by Roseanna White | Dec 8, 2010 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized
I had great fun this past weekend exploring Historic Annapolis with my friend
Kimberly. I left the kids with David and her hubby Martin and we headed into the ever-lovely historic district, armed with a digital camera, a notebook, and a spirit of adventure.
Okay, so my camera battery died within fifteen minutes (I charged it, I swear I did! LOL), but the pen survived just fine, so it was cool. 😉 And a trifle cold, but we were well wrapped.
It was honestly a blast to play tourist in the town we’d lived in for years, to be one of those annoying camera- toting pedestrians who didn’t know where we were going, rather than a native on a mission to get from Point A to Point B. We started out at the Visitor’s Center, of course, and loaded up on brochures that probably won’t be all that helpful. The highlight there, though, was a 3-D model/map of the town, color-coded by what era each building was built in. Now that is a great way to see how little was there at the time!
Of course, there was track-lighting, and trying to get pictures proved a work in glare-dodging. =) Luckily, Kimberly knows how to do all those fancy photographer things, like playing with exposure and stuff. I think we got some decent shots.
After that I decided I should figure out where the house is that my heroine’s staying at. One problem . . . the street I’d put her on is kinda occupied by the governor’s mansion. Um . . . hmm. It wasn’t there at the time, I know–but what was? Well, so far as I can tell, not a whole lot. So I think it’s fairly safe to insert a couple random houses. Like, say, one on the left side that would give that oh-so-perfect view of the Liberty Tree. =)
The next highlight was plotting the heroine’s escape route from the State House down to the bay. Oh, fun. And oh, the looks we got as we stood there going, “Well she couldn’t run that way, she’d have to dodge all those little outbuildings. And if he’s following her, she’ll just take the quickest way she can . . .”
I love being a writer. =)
by Roseanna White | Dec 7, 2010 | Uncategorized
Well, today’s the last day of the book signing. All those hours of preparation, all those days of book sales, are drawing to a close. Have you found that perfect Christmas gift for the booklover in your life yet? Or for yourself?
Well get thee over to the CRoB!
No, I didn’t really intend to make that my entire post for the day, but we’re having water issues here–one of the pump thingies isn’t pumping drained water up to where it’s supposed to, which means all drained water is instead streaking across our basement floor, aimed at the drain there. So not right. I have been forbidden to use any water other than the toilet and bathroom sink. And given that I’m really not in the mood for “bathing” in my sink, I need to get my kiddos out the door here very soon so I can go beg a shower off my mother.
Sigh.
Yeah, so if you want to pray this water thing is an inexpensive fix (you know, the kind that DOESN’T require digging up the yard or anything) and an easy one, too, that would be awesome.
Happy Tuesday, everyone!
by Roseanna White | Dec 6, 2010 | Uncategorized
Whenever I sit down on Monday mornings lately, I have an internal debate. What do I really have to write about right now that’s on contemporaries? Sure, I have a slew of them written, but they’re not in my thoughts. And which one should I talk about this time? My beach books? My romantic suspense? What??
Well, today I’ll just talk about my thoughts on the matter, which are spurred from two separate friends/family members asking this past week, “When do I get to read Seized? Every time you mention it, it intrigues me.”
To which I reply, “Whenever I finish it.”
Sigh. I can write quickly–really I can. But I still have to have the time in general, and at this point all my time’s going to historicals that, you know, actually have the promise of being published. So . . . yeah. Seized is put on hold. Though as soon as I have no deadline looming over me on Jewel of Persia and my Annapolis story, you can bet I’ll be going back to it.
But I’ve definitely come to appreciate a few things about contemporaries while writing all these historicals. Case in point–I spent my weekend in Annapolis, so I went downtown and plotted out my heroine’s escape route through the city, etc. Very handy . . . except that most of the buildings here now weren’t here then. I’m pretty lucky when it comes to Annapolis–it’s such a historical tourist town that even the street signs have dates on them, and there are plaques on each corner saying who bought and built what when. Still. One major plus of researching a place for a modern story is that what you see is what you need.
Anyway. There are my thoughts this morning. Hopefully not too dull. 😉
Now, quick reminder–there are only TWO DAYS left in the online book signing. TWO DAYS! Tomorrow it closes, so you’d better hurry yourself over to www.ChristianReviewofBooks.com and make up your minds about what books you want! =)
by Roseanna White | Dec 6, 2010 | Uncategorized
And the winner of Alice K. Arenz’s Mirrored Image is . . .
Charlotte Kay! (chakasa58@ . . .)
Congrats, Charlotte! I just sent you an email.
by Roseanna White | Dec 3, 2010 | Uncategorized
Today I’m pleased to welcome Grace Bridges to my blog to talk about her latest speculative fiction, Legendary Space Pilgrims. A fun deviation from most of the books I’ve featured, and I hope you like it, because Grace is kicking off a slew of interviews with her fellow spec-fic writers from Splashdown books. =)
Grace is offering a copy of her book to one lucky reader, so as usual, leave your comment below with an email address for a chance to win!
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About Legendary Space Pilgrims
If Pilgrim’s Progress happened in space, this is what it might look like…
On a planet that has never seen the sun, a harvester hears a Voice from beyond. It’s time to leave the oatfield. Mario and Caitlin escape the mind control of Planet Monday, following the Voice to unknown worlds where wonders and challenges await. Have you got what it takes…to be a legend?
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About Grace
Often found staring into trees in search of a tui. Mystic wordnerd. Independent friend. Urbanite hermit. Beachwalker. Head in clouds. Literary. Likes to sleep.
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Hi, Grace! Good to have you here. What’s your latest book?
Legendary Space Pilgrims from Splashdown Books. It released in July 2010.
What’s your favorite part of the story?
I have lots of favourite parts, but one of the most intense takes place between the two main characters in a glade of blood-red flowers on the fifth planet they visit on their journey. They had believed it was their final destination, but this incident makes it clear that it’s not: they must go on to find their true calling.
Ah, the unexpected. That’s always fun. (And y’all, note her way of spelling “favourite.” Grace is visiting us all the way from New Zealand, so she gets extra points for coolness;-) What was the hardest part to write?
All of it? LOL. Writing is mostly like pulling teeth for me.
=) Hopefully you didn’t end up toothless. 😉 What do you hope your readers will get out of the story?
A sense of wonder at the world around us, perhaps seen through the eyes of someone totally unfamiliar with the variety and freedom we enjoy.
Oh, neat. Is there a theme to this book?
It’s a journey from oppression to freedom, with all the inherent emotional tangles and cultural shocks—and more: to then be chosen for a unique task.
What’s your favorite genre to write? To read?
Science fiction on both counts. There’s nothing like it for expanding the imagination.
Very true. My hubby’s favorite author has always been Orson Scott Card, and so I had to expand my horizons and read a bunch of sci-fi just to keep up with him. =) What are you reading right now—and what do you want to read next?
Some older stuff by Timothy Zahn that I picked up at the Library. After that, I have a whole stack, including Jeffrey Overstreet, Randy Ingermanson, and Karen Hancock.
Nice stack! Okay, let’s move on to one of my fun, frivolous questions. 😉 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!)
A stereo, and some furniture—most of mine is borrowed. And probably a road trip holiday around New Zealand. It’s my backyard, and my car drinks diesel, so that’d be pretty cheap!
I would so love to visit New Zealand sometime. From what I’ve seen it’s just breathtaking. Ahhhh. Anyway. What are you writing right now?
Comet Born, a superhero serial appearing monthly at Digital Dragon magazine. Lots of fun!
And still slogging away on Godspeed, which is the sequel or companion volume to Faith Awakened, my first release.
Oh, a serial does sound like fun! Any upcoming releases we should keep our eye out for?
CyberDublin is finished but still very much a first draft. Perhaps it might be ready by next year. It’s a near-future tale of what might happen in Ireland if everything ran on the Internet—and then crashed. Complete with plenty of Irish humour. I actually got to write it in Ireland.
Well, can’t beat that! Is there another author who has greatly influenced your writing?
Lots! Stephen Lawhead, with his amazing emotion-wrenching descriptions; Frank Creed and Jeremy Robinson with their movie-like visual action styles; and of course C.S. Lewis, especially his imaginative Space Trilogy.
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Thanks for visiting, Grace! Readers, you can check out her website at www.gracebridges.com. Look for her book at Splashdown Books–or get signed copies from CrossPurposes!
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 12/9/10. Winner will have two weeks to claim prize.
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.