Two New Stories!

Two New Stories!

by | Nov 28, 2018 | Books

Once in a while, it’s fun to pause from telling y’all about my stories and talk instead about the other books that make up my life. ? And this last month, I’ve been SUPER BUSY preparing two amazing books for publication. So naturally, I want to tell you about them. ?

WhiteFire Publishing has just officially launched its young reader line, WhiteSpark. And our two launching titles are pretty fabulous. Leading the way is our Young Adult title, Gone Too Soon, by bestselling, award-winning author Melody Carlson.
Now, Melody has long been established as a writer of both young adult and adult novels, historical, contemporary, you name it. At this point, I’ve read quite a lot of her books. But I gotta say. This one. This one is my favorite. This one is something special. This one grabbed me by the heart within pages and just didn’t let me go again. This one will rock your world.
It’s about a family–a family on the brink of disintegration. Six months before the story opens, the eldest daughter, Hannah–the “perfect” daughter–was killed in a car accident. And now nothing is right. Kiera, the “problem child” middle daughter, doesn’t know what to do. Their father barely ever comes home. Their mother is relying more and more on alcohol and prescription drugs. And her little sister, Maddie, is being shipped off for the summer. It seems like nothing will stop their family’s tailspin…until Kiera finds a diary hidden away in her older sister’s room. Then even what she thought she knew is turned on its head. Apparently, Hannah wasn’t so perfect. Apparently, her last year was far from ideal.
And apparently, their family’s problems began well before Hannah died. The question is…can her words now somehow help put things to rights?
I’ll say up front that I’m not an emotional reader. I don’t often cry when I read. But this one…okay, so I didn’t cry, but I got chills, people. Genuine, “Oh my goodness!!” chills. Aimed at teens who are sure to see their world in the one between the pages, it’s also suitable for adults. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Get it for your teen. Get it for yourself. Get it for anyone who needs to see the hand of God at work. It’s available at a bargain price for your e-reader, in paperback, and also in hardback with dust jacket.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Oh, funny behind-the-scenes. I did the cover design for this, of course–but as I tried out various options, Melody and I agreed we wanted to see the diary on the cover. But I couldn’t find a single decent stock image of a diary like I wanted. I could, however, find one on Amazon. 😉 So I ended up ordering one and staging my own photo shoot. It isn’t often I use my original photos for a cover! I had to purchase the keychain too…it’s not actually in the book, but it’s representative of the car that plays a huge role in the story.
Next up is Benjy and the Belsnickel, a middle-grade story that the 8-12 crowd will LOVE. When this book was first submitted to us, I actually read it to my kids (9 and 11 at the time) as part of our homeschool day to get their take. (Hello, beta testing!) They both highly enjoyed it, especially my son.
Benjy is such a fun story! The title character is an 11-yr-old boy in a rural Pennsylvania town in the 1930s. He attends a one-room schoolhouse, where he is constantly pulling pranks and getting in trouble with the schoolmarm. The thing is, he’s not sure why. He tries to be good–he wants to be good–but the allure of mischief is just too strong. I mean, who wants to do spelling when it’s one of the last warm days of autumn and his baseball bat is calling his name?? Who wants to suffer through math when the first snowfall promises fun sledding?
But with every prank he pulls, Benjy is met with the same threat from all the adults in his life–he’d better be careful, or he’ll earn a visit from the Belsnickel.
This is what I LOVE about this book–the Pennsylvania Dutch legend that comes to life! The Belsnickel, you see, is an old PA Dutch tradition that runs parallel to Santa Claus. We all know Santa is known for bringing presents to good kids and coal to bad ones. Well, the Belsnickel is his antithesis. He only visits the naughty children, and he comes with a whip in hand, a terrifying hat decorated with porcupine quills and bells, and a strict warning: make better choices or face the consequences.
Benjy’s pretty sure the legend is just that–folklore. Except he keeps hearing bells at every turn and is pretty sure he sees the Belsnickel’s shadow looming. Is it his imagination or truth? And is the threat enough to make him change his ways?
With just enough legend to make kids squeal, but plenty of humor, hope, and family love to keep them firmly planted, this is a must-read this holiday season for the young ones in your life!
AND…inside the book, there are illustrations at the chapter heads and between some of the chapters. Illustrations were done by my daughter! When Bonnie (the author) mentioned a few line drawings to me, I immediately thought of my budding artist of a daughter and wondered if her style would fit. I sent Bonnie a few samples of her work to see if it fit the style she had in mind, and she gave me an enthusiastic “Yes!” So my thirteen-year-old wowed us all with her talent (as usual) and produced the 23 pictures now featured in this book. Yes, I’m a proud mama. For good reason! This girl is GOOD!

Benjy and the Belsnickel is also available in three formats, though the hardback version is case laminate, not a dust jacket. Better for those younger readers, and more handy for lending and sharing. ?

You can watch a fun interview with Bonnie HERE.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Cyber Monday Sale!

Cyber Monday Sale!

by | Nov 26, 2018 | Sales

It’s Cyber Monday! 
Which of course means a SALE in my website’s store!

So here’s what you do.

1. Hop over to www.RoseannaMWhite.com/shop

2. Cross a few items off your shopping list, for you or for someone else 😉

3. Enter coupon code “THANKS2018” for 25% off your entire purchase AND free shipping on orders over $50!

A few quick notes. When you’re checking out, there’s a red bar at the top with instructions on where to fill in personalization requests (namely, in the “order notes” section, which is the last section of the checkout form). This is where you tell me to whom you’d like your books signed. =)

The coupon code is entered in a drop-down. Beneath that RED bar, there are two BLUE bars at the top, the second of which says “Have a coupon? Click here to enter your code.” Click on that, put in the code, and voila! The percentage discount will apply to every order, and free shipping will be automatically added if you’ve spent enough.

This sale will only last through Tuesday 11/27!

https://www.roseannamwhite.com/product/complete-ladies-of-the-manor-series-signed

https://www.roseannamwhite.com/product/complete-culper-ring-series-signed
https://www.roseannamwhite.com/product/library-card-tote-bag-customizable
https://www.roseannamwhite.com/product/complete-shadows-over-england-series-signed

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

by | Nov 19, 2018 | Holidays

This week, in celebration of Thanksgiving in America, I’m going to be taking the week off from the blog. My kids and I have the week off from homeschooling, so we’re going to seize the chance to watch some movies, do some reading (and writing, for me) and otherwise relax. I hope everyone has a wonderful, blessed week!
And be sure to come back here next Monday to see what Cyber Monday deals are running in my shop!

Thoughtful About . . . The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

Thoughtful About . . . The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

by | Nov 15, 2018 | Holidays, Thoughtful Thursdays

It’s once again that time of year when we set aside time to focus on giving thanks. Thanks to our God for all He has provided. Thanks for all He is. Thanks for all He’s made us.
It’s that time of year when I often pause to remember the start of the American tradition and stand in continual awe at the Pilgrims that first celebrated Thanksgiving on this continent. Who celebrated and gave thanks despite the fact that every single one of them had suffered the cruel death of a loved one in the year that had just passed. That families had been patched together, binding widows to widowers, orphans to parents who had lost children. That the community had chosen to hold steady, to move forward together. To give thanks. Despite the fact that they had so many reasons to mourn. So much grief burdening them. So many obstacles ahead.
When I’m making a list of things to be thankful for, I know what tops mine: my family, my friends, the chance to write, the Church, His Spirit.
But this year, as I’ve spent these last few months contemplating how I can #BeBetter, how I can stop viewing those who have different opinions or beliefs as my opposition or enemy, I feel like I’m being challenged to something new.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18, Paul instructs us (emphasis my own):
14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Everything. That isn’t always easy. But God also calls us to offer our praise even when it’s hard. Even when it’s a sacrifice. Sometimes, thanksgiving is the same. Sometimes, He asks us to take a step back from the emotion that holds us captive–the pain, the anger, the grief…the happiness, the Joy, the victory–and see things through His eyes. To see that even when we feel loss, He is still at work. Even when death steals from us, He gives us life. Even when we’re prisoners, He offers freedom of the soul. Even when we cannot see the reason, He holds it all in His hands.
But not only that. The things we consider victory and Joy cause pain and fear for others. God cares about that, too, doesn’t He? He loves those who are confused about their identity…He loves those who fear bigotry so much that they extend the definition into things I don’t feel it should include. He loves those who think my faith is dangerous. Does He want us laughing in Joy when we score a “win”…or praying for those who are hurt by it?
This year, I’m going to be spending my Thanksgiving deliberately thanking God for the things and people that cause me stress. I’m going to thank Him for the people who don’t believe as I do–because they have opinions that challenge me, and it’s through challenging each other that we achieve intellectual honesty. I’m going to thank Him for what I’ve lost, because sometimes it takes stripping me of the things I cling to for me to really see Who matters. I’m going to thank Him for every single thing I hope changes in the year to come, because the fact that it’s here in my life means I need to learn from it.
We are all dealt hard blows. We all suffer. We all fear. It’s what we do with it that makes a difference. And if our “doing” is to praise God, to thank Him for the loss, for the pain, for the hurt, for the difficulty… Well then, we’re not going to be seeking revenge. We’re not going to be wallowing in those emotions–we’re going to be wallowing in Him.
And that, my friends, can change the world. One person at a time.
Next week I will be celebrating Thanksgiving and taking the week off from blogging, but be sure to swing by here on Monday, November 26th to see what Cyber Monday sales I’ll be offering!
Word of the Week – Vignette

Word of the Week – Vignette

by | Nov 12, 2018 | Word of the Week

I love learning things through my kids’ school! A week or two ago, my daughter came out with her vocabulary book in hand to ask if I knew about the history of the word vignette. I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard this before, but it’s a fun progression!
So back in the day, book pages that contained pictures were often decorated with a border–and one of the most popular images to use for a border was a vine. (French vigne.) By 1751, this vine border had become known as a vignette, which is just a diminutive of the French. But over the years, the word began to be used for the picture on the page, not just the border. By 1853, vignette was used for a type of small photographic portrait.
Toward the end of the 19th century, this idea of a small image or sketch expanded into the literary world and began to be used for a short work of writing too–which is the meaning I’m most familiar with. I had no idea it had come originally from a vine used as a decorative border!

Do you have any books in your house with a vignette border on any pages?
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