The First Blank Page

I'm starting a new book today. 

Oh, I've been working on it for weeks, but today is the first time I'm taking the ideas and brainstorming and plots and characters and putting them on the page.

Today, I'm turning these characters loose and letting them come alive - and hanging on for the ride they will take me on. 

Everyone approaches their writing a little bit differently. No writer has exactly the same method as another. For me, staring at the very first blank page is humbling. And terrifying. 

So before I put a word on the screen, I offered all of it up to the One I write for. I recommitted myself, my words, my stories, and my characters to Him. I asked Him to use all of it - every word - for His Glory and to fulfill His purposes. 

I prayed for my readers, my publisher, my editors, my brainstorming buddies, and my sources. I prayed for endurance and focus and I asked for an outpouring of creativity from the Creator. 

And now, I ask you, to join me. Every stage of a book has it's own issues, but for a recovering perfectionist like me, the beginning is fraught with challenges. Would you pray specifically over the next couple of weeks that a solid foundation will be laid for this story? 

In addition, there is a very difficult topic at the heart of this book. The research I've done and continue to do is hard. I covet your prayers as I dig deep into a very real and present evil in our communities. There are things you can't "un-know" and whether this story changes anyone else, writing it absolutely will change me. I pray it does. 

This book is due in early December which means I want to finish it by the end of September so I have a couple of months to do the revisions before it goes to my editor. So when I'm not running kids to camps and swimming pools and football fields, I'll be working on this story. What are your plans for this summer? How can I pray for you? I'd love to hear about it in the comments. 

Grace & peace,

Lynn

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Hidden Legacy Fun!

There's a lot going on in the Hidden Legacy world this week! Paperback copies have been flying off the shelf in my local Walmart. If you spot it in a store, I'd LOVE for you to take a picture and send it to me! 

Tuesday (paperback release day!) I'll be participating in a Facebook party with fifteen Love Inspired authors. 

I'll be chatting from 5:30-5:45 p.m. and we'll be talking about my hometown, the wonder that is Hot Dog World (yes, it is a real place and it's fabulous!) and what it was like to bring the secondary characters from Covert Justice to life in Hidden Legacy. 

If you've never participated in one of these parties, you've really should stop by! It's a great way to meet authors and have a chance to win free books! 

Over on Goodreads I'm having a giveaway! I'd love for you to enter to win one of two copies of Hidden Legacy!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Hidden Legacy

by Lynn Huggins Blackburn

Giveaway ends June 12, 2017.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

I've been overwhelmed by the positive response to Hidden Legacy! Thank you all!!

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Hidden Legacy Cover Reveal!

Just wanted to pop in here to share the latest writing news...

My June release has a cover!

Readers of Covert Justice know Caroline as Blake Harrison's younger sister, and many have been asking for her story. I can't wait for new readers to meet Caroline Harrison and her long-lost best friend (and not-so-secret high school crush), Detective Jason Drake.

Here's the back cover blurb:

Arriving home with the baby she's adopting, Caroline Harrison finds her house vandalized…and an intruder intent on shooting her. She's saved when police sirens approach, but all signs point to the little boy as the true target—and the assailant won't give up. Now she has to rely on Detective Jason Drake, the man who once broke her heart, to figure out why someone's after her soon-to-be adoptive son. Reunited after thirteen years apart, Jason can't help but hope their love might be rekindled, but Caroline and her son's safety come first. Because if he wants a chance at a future—and a family—with them, they have to outrun a hit man.

So....What do you think? 

Hidden Legacy will hit store shelves in June, but opportunities to win free copies will start popping up as early as April. And all the major online retailers already have it up for preorder. 

As always, the BEST way to keep up-to-date is to sign up for my newsletter. I make sure newsletter subscribers get the best info first. (They got an email yesterday with the cover reveal and lots of behind-the-scenes info). You can sign up here. 

Grace and peace,

Lynn

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Interview on Blog Talk Radio with Christian Communicators Live!

I hope you are all enjoying your summer! I am up to my eye balls in summer camps and a new romantic suspense story.

To be honest, it's been a challenging writing week. I had hit a wall - hard - when a friend of mine shot me an encouraging word about an interview I did on the Christian Communicators Live Blog Talk Radio back in November and it was such a blessing to me. Her timing was perfect and I know God used her to help me keep my eyes on Him and stay focused on what He has me doing.

Later on - same day - I had a chance to sit down with another friend who I consider to be one of the most uplifting people on the planet, and I came away with a renewed sense of purpose and hopefulness about the work God has ordained for me.

It's easy to get caught up in the daily grind and forget the miraculous ways God has intervened in our lives. When that happens, we need to remember what God has done. We need to review His faithfulness and His goodness to us and when we do, we find new strength for a new day.

Last night, I realized that I never shared the interview with you here. So I'm taking care of that today. :) Who knows? Maybe there's something that God can use to inspire you to press on and run your race well.

I had a blast talking with Carolyn Knefely and Vonda Skelton about Covert Justice, my family, stories, my writing process, writing with children in the home, NCIS, and why I love writing romance. It might be fun for those of you who don't know me personally to hear my Southern drawl as I share about God's faithfulness in my publication journey.

And if you're a writer--especially a writer mom--I hope this will be an encouragement to you.

You can click to here to listen to the interview. I'd love to hear what you think.


Click to Tweet
Talking #writing, #publication and why I love romance. Encouragement for the #writermom. http://bit.ly/28S7sZQ #amwriting #romanticsuspense 

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What I Learned in April and May

I missed the April version of this post because…well….you can read about that in a minute. So I’m squeezing two months into one.

Here goes...

Cancer Sucks. This isn’t new information, but it was brought home to our family when my Mom was diagnosed with Stage 3C Ovarian Cancer. In the past few weeks, she’s been through major surgery and two of a planned six chemo treatments and she is A.MAZ.ING. She is totally rocking the “no hair” look and hats may become a permanent part of her style going forward. She’s a fighter and she’s battling this cancer with everything she has. 

Prayer Works. Again, not new information, but sometimes you get slapped between the eyes with prayers that you’d given up on ever being answered and then God does it in His own time and His own way and all you can do is stand back in astonishment and know in the core of your soul that “God did that.” 

I have the World’s Greatest Friends. You may think you do, but, I’m very sorry, because you don’t. (Unless you are in the same circle of friends that I’m in, in which case, you’re as blessed as I am). My friends have performed the friendship equivalent of Cirque du Soleil acts over the past few months. Watching my kiddos, bringing food, calling, emailing, texting, praying . . . They have loved me so well.

I really do love knitting. I don’t do it nearly as often as I would like, but I do enjoy it. I need to spend more time with my knitting needles and a little less with Pinterest or Instagram while I’m watching TV. 

It really is an honor to be nominated. You hear people say that all the time about the Oscars or the Emmys, and I have to admit I’ve often wondered if it is true. Well, it is. When I got the word the Covert Justice had been named a Selah finalist I couldn’t believe it. I never for minute believed I would win it, I was just thrilled to see my name in the same space as my mentor. (See this post for more info).

It’s fabulous to win. I had the closest thing to an out of body experience that I’ve ever had when Covert Justice actually WON the Selah award. I had one of those, “wait, was that MY name” moments and then one of those “I hope I didn’t hear that wrong and am making a huge fool out of myself” moments as I walked back to the stage. If there were bubbles over my head filled with my thoughts all anyone would have seen was, “What?” “Really?” “Did I hear that right?” “I wonder when they’ll realize they tallied the votes wrong?” “Is this really happening?” “I hope I don’t trip” “HOW did this happen?” and “I can’t believe it!” The best thing about the evening was that I didn’t have to make a speech because it would have been a disaster.

Reading outside my usual genre is something I need to do more often. I write romantic suspense and it is my favorite genre to read. I’ve never understood people who only read one genre, but over the years I’ve found my own reading frame narrowing, not by choice but necessity. There are only so many hours in the day! But over the past couple of months I’ve picked up a couple of fantstic books and while I certainly didn’t learn anything about how to better write a suspense novel, I hope the way the authors laid their stories on the page—with unique structures and prose so beautiful I often had to stop and savor the words—will inform my own writing in ways I can’t yet know.

Middle School isn’t so bad after all. I cannot begin to tell you how I dreaded making the transition to middle school with our daughter. A new school, new kids, new teachers. So.Much.New. But she has thrived. She loves it so much that we are all dreading the long days of summer ahead. She particularly enjoyed all her Special Olympics activities—especially cheerleading. That little bitty one in the front? That’s my girl.

Chalk Pastels are cool. I heard about chalk pastels on a podcast a few weeks ago and promptly ordered a small set. They are cheap and require nothing more than paper and some baby wipes for cleanup. I saved them for a day when we needed a new activity and my boys LOVED it. They drew apples, pumpkins, clouds, tornadoes, BB8 (from Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and then went wild creating their own masterpieces. I don’t consider myself an artist, but this is something we can do. Definitely worth checking out if you need a rainy day activity with your crew this summer. 

I learned so much more, but this post is already ridiculously long. What did you learn this month?

Grace and peace,

Lynn

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A Few Thoughts . . . the Selah Awards edition

Let me welcome you to my first “A Few Thoughts” edition. Some (like today’s entry) will be more serious and thought provoking, but not all! I have future “thoughts” to share with you on everything from the NCIS season finale (sniff) to chocolate. If you enjoy these, please let me know!

Now…

I’d like to share a few thoughts with you today about the Selah Awards.

What are the Selah Awards?

The Selah Awards are given each year at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. They are awarded to books published during the previous calendar year. Selah Awards are given in nineteen categories.

I had no plans to enter Covert Justice in this or any other contest. My reasons included, “It’s my first book so it doesn’t have a prayer,” and “no one has ever heard of me” and the ever so fun, “I don’t want to waste money entering a contest I have 0% chance of winning.” 

My writing mentors tag teamed me one day and set me straight. They were quite persuasive and their threats logic convinced me that as an author, it is my job to promote my book in every way I can, including entering contests I have 0% chance of winning. ;) (When someone develops a sarcasm font, I’m going to be an early adopter).

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when my phone blew up with the news that Covert Justice was a finalist in the Mystery/Suspense category of the Selah Awards.

Covert Justice

I stared at my phone for quite a while before I actually believed it was true, even though my sources aren’t the kind of people to joke about something like that. Then I started giggling the way someone does who’s received a great shock and isn’t sure if they should laugh, cry, shout “Hallelujah,” or run away until it has all blown over.

Because now I had a problem. 

A big problem.

I don’t like competition. I’m the person who wishes everyone could win. Even in sporting events when I have a strong favorite, I always feel sorry for the losing team. :( 

But now, I have to go to a banquet and someone will read my name, and then in front of about 400 people I will find out whether or not Covert Justice actually won. 

I am not going to win. I am completely okay with that. The other two books in the category, No Place to Hide and Rodeo Rescuer, are both fabulous (yes, I've read them and so should you) and both were written by my friend and writing mentor, Lynette Eason. She is awesome. Seeing my name in the same category as hers makes my stomach turn flips. The phrase “it’s an honor to be nominated” has never made as much sense to me as it does now. 

But in the past few days, I’ve felt this gnawing (and, frankly, highly annoying) sense in my gut that I haven’t handled this well. Oh sure, I made a small announcement on Facebook. I put the “Selah finalist” logo on my blog page, and then I dropped it. 

I don’t like calling attention to myself. I don’t like being in the spotlight. I’ll be glad when it’s all over.

Anyone else seeing a problem here? 

There have been a lot of “I’s” in this post. 

Yes, I wrote the book.

But *I* am not now, nor have I ever been, responsible for it selling, for it reaching anyone’s heart, and most certainly not for it being a Selah finalist. 

When I keep quiet, I’m really only protecting myself and that comes straight from a place of pride.

What I should have been doing is sharing the great news with anyone and everyone who would listen! I should have been recounting the story—the way God impressed on me the idea to enter the Killer Voices contest, the way He enabled me to write more words than I’ve ever written in a few short months, the way He guided me through selling the book, signing with an agent, and all the crazy steps of the revision and editorial process that ultimately led to the book landing on shelves and in people’s homes.

Covert Justice is not mine. It is His. Any glory or praise Covert Justice receives is also not mine. It is His and His alone.

And I’ve been squelching it out of pride and my own insecurity.

It’s kind of late to do much about it other than send this post out into the world. The awards will be presented tonight and I will be there. I bought new shoes, had a pedicure, and even tried out some new sunless tanner. When I walk into the banquet and people acknowledge Covert Justice, my goal will be to point them to Jesus. To how amazing He is. To how blessed I am to get to have a tiny part in building His Kingdom by writing the stories that He gives me.

I’m not attending so I can soak up the attention and bask in my fifteen minutes of fame.

My prayer, my heart’s desire, is to be a reflection of my Savior. To make His name great and to spread His fame.

I covet your prayers—not that Covert Justice wins—but that God will be glorified.

Click to Tweet: A Few Thoughts on tonight's #SelahAwards2016 at #BRMCWC. 

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Book Signing FAQ

My readers are awesome!

First, I have to say a huge THANK YOU!

I've been blown away by the enthusiasm and excitement about Covert Justice. It's been so fun to see pictures of Covert Justice in the wild and I'm thrilled with the response to this first (and hopefully not last!) story.

The book signing/launch party for Covert Justice takes place on Saturday, June 13th from 11:30-1:30 at Five Forks CrossFit in Simpsonville, SC.

Many of you have asked me lots of different questions about Saturday's event, so I'm going to try to answer all of them in this post.

Where is this place?

The address for Five Forks CrossFit is 2613 Woodruff Rd, Simpsonville, SC 29681. It is at the corner of Woodruff Road and Scuffletown Road.

Why are you having your book signing at a gym?

Because I love my gym, because they love me, and because they are letting me use the space for free. Authors don't make much money, so I'm all about free!

Will there be a workout?

Despite some people requesting to see me do burpees...NO.

Can I bring my kids?

Yes. Mine will be there. 

Do I need to dress up?

No. Feel free to come in your bathing suit and flip flops. Or pearls and high heels. Whatever floats your boat.

I've never been to a book signing. What should I expect?

I've only been to a few myself, and none have been in a gym, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this one won't be a typical book signing. 

Normally, you walk into a bookstore and you see a sign that says an author is signing books. You find the line (or lack, thereof), you buy the book, the author and you make small talk as he or she writes something adorable on the title page, you grab some chocolate or a slice of cake and make small talk with the other readers, then you go home.

This will not happen on Saturday.

Mine won't be quite like that. 

When you come in on Saturday be sure to see my helper, Emily Mages. Emily is a rising 8th grader at Langston Middle school and an excellent writer. She will be helping me with door prizes and you'll want to be sure to get your tickets so you don't miss out on any of that action.

After that, PLEASE have some snacks. Eat some cake. Drink some Mountain Dew. Or water. Whatever. 

If you've already purchased your copy of Covert Justice, bring it with you. I'd love to sign it. If you don't have a copy, no worries. I'll have books for sale. I'm selling them for $6.

I'll be walking around, or maybe standing somewhere signing a book. I don't know what I'll be doing. If I'm talking to someone for more than a few minutes and you need me to hurry up, by all means throw something at me. If you don't want to be rude, find my sister. Her name is Jennifer. She does not look like me. She's tall and has red hair. She will have no problem at all with helping you interrupt me. In fact, she'll probably enjoy it. :-)

We have door prizes that will be given away approximately every 15 minutes. I don't know. The door prizes have taken over my table. It might be every 10 minutes. 

Prizes include books for your summer reading from my sister Killer Voices as well as from my mentor, Lynette Eason. There are movie night packs, note cards (handmade by mom - they are awesome), Covert Justice one-of-a-kind memorabilia pieces, and a few other things I've forgotten about. It will be fun!

Drop-in any time between 11:30-1:30. Stay for a minute or stay the whole time. Whatever you'd like. 

At 1:30, we'll be drawing for two prize packs. You do NOT have to be present to win!

Your chances of winning something are quite good!

One is a s'mores gift pack. (There's a fun scene in Covert Justice where Maggie Harrison explains the fine art of marshmallow toasting to Heidi Zimmerman). 

The other is a movie night bag filled with popcorn, candy, and two movie tickets to Regal Cinemas. (The movie night bag is based on the exclusive deleted scene that you can read when you sign up for my newsletter - yes, that is a hint - the link to the newsletter is at the bottom of this post). 


Why are you donating some of the proceeds to Miracle Hill Children's Fund?

In my mind, when Heidi retires from the FBI, she and Blake will open their hearts and home to many teenage foster children. Someday, I may even get to write that part of their story, but until then I'm thrilled to share any benefits I receive from Covert Justice with such a worthy organization. If you'd like to make an additional contribution, there will be a donation jar and 100% of those contributions will go to Miracle Hill Children's Home.

I think I've answered everything. If not, leave your questions in the comments or shoot me a message on Facebook or Twitter. Hope to see you on Saturday!

(Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter!) 

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I Write For Harlequin

Those of you looking for Covert Justice in your local Wal-mart may be wondering where to find it.

Look for the big “HARLEQUIN” banner at the top of the book aisle.

Then look for books with the label “Love Inspired Suspense” across the top of the book.

Covert Justice should be there.

Wait…did you get stuck on something?

It’s not a typo.

I write for Harlequin.

Now be honest. What are you thinking?

Are you thinking I’ve crossed over into erotica?

Are you wondering if you really know me?

Are you praying for me to come to my senses and return to the narrow way?

If you automatically equate Harlequin with “bodice-rippers” you’re not alone, but you are way off base.

In order to explain, let me cover a few things that most people outside of the industry don’t know about Christian publishing.

1.    In most cases Christian publishing is a business, not a ministry.

For many Christian authors, writing is absolutely a ministry. A calling. An act of worship. An act of obedience to the will of God for their lives.

Publication, however, is business. Publishers have employees, shareholders, and creditors, all of whom expect to get paid. In the economy in which we live and with the ever-changing face of publishing this leads us to my next point.

2.    Many Christian publishers are owned by secular publishing houses.

Once upon a time, there were quite a few Christian publishing houses, but many of them have been bought by larger secular publishers. That doesn’t mean they’ve suddenly stopped producing Christian books. Because again, publishing is a business, and anyone who knows anything about business knows that the best way to stay in business is to give the customers what they want.

Which brings me to point #3.

3.    Harlequin knows their customers better than just about anyone.

Yes, Harlequin does sell books that might give your grandma a heart attack.

But they also sell some of the sweetest, cleanest, most wholesome romances you can find anywhere.

The Love Inspired guidelines guarantee that the romance you read will be edifying, enriching, and enjoyable. 

You can let your Granny read it (mine really enjoyed Covert Justice!) and you can also let your teenage daughter read it.  There’s no inappropriate behavior. There’s no foul language. The romance leans heavily toward an emotional attachment, rather than a sensual attraction.

(That’s not to say there’s no attraction! Characters will hold hands, hug, even…dare I say it…Kiss! (gasp!) It is a romance novel, folks.)

There are three “Love Inspired” lines.

Love Inspired books are contemporary stories.

Love Inspired Historical books are, obviously, historical romances.

Love Inspired Suspense books are contemporary stories where the hero and heroine are in danger and will spend most of the book trying to stay alive. I’m biased, of course, but these are my favorite!

So don’t let the Harlequin banner scare you off. Use it to help you find some great reads that will encourage you in your faith …. And maybe make for a great conversation starter when you read them on a plane or at the beach or in the doctor’s office.

****

There's another Goodreads Giveaway this week. You could win a free, autographed copy of Covert Justice! Check it out!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Covert Justice

by Lynn Huggins Blackburn

Giveaway ends June 07, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to Win

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Release Day!

It's here! 

Covert Justice is officially available for purchase! 

I found Covert Justice a few days early at our local Wal-mart. :-) And it was on sale. :-) I do love a good sale!

If you spot it at your local Wal-mart, please post a picture on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and be sure to tag me! I'd love to see it!

A friend of mine just got the notice from Amazon that her pre-ordered copy will arrive on her doorstep between June 9-13 so if you've pre-ordered, look for it in about a week and a half.

For those of you who prefer e-books, you should be able to download the Kindle/Nook/iBook version today! 

I'll be doing many Covert Justice related posts this month to celebrate the release. It's going to be a great month and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you!

If you're in Greenville, South Carolina, don't forget about the book signing event on June 13th! I'll have plenty of copies of Covert Justice to sell that day. We'll have door prizes, gift baskets, and fun!

Thank you for sharing this experience with me!

Grace and peace,

Lynn

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Last Day to Enter - Goodreads Giveaway

Ah! It totally snuck up on me!

I'm in North Carolina, soaking up all sorts of writerly awesomeness at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. 

But I wanted to pop in and let you know that I am offering a FREE copy of Covert Justice on Goodreads. The giveaway ends tonight, so head over there and sign up!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Covert Justice

by Lynn Huggins Blackburn

Giveaway ends May 19, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to Win

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Covert Justice Cover Reveal

It's finally here! 

I have to tell you...every time I look at it, the part that shocks me is my name.

My name on a book. (Insert very girly squealing).

One year ago, I was living in complete chaos. Our home had been a construction zone since early January thanks to some frozen water pipes that had done close to $40K in damage.  I don't handle disruptions well. It was not prime writing time.

But someone mentioned a contest, and for reasons that make no sense to me, even now, I entered. I sent in my first page, then my synopsis. And in the midst of the craziness, I carved out the time to add thousands of words to the story that had been floating around in my brain for a couple of years.

My husband could have discouraged it. It really was a bad time.

Instead, he pushed, prodded, encouraged, and cheered me on. 

When I hit send on the evening of June 8th, the day before my 40th birthday, I had no real hope that this would happen. 

I still don't know HOW it happened.

I know I prayed. A LOT.

I know I cried. A LOT.

I know I panicked. A LOT.

I know I stayed up late and got up early. A LOT.

I know it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. And I know I love this story.

A LOT.

I really hope you will, too. 

About Covert Justice ...

When a woman drags Blake Harrison out of his wrecked car, he knows the mysterious stranger has saved his life. But more shocking than the hit-and-run is the news that a crime cartel has infiltrated his factory. There's a fortune to be made by tampering with the factory's products . . . but only if Blake is out of the way. Undercover FBI agent Heidi Zimmerman has two goals - catch the criminals in the act, and keep Blake alive. Falling for the single dad and his adorable daughter isn't in the plan. But everything changes when an abduction leaves Heidi face-to-face with a killer, revealing the danger that's been hiding in plain sight all along . . .

Covert Justice is available for pre-order on Amazon. It will be available in Wal-mart stores in June. I can't wait for you to meat Heidi and Blake. They are two of my favorite people.
(Yes, I know they aren't real...)

I have some fun things planned for my readers, including an opportunity to win free copies of Covert Justice, and an exclusive deleted scene!
So stay tuned!


Click to Tweet: Check out this great cover for Covert Justice from @LynnHBlackburn.

If you're on Goodreads, I'd love for you to add Covert Justice to your to-be-read list!

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