It’s HERE! Dreams of Savannah Release Day

It’s HERE! Dreams of Savannah Release Day

by | Jan 5, 2021 | Announcements, Book News, Books, Giveaways and Contests

I first came up with the idea and wrote the manuscript way back in 2011, fully expecting it to be published in the next year. But God (thankfully!) had other ideas. Nine years later, it’s finally coming out, and let’s just say a lot has changed in those nine years–not just in my story, but in the world. The book originally meant to hit a few Gone with the Wind notes now has a very different goal. Themes I never would have considered back then became the central ones. Lessons I didn’t know I needed have become so important to me.

In many ways, the process of this book opened my eyes to the noble ideals of racial reconciliation. I certainly won’t make any bold claims that this story will do any amazing work in that vein–I have no idea what it will or will not strike in the hearts of any readers. But I know what rewriting and editing have done for my heart. I know how the lessons my heroine learned have opened my own eyes. And I pray–I pray with fervency and hope–that it will do the same for you.

 

One of those lessons Delia learns is that it’s through learning each other’s stories that we can really come to understand and love each other. And so, I’d like to invite you all to share yours. Your personal story, your family’s story, your community’s…whatever you feel is what led you to where you are today. I love it when readers contact me to say, “My grandfather had a role like this character’s in the Great War!” or “My family came from this same area!” Those many emails I get actually inspired me to begin a new project. I’ll have a post dedicated SOLELY to it soon, but for now, a quick invitation. If you’d like to share your story, I’ve created SeeingtheStory.com as a place for you to do so. You can type it up, or you can record it either just with audio (even just calling in!) or with video. We’ll then index and post your musings, so you can share with your own family and everyone else’s! Let’s preserve our stories. They’re what keep us connected to our past and give us the courage to face the future. How? Because stories change the world.

About the Book

Cordelia Owens can weave a dream around anything and is well used to winning the hearts of everyone in Savannah with her whimsy. Even when she receives word that her sweetheart has been lost during a raid on a Yankee vessel, she clings to hope and comes up with many a romantic tale of his eventual homecoming to reassure his mother and sister.

But Phineas Dunn finds nothing redemptive in the first horrors of war. Struggling for months to make it home alive, he returns to Savannah injured and cynical, and all too sure that he is not the hero Cordelia seems determined to make him.

As the War Between the States rages ever nearer and Savannah’s slaves start sneaking away to the islands off the coast to join the Yankees, both Phin and Cordelia get caught up in questions they never thought they’d have to ask–questions that threaten the very dreams of a future they’d cherished.

Dreams of Savannah Prize Pack

Dreams of Savannah PRIZE PACK Includes:

  • One (1) Signed Print copy of Dreams of Savannah
  • One (1) “Because Stories Change the World” tote
  • One (1) “Once Upon a Time” pendant

Enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Prizes subject to change due to availability. Open to US mailing addresses only. Void where prohibited. Giveaway open 1/5/21-1/11/21. One (1) winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and will be notified via the email provided. Winner will have 48 hours to claim prize before a new winner is selected. See roseannamwhite.com for more information.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

International Giveaway

International Prize Includes:

  • One (1) print copy of Dreams fo Savannah – shipped through Book Depository, not signed.

Enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Prizes subject to change due to availability. Open to residents outside the USA only. Void where prohibited. Giveaway open 1/5/21-1/11/21. One (1) winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and will be notified via the email provided. Winner will have 48 hours to claim prize before a new winner is selected. See roseannamwhite.com for more information.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bookish Tees & Totes

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Tea Party Book Club

Coming up in February, we have a special Tea Parties for Dreams of Savannah! Mark your calendar and follow the link below for more info!

 
Saturday, February 20 & Friday, February 26 ~ with me
talking about Dreams of Savannah

Friday, March 19 ~ with Hannah Currie
talking about Heart of the Crown
More Info
Cover Reveal for The Nature of a Lady

Cover Reveal for The Nature of a Lady

by | Oct 7, 2020 | Announcements, Book News, Books

My new series, The Secrets of the Isles, releases summer 2021 and it’s time to share the cover for the first book! Are you ready? 
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But first….
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About the Book
 
1906 – Lady Elizabeth “Libby” Sinclair, with her love of microscopes and nature, isn’t exactly a hit in society. She flees to the beautiful Isles of Scilly for the summer…and stumbles into the dangerous secrets left behind by her holiday cottage’s former occupant, also called Elizabeth, who mysteriously vanished.

Oliver Tremayne—gentleman and clergyman—is determined to discover what happened to his sister, and he’s happy to accept the help of the girl now living in what should have been Beth’s summer cottage…especially when he realizes it’s the curious young lady he met briefly two years ago, who shares his love of botany and biology. But the hunt for his sister involves far more than nature walks, and he can’t quite believe all the secrets Beth had been keeping from him.

As the two work together, along with Libby’s maid—his cousin—they find ancient legends, pirate wrecks, betrayal, and the most mysterious phenomenon of all: love.
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NOW….Are you ready???
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Ready
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Set
 
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When I filled out my cover info sheet for this one, I had one request: PURPLE. Libby wears a purple gown in the book, and the fact that it’s “her color” plays into the story several times. So I was beyond thrilled to open this up and see my lovely Lady Elizabeth in a beautiful purple dress!!

And the garden background is PERFECT too!! Several key scenes take place in a garden, and her love of all things botanical and biological are super important. Even the jasmine flowers tucked in her hair and that she’s holding are from a pivotal scene!

Then just to look at the design…that title treatment. I love it with the love of a thousand pieces of chocolate. So pretty!!!

So….What do you think? Leave a comment below!

 

Thank you for your Prayers and Faith Like a Tumbleweed

Thank you for your Prayers and Faith Like a Tumbleweed

by | Oct 1, 2020 | Announcements, Throwback Thursdays

Just a quick note this week to thank everyone for all the encouragement and prayers as our family had a major scare this weekend with my son.

In case you didn’t see it on social media, Saturday saw Rowyn being life-flighted from our small hometown hospital to Pittsburgh Children’s with a bad case of diabetic ketoacidosis (basically a sudden onset of diabetes that had him so dehydrated and filled with toxins that he couldn’t stand on his own or breath normally). He spent about 28 hours in the PICU and then three days on the diabetic floor–much improved, and all of us have had to be educated on how to live with Type 1 Diabetes.

Needless to say, writing a regular blog post kinda fell off my radar. But I did want to take a minute to thank everyone for the hundreds of comments and prayers and encouragment, for the private messages and emails. He was in bad shape there for a while, but he’s doing great now, and I know that this disease is something we’ll be able to manage–and I have dozens of messages that prove there’s a fabulous community out there with experience they’re eager to share, not to mention the general prayers and support from absolutely everyone.

So that’s pretty much it this week, I pulled a post from the archives for today that you can find below. Just a sincere thank you for holding my family up before our loving Father. He held us through it all. And though I cried more in that first 24 hours than I have in the last 24 years combined (if that’s an exaggeration, it’s only slight, LOL), I also smiled a lot too, as I saw the outporing of love. Thank you all. You’re the best! There’s nothing better than the family of God, is there?

A post from the archives this week. Post originally published 7/16/2016.

A few weeks ago, I heard an analogy about the kind of life we should live; that we should be an oak tree, solid and tall, a pillar of the community, the kind of person people respect and will miss when we’re gone, etc. That we shouldn’t be a tumbleweed, aimless and despised and dismissed by everyone.

I got the point of the story. And I certainly love oak trees as much as the next person. But this analogy also bothered me. Maybe that’s a fine image for the world, but for a Christian? I’m not so sure. Not that there’s nothing to learn from an oak, but that we should dismiss tumbleweeds so quickly. I think . . .

I think that we need to be tumbleweeds when it comes to our faith.

In our homeschool science, we read about these plants, and they’re pretty amazing. The tumbleweed bush can grow with very little water. The seeds can lie dormant until moisture comes, then bang! Up the plant sprouts. Quick, but also firmly rooted. The wind doesn’t rip it from the ground. Oh, no. When it’s time to reproduce, the tumbleweed, its seeds ripe and ready, breaks off from its roots. It’s so light that the wind can take it anywhere. Everywhere. And it rolls around–but not aimlessly. It’s spreading its seeds. Seeds which can lie dormant until that little bit of moisture touches it. Then bam. A new bush springs up.

How perfect an illustration is that of what Christians should be? Yes, we need to be firmly rooted in God–but not in one particular place. Our faith isn’t tied to our geographical location, like a tree. Our goal shouldn’t be just to reach ourselves toward heaven, right? Our purpose here isn’t to stand strong and tall and thick, to drop our seeds right by our feet, where maybe one or two eventually grow a bit . . . if they’re not gobbled up by the world or denied water and light by our shadows and thirsty roots.

Our purpose is to spread the Word. Spread those seeds of faith. Far and wide. Our goal is to go and make disciples. Our faith should be fast to spring up in Him, should be able to survive even the driest spells. And oh, if those seeds we planted could spring up so readily!

Now, I’m not saying there aren’t lessons to be learned from an oak tree. Their nuts feed the forest creatures–that’s important. And the cycle of acorn crops is pretty amazing too, the way they go through lean cycles to actually decrease the animal population that feeds on it, then produces a bumper crop that’s way more than the animals can eat, so that some acorns have the chance to grow.

But oak saplings are easily choked out by other species.
May our faith not be like that.

Oak trees can’t move.
May our faith not be like that.

It takes an oak 20 years to mature enough to produce acorns.
May our faith not be like that.

I say, let’s give those things called weeds their due. Why are they called a weed?

Because they grow everywhere.
May our faith be like that.

Mankind can never get rid of them, because the seeds are so numerous and spring up so readily.
May our faith be like that.

Tumbleweeds break off from their roots to spread their seeds.
May our faith be like that.

They roll far and wide, spreading those seeds.
May our faith be like that.

They can flourish with the smallest bit of nourishment.
May our faith be like that.

It takes a single season for a tumbleweed plant to grow, reach maturity, and produce.
May our faith be like that.

Animals feed on tumbleweeds where no other plant can grow.
May our faith be like that.

When a tumbleweed breaks off, the dying of the original plant is the fuel for new life.
Our faith is founded on that.

I really pray that Christianity be what the world terms a weed–that we spring up everywhere. Quickly, incessantly. That we constantly get in the way of the ideals the world is trying to sew. That we are so numerous we cannot be counted. That we spread our seeds of faith far and wide, caring not about our selves, but about the message we’re spreading. That we care little for where we are, so long as we’re where He planted us.

There’s beauty, yes, in that grand oak tree planted and fed by the water. There’s beauty in the strong and sure, in the fact that such a huge tree can grow from a little seed. There’s beauty in the scads of animals that eat of it and rest in its shade.

But don’t dismiss the weed. The weed is vital to nature–it’s just to man and his desire to control his environment that it’s a nuisance. Exactly what Christianity should be. Make me a dandelion, Lord. Make me milkweed. Made me a tumbleweed. I don’t need man’s praise and glory–I need only to spread Your word.

Roseanna for Writers, Coming Soon!

Roseanna for Writers, Coming Soon!

by | Sep 24, 2020 | Announcements, Cover Designs

I hear from a lot of you who are also writers … but I know that doesn’t apply to all or even most of my readers. My goal is always to serve all of you as best as I can, and in the past, my “serving other writers” goals have been met by teaching at conferences and doing guest articles on sites like the amazing Go Teen Writers.
 
And I’m still doing those. (Well. You know. COVID + Conferences = Eventually) But I also wanted a way to share about my love of the craft and industry of writing without relying on events. So I’m thrilled to announce a new part of my website that will be coming soon, just for writers!
 
I’ll also be starting a newsletter ONLY for writers, so I won’t bore you readers who aren’t writers with it, but writers who want access to my material but not my weekly newsletter can just receive that. Sign up here!
 
What will my “For Writers” section include? So glad you asked. 😉
 
Classes, Services, and Articles!
 
 
CLASSES:
There will be a series of video classes available for purchase, starting at around $15.  Here’s my current list of classes I’m recording, divided into three man categories:
 
YOU, the Writer (Fiction or Non-Fiction)
“Choose Your Own Writing Adventure”
As writers, we don’t just decide what kind of stories we write; we decide what kind of stories our writing-life will tell. How do we react to edits? Critiques? Reviews? What face do we show the world? These questions are just as important as “what genre do you write?” and should be given just as much attention.
 
“Write Deeply, Read Deeply, Live Deeply”
Want to write stories of depth? First we have to learn how to read stories in ways that pluck the truths from the pages…and most importantly, we need to learn how to examine our lives daily in way that pulls us deeper into our hearts and souls.
 
“The Intuitive Writer”
The class for people who never get much from classes! Some people work well with writing “systems”…and some of us DON’T. That’s because there are two types of minds: the logical and the intuitive. Every class on the planet seems to aim at the logical methods … but this one is for those who create “from the gut.”
 
“No Tears in the Writer”
Every writer has probably heard the saying, “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.” Well this non-cryer is calling bull on that theory. We don’t all cry when penning a story…but that doesn’t we can still grab the readers by the heart with these methods.
 
“How to Do It All”
One of the questions I’m asked most often is “How do you do it all? Writing, editing, designing, homeschooling?” Your “all” no doubt looks different from mine, but we all need to learn how to juggle the demands of a writing life…and stay sane in the process.
 
Marketing and Publishing (Fiction or Non-Fiction)
“Spirit-Led Marketing”
Many of view marketing as a monster determined to steal the joy from the writing life. But this session will teach you to focus instead on turning marketing into service that feeds your soul.
 
“Two Four Roads Diverged”
You’ve written a book, but now what do you do with it? Shoot for a big publisher? Small press? Vanity or coop press? Self-publishing? Let’s examine the pros and cons of each so you know which path is the one for you and your goals.
 
“What Are You Looking At?”
This fun-filled look at the cover design process not only chats about the theories on what makes a great cover, but looks at covers that work and don’t and why.
 
“Editor’s Pet”
From query to your umpteenth project, how to get an editor’s attention and keep it (in the right way) until you’ve made yourself a house favorite.
 
“Honoring the Inspiration”
Editing isn’t just fixing commas and deleting weasel words. It’s creativity too, and it helps turn our stories into the best books they can be. Here’s how to make sure your edits are doing all you want them to … without stealing your joy or compromising your inspiraiton.
 
The Writing Craft (Mostly Fiction)
“Fiction Rules and When to Break Them”
Great for beginners and intermediate writers, this class examines “The Rules” of modern fiction, why we should learn them, and when we get to chuck them out the window for the sake of our art.
 
“Fiction with a Purpose”
 Let’s examine the pitfalls and strengths of issue-driven fiction and how to make an “issue” book work for you.
 
“You’re History!”
How to do the research for historical fiction and integrate it seamlessly into your novel in a way that brings the past to life without overloading the modern reader.
 
“Soul Deep Characters”
How to write characters that leap off the page and straight into the heart of the reader by asking yourself questions in ways you haven’t before and evaluating your characters’ spirits. 
 
“More Than An Idea” (Fiction or Non-Fiction)
We all have ideas that might be great books—but the inspiration is only step 1. This class takes you through turning that idea into a workable project, through hard work and even some emotional and spiritual growth.
 
 
Each class purchase will include access to a monthly live Q&A video chat, where any participant can ask questions about the classes they took specifically or writing in general. I’m filming and editing these fifteen classes now, but I will add more as time goes by. So if you’re super excited and want to soak up ALL the workshops, you’ll also have the option of purchasing a lifetime subscription to my courses, which will include every class I ever post ~ these 15 and beyond!
 
SERVICES:
Design – As many of you know, I’m not just a writer, I’m also an editor and a book designer. The “services” portion of the new segment will deal mainly with what I’ve long been offering at Roseanna White Designs, just handily linked here too for a one-stop shop. 😉 And if you need advice on the actual step-by-step process of getting your book for sale, there were will be a few select coaching timeslots available too.
 
Marketing Intensives – My husband and I are working on a marketing intensive specifically geared toward writers. One we’ve been using with my own work and our publishing company, so in addition to philosophy, this comes with the benefit of our hands-on experience!
 
ARTICLES:
I’ve already written many writing-craft articles and have bookmarked many more by some amazing authors! I’ll be curating some of these just to give you a free resource and a handy place to find my favorites in one spot.
It’s Release Day!!!

It’s Release Day!!!

by | Sep 8, 2020 | Announcements, Book News

It’s Release Day!

There are some books that flow so easily from imagination into the world…and then there are the ones we really have to work at. A Portrait of Loyalty took a lot of hard for me, LOL, but the result is a story that I am SUPER excited about! I love the depth the characters ended up having. I love the glimpse into a side of intelligence I hadn’t explored before–photography and propoganda and what is a noble use of art. I loved bringing in a bit of Russian history and touching on the Bolshevik Revolution, exploring both sides of that divide and really pondering how we can forgive an entire society that has names us an enemy. And of course, I loved getting to bring some of those characters from previous books back onto the page!

Thank you for joining me as we launch Lily and Zivon into the world! We have some fun things for you today…Including a GIVEAWAY! But first…a little about the book…

About the Book

He sees patterns in what she deems chaos.
She sees beauty in a world he thought destroyed.

Zivon Marin was one of Russia’s top cryptographers until the October Revolution tore apart his world. Forced to flee to England after speaking out against Lenin, Zivon is driven by a growing anger and determined to offer his services to the Brits. But never far from his mind is his brother, whom Zivon fears died in the train crash that separated them.

Lily Blackwell sees the world best through the lens of a camera and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and re-creating photographs. With her father’s connections in propaganda, she’s recruited to the intelligence division, even though her mother would disapprove if she ever found out.

After Captain Blackwell invites Zivon to dinner one evening, a friendship blooms between him and Lily that soon takes over their hearts. But both have secrets they’re unwilling to share, and neither is entirely sure they can trust the other. When Zivon’s loyalties are called into question, proving him honest is about more than one couple’s future dreams–it becomes a matter of ending the war.

A Portrait of Loyalty Prize Pack

A Portrait of Loyalty PRIZE PACK Includes:

Enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Prizes subject to change due to availability. Open to US mailing addresses only. Void where prohibited. Giveaway open 9/8/2020 – 9/15/2020. One (1) winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and will be notified via the email provided. Winner will have 48 hours to claim prize before a new winner is selected. See roseannamwhite.com for more information.

View the Rafflecopter giveaway

International Giveaway

International Prize Includes:

Enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Prizes subject to change due to availability. Open to residents outside the USA only. Void where prohibited. Giveaway open 9/8/2020 – 9/15/2020. One (1) winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and will be notified via the email provided. Winner will have 48 hours to claim prize before a new winner is selected. See roseannamwhite.com for more information.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Announcing Chrism Press!

Announcing Chrism Press!

by | Aug 20, 2020 | Announcements, Books

An exciting announcement for writers and readers who are Catholic or Orthodox! WhiteFire Publishing is acquiring titles for a brand new imprint ~ Chrism Press!

Chrism Press is a brand-new imprint of WhiteFire Publishing dedicated to stories informed by Catholic and Orthodox Christianity that may not be able to find a home in either mainstream secular or evangelical presses. Karen Ullo and Rhonda Franklin Ortiz are the imprint’s new lead editors and as such have become part of the WhiteFire editorial board. We are thrilled (!) to announce that we are open to queries to adult and young adult fiction in all genres.

What is Chrism Press looking for? To quote our mission statement:

 “Whether Christian themes are presented overtly, subtly, or symbolically, Chrism Press seeks Spirit-filled fiction in all genres. We are not afraid of darkness; we enjoy the strange and the weird, as well as humor, romance, adventure, and fun. We strongly believe that fiction should never be boring.”

WhiteFire Publishing was founded in 2005 by me and my husband, David. In 2018 we launched a juvenile fiction line, WhiteSpark, and acquired Ashberry Lane, which is now our dedicated romance imprint. Between these three divisions, our growing company boasts a list of about 150 titles, including books by respected and well-known Christian market authors such as Melody Carlson, Susie Finkbeiner, Camille Eide, Christy Barritt, and of course, me. 😉

How Chrism Press came about is a long story, full of surprises and the working of the Holy Spirit. It actually began with conversations between us and Rhonda (a college friend who I reconnected with thanks to our shared love of writing Christian fiction) and Karen thanks to the #BeBetter group. Rhonda and Karen had been discussing the idea of publishing for a while, and a random mention of it to us had David and I both thinking independently that it would make a great addition to the WhiteFire family. So we mentioned the possibility of an imprint, and it just took off from there. We believe that Catholic and Orthodox fiction will enrich not only our company’s offerings, but the Christian market at large. I personally know after publishing The Number of Love, with its Catholic main characters, that this is a niche that needs filling, and which readers are hungry for. It’s such a privilege and honor to get to work with these talented editors and authors to bring the vision to life!

We encourage everyone to check out the website and follow Chrism Press on Facebook and Instagram. If you’re a writer with a manuscript that’s ready to submit, we encourage you to consider Chrism Press. And if you’re one of the Catholic readers I heard from last year who is eager for more fiction that represents YOU, be sure to sign up for the WhiteFire/Chrism newsletter, where news about our Chrism acquisitions and releases will be shared first, along with other stuff relevant to all the imprints!

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