B.J. Hoff's Blog, page 14

In Remembrance of Pearl Harbor

 December 7, 1941 ... 

    A day that would live in infamy--

A day that should live in our memory.

BJ

Meeting Captain Gant

 Today I'll be interviewing Jeremiah Gant--"Captain Gant"--from my historical Amish series, The Riverhaven Years. First, though, for those of you who aren't yet familiar with the residents of Riverhaven, I thought I'd introduce a few folks from this Old Order Amish settlement that's grown up near the Ohio River in southern Ohio. 

Rachel Brenneman--a young widow with a secret--a secret threatened by the arrival of a stranger who bursts into the remote Amish community like a torrential storm...

Where Are All These People Going (And Where Did They Come From?)

 "Where do your characters come from?" A question I'm often asked, and a question for which I have no real reply. I've been writing fiction for many years, and yet I can't begin to explain how my characters are "born" or how they "grow." I've been asked to teach classes on characterization--but I can't. After all, how would you react to an instructor who walked into a room and announced that she had no logical explanation for the subject on which she was invited to teach? 

I suppose it might...

Thanksgiving

Difficult as it may be to believe, we're once more entering our annual week of thanksgiving. Every year I post the following before I sign off to spend the week with family and friends, preparing for our yearly "festival of blessings." This year it seems especially important that we remember just how rich and precious those blessings really are, as we pray that God will continue to shed his goodness, His kindness, and His grace upon us.

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I'm thankful for the God who saved me, the family...

Animals are Characters Too

It seems that the majority of fiction readers enjoy finding animals in a story. Dogs are a particular favorite, but cats rank high, too, as do horses. Unfortunately, some writers seem slightly indifferent to characterizing their animals.

Yes--animals have character, too. I've seen too many novels with dogs on point out of a breed that doesn't point, and too many cats who shed their coats but are of a breed that doesn't shed. Did I mention that not all heroic horse characters need to be...

If You Like ...

A year or more ago, I compiled a comparison list of authors--one of those "If you like ... then try ..." types of lists. 

I've been asked to republish it. I don't have time to make any additions or changes to it, but I believe it's still fairly current.

BJ

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If You Like ...

My reader email indicates that a surprising number of general market readers are discovering Christian fiction and seeking out the genres that reflect their tastes and interests. To help out in their search, I've put...

In Remembrance

Veterans Day 2009 

Thank you for your sacrifice ...

     May it never be in vain.

Just Browsing ... Again

Thanks so much for all the suggestions I received from many of you via FB and DMs and email. If this were a contest for the favorite browser, Firefox would be a clear winner! 

And after some experimenting for a couple of days, it looks as though it--and Safari--will continue to be the ones I use most. I like them for different reasons, so I'll use them accordingly. I do like the Opera browser as well--in fact, I like it a lot. But it seems to lack a few features I've grown used to with FF...

Just Browsing ...

Here's a question for some of you: what browser are you using? Or if you use more than one, which is your favorite?

I've been trying out a few new ones, just to see if I've missed anything I might like better than Safari, but I have a feeling there might be some new options I don't even know about.

I think most of the ones I'm familiar with work with either Windows or Mac. I need one that's compatible with the Mac. 

You can offer suggestions here in the comments section or via private email...

Q & A

Q.    I keep hearing how ebooks are going to replace bound books. Do you think this will really happen? 

A.    I sincerely hope not. I do have a Kindle, but I still read "real books" far more than books on the Kindle. I like the convenience of an ereader. It's handy for carrying to the doctor's office, hairdresser's, and other places when you don't know how long you're going to wait but don't want to lug a lot of reading material with you. (And something in me, especially with the H1N1 all...