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

Book Review: Love's Pursuit

OOOOO, this one is really worth watching. Back cover & link below the video.

Visit: Siri Mitchell

Love's Pursuit (back cover summary)

In the small Puritan community of Stoneybrooke, Massachusetts, Susannah Phillips stands out both for her character and beauty. She wants only a simple life but soon finds herself pursued by the town's wealthiest bachelor and by a roguish military captain sent to protect them. One is not what he seems and one is more than he seems.

In trying to discover true love's path, Susannah is helped by the most unlikely of allies, a wounded woman who lives invisible and ignored in their town. As the depth, passion, and sacrifice of love is revealed to Susannah, she begins to question the rules and regulations of her childhood faith. In a community where grace is unknown, what price will she pay for embracing love?


I wish I could read it all over again for the first time!


Cheers, 
Elizabeth

Steven James Storytelling Conference

Steven James is the author of more than 25 works of fiction and non-fiction, including the bestselling thriller seriesThe Patrick Bowers Files.We invite you to come join us and spend the day under the instruction of an author Publisher's Weekly calls a "master storyteller at the peak of his game" as he challenges and guides you to explore the depth of your own writing.

My amazing weekly writing critique group is hosting this event. For those of you familiar with Allison Pittman, she is co-president of my group and will also be at the e

vent. This will be a fantastic mini-conference.

I've heard Steven James speak before on the craft of writing and I was blown away. He, I believe, has a Masters degree in Storytelling. His ability to teach the hows of storytelling is just amazing. I don't write thrillers or anything truly action packed but I still can't wait to hear more from this talented writer. Storytelling is not genre specific, so don't let his thriller genre distract you from coming.

Hope you decide to make this conference a priority!

Date:Friday, June 24, 7-9 pm, Dessert Reception
Saturday, June 25, 9 am - 4 pm, Workshop

Fee: $50 -- Includes Friday Reception, Saturday Workshop and Lunch
Location: 1401 Pat Booker RoadUniversal City, TX 78148

Visit Christian Writing Group of San Antonio for future events and writing resources.

Click Here for Registration Form

Cheers,

Elizabeth