The HEA Cafe

Archive for the ‘Chit Chat’ Category

Along with Mars and Mercury, my ambitious ego has gone retrograde. For the past two years, I’ve been swimming upstream like mad, pushing myself with word count goals, editing deadlines and every promotion under the sun. Since September 2008, I’ve published three novels and a novella in digital and print formats while dealing with debilitating back problems, the loss of my mother-in-law, my twins entering middle school, and a bathroom remodel. (While those last two things pale in comparison to the first two, they were nevertheless extremely stressful.) 

I spent most of 2009 flat on my back, either in bed, on the floor, or on the surgeon’s table. None of the procedures I had done worked. My cure has been a constant dose of physical therapy and clinical Pilates, patience and time.  I’m not a patient person. Before, when I suffered from health or other problems, I simply put my head down and bulldozed my way through it. This time, however, there was no bulldozing through the pain or immobility. Hubby bought me a laptop holder that allowed me to work from bed and I learned to value the days I could stand, walk or drive more than the word count I produced. 

Every year at this time, I pull out my journal, read the goals I set on January 1^st of the current year, and make new ones for the coming year. Usually I have a lot of goals, most of them professional. At the beginning of 2009, I knew it was going to be a year full of work, and it was. Looking ahead to 2010, however, my ego no longer feels that driving need to produce. Is it because I accomplished so much this year and my ego is happy, or is it because my back ordeal taught me the importance of taking one day at a time? 

The answer eludes me as I type this blog, but I’m happy to wait it out. Right now, I’m writing a new story in a new genre and loving the freedom it provides. I’m content to hibernate for awhile, not worrying about how many words I get down today or tomorrow, instead focusing on the crisp scenes, layered characters and making sure my theme resonates in every chapter. 

My back is healing, and while the old me would normally jump into everything I used to do (and basically overtax my back and stress management levels all over again), the new me is content to roll with the flow. A good day? I’ll write and bake and enjoy my kids. Bad day? I’ll watch Bravo and HGTV and Soapnet, read a good book, and crank my iPod. 

The New Year brings a new decade, a fresh start, and for me, a new attitude. My ego is content to stop swimming upstream and float for awhile. To hibernate, meditate, clear out the clutter and embrace health. I’m ready to take a break. 

How about you? Will you be swimming or floating in 2010? Either way, I wish you a happy and healthy 2010.

Her Patchwork Family, my second Love Inspired Historical was released yesterday. This is a new line from Steeple Hill. I’ve truly enjoyed writing this book about a woman who loves children more than herself. And the man who falls in love with her. If you’re interested, drop by my homepage www.booksbylyncote.com and read all about it!

Chapter A Week is a free email subscription. Members receive a chapter a week from two different Christian author’s new books each week–a great way to find new authors to read!

If you’re not already a member of Chapter A Week, now’s the time to join and invite a friend! Here’s the link to join. Then read on about one of the periodic book giveaways and how to be included.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChapteraWeek/join

Christmas is just around the corner! So we’re giving away another ten-pound box of autographed Chapter-a-Week books to one Chapter-a-Week member. If you get a friend to sign up (and they mention your name in their email) you’ll be entered twice! The more friends you sign up the more times you’ll be entered!

Simply send an email with “Chapter-a-Week Christmas Giveaway” in the subject line to cawcontest(at)gmail(dot)com and you’ll be entered in the drawing. We’ll draw the winner November 27th, the day after Thanksgiving so the books will arrive in plenty of time for Christmas!

Get your entries in and be sure to tell your friends to sign up for Chapter-a-Week!

To qualify, the return email address must be on the Chapter-a-Week membership list. Continental U. S. residents only, please. Industry professionals should refrain from entering, and though we’d love you to share our books with your friends, these books are not for resale.

Thanks and happy reading!
Your friends at Chapter-a-Week

A few helpful (I hope) notes.
If you missed the Shades of Romance, free online writing conference, drop by http://www.sormag.blogspot.com and read through the archived conference. It’s a wealth of information.

Also this month on my blog, I’m celebrating Sentimental September. Authors and readers are posting about strong women in their lives and the advice they gave and if they took the advice or not! My blog is http://strongwomenbravestories.blogspot.com

Also I have another Love Inspired Classic out this month. I can’t believe that I’ve written long enough to have books being reissued!

So that’s my story for September!
Hope you’re having a great start to autumn!

What provided the inspiration for Her Inheritance Forever, and the Texas Star of Destiny Series?

I chose Texas as a setting because it is a popular setting with many readers.
I had never done much research into early Texas history. I read about Stephen Austin’s 1821 deal with the last Spanish governor of Texas and was intrigued by the three demands made of the Anglos entering Texas: No slaves, Convert to Roman Catholicism, and swear allegiance to Spain. I was intrigued because in my experience of Americans of that period were unlikely to follow any of those! And that means conflict and every good story thrives on conflict. Also the collision of many different tribes and nations all in one area—Spaniards, Mexicans, Tejanos, Comanche and other tribes and Americans and later new immigrants from Germany makes for an interesting cast of characters.

The Blurb:

In 1836 Texas, Alandra Sandoval is the lady of Rancho Sandoval, determined to prove to a doubting world that a woman alone can run a ranch as well as any man. But when Comanches attack her ranch and kidnap her, Alandra must admit she needs protection. A top hand at a nearby ranch, Scully Falconer, is chosen for the task and though Alandra tries to pretend she doesn’t need his help, he quietly stays by her side.

Though they believe their paths to be worlds apart, the rugged American cowboy with a troubled past and the proud lady of Mexican descent are united when Alandra’s greedy relatives burst into their lives. And when General Santa Anna’s army crosses the Rio Grande—marching toward a rendezvous with destiny at the Alamo—Alandra and Scully are swept up together in the tide of history…and their world will never be the same.

To pre-order it, go to my website and click Buy Books. Or drop by my blog and make a comment for a weekly drawing for a free copy.

Lyn Cote
Her Inheritance Forever, 8-18-09

http://strongwomenbravestories.blogspot.com

Every woman has a story! Share yours.