Posts Tagged ‘Fiction’

Posted on April 16, 2013 - by Stacy Monson

The Joy of New

I’m all for new things – like warm weather and sunshine (we don’t have either yet here in Minnesota). So along those lines, I’m looking forward to reading books by authors I’m unfamiliar with. There’s always that little excitement when I read something from an author I don’t know – perhaps this person will become one of my go-to authors in the future. We’ll see!

Marrying Kate by Kimberly Rae Jordan (March 3, 2013 release)
She has loved him for years, so when Jared asks her to marry him for the sake of the orphaned children of his brother and her sister, Kate says yes. The foundation of their marriage is a mutual love for their nieces and nephew, but Kate hopes for more. As they learn about God’s ideal for marriage and how it works for them, danger from Jared’s past threatens their family. Will they have the chance to see if respect and affection can blossom into love before it’s too late? Or will a man’s need to protect his secrets rob them of the marriage Kate dreams of?

Sounds like a sweet story – and I’m a sucker for stories with kids.

Then there’s Beth Wiseman. Yes, all of you have probably read at least one of her many books – but not me! So I’m really excited to see why she’s so popular. Her newest release is The House That Love Built. (April 2, 2013 release)

Posted on March 12, 2013 - by Shannon Vannatter

Angry Birds and Writer’s Block

I once thought writer’s block was a myth. Until it held me in it’s cold grip. Desperate, I asked for advice from other writers. And got lots of advice. Eventually, I came up with my own cures.

• Go for a walk by myself.

Most of the time, I walk with my son or my mom. But walking by myself clears my brain. Alone with my thoughts, the ideas start to flow.

• Take a shower.

Just me and the warm water and my undistracted brain. Bubble baths are good too, but the shower blots out the noise of my family, the TV, the neighbors.

• Work on a different book.

This is my surefire cure. As soon as I try to concentrate on another book and other characters, I get all kinds of creativity going for the book that was blocked until I can’t wait to get back to it.

• Go on a research trip.

I love research trips. There’s nothing like walking in your characters’ shoes. Trips are expensive, but they are tax deductible.

• Playing Angry Birds.

I saved the best for last. I’ve never been much of a gamer. Electronic games usually frustrate me. But when my son introduced me to Angry Birds, I fell in love. For some reason, knocking all those boxes, piles of snow, glass, and wood piles down–freeing those caged birds, popping those oinking piggies, and knocking those laughing monkeys off their tail ends relieves my stress. And stress can be the biggest block a writer must hurdle.

So my new way of relaxing at the end of the day is Angry Birds. The black bomb birds are my favorite. They cause so much destruction and get all my inner aggression out. My husband and son even got me an Angry Bird necklace for Christmas. I wear it proudly.

Posted on February 19, 2013 - by Stacy Monson

Heroes in mismatched socks

I am not the typical standard romance reader. Much like Dawn described in her post a few days ago, I’m not drawn to typical stories with typical heroes.

For most women, the point of reading a standard romance is to live vicariously through the heroine to win that perfect man. In most of these stories, the hero is self-confident, uber successful, swooned over by many, distrustful of women until the heroine comes along, wears only stylish clothes, can do anything he sets his mind to (fly planes, run large companies, ski only diamond runs in the Alps, cook seven-course meals), and basically never fails. Not only do I not know anyone like that, I find myself rolling my eyes as I read about them.

I do enjoy reading romance stories but I read them to make the journey with characters I come to love, rooting for them when they mess up, cheering when they succeed, and sighing in delight when they finally fall in love. I like unconventional heroes – real guys who are doing the best they can with what life hands them. Even if it means they face the day unable to find socks that match.

And like their socks, these guys can be difficult to find. But that’s okay – it just means I have to work harderto find my kind of hero. And usually I love the book because of the hero.

One such unconventional hero is Ragnar from Michelle Griep’s book, Undercurrent. There are two heroes in this story. The first one we meet is Alarek (the epitome of tall, dark and handsome, and funny to boot). But it’s his cousin, Ragnar, who captured my heart. This tale of a modern-day woman stuck in the Viking era is interesting, funny, and poignant. Ragnar, the wounded, reluctant hero is a Christian amidst his Viking contemporaries which sets him apart from the beginning. The fact that he was brutally disfigured by his own father sets him apart in another way.

He struggles on so many fronts – trying to protect and clear his cousin, Alarek, from murder charges; protecting the strange, foreign heroine with whom he falls in love; protecting his countrymen from the evil that threatens to overtake them all. Yet his stoic demeanor, steadfast faith and unwavering loyalty make him a true hero.

Another of my favorites, in a very unconventional way, is Pastor Alex Armstrong in Judy Baer’s Forever Hilltop series. He’s a single guy, ditched by the love of his life. A city guy trying to figure out how to pastor in a farming community. He’s cuter than he realizes, funny enough to make me laugh out loud, and sweet enough that he manages to win over the congregations of both churches by the end of the series. You can’t NOT fall in love with this unassuming, sometimes bumbling guy who loves deeply, goes out of his way for others, and is determined to let his faith lead – even when it’s to an unexpected place like Grassy Valley, North Dakota.

Do any of your heroes wear mismatched socks?

 

Posted on February 12, 2013 - by Shannon Vannatter

Swooning over. . .

Dylan Taylor. Just his name almost makes me swoon. It’s not his picture on the cover, though that’s pretty yummy too, but the way Denise Hunter wrote him that makes me palpitate.

I started reading The Trouble with Cowboys not liking Dylan. I’d gotten a glimpse of him in Book 2 in Denise’s A Big Sky Romance series. I thought Dylan was a ladies’ man, a player, a playboy running from commitment. And Annie, the heroine did too. But we were both wrong. Dylan’s not like that at all.

In scene one, he chipped away at my resolve by worrying about his horse. In his second scene, he showed he loves kids. And before I knew it, I was in love. This handsome cowboy was deeply wounded using his carefree facade to hide behind. Months after reading the book, I can still hear his slow drawl, see his swagger, feel the beckoning of his dimple.

Here’s the blurb: Only one pair of boots—and the cowboy wearing them—can get Annie out of the mess she’s in.

Annie Wilkerson is Moose Creek’s premiere horse trainer and equine columnist for Montana Living. Money is tight as she tries to put her kid-sister through college and provide for her young nephew. When Annie’s column is cancelled, she’s given first shot at a new lovelorn column—and she can’t afford to turn it down. Only problem is . . . Annie’s never been in love.

Always resourceful, she reluctantly strikes a deal with the town’s smooth-talking ladies’ man Dylan Taylor: She’ll work with his ailing horse, Braveheart, if he’ll help her answer the reader letters.

Working closely with Dylan is harder than Annie imagined, and she quickly realizes she may have misjudged him. But her unwavering conviction that cowboys are nothing but trouble has kept her heart safe for years. And she can’t risk getting hurt now.

The more Annie tries to control things, the more they fall apart. Her feelings are spinning out of control, and her sister’s antics are making life increasingly more difficult. Annie knows she needs to turn the reins over to God, but surrender has never come easily.

Usually when I read a series, I can pick a favorite book and sometimes there’s even one book I’m disappointed in. Not so with this series. Since The Trouble with Cowboys is Book 3 in the series, readers should begin with Book 1 – A Cowboy’s Touch, then Book 2 – The Accidental Bride . Just see if you can keep from falling in love with Wade, Travis, and Dylan. Come on, I dare you.

Posted on January 29, 2013 - by Shannon Vannatter

Timeline vs. Passage of Time

I’d read about, heard about, and learned about timeline for years. So, when it came to my first book getting published, I’d already done my timeline. This book was based around Valentine’s Day. It started on Valentine’s Day and ended on Easter. The timeline was very definite. Or so I thought.

Imagine my shock when I got my very first content edit and the editor said I needed to show passage of time. I’d done okay from Feb. to April., but then I didn’t show any passage of time and the next month I mentioned was Sept. which made the editor go, “Whoa.”

You don’t want your editor to go, “Whoa” or your reader for that matter. So here’s my timeline recipe.

Remember I’m a pantser, so I write the book with no definite timeline in mind. I basically just pick a month to start the book in. If it’s a continuing series, the last book often sets the timeline. As I go along, if I realize I need to get a certain event in a certain month, I change the timeline accordingly.

After I finish the book and start editing, I staple several sheets of paper together. I scan through the book and write it down scene by scene. Not everything in the scene, just the pivotal stuff such as: hero and heroine meet at wedding.

Once I get all my scenes written down, I grab my trusty calendar and figure out a day by day pattern for each scene. I mark days and dates for each scene. Again if I realize I have a scene set at Christmas and my time line isn’t going to get me to Christmas, I change timing. Instead of something happening day by day, I’ll change it to week by week or even month by month.  By the time I get done, my sheets have marked out dates and scribbles all over them.

Once I get my timeline worked out, then I go back in the manuscript and put the timing in each scene.

Here’s some tips on how to show passage of time:

Don’t:

• The next day, Caitlyn went to work.

• A week later, Mitch checked his computer.

• On September 27th, Caitlyn went to work.

Some of these might work in a pinch, but not for every scene and they’re boring. Try to mix it up.

Do:

• Caitlyn drained her coffee, hoping it might perk her up. She’d barely slept last night after the argument with Mitch.

• Mitch checked his computer. Had it really been a week since he’d seen Caitlyn?

• Late September gold, yellow, and red leaves rustled in the trees outside Caitlyn’s store window.

Aren’t these more interesting?

My recipe will work for plotters too. Just work the timeline in when you’re doing your outline or whatever it is you weirdoes do

The only problem I’ve run into was with the last book I turned in to my new publisher. My new editor asked for info for my cover about a month and a half before my deadline. I hadn’t quite finished the book and hadn’t pinned down the timeline. I had to stop and do that because they wanted descriptions of scenes including the season. With the book I’m currently writing, I’m trying to get my timeline a little more set as I write.

How do you handle timeline and passage of time?

Posted on January 15, 2013 - by Shannon Vannatter

The Story of My Heart

Every writer has the story of their heart. The one that pulls and tugs at them until they write it, even if it’s something unsellable or hopelessly out of vogue. From the time I was fifteen, I had this story in my head. It played over and over. I’d change it as I went along, add new complications, try different endings. Sometimes late at night, I’d even act it out in my bedroom. I didn’t tell anyone about it. They’d think I was weird.

I watched a lot of detective shows then, mostly Baretta, Starsky & Hutch, and Vegas. My story was a girl in jeopardy and the detective who moved mountains to keep her safe. Of course, along the way, they fell in love. I thought it was a movie, but I wasn’t going to Hollywood. So what to do with it, other than play it over and over in my head, act it out, and tweak scenes?

After I met the guy of my dreams and had my own romance going on, I left the story in my head deep in the recesses of my brain. Until my new husband worked nights and I worked days which left me a lot of thinking and TV time. A short-lived detective series, Wolf, starring the yummy Jack Scalia got me thinking about that story again. But I still had no idea what to do with it.

About ten years later, when searching the library for a clean romance and not finding any, I finally realized–Hey, that story in my head could be a book. But I didn’t have a computer. And I wasn’t a very fast or accurate typist. I set the story aside again, but promised myself if I ever got a computer, I’d write it.

Three years later, my father-in-law got a new computer and gave me his old one. As soon as it was hooked up, I started the book. The words flowed from my fingers. A funny thing happened as I wrote. My characters started talking to God. I’d set out for clean romance and ended up with Christian romantic suspense.

Three months later, I had it completed. Now, what? I headed to the library and learned about the Writer’s Market Guide. I had no clue my book was badly written, that writing is a craft you learn and hone, that you have to show the reader your story instead of simply telling it. And I thought I was starting a new trend. I had no idea there were Christian romance novels since I always hung out in the music section of the Christian book store. Imagine my amazement, when I found fifty-two Christian publishers looking for books just like I’d written. Not necessarily the suspense part, but maybe I could still start a new trend.

I really thought that all I had to do was write a book, send it to publishers, and the right one would publish my baby. Everything was by mail then. I sent out ten proposals. With each rejection I received, I sent out another submission. Imagine my amazement, when all fifty-two rejected me.

But my story ends well. Eight badly written books later, I finally attended enough writers conferences, took enough workshops, and joined ACFW to learn to hone my craft, show the reader my story, and draw them in. I managed to polish one of those badly written books and interest a publisher. Three years later, six published books later, and a contract for three more books later, the Christian romantic suspense genre is thriving and I’m polishing the book of my heart. With some tweaks, that is.

My original story was set in a fictional small Arkansas town. The heroine was an interior decorator, the hero was a detective. But once my three book rodeo series turned into six books, I dusted off old ideas and manuscripts. The story of my heart is now book 5 in my rodeo series titled Rodeo Queen, the heroine owns western clothing stores at the Fort Worth Stockyards and the Galleria Dallas and serves as the rodeo queen at the Stockyards Championship Rodeo. The hero is a Texas Ranger.

I learned two things a long time ago: 1. I stink at fight and shoot em up scenes. 2. I don’t want to learn ballistics and deal with dead bodies. This version of the story of my heart is less suspense, heavy on the romance. The suspense basically just brings them together. I started from scratch on the manuscript. That’s another thing I’ve learned: It’s easier to rewrite than to polish a very badly written book.

Brenda recently critiqued the first sixty pages for me. She commented that she loved my voice and characters. This book has been a breeze to write. I know exactly what happens and I’ve known these people since I was fifteen. God is good!

Question: Based on what you know about me, who was I in love with–Starsky? Or Hutch?

Posted on December 4, 2012 - by Shannon Vannatter

Shawna K. Williams Interview

Shannon here: I’ve never met Shawna, but she’s Arkansas gal like me. And since she has a Christmas book out, I snagged her for my inksper interview. Shawna is giving away an e-book copy of A Hand to Hold and a cute pair of snowman earrings (pictured). Comment on any post dated Dec 3 – 7 to get your name in the drawing. Deadline: Dec 8th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Shawna:

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

This biggest challenge for me this past year has been balancing life with my writing career. This past year has been a tough one with the sudden loss of a close friend, spiritual attacks within our circle of friends, and the failing health of both mine and my husband’s parents. With the holidays, conference, and my dad’s numerous surgeries I found myself traveling every couple of weeks from about late November through May. Apart from writing, I also work as an editor for two small presses, home school three teens, and manage the social media for The Wordsmith Journal Magazine and work as their submissions editor for short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. I had a book due at the first of August. I managed to get it written, and I absolutely love the story, but my constant state of stress this past year was hard on me and consequently also hard on my family.

My solution for now is a promise I made to my family to not sign another book contract based on a proposal without the book being at least half written. The second half usually goes fast because at that point the story is firm in my mind. If it’s not firm, that means I probably need to scrap the first half because clearly there’s no direction.

My hope is this will encourage me to make time for writing in shorter increments, but more frequently, like daily, or every other day.

Last year I kept putting it off, trying to create space in my mind by tending to everything else first. While I’m very proud of the story that finally came together, the path I took to complete it was littered with more than a few “freak out” episodes. I tend to be one who holds everything in, so these weren’t pretty. Lol! My youngest daughter told me, “Mom, for fourteen years I’ve never seen you cry, and now you can’t stop.”

I’m happy to say the leak now seems to be plugged.

2.) What is the one thing you’d like to share with other writers?

Remember that you love to tell stories. No matter how frustrated you may feel. Never forget that’s why you chose this path. It’s not about notoriety, money, or whether or not everybody just loves your work. You write because you have to; you love it, and you will explode if you aren’t able to get these stories out of your heart and head and into the written word. In a sense, you’re making your characters real because they no longer just live in your head.

Also, be true to yourself and write what you feel passionate about — what excites you. That emotional involvement carries through in your choice of words. Readers can tell.

3.) Where is the coziest spot in your home?

The coziest room in the house is the reading room. Our house was built in 1941 and renovated in 1980, and currently under never-ending slow renovation again. I’m fairly certain that the reading room was formerly a porch and enclosed at some point in the past. Now it’s the cozy little room with the book shelves and Victorian sofa off at one end of the house. Very quiet and isolated for settling in for some alone time.

4.) What is your most laughable dating story?

I once almost shot my date’s dad. This was before I met hubby.

My date had asked me over to his uncle’s ranch. Huge house, lots of land, four wheelers, swimming pool, equipment for every sort of outdoor recreation in existence. It was late fall, so it was too cold to swim. But after having a great time on the four wheelers, my date wanted to teach me how to shoot skeet.

His dad had come up for the weekend, so we went into the house and he asked his dad about the guns and clay disks. All three of us went outside and my date demonstrated how to shoot as his dad threw a disk. Then it was my turn, and he helped me position the rifle, explained the site and all that. When I said I was ready, he threw a disk. I watched it as it fell into the line of site and followed to make sure I had it. With very intent focus, I followed it down… and down… and just as I pulled the trigger my date hit the end of the rifle to knock my aim upward.

My response: “Why’d you do that?” Then I noticed his dad was lying on the ground on his belly looking at me with very large eyes. Apparently he’d been walking in front of me as I followed the clay disk as it fell. According to my date, my aim was about to line up with his dad’s head. Key words being “about to.” The date could’ve been much worse.

We went inside to watch a movie after that. Slim risk of injury while sitting idle.

5.) Which amusement park ride is your favorite and why?

Roller coasters. They scare me to death and I love it.

6.) Would you rather live a week in the past or a week in the future?

This is a hard question for me. I’m completely intrigued by the past. I love history and spend a fair amount of time researching and broadening my knowledge on it. But what you don’t know about me is that I grew up with a Trekkie mom. We were raised watching Star Trek, Star Wars… First in line at the movies to see Close Encounters or any other Sci Fi flick that came out. Some of them were real stinkers too.

Now that I have my own family, we have Star Wars marathons, Firefly marathons, Stargate marathons, Battlestar Galatica marathons, Lord of the Rings marathons… Oh wait, that’s fantasy, not future. Well, you get my point. I enjoy the escapism that comes with imagining futuristic possibilities and adventures. Except Stargate is actually current day science fiction, and hmm… Star Wars was a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. Okay, I digress.

As fun as the futuristic fantasies may be, I’d have to go with the past — ancient history. There are so many mysteries to speculate about and I’d like to know how it really was. Might need more than a week. The Egyptian, Greek, and Roman empires didn’t exactly coincide. If I had to choose one, I want to see what Pharaoh Akhenaten, Queen Nefertiti, and their new capital city el-Armarna (abandoned and dismantled after his death) was all about.

7.) How do you balance writing, exercise, home, etc.?

Not very well. My house is never as clean as I’d like these days, and as far as exercise goes, I have very fit fingers.

8.) Who is your biggest cheerleader?

That would be dear hubby. He’s not really a fiction reader, and for awhile after I started writing he didn’t want to read my stories. He was afraid they’d be sappy and he’d be bored. He’s blunt, so he’d tell me, which is actually why I wanted him to read them. I didn’t want to write sappy or boring and I needed to know. If I could hold his attention, then maybe I had some skill.

The biggest boost I ever got was one Saturday morning when I was sleeping in, and hubby woke me up by shaking my shoulder while holding my Kindle in his other hand. He’d woken up early and decided to read my latest WIP (work in progress). I’d loaded several chapters onto my Kindle to review. Well, he got to the end of those and couldn’t stand not knowing what happened next, so he woke me up to get me to hurry and load the next chapters so he could continue.

He’s always encouraged me, even before he read anything I wrote, but now he also believes in me, and he lets everyone know it. That feels really great.

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

I’m a huge Francine Rivers fan. The Mark of the Lion series is my favorite. I really can’t decide between the three books because they’re all just wonderful. I think God has really blessed her with the ability to portray human nature: our fears, longings, frailties. She also writes with great compassion, and the theme of Grace is continual throughout her stories. She never compromises on principal though, even the characters’ failings add to the underlying theme through both consequence and redemption. Her stories just fill me with hope. Who doesn’t need that?

10.) What is your favorite season and why?

I adore late fall and early winter. I just love crunchy leaves under my feet, the smell of burning wood in the fireplace, and the stillness that settles in after a good snow. When it snows, I bundle up, go outside and walk until my limbs are numb, come inside and thaw, and then do it again. Just love it! It’s so cozy and peaceful and something about it makes me feel appreciative of everything around me.

11.) The biggest challenge in writing this book?

The biggest challenge in writing A Hand to Hold was time and space. Head and heart space. I can’t write a story with an uninvolved heart, and for my heart to be involved, I need to immerse myself in the setting and with the characters and their journeys. That’s hard to do when your world is in turmoil and head cluttered.

My dad has Parkinson’s disease, and he also has a degenerative spine. He’d had surgery last Nov to fuse discs, but he fell and the screws all pulled out of the bone. The other issue with my dad was that something about the anesthesia and his meds caused him to hallucinate and not be rational at all. His advanced Parkinson’s contributes to this but after his surgery it was far worse, and for a while we didn’t know if we were going to get him back. This pattern continued following his next three surgeries, and well into his recovery. My sister and I both live eight hours from my parents, so we were trying to balance life with our own families and see that our parents’ needs were met.

This plus other struggles here in our community and financially kind of cluttered my mind, kept me busy, and then other duties I’d put on the back burner while looking after my dad took priority. I kept thinking, “Just let me get this out of the way, then I can focus.” Next thing I knew, I had two months to my deadline and nothing written but a synopsis and the first two chapters of the book — lousy chapters I might add.

This is where God stepped in because I swear, writing this was such a blur. He brought me to that place where I could immerse myself and somehow a story was formed. Rewrote the two lousy chapters and the rest just followed. I really love how it turned out. I think readers will too.

12.) What do the Post-Its around your computer/screen/ bulletin board say?

I don’t do Post-Its. I’m a random file maker. Every time I think of something I make a file. Sometimes I send myself emails. My documents section is loaded with files titled, “To-do list number 35″,”Confused character ramblings” (I use these a lot to work out my character’s mindset) “Story title outline # 10″, “To-do list number 36″, “Christmas list”, “Stuff to remember”, “CLEAN YOUR HOUSE schedule”, etc.

13.) 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?

Housekeeper, hands down! I hate having a messy house and I can’t seem to get on top of it.

14.) Which character in your books is the most like you? How?

Hmm… This is a hard question. I know that there’s some of me in each character. I probably identify most with Pennye and Jakob. Pennye is the heroine from my book The Good Fight, and Jakob is the hero in No Other and In All Things. He also has a fairly large role in The Good Fight as Roger’s once rival now determined to be his friend.

With Pennye, I think I can relate to the underlying insecurities she struggles with. Despite how confident I may try and convince you I am, I struggle. She’s the same. I think we all have those little areas of sensitivity we try and conceal because it really hurts when they get poked! At the same time, these very things make us who we are, and give us the ability to empathize and show compassion. I wouldn’t want to lose that ability, and if having a few sensitive spots helps me to be more caring and understanding of others, I’ll take it.

Jakob is actually similar. His character feels very deeply, not just for himself but for others, and he wants to fix everything for everybody because of this. When he can’t, he views it as an inadequacy on his part. Of course, that’s twisted and wrong, and learning to rely on God for this role is the major part of his journey in the books No Other and In all Things. I guess that might have been a journey for me too.

About Shawna: Having never considered becoming a writer, Shawna K. Williams’ path changed in a single night all because of a dream. Her early writings were a mere attempt to fill in gaps within the dream and satisfy her curiosity, but later became the inspiration for her first two novels. She is a content editor for Desert Breeze Publishing and Solstice Publishing, acquisitions editor/social media specialist for The Wordsmith Journal Magazine, speaker, homeschooling mom and multi-published author of twentieth century historical fiction. Shawna enjoys books in almost any genre as long as they contain strong characters tackling real-life grit. She also has a thing for dogs and pygmy goats, and believes the world would be a better place if people aspired to be the person their pet believes them to be.

Shawna’s books: No Other, In All Things, The Good Fight, Orphaned Hearts, and coming in Dec. 2012: A Hand to Hold. All books are available as ebooks. No Other is also in print, In All Things releases in print in November 2012, and all other books will be available in print in 2013. Learn more: http://shawnakwilliams.com/, http://shawnawilliams-oldsmobile.blogspot.com/, https://twitter.com/shawnakwilliams, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shawna-K-Williams/236629884245

About the book – A Hand to Hold by Shawna K. Williams:Having come to Brady Hill as an orphan, Caleb Langley cherishes his memories of growing up in a place where he was embraced, nurtured and loved. With the zinc mine closed and the town in near ruin, he agonizes over what can be done to save his home.

Sarah Sheldon, the little girl Caleb adopted in his heart as a sister, has lived life in the shadows of a once glorious town. She’s resentful those around her are held captive by old memories, and refuse to let go and move on. To Sarah, the demise of Brady Hill may be the best thing that ever happened.

Caleb is dismayed that Sarah’s view of growing up in Brady Hill differs so much from his own. In his determination to save the town, he also sets out to alter her perception. In doing so, might he learn to see Sarah in a new light as well?

Posted on November 29, 2012 - by Regina

LISTS-R-US

What is on my Christmas List? I must say, it’s an eclectic mix of books and other necessities of life.

FICTION: As the director of a small public library with a great Christian Fiction section (hey, I know my people!), one of the books I want for my very own is Tamera Alexander’s To Whisper Her Name, set in our most local Southern city of Nashville, TN, at real-life Belle Meade Plantation. The plantation house, formerly the homestead of a successful horse farm, can be toured today, and figured in the Civil War. Her last book, A Lasting Impression, was set at Nashville’s Belmont Mansion, the centerpiece of Belmont University.

NON-FICTION: “It’s Christmastime and time for a carol, time to sing about a little KING . . . .” And for me, the cooking juices and decorating juices start flowing big time at Christmas. I don’t do ANYTHING Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving, but when that Friday rolls around, shopping is not on my radar . . . DECORATING is! And making FUDGE! So, what do I like to read this time of year? Stuff with PICTURES and RECIPES!

For pictures, I’ve put Better Homes and Gardens ‘Best of’ Christmas Ideas on my list. Besides Pinterest (and don’t even get me started there), these kinds of books are my go-to for ideas and just simple eye-candy pleasure for the holidays!

Recipes? Who better than Ree Drummond, everyone’s favorite “Pioneer Woman?” The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from my Frontier is at the top of my list. I’ve been hinting around for a year now for this particular cookbook – and when I found that, I found some of her other books, too! Love her show. She exemplifies fish-out-of-water lifestyles and putting it all on the line for a brand new life that she LOVES.

I don’t JUST want books this year. Last night my husband tried to get me to give him some ideas of what to get me. That’s what spurred the Amazon “wish list” and got the juices flowing.

Before that, all I could think of was the following:

• Sewing machine for all those crafts I want to make that I never wanted to before Pinterest.
• HDMI cable to connect the laptop to the television for those times I miss CASTLE.

Yes, you can blame Pinterest and Nathan Fillion.

Happy wish-list making, and happy shopping!

 

Posted on November 27, 2012 - by Stacy Monson

For the Guys and Gals on Your List

Even at my age (a closely guarded secret – although my love for Trixie Belden books might be a dead give-away), I still love the feel and smell and look of a brand-new, untouched book. Fiction or non, an author I love or one I’m about to meet – a new book is a treasure. Here are some books that will make great gifts – for yourself or for others (preferably both!).

I rarely pick books from the mystery/suspense genre, but I have a new favorite author thanks to the ACFW conference in September – Davis Bunn. I am currently reading his 2011 release, “Lion of Babylon.” Talk about on-the-edge-of-your-seat action! While I don’t prefer to bite my nails off while I’m reading, that’s what I’m doing with this book. It’s a fast-paced, well-written story that pulls you in from the start.

“Marc Royce worked for the State Department on a variety of clandestine assignments – that is, until personal issues led to his dismissal. When Alex Baird goes missing in war-torn Baghdad, State comes calling again. Alex is an intelligence agent – and a close friend of Royce. Three others have also dropped out of sight – a nurse, an aid worker, a wealthy young Iraqi. Are these cases linked? Rumors circulate about a kidnapping conspiracy, yet both American and local officials refuse to pursue it. Blocked at every turn, Royce eventually unearths a trail of secret encounters between sworn enemies. What he discovers could transform the course of rivalry and reconciliation through the Mideast. As the human and political drama escalates, can one man summon the courage to make a difference?”

When I finish “Lion of Babylon,” I plan to read the next book in the series, “Rare Earth,” (July 2012) which continues the escapades of Marc Royce. If ever you want a hero to swoon over, root for and fall in love with – this is the guy! These books, however, will truly make great gifts for women and men alike from teens on up.

 

A book that I’m waiting for with bated breath (whatever that means) is Katie Ganshert’s second novel, “Wishing on Willows” (March 2013). I truly loved her first book, “Wildflowers in Winter,” and have impatiently looked forward to the follow-up.

This story follows Robin, one of the characters in the original story, as she tries to move past her grief and build a future for her fatherless son. Katie’s characters are deep, wounded, multi-layered and yet still easy to connect with and care about.

“Does a second chance at life and love always involve surrender? A three-year old son, a struggling café, and fading memories are all Robin Price has left of her late husband. As the proud owner of Willow Tree Café in small town Peaks, Iowa, she pours her heart into every muffin she bakes and espresso she pulls, thankful for the sense of purpose and community the work provides. So when developer Ian McKay shows up in Peaks with plans to build condos where her café and a vital town ministry are located, she isn’t about to let go without a fight. As stubborn as he is handsome, Ian won’t give up easily. His family’s business depends on his success in Peaks. But as Ian pushes to seal the deal, he wonders if he has met his match. Robin’s gracious spirit threatens to undo his resolve, especially when he discovers the beautiful widow harbors a grief that resonates with his own. With polarized opinions forming all over town, business becomes unavoidably personal and Robin and Ian must decide whether to cling to the familiar or surrender their plans to the God of Second Chances.”

So this is what I’m reading now and what’s on my wish list for future reading. Also on my list is time – free time to read these and all the other great books out there.

Posted on November 20, 2012 - by Shannon Vannatter

Why Wait Until Christmas for Books?

I have a new favorite commercial. The one for Swiffer, where the busy mom finishes cleaning her house quicker because of Swiffer. She nabs a book off a shelf and says, “I’m gonna read one of these! I’m gonna read one of these!”

I’ve often felt that way. Especially when I’m on deadline. But this year, I’ve cheated. I read a couple of books even while I’m on deadline. And why wait for Christmas. I bought one title I’d been waiting to release, a new to me author I discovered in the bookstore, and a third came in the mail because I’d agreed to be an influencer.

First the one I’d been waiting for—Denise Hunter’s The Trouble with Cowboys didn’t disappoint. I got twists and turns, a heart-stoppingly cute hero, and that sweet ending that made me go ahhh! And once again, I wished I could write like Denise Hunter when I grow up.

Only one pair of boots—and the cowboy wearing them—can get Annie out of the mess she’s in.

Annie Wilkerson is Moose Creek’s premiere horse trainer and equine columnist for Montana Living. Money is tight as she tries to put her kid-sister through college and provide for her young nephew. When Annie’s column is cancelled, she’s given first shot at a new lovelorn column—and she can’t afford to turn it down. Only problem is . . . Annie’s never been in love.

Always resourceful, she reluctantly strikes a deal with the town’s smooth-talking ladies’ man Dylan Taylor: She’ll work with his ailing horse, Braveheart, if he’ll help her answer the reader letters.

Working closely with Dylan is harder than Annie imagined, and she quickly realizes she may have misjudged him. But her unwavering conviction that cowboys are nothing but trouble has kept her heart safe for years. And she can’t risk getting hurt now.

The more Annie tries to control things, the more they fall apart. Her feelings are spinning out of control, and her sister’s antics are making life increasingly more difficult. Annie knows she needs to turn the reins over to God, but surrender has never come easily.

When Dylan reveals his feelings for her, Annie doesn’t know what to trust—her head or her heart. The trouble with this cowboy is that he might just be exactly what she needs.

The new to me author I discovered—Beth Wiseman. Beth usually writes Amish, but this one is women’s fiction. It kept me turning the pages and made me cry. My husband came home to me in tears. The conversations went something like this:

Him: “What’s wrong?”

Me: “This book.”

Him: “You’re gonna have to quit reading.”

When big-city life threatens the safety of one of their children, Brad and Darlene Henderson move with their three teenagers from Houston to the tiny town of Round Top, Texas. Adjusting to small-town life is difficult for the kids, especially fifteen-year-old Grace who is coping in a dangerous way.

Married life hasn’t always been bliss, but their strong faith has carried Brad and Darlene through the difficult times. When Darlene takes a job outside the home for the first time in their marriage, the domestic tension rises.

While working with special needs children at her new job, the widowed father of one of the students starts paying more attention to Darlene than is appropriate. Problem is, she feels like someone is listening to her for the first time in a long time.

If Darlene ever needed God . . . it’s now.

And the one I’m an influencer for—Jennifer Rogers Spinola’s latest release. I haven’t gotten to read it yet, since I’m down to crunch time on my deadline and my husband ran for Justice of the Peace and ended up in a runoff. But that’s a whole other story. I’ve been waiting for the final tale of Jennifer’s endearing heorine in this trilogy and it’s at the top of my to be read pile.

Shiloh Jacobs is planning her wedding without family, without money, and without a clue—and trying to make a go of small-town Southern life. Until she stumbles on an unsolved case about a missing woman that makes her run in the opposite direction—right into the would-be killer’s web of plans. In the midst of sorting through her tragic past and strained relationships, Shiloh finds herself on the run from a madman—and hoping she can make it to her wedding alive.

I couldn’t see out from behind my to be read pile to put any books on my
Christmas wish list this year. Oh wait, I do have one: JoAnne Simmmons’ I Believe: The Meaning Behind Christmas and the Baby Who Started it All. JoAnne was the editor at Heartsong Presents and it’s because of her that I have 6 books out. When I heard she was doing a book, I was so excited and I love the subject matter of this devotional.

Christmas is a time for hope, for celebrations, and for worshipping the Baby who would become the Savior. I Believe: The Meaning of Christmas and the Baby Who Started it All is a simple devotional of faith-building topics that surround the Christmas season. Great for personal use, family devotions, or as thoughtful holiday gifts.

Have you read any of the books I’ve listed? Are they on your Christmas wish list?