Diary of a Writer: Sweet Caroline & Helping Others Pt 2

... So there I am. Zombied on a Sunday afternoon, knots in my stomach, talking to Susie Warren on the phone.

"Send it to me," she says.

"What? My manuscript?"  Gulp. It's horrible. She'll be the first to see I can't write. But I was desperate. I emailed it. Oh, praise the Lord for email, seriously!

She called me an hour later. The book was good. I just needed some direction. By later afternoon, she returned my first chapter, rewritten. No small feat to do with someone else's manuscript.

I got the gist and feel of what she was telling me and started my own rewrite that night.

By Monday I'd gotten some sleep and was feeling a bit more hopeful. Even excited. I could do this!!

With Susan May Warren Feb 2012

I never let up in my prayers and hope in the Lord. I'm a bit of an optimist, a dreamer, so I thought, "I can think it stinks but my editor might love it."

By now you're wondering why I didn't ask for an extension.

Because, I don't like missing a deadline. I wanted a reputation as being a solid author who turned her work in on time.


And there was no reason for me to ask for an extension. I had plenty of time to write the book.

Also, my editor was pregnant and a month away from maternity leave. If I asked for a week's extension, she might have had time to get to my manuscript before she had her baby, but maybe not.

On top of that, Hubby and I were heading off to NY with a worship team to do a mini conference. So I was traveling the first week of March.

Any extension request would have to be for 3-4 weeks and for sure my editor would be spending time with her new baby, not mine. :)

Besides, asking for a few extra days, even a week isn't so bad, but three or four weeks? No, I couldn't do it.

Of this I was confident, I could fix whatever was wrong with the manuscript after a substantive edit. I'd rather turn a book in on time then roll up my sleeves to perfect it after wise input and feedback.

Tuesday I took a short break to meet author friend's Davis Bunn and Mark Mynheir for coffee and Barnes and Noble. I still had a lot of rewriting to do by Thursday's deadline, but hanging with author friends would inspire me. And I figured I could stretch my deadline by one day to Friday.

When I returned home that afternoon, I got my second miracle. The first was Susie's help and invaluable input. The second was an email from my editor.

Out of the blue she wrote that they'd decided to put me on a 9 month release schedule and therefore I didn't have to turn in Sweet Caroline until May 25th.

I was ecstatic. I had three extra months. Three! Months! Forget the extended deadline and release. Forget my editor would be out on maternity leave and not read my manuscript. Forget the delay in payment. I had three months!

Wahoooo! Thank you, Jesus, thank you, Jesus!

Believe it or not, I took all of March off. I just needed some distance. But I worked hard April and May, turned the book in on time to the lovely Leslie Peterson substituting for Ami McConnell.

Sweet Caroline went on to win ACFW Book of the Year and First Place in Sweet Romance for an RWA contest.

Now here's why I think the delayed release notice was a miracle. Later that fall as I was writing Love Starts With Elle, I got an email from my editor, checking in, seeing how I was doing with Elle's story.

"It's due December 1st, right?" she wrote.

My heart stopped. No, March 1st. We were on a 9 month schedule, weren't we? I remembered reading the new deadlines in an email, didn't I. But who knows... I might have made it up in my head. LOL.

Yet Elle was set to release six months after Caroline. Which yay, I liked being back on a six month release schedule but it meant Elle had to be turned in much sooner! We compromised on Feb 1. A more generous compromise to me than to them, which I was grateful.

I'll have to blog about that journey next. Because when I hit send on Love Starts with Elle, I wept. Wept! For sure, for sure! this was the end of my writing career. Ami would know: Hack!

But six books later, I'm still here. God is sooo amazing to keep me on the journey. I've got some good insight from Him on this writing thing to share too.

Stay tuned....

Real thank you speech

Caught in a swirl of busyness between teaching a continuing ed class at ACFW and leading worship, I didn't think much about the Book of the Year Award. Probably, a bit of that on purpose so I wouldn't focus on winning or losing.

Saturday night, I wasn't prepared to hear my name and book called. I'd not prepared a speech, nor had I really thought much about what I would say or who I would thank should I win.

I blush now at my lack of preparedness. So, here's what I would've done and said HAD I been wise enough to prepare.

First, walk in stage singing Sweet Caroline and get the audience to sing, "bump, bump, bump." All together now. . . Sweet Caroline, bump, bump, bump... good times never seemed so good.

Then, I would have said:

On the Sunday before the book was due on Thursday, I was up at four a.m. trying to come up with a subplot. I'd been told the book "lacked" something and a subplot would be just the ticket.

But it's impossible to come up with a subplot at 4:00 a.m. I went to church a zombie, convinced my career was over. Thomas Nelson would see the light and cut me loose before they embarrassed themselves with any more of my drivel.

I might have called my editor or agent to talk it out, but I was sure they'd confirm my lack of talent and well, why not just put the bad new off as long as possible? I had four days to salvage my writing reputation.

I sat in the chairs during worship, begging God to down load a story to me, or just snatch me up to Heaven and allow me to borrow from the library there in order to fix poor Caroline's story.

I begged people to pray for me. One well meaning friend said, "Maybe this won't be your best book." Ahhhhh, don't say that! My conviction is I should always improve, producer better stories with each book. Why? God lives in me!

Exhausted and restless, I called Susie Warren. "Help." My dear friend, on her own deadline, took my first chapter and rewrote it for me. What a life saver. She gave me hope, pointed me in the right direction, and prayed for me. Thank you so much! I rewrote her rewrite and finally, Caroline came alive to me.

Christine Lynxwiler provided constant support during the writing of Sweet Caroline.

But Tuesday when my editor emailed and said they'd extended my deadline, I knew God had heard me and answered my prayer!

I rewrote the book and with Leslie Peterson's wise insight, Sweet Caroline became a book I could be proud of. Thanks to Ami McConnell who believed in me and trust me all along. She was out on maternity leave those rewrite months, but I felt her heart.

Thanks to Kristin Billerbeck who inspired me to write chick lit. To Colleen Coble who cheered me on in my early writing days. Thank you so very much.

Thank you to Karen Solem who agented Sweet Caroline and encouraged me. And to Chip MacGregor who knows how to play the glockenspiel.

To my husband who puts up with deadline craziness. To Jesus, who gave me the desire of my heart and leads me in paths of righteousness!

And to ACFW for opening so many doors!

Sweet Caroline wins!

How's that for a heading. . .

Sweet Caroline won Best Lit in the American Christian Fiction Writer's Book of the Year. Very thrilled to have won! What an honor.

I wasn't prepared to win so I didn't have any cute stories, and I forgot to thank Christine Lynxwiler and Susan May Warren who saved my bacon four days before the book was due. But the Lord was the one who really intervened.

More later on what my speech should've been and thoughts on the ACFW conference. But for now, this is the news.

Women of Faith Book Club and Sweet Caroline

Good news! Sweet Caroline was picked for September's Women of Faith book club! For information and to read an interview with your's truy, click here!

Sweet Caroline strikes again

Found out Sweet Caroline hit the CBA Best seller list for September. This is different that the ECPA best seller list. Not sure how the numbers are calculated or pulled, but good for Caroline.

If you're curious, go back a year or so in my postings and you can read the behind the scenes of Sweet Caroline and how God blessed and provided.

Book Clubs

I love book clubs. There's a resurgence of them these days - as well as things like knitting clubs. I met a fifteen year old girl who loved to knit.

Tonight I was honored to join a book club who'd read Sweet Caroline. It was fun to meet and talk about the book, hear how the reader interpreted relationships and scenarios. It put me in a whole different mind set of considering how different readers are, and their responses.

I can't write to that, I'd go crazy, but I can work to find unique angles. I love discussing a book after it's done. How it came about, why I made the decisions I made in writing or rewriting it.

This book club was a kind, smart group of women. Hopefully I'll have some pictures in a few days.

Behind the Scenes 5: Sweet Caroline

The ending of Sweet Caroline is unusual and unpredictable. But the ending is not random, but thought out and planned. There's a reason I ended the story the way I did.

Don't despair, we learn more about Caroline in Elle's story, Love Starts With Elle.

Caroline's ending is part of her life's journey. For the first time in her life, she knows God is real, He loves her and she surrenders her will to His.

She discovers a great destiny and joy in following Jesus. She had to see if she could deny herself and serve Him as much as she denied herself to serve others. Caroline had to know the source of her inner strength. Not herself, not Mitch, not the safety of Beaufort.

Sweet Caroline has a very happy ending, just a-typical.

I wrote the story to be true to Caroline and the story itself.

Behind the Scenes 4: Sweet Caroline

While I felt Caroline's story turned out well, I wasn't sure the readers and reviewers would agree. I wondered if people felt a once-in-a-life-time change in Barcelona was "over the top."

Would the Cafe scenarios and repairs come across realistic? I had to do quite a bit of research on that part.

Did I show how Caroline was a servant but not a whimp?

When Romantic Times Book Club Review gave me 4.5 Stars, I was thrilled.

On the other hand, there were some aspects I felt really confident in: the head, heart dialogs. The scenes with J.D. and Mitch. Elle.

The symbolism of Caroline keeping the old car as a way of hanging on to her old life.

Jesus visiting her.

The symbol of Caroline praying in a "live oak" tree hoping God was real. Jesus being the Tree of Life. Oak representing humanity. He was holding her all along, she just didn't know it. The tree being a resentation of His Godhead as well as humanity.

The reason she inherited the Cafe in the first place.

I loved the notion of "freely give, freely receive." Once I had a friend who was given a nice car. A few years later he went to sell it and I felt strongly the Lord wanted him to give it away. While the money was to go to his education, I felt the Lord was going to supply more than the price of the car.

He sold the car. But I've always been curious as to what God would've done if he'd given it away.

I wanted to show that with Caroline and how she handled the Cafe. In her humility, God was already blessing her with the Barcelona opportunity.

I loved the scene at her Mom's grave and the one with her brother. It's so important to say good-bye to the past.

I liked the writing believe it or not. This is one of my favorite lines, " The horizon beyond my small oval airplane window is like one of Elle's lowcountry paintings - wild with color and light. Gold and red mixed with fading blue sky, reaching down to the dark line that is earth."

Reader Feedback

Most of the reader feedback has been good. But a good friend confessed to me the other day, "Rachel, I loved the book, loved the writing, but well, it was painful."

Painful?

Caroline's journey reminded her of dreams she hadn't achieved. She felt her family had been mediocre and lazy, thus she struggled to do the things she wanted to do.

On the contrary, I saw my friend as a woman zealous for God, who loved her husband and family, loved her church. She was a smart, strong, working woman who'd raised great kids.

But we all have those things we wanted to do, but didn't. I understand. But until we're in the grave, we have a lot of living to do.

I said, "You're not dead yet. Don't quit."

She laughed. "I set the timer and gave myself a few minutes for self-pity."

Got to like that.. set those limits.

Anyway, Caroline's story is about opportunity. But mostly about living the life in front of you, growing where you're planted. Caroline humbly accepted her lot in life, but had the courage to reach out for change when it passed her by.

That's the encouragement of Sweet Caroline. Bloom where you're planted. Believe God had great things for you. Most of all, don't be afraid to reach out for change and opportunity.

Behind the Scenes 3: Sweet Caroline

I couldn't worship. Though I tried. I felt tired, weary and instead of gazing at my Redeemer, I danced with panic and fear.

That's it, my career is over.

Nelson is going to wonder... "what the heck?"

I've disappointed my fab editor.

I played out scenarios of my agent calling me with the bad news... "the book is unpublishable." I imagined my editor detailing all the story's flaws and weaknesses.

I felt sick that I'd disappointed her, locked in a funk, unable to escape.

But, I prayed, begged Jesus to help me. In the moments of circling out of funk, surfacing for air, I thought, "well, maybe it's not as bad as I think." I pictured a more favorable e-mail from my editor or agent.

But the black hole awaited. Outside of the Lord taking me up to heaven and handing me a new and better manuscript, I didn't know how He could fix this situation.

After the service, I hunted down friends who I knew could and would pray, who would speak the Word of the Lord, who would press me out of the funk. Funkville is not a great place to be.

First my friend Ted. After praying, he said, "At the end of the day you'll say, 'Look at what the Lord did.'"

Second, my friends Anna and Lin prayed. Anna said, "The Lord is going to do something. Just watch and see." Lin saw a basket of fruit. Little did she know but about a month before the Lord said to me, "I promise you fruit."

I left church encouraged. Kissed by God.

Tired but wired, I managed my way through the day. Susie Warren called to check up on me. "Send me the manuscript."

She spent her Sunday evening and part of Monday reading and editing. She encouraged me."You're on the right track, just rearrange these scenes."

I did. Added senses. Added description.

How did I get here, to this state of unsureness? Well, when I first started Sweet Caroline, I'd developed a southern fiction, saga-esque book in my mind. But I was to write a chick lit. Somehow working my ideas in to a chick lit felt odd and I tried to jump start the story in Sophie Kinsella style with an email. It went down hill from there. At least to me.

Plus, the method of writing forward without stopping to fix or edit just did not work for me.

Anyway, Susie's input helped immensely. Plus, Chris Lynxwiler ever-ready on IM.

By Tuesday, I was feeling good about the book, more confident, less funky. I even took time to meet Davis Bunn and Mark Mynheir for coffee.

Pause. Are you wondering why I didn't ask my editor for a deadline extension? Seems logical. But if I did, it didn't buy me anything. First of all, Tony and I were leaving town the first week of March for eight days. So, that would move my deadline to the end of March after which my editor would be out on maternity leave.

I thought, might as well get her feedback and fix the weaknesses on rewrites. I'm really good at rewrites!

Anyway, when I came home from coffee with Davis and Mark I had an e-mail. Due to a publishing schedule change, I had a new deadline for Sweet Caroline. May 25. Three extra months.

Was I praising God that day? Absolutely! Did I say, "Look at what God did?" Yes. He more than answered my prayer. The new schedule was a win-win for my publisher and me. The email was so encouraging and I was so grateful for the extra time.

Coincidence? Not at all. God knew what I needed. More important, He heard my heart. And He loves me.

I took March off to get some distance and perspective, then reworked the book over April and May. Even though my editor was out with her beautiful new baby, my "other editor" helped me fine tune and polish Sweet Caroline.

Poor Leslie. I practically rewrote it when she handed it back with a few suggestions. In the end, I loved the story and was very happy with how it turned out.

I've learned being close too to a manuscript does not give me an accurate perspective.

Tomorrow, final Behind the Scenes.

Behind the Scenes 1: Sweet Caroline

Ah, as promised. A behind the scenes look at Sweet Caroline! So, I'm a few weeks, maybe months late, but better late than never.

The beginning

Sweet Caroline started out years ago as straight up chick lit called "Cooking with Kate." I thought it would be humorous to have a woman hosting a cooking show, but be a disaster in the kitchen!

Her show would be sponsored by a cookware company - think Tim "Tool Man" Taylor and Benford tools - and find herself in some sort of "cook off" with a top male chef. Of course, he'd be the love interest and hero.

Flash forward a couple of years - The story idea had been set aside, but I needed to come up with my next book for Nelson.

I pulled up the "Kate" idea, but like the title "Sweet Caroline." This could be my non-cooking cook story.

In August of '06, Tony and I visited friends in Poughkeepsie and one of the couples went to Beaufort, SC on a fun whim and showed a video they'd made. I loved the setting and decided Beaufort would be home for my Caroline.

The synopsis I submitted to my editor, the lovely and most-intuitive Ami McConnell had Caroline co-owning a Cafe and in order to save it, she agreed to host a cooking show to raise the money.

I took a road trip to Beaufort, checked out the area, met the fabulous citizens and came home to write.

About two months into it, I realized being a cooking show host just didn't work. One, hosting the show was a story unto itself. It was too much to roll in the Cafe and have any story depth. One thing about me, I always add too much or go over the top. Like, the hero wasn't just a football player, he was Rookie of the Year, All Pro, Best Ever!

Also, hosting a cooking show in small town Beaufort didn't feel very realistic to me, though now I think I could've done it, but cooking shows have a staff, a stage, and it would be hard to set the production and crew in Beaufort.

Caroline's family was also a factor. After sinking her inheritance in the Cafe, they were upset with her. And, I couldn't figure out her love interest. Though, I think it was still going to be Mitch, a country singer.

As I wrote, her family didn't feel authentic to me, nor the way I had set up the Cafe, so I tried to rethink the angle.

That's when I had the dream...

Book Winners and More Chances to win

Okay, finally! Love Starts With Elle is turned in for first round editing... more to come... and I picked winners of Amy Grant's Mosaic!

Rob and Rob!

Blue67ccm and Rob Bartlett. Send me your snail mail, gents! Thanks and Congratulations.

Now, a CHANCE to win a copy of Sweet Caroline! Sign up for my newsletter and your name will be entered to win.

I'm giving away three copies!!

Peace out!

Sweet Caroline is almost here!

Sweet Caroline, my next Thomas Nelson book debuts February 12. I'm so excited.

Romantic Times Book Club wrote:

Hauck's adorable novel contains the multi-layered characters readers have come to expect from her books. The enjoyable story and unpredictable ending entertains and offers much to think about.

- 4.5 Stars, Melissa Parcel, Romantic Times Book Club

I'm so busy finishing Love Starts With Elle I haven't thought much about promoing Caroline's story, so I thought next week I'd write a "Behind The Scenes With Caroline Sweeney" blog series and talk a little about this book and why you want to buy it. :)

Isn't it funny, so much of the time we just see the book cover and blurb and it's hard to know, "Why do I want to invest my time to read this book?"

So next week I'll talk about why I invested seven months writing this book (besides having a deadline) and why it might be fun for y'all to read.

But today, I'm back to work on Elle. This story will be more straight up romance with a small subplot. But, it's a great story!