by Roseanna White | May 17, 2010 | Uncategorized
Don’t ask me why this topic just popped into my head–I’ve got no clue, LOL. But it should be interesting. =)
Confession: I don’t listen to much modern music. My radio stays tuned to the classical station–which on Friday nights plays Big Band music. My family refers to Fridays from 6-9 as Music Night, and we all gather in the living room to read, talk, and dance to Glen Miller and Benny Goodman and the like.
Other than these two styles of music, I tend to go around singing (anyone wanna take a wild guess here?) songs from the kids’ shows. We’re especially fond of Phineas and Ferb, which has a truly inspired repertoire of music. (Not kidding–they’ve got a fantastic music writer!)
Now, in life in general, I have no problems with my musical choices. It only gets a little difficult when I’m writing a contemporary and have my characters listening to music. They can’t all like classical and swing, and they certainly can’t all go around singing the theme song to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
This is where friends are so awesome. When I need a character to be listening to modern musicians, they are my go-to source for what my characters might like. Although in Note to Self, I cheated and had her singing an oldie–I’m fairly coherent when it comes to talking anything prior to the 90s. =)
What is my point in this? I have no idea. Perhaps that I adore my critique partners, who can help me round out my characters even in these seemingly-small ways. Perhaps that I do appreciate music, even if I’m embarrassingly out-of-date. Or perhaps that it’s Monday, which means modern, and I’m so stuck in Ancient Persia right now that I’ve got nothing else of import to share, LOL.
Hope everyone’s week is off to a fabulous start! And for reference, check out my new “Current Giveaway” gadget in the sidebar–a handy way to link without having to take up space in my current blog. Cool, huh? And for reference, there’ll be a second giveaway tomorrow, for Delia Latham’s Yesterday’s Promise. Don’t miss it!
by Roseanna White | May 14, 2010 | Uncategorized
Today we’re welcoming Heartsong Presents author Shannon Vannatter to chat about her romance White Roses. She’s putting together a really fun new blog that will be launching the end of this month–details at the end!
As usual, leave a comment with how to reach you to be entered for a chance to win a copy of the book!
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About Shannon
Shannon Taylor Vannatter is a stay-at-home mom/pastor’s wife/writer. When not writing, she runs circles in the care and feeding of her husband Grant, their eight-year-old son, and their church congregation. Home is a central Arkansas zoo with two charcoal gray cats, a chocolate lab, a dragonfish, and three dachshunds in weenie dog heaven. If given the chance to clean house or write, she’d rather write. Her goal is to hire Alice from the Brady Bunch.
~*~
About White Roses
Pastor Grayson Sterling loves his wife. The problem is, Sara was killed by a hit-and-run d
river two years ago. Grayson knows he needs to move on, that the continuing depth of his grief is not healthy for him or his young son. Desperate, he convinces his church to hire Mark Welch as associate pastor to relieve him of some of his load. When Adrea Welch arrives at his church with her brother, Grayson cannot deny his attraction to her.
For years, florist Adrea Welch has been artfully arranging white roses for Sara Sterling. Now those flowers are carried to the cemetery by a faithful, grieving husband. How can Adrea be so attracted to a man still devoted to his dead wife? When secrets from Adrea’s past collide with their budding relationship, both she and Grayson must learn to lean on
God’s abiding wisdom.
~*~
What’s your latest book?
White Roses – Heartsong Presents – May 2010
What was the hardest part to write?
The black moment. I hate being mean to my characters.
LOL–I’m with you there. Unless it’s a mean character, of course. 😉 What do you hope your readers will get out of the story?
A closer walk with Jesus and I pray they’ll loan my books to friends who are non-believers.
Is there a theme to this book?
Don’t let fear of the future rule your life. Turn it over to God and live.
Ah, very important lesson. What’s your favorite genre to write? To read?
Romance on both counts. I love worrying how the couple will get past the horrible things the author throws at them, but knowing everything will turn out happily-ever-after. I hate sadly-ever-afters.
I know! What’s the point of escaping if you’re glad to get back to reality? Happily is a must. =) What’s one of the oddest or most interesting things someone has ever said about you?
A writer friend recently said that I have Southern charm. I didn’t realize that and still don’t really know what it means.
It means you’re a true pleasure to be around! =) What would your dream office look like—and what does your REAL writing environment look like?
I actually have my dream office, though if it were truly a dream office, it would be neater and more organized. The walls are my favorite mauve color, it’s furnished in white whicker, with pastel seashell curtains, cushions, and wallpaper border. I have real seashells on display and a few writing awards with family pictures. My two charcoal gray cats usually sit in the window sill. The room inspires me and I do my best writing there.
Is there any one thing or reference you keep handy when writing? Anything you kept around for this particular book?
I keep old magazines and catalogs. For each book, I find a picture to represent each character. I put it all on a piece of paper and hang it on the bulletin board next to my computer.
A visual like that would be cool! Making a mental note . . . Are there any people (family, writing group, editors) who you rely on when writing?
My awesome critique group and my content editor. They help me whip things into a readable, cohesive book.
Aside from writing, what takes up most of your time?
An eight year-old, all-boy, energetic son, a pastor husband, and our church. And I’m starting a new blog. Inkslinger will launch May 31 and will share real life love stories, author interviews, and first meetings of fictional characters, all geared toward romance. It’s taking more time than I ever dreamed.
I know that is! Any upcoming releases we should keep our eye out for?
White Doves releases in Oct 2010 and White Pearls releases in Jan 2011.
~*~
Thanks for visiting, Shannon! Readers, her new blog is going to be SO COOL–make a note to check it out. Yours truly will be a guest this summer. =)
Now, you can find Shannon online at www.shannonvannatter.com, www.inkspirationalmessages.com, and the new love story blog, www.inkslingerblog.com
White Roses is available for purchase from Heartsong Presents. It’ll be available from other retailers in a few months.
Void where prohibited. Entry into the contest is considered a confirmation of eligibility based on your local laws. Contest ends 5/20/10. Winner will have two weeks to claim the book before another is selected.
by Roseanna White | May 13, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Giveaway here –
Deb Raney’s Almost Forever
Giveaway of A Stray Drop of Blood – a special Mother’s Day contest at Sunnybank Meandering includes my book and many other awesome prizes. Also, there’s a really awesome interview and giveaway to correspond with the ACFW book club this month, by the book club coordinator Nora St. Laurent. Check it out at Finding Hope Through Fiction!
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So last week I read my first not-glowing feedback on A Stray Drop of Blood. It got me thinking.
A while ago I made the comment to my best friend that I was looking forward to my first negative review because it would make me a “real” author. It would mean my book was really getting out there, into hands other than my friends and acquaintances. Now, granted, this was a deliberately optimistic take on something I was obviously NOT really looking forward to.
And now I know why I wasn’t looking forward to it. It’s not fun to realize that someone doesn’t like your book. It’s hard to separate it from people not liking you.
The optimist in me still sees the bright side, which includes that this wasn’t a full review and hasn’t yet appeared but one place. The optimist also remembers all the glowing reviews I’ve gotten, all the encouragement, and the readers who disagreed with this mediocre rating where it was rated.
It’s also a valuable lesson in both confidence and humility. We’re told, as authors, not to believe our reviews, either the good or the bad, entirely. But to take criticism constructively and always strive to be better. Can we address that thing someone complained about in our next book? Can we do better on that score?
There’s always room for improvement. No one book will be loved by all. I have to come to grips with the fact that even those in my target readership aren’t necessarily going to love it. But I can’t let that get me down. I have to take it and grow and be better.
The question is always how. And the answer is always Him. If I have any talent, it’s from God. If I have any stories, they came from Him. If anyone is touched by my books, it’s because He chose to speak to them.
Who am I to get upset because God has other ways of talking to some people? I’m just so, so grateful that He has blessed me with the commission to offer my hands, offer my words at all. Through my writing I’ve made friends, I’ve had epiphanies, I’ve grown closer to my God and my Savior. That in itself is reason enough to risk the negative.
by Roseanna White | May 12, 2010 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized
Giveaway here –
Deb Raney’s Almost Forever
Giveaway of A Stray Drop of Blood – a special Mother’s Day contest at Sunnybank Meandering includes my book and many other awesome prizes. Also, there’s a really awesome interview and giveaway to correspond with the ACFW book club this month, by the book club coordinator Nora St. Laurent. Check it out at Finding Hope Through Fiction!
~*~
It finally occurred to me why reading Herodotus’s The Histories is so much more interesting than reading a history textbook from my high school days. It reads like a novel! I mean, modern writing rules would hate it, but seriously.
The thing that makes Herodotus fun to read is that he gets into the heads of the historical figures. He not only reports the actions, he tells you why they did them. He tells us who was jealous, who was arrogant, who was vindictive, who was earnest, who was noble. And when one’s reading, one totally buys it (mostly).
But as I was writing a scene yesterday, wondering why I couldn’t get past a certain part, it struck me. Herodotus, while trustworthy enough with the facts, didn’t know some things any better than I do. So I have ever right to ignore him sometimes (Duh, I know–I’m writing fiction, right?).
I’d already decided to ignore the motivations he states when they don’t suit me. There’s a rather scandalous affair he tells us about, and the only rationale given for it is “He fell in love with her. Then he fell in love with her daughter.” Um . . . that‘s boring. And waaaaaay too simple, given the “her” and the “daughter.” So Roseanna’s gonna take a few liberties. =)
Yesterday’s realization actually came when I had to ignore an underlying image. He never physically describes this one person, but the way he writes him gave me an immediate image of a sniveling little monkey of a man. As I introduced this guy, though, my fingers got a mind of their own and gave him a strong physical appearance. The sniveling became respect. The cowardice he shows later will become good common sense and a touch of divine inspiration. And suddenly I could write the scene!
It was one of those odd moments, when I realized that the very thing that makes me like a book is also the thing that means I don’t have to follow it to a T. Freeing, neh?
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.