Cool Word Contest

Deb making new friends

I ran across these cool word facts recently and thought you writerly types would appreciate them.

+ "Facetious" and "abstemious" are the only words that contain all the vowels in the correct order.

+ "Almost" is the longest commonly used word in teh English language with all the letters in alphabetical order.

+ "Teh" means "cool" in Thai. It's pronounced "tay." (Now you can tell everyone you meant to do it when you make typos like the one above!)

+ "Fortnight" is a contraction of "fourteen nights," which has been generally replaced by "two weeks" in modern English.(Of course all you Shakespeare groupies already knew this!)

+ If you were a Lone Ranger and Tonto fan, you'll like this one: "Kemo sabe," meaning "all knowing one," is actually a mispronunciation by Native Americans of the Spanish phrase, "quien lo sabe," meaning "one who knows."

+ "Rhythms" is the longest English word without the normal vowels a, e, i, o, or u. 

+ "Ough" can be pronounced in eight different ways. Here's a sentence containing them all: "A rough-coated, dough-faced ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough, coughing and hiccoughing thoughtfully." (Note from Deb: These days we spell it "hiccuping," but this is the acceptable old-world spelling.)

Okay, now for you word geeks, a few for you to figure out (don't cheat by looking them up!):

1. What's the commonly used word that's spelled the same in English, French, German, Swedish, Portuguese, and Dutch? (Hint: Travelers use this word frequently.)

2. What's considered the toughest tongue twister in the English language? (Hint: It has something to do with ill livestock.)

3. Name the only English word that ends in the letters "mt." (Hint: It's something you probably did last night.)

4. What is the only spelled-out numeral whose number of letters in the word equals the number? (If you're observant, I've already given you a really BIG hint!)

5. What's the longest word that can be typed with only the left hand? (Hint: It's the out-of-date plural form of a well known profession.)

E-mail me your answers at deboracoty@gmail.com and I'll send everyone who gets all five correct an autographed copy of my new book, Fear, Faith, and a Fistful of Chocolate.   

Happy wordsmithing! 

Unrequited Love

Deb's Book Signing

In my books, I tell a lot of stories. Some funny. Some poignant. All true - well, at least they're based on truth - and many are about people I know.

In fact, it's a standing joke among my friends that you'd better watch what you say around Deb because it very well might end up in a book. 

So fair's fair. It's time to tell a hilariously embarrassing story on me. One that seems especially fitting a few days before Valentine's Day.

I had a book signing yesterday at a local bookstore. We (the manager and some awesomely loyal readers and faithful friends in my community) were celebrating the release of Fear, Faith, and a Fistful of Chocolate. 

The morning looked promising enough. When I arrived twenty minutes early for the well advertised event, three people were already waiting at my book table for my signature in the copies they'd already purchased before I got there. Super duper.

I happily chatted and signed copies of F3 with the first two as Rick, a dear man from my writers group whom I had known for several years, stood back in gentlemanly fashion to let the others go first. He really is a truly nice guy, this Rick - an excellent writer on his own merit and always supportive of my books, even my current series for women.

When it was his turn, Rick plopped two books in front of me, stating cheerily, "One of these is for Joy, and the other is for my niece."

"Great," I said, flipping the cover open. I didn't know Rick's wife, but I was sure if she was married to this perpetually smiling man, she must have a dandy sense of humor.

"For Joy," I penned inside the flap, "I love your husband!"

I was intending to write more but at that moment, Rick, who was peering at the inscription as I scribbled, hesitantly broke in. "Um, Deb ... do you know Joy's husband?" he asked with a strange little quirky grin on his face.

My pen froze in mid-air. "What do you mean?" I asked, a premonitory seed of doom sprouting somewhere deep in my innards. "Isn't that you?" 

Suddenly it hit me. The conversation Rick and I had had several months before about the mutual friend who was my professional hand therapy colleague and his next door neighbor. Joy. 

Uh, oh.

We hooted with laughter at the same time as we realized my mistake.

I just hope Joy does the same when she sees the written confession of her husband's love affair with a crazy writer who oughta stick with just signing her name. 

You, too, can do Extraordinary

Aspiring writers often ask me tips on how to get published. They do this, well meaning enough, while showing me their "completed" manuscript, which they finished writing just yesterday and think is ready to submit to publishers and editors and agents and anyone else in the free world who'll appreciate their exquisite work of art.

My answer: Let me tell you a story.

Last year I got a new kitchen floor. The sample tile was so beautiful, shining like a slice of sunshine there in the store, I couldn't resist. I was was tired of the dull, lifeless, uninspiring tile that had besodded my kitchen for decades. (I don't think besodded is a word, but it should be.) I was ready to wow unsuspecting house guests and awaken every morning to a cheerful, gleaming floor.

But a strange thing happened once we got the tile home and installed on the kitchen floor. Within a few weeks, it began to lose its luster, become boring, quite ordinary. Annoyingly ordinary.

Every time I mopped and air dried my new floor - like I always had my old floor - it was dulled even more by dried water spots. I asked around and tried many expensive gadgets, products, and techniques that I'd been told would restore the glow, but nothing worked. I was extremely disappointed that I'd put so much thought, effort, and work into my new floor - which I knew had wonderful potential, for I had witnessed it firsthand - but no one would be able to see it.

And then one day, out of sheer desperation (guests were coming soon but the floor needed mopping), I grabbed two old terrycloth towels from my linen closet and donning one on each foot, ice skated around the newly mopped kitchen to speed up the drying process.

Oh. My. Goodness. The tiles gleamed like a newly polished silver tea service. The shine was nearly blinding. Gone was the ordinary. Present was the extraordinary. Big wow! The gorgeous floor I knew was there all along became a show-stopper and immediately caught the attention of every single person who walked in my house from then on.

Manuscripts are a lot like a kitchen floor. Ordinary is fine. Ordinary is functional. Ordinary is what everyone has. It is sufficient enough for you to say, "I've written a book." But it will likely remain unpublished and end up in your bottom right desk drawer, appreciated by no one and gathering dust.

But with a bit more work - okay, a LOT more work - that manuscript can be copy edited, content edited, and rewritten until it's polished and gleaming and extraordinary. Extra-ordinary; above-ordinary. The wow factor will suddenly appear. Your piece will shine brightly enough to attract the attention it deserves and will very likely eventually GET PUBLISHED. 

So take my advice. Have your manuscript professionally edited by a specialist in your genre. Someone who knows how to ice skate in terrycloth booties.

Slap on the Chaps and Hit the Promo Trail

Well, it's book release time again and my promo stallion is chomping at the bit.  

Fear, Faith, and a Fistful of Chocolate hits bookstores in less than two weeks, so it's time to hit the promo trail once again. Nobody ever said this writing journey was easy, and believe you me, I've got the saddle sores to prove it.

It takes a lot of planning to get those doggies movin' and keep 'em movin' movin' movin' ... rawhide! (If you're humming that TV show jingle right now, you're as old as me!)

I received my first media interview this week from CBA Retailers + Resources magazine, and it was a great start:

"Books about fear typically aren't fun to read, but this one is. Coty's humor is natural and unforced, and she strikes the perfect balance of lightheartedness and seriousness. Her chatty, relaxed tone will put readers at ease, and her approach to Christianity is genuine and non-preachy. This book would make an excellent group study, but it's also valuable for individual use."

That review - perfectly timed to coincide with my book release date - was possible because my astute publicist sent out pre-pub (also called galleys or ARCs for Advanced Reader Copies) weeks ago. Also strategically timed are articles set to come out in two different newspapers - one next week, and the other the following week.

My first interview about F3 was last night with Dottie Coffman and will air today on several weekday radio shows in the Atlanta area and on two different internet radio shows, www.wimoradio.com and www.moralradio.com. Several other radio interviews are already lined up and new requests should start trickling in almost daily via my publishing house PR department, and the freelance publicist I hired. 

I have a local LifeWay bookstore signing scheduled for Feb 9 (from 11 am - 2 pm at the Brandon LifeWay on 169 Brandon Town Center Dr if you're in the Tampa vicinity), and my big FaceBook launch party is on March 7 at 8 pm EST. Click on this link to find out more and sign up to win awesome prizes that night http://www.facebook.com/events/451567044892122  I hope you'll plan on joining me for a real blast with fun folks from all over the planet. 

Invitations to speak at Valentine's and Mother's Day events are beginning to roll in, and I'm in the process of nailing down dates for engagements from Alabama to North Carolina to south Florida.

It's a fun time, a busy time, and also a time to be extremely grateful to Papa God for the opportunity. And I truly am.

So the new calves (books) are branded, roped and corralled. Now I just have to figure out how to get them from the ranch into the wild, wild west. And east. And north and south!

Audience of One

In a recent blog post, literary agent Rachelle Gardner broached a question we writers - especially inspirational writers - all ask ourselves at one time or another: How do you validate that what you are doing is good?

It got me thinking. What is my feedback mechanism? Is it awards? Acclaim? Fame? (If it were, my writing career would be in the can.)

So how do I know I'm fulfilling the mission to which I felt Papa God calling me? What are my success indicators? What motivates me to continue writing during the dry times when little money is trickling in, book sales are low, and writer's block stymies all creative flow?

And wouldn't you know, the very day I was pondering these questions, I received a letter from a reader containing my answer.

I am privileged to receive quite a few letters from my readers that bless my socks off and reduce me to tears. Honestly, there is nothing – nothing – as soul-fulfilling as knowing that Papa God has used you as His tool for touching the heart and changing the life of someone for His glory. Here are excerpts from a few lovely letters I’ve received about my book, Too Blessed to Be Stressed, which recently received the 2012 Mom’s Choice award:

From Jenny G. in Massachusetts: “I just lost my dad to a heart attack last Saturday; he was also battling cancer. It was the hardest thing I have ever gone through in my life. I read your book, Too Blessed to Be Stressed this week and it gave me a lot of hope and comfort. Thank you so much for helping me be strong in my faith.”

From Chelle L. in Texas: “Your book is such an inspiration to me. I started reading it and then put it down for lack of time, but the Lord prompted me to pick it up again during a season of fatigue and discouragement. It was just what I needed. Thank you for your willingness to share and be obedient to God’s call.”

From Erin C. in Ohio: “I just finished Too Blessed to Be Stressed and am already halfway through More Beauty, Less Beast. I just wanted to take a few moments to let you know how much of a Godsend your books are to me! I’m only 21-years-old but I’ve been a tightly wound stress ball pretty much since birth. My dad has recently been diagnosed with M.S., and watching the rapid deterioration of the body and mind of my hero has put me over the edge. I found myself crying in my car parked in some random parking lot the other day. When I finally calmed down, I realized I was in front of a Christian bookstore … funny how God does that, isn’t it? I went in searching for SOMETHING! At the time I wasn’t sure why I got out of the car or why I walked into the store. But what I do know is that God led me to the book section and the very first book that caught my eye was Too Blessed to Be Stressed. I read the first two pages and started to cry. I know He led me to that book because He knew I needed it right then! Your book has had an enormous impact on my heart. I am so thankful that the Lord gave you this gift and that you shared it with the world. I take both books with me everywhere I go and refer to them when I feel lost; I’ve found such comfort in them. THANK YOU.”

And from Cynthia G. in Florida: “I really enjoyed the chapter about faith through the hard times in Too Blessed to Be Stressed called “Lost and Found.” I was diagnosed with epilepsy 11 years ago. The medication has caused serious fertility issues. I was over the moon when we found out I was pregnant a few years back. Unfortunately God had a different plan and our baby made it to heaven before us. I was never able to conceive again and the doctors don’t think it would be a good idea anyway. You’ve been a blessing to me and so many others with your personal touch. Thanks again!” 

So there it is. The reason I stay motivated to keep my tush on the chair and keep writing. It's for Ginny and Chele, Erin and Cynthia - each of them my audience of one that Papa God has chosen to touch through the skills and abilities He gave me.

And that's more than enough.

Who is Papa preparing at this very moment to be your audience of one?

Permission to Reboot

My view from a fave walking trail in NC

Man. I'm tired.

Not physically, no. Not really emotionally - at the moment, I'm pretty much steady as she goes, Captain. Not spiritually, either. My relationship with Papa God is strong and sustaining.

So what is it? Why am I - the writer who usually bounds into new projects with both feet - procrastinating about starting my new book? How come my brain starts to shut down when I pull up a blank computer screen and stare at two intimidating words plastered across the top of the page: New Book.

(I learned long ago to write something when I'm facing a new title-less project just to start the creative flow. Sometimes the title doesn't break through until the piece is completed.)

So why is the flow dammed? And why do I have to fight all this guilt and embarrassment that I'm wasting time and being - GASP! - the Debbie-Coty-world version of the terrible awful (to borrow a delightful phrase from The Help) ... unproductive?

Been pondering on that lately and after much soul-searching, have finally come to the conclusion that it's okay to lay low for a while. To chill. To turn off and reboot. To intentionally turn away from the blank page and live life in real time without rushing away to my little writing cave every time something sparks a writing frenzy.

As ridiculous as it probably sounds to normal people (yep, we all know writers fall in the abnormal category), writerly types generally never clock out. Never. We're self-trained to always be on the alert for story possibilities, and to not let those elusive gems get away. Strike while the iron's hot. Jot your idea down on toilet paper, your palm, or a gum wrapper if necessary, and then follow-up with expansion of the idea into manuscript form as soon as possible.

For some inexplicable reason, writing my last book about fear really sapped my creative energy. It was the most difficult book I've ever written. I'm not sure why, except perhaps that interviewing dozens of people about their worst fears gave the Great Deceiver ample opportunity to do a wicked number on me. I developed a fear of fear. Or at least of writing about it.

So now I find that I need a bit more extended period than I'm used to in order to unwind and regroup. Papa has shown me that a longer recovery period will be required than the two weeks I had at the end of each of my previous five books before diving into the next one. 

Now I have to convince myself that not working on a manuscript is not being unproductive. (That unspeakable word is even hard for me to write.) Working on resting is equally productive. It's actually good for me. Not only will I be re-energized, I'll have renewed perspective on the business of living. It will give me something compelling to write about from outside the confines of a computer chair.

At least Benjamin Franklin thought so when he penned the immortal, "Do things worth the writing."

But not-thinking-at-all isn't such a bad thing either. Maybe just hanging out and being is sometimes superior to doing, as hard as it is for us production-oriented folks to comprehend.

My writer friend Rick Christensen at www.discoveringandsharinggrace.wordpress.com recently wrote a very touching blog post about the importance of lingering, and the impact a friend of his who was known for intentional lingering to enjoy every last ounce of a setting or situation had on Rick after the friend passed away.

Rick's point was that lingering is not the same as loitering. Or laziness. Or heaven forbid ... unproductivity. It is, in fact, quite the opposite. It's experiencing life to the fullest. Abundantly. Bursting at the seams.

I realized how very little lingering, or pausing, or reflecting I do in the course of an average day.


So I hereby give myself permission - and you too (if you need permission from someone) - to linger now and then. And to take it a step further and actually turn off and reboot. Take a cyber Sabbath. Or a week. Or even a month if you need it. And see if that dam doesn't crumble from the resulting gush. 

  

The Race is On

It's three months before the Feb 1 debut of my new F3 book (my pet name for Fear, Faith, and a Fistful of Chocolate) but things are already revving up on the PR front.

Yep, most folks don't realize how early the wheels must start turning in order to be ready to squeal your tires in break-neck, drag-racing style on release day.

Galley edits are now completed (the galley is the final, final copy before the formatted book goes to press). Also called an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) by some publishers, the galley appears exactly as the printed book will - there really should be no mistakes at this point if the author and editors have done their jobs well. At least in theory.

Um, when that actually happens to me - no mistakes, I mean - I'll eat my favorite hat. 


The galley goes to the author for one last fine-tooth-comb look-see, so that he or she can't complain if a faux pas slips through into print. Usually, a minimum of three different editors have had at it before the galley stage, but sometimes boo-boo's still make it through. The author is the final check-rein.

The buck stops here, bro.  

Sometimes galleys or ARC's are sent to reviewers by the publisher, or in the case of self-published or small press books, by the author, if they are desired before the actual printed book will be available. This way glowing reviews hit the public eye right about the same time the book does, so a nice, excited buzz develops, which hopefully parlays into sales.  

My press releases are already going out, thanks to my industrious publicist, Audra Jennings, with Litfuse Publishing Group. Audra penned an awesome combination of  intro, teaser, basic book availability/purchase info, and suggested interview questions that she'll now (after my final approval) send to a vast array of contacts in her network.

These contacts include radio, internet, and TV hosts, magazines (print and online), interviewers, book reviewers, book dealers and sellers, and whomever else in the public specter that might be remotely interested in knowing about my upcoming book. And probably a few who aren't. They then contact Audra to schedule interviews. My last three books have each garnered an average of 25 interviews, quite a few excellent book reviews, and numerous speaking invitations.

So my job, over the upcoming three months before D-Day, is to compile clever answers to interview questions and prepare a new speaking presentation (or two) based on Fear, Faith, and a Fistful of Chocolate, so that I'm ready to take off when that flare gun fires.

Gentlemen, start your engines!