Posts Tagged ‘books’

Posted on April 10, 2012 - by Shannon Vannatter

Great Lines

I’m celebrating Drop Everything and Read day by sharing some favorite lines from recent reads:

From Buffalo Gal by Mary Connealy:

Posted on February 28, 2012 - by Shannon Vannatter

National Whatever You Want to Write, We Want to Publish Day

This would be the holiday when anyone could get published. All they’d have to do is have a completed manuscript.

*  The author has never been to a writers’ meeting or conference—who cares.

*  It’s the first book the author has ever written—who cares.

*  The author’s craft isn’t up to par—who cares.

*  This genre isn’t selling well—who cares.

*  It’s not Amish—who cares.

*  It’s not Historical Romance—who cares.

*  It’s not vampires—who cares.

*  It’s not werewolves—who cares.

*  It’s not zombies—who cares.

*  Book sales overall are down—who cares.

Yes, just one day, where anyone can get just one book published. Let’s not think about how badly written the books might be. Or how much the author has to learn. Or about platform. Or about web presence. Or about sales. Let’s just dream big.

Posted on January 17, 2012 - by Shannon Vannatter

Interview with Denise Hunter

Shannon here: This fall–in between deadlines–I set out to find an agent and my writing twin. When a writer sends proposals to agents or editors, we’re supposed to compare our books to published novels. I needed a published author who writes similar to me to compare myself to. 

I’d heard of Denise Hunter, seen her at the American Christian Writers Conference, and knew she was a best-selling contemporary romance author. I bought The Convenient Groom and immediately wished I’d come up with such a great premise.

At ACFW this year, I introduced myself to Denise, told her why I bought her book and how much I loved it. She asked if I’d found my writing twin. Not by a longshot. Denise is a much better writer than me.

Since then I’ve read A Cowboy’s Touch, Driftwood Lane, The Accidental Bride, and Smitten. I read the last two in one weekend. Both of them.

I’ve discovered so many authors with a book I love, but then I’m often disappointed by at least one of their books or I don’t like the others as well as the first book I read by them. Not so with Denise Hunter. I’ve loved everything I’ve read by her and would be hard pressed to pick a favorite. Next on my list–Seaside Letters. So without further ado, here’s Denise:

• What is the biggest writing challenge you’ve encountered this past year – craft, career, writing life, etc? How did you solve it?

My biggest writing challenge is finding my way through the middle of my stories. It really is like driving at night, and you can only see as far as your headlights will shine. I get through it with lots of prayer and lots of forcing myself to sit and work when I’d rather be doing anything else (laundry, dusting, toilets, ANYTHING).

Shannon: Okay, maybe we are twins. The middle befuddles me too. But not enough to make me want to clean or do laundry.

• If you weren’t a writer, what would you want to be?

I enjoy design—actually started college as a commercial art major—so that’s what I’d do. Maybe even designing book covers to combine my interests.

• Where is the coziest spot in your home?

My spot on the sofa/recliner. That’s actually where I work.

• What is your favorite time of the day?

The evening, after dinner, when all the day’s work is done and the family is just hanging out.

• In what ways do you think your writing journey has benefited your family? How does your writing affect your family?

Great question! Besides the obvious financial benefits, my career has made me a happier more well-rounded individual. It has forced me out of my comfort zone in a lot of ways. One of the best things about writing, though, is that it has allowed me to stay home with our kids.

• If you could pick a theme song to play every time you entered a room, what would it be?

LOL! “Move” by Mercy Me. Sometimes I need extra motivation.

Shannon: Mercy Me is my favorite group.

• What is your most laughable dating story?

When I started dating Kevin (my husband) I turned into an instant klutz. I spilled, I dropped, I tripped. Only around him, mind you. I still do that.

• Which amusement park ride is your favorite and why?

Definitely roller coasters. But due to an old neck injury, I can’t ride them anymore. So I just live vicariously through my boys, who love them as much as I do.

Shannon: I grew up 5 miles from Six Flags over Georgia and never met a roller coaster I didn’t love.

•  What do you think is the greatest invention of all time?

The internet. Research is SO much easier than it used to be. And communication! It has its negatives too, I know, but it’s so easy to keep in touch with family and friends now.

• Would you rather live a week in the past or a week in the future??

Interesting question! A week in the future. I prefer the unknown.

• How do you balance writing, exercise, home, etc.?

Not very well! The home and writing I’ve got down pretty well. The exercise, not so much. A couple months ago we even moved the treadmill into the living room so it would stand over our shoulders making us feel guilty. I’ve used it once since then. I do much better when it’s warm out though. I like to walk outside.

• Would you rather meet your great grandchildren or great grandparents?

Great grandchildren, just to be certain I’ll get to, and because I DID meet my great grandparents.

• Who is your biggest cheerleader?

My pal Colleen Coble. She’s everybody’s biggest cheerleader!

• What actor/actress would you want to play Shay Brandenberger from The Accidental Bride?

Mandy Moore.

• What is the best book you’ve read recently, and why did you like it?

“Redeeming Love” by Francine Rivers—although it wasn’t my first time reading it. The message of love and redemption is amazing.

• What or who makes you giggle and why?

Bffs Colleen Coble, Diann Hunt, and Kristin Billerbeck. Because we know one another so well. Also my church small group, for the same reason.

• What is your favorite season and why?

Spring and fall. Because we only get about two seconds of each in Indiana!

Shannon: My favorite seasons too. I hate being hot or cold, so I love the in between.

• The biggest challenge in writing this book?

The middle—always!

Shannon: Ditto!

• What do the Post-Its around your computer/screen/ bulletin board say?

They’re my lists of what I need to buy, who I need to call, and what I need to get done.

•  What is your favorite research or reference book or tool??

“Writing the Breakout Novel” by Donald Maass.

•  What is the most unusual costume you ever wore at a Halloween party?

I was Gilligan one year. It seriously disturbed my husband.

• If you could have free unlimited service for one year from a cook, chauffer, personal secretary, housekeeper, or masseuse, which would you choose and why??

Oooh, I want one of each! Probably the cook. I love to bake—cooking, not so much.

•  Which character in your books is the most like you? How?

Definitely Reese in “Smitten”. I wrote that one with my 3 friends Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, and Diann Hunt. In order to keep our characters consistent throughout, we gave each of our protagonists a healthy dose of ourselves. 

Shannon: Thanks for agreeing to the interview, Denise. I so thoroughly enjoyed it.

My take on Denise’s books: I hated for each book to end, but each gave me that satisfying ahh moment. I love the characters, fell in love with each hero, and marveled at each great, complicated story premise.

The Convenient Groom: She wrote the book–literally–on finding the right mate. But does she really understand what love’s about? Five hours before her Nantucket beach wedding–and on the eve of her big book launch–celebrity marriage counselor Kate Lawrence has everything in place.

A Cowboy’s Touch: Abigail is just in Moose Creek, Montana for the summer to temporarily care for her great aunt. But a tender-hearted cowboy beckons her to stay.

I love the characters and ached for them. I truly couldn’t see how this story could end happily-ever-after. So many complications.

The Accidental Bride: Shay Brandenberger is raising her daughter in Moose Creek, Montana, on her childhood ranch, nestled against the Yellowstone River. Despite the hard work, she can’t seem to keep her head above water—and now the bank is threatening to foreclose. She prays for a miracle, but the answer she receives is anything but expected.

Having agreed to play the bride in the Founders’ Day wedding reenactment, Shay is mortified to be greeted at the end of the aisle by none other than Travis McCoy, her high-school sweetheart—the man who left her high and dry for fame and fortune on the Texas rodeo circuit.

Then the unthinkable happens. Thanks to a well-meaning busybody and an absentminded preacher, the make-believe vows result in a legal marriage. But before Shay can say annulment, Travis comes up with a crazy proposal. If she refuses his offer, she may lose her home. If she accepts, she may lose her heart.

Shay isn’t sure if the recent events are God’s will or just a preacher’s blunder. Will trusting her heart to the man who once shattered it be the worst mistake of her life? Or could their marriage be the best accident that ever happened?

I loved the hero, Travis. So tough, yet gentle. I loved Shay’s temper, yet Travis knew just how to settle her down.

Driftwood Lane: Meridith believes she is capable of weathering any storm. But she’s never experienced a love powerful enough to uproot her…until now.

Besides the romance and the complicated premise, I loved the one upmanship basketball scenes between the hero and his best friend. And I was reminded that all I really need is a solid foundation through Christ. Everything else is just a bonus.

Smitten: Welcome to Smitten, Vermont. With the help of four friends, it’s about to become the most romantic town in America.

About Denise:  Denise lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she’s been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too! Learn more at www.denisehunterbooks.com. 

Posted on January 3, 2012 - by Shannon Vannatter

Profound Advice Times Two

When I started writing, I just did it. I wrote 6 books without ever attending a writer’s meeting or conference. I’d hear about such things, but think why spend time learning to write when I can just do it? 

But it doesn’t work that way. Writers have to learn to write. They have to learn to put what they see or hear in their heads on the paper where the reader can see and hear it too. After I’d been writing for a year or so, I met a fellow writer in the office where I worked, Peggy Stirling. The first thing she asked was if I’d joined a writer’s group. 

Peggy wasn’t published, but had won some writing awards, and was related to Catherine Palmer. How cool is that? Peggy even sent my first chapter of my first badly written book to Catherine to see what she thought of it. That makes me shiver now. I really hope Catherine didn’t read it. She sent me a nice letter saying that she’d long ago had to set up a policy of not critiquing other writers simply because she didn’t have time. Last month, I signed with Spencerhill Associates, the same literary agency that represents Catherine Palmer. How cool is that?

Anyway, it took another year or so for me to actually follow Peggy’s advice. By then, I’d had a very badly written book Print on Demand published. My sales were dismal since the book was overpriced and not in stores. I finally took Peggy’s advice. In fact, she went with me to my first writer’s meeting and conference. 

I’ve lost touch with Peggy and I have no idea if she knows I got published or not. I did name my hero in my first contracted book (White Roses) after her, Grayson Sterling–a perfect name for a pastor. If not for Peggy, I might still be cranking out badly written, very telling stories—instead of taking my reader along for the ride and showing how the story plays out. 

My second profound piece of advice took place years later. I’ve talked about Kaye Dacus and writing my second contracted book (White Doves) before. Once my editor asked if White Roses could be a series, I threw together two one page synopses using Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method. With a few changes and tweaks, I had a verbal promise of a three book series. But then I had to expand the synopses into chapter by chapters before the other two contracts could be signed. 

I’m a pantser. When I begin a new book, I know the main characters, the beginning, a couple of big issues or problems, the black moment (but not necessarily how to resolve it) and the end. That’s all. I have no idea what will happen in chapter two, eight, or thirteen. 

Writing that first chapter by chapter for White Doves was TORTURE. I used the Snowflake Method and eked out every possible thing that could happen with these characters. I expanded a word at a time, a paragraph at a time until finally I had three pages of exactly what would happen in the book I hadn’t written yet. 

It was enough and I signed the contract for book two of my series. I then had eight months to write the book. But I already knew what was going to happen in every chapter, what had to happen in every chapter. With no room for creativity or pantsing. And I had a deadline to get it finished.

I couldn’t do it. For the first time, I realized writer’s block was real—not a myth. I tried going for walks, taking bubblebaths, mowing the yard—all things that free my mind and usually get my creativity and ideas flowing. But I couldn’t be creative with the book. I’d already told my editor exactly what would happen. 

I attended my monthly writer’s meeting excited when I heard we’d managed to land Kaye Dacus in Little Rock. I think Kaye taught on editing. We’re talking 2009 and I’ve slept a few times since then. What I do remember—I knew Kaye wrote for Barbour which meant she had to write chapter by chapters pre-book. 

After her workshop, I asked if she was a pantser or plotter. She said she used to be a pantser, but since she’d learned to write chapter by chapters, she’s part pantser and part plotter. I told her my dilemma. She said she writes her chapter by chapter, then puts it away and writes something else, or reads a book, anything but think about the book she has to write. Once it’s totally off her mind, she writes the book. Then if she gets stuck, she looks at the chapter by chapter to jog her memory. 

I followed Kaye’s advice and it worked. Before long, the words were flowing from my fingertips. Since then, I’ve made a point to write my chapter by chapters several months in advance of when I need to turn them in. By the time, the contract is signed, the chapter by chapter is out of my head and I just start writing.

Six chapter by chapters later, my words are still flowing for the most part. Some books have been harder to write than others, but I’ve met all of my deadlines so far. So, if not for Kaye, I might still be stuck with the motherlode of writer’s block and only have one book published.

BTW: The picture is actually the cover of a book. Years ago, when all I had to prove I was a writer was over two-hundred rejection letters, my husband believed in me enough to buy me this nifty little book. The book is in the shape of a cube and is chock full of pictures and prompts to inspire writers.

We’ve discussed this before, but we probably have new readers since then, so here goes: Writers–are  you a pantser or plotter?

Posted on November 24, 2011 - by Shari Barr

Christmas Reads for the Young and Young at Heart

Happy Thanksgiving!

Soon the aroma of roasting turkey and pumpkin pie will be nothing more than a memory. For many this signals the beginning of the Christmas season. There’s no better time to snuggle beneath an afghan, sip a cup of hot cider, and read a good book. 

The following three children’s books are favorites of mine and aren’t just for kids. They’re a perfect quick read for the season of Advent, guaranteed to get you and yours in the Christmas spirit.

The Candle in the Window by Grace Johnson portrays the true meaning of Christmas in this superbly told tale. Gunther, a lonely German cobbler, finds no joy in the Christmas season—it’s simply a reminder of the wife and son he’s lost. When unexpected visitors show up in his shop on Christmas Eve with a candle for his window, they explain that according to legend, the candle is an invitation for the Christ Child to enter the hearts of men. As Gunther hurriedly makes preparations, he is soon disappointed when he must give the gifts he’s prepared for the Christ Child to others in need. Only after his visitors leave, does Gunther understand the true impact of his actions.

Annika’s Secret Wish by Beverly Lewis is a beautiful story based on Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than receive.” According to Swedish tradition, the child who finds an almond hidden in his rice pudding on Christmas Eve has a chance to make a wish for anything he desires. Annika has yet to find the almond in her bowl, but when she does, she struggles with finally fulfilling her own dream or giving that chance to someone she loves dearly. 

Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon is an inspiring story of peace and hope between enemies in a time of war. The World War I Christmas truce tells the true story of a miracle that took place between British and German troops on a cold December night in France in 1914. Huddled in trenches on either side of a barren ground called No Man’s Land, the British were stunned when the fighting ceased and they heard the German soldiers singing Silent Night in their native tongue. Climbing from their trenches, the British joined in, the two languages blending as one. For several hours, the enemies became friends, sharing small gifts and even playing a game of soccer. Though the fighting resumed the next day, the troops gave us a glimpse of how peace really begins.

What are some of your favorite Christmas books?

Posted on November 8, 2011 - by Shannon Vannatter

A Letter to My Teenage Self from Shannon

Dear Teenage Shannon,

Be yourself. Stop trying to mimic others. They’re not any cooler than you are, so stop feeling bad about yourself. God made you the individual you are. 

Don’t worry so much about what others think of you. Your audience is an audience of one. It only matters what God thinks of you.

You don’t have to dress immodestly to get the boys’ attention. They’ll notice, no matter what you wear. And if it takes immodest clothing to attract him, he’s not the kind of boy you need. (Your parents won’t allow it anyway, thank goodness.)

Stop being embarrassed by your parents. Some day, you’ll be in their shoes and realize how wise they are. And how much they love you. 

Start an exercise program now. That way, it’s second nature and when you’re older, it will already be part of your routine.

Don’t go to cosmetology school. You’ll only waste your parents’ money and get stuck doing your mother’s hair for life. Hairdressing isn’t glamorous. It’s hard, nasty, and exhausting. Stick with your first instinct: computers.

Even better—they’re books. Those stories in your head that you never know what to do with. Don’t wait until you’re thirty-three to figure that out. 

The move to rural Arkansas. Stop fighting it. Embrace your new home. You’ll grow to love it, never, ever want to live anywhere near a city again, and meet the love of your life there.

In fact, you’ve already met him. That new boy that lights your fire–the rumors are true–but be patient, God is working on him.

Pay more attention to young boys. Someday you’ll have one. The things he does and dirt he can find will astound you. 

Always remember. No matter what happens or what life throws at you, you’ve got Jesus to get you through.

Posted on August 30, 2011 - by Shannon Vannatter

Jennifer Rogers Spinola on Life in Brazil, Adoption, Love, & Writing

Shannon here: I sat across from Jennifer Rogers Spinola at the Barbour Author Reception in Indianapolis last year at the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference. The first thing I noticed was how much she enjoyed the food. With each bite, her eyes closed as she savored the tastes exploding on her palate. After striking up a conversation with her, I noticed she’s just as pretty inside as outside. I learned she’s from South Carolina/Virginia, a former missionary who married a Brazilian she met in Japan, and she currently lives in Brazil, where there aren’t as many food choices. I featured her on my real life romance blog in February and she’ll back again in October to celebrate the release of her debut novel, Southern Fried Sushi. I haven’t gotten to read it yet, but my copy is coming as soon as it releases. Jennifer charmed me again with this interview. Some of her lyrical answers made me teary-eyed. She’s promised to pop in from Brazil today, so feel free to ask her questions. Without further ado, prepare to be charmed by Jennifer Rogers Spinola:

Q: What’s it like living in Brazil? What’s a typical day like?

A: Well, for starters, it’s really HOT! We live in Brasilia, which is a raised plateau with elevation of over a thousand feet, so it gets a bit cool in the evenings and sometimes the days, too, during winter—sort of like a desert. But during the days it regularly gets up into the 90s and higher. I’d say 85-90 is probably a good average. In Brasilia the air is extremely dry, so during the dry season (winter) it can go a hundred days without rain. Which means gorgeous blue skies, but also dry, brown grass, withered plants, and lots of blowing red dust. When rainy season begins, it’ll rain almost every day, scattered showers, or sometimes harder downpours.

Brazil is a hard country to capture in a description, but one that gets in your blood and stays there, for better or for worse. When I visited Brazil in the year 2000 as a writer/reporter for the International Mission Board, I immediately fell in love with its beautiful brown-skinned people, the warmth of the air and of the smiles and kisses, the dusty roads and simple family gatherings, and the passion for God and Brazilian soccer. I was so captured by Brazil that I couldn’t wait to come back. And then when I met a handsome young Brazilian exchange student in Japan… well, I did!

Now my image has changed a little after seeing what it’s like to really live here. I mean, the country is the same as it was on my first visit, but digging in over time has opened my eyes to things I didn’t notice back then: crime (lots of crime), poverty (LOTS of poverty), the huge gap between the elite rich and the millions of shockingly poor, the huge amounts of political corruption, and the immense difficulty for a person of even modest well-to-do means to accomplish things that are simple in the U.S., like buying a car (they cost 3-4 times our amounts here), buying a house, or even renting an apartment. I have been insulted and shunned for being an American, had two cell phones and my wallet stolen out of my backpack, taken my life in my hands by getting on buses driven by speed-breaking maniacs, taxis driven by “pirate” (i.e. fake) taxi drivers, and public vans that swerve up onto the sidewalk and around the stoplight fixture to avoid waiting at the light. It has not been easy! But I have never been mugged or “lightning-kidnapped,” as is common here, so I can count my blessings! And our little miracle baby, Ethan, is so much worth it!

A typical day for me is to get up and help my husband and son get ready for the day, all the while enjoying the beautiful Brazilian blue sky and breeze, early morning sunshine. We eat tropical fruits like papaya and pineapple for breakfast often, sometimes with coffee or tea and cereal, and I love this! :) Then I take care of Ethan for the day in our little rented apartment: wash the dishes, make lunch (usually typical Brazilian rice and beans, salad, and a fried egg or some chicken/beef), make dinner, clean the floor from tracked-in dust, do laundry and hang the clothes to dry (dryers aren’t common here), take Ethan out to play, teach him Bible stories and letters, write, teach an ESL class in the evenings, catch up on my blog, clean the floor after potty-training accidents, give him a bath, and so forth. I have no car during the day (my husband has it) so Ethan and I can’t go anywhere (a big frustration of mine), and I don’t even have a driver’s license because the process is so involved to get mine translated, and for five years out of seven we didn’t even have a car yet.

Apartments/houses run only cold water except in the shower, and we drink bottled water. When it runs out we either pick up fresh bottles at the store or have it delivered. Water pressure in the showers is weaker than in the U.S., and electrical outlets have poorer contact, so we have to jiggle things in plugs multiple times or hold the cords a certain way to get them to work. Power outages are fairly common—about once every two weeks or so, recently. I sometimes get tired of re-setting the microwave clock. :)

On weekends we visit my in-laws’ farm on the outer edge of town, which has horses, a crop plantation, pigs, and lots and lots of red dust. Athos’ parents have a house there with hammocks, and we enjoy letting Ethan ride his tricycle in the yard while we talk and enjoy the breeze. One of my favorite perks of Brazilian life: housekeepers. Athos’ mom pays a sweet Christian lady to come and do basic housecleaning/cooking every day, and she “lends” her to me twice a week if she doesn’t have guests or visits. What a blessing! If it weren’t for her coming, I’d get almost no writing done!

Q: What is the biggest writing challenge you’ve encountered this past year – craft, career, writing life, etc? How did you solve it?

A: I think my biggest challenge this past year was simply trying to write in the midst of life: computer viruses, a nearly destroyed laptop that Best Buy was SO incredibly gracious to fix FOR FREE, financial issues here in Brazil, learning how to juggle potty training and two-year-old needs with my wish for unbroken hours of time to concentrate and write. But it’s been wonderful, and God is good!

Q: What is the one thing you’d like to share with other writers?

A: I wish I could let unpublished writers know that just because their books aren’t published doesn’t mean their writing isn’t as good—or better—than many published authors. It’s all a question of God’s timing and everything coming together at the right moment—sort of like a woman waiting an extra-long while (like I did) to get married. And it isn’t about us—it’s about God and His plans for our life. He knows when the right time is, and when it comes, everything will fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

Q: If you weren’t a writer, what would you want to be?

A: Definitely a landscape designer. I love plants and flowers! It was always the second thing on my list after writing, and something (I hope) one day can be a second career. I’ve collected seed and plant catalogs since my childhood, planning the colors and species and layout of gardens I’d like to plant. If not a landscape designer, then I’d choose something like a forest ranger – like my dad – or a park service worker. I love the outdoors!

Q: Where is the coziest spot in your home?

A: I’d have to say our bedroom. It’s small, but gorgeous – lots of paneled cabinets and a roomy bedside table. My favorite part: the plant-filled, glassed-in veranda that runs along the side wall, closed by a sliding glass door and floor-length curtains. When I open the veranda window, air billows out the curtains. Lots of natural light! I love it.

Q: What is your favorite time of the day?

A: MORNING! I love anything in the morning – the earlier, the better. I used to get up at 5:30 a.m. every morning to write, and I miss seeing the sky turn from black to blue to gray to glorious gold. Everything smells so fresh, so clean. The streets are silent. Beautiful! I like to run while the air is still fresh and cool.

Q: In what ways do you think your writing journey has benefited your family? How does your writing affect your family?

A: Well, it affects my family in the sense that I’m not always as “accessible” every single second as I used to be, because sometimes during the day I’m either writing or editing, building up my website or doing a guest post, or critiquing one of my crit partners’ chapters. However, it’s been a tremendous blessing because I’ve been able to STAY home with my son rather than go out and work—all because of this unexpected gift of a three-book contract (and a fourth since that series). Here in Brasilia (which is currently more expensive than New York City) we feel a lot of financial strain, so it’s a big deal that I’m able to stay at home and write—especially since my husband’s parents both work full-time, which means I don’t have access to family babysitting. I don’t know a single other mom who works exclusively from home in Brasilia.

Q: If you could pick a theme song to play every time you entered a room, what would it be?

A: Well, this might be weird, but I really like Handel’s Messiah—the END part, with all the “Amens.” There’s this gorgeous piece right before the end called, “Worthy Is The Lamb,” almost all of which is taken straight from the book of Revelation, and it has all these fabulous crescendos. Put together with the gorgeous “Amen” chorus that comes next, which builds to this momentous climax, it just makes me feel like angels are falling in worship, the heavens are opening, and I’m stepping through the door to heaven. The conductor’s wand poised in mid-air. Goosebumps on my arms. Dirty laundry forgotten in a breathless hush. I guess that’s not a bad feeling for stepping into a room.

Q: What is your most laughable dating story?

A: Well, it’s kind of funny since Athos and I actually weren’t allowed to “date,” per se, when we met. I was a missionary in a program for young people, and one of the rules is that we refrain from dating while we’re on the field. So when I met Athos, I was so confused at what God was doing because while HE was all right, the timing was ALL wrong! Or so I thought. In fact, it turned out to be the most amazing thing ever because, without “dating” and cordoning ourselves off as a couple before we were ready, we got to know each other as friends—without all the pretension and attempts to impress. He helped our mission team often as a volunteer (he was a foreign exchange student at a nearby university) and attended mission church services, so we got to see each other under those circumstances, and occasionally a walk around town or a coffee in Starbucks. We were never, ever alone in either of our apartments, for example—even for five minutes.

So we did everything in reverse: became friends, felt seriously about each other, decided to marry—and then dated. Ha ha! We had our first “date” in the pouring rain at a dinky Tastee-Freez restaurant in my redneck small town after I’d just said “yes” and accepted his ring, and our first kiss was in front of the church on our wedding day.

Q: What woman in your life has had the greatest impact on you?

A: I’d have to say my mom. She passed away when she was 43 (I was nineteen) but I learned so much from her. I knew her life wasn’t perfect, and neither was she, but the one thing I really admire about her is that she loved God so deeply—and she loved my sister and me as well. I remember clearly one conversation we had when I was a child, where she told me she’d always love me no matter what I did. “What if I killed somebody?” I asked her. And her response was so perfect: “I’d be really sad if you did that,” she said. “But I’d still love you anyway.” That boggled my mind and stuck with me forever.

Q: Which TV family is most like your own?

A: I don’t really know because I’m so out of TV these days, especially American TV…   Maybe “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” is sort of like us, since I’m from a relatively quiet Southern family married to a Brazilian with a big, loud, partying, laughing, fighting, hugging, kissing Brazilian family—all thrown together with a gorgeous adopted child of a noticeably different and beautiful color, a first for both of our families.

 Q: Which amusement park ride is your favorite and why?

 A: I like roller coasters, but I love the Ferris wheel the most. I love sitting in that bucket, suspended over people like ants below, the golden rays of summer evening shining out their last bursts over the dusty ground. Higher and higher, up and over, against breathless blue twilight, and then down again. Slow enough that you can hear your thoughts, smell the cotton candy, but fast enough that your stomach jitters just a touch.

Q: What do you think is the greatest invention of all time?

A: Easy – the disposable diaper. I do cloth diaper as well, but oh, how I’d like to shake the person’s hand who invented disposables.

Q: Would you rather live a week in the past or a week in the future?

A: Definitely the past. I’m always so curious about how people lived in the past—what they ate, what they wore, how they experienced hopes and failures and births and deaths with the inventions and realities they knew at the time. I’m grateful that our modern progress in medicine, technology, and education has come so far, but at the same time I think we miss out on some of the beautiful simplicity, clean and unpolluted air, and less harried lifestyles that our ancestors of the past enjoyed.

Q: How do you balance writing, exercise, home, etc.?

A: My family comes first in everything. That’s the only way I can do it. Because if they don’t come first, then I think I’ve missed my purpose as a wife and mom. But they don’t need me 24-7, and there are lots of creative ways I can incorporate other aspects of my life into my family. I write when my son sleeps and when my husband gets home from work and spends time with him, and before my husband and I go to bed. If I’m on tight deadline I’ll get up early. I also take my laptop to my in-laws’ house so that when my brain’s tired of Portuguese, I can work (with other eyes helping me watch Ethan). Exercise – I run every other morning while my husband watches Ethan, and I take Ethan outside twice a day (at least) to play and swing and run. Which, with him being such an energetic kiddo, gives me pleeeenty of exercise.

Q: What’s your favorite family tradition?

A: My dad started ordering cheeses, sausages, and other goodies from a special holiday catalog at Christmas when I was a teenager. My mom didn’t slave all day cooking Christmas dinner—we just nibbled Swiss cheese and crackers, fancy mustards, and put a salad or fruit on the table and spent Christmas relaxing. But when my mom passed away in 1996, nobody felt like having Christmas anymore. My dad, however, still ordered the cheese and sausage, and we sat around the uncomfortably empty table, eating and remembering how much we’d enjoyed those days together. And year after year, as our hearts warmed again to holidays, we’d always order something from the catalog for Christmas.

This tradition has continued, nearly unbroken, for almost fifteen years now since my mom’s death. When I moved to Brazil with my husband, my dad still shipped—at great expense, sometimes totaling nearly a hundred dollars—a heavy box of the same special cheeses, mustards, sausages, and peppermint-chocolate layer cakes we’d enjoyed with my mom. And instead I ate it with my husband and then my beautiful Brazilian son, remembering and creating new memories. My husband loved the idea so much that he said we’ll continue it always—and I’ll never have to cook a Christmas dinner.

Q: Would you rather meet your great grandchildren or great grandparents?

A: Now in this question I might answer differently from the one about the week in the past versus the week in the future. Why? Because I want so much to know how my son’s life will be used for God’s glory. Every single dirty diaper, missed night of sleep, and day of tears and frustration will be worth to know that Ethan will have spent his life following the Lord, changed the world through Christ, and either been a single man who honored God with his life or raised a godly family that will continue spreading the message of grace and salvation. All of this, and I will die a happy woman.

Q: What role have your friends played in your success as a writer?

A: I am absolutely indebted to several people: Roger and Kathleen Bruner, who first encouraged my “Sushi” manuscript, edited it, and showed it to Barbour; my police-officer cousin, Lessa, who’s been my writing partner and endless idea machine ever since our first crazy childhood days together; and my four amazing crit partners who make my jaw drop with their talent and editoral suggestions. They are ALL incredible. I would never, EVER be where I am today without them.

Q: Who is your biggest cheerleader?

A: My husband first, who gives me time to work because he believes in what I’m doing (and tells me so). Even Ethan, who tries hard to be patient while I’m working, and often prays for “Mama’s books” at breakfast. And then definitely the friends I’ve listed above. I couldn’t do it without any of them.

Q: If you could ask God one question, what would it be?

A: I think my question would be, “Why me?” And I don’t mean, “A tree fell in the parking lot and smashed my car. Why me?” Although I do feel that way quite often. What I mean is, “Why would You choose me, Lord?” Why would He leave His home in glory and die for me, a sinner, who the Bible says “was His enemy”? There are so many people in the world who have never heard of God’s grace and forgiveness—who not only die without Him, but live their lives without the compassion, peace, strength, and joy He gives for daily living. Why was I allowed to grow up in Sunday school, reading His Word? Why did I get to meet Him early in life and change my sinful, self-centered life accordingly? Why eternal life instead of hell? Why me?

Q: If you could make up a holiday, what would it be and how would you celebrate it?

A:  I think I’d create a holiday called “Really Cool Single People’s Day.” I know so many awesome singles who want to be moms and dads, and would make great ones, but they never get to celebrate Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. And while all the other couples are making out over chocolate and fondue for Valentine’s Day, or kissing under the mistletoe at Christmas, these people are patiently and reverently waiting for God’s timing. So I’d give them the works: chocolate (lots of chocolate!), fireworks, a day off, flowers, a parade, an amazing dinner.

Q: What is the best book you’ve read recently, and why did you like it?

A: I really love “Just Do Something.” It’s a quirky little fast-reading book about the will of God. The main message of the book is that we don’t have to agonize over finding (or missing, more specifically) the will of God and His plan for our life. Instead of wringing our hands and paralyzing ourselves over which direction to take or which decision to make, the author says, in essence, “Just do something!” It was a refreshing, liberating book for me after so many years of doing exactly that – agonizing, wrestling, worrying. The very things we’re called NOT to do.

Q: What or who makes you giggle and why?

A: Two things come to mind: Ethan’s funny comments, and my cousin Lessa’s hilarious sense of humor. Cases in point: A few days ago Ethan picked up a shelled walnut half, and gasped in joy. “A pterodactyl!” he said, enraptured. This was right around the time he said, “Bye, poop! I love you!” while flushing, asked for ketchup on his apple, and called a buffalo a “dinosaur.”

As for Lessa, one of her most recent posts on my Facebook page said this (quoting): “Saw some roadkill. Thought of you. It was a skunk.” For somebody to think of me while seeing roadkill, it has to be good.

Q: What is your favorite season and why?

A: I used to always say spring and summer growing up, but since moving to Brazil I say fall. Why? Because I live in eternal summer, and I miss the change in seasons. I miss the hint of longing and sorrow that comes with the falling leaves, the bittersweet glory in bright fall colors, the apples and pumpkins, the chill, the frost, the glow. I miss it all.

Q: If you made a list of ten things you’d like to do yet with your life, what would be on it?

A: Oh, my… plant a garden, write more books, lead more people to Christ, have/adopt more children, buy a house, become a part-time landscape designer, learn to play the violin better…

Q: Besides writing, what are you passionate about?

A: Easy—adoption. Adopting Ethan has changed our lives forever. Actually I’ve wanted to adopt since I was a child, and my husband decided he’d like to adopt when he was a college student and went on a mission trip to Cambodia, where they worked with an orphanage. We talked about adopting when we talked about marriage—as well as having birth children. In our case Ethan came before our birth children, and since I’m past 35 now, I’m starting to wonder if he might be our only child…? Unless we’re able to adopt again in the future?

My reasons for wanting to adopt have nothing whatsoever to do with infertility, though. To me it’s simple: James says that caring for the widow and orphan is “pure religion” – and yet so few ever do it! As Christians we should fiercely guard the sanctity of life and oppose abortion, yet not many people seem to think about what happens next. Sure, those unborn children should be given life… but then what? I say they’re our responsibility—we who have argued (and rightly so) for their lives. We should give of our time, our families, our very lives to see that those precious souls, created in the image of God, might find love, hope, a chance at new life with a God-fearing family.

I wish so many more Christian families would adopt!

Q: The biggest challenge in writing this book?

A: Whew… there were a lot! I had a computer virus that set me back a while, and then I spilled water (seriously) on my brand-new laptop. It’s a sheer miracle of God that Best Buy was able to repair it since it was still under warranty, and my friend Vanessa offered to take it back to the U.S. during her summer vacation. In the meantime I used a borrowed laptop from my sweet brother-in-law, Kyle, but it was an older one that doesn’t run quite as smoothly as mine, so it took extra time to work with (as well as understand the Portuguese operating system). I was so grateful to have anything at all to use while I waited for mine to be fixed… and unspeakably glad to have mine back!

Q: What do the Post-Its around your computer/screen/ bulletin board say?

A: Grocery lists, the water delivery number (drinking water must be bottled), notes on Japanese fans and colors for the third book in my series, and editing notes as I work on finalizing that manuscript in (eek) just two weeks!

Q: What is your favorite research or reference book or tool?

A: The net! I’m an addict! I use it for everything—online dictionaries and good thesauruses, the Bible online, Bible commentaries, Google for Japanese culture questions, cowboy boot brands, types of pasture fencing, and so forth. I look up everything!

Q: When you were a child, what did you dream of growing up to be?

A: A writer! Really! I’ve wanted to write since I was about 4 or 5 years old, making little books out of paper and stapling them together (with illustrations). I’ve written my whole life—just gobs and gobs of stuff. Notebooks stuffed with novels and poems. Stories. So publishing this series with Barbour is a dream come true!

Q: If you were given $10,000 to give away, how would you spend it?

A: If using it to adopt an international child counts, I’d do that. If not, I’d break it up into little parcels here and there and surprise people anonymously: medical treatments for one friend, a trip home for another with her family, a new car for someone else.

Q: What is the most unusual costume you ever wore at a Halloween party?

A: I never did Halloween much. I vaguely remember dressing as a ghost when I was five or six years old, and then neighbor kids started throwing eggs at tricker-treaters, so we decided not to trick or treat after that.

Q: If you could have free unlimited service for one year from a cook, chauffer, personal secretary, housekeeper, or masseuse, which would you choose and why?

A: MASSEUSE!!! Why? Because every single thing on the list besides “masseuse” I can do myself! I can cook and drive myself, and so forth. And while it would be a great benefit to have a housekeeper, for example, I can do it. However, I physically can’t massage my own back, and I get very stiff shoulders. Ahhh… just thinking about a masseuse is making me sleepy…

Q: Which character in your books is the most like you? How?

A: Actually none of them, so much. The main character in the series is Shiloh, a fashionable journalist go-getter stuck in Redneckville. She’s got a biting wit, a touch of snobbiness, and sort of tough outer shell. I’m like her in the journalist sense (I used to be one) but my personality is much less acerbic. And I’m not nearly as fashionable. I liked Adam’s character a lot because, with him being a landscaper, I got to live out my second dream by writing about his work.

 Q: What jobs have you had in your life? Which did you like most? Least?

 A: Oh, soooo many… waitress and bookseller (like Shiloh in the series), shelver of government documents, secretarial/typing work, assistant copyeditor in a major TV and satellite guide, missionary, tutor, ESL teacher, middle school and high school teacher, coffee server, barista, restaurant hostess, hotel front desk clerk, computer lab monitor, journalist/staff writer, and… I’m sure I’ve forgotten some.

My favorites: The staff writer for the International Mission Board, the Southern Baptist mission-sending agency. I absolutely LOVED this job. Writing has always been my thing, but writing about mission work around the world—something supremely positive and exciting and international—was just amazing. I enjoyed being a missionary, too, but it was really difficult because you “are” your work—you’re never off-duty, and you have to start all over from scratch with languages and everything, as if you know nothing. A surprising like: waitressing. I worked for a little place where everyone was friends and absolutely loved it. And the front-desk clerk position at the hotel was really neat, too.

My least favorites: I worked for a year at an American-based school here in Brazil, and I was so exhausted I’d often skip dinner and sleep at 7 p.m.—and still not get all my grading, correcting, test-prep, class-prep, and lesson planning done. I liked the actual teaching, but not the strenuous pace. Teaching at an English school in Brazil was only slightly less stressful because they kept Brazil work laws regarding breaks and other requirements for teachers.

About Jenny: Jennifer Rogers Spinola, Virginia/South Carolina native and graduate of Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina, now lives in the capital city of Brasilia, Brazil, with her husband, Athos, and their son, Ethan. Jennifer and Athos met while she was serving as a missionary in Sapporo, Japan. When she’s not writing, Jennifer teaches English to ESL students in Brasilia. Find out more about Jenny at www.jenniferrogersspinola.com.

About Southern Fried Sushi: Ride the rollercoaster of Shiloh Jacobs’s life as her dreams derail, sending her on a downward spiral from the heights of an AP job in Tokyo to penniless in rural Virginia. Trapped in a world so foreign to her sensibilities and surrounded by a quirky group of friends, will she break through her hardened prejudices before she loses those who want to help her? Can she find the key to what changed her estranged mother’s life so powerfully before her death that she became a different woman—and can it help Shiloh too?

Giveaway: For those of you who stop by to chat, you’ll have an opportunity to win books by a couple of our guests: Deep Cover by Sandra Orchard, Love Remains by Kaye Dacus, and The Colonel’s Lady by Laura Frantz. PLUS, we’re throwing in two additional books from the Love Inspired line: Marrying Miss Marshall by Lacy Williams and Hearts in Flight by Patty Smith Hall.

Now, there are a few small rules you need to follow if you want a chance to win the books, but no worries, they’re not too difficult:

Contest Rules:

Comment on our “Company’s Coming” topic dated August 29, 2011 through September 9, 2011. Every time you comment, your name will go into a drawing for the books. Contest closes Saturday, September 10, 2011 at midnight. The winner will be posted on Sunday, September 11, 2011. Winner must provide a mailing address in an email to Brenda AT brendaandersonbooks DOT com. Do not post your address anywhere on this blog.

Posted on July 17, 2011 - by Brenda Anderson

Perfect Picnic Book Bundle Winner!

Now that you have all the recipes you need for that perfect picnic, plus enough reading ideas to last you through next summer, it’s time for the moment you’ve waiting for:

The announcement of our Book Bundle Winner!

And the lucky commenter is …

MARIANNE!

 

Congratulations, Marianne!

To claim your prize, e-mail your full name and mailing address to Brenda AT Brenda Anderson Books DOT com.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by Inkspirational Messages these past two weeks and shared your thoughts on the Perfect Picnic. We truly appreciate your support. We hope you’ll keep visiting us these next two weeks as we offer devotionals on Lifting Your Spirit. We’d love to hear from you again.

Have a blessed week!

Posted on July 5, 2011 - by Shannon Vannatter

Atypical Reading List

My summer reads consist of:

1. Page proofs.

And not even official page proofs. Unofficial page proofs and looking for darling words to cut from my beloved Rodeo Dust, book 1 in my Texas Rodeo series releasing in October with Heartsong Presents. Though I turned the book in just under the word count and kept the count under through two edits, it wouldn’t fit into 176 pages that all Heartsongs must be. This happened with White Roses also. With WR, I had short chapters, so I combined chapters making fewer page breaks and only cut a few words. With RD, I’d already learned to make my chapters longer, so it wasn’t an option. I ended up going line by line. If a chapter only went over a few lines onto the next page, I cut mere words to get rid of lines. The book will now fit onto 176 pages with only a word cut or changed here and there.

2. 1st draft of Rodeo Hero.

This is the 2nd book in my Texas Rodeo series. I write in layers. My first draft is mainly dialogue, character thought, and emotion. As I read the first draft, I look for places to add in setting and character movement. I plan on keeping it well under the word limit, so I don’t have to ax words later. It’s due August 1st and the deadline for book 3, Rodeo Ashes is due Nov. 1. Now you know why have an atypical reading list.

3. Writer’s Market

I’m currently shopping for an agent. I’m tired of treading the waters of publication alone.

4. Let’s Name the Baby

It’s not what you’re thinking. I use it to name characters.

5. The Bible

It keeps me sane.

I keep hoping one of these days, when we do our What We’re Reading posts, I’ll be at a spot in my writing and life where I actually have time to read my toppling to be read pile.

Posted on April 28, 2011 - by Shari Barr

Natural Health—Hokey or Holy?

Natural health was a new phenomenon to me until about a year and a half ago. Oh, I’d heard of it, but I thought it was—you know—kind of hokey. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would rather use herbs and drink funny teas instead of taking over-the-counter or prescription drugs for common ailments.

Then one day while listening to a radio interview with former Big Pharma chemist Shane Ellison, I became intrigued with his book Over-the-Counter Natural Cures. This interview, along with the subsequent purchase of the book, led me to read voraciously in a genre I had never considered before. Ellison, also known as The People’s Chemist, quit his job as a pharmaceutical chemist when he realized the drugs he helped design were nothing but toxins. He not only tells his story of what really goes on inside pharmaceutical labs, but he gives expert advice on how to treat many of the diseases that are epidemic in our country today. According to Ellison, common conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and even cancer can be treated or prevented with nutrients found on grocery store shelves. I read his page-turning book faster than I’ve read any book, fiction included. 

Another book in my natural health library is Knockout: Interviews with Doctors who are Curing Cancer and How to Prevent Getting it in the First Place by Suzanne Somers. Somers is no ditzy blonde as she interviews doctors who are treating cancer patients with unconventional methods, including alternative, holistic, and nutritional therapies. The doctors she interviewed build the patient’s body up rather than tear it down with toxic chemicals. As a cancer survivor herself, she courageously steps forward to question traditional cancer treatments.

Alternative Cures by Bill Gottlieb is a valuable reference book that lists thousands of common ailments and their natural home remedies. Did you know omega-3 fish oil can lower blood pressure naturally and also help keep your cholesterol ratio balanced? 

At first I was skeptical if natural remedies could actually work, so I decided to find out for myself. For years I had suspected I had a low thyroid, but blood tests showed otherwise. After switching to a naturopathic doctor, a simple non-invasive test showed my suspicions were correct. She treated me with a natural remedy and my thyroid is functioning properly after only a few months of treatment with absolutely no side effects.

The theory behind natural health is to treat the cause and not the symptom. That makes perfect sense to me. The more natural remedies I try, the more I’m convinced it’s not hokey at all. A fungal infection on a family member’s leg has almost completely disappeared after applying tea tree oil daily. This inexpensive natural oil saved us the cost of a doctor’s visit as well as a prescription drug loaded with toxins. 

After researching, I’ve learned that many diseases are caused by man-made toxins in the body. I find it hard to believe that treating these conditions with more toxins improves our health. The scripture from Philippians 4:19 which reads, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus,” takes on a whole new meaning for me now.  Is God promising cures for illnesses with herbs and plants that He has already provided for us on earth? I tend to think so.

What’s your feeling on natural health? Have you tried any home remedies? Do you think it’s hokey or holy, or somewhere in between?