A Novel Creation www.WatersWords.com

I am thankful for my writer friends. So….for the month of November I decided to interview four Ohio writers from my ACFW writing group. They have been strong encouragers to me over this past year. We have laughed together, shared meals together, and served as “sounding boards” for each other. This is the perfect time to order a special book for someone you love for Christmas, so I bring to you, four very different books from four very different authors. I know you will learn a little something from each of them….Enjoy! Today’s special guest: Rosanna Huffman. I first met Rosanna at an Ohio chapter meeting for the ACFW. We got to know each other better at a writing retreat in Hocking Hills and both attended the ACFW conference in Dallas this past September. She is a soft-spoken woman with a delightful sense of humor. Rebecca: Okay, your book has a catchy title. I have to ask. How did you come up with the title Hand Me Down Husband ? Rosanna: The Ohio chapter of ACFW (Ameri...

October 29, 2014 was a beautiful, sunny day. Shortly after lunch, my husband, Tom donned his gear, including his helmet, and set out for his daily bicycle ride. He rode fifteen to twenty-two miles every day. He was dedicated. I’m a writer, so I sat down at my computer to continue work on the novel I was drafting. Tom had not been gone but a few minutes when my cell phone rang. It was 1:13. “Mrs. Waters?” “Yes.” The caller told me Tom had been in an accident on his bike. Someone had already called 9-1-1. Apparently Tom’s front tire dropped off the pavement. He was thrown into a tree. I was out the door and headed to the site before hanging up with the unidentified man on the other end of the line. I arrived on the scene as the paramedics were beginning to assess his injuries. “Can’t breathe,” Tom whispered. The paramedics offered to help him to a sitting position to see if that would help. He nodded. But as they raised him up, he passed out. The only visible injurie...

I’ve heard it suggested that novelists fall into one of two categories: PLOTTERS and PANTSTERS. PLOTTERS supposedly carefully outline their storyline before they begin writing. PANTSTERS jump in and, as the name would suggest, they write by the seat of their pants. I’m more of a hybrid kind of girl. I plan my plot to a point, but I sometimes don’t know the direction the book will go until I start writing and get to know my characters better. What I thought would be the outcome differs from what I actually write. For example, in Breathing on Her Own , I thought the story was going to be about Laney. After all, it was Laney driving under the influence of alcohol. Laney caused the accident. Laney needed to learn her lesson. At least that’s where I started. Maybe I had it in the back of my mind that the book would serve as a warning for others who drink and drive. Not to be. As I moved through the story line I had mapped out on paper, I came to realize the story was less abou...