Sequel to "Rachel's Folly"

When Don and I indie-published my sweet contemporary romance last summer ("Rachel's Folly"), people immediately began clamoring for a sequel.

The funny thing is, I had a sequel thoroughly outlined. What I lacked was the time to write it. But at this particular moment, I'm between writing assignments. I just sent that proposal mentioned earlier off to my agent; I have no immediate magazine articles due; and I'm waiting for the next multi-book contract from Harlequin and want a go-ahead from my editor before I launch into the next story.

So I dusted off the notes I had for the sequel to "Rachel's Folly" and am diving back into the story. It will take a fair bit of time to write, but it will be fun to delve into the landscape of what remains my favorite novel.

Onward!

Stats

I'm working on a book proposal.

I haven't had to write a proposal in upwards of six years, not since my agent (Bob Hostetler with the Steve Laube Agency) landed me at Harlequin's Love Inspired line. But I have a completed manuscript that's been gathering metaphorical dust in my desk drawer, and since it doesn't fit within the Love Inspired guidelines, my agent plans to shop it around to other publishers and see what happens. New publisher, new proposal. Bob is also in the process of negotiation my next multi-book contract with Harlequin.

The last time I wrote a proposal, Bob sent me a sample proposal and requested that I submit my information in the exact same format. The components included:

• Hook
• Summary
• Theme
• Audience
• Author
• Marketing
• Manuscript status
• Similar titles
• Other available books by author
• Synopsis
• First three chapters

As with many novice authors, a few of these categories were thin, notably the "Marketing" section, not to mention the "Other available books by author" section. In fact, I bent myself into pretzels with the Marketing section; for an explanation of why, read this blog post from March 2019 in which I was weeping with the despair of it all.

This time around, I'm following the format of my first proposal, and therein I made an interesting discovery.

Obviously I've got a stronger platform this time around, thanks to Harlequin's generosity in publishing so many of my books. But in 2019, I noted that this blog received about 1.5 million page visits per year. At first I was inclined simply to slot that same number into the current proposal – after all, 1.5 million page views is nothing to sneeze at – but then I decided to check my most recent stats. And that's what astounded me.

Here are today's stats:

The numbers are a little hard to see, so I'll list them:

• All time: 29,755,904 (this is over the 17-year span of this blog)
• Today: 118
• Yesterday: 25,545
• This month: 430,618
• Last month: 396,278

These are terrific numbers. But what really blew me out of the water was the total number of page views from the last year:

An incredible 4.37 million page views in the past 12 months! Almost three times as many as 2019!

And here's the funny thing: I never check my stats. Honestly, the last time I checked was ... well, probably back in 2019 when I was writing my last proposal. But somehow during that time, page views tripled. Go figure.

Don and I were discussing this, and he wants me to ask an honest question: Why do you, the reader, come to this blog?

And I'll ask a question of my own: What kind of information or material do you want me to cover?

Getting into freelance writing

In response to my recent post "What a Way to Make a Living," a reader left a comment as follows: "Maybe you've done this already, but how does one go about getting into freelance writing? I'm more of a non-fiction type of guy but I guess I could fictionalize some of my old police cases that might be interesting to some people."

This is a complex subject to tackle, but I'll give it my best shot. The following advice and information is solely based on Don's and my experience over the years.

Nonfiction (Short) Writing

• Build a platform. Whether it's fiction or nonfiction, both agents and editors like it when you already have a following of sorts. That's why this blog has become more and more valuable over the years; it acts not just as a sounding board for our lifestyle, but as a marketing tool for our writing. (Along those lines, I can't tell you how much we appreciate you all!)

• If you're new to the nonfiction industry, start by writing what you know rather than tackling subjects that require investigation. Whether it's an opinion piece, or an experience, or a project you've completed, it's best to come from a position of authority.

• Make sure you know the subject. Writing from ignorance, even an opinion piece, can harm your writing career.

• Meet deadlines. This cannot be emphasized strongly enough. Meet deadlines.

• The editor is always right. If s/he suggests changes, don't argue. Make the changes. If you can't or won't make those changes, it's better to withdraw the piece.

• Submit clean content, meaning syntax, punctuation, spelling, and grammar are all as correct as you can make them. If accepted, your piece will go through additional copy-editing by various editors, but you're far more likely to get rejected if your original piece is poorly written. Believe me, I've been on the editorial side of things a fair bit, and it's astounding how much bad content gets submitted. I remember having to edit one woman's weekly submissions (she was, let's just say, extremely high up in the journalism world) and her pieces were virtually illiterate. I am not exaggerating or using that term lightly. It was some of the worst writing, bar none, I have ever seen. Many times, I had to email her to get clarity on what she meant by this or that point. Often I had to rewrite her entire submission to make it readable. I am genuinely bewildered how she achieved the professional credentials she did. Don't be that person.

• Never ever ever EVER ever ever ever EVER submit something written by AI. There's no faster way to get both round-filed and blacklisted by editors.

• If submitting to magazines, know in advance the publication's focus (it won't do any good to send instructions for knitting lace doilies to a backpacking magazine), writing style (first person POV? third person?), and word count. Word count is especially important. Fortunately, most magazines print writing guidelines for the type and length of content they accept.

• Some magazines are far more open to submissions from unknown writers than others, such as our beloved Backwoods Home Magazine (and its sister publication, Self-Reliance). Other publications are way too massive to pay attention to the Little Guy and your submissions are likely to end up in the slush pile unless the subject matter is especially unique. (In other words, you're unlikely to be accepted to "Better Homes & Gardens" or "National Geographic" until you're far more established.)

• Sometimes – and it pains me to say this – you might have to give some of your writing away for free to begin developing credentials. It took a while for me to build up enough writing credits that I could expect decent compensation for my work.

Nonfiction Books

• Whether you're submitting through an agent or directly to a publisher, a nonfiction book requires a proposal. This consists of a Hook, a Summary, the Theme, the Audience, a Marketing Plan, Manuscript Status (hopefully completed!), a list of Other Books you've written, and then of course the Synopsis and first Three Chapters for the work you're submitting. A proposal is a hassle to write, but usually it's only required once per publisher. Keep in mind the agent or publisher doesn't know you from Adam, so your job is to convince them you're worth the risk and a suitable long-term investment (as opposed to a one-hit wonder).

• Again, having a built-in platform is invaluable to get yourself noticed.

• Write about your passion(s). Years ago, I remember the moment I decided to write "The Simplicity Primer." I was deeply into the subject of simplicity and wasn't able to find any books that reflected my personal angle on the matter. I was taking a walk when it suddenly came over me like a thunderclap that I was just as qualified to write about simple living as anyone else. The rest is history.

Fiction Novels

• Hone your craft. Fiction is a different animal than nonfiction. You need to be able to write convincing dialog in a way that doesn't jerk the reader out of the story. You need to understand points of view and the balance between dialog and narration. You need to understand how to show, not tell. You need to understand goals, motivation, and conflict. I have many writing reference books in our library, and two of the best are "The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes" by Jack M. Bickham, and the appropriately named "Goal, Motivation & Conflict" by Debra Dixon.

 • Build a platform. I'm sounding like a broken record, right? Yep, once again anyone (agents and/or publishers) who is taking a chance on your fiction novel wants to see that you already have a connection with readers through some sort of social media presence. Welcome to the modern world. I explained some of my platform travails from the beginning of my fiction career in this blog post. Trust me when I say an agent is far, far more likely to accept you as a client if you have a pre-built social media platform to bring to the table. An excellent reference on this subject is the appropriately named book "Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World" by Michael Hyatt, keeping in mind it's a bit out of date with regards to social media.

• Be patient. It took an entire year for my first Harlequin submission (sent through my agent) to filter up through the various slush piles and catch an editor's eye. (I remember the moment: I was standing at my computer desk when I saw the email my agent sent. I remember saying out loud to Don, in a voice of wonder and disbelief, "I sold a book.") During that period of waiting, (a) don't nag, though a polite inquiry every few months is fine; and (b) write some other stuff. During that year of waiting, I kept writing and had two more rough manuscripts ready to polish and submit by the time the first one was accepted. Editors far prefer steady, dependable writers over one-hit wonders.

• Beware of anyone, whether agent or editor or publisher, who requests money to get your work in print. Remember this mantra: Money should flow to the writer. There are TONS of scam artists out there who are clever at parting writers from their cash in exchange for grandiose promises to get your work published and marketed. You might as well send your money to that Nigerian prince. That said, there are self-publishing options (discussed below) that may require an initial outlay of funds to get the work in print; and of course, there are legitimate marketing services which can vastly increase your exposure, though they're way too expensive for our budget.

• The editor is always right. If s/he suggests changes, don't argue. Make the changes. This applies just as much in the fiction realm as the nonfiction. That's why I had to re-do my latest Harlequin proposal. And you know what? The result is inevitably a better story. 

• Along those lines, get your ego out of the way. Ego-driven writers refuse to alter what they see as the Perfect Novel. Editors hate working with writers like that. While some novice writers explode onto the scene and make history with their international best-seller, those are few and far between. Don't be hard to work with. If you feel strongly that your work is Perfect as it is and your editor disagrees, it might be better to publish it yourself.

• Get used to rejection. And I mean, really used to it. Don't let it get you down or discourage you from continuing the pursuit. I've wanted to be a writer for literally decades, and it's only in the last ten years or so that things have really come to fruition. Don't give up. (This applies to both fiction and nonfiction writing.)

Self Publishing

Most of you know we dipped our toes into the self-publishing world last year when we published "Rachel's Folly." Despite the success of the book, our experience in this realm is limited.

• Self publishing (or indie publishing) has advantages for newbies in that it allows some enormously talented but unknown writers to get their works available to the public. The downside is, despite all efforts, very few readers – much less agents or publishers – are likely to notice the book without a vast amount of marketing efforts on your part. Those who are clever and skilled in this area can do quite well, and sometimes are even picked up by traditional publishers, thus launching a writing career. The talented James Wesley Rawles, founder of SurvivalBlog, falls into this category with his book "Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse."

• The mantra "Money should flow to the writer" still applies to indie publishing, within reason. Sometimes you have to outlay some funds for certain marketing opportunities, but less than you might think. Generally if someone contacts you out of the blue to offer their services, it's usually (but not always) an elaborate scam. Be discerning.

This only scratches the surface of the vast world of freelance writing, but I hope it's helpful to the reader quoted above.

What a way to make a living

It's been a year and a half since my job layoff in February of 2025. Since that time, we have made our living exclusively through freelance writing (supplemented by Don's modest Social Security).

In many respects, it's a dream come true. Yes, our income dropped significantly and we had to tighten our belts (something to which we're well accustomed over the course of our marriage); but in other ways we feel like we're living the dream.

I thought it might be useful to describe the last couple of weeks in terms of what our daily schedule is like to give you an idea of how we're earning our income.

• My Harlequin editor didn't like the latest proposal (synopsis + three chapters) I sent her, and had some specific ideas of the direction she wants the story to go. You never argue with your editor when she makes suggestions (ego has no place in the writing world!). I told her I'd have a revised synopsis to her within a few days, which I did.

• I haven't heard back from this editor yet about her thoughts on the revised synopsis, but I'm currently writing the story. My original deadline for the full manuscript is Sept. 15. My editor is perfectly happy to adjust the deadline based on her suggested revisions, but I'm still hoping to get the story done by the original deadline. To this end, I'm "NaNoWriMo'ing" my way through it, which means I write a minimum of 1665 words per day (roughly half a chapter) toward my  goal. Even if my editor has changes she wants in the revised synopsis, I don't see a problem getting the manuscript completed in time **IF** I don't goof off and get lazy.

• I pitched an article to a magazine about making strawberry preserves. It has – literally – come to the point where anytime Don and I do anything around here, we pitch it as an article somewhere. (Our philosophy is, all they can do is say "no"). Sure enough, the editor responded that while a short piece on strawberry preserves would be accepted, she'd rather have a longer piece on what different kinds of ways an abundance of strawberries can be used and/or preserved. So, for the last couple of weeks, I've been engaged in dehydrating strawberries, making syrup, making strawberry pie, etc. Shucky-darn.

• Last year, when we were buried in spaghetti squash, I made a similar pitch on the uses of, and preservation techniques for, this delicious veggie. I remember having a kitchen full of spaghetti squash that I was baking and said to Don, "What a way to make a living."

• I've been going back and forth with the editor of a different magazine about a variety of pitches appropriate to her editorial needs. This has been terrific fun because Don and I spend a lot of time bandying ideas back and forth, including things he can write and things I can write. Just this morning I sent off a lengthy pitch with at least 15 ideas. Even if she only wants a couple, those are still solid contracts. (Update: The editor got back to me and likes almost everything we pitched! – enough to keep Don and I writing for this editor for the next two years at least.)

• Writers track deadlines in different ways, but I use an old-fashioned wall calendar. I put the deadline, magazine, and subject on the calendar a few days ahead of when it's actually due (I hate missing deadlines), and it's an instant visual reminder to get my rear in gear if a deadline is approaching.

• Speaking of deadlines, one of the best ways to establish one's self as a freelance writer is to treat deadlines as gospel rather than a casual commitment. Editors work on tight deadlines themselves, and have no patience in dealing with writers who are not serious about their craft. Last fall when I was down visiting my parents, I received an email from an editor inquiring about the status of a piece I had promised her. The problem is, she and I each had different deadlines on our calendars. Her deadline was November, and my deadline was the following February (and I sent her emails supporting the February deadline). Long story short, she goofed up on her end, but now it meant she was stuck because she needed the article to get the issue to print. So I wrote all night long and got the article to her the next morning. Needless to say, this editor and I have an excellent working relationship.

• I was able to successfully "re-home" a couple of articles that got rejected by one editor by submitting them elsewhere. Different magazines have different editorial needs, and one person's trash is another person's treasure.

• It's always helpful to have "evergreen" subjects you can write about when you have down time. I have a series of ideas for short pieces on how Don constructed this or that convenience on our homestead. I just finished writing up two of these ideas, sent them to Don for clarity on any construction details I might have gotten wrong, and assembled the photos needed to illustrate the articles. For one of the articles, Don created a cartoonized "exploded" diagram from a photo I took to illustrate the process of building the item.

• Most of our writing takes place when we're not otherwise outside doing homestead chores and projects. Don, being a handy guy, works particularly hard on improvement projects. If it's something worth writing about, often he either uses my camera to photograph various steps, or I'll go out at intervals to photograph what he's doing. Then either he or I will write up the project as an article. Don tackles about one-third of our freelance writing pieces, and I do the other two-thirds. We also review each other's work for accuracy and copy editing before submitting anything.

• As a writer, it's crucial not to let setbacks discourage you. If you'll stop writing (or stubbornly dig your heels in) because an editor didn't like a proposal, then you won't make it as a freelancer. 

• Our hours are our own. On an ideal day, I knock off a half-chapter of fiction before I milk the cow. (This doesn't always happen. Sometimes I sleep too late, and other times I need to pick strawberries before sunrise before it gets too hot.)  Afterward, Don and I have our coffee/tea and scan the news, often reading bits of it out loud to each other. Then we walk the dog and come back for a second cup of coffee/tea, during which I work on emails or on article pitches. I make an early lunch (our big meal of the day) while Don starts a project. Since it's summer and the afternoons are uncomfortably hot, Don and I often skip the second cup of coffee/tea and get right to work outside, then work on writing in the afternoon.We also attend to livestock and garden chores in the early evenings, when the shadows provide heat relief.

And this, dear readers, is how we make a living. A day doesn't go by when I don't stop and thank the Good Lord Above for placing us in this position where we can do what we love and earn an income by it.

Fun photo

Younger Daughter now has a nice place to live in the West Coast city where she has her new job ... although it's practically barren of furniture, since everything is still being shipped from Italy and likely won't arrive until late August or early September.

Anyway, she's exploring her new community. Just today she was in her local branch library. She messaged me and wrote, "I'm at the library! Wanna see something you'll appreciate?" And here's what she sent:

My books are in the library!

I messaged Younger Daughter back and said, "You gonna tell 'em your mom wrote those?"

She replied: "I am NOT going to be the Daughter of the Amish Smut Writer again, thank you."

(Long story short, while Younger Daughter was in Italy, my authorship became known to many of her Navy cohorts, some of whom ordered a few of my books and thereafter christened me "The Amish Smut Writer." It's a title I bear proudly, though she was teased unmercifully.)

So yeah, a fun photo indeed.

My latest book hit the Publisher's Weekly Bestseller List!

My latest Amish Inspirational, "The Amish Nanny's Marriage Offer," hit #3 on the June 8 Publishers Weekly Bestseller List!

Here's the cover:

Here's the backcover blurb:

Searching for a safe new life, she never imagined she’d lose her heart
Fleeing Pennsylvania with her son, Amish widow Winifred Amman is desperate to escape the man her family is pushing her to marry. In the wilds of Montana, she finds a job caring for the daughter of widower Seth Martin. The brooding furniture maker has given up on love. But when Winifred asks for his help, he agrees to pose as her fiancé. Soon their pretend courtship starts to feel all too real. When her unwanted suitor comes to claim Winifred, her bond with Seth is tested. Will fear hold them back from a chance at a new beginning?

I've been watching the stats on Amazon. Yesterday they were decent:

Today they were better:

Please help push the stats higher! The book is available through Amazon and Harlequin.

UPDATE: It's working! Look at the numbers below as of Saturday. Thank you!

The dying art of writing

Back when I was seven years old, I wrote a story about Glinda the Fish. I don't remember anything about it beyond a few vague watery adventures Glinda had. Certainly the story rambled, had no story arc, and lacked a conclusion, though I did include crayon illustrations of a very pretty and feminine fish decked out in glittery scales. Hey, I was seven.

Obviously the writing bug bit early, and I've enjoyed practicing the written word ever since.

Perhaps for this reason, the artificial-ness of writing done by artificial intelligence drives me nuts. I'm complained about this several times (here and here).

Oddly I'm conscious of times I use turns of phrase that might be misconstrued as written by AI. I submitted a magazine article recently, for example, concerning the honey hunters of Bangladesh (people who harvest wild honey in the coastal areas of that nation). In the second paragraph, I set the scene by describing what the mangrove forests are like, which included this line: "It is a moist, humid, and unforgiving ecosystem that straddles land and sea, and protects the coast from erosion during high tides, tsunamis, and cyclones."

It was the term "straddles land and sea" that I almost took out because it sounded like AI, even though it describes perfectly the placement of mangrove forests.

Similarly, one line from our recent trip to Italy also triggered my AI radar. In this blog post, I described some Roman ruins we saw, including the impressive brick work, as follows: "The fact that the brick work has held up so splendidly for thousands of years is a testimony to the skills of Roman craftsmen." It was that word "testimony" that tipped the line over into the realm of sounding artificial. It's bugged me ever since.

Every writer develops his own unique voice when mastering the craft, and I guess you could say the same applies to artificial intelligence. In a piece entitled "The Rise Of AI Writing And The Decline Of Human Voice," it states:

"New research suggests that widespread use of large language models is making language more uniform. A study conducted by University of Southern California found that after the release of ChatGPT, diversity in writing styles declined across several forms of communication, including scientific publications, local journalism, and social media posts. Researchers observed fewer differences in vocabulary choices and sentence patterns, pointing to a growing preference for polished, formulaic language. ...

"Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development analyzed more than 740,000 hours of spoken and written material and found that certain words commonly associated with ChatGPT responses are appearing more frequently in everyday communication. Words like 'delve,' 'meticulous,' 'boast,' and 'comprehend' have become increasingly common, suggesting AI-generated language may be shaping human speech habits as well. ...

"Not everyone sees that as progress. Alex Mahadevan of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies argues that AI-generated content often feels empty despite being technically sound. He described it as noticeably 'soulless' and 'mediocre,' adding, 'There's no art in it.'"

Or, as I'm fond of stating, AI writing is a lot of "blah blah nothing."

At this moment in time, we are straddling (that word!) the cusp of human-generated writing and AI writing. But the handwriting is on the wall, and the latter will become the norm. Not only is it easier (give a command, and hey presto! your essay or advertising copy is written), but the younger generation will grow up unable to discern between the real and the fake ... especially since AI shows every indication of becoming indistinguishable from the human voice. Personally I find that very sad.

I don't know how long I'll be able to cling to a career as a writer, but I'll enjoy it while I can.

Writing matters

Whew. Thank you for your patience, dear readers, as I coped with multiple writing deadlines. I was able to boot my latest Love Inspired Amish manuscript out the door at about 8 pm last night.

Meanwhile, I'd like to direct your attention to an interview I did with a lovely woman named Elise Cooper, who reviewed two of my titles: "An Amish Marriage Agreement" and "The Amish Baker's Redemption."

"An Amish Marriage Agreement" is the story that, rather surprisingly, hit the New York Times Bestseller List. "The Amish Baker's Redemption" is its better (in my opinion) sequel. Her interview can be seen here.

Writing deadlines up the whazoo

If I've been unusually quiet on the blog lately, it's because I've had writing deadlines up the whazoo. I'm finishing up a manuscript (due Monday) and have been either outlining or writing a number of articles.

Additionally, Older Daughter has had some exceptionally exciting developments in the past week. I'll be posting an update on those developments shortly.

In the meantime, sorry for the silence!

My latest book is available!

My latest book, "The Amish Baker's Redemption," is now available.

This is the sequel to "An Amish Marriage Agreement" which hit the New York Times' best-seller list in September. I've always felt "The Amish Baker's Redemption" was the better story of the two, so it's my hope readers agree.

Here's the backcover blurb:

Forgiveness is the missing ingredient for her fresh start. After spending years in the 'Englisch' world, Adele Bontrager returns to her Amish community, desperate to redeem herself and reclaim her faith. Working in an Amish bakery, she feels like her life is finally moving in the right direction…until Isaiah King arrives as the new head baker.

Single father Isaiah has his hands full trying to raise his rebellious teenage daughter and is grateful when Adele strikes up a friendship with his sullen child, despite her obvious reluctance toward him. But when he learns of the quiet baker’s troubled history, he’ll need to decide if her past is worth risking their future…

The book is available through Amazon (affiliate link) and Harlequin.

I hope you enjoy it! And let's hope it hits best-sellerdom again!

Blah-blah nothing

As I'm fond of saying, it's easy to tell when AI is writing something because it uses a lot of syllables but doesn't actually say anything. Or, as I put it, it's a lot of blah-blah nothing.

Consider this magnificent award-winning photograph entitled "The Guardian" by Sameh Shahien, for example.

Glorious photo, isn't it? But this was the description below: "Beneath the scorching sky, a mother raptor shields her young with unwavering strength — a living fortress. In this rare moment, the bond between parent and offspring is laid bare in pure form: instinct, protection, and unspoken love captured with natural light. Photographed on the coast of Sharm El-Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt, this image is both a tribute to wild maternal care and a reminder of nature’s silent guardians who watch over the next generation."

Oh puh-lease. This is nothing but a lot of polysyllabic blah-blah nothing. (And remember, AI loves to use the term "unwavering.")

To extract the full extent of the absurdity of the text, read it out loud (as I did to Don). Blah blah blah. What kind of bird is it? Couldn't AI provide basic info like that?

Blah.

Not on speaking terms ... with AI

As you can imagine, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is on everyone's mind, particularly those whose jobs or livelihoods are threatened by the new technology. As a writer, I'm grateful I've carved my niche with both my fiction and nonfiction editors before AI became a threat. (That said, I have yet to meet an editor who even remotely wants or encourages AI submissions.)

Recently, while lurking on a writer's forum, the discussion turned to using AI as an aid in generating cover art. One woman, seeking a prototype for a western-themed romance cover, wrote the following, which had the whole forum cracking up (and proved this woman can write!).

She started by giving the AI some prompts, and it went downhill from there:

"I tried AI to do scene suggestions. I prompted it to give me two people, a man and a woman, on a horse fleeing through the wilderness. I got two horses. I politely said they needed to be on the same horse. This time it was two horses with riders fleeing a fire. I, more firmly, said they needed to be riding the same horse. I got two horses with the riders using English saddles. I refrained from calling AI an idiot and went back through the list. I finally got two riders on the same horse. But they were missing legs. With gritted teeth, I said 'TWO PEOPLE, A MAN AND A WOMAN, ON A SINGLE HORSE, WESTERN SADDLE, EACH HUMAN HAVING TWO LEGS, FLEEING THROUGH THE WILDERNESS, NOT RUNNING FROM A FIRE.' I got one horse, one rider, no bridle, and a fire.

I'm currently not speaking to AI."

Join the club, honey.