Winner!
And the winner of Wildflowers of Terezin is . . .
Grace! (gracethorson@ . . .)
I just sent you an email, Grace. Congrats!
Remember When . . . You Had to Switch Sides?
The battle of Thermopylae. On one side, a vast Persian army over 1,000,000 strong (according to the numbers of the time). On the other, 300 Spartans standing outside a hastily built wall. Their armor and arms are at their feet while they comb their manes of long hair and exercise–nude, so that their enemies might see all those rippling muscles they work on daily and be pierced by fear before a spear is lifted.
Inside the walls of Thermopylae are other soldiers from other states, assigned the tasks of guarding the rear and providing support as needed.
How could it be needed? No one fought like the Spartans. It was their life. Their soul. Their blood. Their law–Fight, no matter how many the enemy. Win, or die trying.
They chose their stand well, in a place where the Persians’ numbers didn’t matter because there was little room for them to move. The Spartans had the longer spears, they had the better training. They did the miraculous and held the greater army off for three bloody days (I mean that literally, not as a curse, LOL), until someone told Xerxes how to lead the Persians around the back of the mountain pass.
How in the world could anyone read about this and not side with the Spartans? Right?? I mean, they were the most heroic of heroes. They fought against impossible odds and won. Well, sure, they all died eventually, but not until the Persians snuck up behind them and took out their backup. They were just beyond reckoning. I’ve always loved the Spartans, always admired their culture and their pure prowess.
But, um . . . well, Xerxes is my hero now, so . . . huh. Guess I gotta root for the Persians in Jewel of Persia, don’t I? And, you know, understand Xerxes’ frustration with it all. It’s a challenge–I’ve been trying to write this life-altering battle for two days and can’t even get to the fighting. Probably because I haven’t hit on the right take for it.
But here’s how I reconciled my not-so-secret rooting for the Spartans in the book thus far–my heroine admires them. Much as she wants Xerxes to ultimately win, she is deep-down struck by what those 300 men dare to do. And maybe, just maybe, seeing them fight in the face of certain death will give her the inspiration she needs to stand up for her own beliefs when the battle is over.
Goooooooo, Spartans!
Story Time . . . Shhh & Grrrrr
I’ve spent the last week and a half reading a fabulous book in ARC form (advance reader copy), and the publisher specifically asked that I not post a review until the book releases. So I won’t. I’ll just say this.
Are you a Julie Lessman fan? In love with the Boston O’Connors? Did you think you’d seen the last of them when the Daughters of Boston Series ended? Then boy are you in for a treat! The Winds of Change Series follows the other three O’Connor children through the end of the Roaring Twenties and into the Great Depression–but you won’t be left depressed. A Hope Undaunted, about feisty and sassy Katie Rose who’s once again butting heads with “Cluny” Luke McGee, is . . . is . . . ahhhhh. It’s heart-thumping and pulse-racing and loyalty-tearing and all sorts of things that will drag you in and not let you go.
Now, allow me to also say that it’s no fault of the book that it took me 10 days to read it. I wanted to sit down and spend the whole day with it, but I’m on deadline and was in a really great writing groove–so I hid the book from myself during the day. đ
That’s the “shhh” from the title. Now onto the “grrr.”
I have had for waaaay too long a book that belongs to my mom’s friend, so I figured I’d better read it. This is a mainstream romantic suspense by a NYT Bestselling author, and everyone raved that this book was awesome. I’ve read many of her stories. The first ones, back before I knew all these pesky writing rules, I enjoyed. The one I read after learning all these rules made me shake my head at all of them she’d broken. But I’m okay with breaking rules when it works.
The thing is, as I’m reading this, even ignoring some of the rules she breaks, the writing is still just weak. It’s a little frustrating–but still the story’s compelling. So I suppose I’ll give it a few more days and see if I can finish in a respectable amount of time. Though if I have as little time for reading as I have the last two weeks . . . yeah. We’ll see how it goes. =)
My Friend Cynthia – Interview & Giveaway
Today we’re welcoming the fabulous president of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) to talk about her debut novel, They Almost Always Come Home. Cynthia gives so much of herself to this amazing organization–I’m really excited to give a little back to her!
As usual, leave your comments with an email address for a chance to win a copy of the book!
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About Cynthia
Cynthia Ruchti is the current president of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), which sheâs served in various volunteer capacities since shortly after she became a member in 2002. In her role as president of ACFW, Cynthia writes a monthly âFrom the Presidentâ column for ACFWâs Afictionado ezine. For two years she was one of four humor columnists for AfictionadoâsâLet There Be Lite.â In 2007, she was the recipient of the ACFW Member Service Award. In 2008, Cynthia won second place for Womenâs Fiction in ACFWâs prestigious Genesis Contest.
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About They Almost Always Come Home
When Libbyâs husband Greg fails to return from a two-week canoe trip to the Canadian wilderness, the authorities soon write off his disappearance as an unhappy husbandâs escape from an empty marriage and unrewarding career. Their marriage might have survived if their daughter Lacey hadnât diedâŚand if Greg hadnât been responsible. Libby enlists the aid of her wilderness savvy father-in-law and her faith-walking best friend to help her search for clues to her husbandâs disappearanceâŚif for no other reason than to free her to move on. What the trio discovers in the search upends Libbyâs presumptions about her husband and rearranges her faith.
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What’s your latest book?
They Almost Always Come Home is my debut novel which released May 1, 2010, with Abingdon Press.
What a compelling cover! What’s your favorite part of the story?
I enjoy the interaction between Libby and her friend Jenika, a friendship that could either drown under or surf on waves of adversity. Picking a favorite scene is like picking a favorite child. When I relive the process of creating Libbyâs fictional world and her story, each scene tugs at me as a lapful of grandbabies each tug at me. My favorite part of Libbyâs story is the one Iâm thinking about at the time.
Yeah, let’s not make the grandbabies push each other out of your lap. đ What was the hardest part to write?
Endings are always challenging to write because of my longing to offer my readers a satisfying, sigh-producing ending but still leave room for pondering. Few of lifeâs âplotsâ arrive at neat and tidy conclusions. The resolution of one dilemma often opens the door to new challenges. Finding a balance where readers say, âI want to know moreâ rather than âIs that all there is?â drove me to invest in both the ending and the possibilities for the characters of They Almost Always Come Home.
That’s a really great point, and a challenge for every writer to consider. What do you hope your readers will get out of the story?
Inexhaustible hope for indescribable pain. Hope that glows in the dark.
Theyâre taglines, but theyâre also promisesânot from my words, but from Godâs.
They’re GREAT taglines! What’s one of the oddest or most interesting things someone has ever said about you?
One of the most affirming was, âYou wrote what I felt but didnât know how to say.â That line keeps my fingers on the keyboard.
That was my reaction when I first read A Separate Peace in high school, almost word for word. So yeah, that’s fabulous encouragement. What would your dream office look likeâand what does your REAL writing environment look like?
A cluttered desk. Too few file drawers. Piles of projects needing attention. Mismatched furniture. Threadbare carpeting. Oh, wait. Thatâs realityâŚalthough I do sneak away to a small antique desk and rocking chair in a quiet corner of my family room when Iâm in all-out-creative mode. You asked about my dream office. Ahh. A clear cherry desk, hand-rubbed finish, with matching lateral files, bookcases, and hardwood floor (kept clean by a hard-working and devoted maid). Bose speakers in every corner. An excess of storage. A view of the lake through one window and the mountains through another. And a cozy loveseat or chair-and-a-half in which to create more dreams.
Can you send that hard-working maid my way?? =) Is there any one thing or reference you keep handy when writing? Anything you kept around for this particular book?
On my desk (an old hollow-core door, not hand-rubbed cherry) is a treasured photo of my husband in his elementâthe Canadian wilderness. Heâs sitting on a granite outcropping that splits the river in two and forms dual rapids. Tan and weathered, his slouchy hat low over his eyes, heâs looking into the cameraâŚand into my heart. Several years ago, my husband almost didnât come home from his canoe trip to the Canadian wilderness. When I look at that photo, all the emotions of his trauma (and my own) return in a rush of rock-strewn memories. Although our story and the one told through Libbyâs and Gregâs voices are different in many key ways, the picture served as a resource for maintaining emotional authenticity throughout They Almost Always Come Home.
Oh wow, that would be an intense reminder! Do you remember where you were when you got your first or most important call about a book contract?
I missed the call. How can that happen? My flight back to Wisconsin from the West Coast was rerouted due to mechanical trouble. We made an emergency landing in Kansas City. The equipment was repaired while the passengers sat in the plane on the tarmac, waiting to take off again for our original destinationâSt. Louisâwhere I would have caught a connecting flight. Iâd hoped to hear the yes or no from Abingdon Press that day but couldnât get home and couldnât leave the airplane. So before the repair was complete and the flight attendant asked us to âturn off and stow all electronic devices,â I called my daughter and asked her to tap into my email account to see if I had a message from the editor.
âYes,â she said. âDo you want me to read it to you?â
It was an unconventional way to hear Iâd sold my debut novel, but so precious to share the moment with my daughter.
When I arrived homeâtwo days later than expected due to even more flight delaysâI found The Call on my answering machine. And accidentally deleted it!
LOL on the delete. And “awwwww” on getting to share it with your daughter! Any upcoming releases we should keep our eye out for?
In fall 2010, Barbour Publishing releases a Christmas novella collection titled A Door County Christmas. The Heartâs Harborâis one of four romantic comedies included in the collection. Different from They Almost Always Come Home tone and subject matter, The Heartâs Harbor takes a more lighthearted look at love and loss, and how faith makes both survivable.
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Thanks for visiting, Cynthia! Readers, you can order her book at Amazon or CrossPurposes. And check out her website at www.CynthiaRuchti.com.
Void where prohibited. Entry into the contest in considered verification of eligibility based on local laws. Contest ends 6/3/10. Winner will have two weeks to claim the book.
Thoughtful About . . . The Idyllic
I’m sitting on my back porch. The clock just flipped to 7 a.m., and the air’s still cool and scented with honeysuckle. I’m in exercise gear, though I have no intention of exercising–but my aunt passed along a too-cute tank with built in shelf, and it seemed a good alternative to my flimsy nightgown when I decided to come outside.
My son’s playing in a big yellow wagon we use to cart beach toys at the park. Not “with,” mind you–in. The boy’s a monkey. My daughter’s playing with their little toddler bikes in the driveway and peering down to examine ants as they scurry by (as opposed to those days when she runs screaming from any bug, LOL).
I was trying to figure out what to write about this morning and drawing a blank. I’m reach Critical Mass when it comes to parenthood and am hoping for some Me Time soon. Right at this moment I’m feeling just fine, but give me a few hours, and the whining’ll get to me, I’m sure, LOL.
So, not sure I have any great insights today, but here are a couple things I’ve been thinking about this week.
The first comes from Glenn Beck. Whether you agree with his philosophies or not (some I do, some I don’t) he made me sit up and take notice the other day when he called–on national television–for revival. He said, for his millions of viewers to hear, that before the nation could get back on track, the people had to get back to God. I honestly didn’t think I’d see the day when someone had the guts to say that on any TV station that wasn’t strictly religious in nature. So go, Glenn!
The second is from Xoe. Now, she can get an attitude to make a mama want to pull out her hair, but she’s also got one of the sweetest hearts I’ve ever seen. Perfect example: when we were praying last night, she said, “I hope you have a good day tomorrow, God.”
Not sure what might make a day good vs. bad for God, but I think it might have to do with the praises of His people.
I hope He has a great one, too. I’m going to be making a concerted effort to do my part and keep a praise on my tongue.
Remember When . . . Facts Got to Be Facts Again?
I remember my first few weeks at college (okay, some of it–it’s been a while, LOL). We were reading The Iliad for our seminar class. The first 6 books were assigned over the summer, so we all leisurely flipped our way through it over the course of two months, thinking, “Wow, this is gonna be great.” Then we opened our mailboxes the first day at St. John’s, got our assignments from our tutors (professors) and went, “Wait–what? You expect us to read the next 6 books in two days? While I’m memorizing the Greek alphabet? And learning all the axioms and three propositions from Euclid? And reading this Theophrastis dude for lab?” Hence began the total immersion into the Johnny life and, that first year, all things Ancient Greek.
Now that you have a glimpse of the rate at which a Freshman at St. John’s becomes a Greek-know-it-all, I’ll get to my point. =) Or closer to it anyway. See, at St. John’s one of the boo-hiss evils are outside authorities. In our classes, all the students are supposed to be on a shared level, so you’re not allowed to reference in the conversation (all classes are conversation-based) anything that hasn’t been covered at St. John’s. So that documentary you watched? Hush up about it. That thing you learned in high school? No one cares. The only facts of import are the ones in that book in front of you, and that ain’t no textbook. It’s the original (translated, usually. Not always, but usually.)
But still we whisper. Like, when reading The Iliad, a conversation out of class may have gone like this:
“Let’s all go to Troy. You can be Agamemnon, and then I’ll steal your god-stick and go get people excited so we can kick some Paris-butt.”
“Yeah, not possible. Oh wait–they finally discovered it again, right?”
“Discovered . . . again?”
“Yeah, didn’t you read about that or see it on the History Channel, back when we had TV [snickers all around–there’s no cable at St. John’s]? For the longest time they thought the whole Trojan War story was nothing but myth because they couldn’t locate any ruins of Troy. But a while back they found it, right where Homer said it should be.”
Now, I always laugh and roll my eyes when scientists and historians discover something right where it should be. Like a recent satellite study that said, “Hey, Eden probably was right here . . . look at that!” For me, it goes toward this really weird modern mindset that says, “We know all. No one before us knew anything.”
Um . . . why? It’s especially funny because 2500 years ago, the Trojan War was still ancient history, but it was known ancient history. When Xerxes was marching to Greece, they stopped at Troy, where “he listened to the story of the war there, then decided he wanted to see where Priam ruled, so the whole troop went up to the site of Ilium . . .”
But a century ago–a century ago it was fiction. Fable. Until, oh wait . . . look at that! Troy showed up!
Sorry, I just find it both baffling and amusing that we doubt so much about what people before us recorded simply because we can’t see it with our own eyes. I recognize that we sometimes need independent validation, evidence–but instead of dismissing stories we can’t totally validate, can’t we just teach our kids we haven’t found evidence of it yet rather than telling them something doesn’t exist at all?
Seriously. I hate it when facts change. Then you end up with a new generation shaking their heads at their parents going, “Come on, Mom, Pluto isn’t a planet. What are you talking about?”
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, sheâs 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 booksâŚto offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.