by Roseanna White | Sep 22, 2010 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized
Okay, gotta get away from Ancient Persia for a while before I go cuckoo-bananas. =) So today we’re taking a brief trip back to the 1880s and into the world of spiritualism. Familiar with the movement? If so, you’ll know how weird it is. If not–boy are you in for an eye-opener! 😉
So, three years ago or so we were watching the history channel, and there was a special on about spiritualism–a movement whose goal was to reconcile the religion strictly taught in Victorian society with the scientific development suddenly running rampant. People thought it would be fun to try to use science to prove the spiritual world–an interesting concept, sure–and went about it in a way that soooooo had me shaking my head.
In England, where the movement really gained steam, spiritualism was a fashionable hobby for the new upper-middle class. People would get together for tea party seances and sit around munching their biscuits while they tried to call the dead into the midst. They would parade the children (the children!!!) out to serve as mediums. They would conduct different experiments involving moving furniture and knocking.
Now, when I saw this, my first thought was exactly what the critics of spiritualism in the day said: this is just silly nonsense.
Then it hit me–it wasn’t just silly nonsense, it was downright dangerous. People who had no clue about the spiritual world were opening doors and inviting who-knew-what into their lives. And no one cautioned them that they were doing this, they either thought it fun or ridiculous.
A couple days after watching this, my dad gave a sermon on Daniel that made a story idea click in my little head. A Victorian-era Daniel story, where the character isn’t facing the magicians of the Babylonian empire, but rather this new brand of magicians in the spiritualism movement. Someone who has actually seen the spiritual world and so knows its true colors–someone better at their games than they, yet who wants nothing to do with them . . .
I’ve got several intimidatingly large tomes on the subject waiting to be read, waiting for the perfect time for me to sit down and write Revealer of Secrets. Who knows–maybe it’ll be soon. =)
by Roseanna White | Sep 21, 2010 | Uncategorized
Have I ever mentioned that I love Trish Perry? If not, it’s an oversight I can’t suffer any longer. I LOVE TRISH PERRY! Why, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you.
1.) She has a fabulous sense of humor–I’m talking make-you-laugh-out-loud while reading one of her books–that usually finds its outlets through characters you just want to sit down and chat (and chuckle) with.
2.) Her stories always deliver sweet romance along with the funny moments. And . . .
3.) She manages both the hilarity and the romance along with a beautiful spiritual message.
When Trish’s latest release, The Perfect Blend, arrived in the mail minutes before I left for vacation last week, you can bet I squeezed it into my briefcase (though there was really no room . . .) I didn’t open it until this weekend, but still. My fingers were itching for it. Here’s a bit about the story:
Steph Vandergrift is in desperate need of divine distraction. She’s just arrived in Middleburg, Virginia, a picturesque little town that she’s supposed to be making her own today after eloping with a local attorney. But when her fiance leaves her at the would-be alter, she’s left to try not to fall to pieces on the very lovely sidewalk outside his office. Why, again, did she have to sever all ties with her life back in Baltimore?
A kind British tea-shop owner spots her and rushes to the rescue, ushering her into Millicent’s Tea Shop and solving her problems with a fantabulous scone and a listening ear. Before she knows it, Steph has offered to fill in for Milly’s absent waitress, and the resident Mr. Cutie Pants has already made an appearance, guaranteeing that Steph has made a fool of herself. Not that it matters–she’s so not in the market for another man right now.
Yet . . . the more she gets to know Kendall (a.k.a Cutie Pants) and his amazing sense of humor, the more she wonders if maybe, when she is ready to date again . . . but then her ex-fiance shows back up and tries to win her back. How’s a girl to know which version of spice will help her make the perfect blend for her life?
I confess–I’m not finished yet. And already I have laughed, snickered, chuckled, and grinned my way through this story. It’s not that the story itself is hilarious–it’s the characters. You know how you laugh at those clever, wonderful lines on a TV show? It’s the same way in Trish’s books. The characters themselves are funny. And endearing, and sigh-worthy, and oh-so-relatable.
The cast of secondary characters are a hoot too, from the ready-to-listen Milly to the can’t-be-tamed sisters Liz and Christy.
In short, if you like adorable towns complete with tea shops and dreamy inn-owners, fun romance, faith, and good friends, then you don’t want to miss The Perfect Blend. And if you don’t want to miss The Perfect Blend, then you’d better come back on Friday, when I’m interviewing Trish and giving away a copy!
*This book was provided free of charge from the publisher for review purposes.
by Roseanna White | Sep 20, 2010 | Uncategorized
I confess it–I love a good hero. I like being in their heads for a while, I like seeing their thoughts. Generally speaking, I like their reactions. My hubby and I joke that my emotions are more like a man’s than a woman’s (and he frequently praises the Lord that I somehow escaped the moodswings that plague so many women), and more than once I’ve growled at a heroine for being so . . . so . . . blastedly girlish in her response to something, when I wanted her to suck it up and take it like a woman.
Maybe that’s why I enjoy crafting my heroes, tucking little pieces of the men I know and love into their characters. Yes, my hubby sees a bit of himself in some of my awesome guys. My dad probably would too, if he read my unpublished manuscripts. Though of course, there are always some things uniquely their own.
I love creating heroes that earn sighs from my critique partners, and I know I’ve gotten it right if Carole emails something to the effect of, “If I weren’t happily married to a real man, I’d be giving your heroine some competition for him.” =)
One of my favorite heroes thus far is in my contemporary, Seized. He’s got the alpha-thing going in that he’s in peak physical position–kinda necessary, since he’s a SEAL. But he’s not the leader of his group–he’s the tech guy. He’s of especially strong spirit, his relationship with the Lord one I aspire to. He prays over everything, and has so well learned to listen to the Lord that his entire team has learned to trust whatever God tells him to do or not do. Of course, he’s going to be a little challenged toward the end of the book when God’s telling him to put the woman he loves in harm’s way without any guarantees that she’ll come back to him.
Which brings me to one of my favorite, but trickiest heroic attributes. See, Smith (my hero) hasn’t been involved with a woman for the last eight years, ever since some torture-training drew him so close to the Lord. What will come out throughout the story is that God has actually put blinders on him so that the next woman he really notices is THE woman–and it isn’t an at-first-sight thing with her, he doesn’t get struck by it until she accepts Christ. Then bam! He falls hard.
Now, personally I think this is going to be a lot of fun. I do admit to some concern that Smith will be too perfect, or the blinded-to-all-others thing might not be realistic. (Hence the backstory concerning the woman he was a little too involved with in college and her determination to come back into his life now and dredge up the past.)
What are some of your favorite characteristics in a hero? Do you like the strong, silent types? The just-waiting-to-be-reformed bad boys? The geeky ones who come into their own over the course of the story? Do share!
by Roseanna White | Sep 17, 2010 | Uncategorized
Today we’re welcoming prolific writer Darlene Franklin to the blog to talk about her newly-released anthology from Barbour, A Woodland Christmas. Hard as it is to believe ’tis the season again, it’s definitely time to start hunting down what books you’ll want to get yourself in the holiday spirit this year!
Darlene has graciously offered a copy of A Woodland Christmas to one lucky readers, so as usual, leave your comments below. And please make sure you’re a follower!
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About Darlene
Award-winning author and speaker Darlene Franklin recently returned to cowboy country—Oklahoma—to be near family. She recently signed the contract for her twelfth book. This fall she is celebrating the repacking of her Rhode Island romance in Seaside Romance and her third novella anthology, Face of Mary in A Woodland Christmas. Visit Darlene’s blogs at www.darlenefranklinwrites.blogspot.com and http://thebookdoctorbd.blogspot.com.
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About A Woodland Christmas
Four couples carve a niche for love in the Piney Woods of East Texas. itinerant woodcarver moves from town to town in the woodlands, delivering “sawdust sermons” that hold even more value than the furniture he crafts. Will the advice he dispenses help four couples find their way to the miracle of love at Christmas? In my novella, The Face of Mary, Mary “Polly” Jessup holds onto a promise of marriage made five years ago, but when Joseph “Joey” Carpenter returns from law school with a new outlook and new girlfriend, her future hopes are dashed.
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What’s your latest book?
Barbour Publishing released Seaside Romance in August and A Woodland Christmas on September 1st. Both books are anthologies, and I am one of the authors.
I’m already intrigued by the mere mention of “seaside” . . . but I’ll be good and focus on the Christmas one. 😉 I do love Christmas too, after all. What’s your favorite part of the story?
Gabe Noell, an itinerant woodcarver, appears in all four stories in A Woodland Christmas. He’s quite a character, and I had fun with him. In my story, The Face of Mary, Gabe is carving life-size nativity figures. My hero is painting them, and he is searching for the woman who resembles Mary in character to be his model. Little does he realize she’s right under his nose.
Sounds fun! What’s your favorite genre to write? To read?
I would say that romance picked me. As a single woman, I give all the credit to God for allowing me to write romance. He is the author of all true love and His love is the rock solid foundation of my life. Lately I’ve been writing mostly historical romance, which has become a very rewarding experience. At the same time it’s scary. There is so much I don’t know!
I read a lot of romance (mostly historical), but my default genre for mental relaxation is mystery/suspense. The busier I get, the more I drop everything else and stick to mysteries.
I know exactly what you mean about the scariness of historicals! Gotta love ’em though. What are you reading right now—and what do you want to read next?
I’m in the middle of a “push” writing project, so I am doing what I usually do when under pressure: relaxing with a good mystery or suspense book. Currently I’m reading Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark. She’s one of the few romantic suspense authors I read regularly, and she always impresses me by the way she integrates her faith into her books in a very gentle way.
And of course I always have more than one book going at a time! During my quiet time, I’m reading Breathing Grace by Dr. Henry Straus. I’m also reading Rocky Mountain Match by Pamela Nissen. I am also reading a book about a range war in Texas for my next WIP.
Next, I want to finish Vigilante’s Bride by Yvonne Harris and the next mystery on my list is The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry.
Wow, that’s one rich reading life! I’m impressed. =) Now, here’s a fun one: what’s one of the oddest or most interesting things someone has ever said about you?
My entire family was humor-challenged; practical jokes used to leave me scratching my head. So when laughter comes easily now, I thank God. Imagine my shock—and delight—when someone said “You smile all the time!” Give all the credit for that to God.
LOL. What would your dream office look like—and what does your REAL writing environment look like?
I recently purchased a home and have the luxury of an entire room for my office! And every spare inch is crammed: desk, 3 book cases, 2 filing cabinets, printer desk, and a rolling cart where I keep office supplies. I hope to finish off the room with a poster-sized print of one of my photos of my beloved Rockies, so I can escape to Colorado in my mind while writing. (While living through Oklahoma’s hot summers).
I’ve come a long way since I wrote my first novel while riding on the bus! Praise the Lord.
Oh, I envy you that room to yourself! Though not the writing on the bus . . . 😉 What lessons have you learned through the publication process that you wouldn’t have guessed as a pre-published writer?
I’m not sure at which point I learned this lesson, but I hear it a lot from pre-published writers: the attitude of “if only.” If only I could win the Genesis contest. If only I could get a book published.
The “if onlys” don’t stop there, however. Then it becomes “if only I get a second book published.” If only enough people buy my book. If only I could get a bigger contract.
Whether pre-published or multi-published, we still struggle with self-doubt and want more and have to turn it over to God.
Too true. Do you remember where you were when you got your first or most important call about a book contract?
I have sold sixteen books; and I haven’t had a phone call yet. I do remember that I received the news about my first book the night before Thanksgiving. Great rejoicing!
I bet! Any upcoming releases we should keep our eye out for?
This has been an amazing year! In addition to the two books mentioned before, I have three books coming out about historical Vermont (and eventually, a repack like Seaside Romance). Each story is based on a historical event in Vermont’s history. In Prodigal Patriot, Reid hides out in a cave with her family and continues to farm her land in spite of Tory opposition—including the father of the man who loves her. In Bridge to Love, Tuttle has to make crops grow in the year when every crop failed (The Year of No Summer) to pay off his debt to the banker—and win the heart of the banker’s daughter. Love’s Raid is a Civil War story; when the bank is robbed, Daniel Tuttle has to determine if it’s a copycat robbery (the St. Albans Raid)—or something closer to home.
Those all sound awesome!
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Thanks for visiting, Darlene! Don’t forget to check out her sites (above), everyone. And you can order her A Woodland Christmas from 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 9/23/10. 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.