by Roseanna White | Oct 19, 2017 | Giveaways and Contests, Scavenger Hunt
First, I’d like to say that this is my 1500th blog post!
How cool that such a landmark falls on such a fun event!
And now, on with the show…
Welcome to
the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be
sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all 25 stops, in order,
so you can enter to win one of our top 3 grand prizes!
- The hunt BEGINS with Stop #1 at LisaBergren’s site.
- Hunt through our loop using Chrome or
Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).
- There is NO RUSH to complete the
hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 10/22 at midnight MST)! So take your
time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new
authors/new books.
- Submit your entry for the grand prizes
by collecting the clue on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your
answer in the Rafflecopter form at Stop #25. Many authors are offering
additional prizes along the way!
~*~
It’s my
pleasure to introduce you today to Cara Putman! Cara was one of the first
authors I met and spoke to when I joined the Christian writing scene—and she’s
always been gracious, sweet, and energetic. Here’s a bit about her new release, Beyond Justice.
Hayden McCarthy knows
firsthand the pain when justice is not served. It’s why she became an
attorney and why she’s so driven in her career. When she’s handed a
wrongful death case against the government, she isn’t sure if it’s the
lucky break she needs to secure a partnership—or an attempt to make sure
she never gets there. She keeps the case alive through sheer
determination and more than a little creativity, but then she’s fired by
a partner with a vendetta.
And now here’s Cara!
Why Relationships Matter in Our Novels
This summer I had the opportunity to serve on a panel at a
readers conference. Let’s just say the topic was way outside my comfort zone,
and as my fellow panelists talked about positions, I talked about
relationships. That experience reinforced to me the importance of having real
relationships in our novels. As an avid reader, I know it’s often the
characters that stay with me long after I close the book, not the intricate
plots we spend so much time crafting.
That’s one reason I’ve spent so much time in my new series
Hidden Justice, creating a web of characters that overlay each of the stories. Take
a group of young women who became close in law school. Put them each in a
different area of the law confronting different issues. Require them to lean on
each other for friendship, help, and faith. Mix in some heroes and you have the
ingredients for these books.
Typing the list, you’d think it didn’t take me long to
develop the idea. The reality is it took months of thinking. First I needed the
group of women. I wanted them each to be unique and different. Then I needed
jobs that weren’t cookie cutter. Fortunately, the law is a field that allows
you to take on many different roles, so that will keep me and readers from
getting bored. What I found interesting was how hard the heroes were to craft.
Yes, the heroes.
When I started writing Imperfect
Justice, the book that releases in December, I realized I’d poured my
effort in Beyond Justice into
developing the relationship between the women. Readers love that, but it left
Emilie woefully lacking of a potential hero. Shouldn’t be a problem to craft
the perfect guy for her, right?
Wrong.
Emilie demanded a hero who strong, but I didn’t want a law
enforcement hero, at least not yet. I’d asked my readers and they were looking
for what I wanted to write: a hero who looked a lot like their husbands: an
average guy living a big life. In many ways, I’d had years to develop Hayden’s
hero Andrew Wesley, because I’d fleshed them out for an earlier proposal. But
Emilie’s? Not a clue.
This conundrum reinforced the importance of having the right
people in place for relationships. So whether it’s a group of girlfriends or
it’s developing the perfect hero and heroine, I’ve learned the relationships
are the heart of the story.
~*~
Cara
Putman is the author of over 25 books in WWII and romantic suspense genres. She
lives in Indiana with her family, but spends most of her free time thinking
about her characters and dreaming up trouble for them. For more info, see CaraPutman.com.
Be sure to pop by Cara’s post where
she is giving away a set of the Hidden Justice series!
Here’s the Stop #3 Skinny:
Clue to Write Down: that
Before you go, I’m offering a giveaway! If you’ve already read about the library at Kensey Manor on Robin Lee Hatcher’s site, then you’ll know that libraries are a big theme in A Name Unknown. And they’re the theme in this giveaway too!
I’ll be offering one lucky winner with a US mailing address a signed copy of my novel PLUS a Library card tote bag!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
by Roseanna White | Oct 18, 2017 | Announcements, Scavenger Hunt
Just a quick announcement to let you know that tomorrow at noon mountain time, another Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt will be coming! The post will appear on everyone’s blogs tonight as we check for bugs, but it starts tomorrow. You’ll have all weekend to finish–and so much awesome content and amazing prizes! Mark your calendars!!!
by Roseanna White | Jun 22, 2017 | Giveaways and Contests, Scavenger Hunt
Welcome to the WhiteFire Publishing Scavenger Hunt! This is the first stop, so begin here and collect all the
clues in order by visiting each consecutive stop. Once you have them all, you’ll have uncovered a secret message.
Turn that in at the final stop for a chance to win one of THREE amazing prize
packages!
- Take your time! You have all weekend to complete
the Hunt—entries will be counted until Monday June 26—so have fun reading all
the posts along the way and getting to know each author.
- Lots of extra prizes! Many of the authors are
featuring unique giveaways as well, for even more chances to win!
OLD or NEW?
I’ve always loved Biblical fiction – I love learning about the lifestyles and cultures of the people of the Bible, I love breathing new life and understanding into stories so old as to be common knowledge. But as a Christian, I had a hurdle to get over the first time I sat down to write a story set in the Old Testament.
See, as a young writer, I just couldn’t imagine having characters who didn’t know Jesus. What’s life without Him? I remember thinking that I could never, ever write a story where the characters didn’t come to be Christians. But in an Old Testament setting, that’s not even possible, right?
Yet the OT is the foundation of the NT. There were obviously godly people who loved the Lord. Which led me to a new question: what does salvation mean in the Old Testament?
I explored this theme a bit in Jewel of Persia, and I’ll likely explore it more in the next bib-fic I write–which will be set in the days of Abraham and focus on a son of the mysterious Melchizedek. It’s a theme, too, which has led me to a greater appreciation of Christianity and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Because though without Jesus, without the Spirit being always within us, salvation is hard and the visitation of the Spirit unusual and somewhat abrupt (He’s described as “coming upon” people and then departing), He’s still there. People can still love the Lord first and foremost. Sins can still be forgiven, that forgiveness just doesn’t cover all sin, forever, in their lives.
Most of my stories are still after Christ, so faith in Him is still a part of the lives of most of my characters. But I’ve learned so much through writing stories set in the Old Testament too. About my faith, about the nature of our unchanging God, and about the foundation of the faith that defines my life.
Do you have a preference in biblical stories? Do you prefer to read about Old Testament or New?
Here’s
the Stop #1 Scoop:
Clue
to Write Down: In the
Need
the full list of stops?
And now,
my giveaway!
Enter to win your choice of one of my four biblical novels, in either signed paperback or digital format, whichever you prefer! (Paperbacks available to US addresses only due to costs of international shipping. International readers are welcome to enter for a digital version though!)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
by Roseanna White | Feb 7, 2017 | Author Interviews and Guest Posts, Books, Scavenger Hunt
Welcome to the Lost Girl of Astor Street Scavenger Hunt!
We’re here today to celebrate the release of the most awesome young adult novel I’ve read in years: The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill
What makes the book so awesome? Well, I’m glad you asked.
Your clue for Stop #25: motives.
If you’ve gone through the entire Hunt,
then this is the last clue,
and you ought to have created a sentence.
Enter it here
for your chance at the prize!
by Roseanna White | Nov 3, 2016 | Giveaways and Contests, Scavenger Hunt
Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #4
Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve
just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues
through all 31 stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 3 grand
prizes!
• Hunt
through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).
• There is NO
RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 11/6)! So take
your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you
discover new authors/new books.
• Submit your
entry for the grand prizes by collecting the clue on each author’s scavenger
hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at Stop #31. Many
authors are offering additional prizes along the way!
I’m thrilled to welcome the amazing Cindy Woodsmall to my
blog! Cindy has been writing bestselling Amish fiction for years and wowing
readers for good reason. If you haven’t checked out her books before now, don’t
waste any other time doing so! (Confession: I’m not a huge fan of Amish
fiction, but I’ve loved everything I’ve read of Cindy’s!!)
Cindy is here with The Angel of Forest Hill, an amazing
journey toward love and belonging, filled with the wonder of the season of
Christ’s birth. Because of Joel’s impossible situation, twenty-one-year-old
Rose must sacrifice everything. As days pass into years in the midst of the
beautiful hills, the laughter of children, and God’s providence—is it too much
for Rose to hope for love in return?
And now without further ado, here’s Cindy!
Seven Ways I Escape into an Amish Setting
by Cindy Woodsmall
I love writing, and I love exploring the Amish culture and
the challenges and romance that are a part of that lifestyle. Since my home as
an adult is far removed from the Plain world, I rely on certain methods to help
me escape into the Amish world
1. Some
mornings, I rise early, the way I do when staying with Amish friends, and then
sit on the porch with my coffee. While darkness surrounds me, I listen as
nature wakes. Keeping the windows open once I’m in my home office helps too.
2. I may put
bread onto bake. (In the bread machine, of course!) The aroma of bread baking
really helps transport me.
3.
Years ago,
as an Old Order Amish friend and I were going to the dry goods store by horse
and buggy, I took a video clip of it as the horse clippety-clopped along, and
watching that is often helpful.
(Click to see the video!)
4. Throughout
the last two decades, I’ve taken many pictures (by permission) of Amish
friends. Those can visually transport me from my home in Georgia into their
homes and lives once again.
5. Spreading an
Amish-made quilt over me works well. If it’s winter and my windows are open,
this is a nice treat. If it’s summer, it’s a good reminder of how hot a day
gets for the Amish since they don’t have air-conditioning.
6. Brewing
coffee in a percolator on my gas stove the way the Amish do surrounds me with
the feel and aroma of being in an Amish home.
7. Going to the
local farmer’s market is very helpful. The one nearest me has ten to fifteen
booths that line one side street of a small, historic town. Sometimes going to
an antique store is helpful too.
Cindy Woodsmall is an award-winning New York Times and CBA
best-selling author who has written nineteen works of fiction. Her connection
with the Amish community has been widely featured in national media outlets,
including being featured on ABC Nightline. The Wall Street Journal listed Cindy
as one of the top three most popular authors of Amish fiction.
Here’s the Stop #4 Skinny:
Clue to Write Down: this year’s
And of course, I have one for you as well. =)
At stop #3 I told you a little bit about Ella–well, here’s your chance to win her story! Or if you’re in the mood for some holiday reads, you could opt for Giver of Wonders instead, a story featuring the young man the world now knows as St. Nicholas and exploring the origin of Christian traditions we still uphold today.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
by Roseanna White | Apr 22, 2016 | Scavenger Hunt
Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #9
Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all 33 stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 3 grand prizes!
• The hunt BEGINS with Stop #1 at Lisa Bergren’s site.
• The hunt is BEST VIEWED using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer)
• It is open to INTERNATIONAL entrants.
• PRIZES include 3 sets of all 32 books, $500 in Amazon gift cards and many authors are offering additional prizes!
• There is NO RUSH to complete this hunt—you have ALL WEEKEND. So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books you might want to learn more about!
• Submit your ENTRY for the GRAND PRIZE at Stop #33 (back on Lisa’s site) by Monday night (4/25) at midnight mountain time.
~*~
Now that you know how it works, let’s get down to business!
I’m thrilled to be hosting the amazing Angela Hunt — I’m sure you’ve seen some of her many books around. I have several on my shelf, and I always know to listen up when she chimes in on one of the email groups we both belong to. 😉 So now without further ado . . .
Angela Hunt
Everyone wants to be beautiful . . . or do they?
You may remember the Seinfeld episode where Jerry is dating a super-model. This girl gets away with everything! When Jerry gets pulled over by a traffic cop, he lets his girlfriend do all the talking . . . and doesn’t get a ticket. Apparently, beautiful people get away with crimes, never have to pay for their meals, and never have to stand in line. They get all kinds of positive attention because other people like to look at perfection . . .
But history has demonstrated that beauty can sometimes be downright dangerous. It was to explore this aspect of beauty that I wrote what I jokingly call the “Bible Babes” series—books on Esther, Bathsheba, and Delilah. Esther was so beautiful that she was taken from her devout Jewish family and placed in a pagan king’s harem—trust me, that wasn’t like winning a beauty pageant. Bathsheba was so beautiful that she was raped by a king, then had to remain quiet while the king murdered her husband and her firstborn baby died. And Delilah, for reasons only she knows, used her beauty as a weapon, destroying a man of God and setting into motion a war between the Hebrews and the Philistines.
Even mythology points out the dangerous side of beauty. Helen, wife to a Greek king, is kidnapped by Paris, a prince of Troy, and a war is waged to recover the beautiful queen. “The face that launched a thousand ships” resulted in the loss of thousands of lives, or so the story goes.
If beauty is so dangerous, why do women spend so much time, money, and energy on trying to be beautiful? I ask myself that every time I sit down to tame the wild mane that lives on my head.
I believe something within us yearns for beauty—not only on our bodies, but in our homes—because we crave it. God is beautiful, his creation is beautiful, and something in us naturally hungers after beauty. We fix ourselves up because we want to please our husbands, our children, and our God. We are, after all, daughters of the King.
But God is not silent on the subject of beauty: “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” (1 Peter 3:3-4).
The Lord, the Mighty One, is God,
and he has spoken;
he has summoned all humanity
from where the sun rises to where it sets.
From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines in glorious radiance. –Psalm 50:1-2.
Ah—there’s the crux of the matter. While there’s nothing wrong with being beautiful, the most precious beauty is cultivated within. Because beauty is from God, and of God.
Dr. Angela Hunt has written over 130 books for adults and children. She
has recently completed her second doctorate in theology and taken up
photography as a second career.
~*~
Here’s the Stop #9 Skinny:
You can order Angela’s book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD or at your local bookstore!
Clue to Write Down: of fiction
Stop #10: Angela Hunt’s site
Lost? Here’s the list of all the links in the hunt.
~*~
Extra Giveaway
In addition to the big prize you’re going for, I’m also offering a giveaway of a set of my books. If the winner is a US address, she’ll receive the Ladies of the Manor Series books 1 and 2, The Lost Heiress and The Reluctant Duchess. If the winner is international, I’m offering a complete digital set of my biblical fiction, A Stray Drop of Blood, A Soft Breath of Wind, and Jewel of Persia (winner’s choice of mobi for Kindle, epub, or PDF).
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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. 