B.J. Hoff's Blog, page 2

February: Endings and Beginnings

I won't be sorry to see February end. Even so, I'm choosing to see this ending as a beginning. I've already written (on Facebook) about my husband's most recent major surgery, from which he's still recovering. Yesterday we had to have our one remaining furry family member (Ember-Kitty) put to sleep because of an incurable illness and the distress it was causing her. We "rescued" her eleven years ago, and she was a very special part of our family. Then today the company hosted my husband's "official" retirement party. Another ending--but also, I have to believe, a beginning. It was a heartwarming and an admittedly emotional experience, not only for him, but maybe even more so for me. Being married to a man so much-loved, respected, and admired by so many others, reading and hearing their gratitude for what he's "taught" them, and watching the open display of affection by so many, and even the tears shed at his departure, had me fighting for composure more than once. 

No, I won't be sad to say good-bye to this month, but I'm not going to dwell on the endings that have transpired during it either. I'm simply praying that God will turn those endings to new and welcome beginnings. And I pray He'll do the same for you.
BJ

Why Downton Abbey Works for Me ... When It Shouldn't

So ... I've been watching Downton Abbey (anyone out there who isn't?). I came to it late, but am finally caught up as of last night. Don't worry--no spoilers here. Actually I had already caved and bought the first two series DVDs so we could watch it straight through and avoid any spoilers.
I confess that it's set in one of my least favorite periods for novels or films. I probably wouldn't have gone past the first episode of the first season except for two things: the characterization and the acting. Oh, the plotting is great, too, but plotting alone never holds my interest very long. Too many unexpected twists and turns actually annoy me. But I haven't found one character in this who isn't "memorable"--and the acting so far is stunning. It seems to me that whoever cast this crew must be a genius. Each actor perfectly fits the role. You simply forget you're watching a group of actors, and given that they're living their lives in the Edwardian and post-Edwardian age, that's quite a coup!

BJ

What a Character!

As
a reader, have you ever come upon a fictional character who makes you a little
crazy? Maybe he (she) is unpredictable and, at least early in the book, a bit
insufferable. Hot-tempered, yet gentle with animals.  A tendency toward arrogance, but likable all the same. A character
you can't quite figure out but also can't put out of your mind.
A mystery, a puzzle, a challenge. 

Did you know that writers sometimes encounter this sort of frustration with a character in their own stories--a character they created? True for me, in any event. For example, in my Riverhaven Years series, Jeremiah Gant (the kind of character I refer to as the "anchor" of a story) throughout the entire trilogy kept me scratching my head on a regular basis. A riverboat captain turned carpenter. A loner turned lover. A seeker who settled. Each time I thought I'd nailed him, he'd show up with a new personality trait as if to say "Oh, yeah? Well, watch this." At times he displayed many of the dual character traits I listed above--and then some. Yet he was great fun to work with!

I think in every one of my stories there's a character--sometimes more than one--who tries to keep me guessing ... and usually succeeds, at least for a part of the story. Stranger still, I've come to realize that, even though these are the story people who tax my patience the most and continually challenge me to keep up with them, they're also the ones I most enjoy working with. 

Jonathan Stuart of my Mountain Song Legacy kept me on my toes because at the begining of the series he was physically weak and ill, but he was a rock in terms of his faith and spiritual depth. He often presented me with a difficult personality to balance. I had to constantly be on guard to prevent him from taking on an aura of "saintliness" or "martyrdom."

Morgan Fitzgerald of my Emerald Ballad series at times could be a terror to work with. A vagabond, a poet, a statesman, and a rascal, there were times I just wanted to shake some sense into him, but it would have been a losing battle.

Probably the character who provided me with the greatest struggle, however (and at the same time possibly the most enjoyment), was Jack Kane, the Irish newspaper magnate of my Song of Erin duet. He's too complicated to define, but if you've read the books he dominated, you no doubt understand why I'd put him at the top of the list!  

So when you're reading one of my novels, be assured that at some point in the story, both reader and writer are probably thinking, "Now why did he do that?" At the same time I try not to wonder what my editor (Nick Harrison) thinks about these ... "diverse" ...  characters who periodically invade his life.

BJ

 

A New Year's Eve Prayer

Lord, save us from stumbling over the rubble and debris of the past . . . Set us on a new road with a new hope for the future.

("For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11)

Readers: Here's a Gift for YOU, at a Great Price

Have you finished your shopping, or are you still looking for a last-minute gift? Something for an avid reader, maybe? Just found out that Harvest House Publishers is offering the e-Reader version of one of my most popular novels at a fantastic price:

*Song of the Silent Harp,* Book 1 of my Emerald Ballad series, can be downloaded starting tomorrow, Dec.22 through Jan.2, 2013, for only $2.99 at Amazon.com, B&N Nook, Apple, Sony Reader, etc. 

Song of the Silent Harp begins the five-book saga of three friends raised in a tiny Irish village devastated by the Potato Famine of the mid-1800s, as they struggle to survive and hold onto their faith during Ireland’s darkest days. The story of a friendship, a faith, and a love that crossed the ocean--the saga of many of our own ancestors who fled their homeland and helped to build America. This is Book One in the series that first brought the story of the Irish immigration to the CBA marketplace.

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“A riveting story, with realistic Irish characters and lots of hardships make this a fascinating historical read.”
—CBA Retailers + Resources

“The struggle to survive, against impossible odds, will touch your heart. After reading The Song of the Silent Harp you will be forever changed.”
—TheReadersCove.blogspot.com 

 

Betrayal

Lately I've been reading--and in some cases, rereading--seasonal stories: Christmas short stories, novellas with a winter setting, etc. But I took a break long enough to read a "non-seasonal" novel from a friend and author who never fails to deliver a well-written, all-around good story.

If you enjoy historical fiction even half as much as I do with a story containing believable, "real" characters, by an author who seamlessly tells a story with moving spiritual insight and genuine depth of emotion--pick up a copy of Robin Lee Hatcher's Betrayal. Robin doesn't so much write a "romance"--although her novels are romantic--as she draws you into a well-developed and carefully textured love story. Betrayal  also addresses forgiveness and spiritual redemption without sermonizing. So if you're feeling  a bit of Christmas overload by now and want to step away from all the season's busy-ness for a brief time, here you go. 

BJ

A Few of My Favorite Things

This is an update on a previous entry. This time of year always sets me to thinking about what I like best ... and least ... about the Christmas season. Some old thoughts--and some new ones.

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What I like best: (In addition to the obvious: time with family and friends)

The music of the season. The good music that is, not the dumb stuff. 

Christmas books--especially short story collections and novels. Some are on the cheesy side, I'll grant you, but there are also some good ones available from the past and the present. And that just might prompt another post on "favorites."

The colors. I love the lights and decorations here at home and all around. Have you noticed how drab everything looks for a time after the house ... and the town ... are "undecorated?"

The "peace and good will" that warms the season. Yes, I know peace is a deceptive thing, even an illusion, in today's world--but in small towns and cities, with strangers at the mall as well as among our neighbors, there's a different "feeling," a mist of friendliness, a little less guardedness, and a certain lightheartedness ... for a time. We may not be able to define it, but it's different. A welcome change. And we need it. 

Snow. Don't roll your eyes at me. I love snow, always have. Illness kept me shut in too many winters as a child. I was always looking out, watching others enjoy the white stuff. So when winter comes, I still look forward to that first snowfall and each one that follows. Sometimes, of course, Ohio winters disappoint us, and we don't see more than a trace until January or February, when it's not as welcome (to some) as it might have been in December. But I'll take its quiet beauty whenever it comes. But so far this year? I'm still waiting.

Children. What's not to love about a child at Christmas? No matter how much sugar he's had or how little sleep we might have had, there's a wonder, a sweet innocence and shining excitement that heightens our own joy and gives us a fresh breath of hope.

Surprises. Somehow there always seems to be the possibility of a wish fulfilled, an uexpected message or even a visit from an old friend stepping back into your life, a kindness from a stranger, a whispered secret, a new story, a miracle.

What I like least:

The retail holiday commercialism that begins in September. Would it be asking too much to wait until at least Black Friday? It wasn't the Grinch who stole Christmas, folks--it was the media and the malls.

Retail advertising and sales folks wishing me "Happy Holidays." I return their bland, generic greeting with an enthusiastic "Merry Christmas!" This is our holiday season--a Christian season--and I'll gladly share it with anyone willing to observe it for what it is. But let's call it by its rightful name.

Dancing Santa dolls in the shopping malls with their fake "ho-ho-ho's" and off-key "Jingle Bell Rock" ... in early autumn.

The song, "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" ... for obvious reasons.

Packing up the decorations for another year. I delay it as long as decently possible. I am so not one who can't wait to get the season over with so "things will get back to normal." Who wants normal? We're the house on the street the neighbors point to and touch their heads as they walk by. 

The movie, "A Christmas Story." Sigh. How long as it been since any kid asked for a BB gun anyway? And why would any parent give him one? And ten thousand screenings of this chestnut are more than enough by now, don't you think?

And if I hear that awful song, "Please, Daddy, Don't Get Drunk for Christmas" one more time already this year, I am going to hurt someone. Really. 

The terms "reaching across the aisle" and the "fiscal cliff" that, never mind the hype, seem to be as much a part of the season as they threaten to be a permanent part of our future. Yet they're not related, by any stretch of the imagination, to the Christmas spirit. What? You think I'm making big out of little? Well, if so, I'm willing to make amends. Just find me Three Wise Men anywhere in Washington D.C. and I'll invite you to Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. 

Meanwhile, enjoy all YOUR favorite things and never mind the rest. 

BJ

 

Thanksgiving ...

This promises to be an exceedingly busy, full week, so I wanted to take time today to send you the Thanksgiving thoughts and wishes I repeat every year--from the heart.

I’m thankful ... for the God who saved me, the family who loves me, the home that shelters me, the friends who believe in me, a church that welcomes me .... For seasons that change and truth that doesn’t ... For music that stirs and soothes and heals and speaks of feelings beyond those I can voice ... For a country that values freedom and is willing to pay the price to preserve it for ourselves and others .... I’m thankful for countless books to read, and for those readers who read the books I write, for the editors who make the books better, and for the publishers who make the books possible .... I’m thankful for small furry creatures that make me smile when nothing else can, for the sturdy oak trees in my back yard that grew up with my children and now shade my grandchildren and give sanctuary to my memories .... I’m thankful for every gift of goodness that brings me gladness, every trial that takes me to my knees, and every prayer uttered in my behalf that makes a difference, though often unknown to the one who cared enough to pray ....

And I’m thankful for you, every one of you, that you trust me enough to ask me for an answer to a question or offer a word of encouragement or a prayer. You bless me again and again with your caring hearts. 

I wish you a bountiful, prayerful, joyful Thanksgiving and a holiday season that blankets you and those you love with amazing grace and enduring peace.

God bless you.

BJ

Major Turnoffs

You reach the point where you realize time is too precious to waste, and you become more aware of those irritants you can do without. There are simply some  intrusions you don't need to allow in your life. So if you can, you tune them out. Ignore them. Turn them off.  

"Turnoffs." I use the term literally, not simply to describe things that make me grind my teeth--but that actually get turned off at my house. For example, any music performed by someone with the first name of Lady, Mister, or Baby. Films that include the words massacre, zombies, walking dead, cemetery, or road trip. Books that are deemed artful, thoughtful, skillful, provocative, or challenging. TV shows that still use a laugh track or whose laughs are based on bathroom or bedroom humor. 

But wait ... there's more.

Political debates with moderators who participate instead of moderating. Political analysts who assume I'm so dense they have to tell me the meaning of what I just saw or heard. Politicians who insist they didn't say "that" when I heard them say "that." Political candidates who smirk (or laugh) while their opponents are speaking. (This seems to be an occupational hazard these days.)

Commentators who talk over their invited guests. Commentators who can't control and conceal their personal prejudices and agendas. Commentators who bluster and rant and turn red in the face when someone disagrees with them. Commentators who use hate as a weapon and religion as a punching bag. 

That seems like a lot of turnoffs, I know. But think of the time it saves.

Not to mention the headaches. 

BJ

 

A Really Big Deal!

Special deal for you e-readers: Today through Oct. 22 you can download the first two
books of The Riverhaven Years (Rachel's Secret and Where Grace Abides) for $2.99! Available for your Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Sony Reader, Apple, etc. Now that the third book (River of Mercy) is available, this is a great way to pick up the first two titles at a bargain price!

BJ