by Roseanna White | Mar 7, 2011 | Word of the Week
First of all, I’d like to say I think about this phrase for my books ONLY. š It recently came up in a manuscript I’d read, where a character says, “He cheated on me.” Obviously, we all know what she meant. “Cheat,” is in fact the most common way these days to say someone was unfaithful to a spouse or significant other.
But you know what? That phrase wasn’t recorded until 1934. So all those historicals that have a character accusing another of cheating . . . well, they must mean at cards, right? š
There have been a few occasions in my own books where I had this situation too, and my gut told me to look up the usage of the word. When I discovered it was so very modern, that obviously forced me to find the alternate ways of saying this. “Be unfaithful to” was a little wordy, but “betray” always worked well.
I know, I know, what a note to start the week on! LOL. But it’s one of those surprisingly-modern things, so I thought I’d share. Hope everyone had a great weekend!
by Roseanna White | Mar 4, 2011 | Uncategorized
Today I’m happy to welcome Shellie Neumeier to my blog to chat about her debut novel, a YA book entitled Driven. I’ve got this book sitting on my shelf waiting to be read, and it looks great.
Shellie has been generous enough to offer a copy to one lucky reader, so please leave your comments below with an email address where you can be reached–and be sure to click “follow” if you haven’t already! š
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About Driven
Robyn canāt help but notice the handsome new guy at her school. She ignores, however, the arrival of another being at Brookfield Central High Schoolāa demon assigned to destroy herā¦
Robyn loves her friends, enjoys her youth group, and looks forward to meeting cute Caleb Montague. But when a caustic news reporter challenges her schoolās prayer team, Robyn must choose: defend their right to meet on campus and pray for whomever they wish or back down at the principalās request.
Now she must learn what God wants her to do. And she had better learn fast, because thereās a supernatural enemy in town whose sole mission is to stop herāno matter the cost.
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About Shellie
Shellie Neumeier holds a degree in Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a minor in Psychology, Sociology and Social Studies. A devoted mother of four, Shellie previously worked on staff with Northbrook Church as the Kingās Kids ministry assistant (serving children in grades 2nd through 5th), developing and writing curriculum, involving families and volunteers in Kingās Kids programs and encouraging the spiritual growth in school-aged children. Shellieās YA novel, Driven, is now available in electronic form and is scheduled for print release March 1, 2011 from Risen Fiction. She is an active member of SCBWI and ACFW as well as a contributing author at various blogs including Samiesisters.com, thebarndoor.net, and ya_noveling.com.
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What’s your latest book?
My debut novel, Driven, was released for the holidays in its kindle version and will be released everywhere else on March 1, 2011 by Risen Books.
I love the cover! But I suppose we should look beneath it. š What was the hardest part to write?
The fight scene. Iāve never been in one or watched one and I rarely read about them. It took quite a bit of research, editing, and imagination to get it to work.
Where’s a fight-picking friend when you need one, anyway? =) What do you hope your readers will get out of the story?
Hopefully my readers will come away with a renewed sense of power. A sense of I-can-do-that, whatever āthatā may be in their lives. And of course I hope they come away having enjoyed a great ride from the story.
What’s your favorite genre to write? To read?
I love writing YA because the readers are so passionate about what they consume. And they give you latitude with creative moments, but keep you accountable with unrealistic moments too. Itās a challenge, but Iāve always loved challenges.
I have a huge appreciation for the YA genre–you definitely have a challenging, but oh-so-rewarding job! What are you reading right nowāand what do you want to read next?
Iām finishing the Hunger Games trilogy and I have Brandilyn Collinsā novel, Deceit, on my kindle just waiting to be read next.
Oo, don’t forget to breathe. (Tee hee hee) Okay, let’s change directions a bit. What would your dream office look likeāand what does your REAL writing environment look like?
I would love one of those warehouse loft offices with super high ceilings and tons of workspace, oh and a huge wall of windows overlooking a river, but in the real world I work at the kitchen counter once my children have been sent off to school. Itās crowded and usually sticky, but it works.
LOL on the sticky. Glad I’m not the only one with a sticky table. Is there any one thing or reference you keep handy when writing? Anything you kept around for this particular book?
Googleāitās open all the time and a thesaurus/dictionary. Those pesky words slip my mind from time to time and I canāt find them without that thesaurus.
If you could take your family on a vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Disney cruise. Hands down. We live in Wisconsin and its January. I think that says it all =).
You bet it does! And we are SO with you.
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Thanks so much for visiting, Shellie, and giving my readers a glimpse into your fun book! Readers, be sure to check out her website at http://shellieneumeier.com in addition to the blogs she listed in her bio. You can find Driven at Amazon.
Void where prohibited. Entry into the contest is considered verification of eligibility based on your local laws. Chance of winning depends on number of entries. Contest ends 3/11/11. Winner will have two weeks to claim prize.
by Roseanna White | Mar 3, 2011 | Uncategorized
For those who haven’t already seen elsewhere, I have the flu. On top of the sinus/ear infection (which has mostly cleared up). That makes 3 weeks of straight sickness. Fun stuff.
Needless to say, a few things have slipped. Housework primarily (ha ha), but blogging too. Sorry about that. I’ll have an interview/giveaway posted tomorrow, and next week I’ll hopefully be back to my usual schedule.
In the meantime, I thought I’d let you know that this week I’m featured on
Shannon Vannatter’s blog. Monday she posted
my wedding story, complete with our gorgeous beach pictures, yesterday was
an interview about the romance of Kasia and Xerxes from
Jewel of Persia, and tomorrow will be an excerpt from the book. You can comment on any of the posts to be entered for a chance to win a copy.
Also, I just started a Yahoo! group for writers of Biblical and Ancient World fiction. If any of you write or are interested in writing in these oh-so-awesome genres, let me know and I’ll send you an invite!
by Roseanna White | Mar 1, 2011 | Uncategorized
I’m a little late posting today thanks to another round of sickness, but I figure y’all will enjoy hearing about this book, so I’ll offer a very informal review. =)
Love Amid the Ashes is the story of Job like you’ve never heard it before. In a wonderful glimpse at the true time line of the Old Testament and some logical deduction and a little imagination, Mesu weaves this story of trial and tribulation and faithfulness with that of another Biblical character we hear only a little about–Dinah, the violated daughter of Jacob, whose brothers slaughter a whole city on her behalf.
After the death of her beloved Grandfather Isaac, Dinah, always the outcast, finds herself promised in marriage to Job’s eldest son. But when Job’s world comes crashing down the very day they reach Uz, she finds herself drawn to the faith and compassion of this great man brought low–and caught in the web of desperate deceit of his wife, Sitis.
I’m not quite done yet, but I can tell you now that this is a book of amazing faith, unexpected love, and tender emotions that result in characters that feel incredibly realistic. Mesu does an expert job of painting a vivid setting, and the Old Testament comes to life under her expert hand.
I could go on–and probably will once I’m done, and well again (grrr, sickness!)–but for now let it suffice to say that this is Biblical novel I’m ecstatic to add to my shelf and an author I’m going to be watching closely. =)
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. Having successfully launched two homeschool grads, she now spends her time writing fiction, 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, as well as a fantasy series and contemporary mysteries and romances. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her booksā¦to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.