Saturday, January 16, 2016

Write to Entertain Yourself

Edie here. As promised, I'm continuing my series introducing to new authors I meet and love. Danele Rotharmel is one of those and you'll definitely want to check out her new book, Time Tsunami, from Prism Book Group.

Write to Entertain Yourself
by Danele Rotharmel 

There are many reasons why people write books, but I’ve come to believe the best reason of all is writing for one’s own enjoyment. You see, my writing journey has been different than most. I wrote Time Tsunami and the other five books in The Time Counselor Chronicles while I was undergoing seven years of quarantine. Quarantine was lonely, and writing became a way to escape my restrictions.

When I wrote The Time Counselor Chronicles, I wasn’t trying to please a specific publisher or a certain group of people. Publication wasn’t my goal. I was in pain, and I needed a way to distract myself. Because I wasn’t focusing on guidelines or expectations, my imagination had free rein. Because I wasn’t worried about anyone reading my work, I was able to express myself completely. There’s nothing so hampering as worrying about what other people think. When you’re writing simply to please yourself, the chains fall away.

Since I wasn’t worried about people looking over my shoulder, I relaxed and had a blast. I became caught up with my characters—they were more real than actual people. I was so wrapped up in my story that I’d laugh as I wrote funny scenes and cry at sad ones. I kept antacids by my keyboard and used them while I wrote the scary parts of my novels. I didn’t just write my stories—I lived them with my characters. And when I was through, my books were unfettered creations that made me proud.

Although I didn’t write with publication as my goal, by the time I was finished, I thought my books might be publication-worthy. And by that time, I was so in love with my characters that I didn’t care what other people thought. My stories were mine, and I was proud of them. I think that’s the ultimate key to successful writing—write for yourself. Write what you love, and write with the goal of entertaining only one person—you. If you love your book—chances are that others will too. Be proud of who you are and what you create. You are unique, wonderful, and inspirational—don’t let the fear of others dampen your voice.

Danele's Point to Ponder: Writing a story can be thrilling, but it can also be scary. What intimidates you the most about writing? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

TWEETABLE

Time Tsunami—The Time Counselor Chronicles #1
 by Danele Rotharmel
To stop a cruel serial killer, she must travel twenty-four years into the past…

Gil Montgomery, a cadet in the Temporal Counseling Program, can’t wait to pass her field exam and become a professional time surfer. The TEMCO program targets death-row offenders for time-based counseling while they’re children.  For her exam, Gil will travel twenty-four years into the past to counsel ten-year-old Danny Winston before he murders his abusive babysitter, Rick Olsen.  Preventing the stabbing should stop the chain of events leading to Danny’s eventual execution.

Gil’s assignment seems simple until her adviser, Dr. William Ableman, learns that Rick is a serial killer targeting Danny’s mother.  If Gil stays and protects the Winstons, she might not survive. William wants the woman he loves to be pulled from the field, but if Gil fails to complete her assignment, it will unleash a Time Tsunami and destroy the timeline.

As TEMCO undergoes an emergency lockdown, and Gil’s fellow cadets try to figure out what’s happening, Gil and William learn the importance of faith and the price of true love. Everyone’s fate is resting in Gil’s hands, but does she have the strength she needs to defeat a ruthless serial killer intent on annihilating everyone in his path? Will she return from the deadly mission?

Time Tsunami contains twists that keep a reader guessing. It was released on January 15, 2016 as an eBook and paperback, and it may be purchased through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Smashwords, All Romance eBooks, and your local bookstore.

Amazon: Time Tsunami

Danele Rotharmel: Danele’s life took an unexpected turn when a mysterious illness brought her close to death. Eventually, she learned that a carbon monoxide leak from a faulty furnace was poisoning her. This poisoning triggered Multiple Chemical Sensitivity causing her to be put in quarantine. For seven years, she could only talk to friends and extended family through a windowpane. During this time, she wrote the first six books in The Time Counselor Chronicles.  Although her journey back to health was difficult, it provided her the opportunity to grow closer to God and write her books. For that, she’s forever thankful. For more information about Danele, please visit her blog: https://dragonflydanele.wordpress.com/welcome/



18 comments:

  1. Edie, thank you so much for having me on your blog! I really appreciate the chance to talk with you and your readers!

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    1. Thinking about what others will think of my writing often makes me mentally edit what I write before the words even hit the page. Writing as if no one will never read it would be freeing. Thanks for sharing your story.

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    2. Dear Ellen, your struggle is one I can really understand! Before I became ill, I would weigh each word that I wrote and try to decide how others would view it. Getting rid of the "critic" in my head made writing my novels so much fun. I'm glad that you enjoyed my story. Thank you so much for commenting! I hope you have a wonderful day!

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    3. Danele, I'm so glad you're here and that our community has a chance to get to know you! Blessings, E

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    4. Thank you so much, Edie!!I'm awfully glad to be here too!

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  2. Danele, I have been cheering for you and praying for you. I know we only met a month ago on line. I am blessed to have you as a friend. I have your book on my list to read. May God bless you.

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    1. Dear Cherrilynn, I feel very blessed to know you too! Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support! Your encouragement has meant so much to me! I appreciate you!

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  3. My homeschooling days have come to an end; my plans for finding a library job have not worked out, so I started writing a book. I am greatly entertaining myself. I do hope to publish it at some point, but, for now, am enjoying it and learning quite a bit. Thanks for sharing your journey.

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    1. Dear Pat, isn't it amazing how God uses the unexpected "down" times in our lives to bring blessing? Quarantine forced my life into a new pattern, and I'm so glad that it did. For years, I scribbled away in obscurity. But God used those "quiet" years to help me hear His voice and perfect my writing. In spite of the pain, I look back on my quarantine years as a blessing. I wish you all the best with your book! May this time bring you joy and fulfillment! Thank you so much for commenting!!

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  4. I wrote two novels last year, just for my pleasure after some very heartbreaking family issues. They have been sitting in my computer as now I'm unsure if I should take that next step. Did you self publish? Did you find an editor or mentor to help with your books?

    Jocelyn

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    1. Dear "Happy Cottage Quilter," I'm so incredibly sorry about your family issues. Life can be so full of heartache and pain--but one thing I've learned is that writing that's been forged during trail can be incredibly powerful. I don't think you should give up! I know that taking the next step can be very intimidating and confusing. While I was in quarantine, I had a "Writer's Market," and I thought about sending Time Tsunami off to a publisher, but I kept feeling a check in my spirit. It was as if God was telling me to wait. A couple of years later when my strict quarantine ended, I received a flyer from the Colorado Christian Writers Conference in Estes Park, Colorado. I felt the check in my spirit lift, and I knew I was supposed to go. I still became ill easily, so I couldn't go to any classes. I just went to my interviews with editors. For months before the conference, I prayed for God to give me a sign telling me which publishing group I should go with. The sign I requested was for an editor to take my hands and ask to pray with me--and that's just what happened when I met Prism Book Group's acquiring editor. When Prism offered me a contract, I accepted it. My advice would be for you to pray for God's direction--He has the perfect place in mind for your writing. You also might want to consider going to a writer's conference. The Colorado Christian Writers Conference offers you interviews with editors & agents. So does the Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference in Philadelphia. Both of these conference are run by "Write His Answer." I'm sure there are other conferences out there that also offer interviews. I wish you all the best! May God richly bless you!

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  5. Edie Melson, thank you so much for having my dear friend, Danele Rotharmel, as your guest blogger today. I know her to be a good Christian woman with one of the most difficult testimonies to share. I know that God is using her already to reach many people, but that He also has much more far-reaching plans for using her to His glory. Her works of fiction are so unique - just like her - that I am sure they will draw a wide audience. But, I can see Danele on a stage anywhere in the world, speaking before large audiences sharing her testimony of healing and her keen sense of humor to reach both saved and unsaved people. Yes, I do greatly admire Danele! Joyce @ Heart"wings" j

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    1. Dear Joyce, thank you so much for your kind words!! Your encouragement means so much to me!! You are such a blessing!

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  6. Enjoyed reading about your writing journey. I am finishing up another book right now and Time Tsunami is the next one on my list to read.

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    1. Dear Ann, I'm so glad that you enjoyed reading this article! I hope you have tons of fun reading Time Tsunami!! Thank you so much for commenting! I hope you have a really wonderful day!

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  7. Dear Edie, I want to thank you again for having me on your blog. I really enjoyed my time with you and your readers!

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  8. My writing journey all started when I was writing a short story fan-fiction during health class in the seventh grade. Before, I didn't even know what fan-fiction was then and because I had a vision of something with my favorite celebrity at the time, it turned into a 33-book series. I became a fan-fiction writer then and stopped my series at 15 and started another fan-fiction series which had more of a storyline. At the time, the writing was easing my pain and entertaining me so much that I couldn't help but to stay up writing it. It's like talking to someone you don't know on the phone and saying things just to get a reaction. You don't know what will happen next. Thank you for this article.

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    1. Dear Charlotta,
      I'm so glad that you enjoyed this article! I agree that writing a story is like talking to someone on the phone. In a way, that's how I felt while I was writing my books. My characters became so real to me. I had so much fun with them! Life can be so painful at times, it really helps to have the key to magical land of your own making. Thank you so much for commenting today! I enjoyed chatting with you!

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