by Roseanna White | Jan 27, 2017 | Announcements, Sales
Apparently I totally forgot to blog on Thursday–but for good reason. I was finishing the set-up of my new online store, from which you can purchase signed copies of my books!
I’ve been wanting to set this up for months but kept shying away from the time commitment–and figuring out how to redo the site in general. But after fiddling with all week, it’s finally live.
And to celebrate, I’m offering a free gift on all orders that come in on or before Sunday 29 January 2017 ~ a WhiteFire book that I’ll handpick to go along with each order.
So feel free to browse through my new site and check out the shop ~ if you’ve been thinking you need a paperback copy or are looking for a great gift, signed books are always good choices. (Any books are good choices. Rarely do I give a gift that doesn’t involve a book. LOL.)
by Roseanna White | Nov 1, 2016 | Announcements, Book News
It’s November 1st! That means that at long last, my first Christmas novel is LIVE!
I intended to have this ready to go last year, but, um . . . I didn’t. đ Given that the book was only half written last November, I instead took the holiday season to finish it up and then had this year for editing and feedback and that sort of excitement. đ
But I’m so excited to share the story of Cyprus and Nikolaos and Petros. And seeing it reviewed in RT Reviews two weeks ago with a 4.5 Star Top Pick rating was pretty darn awesome too. This is what RT had to say:
Perfect for the Christmas season, Whiteâs latest is a story
that begs to become a tradition. The setting comes alive in sights, sounds and
smells, but itâs the people in this book that make it so memorable. Despite the
general solemnity to the plot, vivid characters and their strong and unswerving
faith frame the tale in life and warmth and love. This story of love and faith
belongs on every holiday reading list, itâs a beautifully crafted reminder of
the true purpose of giving.
Squee!!
So I figure I’ll share a bit of behind-the-scenes on this book today and tomorrow–and then later in the week is the Fall 2016 Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt, where I’ll be hosting Stop #4–so be sure to swing by then for a chance at the epic grand prize and for a giveaway just from me too, where you can choose from either of my recent releases.
Now . . . Cyprus.
When I decided to write this story, I figured it would be fun to get a peek at the Visibullis family that I’ve written about in
A Stray Drop of Blood and
A Soft Breath of Wind–two hundred fifty years after those stories. Though readers certainly don’t see any of those previous characters on the page, we do see their legacy. At one point, Dorus Visibullis, father of my heroine, receives a shipment of scrolls and codices (think early books) from his uncle, part of his inheritance. And on each scroll and codex is part of his Christian heritage–including an eye-witness account of the resurrection by Abigail, which Benjamin transcribed in her later years.
I hope readers enjoy this sort of nod at the early books–and that they fall in love with these characters too. Cyprus has in a way been a long time coming for me. I was in college when I decided I wanted to use the name for a heroine someday. Not sure why, but I just love the way it sounds. So I had Dorus and his wife Artemis name their girls after cities where they’d lived. Alexandria, Rhoda (after Rhodes), and Cyprus.
When I was brainstorming what I would make happen in this book, I knew it was crucial that Cyprus not look like the typical Greek/Roman girl. I wanted it to be dangerous for her to venture out alone in a world where it wasn’t unusual for children to be kidnapped and sold as slaves. And the rarer the coloring the better. At first I’d thought blond would work, but then I remembered reading that no slave in Rome fetched a higher price than a redhead. So that’s what Cyprus needed to be.
I searched for images forever. Seriously. Looking for some appropriate stock photo that I could use for Cyprus. But I couldn’t find one. Anywhere. So I took to DeviantArt and eventually stumbled upon Kirilee, who had this amazing series of “Greek Queen” photographs.
I contacted her about using one in accordance with her permissions, which stipulated that we couldn’t do anything like change out her face for someone else’s, but she had no problem with me reddening her hair. So the kind Kirilee became my Cyprus.
Cyprus is a girl who receives a miraculous healing in the opening chapter . . . and who then spends the next years of her life wondering why God would save her. She has always believed in Him . . . but she is just a girl, as her father keeps reminding her. A girl has no purpose but to marry advantageously. Can that really be all the Lord wants from her? Or will she doubt too much and have that paralysis overtake her again?
When tragedy strikes her family, the questions only get worse. Why save her for this? But love for her sisters spurs her onward, into a fight against the culture, the expectations, and into the realization of what God really asks–for everything, sacrificed freely to Him. So that He can work His wonders.
It’s a story of love at its foundation. Love for our parents, our siblings, our children. Love for our friends, love for the one who becomes our spouse. But ultimately, love for God.
This is a story about the man we now call
St. Nicholas. But in my typical fashion, it’s not the sort of story you might expect when you hear that. Because it’s not just about the man who created traditions we still keep today. It’s about the God-given love, the God-given gift of healing that spurred him to take extreme actions to save his friends. And it’s about those whose lives were forever changed by it.
Also, quick note!
I have four other books on sale this month!
by Roseanna White | Sep 8, 2016 | Announcements
By the time this posts, my plane should be touching down in England. For the next week and a half, I’ll be touring historic sites, exploring the countryside, and getting a couple stamps in my passport. =)
Which is to say, I’m likely to be quiet here on the blog. You never know, I might post a few pictures as I tour…or I might wait until I get back. Playing that one by ear. đ
In any case, I’d appreciate prayers for safe travels, and I’ll definitely be back with lots of pictures soon!
by Roseanna White | Aug 15, 2016 | Announcements
I’ll have my normal posts up later this week. Today, however, is our first day back to school. Plus I’m determined to finish up revisions for A Name Unknown before that first class starts, so . . . you know. Blogging takes a back seat. đ
But stay tuned!! Also on today’s agenda is going through the many amazing entries in the Song Unheard Contest and then announcing the finalists! Within the next day or so I’ll have the voting system set up, and YOU can help me select the song that Willa will have composed over the course of her story!
by Roseanna White | Jul 18, 2016 | Announcements, Book News
While I’m at the Montrose Christian Writers Conference this week and away from normal blogging, I thought it would be the perfect time to let the blog do some work on its own. đ
And so, it’s time to build the Launch Team for Giver of Wonders!
Giver of Wonders is a couple things–it’s my first Christmas story. It’s a biblical novel. It involved the same Visibullis family readers have come to love through A Stray Drop of Blood and A Soft Breath of Wind, but 150 years later–so none of the same characters, no related plots. Instead, we see what one branch of the family has turned into as Christianity has spread throughout the Roman Empire. Cyprus and her sisters end up in Patara, Lycia (present-day Turkey) when a Wonder Worker lives there . . . a Wonder Worker the world now knows as St. Nicholas.
Official blurb:
A miracle once saved her life ~ will another give her a future?
Cyprus was little more than a child when a fall left her paralyzed…and
when the boy known as the Wonder Worker healed her. Ever since, she has
wondered why the Lord spared her, what he has in store for her. But her
pagan father thinks she was spared solely so she could be introduced to
the wealthy Wonder Worker, Nikolaos.
Nikolaos has never
questioned that his call in life is to dedicate himself to the church
and to God. Never, that is, until he and his cousin Petros meet the
compelling Cyprus Visibullis. For years he struggles with the feelings
she inspires…and with the sure knowledge that Petros loves her too.
Petros knows he will never be good enough for Cyprus’s father to
consider him as a match for his favorite daughter ~ not as long as
Nikolaos is there. But when tragedy strikes the Visibullis family, he
will do anything to save his beloved. Unfortunately, his beloved is
determined to do anything to save her sisters ~ even at the cost of
herself.
As the festival of lights bathes their Greek city in
beauty, Cyprus, Petros, and Nikolaos celebrate the miracle of their
Savior s birth together one last time. And in remembrance of their
Lord’s greatest gift, one of them will make the ultimate sacrifice for
the others…and a centuries-long tradition will be born.
L A U N C H T E A M B A S I C S
For those who have been on previous launch teams, you probably already have an idea of how this will work. I will:
- Create a private Facebook group for all launch team members to join
- Send you complimentary copies of the book prior to its release
- Have a special giveaway for you guys only
- Share lots of behind-the-scenes info and come to you first for opinions and with ideas
Members of the team will:
- Write reviews to post to social media/online retailers
- Consider asking local libraries/bookstores to stock the book
- Share ideas with each other on ways to promote
- Promise to help spread the word through word of mouth, online postings, etc.
There will be two different options you’ll be able to sign up for. These are:
Thank you all SO MUCH for you interest in helping me spread the word about Giver of Wonders! I couldn’t do it without you amazing readers!!!
(You can also fill out the form here.)
by Roseanna White | Jul 14, 2016 | Announcements, Book News
Thank you for your interest in helping me promote A Lady Unrivaled! I’m so excited for this book to release, and so blessed to have readers like you who want to help me spread the word. =)
At this time I only have 15-20 slots open for paperback reviewers, so I’ll have to make a decision based on who I feel will best help with the promotion efforts. How you plan to help will play a role in deciding this, so get creative. đ
For those who prefer digital copies, or if you don’t have a U.S. address, you can sign up to receive a digital ARC (advance reader’s copy) via Netgalley; my publisher will send you a widget. Fill out this form instead.
And don’t forget that I’ll be building my influencer team for Giver of Wonders next week!
Ready? Set . . . Fill!
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, sheâs 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 booksâŚto offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.