Posts Tagged ‘Regina Merrick’

Posted on May 17, 2012 - by Regina

SIMPLIFY

Simplify.

S – Sing. Sing your heart out. When life gets complicated, just sing.

I – Ice Cream. Life always looks better when you’re holding an ice cream cone.

M – Magic. It’s everywhere. A flower blooming. The smile of a child.

P – PRAY. Need I say more?

L – Love. Love your neighbor. Love yourself.

I – Irony. Appreciate the irony which is everyday life.

F – Family. Remember why most of our UNsimple things happen – because of those folks that we love the most!

Y – Yellow. I just like the color yellow. It makes me happy.

So, in conclusion, when I have to stop and simplify, I have to let my mind travel to those places that keep me centered. God. My family. My friends. Music. Things that simply make me smile.

Try it. Especially the ice cream . . . . I’ll take a single scoop of double-fudge-toffee, please . . .

Posted on April 19, 2012 - by Regina

DEAR E-READER . . .

I was first introduced to the concept of DEAR (Drop Everything and READ) when I was in college, studying children’s literature, and preparing to be a school librarian. In fact, in the schools I have been a part of, we have observed, from time to time, DEAR time.

I’m thinking of working it in to the public library schedule . . .

So, in the spirit of DEAR, in the last two weeks, I have read all three books in the Hunger Games trilogy. Oh my. I won’t get into plot, or a review, but let’s just say that it was worth every thing I dropped to read them!

You can imagine my chagrin, however, when, after reading book one, the other two books were not available either at my house (my daughter’s set had been loaned out), OR my library (talk about a waiting list . . . sigh . . . )!

So, I did what any enterprising librarian with an electronic device would do. I purchased and downloaded books 2 and 3 onto an iPad. And now I am a convert.

While I still love the feel of paper and pages, I must say that the idea of making the font as large as I need, and turning the page with a mere swipe of a finger is enticing. The only drawback is that you don’t have the BOOK on the shelf. Oh, it’s in the reader, but there are no page numbers, so if I were truly studying a book, I would need the hard copy.

But for those DEAR moments when you’ve simply GOT to see what happens to Katniss and Peeta next? E-books. It’s quick, it’s painless – and if you watch Facebook and author blogs, you’ll find a lot of great FREE books available out there!

Posted on March 22, 2012 - by Regina

DRESSES . . .

Your dresses should be tight enough to show you’re a woman and loose enough to show you’re a lady.–Edith Head

Dresses.

Long dresses, short dresses, elaborate, simple, work-related, evening attire . . . I love dresses.

So when I see a cover with a beautiful dress – or even one that just catches my eye – I’m hooked.

That’s what got me started with Deeanne Gist’s and Julie Klassen’s books, and now Tamera Alexander’s!

Did I mention Laura Frantz? Oh, boy, does she ever have the DRESSES! I can’t wait until her next series comes out!

When I am drawn to a cover with a beautiful dress, I always wonder, will this dress actually be featured in the book? When I picked up Tamera Alexander’s book, “A Lasting Impression, a Belmont Mansion Novel,” I had to wonder if that magnificent dress on the cover could possibly belong to the poor waif in the beginning of the novel. I found it, late in the book. I won’t spoil anything by saying that it had to be the most romantic part of the book – which made the dress even more important to me!

As beautiful as all of Deeanne Gist’s covers are, my personal favorite is “Beguiled.” A contemporary, the cover looks like something that could be “Flapper” era, or the current era. A suspense thriller co-written with author Mark Bertrand, this novel brings the historic areas of Charleston to life in the current day. If you’ve visited that beautiful city, you’ll feel that you’re walking the streets right along with the heroine!

Our own Inksper author Lorna Seilstad has magnificent dresses on her heroines, as well! As a librarian, I can’t help but notice that when Lorna’s books are tagged and displayed as a staff “favorite,” it seems to fly off the shelf, and one of the comments invariably mentions the beautiful dresses on the cover!

I could go on, being the girly-girl that I am, but just take note, the next time you’re in your library or favorite bookstore, just how absolutely enchanting are the covers on the books. See if, sometimes, beauty alone just MAKES you reach out and check out that back cover!

Posted on March 8, 2012 - by Regina

DREAM, DREAM, DREAM

Many of you know that I spent the month of February rehearsing for and performing in the pit orchestra for a community production of “Oklahoma!” One song that was the BANE of the orchestra’s existence was the “Dream Ballet,” where there is no singing AT ALL, and you go from one theme to another with action and dance between. I hear the actors and dancers did a great job – the musicians could only imagine!

On top of that, I’ve been recovering from a minor illness – but one that had insomnia as a side-effect! Not fun for a girl who is fond of her sleep!

So you can imagine my delight, when last week, for the first time in nearly a year, I actually slept so well that I had DREAMS!

That made me think – what if there was a holiday in which you remembered all those cool dreams you had, and you woke up with the words simply pouring out your fingers! You have to realize, I have really cool dreams – at least to me. They’re usually stories. Sometimes I’m an observer, sometimes I’m a character in the story. In fact, my first completed novel started out as a dream. I’ve dreamed television episodes, movies, and about the school where I went as a child.

So that’s my writer’s holiday. We’ll call it “In Your Dreams.”

Mom, when are you going to write about your “kidnapping” dream? Talk about a story . . . .

Posted on February 9, 2012 - by Regina

LOVE Rejoices in the TRUTH

It (love) does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 1 Corinthians 13:6 NLT

Truth. What is it about this word that not only gives us a feeling of peace and confidence, but also a feeling of almost, well, dread?

Because, as a famous movie quote goes, “You can’t HANDLE the truth.”

It’s a fact. We go along trying to build ourselves or our situation up in our own minds, and then when something comes to light that is TRUTH, we’re surprised. Sometimes it’s pleasant, sometimes it convicts us down to our very toes.

That’s where I am right now. I want the truth, but can I handle it? Fortunately, with God, I CAN.

Here’s a song that I love, and always, ALWAYS makes me turn toward the light, The Voice of Truth. Listen. Enjoy. Shed a few praise-tears, or a few thank-you-for-pointing-that-out-Lord tears.

Voice Of Truth

But above all, REJOICE in the truth. After all, that’s what God deals in, isn’t it? God is LOVE. God is TRUTH.

Posted on January 26, 2012 - by Regina

A CHAT WITH SUSAN PAGE DAVIS

About a year ago, I went, in fear and trembling, to my first area writer’s group meeting, which at that time consisted of myself and three other ladies in the Western Kentucky/Western Tennessee area. I mean, two of these ladies were PUBLISHED authors! I mean, they even put their pants on differently, don’t they? Well, it didn’t take long, over Culver’s burgers and ice cream, to find out that published authors are regular folk, and that having a good friend like Susan Page Davis is sometimes the best encouragement an aspiring writer can have!

Susan is the author of thirty-seven published novels. Prairie Dreams is her new series from Barbour Publishing. A Maine native, Susan now lives in Kentucky with her husband, Jim. She’s a past winner of the Carol Award and the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Contest.

Welcome, Susan! What was it that inspired you to become a writer?

I have always made up stories, and I have written them since I learned to write. I’m not sure what got me started. But when it comes to seriously writing fiction and trying to get published as an author, I think I was inspired to try when I realized I had a full-length novel in my head. I wrote the story out and started trying to sell it.

You’ve lived in, and written about, so many places! If you could set a book anywhere in the USA, whether or not you’ve been there or not, where would it be, and why?

Right now, probably in Albuquerque. My father-in-law was born there, and I’d like to see it and learn more about it.

Speaking of places, how does living in my own state of Kentucky compare to other places you’ve lived?

Okay, here’s the scoop. It’s warmer, and it has more heavy rains and tornadoes, fewer blizzards and hurricanes. When it does snow, which isn’t often, nobody knows how to drive in it. Kentucky also looks different from Maine or Oregon or any of those other places. . .It’s got flat roads, for one thing. The birds look almost but not quite right. It has lizards and poisonous snakes. It has more ticks and fewer mosquitoes. It has no moose, but lots of possums. The sun never gets up as early or sets as late as it does in a Maine summer, but that’s understandable since Kentucky is a whole lot closer to the equator. At the grocery store, I can find canned okra and bourbon-flavored baked beans, but I often can’t find molasses or fresh seafood or buttercup squash. They put whipped cream on milkshakes here, which seems a bit “overkill” to me, and gravy on lots and lots of things. And I frequently have to ask someone to repeat what they said, or ask what they mean. But all in all, it’s a pretty cool place.

Hey, I recall trying to get a barbecue sandwich in Indiana – it’s not quite like we have in Western Kentucky, is it? I’m just glad to have you close by!

Now, back to writing –

What author, dead or alive, would you like to mentor you? Why?

Dick Francis. I love his mysteries, and I’d love to be as good at pulling clues together.

You have written historical, suspense, and romance. How do you approach different genres?

They all take a lot of planning and research. Historicals probably take a little more, as I have to check EVERYTHING. The 1857 book I just finished is an example. Yes, they had sleeping berths on some trains then, but Pullman cars came later. So did railroad dining cars. That put a cramp in my characters’ journey. I check words and phrases to be sure they were in use at the time. I look up types of fabrics to be sure they were available and plants to be sure they grew in that area at the time. But contemporaries take research too—the place, the occupations, the weapons—it just never ends. And I love it.

The research angle hit me when I realized I may have placed a stagecoach in an area that might have been served by a railroad! Thank goodness for Internet resources!

So, what’s next for Susan Page Davis fans?

I have four historicals coming out in 2012. The first, in March, is Almost Arizona, which will celebrate 100 years of statehood with an action-filled romance. In April and October, the second and third books of my Prairie Dreams series will release. A lot of people are waiting for Lady Anne’s Quest, to answer some questions about the Stone family and see if Lady Anne finds true love in the Wild West. In the final book, A Lady in the Making, you’ll see what happens to Uncle David, the new earl, as he heads out of Oregon and into danger. Also in April, you’ll see Cowgirl Trail, the next book in the Texas Trails series. It’s a lot of fun.

I can’t wait to see what’s next for Lady Anne – and the Texas Trails series is amazing.

What question would you like to ask our readers?

What book that you’ve read in the last year would you most like to see made into a movie?

Thanks so much for joining us, Susan, and our readers! Remember, leave a comment during our “Authorpalooza,” and you may have a shot at a pack of books, including Susan’s own The Lady’s Maid!

Back-cover of The Lady’s Maid:

An Aristocratic Brit searching for her lost uncle . . .

A German Maid determined to protect her mistress . . .

A disagreeable Scout waiting to see the ladies fail . . .

A Ruffian dogging their every step . . .

And the Prairie that challenges their very survival.

Lady Anne Stone’s uncle is the new Earl of Stoneford. The only problem is, he disappeared into America’s Wild West. With only her personal maid, Elise Finster, as determined chaperone, Anne embarks upon a quest to find David Stone. First stop, St. Louis, where the ladies discover their quarry went farther west five years ago. Resolute in their mission, Anne and Elise join a wagon train to Oregon. But will their prairie-dream adventure turn into a Wild West nightmare?

Scout Eb Bentley, initially skeptical that the women can survive the journey, soon finds himself falling for the determination, charm, and beauty of one lady in particular. Can he keep her alive long enough to win her love?

Or will the ladies succumb to the rigors, ruffians, and rustlers along the trail?

Posted on January 12, 2012 - by Regina

WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW

Write what you know.

I know. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It’s one of those pieces of advice that I heard so long ago that I don’t have a clue where it came from. Along with BICHOK (Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard), “Just keep writing,” and “You can’t fix what you haven’t written,” “Write what you know” fits right in.

Maybe it’s cliché. Maybe it’s over-simplification of the task of writing. After all, what do I know? And if I write what I KNOW, wouldn’t that be a non-fiction treatise on how to run a library or how to make a chocolate pie? Perish the thought. I can whip out a blog post, newsletter article, or a little piece of a devotional in no time flat, but it’s fiction that I want to write. What I LONG to write.

In sifting through “what I know,” I find that I don’t use nearly all the tidbits I know in everyday life. For instance, I co-wrote a fanfiction story about under-cover FBI agents solving a jewelry heist on a cruise ship. Since neither my writing partner nor I had ever actually been FBI agents, a jewelry thief, or ever been on a cruise ship, why in the world would we want to write about that?

Simple. What I know is that I like books, TV shows, and movies about BOTH of those things. And when you like something, you research. You find out what is the FBI procedures for this, that, or the other thing. You find out where their field offices are, and where a certain building in downtown Charleston is located (yet another story, I’m afraid), and you find out the exact layout of a real cruise ship, especially the shopping areas and cabin layouts. Who knows? I may never solve a crime on a cruise ship, and I may never be “Julie McCall” from the Love Boat, but I can enjoy learning about cruises!

I daresay that those who write in the paranormal genre haven’t had first-hand experience with vampires and werewolves, but they’ve done their research, read books, watched movies. Then they write what they know, from their perspective.

You know A LOT.

Think of it this way. Remember all those bits and pieces of knowledge you find you have stored away, that only comes out when you pull out the Trivial Pursuit board? Someday, those can be classified as “stuff you know.”

And then it can turn into “stuff you can write about.”

Posted on December 29, 2011 - by Regina

CHRISTMAS LINGERS . . .

Welcome to my house! We’re the friendly-looking white bungalow on the left, if you’re coming from downtown! The icicle lights on the porch give us a nice glow, and if you slow down as you pass, you’ll see the lights of the Christmas tree and mantle through the windows! No, this picture wasn’t this Christmas – it was 2004 – but isn’t it beautiful in the snow, when we GET some!

When we bought our house nearly 10 years ago, I wasn’t sure about the gold tile on the enormous fireplace in our living room, but as we decorated around it, the generous mantle became the perfect place for my nativity scene. We received the set as a gift from my husband’s brother and sister-in-law either the first or second Christmas we were married, and I’ve treasured it ever since.

Plain cream-colored ceramic, I like to put lights and silk poinsettias around the pieces, making it sparkle. Baby Jesus has a place of honor sitting atop an olive-wood Bible brought to us by some friends who took a trip to Israel. Two small trees full of lights flank the mantle, and a large primitive angel watches over the group, making it an oasis of peace in the midst of the loving Christmas chaos!

Our tree is a beautiful conglomeration of family favorite ornaments, topped by an angel that I found at “Big Lots” a few years ago. Honestly, that eight-dollar angel is prettier than any I’ve seen anywhere! There are fancy ornaments, childhood ornaments, and then there are my favorites – a set of hand-painted ceramic ornaments that my mother and sister made for me, mailing them to us from Wyoming the first Christmas we were married. I still keep them in the box with the note that she included, telling me that the placemats that were also in the package might have a few cat hairs on them, because Freddie, our first housecat, was certain she was making a bed for her!

My snow village took a different turn this year. I have seven pieces, and have, in the past, tried to put them all together on top of Granny’s piano, or on the buffet in the dining room. This year, I decided to spread them out. I put one in the kitchen, a few in the living room, separately, and three on top of the piano with the Shaker boxes my dad made for me a few years ago. I’ve been able to enjoy them so much more this year!

The dining room is one of my favorite places to decorate. Being a 1916 Craftsman bungalow, it has a plate rail all the way around the room, which is a perfect place to put greenery and tuck in the Santas and Snowmen that didn’t have room with the main collections! I like to put garland around the light fixture in that room, also. This year, I actually had someone ask if the “Lowes Special” fixture that we installed 9 years ago, was original to the house! I think it was the greenery!

As you go through the house, you’ll see bits and pieces of Christmas here and there, from Christmas mugs collected over the years, to an ever-expanding snowman collection, to tins of candy and cookies. It will remain in place for a few days yet, and then comes the task of taking it down and storing it away until next year.

But I’m not going to think about that, now! Like literary figure Scarlet O’Hara, “I’ll think about it tomorrow!” Or, maybe, next week?

And if you slow down to peer in the windows at the lights, be sure and stop, OK? I’ve got some apple cider just BEGGING to be pulled out and heated up for company!

 

Posted on December 15, 2011 - by Regina

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

Who am I, that I should share the glorious news of Jesus’ birth? The GOOD NEWS? The GOSPEL?

I’m sure the shepherds felt the same way. One of my favorite old-time Christmas hymns is “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks,” depicting one of my favorite scenes in Luke’s account:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Luke 2:8-20

Why does this passage touch me so? Because I memorized part of it when I was in third grade, to recite to my Sunday-School teacher who was recovering from surgery. I remember that I wondered at the shepherds – who were, after all, just regular folk like ME – getting the message from ANGELS that JESUS, their MESSIAH, had arrived!

You know they had to be thinking to themselves, “Why me? Nobody’s going to listen to a lowly shepherd!”

Ah, but that’s exactly what Moses thought, wasn’t it? He may have been important once, but now he was just a shepherd.

Can you imagine Jacob, having stolen the birthright from his brother, wondering why God would choose HIM to honor His promise to Abraham to create a great nation?

And then there was Zacchaeus – forever known as a “wee little man” – the tax collector. He was dishonest, held in the lowest esteem for his shady business practices. But Jesus chose HIM to visit for dinner.

So, who am I? There’s a song I love entitled, “Who Am I,” by Casting Crowns, that, to me, exemplifies what the shepherds felt, and what I feel on a daily basis.

God chose us. He loves us. NOT because of anything we’ve done, but because of who HE is. He brought the Good News to shepherds AND wise men. To harlots and tax collectors. To business men and housewives. To mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers.

To you. To me. Why? Because of who HE IS.

May that thought bring you peace this holiday season.

 

Posted on December 1, 2011 - by Regina

CHRISTMAS NOVELTIES

It’s Christmastime and time for a novel,

Time to read about the little King,

To fill the mind and roll out a myst’ry,

Don’t want to miss a thing . . .

 

And that’s the whole point of reading books about Christmas, isn’t it? We don’t want to miss a moment of the joy, the festivity, the FEELING of Christmas!

I haven’t had a lot of time to read in the last few weeks, but I did manage to read a couple of novels that have been on my list for a while. The first is The Great Christmas Bowl by Susan May Warren. It’s a heartwarming read about a mom who just wants to make it the best Christmas ever for her family of grown children, something I’m identifying with more every day! Here’s the blurb:

Marianne Wallace loves the holidays. From dressing the tree to her traditional Christmas dinner, it’s all about creating memories for her family. But when her children begin to leave home – and their traditions – behind, she has one last chance to create a holiday they’ll never forget.

Unfortunately, she’s soon in over her head, and one impulsive decision leads to a string of events that will change the way her family – even her small Minnesota town – sees the Christmas season.

Hint: There will be football, and who DOESN’T like a good football story?

Another favorite that I read last year, and plan to read again this year, is Mary Connealy’s Cowboy Christmas. Full of Mary’s classic “romantic comedy with cowboys,” Annie and Elijah make for a great story of redemption and love. The back cover:

Singer Annette Talbot used her voice to spread the gospel with a traveling missionary troupe. When the Latrells take over and want Annie to dress provocatively and give up singing her beloved hymns, Annie flees to Ranger Bluff, Wyoming, dreaming of uniting with her father for Christmas. But trouble chases her – right off the edge of a cliff!

Elijah Walker’s heart turned as cold and barren as the high plains in December after his ex-fiancee betrayed him and caused his father’s death. But when he rescues Annie out of a freezing river, Walker’s instincts tell him he must help a stranger in need.

With her hermit father retreating to the high country and the Latrells intent on kidnapping her to make money off her singing, Annie may have no way out.

Has Annie hidden the truth about wanted posters bearing her face too long for anyone to believe her now?

Can Elijah overcome the painful past and learn to love again?

Will there ever be peace in their hearts in time for Christmas?

Such a good book!

Right now I’m reading Amy Clipston’s Naomi’s Gift, and waiting in the wings is Susan May Warren’s Baby It’s Cold Outside.

 

A few books I like to read most Christmases are John Grisham’s Skipping Christmas – which by the way, is much better than the movie, although it IS entertaining, and Grace Livingston Hill’s The Substitute Guest. If you get a chance, and just want a nice, tender read, this is the one for you!

 

Joanne Fluke also has some great Christmas cozies, The Candy Cane Murder and The Sugar Cookie Murder, and like a lot of Christmas books, are a little shorter than the average novel, which is great for this time of year! Oh, and Joanne’s books ALWAYS have recipes!!

Happy Christmas reading, everyone.

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