My Friend . . . Sara Mills

by | Oct 9, 2009 | Uncategorized

Back at the ’07 conference, I met an author named Sara Mills. I vaguely recall hearing her tell us about her books, though I confess I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention. To the point where, when her debut novel arrived in my mailbox from her publisher, I didn’t realize I’d met the author. But the book looked cool, very film noir, so I settled down with Miss Fortune and proceeded to be wowed.

I wrote a review, sent it to the publisher, and emailed Sara with it too. I actually had the thought of Did I volunteer to read this? Is she in ACFW? Completely spaced I’d MET the woman. But at any rate, Sara emailed me back, very excited. Mine was the first review to come in, and it helped hammer home the reality of being published.

I asked to be put on the list to receive her second book, Miss Match. I was in the middle of something else when it arrived, but at the first possible moment, I picked it up, carried it upstairs, and got to reading. I was only a chapter or two in when it hit me. I had MET Sara! Suddenly I remembered her, remembered sitting with her and her agent at the award’s banquet in 2007!

When things like this hit me out of the blue, I’ve taken to turning my thoughts to the Lord. I learned this lesson many times over, and not too long before in relation to authors (I’d been thinking about my favorite childhood author one week and then learned she had died that week). So I prayed for Sara and her family. Then kept reading.

The next morning I learned that at the exact time the Lord had impressed her on my heart, she was suffering a debilitating death in the family. When I saw that email asking for prayers as her family reeled with the loss, I sat back and just stared. I barely knew this woman. I didn’t even recall meeting her until the moment I started praying. Why had the Lord called on me for this?

I don’t pretend to understand the way our amazing God works, but you can bet that whenever someone pops to mind with that startling clarity now, I’m putting aside all else and saying a prayer.

Not knowing what else to do, I finished Miss Match–which was a great book with an awe-inspiring ending–wrote my review, and told everyone I knew to buy her books. My grandmother petitioned the Library to order them. My best friend ordered them for her mom. I don’t know that my efforts did much in the overall attempt to help her family, but I had to do what I could.

At the conference last month, I was walking blissfully away from lunch one day when I heard, “Roseanna!” I turned, having no clue who was hailing me. And saw a smiling Sara Mills sitting on the bench, waving. “You wrote my very first review,” she said–looking, I might add, gorgeous and sophisticated. “I wanted to thank you.”

I may not have remembered our first chance meeting. But you can bet I’ll never forget that one.

To read my reviews of the fabulous film noir-inspired mysteries by Sara Mills, click on the book covers–they’ll take you to the links at the CRoB.

Thoughtful About . . . A Toddler’s Focus

by | Oct 8, 2009 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized

The deeper I get into the toddler years with my second child, the more I gotta wonder. I mean, really. How is it that this kid can’t sit still for a diaper change, but he can spend an HOUR playing in my silverware drawer? Why will he not let me eat my dinner without a scream to get out of his highchair halfway through, but he’ll diligently try to put a key into a (wrong) keyhole for twenty minutes? And how about the fact that he can never find his cup, but he’ll locate every penny for a mile around?

In some ways, the focus of a toddler really amazes me. What is so intriguing about the sound of spoons clanking together? What is the allure of taking every can out of my cupboard? How can he get so many wipes out of the pack in the three seconds I turn my back?

On the whole, I’m really impressed with these little people I have. My daughter has an inspiring imagination and takes really good care of her brother (when she isn’t bopping him on the head), and the little guy’s getting to that age where he progresses in leaps and bounds. For instance, he hadn’t put two words together (not counting phrases that he probably mistakes for a one word, like “good job” and “thank you”) until yesterday. Then he followed up “Hi, Papa” with “brush teeth” and “no cookie.” (Although that last one . . . hm. Maybe this boy needs help. Turning down a cookie??)

I really like how they show us things about ourselves. I may growl at the dual-focus thing since he never seems to focus on what needs to be done, but am I any different? I could spend hours in front of my computer writing or editing or checking email, but my attention span is amazingly short when it comes time to clean, cook, or listen to my husband talk about cars. Or insurance. Or the economy. LOL.

Pretty smart of God to provide us with cute little mirrors, isn’t it?

Remember When . . . There Were No Women for Miles Around?

by | Oct 7, 2009 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized

In relocating my book about archaeology in Egypt to the ’20s, I did run up against one dilemma. In the original, there are quite a few women out there in the Egyptian wilderness, this being a large, high-profile dig. Fine in contemporary settings. But when I moved it back in time 80 years, I had this moment of panic. Oh no, I thought. Were there even female archaeologists back then??

I looked it up and quickly breathed a sigh of relief. Women have indeed been in archaeology since the mid 1800s, but they were few, far between, and had to fight for every ounce of respect they earned. Which means that my heroine could certainly be there, but she now needs the personality to demand it. In the original, Allie was not a demanding person. She was quiet, non-confrontational, but had a spine of steel. New-Allie (or perhaps Old-Allie?? I did, after all, just age her quite a lot, lol) is still quiet, but the stubbornness had to be upped.

It definitely changes my cast of characters, though. Gone are all the other women but one–I kept an older mother-figure, who is now married to another archaeologist on the dig and handles food and nursing. Not exactly her role in the original, but we have to improvise as the facts dictate. 😉

I’m having fun getting to know these characters that are much the same but also different in such crucial ways. Where before she just wouldn’t argue about something because of her bent toward silence, now she uses that silence to prove a point. Like when the hero demands, “Do you really want to argue this point?” she’ll reply, “Yes,” and then just glare at him. Makes for some interesting one-sided dialogue! But hopefully it’ll shake my unshakable heroine into the kind of woman who actually made it in that life. One whose dream, whose vision was so strong that she was willing to take on the whole male-dominant world to achieve it.

Story Time . . . JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME by Jenny B. Jones

Story Time . . . JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME by Jenny B. Jones

by | Oct 6, 2009 | Uncategorized

My reading habits these last two months have not been very habitual. I’ve gone weeks at a time with barely reading, which is rather embarrassing, given that I have a day of the week dedicated to it on my blog. I finally finished a book I started at conference in September, and since I was in the mood, promptly picked up another: Just Between You and Me by Jenny B. Jones. I started it on Saturday night and finished it on Sunday night. Need I say more?

Well, I will anyway;-) I’ve long been waiting to read a Jenny B. Jones book, since she’s one of my best friend’s favorite YA authors. I was pretty excited to see a contemporary by her that was aimed at adults. And my instincts were right. I could not put this book down.

The book is in the head of Maggie Montgomery, a daredevil cinematographer who readily admits she has a few issues. Like that crippling fear of water–even if no deeper than a fountain–and tendency to spontaneously combust when a romantic relationship edges toward serious. But she’s got it all under control . . . until her father calls her home to Ivy, Texas to help take care of her wild-child niece.

Jenny uses hilarity and deep insight to take this story way beyond the norm. As Maggie faces her fears and tries to figure out what in the world God wants her to do, delving generously into the junk food stores as she bumbles along, I got totally caught up in her world. I loved the voice, I loved the quirks, I loved the snarky dialogue . . . Yeah, pretty much loved everything about this book. And best of all, though it may not fit the strictest definition of “romance,” having no hero’s POV, it had a romance in it to make a girl swoon.

Here’s hoping this isn’t Jenny’s last contemporary! Keep ’em coming!

(In accordance with the new FTC regs, I guess I need to mention that this [along with every other book I read] was sent to me free by the publisher. Though it was an ARC, which technically has no value, so I’m not sure what the FTC actually thinks about this . . .)

Modern . . . Dating of a Book

by | Oct 5, 2009 | Uncategorized

I almost just titled this “dating,” then thought, “Everyone will think I mean going out on a date.” Which may be more interesting, but alas. Not my thoughts. =)

Something we writers have to consider when we write is dating our manuscript with reference to popular things that may not be so popular in another few years. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the things I wrote about in college contained references to Napster, for instance–which would now be a big stamp on it that might as well read “Outdated!”

I’m thinking about this because of how prevalent a part of our lives some of these popular things are, and because I just read a totally awesome book (will talk about it tomorrow) that throws around these things like my family does their socks. Everywhere! But unlike the socks, these references really worked for me with the story.

Still, I always wonder in my own stuff. I have this fear of mentioning something that ceases to exist. I’ve already run into it in a few things. For instance, in a book I wrote in ’04, I mention the real estate market in which a house sells in three days. Doesn’t happen anymore. My main character gets her first cell phone in the story–yes she’s a holdout, but seriously. Five years ago I knew people who didn’t have cells. Now I don’t. Everyone I know over 10 has a cell phone. Everyone. (So I just took that part out of the book altogether and give her one from the start, LOL.)

We have decisions to make about this, I guess, and you’ll get as many opinions as people you ask. For my part, I try to cement my story into a contemporary time with mention of the things probably here to stay, and steer clear of anything too year-specific. I want stories that are rooted but timeless. So that, you know, when I’m someday selling so many books that they go into reprint after reprint for a decade, no one’s left curling up their lip at how out of touch I am with modern life;-)

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