Author: Diana Brandmeyer

Christian author Diana Lesire Brandmeyer writes historical and contemporary romances set from the Midwest to the Mountains. She’s written Mind of Her Own, Frontier Legacy Brides, Small Town Brides, and A Time for Love, among others. Once widowed and now remarried she writes with humor and experience on the difficulty of joining two families be it fictional or real life. *affiliate links are used on this site. It won't cost you more but those extra pennies keep me stocked in tea, thank you!

For Sale

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

Maybe I should say the end of June! I can’t believe I haven’t blogged since Christmas. How is that possible? Oh that’s right LIFE. The good thing is the house we have been working on is now up for sale. We still have things to do but we’re hoping soon someone else will be willing to take over the small things every house seems to need. Here are a few pictures of the remodeling.

Living room with all the old green paint removed from the bookcases, mantel and stained glass windows. The carpet is gone and the floors polished. It took my friend and I two days with a razor knife scraping off the old gunk!

French doors
Kitchen
upstairs bath-This room was the last one we did. I’m very glad to be finished with grouting.

On writing: I’m starting a new project. Too new for me to talk about it except to say it will be more mystery than romance oriented.

I’m still waiting to hear from a few other publishers on my book about blended families.

I’ve recently taken up scrapbooking. It’s great fun and I like using the computer to digiscrap as well as paper scrap. Both kinds are lots of fun.

Snowflakes

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

Snowflakes! What a wonderful gift to find in the morning sky! I love snow this time of year. After Christmas I don’t want to see it for a long time. But that’s another post. Today I’m happy and singing Christmas carols. Yes, CHRISTmas carols, not holiday songs.

I’m saddened by news my son told me yesterday. Boston has decided their Capitol Christmas tree must be called a Holiday Tree. The city now has Holiday Tree Lots.
I guess that will work out just fine if they want to leave the tree up for the rest of the year, think of the money it could save in decorations. It could work for Valentines Day, Easter, Fourth of July, all they would have to do is change the color of the lights.

Well, this family will never have a holiday tree. Our house will serve the Lord and we will proudly display our Christmas tree to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Graduation

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

Why I haven’t started on the next 30 days.

Apr13^03
Graduation. This is Josh. He graduated May 21. He’ll be leaving in August for Concordia River Forest to begin as a freshman in Presem/Business. In eight years he’ll be a pastor.
Ed and I bought a house to rehab and sell. We’re hoping to make enough to pay tuition! Instead of writing I’ve been stripping paint and tearing out carpet.

But…I have to get back to work. I’m thinking of stretching my 30 days into three months. 🙂 I think it will still take 30 actual days to do the work. I guess my goal is to have the first draft finished by September 1. That will give me time to work on the house and get Josh off to school.

April 30

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

D-day, deadline day did I make it? YES! I actually finished the rewrite and emailed it my agent yesterday. Now the wait begins. I’m taking a week off to do things I’ve let go, like cleaning and grocery shopping, and then I’m going to start drafting my next book.

Writing plans

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

I’m still using Karen’s book First Draft in 30 Days and I’m actually ahead! Not by much but one day ahead! Thanks Karen. One thing having a calendar has done for me is give me more time. That sounds odd but I would spend the entire day at my computer working or thinking about it or emailing friends. In my heart I felt I couldn’t leave because there was still writing to be done. Having a calendar gives me a goal to reach each day and when it’s reached Yahoo! I can run to my sewing room and quilt. Or maybe since it’s warm outdoors I’ll take my book to the front porch and snuggle in my swing while I read. My husband’s glad as well because now I seem to have time to catch one or two shows on the food channel a week which means new meals for him to try.

Reverence for God adds hours to each day. Proverbs 10:27
So by respecting the gift God has given me to use I plan how to accomplish the tasks for the day. Then I’m rewarded by the blessing of time. Thanks God!
Diana

Friends and rewrites

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

How does any writer get through this process without close friends? If it weren’t for the friends I’ve found through ACFW ( www.americanchristianfictionwriters.com ) I would be buried in wet tissues. My critique group has helped me with major problems and minor ones. Each one of them has brought me something unique to add to my story. Today I emailed a Heartsong author for help with a chapter by chapter synopsis and within minutes she sent me a copy of one of hers. I was on the right track but not sure. Thanks to her I can proceed with less anxiety.

I’m editing scene 31 today. I’m over half way now.

Progress is slow

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

I bought my friend Karen Wiesner’s book, Frist Draft in 30 days to help me organize the mass of papers on my desk. So far it seems that I made a good choice in my purchase. I’ve made folders and filled in worksheets. I’m further along with this book than I thought. I had to change a few critical details in this book and it changed a lot of chapters after that. But using this system I realize I should be finished before the end of April.

Or would be if:
my mother-in-law hadn’t tried to move her furniture alone. She has fracture in her back. I will have less time to write now but that’s okay. I don’t mind helping her. It’s having her in pain I don’t like. 🙁

You can find Karen’s book at www.karenwiesner.com click on First Draft.

https://amzn.to/30Vf232

Rewriting

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

Starting over with the same plot sort of…it’s hard but I’m finding it’s not impossible. The difficult part is changing my character Randi’s life. It’s like looking back at my own and thinking what if I had decided to become a lawyer instead of a teacher. What would my life have been like?

Rewriting for me would start with being a better mom.

What would your life look like if you could rewrite it?