Writing Roseanna

Word of the Week

Thoughtful Thursdays

History's Story

Books, Books, Books!
Word of the Week
Since 2011, readers have been enjoying my “Word of the Week” posts, which look not just at the definition of a word, but at its history and etymology. These quick little peeks into words we use every day (or…don’t), are a fun way to learn something new in just a minute or two! Word Nerds, unite!
Word of the Week – Orange
Did you know that orange, meaning the color, wasn't used until the 1500, while orange, for the fruit, dates to the 1300s? And that's just in English! The fruit is truly ancient, and our word traces its roots ultimately back to the Sanskrit naranga, by way Persian,...
Word of the Week – Oxymoron
Did you know that the word oxymoron is itself an oxymoron? The word means "a figure conjoining words or terms apparently contradictory so as to give point to the statement or expression," such as "a little big", "pretty ugly," "deafening silence," and so on. As a...
Word of the Week – Colonel
I will never forget writing the Culper Ring Series, in which I had a prominent character named Fairchild, and growling incessantly over trying to remember how to spell his rank: lieutenant colonel. My critique partner and I joked about it and started typing it (in...

Thoughtful Thursdays
Though a novelist by trade, one of the trademarks of my books is the spiritual depth and exploration I includes as my characters work through what it really means to walk out their faith. Faith, in fact, is one of the things I like to ponder most. In these once-a-week articles, I gets thoughtful at the crossroads of faith, family, and fiction.
God of Eternal Promises
It's winter in the northern hemisphere. January has turned to February, February will soon be March, and we'll start looking for the first signs of springs. Daffodil greens ... buds on the trees ... the return of birds that migrated south. We'll start looking, but the...
He Called Me by Name
God knows us. He calls us by name. We know this. We can point to Scriptures that say it, we can recite it to each other. For that matter, I even sign each copy of The Nature of a Lady with "He knows your name." I've printed it on tote bags. I've put it in a pretty...
Whose Sins You Forgive
Forgiveness. We know it's important. We KNOW that. It's a key line in the Lord's Prayer--forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. It's not only something we're commanded to do, we confess in that prayer that we will only expect forgiveness in the...

History’s Story
Nearly all of my books are historicals, which means I do A LOT of research. Check out History’s Story for this novelist’s take on some of the historical tidbits I’ve learned through my research, especially on topics that end up in my novels.
A Tour of the Abbey Gardens
The Abbey Gardens In “Welcome to the Isles of Scilly,” I gave you an overview of this beautiful island chain and introduced you to some of the main places my heroine, Libby, visits in The Nature of a Lady, including a quick peek of the Abbey Gardens, with a promise of...
Welcome to the Isles of Scilly
It should come as no surprise that I'm excited about The Nature of a Lady, the first book in the Secrets of the Isles series. But I have to say, one of the things I love most about this series is the setting: the Isles of Scilly (pronounced "Silly"). And so, I...
Remember When . . .Christmas Was in the Air?
Since I did a bit of a round-up in this week's Word of the Week post, I thought I'd continue that trend today. 😀 Here you'll find a list of all my past Christmas-themed posts throughout the years (or all the ones my search turned up, anyway, LOL). Have you missed one?...

Books, Books, Books!
It goes without saying that with a novelist, it always comes down to BOOKS. These posts are your go-to for book news, cover reveals, book releases, Scavenger Hunts, giveaways, and bookish merch!
Be Our Valentine ~ Giveaway!
Valentine's Day is right around the corner! And how better to celebrate than with a fabulous Christian Historical Romance novel, am I right?? I'm teaming up with some of my favorite authors (and friends) to bring you a super fun giveaway opportunity! Just enter the...
Giveaway – To Treasure an Heiress Release Day!
Happy New Year! To Treasure an Heiress is NOW AVAILABLE! I'm thrilled to be kicking off the new year with this book, the second in the Secrets of the Isles Series! This story picks up chronologically right where book 1 ends, but the focus is now on the "other...
Cover Reveal ~ Shadowed Loyalty
Back in August I shared the announcement about Shadowed Loyalty, my 1920s Chicago story, that will be coming from Chrism Press in May of 2022. Well, not long after that, I had the joy of working on the cover for it! It isn't often that I get to design my own book...