Roxanne Rustand's Blog, page 23

Tucker's Photo Shoot!

How many of you love taking pictures?  I've loved photography since I was a little girl, playing in my dad's darkroom, developing my own photos and watching the magic wrought by cropping and dodging as pictures materialized on the plain photo paper.  I miss the sharp smell of the chemicals, and the magic that took place!  Dad was an avid photographer–extensive still and 16mm film while he was in the CIC during WWII, then a broad range of photography  throughout the rest of his life.  He passed away twelve years ago, but oh, how he would have loved toying with the advanced digital cameras we have today! 

Well, getting back to the theme of this blog, yesterday was Tucker's big day.   Tucker Pine Bar is my big sorrel  AQHA gelding, and I've got him up for sale on Craig's List as of last night.  Back during the film age,  I might have grudgingly shot a roll of 36 exposures at the most, and thought that was over the top.  Yesterday, I shot over 150!  What a fun day–outside in the warm, bright sunshine in Mid-November (unusual for the  Midwest this time of year), spending time with the horses,  and also, the first time I tried out my a new lens–a Canon f/4L IS  70-200mm.  In the first photo, shot at 200mm, it makes it look like the neighbor's house is much closer than it really is.

I wish the blog would support  18 MP photos, but to be loaded here I had to reduce them by 75%. 

At any rate, I thought I would share some photos of Tucker.

 

 

Do you enjoy taking photos? Do you a favorite camera, or some memorable photo-taking experiences you'd like to share?

Oh, and by the way, if you think Tucker looks nice, he's for sale! 

(Note: if you are reading this on Facebook or on Goodreads, this post originated from the All Creatures Great and Small Blog, at www.roxannerustand.com.  Come on over and say howdy!

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

including Small Town Christmas

Love Inspired Duet – November 2011
Mini-Matchmakers And An Old Fashion Christmas



When the new second grade teacher, Amy Carroll, meets the precocious twin sisters, she knows she has her hands full, but when she learns they live on the street where she is staying with her grandmother and they have a single father who is handsome and needs help, Amy's hands are beyond full. But Amy's from Chicago and falling in love with a small town man is not part of her plan. Can God waylay Amy's desire to return to the big city? Can Mike Russett open his heart to love?
"Martin's story contains strong characters and touching scenes" – Romantic Times



Multi-award-winning novelist, Gail Gaymer Martin writes Christian fiction for Love Inspired and Barbour Publishing, where she was honored by Heartsong readers as their Favorite Author of 2008. Gail has forty-nine contracted novels with over three million books in print. She is the author of Writers Digest's Writing the Christian Romance. Gail is a co-founder of American Christian Fiction Writers, a keynote speaker at churches, libraries and civic organizations  and presents workshops at conference across the US. She was recently named one of the four best novelists in the Detroit area by CBS local news. This duet novel also includes Brenda Minton's Her Christmas Cowboy, and is available in all stores where books are sold.  To Purchase online click link:

I have a new book out now!

I have a book out in the stores right now–November, 2011–and since I often feature new books by other authors, I figure I'd better let you know about mine!  It's a Love Inspired, and its part of the Rocky Mountain Heirs series.  I hope you'll check it out!

RT Bookclub Magazine Rating

THE LONER'S THANKSGIVING WISH (4) by Roxanne Rustand: To satisfy the conditions of her grandfather's will, Mei Clayton has returned to the hometown and family that never seemed to accept her. Both sides of her family are at odds and Jack McCord, Mei's high school crush, is linked to the wrong side. He may be able to get on her mother's good side when he offers to track down Mei's missing brother. Someone seems determined to run Mei out of town. Can a Thanksgiving meal mend the rift in her family? At times, many feel that, due to their differences, they do not belong. Rustand reminds us that God always has a plan, even if it is not obvious to us.

RT Magazine Reviewer's Choice Awards–2011

I hadn't even looked at the list of nominees  on the RT Bookclub Magazine website until this morning–and then was surprised and delighted to see that both MURDER AT GRANITE FALLS (4/2011)  and DUTY TO PROTECT  (12/2011)  are nominated for Best Love Inspired Suspense of 2011.  What happy news!

I could sure use it, today.  Yesterday, I found my favorite barn cat, a pretty little calico, dead in the horse trailer, and my heart just broke.  And we've had our vet out twice recently, to assess our 35-year-old AQHA palomino gelding, Smokey.  Despite six scoops of grain a day (the other, younger ones receive a half-scoop and are still too fat!) he is emaciated–just skin and bones.  Even with his winter coat, he has almost no insulation, and the vet feels he is very likely to go down from hypothermia over the winter, even if we keep blankets on him.  The choice?  Risk him suffering, unable to get up, and having to put him down in the bitter cold of winter, or avoid that potential suffering and take care of him now.  He's had a very long, wonderful life with big pastures and the best of care, the  past ten years in complete retirement. But what a sad and awful decision to make.  What would you do?  

Author Lyn Cote asks, have you ever depended on an animal?

Lyn writes…[image error]

Today I want to tell you about an important animal character in my latest book, La Belle Christiane. First I should admit that I'm not a horse person. I love dogs and cats but prefer cats as pets now. But in La Belle Christiane, my heroine depends on Nancy, her horse. In this day and age, we don't recall a period when horses and men were linked by necessity. A horse often meant the difference between survival and death. Now imagine this scene, the beautiful young girl on my cover in an inn's filthy stable in with her escort an English officer.

An excerpt follows from Lyn's new book La Belle Christiane….available this week as a $.99 ebook!

For Kindle Readers link: http://amzn.to/neGyOP

For All Other Ereaders such as the Nook purchase link:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...

"Eastham was not going to let this disreputable innkeeper out of his sight. He had no respect for any man who did not care for his animals. Waiting, the trio stood in an uncomfortable, shivering silence, broken only by Nancy's painful breathing. The major moved closer to Christiane, shielding her from the drafts.

As Christiane waited, different memories passed through her mind. She saw Nancy and herself, escaping the devastated Rumsveld with the two little boys. She saw Tobias Ander walking beside Nancy, turning up his face to look at Christiane as they traveled southward. At the end, she saw the mare in the stark moonlight on the night they had searched for young Ben together. Nancy had been through so much with her. Tears welled up in her eyes, so she looked down at her shoes.

"Madame, are your feet cold? Would you prefer to wait inside by the fire?"

"No," she answered, looking up at him. He saw her wet eyes and once again she won his sympathy. He knew what it was to be attached to an animal.

Then they heard the voices: one a loud female with a thick German accent and the other the private's piping tones. The barn doors opened, admitting the two along with a fresh blast of icy air.

"You got sick horse?" the older woman asked.

"Can you do anything for her?" the major bawled.

"Ja," she answered in booming tones. "But not in dis dirt!" She put her shawl to her nose to demonstrate her disgust.

The major and Christiane exchanged looks. She nodded.

Carefully Christiane threaded her way through the refuse to Nancy's side again. Then she knelt beside the horse and began stroking her neck and explaining to her as though the mare were her child. Then she stood and slipped a nearby bridle over the mare's head and coaxed in gentle tones, pulling lightly on the rein.

The four observers watched silently, each one evidently curious to see if she could get the mare on her feet. Then Nancy began to rock, front and back. Painfully, slowly, she pulled herself to her knees and then to her feet. She stood, wheezing and gasping for breath. Christiane threw her arms around the mare's neck and hugged her. "Oh, Nancy, good girl!"

"Ve take her to mein barn!" The old woman looked around and located a dusty old horse blanket, hanging from a peg. Quickly the two women draped it over the horse's back and led her from the stall.

Major Eastham fixed an eye on the culprit. He knew it would be very difficult to prove any charge against the innkeeper, at least this time. "You will be watched," he said ominously to the worried man.

This scene takes place early in Christiane and Eastham's relationship. I think it revealed much about both of them to each other.   Have you ever depended on an animal? Right now I know my dh and I depend on our cats to give us joy and entertainment. Both of us agree-our home would be a boring place without them!

Lyn Cote

 

 

A new gal is moving into our barn!

We seem to seeing more and more spots in front of our eyes these days!  Last fall I found Susie, a small paint mare both kids and adults can ride, but since then I've been on the lookout for another quiet, road-safe, trail-safe horse…big enough for any adult, but not so tall that climbing on is an issue. The older I get, the tougher it is!   If we have company, its nice knowing that we have safe horses for them to ride.

This proved to be a banner week, because I just found Buttons!  Her registered name is a lot longer, but  her nickname is sweet and fits her to a T. She's a paint, with little button-like spots here and there on her off side (not shown in the photo.)

I rode her yesterday for several hours through a small town, on a road, and over harvested cornfields, and she was just the sweetest, calmest gal.  Her former owner is delivering tomorrow.  Yay!

I'm also seriously considering her spunkier, dark palomino stablemate, who was a hoot to ride.  She's got a fast walk, quite a bit more energy, but is also road and trail safe.  She's not one for beginners,  but our kids  had horses and ponies before they could walk, so she would work for the grown-up kids and I. She's quite a glamor puss, with that unusually dark palomino color contrasting with the light main and tail.

Here are some photos, taken at their owner's place. What do you think of Buttons, and the other mare?

 

 

Guest blogger: Cindy Gerard

Because they're cute. We all like cute, right?  Cute babies, cute critters, cute guys??    I mean – look at these cats. This is Buddy and Sly.  They're hugging.  It's adorable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here's Buddy helping me make the bed.

Makes you go, 'aweeee' doesn't it?

[image error]

 

 

 

 

 

Or how about this one?  Could he have FOUND a smaller basket?[image error]

What these cute pictures DON'T show is the side of their nature that turns up their nose at the exact same cat food they've been eating all month, or the times when I call kitty, kitty because I want something warm and snuggle on my lap and they just tiptoe on by as if I'm a lump of doggie-do and they're the kings of the world.  Not so cute then.  But time and time, I forgive them because … they're cute.

Cute guys get by with murder.  They can be mean, nasty, arrogant and irreverent but in the end, if they're cute, MOST of the time we forgive them.

Cute, unfortunately – or fortunately if you're among those cute masses – gets you places.  It gets you out of traffic tickets, it gets you concert tickets, it gets you to the front of the line.  So today, I'm asking – confession time here – have you ever used your own cuteness quotient to get you something you wanted or out of something you wanted?  If so, what was it?  And what is it about the cute factor that negates all the ugly stuff that sometimes goes with the package?

And least I forget – check out the cute, hot guy on my July release WITH NO REMORSE  I don't know about you, but this guy could get by with a lot because he's …. well, cute )[image error]

Speaking of guys … and this is important … SEAL OF MY DREAMS will be released (and is available for pre-order on Kindle NOW) on Veterans Day, 11-11-11.  SOMD is a collection of short stories written by 18 wonderful authors who all volunteered their time and talents to help our wounded warriors.

ALL proceeds from SEAL OF MY DREAMS will go the Veteran's Medical Research Foundation. www.sealofmydreams.com So be sure to look for this book, okay?  It's a wonderful way to give back to those who gave so much AND get a great read in the process.

Cindy Gerard

www.cindygerard.com

If you are reading this on Facebook, it has originated at The All Creatures Great and Small Blog, at www.roxannerustand.com.  Come on over and say howdy!

Stingrays, dolphins, turtles & gators…what fun!

Howdy!

This is the All Creatures Great and Small blog, and boy, did my husband and I ever get to see some wonderful creatures this past week!  We went on a cruise from Miami to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands with a group of writers, but before leaving Miami we went on an Everglades tour.  I'd expected the Everglades to look like the bayou near New Orleans, but the two are very different.  We loved the alligators–and as you can see, I even got to wrestle one.    Actually, I just got to gently hold him for a quick photo.  But look at the photo of the giant alligator that suddenly climbed out of a canal and approached a man waaaay too closely.  I was using a telephoto at the moment–I'm glad I was farther away! Luckily, the 'gator turned and went back in the  canal.  Whew!

On Grand Cayman, we went on a boat tour to the Stingray City Sandbar–way out in the Caribbean, in an area where the beautiful, crystal clear  aquamarine water is just waist high. Flocks (herds? Schools?) of stingrays gather there, knowing that they'll receive treats, and they are amazingly gentle.  They brushed up against us, let us stroke them, and one even let us hold him for a photo.  The stingray in the photo was actually resting on my outstretched arms, and the underbelly felt like wet rubber–a lot like a dolphin!

We then went to The Dolphin Experience, where we got to play with dolphins–sadly, I have no photos of that wonderful afternoon.   What beautiful creatures they are!

Last stop–a sea turtle breeding facility, where they raise turtles to be released into the wild.  The little ones in the photos are just two weeks old.  Aren't they adorable?  When I gently held one, it rowed vigorously with those long flippers–almost like a baby bird trying to fly.

We're back home now, and though the trip was incredible, I'm so happy to be back to crisp fall weather, with our dogs and cats, and the horses whinnying  over the fence.

What are some of your favorite experience with animals–the most memorable?  I'd love to hear about them!

Blessings, Roxanne

Please Don't Call Me the Cat Lady!

I grew up in a home where even neighborhood animals were welcomed to stop in and visit. I grew up with dogs, cats, gerbils, goldfish, ducks, parakeets and even a robin as pets. In my adult life, I've limited myself to cats, usually one at a time. Professor, Sheba, Shadow have been my feline friends over the years. Then when we moved north, we found V-8 and Sadie at the local shelter. Two cats at the same time. We were rolling in cats! Then my daughter moved home, bringing my gran-kitty Tricksy with her. And then my mil passed away and we inherited Mootzie (She was of Slovenian heritage and mutza is how they sat cat.) So here I am with four cats at once. But I didn't plan that, so don't call me the cat lady! (But of course I love them and they give us such joy with their playful ways.

What interesting names have you given your pets?

by guest blogger:  author Lyn Cote

2011 ACFW Carol Winner for Her Healing Ways

http://www.BooksbyLynCote.com

For the latest Christian Fiction Market Update

http://www.booksbylyncote.com/publishers.html

Lyn has a wonderful new book out  in the stores now!  Read on….and be sure to pick up a copy!

BUILDING A FAMILY, Love Inspired, ISBN: 978-0-373-87700-3

Lawyer Eleanor Washburn defends wayward teenagers and supervises volunteers for Habitat for Humanity without missing a beat. But she is unnerved by fascinating single dad Pete Beck—especially since his chaotic life includes a little girl wishing for a mother. Sweet Cassie has Eleanor yearning for what's been missing from her lonely existence. Soon, both dad and daughter are chipping away at Eleanor's defenses. Can she find the courage to risk losing her heart to this ready-made family?

Leann Ellis–lots of pets, and a wonderful new book!

Leanna Ellis, guest blogger, writes…

Pets of different shapes and sizes often wiggle their way into my books. In FACELIFT, a crazy out of control beast of a dog pushed my heroine to the brink. Even in FORSAKEN, pets speckle the story landscape, which was very natural because a lot of Amish have pets. And how do I know how to make these pets behave? Because I have several in my house.

Sometimes, I think I live in a barn. First, there's Liberty, our white lab. She's about to turn 10 and is as sweet as can be. Then there's Miracle, our rescue kitty, who is almost 9 and not very friendly. Then there's Hilo, our black labradoodle, named for our favorite spot on the island of Hawaii. We affectionately call her The Hilo Monster because of her wild and crazy antics. She's almost three. And finally, our newest addition is a blond/orange tabby who is our only boy. He's named Sawyer, for the hunk in LOST, because he's such a loverboy. He has stolen our hearts. But he's also a tyrant and rules the roost. Thankfully, he and Hilo get along great and they play together. Liberty wasn't so sure about Sawyer but even she is happy to rub noses with him. Miracle is still a bit out of sorts but I have confidence Sawyer will wear down her defenses.

You can read aboutall their crazy antics on my facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Leanna...

And here's some information on her latest book!

PLAIN FEAR: FORSAKEN  by Leanna Ellis

Sourcebooks,  ISBN  978-1402255403

Hannah Schmidt,a young Amish woman mourning the mysterious death of her beloved Jacob, must decide between two brothers, between good and evil. When she learns her first love is now the vampire Akiva, she must forsake him and cling to a new love, a lasting love, one that will save her soul.

Amish and vampires? Really? Yes, really. I'm asked a lot how this book came into being. Forsaken actually began as a joke. I was at a book signing and another author and I made a joke about we should write an Amish/vampire story because those were the two genres that were selling so well. Well, it really was a joke. I didn't rush home and start writing the book. But I suppose some seed was planted in my warped little brain and took root. Soon a character was speaking to me about her story and wanting me to write it. I resisted. But there was a very intriguing element that I couldn't seem to ignore.

To me, this was a Phantom of the Opera type story, with a love triangle, and a clear dividing line between good and evil. So I wrote the prologue and first chapter. Then I set it aside because I was busy meeting other deadlines. Besides what was I to do with an Amish/vampire story? I mentioned it eventually to a couple of writer friends.They laughed but in a good way and encouraged me to write it. Well, I wasn't so sure although I was becoming obsessed with the story. I spent a lot of time in prayer over this book, because I don't want to write something that God doesn'twant me to write. Also, I knew I'd have to leave the Christian market and sell it in the secular market. I wasn't about to make that move without God's clear direction. And he began to show me in more ways than one that this was the book He wanted me to write. More than a year passed, and I was at a writer's conference minding my own business and not pursuing this story at all. An editor said the perfect submission would be…you guessed it! An Amish/vampire story. So I made an appointment to meet that editor and just talk about the idea. It almost felt like when an addict first admits she has a problem. I felt likeI was teetering on the edge when I said, "I'm a writer and I've written an Amish/vampire story." Well, she requested it. What I love about this story is that it shows the battle of good and evil. Evil doesn't always appear with pitchfork and horns. Quite often, evil is appealing and attractive and hooks us in before we realize what has happened. Such is the case with my heroine Hannah. She simply loved a boy. But she opens her heart and her mind too easily and the consequences could be devastating.  Even though this story is published in the secular world, it has a powerful spiritual message, a message the world needs to hear.