Southern Festival of Books

Wooooo hooooo!!!! Back in the spring, my local authors and I applied to the prestigious Southern Festival of Books for a slot in their author presentations. The festival runs from Friday, October 8 through Sunday October 10, during which there will be a wide variety of books for sale at the booths of a multitude of publishers, including Sheaf House this year, plus author presentations and panel discussions. It all takes place at War Memorial Plaza in downtown Nashville.

Well, two of us were chosen, one of them being moi! And best of all, I’ve been chosen to do a solo presentation on Wind of the Spirit, with a book signing to follow! The presentation takes place from at noon to 1 p.m. at the Capitol Library. I’ll be talking about the American Revolution, of course, and about how I’m researching and writing this series. So I e-mailed my contact person to find out whether we could add a subtitle to my talk—Recreating the American Revolution—to make the topic of my talk clear, and it appears that’s doable.

This is a pretty big coup and hopefully will bring more attention to this series. Needless to say, in addition to being terrified, I’m pretty excited. I ordered special postcards shown here, which will have info about the American Patriot Series on the back, to hand out to attendees. I’m thinking about other materials that might engage the audience and how to promote it to attract attendees. I want to make my presentation as interactive as possible. If you’re in the Nashville area the weekend of October 8th, be sure to stop by the Sheaf House booth. And I’d love it if you’d join me for my presentation on Saturday the 9th to talk about the Revolution and the values this country was founded on.

I just got back from 4 days in Indianapolis at the American Christian Fiction Writers annual conference. I always dread these things, but it turned out to be the best one I’ve attended both as a writer and a publisher that I’ve ever attended. I had reservations about taking the time off and spending the money, but now I’m glad I did. I made contacts I needed to make, some of them serendipitous, and the continuing session I attended was incredibly helpful, exactly what I needed to break the mental block I’ve been struggling with in plotting Crucible of War. Now I can’t wait to get back into the manuscript and move the action forward.

It was also extra special nice to receive an award as the editor of A. K. Arenz’s cozy mystery, The Case of the Mystified M.D., which won the Carol Award. We don’t often get recognized for the work we do—don’t expect it—but that was kind of a grace note for me. I’ll admit it lifted me up and felt really good. And now I have a lovely plaque to hang on my wall too!

All in all, it’s been a great couple of weeks! I’ll share more about the festival and the progress I’m making on Crucible in upcoming posts, along with the tours Lori Benton and I took of Locust Grove in Louisville, Kentucky, and Rock Castle in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Which reminds me that the annual Daniel Smith Days celebration is coming up at Rock Castle this weekend. Hmmm . . . wonder if I can shake loose long enough to run back out there Saturday . . .

Upcoming Events

I’ve been out of town for several days, incorporating a visit with friends with a speaking engagement at a book club in the Warner Robins, GA, area. I had a great time while there, and the presentation to the Houston County Book Browsers went very well, with a number of the ladies buying my books. But the 7 hour drive home yesterday through storms was not nearly as enjoyable. It was a relief to finally get home safe and sound! And now I’m rushing to get caught up on the day-to-day minutia, as usual!

If you’re going to be in the Nashville area this coming Saturday, October 3, please join me and several other authors from the Nashville Christian Writers Association for a book signing at 21st Century Christian, 2809 12th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37204. I’ll be signing copies of Daughter of Liberty, Native Son, and Wind of the Spirit, along with One Holy Night.

Also signing will be Darin W. Montgomery, Membership Guide to the Body of Christ; Dr. Etido Akpan, Strategic Alignment: The Business Imperative for Leading Organizations; Carol Harper, Through the Eye of a Needle; Robin Miller, A Biblical Journey of ABC’s; Sandy Griffin, Free to Be Me: Creating the Dance of Your Life; Chris Fenoglio, Kristin and the Santa Secret; and Catisha Asbury, Jesus Child: Christian Urban Poetry, Volume 1.

An American colonial and Revolutionary War reenactors event will be going on at the same time in Hendersonville. The annual Daniel Smith Colonial Days Reenactment and Fair takes place October 3 and 4 at Historic Rock Castle. I plan to drop by before or after the book signing or on Sunday as reenactors bring to life the period from 1779 to 1820. I attended last year’s event and it was excellent! This year I’m hoping to get some good high res pictures that I can use for covers for my series, including the new editions of Daughter of Liberty and Native Son we’ll be doing within the next couple of years. Bob Dulany of Dulany Printers, who participates as a reenactor, also has wonderful pictures available. Either way, I’m going to have excellent choices for covers for the entire series.

A final note: Although One Holy Night didn’t win the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year contest, I’m very honored that it was a finalist along with 4 other excellent novels in the Long Contemporary category. My heartiest congratulations go to Sharon Hinck whose novel Symphony of Secrets took top honors!

One Holy Night Wins CSPA Book of the Year Award

Tuesday I received notice that One Holy Night has been chosen as the 2009 Fiction Book of the Year by Christian Small Publishers Association! Needless to say, I am thrilled—and admittedly a bit stunned. I’d forgotten I even entered the contest. LOL!

It’s also entered in the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year contest for long contemporary novels, and it’ll be interesting to see how it does there. Winners in all the categories will be announced at the ACFW conference in September, so I’ll have to wait a while to find out, and that’s always hard. In the meantime, however, Sheaf House will be doing additional promotions in upcoming weeks featuring the award and will also feature One Holy Night again for the holiday season.

Tomorrow, April 18, I’m having a book signing at the Perry Bookstore, 907 Carroll Street, in downtown Perry, Georgia, from 11 to 1. In addition to One Holy Night, I’ll also be signing Wind of the Spirit, and will have copies of books 1 and 2, Daughter of Liberty and Native Son, available at a discount. I appreciate your prayers for a good weather and a good turnout, and if you happen to be in the area, I would love to have you stop by! This is also the weekend for the annual Dogwood Festival in Perry, and there’ll be lots going on downtown, not to mention the Mossy Creek Barnyard Festival, which is close by. Come on out and join in the fun!

Below is an excerpt from a recent review by Jackie Cooper, who is known in the middle Georgia area as the “entertainment man” for his entertainment reviews. His short stories have been used as commentary on Georgia Public Radio and he is also a popular after dinner speaker as well as a noted author. Jackie’s latest release is The Sunrise Remembers.

“Author J. M. Hochstetler has crafted a story that will drive us to tears but also lift our spirits at the same time. . . . It is a “family” story that all readers can enjoy and one to which they can relate in some way. Hochstetler takes us on a journey with these characters as they move through times of joy and times of sadness. Each person described in the story comes alive and takes his/her place in the order of things. The author even brings in side characters to flesh out the story and she does it with inventiveness and skill. If you do not enjoy or appreciate a story of faith then this is not the book for you. But for those who do like this type of religious material as the backdrop for a good story, this is an excellent choice.”

Schedules and Changes

I apologize for going to long between posts! I’ve been deep into production on both Wind of the Spirit and our other spring release, My Son, John, by multi-published author Kathi Macias. And my good buddy Peg Phifer has been doing a top-down redesign of the Sheaf House Web site. Boy, does it look pretty now!

On top of all that, I’m trying to get ready for the American Christian Fiction Writers annual conference, which takes place in Minneapolis September 18-21. The feature of the conference is a humongous book signing by 127 authors that will take place at the Mall of America in Bloomington on Saturday the 20th from 1 to 3 p.m. There will be lots of giveaways and a number of author panels. I’ll be signing copies of One Holy Night. So there’s lots to plan for.

Two friends and I, who don’t much like to fly, chose the route of adventure and are taking a road trip. Three ladies and all their baggage in a car on a two-day trip to a writers conference and back again just sounds like tooooo much fun! We’re leaving the 17th and planning to make it home the 22nd. If all goes well. And with 3 women driving cross-country in a car, you just never know . . .

With all that on the agenda, I’ve allowed my blogging to lag. To get everyone caught up I have an announcement. I hate to tell my loyal readers this because I know you’ve been looking forward to January when you can finally get your hands on Wind of the Spirit. But . . .

I’ve had to postpone the release until March 1.

I can hear your collective groans, and I apologize profusely! I feel terrible! And no, we’re not having any problems with production. Making the original date isn’t an issue—we’re well on the way to having this puppy ready—but my distributor thinks March is a much better release date, and pushing it back gives the sales reps more time to get it into bookstores. As a publisher I have to set aside my authorly eagerness to get my book out to the public at last and heed their wise counsel.

However, although Wind of the Spirit won’t officially release until March, I promise the books will be in the warehouse and ready to ship in February! Now, if we can just persuade the online sites to get it in stock and ship it early, we’ll be in fine shape. In the meantime, if you haven’t been on my Web site (http://www.jmhochstetler.com/) and read the excerpt posted there, hop on over and get a first look at what’s coming up!

Exciting news: I’ll have the final cover to share with you soon! The preliminary my designer, Dineen Miller, sent me is totally awesome! I’m more than thrilled with it. Everything I wanted in my wildest fantasy is there! Sometimes the stars align just right. Of course, we all know who rules those stars!

I have several more endorsementsI want to share, but first, here’s a review written by blogger Christina Gustafson’s 13-year-old daughter Katy after she read Daughter of Liberty and Native Son.

The American Patriot Series intrigued me from the very beginning. I’m a “picky reader” and usually have to give a book two to three chapters before “getting hooked”; however, I only had to read a paragraph and found myself wanting more. Elizabeth Howard’s parents are Tories through-and-through, but Elizabeth doesn’t quite agree with them. So, when Elizabeth meets British General Carleton, things become humorous and exciting. This all leads to a shocking and exciting ending.

Native Son is mainly about General Jonathan Carleton. Carleton is sent into Native American territory to make a peace treaty, while Elizabeth is to stay behind and continue her work [as a spy]. Once again, Mrs. Hochstetler leads us to a wonderfully surprising ending. The American Patriot Series is not only exciting and full of surprises, but it is also inspiring. J. M. Hochstetler writes in her book that no matter what crime we commit, no matter what we’ve done, God is there for us and He loves us unconditionally. He will always forgive us and help us start again.

I must admit I was quite disappointed when I reached the end of Native Son. Not because of the ending, but because I’ll have to wait until 2009 to read the third book in this series. (Be sure to check out the American Patriot Series Blog for more information!) Thank you Mrs. Hochstetler for giving me two of the most enjoyable books that I have read. I will surely read this series again and again.

Not only am I very pleased with the review, but I’m quite impressed with this young woman’s writing ability. I’m always especially delighted to hear from students who have felt this crucial era in our history come to life for them in my books. That’s my goal, and it’s more than wonderful to get feedback that I’ve succeeded in showing students how thrilling, absorbing, and relevant to our lives history really is. You’ll find Christina’s blogs at Mustard Seeds and ...And Everything Else.

Here’s another great endorsement for Wind of the Spirit from our own Edgy Inspirational Author herself, Michelle Sutton, author of It’s Not About Me.

“Wind of the Spirit carries you away—literally—to another time and place. The perfect combination of setting and fabulous wording pulled me into the story, and the emotional scenes kept me turning the pages. This story doesn’t drag but keeps building while educating the reader about history at the same time. In regards to sensuality and tension—move over Deeanne Gist—cause Hochstetler goes places most CBA authors can’t. However, the tension is so well done and is so beautifully written, I wouldn’t change a thing. The author shows love as the holy experience it truly is . . . when it occurs the way God intended. I highly recommend this story. I couldn’t put it down.”

And Robin Lee Hatcher also graciously endorsed this volume:

“Ms. Hochstetler has filled the pages of this book with many details of the period, taking her readers back in time. If you like sweeping historical sagas, Wind of the Spirit deserves to be on your bookshelf.”

If you happen to be in the Minneapolis area on September 20, be sure to stop by at the book signing, and look for me! I'd love to chat with you!