A Season of Love by Kim Watters

Kim Watters here. I'm proud to announce my newest release from Love Inspired.  A Season of Love is my fourth book with Harlequin and my second in Dynamite Creek, Arizona. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Blessings,
Kim

Blurb:

The Soldier’s Gift

Just in time for Christmas, a tall, dark and handsome Scrooge visits Holly Stanwyck’s holiday shop, threatening eviction. But once landlord Ethan Pellegrino sees the single mom’s plight, the former soldier becomes her protector instead. Suddenly he’s helping her with her struggling business and bounding with her troubled son. A wounded veteran come home to heal, Ethan is no stranger to sorrow. But something about the pretty widow fills him with hope. Will Holly be able to let go of her own painful past to see her future by his side?

Excerpt:

Ethan momentarily lost himself in Holly’s presence. Her swept back locks exposed her long, elegant neck and straight, slightly upturned nose. But it was her vulnerability that got to him.

Despite her attempts to keep it all together, he sensed just below the surface she suffered and struggled with her son, the shop, everyday life.

He should step away. Instead, when she turned her head toward him, he found himself staring into her deep green eyes that had seen so much pain. A pain he could identify with. He’d lost his father at a young age, and several of his friends in Afghanistan. But even that couldn’t compare to losing one’s partner, one’s soul mate.

He had no experience with that sort of loss, yet he felt the need to comfort. Protect. He wanted to draw Holly into his arms and absorb her pain and blend it with his own. 

For further information, check out my website at www.kimwatters.com

Who Makes a Hero

Pamela Tracy here, and yes Love Inspired author Kim Watters and I are standing next to Jack Sparrow.

Kim and I were signing books at the Glendale Chocolate Affair, doing what we love most: meeting readers and talking shop, when who did we spy across the way JACK SPARROW.

Being of like mind, we both hopped up, cell phone cameras in hand, and sprinted across the way.

This Jack was awesome.  He stayed in character and we got our picture

Alas, Jack could not be a hero in one of my books.  He'd really, really, REALLY need to be redeemed.  He could be a secondary character though.  He could be a crusty old uncle that only the heroine seemed to connect with in an LI.  Or, he'd be the one with a secret both the H and H need if this were an LIS.  Or, in an LIH, he'd be on the boat bringing the heroine to the new world and the real hero would have to be grateful or something.

How would you use Jack in your book?

Metamorphosis

met·a·mor·pho·sis

Kim Watters here. The other day I found what I thought were bird droppings on my lemon tree. That was until I realized they had eyes. What I'd really found were what are commonly known as orange dog caterpillars and they were eating my leaves and stripping entire branches bare. So, being the educational minded parent, I cut the caterpillars out of my tree and placed them in an aquarium so my kids can watch their metamorphosis.  Within a few days, they all formed their cocoons, and a few weeks later a Giant Swallowtail butterfly to emerged.

Metamorphosis:  Noun:

1. (in an insect or amphibian) The process of transformation from an immature form to an adult form in two or more distinct stages.
2. A change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means.

This is just another wonderful example of God's amazing power and how He continues to transform each and every one of us each day.

What have you witnessed lately?

Kim Watters here.  Cancer. I shudder every time I hear that word, yet these days its almost as common as breathing. Every time I turn around, I know someone who knows someone with the disease.  As the mother of two young children, I can't even begin to know or comprehend what it would be like to have a child with cancer like my heroine does, and my heart breaks for those parents who do.  I pray daily that God helps us find a cure.

Writing And Father Makes Three gave me the opportunity to explore the complex subject of bone marrow transplants. The stories and testimonials were truly inspirational and humbling at the same time. A portion of the proceeds of this book will be donated to the Be The Match program to defray the costs associated with the testing. Straight from their website: "The National Marrow Donor Program ® (NMDP) and our Be The Match Foundation ® are nonprofit organizations dedicated to creating an opportunity for all patients to receive the bone marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant they need, when they need it."   http://www.marrow.org/

From a personal perspective, one of my dear friends from high school was diagnosed with Large Cell B non-hodgkins Lymphoma and needed to have a bone marrow transplant to put her cancer into remission.  In her honor, I have dedicated this book to her. Today she is in remissionand living life to the fullest.

And Father Makes Three
July 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0373877560
“Your Daughter Needs You.”She’s saved countless lives, yet there’s one person emergency room doctor Elizabeth Randall can’t rescue—her adopted daughter, Jordan. Perhaps meeting her biological father, Blake Crawford, will be the lifeline Jordan needs. The handsome, guarded firefighter takes risks every day. But facing the daughter he never knew—along with lovely Elizabeth—has him thinking about family. With fatherhood thrust suddenly upon him, there’s no way he can turn his back on his sick child. Will working together to give Jordan a second chance at life also lead them to a second chance at love?

The Bird Rescuer

Kim Watters here. The other day I was riding my bike, a real bike, not the stationary one that doubles as a purse and belt holder, enjoying the morning before the summer heat set in in Phoenix. As the slight breeze with a hint of refreshing coolness danced across my skin, and the enjoyable scent of night still lingered, I noticed a movement out of the corner of my eye--a baby quail running along the curb trying to jump the concrete barrier to join his family.

Poor thing. Now keep in mind that I don’t particularly like birds—long story that stems from a childhood incident…but if I didn’t intervene, Junior was going to exhaust himself, get hit by a car, or eaten. None of his options looked good. I scanned the area looking for his family, but they were long gone. This is the reason quail have so many eggs at a time. Most of them don’t survive until adulthood. But they are so cute and fluffy as they form a line and trail between momma and papa bird.

So I had a choice to make. Intervene, catch the little bugger, and take him to the local bird lady to raise, or leave him where he was. Actually, there wasn’t a choice and I told him so. Let me tell you though, for such a small thing, this guy was quick, but determination finally won over exhaustion. Of course getting home on my bike riding one handed, worrying if the little guy or gal was going to peck at my hand, or escape, was a challenge.

So how does this relate to writing?

A lot. Well for one, I like to use real life stories in my writing, so don’t be surprised if this incident appears in an upcoming book. For another, it demonstrates overcoming fear.

A necessary thing if an author is going to make in the publishing world today. I was not going to let the baby quail die, so I had to overcome my fear of birds for a moment. I’d say this fear is similar to how I felt when I sent out my first manuscript to an editor. I eventually got over it, just as I got through the ride back to my house carrying the baby quail in my hand. He survived and so did I.

In fact, my third Love Inspired Book releases this month and got a 4.5 stars from Romantic Times.
 
And Father Makes Three


ISBN-13: 978-0373877560

“Your Daughter Needs You.”

She’s saved countless lives, yet there’s one person emergency room doctor Elizabeth Randall can’t rescue—her adopted daughter, Jordan. Perhaps meeting her biological father, Blake Crawford, will be the lifeline Jordan needs. The handsome, guarded firefighter takes risks every day. But facing the daughter he never knew—along with lovely Elizabeth—has him thinking about family. With fatherhood thrust suddenly upon him, there’s no way he can turn his back on his sick child. Will working together to give Jordan a second chance at life also lead them to a second chance at love?






 

Book Covers do make a difference.

Hi Everyone, Kim Watters here. Today I wanted to touch a bit upon book covers and how they can make a difference in sales. In between projects for Love Inspired, I've been putting my back-list up on the Kindle and Nook. In the beginning, I hired one of my former husband's students to do my book covers because I didn't know what I was doing. They were okay, exactly what I'd asked for given the pictures I'd sent the girl. But these stories weren't selling. Okay, it wasn't like I was promoting them around or anything, but not one sale for two of them. I figured it had to be the covers.

(I can't find the original cover for Evergreen but it was just a park bench.)


Fast forward a year later, and with more research and knowledge under my belt, I knew that had to be the problem. The stories were good, but if you can't hook them with a cover that screams pick me up, you've lost a sale. (I'd love to know how much Harlequin spends on this type of research-just the accountant in me.)

So I downloaded gimp and taught myself how to make covers. It took quite a bit of time and lots 0f trial and error but I'm pleased with what I came up with. I don't think the art department at LI is going to be calling any time soon, though. As soon as I changed the covers, I started getting sales. The first covers did not portray the essence of the romance in the stories. I hope I've changed that.

So what do you think? And what do you think of the covers Harlequin does for us? Inquiring minds want to know.

New Years Goals

Kim Watters here. Today I'm here to talk about NewYear's goals. You see, I don't make resolutions. They're too easy to break. For me, a goal makes me more accountable (at least in my own mind). I don't set lofty ones--or try not too--because they would be too easy to modify. So my goals for me this year are to sell two books to Love Inspired, go to the YMCA to work out twice a week, and get and stay more organized. I can't seem to function very well if things are messy and I can't find what I'm looking for. This past year has been extremely hard because I moved and things are still in boxes and bins in my garage, and nothing has been filed, it's just sitting in a banker's box. Now that the holidays are over, it's time to get everything in its place. A quality I hope to instill in my children!

In my writing, I use a lot of spreadsheets to keep track of my characters, my fictious towns, chapter scenes etc. With the click of a mouse, I can see what color my heroine's eyes are, or what shop is next to the candle store in town.

So, let's check back at the end of the year and see how I did. Will I be able to use my garage to park my car? Will I be able to find that receipt or owner's manual when I need it? Will I be dedicated enough to work out twice a week? And find time to get two books written? I'll let you know in December. Until then, what are your goals or resolutions for 2012? Inquiring minds want to know.

Out of the mouths of babes......

Kim Watters here. The other day I was helping my son with an assignment. Yes, I know, but hey, he was on a deadline and I type much faster than he does. But being that kind of mom, I wouldn't do the assignment for him, just prompt him to do his own thinking. Anyway, the conversation went something like this:

"So, what's it called when you work for someone for free?"

"Slavery."

Okay. So not the answer I was looking for but he had a point. After I finished laughing and trying to clear the ater that I'd been drinking from my nose, I rephrased the question.

"Okay then. What's it called when you work for someone to learn something?"

"An apprentice."

You can tell he's into mystical things. "Okay, better. How about intern?"

This conversation got me to thinking about two things.

1) How important it is to ask the right questions.
2) How important each word we use is.

Because let's face it. The wrong questions can lead us and our characters down the wrong path, and we won't realize it until it's too late. How many times have you come up against a wall, that had you known which questions to ask or delved deeper into the character, you may have been able to avoid? Or had you rephrased it, may have gotten acompletely different answer?

Using the right word to convey a mood or feeling is intregral to the story. How may times have you been pulled out of a story because the author didn't use the right word or convey the right meaning? Or how many times you've used your favorite word or words until it's overdone?

I'm guilty of all of the above, which is why I never turn out a final manuscript the first time or even the second time around. One of these days, I hope to take my own advice.

So ask and choose wisely or you may be the one snorting water when you hear the answer.

My trip to New York City

Kim Watters here. Last month I had the pleasure of taking a day trip into New York City on a visit to my childhood home outside Philadelphia. Living in a small town now, the hustle and bustle of the city was a bit overwhelming. We took the bus in because neither my friend nor I were up to driving in the city. Good thing to as it rained as we were leaving, and--um--I'm not the best driver when it's wet out. Taking the subway was another experience and I'm glad I had good directions as to which line to take, or we may still be trying to navigate our way out. Everyone we met was really nice and very helpful to two lost tourists wandering the streets.

The highlight of that day was touring the Harlequin offices and meeting the editorial staff for Love Inspired. From left to right, Elizabeth Mazer, Rachel Burkott, Tina James, Melissa Endlich, Kim Watters, and Emily Rodmell (my editor). They rolled out the red carpet and really made me feel a part of the Harlequin family. It's nice to be able to put a face with a name, and I admit that I'm not so intimidated when I call Emily now because I've finally met her.

We also stopped by the 9-11 site as it is just a few blocks away from the offices. Even being there, it was hard to imagine what happened that day, and bringing it closer to home. After about an hour, we were a little depressed and had to leave because it was so over whelming.

Our final stop of the day was at Times Square. Having only seen it on television and in the movies, it is very bright with all the lights and very crowded. I did find a couple of souvenirs for my kids and then with aching, tired feet, we headed back to the bus depot--another interesting site--and headed back to the nice, quiet suburbs.

Would I go again? Absolutely. It's a trip I won't forget any time soon. Until next time.....

Why do I do this?

Kim Watters here. Today I'm wordless. Absolutely, positivey wordless. Normally ideas spring forth quickly when I write a blog post. Not so today. Could it be that I'm struggling with my manuscript that's due at the end of the month? Yes. Could it be I'm overwhelmed by parenting right now with the start of school? Yes. Could it be that since I've returned from vacation, I'm really far behind on my day job that pays the bills? Yes to that, too.

So as I sit here struggling, I ask myself: Why do I do this? Why do I write and stress out each time a deadline looms? Why don't I chuck it all and just be a mom and an accountant because let's face it. I make a lot more money as a bean counter.

I have to remind myself that I'm a writer, too. And a writer writes. Like a mother mothers. Like an accountant accounts. (okay that didn't really make much sense.)

No worries though. I'll get through this like I always do. I'll quit whining and get back to the task at hand of finishing my contracted book because writing is a part of me. Who I am. My ministry. God gave me talent to put words to paper. He won't let me fail. I just have to kick it up a notch and sleep after I drop the envelope in the mail. Thanks for letting me whine. The other wine will be when I finish. :) Blessings.

Death and Taxes

Kim Watters here. Today I wanted to talk about death and taxes. Yes. That’s right.


“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."

Thanks, Benjamin Franklin. True today as it was two centuries ago.

So how does this relate to writing? Interesting question. Well, sit back and grab a cup of coffee see if you can agree with me.

My daughter’s robo dwarf hamster died. Tragic, I know, but not completely unexpected for the two year old hamster. I knew by how Twister was acting a few days before that something wasn’t quite right and had tried as best I could to prepare my daughter. So on that fateful day when I went to feed Twister, I knew the inevitable had happened. Now I had to tell my daughter.

I cried as I held her trembling body, but this is a fact of life. We are born, live and die. I hate to tell you folks it’s inevitable. Some of us just hang around a bit longer than others and some species are just blessed with longer life spans. Between my two children, we’ve gone through 4 hamsters already; each one receiving a proper burial befitting their family status.

I think she recovered quicker than I did and is already talking about her next ‘best friend’. This time we adopted a cat. Two actually. Of course my son’s still alive and kicking hamster is throwing fits about that. Hmmmm. I wonder why?

Anyway, I must admit I kind of feel like a death has occurred when I finish a manuscript. I’ve spent so much time with the characters that once I’ve finished their story and have to say goodbye, it feels so final. I know it’s coming and I can only prolong it for so long. Deadlines, you know? But each time I type ‘The End’ a part of me has died; the relationship ended. The funeral takes place as I ship the package off to my editor. As authors, how do you feel? For you readers, what do you feel when you finish a book?

The other certainty in life is taxes. While that part isn’t quite so traumatic, it does leave my checkbook lighter. Because we’re considered self-employed, writers have to pay their own taxes, and Uncle Sam really likes it when we send in quarterly estimates to avoid penalties and interest come tax day.

So there you have it. Death and taxes from this writer’s perspective. Anyone else care to elaborate?

Organization: Gotta Love It.

Kim Watters here. After almost 19 years in the same house, I finally made the decision to move. Not an easy feat, but a necessary one. The house just wasn’t working out for our needs anymore. Do you have any idea how much stuff one can accumulate over that time period? Throw in a couple of kids and you’re looking at a mountain of stuff and a garage barely big enough to contain box after box of belongings I couldn’t part with; like the first had print my oldest child made in art when he was three, or my second child’s snippet of hair from her first haircut at a year old. And what do I do with all the old paperwork, royalty statements, contracts and such? Or the old costume jewelry I inherited from my grandmother? And-gasp-my book collection?

So many belongings, so little time to sort, and box, and label for storage. Because if I’m ever to find anything before I have a chance to unpack once I move into our newer, bigger home, I have to know where it is. You never know when you’ll have to glance through an old contract, or need to find a certain research book. I’ll be able to find it at moment’s notice and save time if I’m organized, right?

So how can you incorporate organizational skills into writing? Easily. Keep detailed spreadsheets for each manuscript. I do one for each character complete with a photograph of what they look like. One is for the all the character names, no matter how brief they appear, and how they relate to our main characters. I also keep track of local businesses and who owns them as they appear in the story and I keep a time line and an outline for each chapter along with page numbers and chapter lengths.

My newest release, Home Sweet Home, deals with renovating an old Victorian house, so I kept a chart on each room in the house and the progress of the renovations as they occurred. So each time I needed to refer back to something, it was easier to page through spreadsheets than the actual manuscript. I also created an ancestry line for my heroine to keep track of marriage, birth and death dates, which coincided with the building of the original house.

Since time is a premium for me, having everything I needed at my fingertips made me more productive with the minutes I had to write. I work full-time, have two elementary school kids and managed to write Home Sweet Home in under three months. Call me anal, but it works for me. It might just work for you, too.

Organization-A Necessary Evil

Kim Watters here. My son missed the bus the other morning. Okay, I know. It’s not the end of the world, but if I have to drive him to school, I’m going to be late for work. We never did find his YMCA card on our haste, but fortunately, they will let him into the after school center with just his name. Why didn’t I think of that before I sent him home from the bus stop to look for his card? Because I want to teach him responsibility. I’d asked him at least twice to make sure he had his card. But at what cost? My sanity? To top things off, it was a substitute bus driver who would definitely not wait at the bottom of our driveway so I could hustle my kid out the door and on his way.

So what’s a mom to do? I bundle my kid into the car and chase after the bus. That’s right. I’m going to catch the driver three stops away. It worked. I cut through the neighborhood and managed to wave frantically to the driver passing by on the main street, who probably thought I was some psycho lady. With him now in front of me as I turn onto the main street, I put on my lights hoping that I’ve managed to get through to him. It also helped that there were other parents at the next stop who told the driver to wait as I practically pushed my kid out the door.

He made it on the bus. I made it to work only a few minutes late. So where does that leave me? Determined to pass my pretty darned good organization skills on to my kids. If we’re organized, we save time, right? If everything is put back in its place we know where to find it when we’re looking for it. Like his house keys or YMCA card, his shoes, his schoolwork and a myriad of other possessions. Quite frankly, it’s exhausting trying to keep track of my own stuff as well as every other person in my family.

So how can you incorporate organizational skills into writing? Easily. How many times have you had to reread your manuscript to remember the neighbor’s husband’s name? Or what outfit our heroine was wearing last time we saw her? Or what type of stores lined your town’s main street?

I keep several detailed spreadsheets for each manuscript I write. One is for each character complete with a photograph of what they look like. One is for the all the character names, no matter how brief they appear, and how they relate to our main characters. I keep track of local businesses and who owns them as they appear in the story. I keep a time line and an outline for each chapter along with page numbers and chapter lengths.

My latest book which comes out in June dealt with renovating an old Victorian house so I kept a chart on each room in the house and the progress of the renovations as they occurred. So each time I needed to refer back to something, it was easier to page through spreadsheets than the actual manuscript. I also created an ancestry line for my heroine to keep track of marriage, birth and death dates, which coincided with the building of the original house.

Since time is a premium for me, having everything I needed at my fingertips made me more productive with the minutes I had to write. I work full-time, have two elementary school kids and managed to write the contracted book in under three months. Call me anal, but it works for me. It might just work for you, too.

Gulliver's Travels

Kim Watters here. I took my kids to see Gulliver's Travels Tuesday.

Why, you might ask?

1) Because they were off of school (another teacher professional day-gee I wish we had that many when I was a kid)

2) Because I have a little thing for Jack Black. Okay, I admit it. Now I need a ten step program.

3) I had free tickets.

This movie, while quite campy at times had two of my favorite premises. Fish out of water--make that a big fish and underdog. Throw in some unrequitted love, heroine in jeopardy, lots of new technology to update the classic tale, and you've got a cute story. Me and the kids give it a thumbs up. It will definately hit the rental pile when it comes out on DVD.

So, what are your classic plots or premises? Inquiring minds want to know.

A Gal Can Dream....

Kim Watters here. The other day I had the honor of attending a book talk and signing of my son’s favorite author, Rick Riordan. In case you haven’t heard of him, maybe Percy Jackson rings a bell? Of course if you don’t have kids, maybe you haven’t heard of the man who drew 1100 people for this event. Yes folks, that’s 1100 and that’s only the lucky ones that got in, many more were turned away.

The bookstore and Rick handled the signing very well. Books were given out when we checked in (my son got the book and I bought an extra ticket to get in) and everyone pretty much started reading them immediately, my son included. After Rick did his talk and read an excerpt, it was time for the book signing. People were grouped by letters in the alphabet and were called up one at a time. The rest of us in the audience were treated to cartoons while we waited. As a parent of a very impatient child, that was a very much appreciated so I didn’t have to listen to “Is it our turn yet?”

When our turn finally came we were met by several store employees as we got to the front of the line. The first checked our tickets to make sure no one snuck ahead, the second put the book flap in the right place, and the third wrote my son’s name on a sticky note so Rick would spell it right.
Finally at the front, another employee sat next to Rick and took the books and opened them so Rick could sign. Since each person could get a book signed, I carried one of Rick’s other books for my son, so that meant he signed 1100 books plus whatever stock the book store had left over. The whole time I kept thinking that Rick had to be getting writer’s cramp, but he still had a smile for everyone in line and even asked my son if he had any questions. What a guy. He made my son’s day.

As an author myself, I hope that I leave my readers with that kind good feeling when they walk away from my table with my latest book in their hands. Even if I have 1100 people there. A gal can dream, can’t she?