What's Up the Street For Next Week?

First things first –

BABY NEWS!!!

Another Alley Kitten joins the ranks of our growing litter. Author Cindy Wilson gave birth to Brooklyn Mae Thursday, June 16. Mom & baby are doing well – but Cindy and her family would love your prayers.

Well, we know how Cindy is going to be spending her ‘free’ time during summer now – but how about you? Do you have a summer reading list yet?

How are you doing with it? Are you ahead of schedule, staring at a book-free nightstand, or are you like most of us – where our pile of books bears a striking resemblance to the Tower of Babel?

Whatever the trip, The Alley Cats have a few books to add to your list. Here are some of their TOP recommendations:

Sherrinda: The Art of Romance by Kaye Dacus.

Julia: The Fine Art of Insincerity by Angela Hunt is a great women's fiction pick that was recently released.                                          

Casey: When Sparrows Fall by Meg Moseley

Mary: recommends Calvin and Hobbs--any one will do--to stir the thinking.

Krista: Save the Date by jenny b jones. It was fun and upbeat and I L.O.V.E.D it!

Sarah: Just Between You and Me by Jenny Jones.

Pepper: A Great Catch by Lorna Seilstad if you want a funny-bone tickler; Mine is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs if you want a beautiful romantic drama.

So, what’s the lineup this week?

Monday: Pepper still has no idea what she is going to post about. You could vote! Answering the Call – writing & other priorities; OR The Basics of Characterization OR A Few More Tips from BRMCWC.  AHHHH! Decisions.

Tuesday: Sherrinda is having just as hard a time as Pepper – so it’s a surprise post for the day.

Wednesday: Mary’s post draws from the ‘masters’ of writing all around us, On Being Mentored.

Thursday: You can delete words?!? What? Well, check out Casey’s  post It’s Not About the Over All Word Count Walking the line between being aware of our total novel length and being willing to delete 1K of words.

Friday: Stop by to see what fun Krista brings to our Friday.

So…what books would you recommend for a summer reading list?

What's one of your top five books you've read within the past year? Why was it so great?

And come join us for another week of great info...even for those of us who aren't sure yet :-)

And the WINNER of Driftwood Lane from Cindy's post on Friday is....

Pam Kellogg!!

Congratulations and happy reading!!

Fairytale Endings - Are They for You? (and a giveaway!)

I'm a big fan of happily-ever-afters, which is a great thing with romances big in the market. Happy, satisfying endings are very popular, particularly in the CBA, but are they for everyone?

So what makes up an ending? Because, as I re-read the previous sentence with the words "happy" and "satisfying", it's becoming more and more clear that those two don't necessarily go hand-in-hand.

Characteristics of a Satisfying Ending

A Resolution

In order for readers to be satisfied with an ending, the main conflict needs to be resolved. Sure, there are people out there who still do cliffhangers, but those are few and far between (or part of a series). And not only that, each story needs to have its own resolution.

So if the main character is searching for something, they need to find it somehow. If they're lacking something, they need to gain it somehow. If there's a problem, it needs to be fixed.

Growth

Having a character experience growth is a strong and important way to satisfy readers. We all read about and learn about character arcs because they're important. Readers want to see characters in a different place at the end of the novel as they were in the beginning - and hopefully that's a better place.

A Purpose

This category sort of wraps in the first two elements of a satisfying ending and tosses in a few others. A purposeful ending is one that's well thought out. If there's a theme to your story, it can be revealed or summed up here. A purposeful ending isn't a one-page wrap up that solves all the problems of the novel without any real effort. In fact, a purposeful ending isn't always expected. In other words, it's not the easy way out. Sure, in romances certain endings are often expected (i.e. the hero and heroine make up or reunite or admit their love) but they can still stray from being cliche.

As a fan of happily-ever-afters, I like to see a story ending well--meaning, the characters are happy, they find what they're looking for spiritually, emotionally, etc., and their future looks amazing. However, those elements aren't the only ones that make up a satisfying ending for everyone.

What do you think? Are there certain elements necessary to creating a satisfying ending? And are you a fan of happily-ever-afters?

Also, if you want a chance to win, Driftwood Lane, a romance by one of my favorite authors, Denise Hunter, who always makes me smile with her happy endings, leave a comment and your e-mail.