Photo Tour - The Moment Between

As you may or may not know, The Moment Between is set primarily in a fictitious estate and vineyard called Thompson Hills. The winery is based on my experiences in British Columbia's wine country--the Thompson Okanagan. When we lived in Vancouver, we often vacationed in the Okanagan and enjoyed taking tours of the many wineries in the area. The whole place is just breathtaking... I tried to capture the magic of it in The Moment Between, but I'd love to share a few photos of it with you while you wait for the book to release.

I've created a photo album for The Moment Between on my Facebook page. If you'd like to see firsthand some of the inspiration for my third novel, click on the link (or on the photo below) and peek around. You may learn a fun fact or two! Like how Eli (my interesting vintner and estate owner) got his dog... Nan (Fernando) appeared in the story after I took a photo of an architecturally stunning winery entrance. When I looked at the picture after the fact, there was a dog smack dab in the middle of it all. And he just fit. Voila. Meet Nan. Anyhoo, happy browsing!

Sneak Peek, Part II

What I didn't mention the other day is that Lucas's story is only part of my fourth book. Woven through his narrative is the story of Meg Painter, a young woman who knows all about unrequited love. Her heart opened for a boy when she was ten years old, and it's taken him a decade to realize that he may love her too. But it just might be too late.

An excerpt:

As she walked away from Dawson, Meg suffered the weight of what she knew to be true press so heavy against her chest she struggled to breathe. It was suffocating, and she fought the realization of her feelings for him in futile frustration until the moment her heart finally gave way and split open along the seam, an overripe peach rending its flesh. She hadn’t known that it could burst like that. Or that the fissure wouldn’t mend with time--that it would continue to leak.

That death by devotion is a slow, aching bleed.

Sneak Peek

I'm going away for a few days to hopefully finish up my fourth book. Still untitled. Argh. I hate coming up with titles. Anyway, I haven't told you much about it, so I decided to share a few thoughts about my work in progress. Believe it or not, this is mostly for me. It's a way of organizing my hopes and ideas for this book... Sometimes I get so lost in the muddle of the page-to-page story, I lose sight of the big picture. Imagine that.

My newest book is my first real attempt at a love story. It's not a romance, per se, but the driving force behind my characters' actions is definitely love. My protag is a small town doctor named Lucas Hudson who is trying to save his ten-year-old marriage to Jenna, the love of his life. When a dead body is discovered and Lucas acts as coroner, he finds himself swept up in a bizarre suicide/murder case that complicates everything. As he's drawn into the unfolding story, his marriage suffers more, especially when a dangerous young woman enters the picture.

It's been interesting (and actually lots of fun) to write tense, sensual scenes that try to capture the emotions of love gone wrong. Here's a quick paragraph from a scene where Lucas is thrust into an uncomfortable situation:

Angela shut the refrigerator door with her hip and stood tall in the center of the kitchen, stately and imperious, and looking for all the world like she owned the place. She locked Lucas in a calculating gaze, and tucked her bottom lip between her teeth so that a thin sliver of white shone between the curve of her lips with a sort of feline restraint. It wasn’t until she started shining the apple on the fabric of her nightshirt that Lucas realized that she was wearing one of his shirts. One of his favorites. It was pinstriped with French cuffs and it fell halfway to her knees.

Christy nomination!

While my mind is firmly planted on The Moment Between and my as-of-yet unnamed book #4, cool things are happening with my backlist. (I have a backlist. Sheesh.) A few days ago, I was thrilled (actually, that doesn't quite encompass it, try: blown away, shocked silent, tickled positively pink) to learn that my second book, Summer Snow, has been nominated for a Christy Award! The Christy Awards recognize excellence in Christian fiction, and I am so flattered that one of my books is being considered for this incredible honor. Wow.

Summer Snow is one of three finalists in the Contemporary Series, Sequels, and Novellas category, and the winner will be announced this summer at the ICRS convention in Denver. Wow. Did I say that already? I'm still reeling... :)

Here's the full list of this years' nominees. Check out the amazing authors! I'm on this list?!?!

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Beyond the Night by Marlo Schalesky

Finding Stefanie by Susan May Warren

Zora and Nicky: A Novel in Black and White by Claudia Mair Burney

CONTEMPORARY SERIES, SEQUELS, AND NOVELLAS

Sisterchicks Go Brit! by Robin Jones Gunn

Summer Snow by Nicole Baart

You Had Me at Good-bye by Tracey Bateman

CONTEMPORARY STANDALONE

Dogwood by Chris Fabry

Embrace Me by Lisa Samson

Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon by Debbie Fuller Thomas

FIRST NOVEL

Blue Hole Back Home by Joy Jordan-Lake

Rain Song by Alice J. Wisler

Safe at Home by Richard Doster

HISTORICAL

Shadow of Colossus by T.L. Higley

Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin

Washington’s Lady by Nancy Moser

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

Calico Canyon by Mary Connealy

From a Distance by Tamera Alexander

The Moon in the Mango Tree by Pamela Binnings Ewen

SUSPENSE

By Reason of Insanity by Randy Singer

The Rook by Steven James

Winter Haven by Athol Dickson

VISIONARY

The Battle for Vast Dominion by George Bryan Polivka

Shade by John B. Olson

Vanish by Tom Pawlik

YOUNG ADULT

The Fruit of My Lipstick by Shelley Adina

I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires by Cathy Gohlke

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson

PW Review

A little mixed, but I'm happy with it, I think.

The Moment Between Nicole Baart.

Tyndale House, $13.99 paper (400p) ISBN 978-1-4143-2322-0

Baart (Summer Snow) writes an emotionally intense tale of two sisters. Past and present alternate as the history of their family unfolds in order to explain their present circumstances. The present is largely set in a winery in British Columbia, where one of the sisters, Abigail Bennett, pursues Tyler Kamp, her sister Hailey's boyfriend. The vineyard offers opportunity for beautiful description and resonant imagery as the narrative unspools. Abigail is presented in painful, almost claustrophobic, detail as she deals with the central puzzle of her family and history. But some of the supporting characters, while intriguing, are slightly off-pitch. Hailey's boyfriend Tyler isn't presented fully enough, and winemaker Eli Dixon occasionally becomes more of a symbol than a character with a compelling back story. But Baart has exactly right the members and dynamics of the Bennett family, locked in the manic dance of mental illness. She tells a poignant and gripping story. (May)

Facebook

So I have a Facebook fan page. Yes, you read that right and yes, I'm crimson as I write it. Fan pages? Seriously? But I guess it's one of those things you do--good for networking, good for publicity, good for selling books...? Hmmm. Not sure if I buy that (no pun intended). Anyway, the lovely ladies in marketing at Tyndale set up this nifty page for me and threatened to write responses in my name if I don't step up. Since we have similar senses of humor, I don't see a problem with this. ;) All the same, I will learn how to manage the page and try to drop by on a regular basis to post interesting things. I hope. I mean, I hope you find the things interesting. Argh. As you can tell, I'm a goofy, bumbling idiot when it comes to anything publicity related. I just might manage to muck this up royally before it's all said and done. Ugh. I need a drink. Did I just type that???

At any rate, you can click on the link to check it out. Or not. Either way. Oh, just don't be mad at me if I don't respond to any posts, comments, etc. for a while--I'm not set up to do so yet. And I might drag my feet in doing so... I'm kinda curious to see what sorts of quirky things the administrators come up with in my name. :)

Early Reviews

"A taut, engrossing story about familial love and redemption."

-Booklist

"Haunting and evocative... a stunning literary work."

-Tosca Lee, author of Demon and Havah

"This book is a treasure, and not to be missed."

-Angela Hunt, bestselling author

"A heart-wrenching story, beautifully rendered..."

-Francine Rivers, bestselling author

Starting Again

I'm in the process of writing my fourth book for contract, and I'm humbled to find that I still have much to learn. Of course, I don't assume that there will ever come a time that I'll stop growing, but all the same I am routinely startled by my own relative youth and inexperience in the midst of this wonderful writing world. Don't think that just because someone is published means that they've got it all figured out.

About six months ago I started book #4. After the emotional upheaval of writing The Moment Between, I was looking to pen something a little less profound with a little more creative direction from page one. The Moment Between was a wild journey from first to last sentence--I wanted a more leisurely drive with a detailed roadmap. So I spent a few weeks prepping. I researched, did extensive character sketches on all my main players, plotted chapters, and drew a painstaking story arc for the entire book. It was beautiful. In fact, it still is beautiful. The characters are exquisite, the story is interesting, and the plot is well-crafted. But I can't write this book. I've been trying and trying...

I think that in spite of my best efforts to do things "by the book" this time around, I've killed the story for myself. Writing Bridgewater (the tentative title of book #4) was like cooking with a recipe--something I rarely do and wholeheartedly resent. Oh, it's fine to have the recipe nearby in case I need a reference. But I've found that my best dishes emerge when I taste something I love in a restaurant and then come home to do a little interpretation. A little interpretation, a lot of imagination.

So it is with books. At least, so it is with books and me. I've abandoned Bridgewater for the time being. I love the story and I hope to still write it someday, but I need some distance from the prescritive planning I originally did. It just didn't work for me. Anyway, I'm not much for giving advice, but if you're looking for a writing tip, this would be mine: do what works for you. Experiment, try your hand at anything and everything, listen to the experts, and then ditch it all if it's not your thing. There, I've given you permission to be a literary rebel. Use your freedom wisely.

As for what I'm currently working on... I'm in love with writing again. This new book (very creatively called Untitled) has captured my imagination. Maybe that's the key--I'm still imagining it, present progressive tense. It's an ongoing thing. Works for me. At any rate, stay tuned. I'll give clues, hints, and sneak peeks as the story progresses.

Library Journal Ad

I had my marketing conference call this week to go over the marketing plan for The Moment Between. I've gotten to participate in this fun conversation three times now (once for each book), and it never gets old! True, I can't contribute much more than a frequent witticism (like: "Great!" "Mm-hmm." and "Wow!"), but I love it all the same. It reassures me that yes, they do really like the book, and yes, they do really think other people will, too! Phew.

Anyway, thought I'd share a cool ad with you. This lovely little thing will run in the next issue of Library Journal. Hey--if you get it, save me a copy! I'd love to see it in print! :)

Finalized Cover

I just had to share the finalized cover for The Moment Between. Isn't it pretty? I love it. Can't wait to see it in a store! :)

It's coming... The Moment Between

I am in such a fantastic mood today. The sun is shining, there is half a foot of blindingly white snow on the ground, and I have a mug of English toffee laced Ethiopian coffee in hand. Life is good. Okay, so it's like 30 below zero outside... at least I can... uh... enjoy(?) it from behind warm glass. It's amazing to me that a patch of sunlight is still warm when it's so freezing cold outside. Anyway, I digress.

Part of the reason I'm in such a good mood today is because my next book, The Moment Between, is creeping ever closer to a book shelf near you! I'm so excited. I was browsing Amazon for Christmas gifts the other day and typed in The Moment Between on a whim--I wanted to see what other titles out there were similar to my next offering. Lo and behold, I discovered that my third book is available for pre-order! There's something very fun about having three books out there, even if one isn't quite official yet.

I find it fitting that things seem to be happening in harmony with my budding book excitement. Today the novelist Trish Perry is hosting my first interview about The Moment Between. Pop on over to her site for more info about the book as well as a giveaway! This is a fun giveaway because you have two chances to win. I'll be signing a copy of Summer Snow and sending it off next week to one lucky winner. But I'll also send an Advanced Reader Copy of The Moment Between to one reader who is willing to help spread the word. The catch is, you need to have a blog or website where you can review the book. We'd also appreciate it if you'd post your review to the major bookselling websites (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.). I'm not 100% sure when I can send the ARC out, so the contest will require a bit of patience on your part (I hope you're good at delayed gratification). I think the wait is worth it!

Finally, I have one last exciting thing to share with you... The cover! This isn't a finalized cover, there will be a lovely blurb squished in somewhere, but you get the idea. Isn't it gorgeous??? I just love it. Cheers to the very talented artist, Jessie McGrath. Her work is amazing.

Have a wonderful week!

Reviews & Contest

Sara Richardson at MomStories.org has just posted review of both After the Leaves Fall and Summer Snow. Though you may not need to read another review of my books, I highly recommend taking a moment to check out this neat website. According to what can only be deemed their mission statement, MomStories hopes to: "give moms everywhere an opportunity to discover more about faith, experience divine hope, and encounter God’s love." They have book reviews, scripture meditations, and inspirational posts about beauty, finances, health, relationships, and more. Plus, I'll be giving away a set of signed books to one lucky reader. As always, all you have to do is leave a comment. Have a great Monday!

Julia

Since the covers of my books aren't typical for the CBA market (i.e. they don't depict the main character) one of the questions that I am continally asked by readers is: What does Julia look like??? Of course, I describe her in After the Leaves Fall and Summer Snow, but some people still want to see her. "Compare her to a Hollywood actor," people implore me. But for some reason I can't imagine Julia as anyone in Hollywood. "Sketch a picture," someone else recommended. Are you kidding me? I hardly do stick people.

Well, I think I've finally found Julia. I refused to peg her as anyone until I found the perfect picture of her--the photo had to absolutely nail the Julia I had envisioned when I was writing her. And this young woman is it. Here is my interpretation of Julia De Smit, lovely but just a little awkward, tenacious yet uncertain, strong but scared. What do you think? Is this Julia?

Writing Partners

People often ask me what sort of advice I have for writers who aspire to be published. Honestly? That question often makes me feel a bit uncomfortable--I'm hardly a seasoned veteran. And who's to say that what works for me will work for you? My mind feels fresh and ready to write after a hour of yoga and a cup of strong coffee. You may not be the yoga type. (I won't even comment about not being the coffee type. If that's the case, we gotta talk.) Besides, when I've received writing advice in the past, I have to admit that it hasn't always been that helpful to me. I think the best thing you can do is try it all, keeping what you like and chucking what you hate.

However, I do believe that there are a few things about writing that apply across the board. One of them is the necessity of a writing partner, critique partner, partner-in-crime, whatever you want to call it. My writing partner and first draft editor is the single most influential person in the production of my manuscript. He listens to me babble endlessly about my ideas (in the planning stage) and offers sage advice and words of wisdom when my big dreams go a little overboard. Then he edits and encourages me through the writing of every chapter of the book. Because he is not immersed up to his eyeballs like me, he can see things in plot and characterization that I can't. Sometimes his analysis of my work catches me a bit off-guard, but when I have a little distance I usually find that his observations are bang on. Finally, he bounces ideas off me, helping me see plot twists that I didn't even pick up on myself, and getting rid of the non-essentials. I don't know what I would do without him.

Anyway, I was thinking about Todd today, wondering if he's ready to jump into another book with me, or if he's had enough of editing my first draft drivel. I hope not. If you're reading, Todd, cheers. You'll have a chapter in your in-box soon.

Wine Tour, Take II

Well, today my Big Boy is officially a preschooler. I dropped him off this morning, prepared for an emotional display and a little mommy-clinging. Uh, no. We were two feet in the door when my sweet son took off without even saying goodbye. I did a pathetic lunge and tried to catch him for one last hug, but he shrugged me off. Can you believe it? My four and a half year old is a fully functioning (not to mention independent) human being. The nerve. I pined for him all morning, but when he came home at lunchtime, it was obvious he hadn't given me a second thought. Everything was "Cody-this" and "Cody-that"... Apparently my Big Boy has a new friend. Although, I guess I can't claim that this yet-to-be-seen young man has usurped my role in my son's life. Sadly, it has never been "Mommy-this" and "Mommy-that" around our house. Oh well, who am I kidding? I want my son to be happy, well-adjusted, normal, etc. I guess this is just one more small step in his maturation.

Anyway, in an effort to get my mind off my ever-changing life, I'm going to post a few more wine tour pics. I consider the Okanagan my "happy place" right now. He-he-he!

This is the view from the second-story deck of our fabulous bed and breakfast, Okanagan Oasis. The little patio with the grass umbrellas is where we enjoyed our first bottle of Okanagan wine. Then we went for a swim in the heated salt-water pool, and out for supper on a dock over the lake. Amazing.

Here I am with my beautiful mom right before our Mission Hills viticulture tour. Everything at Mission Hills was very well cared for and lush.

Sampling the fare... :) I believe this was the Cabernet Franc. Yum.

A view of the amazing cellars at Mission Hills. This particular cellar is a cave that was blasted out of the side of the mountain that the winery is perched atop. It was spectacular.

Wine Tour, Take I

Sorry it's been so dull around here lately. A two-week vacation always seems to take longer than two weeks... Between the packing, traveling, packing again, traveling again, unpacking, and clean up, the days just seem to disappear. But the Baart family is finally settled at home and life is more or less normal. If you can call my Big Boy going off to preschool next week "normal." (Brief pause to wipe slobbery, pathetic mommy tear.) Any-hoo, you don't give a rip about the trivialities of my life, so I'll stop babbling and get to the good stuff.

Where to begin...? Though our two weeks in BC were filled with family, friends, and a beautiful wedding, we did manage to squeeze a three day trip in to the Okanagan. This region is about a four hour drive east of Vancouver, through some of the most beautiful mountain country you'll ever see. As you near Canada's only desert, the topography undergoes some dramatic changes: it seems like one moment you're driving through a coastal rainforest, and the next you can imagine the hiss of rattlesnakes just over the sandy ridge. It's breathtaking.

Why the Okanagan? Well, partly because it's our favorite vacation destination, but mostly because my next book, All the Places Between, is primarily set there. The backdrop for the book is a small, family owned estate and vineyard called Thompson Hills. Though the book deals with suicide, mental illness, relationships, and revenge, wine plays an integral part in the storytelling. And I just had to do some research.

Over the course of three days we visited several vineyards, including the world-renowned Mission Hills and the lesser known Tinhorn Creek. Mission Hills crafts some of my favorite wines, and it was absolutely inspiring to spend time touring their grounds and visiting their spectacular cellar. As for Tinhorn Creek, it deserves the distinction of being the very first winery I ever visited (and the place I began to really fall in love with wine). I toured Tinhorn for the first time over six years ago and was enchanted by the picturesque winery. My memories of Tinhorn served me well as I was writing All the Places Between.

Anyway, I don't feel like I'm doing a very good job of articulating myself. I'm still tired, and a little off from traveling, so for now I'll just leave you with some pictures. Enjoy.

A lovely little bunch of Cabernet Franc graps at Tinhorn Creek.

The remains of salmon with red pepper remoulade and a blackberry and goat cheese salad. We had a flight of white wines to complement the meal, starting with a soft, buttery Chardonnay and ending with a Pinot Gris.

Here we are in front of Tinhorn Creek. The tasting room overlooks the show vineyards and the valley below. It's so gorgeous.

I just loved the look of the vines...

Edits

It's Monday afternoon and I am officially exhausted. And the week has just begun--what's my problem? It could have something to do with the fact that it's cool and overcast today (fall weather already?), but more likely, my eyes are tired and my brain is fried from working on edits for my third book (tentatively titled All the Places Between--what do you think?). Hooray! I'm firmly entrenched in the editorial process!

Believe it or not, I love editing. Right now I have spread out beside me all 407 pages, 115,438 words of my manuscript. And it's covered in handwritten comments, post-it notes, and suggestions. Most of the time, I find the observations spot-on and helpful. Since I want this book to be the best it can possibly be, I'm more than willing to iron out every wrinkle I can. But deciphering the notes isn't always easy (I just read: "Catholics are hot, big Bible readers," and stared cross-eyed at the page until I realized the comment was actually "Catholics are not big Bible readers." He-he-he!), and sometimes I feel like untangling the story lines to get at the heart of the matter is dizzingly difficult. Difficult, but very rewarding. I love doing it.

Anyway, back to edits for now. I leave on vacation soon so I want to get as much done as possible before we jet off to BC. I'll keep you updated.

Bad Review

After the Leaves Fall has been in bookstores for nearly eleven months now. And the shelf life of Summer Snow is somewhere around three months. It's been a fun year to say the least, and so far I've been very blessed by lots of positive feedback and encouragement. Publishing a book has been a dream come true!

Until this week. Da-da-da-dum. Cue the violins. This week (*gasp*) I received (*sniffle*) my first (or, at least, the first that I know of) bad review (oh the horrors). Ahhhh!!!

Okay, enough melodrama. I knew this was coming. Every author gets bad reviews. So, how does a new author deal with a crappy analysis of her blood, sweat, and tears hard work??? This author blogs about it apparently.

What did my unimpressed reviewer have to say about Summer Snow? Well, he found my characters "stereotypical" and "close to being unconvincing." He also didn't think my story was original and he figured he knew exactly what was going to happen throughout the rest of the book by the end of the first few chapters. Bummer. Thankfully, he was "slightly impressed with the quality of the writing." Hey, that's better than nothing.

I have to admit that some of his opinions stung. How could they not? I think that anytime you pour yourself into a work of your hands (or your mind or your heart) you expose a very private, vulnerable part of yourself. And then people get to walk by and analyze it--and you. Yeeps.

But in spite of my slightly battered feelings, I know that there is much I can learn from my icky review. Lesson #1: Not everyone is going to love my stuff. I'm okay with that. I don't love everything I read either. Lesson #2: There may be hard truths to uncover in the midst of a bad review. Though I'd love my first two books to be perfect, I know that I have much to learn about the craft of writing. I need to be encouraged by the good people have to say, and search for wisdom and advice in the bad. Lesson #3: I can't take myself so seriously. 'Nuff said. Lesson #4: I need to remember that I write for an audience of one. It's easy to get caught up in what people say or don't say about my books... But writing for me was never about what other people thought. For twenty years I wrote for no one but myself and God. Volumes of poetry, short stories, character sketches, you name it. And I was happy and fulfilled because my writing was an act of worship. Summer Snow was an act of worship. Writing it was a beautiful, holy experience. That's enough for me.

Hmmm... I guess I owe you a thank you, Mr. Bad Review. :)

Explosive

So I'm researching tanker explosions for my next novel. How's that for an opening blog line? Mmmm... tanker explosions. Very interesting. Or not. Does the premise of a tanker explosion make you want to read book #4? :)

You may or may not remember this, but a year ago our small town experienced what could have been a major disaster. (You can read the original post here.) A semi driver was pumping ethanol from a train car into his eighteen-wheeler when a spark of static from his shirt ignited the gas fumes. Within seconds, the entire tanker was engulfed in flames and moments later a series of explosions rocked the town. 2,000 people were evacuated from their homes as fire crews worked to prevent the remaining tankers from exploding. Scary stuff. Anyway, back then I remember thinking: this would make a great story! And look at me now: it's a year later and this incident is finding it's way into my fourth book. Though I have other ideas for books, this is the one that is gripping me now--I have to write it.

So far, I can't believe what I'm learning. Who knew ethanol production was so dangerous? In the little research I've done, I've been shocked by the amount of explosions at both ethanol plants and throughout the distribution process. Apparently the politics of ethanol production extends beyond it's arguable status as a "green" energy source. Yeeps. I just wanted to write a good book, not a political manifesto... Maybe I should have a tornado hit the town instead. Is a natural disaster less potentially offensive?

Nah, I think I'll keep researching. Hopefully my "worst case scenario" plot will exist only on paper and never in real life. Though the towns that experienced what you see below are probably thinking the same thing I am: what about next time???

ICRS Fun

Okay, so I tackled serious stuff in my last post about ICRS, now I'll write about something fun.

The last night that I was in Orlando, Tyndale hosted an Author Appreciation Dinner at Epcot. It was so much fun! We had a banquet in the Great Hall of China, replete with Chinese food, incredible acrobats (I was so terrified that they were going to fall I could hardly watch), and wonderful conversation. After supper we enjoyed a dessert buffet of chocolate mousse and all the toppings. (Great idea for summer entertaining, by the way. They set it up like an ice cream bar--we scooped mousse into waffle cones and topped it with nuts, chocolate shavings, sprinkles, cherries, the works.) Then we walked to an outdoor plaza and watched the fireworks show over the lake. I felt like a little kid! And if you know me at all, you know that I love feeling like a kid.

Anyway, I'm so humbled and grateful to be a part of Tyndale! I love this company and the people in it. They certainly didn't have to throw a banquet to make me feel appreciated, but it was a wonderful evening even if I did feel very spoiled.


Here's a photo of our table. I'm afraid I had to steal it from Angela Hunt because although I took my camera to Epcot, I was dumb enough to forget to take pictures. Anyway, I'm second from the left between my lovely editor, Stephanie, and Francine Rivers. Isn't the table decor pretty? The orchids were real. I love orchids...