Tamela

Do You Like to Cry While Reading?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 20, 2014

Woman in tears

I’ll have to admit, I don’t like to cry. I don’t even like depressing songs. Instead I prefer things that are upbeat. For example, here are some of the lyrics to a song that helped me get through my teen years:

Flashlight.

Red Light.

Neon Light.

Spotlight.

Most of all you can funk. Help me find the funk….

Yoww

I think I found the funk!

[“Flash Light” was written by Ronald R. Brooks, Gregory E. Jacobs, David R. Elliot, Bernard Worrell, William Earl Collins, and George Clinton Jr..]

Not that I can’t get serious. But I still like that fun song even today.

So now it’s your turn, if you like to cry while reading. What have been your favorite tearjerker books? I’ll give you a clue. Steve Laube told me that the marketing people at Bethany Publishing House wanted to mail a box of tissues with every copy of Deborah Raney’s A Vow to Cherish when it was first published.

So, what is your favorite tearjerker novel?

Oh, and if you want to cheer up, here’s the link to that song “Flash Light” by Parliament:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pGmRncLojQ

Rooting for the Bad Guy?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 13, 2014

Last week I blogged about amoral protagonists. But what about protagonists who are unquestionably immoral?

Some general market books make their readers root for the bad guy. Think about accounts of bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde, written from their points of view. Or a book written primarily from the point of view of a courtesan, such as Amy Tan's The Valley of Amazement. These books set the …

Category: Craft, Creativity, Genre, Tamela, Trends, Writing CraftTag: Genre, Protagonists

The Moral Protagonist: A Key Difference

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 6, 2014

This is entirely an opinion, but in my reading of general market fiction versus Christian fiction, I have noticed one key difference:
The protagonists don't have to be moral.
In Christian fiction, the protagonists must be moral or have a great desire to be moral at their core, even though they may make mistakes.

Christian fiction offers a Christian world view. The characters' circumstances …

Category: Craft, Creativity, Genre, Romance, Tamela, Trends, Writing CraftTag: Genre, Moral, Protagonists

Why Did I Keep Reading?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon January 30, 2014

As I believe I've mentioned on this blog, along with Christian books, I try to keep abreast of general market books. But I admit, I don't always finish reading the books I begin reading. So what makes me stick with a book from cover to cover? Here's just one example for nonfiction:

Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune by Bill Dedman …

Category: Book Review, Craft, Creativity, Reading, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: Book Review, Reading

Five Reasons Not to Brag

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon January 23, 2014

We've all done it -- bragged -- whether intentional or not. Not only should all glory go to God for your accomplishments, but bragging may not get the reaction you think. Say you tell someone you made ten million dollars last year. Rather than the reaction you're expecting, you may instead:

1.) Look foolish. Ten million dollars? I paid more than that last year in taxes.

2.) Hurt someone …

Category: Book Business, Career, Communication, TamelaTag: Career, Communication, Success

A Major Money Mistake

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon January 16, 2014

When I was working for a small company years ago, the extremely reliable woman who cut our paychecks missed the Big Day -- a Friday. As it became evident she would be a no-show, one of my co-workers revealed she was upset. "I wrote out and mailed checks for all my bills last night because I thought I was going to get paid today. Now they'll all bounce."

I didn't understand why anyone would …

Category: Book Business, Career, Money, TamelaTag: Book Business, Money

Two Basic Tips on Budgeting with an Irregular Income

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon January 9, 2014

One challenge of writing books for a living is the fact that unlike many other jobs, you don't usually see a cycle of paychecks appearing at regular intervals with predictable amounts. Instead, you may see a whoosh of money, followed by smaller amounts every few months triggered by actions on your part, such as turning in manuscripts and proposals. Only well-established authors will have this …

Category: Book Business, Career, Money, TamelaTag: Book Business, Budget; Finances; income, Money

A Year in Review

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon January 2, 2014

This year has been one of success and career growth for me. I am humbled and grateful to work with outstanding writers and the best editors in the business.

Challenges

As with every year, the needs and expectations of publishing houses continue to change and grow. Publishers are maintaining and even exceeding past quality to offer readers the best Christian books possible. This means that …

Category: Agency, Personal, TamelaTag: Agency, Personal

The Quiet Zone

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon December 26, 2013

I've noticed, not only this year, but in past years, that opinions from publishing professionals regarding the month of December vary.

Some say nothing gets done in December. Others say a little bit gets done in December. A rare few say a lot of work gets done.

Everyone is telling the truth. Why? Because publishing is filled with so many manuscripts in varying parts of the evaluation or …

Category: Book Business, Communication, Tamela, The Publishing LifeTag: Communication, The Publishing Life

Staying Healthy Over the Holidays

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon December 19, 2013

Now that we are in the midst of the holidays, it’s easy to lose sight of keeping our bodies in top form. Since we in publishing have sedentary jobs, we must be vigilant about our health. Even though many of us work at home, we still have parties at church, our outside jobs, our spouse’s work, clubs, and other food-laden events. I’ve already been challenged by two events: …

Category: Career, Personal, TamelaTag: Career, Health, Holidays