NewsTalk Radio with Sean Moncreiff

I am going to be on the radio...IN IRELAND!!!!

Unfortunately, it's not in person...but I'm thrilled to be interviewed by Sean Moncreiff over the phone on NewsTalk Radio.

Feb 27th, Monday (that's today), Central time 10a!

Here's the link: http://www.newstalk.ie/programmes/all/moncrieff/

Description of Moncreiff's show from NewsTalk Site:


Moncreiff is a lively mix of phone-ins, 
insightful text messages 
and stories from around the world 
and down your street.




I'm amazed to have the opportunity to talk to such a successful radio host from around the world about my Amish book Seasons. I've also learned that there are Amish in Ireland. Not only is that intriguing, but it makes me want to visit Ireland even more than ever!

Hope you tune in!

Cheers,
Elizabeth

PS: This post is taking the place of my typical Tuesday post.

It's an AMISH GIVEAWAY!!! ***STICKY***

***FOR MORE CURRENT POSTS SCROLL DOWN. THIS POST IS STICKY UNTIL 12/12.***

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

For the first 12 days of December I am opening up a giveaway that will hopefully excite a lot of you!

I'm giving away a copy of my book SEASONS: A REAL STORY OF AN AMISH GIRL and an Amish doll I just picked up when I went to Dover, DE (the setting of Seasons) at a store called BYLER'S...yep...my maiden name. My dad's cousin was the original owner of the store, but it has changed hands since.

You could win: Signed copy of Seasons & the Liddy Doll!

Here's what you can do to win this great Christmas giveaway!

1---LEAVE A COMMENT! ;-) Easy enough! Make sure you have your email listed in the comment. No email...no valid entry.

2---Become a follower or subscriber to my blog (see left panel). You can also do this through Facebook Network Blogs. http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/elizabeth_byler_younts Tell me in the comments how you follow me...ADD YOUR EMAIL!

3---"Like" me on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elizabeth-Byler-Younts/149609568446062 ...come back, let me know & add your email!

4---Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/EBYounts   again......come back, let me know & add your email!

5---Facebook and/or Tweet this Giveaway, make sure there's a link to this post and, on Twitter, my user name @ebyounts!  Come back & tell me & don't forget your email!

****For each of these things you earn 1 additional entry, so you can earn up to 5 entries!!!! But, you must add a comment for each so I know how to tally up your entries. PLEASE make sure to add your email to each (that way I don't have to go searching for it if you have more than 1 entry)...I really don't want to disqualify anyone for not being able to reach them. 


****On DECEMBER 12th a winner will be chosen using www.Random.org. I will contact the person by email and mail out the package. If I cannot reach the person within 3 days, I will reselect a winner. 


Be sure to share this with your friends!!!!

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Will there be a Sequel to Seasons

One of the photos taken
when working on the cover.

The most frequent question I have gotten in the last 2 months is...is a sequel to Seasons in the works. My dear readers appropriately call it "Summer".

I am going to answer that question here.

The short answer is: No, there is no book 2 in the works.

The longer answer is No and here's why...

The story of Seasons has a lot of tension, conflict, tragedy, and everything a story is built around. But, Liddy is very young, this is her Spring season, and at the conclusion is when she's a young wife, heading into her own season of summer.

This tension & conflict at her age is mostly coming because of external reasons. Poverty. The Great Depression. Tragic family loss. We learn about her internal struggles throughout this and the faith that keeps her going. It truly is a beautiful story of God's faithfulness in her life.

My Amazing Grandma Lydia Lee Coblentz

You can probably consider your own "spring" and see how that works. There are things that happen to children...makes for very good fiction & nonfiction.

But now, move ahead to your summer and autumn seasons of your life. Often times the conflict and struggles that we find are from within. Deep. Intimate. Personal.

You can't just take out all the struggle, conflict, and tension in a story and then just keep the thread of happy-go-lucky stories...that's just not really how it works.

I am not saying this because my grandma had this awful life after her spring...but that to respect her privacy and the privacy of the Amish church...this is a story that I will forgo. Grandma agrees.

That is not to say that there may be some place for her "chronicles" with lovable stories or even a few tense situations that would be interesting to write for a different type of venue...but likely not in a published book in the style of Seasons.

I hope that answers the question. ;-)

YOUR TURN: What would your platform be if you or someone wrote a story about your childhood? Would it be about God's goodness or safety? Would it be more topical like overcoming a disease or a relationship with a parent? I'd love to hear from you!


Cheers,
Elizabeth

My Self-Publishing Journey

Yes, I self-published my book SEASONS: A REAL STORY OF AN AMISH GIRL.

full spread of my book cover

This story started in my head over 20 years ago. Wow, that makes me sound old...I'm only 33. I loved my grandma's stories and I started memorizing them and learning everything I could about her young life. 

When I was an ambitious single in my 20s I didn't really give this story more than a "nod" at family events. While I really loved the idea of it and wanted to write it...I, quite honestly, had zero confidence that I could actually write it and write it well. It suddenly started to sound like a bunch of disjointed stories that didn't have any real "story" tying it together. 

Move ahead now, I'm 29 and pregnant with my first baby. I live in Colorado with my JAG husband. I have finished 3 manuscripts total...only 1 of which are worth anything and that 1 still needs a MILLION edits. This story started pricking my heart. So over the next few years I started & stopped writing this story several times. 

Fast forward, I'm 31 (almost 32) and finally I feel like it was time. The book voice of Liddy suddenly spoke to me...authors understand this phenomenon, and I wrote the first chapter long-hand sitting up in bed in 1 sitting. It finally felt right. I had been involved in a critique group for almost a year at this point that was filled with SERIOUS writers...and writers with SERIOUS TALENT. 

It was over a year later when it was fully written and edited and I started working on publishing options. I had always anticipated self-pubbing this book b/c I didn't think there was a market for an Amish memoir written by a granddaughter...so not a "true true" memoir. But my critique group encouraged me that while self-pubbing might have to happen b/c I did not have the time to wait (grandma was almost 85) that I should still market it well. 

So...a big reason I self-pub'd this is because my grandma was 84 when the book was complete and sick with pneumonia. I was petrified something would happen to her before I could hand her a copy. I didn't have a literary agent (and still don't) and definitely didn't have a House that was knocking my door down for this quaint book. So...since I didn't have a budget for this, I used CreateSpace.

Grandma reading the
proof copy of Seasons for
 the first time. She was
like a kid in a candy store.
**Yes, I snuck this picture
with my phone. Worth it.**

I did NOT self-pub because I thought I would be an instant success, a best-seller, or because of impatience. I didn't have any more years to put into this project because my grandma NEEDED this book in her hands. It was so very important to her and since in the publishing world there is no guarantee about anything I knew I had to do this myself. I am so glad I did. Just the look on her face when she was able to read through the proof copy of Seasons...priceless.

If someone had told me everything I'd have to do in order to self-pub this very well, I think I would've been extremely intimidated. But I honestly went a step at a time and just worked on the step I was on. I always considered the next step but until I got there I didn't worry my head over it. 

In the midst of this I also had another baby & I moved across the country. God was so faithful. Yes. Yes. Yes.

A friend of mine offered to do the book cover...didn't he do an AWESOME job! In paperback you can see what intricate work he did to wrap the scene around the back and then add a photo of my grandma, like she is now, in the back cover. It is gorgeous and so much of what I imagined. He didn't charge me a penny. 

Then I studied book trailers and made one of my own. You can view it here. It is a touch longer than it should be, but I love it and I've gotten a great response on it. I released the trailer about 2 months before the book. Set up a better website and created a fan page on FaceBook. 

The book released in early August and it's been a whirlwind ever since. We went up to my grandma's house for a release part over Labor Day weekend (also my youngest daughter's 1st birthday!) and I was BLOWN AWAY! There was well over 100 attendees (not including all the sweet little Amish kids) and we sold 250 books...I would've sold more if I'd brought more. I didn't think I needed more. Grandma and I signed and signed and signed...it was truly such a surreal moment to be signing my first books with my AMISH GRANDMA!!!!!! 

I cannot explain the amazement I have with all of this and how proud I was to be the ONE who got to write this story. It went from an obligation that I thought would be just a book that would distract me from my "real" writing (fiction) into pushing me into real writing for the first time. What a love I have for the written word and for the Writer of All Words who drew me into this amazing responsibility. Thank you, Lord.

That is why I self-pub'd. Am I going to self-pub again? I am hoping my next book that is 7 chapters deep right now will get a contract. BUT...I am overjoyed that this is the journey that I took. I absolutely love this story. I believe in it just as much as the fiction manuscript I'm working on now. I believe Seasons needed to be written and the sales we are experiencing far exceed any of my expectations, truly. I it such a joy to see my sweet almost 85 year old grandma (her birthday is in a few weeks) reflect back on her life with such joy and peace...and then share it with all of us with such grace.

I cannot tell you how truly humbled I am that I got to be the mouthpiece, the writer, of this story.

YOUR TURN: Is there a story in your family that you think should be written? If so, tell me about it in the comments section. I'd love to hear from you.

Cheers,

Elizabeth

ACFW Conference Yee-haw

Soooo, I'm finally updating my blog about the ACFW conference. It was my first time attending but it won't be my last. There were so many highlights, here are a few...

--Spending time with my amazing critique group! I just moved states away (military life) a few months ago and miss them all so much. It was truly a highlight to see them again, critique each others pages and just chat the night away!

--Getting the opportunity to meet several literary agents I highly respect. Chip MacGregor, Karen Solem, and Natasha Kern. There were so many other great Literary Agents there but this were the ones I was able to chat with for at least a few minutes.

--Attending a Thomas Nelson session with Allen Arnold was awesome. What a dynamic personality and great info on the Thomas Nelson market.

--Jeff Gerke's Continuing Ed class PLOT VS CHARACTER. Nothing more needs to be said on this point except you should buy his craft books.

--The Gala with all the awards was a fun night. In attendance was a gladiator, a trekky, a soldier of some sort, and an agent wearing a kilt.

There was more great highlights but I'll keep it to those. If you attended what was your top highlight? If you didn't but you're thinking about getting involved in the world of writing this is a great conference to consider attending. It'll be in Dallas next year.

I also totally had a "moment" when someone recognized my name (we were wearing name tags) from reading my book Seasons. Yippee!

A few less notable highlights are going "potty" without an mini crowd of 2 little girls in 1 small stall, having painted nails, not having to cook food for 4 days, and having a housekeeper. Sigh......

BUT truly I missed my family so much. I was so happy to see them at the airport...such a good feeling to come home to my sweet family.

Cheers,
Elizabeth

ACFW CONFERENCE!

laundry...lists upon lists for hubby...more laundry...trying clothes on to see what I want to pack...getting frustrated because I don't like my clothes...more laundry...oh, gotta make sure hubby knows how to get to horseback riding on Friday...make sure all homeschooling lessons are in order...laundry...wash, dry on line, fold, and put away cloth diapers...buy disposable for hubby...go shopping and buy nothing because baby is crying the whole time...groceries for hubby & kids...homeschool...do more laundry...consider blogging about your busy-ness...

Okay...so you get the point...

Can't wait to see so many great writers at ACFW! Several of whom I consider some of my closest & dearest friends (you know who you are AP & RM)...and happen to be rooming with! Yay for writing groups that span miles and stick with you even when you move far, far away!

So looking forward to learning more about the craft of writing...meeting new peeps...eating with adults who typically don't need to be reminded to not eat with their mouths from the table top...not needing to have the handicap bathroom because I am rarely in public without 2 "younguns"with a stroller or cart...having food prepared for me...buying books...giving books away or selling a few (yay for Seasons)...seeing writing friends from my critique group that I miss so much since my move...getting all gussied up for the awards night...did I mention going to the bathroom by myself!?

EXCITED! Jumping out of my skin excited!

Cheers,
Elizabeth

PS: What am I reading? I'm reading Dekker's Circle trilogy (even though there are 4 books)...but the book is so honkin' huge I'm leaving it behind and working on critiques while I travel...and I have my kindle for iPad so I can read something random on there too...but I have A LOT of critiquing to do. Or I could...duh...WRITE!

My first Podcast Interview!

Hi Everyone! There's this amazing, podcasting Mom, Kerimae, from the Northwest that I've been listening to for a while now...and reading her blog. I approached her about reviewing my book & she loved it so much she decided to do a 2 part podcast interview featuring Seasons & me! I was so surprised but very thrilled.

The first of the 2 podcasts just came out late last night.

Here you go!

Check out Kerimae's blog and learn more about her, maybe she'll become a regular for you, too! I've learned so many things from her and have been so encouraged by her love for her family, God, and for her readers/listeners. I hope you enjoy her as much as I do.

http://www.kerimae.com/2011/09/book-review-for-you.html

I hope you listen, enjoy, & share!

Kindred,
Elizabeth

Amish Takeaways

From the photoshoot for the cover
of Seasons. My niece Celine here is
wearing one of my grandma's
dresses from her childhood. 

Soooo, I had another question about my Amish background. The question was about what I've taken from the Amish & incorporated in my day-to-day life as a woman, wife, mom in this modern age.

The first & probably most obvious thing is the language. I grew up speaking Pennsylvania Dutch, which is a slang dialect of German. It is unwritten and it's the first language Amish children learn. We still speak it when we're together whether on the phone or visits. The in-laws who have married into our family each have come to understand it a great deal.

I don't speak it with my 2 girls as much as I should, but I'm working on that habit. I love that it's part of my heritage & I really want to pass it on to my girls.

Another thing I'd like to mention is that I like how the Amish still are people of their word. I wish more of the world would govern their actions by their words. Nowadays you need contracts and agreements in writing...NO. MATTER. WHAT. Of course, I know the value of that but I still appreciate the value of saying something and meaning it.

While the old rule of how a handshake could make a deal is gone for the most part when it comes to legal or business transactions...we can still incorporate this into our lives. When we say "I'll be praying for you," then we must. If we say to our children that we'd read them a book when the dishes are done or before we start them...then we must. I'm learning as a mom it is soooo important to say what I mean and mean what I say.

I guess those 2 things are what stand out to me when I consider what I try to incorporate into my life from my Amish heritage.

I'd love to hear from you...more questions or maybe just a comment about what you like about the Amish lifestyle that you wish you could incorporate or do incorporate into your life.

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Up next: Another VLOG book review on Siri Mitchell's Love's Pursuit.

Book Review: Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones

Check out my first vlog? video-log? v-log? Not sure whatchacallit...but check it out. ;-)

So, I'd love to hear from you if the vlog is fun or if it's just way better to be able to "skim" through a review? And, I promise, I won't do a "Seasons" commercial each time... ;-)

Cheers,
Elizabeth

PRICELESS!

Available now on Amazon!

I am amazed that I am finally to this point. It seems like YEARS (it has been years) since I started the journey on this road...this SEASON of life that brought me to writing non-fiction...CREATIVELY. Lots of phone conversations with my grandma and visits that were consumed with interviewing and reading out loud what I'd already written. I wanted the stories to be accurate.

And now we're here.

Praise. The. LORD!

If someone had told me all the steps I'd have to go through self-publishing I think I would've just imploded! Once the manuscript is done the "fun" begins. I cannot believe all the details, the typesetting, the crying whining complaining because typesetting is really hard work, beta readers, kindle version, nook version, more typesetting, almost forgetting something important in the acknowledgements, the photography for the cover, then selecting a few good ones, trying several types of covers, working with my amazing friend who designed my cover...then having my sweet Amish grandma AGREE to having her photo taken for the back cover. Seriously, I cannot express how overjoyed I was at that.

This is my grandma (mammie) Lydia Lee Coblentz. LOVE HER!

Never in a million years did I think that I'd have her as part of the back cover art of the book. And I just love the photo (I took it myself, hehehe). She's such a dear woman.

As a young girl always telling the family, "yep, I'm going to write mammie's story someday," I am not sure I actually believed it would happen. But my large family, like a elephant, has a great memory and not a family gathering went by without someone bringing it up...or so it seemed. And now it's here...like a delivery of a baby...only less messy...but there was a lot of pushing involved. {sigh}

I really pray that my grandma's story is read and re-read...that her life will show the power & faithfulness of our Creator. That the contentment that she learned during the worst of times when she and her family had nothing will help us all be content when we are sitting pretty in our comfy chairs with our fridges and pantry's full of food and our selection of shoes so our feet don't get too hot or too cold.

Being able to hand my grandma this book...now that's priceless.

Kindred,
Elizabeth

You can find the book trailer in the book tab on the website.

See Elizabeth faint!

When I opened this box of books I felt complete excitement and then in the very next moment a strong sensation came over me. Was I going to cry? Get sick? No...it was just the feeling of unadulterated terror. Seriously.

I hesitated even picking one up. I barely flipped through it even. I was sure if I started reading at any point in the book I'd suddenly see

See Liddy run. She can run fast.

My brain jarred back into grammar school and all I could see were those yellowed pages (even when they were new) with cute cartoony illustrations on every page. Surely nothing I wrote could turn out better than an old look-see reader, right? For several long minutes that's exactly how I felt. The feeling did pass but I still haven't dared reading anything more than the dedication or the first line of the acknowledgements. I just am so afraid I'm going to see some glaring error or embarrassing typo.

I've read traditionally published books from authors widely read and loved by all and found errors. Little typos mostly. I don't think any less of the writer or even the editor, for that matter. Fingers & toes crossed for happy & gracious readers for Seasons!

For the past hour I've been wrapping up a few books to send to my first set of influencers. What a feeling. I can't really explain it. But what I can explain is how THRILLED I am to be at this point and not a year ago where I was still writing...still pregnant in my 3rd trimester...still naive at how much work self-pubbing would be. I'm just overjoyed that, while marketing is no easy job, I'm here! I feel very accomplished for having followed-through with this book and for the way it's turned out. I love the cover. I love the story. I believe in the story. I hope a lot of readers will too!  All praise to God's faithfulness. Truly. The dedicated and encouraging help of my mom, husband, a smattering of friends, and my AMAZING weekly writing group. {okay, I digress, this is starting to sound like an Emmy award speech...hahaha}

I hope those of you who are reading this blog will buy the book on Amazon, read & enjoy it, tell your friends, and write a review for me on Amazon and/or your blog.

I'll leave you with this:

Cheers,
Elizabeth

OUCH...painful!

It is so painful when you take a break from blogging and then have to return. It's not that I don't enjoy blogging but in the midst of my busy-ness it was a bit of a relief when I just turned on the "off" button in my head with my blog.

I'm a military wife...a JAG officer's wife, more specifically. We've had 3 official PCS (permanent change of station) moves since we married 7 years ago...and 2 other moves. So 5 moves in 7 years...seriously, now that is painful. Several furniture pieces I have noticed during this 5th move are also showing signs of pain...some have the weeble-wobbles, dings, the ever present "lean"...and then there are some trusty pieces that I just wish would break or fall off the truck so I had a good reason to get rid of it. All in all...this move was flawless. Praise the LORD!

Sure, we get our move paid for...we have packers, and movers...and reimbursement on damaged goods. But moving is NOT easy. It's difficult on every member of the family and often the burden to get the family back to routine and the house feeling like HOME lands on MAMA. ;-) ME!!!! A privilege and responsibility I take very seriously. It just so happens that when we moved on July 2, I was also in the middle of planning for my first book release in mid-August. Approving the "proof" copy, still working on marketing and blog interviews, planning the book launch states away, ordering business & marketing cards. {taking a deep breath}

Let me also mention that I was EATEN by fire ants on the day our household goods arrived, landing bites in the double digits, my husband was asked to start work the day after our household good arrived (he ended up being able to "get out of it" and help me unpack, THANKFULLY), my 4 y/o daughter cried buckets because the Pevensie children from the Chronicles of Narnia can't sleep-over, and my 10 month old is getting 4 teeth in as I type! Yes...you may laugh...I have! I laugh & pray & laugh some more & pray A LOT more! I might've cried a little too... {sigh}

Can I just say that God is faithful. I've felt overwhelmed from time to time over the past few weeks...but for the most part I realize that EVERYTHING happens in His time. Whether I get a handle on marketing this book very well or not...it's all Divine. It's all in His plan.

Wow...doesn't that just take some pressure off.

Cheers,
Elizabeth

Book Trailer---Seasons: A Real Story of an Amish Girl

Here is my book trailer! Please watch and share!

Blessings,
Elizabeth

Backs on the Front Cover

At a local store recently I noticed something common among several of the books on a prominent book rack. Do you see it? What is the common thread?

The backs of women! 

I found this very interesting as I am working on the cover design for my first publication Seasons (coming out this fall). I personally love this trend. I'd rather be able to imagine the characters faces anyway. I love an obscure cover, don't you?

I do have a few pet peeves with covers though too. It bothers me when the cover shows a picture of the main character that is contrary to how they are described in the book. Or when they are just too busy, just trying too hard, ya know?

What are some of your favorite covers? What do you love or hate to see?

Cheers,

Elizabeth

I WHIPPED MY WIP!

Lydia "Lee" Coblentz

It was a labor of love...my latest manuscript. It was the story of my grandmother's childhood. She is an 83 year old Amish woman and her life through the Great Depression was nothing to sneeze at.

I started her memoir when my daughter was 7 months old in November 2007 and only got about 10K words in and lost my steam. So...not the best start possible. I burned out mostly because I felt I hadn't found my voice and I'd never written anything remotely non-fiction in a story form. And voice is soooo very important in any book...but, in my opinion, especially in this story because it was a real person. I did find a title during this first effort...SEASONS.

Yes, you'd think that because it was a real person that it would be easier to find my voice, but it wasn't. Especially when I had a 7 month old who suddenly decided to stop sleeping like a champ! I was EXHAUSTED to say the least. I put it down for about 2 years, much to the chagrin of my grandma (who I call "Mammie"...not pronounced ma'am-ee, like in the south...but I'm not sure how to write out the pronunciation. Kind of like "MOM" and then "ae"...not a long "a" but not a short "a" either...a Pennsylvania Dutch "a" sound). {shrugs}

When I decided to pick it up again I was in a weird place with my fiction WIP. I really didn't like the story at all and I wasn't about to invest months and months of my time in a story I don't think I'd even pick up to read. But one night I was really in the writing mood and the first chapter came to me. Now, I thought I already had a first chapter but, apparently, I didn't. I hand wrote it that night and then typed it out the next. For the next few weeks my daughter watched A LOT of PBS & Disney! {wink}

I had found my voice! er...Liddy's voice.

I sent the chapter to my mom and she fell in love. That was the first week of December and by Christmas I was 75% done with the first draft. Now...keep in mind...this book includes about 20 years and it's only about 35-40,000 words. Once I visited my Mammie for Christmas I pulled out a printed copy of it and had her look at the first chapter. Her jaw dropped and she almost immediately had tears in her eyes.

I read the entire story out loud to her that day. My mom, sisters, daughter, and nieces were there. The little girls couldn't understand why when we got to the chapter that was titled "When Winter Comes too Soon" we all cried. It was the only time I'd seen my Mammie cry when NOT at a funeral. I knew then I'd achieved what I wanted. I took her back. I took her way back to feeling the emotions, even the really difficult ones, that she felt when she was a child. I knew that while I had dragged my feet on this project and at times even completely resisted writing it as much as I could...but seeing my Mammie's face, smiles, and tears...it was worth every effort I put in.

I came home from Christmas with high hopes...and then I started getting really sick...like sick a lot! I was expecting our 2nd child! As excited as I was, the morning sickness was taking away any motivation I possibly had. Then the morning sickness went away and I had complications at 10 wks and was put on modified bed rest. Being on modified bed rest while parenting a 2 (almost 3) year old does not give you much energy or time to write. It seemed all my waking hours were trying to find ways to entertain my tot from the couch! {sigh} Not easy...

My big goal of having it completely written and maybe even self-pub'd by July was out the window faster than I could groan! But, I have no completed it. It is written...well, the first draft anyway. I have an amazing weekly crit group that has really enjoyed the story. They have given me some amazing critiques back on where to develop and where to not. It's a story of a lot of heartache, trials, hunger...but the thread of the story always shows contentment in God...even at the youngest of ages.

I have a few little hopes that I can do more with this than self-pub, but I'm not getting my hopes up. It's by far a family affair and I am not sure anyone else is interested...though, on the other hand...it's an AMISH story. People flock to the Amish.

I gave myself a few days off before starting revisions. My goal is to get it done this month...I need your tips, strategies, methods, hints! PLEASE! Leave a comment and tell me what you do or shoot me an email. I'd love to hear from you.

Cheers,
Elizabeth