by Roseanna White | Aug 19, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
I intended to wax philosophical and thoughtful this morning–not that I knew what I was going to be all brilliant about, but I figured I was due for some profound thoughts. 😉 Then I thought maybe I’d mention my friend Kimberly who’s coming up this weekend, perhaps link y’all to her awesome toy-making blog, Lord Circus (the toy-making’s awesome–the blog just started).
But then friend Dina ruined those goals by sending me an email telling me to look up Christian Agha Photography on Facebook, as he has apparently volunteered to take the photos of the young woman who also volunteered to model for my book cover. Now I’m far too excited about the shoot happening over the next few days to be concerned with wowing you all with my deep thoughts.
Because, let’s face it, book covers are crucial. I am super-duper excited to be working with Tekeme Studios again, because George did a fabulous job with A Stray Drop of Blood. But since I can’t very well beg his wife to model for every single cover WhiteFire has him design (snicker, snicker), finding a new model was my worry this time. So special thanks to above-mentioned friend Dina for finding me not one, but THREE girls willing to volunteer their time for the sheer fun of having their face on a book cover. And for finding an awesome photographer working for a song, too! How in the world did you manage that, Dina?? 😉
Basically, Roseanna is excited. And, as always, a little nervous. My hubby said something about the weirdness of relying on volunteers for all this, but to me, it’s confirmation that we’re on the right track, that these fellow believers are taking of their time to help me out–and you can bet if there’s anything I can do for them in return, I’ll be quick to offer!
That’s what I love about the Church, which we see so often in the Christian publishing world–we help each other. We love each other, even when we don’t know each other. We’re working for a common goal, and so we don’t mind giving a little in order to get the message out to others. We promote each other, work for each other, serve each other, just like Jesus instructed us to do. So thank you, all you wonderful people helping my dream become reality. Thank you for helping me get my stories out there. And thank you, Lord, for leading me to the right people at the right time.
God rocks, doesn’t He? =)
by Roseanna White | Aug 5, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
I just realized that my one-year anniversary of this blog passed at the end of July without me paying a lick of attention. The nerve! Why, I oughta break up with me for such an oversight . . . 😉
Yesterday I realized I’d crested the 300 post mark and thought, “Wow, my one year ought to . . . have just passed. Argh!” Here I thought I’d come up with some brilliant giveaway and launch it on that day. Ah well, I’ll come up with something belated. =)
Anybody have any brilliant ideas? Something you’d really dig as a giveaway? I can always do books (mine and others’), but would anybody be interested in something more unique? A black and white drawing? A critique? A Stray Drop t-shirt? Candy? Maybe I’ll check in with some of my friends and see if anyone wants to pitch in some fun!
I’ll take suggestions on this through the weekend and announce my Anniversary Shindig Giveaway on Monday. So speak up! Give me an idea of what you’re just dying to win, and you might see it . . . then might win it!
Three cheers for a year of blogging!
by Roseanna White | Jul 29, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
I remember thinking, sometime between ages 12 and 14, that I could never write a story that took place before Christ. Or which dealt with people after Christ who never heard his message. “I just couldn’t do it,” I recall thinking. “I’d be wondering about their salvation the whole time.”
Well, I stuck by that for a long time. And when I began writing Jewel of Persia, that aspect didn’t really occur to me–until my husband, reading along as I wrote, said, “There’s just one thing that concerns me–you’re targeting Christian readers with a book that isn’t going to mention Jesus once.”
Too true. Kinda hard to mention someone still 450 years away from being born. But as I studied the books of the Old Testament I was appealing to, it struck me: salvation isn’t a theme unique to the New Testament. The people in the OT prayed constantly for salvation–duh, right? Read the Psalms. Yes, most of the time it was for immediate salvation–the saving of life, or even of the nation, so that it be preserved for future generations.
Last night at Bible study (I had recommended this topic months ago, and love that we got to it the week after I finished Jewel of Persia, LOL), the most awesome example we found, though, was how Moses crafts the bronze serpent and holds it up, so that anyone bitten by a poisonous snake can look at it and be saved. Then in John 3, Jesus references that to say (in the Roseanna-paraphrase version) “Just like Moses lifted that snake up, so is the Son of Man being lifted up. The people were already bitten, already dying. They had to have faith to look up and be saved, and it’s the faith that saved them. Well, people, you’re already bitten. But God loves you so much that he sent his son–and just like that bronze snake, if you believe enough to look toward Me, you’ll be saved. I’m not condemning y’all–you’re already condemned. Already bitten. But I’m here for your salvation.”
Oo, I love that. Love that Jesus himself took this Old Testament idea of salvation and moved it into New Testament, eternal realms. Awesome, isn’t it?
In my book, I’m constantly tossing my poor heroine into situations she needs saved from. Each and every time, she cries out to the Lord her God, and Jehovah comes through. Then at the end, the whole people of Israel are calling out for salvation from the scheming of Haman. It’s a theme for me–more of one, strangely, than it’s been in A.D. books, perhaps because I was so aware of it. And you know, even though they’re still looking forward to Jesus, they don’t know his name, they don’t know when he’ll come, it’s still a matter of faith. Kasia must have faith that the Lord will preserve her, and that she’s where she needs to be. Faith that her God can use her love to move the mountain of a stubborn man. And Esther, of course. Esther must have faith that this is her purpose, and that even if she dies, God will still use her to save her people.
My last sentence has the word “salvation” in it. I end on that note hoping it’ll leave people thinking about it and moving naturally in their thoughts to the ultimate salvation, the One who came and updated our definition of the word, who offered it to our souls. “Jesus” is never in my book. But the Spirit is–and just as He speaks to us now, he spoke to my characters. (Maybe not exactly like, but He did.) It’s the same spirit, the same God. Which means the same Jesus was there, waiting. Waiting, ready to offer himself for these people.
Some things transcend time.
by Roseanna White | Jul 22, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
For the past month or so, I have been in the “Whatever” stage when it comes to publishing. This isn’t a negative place, though it might sound like it, given the name. But that’s an abbreviation. Really, it’s the “Whatever You Want for Me, Lord” stage.
See, the industry has always been tough. Right now it’s nearly impossible. Yes, there are still successes, and I rejoice with every single one of them. But they never seem to come my way. I’m still getting those “this is solid, she writes well, but . . .” rejections. Or, more often, nothing at all. My agent is understandably frustrated with the lack of responses. There are projects we submitted nearly a year ago upon request that we’ve still hear nothing on.
And I’m okay with that. The optimist in me still thinks, “Something’s going to click with one of those. I feel it.” And the realist says, “But if it doesn’t, then whatever, Lord. Whatever.”
Because I’m promoting a book I love. A Stray Drop of Blood is such a huge part of me that I love dedicating myself to it, to getting it out in the world. And I’m working on a book I love. Not since Stray Drop has a book demanded so much of my mind as Jewel of Persia, perhaps because it’s on the same epic scale. I’m loving what I’m doing, which is something I couldn’t do for a major publishing house.
With my agent’s go-ahead, I’m going to focus on my projects for WhiteFire while we wait for the incredibly slow wheels of the major publishers to turn toward the proposals and manuscripts I submitted to them. And I’ve got this incredible peace and excitement about that. This feeling that “Whatever, Lord,” has led us to a place where WhiteFire can grow and expand and start helping others’ dreams come true.
Writers, you might want to check out WFP’s new and improved site. There’s some fun news on the Submissions page. We also just started a blog with one whole post, LOL. For news as we have it, you can check out that or subscribe to the newsletter on the main site.
Because “Whatever, Lord” is leading to new things these days. Though in some ways the changes in the publishing industry are terrifying for unestablished authors, in other ways they’re freeing and fun. I, for one, am going to focus on that side of things.
by Roseanna White | Jul 8, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Don’t forget you have a chance to win Stray Drop at www.ShannonVannatter.com!
The last time my family took a vacation was September ’08, when Rowyn was 7 months old. Last summer we just couldn’t take the time–and this summer we expected to be crammed full of travel for book promotion.
But since the Life & Faith Tour was canceled because of the extreme weather this summer, my hubby looked at me two weeks ago and said, “So when are we going to the beach?” In an act of semi-spontaneity, we scheduled a vacation 10 days before said vacation would start. Which is now only two days away. Woo hoo!
Of course, I’ve yet to start packing, though I’ve started making lists. And I’ve been trying to get done all the stuff I need to (including blog posts for next week, since I already had two interviews scheduled). Plus, I’ve been getting back on the writing horse. Yesterday I managed 4,800 words, and I feel like I’m finally in that place where finishing the book’s going to be like falling down the stairs–a series of boom, bang, booms, all downhill from here. There’s still a lot of story to get through, don’t get me wrong, but it’s all action. Yay!
I’m one of those nuts who hopes for lots of writing time on vacation (the beach is just so inspiring!). Granted, I also want lots of nothing-time, lots of beach-time, some shopping-time, walking-time . . .
Naturally, it’s calling for rain all week. Isolated, so it could totally miss us. And even if it doesn’t . . . well, it’s true what they say. “A bad day at the beach beats a good day anywhere else.” =)
by Roseanna White | Jul 1, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Yesterday, while the rest of the country’s newspapers probably had headlines about Russian spies, oil spills, or presidents, the Cumberland Times-News dedicated its front page to prayer. Oh, it might not have known that’s what it was doing. But we did.
See, the front page story yesterday was about how one of our own was coming home from Johns Hopkins hospital.
Those of you who know me fairly well have heard about Vanessa. She’s 16, the daughter of my sister’s dear friend, and a country girl through and through. Well, a couple months ago she was roping a steer and got dragged and trampled. They rushed her to hospital and she was soon heading for Baltimore. The initial fears were about internal organ damage.
The people took to their knees. Everyone I know around here contacted everyone we know elsewhere to get people praying. The doctors weren’t sure she’d live through the night.
She did.
The next concern was brain damage. Vanessa was in a coma, and everyone knows brain injuries are unpredictable. For weeks she lay there, sleeping. We prayed that God would use that time of rest to rebuild her from the inside out.
During this time my sister made countless trips down the road to visit Vanessa and her mom. She came back with updates, prayer requests, and an assurance. “I prayed before I went back to see her,” my sister said, “and I got the feeling that she’s going to be okay. Might take awhile, but she’s going to be okay.”
Vanessa started coming out of the coma. It was a slow process, and an MRI revealed separation of the hemispheres of her brain. She would squeeze a hand but couldn’t open her eyes. Then she could sit up, but not open her eyes.
We kept praying. My mom prayed, “Let her next hurdle be speech. Let her say, ‘Mom,’ Lord.”
Two days later we got the report that Vanessa said “Mom.” The next day she was singing the Barney song. The day after that, a country tune. She was recognizing people and greeting them by name. Still, the doctors were worried. Some of her behaviors indicated severe brain damage, the kind people don’t recover from.
When has that ever stopped the Lord?
A couple weeks ago, we got the report that Vanessa was eating, out shopping, learning to walk again, doing art projects, and stealing her mom’s cell phone to call her brother and beg to be taken home.
Yesterday, she came. And Cumberland praised God.
There are times I miss the culture and opportunities available in Annapolis or other larger areas, but you know, in times like these I’m so very glad to live in a small town. I love that everyone here knows that we’re praying for a teen named Vanessa. I love that her recovery has made the front page.
Most of all, though, I love my God, who hears our cries and responds.
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. Having successfully launched two homeschool grads, she now spends her time writing fiction, 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, as well as a fantasy series and contemporary mysteries and romances. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.