Friday, December 23, 2005

Merry Christmas and A Great New Year!



This will be my last post of 2005 as I take off time to be with my family through New Years. I will begin posting again on Tuesday, January 3.

BGs, I want to send you the warmest Christmas wishes in blogdom. You certainly deserve them. You all have hung out with me this year through all kinds of things. We've gone from the erudite (craft of fiction talk) to the ridiculous (drugs 'n' dentists, now there's a match). For months you followed me through my Never Ending Saga about my journey toward publication, until one day it finally become the Now Ended Saga. Who'd ever have guessed it would go on some, what was it, 60-some posts? Maybe more. Hmm. Wish I could put that word count toward the book I'm writing.

You have blessed me and encouraged me, and I've loved reading your feedback and comments. Those of you who've never commented, thanks to you, too, for taking the time to stop by regularly. This blog is read by authors who are unpublished to those who are multi-published, and by agents and editors. An interesting community of people and opinions. And I'm thankful for every one of you.

I pray for you and your families this season to experience the joy of having each other, and to experience renewed amazement and wonderment at the birth of Jesus. As for the new year, I would pray for us all to pursue a closer walk with our Savior.

Throughout next year I hope you'll tell me of topics you'd like to discuss. I want this blog to continue to be entertaining to readers and helpful to those writing their own fiction.

I have some great things to look forward to in 2006. As you know, two more novels of mine will release. Web of Lies is coming real soon now. And Violet Dawn will release in August. Violet Dawn was my first novel to be written while this blog was going on. Some of you even gave me ideas for some of the secondary characters' idiosyncracies. (Those of you who did are, of course, in the book's acknowledgments.)

In a few months the marketing will gear up for Violet Dawn and the whole Kanner Lake series. As an addition to Zondervan's marketing campaign, I came up with my own unique ideas for marketing the series, which Z has now approved. There are details to be worked out. When all details are in place, I will tell you the plans. In fact, you BGs will be the first to know. The plans are going to be a lot of fun and innovative. And they're going to involve as many of you as would like to participate. There will be incentives for those of you who do. (BGs will get first dibs at filling the slots of participation before the opportunity is extended to anyone else.) For those of you who don't want to participate, it will be a kick just to watch what happens. Nothin' like puttin' the process out there for everybody to see. Y'all might see the ideas fall flat, or you might witness the whole process taking off like a rocket. I'd prefer the latter, but no doubt the path to the former would still be entertaining.

So here's to 2006. Hope you'll stick with me. Y'all have been a joy and a delight, and great encouragement to this cabinet-kickin' author.

A wonderful, big, warm Merry Christmas to you all!

Please feel free to post your season's greetings to the rest of the BGs.

18 comments:

Dineen A. Miller said...

It's been a rockin' year, Brandilyn. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself with us. Thank you for praying for me at the ACFW conference. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of Violet Dawn. And thank you for being such a servant for God.

Merry Christmas, everybody, and Happy New Year!

Tina Helmuth said...

Merry Christmas, everyone!

C.J. Darlington said...

I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this blog, Brandilyn. Thanks so much. It's been a lot of fun. Hope you and yours and all you crazy BG's have a very merry Christmas and a peaceful, stress free New Year!

I'll put on my thinking cap about topics to cover in 2006 ...

Lynette Eason said...

Hi Brandilyn,

I can't say enough THANKS for all you've put into this blog. Thank you for sharing yourself, your writing expertise and, of course, the love of Jesus. I appreciate you and all the BG's here!

So, ya'll have a rockin' Merry Christmas and "see" you in 2006!

Blessings,
Lynette

Rebecca LuElla Miller said...

Brandilyn,

I think one of the things I like so much about your blog is ... well, your writing. Hahah--surprise, surprise! You not only talk about how to write but you write the way we're to write. You hooked me completely with your cliff hangers during your NES. And you've explored writing topics with such a generous spirit. Thank you.

And yes, I too will cogitate some on topics for the new year and make some suggestions.

For now, may you have a worshipful Christmas and a Happy New Year. If fact, so may each of the other BG'ers.

Becky

Bonnie S. Calhoun said...

Brandilyn, thank you for all that you have been so willing to share about the process of writing. I have learned invaluable lessons from you.

I pray that we get to share a very long and prosperous New Year with you.

May God bless you and your family as we celebrate the birthday of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

And I'd like to extend that same blessing to all my fellow BG'ers.

Merry CHRISTmas to all!

Stuart said...

Wuchak for a rockin' year Brandilyn! Look forward to the next, and seeing just what you have planned.

Will give thought to what we could talk about here next year. :)

Until then have a Merry Christmas, and a very happy New Year!

Unknown said...

Blessings back to you, BC! You're a gem to promote, because your writing is so top notch. I am so very looking forward to seeing what you're doing!! And participating, of course. Merry Christmas.

Domino said...

Love and peace to BC and the BGs.

I've learned more than I ever expected to this year. A lot of that comes from hanging out with the BC blog community. I see us all with our chin in our hands and elbows on the table, eagerly anticipating the next writing discussion. (That's the official storytime pose, in case anyone didn't already know.)

Much Love and Thanks, BC!!! I'm looking forward to learning even more in 2006.

Unknown said...

I echo all of those sentiments above. And thank you, Brandilyn, for your transparency and your willingness to share with us all that you have learned. We're all better off for it.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Lynetta said...

I also want to wish Brandilyn and all the other BG'ers out there a very Merry Christmas! And a blessed New Year.

Camy Tang said...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Camy

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas Brandilyn. Thanks for such an entertaining and encouraging blog. May your holiday be blessed!

Pammer said...

May God bless you and your family with a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Hugs!

Anonymous said...

thank you BC, you have inspired and helped me more than you'll ever know. happy Christmas!
Ley

C.J. Darlington said...

Now that Christmas is over, and my mind is clearer, it's time to think of ideas. Here are a few:

1. The Three Act Structure - why it works, what challenges it provides, and examples of it in movies and books. (This would be a good one for BG's to chime in on in the comments.)

2. How important are opening paragraphs/pages. Discuss published examples and then perhaps have BG's post their opening paragraph which can be discussed as well.

3. We love your stories, Brandilyn. Just about everyday things, too. That dentist visit sure came to life ... if you're up for telling us some more, I know I would enjoy them.

4. We could all read a particular book (that could be nominated by your or the BG's) and then we could discuss it.

5. Trends in the CBA. What's hot, what's not, and what you think about it.

6. Along the lines of your new marketing strategies for Violet Dawn, I'd be interested in hearing about why you think certain marketing strategies work (i.e. what's the most effective thing(s) a novelist can do to promote their book and why).

If I think of more, I'll post them.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the many ways you have blessed us this year!

Many blessings to you!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for shareing your writing stuff with us. Man I've got alot of work to do on my wip now, but thats ok. I'll just keep having fun with it.

I do want to know though how does a writer get a character to e-mail them? You said back in a march posting you'd tell us someday.

I havn't read all the postings yet, so I don't know if you already answered this question or not.

Brandilyn, have a kilibunker New Year and God bless ya lady.