by Roseanna White | Jun 14, 2011 | Uncategorized
Today I’m happy to welcome Nicole O’Dell to the blog to talk about her super-cool book series–young adult books that have alternate endings the reader gets to choose! How cool is that?
Nicole is offering a copy to one lucky winner, so to enter, leave a comment below with an email address. Or if it won’t let you leave a comment, email it to me at roseanna [at] roseannawhite [dot] com and I’ll post it for you. š
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About Swept Away
SCENARIOS 5 & 6āSWEPT AWAY
In High Stakes, seniors and best friends, Amber and Brittany, are neck and neck in a good-natured competition for a car being given away by a local business. In Essence of Lilly, sophomore Lilly Armstrong is always looking for ways to escape the confines of her unhappy home. She āinventsā youth group activities just so she can hang out with her boyfriend, Jasonāthe only one in Lillyās life who makes her feel special. What happens when Amber and Lilly are faced with making difficult choices? Readers help Amber and Lilly make the difficult decisions by choosing between alternate endings, and then see how their choices create consequences with life-altering results.
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About Nicole
She writes. She talks. She reads. She changes diapers. Nicole O’Dell is a mom of six–including a set of toddler triplets who may or may not be potty trained sometime in 2011. Jury’s still out on that one. She is the author of a bunch of YA books, including the popular Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction series and the upcoming Diamond Estates Series, 10/11. She’s also the host of Teen Talk Radio at www.choicesradio.com. You can find her books and links to all the fun social stuff at www.nicoleodell.com.
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What’s your latest book?
All six of my Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction books have recently been released in 2-in-1 volumes. Swept Away contains two brand-new Scenarios books: High Stakes, which deals with cheating in school, friendship, loyalty, and honesty, and Essence of Lilly, which covers dating relationships and purity.
I’m so intrigued by these. When I have a few spare hours I am so picking up the copies I have here. š What’s your favorite part of the story?
Each Scenarios for Girls book reaches itās climax when the main character faces a major, life-changing moral decision which the reader gets to make. There are alternate endings for the reader to choose from, allowing her to take ownership for the consequences of her choices as she sees them unfold through the life of the bookās character.
I love this turning point of each story. It becomes personal at that point, and it allows for change and personal commitment. Thatās where itās at for me. I want to use my stories to affect change in the lives of my readers by allowing them to really experience the issues of each book, and then commit to Godly choices for their future.
So cool. What was the hardest part to write?
Book two in Swept Away, Essence of Lilly, deals with issues of purity. Handling this topic was a real concern for me. I wanted to be real–otherwise, what good would it do? But I didn’t want to offend anyone or open young girlsā minds to something before they were ready. It took a lot of prayer and guidance from friends. In the end, my publisher, Barbour, was so supportive. They realized that the scenes had to be written as they were–not to sensationalize the issue, but to drive home the gravity of it.
Always a hard, but ever so important, balance. Okay, fun question. Other than the Bible, what’s your favorite of all the books you’ve ever read?
Lineage of Grace, Francine Rivers
Deadline, Randy Alcorn
What’s one of the oddest or most interesting things someone has ever said about you?
āSheās so organized.ā Bwahahahahaha!
LOL. What would your dream office look likeāand what does your REAL writing environment look like?
Dream: A flowery loveseat near a big picture widow overlooking a lake. An antiqued-white desk with a comfy chair. A cup of steaming cappuccino near an old typewriter my computer. Hardwood floors with a vintage area rug. Lots of plantsāfake ones . . .for the plantās sake. Inspiring artwork on the walls, and a fire in the fireplace.
Reality: A beat-up desk in the corner of my bedroom wedged between my bed and my treadmill. The coffee is usually cold and the lake is about thirty minutes away. The artwork is either a pile at Bed, Bath and Beyond, or crayon drawings from my kids which is more inspiring than anything.
Are there any people (family, writing group, editors) who you rely on when writing?
I absolutely rely on my critique partner, Valerie Comer. Sheās awesome, and Iād be lost without her. She has taught me sooooo much. I only wish Iād known her before my first two books came out. I honestly had NO idea how much I didnāt know. Iām so thankful for Valās patience and honesty. Iām also thankful that she takes enough pride in my work to push me past āgood enoughā when Iām ready to throw in the towel on a scene or blurb. Sheād pries better out of me every single time.
A good critter is SO valuable! =) Aside from writing, what takes up most of your time?
Did I mention my two-year-old triplets? Plus three other kids and a home rehabbing project. Oh, and Iām taking online courses toward a teaching degree. Oh, and I teach at the local community college part time. Oh, andā¦ yeah, thereās a lot. =)
I only have two kids, but they keep me hopping. I can scarcely fathom triplets! LOL. So . . . if someone were to give you $5,000 to spend on anything you wanted, what would you buy? (No saving or gifts to charities allowed!)
Can I say tummy tuck? Now donāt judge! Did I mention those triplets? Walk a mile, folks. Walk a mile. J
Again, literally laughing out loud. Okay, back to serious. What are you writing right now?
Iām working on a few things. One is a novella project for Barbour called Rainbowās End that Iām writing with Cara Putman, Annalisa Daughety, and Valerie Comer. Itās about geocaching in the Ozarks.
Iām also working on book two in my Diamond Estates series, The Embittered Ruby. Book one, The Wishing Pearl, releases on October 1st. This three-book series is the story of my heart. Itās loosely based on my own experiences as a resident at a Teen Challenge center when I was a teen.
Oh, that sounds good! Any other upcoming releases we should keep our eye out for?
On August 1st, these three Scenarios for Girls 2-in-1s also release as enhanced eBooks. Through Novo Ink, you’ll be able to download the app to any eReader enabling you to access the enhanced versions. We’ve added links, polls, quizzes, video, audio, images, and more, right into the interface of the actual eBook. This makes reading a multi-media experience!
How neat! We’ll keep an eye out for that October release too!
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Thanks so much for visiting, Nicole! Readers, be sure and check out her website at http://www.nicoleodell.com. You can purchase Swept Away 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 6/21/11. Winner will have two weeks to claim prize.
by Roseanna White | Jun 13, 2011 | Word of the Week
Yesterday was my honey’s birthday, so I thought I’d take a look-see at the word and see if it’s as old as I assume it is.
The answer? Mostly. š The Old English form byrddƦg meant an annual celebration of one’s birth, but was used mostly for saints and kings. It wasn’t extended to the general populace’s birthdays until the late 16th century.
More interesting, is that “birthday suit” has been used as a way of saying someone has no clothes on since since the 1730s for sure, and probably earlier. Who knew? I always thought that was a modern convention, but I guess not.
Also fascinating is record of “birthnight” instead of “birthday,” appearing in the early 1600s. Which is, I suppose, what my daughter would have, as she was born at 9 p.m. š I never would have thought to make the distinction.
And there we have it, all in honor of my fabulous hubby, whose birthday yesterday was a ton of fun. Have a great week, everybody!
by Roseanna White | Jun 10, 2011 | Uncategorized
Today I have a special treat for you. Rather than the same-old interview, Margaret Brownley is sharing some fun tips from her heroine Lucy and interesting facts that led to the book. You don’t want to miss this!
Margaret is also offering a copy of A Vision of Lucy to one lucky winner, so leave your comments below with an email address for a chance to win!
Ready? Here we go!
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Some Timely Advice for Photographers from Margaretās New Book:
A Vision of Lucy
A Rocky Creek Romance
Ā· Doctors, do not look at the camera like itās a patient needing help through deathās door. Such a pose will speak ill of you, and it wonāt do much for your practice, either.
Ā· When photographing stampeding cattle, charging bulls or blazing shoot-outs, use a fast shutter speed
Ā· A man imagines himself more handsome than his photograph; a woman believes herself more homely
Ā· To photograph well, women should dress in sedate colors and unobtrusive patterns. Even the most morally challenged woman can be made to look chaste given suitable attire and lighting
Ā· While posing for a photograph spinsters should avoid looking desperate or deprived. A serene smile will show that your circumstances are by choice and not for lack of beauty or character.
Ā· The way to a manās heart is through his stomach. For this reason a woman wishing to look appropriately domesticated for her Mail-Order Bride photograph should wear an apron and wield a kitchen utensil (preferably not a rolling pin).
Say Cabbage
In 1850, Julia Shannon of San Francisco took the family portrait to new heights when she shockingly advertised herself as a daguerreotypist and midwife. After reading about her I just had to write about a lady photographer. Of course, the heroine of A Vision of Lucy doesnāt deliver babies but she still finds plenty of ways to get into trouble.
I loved writing about old time photography and have nothing but awe for the brave souls who first took camera in hand. Not only did they contend with unwieldy equipment but also dangerous chemicals and exploding labs.
Women had an advantage over male photographers who were often confounded by female dress. This explains why one photographer advertised in 1861 for an assistant, āWho Understands the Hairdressing Business.ā Women also had a few tricks up their leg of mutton sleevesāor rather their skirts. Elizabeth Withington invented a ādark thick dress skirtā to use as a developing tent when she traveled.
Those cheerless faces in early photographs were partly due to vices that held heads still for long periods of time. Photographers used all sorts of devices to hold a clientās interest. One even had a trained monkey. Another photographer had a canary that sang on command. Mechanical birds were a favorite gimmick and āWatch the birdieā became a familiar refrain in studios across the country.
Magazines and newspaper ran ample advice for posing. An 1877 edition of The Chicago Inter-Ocean advised women with large mouths to say the word āFlip,ā although one photographer preferred the word āPrunes.ā If a small mouth was the problem the word āCabbageā would make it appear larger.
Not everyone was enamored with cameras. One dog owner put up a sign warning āphotographers and other tramps to stay awayā after his dog had an unfortunate run-in with a tripod.
Did photography have a bearing on the suffragette movement? Indeed, it did, but it appeared to be more of a detriment than a help. The photographs of militant suffragettes or women dressed in bloomers did more harm than good.
If you think America was tough on suffragettes, think again. The womenās rights movement was considered the biggest threat to the British Empire. According to the National Archives the votes-for-women movement became the first “terrorist” organization subjected to secret surveillance photography in the world.
Photography has come a long way since those early daguerreotype days. One can only imagine what the brave souls of yesteryear would think of todayās āaim and clickā cameras. Now days you canāt even drive down the street without having your picture taken. But as Lucy would say, Never leave the house unless youāre ready for your close up.
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About Margaret
My writing career began, and ended, early. I wrote my first book in fifth gradeāa mystery without an ending. I was on a roll until I reached eighth grade. Unimpressed with my essay on why I wanted to be a writer my English teacher not only flunked me but suggested I not even think about a career as a writer.
Dream squashed, I did little writing until I became editor of the church newsletter many years later. After making a church picnic read like a Grisham novel, my then pastor took me aside and said, āMaybe Godās calling you to write fiction.ā So thatās what I did. I now have 25 books to my credit, published in 15 different languages. Iām currently working on a new series.
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Thanks so much for the fun post, Margaret! Readers, be sure and check out Margaret’s website at
www.margaretbrownley.com
You can find a Vision of Lucy here.
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 6/17/11. Winner will have two weeks to claim prize.
by Roseanna White | Jun 9, 2011 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
How many times in life do we get do-overs? Do we get to fix the things we’ve done wrong and make them better? How many times do we have the chance to rebuild, to repair, to refine before anyone sees our first attempt?
I know there are many times I wish we could do this more. Wish we could un-say, un-watch, un-hear something. Times I wish we could tweak a few details of ourselves, of our decisions, of our pasts to make things just a little better, a little more considerate, a little more lovely.
The other day I got my first round of edits on
Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland, and as I read through the comments of my awesome editor, I find myself thinking, “Thank you, Lord, for the chance to improve this.” The story certainly has its merits, the writing’s mostly solid . . . but thank heavens I get to incorporate the advice of a team before it hits the shelves. Thank you, God, for letting me alter a few things. Tighten here, shift there, add, delete, reword.
And yet as I add a new dimension to my heroine’s relationship with her family, as I open her eyes a little more to the realities of her world, it makes me realize that in life, it’s not usually so simple. It’s not just a matter of hitting the backspace key a few times. We can never hit Edit / Undo. We can’t make our inconsistencies just go away with a few keystrokes, a few thoughts. Three weeks of work doesn’t make any of us ready for the world to view us (even taking into account the need yet for polish and
Shine).
But you know what? We’ve still got our second chance. We can never undo, we can never erase. We’ll always have to deal with consequences for our words and actions. But we have that blank page waiting. A clean slate. A chance to start anew. We have a Savior who can cover our blemishes with His perfection. Will others still notice the flaws? Oh, they’re good at that–just like I’m sure someone will always find the errors in my books and call me on them.
But just like it’s a huge blessing to have an editor, and the chance to edit, so is it an amazing thought to consider that in life we have a Savior, and the chance to be cleansed of our sin. And just as now that I know what she’s looking for I’ll be sure to incorporate as much as I can of it into each new work, so do we fashion ourselves after what the Lord wants once we’ve accepted His precious grace.
I hope everyone is having a great week!
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, sheās 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 booksā¦to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.