Jessica Ferguson

Author, Writing Coach, Speaker

Christmas Short Stories – MINE!

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I’ve always wanted to write a series: short stories or novels. Haven’t done it yet. However, I have two Christmas stories available and in my mind, they’re a series. I call them my Gift of a Lifetime series. Today I learned my short story, A Child Was Born is FREE. Grab it while you can. If you like it, you might want to read If You Believe only 99 cents. Remember, these are short stories–not novels and not novellas. A Child Was Born is part of an anthology so you’ll actually get seven stories FREE.
 
 The links are below. Just click on the red title.
 
Volume 3 in Kathi Macias’ 12 Days of Christmas series
 

When Marketing Assistant Bretta Richert helps tie up loose ends for the extravagant Louisiana Wedding Gala held that very night, she’s stunned to come face to face with her ex-fiance. Cory is back in town and worse, he’s a huge part of the Gala.

Bretta has held grudges and nursed hurts for the past five years, but Cory acts as though they’ve never been apart. Can he explain why he never called or sent one measly post card? Should Bretta forgive and forget? Will she accept his gift of a lifetime?

 
When a cowboy bearing gifts crashes a BFF Christmas Retreat, he gets more than he bargained for … the gift of a lifetime.
 
You can also purchase Hearts Hearths & Holidays in print if you prefer.

Meet Jo Huddleston – How The Caney Creek Series Came to Be

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While Jo Huddleston’s piece isn’t exactly a how-to, I learned a number of things and made mental notes as I read: 1) write story ideas down–as detailed as possible. 2) Pray! 3) Don’t give away any of my writing books. 4) Pray. 5) Be peaceful, patient and faithful. 6) Pray! 7) Never give up! 8) Pray! Jo has more than 200 articles and short stories in more than fifty different publications. I hope her Be A Real Writer contribution inspires you

Note: Jo will give away a copy of Beyond the Past so leave a comment to be included in the drawing. Please leave your email address.

How The Caney Creek Series Came to Be

The setting of the Caney Creek Series is the Southern Appalachians of East Tennessee where my ancestors and I were raised. I’ve listened to older generations tell stories at family reunions about time before telephones and automobiles. Their stories fascinated me and caused me to want to write about a time before I was born.

This story began to percolate in my mind in the late 1990s. I’m what writers call a panster type of writer. I don’t outline my plot on paper. My entire plot and characters simmer in my mind before I write a word.

 While this story still rumbled around in my mind, in 2001 I received a life altering health diagnosis with a negative prognosis. My first symptom was the loss of penmanship that nobody, even I, could read. Then I began to have involuntary muscle spasms that prevented me from holding my fingers on the home keys of a keyboard. I couldn’t write and couldn’t type—this was before speak-to-type.

I thought my writing career had vanished. I cleaned out my files—even trashed all my rejection letters I’d been saving. I gave away most of my writing craft books.

My mind was still intact but my body wouldn’t do what it was told. My balance while walking started to diminish and I quit going to writing conferences. My doctor advised me not to drive. I was dependent on my family to even get to my doctor’s appointments and still am.

In 2008, I began to improve. My hands were steadier and I could get my story started.

I’ve outlived my doctor’s prognosis by two years. I’ve finished the second of a 3-book contract and feel fine other than fatigued when I don’t stop to rest now and then. Fatigue brings on more unsteadiness in my hands and legs.

From 2001 to 2008 I had a lot of time to meditate. A relative marvels that I’ve never questioned, “God, why me?” I have not become bitter because of the health issues. I think God just gave me time to understand a lot of things when I was inactive. I’m a more peaceful, patient, and faithful me.

Book 1 in the series, That Summer, hibernated for seven years, and then became a story on paper. When I finished That Summer, I thought I had accomplished my goal. However, I found I couldn’t leave my characters in some of their situations. I had to write at least one more book about them. Book 2, Beyond the Past, came to be. I’m now writing Book 3, in the Caney Creek Series, Claiming Peace, scheduled to release in September 2013.

Jo Huddleston’s debut novel, That Summer, released in December 2012 as the first book in The Caney Creek Series. Beyond the Past is Book 2 in the series. Huddleston holds a B.A. degree with honors from Lincoln Memorial University (TN), and is a member of their Literary Hall of Fame. She earned a M.Ed. degree from Mississippi State University. Professional membership: American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).

Visit Jo at her website: http://www.johuddleston.com/p/home.html  and her blog:

 http://www.johuddleston.com

 You can purchase Caney Creek series books at the following links:

Signed copies available in left sidebar of Jo’s blog: http://www.johuddleston.com

Paperback copies available at publisher’s site: http://www.donaldjamesparker.com/sOSProducts.aspx

Falling In Love With Kindle–A Romance

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I’ve finished my novella! Thanks to everyone who commented and encouraged regarding my ending. Several comments really helped me. I can’t say that I’m 110% in love with my ending, but at least it’s an ending. 

Now…

Finally … finally, I’ve fallen in love with my Kindle. Not because of anything I’ve bought and read, or the convenience of having 500 books flopping around in my purse no matter where I am. Rather, I love it for what it helps me do. I had no idea . . .

I’m sure most of you knew that you can email your manuscripts to your Kindle address to proof and/or critique your own novel. I had no clue this was possible. Let me tell you who haven’t taken advantage of this, it really works! All the problems in my book seemed magnified!

When I saw my novella in the same format as your books I’ve purchased, I was able to see clearly much of what I needed to fix, improve, flesh out or cut. Over the weekend, Saturday through Monday, I went through the story twice, read every word twice, and I felt confident enough to send it to a reader who will look at it one more time to make sure certain elements fall into place before I query the editor.
My novella was written to be a part of a series published by The Wild Rose Press, an e-Book series. There are elements that must fall in line with the other books already published.

Now… while I wait for one of the other authors to read my book, I’d better get to work on another short piece I’ve started. I’ve been invited by a friend to create a Christmas story for an anthology she wants to publish. Fifteen thousand words and deadline is October 15th. Let’s see how fast I can get into the Christmas spirit.

What have you got going these days? What do you want to accomplish between now and December 31st? In the wonderful words of Tim Gunn: make it work!