Heather Manning's Blog, page 20
January 6, 2014
Broadway Tuesday: Think of Me
Hello, friends!Today I am sharing a song with you from one of my favorite musicals, Phantom of the Opera.
What are your favorite musicals? If you comment some of your favorite, I will try to post some songs from them in the future.
For now, enjoy "Think of Me"!
January 5, 2014
Book Review Monday: Gunpowder Tea
Hello, everyone!
Sadly, for me today I go back to school, and a lot of people go back to work. :(
**Update** school was cancelled today. Yay!!!
Anyway, today I have a review for you because I got a fair amount of reading done over break.
Here's a little bit about Gunpowder Tea by Margaret Brownley
"In a case that could change her career, Miranda uncovers a love that will change her life.
When Miranda Hunt sees the classified ad for an heiress to the legendary Last Chance Ranch, she knows assuming the identity of Annie Beckman is the perfect cover. As one of the finest agents for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, Miranda has been tasked with apprehending the Phantom - an elusive and notorious train robber thought to be hiding on the sprawling ranch.
But she isn't the only one there with something to hide. Wells Fargo detective Jeremy Taggert is working the scene undercover as well. And although their true identities are a secret, it is impossible for Jeremy and Miranda to hide the spark that flares between them.
But neither is about to let romance interfere with such a huge case. Besides, Miranda hasn't removed Jeremy from her list of suspects yet. The closer they come to uncovering the identity of the Phantom, the more dangerous he gets - and no one on the ranch is safe.
But neither are their hearts - the longer Miranda and Jeremy spend working together, the harder it becomes to keep their feelings in check. Their careers - and their lives - depend on solving this case. Love will have to wait."
My Thoughts:
The Characters:
I absolutely loved the characters. Miranda is a very strong young woman who is used to taking care of herself. She is brave during all of her Pinkerton assignments. I really admired her!
Jeremy was also a lovely character. He is a dashing Wells Fargo detective, working on a case that he has personal ties to.I loved seeing these characters interact with each other, and how their interactions changed over time.
The Plot:
The plot was great. There was never a dull moment, and I kept turning the page. I loved the whole idea of two detectives from different agencies looking for the same thing. I kept wondering throughout the whole book who the mysterious Phantom was!
The Setting:
The setting was fabulous. I'm a sucker for westerns. I loved the whole idea of Miranda pretending to be an heiress to a ranch. The secluded setting raised the stakes and made the dangers seem much more dangerous.
Overall:
Overall, I adored this story. It was the third in a trilogy, and I have not read the first two. I think that it stands alone just fine, but there were references to the past two that made me want to read them. I think that in the future I will be reading those two.
This was a story filled with mystery, danger, and romance, and I loved every bit of it.
About the Author:
www.margaretbrownley.com
ABOUT MARGARET:
Thrills, mystery, suspense, romance: Margaret penned it all. Nothing wrong with this--except Margaret happened to be writing for the church newsletter at the time. After making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, her former pastor took her aside and said, "Maybe God's calling you to write fiction."
So that's what Margaret did. She's now a New York Times bestselling author and a Romance Writers of America RITA finalist with more than 25 novels to her credit. Her first non-fiction book "Grieving God's Way: the Lasting Path to Hope and Healing" has won much critical acclaim. She is currently working on the third book in her "Brides of Last Chance Ranch series."
Not bad for someone who flunked 8th grade English. Just don't ask her to diagram a sentence.
You can purchase Gunpowder Tea on Amazon.
Sadly, for me today I go back to school, and a lot of people go back to work. :(
**Update** school was cancelled today. Yay!!!
Anyway, today I have a review for you because I got a fair amount of reading done over break.
Here's a little bit about Gunpowder Tea by Margaret Brownley
"In a case that could change her career, Miranda uncovers a love that will change her life.
When Miranda Hunt sees the classified ad for an heiress to the legendary Last Chance Ranch, she knows assuming the identity of Annie Beckman is the perfect cover. As one of the finest agents for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, Miranda has been tasked with apprehending the Phantom - an elusive and notorious train robber thought to be hiding on the sprawling ranch.
But she isn't the only one there with something to hide. Wells Fargo detective Jeremy Taggert is working the scene undercover as well. And although their true identities are a secret, it is impossible for Jeremy and Miranda to hide the spark that flares between them.
But neither is about to let romance interfere with such a huge case. Besides, Miranda hasn't removed Jeremy from her list of suspects yet. The closer they come to uncovering the identity of the Phantom, the more dangerous he gets - and no one on the ranch is safe.
But neither are their hearts - the longer Miranda and Jeremy spend working together, the harder it becomes to keep their feelings in check. Their careers - and their lives - depend on solving this case. Love will have to wait."
My Thoughts:
The Characters:
I absolutely loved the characters. Miranda is a very strong young woman who is used to taking care of herself. She is brave during all of her Pinkerton assignments. I really admired her!
Jeremy was also a lovely character. He is a dashing Wells Fargo detective, working on a case that he has personal ties to.I loved seeing these characters interact with each other, and how their interactions changed over time.
The Plot:
The plot was great. There was never a dull moment, and I kept turning the page. I loved the whole idea of two detectives from different agencies looking for the same thing. I kept wondering throughout the whole book who the mysterious Phantom was!
The Setting:
The setting was fabulous. I'm a sucker for westerns. I loved the whole idea of Miranda pretending to be an heiress to a ranch. The secluded setting raised the stakes and made the dangers seem much more dangerous.
Overall:
Overall, I adored this story. It was the third in a trilogy, and I have not read the first two. I think that it stands alone just fine, but there were references to the past two that made me want to read them. I think that in the future I will be reading those two.
This was a story filled with mystery, danger, and romance, and I loved every bit of it.
About the Author:
www.margaretbrownley.com
ABOUT MARGARET:
Thrills, mystery, suspense, romance: Margaret penned it all. Nothing wrong with this--except Margaret happened to be writing for the church newsletter at the time. After making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, her former pastor took her aside and said, "Maybe God's calling you to write fiction."
So that's what Margaret did. She's now a New York Times bestselling author and a Romance Writers of America RITA finalist with more than 25 novels to her credit. Her first non-fiction book "Grieving God's Way: the Lasting Path to Hope and Healing" has won much critical acclaim. She is currently working on the third book in her "Brides of Last Chance Ranch series."
Not bad for someone who flunked 8th grade English. Just don't ask her to diagram a sentence.
You can purchase Gunpowder Tea on Amazon.
January 4, 2014
Bible Verse Sunday: Praise
I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:2
January 2, 2014
Writing Friday: Research
Hello, everyone! As an author, research is part of my everyday life. My books need to be historically accurate so I don't make my readers upset with me. Authors who don't write historically face this same task. If a story is set in a particular city, the streets names should be accurate, along with the atmosphere of the city. This goes for many other aspects of modern writing.
As a historical author, research might be even more important to me than it is to authors who write in other genres like fantasy, where the author completely creates his or her own world. To get myself understanding the feel of the period I’m writing in, I will usually select a few fiction works that take place during roughly the same time and read through them. Next, I will think through the basic plotline I have set out for my book. Are there any parts where the setting will directly affect my events? Recently, I was researching a city for the sequel to Swept to Sea, and learned that just a few years prior to the year my novel took place, there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed nearly everything in sight. If I hadn’t caught this, my story would have been historically inaccurate! Instead of letting this historical fact discourage me, I worked it into my story. I made it affect my characters’ lives and even gave one of my characters a scar from the encounter. This helped round out my characters and give them more depth.After these initial researching steps, I usually go ahead and write my novel without worrying about research. If I run into something I want to learn more about, I will jot down a note and look it up later. When I go through the editing process, I make sure that everything seems historically accurate, so my characters don’t use a term or an object that was around after they were.
The research process can sometimes seem very long and tedious, but I find that if I break it up into smaller sections, I can get where I want to be.
How do you research? Do you like the research process, or not?
As a historical author, research might be even more important to me than it is to authors who write in other genres like fantasy, where the author completely creates his or her own world. To get myself understanding the feel of the period I’m writing in, I will usually select a few fiction works that take place during roughly the same time and read through them. Next, I will think through the basic plotline I have set out for my book. Are there any parts where the setting will directly affect my events? Recently, I was researching a city for the sequel to Swept to Sea, and learned that just a few years prior to the year my novel took place, there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed nearly everything in sight. If I hadn’t caught this, my story would have been historically inaccurate! Instead of letting this historical fact discourage me, I worked it into my story. I made it affect my characters’ lives and even gave one of my characters a scar from the encounter. This helped round out my characters and give them more depth.After these initial researching steps, I usually go ahead and write my novel without worrying about research. If I run into something I want to learn more about, I will jot down a note and look it up later. When I go through the editing process, I make sure that everything seems historically accurate, so my characters don’t use a term or an object that was around after they were.
The research process can sometimes seem very long and tedious, but I find that if I break it up into smaller sections, I can get where I want to be.
How do you research? Do you like the research process, or not?
January 1, 2014
Music Thursday: In Summer
Hello, everyone! I hope you are having an excellent new year.Today, since it is so cold out, I thought I would share another song from Frozen, and you can imagine what it is like in the summer. ;)
Here is "In Summer" from Frozen.
December 31, 2013
Bible Verse Wednesday: Happy New Year!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!2 Corinthians 5:17
December 21, 2013
Blog Hiatus
Hello, everyone!
I just wanted to let you know that with the business of Christmastime I am taking a break from the blog this week so don't be concerned if you don't hear from me here. You can still keep in touch through my Twitter or Facebook or the "Contact Me" tab on he blog.I hope you have a wonderful week, and Merry Christmas!
I just wanted to let you know that with the business of Christmastime I am taking a break from the blog this week so don't be concerned if you don't hear from me here. You can still keep in touch through my Twitter or Facebook or the "Contact Me" tab on he blog.I hope you have a wonderful week, and Merry Christmas!
December 16, 2013
Broadway Tuesday: Let It Go
Hello!A couple of weeks ago, I saw the wonderful Disney movie, Frozen. It's my favorite movie from Disney in a while!
Here is Idina Menzel singing "Let It Go", my favorite song from this beautiful film.
December 15, 2013
Book Review Monday: Various Book Info
Hello!
I was going to share an interview with you today, but decided I have some other things to share with you instead.
First of all, I wanted to say I did an author interview on Caryl McAdoo's blog.
Don't forget to read that!
And, I also wanted to mention Swept to Sea is on Goodreads, so please mark it as "To-Read" or rate it if you have read it.
Finally, don't forget to take a look at Swept to Sea on Amazon.
Oh, and, I also want to know: are you interested in helping me promote Swept to Sea?
You could do an interview with me on your blog, invite me over for a guest post, or talk about it on social media.
Interested in a free review copy, if you have a blog to review it on and don't have your copy yet?
Want to learn more ways you can help me with Swept to Sea?
Shoot me an email at heathermanningauthor(at)gmail(dot)com and we can talk!
I was going to share an interview with you today, but decided I have some other things to share with you instead.
First of all, I wanted to say I did an author interview on Caryl McAdoo's blog.
Don't forget to read that!
And, I also wanted to mention Swept to Sea is on Goodreads, so please mark it as "To-Read" or rate it if you have read it.
Finally, don't forget to take a look at Swept to Sea on Amazon.
Oh, and, I also want to know: are you interested in helping me promote Swept to Sea?
You could do an interview with me on your blog, invite me over for a guest post, or talk about it on social media.
Interested in a free review copy, if you have a blog to review it on and don't have your copy yet?
Want to learn more ways you can help me with Swept to Sea?
Shoot me an email at heathermanningauthor(at)gmail(dot)com and we can talk!
December 14, 2013
Bible Verse Sunday: The Messiah
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:11
