Between Heartbeats Re-publication

Author update: To turn a phrase, I learned how to change sour lemons into sweet lemonade when my publisher closed its doors in May. After experiencing an interesting month, I’m happy to announce my novel, Between Heartbeats, is back on Amazon in Kindle and paperback. The Kindle price is $2.99 and the paperback edition is now $12.95. I extinguished this unexpected blip and have resumed writing Book Two of the Heartbeat Series. I plan to release the title and cover this fall, and anticipate its publication in December 2016. 

Between-Heartbeats-Donelle-Knudsen


My future publisher posted this link yesterday and I just had to share it, too.

http://www.seidershousepublishing.com/donelle-knudsen-between-heartbeats/

It's Always a New Day

Even when the sun isn't shining and a storm appears on the horizon, it's a new day every morning. It's a day filled with possibilities, opportunities, and "start-overs." Life has a way of throwing us off course, and the challenge is to take a hold of the steering wheel and get back on the road. 

My source of strength comes from my faith, family, friends, and writing. I recently submitted my manuscript, Between Heartbeats, to an interested publisher and as I wait for a response, I'm writing the sequel.

I love to write. When I sit at my laptop, the words flow like a mountain stream with each tap of my fingers. Are the words perfect? Do they express my thoughts completely, without fault? No, but writing is a form of therapy that is readily available, non-judgmental, drug-free, and I see the fruits of my work instantly.

So, my thought for the day is to find your vehicle which will keep you on course, and even if the ride is a little bumpy, at the end of the day all will be well.

"Between Heartbeats"

Two years ago I pitched my idea for a Young Adult novel, Between Heartbeats, while attending Write On The River writers' conference in Wenatchee, WA. The agent's response was encouraging and helpful, and so the journey began. Fast-forward to one year ago at the same conference when I seriously pitched my novel to a representative from a publishing house. Again, not only was the individual encouraging, but she asked me to submit the entire manuscript upon completion.

Here I am today, April 8, 2015 with a completed novel under my belt. The process has not been easy, but with diligence and with the help of my critique group, family, and my beta-reader, I sent it off to the publisher a couple of hours ago. Now the wait. Will they like it? Will they want to publish it? Time will tell.

How do I feel? It feels similar to when I sent my kids off to school on their very first day. I felt a sense of accomplishment and pride and hoped they were as ready for the next step in their journey as I was. 

Whatever happens next, I can say, I DID IT. The goal was set and the book is finished. What next? I'm already working on the sequel.

Skeletons in the Closet

October brings a dramatic change in the weather; the air chills, trees begin their shift from soft and vibrant greens to yellows, brown, red, and orange, and the sun sets earlier. As an adult I miss the nice warm days, but as a child I was more excited that Halloween was just around the corner. In keeping with the spirit of Halloween, this year I received some information about a deceased relative, news that surprised and saddened me: a true skeleton in the closet.

My mother's cousin is our family historian and genealogy expert. I am the writer of our group and often use her findings for short stories or character types. However, with her recently discovered facts, I'm not sure how, when, or where to use it. Growing up I idolized this person and admired him for his strength, skill at overcoming adversities, and for his myriad accomplishments. I still do, but realize he was only human and made some serious errors in judgement, not earth shattering ones, but mistakes all the same.

On the tenth anniversary of my mother's death, I wrote a short story about the days immediately following her passing. It was cathartic, and helped me to understand Mother, myself, and our fractured relationship. In the story, I revealed our family tree included a Salem, Massachusettes' witch who was hanged during the trials. Her inclusion was appropriate and enhanced the mood of the scene by adding punch to the subject of death. I do believe in the unusual, the supernatural, the unexplained, the things that make your skin crawl and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

So I will include some of our family's flawed characteristics and a sampling of their unexplainable actions in future short stories. Truth is stranger than fiction.

Stay tuned... 

Update: I did include some of the above subjects in my novel, Between Heartbeats, which was released in August 2015

Ship in a Bottle

The first time I saw a sailing ship sitting in a small glass bottle, I was a child. I couldn't believe my eyes and asked my father to explain it. To the best of his ability, he explained how this feat was done, and I was awed by it. I still am.

Writing is something like building a ship in a bottle; the writer constructs an idea which is transformed into words, sentences, and paragraphs to form a story, poem, or a book. Certain confines and accepted parameters should be followed in order to create a cohesive, readable piece that not only entertains, but instructs the reader as well.

Thinking about a delicate, intricately constructed ship sitting within a solid glass container reminds me of my book, which was carefully crafted, strung together with my heart and soul, and endless hours of creating and editing. When it was finally inserted between the covers of a book, my "ship" was complete and ready to launch.

My first book was purely a practice piece and I kept it in the family. Then, I switched to poems and short stories and found I loved the challenge of getting to the point in as few words as possible. My second book, Through the Tunnel of Love, A Mother's and Daughter's Journey with Anorexia published in April of 2011, was born from a labor of love. And now I can say I am a novelist. My Booktrope novel, Between Heartbeats, was published August 28, 2015. It is the story of a young girl's coming of age.

Think about creating your own ship in a bottle, in whatever form you choose. I assure you that it will be one of the most worthwhile and rewarding things you can do in life.

Inspiration Comes From Unexpected Places

To my thinking, writers connecting with writers, either online or face-to-face, is imperative. Writers take on a lonely business, armed only with a pen and blank sheet of paper, or computer screen, and our imaginations. The wonderful thing is that these elements, combined with research and the desire to create, can take us as far as our minds and stamina are able.

So far this year I have attended one writers conference where I gained information and inspiration and submitted five entries to writing contests; however, my critique group is on hiatus, so my impetus to create something new every week has stalled. Add vacations, family time, and a recent surgery, and the result: my weeks have been chopped up into fragments with precious little to show.

One thing I always make time for is reading, and writing ideas down as they come, often at the oddest times. The most recent quote I wrote down is by Frodo Baggins from one of Peter Jackson's films in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien:  "He didn't mean for a lot of things to happen, Sam, but it did." Context: Frodo is speaking to his comrade, Sam, after Gandalf's untimely death in the underground caves. Their future looks bleak, because the leader of the Fellowship of the Ring has seemingly perished, and their grief is so deep that they fear the worst: utter defeat.

Frodo's observation gave me the inspiration to bring out a writing project I had been working on for six months, but put aside because it had become too difficult, too painful to continue. It was inspired by a true life situation that has caused our family much pain and stress over the last year. But from experience, I have learned that those are the best kinds of projects to tackle, because challenges, the hard things in life, are what make us stronger, teach us valuable lessons, and result in inspired writing.

So, thank you, Frodo, for reminding me that life isn't always easy, and to remember that I should never give up and to not admit defeat, no matter how daunting the task that lies ahead.

Writing From Your Heart

When faced with every new writing project, I pray that the words will flow cleanly and that when they reach their final destination and pool in the reservoir of a completed work, the reader will take the time to plunge in.

With my memoir, Through the Tunnel of Love, a Mother's and Daughter's Journey with Anorexia, the initial paragraph, which became part of the prologue, came to me unexpectedly: “Nicole had lost her will to live; she was dying. Our beautiful fifteen year old daughter was killing herself slowly with each passing day. I knew it was calculated and I was unable to change the course of our lives. For the past year our family had been living in a nightmare and I wanted to wake up – NOW.”

The power of our story overwhelmed me at first, but I had to get it down. I wrote a great deal of it in long hand and then transcribed to the computer, editing as I went along.  Tunnel was written over a period of six years. As memories flooded back, some so agonizing that I wrote with tears streaming down my face, I knew I had to finish it; I had to see it through. Parts of the book were derived from my journals and several chapters came directly from my short stories. The bulk of it came from my heart.

The more I wrote, the faster the memories surfaced, especially the painful ones; the ones I thought had been long buried and forgotten. Over the course of the first year, I realized that my raw wounds needed to rise to the surface, in order to begin the healing process. Then I prayed that upon completion of the book, my family could also benefit from my labor of love.

In 2004 I entered the opening chapters of the first draft of Through the Tunnel of Love in Pacific Northwest Writers Association’s literary contest in the memoir category. It was the first writing contest I had entered and to my surprise, I was named a finalist. I attended the July conference with a fluttering heart and stomach. That honor offered me contacts and the necessary confidence to edit, revise, and complete my memoir. The following six years brought me three more honors from PNWA’s literary contest in the memoir category. Eventually two of my winning short stories were included in Through the Tunnel of Love.

I had asked for and was given permission by our daughter to tell our story because I believed that it was an important topic and that our experience could help others in similar circumstances. I wanted them to know what had worked for us and what didn’t, and hoped our story would help them, and above all, to realize they were not alone.

I pitched my book and sent queries to the well-known publishing houses and literary agents; but as encouraging as they were, they said my memoir just didn't fit their criteria at that time. My folder filled with rejection letters, but I was not deterred. In the fall of 2010, I participated as a panelist and a reader in Rivers of Ink writer's workshop in Richland, WA. Through this venue, I was encouraged by panelists and audience members to publish my work. I listened, decided it was time, and looked for a small local press. Over the next three months the editor and I worked together. By January, Through the Tunnel of Love was launched on its journey and was published in April of 2011.

To this day, my daughter has read only the prologue. For Nicole, the reality of her illness at that critical stage was more than she could process. She said she wasn’t ready to relive it and confessed that the worst years, 1997 to 1999, were completely lost to her. Even though Nicole has not read her story, our story, she is my strongest proponent and cheerleader. She realizes how much we loved her and that we didn’t give up, not for a minute.

I have learned many lessons from writing Through the Tunnel of Love. The most valuable ones are: listen to your heart, follow your dream, and if it is to write, then do it. Don’t wait and don’t listen to your twisted muse when it says it can’t be done, or you‘ll never finish, or no one wants to read your book.

Nicole almost died listening to her twisted muse, the VOICE inside her head that told her she was fat; told her she was worthless, and told her she deserved to die. So as a writer, surround yourself with loving, supportive people who believe in you. If you belong to a critique group, think carefully before you employ all of their advice. Sift through their criticism, their ideas, and keep what you believe in, what comes from your heart. Remember this is your story, not theirs.

Anorexia Nervosa remained a part of our lives for eight years. It is an insidious disease and it nearly took our daughter's life. I think that’s why I write primarily memoir. It’s a way of sharing what’s close to my heart: memoires, experiences, and lessons learned. I believe this is a valuable thing to do, especially when others, including yourself, are helped in the process.

Hold Onto the Sky

Yesterday it was so windy, that the clouds could not hold onto the sky. The morning hours were cloudy, gray, claustrophobic. But gradually, the sky cleared - it had no choice - the cloud cover was swept away. I had no desire to go outside, and when I did, my trip was cut short. It was the perfect day to stay inside to read and watch DVDs, which I found myself doing for the remainder of the day.

Today, we're back to normal for this time of year: chilly and a bit breezy, with intermittent sun breaks and warming temps, just enough to encourage the plants to perk up and to send out the ever-optimistic golfers.

The strong, unrelenting winds from yesterday stirred up thoughts about how life's trials can knock us over or simply wear us down with its ferocity. It may come all at once with an unexpected phone call, email, or letter, or sneak up innocently and escalate into a full-blown gale.

Times of stress and challenges are tough to bear, no matter the source or duration, but when I remember to hold onto the sky with faith and hope, after the winds blow past, a calm that soothes the mind and soul will reappear.