by Roseanna White | Jul 29, 2009 | Remember When Wednesdays
The 1920s. Hemlines went up, waists went down, curls waved goodbye, and everyone shimmied their way into the Jazz Age. Prohibition was the law of the land . . . and gangsters made millions flaunting it.
Is there anyone who thinks this doesn’t sound like a fun time write about? LOL
A little over a year ago, I was struck by inspiration. “What if,” I thought, “a law enforcement officer used a girl to get an in with her family? And what if we’re on the girl’s side, even though her father’s, oh, I don’t know . . . a mob boss? And what if she knows what he does and has no problem with it–at the beginning?”
This is how Mafia Princess was born.
I threw myself wholeheartedly into research. After reading a book about the Mafia (not yet called the Mob), I decided that I wanted to set my book in pre-Capone Chicago, which meant around 1922. (Capone was there, of course–just not ruling the city.) I made this decision because I much preferred the Mafia of those days. In spite of some really nasty illegal goings-on, they had an honor that was lost after Capone took over. A respect for the “old ways” that they brought with them from Sicily.
Unfortunately, that also meant that a lot of the styles that came to define the era weren’t around yet. Yes, hair was bobbed–but not yet shingled. Yes, dress silhouettes were simplified and elongated–but waists hadn’t dropped to the hip quite yet. Yes, cloche hats were coming into style–but brims still reigned the day.
And of course, there was the super-fun slang like in the title of the post. I had to use it sparingly, but I really enjoyed writing one character who peppered her conversation with every faddish phrase I could find. She habitually said things like, “Take off this ball and chain, put on your glad rags, and let’s hit the town. I know of this party that’s going to be the elephant’s instep.”
Now, selling a Mafia story to the CBA (even one that is decidedly Christian) may prove a challenge, but I just received word that the first editor we submitted to has requested the full, and I’m pretty excited. So for the next few weeks, our Remember When Wednesdays are going to share some more interesting FYI about 1922 Chicago. We’ll learn a little about the Mafia of the day, the styles and fashions, and some of the misconceptions that have arisen about the era over the years.
Come on, Twenties, give us a roar!
by Roseanna White | Jul 28, 2009 | Books, What We're Reading
When Claudia Mair Burney’s new book out from Cook arrived on my in-pile, I thought something along the lines of “Sigh.” I’d only read one book by this author before, and while I enjoyed most of it, I didn’t care for the ending. I was kinda afraid this would have the same kick-me-while-I’m-down thing going, but I dutifully picked it up anyway. And fell in love.
Zora & Nicky is a look into the lives of the title characters that will redefine your entire way of thinking. Zora is a young, wealthy black woman whose father is an influential minister in the Prosperity movement. Nicky is the down-on-his-luck son of a white Southern Baptist preacher who’d run for the senate not long ago. To the world, these two couldn’t look more different. But after they both walk out of their respective churches one Sunday, fed up with the rhetorics of their fathers, they meet at an informal Bible study–and are never the same again.
This is such a timely, relevant book right now. It’s unafraid to look deep into some popular denominations, it’s unafraid to deal with race issues head one. And Burney arrives at a place where the reader, no matter his/her color, is touched by the honesty of the character’s hearts.
I was raised in a community with next to no minorities, and with the belief that everyone was made equal. When a minority did come into our area, I can honestly say I barely even noted the difference in their skin color. Growing up like that, at once sheltered and well-taught, watching the news could be weird. First of all, what was with all the prejudice? And why did the black community always assume prejudice?
Those two questions are at the heart of this book–Zora sees everything Nicky does as racist, and Nicky has to figure out how to get around that by looking at things through her eyes. He isn’t racist, not in his heart. But before he can convince her of that, he has to understand that she was indeed raised to think that everything’s different for a black person.
This is a story of profound sensitivity and yet hard-hitting facts. It pulls no punches, whether they be concerning the lustful thoughts of the hero or the sad reality of the world as we know it. But it leaves you not only with hope, but with understanding. I couldn’t put this book down, and long after I turned the last page, it’s still with me.
As I watch the latest “race issue” debacle on the news, I shake my head and think, “EVERYONE ought to read Zora & Nicky!” The world might just get a little brighter if they did.
by Roseanna White | Jul 27, 2009 | Modern Mondays
I am not a health nut. I’ll confess that up front. Sure, I’ll eat healthy things–if they taste good. 😉 I’ll exercise . . . when I start to get unhappy with how I look. But I don’t do any of those things for the sake of themselves.
Now, my parents have decided virtuously to be healthy. My aunt is a nutritionist, personal trainer, and nurse practitioner. My mother-in-law went through this phase before David was born when she was all about keeping everything that entered her body “pure.” (She describes herself as a step removed from crazy with it at the time.)
So naturally, I decided that in my WIP I need to have a character who torments the heroine with this sort thing. =)
The heroine in my work-in-progress is the third of five children, and the rest are all boys. (Fun, huh?) Her oldest brother is my Health Nut, and he moves back from California at the beginning of the story and invites himself to stay at her house. Throughout the story, he drives her nuts by interfering with her diet and “forcing” her to exercise (no, my family would never do this, lol).
But he also makes her realize something–that foods are good for you not because of what they DON’T have, like fat and calories and preservatives. But because of what they DO, like vitamins and minerals and nutrients.
I came to this realization one day when I thought, “Well, I’m ruining my salad by putting a full-fat dressing on it.” Then I thought, “No I’m not. I need the salad because of what it has. Not just because it’s a better alternative than pizza.”
My heroine then takes it a step further and applies it to people. So often we judge ourselves on what we’re not–on our failings. But wouldn’t we rather define ourselves by what we are? Maybe I’m not in good enough shape, maybe I’m not patient enough, maybe I’m not . . . all number of things. But you know what? There are a lot of things I am too. And they’re a whole lot more important.
by Roseanna White | Jul 24, 2009 | Author Interviews and Guest Posts
Back at the ’07 ACFW conference, I walked into my very first session, sat down, and thought, “Wow. I know
nobody.” It was an agent panel, one where we turned in one-sheets on our projects and had them dissected, so I was already a little nervous. Plus, I got there really early, so there was lots of time to twiddle my thumbs. Then, after a minute or two of “Now what?” thoughts, I heard “Hey, nice bag” from behind me.
I had a nice bag (about which I was very excited), so I turned around to find a grinning-twentysomething sitting with an identical red leather bag. A, might I add, pregnant twentysomething (I was also a pregnant twentysomething, so this was instant bonding material). We started talking, and I ended up moving back to sit beside her.
Thank the Lord for red leather bags! The young woman I was chatting with is Stephanie Morrill, who has since joined my critique group and become one of my all-time best friends. Stephanie writes Young Adult fiction and is awesome at it. And since she’s the first member of our critique group to get published, it seemed fitting to dedicate my first My Friend Friday to her.
Stephanie’s first book from Revell just hit the stores July 1st. Me, Just Different is about a girl who had it all–and wasn’t so sure she wanted any of it anymore. With a light, engaging tone and an honest look into the heart of a teen whose world is shifting, Stephanie pulls the reader into Skylar’s life and never lets go.
Yes, I’m slightly biased, given that I had the honor and pleasure of working with Stephanie through every step of this–but as I remind her from time to time, I read the book before we were super-good friends and loved it then too. =)
Since September of ’07, I’ve been there praying as Stephanie submitted to agents and eventually signed with Kelly Mortimer. I’ve been there praying as Kelly submitted to every publisher under the sun. I was on Stephanie’s To Call list when she heard back from Revell and did a happy dance with her when they said, “Yes!”
When the book finally arrived in my mailbox, I jumped for Joy and said, “My niece is here!” I can’t quite call it my baby, but since Stephanie is a sister of my heart, “niece” is totally appropriate.
I’ll probably post more about Stephanie on later Fridays (when I don’t have other people begging to be highlighted, lol) and as her other books come out. But for now, check out my review of Me, Just Different and all the fun bonus matieral up at the bottom of it, including an interview with Stephanie, an article I wrote about her book and Young Adult fiction in general, and character sketches. Also be sure to check out Stephanie’s website and blog.
by Roseanna White | Jul 23, 2009 | Thoughtful Thursdays
I confess. I’m an optimist. Not just a fleeting optimist, mind you, an eternal one. As the hero in my Work In Progress just said to the heroine, “You go way beyond optimist. You don’t just see the glass half full–even when it’s empty, you say, ‘Yay! Now I get to fill it up with something even better!’” That, as my husband and critique partners will tell you, is the perfect description of me.
It’s gotten to the point where it’s a joke. If someone else is called an optimist, they’ll reply, “Oh, I’ve got nothing. You should meet Roseanna.” Seriously. When the Lord was writing genetic code, he gave all the worry genes to my sister and left me with this attitude of “all’s well until you prove me otherwise. And even then I won’t be convinced for long!”
Amid my critique group, the joke has led to a new name. I said something about optimism being my middle name. Carole Brown replied with “Are you sure it’s not your first?” LOL. We all decided that maybe it was hyphenated–Roseanna-Optimist.
I now sign all critique emails with RO, the agreed-upon abbreviation. And it suits me so well that I almost always start to sign ACFW emails that way, too. And HisWriter emails. And every other email.
Sometimes I wish I weren’t always so hopeful, since things rarely go as well as I think they will. But in general, this is a really handy attitude to have in the publishing industry. Whenever I get a rejection (not that I ever get rejections, ha ha ha), I usually reply with, “Oh well. There must be a better contract out there for me!” Of course, my wonderful agent then has to try to find it, LOL. She said a few months back, “You’re always so cheerful! I hate giving you bad news. I want to sell something for you!”
Me too. And it’s coming soon. Says RO. =)
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. Having successfully launched two homeschool grads, she now spends her time writing fiction, 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, as well as a fantasy series and contemporary mysteries and romances. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.