Meet J. Christine Richards

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You’ve written novels, articles, manuals, and Bible studies. Do you have a favorite? Which one gets you into a writing flow faster?

The basic answer is whichever I am writing at the time is my favorite. I have the most fun by telling story so novels and short stories fit that format the best. Manuals are the hardest for me, but even my Bible studies are created in a storytelling format. As long as I can tell the story the format doesn’t matter a lot.

You’re one busy woman. An active member of Toastmasters International, Words for the Journey Christian Writers Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Christian Writers Guild. When do you make time to write?

First I have to say I am also creating writing conferences for teen writers in my area, which connects to my passion to help new and young writers. That adds to my busyness. All of this does impact my own writing and if I don’t specifically make time for myself, I don’t get any writing done. Therefore, I have to schedule time for myself. I actually set appointments when I go to places like the library or quiet coffee/tea houses. I leave the cell phone in my purse and do not turn on the internet on the computer. I have to take these steps to focus on my writing.

Meet Rebecca Bartlett

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YA Author Rebecca Bartlett has been a long time member of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group, its current treasurer and always a great resource. She is sure to inspire conferees with her upcoming conference session “Create Credible Characters with Voice, Dialogue, and Point of View.” Plus, she will be sharing insight with session “The Making of an Anthology.”

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Rebecca Bartlett: I became a reader at an early age and spent all my spare time with books. Like anyone who admires an art, eventually you want to participate in it, not just watch.

In high school there were publishing opportunities in the school newspaper and literary magazine so I got more serious about writing. The quest has waxed and waned over the years, depending on my level of busyness, but the urge to write has been there since my teens.

What/who inspired you to write your first book?

Rebecca Bartlett: Depression—that’s what got me to finish my first novel. I hated my job and where I was living and I thought immersing myself in the creative process would help me break out. The first book I wrote had a silly plot, under developed characters, and poor pacing, but I finished it, proving to myself I was capable of at least writing a book.

Meet Alexander Slater, Literary Agent from Trident Media Group

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by Tammy Burke

Hi Alex,

We are thrilled to welcome you to this year’s GLVWG’s “Write Stuff” conference which is in its 22nd year. Your expertise both internationally and domestically makes you such a wonderful addition to our conference faculty.

Alexander Slater: Thank you! It’s an honor to be here.

So… Can you tell us what your favorite thing about being an agent is? What is your least favorite thing?

Alexander Slater: My favorite thing about being an agent is being blown away by outstanding fiction that millions of people deserve to read but haven’t yet. I truly can’t think of a least favorite thing.

How would you describe your ideal relationship between an author and yourself? What are your expectations? And what “sparks” you most when working on a project?

Alexander Slater: My ideal relationship would be one with an author who respects my time as much as I respect hers. I look for clients who are hardworking, creative, and willing to fight for their work as much as I am. I want authors who have something to say in a new and amazing away, writers who have faith, and writers who can teach me something I did not expect. What sparks me most is usually a story that insists I keep turning the pages, and language that makes my mind crackle. I am continually surprised by how many writers there are, so I’m looking for a partner who knows why her voice deserves to contribute.

Meet Steven H. Wilson

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SF and comics author Steven H. Wilson is one of our presenters at this year’s conference and we are excited to have him. In addition to teaching a session “Character Development as World-Building” he is also teaching how to produce an audio version of your work with “Steps to Recording an Audio Book & Podcasting.” Please enjoy all the good information in his interview with our conference chair, Phil Giunta.

by Phil Giunta

Tell us how Prometheus Radio Theatre and The Arbiter Chronicles began and your personal fascination for the medium of audio.   What other audio material can be heard on Prometheus Radio Theatre?

Steven H. Wilson: Prometheus began, unnamed, because I was in charge of programming for the Farpoint convention back in October, 2000. There was an hour free on the main stage, and we wanted to do something different. A couple years earlier, my friend John Vengrouskie, an amazing audio engineer, had mounted a half-hour radio Western at the same con, and I’d played the lead. It was great fun, and it showed me the potential for live radio theatre. (I still call it “radio theatre.” That offends modern purists. They’re welcome to sneer at me. I’ve been at this since before most of them could shave. In those days there was no podcasting!) Adding to my inspiration, the Christmas prior, Bill Pullman and an all-star cast had performed “Merry Christmas George Bailey” as a radio play live at the Kennedy Center. I was particularly taken by the fact that a script had been dropped–pages everywhere!–and the cast had kept going while they held back tearful laughter. So this live radio theatre thing sounded fun.

I turned to John V. and said, “How do we do this?” He muttered something about not being able to teach me a lifetime craft in the space of a week, but we did it anyway. I dusted off an old novel proposal that had never sold, and created the characters and situations which would later be christened The Arbiter Chronicles. The audience loved it, and, when asked, “Do you want more?” applauded loudly. And here we are. I’ve written two dozen adventures of the Arbiters, as well as quite a number of ghost stories for audio. In 2005, I was invited to start podcasting with the Radio Nostalgia Network. Our podcast has also hosted author readings of the books published by Firebringer Press, including my own works.

What began my personal fascination for audio? Well, my youngest uncle was (and still is) an avid collector of 1940s nostalgia. He introduced me to both comic books and Old Time Radio–“Lights Out!”, “Dimension X”, “The Shadow” and “Amos and Andy.” After that, Nimoy, Shatner, Clarke and Asimov began recording abridged books and stories for Caedmon Audio. Long before Audible and Books-on-Tape, I was an audio addict. I even recorded episodes of Star Trek, Lost in Space, and Space:1999 in the days when a home video recorder was a luxury only for the rich.

Meet Keynote Kristen Lamb, Social Media Jedi!

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We are truly excited to have this ‘Social Media Jedi’ who is the author of several best-selling books, founder of the WANA movement and has helped hundreds of writers achieve amazing results with her savvy with today’s social media. Our conferees will have such an amazing opportunity to interact with her during this year’s conference because not only will she be mesmerizing us with her keynote speech “Boy Am I Glad I Didn’t Get a ‘Real’ Job” but she will be leading Thursday’s all-day workshop, one of Friday’s afternoon workshops and one of Saturday’s morning conference sessions.

So…without further adieu, please enjoy the interview between our very own conference chair, Phil Giunta, and this year’s keynote speaker Kristen Lamb!

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by Phil Giunta

What obstacles did you face in your transition from international sales to author and freelance editor?

Kristen Lamb: What obstacles DIDN’T I face might be easier to answer. LOCUSTS. The answer is locusts. There were so many external obstacles when I made the decision, like actually knowing how to um, WRITE for starters.

Who knew?

Back then publishing was a world where gatekeepers ruled and yada yada yada and none that is really salient these days.

External obstacles that ARE salient look a lot like family and friends. They couldn’t “get” why I’d leave a real job to become a writer.

My decision sounded a lot like, “Blah blah, throwing away a $45,000 degree and a lucrative job with an expense account to blah blah join a cult in New Mexico that’s promised to school me in the lost ancient art of Ninja Kegels blah blah…becoming a writer.”

I had a LOT of pushback from well-meaning loved ones and even had family members who didn’t talk to me for years. Others believed since I didn’t have a real job, I was therefore available to babysit at all hours of the day with no notice. This is why I blog A LOT about setting boundaries.

Meet Geoff Gehman

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By Laurel Bruce

It’s a delight to have you teaching two sessions at this years GLVWG Write Stuff Conference. Locals remember you as a features writer for the Allentown Morning Call Newspaper.

How has your work as a features writer influenced your writing?

I’ve learned a hell about nuts, bolts and nutty lightning bolts from more than 30 years of profiling people, examining trends and connecting the topical to the timeless for newspapers, magazines and book publishers. I make sure my sources discuss weaknesses as much as strengths. I start with an arresting line and a surprising, even disarming anecdote. I get to the point quickly so I can tell a story leisurely. I paraphrase dull quotes and clean up messy ones. I find the practical in the transcendental, and the transcendental in the practical. I make words throw sparks and jump through flaming hoops.

Your first book, Down But Not Out in Hollow-Weird, is a biography featuring letters of Eric Knight, a screenwriter in the 1930s and ‘40s and the author of the novel Lassie Come-Home. How did the idea for this book come to you?

While writing for The Morning Call I got to know Eric Knight’s widow, Jere, who lived in the house they bought in 1939 in Pleasant Valley, Bucks County, where Eric wrote parts of Lassie, the book that made the collie a cash dog. In 1988 I gained her trust with a long Call story on the 50th anniversary of the short-story version of “Lassie” that appeared in The Saturday Evening Post. She let me roam Eric’s letters to famous folks like Ernest Hemingway, e.e. cummings and Walt Disney. His missives were magnetic: entertaining, enlightening epistles that tripled as short stories and barometers of his moods. He was especially moody as a screenwriter in the 1930s and ‘40s, crafting and chasing vehicles for Spencer Tracy, Shirley Temple and Frank Capra, who produced “Why We Fight,” a propaganda series that told young American soldiers that they could defeat the Axis forces only by allying with the Allies. Knight’s letters became my map to the studio system and the military machine. They let me to show how a minor character played a major role in two very film-history trenches.

Meet David E. Fessenden, literary agent from WordWise Media Services

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By Tammy Burke

Hi David,
We are delighted to have you join us for the 22nd annual GLVWG “Write Stuff” Conference. With your twenty-something years of experience with editorial management, in addition to your writing, speaking, consulting, and also representing — you indeed wear many hats and obviously bring a lot of knowledge for our conferees to enjoy. Welcome!

If I might say your blog “Concept to Contract, Tips on Writing the Christian Nonfiction Book” is a wonderful resource. What was the inspiration behind it? How does it tie in with your book “Writing the Christian Nonfiction Book?” Any new topics coming up soon?

David E. Fessenden: The blog/website (www.fromconcepttocontract.com) is an outgrowth of my book, Writing the Christian Nonfiction Book: Concept to Contract. That book, in turn, was the result of 20 years in book publishing, and is sort of my magnum opus. I sometimes say, “It’s everything I know about writing—and more!” Some of my blog posts are borrowed from the book, but others are things I wish I had included in the book.

Speaking earlier of hats, you list the different “ones” you currently wear (editorial coach, publishing consultant and academic literary agent) in your blog. I’m sure you find enjoyment wearing all three but if you had to choose a favorite “hat” which one would it be? And why?

David E. Fessenden: I really like all of those roles, because in each of them, I am helping authors craft their message and get it published. If I had to choose the one I like best, it might be literary agent. And don’t be scared off by the “academic” label. I am representing some academic authors, but I am trying to work with authors of more popular material as well.

Meet Patricia Nelson from Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

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by Tammy Burke

I want to thank you for taking time out for this interview. With your background in literature along with your experience in the publishing world our conferees are certainly getting a well-informed resource with you. It is my delight to welcome  you aboard to our 22nd annual GLVWG “Write Stuff” conference.

Patricia Nelson: Thanks so much for having me!

I was wondering, in your opinion, how much does talent play into good writing and how much is it a learned skill that anyone can pick up?

Patricia Nelson:  The myth of the solitary genius who sits down at his or her computer and writes the Great American Novel by sheer instinct is just that–a myth! But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to pick up the skills to write a publishable book. In my view, writing is like any other craft: a person develops their talent by putting in a whole lot of time. In this case, that means reading and writing as much as possible. Maybe (probably!) your first book won’t land you an agent or a book deal, but if you write another book, and another–reading widely and working with a critique group for the whole process–chances are good that eventually your skills will grow and you’ll be able to produce writing at a level that you couldn’t when you were starting out.

I know you probably get this question often but what was your inspiration to become an agent? Was it always something you wanted to do?

​Patricia Nelson:  I always knew that I wanted to work with books in some capacity. When I was in high school I imagined that I would be an editor. Instead, after college I ended up going to graduate school, and for a time pursued a career as an English professor. There were aspects of teaching college students that I loved: helping talented people develop their writing, championing creative thinking, and figuring out what individual students needed and giving them the support system to grow and take risks. But ultimately, after getting the chance to teach many amazing, life-changing books, I realized that I really wanted a career on the other side of the literary world, where I could have a role in helping great books get made. As soon as I discovered agenting, I knew it would be a perfect fit for me.

Conference Highlights

Our keynote this year is Kristen Lamb, author of the new best-selling book, “Rise of the Machines–Human Authors in a Digital World” along with #1 best-selling books “We Are Not Alone–The Writer’s Guide to Social Media” and “Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer.”

Conference runs March 26 -28, 2015.

Thursday offers an all-day workshop (The Novelist of the 21st Century) with Kristen Lamb with a “Lunch with the Experts” included.

Thursday evening offers the Writer’s Cafe facilitated by Bart Palamaro.

Two morning Friday morning workshops are in the offering: Self-Pub: “Formatting a Commercial Quality POD Book in CreateSpace” with Bart Palamaro or “Traditional Publishing: The Team” with Chris Richards.

Friday afternoon workshops include “Branding and Social Media” with Kristen Lamb or “It Came From Where?” with Chris Richards.

Friday evening is a whirlwind with its popular Page Cuts. Or you can attend the “Writer Beware: How Not to Get Published” with Richard White. Or practice your pitch with Tina Gallagher and Pattie Giordani. Then comes one of the best things…the Welcome Reception which give you a great way to mingle with other attendees, volunteers and the conference faculty.

As for the rest of conference on Saturday … it’s full of opportunity.
– Pick and choose among 22 interactive sessions with industry leading authors, editors and agents
– Enjoy a continental breakfast, lunch, morning and afternoon snacks.
– Pitch to an agent or editor during your assigned time (Must sign up for these. limited sessions, register early).
– Be entertained and educated with Kristen Lamb’s Keynote speech “Boy Am I Glad I Didn’t Get a Real Job.”
– Enter and/or judge the Flash Fiction writing contest. (Prizes for the winners)
– Extend your library with signed editions with the Book fair.

In the meanwhile, enjoy the interviews and click here for GLVWG’s website for the full schedule.

Meet Katherine Ernst from Jasper Ridge Press

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Jasper Ridge Press, Katherine Ernst, Skip to The Good Part

by Tammy Burke

Hi Katherine,

Welcome to the 22nd annual GLVWG “Write Stuff” conference!  I have to say, your background with psychology, law, travel (including being on four different continents), writing and publishing is quite an intriguing and eclectic combination. It is exciting that you will be joining us.

Jasper Ridge Press has quite a catchy unofficial motto “We don’t screw authors. We pimp them.” Could you tell us a little about how your company started? What makes you stand out from other publishers?

Katherine Ernst: Heidi Tretheway and I formed JRP in 2014 because we wanted to create the small publisher that we wished we could’ve found when we were starting out. We were hearing a lot of complaints from our friends about small presses who would take their work, slap a hastily put together cover on it, barely copy edit it (never mind developmental editing), and throw it up on Amazon with no promotion. But then we’d also hear complaints from other friends with Big 5 deals that they didn’t really feel cared about and they felt like just another cog in a machine. This isn’t to impugn all other publishers, but the fact is, we saw a void in romance publishing and we sought to fill it. We wanted to form a house that would only take projects we were truly excited about and that we would put a promotional budget behind. We see publishing as a partnership between author and publisher and therefore feel that we should put as much care and effort into publishing your book as you put into writing it. Otherwise, what are we doing to deserve royalties? Because of that vision, we also decided on a 50-50 royalty split. If this were truly a partnership, then that split is only fair. (Many small presses take 80% or more.)

 

Your ‘Skip to the Good Part: 20 Authors Reveal Their Steamiest Scenes’ is such a fantastic idea…for readers and writers alike. Could you share a little bit about this project? How it came about? Where do you see it going?  What do YOU like best about it?

Katherine Ernst: This project is actually what launched our publishing company. Heidi came up with the idea over a year ago, and we immediately knew we had to organize the project, but it took until the end of 2014 until we actually did it. I immediately loved the title and saw the potential because it’s truly a win-win-win for us, the authors, and readers. Basically authors submit 2k-5k word steamy scenes from their previously published books and if they are selected, their piece is featured in one of our collections. (The first came out in November and the forth collection comes out in March.) We pay royalties to each author in the collection and so we’re basically paying authors to promote their books. As with all of our books, each collection has its own publishing budget. Many of the authors from the first collection have already talked about a bump in sales of their full length novels because of readers of the collection reading their scene, loving it, and then buying the full novel. After the March collection comes out we’re taking a hiatus on the project in order to focus on full-length submissions, but I’m so happy we did these collections. They are *a lot* of work in terms of coordination because there are 20 authors in each collection, but we’ve gotten to know the work of so many great authors through it. Each collection features 6 New York Times bestselling authors as well as a handful of USA Today bestsellers and newer up and coming authors. We were absolutely blown away by the talent that wanted to take part in this project.Okay, so out of curiosity…any thoughts on the dreaded euphemism during sex scenes?

Katherine Ernst:  Honestly, I don’t think it’s much of an issue anymore. One of the best things about doing Skip to the Good Part is that I’ve now read *a lot* of steamy scenes. For every scene we published (80 in total by the end of March) we rejected approximately an equal number, so you can see that that’s a lot of reading. I think there was maybe one where the author used euphemisms (as in, love rod, or quivering staff, or whatever you think of with old-school romance). It’s just not really done anymore. Half of our submissions were from books the author considered “erotica” and half were from books the author considered “romance.” I didn’t see a difference in the heat level between the two, and everyone, for the most part, was very clear in what they were describing.

If you were to give an aspiring romance writer advice, what would it be? Would the advice be different than for an aspiring non-romance writer?

Katherine Ernst:  It would definitely be different. I think the publishing world of romance is very different from the publishing world of other genres/categories and I think what you need to do to write a great romance novel is different from what you need to do to write a great book in other genres/categories. I literally could write an entire book devoted to this question (perhaps I will one day), but the best encapsulated advice I could give that would actually apply to all genres is: keep writing. I know you hear that all the time, but I am friends with many many bestselling authors. Some are self-published, some are with small presses, some are with a Big 5 publisher, many are hybrids, but the thing that unites them all is persistence. I have one friend who got a huge advance from a Big 5 publisher for the first novel she ever wrote. (Everyone’s dream, right?) It bombed. Terribly. Her hope of selling another book in New York became slim to none. But she didn’t give up. She started self publishing. She tried a couple different genres and categories. She tried different promotional strategies, but she had book after book that didn’t sell well. Eventually, after her 5th or 6th book, she finally had one that hit it big, and she’s now a New York Times bestseller. I have another friend who queried agents for 8-10 years. Wrote at least half a dozen books. Nothing. Until she finally sold her “debut” novel, and it hit it big and is now being made into a movie. I knew both of these people while they were still unpublished so I saw their persistence firsthand when they were in no way assured of success. And these are just two stories of many I could share. The vast majority of authors struggle for a long time before they “make it.” Even those with heaps of talent. So just stick with it. If you don’t like writing without the knowledge of reward, you’re in the wrong business.

Okay, contemporary romance is what you are looking but you could consider paranormal, fantasy, or science fiction for the right manuscript or author. Anything within this parameter that you’d like to see? Anything you definitely would not be interested in?

Katherine Ernst:  We’ll definitely consider any type of steamy romance, although paranormal et al. is definitely harder to sell than contemporary right now. But, if your book is fantastic, we want to publish it. The most important thing is: is the relationship front and center? Is your novel truly a romance novel or is it a fantasy novel with romantic elements? If it’s the former, we’re interested. If it’s the latter, then we’re not the best publisher for you. This goes for contemporary as well.

So… how would you describe (maybe an example or two) what makes a hero swoon-worthy?

Katherine Ernst:  To a certain extent this question is unanswerable because there are always going to be love interests who don’t fit an established trope but who still make your heart go pitter patter, but let me mention an element that always makes a hero compelling to the reader. There has to be sufficient push-pull between him and the heroine. What does that mean? Well, all successful stories involve tension. If your book is about two people falling in love, what is the tension there? It’s about whether they’ll get together, right? (There are a few other types of love stories, but they’re rarer, so let’s stick with this for now.) If they get together at the beginning of the book and then go on picnics and horseback rides for the rest of the story, that wouldn’t be very interesting, would it? So there has to be either an external or internal conflict that’s keeping them apart. Well, now it sounds like I’m just talking about the mechanics of plotting, but this is also what makes the hero swoon-worthy. Every woman is reading a romance novel because she wants to escape into a fantasy. At the beginning of the book, the girl and guy aren’t together. The hero keeps pushing the heroine away. This is necessary for tension in your story, but if done properly then it also makes the hero very attractive. How many jerks in your life seemed to like you one minute, but then pushed you away the next? It was infuriating, but you still were very attracted to him. In real life the guy probably had mommy issues and wasn’t worth your time, but in a great romance novel it turns out that the hero keeps pushing you away because…he’s a CIA operative and is trying to keep you safe! Or, he has deep-seated issues stemming from a tragic childhood that he wants to protect you from, but because of your love, he’s willing to overcome them! Or, he’s a vampire and he can’t get too close because then he might eat you! It’s what every woman’s ever wanted. The guy isn’t “not that into you”–he has a valid reason why he’s pushing you away. And actually, it’s a noble reason. He was trying to protect you all along. Swoon.

On a personal note…Favorite Socrates quote?  And which continents are you missing?

Katherine Ernst: I know this is trite, but honestly my favorite Socrates quote will always be “I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.” I went through a phase in college where I became obsessed with ancient Greek philosophers, and Socrates was always my favorite. Of course I think I know a lot of things. (If I thought I was wrong about my beliefs, then I would change them, wouldn’t I?) But humility in life takes you a long way.As to continents, I haven’t been to South America, Antarctica or Australia. I’d love to go to Australia next, but who ever gets off enough time to make that trek?Thank you again, Katherine, for taking time out for this interview and I look forward to meeting you in person.

Katherine Ernst:  Ditto with you. These were great questions that forced me to say more than I intended, but I really wanted to give your readers real, non-trite answers. Cheers!

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Katherine Ernst is a successful attorney who has worked on billion-dollar cases. Five years ago she gave up the full-time practice of the law to pursue her real passion: publishing. More recently, along with her business partner Heidi Joy Tretheway, she has founded the romance publishing house Jasper Ridge Press. Their first series of books, Skip to the Good Part: 20 Authors Reveal their Steamiest Scenes, have featured over 30 New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors and have produced strong sales. In her spare time she is actively involved in her local community and was recently elected committeewoman in her district. For fun, she loves board games of all types, playing pub trivia, and travelingundefinedher goal is to make it to every continent; as of now, she’s visited four.

Jasper Ridge Press only publishes steamy or erotic romance, so first and foremost I’m looking for that. I am actively looking to acquire contemporary romance, but for the right manuscript and/or author I’d be willing to consider paranormal, fantasy, or science fiction. I’m also very LGBTQ friendly-I’d especially love a great F/F story. Here’s where editors usually tell you that they’re looking for perfect mechanics, a strong voice, and brilliant plotting. Well, of course I’m looking for that, but that doesn’t tell you a whole lot, does it? Here’s the secret to submission success that every writer is looking for (the following is assuming M/F romance, but the advice applies equally to M/M and F/F): I am looking for a hero that makes me swoon. Bestselling romances have one thing in common: they feature heroes that make readers’ hearts go pitter-patter. Everything else in your manuscript is window dressing. If I want to climb into your book and wrap my arms around your hero, you’re getting a contract even if your mechanics could use some work. Conversely, you could have the most beautiful writing in the world, but I won’t be able to offer you a contract if the romance isn’t sizzling. It’s as simple and difficult as that.

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Tammy Burke, GLVWG member, 2011 conference chair and past president, has published over 400 articles in daily newspapers, newsletters and regional magazines. As a journalist and also with helping with the GLVWG “Write Stuff” conference she has interviewed a wide-range of literary agents, publishers, authors, state and local government officials, business and community leaders, everyday folk and celebrities. Currently, she is in the revision stage for her first YA fantasy adventure book, Uriah’s Window, the first in an intended series. When not writing, she works in the social service field, fancies herself a student of the fantastic and mundane, and is a fencing marshal in the Society of Creative Anachronism (SCA).