What We’ve Been Reading – July

What We’ve Been Reading – July

by | Jul 26, 2019 | Books, What We're Reading

Summer is in full swing and between the chaos of conferences and writing, there is still time for reading. What books have you been reading this summer? Have you discovered any new-to-you authors? Or maybe a new genre you love?

Roseanna’s Reads

I feel like I haven’t gotten much reading done this past month…but I’ve been thoroughly enjoying what I have been reading. šŸ˜‰

Audio

The Siren by Kiera Cass

I read (and loved) the Selection Series years ago, and when I took my daughter to the Library a couple weeks ago, she snagged a hardback of The Siren by the same author. After she assured me it was awesome (what, you think I’m always the one to give her advice?? LOL), I snagged it on audiobook. It proved a delightful read to keep me company during my drive to a writers conference. There’s a bit of mild language and some references to other characters being promiscuous, but nothing from the POV character.

Love is a risk worth taking.

Years ago, Kahlen was rescued from drowning by the Ocean. To repay her debt, she has served as a Siren ever since, using her voice to lure countless strangers to their deaths. Though a single word from Kahlen can kill, she canā€™t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again. (From Goodreads)

  

For My Bookclub

Code of Valor by Lynnette Eason

We’ve been reading the Blue Justice Series in my book club and highly enjoying them, so of course, this one was next on the list. ? It was fun to get one of the brothers’ stories this time–and this one was action-packed with some unexpected twists! Especially loved the scuba diving parts.

What Detective Brady St. John really needs is a relaxing vacation. Unfortunately, just as the sun is setting on his second day at a friend’s cabin on Lake Henley, he hears a scream and races to rescue a woman from her would-be killer. When the killer escapes only to return to finish the job, Brady vows to utilize all of his many resources to keep her safeā€”and catch those who would see her dead. (From Goodreads)

 

For the Edit

Gators, Guts, and Glory: Adventures Along the Florida Trail by Lauralee “Blissful” Bliss

I get to have extra fun since I edit for WhiteFire. ? And this month I was prepping the next Hiking Adventure book for publication! I’m not an avid hiker myself, but I do like the armchair variety. šŸ˜‰ And I especially enjoy seeing how “Blissful” sees the hand of God in all her adventures. Definitely recommended for outdoor enthusiasts…or those who prefer to read about the great outdoors instead of visiting it themselves. ?

Wander on the wild and humorous side of adventure with long-distance hiker Lauralee Bliss (trail name Blissful), hiking the 1,100-mile Florida Trail from Big Cypress National Preserve to Gulf Islands National Seashore. From alligators and cottonmouths to tenting among the palmettos and walking on water, from forests of cypress knees and lofty pine to the help of trail angels along the way, ā€œBlissfulā€ uncovers the hidden gems of glory in this National Scenic Trail with a unique journey unlike any other. (From Goodreads)

 

For Fun

A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter

Okay, I admit it–as of the writing of this post, I’m not actually finished with this book yet. But I’m about 1/3 of the way in and absolutely loving it. I can’t believe I’ve never actually read one of Kristi’s books before–I have them here, just haven’t picked them up yet. But you can be sure that’s going to change. Love her writing style, setting, and characters!!

When Katherine “Kit” FitzGilbert turned her back on London society more than a decade ago, she determined never to set foot in a ballroom again. But when business takes her to London and she’s forced to run for her life, she stumbles upon not only a glamorous ballroom but also Graham, Lord Wharton. What should have been a chance encounter becomes much more as Graham embarks on a search for his friend’s missing sister and is convinced Kit knows more about the girl than she’s telling. (From Goodreads)

 

Rachel’s Reads

Wow! This summer has gotten so crazy busy! I am so thankful for audiobooks. I would not be able to read as many books without them. Here are some of the books I’ve been reading this month. You can watch for my reviews over on my blog, Bookworm Mama.

For My Bookclub (& Audio)

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

To be honest, I’d never even heard of this book before. It is the perfect read for summer though. I’m enjoying it so far. Here is a little bit more about it…

The summer of ’28 was a vintage season for a growing boy. A summer of green apple trees, mowed lawns, and new sneakers. Of half-burnt firecrackers, of gathering dandelions, of Grandma’s belly-busting dinner. It was a summer of sorrows and marvels and gold-fuzzed bees. A magical, timeless summer in the life of a twelve-year-old boy named Douglas Spaulding–remembered forever by the incomparable Ray Bradbury. (From Goodreads)

 

For Fun/Review

Midnight on the River Grey by Abigail Wilson

I LOVE this story. Mystery, secrets, murder, Regency England…Yup…I’m hooked! Abigail Wilson’s debut novel, In the Shadow of Croft Towers, was fabulous! And this story is proving just as wonderful. Here is a little teaser…

She knew the house was keeping secrets. If only the darkness would speak . . . 



After her elder brotherā€™s mysterious death, Rebecca Hunter vows to expose the man she believes responsible: Mr. Lewis Browningā€”known by the locals as the Midnight Devil and by Rebecca as her new guardian. (From Goodreads)

 
The Girl From the Savoy by Hazel Gaynor

If you saw our last post, you’ll know that I have been devouring Hazel Gaynor’s books. I can’t believe I’ve never read these books! The Girl from the Savoy is so beautiful. Full of tragedy, love, dreams, and friendship…

Sometimes life gives you cotton stockings. Sometimes it gives you a Chanel gown ā€¦



Dolly Lane is a dreamer; a downtrodden maid who longs to dance on the London stage, but her life has been fractured by the Great War. Memories of the soldier she loved, of secret shame and profound loss, by turns pull her back and spur her on to make a better life. (From Goodreads)
Please Note: This is General Market Historical Fiction. There may be some language, but otherwise clean.

 
The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor
Yes, another Hazel Gaynor book…Surprised? They really are JUST.THAT.GOOD!!! This story is full of books, fairies, a dashing Irish man, adorable children, and a secret kept for a hundred years…
1917ā€¦ It was inexplicable, impossible, but it had to be trueā€”didnā€™t it? When two young cousins, Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright from Cottingley, England, claim to have photographed fairies at the bottom of the garden, their parents are astonished. But when one of the great novelists of the time, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, becomes convinced of the photographsā€™ authenticity, the girls become a national sensation, their discovery offering hope to those longing for something to believe in amid a world ravaged by war. Frances and Elsie will hide their secret for many decades. But Frances longs for the truth to be told. (From Goodreads)
Please Note: This is General Market Historical Fiction. There may be some language, but otherwise clean.
 

With the Kids
Jack Frost The End Becomes the Beginning by William Joyce
Judah picked this book up at the Library last week. We have only read a few chapters so far but the boys are loving it and it is really fun. A new twist on legendary creatures, Jack Frost (obviously), Mother Nature, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, etc. Battling against evil forces to keep the world safe and whole. This is book 5 in the series, but it doesn’t seem to make that much a difference. Here’s to discovering new books…

The Guardians came together to protect the childhoods of all who dream, and they are a formidable team: Nicholas St. North, E. Aster Bunnymund, Toothiana, the Sandman, Nightlight, and Katherine have thus far prevented Pitch from fulfilling his nightmarish plans.



But Pitch and his nightmare men lurk on the fringes, gathering strength, stewing in hate, and the Guardians know their guard needs one more member if they are going to vanquish Pitch for all eternity. And once they find the last in their band, they’ll travel to the secret realm of the Man in the Moon, encounter armies of Moonbots, and face the greatest battle since the Golden Age; and that is just the beginning of this grand conclusion to a series most grand. (From Goodreads)



 

Happy Summer!!!

What We’ve Been Reading – June

What We’ve Been Reading – June

by | Jun 28, 2019 | Books, What We're Reading

You know, my reading time seriously suffers when I have a book coming out, LOL. Much of June seems to have vanished into the abyss of marketing and brainstorming and signing/shipping books. I’m not complaining–I’ve had a blast. But I haven’t been reading quite as much as usual, I have to say…

Roseanna’s Reads

Audio 

This isn’t a book I’d ever have picked up on my own, but my husband got it with our Audible credits and then was so enthusiastic about it that he insisted I give it a listen too. And it’s been surprisingly fascinating, LOL. The premise of the book is that in sales/advertising/marketing, you have to ignore logic and reason and look for the “magic”–the things in human psychology that actually attract us to something despite what we “should” want. It’s an incredibly interesting take on the question of “how do we foster excitement about our products?” and introduces right off the bat to a revolutionary concept: don’t put it on sale. Just put more ducks in your advertisement. šŸ˜‰
Plus, it’s narrated by the author, and who doesn’t enjoy listening to an English man deliver his own humor in that dry, deadpan way? I’m thoroughly enjoying this book–and getting some fun new ideas too. (As a note, this book does have some language in it, so if you’re sensitive to such things, steer clear.)

For My Bookclub

Um…this month’s book club is The Number of Love.

I’ve kinda read this one before. šŸ˜‰ I’m not rereading, but I didn’t want to just delete the category, so, you know…Look at the pretty cover! LOL

For the Interview

My June interview was with Lauraine Snelling, and we were talking about her fun new contemporary, Half Finished. In this book, a group of ladies in a small city get together to begin what they call a UFO group–UnFinished Objects–and it really takes off. Crafters of all varieties start meeting once a week with the goal of finishing unfinished projects that are cluttering up their closets and lives. And of course, along the way life happens, and the friendships between these ladies (and some men too) are what gets them through.

I love this concept and also loved learning from Lauraine that it was inspired by a group she put together a few years ago. If you’re looking for a fun read that focuses on women of retirement age (though pretty much all generations are represented), then I highly recommend Half Finished.

For Fun

This book has been making the rounds in my family, and my sister handed it to me a couple weeks ago. I hadn’t had time to pick it up for quite a while, but I finally cracked the cover, and it didn’t take me long to get sucked into life in the North Carolina marsh in the 50s and 60s.

(This definitely isn’t a Christian book–so just be aware of that. There’s some language and some sex. I haven’t found it to be at all over the top in those respects, but just FYI.)

I’ve enjoyed the split timeline in this book, especially, I think, because they’re only split by a few years. It’s been so interesting to see the crime in the more modern line and then work my way to what really happened in the older one. The word-pictures painted about marsh life are just gorgeous. This is definitely a book that makes me want to explore nature and find my place in it.

Overall, definitely a book that sucks you in and haunts your thoughts!

Rachel’s Reads

Hi folks! I am super excited to share my current reads with you. You may know me as Bookworm Mama as
well as being Roseanna’s Assistant! I LOVE books and sharing my love of
books with others! Here is what I’ve been reading this month…

For My Bookclub (& Audio)

Wow. Wow. Wow!!! My dear friend (and co-founder of our Book Club, Oh! Books) Lydia has been telling me to read Hazel Gaynor for MONTHS. And now that I finally have, WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG?!?!?!?! The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter is the first official read for Oh! Books and I devoured the audio in a day and a half…Split-Time Historical Fiction, this story expounds on the bond of family and the deep roots passed down from generation to generation. This story really touched my heart. The narrator was fabulous! Having to tackle several accents and she expressed the emotion in such a powerful way I just wanted more. I highly recommend this one for sure!
NOTE: This is not a Christian read. There is some language, but otherwise clean.

For Fun/Review

So…I loved The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter so much that I HAD to read more by Hazel Gaynor. I downloaded The Girl Who Came Home and listened to it while I drove 300+ miles to a family reunion, oh ya, that’s one way lol. I’m not super fond of driving and listening to this story helped keep me from stressing out too much. This story was fabulously done. Broke my heart and kept me on the edge of my seat. Unfortunately, we all know the fate of the Titanic. But Ms. Gaynor kept the story engaging and unique. A split-time historical fiction read, you will get sucked into this thrilling and harrowing tale.
NOTE: This is not a Christian read. There is some language, but otherwise clean.
Ahhhh!!!! I love this story!!!! I am not finished with it yet (watch my blog for the review) and I wish there were more hours in the day to spend reading. Until the Mountains Fall is the third book in the Cities of Refuge series by Connilyn Cossette (who I got to meet at CFRR 2019 and she is SUCH a delight! I LOVE HER) *ahem* anyhoo…..Connilyn writes Biblical Fiction in a way that I have never, personally, read before. She takes the approach of writing Historical Fiction that is SET during a Biblical period. This, to me, makes it so much easier to relate to the story, to SEE the setting, and to understand and comprehend the Bible stories that coincide in a more efficient way. If you haven’t read anything by Ms. Cossette, I recommend starting with A Light on the Hill.

With the Kids

We didn’t quite finish all the reading for their schoolwork this year. So over the summer we will catch up on the read-alouds. Homer Price is a fun and easy read about a boy who lives in a small town back when people still used a horse and wagon and cars weren’t very common. He has unique adventures and is quite the ingenious kid. The boys love having me read to them at lunch time. 
Book Cover Design – True Nobility by Lori Bates Wright

Book Cover Design – True Nobility by Lori Bates Wright

by | Feb 13, 2019 | Books, Cover Designs

Time for another Behind the Design of the book cover process! This time, I’m backing up a few months to a cover that remains one of my favorites: True Nobility by Lori Bates Wright.When I read the answers Lori filled out in the questionnaire, I knew I was going to love doing this one. She wanted the cover to feature her heroine–face not fully visible–in a beautiful blue hoop dress. Now, I confess: I love historical covers with gorgeous dresses. I think they grab the eye immediately. I love them as a reader, I love them as a writer, and I love them as a designer, LOL.

As a designer, these are far easier to find images for than everyday historical garb. Go figure, I guess they’re more fun for models to take pictures in. šŸ˜‰

In this case, I began with the dress. I wanted to find something accurate to the era, and I was thrilled when I stumbled across public domain images from the Met galleries. When I saw this one, I knew I’d hit upon a winner.

In general, this fit the description Lori gave me very well. My only concern was that this fabric had a pattern, and I wasn’t sure that was exactly what she had in mind. But I figured it was worth a try, so this was what I started with.

As always, I started by selecting just the dress from an image in the collection that I liked best. I enlarged it until it filled the frame pretty much entirely.

Next was finding a model to put in it. When putting together images like this, the primary concern, of course, is matching angles. I tried several, eventually deciding that this young woman would work quite well. Her hair style was perfect, the body angle was right, and I liked the emotion and movement in her body position.

So just putting this girl’s face behind the dress, I got this.

Now, obviously we’re missing something here, LOL. And there was some other tweaking to be done too. First, I found some arms–from a different model–that I could put over top of the dress.

It was surprisingly challenging to find those! And then, of course, I had to make them look like they were natural, so I added some shadows.

And then, the hair. I had to move it so that it wasn’t tucked into the dress, and I also had to darken it just a bit.

Now, the other thing Lori had specified was that the character had a blue and silver brooch that she wore on the dress. She told me what it needed to look like, so off I went in search. I found plenty that were close…but never quite it. I also needed something at an angle, to match the body position, not straight-on. Finally, I found this one.

It was almost perfect, except that it needed to be silver instead of gold. But that was a simple matter of de-saturating that part of the design. I then positioned it onto the bodice of the dress, and voila!

I was loving how this was looking! But next came the background. I tried quite a few, trying to find something that would identify the Southern setting…but when I plugged this one in, I fell in love.

Even that much is great, right? It was really starting to come together. But of course, I had to fuss with the lighting a bit. I made it warmer and added some sunburst effects to soften the line between dress and background.

And then I added a Sutro filter and some shading to the bottom so the title would stand out.

Which means it was time for the title! For fonts, I wanted something with just a bit of flourish to it, but largely a nice, bold serif. So I used Requiem Display for True and then one called The Last Font I’m Wasting on You (LOL) for Nobility.

Then, of course, the author name, and a divider to frame the title and separate it from the author.

Almost done! It was only missing the series badge, which I added into the upper right corner, choosing one that matched the style of those dividers. And so here it is–the finished cover!

I was SO pleased with this, and when I sent it to Lori, she loved it too! We did try a few more backgrounds…

The sailboat is important to the story, so we liked the idea of those…but ultimately, we agreed that the original background was the best, and we decided to just incorporate the ship element onto the full cover.

I think one of the highest compliments I got on this one was from my husband who, when Lori sent me a copy, mistook it for one of the books I’d just ordered from Bethany House, LOL.

About the Book

Alone in an unfamiliar country where her noble title is useless.
Everything she believes in is shattered. Driven by desperation, she
risks it all to return to the one man whose love promises to be true.

Lady
Victoria Haverwood, beloved daughter of a widowed Earl, has spent years
at a fashionable boarding school longing for the day she can come home
to finally take her place as mistress of Wrenbrooke. But when she
becomes the target of a murderous plot, her idyllic plan is swiftly
turned upside down.

Nicholas Saberton, an accomplished American Naval
Captain, is commissioned to escort the earl and his daughter safely
across the ocean to the lively shores of Savannah, Georgia. Pledged to
protect her with his life, Nicholas is determined to remain immune to
Victoriaā€™s innocent charm. Focused on building his shipping empire, the
Haverwood heiress and her quirky relatives become an irresistible
diversion.

Danger shadows them. Soon the repercussions of her
fatherā€™s past ensnare Victoria in a web of deception that threatens to
consume her. Only her love for Nicholas will give her strength to
discover the truth. But will it be too late?

Purchase Links

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

What do you think of the cover? What’s your favorite aspect of it?

Do you have any technical questions about how a particular step is done? I’m always happy to share, though I try not to get too technical in the posts as a whole, lest I bore the majority. šŸ˜‰

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. šŸ˜‰ 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.

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