Talk to Me {Reader Input Required}

Hi, friends! The last couple of weeks have seen me making huge progress in recovering from a couple of physical-pain trials (including a locked-up lower back). After over two months of taking things super easy to avoid getting further injured and to properly heal, I was finally able to go see a couple of movies this past weekend, which means I finally got to hang out with my sister and friends again. I missed them so much! (Thankfully, that feeling was mutual.)

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day last month and Father's Day yesterday. I can hardly believe I forgot to wish you fantastic ones! How did you celebrate? I'd love to hear your stories (post a comment below to share).

All right. So here's what's up:

I've got a few book reviews and articles planned for the next couple of months of blog articles, but I'm already thinking ahead to the second half of the year.

I need YOUR help to decide what I should feature.

Which of these do you like best? (Feel free to name more than one in your comment.)

Name Reveal + Bringing Maggie Home by Kim Vogel Sawyer

by Andrea Renee Cox


Two things have me really excited today.

1. Character names

2. Kim Vogel Sawyer's newest book

Hang in there with me today, because I've got a lot to say. Hopefully you're just as eager to hear it all as I am to tell you about it.


Let's tackle my own news first.


Last week, I asked for help naming three characters:

Father

tall, elderly, quirky, sense of humor, fading memory

Son

serious, too busy for love, trouble deciding what's best for dad

Stranger

quick wit, optimist, romantic, world traveler

Pick a Name

by Andrea Renee Cox

Remember when I had you help me choose which project to work on? You ended up choosing a really fun story for me to work on. Now that I'm getting deeper into the plot, I've got another opportunity for you to help me out.

How would you like to help me choose some character names?

And the Winner Is...

by Andrea Renee Cox

Last week, I asked for your help in deciding which story to work on for the rest of June. To recap, here were the choices:

Option #1

A woman wakes up in a hospital unable to remember anything about herself, but the doctor recognizes her immediately – only he doesn’t want to tell her the truth.

Option #2

Several ladies head out on a cross-country road trip, but each one’s secrets cause problems along the way.

Option #3

A former singer hides out with her daughter in a quaint horse town, but a stranded journalist thinks she could be just the story he needs to revive his stalled-out career.

Do you have a favorite in mind?

And the winner is...

Help Me Choose

by Andrea Renee Cox

Sometimes deciding what to write is hard.

I could write an entire catalogue of articles on how many times I’ve struggled with what to write about for my blog articles. But that’s not what I’m talking about here.

How does one choose which story to focus on when there are a dozen, two dozen, a hundred ideas floating around in one’s mind?

Sometimes it’s really hard, and sometimes it really hurts, to have to choose. It hurts because once a writer has invested time and energy and precious brain cells building a particular story world populated by a bunch of intriguing characters that the writer begins to love, it’s really tough when a new idea comes along and begs for attention. Sometimes a writer has multiple projects, all with great settings and problems and characters and pets. The tough choice then gets even tougher, because in order to say yes to one set of characters and their world, the writer inevitably has to say no or not now to all the rest.

For this writer in particular, that’s really painful.