Sandi Layne's Blog, page 27

Teen Read Week Challenge

Teen Read Week is coming up – Oct. 13-19, 2013 TWCS is excited to be part of the fun with a VINE/INSTAGRAM Video Challenge! How does it work? Simple. 1. Between September 12th and October 17th, Make a VINE or INSTAGRAM video featuring a TWCS YA Book 2. Post it on the TWCS Young Adult […]

Cover Reveal – Éire’s Viking

At the end of Éire’s Captive Moon, many of my readers were still on Well, in the second book in the Éire’s Viking trilogy, Agnarr is the hero. Cover art by Megan Dooley, to be published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop Summary: It’s been years since Agnarr met his wyrd on the Green Island. Years since he […]

Éire's Viking is coming!

...and I'll be revealing its awesome cover next month!
Crafted beautifully by Megan Dooley, I'll be sharing it AND another surprise or two soon!

If you're interested in being a part of the unveiling, drop me a comment here  (or on my Facebook page or on twitter) and I'll get the information to you or have my publisher do so. :)
Thank you!
"His name is Tuirgeis, and he said he'd be back." - Colum, Éire's Captive Moon

Writing and Cooking

I realized why I enjoy cooking.

Not baking. I haven't baked my own bread since we moved to Maryland, though I need to get back to that.

But cooking. Cooking just works for me.  It helps me appreciate writing more.

When I cook, I have a challenge to myself to get everything (as close as I can, anyway) to be done as close to the same time as possible.  To time the garlic bread with the spaghetti sauce with the pasta with the salad and so on.  Additional challenges in this kind of thing include making a special sauce for my younger son, who has texture issues, and making sure the garlic knots and the garlic bread both come out evenly, so that all my guys get what they want to eat.

The ingredients are all over the place. I do all my preparations and open my spices and lay out any cooking tools and the pots and pans and so on... and then, I work. And I work hard. And I time the stirring of my pasta with the adding of the rosemary to the meat and so forth. For me, this is exhilarating.  Each aspect of the meal to be treated with respect, of course, and to be boiled, stirred, chopped, etc. as required. And then all the timers go off and everything comes out and ta-da! Dinner for four, served in the kitchen.  Everything is hot and tasty and we are all satisfied.

When I write, this is much the same. I love the ingredients that go into a story. I familiarize myself with the main ones before I begin writing. My lectures and seminars to my furniture might amuse people, but they work for me as I prepare my story for the flurry of creation.  And when I write, each plot line of the story has to be timed just so, so that they resolve themselves within a chapter or two of each other. Thus, the tension is equal throughout the book and my readers are kept engaged (I hope!) as they follow the story lines. And in the end, ta-da! Conflicts resolved, everyone has reached a place of stability of one sort or another, and sometimes, I even let them have a happily ever after.

Hey, it happens!

If you're a writer and you don't spend some time cooking on a regular basis, I would challenge you to do so.  Pay attention to the textures of your ingredients and their smells and tastes.  Appreciate the sudden power of diced scallions and the way cinnamon captures air pockets in a pot of water.  Inhale the steam after you take the lid off of a pot of steamed basmati rice.  Immerse yourself in the experience of cooking. You might even wish to take notes.  The beauty of a scene is sometimes in the small details that make it real for a reader.

Baking is fun and it is a challenge as well, but it doesn't, for me, providing the soul-savory experience that cooking a meal does. Maybe it's the scallions. :)

Character Interview

Today on the "Unexpected Woman Blog Tour" I want to share an interview!



The Romanian blog Fantasy-link did a five-butterfly-review of An Unexpected Woman and an interview of the heroine, Shelley Roberts. Character interviews are always fun for me, so here's an excerpt.

So you work with your dad. How is he? Was he the protective type when you were a teenager? I know mine was. (laughs)

(laughs, too) My dad is the best. He was protective, sure, when I was a teenager. He called me a flirt, because I guess I flirted with a lot of people. But he wasn't obnoxious about it. (grinning) I'd tease him,
sometimes, and get all dramatic about a date or whatever just to see him get flustered. When my brother Stevie was home, though, he was the one that most guys got worried about.

Tell me about your relationship with Stephanie, your step mom. She seems really sweet, but do you two get along?

Stephanie is wonderful. About the time I was in my late teens, I figured my dad would get lonely after Mom died. I even asked him if he'd start dating—there were lots of nice ladies at our church and all. He'd just smile and shake his head. Until I was twenty-one. Then, he met Stephanie and fell all over himself. It was adorable. She and I get along great. I think we would have if we'd have met when I was a lot younger, too. I had to work some with Dad-Availability Time for a year or two after they first got together, though. (shrugs, blushes) I had to get used to not being first priority. But I did.

I hope you check it out! :)

The Blog Tour Continues!

Check out the very kind review from Sandra at My Fiction Nook:

The author also picks up on themes of family and friendship, as well as the need to compromise in any relationship.

Overall, this was a satisfying read. Much in the tone of a Karen Kingsbury novel, this book should appeal to those who love Christian romances.

Another Five-Star Review!

With my thanks to Shyla at The To Be Read Pile.

"...there was plenty to like about this story. The world Ms. Layne creates is full of fun, fleshed out characters, ever day victories, and a warm setting that makes the lack of heat worthwhile.

Even if you aren’t a huge inspirational buff, you’ll enjoy this romance."

Five-Star Review for AUW!

With my thanks to Raum Marinella on My Reading Lounge!

Sandi Layne's refreshing and brilliant writing style will fascinate you. She says that the ability to laugh is vital, and she puts it in practice in this novel.

Blog Tour Commences Today!

Kicking off An Unexpected Woman 's blog tour in style is Manic Readers!

Featuring an interview, review, and a giveaway, we begin in grand fashion.

Mark and Shelley complement each other well... All things considered Mark and Shelley’s story is an enjoyable faith based love story...

Check out the review and comment to enter their drawing. :)

Pre-Order An Unexpected Woman!

Now available for pre-order:
An Unexpected Woman.
Click here to order![/caption]
With publication less than a month away, you have the opportunity to order a paperback of this light, Christian romance early.

One of my favourite things is when Mark and Shelley get cheeky with each other. Each knows how to keep the other from getting in a funk. And the flirting is awesome. There are some great romantic moments that are perfectly in keeping with godly conduct. - Jess Molly on Goodreads

All pre-orders will receive a personalized, signed bookplate and a gift:

Why a flashlight on a keychain? Because heroine SHELLEY ROBERTS believes in being prepared for every contingency!

Overall, this was a satisfying read. Much in the tone of a Karen Kingsbury novel, this book should appeal to those who love Christian romances. -Sandra for myfictionnook.com

Additionally, all pre-orders will be shipped out a week before publication, so you'll get your copy EARLY. :)