Shelley Shepard Gray's Blog, page 13

Question #1 for Mary

Dear Readers,

Yesterday, I shared that every Tuesday from now until May 14th, I’ll be posting questions from my interview with Mary Keane, Senior Designer for Harper Collins. I hope you will find this ‘behind the scenes’ look as interesting as I did! If you’d care to comment or ask Mary a question, please do!

Every Friday, I’ll be drawing a name from the comments and sending out an advanced copy of Ray of  Light, signed by both me and Mary.

Thanks for stopping by, and for making Mary feel welcome.

Shelley

question #1:

Shelley: Mary, what is the process for designing the art work for the covers? Do you receive some ideas from the editors first? Do you read the book first?

 Mary: The first thing that happens is a concept meeting. The editor describes the story to the art team and gives us any ideas, colors, or feelings they are hoping for on the cover. If the author has published before they often show the previous covers and discuss what was successful about them and whether they want them to be similar or a completely new approach.

            I like to read the entire book whenever I can. I’m usually looking for an overall theme, a special scene, the setting, the time of year, or little details about the characters. As a reader, I like to see the figures on the cover reflect the descriptions of characters in the story. Also, it’s fun for me to know I am one of the first to read a new book!

            Once I have some direction, I start combing through photographs and thinking about colors and emotions I want to evoke and fonts I think would be appropriate for the title, etc. When I design a series, such as Shelley Shepard Gray’s Daybreak, Ray of Light and Eventide, I know from the start that I will want a common theme or approach to make the covers work together as three parts of an overarching story.

           (Several designers have worked on the covers for my books. Mary designed all three covers for the secrets of crittenden county and all three covers for the days of redemption series)

Meet Mary!

Dear Friends,

If you’ve ever heard me speak at a meeting or event, you’ve probably heard me talk about how blessed I feel to write for Harper Collins. Though my name is on a book’s cover, there are countless other men and women at my publisher who work so hard to make the books as good as they can be. I truly feel like I’m part of a team, and that always makes me so happy~otherwise writing can be a somewhat lonely occupation.

When I visited the Harper offices a few months ago, Chelsey, one of my editors, gave me a grand tour of the place. For someone who loves books as much as I do, it was very exciting! We walked through a maze of offices, said hello to everyone, and even went to the top floor where all kinds of important meetings take place. Chelsey was so patient with me as I asked all kinds of questions.

One of the highlights of my day at Harper Collins was meeting Mary. Mary is a senior designer for Harper Collins, and she’s the lady who is responsible for many of my novels’ beautiful covers. I loved seeing her office…and I really loved the stack of  Ray of Light cover rejects that she showed me! I found it fascinating to learn how she goes about designing a book cover, and I thought y’all might enjoy it, too.

Starting tomorrow, I’ll be posting a few questions I asked Mary about her job and designing Ray of Light’s cover. I’ll also be posting some of the covers that were rejected! We’ll continue every Tuesday and finish on Ray of Light’s publication date, May 14.

Please consider stopping by every Tuesday and writing a comment or a question for either me or Mary. Each week, we’ll be drawing a name from the week’s comments…and winners will receive an advanced copy of Ray of Light…signed by both me and Mary!

So…please join me in welcoming Mrs. Mary Keane to my website’s blog!

Here’s a bit about Mary:

Mary McAdam Keane fell head over heels in love with reading in a small schoolhouse in Vermont when her third grade teacher insisted she read a “big book” instead of a picture book. She has had her nose in a book ever since. When she graduated from the University of Vermont she moved to New York City and worked in graphic arts doing promotion and advertising until one day she landed a job in book cover design. She considers it an honor and a joy to be surrounded by books and the creative people who make them. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, son, and shih-tzu, where she pursues her other passions, birding and gardening.

 

Mary!

Easter’s On Its Way

On Monday evening, Tom and I had a long talk about Easter plans. This was going to be the first Easter with no kids…and frankly, we decided we weren’t too sad about that. He’s been working a ton. So have I. We’ve got a couple of projects that we’re working on in the house, so everything is out of place and cluttered.

No kids coming home meant no big meals to cook. No month’s worth of laundry to do. No Easter candy to buy and sample.

It was going to be strange…but just fine.  Actually, we talked about going to Cincinnati’s new casino on Saturday night.

Then my daughter called yesterday and said she was coming home for Easter.  Next thing I know, I said she should bring home friends.

So, over dinner last night, I told Tom that the casino was out. A houseful of sorority girls was in. And that we needed Easter baskets. And to clean up everything. Did he want a ham on Saturday night? Should we have a big breakfast before church on Sunday or a brunch after the services? And, well, since it’s finally stopped snowing…perhaps I needed a new Easter dress. Now that we were going to be having company and all…

My husband just looked at me and smiled.

Yep, things are hectic again, but I’m happy. 

What about you? What are your plans for Easter? 

Shelley

 

 
 












real chocolate bunny

A Review

I’m not sure what happened, but I woke up in the middle of the night Thursday with some kind of stomach bug. It hit me suddenly, lasted a couple of hours, then left me feeling tired and rotten all day Friday. It seems all my gloating about ‘never getting sick’ has come back to bite me.

By Saturday I was up and about, and by Sunday, I was almost back to normal. Today, it was business as usual. I had a critique meeting with my writing buddies, ran a couple of errands, then headed home to contine revisions on Peace, my October release.

In the middle of everything, I received two very nice reviews. One was from Romantic Times Magazine, which gave Ray of Light 4 Stars. Yay! I always worry about first reviews. The second review I received was for Daybreak. It was so kind I decided to share it~I don’t see reviews like this very often!

If you’ve read Daybreak and posted a review of your own on CBD.com or amazon.com, or recommended it to a friend, thank you! If you enjoy buying books, and have preordered Ray of Light, thank you for that, too. I truly appreciate all of your support.

At this moment, it’s Still Snowing here at our house. Anyone else seeing snow, too? Warm spring weather will be so appreciated!

Thank you for stopping by!

blessings,

Shelley

 From Sharon Galligar Chance,  the Times Record News in Wichita Falls, Texas

So many books out these days feature the lives of the Amish and Mennonite people, and among those novels, the ones written by Shelley Shepard Gray emerge as ones that capture the people, their way of living, and the events that shape their lives.

Gray’s latest book, “Daybreak: Book One of The Days of Redemption,” is no exception.

In the beginning of this new series, readers are introduced to the residents of the Daybreak Retirement Home, located in a Mennonite community in Ohio, and to Viola Keim, a health care provider at the home. Even though she isn’t a Mennonite, but a New Order Amish, Viola finds herself wondering just how adult children can abandon their parents to live out their final days in the care of strangers instead of living at home with them, as the Amish do.

Viola is particularly fond of an elderly gentleman named Atle Swartz, who is wheelchair bound but is as ornery as they come. But lately Viola finds she can dish it back to him in a manner that creates a wonderful relationship despite the age difference. However, when Atle shares the letters from his beloved son who is volunteering in mission work in Nicaragua, she isn’t pleased with how he has seemed to have abandoned his father.

She is surprised when Edward unexpectedly returns home to see his father. Viola has a hard time coming to terms with the care for aging parents and feels obligated to share her concerns with Edward, with no holds barred. But even in the midst of their disagreements, there seems to be a sparks igniting between them that is more than just anger. Can they work through their differences before Edward is off on his next mission, or will he find contentment closer to home?

In a secondary story, Viola learns that even her own family has troubles and hidden secrets of their own. This opens her eyes up to the possibilities that not everything is as it appears on the surface. Viola and her family learn that her grandmother was born “English” and she and her grandfather have hidden the facts of their lives before marriage from their children. Now Viola’s grandparents have to come to understand that their reputation as the perfect family isn’t really true and the standards they have placed on their children growing up have made life more difficult than they could have imagined.

What implications will these newly uncovered secrets have, not only on their immediate family but in the Amish community. And will this new knowledge help Viola move toward a softer heart toward Edward and his own father?

“Daybreak” is an intriguing look into the little-known private lives of the close-knit Amish community, including the day-to-day problems and worries they share with the rest of the world. The difference is in how they handle these problems, both privately and religiously.

This new cast of characters is lively and very personable, and the setting, as always, is peaceful and soothing. I enjoy how Gray brings a saucy side of realism to the story and makes “Daybreak” a grand debut for her new series involving the folks of the retirement center. I look forward to the next installment of this planned series.

© 2013 Times Record News.  [image error]

Thank You Note Day

So, I discovered that yesterday, March 20, was National Thank You Note Day.  I saw the notice on www.southernliving.com, and with that header was a photo of an envelope and letter. So, yes, they were talking about real thank you notes. The ones that require pens, stationery, and stamps.

Are you good at writing thank you notes? When I was little, saying I was too busy to write those letters was a guaranteed invitation for a long, involved lecture from my father. If someone takes the time to do something nice for you, he would say, I had better take the time to thank them. Right away!

So, for the most part, I’m pretty good at writing those notes.

But what struck me about Thank You Note Day was that it wasn’t about thanking someone for a birthday present or a nice dinner out. It was for thanking someone because of the many little things they might do that you’ve begun to take for granted.

And, I’m embarrassed to admit this,  I’m not all that good at taking the time to write letters like that.

If someone handed you a pretty card, pen, and a stamp and asked you to write a thank you to someone…who would you choose? Last night I started making a list. It’s continued this morning. If I do actually write all those notes…well, I’m going to need to buy more stamps!

But I thought I’d share a couple of folks here, just because they’re on my mind.

First, I’d thank my brother and sister for being, well, my brother and sister. At least once a week I get a text or an email from them…just checking in. Since both of our parents are gone, I so appreciate them taking the time to stay in touch. Just to say hi.

I’d thank my writing buddies. We’ve become more than just critique partners, we’ve become close friends. But that doesn’t mean I don’t still send them frantic emails asking them to please edit a chapter. And if possible, to please do it quickly. Of course they help me all the time, and I need to write them a real letter to thank them for that.

I’d thank the lady at the post office who always smiles when she sees me and says ‘Hi, Shelley!’, just like I wasn’t there the day before. Same thing with the girl at the dry cleaners who always has a book in her hands. We talk books, which makes running errands so much nicer.

Finally, I’d thank my girlfriends from church. Whether we’re at a Bible study or out to dinner, or all just hanging out with our husbands watching a football game, they make me smile. We talk about kids and jewelry, clothes and recipes.  Our time together is always ‘nothing special’. But because of that, it’s special indeed.

See what I mean? This list could go on for quite a while!

I think even though it’s not Thank You Note Day anymore I’m still going to pick a person and write a quick note to thank them. As my father would say, it would be time well spent.

What about you? Who would you write if you, too, were going to spend Thank You Note Day?

By the way…I’m thankful for all of you, too!

With blessings,

Shelley

 

 

Ray of Light

 

 

Here in southern Ohio, we seem to be stuck in the middle of a cold snap. Last night, it was sleeting, and the weather forecasters say that tomorrow’s high will hover around 38*.  Brrr!  That’s too cold for me for mid-March. I’m anxious for it not only to be spring on the calendar, but for it to feel that way, too.

We have two mallard ducks that visit our creek almost every summer. They arrived here in the middle of last week and their appearance was such a welcome sight. The ducks are back, the trees are budding, we even have a robin making a nest right outside my husband’s office. Now, I just need to hope that the weather will turn a little warmer soon so I can go spend my afternoons on our back deck…

All this cold weather has made me so happy to have something warm to think about…the next book in the Days of Redemption Series! A good portion of Ray of Light takes place in the Amish Snowbird community of Pinecraft, Florida. Just thinking about walking on the beach and feeling the warm sun on my face makes me smile. Ray of Light is already available for preorder. If you are interested in the book, I hope hope you’ll consider pre-ordering it!

 

Checking in

I’ve so enjoyed spending the week with my daughter.  She and I have really gotten close and she’s so easy to hang out with. Last night she watched American Idol with me. It’s my favorite show and lately I’ve been watching it alone. It’s definitely more fun to talk about the singers, the songs, the judges, the outfits with another girl!  Today I’m writing and she’s studying before she heads back to school and some of her friends tomorrow.

I was actually very happy to head down to my office today. I usually write every day, so when I miss a day or two I get a little antsy. One of the things I’m going to be working on over the next few months is an Amish Historical! I just signed a contract for this book. It’s set in Holmes County during the Civil War, and I’ve really been hoping to have the chance to write this book. When I have a title and a release date, I’ll share it then!

Finally, I thought I’d share a very sweet photo of Rudy, my son’s dog. I’m not on Twitter but my kids are, and it turns out that my son sends photos of his dog on Twitter every now and then! Last night, my daughter received this one and she forwarded it to me.  He’s so cute! I told my son I need to head down to Alabama just to see the pup…and him of course!

 

See you next week!

Although I’ll keep up with my daily page count, I decided to take most of the week off. My daughter’s in town for spring break, and I’m having a lot of fun spending time with my 20 year old. Yesterday we got pedicures, today we’re going out to lunch and shopping. In between all this fun, we’ve been cooking and cleaning out closets! Here’s a photo of my sweet girl, taken last summer. I’ll check back in next Monday~ enjoy your week!

 

A New Book

I walked out of Barnes & Noble with a sack of books and magazines yesterday afternoon. It felt a little odd, almost like it was 2008 all over again! A couple of years ago I got a Kindle, and now that’s how I buy 99% of my books. I read a lot, usually three to four books a week, so I love getting books easily on my ereader.

However, sometimes I still need to go to the bookstore.

I’ve been in my share of bookstores and libraries during  the last couple of weeks. I’ve signed books, spoken to groups, read from Daybreak, and just chatted with folks, saying hello.  All of that is great. It’s wonderful! But it’s not why I love to go to bookstores.  I love to go to bookstores because I like books. And, well, sometimes I just need a few moments to wander around and be a reader.

Yesterday was one of those times. Since I got sick, I haven’t left the house much. It was all I could do to get my pages written for the day and then take a nap. But yesterday I felt almost like myself, and I wanted to celebrate by taking a few hours off. 

I had an excellent time. I got my latte, got an oatmeal raisin cookie, and then wandered. I read the backs of tons of books. I scanned the sale aisle. Then I hit the mystery section and the romance section. And the new release table. Not once did I go look at any titles with ‘shelley shepard gray’ on them. 

And though I’ve often written down titles and ordered a few on my Kindle when I’ve gotten home, this time I bought the real books. I bought a new cookbook (not that I needed yet another cookbook!), Maeve Binchy’s newest hardcover, and a mystery I had been eyeing for quite a while, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary. Early this morning, while the snow was still falling outside, I opened up that mystery, sipped hot coffee, and read the first five chapters.

Now, it’s sitting on the table next to the couch, practically calling my name. Everytime I pass it, I smile. Already, I’m looking forward to getting back to it.

First, though, I need to finish my pages for the day,  and go visit with a book club that has been reading my novels. But you can bet late tonight, I’ll be sitting in bed, reading late into the night. I can’t wait.

 

Diet Coke, Hot Baths, and Kleenex

Tomorrow, I’ll be putting on a dress, pinning up my hair, and driving to the Union Township Branch of the Clermont County Library to give a book talk.

(4450 Glen Este-Withamsville Road, 4450 Glen Este-Withamsville Rd, Batavia, OH  (513) 528-1744)

This library visit has been planned for months, and I’m very excited for the event! This branch is part of my local library system, and one of my dearest friends is a librarian for them. If you live nearby,(it’s just east of Cincinnati) I hope you’ll join me! I’ll be there at 2:00, and will also be selling and signing copies of Daybreak as well as the rest of my novels.

To be honest, on Wednesday morning, I was a little worried that I would have to cancel this event. I picked up a little cold on the tour that turned into a sinus infection and a bad case of bronchitis. I am rarely sick, so it threw me for a loop! Luckily, I went to the doctor, got some antibiotics, and was told by my kids and husband to drink Diet Coke and take a couple of hot baths.

There’s a story there, of course! For years, a Diet Coke and hot bath has pretty much been my answer to everything. Sad? Tired? Out too late the night before? Sip a Diet Coke and take a hot bath! That is always my ‘go to’, feel-better cure. (much to my kids’ amusement)

I did take my medicine. And drink juice.  Tried to sleep, too. But by Wednesday afternoon, I found myself on the couch, sipping a Diet Coke in a glass with ice and a straw…right after I had taken a hot bubble bath. Oh, and the box of Kleenex was on the couch too. As were two dachshunds.

I had a stuffy nose, a fever, and a bad cough. It wasn’t a pretty sight.  Actually, I was really glad to be home alone. But by yesterday evening I felt better. I even picked up the house and did the dishes for my husband who flew home last night! Today? I’m still a bit stuffy, but have almost returned to my usual self.  By tomorrow I know I’ll be ready to get back to my regular life, and I’m thankful for that.

If you’ve been under the weather too, I hope you will feel better soon!  And, please, let me know if your family has any favorite ‘cures’ that seem to do the trick!

In the meantime, perhaps I’ll see you on Saturday at the library! (The basket of books will be the giveaway!)

Shelley