Thoughtful About . . . My Guys

Thoughtful About . . . My Guys

by | Apr 8, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized

Don’t forget the giveaway of Ann Shorey’s The Promise of Morning!

~*~

Today’s a pretty cool day in my history. It’s my husband’s and mine dating anniversary–twelve years that we’ve been together! Woo hoo! I was 15 when he became my boyfriend, and we’ve been going strong ever since, never so much as a passing breakup to mar our record. =) David’s the only guy I’ve ever kissed, the only guy I ever loved, and I’m so blessed to have found him so early in life.

We got some raised eyebrows when we became a couple. I was the epitome of a good girl–top of the class, never got in a whiff of trouble. David . . . in a conventional sense, he wasn’t a rebel. But he just didn’t care to bend to the (seriously) over-inflated power-grabbing of our school’s then-principal, so he came off as one to the rest of us. Didn’t take long for people to lose interest in us–until we got engaged during senior year, which just isn’t done these days without incentive, if you know what I mean. 😉

All these years later, people are finally willing to grant that, yes, we knew what we were doing. Yes, sometimes these days teens are responsible enough to handle a serious relationship. Sometimes it really is the Lord’s will to defy convention. (And don’t get me started on how new that no-teen-romances-last thing really is.)

Now onto my other guy, the 2-year-old one. =) Anyone who saw yesterday’s blog or my Facebook stuff knows he was having some breathing issues, wheezing–probably RSV. He’s doing much better now, no wheezing thus far today.

Gotta say, though, dealing with this on Tuesday really took me back–and not in a good way. When Rowyn was born, he had pneumo-thorax–gas outside the lung that kept the lungs from fully expanding, which means fast, shallow respirations. He spend the first day of his life under an oxygen hood in the NICU, while Mommy prayed they wouldn’t have to get rid of the gas manually as the oxygen would work. (It did.) Hearing him breathing fast and shallow again on Tuesday catapulted me back to that NICU, even though I knew this couldn’t be related. This time, at least, his blood-oxygen levels were fine.

Yesterday he was still wheezing a bit in the morning, but he was happy as a clam all day long and high-energy. Unlike me, who was sleep deprived and showing it before my two-hour nap. =) He’s even better today, so I’ve got no qualms with pawning him and Xoe off on a grandparent this evening so David and I can go out to dinner. =)

Hope everyone has a great April 8th!

Just reminders

by | Apr 7, 2010 | Uncategorized

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for Ann Shorey’s The Promise of Morning from Friday. And if you’re still waiting for a copy of A Stray Drop of Blood, try the giveaway on Lena Nelson Dooley’s blog or the new one up at Krista Phillip’s blog.

~*~

I’ve got a sick boy-o on my hands (and in my lap), so I’m tossing up my hands on trying to get anything else done today. Doctor thinks it’s RSV–he’s wheezing and breathing faster than normal. Otherwise he’s fighting it off admirably, so we’re not particularly worried, but we do have to do breathing treatments. Fun stuff.

So Roseanna is both sleep-deprived and occupied with a rather cranky and clingy 2-year-old. Blogging just doesn’t rate today. =) Prayers appreciated!

Story Time . . . SCATTERED PETALS by Amanda Cabot

Story Time . . . SCATTERED PETALS by Amanda Cabot

by | Apr 6, 2010 | Uncategorized

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for Ann Shorey’s The Promise of Morning from Friday. And if you’re still waiting for a copy of A Stray Drop of Blood, try the giveaway on Lena Nelson Dooley’s blog or the new one up at Krista Phillip’s blog.

~*~

Priscilla Morton craves adventure–which is part of the reason why she convinces her parents that they must travel to Texas so that they might attend Clay’s second wedding. Though he may not technically be family after he lost his first wife, Priscilla’s sister, he’s still like a son to her parents. But when their stagecoach is robbed and the villains do the unthinkable, Priscilla begins to wonder if her thirst for adventure is a curse she’ll pay for the rest of her life.

When Zach Webster sees the pretty strawberry-blond arrive on the back of a Ranger’s horse, he knows something is wrong. And when he hears her story, he feels a nudge saying the Lord expects him to do something to help right it. But pretty Miss Morton is obviously terrified of him, due to his resemblance to the men who held up her stage. Necessity draws them together . . . but will Zach’s past interfere in any hope they have of overcoming hers?

Scattered Petals is a book that manages the unexpected. Though one might think it’s just another Texas-set historical, it isn’t. It somehow combines the cutting edge of tragedy with the soft petals of beauty, all in a lovely, well-written tale. I was impressed with the way Cabot makes her characters question their faith time and again without ever falling into a funk that would have made me roll my eyes and declare it typical–they question, but the Lord is always quick to wrap His arms around the characters and pull them back up.

Scattered Petals is the second in the Texas Dreams series, a followup to Paper Roses. I read (and loved) the first book, so I was really looking forward to this one. And I loved it just as much. Though the author catches the reader up to speed on events in book 1, I would still recommend reading Paper Roses first–there were times I wished I’d read it a little more recently, so I could better remember what was being alluded to, so I can only imagine that would be magnified if you haven’t read it at all. But hey, picking up both of them would be a great way to pass a few days anyway!

Amanda Cabot is a writer who joins the sweet and lovely with the nitty-gritty, and she does it in a way that will keep the pages turning. I’m looking forward to the next book in Texas Dreams!

I received this book as a free review copy from the publisher.

Modern . . . Villains vs. Antagonists

by | Apr 5, 2010 | Uncategorized

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for Ann Shorey’s The Promise of Morning from Friday. And if you’re still waiting for a copy of A Stray Drop of Blood, try the giveaway on Lena Nelson Dooley’s blog or the new one up at Krista Phillip’s blog. She asks some hilarious questions, so you’ll definitely want to read that one for a good laugh. =) There’s also a review and interview at April Gardner‘s you ought to check out!

~*~

Now, let’s talk bad guys. Those of us who grew up adoring fairy tales are probably well acquainted with the Villain–a bad guy who’s out to destroy our hero/heroine at any cost, to stop them from doing good, who often openly seeks evil. The kind that earns a dun-dun-dun-duuuuunnnnnn every time they enter the screen or page, right?

Then there are antagonists–people who might be doing something wrong and who are set against our good guys, but who aren’t necessarily evil. They can (and sometimes are) redeemed later in the story. Maybe it’s just a snotty snob in a high school story, out to steal the protagonist’s boyfriend. A crooked cop out to foil the hero from solving a crime that will point his way–a crime he did to protect his own family. That sort of thing. Antagonists tend to come with reasons and excuses and a lot of depth.

Villains . . . I like to think that they’re distinctive because they come with Evil.

In most of the contemporary stories I read, villains have gone out of style. I’m cool with that, usually, because I enjoy the deep characterization necessary to make an antagonist really stand out. We’re even taught that our villains or antagonists need to have some good qualities too, to make them human.

The thing is, in my contemporary Seized, I have a bad guy that I see absolutely no good in. Now, I’m not saying something couldn’t develop–I write my characters as they come and don’t always plan for the depths that emerge. But this morning I was pondering whether I could and what I would give him to add a hint of good to the bad.

I got nothing.

The thing is, I’ve got two bad guys in this story. One is an antagonist–he’s mean as all get out and certainly out to thwart the good guys. But he has a heart (however shadowed) and will end up saving the day, ironically. Because he’s also pitted against a villain. I’m talking a true, black-hearted villain. And Mr. Villain . . . he’s so dark that even the good things he does are for bad reasons, to control those around him.

So I guess I’m wondering what we as readers like. It depends on the story, obviously, but what say you, O Readers who haven’t read this story and probably have no clue what I’m talking about, LOL. Do I need to try to find some redeeming quality in this guy I don’t actually intend to redeem, or is it okay, on occasion, to make a character pure evil?

My Friend Ann – Interview & Giveaway

My Friend Ann – Interview & Giveaway

by | Apr 2, 2010 | Uncategorized

A couple announcements before we welcome our guest author for the day. First, I have two guest posts up today. At Laurie Alice Eakes’s Seize the Chance, I’m talking about the power of the blood in honor of Good Friday, and how it inspired A Stray Drop of Blood. And at Peg Phifer’s Go Ahead and Wear the Purple, I’m talking about the genre of Biblical Fiction with fictional characters. And don’t forget the giveaways of my book on Margaret Daley’s blog and Lena Nelson Dooley’s!

Now, onto the real highlight of the day! =) Today we’re chatting with Ann Shorey, author of the At Home in Beldon Grove series. Her second book just released, and I have a feeling you’re going to love hearing about The Promise of Morning!

Ann has graciously offered a copy of the book to U.S. and Canada residents. If you’d like to be entered, please leave a comment below with an email address where I can contact you.

~*~

About Ann

ANN SHOREY has been a story collector for most of her life. Her writing has appeared in Chicken Soup for the Grandma’s Soul, and in the Adams Media Cup of Comfort series. She made her fiction debut with The Edge of Light, released in January 2009. When she’s not writing, she teaches classes on historical research, story arc, and other fiction fundamentals at regional conferences. Ann lives with her husband in Sutherlin, Oregon. The Promise of Morning the second book in her At Home in Beldon Grove series.

Contact Ann through her website at www.annshorey.com .

~*~

About The Promise of Morning

Ellie Craig believed her marriage to Matthew, the pastor of Beldon Grove’s church, would flow from blessing to blessing. He’s always been the leader in their household, giving her a comfortable life.

Then they lose three children in infancy and her world reels, leaving her vulnerable to the attentions of the recently returned son of Beldon Grove’s founder. When Matthew suddenly makes a decision that leaves Ellie alone with their older children, she realizes her actions have driven him away.

Now Ellie must search within herself for the answers to her problems. Will she be able to open her heart to her husband? Or did her actions destroy any chance they had at happiness?

~*~

What’s your latest book?

My latest book, The Promise of Morning, released from Revell on the first of March. The Promise of Morning is Book 2 in the At Home in Beldon Grove series.

What do you hope your readers will get out of the story?

I hope the importance of keeping promises, and the often unforeseen consequences when we fail to do so, will impress readers. Several of the characters in The Promise of Morning are faced with whether or not to fulfill a commitment—some do, some don’t. The wrong choices have far-reaching effects on the other characters.

A great lesson! That’s not your typical take-away—I like it. =) Is that also the theme? If so, did you plan it that way from the start?

The theme of keeping promises emerged as I went through the first draft of the story. It was serendipitous that Revell chose to title the book The Promise of Morning.

Definitely! Those Revell folks sure know what they’re doing. =) What’s your favorite genre to write? To read?

I really enjoy writing historical fiction. The process of discovery during the research process keeps me inspired. I’m always learning a tidbit or two that I can use, and wouldn’t have known about were it not for the research.

When I read, I enjoy many genres—it all depends on what mood I’m in at the time. I always have a stack of unread books to chose from. It’s almost like my own little Library.

Hmm, I see we have much in common, Ann. What would your dream office look like—and what does your REAL writing environment look like?

My dream office would look like a page out of the Pottery Barn catalog. I love their furniture and the way they style the rooms for the catalog.

Now my real environment is another story! My writing has grown from articles and opinion pieces to novels, and my office has failed to keep pace. I really need to get rid of the old tables, etc., on which I pile stuff, and get a nice wall of shelving. Words fail me when it comes to describing how this room looks, although “cluttered” comes close.

Sounds like my whole house! Is there any one thing or reference you keep handy when writing? Anything you kept around for this particular book?

My most-used reference tool is English Through the Ages by William Brohaugh. It’s tricky making sure the wording in my historical novels fits the time period, so this book is invaluable.

For The Promise of Morning two of my most valuable reference books were Autobiography of Peter Cartwright, which is where I got my background for the life of an itinerant preacher in the early 1800’s. The other book was Sugar Creek: Life on the Illinois Prairie, by John Mack Faragher. Great resource for the same time period, since Illinois is where the fictional town of Beldon Grove is located.

What lessons have you learned through the publication process that you wouldn’t have guessed as a pre-published writer?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned, and am still learning, is how much time is involved in marketing once a book is released. I didn’t anticipate how busy I’d be just keeping up with everything.

Tell me about it! I’ve barely written a fictional word in weeks. I get to the point where I go mad if I don’t get back to my novels. Any upcoming releases we should keep our eye out for?

I recently finished the first round of edits for Book 3 in the Beldon Grove series. The working title right now is The Dawn of a Dream. The story’s protagonist is Luellen McGarvie, Molly McGarive’s oldest daughter, now a young woman. Luellen was a fun character to write, as she’s so spunky. The book will be released sometime next year—I don’t have the date yet.

Readers can purchase my books from all major brick and mortar booksellers, as well as online through Amazon.com, Christianbook.com, and several other sources. Clicking http://www.annshorey.com/novels.html and following the Buy This Book link, you’ll be directed to five different online sources, plus a search box to find a Christian bookstore near your home.

While you’re on the internet, clicking on http://www.annshorey.com or http://www.annshorey.blogspot.com/ will take you to my website or my blog, respectively. Please stop by and send me a message. I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for inviting me to your blog, Roseanna!

Thanks for stopping by, Ann! It was great to get to know you a little better.

~*~

Contest ends 4/8/10. (And when did it become April, anyway???) Void where prohibited by law. Chances depend on number of entry. Winner will have two weeks to claim the book before another is selected.

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