by Roseanna White | Feb 16, 2015 | Word of the Week
I was critiquing a few chapters for a friend of mine last week, and it led me to do some quick research–in which I learned something new, yay! =) Namely, about Sunday school.
The phrase Sunday school dates from 1783. However, it wasn’t religious instruction. On the contrary, it was regular school, offered on the one day a week poor children who worked in factories were free–Sunday. It began as a philanthropic movement, meant to educate England’s poorest to give them a hope at a better life.
So this school on Sunday would be teaching them reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic. Though granted, the Bible was their primer, so there was still some spiritual lessons involved. =) The idea of Sunday School traveled across the pond during the Industrial Revolution and took up work in America too. But it wasn’t until the 1870s that it became a school time attached to church, whose sole objective was to teach Biblical principles. That was a change that happened first in America and then worked its way back to England.
Interesting, eh?
Hope everyone has a great week! On my blog this week you have the following to look forward to:
Tuesday – Book Review of The Red Tent
Wednesday – Cover Design post on I Always Cry at Weddings
Hope to see you all back here over the next few days! Stay warm!!
by Roseanna White | Feb 11, 2015 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Today is one of those milestones (so forgive me for posting my “thoughtful” post a day early, LOL). My baby turned 7. My youngest, my little guy. Proving yet again that time marches ever onward.
So as is my tradition, I figure I’ll take time out of my normal scheduled blogging today to talk a bit about my awesome little guy.
For starters, I have a hard time finding a picture these days, because he’s so much like his papa–he likes being behind a camera, but has developed an aversion to being in front of one, LOL. This is from his party. You won’t find him in the shot. 😉
Rowyn is an inquisitive little guy, and he loves learning. His favorite books are his Lego Build book and his Dino Encyclopedia. (Yes, non-fiction. Can you hear me weeping? Sniff, sniff.) He loves science, is awesome at math, and likes to pretend he can’t read very well…until he wants to, then lo and behold, he can read most anything he sees.
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| Candy bridge (why, what do you do with yours?) |
Though he often still says he wants to be an artist when he grows up, he also thinks it would be fun to be a digger. And a race car driver. And a rock star (though he doesn’t like being on stage any more than he likes having his picture taken). And…he just admitted last week…a builder.
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| Lego Dragon: “Fully articulated!” says Rowyn |
This is where he really shines right now. This kid will build in absolutely any medium. String and toothpicks become bridges for his toys. Halloween candy isn’t just for eating, it’s for building a Candy Kingdom with. Blocks, Legos, boxes…all fodder for his rich engineering imagination. I love seeing what he comes up with…and after Christmas or a birthday, you may just hear me saying, “Please, Rowyn, can we take a break from building things for just a few minutes? Please??” LOL
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| Rowyn, age 4, building with wood scraps |
Of my two, he’s the busier–always playing, building, drawing. But he’s also the cuddler. I joke that I must have a magnet in my lap, because I can’t sit down near him without him climbing up and plopping down. I can always count on that 6 a.m. “Mama!” to be followed by hugs and cuddles. He loves to laugh, hates to be apart from his sister, and doesn’t need to be reprimanded for hitting nearly as much as he used to be. 😉 Though in some ways he refuses to be independent, in other ways, he takes pride in being self-sufficient…usually in the ways I wish he wouldn’t, LOL. (“No, Rowyn, don’t try to cut that yourself! Rowyn, don’t climb up on that, just ask me to get it off the shelf for you! Buddy, you can’t operate that equipment on your own…”) He’s my helper in the kitchen, though if ever I suggest he learn how to be a chef someday, he gives me a look that says, “No way, crazy woman.”
This kid’s dimples always get me, and his laugh is one of the bright spots in my days–it’s straight from the belly, unrestrained. Though he often goes silent around other folks, he spends his days with rarely a quiet moment at home. When he isn’t talking or making appropriate sound effects for his toys, he’s singing–and rarely a song that isn’t an original Rowyn. (So who knows, maybe he will overcome the stage-aversion thing and be a rock star, LOL.)
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| Ro “stealing kisses” in Dec. 2013 |
I’m so incredibly blessed to have these two amazing little people in my life. So incredibly blessed to get to spend my days teaching them and learning with them, watching their every discovery and seeing how they grow. I love seeing them come into the gifts and talents God has given them.
And so glad to get to wish my little guy a happy 7th birthday. May this year be filled with discovery, love, and laughter, Ro-boat!
by Roseanna White | Feb 10, 2015 | Uncategorized
Forgive the exclamation points. =) But this is exciting stuff!
The Lost Heiress, coming this September from Bethany House, is my first book. As in, the one I started when I was 12 and finished at 13. Okay, so it’s undergone a few minor changes (cough–gazillion rewrites!), but the heart of the story is still the same.
And I have been waiting 20 years for a cover!!!
Here are a few of my early trials, from when it was called Golden Sunset, Silver Tear.
As you can see, I was all about jamming as much as possible on that cover, LOL. For reference, the black horse still plays a part in the story. (Though his name is now Oscuro [Italian for “darkness”] rather than Star). Brook and Justin are still my hero and heroine. Her necklace is now pearls rather than wooden beads, and there’s no little angel figurine (why was there ever, again??).
And Bethany House decided to go simple with the cover. “Stark simplicity” was their choice of words, and I think it was a wise decision. So…drum roll please…here she is! Brook, The Lost Heiress!!!
(This hasn’t been finalized by the last committee at BH to look at covers (that comes next week), so some tweaks may yet appear.)
What do you think??? I love the gold tones. And the dress. And the hair! They found me a lovely Brook. Ahhh. =)
And the listing just appeared on Amazon and is up on ChristianBook.com too!
by Roseanna White | Feb 9, 2015 | Word of the Week
Another one whose credit goes to my kiddos, who this week asked, “Where did the word Yankee come from?” (We’ve been reading about the early days of America, you see…)
I didn’t have the answer to that one off the top of my head, so I popped over to my beloved www.EtymOnline.com.
According to them, the word was first applied disparagingly to the Dutch. There are a couple guesses as to which Dutch words it imitates, though “John” (Jan, pronounced Yan) is obviously a part of it. It’s the “kees” part that we’re not entirely sure of. It might be from “Janke,” which means “Little John” or it might be “John Cornelius” or “John Cheese.” (Naming people John + Food being a typical way to refer to a common bloke at the time.)
Yankee started appearing in the late 1600s, and the New Amsterdam Dutch were quick to turn around and slap the word on their neighboring English colonists in Connecticut. It was a disparaging word for them, and one the British adopted to apply to Americans in general during the time of the Revolution.
Of course, Americans being what we’ve always been, those Yankees decided they’d take the word and embrace it. They were proud to be Yankees, thank you very much. And was shortened to “Yank” by 1778. The Northern/Southern distinction didn’t come about until about 1828.
by Roseanna White | Feb 8, 2015 | Uncategorized
We all know how I love a good book cover. And in planning a cover reveal for my next book, I came across another author doing the same, so we decided to swap reveals. 😉 I know Amber Stokes through her reviewing, and it’s so much fun to be able to return the favor she’s paid me before and is paying me now and tell you a bit about her book! I know you’ll love the cover (so pretty!) and there’s also a giveaway attached, so scroll down to the Rafflecopter!
Now here it is! The really adorable cover for Where Trains Collide!
I love the lighting here, the train tracks going off into the distance, the heart dotting the i…all in all, a strong, compelling cover that gets a thumbs-up from me! Now to tell you a bit about the book. =)
New Adult Contemporary Romance Novella
Two hearts racing in different directions will meet where trains
collide.
Burned out and disillusioned with her chosen career path, Trisha
Knolane gives in to impulse and hops on a train bound for Oregon, eager to
escape the stress of college for a few days. But what begins as a fun little
adventure suddenly collapses into a nightmare when she discovers that her
ex-boyfriend is also on board.
All her hopes and dreams had once centered on Paul Benson. Now,
when Trisha doesn’t know where her current track will lead, Paul’s questions
only complicate matters and spark a few of her own.
Questions that could change the course of her life.
A heartfelt and thought-provoking contemporary romance novella, Where
Trains Collide faces the uncertain season of new adulthood head-on and
shows that sometimes a path of broken dreams can lead to life’s best destination.
Coming April 2015
Amber
Stokes works in marketing for a Christian
publisher. On the side, she writes inspirational fiction depicting the seasons
of life and love. Her passion for books compelled her to earn a bachelor’s
degree in English and to run her own freelance editing and publicity business
for over a year. The next step in her career has her happily settled in the Pacific
Northwest—a part of the world she’s always considered home. Learn more about
her indie-author adventure at www.seasonsofastory.blogspot.com.
About the Cover Designer
Lena Goldfinch
writes romance and fantasy for adults and teens. She’s a sucker for a good
old-fashioned romance, whether it’s a novel, novella, or short story, young
adult or adult, fantasy or realistic, contemporary or historical. Elements of
romance, fantasy, and mystery have a way of creeping into her writing, even
when she’s writing historicals or something light and contemporary. Lena has
been a finalist in several national writing contests, including the RWA Golden
Heart and ACFW Genesis contests. She lives in a scenic small town in
Massachusetts with her husband, two kids, and a very spoiled Black Lab. Visit
Lena at www.LenaGoldfinch.blogspot.com.
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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 books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.