by Roseanna White | Dec 2, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
When Xoe was a year old, her grandfather came in for Christmas (he lives in South Caroline) and brought his new girlfriend–a super-sweet woman who was very excited to meet Bill’s granddaughter. They came armed with gifts. Lots of them.
The prettiest? A gorgeous little white box with rhinestone accents and silver flourishes, with a mirror on the top–perfect for a little girl to store her treasures as she grows up. I knew the moment I glimpsed it that Xoe would come to love this box. But for some reason, Glenda handed it over with a funny expression.
“I’m so sorry,” she said as we unwrapped it. “The name’s misspelled.”
I glanced at the top of the box, where the mirror was engraved with . . . Zox?
Glenda shook her head. “It was an elderly woman working, and she just couldn’t wrap her mind around the name. We said ‘It’s Zoe, but with an X.’ So we left while she engraved and came back to this. We didn’t have the heart to yell at her about it, but we’ll get it fixed.'”
Well, as things often happen when folks live states upon states away, we never got it fixed. Instead, we shared a laugh with them then (Zoe with an X . . . yeah, I totally think “Zox” when I hear that, don’t you? Snicker, snicker), and I put the box on the vanity beside one of mine.
For a long while, Xoe obviously didn’t realize there was anything wrong with the box. We put in it the money she got for holidays, her special necklaces and barrettes and bracelets, the beads from a very pretty bracelet that broke. Treasures.
Then one day, after Xoe had learned to spell her name, she was looking at the box and asked, “Mommy, what does this spell?”
So I told her the story of “Zoe with an X” and how now she has a Zox Box.
As lovers of all things Seuss, this became special and cute and quirky in our family. Now whenever Xoe comes across a dollar, she rushes to put it in her Zox Box. When she gets a special new necklace, she lifts that mirrored lid and slides it inside. She makes up songs about it.
The life lesson is probably obvious, right? So often things don’t work out the way we want them too, things get “ruined.” But who’s to say “ruined” isn’t right? Would a Xoe Box have been special? Well, sure. But anyone can get a box with their name on it. How many little girls have a Zox Box?
Mine does. And I love that she cherishes it. Makes me want to be careful to cherish those “ruined” things just as I do the things that turn out “right.”
by Roseanna White | Dec 1, 2010 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized
I think I was awake more than I was asleep last night, so my brain power is seriously wanting right now. Usually I’d still be able to come up with something fun in the history category, but my historical thoughts are totally occupied, right now, but an upcoming trip.
I’m going to Annapolis on Friday!
I know, I know–this isn’t all that unusual, and not that big a deal.
Annapolis is only 2.5 hours away, we have friends still in that area . . . visiting isn’t exactly abnormal. But this time I’m visiting while writing a book set there. This time, I’m going to head downtown and play tourist. I’m going to going sightseeing, visit all the historical spots I always ignored as a resident.
Yes, I’m going to be armed with a camera and a notebook, and I’m going to have a blast!
I think this is especially exciting for me because it’s the first time I get to visit a place for research like this. Pathetic, huh? 😉 That’s what happens when one writes about Persia, Rome, and even England and Monaco, when one has no travel budget, LOL. Okay, so I’ve visited the Outer Banks while writing about them, but that was more coincidence then design. This is actually planned.
So, that’s my excitement. And all the thought I’m capable of before coffee. And possibly before a nap on this rainy, rainy day. Hope everyone has an excellent Wednesday!
by Roseanna White | Nov 30, 2010 | Uncategorized
Baltimore, 1812–people are getting fed up with Americans being impressed into the British navy, and the grumblings are of war. Marianne Denton loves her country–and hopes she can somehow find a way to fund a privateer to both help in the war effort and provide for her sick mother and small sister. Their father left them with a stack of debt, and Marianne can’t access her inheritance until she weds.
Hence her betrothal to the awful Noah Brenin. She wants nothing more than to get out of the engagement–but as it is the only way to afford the medicines her mother needs, she intends to see it through. At least until the careless man walks out on their engagement party, saying he must set sail straight away. Furious at the spectacle he has made of them, Marianne storms after him, all the way to the harbor and its menacing dark waters. All the way onto his ship.
Noah Brenin has no use for the high-and-mighty Marianne who was always obnoxious in her wealth. Their fathers arranged the betrothal for obvious reasons–his wants her dowry, and hers knew no other man would ever come forward for the plump, unpleasant girl. But if he can get his cargo to England straightaway, he’ll make enough profit that he won’t need her wealth–and he’ll be able to end the engagement. He doesn’t believe for a moment that they’ll soon be at war with the British, or that the British are really doing the monstrous the things others say.
At least, he doesn’t believe it until a British man-of-war comes after his ship. Unable to get away, thanks to the stowaway Miss Denton and her nefarious schemes, he finds himself impressed–and his betrothed with him.
Only under the darkest of circumstances can both face their fears, and come to see the truth about one another. Only through pain and trial do they come to realize that faith is not about seeing evidence of God, but rather about hoping in those unseen things. And that He intends for them something great–something that could change the course of history.
MaryLu Tyndall never ceases to amaze me. I was intrigued right away, not only because of the awesome premise of the book, but because I loved the fact that her characters despised one another at first. Both found the other totally obnoxious–and both had good reason for their opinions, though they were all rooted in the past. I loved seeing how Marianne and Noah had grown and changed over time, and how their spirits shone through the circumstances as the unthinkable befell them.
As always, this author delivers adventure and romance on the high seas, with a knowledge of all things marine that makes it clear she knows her stuff without overwhelming the reader. She does a wonderful job of painting the horrors surrounding the War of 1812 without making all the British out to be monsters. And also as always, there is a touch of the supernatural within to leave the reader warm and fuzzy with how our awesome Father looks after us.
I have adored MaryLu’s previous books, but I must say that Surrender the Heart is my new favorite. You just can’t beat characters unaware of their own worth, an unparalleled romance, and the action I have come to expect from MaryLu. I am eagerly anticipating her next book, and may just sigh over the gorgeous cover of this one whenever I need to remember how wonderful a high-spirited, Godly romance can be. =)
And since you are all obviously totally in love with this book (mwa ha ha ha), I’ll point out that it’s one of the 190 being offered in the book signing bash. So click on that banner up top, and you can order a signed copy! Cool, huh? =)
by Roseanna White | Nov 29, 2010 | Uncategorized
First, don’t forget that the book signing is still running! Until 7 December, you can order signed and personalized copies of 190 books by 70 authors. So click on that banner above and get shopping. It’s Cyber Monday, you know. 😉
And now only my real topic. My hubby and I were discussing books and series and sequels and prequels yesterday, and he summed it up rather nicely by saying, “any book in the same world.” That really stuck with me, because I knew exactly what he meant. Not that two books necessarily had the same characters or family, but they existed in the same fictional world, with the same fictionalized things.
See, I often decide in my contemporaries, “Well, I’ve already created this once, so I’ll just stick with it.” Which is a little strange when you consider that I’m using aspects of My World that I created for manuscripts that I never finished, half the time. But hey, it works. Example?
I once began a story set in L.A., about a fashion duo taking over the design company of their grandparents. The company was Cassidy St. Claire, known as CsC. I so liked the way this looked that when another character in a whole other series wanted to mention working with a designer (but I didn’t want to use a real one), I chuckled to myself and thought, “Well, it looks like Kori’s branching out into this . . .” and had my character in my NC books suddenly dealing with these already-known-to-me folks in L.A.
And when I need a menacing foreign dealer in something illegal? Well, why not use the Phantom Russe from this book I never intend to get published? I mean, he’s already established in my mind for this . . .
Oddly, I have yet to do this with historicals, perhaps because my stories span too many years to really use the same creations. My Biblical characters can’t really exist in the same world as my Victorian duke, right? But with modern settings, it’s so easy (and fun!) to borrow one’s previous creations. Or, as I did in one story, to give my best friend a cameo when my characters ventured to the mall half a mile from her house. =) Or to mention the rowdy teens at the ice cream place that she talked about in her books . . .
Am I the only one that does this, or can you think of times you writers have used the same world for totally different stories? Or that you readers have noticed it? (I’ve noted it in a few best-sellers, and it makes me grin.)
by Roseanna White | Nov 26, 2010 | Uncategorized
It’s official, folks! The Christmas Book Signing Bash is LIVE!!! We’ve already sold our first books, and we are ready and waiting to take your orders too. Hop on over!
This is still a little amazing to me–when I had this idea I was expected maybe 25 authors. Then maybe 50. We ended up with 79 (!!!!!) authors with 190 books. Yowza! (And hence why for the last three weeks I’ve barely had time to do anything else.)
Last night my hubby asked me, “So what are your expectations for this?”
I replied. “I haven’t had time for expectations. My only expectation was, ‘I can get this done on time, I can get this done on time, I can get this done on time . . .'” =) And we did. If you want to check out the cool setup he arranged on the book store side of things, go to CrossPurposesBooks. If you want to see how I spent my last two weeks, click on the picture above and go to the Christian Review of Books. Check out our new logo while you’re there! Courtesy of Tekeme, of course. =)
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We had a lovely day (with minimal book signing work, other than designing that graphic you see above, ha ha), a truly gorgeous dinner (you rock, Mom!), and are looking forward to a successful online event! (Pray, y’all–pray it runs smooth as glass. Pllllleeeeeaaaaassssse!)
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.