Today I welcome a fantastic author who is funny
and a super friend: Tina Radcliffe
and a super friend: Tina Radcliffe
Mending the Doctor's Heart.
International readers may also enter!
(see end of post)
I met Tina at ACFW. After a meeting, I happened to step into the same elevator as Tina and a group of conferrees. We went up a few floors. The others stepped off the elevator leaving Tina and me, but we were not alone. Before the door closed, Tina looked at the inebriated man mumbling to himself, grabbed my arm, and said, "Mary remember we were going to talk with a few friends first?" She grabbed my arm and the two of us escaped. Tina is a lot of fun. I highly recommend you introducing yourself if you ever see her. Warning: be prepared to laugh.
I asked Tina to share how God has led her writing journey. This is what she said:
I asked Tina to share how God has led her writing journey. This is what she said:
These Books Aren't Mine, They're God's
Mary, thanks
so much for having me on your blog today.
I started my
writing journey as a short story writer. I had a nice side income with sales to
publications such as The Star (the
tabloid used to pay $300 for a short story), and Woman’s World (when I started they paid
$1000 for 1000 words) and The Trues (True
Confession, True Story, True Romance).
By the way, The Trues aren’t true and
besides their scintillating cover stories they buy sweet romances as well.
My
foundation in short stories taught me a lot about publishing. I learned how to
track my submissions. I learned how to handle rejections. If I was rejected,
the story was immediately rewritten and sent to another publisher. If I was
asked to revise, I revised, with no questions asked. I learned to always have
at least four to six stories circulating at one time. I learned not to take
anything personally and to keep an eye on the editorial staff. When an editor
moved on I resubmitted something that was previously rejected. That’s how I first
sold to Woman’s World. Four editors
later, the same story that was rejected by one editor was a sale to the new
editor.
I
also started my idea box at that time. Snippets of conversation, magazine
articles, and bright ideas go in this box. It’s a physical box.
There’s some
amazing stuff in there like this newspaper clipping. Doesn’t it just scream a story to you?
Sometime the
stories that the ideas hold are longer than a short story. That’s when I began
writing novel length fiction seriously. I joined RWA and began to learn exactly
what I didn’t know. Quite a bit it turns out. I started writing short
contemporary and single title romance, but when Love Inspired launched I knew
that the merging of faith and romance was where I wanted to be. I wanted to
write about normal people whose faith walk is part of their life. Like me.
My plan at
that time was to enter the Golden Heart with a new manuscript each year. In
2005 and 2007 I finaled. Contests are great, but if you are consistently
finaling and winning, but not selling, there is a problem.
I had a
problem, so I hired a professional editor to look at my work. A former Pocket
editor, she had edited New York Times best-selling authors. That edit taught me
things that I will apply to my manuscripts for the rest of my career.
My next step
was to reevaluate my submissions to Love Inspired. I read books from the line
again, listened to the editor podcasts, and then submitted a query. The query
met with a request for a partial, then a full, then a revision letter and then
a sale in January 2010.
An amazing
thing happened after that book debuted. I got reader letters. When you get a
letter and someone you never met tells you that your words changed their life,
well that’s quite a responsibility. For me, that was the point where I realized
that these books aren’t mine. They’re God’s. That’s actually been freeing. God
graciously opened the door for me to write novels and sell them, and it’s his
job to help me write the next book and the next synopsis. My job is to be
willing and obedient.
Tina
Radcliffe draws from her idea box and her many careers to write her stories.
She’s done a tour of duty with the US Army, been a certified Oncology R.N., a
library cataloger, and a tech at a national mail order pharmacy. She’s from
Western New York and has lived in Oklahoma, Colorado and now Arizona. Mending the Doctor’s Heart is her third Love Inspired release
and it hits the shelf this month.
To enter the contest for an autographed copy of Tina Radcliffe's latest book, leave a comment and become a follower of this site if you aren't already. Include email address in your comment. GUESS WHAT? International readers may also enter! Winner announced on my facebook page. Kindle book will be given to International readers.
Thank you, Tina for Joining us This Weekend!
Reader: Have you had a situation where you realized the task your tried so hard to do on your own belonged to God? How did/does this change your approach to the task?
Comments
Blessings
joeym11@frontier.com
Thanks for the look at your writing journey. I think all of us can learn plenty from how you wrote, persevered, studied, learned, sought help and targeted your publisher.
And now we're still learning from you as you pass on knowledge and encouragement to us newbies :)
And I agree with Mary - meeting Tina is a highlight of ACFW!
But you asked "Have you had a situation where you realized the task your tried so hard to do on your own belonged to God? How did/does this change your approach to the task?"
Yes - first in having my children (infertility is no fun), then in schooling them, and now in watching them as they find their own way in the world. Plus many, many other situations. Those lessons have helped me trust Him for the work He has given me now.
Thanks, Tina!
So nice to see you today.
I agree. Diane. Especially when our own will clouds our judgement and makes us believe we are doing God's will. Good words, Diana.
Great to see you again.
What a perfect example. Having children is a huge endeavor, but adding infertility is even more so. I am so glad you were able to have children and watch them grow. What better way to learn lessons of God then from children:)
I would really like to read this book. I enjoyed hearing about the start through short story writing and the use of the idea box.
Blessings, Janice jsmithg(at)hotmail(dot)com
And yes, I find that many tasks are beyond my ability and control and I must let go and give God control. It's a daily process. :)
Can't wait to read your next story!
God has blessed you with a wonderful peace.
So nice to see you here tonight.
I think one of the things we all need to realize is any good and great task will be beyond our ability and require us to seek God's help.
Now for the bad news. I'm giving away my book, not Julie's. But if you go to Julie's website. www.julielessman.com -you can get in on a drawing for her book.
I love Julie's books too.
So nice to see you today. What a blessing to see the miracle with your great-grandson.
Writing short stories is a great avenue to start publishing. I've also been told several articles/stories published actually gets into the hands of more readers than books. So if you have a topic you can share through the means of a story, this would be a good way to go.
You are entered into the drawing for Tina's book:) Thanks for stopping by.
You are so thoughtful to consider the current needs of your family. God's blessings on your current work. I, too, look forward to the day when you can continue writing, but until then, resting, creating artistically, and waiting are wonder places to brew future stories. ::)
Thank you for hosting TINA!!!!
Hey hey Tina. LOVED this post.
Especially the part about knowing what you don't know.
This happens to me frequently on this writing learning curve, though it seems not quite as often these days.
Your career is what is making your books so interesting. You bring a WORLD of experience to your stories and that box idea - YAY!
Do you still submit to the Trues, etc? That was also interesting!
Thanks for sharing!
Mary, so glad to find you. Thanks for your story. I can just see y'all on that elevator. Do believe that's a story in itself! :)
As far as doing something that ultimately gives God the credit because there was no way you could have done it yourself... Oh. My. Yes. Many times in my life with several exclamation points!
His Grace continues to prevail.
Nice to find out about you, thanks to Seekerville!
So nice to see you.
I have seen you elsewhere, not sure if MBT or through ACFW, maybe it was Seekerville since I am there often as well. Anyway, so happy to have you here today.
There seems to be no greater earthly story than the unusual circumstance. I seem to find myself in crazy circumstances too often. I prefer the reflection moments instead of the experience itself....LOL
God's grace does continually prevail.
Thanks again for stopping by.
Generally speaking if something seems too good to be true, it is, right? So Tina worked hard, took her lumps, paid the price, edited, changed and edited some more, then submitted, and got published... That's huge. That development (THICK SKIN, SO NECESSARY!!!) is huge if you want to make it in this biz. Tina has taught me so much over the years (being that much older than I am) that I owe her.... I won't pay her, but I do owe her. ;) Mary Vee, you're the sweetest thing with a heart of gold, and the question.... Oh my stars, I'm a stubborn Celtic girl, so backing off and realizing I needed to rely on God applies to just about everything my bossy, know-it-all nature attempts. (tiny sigh inserted here for effect) Bless you for having such a nice party going over here. I did bring some milk chocolate treats from Easter... you will love them, guaranteed!
Thanks!
I do. love the chocolate. I mean, I did. They're gone already. :)
I find non writers have such a respect for "authors". I don't think they understand the long road to get to that status, but there is something there they pick up on. When one of the workers at a hotel saw me writing a smile popped on her face and she said, "You're an author?!" I had to confess, "No. Not yet. I am a writer and some day, I will be an author." Her smile widened. "Let me know, I'll buy your book." What a sweetheart. Confession with a blessing:)
I'm still paying my dues, but I started later than you and Tina. I'll have to get crackin' to catch up before I bite the dust.
And Mary, I think at Seekerville!
Congrats again Tina - you're doing ALL the good.
May sends her very bestest sniffs and greetings too! ("") ("") 2 paws, WAY up!
So happy to have you join us again. You will definitely enjoy Tina's books. They are masterfully crafted and downright fun to read. You are entered in the book, along with the others in this book drawing.