by Roseanna White | Jul 12, 2012 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
I’ve had a hectic few weeks, and in some ways it’s been a real roller coaster ride. I got good news just to have it nullified two days later. I’ve had to come to grips with a few things, put some things aside for a while–and as someone who always hopes and works for more, that was a toughie.
But even while I’ve mourned the loss of that oh-so-brief good news, I’ve also gotten to enjoy some of the most fun aspects of what I do. On the author side, I enjoyed a nice long chat with my editor, going over revisions for
Ring of Secrets. That was a blast, as we laughed over the silly things that had slipped past me and got into the nitty gritty of the story. She loves it just about as much as I do, so there really was no pain involved.
And on the editor side, I got to have the same sort of conversation in reverse with one of our authors. =) We got to talk over revisions to her ending, weighing some of the different options and talking about her characters and how they’ll best
Shine. I love that!
In the back of my mind there’s still sometimes that lurking disappointment. That realization that I can’t reach further right now—which on the one hand is fine, because I love where I am. But I’ve always been stretching. I’ve always been trying to find the next project and, in recent months, trying to figure out how to balance my commitments. It’s a little weird to realize that for now, that’s not necessary. Oh, I still have plenty to balance with writing and editing and designing and, of course, parenting and home schooling. But still . . .
Yet even as I waited for the phone call that ended up reversing my good news, I finished up the research I’d been doing for my second Culper Ring book. Even as I put aside the project that had been distracting me from it, I got excited about dedicating myself to Gwyneth and Thad. I’m having so much fun getting to work on this one!
And some of the best news ever just came, after all–my best friend/critter and I have officially scheduled a writing retreat for next spring. WOOT! Can’t wait for March!!!
by Roseanna White | Jul 9, 2012 | Word of the Week
Last week I had the pleasure of going over edits of Ring of Secrets with my awesome editor, and she proved her awesomeness by discovering some words I hadn’t thought to look up but which were way too new for my 1780-set book.
One of the most surprising is lowlife. It feels like an old-fashioned word to call somebody, doesn’t it? Like it should be from the age when base-born was one of the meanest things you could say about someone. But . . . it’s not.
The adjective form, low-life, did indeed enter the English language in 1794, meaning “vulgar, disreputable.” (Still too late for my story, mind you…), but it didn’t make the transition from adjective to noun until–get this–1911! Aaaagggghhhhhh!
Thanks heavens for an editor who thought to look this one up. She knows this sort of thing is important to me and got to laugh while I went “Aaaaaggghhhhh, really? Really? What in the world can I call him then?” LOL. (Enter “miscreant” and “criminal” for the two places in the book I’d used “lowlife.”)
I hope everyone was a great week!
by Roseanna White | Jul 5, 2012 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
I got it! I got it! My cover for Ring of Secrets has arrived in a share-able version, so naturally today must be spent in sharing (assuming you haven’t already seen it on Facebook).
Exciting!!! Also exciting is that you can pre-order them on Amazon (please “like” the page for me!) and ChristianBook.com.
And the official blurb, to remind you of how much FUN Ring of Secrets is going to be… =)
This exciting romantic spy novel from Roseanna M. White combines
fascinating cloak-and-dagger secrets with a tale of love and intrigue
during the Revolutionary War.
Winter Reeves is an aristocratic
Patriot forced to hide her heart amid the Loyalists of the City of New
York. She has learned to keep her ears open so she can pass information
on British movements to Robbie Townsend, her childhood friend, and his
spy ring. If she’s caught, if she’s hung for espionage…well, she won’t
be. Robbie has taught her the tools of the trade: the wonders of
invisible ink, drop locations and, most importantly, a good cover.
Bennet
Lane returns to New York from his Yale professorship with one goal: to
find General Washington’s spy hidden among the ranks of the elite.
Searching for a wife was supposed to be nothing more than a convenient
cover story for his mission, but when he meets Winter, with her
too-intelligent eyes in her too-blank face, he finds a mystery that
can’t be ignored.
Both believers…and both committed to a
separate cause. Will their faith in God lead them to a shared destiny or
lives lived apart?
by Roseanna White | Jul 4, 2012 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized
Happy Independence Day!
Liberty Tea
In the 1770’s Colonists forsook the partaking of tea imported from
the British, and thus American women looked to their own gardens and the
world around them to create their own teas. Ribwort, sassafras, willow
bark, birch, strawberry leaf, lemon balm, verbena, and currant bush
were used as substitutes, as well as raspberry leaves which were used to
make “Hyperion Tea.” Spearmint, peppermint, wintergreen, orange
bergamot, catnip and pennyroyal were used to create mint teas. Flowers
such as red rose petals, blossoms of linden, elder, red clover,
chamomile, violet, red rose petals, rosehips, linden blossoms, elder,
red clover, chamomile, violet and goldenrod were also brewed into tea.
Teas were also made from sweet fern, spicebush, ambrosia, twigs of sweet
gum, fennel and dill seed, parsley, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, and
sage.
Wanna know more? Hie thee over to Colonial Quills, ask for a cup, and settle in with the ladies for an Independence Day celebration Colonial style! We’re going to have a blast!!
https://www.roseannamwhite.com/2012/07/independence-day-liberty-tea-party.html
by Roseanna White | Jul 2, 2012 | Word of the Week
Waaaaaaaaay back in 2006 when I started submitting a historical manuscript, I had an editor respond saying that some of words were too modern. Like “whatnot.”
Now, I won’t argue that some of my words were indeed too modern. But that she chose that one as an example gave me a chuckle. =)
Whatnot dates to the 1530s, meaning “anything.” It’s a very literal world, from what + not. Even as a piece of furniture, it’s from the early 1800s, named after the items it’s meant to hold. I personally love tossing this word into a historical–it’s one that feels old, yet is still in occasional use today so is easy to understand.
On a not-word-related note, I’m in one of the areas hit by the severe storms/tornadoes over the weekend, and while we didn’t even lose power at our house, my parents are still without electricity, and it’s going to take a long time to clean up all the damage from felled trees at my mother-in-law’s house–prayers appreciated!
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.