Winner!
And the winner of Trish Perry’s The Perfect Blend is . . .
Karen K!
Congrats, Karen, I’m sending you an email.
My Friend Margaret – Interview & Giveaway
Today I’m excited to welcome Margaret Brownley back to my blog. She visited a while back to talk about A Lady Like Sarah and is now back to talk about its sequel, A Suitor for Jenny.
Margaret has generously offered a copy of A Suitor for Jenny to one lucky reader, so please leave your comments below, along with an email address. Be sure you’re a follower!
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About Margaret
Thrills, mystery, suspense, romance: Margaret penned it all. Nothing wrong with this—except Margaret happened to be writing for the church newsletter. After making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, her former pastor took her aside and said, “Maybe God’s calling you to write fiction.”
So that’s what Margaret did. She now has more than 20 novels to her credit and has been published in 15 languages. In addition, she’s written a non-fiction book. Still, it took a long time before Margaret tried her hand at writing inspirational fiction which led to her Rocky Creek series.
“I love writing about characters at different stages of faith,” she says of the new direction her writing career has taken, “and I’m here to stay.”
Happily married to her real life hero, Margaret and her husband live in Southern California.
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About A Suitor for Jenny
Jenny Higgins is certain falling in love and finding a husband are matters of the mind. Her heart has other plans.
After their parents died, Jenny felt responsible for seeing that her two younger sisters were well taken-care of. Tipped off by an article naming Rocky Creek the town with the highest number of eligible bachelors, Jenny rolled into this Texas town with a clear objective: find suitable husbands for her two sister and then start fresh somewhere far, far away.
Jenny believe that women who fall in love at first sight often wish they’d taken a second look, so she diligently begins to follow all the rules set forth in her handy manual on how to land a husband.
But while Jenny is interviewing the less-than-promising candidates, her sisters are falling in love the old-fashioned way–with men of their choosing. And the longer Jenny stays, the more her sense of control slips away. The town isn’t living up to her expectations, her sisters are rebelling against her practical choices, and soon her own heart starts to betray her, as US Marshall Rhett Armstrong stirs emotions in her that weren’t part of her plan.
To relinquish her control to God and calm her restless spirit, she’ll need to give her foregone conclusions about marriage, love, and faith.
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What’s your latest book?
A Suitor for Jenny will hit bookstores the end of September. It’s the 2nd book in my Rocky Creek series (the first was A Lady Like Sarah). Thomas Nelson is the publisher.
I love your premises. What’s your favorite part of the story?
My favorite part is watching the protagonist Jenny Higgins change and grow. She breezes into town determined to find perfect husbands for each of her two sisters. To this end she consults books, administers tests and conducts interviews. She thinks she knows how to pick “perfect” men, but God will prove her wrong. (Kind of makes me think of that old adage: Man plans and God laughs.)
Roseanna laughs too;-) That sounds awesomely hilarious. What was the hardest part to write?
Every once in awhile a book comes along that just seems to write itself. I can’t quite explain it, but A Suitor for Jenny one of those books. The words just flowed from beginning to end. I wrote it without an outline so I never knew what was going to happen next and that was part of the fun. The hardest part to write? Two words: The end. I didn’t want to let these characters go.
Awww, sweet. I love those self-guiding books. What do you hope your readers will get out of the story?
I love to write characters in a crisis of faith, and how they find their way back to God. My hope is that readers will come away from A Suitor for Jenny with renewed faith that God has a plan for them.
Is there a theme to this book?
There are several themes running through the book but my favorite is this: God has bigger plans for us than we can ever dream up for ourselves.
Jenny is very protective of her sisters and in some ways perhaps even overprotective. Does overprotecting our loved ones prevent them from discovering God’s plan for them? That’s an interesting question and is one of the underlying themes.
Oo, that’s a great one! And boy do I love seeing what God has up his sleeve! Is there any one thing or reference you keep handy when writing? Anything you kept around for this particular book?
I have an extensive research Library but I did need special references for this book. Jenny rides her herd on her sisters, demanding they follow all the rules of good etiquette (naturally they fight her all the way). I read tons of old etiquette books and some of the rules made me laugh. The most surprising book I found? “The Marriage Guide for Young Men: Manual of Courtship and Marriage” written by Reverend George Hudson in 1883. His advice to men on finding a wife: take as wide of survey of the world as possible before you select the prize.
Did you hear me snort in laughter there? I’m also particularly fond of the “Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior” as copied by George Washington. (That snort of laughter would have been in very poor taste. 😉 What are you writing right now?
I’m working on a new series which I’m very excited about. It takes place in Arizona in the late 1800s.
Fun! Any upcoming releases we should keep our eye out for?
The 3rdbook in my Rocky Creek series is scheduled for June 2011. I hope by then we have title for it.
Have a Little Faith!
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Thanks for visiting again, Margaret! Readers, you can check out her website at www.margaretbrownley.com and find her books at Amazon or CrossPurposes.
Void where prohibited. Entry into the contest is considered verification of eligibility based on your local laws. Chance of winning depends on number of entries. Contest ends 10/7/10. Winner will have two weeks to claim prize.
Thoughtful About . . . Substitute Teachers
Is that a random enough title for you? =)
Yesterday as Xoe and I were doing our math lesson, Rowyn came in needing help with something. I asked Xoe to finish the exercise she was working on while I followed Rowyn out to see what he needed. I came back in two minutes later to a cackling almost-5-year-old who had worked ahead into today’s lesson. What, you wonder, lured her so irresistibly? Addition. I laughingly related this to David last night, and his question was, “Did she do it right?” (Keeping in mind we’re still in our first month of kindergarten.)
I was happy to report that she did indeed get them all right. Yes, this is still the addition that comes complete with hash marks to count, but still. She recognized that they were addition problems, saw how to fill them in herself, and correctly added them together. Not bad for a kid not even five!
Talking about it got my honey reminiscing about how he worked ahead in Algebra once when he had a substitute, who just laid out a few basics and said, “Go ahead!” To which I replied, “Mr. Twigg, right? I remember him giving a speech once about how English was good and necessary, but math–math was actually useful.” LOL
Thoughts of good ol’ Mr. Twigg had me thinking about the roles substitutes can play in the life of a school child (something my kids won’t often have the pleasure of, mwa ha ha ha). I remember Mr. Twigg in particular. He was a full time sub, filling in somewhere in the county every day. We all loved him. He made us work, but he always put a different spin on things. Like letting us work ahead, telling us what he really thought about subjects . . . and showing us how to apply it to life in ways our regular teachers didn’t do. Perhaps it was because he was from a different generation, who knows. Whatever the reason, I remember him as well as or better than I remember my regular teachers.
You know one of the best lessons he ever taught me in my 7th grade pre-algebra class? What makes a good handshake, and how a handshake helps make a good impression. No, that has nothing to do with math. But it has to do with life, and no one else ever bothered to teach us something as simple as “Don’t let your hand be a dead fish, but don’t squeeze the life out of the other person. Firm, but not hard. It shows strength and confidence.” He had ever single student come up and shake his hand (would that even be allowed today??? LOL), and he critiqued us.
Maybe the lesson stuck because I could tell from his critiques that it really did show a person’s character. And you can bet that every time I shake someone’s hand, somewhere in the back of my mind I hear, “Don’t let your hand be a dead fish, but don’t squeeze the life out of the other person. Firm, but not hard.”
Do you have any lessons you remember that came not from a regular teacher, but from a sub?
Remember When . . . People Were Nice? Part II
Do you all remember a while back when I told you about the awesome Greek jeweler who’s letting me use his jewelry designs on my book cover? If not, that original story is here. But of course, the story hasn’t stopped. =)
I emailed Aris again to ask if he has high res photos my designer could use, feeling like a total bother for asking. But Aris, being a wonderful gent, immediately sent me a whole slew of photos from different angles. He also said if we needed anything more, to let him know, though he’d be leaving Athens next week for an extended business/pleasure trip. Including a stop in Paris. At the Louvre. Where his lions’ head designs, like the ones I’m using, are going to be sold in the gift shop. Of the Louvre. OF THE LOUVRE!!! Is that not the coolest thing ever?
He also added me to his website, which is also cool. Not as cool as the Louvre, but very cool nonetheless. =)
What I really love about his designs is that they’re based on Ancient Greek artifacts and museum pieces, so they all have that flavor of being centuries old. My hubby and I spent an hour browsing his site the other day, just gaping in awe over all the cool stuff he has.
So that’s been my excitement for the week. (The Louvre!!!!!!) Just had to share. And given that my designer is now–even now–working on the front cover for Jewel of Persia, I will soon have MORE awesome news to share.
(Sorry I didn’t have a fun historical tidbit, but I have instead a headache. And you know. This has to do with my historical novel, so . . . hope you care, LOL. Because THE LOUVRE!!!) 😉
Story Time . . . THE HEALER’S APPRENTICE by Melanie Dickerson
When destiny sleeps, it can only be awakened by true love’s kiss.
Rose owes everything to Frau Garusha, the town’s healer. Not only has the learned woman educated Rose in reading and writing, but now she has taken her on as apprentice, effectively freeing her from her mother’s oppressive matchmaking. Rose is grateful to have the choice not to marry–if only she liked the healing arts a bit more. If the smell of blood did not make her nauseous. How will she ever prove to Frau Garusha that she can be healer if she keeps messing up?
Wilhelm is the eldest son of the duke and so has responsibility. He has been fed it from birth and knows–has always known–what he must do. He must serve his people. Part of that involves marrying the daughter of a neighboring duke, Lady Salmonea. He has never met his bride, yet years of his life has revolved around her. Or rather, around freeing her. Her parents were forced to put her into hiding when she was but a babe, after the evil sorcerer Moncore threatened to unleash his demons upon her. He must find Moncore and so make the world safe for his betrothed–and if he fails at that, how will he prove himself worthy of the responsibility that will someday be his?
When Rose is forced to stitch up one of Wilhelm’s wounds after a hunting incident, both recognize the immediate connection–respect and admiration, colored with something more. Both also know nothing can come of it. So when Wilhelm’s younger brother showers attention on Rose, it seems the safer place to direct her attention. If only it were so easy. And if only she didn’t seem to attract danger every time she turned around these days . . .
Two words for you: Oh wow. I was intrigued by the description of The Healer’s Apprentice from the get-go–I mean, how could I not be? It’s billed as a retelling of a fairy tale, and I’ve always been a sucker for them. And from the get-go, this book is one that just sweeps you away into the lovely little hamlet with its secrets and intrigue.
The characters are so compelling–determined to succeed, constantly battling failure, needing to be loved but needing even more to love others and fulfill their duties. Then there are the ones after only their own gain, their own desires, no matter the cost to others. I loved how true to the morals of the day the hero and heroine were, how much the smallest gesture could mean to them.
The plot was quick-moving and intriguing. Given that I knew from the start it’s based upon a fairy tale, I could determine fairly quickly how the major plot-points would go–but there was no way I could anticipate all the twists and turns, all the gasps and sighs, that the author would take before delivering us to Happily Ever After.
The Healer’s Apprentice is not just a romance–it’s a story of love at its truest. It is not just a young adult novel–it’s a story that appeals to what our teens most crave today and then shines the light of the Lord upon it. It’s not just a fairy tale–it’s a portrait of our darkest fears and our brightest dreams.
I cannot recommend this book enough. Whether for the young adult crowd it’s aimed at or the adult reader who needs to escape with a story of intrigue, destiny, and heart-stopping romance, The Healer’s Apprentice delivers with a resounding bang. This one goes on the must-read pile.
*I received this book free for reviewing purposes. (Though I’m now going to go buy one for my niece. 😉
Modern . . . Preferences
Yesterday I finally, finally finished cutting and editing Jewel of Persia–and boy am I happy to be done with that for a while! Still love the story, but boy howdy. That was a lot of work, LOL. For those who are curious, the final manuscript checks in at 155K, which means I cut 25K even while adding probably 5-10K in the concluding chapters. Good. Enough. =)
So, contemporary stuff. I’ve done so little with contemporaries lately that it’s hard to know what to talk about on Mondays. So I thought I’d talk about that. =)
A few years ago, my agent encouraged me to work more on contemporaries, since they were selling better. These days, it seems that historicals are selling better. It seems to be a bit of a yo-yo, and I figure contemps will swing back up at some point. I love writing historicals, but there are some stories I just have to set today.
But here’s my question to you–when you sit down with a contemporary, where do you tend? Women’s fiction? Straight-up romance? Romantic suspense? Romantic comedy? Mystery? Suspense? Thriller? Young Adult? Literary? General fiction? Something else I’m not thinking of now?
When I read a contemporary novel, it’s usually in the romance category, though it might have comedy or suspense or something tacked on. I read women’s fiction, but they’re usually not where I tend of my own free will. (My free will doesn’t always factor into my reading decisions though, given my reviewing and endorsing and, well, just wanting to support my awesome friends.) I very rarely delve into straight mystery or straight suspense.
But, wow, just looking at that list–there’s such a looooooong list of contemporary subgenres! Yet “historicals” tend to all get bunched together. I mean, we historical writers will divide them, but look at a contest’s categories sometime.
So, whether it’s what editors are looking for right now or not, contempraries are obviously a force to be reckoned with. Which sub-genre is your favorite?
About Me
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.