the reviews. Maybe you'll be tempted to find out what happens in the journey of a stepmother who needs to save her son--at any cost. Read Reviews.

Thanks for stopping by!

Do You Have an Amazon Account?

If any of my readers have read JOSHUA'S HOPE and have an account at Amazon, would you please write a review on Amazon for me?

And, if you haven't read it, what are you waiting for? You can purchase it from my publisher, White Rose Publishing. The link is on my website. Or you can go to http://www.whiterosepublishing.com/ and search for the title, or by my name.

One of the ladies at my church purchased the book on Monday and on Tuesday morning she contacted me to say how much she loved the book. She started reading on Monday and couldn't wait to wake up on Tuesday to finish it. She said I should have issued a tissue alert with the book.  It really makes all the pain of writing worth the effort when you receive positive feedback.

Now, I've got to get these two manuscripts I'm working on finished and into the hands of my publisher.  : )

Thanks for stopping by!

Free Autographed Book!!

I'm holding a contest on my website. You can win an autographed book, and it's very easy to do. Check it out on my "contest" page at www.carolannerhardt.com

Mondays I write about...writing. But for the past few days, I haven't been writing, so I haven't been inspired to write a blog today on...writing.

I've been drawing a blank because Saturday was my birthday and my daughter gave me a new book. We both are fans of Iris Johansen, so she gifted me with "Blood Game." The heroine is my favorite Iris Johansen character...Eve Duncan. I keep following her, hoping that in the next book Eve will be able to bring her "Bonnie" home.

I started the book Saturday afternoon, and I'm already half-way through. *sigh* I love to read and I can't put good books down. The problem is...when I reach "the end," I'm a bit depressed because it's over.

How do you feel when you read "the end?"

Happiness is "I Cried..."

Earlier this week, one of my favorite out of town directors, came into my office to say hi. I love chatting with her. She has a little girl, a beautiful little girl, and many funny, sweet, and endearing stories to tell. Well, that and photos. However, this time, she popped in for a different reason. She had finally had a few spare minutes to read JOSHUA'S HOPE.

"I loved it!" She sat in a chair across from my desk and clasped her hands. "I cried for little Joshua. If it had been anyone else who wrote the book, I wouldn't have continued reading, because it tugged at my heartstrings so deeply. But, I knew that you would make it have a happy ending. I loved it. I really did. And, I wanted you to know how much it touched me."

Now, what's not to love about that?

If you haven't read JOSHUA'S HOPE, you can find more info on my website.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you find something to love today!

Hello D.C.!!

I drove to Washington D.C. yesterday for the RWA National Convention. What a beautiful drive! I love the trees and hills of West Virginia. The entire trip gave me fabulous scenery to enjoy. I'm grateful for purchasing the Garmin GPS, which brought me all the way without my having to watch for routes. Love it! The only weird thing is Garmin told me to turn left on Woodley NW, take the next first left and I had arrived at destination. Not true! I found my little Camry dwarfed by huge apartmen buildings on each side. That's when my heart started pounding. How in the world would I find my hotel? I must have put in the wrong address! I don't know how I wound up back on Woodley NW again, but headed in the opposite direction. I went across Connecticut Avenue to the opposite side and there was the hotel! The good Lord watched out for me.

First adventure was to wait for the concierge to help me load my luggage on a rack and turn my car over to Valet attendant. The concierge then stood holding my receipt until I handed him a tip. I knew it was coming, but he was so obvious! How much do you tip for a 50 foot walk into the hotel? I handed him a $5 and he gave me my red receipt.

I went to the registration desk where the clerk happily entered my name and took my ID and credit card. Then she told me the hotel had overbooked for that night and they would happily put me into another hotel and pay for the room. I could come back the next day and check in at the Marriott. She must have seen the total panic in my expression as I shook my head and said, "No, no." She smiled and said she did have a room with one queen bed that was ready. I accepted. "The room is available for your entire stay with us." Well, that was nice. I didn't want to change rooms or hotels! I couldn't believe it when I was assigned a first floor room. With 2,000 romance writers, getting an elevator would have been a nightmare!

The bellhop brought me to my room along with all the luggage, including a case of water which I'd purchased back in Columbus. Imagine my surprise to see a refrigerator in the room! Yay! Cold water for me.

After letting hubby know I'd arrived safely, I ventured out and checked out the huge hotel! Had a sandwich and came back to get my camera. The grounds surrounding the hotel are beautiful. I forgot to bring my camera usb cord so I can't post pictures until I return home. Anyway, I took some pictures of the landscaping and headed back to my room. I ran into a fellow author, Laurie Kingery, who writes for Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historicals. We had a nice chat over some food and I retired to my room for the night.

Hooked up my laptop and logged on. I found a google alert and when I followed the link I found that Sarita Leone had posted an interview with me. I thought it was scheduled for the 21st, so I was surprised. Anyway, if you check it out and leave a comment, you might be the winner of a free ebook copy of my latest release, JOSHUA'S HOPE.

http://saritaleonepages.blogspot.com/2009/07/welcome-carol-ann-erhardt.html

Thanks for stopping by!

Washington D.C., Here I come!

I'm leaving in 45 minutes for RWA National in Washington, D.C. It is my first experience with the Nationals. Looking forward to seeing writing friends and making new ones! The hotel is huge and gorgeous. I'm looking forward to not having the responsibilities of my day job, but I'll miss my family.

The next few days this blog will contain my experiences, so I hopw you will take the journey with me.

Since I'll be driving, I'm going to soak up all the beautiful scenery. I love the trees and hills in West Virginia and Maryland. But not looking forward to battling any of the semis along the Turnpike.

Thanks for stopping by!

Tissue Alert...

It always warms my heart when a reviewer issues a tissue alert for JOSHUA'S HOPE. Yesterday, Karen Robbins reviewed my book on her blog.

Writer's Wanderings.

I'm so looking forward to this weekend! I'm planning on taking my computer to the park where I will walk and play through a scene in my mind then capture it while resting in the shade enjoying the beautiful weather.

Hope your weekend is wonderful!

Win a FREE Sony e-Reader

Win a Sony eReader from White Rose Publishing!



Visit www.WhiteRosePublishing.com between April 1, 2009 and May 30, 2009 and purchase any title from any of the sponsoring authors. It's easy to enter: Once you purchase a book or short story from any of the participating authors (free read downloads, excluded), email your order number to sonyreader@thewildrosepress.com. That's it. In addition to the wonderful inspirational stories available at White Rose Publishing, SONY will include $25 worth of free downloads from their site with every reader we give away. So enter now!

If you purchase more than one title, you can enter more than one time. For questions regarding the contest contact Rhonda Penders at rpenders@whiterosepublishing.com

*Full details, the list of participating authors, and no purchase necessary rules are on the website www.WhiteRosePublishing.com

Winners will be announced on our website on June 1, 2009! Good Luck!

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Here's your chance to purchase my latest book, JOSHUA'S HOPE, and qualify to win a free Sony eReader!

Thanks for stopping by.

Interview with Zack Stone...Joshua's Hope

Hello Zack. I'm so glad I finally tracked you down for the interview. You're a busy sheriff.

Not usually. We've had a more traffic through here lately. Lots of kids speeding through the mountains. Handing out tickets is what keeps me busiest. This is a normally peaceful part of the mountains, and I'm sure it'll be that way once the novelty wears off.

Were you born and raised here in Pine Cove?

Born, raised until I was twelve. Then my folks moved to Florida to help my grandma after grandpa died. I stayed there until a few years ago. Someone told me about the job for sheriff and I put in my bid. Won the election and here I am. I love it here.

I understand you were married before.

I was. My first wife died. I'd rather not talk about that.

Fair enough. How did you and Hope meet?

**a big grin crosses Zack's face.** We met during a rainstorm. She looked so lost, kind of like a kitten who'd fallen into a stream. I offered her a ride, and...**Zack laughs** Her feet were stuck in the mud. **More laughter** I lifted her up and she came right out of her shoes. She seemed so upset, that I went back and retrieved them for her. Imagine my surprise to learn who she was.

What do you mean?

You don't know?

No, but you've got my curiosty up.

I suppose I can tell you. It's published in the first chapter on Carol Ann's website anyway. I used to play in the creek behind her grandma's house. Hope visited during the summer. She had this head full of curls. I mean REALLY curly. We used to tease her and call her little poodle. That made her so mad. One day she hid behind a hedge and when I rode by on my bike she tossed tomatoes at me!

How funny! So you knew each other before you both moved to Pine Cove to stay.

Yep.

Hope had a rough way of it from what I hear. Bad first marriage.

The worst. I hated seeing the bruises when she came back from visiting Joshua. Then after her ex was murdered...and Hope became a suspect...well, yeah, she had a rough time.

But, you were there to help her.

I wish it had been that easy.

What happened?

Oh, no. Sorry. Hope would be mad at me if I revealed too much. But you can read our story soon. It'll be released by The Wild Rose Press in just a few weeks.

Joshua's Hope - An Interview with Hope Courtland

Good morning, Hope. Thank you forr agreeing to be interviewed on my blog.

I'm a little nervous, but I'm happy to share a little about my story.

You are still living in Pine Cove, Tennessee?

Yes, we are.

What brought you to Pine Cove?

**Hope smiles and her entire body seems to relax** I love Pine Cove. When I was a little girl, I spent the summers here with my grandmother. I love the mountains, the deep green of the trees, the birds singing, eagles floating high above...to me it means peace. As a little girl, I felt safe here. When Gram left me the house, I decided this was the perfect spot for me to come and heal and to find the answers I sought. I felt God had turned his back on me, and this was the closest place to HIm that I could find.

What happened that made you feel God had abandoned you?

I married the wrong man. I married for the wrong reasons. And when it all went bad, I divorced him. I'd always thought marriage should be forever. I really thought mine would last. But after our marriage, things changed. Peter wasn't the kind, caring man I thought he was. I tried to make it all work because I loved Joshua, Peter's little boy, so much. Joshua was just a baby when we got married, and to him I was his mother. When I divorced Peter, I had to walk away from Joshua. That broke my heart. I felt I had disappointed God, and that I wasn't good enough.

Peter granted you visitation rights?

Yes. He did it so he could keep his finger on my life. He knew I'd want to spend as much time as possible with Joshua. But each visit was torture. Not only did I have to fear Peter's abuse, but Joshua begged me to take him home with me. My heart broke every time I had to walk away from him...again.

Hope, what was your deepest fear?

That Joshua would suffer under Peter's hands as I had. When I saw signs of that abuse being directed at my little boy, I had to make a decision. The only way I could take Joshua away from Peter was to kidnap him. But doing so, we would have to live life on the run.

What did you do?

I can't disclose that! Your readers will have to buy my story to find out what happens. But I can tell you that my life story has a happy ending.

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Read Hope's story...JOSHUA'S HOPE...available August 29, 2008 from The Wild Rose Press.