by Roseanna White | Jan 8, 2018 | Word of the Week
Last week, my friend Rachel McMillan (of Toronto) asked on Facebook what the different American regions called a certain type of hat. You know, that basic knit hat for the winter. There, she said, they universally called it a toque. Other answers included “winter hat, knit cap, ski hat, beanie, tam, stocking hat…” The list went on and on.
But given that I’m currently knitting one for my husband (the pattern is called, “A Very Plain Hat,” LOL), I was thinking of it again and thought it would be fun to feature.
In my area, I grew up hearing them called toboggans. Like the sled. Upon looking it up, I learned that the word dates from 1829, meaning a flat-bottomed sled. Around 100 years later, in the late 1920s, it began being applied (regionally in America) to the knit hats one wore when tobogganing. (I guess that region includes my own…)
Toque, coming from French, is not surprisingly common in Canada. As a word for “a round hat,” it dates to the 1500s. It comes from the Spanish word for “a woman’s headdress,” which may have in turn come from the Arabic word for “shawl.”
Beanie dates from the 1940s and might be the funniest of the words–it’s from the slang sense of bean, meaning “head.” (For some reason, I always think of a beanie as one of the bowl-shaped hats with a little propeller on top. I wonder what TV show I have to thank for that? LOL)
Tam is short for tam-o’-shanter, a type of hat from the 1840s used by Scottish plowmen. The name comes from the hero of Robert Burns poem (Tom of Shanter) of the same name, published in 1790. This type of woolen hat became fashionable for women in the 1880s as well.
So there we go. Whatever we call it, I know many of them have been worn during this awful arctic blast! If you’re anything like me, you’re pretty excited to see warmer temps in this week’s forecast!
by Roseanna White | Jan 3, 2018 | Book News, Giveaways and Contests, Sales
Well here’s some exciting news! For the first time in history, one of my full-length novels is available for FREE! The Lost Heiress e-book can be downloaded at no cost from any of your favorite retailers that carry it. This deal will last through January and February, so grab it for yourself and please share!
If you haven’t read The Lost Heiress yet, it’s a book that’s very special to me. When I was 12, I decided I would complete a novel. I finished my manuscript a year later, and that story (after many revisions, LOL) eventually became The Lost Heiress. The kernel of the idea is the same, as are the two main characters. Other than that…er…a few things got changed over the years, LOL. But this story–oh, gracious, this story. Brook and Justin traveled with me for 20 years before it was finally accepted for publication, and I love that this is the book that Bethany House pours their promotional efforts into!
Official description and links:
Brook Eden has never known where she truly belongs. Though raised in the
palace of Monaco, she’s British by birth and was brought to the
Grimaldis under suspicious circumstances as a babe. When Brook’s friend
Justin uncovers the fact that Brook is likely a missing heiress from
Yorkshire, Brook leaves the sun of the Mediterranean to travel to the
moors of the North Sea to the estate of her supposed family.
The
mystery of her mother’s death haunts her, and though her father is quick
to accept her, the rest of the family and the servants of Whitby Park
are not. Only when Brook’s life is threatened do they draw close–but
their loyalty may come too late to save Brook from the same threat that
led to tragedy for her mother.
As heir to a dukedom, Justin is no
stranger to balancing responsibilities. When the matters of his estate
force him far from Brook, the distance between them reveals that what
began as friendship has grown into something much more. But how can
their very different loyalties and responsibilities ever come together?
And then, for a second time, the heiress of Whitby Park is stolen away because of
the very rare treasure in her possession–and this time only the servants of Whitby can save her.
D O W N L O A D L I N K S
S E R I E S S A L E
And my other Bethany House titles’ digital books are on sale too!
Grab them each for $6.99 or less!
(Sale prices take longer to process on some sites so may not be reflected yet)
by Roseanna White | Jan 2, 2018 | Announcements, Book News, Giveaways and Contests
J a n u a r y 2 – J a n u a r y 1 6
It’s release day for A Song Unheard! And we all know what that means around here. Time for a giveaway!
I had fun pondering what gifts to offer with this one, and I hope you guys enjoy what I found! So without further ado, allow me to present Willa’s Song Giveaway, including:
- A signed copy of A Song Unheard, for obvious reasons 😉
- A paperback copy of Agatha Christie’s first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, featuring her detective who is a Belgian refugee–one of the only lasting reminders that England had once been filled with them.
- Magnetic book marks with music notes and clefs, for marking your pages in those books
- A violin puzzle box, with a small opening for your treasures (be they a cypher key or, you know, something more ordinary like…
- A sterling silver treble clef necklace, for you or another music lover in your life
- A music-themed journal so can write down all your symphonic thoughts (pages have a faint treble clef as well as standard lines)
- A music-themed ceramic travel mug
One grand prize winner with a U.S. address will receive all those prizes! But wait (ahem), there’s more! 😉
For one Second Place winner (open to international residents as well!), I’m also giving away a $25 gift card to iTunes or Amazon, so you can stock up on the music of your choice! (Okay, so there’s no way to designate them for music, but you know. For the purposes of this giveaway, that’s what I’m going to say you should spend it on. Though if you’d rather buy books, who am I to complain? LOL)
Have you seen the book trailer yet?
You can watch this beautiful (1 minute long) glimpse into the story, narrated by my English friend Elizabeth and featuring the original composition “Willa’s Song” written by Jessica Brand and performed on the violin by Taylor Bennett right here! (It’ll get you an extra entry into the giveaway too!)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
by Roseanna White | Dec 22, 2017 | Holidays
I’m wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas! I’ll be taking a break from blogging, but I’ll be back on January 2 … with some fun. That will be release day for A Song Unheard, so in usual Writing Roseanna fashion, I’ll be celebrating with a big giveaway! Be sure to check in then to get in on the fun.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the time with friends and/or family. Here’s wishing you a holiday season filled with Joy, and much time for reading. 😉
by Roseanna White | Dec 21, 2017 | Author Interviews and Guest Posts, Thoughtful Thursdays
Today I’m happy to welcome my friend and fellow biblical fiction writer Mesu Andrew to the blog, with a very special post. To go along with her upcoming release, Isaiah’s Daughter, Mesu has written a small devotional that is available as a free download to anyone who pre-orders her novel! And she’s here today to share one of those 14 devos…as it’s very appropriate to the season. Please join me in giving Mesu a warm welcome!
~*~
Isaiah’s Daughter
14-Day Devotional
Day Twelve
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him
Immanuel.”
~ Isaiah 7:14 ~
Which aspect of
Jesus’ birth is most amazing to you?
 |
| Christmas print – will be mailed to anyone who pre-orders |
I have two
daughters and was honored to attend each of their first births. Watching my
babies give birth to babies was an amazing privilege but pales in comparison to
watching them be mothers. Mothering is
not for the faint of heart, and I’ve often pondered the impossible task Jesus’
mother faced. So much intrigues me about her conception, Jesus’ birth, and her
life as a mom.
What was it like
to create in her womb the God who created her? Was her birth experience more or
less terrifying, knowing the Son she bore was God’s own? Instructed to call
Him, Immanuel—God with us—how did she
parent God?
I’ve heard folks
say it would have been easier to believe in God if they’d lived while Jesus
walked the earth. I’m not so sure. While we have the benefit of hindsight, Isaiah’s
conservative theology might have struggled to embrace God’s Messiah. Even Mary,
who lived moment-by-moment with a divine toddler, teenager, and adult Son, remained
as confused as His other disciples until the Spirit was given at Pentecost (Mark
3:20-21). Seeing doesn’t always make
believing easier. Jesus’ brothers refused to believe He was the Christ (John
7:3-5) until after His death and resurrection. Only then did James believe his
Brother had been God With Us, the
perfect representation of the Father’s glory.
“The Son is the
radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining
all things by his powerful word.
After he had provided
purification for sins,
he sat down at the
right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
~ Hebrews
1:3 ~
I think many in
Jesus’ day discounted Him as the Messiah because He was too common. He wasn’t
spectacular in any way.
“He grew up before him
like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or
majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his
appearance that we should desire him.”
~
Isaiah 53:2 ~
What if we—the
Ones to whom the indwelling Holy
Spirit is available—actually have the easier path to faith. Immanuel dwells through
His Spirit in all who believe in
Jesus Christ. Perhaps Isaiah would envy us.
[Jesus said to His
disciples,]
“But very truly I tell
you, it is for your good that I am going away.
Unless I go away, the
Advocate will not come to you;
but if I go, I will
send him to you.”
~
John 16:7 ~
What
benefits did the disciples have with a flesh-and-blood Savior that we don’t?
What
benefits do we enjoy with the indwelling Spirit that the disciples couldn’t?
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| Quote card ~ will be mailed to anyone who pre-orders |
About the Book
Ishma
comes to the prophet Isaiah’s home as a five-year-old orphan,
devastated after watching her family destroyed and living as a captive.
With tenderness and care, her lively spirit is revived, and the prophet
and his wife adopt Ishma, giving her a new name—Zibah, delight of the
Lord. As the years pass, Zibah wins Prince Hezekiah’s favor, a boy
determined to rebuild the kingdom his father has nearly destroyed. But
loving this man awakens Zibah’s painful past and calls into question the
very foundation of her father’s prophecies. Can she learn to rely on
only Yahweh, who gives life, calms fear, and conquers nations?
Isaiah’s Daughter releases January 16, so this pre-order deal is good until the day before! You can find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, CBD, Parable, Lifeway, or see the full list of retail affiliates from the publisher.
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.