Interview with the Justice Network

Whiter Than Snow deals with the problem of prostitution in brothels and saloons at the turn of the century, and what people were doing to try to eradicate the problems. Unfortunately, the ugly truth is that we still haven't washed clean this stain on our society. With the Whiter Than Snow release only a couple weeks away, I'm excited to introduce you to two real-life abolitionists. None of us like that there is child slavery and sex trafficking happening in our world as we speak, but often we don't know what to do. How can we possibly get involved or make any change to what's going on?

Tanya Dennis (tanyadennisbooks.com)

Susan Panzica (susanpanzica.com)

It is my great privilege to share with you this interview with the Justice Network, founded by Tanya Dennis and Susan Panzica and tirelessly dedicated to ending the problem of modern-day slavery and sex trafficking:

Miranda: At the turn of the century, with groups like the Anti-Saloon League and Carry Nation smashing saloons and picketing, it’s easy for us to look back and see they were going about their fight in the wrong way. We don’t want to cause more trouble or get in the way of God’s working. What are some ideas for people to start getting involved in their own communities that will truly benefit the people who are being harmed by human trafficking?

Tanya: This is a great question. Just as some of the characters in your book spread condemnation rather than hope, we can often cause harm when trying to help. These unintended consequences often come through lack of understanding. Many take action before seeking to understand the situation fully, before know the dangers, before thinking through the solutions and what happens next.

Justice Network's mission statement is "to educate, empower, and equip our friends and neighbors to become abolitionists." The first step toward helping is education. If we want to be effective in our efforts, we must understand what's really going on. We have a number of fabulous resources on our website — www.Justice-Network.org — from films and documentaries to books and websites.

I encourage people to search for like-minded organizations in their local areas, too. Find people who are doing something good and join them.

Miranda: We confess our hesitation can mirror Joshua’s when he was faced with the question of how far he was willing to go to help Kathleen. How do we answer to our fears about getting involved in the messy parts of other people’s lives?

Tanya: It is important to distinguish the source of our fears before listening to them or going against them.

Fear can be a good thing. God gave us fear as a means of protection. Human trafficking is a very dangerous business and fighting it can be war. Quite literally. Joshua was a law enforcement officer. He had authority that most of us do not possess. If you're not in law enforcement, be very careful. Do not engage until you have had proper and adequate training.

While some fear comes from God, some comes from a lack of faith. I think this is the heart of your question. Just as God gives us fear to avoid unwise circumstances leading to dangerous situations, He also gives us the strength to overcome unfounded fears. The safest place to be is always in the center of His hand and will. If He calls you to something — to a situation where you can serve, where you can help, where you can love — it is far safer to walk in that calling than to go against the will of our righteous God.

Love is messy. It's not safe, but it's always worth the risk.

I always find my strength solidified through Bible study. Consider those we meet through Scripture: Moses, Joshua, Esther, David, Deborah, Rahab, Ruth, Nehemiah, the Apostles ... Jesus Himself! I could list forever the people who have faced fears and overcome! Each and every one of these fought social injustices. They rallied against the norms of safe society to chase the will of God. And that will is to love Him and love others. We can't go wrong pursuing that.

Miranda: How can we teach our children to be abolitionists?

Tanya: When I started working against human trafficking, our children were 7 and 9, far too young to understand the extent or details of the issue. But they understood justice. They understood fairness and equality. And they understood human value. So I talked to them in those terms. I explained that God wants us to love others, no matter what their appearance, circumstance, or history. I explained what slavery is and explained that God wants us to do whatever we can to stop it and to help those caught in it. 

Most of us will not be involved in busts and rescues. We'll be involved in education and restoration. There are many, many ways to get involved in this and many ways you can involve your kids in it, too.

PRAY. Only God can change the hearts of people and only God can restore the lives of the broken. Prayer is our #1 weapon against injustice.

EDUCATE YOURSELF AND OTHERS. Read books on the topic and the solution. Talk about the issue. Raise awareness. Seek to inform.

SHOP FAIR TRADE. People often think human trafficking is just about sex trade. It's not. Huge portions of major industries run on the backs of slaves and child laborers. Coffee, chocolate, and fashion are the top three offenders. Buying fair trade ensures that the items we consume are not fueling slavery around the world. Learn more at www.fairtradeusa.org.

GIVE. Organizations cannot run without support. Seek out rescue and restoration initiatives in your area and see what they need. Gifts may be monetary, but they could also be clothing, food, educational tools, personal items, or just cards of encouragement. 

ACT. Justice Network started with prayer and then a film viewing to raise awareness. In two short years we had reached a national impact networking through educational events, training sessions, hospitality support, and restoration efforts. Seek out an organization or ministry in your area. If you can't find one, start one. Start small with what God has already placed within your reach and see where He leads.

Miranda: You mentioned fair trade. Some argue that supporting fair trade or boycotting companies who use child and/or slave labor takes jobs away from people who are surviving on them. Is this a misconception?

Tanya: Fair trade doesn't eliminate jobs at all! Rather it serves as an advocate, making sure workers are paid for the jobs they do. Families absolutely do need these jobs and fair trade is the only way to ensure that they can survive with them. Without fair trade, there are no consistent economic regulations or floors for prices. That means the one with the lowest prices (typically with the highest education and exposure) gets the money. This consistently leaves those already in poverty deeper in poverty, exploited by those who have resources. The poor keep getting poorer while the rich get richer.

Fairtrade isn’t about charity; it's about fairness. It is about rethinking the relationship between producers and consumers. Fair trade makes sure that, establishing mutual honesty and respect, producers can make a decent living within healthy working environments.

Miranda: Now tell us more specifically how we can pray for this movement.

Tanya: Pray for the safety of those on the front lines of rescue teams. Pray for peace and strength for their families. Pray for salvation of the victims. Pray for restoration and healing for the survivors. Pray for the pimps to know God. Pray for the Johns (those buying). Pray for the mothers so entrenched in poverty they see no choice but to sell their children. Pray that hearts will be changed and lives redeemed. Pray that governments will do all they can to protect life and to promote equality and justice. Pray that God will make Himself known in undeniable ways and that He be glorified through our efforts. Pray that those who fight will find rest in His perfection and that we will not grow weary in doing good. Pray that we will see an end to slavery in our lifetime.

Miranda: What can we do to support Justice Network?

Tanya:

1.  Follow us online. We're on facebook
     (https://www.facebook.com/JusticeNetwork/?fref=ts) 
     and twitter (https://twitter.com/NetworkJustice). 
     We have a monthly newsletter and a weekly blog. 

2.  Tell others about us and encourage them to follow as well.

3. Join our efforts. We have a number of events and  opportunities, both local and virtual.

4.  Donate.

Miranda: Are there other groups like yours we can support?

Tanya: YES! The largest international organizations include International Justice Mission (IJM) and A21, but smaller local groups are popping up all over the country. Check out our website for Network Partners.

Miranda: What does God say about helping those in slavery and trafficking?

Tanya: Oh, God says a LOT about social justice! The founders of Justice Network are currently writing a book on the subject. Be sure to follow us for release dates. In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite verses on the subject:

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” – Micah 6:8 (ESV)

“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause." – Isaiah 1:17 (ESV)

“To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” – Proverbs 21:3 (ESV)

Advanced Quick Tips for Writers

If you know that glorious moment when you write THE END on the final page of your novel, you know that after the high wears off, you have more work to do.

Writing the rough draft is an act of complete creativity. All of your soul should be poured into those 70,000 - 100,000 words you've typed into your computer. Now it's time to take a surgical knife to your soul.

This isn't as scary as it sounds. You're not trimming the parts that will someday make you an example of genius in literature. You're cutting the stuff that distracts people from really experiencing your unique voice.

The greatest writer in the world will still have these problems in a rough draft. Even though I've noticed I have less to edit as the years go by, I still have plenty. And if I'm not convinced it's there, my editor is always happy to point it out! :)

These are four tips with examples that will give you a polished, professional edge with your manuscript:

1. DON'T BE PASSIVE
2. LOOK FOR "WAS"
3. NO CLICHES!
4. GIVE A POSITIVE SPIN

Look at the examples in the illustration for more info. Remember, you aren't cutting your genius moments. But you do want to edit out the parts that whisper of amateur. And you want to cut anything that doesn't change or define the plot or characters.

Happy writing!

Are You Reading the Wrong Christian Fiction?

Recently, I was listening to a group of women discuss fiction. Christian fiction, specifically. Being an author of Christian historical romance, my ears perked up. The general consensus? They had a hard time reading romance novels, not because they didn't enjoy reading fiction, but because the stories and specifically the male protagonist caused them feelings of dissatisfaction in their own relationships.

It struck me as odd, because I don't think that way. If anything, the hero in a well-told romance causes me to see the good in my husband. It makes me feel closer to him.

I learned long ago my personality type is rare, so maybe it's because I'm weird. But I tend to think, since problems with Christian fiction seemed common to all of the women who were talking, that it's something with an easier fix. 

I think women are reading the wrong books. I think the faults in the publishing world have caused an unproductive catch-22. Somehow we got into the mode of buying the books that are thrown in our faces. Who has time to scour the bookshelves for something more meaningful? Maybe the general public doesn't know more meaningful is there. But somehow, the popular books have became generalized, syrupy, cookie-cutter copies of a what a story is meant to be.

I observe. I've looked at the books on the shelf. I've listened to women talk about authors they like. I've considered every bit of insider advice I've received from agents and editors. I've come to a conclusion. There's something wrong with what's in demand.

I'm picky about my fiction. I will only read something that is unique, and something that resonates. Most of the time I can tell whether it's worth reading by page 50. (Sometimes the first paragraph reveals all you need.) I want characters thoughtfully developed and intricately designed, as near to real people as you can get. I want a plot to surprise me, intrigue me, make me mad, make me think, and make me see something in myself I didn't know I needed to take a good hard look at. Authors such as Francine Rivers and Lynn Austin have this down. I know whatever book they come up with I will not regret picking up. This is why, years ago when my calling was new, I asked God to make me a writer like those two women.

The problem for readers is the catch-22 of "same old, same old" books on the shelf, but it's also due to the extreme pressure on writers. Authors put countless hours of emotionally draining effort into their stories. They are rewarded with, if they are very fortunate, around a dollar for every book sold. (Generally, this number is fewer than 5,000 total.) Mid-list authors (most of the authors out there) get very little attention even if they manage to snag an agent or publisher. They do most of their marketing work, try to please by the standards set before them, and generally, as I have observed, their unique voice fades away. They are not able to devote the time to their books required for something to be special, to mean something to a reader on an intellectual or spiritual level.

It's why I decided to Indie-publish. I don't think I can accomplish what God has called me to do with sales statistics in control of what the stories say. Popular books with lots of marketing, unless they come with a name tag like Francine Rivers or Lynn Austin, don't tend to be books that will change your life. And the whole point of art is to change our perspective and our thinking.

So how is this practical for the average Christian wife and mom or hardworking career woman with no time to read, but a desire to do so anyway? How do you find books that are worth the sacrifice you make for them? How do you decide before you begin if an author will be able to surprise you and make you think, and will avoid giving you false perceptions of what your reality should be?

Here are a few practical things I do when I'm looking for something new to read:

1. Skip the author who publishes more than 1 book a year. 

I just can't think of any authors who have started to over-publish (though I can understand why they would considering the little money they make off of any one book) who have been presenting masterpieces. Personally, it would be impossible for me to have more than one book ready in a year's time. Stories with meaning HAVE to cure. There's no way around it.

One caveat! If the author is new, they may have been working on several projects for years, so in the first year of self-publishing, an author might have more than one ready. I mean here that I suggest you generally skip the author that is an established, published author and has been for years, and is coming out with 2 or 3 books a year. In my reading experience, it's just not a great sign.

2. Read the descriptions on the back cover.

Did you know the author writes that description? It's his or her way of telling you what to expect from the book without giving the story away. It's a delicate process that takes FOREVER to write, believe me, so don't just grab a book because everyone else is reading it. Read that description and ask yourself if it grabs you and appeals to your interests. If you can't get through the description, you probably shouldn't read the book.

3. Trust an author you like, but pay attention over time.

I'm ultra-loyal to an author who has taken me on a memorable journey. But unfortunately, sometimes authors seem to only have one good story in them. Or they start giving into the pressures of publishing and lose their special voice. If you notice the stories aren't what they used to be, don't be afraid to move on.

4. Look for the hidden gems.

This is tricky and can be time-consuming, because as flawed as traditional publishing is, independent authors are hard to find in the murky waters of all the badly-written books available due to the ease of self-publishing. You have to be willing to take a chance on someone you've never heard of. If you read on a Kindle, look for authors that offer a sample for free, because as I said before, you can usually tell in the first paragraph. Between that back-cover description, the first page or so, and checking to see how often an author is putting out a book, you can get a pretty good idea of what the story will be like. 

5. If you find an author who is worthy of it, it is ESSENTIAL that you do a few things that will take you five or ten minutes but mean everything to the author.

> Do a (positive) review on Amazon.(I say positive because there's never a reason to slam someone's art. Your opinion might not be someone else's. If you don't have anything nice to say about it or more than three stars to give it, just let it go. You don't realize how critical these reviews can be.)

> Share the link on social media. 

> Let that poor, (quite literally!) struggling author know that his or her words made a difference, because that is what any true author is really hoping to accomplish.

What about you? How do you find great books and new authors? Do you know of any lesser known gems you'd like to share in the comments? Support your Indie authors!

You can also follow my Book Love board on Pinterest. I only pin books that have been worth the time to read, and I include all genres. Here's the link: Pinterest: Book Love

Get reading!

4 Obstacles to Indie Publishing

Speaking as a brand-new Indie author, this painting by Edward Munch is a great description of how I feel when I researching the process.

But the more I know, the more excited I get. The more I knew about traditional publishing over the years, the more frustrated and anxious I got. I spent years trying to get the attention of agents. A few sent criticism, sometimes harsh. A few sent form letters. Most never responded at all. 

When I finally began a relationship with a reputable agent, I was excited. She liked the story, just wanted a few minor changes. I did them, in record time, and waited months for her to respond. She requested a manuscript. She wanted the 90,000 word book printed out and sent to her. I did it quickly and waited months. She wrote a note on one of the pages that she liked it but it needed more changes and a professional edit. I did the changes, had the manuscript edited and printed out the whole thing again. And I was truly happy for her help. Her advice did make the story stronger. But after a year had passed since the original query, she sent another barely legible note on the back of a page that she now wanted me to take out everything but the romance. All my character development, the mystery and the adventure, the PLOT, basically, had to go. As it was, it wouldn't make enough money.

I was floored. Apparently, that's what it takes to sell a book traditionally. I don't necessarily blame the agent for requiring it, but the more I thought about it and discussed it with my editor, the more sure I was that I couldn't be that kind of author. The kind of story she wanted my book to be is the kind of book I think should be banned from the shelves. There are too many of them. They don't challenge the reader, they don't have depth or art. And from the women I've talked to, everyone is kind of tired of them. 

So Indie it is. But I quickly noticed in my new quest that there are some serious obstacles to Indie Publishing as well. 

1. It's hard to find.

I've been trying to find Indie authors who write the same types of genres as I do. (Christian Historical Romance.) So far I haven't found any viable options for me to read and support. There are quite a few smutty romances and not a little science fiction, but Christian Indie authors seem to be lagging behind. 

2. Everything is lumped together.

To me, Indie publishing feels like a huge room filled nearly to the top with books. All of them are screaming to be read. It's loud, it's unorganized, and when you step in the room you're a little afraid of drowning in them. You pick a few up, but quickly realize that there is no difference between the author who has carefully rewritten and edited their work, seeking the advice and editing of others and taking the time to actually learn how to write, and the folks who just have too much time on their hands and spent more time designing the cover than fixing their spelling and plot holes. And let's face it, most of the books are not the edited kind. 

There are a few things to provide a solution, such as Kirkus reviews, but for the Indie author who has to buy photo editing software, professional editing and other programs to turn a word document into a book, it gets pricey. Hopefully as time goes on, there will be more accountability and ways to determine whether an Indie read is worth the time or not.

3. The need to spend time building followers on social media versus the need to have time to spend writing.

Writers write. I've written my entire life, it's just a part of me and the same as thinking to my brain. Now that I've trained to write in a manner that will be useful to others, I can't just sit back on my laurels. I have to labor over the words over and over until they are just right, and that takes months and years. The social media circus is an absolutely necessary but daunting frustration to the time I wish I could spend working. And it's not just Indie authors who have this problem. Traditionally published authors are also expected to form an outrageous following before they even have a single book available.

I believe this is a big part of why we have the formulaic, cookie cutter stories that turned me away from traditional publishing. No one is allowed to be different, to express their own voice and to write for a more modest niche of people who will enjoy exactly the books they write. The only ones free to do this are the fortunate few who have had the success stories most authors will only ever dream of. And I just don't think it's right to limit art to such a narrow (boring) avenue.

4. Art as a business.

The truth of it for me, is that I don't care if I ever make money writing. I would like to cover my costs, but what is absolutely essential to me is finding readers who will get something out of my work. Unfortunately, in reality, the two are linked in our culture and it's difficult to see an alternative.

What do you think? Have you read any Indie authors you would recommend? Are you a Christian Indie author who is interested in working together? Anyone have any tips about social media? Please speak up and share your thoughts, we're here to learn from each other.

And please follow me! If you are interested in reading more posts like the recent ones, I plan to document my journey to Indie publishing over the next year before my novel Where We Belong is released in September of 2015. I'd appreciate your follows and shares. Thanks!

Attention Dreamers: Five Habits of Creative Writers

Let’s face it, creative people have their challenges. Organization, motivation, inspiration – we tend to sit and think until that miraculous thought occurs that changes everything.

But in our world, the reality is, people who sit and wait for genius to strike will quickly fall behind all the neat, organized and self-motivated people in the world. As a result, writing how-to blog posts such as this one tend to be written by the not-as-creative-as-they-are-on-the-ball types.

I’m not saying it’s wrong for people who aren’t primarily creative to write and to help others learn to write. I’ve utilized plenty of their wisdom over the years I’ve been learning to hone my craft. But it seems like creative types have a special method they must employ if they are to be successful in this highly driven, fast-paced society. The dreamers and idealists can easily be left in the dust if they aren’t careful.

So as a creative person, I’d like to suggest the top five habits I have learned to deal with my dreamer nature.

1. Make schedule a habit.

I know we dreamers don’t like schedules and routine much. I’d rather do what feels right at the moment. But I didn’t start growing as an author until I made it a habit to go into my office every day after lunch and close the door and work on writing or writing-related activities for the afternoon hours. Sure, I still stare out the window regularly. I get side-tracked by the busy life of my family going on around me, and some days motivation and spirit are low and I don’t get much done. But that’s okay.The important part is that your brain understands to go there every day, so that it is more a mechanical function than a decision.

2. Don’t try to write without a good amount of day-dreaming first.

You can try it, but I find those attempts never turn out very well. Some writers can outline and plan out their plot and have every scene mapped before they begin a story, and if you can do that, great, but it doesn’t work with my brain that longs to run barefoot through the meadow of the world I am endeavoring to create. Dream up your characters. Ask them who they are. Find out their personalities and their quirks, and most importantly, find out what they are afraid of; what they want more than anything. That’s where you find your story.

3. Don’t let the publishing business intimidate you.

This has been the hardest lesson for me. I’m a timid person when it comes to interacting with others. I’d rather stay in my day-dream world where I am in control and I don’t have to respond to the behavior of other people. In the publishing business, you find out fast that there are rude people, there are jealous people, there are controlling people. The attitude in mainstream publishing is that authors are the lowly peasants and editors and agents are the royalty who elevate whom they wish and ignore and oppress the rest. I’m not speaking specifically of certain ones, and if I was they wouldn’t recognize it and probably wouldn’t be reading this in the first place. But if you want to write and actually have someone hear you, whether you attempt mainstream or indie publishing, eventually you have to speak up and make someone listen to you. So you get your craft as perfect as you can (professional editors are a great tool if you can swing it) and then you confidently walk out on the stage without being called and tell everyone your story is available for reading. It also helps to find your target audience (the ones you know will like your book.)

Another note: It is fine to accept the help and advice of willing agents and editors who do take the time to respond to your work and tell you what they think is wrong with it. But take everything they say through a filter. They are not creative writers, most of the time, but they have their own idea of what a story should be, and their idea is usually based on monetary expectations. Which brings me to my next point.

4. Don’t write for the money.

We are peasants. The vast majority of authors will remain peasants for a lifetime. If you are writing to make money, GIVE UP NOW. Write because you have something to say. Write because the images in your mind have changed you and you think they might change others, too. Write because if you don’t, the pressure of the beauty that your brain harbors will build up and cause a messy explosion. But don’t write for the money.

This is where your relationship with agents and editors will be strained by its very nature. They ARE in it for money. And that’s why they spend their time and energy on their few moneymakers and have little left for anyone else. And that’s why the publishing business is in trouble, because true readers and writers don’t want the formula. All the Christian women I can find to ask are sick and tired of the same plots and characters, over and over, churned out from the writing factory. But to suggest to an agent that you don’t want to remove your character development, that you’d rather not take out the mystery and adventure and angst and everything that made your story a unique expression of your soul – well, let me tell you from experience, that doesn’t go well.

5. Be willing to sell your own work.

I’ve been trying to break into mainstream publishing for years. I’ve sent hundreds of queries, a few partial manuscripts, and a few whole ones. I’ve received some feedback, and the funny thing about it is, they don’t even agree with each other. After you get past the typos and the grammar and have your book set up in an orderly fashion that is easy to read and interesting, it gets very objective, and no two people prefer the same thing. So take anything that is not hard evidence that you have not done your work as well as you could with a grain of salt. It’s an opinion, and art doesn’t have set perimeters. It’s usually the art that can’t be categorized that has the most heart. So be free with your heart. Be clear, follow rules for grammar, spelling, and formatting. Rewrite as if your life depends on it. Make sure that art is at its best before you take it out in public, but at that point, don’t be ashamed of it. It’s you.

Now get to work!

But before you do -would you take a moment and follow my blog? I will be posting on Thursdays. I plan to have more posts like this one, helping other writers find the confidence and skills they need to become the writer they were created to be. I would love for it to be an interactive place we can discuss many writing related subjects. I’d love to get to know OTHER INDIE AUTHORS AND READERS of women’s Christian fiction. It would make my day if you left a comment. What are you thinking about as you read this post? Are you tired of the majority of mainstream published offerings? What’s missing in our Christian fiction these days?