Erica Vetsch's Blog, page 171
May 26, 2016
Chivalry is Not Dead
Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending part of my day with my good friend Jackie and two of her children. Her daughter is three (almost four!) and her baby boy is almost five months old. We ran a few errands and then went to Costco. Since Jackie is the mother of five children and I am the mother of four, you can imagine that we had quite a bit in our shopping carts. By the end of the trip, Jackie had two shopping carts full, and I had one plum full, too.
The children were amazing through the whole day, but by the end of our Costco experience (and it was an experience: think Memorial Day), the baby had started to fuss, so Jackie put him in a sling.
We checked out and proceeded to exit the building, with all three shopping carts in tow. It was also raining...as in, downpour. As we made our way through the parking lot, we resembled a train. I pushed my cart, and reached behind me for one of Jackie's, which she also pushed, and then reached behind for her second. Meanwhile, the baby was in the sling, and the cutie-patootie little girl walked close by.
Right as we reached Jackie's van, a gentlemen from somewhere in the parking lot ran up to us with an umbrella! He came out of nowhere, and held the umbrella over my head. After I got into the van with the children, he held it for Jackie to put away the groceries. Neither of us knew him, but that didn't stop him from offering his help. It was such a refreshing experience and a combination of MN Nice and old-fashioned chivalry.
I love this picture of Prince William
holding an umbrella over his wife
while in New Zealand.After the groceries were stored, and the baby was fed, we went back into Costco to grab a quick bite to eat. While we were sitting there, Jackie remembered another item she had wanted to buy and asked me to run back and get it for her while she brought the kids to the van. I went to the bakery department and picked up what she requested, then I came back to the cash registers and--Wow! The lines up front had multiplied. We were easily five or six customers deep at every register. My arms were loaded with the bakery items, and they weren't light.
But that's when the second act of chivalry happened.
As I was standing there, a gentleman ahead of me quietly moved all his items out of the child seat area of his cart, into the basket, and then invited me to set down my load until it was my turn to pay. He didn't say anything else, or try to strike up a conversation. We simply moved forward in line. After he placed all his items on the conveyor belt, he put a separating bar down, and then put the bakery items next. I said thank you, and he nodded. And then he paid for his items and left.
By the time Jackie and I pulled out of the parking lot, it had stopped raining. As we drove home, I continued to think about those gentlemen who had done such simple acts of kindness. Their thoughtfulness went a long way in easing our burdens and lifting my spirits. It has made me conscious of looking for ways to help others in simple, day-to-day activities, too. Often, those are the most impactful.
Your Turn: Has a stranger ever done an act of kindness for you? What have you done to ease the burden of someone else? I'd love to hear some stories.
Gabrielle Meyer
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The children were amazing through the whole day, but by the end of our Costco experience (and it was an experience: think Memorial Day), the baby had started to fuss, so Jackie put him in a sling.
We checked out and proceeded to exit the building, with all three shopping carts in tow. It was also raining...as in, downpour. As we made our way through the parking lot, we resembled a train. I pushed my cart, and reached behind me for one of Jackie's, which she also pushed, and then reached behind for her second. Meanwhile, the baby was in the sling, and the cutie-patootie little girl walked close by.
Right as we reached Jackie's van, a gentlemen from somewhere in the parking lot ran up to us with an umbrella! He came out of nowhere, and held the umbrella over my head. After I got into the van with the children, he held it for Jackie to put away the groceries. Neither of us knew him, but that didn't stop him from offering his help. It was such a refreshing experience and a combination of MN Nice and old-fashioned chivalry.
I love this picture of Prince Williamholding an umbrella over his wife
while in New Zealand.After the groceries were stored, and the baby was fed, we went back into Costco to grab a quick bite to eat. While we were sitting there, Jackie remembered another item she had wanted to buy and asked me to run back and get it for her while she brought the kids to the van. I went to the bakery department and picked up what she requested, then I came back to the cash registers and--Wow! The lines up front had multiplied. We were easily five or six customers deep at every register. My arms were loaded with the bakery items, and they weren't light.
But that's when the second act of chivalry happened.
As I was standing there, a gentleman ahead of me quietly moved all his items out of the child seat area of his cart, into the basket, and then invited me to set down my load until it was my turn to pay. He didn't say anything else, or try to strike up a conversation. We simply moved forward in line. After he placed all his items on the conveyor belt, he put a separating bar down, and then put the bakery items next. I said thank you, and he nodded. And then he paid for his items and left.
By the time Jackie and I pulled out of the parking lot, it had stopped raining. As we drove home, I continued to think about those gentlemen who had done such simple acts of kindness. Their thoughtfulness went a long way in easing our burdens and lifting my spirits. It has made me conscious of looking for ways to help others in simple, day-to-day activities, too. Often, those are the most impactful.
Your Turn: Has a stranger ever done an act of kindness for you? What have you done to ease the burden of someone else? I'd love to hear some stories.
Gabrielle Meyer
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Find me on Goodreads
Find me on My Website
May 25, 2016
Animals in Books
Erica here:
I grew up with dogs. At various times in my youth, we had an Old English Sheepdog, a Dachshund (Which lasted about a week, until it ate every last left shoe my mother owned) Brittany Spaniels, and a black lab/Irish setter mix. I don't remember any significant stretch of my childhood where we didn't have a dog.
I don't have a dog at the moment. I have a haughty, needy, adorable cat, but no dogs. I kind of miss them!
Maybe I am harking back to those long ago days of my childhood, but the last three books I've written, the hero has a dog who plays a big roll in the story. In His Prairie Sweetheart, Elias has a collie named Captain. Captain is friendly and energetic and loves children.
A picture of friend Renee Chaw's beautiful boy, the template for CaptainIn my novella, Love at Last, which will be the finale to the collection 7 Brides for 7 Texans, my hero, Bowie has two dogs, Stonewall and Clara, Catahoula Leopard Dogs, or Catahoula Curs. He named them after Stonewall Jackson and Clara Barton, and in the story, Clara whelps a litter of beautiful pups.
Clara. I LOVE her blue eyes.
Catahoula pups
Stonewall. So athletic! Catahoulas are used as cattle dogs and for hunting feral pigs.And in my current story, my hero, Thomas, has a Catahoula/mystery mutt mix named Rip, named after Texas Ranger Rip Ford. Rip has one yellow eye and one blue eye, and he's grown very attached to an orphaned newborn, to the point of not wanting to leave the baby.
Rip, the Catahoula/mystery mix. He looks like he's got some Husky or Akita in him. It turns out, I LOVE writing dogs into my stories! Dogs have such personality, and a hero with a dog is easy to relate to, shows a softer side, and has someone who cares about him right away.
On another happy doggy note, last night friends Tammy and Charlie from my church stopped by with a box full of corgi puppies!!!! Four little darlings, two males, two females. Two of them have sable markings and two of them have tri-color markings. Their mama, Pearl, is a gorgeous tri-colored little lady, and papa is a sable.
This handsome little fellow has the most adorable bit of white on one of his ears.
As you can see, they're used to being handled. This little lady is OUT cold. You can't see it, but she has a white heart-shape on her head that is adorable!!!
This bruiser is the alpha of the litter, a sable with an attitude! His mama, Pearl, is checking in n him.
This little girl was my favorite, a tri-color with a sweet disposition and great markings.
Pretty mama, Pearl. She is a red-headed tri, meaning she has a black saddle, but no black on her head.
This is papa, he's a sable, and he has GREAT corgi ears!!!The puppies are for sale. If you're interested, email me through my website contact page at www.ericavetsch.com :) They're ready to go around Father's Day.
Question for you:
What is your favorite animal in a book?
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May 24, 2016
Keeping the Balance Between Romance and Suspense
Lovely readers, today I (Jaime Jo) have a guestie filling in for me since I'm trying to get a head start on my new book! :) Please welcome Jessica Patch who writes Romantic Suspense for Love Inspired. I asked her to tell us how writers keep that fine balance between not enough suspense and too much romance, or too much suspense and not enough romance. She had some great insights, so please be friendly to dear Miss Jessica :)
_____________________________________
Hey everyone! I’m so excited to be visiting with all my gal pals at Coffee Cups & Camisoles. Love those pics of you ladies.
Today, I want to talk about writing romantic suspense and keeping the balance between the romance and the suspense. I write for Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense and they expect a 50/50. But the way I see it when I write is 100/100. I’m writing a full romance story and a full suspense story.
Each thread has to have a beginning, middle and end.
When writing for LIS, you must begin with a direct threat happening. Particularly to your heroine. The sooner the better. When writing suspense, open with suspense. Makes sense.
The romance needs to open up as soon as they meet, and in an LIS, the heroine and hero must meet in the first chapter; earlier is better but it doesn’t have to be the first line or paragraph. The first attraction is going to be physical. Let’s be honest, that’s where it all begins; even if you don’t like the person, there is typically some physical attraction and that include a reunion romance. Give them some chemistry!
For example in Protective Duty (which is a reunion romance) my heroine sees the back of the hero first. “A man dressed in jeans and a fitted black leather jacket accenting his broad shoulders—his hair as dark at the jacket—stood by a woman examining the body. She hadn’t admired a man in a long time. Shouldn’t be admiring one now, but he was hard not to notice.”
Immediately we see some physical attraction and when she realizes it’s Eric Hale, she’s still attracted and torn because of how they broke up. But as they spend time together it will develop from physical attraction, to admiring inner character traits (bravery, loyalty, compassion, etc..), to an emotional connection giving it a well-rounded love story. And of course, throw in the conflict! Why can’t your hero be with your heroine? Why can’t your heroine be with your hero? What will they have to give up to be with one another? Make it believable and devastating to ratchet up the tension.
Remember, they are falling in love (fully developed) WHILE in peril, solving a crime/mystery, running from bad guys. So the suspense must be fully crafted as well. Put the hero and heroine together in every single chapter. Sometimes, you need a scene without them together, but make sure you bring them back to one another by the end and keep them that way most of the next scene.
Create scenes where they’re in danger, but also a few scenes where they have a minute to catch their breath and have some dialogue that shows them falling in love. You can’t get into deep conversations while trying to stay alive. So, what’s your deepest, darkest secret? *dodges bullets* Doesn’t happen like that. You also can’t have too many non-suspenseful scenes or you lose that tension. I never go two full chapters without some kind of direct threat to the heroine/hero. So grab those note cards and start brainstorming all the ways you can take them out! And all the scenes that involve aftermath and becoming emotionally connected.
The suspense thread should be completely resolved and don’t forget to toss in a few fun twists. Readers already know they’re getting a HEA, they just wanna know HOW it’s going to come about. They know the good guys will win, so give them some rabbit trails to chase. Books I always love to read have fun twists that I didn’t see coming. So I like to attempt to do the same!
Any questions? I’d love to answer them or at least try to!
____________________________________________
And to make today's post even more fun, Jess is giving away a copy of both books seen above! Fatal Reunion and Protective Duty
a Rafflecopter giveaway
_____________________________________Hey everyone! I’m so excited to be visiting with all my gal pals at Coffee Cups & Camisoles. Love those pics of you ladies.
Today, I want to talk about writing romantic suspense and keeping the balance between the romance and the suspense. I write for Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense and they expect a 50/50. But the way I see it when I write is 100/100. I’m writing a full romance story and a full suspense story.
Each thread has to have a beginning, middle and end.
When writing for LIS, you must begin with a direct threat happening. Particularly to your heroine. The sooner the better. When writing suspense, open with suspense. Makes sense.
The romance needs to open up as soon as they meet, and in an LIS, the heroine and hero must meet in the first chapter; earlier is better but it doesn’t have to be the first line or paragraph. The first attraction is going to be physical. Let’s be honest, that’s where it all begins; even if you don’t like the person, there is typically some physical attraction and that include a reunion romance. Give them some chemistry!
For example in Protective Duty (which is a reunion romance) my heroine sees the back of the hero first. “A man dressed in jeans and a fitted black leather jacket accenting his broad shoulders—his hair as dark at the jacket—stood by a woman examining the body. She hadn’t admired a man in a long time. Shouldn’t be admiring one now, but he was hard not to notice.”Immediately we see some physical attraction and when she realizes it’s Eric Hale, she’s still attracted and torn because of how they broke up. But as they spend time together it will develop from physical attraction, to admiring inner character traits (bravery, loyalty, compassion, etc..), to an emotional connection giving it a well-rounded love story. And of course, throw in the conflict! Why can’t your hero be with your heroine? Why can’t your heroine be with your hero? What will they have to give up to be with one another? Make it believable and devastating to ratchet up the tension.
Remember, they are falling in love (fully developed) WHILE in peril, solving a crime/mystery, running from bad guys. So the suspense must be fully crafted as well. Put the hero and heroine together in every single chapter. Sometimes, you need a scene without them together, but make sure you bring them back to one another by the end and keep them that way most of the next scene.
Create scenes where they’re in danger, but also a few scenes where they have a minute to catch their breath and have some dialogue that shows them falling in love. You can’t get into deep conversations while trying to stay alive. So, what’s your deepest, darkest secret? *dodges bullets* Doesn’t happen like that. You also can’t have too many non-suspenseful scenes or you lose that tension. I never go two full chapters without some kind of direct threat to the heroine/hero. So grab those note cards and start brainstorming all the ways you can take them out! And all the scenes that involve aftermath and becoming emotionally connected. The suspense thread should be completely resolved and don’t forget to toss in a few fun twists. Readers already know they’re getting a HEA, they just wanna know HOW it’s going to come about. They know the good guys will win, so give them some rabbit trails to chase. Books I always love to read have fun twists that I didn’t see coming. So I like to attempt to do the same!
Any questions? I’d love to answer them or at least try to!
____________________________________________
And to make today's post even more fun, Jess is giving away a copy of both books seen above! Fatal Reunion and Protective Duty
a Rafflecopter giveaway
May 23, 2016
Transitions: 40 Days & Nights
The winner of The Mistress of Tall Acre is Jean Bean!
The next forty days hold a lot of transitions.We started with my daughter's graduation from Taylor University, then moved her and my son home from college. Apart from mounds of laundry and the crazy dynamics of having young adults moving back to the empty nest, we are in the midst of the last five weeks of planning our son's wedding.At the end of the forty days, right after the wedding, my daughter takes off for two months of internship in Dublin, Ireland. My husband and I are excited to visit here there in July. There is much to celebrate, and good adjustments to come.
My favorite Psalm of all seems good for the days of change:
Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.8 Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth.9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields[d] with fire.10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.-------------Blog post by Anne Love-
Writer of Historical Romance inspired by her family roots.
Nurse Practitioner by day.
Wife, mother, writer by night.
Coffee drinker--any time.
Find me on:FacebookFind me on: PinterestFind me on: GoodreadsFind me on: Twitter
Find me on: InstagramRepresented by Sarah Freese, WordServe Literary
The next forty days hold a lot of transitions.We started with my daughter's graduation from Taylor University, then moved her and my son home from college. Apart from mounds of laundry and the crazy dynamics of having young adults moving back to the empty nest, we are in the midst of the last five weeks of planning our son's wedding.At the end of the forty days, right after the wedding, my daughter takes off for two months of internship in Dublin, Ireland. My husband and I are excited to visit here there in July. There is much to celebrate, and good adjustments to come.
My favorite Psalm of all seems good for the days of change:
Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.8 Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth.9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields[d] with fire.10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.-------------Blog post by Anne Love-
Writer of Historical Romance inspired by her family roots.
Nurse Practitioner by day.
Wife, mother, writer by night.
Coffee drinker--any time.
Find me on:FacebookFind me on: PinterestFind me on: GoodreadsFind me on: Twitter
Find me on: InstagramRepresented by Sarah Freese, WordServe Literary
May 20, 2016
Falling for the Hometown Hero - Interview with Mindy Obenhaus
Super thrilled to have Mindy Obenhaus here at the CCC blog! It's always fun to have familiar faces and great story tellers. Enjoy getting to know Mindy and don't forget to enter the drawing for her latest novel (USA winner only)_____________________________
What authors do you like to read?
Jill Kemerer, Lisa Jordan, Lorraine Beatty and Ruth Logan Herne, just to name a few. Rachel Hauck is another favorite. I absolutely love her royal series.
What book or books have had a strong influence on you or your writing?
About all I can say is that I remember reading Susan May Warren’s Noble Series and thinking, “I want to write like that.”
What’s more important: characters or plot?
Characters. Though the two really go hand-in-hand. I usually figure out my characters first and then try to come up with the best plot for them.
Is there one subject you would never write about as an author and what would it be?
This is a tricky question, because as soon as I say that one subject, God will likely lay it on my heart to write about just that. As a writer, all I can do is be open to whatever God calls me to write and trust Him to lead me through whatever complexities might come with that.
How important are names to you in your books and how do you choose them?
There are times when choosing names is really a pain. Sometimes I’ll use the Baby Name Survey Book to help me with both meanings and perceptions of names, but more often than not the names just come to me. I’m a visual person first, so I need to know what each of my characters looks like. After that, I make sure the name fits their face, as well as their personality. Like in the book I’m working on now, I had Jen as my heroine’s name. Shortly after I started writing, though, she quickly corrected me, letting me know that her name was actually Carly.
What secret talents do you have? Because here at the CCC blog we have all kinds of them ;)
Secret, huh? There’s not a whole lot about me that’s a secret. Especially when it comes to talents. I love to cook. And thanks to my oldest daughter, I’m kind of getting into distressing furniture.
What were you like as a child? Steady-going like our Anne, a tornado like Jaime, and adventurous soul like Erica, or an avid-reader like Gabrielle?
Probably more of an adventurous soul, much to my mother’s chagrin. Might come from being an only child. I didn’t have any siblings to learn from, so I had to carve my own path.
Characters often find themselves in situations they aren't sure they can get themselves out of. When was the last time you found yourself in a situation that was hard to get out of and what did you do?
I was at our family ranch, alone, and encountered a copperhead snake. Not the first time this has happened to me, however I’m usually able to call on my husband or one of my son’s to take care of the vile creature for me. Not this time. Naturally, the guns were with my husband who was still en route, so not only did I have to face the snake alone, I had to get close enough to decapitate it with a shovel. Which I eventually did, however it took me several tries, meaning the snake probably died more from bludgeoning than decapitation.
What’s your writing goals for 2016?
I have two books due this year, so those are my goals.
Lastly, will you leave us with a snippet from your book that is one of your favorites and gives us a glimpse into its pages?
From the June 2016 release Falling for the Hometown Hero from Love Inspired Books. Copyright 2016 Mindy Obenhaus.
“I know I already asked you, but are you sure you’re all right, Grace?”No getting anything past Mr. Perceptive. Yet for as much as she longed to pour her heart out to him, she didn’t trust herself. He was the kind of guy who would listen attentively and do his best to comfort her. And the comforting was what worried her. It would be so easy to fall into his strong arms and believe that all was right with the world.So, for her boss’s sake as much as her own, she’d just have to fake it. “Yeah. I’m just a little tired, that’s all.”“I hope you’re not getting sick.” He moved toward her, his concern mounting.“I’m fine. I just…” Tell him. Give the guy a chance. “I didn’t sleep well last night.” No fibbing there.Wiping his hands on a shop rag, he continued to study her. “That would explain the bags under your eyes.”Did he just—? “Bags? What do you mean—?”He laughed. “There’s the spitfire we all know and love.”Love?Still laughing, he lowered his arms, closed the distance between them and gave her a hug. “Sleep well, Grace.” He smelled of fresh air and masculinity. A toxic mix for someone in her pathetic state. And she missed him as soon as he stepped away. “And remember, I’m always here if you need me.”
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(Winner must be located in the USA only)
May 19, 2016
CC&C Ladies on Pinterest
On Monday, Anne shared a little bit about our Goodreads accounts, so I thought it might be fun to share our Pinterest accounts, too.
It was fun looking through all the Pinterest boards each of us have created. Anne has the most pins at over 23,000! Jaime comes in second at almost 6,000 pins, I have over 3,300 and Erica has just under 2,000.
We all have several similar boards, such as books we've read or recommend, historical clothing, settings, food, etc. But there are other boards that are unique to each of us. Maybe you'll get a glimpse of our personalities by some of my favorites below.
Anne's account includes:
Love Letters
Anne with an "e"
Old Homesteads
Jaime's Pinterest account includes:
Super Good Looking Dead People
Coffee
Villains :D Here are some of Erica's Boards:
Chuck wagons
Well, hello there!
Flour Sack FabricsAnd, last but not least, here are some of my Pinterest boards (I'm pretty sure I'm the most boring Pinterest user among this group):
Corsets & Underwear
Little Falls - Historic Photos
TwinsYour Turn! Do any of our boards surprise you? What are some of your favorite Pinterest Boards? What do you use Pinterest for? Recipes, planning vacations, research?
Gabrielle Meyer
Find me on Facebook
Find me on Pinterest
Find me on Twitter
Find me on Amazon
Find me on Goodreads
Find me on My Website
It was fun looking through all the Pinterest boards each of us have created. Anne has the most pins at over 23,000! Jaime comes in second at almost 6,000 pins, I have over 3,300 and Erica has just under 2,000.
We all have several similar boards, such as books we've read or recommend, historical clothing, settings, food, etc. But there are other boards that are unique to each of us. Maybe you'll get a glimpse of our personalities by some of my favorites below.
Anne's account includes:
Love Letters
Anne with an "e"
Old HomesteadsJaime's Pinterest account includes:
Super Good Looking Dead People
Coffee
Villains :D Here are some of Erica's Boards:
Chuck wagons
Well, hello there!
Flour Sack FabricsAnd, last but not least, here are some of my Pinterest boards (I'm pretty sure I'm the most boring Pinterest user among this group):
Corsets & Underwear
Little Falls - Historic Photos
TwinsYour Turn! Do any of our boards surprise you? What are some of your favorite Pinterest Boards? What do you use Pinterest for? Recipes, planning vacations, research?Gabrielle Meyer
Find me on Facebook
Find me on Pinterest
Find me on Twitter
Find me on Amazon
Find me on Goodreads
Find me on My Website
May 18, 2016
The Children's Blizzard
Erica here:
One question novelists are often asked is, "Where do you get your ideas?"
The answer is, "All over!" For me it's museums, history books, watching tv, music, reading novels. Some just come out of my very own head with little prompting at all.
For my latest release, His Prairie Sweetheart, the dramatic incident near the end of the book is based upon the account of a massive winter storm I read about in the book The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin.
The blurb from Entertainment Weekly isn't kidding. The account of this blizzard of 1888 reads like a thriller.
The storm is so named because it swept across the Dakotas and western Minnesota just as many children were being dismissed from school. Within minutes, the air was thick with snow, the wind howled, and the temperature plummeted.
I wondered what it would've been like, to be a teacher in charge of a school full of children under these circumstances. What would I do?
It's questions like this that spark story ideas. When I feel that I can place myself into the story and wonder what I would do. Then I try to find a character who would have the most difficult time overcoming the obstacles I'm going to throw at her. It's mean, I know, but no conflict = no story!
In the case of my teacher caught in the Children's Blizzard, I knew a fish out of water would have the most difficulty coping, and thus Savannah, the jilted Southern Belle was born.
Have you read/heard about The Children's Blizzard before? To read how Savannah copes, you can get His Prairie Sweetheart by clicking HERE.
Executive Assistant
Earl Grey Aficionado
Find me on PINTEREST
Find me on GOODREADS
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One question novelists are often asked is, "Where do you get your ideas?"
The answer is, "All over!" For me it's museums, history books, watching tv, music, reading novels. Some just come out of my very own head with little prompting at all.
For my latest release, His Prairie Sweetheart, the dramatic incident near the end of the book is based upon the account of a massive winter storm I read about in the book The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin.
The blurb from Entertainment Weekly isn't kidding. The account of this blizzard of 1888 reads like a thriller.
The storm is so named because it swept across the Dakotas and western Minnesota just as many children were being dismissed from school. Within minutes, the air was thick with snow, the wind howled, and the temperature plummeted.
I wondered what it would've been like, to be a teacher in charge of a school full of children under these circumstances. What would I do?
It's questions like this that spark story ideas. When I feel that I can place myself into the story and wonder what I would do. Then I try to find a character who would have the most difficult time overcoming the obstacles I'm going to throw at her. It's mean, I know, but no conflict = no story!
In the case of my teacher caught in the Children's Blizzard, I knew a fish out of water would have the most difficulty coping, and thus Savannah, the jilted Southern Belle was born.
Have you read/heard about The Children's Blizzard before? To read how Savannah copes, you can get His Prairie Sweetheart by clicking HERE.
Executive Assistant
Earl Grey Aficionado
Find me on PINTEREST
Find me on GOODREADS
Find me on AMAZON.COM
Find me on FACEBOOK
May 17, 2016
Plotting Murder -- and Romance
It has begun! My next novel! I always add exclamation points to announcements such as these because really, as a writer, when you keep coming back for more, it deserves an exclamation point. Both of my novellas are finished and turned in to the publisher. I am contract-less, deadline-less, and waiting on multiple manuscripts at publishing houses to see if someone will take a bite. I'm all right with that. Writing under deadline is a blast! But, having a summer to write at my leisure is freeing too.
So what are the first steps in writing a new novel? I don't know! There's no science to it for me. But I've been plotting the storyline, and some murder, and lots of romance. I've been research old newspapers from England, watching documentaries on Jack the Ripper (no, I'm not writing a slasher novel or another spin-off of dear, horrible Jack), studying photography in 1906, learning the mechanics of how one made a dead person look alive in the creepy habits of Victorian/Edwardian I-just-died photography, and building the concepts of my new hero, who, after-all, must be romantically inclined.
My heroine quickly came to mind. She is strong-willed (shocker), insatiably curious, and quite nosy. Picture a feline in a woman's body. She can claw at you when perturbed, snuggle when sleepy, purr when contented, and hunt when hungry. Knowing the "why" to every incident is very important. Not because she wants to learn from the situation and avoid problems in the future. No. She's not cautious. She wants to know know why because, well, why wouldn't you want to know? It's a mystery. She's also an orphan, so while quite plucky, she'd really prefer a place to belong. But, she's reconciled the fact that that will most likely never happen, because the one thing all orphans learn well into adulthood is, no one will ever truly love them.
My hero, on the other hand, has been quite elusive. I've tried to learn his M.O. and can't. He has hidden, in the shadows, as if he prefers not to come out. And, then, I realized, that's who he is. He prefers life not to be disturbed. Thing should be in order, well-planned, and procedural. But then, when something happens to interrupt those plans, he also responds with a shrug, recalculates his route like a GPS in 1906, and prefers to respond with an, "it is what it is". He can't change what happens, but there's no reason to dig and uncover why it happened. When someone asks "why", it never turns out well, and it's usually none of their business anyway. Besides, he has all that he needs. His sister, his home, his work, his
faith. The four corners of his life make a very solid square, and that's pretty much what he is. Square. All edges and dull. Until an orphan uncovers a mystery that threatens to tattoo 'why' on the memo of his life in permanent ink. He'll have to stop her before curiosity kills the cat, but first, he'll have to decide he actually cares.
So those are the first steps in my novel. Figuring out who I'm writing about. Their personalities, how they'll be at odds, and how they fit into the plot. Next, I'll build their quirks. Like I'm pretty sure my heroine chews on her hair when she's thinking, and my hero has a habit of giving one long blink right before he dismisses an idea or person to retreat to his well-crafted, square world.
My heroine will have a cat too. I mean, what more obvious way would there be to drawing out her personality? It will be a stray, just like her, with a bum rear-leg, so it only walks on three. I think she'll call him "Whiskey", 'cause he hobbles like a drunk man.
And that's what I do when I start a novel. Build, plot, plan, and imagine. It's possibly the best part of being a writer. When the voices start talking, you start listening.
What questions do you have about the writing process? I'd love to answer them!
_______________________________________
Professional coffee drinker and best-selling author, Jaime Jo Wright, resides in the hills of Wisconsin writing spirited and gritty turn-of- the-century romance stained with suspense. Her day job finds her working as a Director of Sales & Associate Relations. She’s wife to a rock climbing, bow-hunting Pre-K teacher, mom to a coffee-drinking little girl and a little boy she fondly refers to as her mischievous “Peter Pan.” Jaime completes her persona by being an admitted social media junkie and a coffee snob. She is a member of ACFW, has seen her work on both the ECPA and Publisher’s Weekly top ten best-sellers list for inspirational fiction, and has the best writing sisters ever!
www.jaimejowright.comwww.facebook.com/jaimejowrighttwitter.com/jaimejowrightpinterest.co... @jaimejowrightGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13916081.Jaime_Jo_Wright
So what are the first steps in writing a new novel? I don't know! There's no science to it for me. But I've been plotting the storyline, and some murder, and lots of romance. I've been research old newspapers from England, watching documentaries on Jack the Ripper (no, I'm not writing a slasher novel or another spin-off of dear, horrible Jack), studying photography in 1906, learning the mechanics of how one made a dead person look alive in the creepy habits of Victorian/Edwardian I-just-died photography, and building the concepts of my new hero, who, after-all, must be romantically inclined.
My heroine quickly came to mind. She is strong-willed (shocker), insatiably curious, and quite nosy. Picture a feline in a woman's body. She can claw at you when perturbed, snuggle when sleepy, purr when contented, and hunt when hungry. Knowing the "why" to every incident is very important. Not because she wants to learn from the situation and avoid problems in the future. No. She's not cautious. She wants to know know why because, well, why wouldn't you want to know? It's a mystery. She's also an orphan, so while quite plucky, she'd really prefer a place to belong. But, she's reconciled the fact that that will most likely never happen, because the one thing all orphans learn well into adulthood is, no one will ever truly love them.
My hero, on the other hand, has been quite elusive. I've tried to learn his M.O. and can't. He has hidden, in the shadows, as if he prefers not to come out. And, then, I realized, that's who he is. He prefers life not to be disturbed. Thing should be in order, well-planned, and procedural. But then, when something happens to interrupt those plans, he also responds with a shrug, recalculates his route like a GPS in 1906, and prefers to respond with an, "it is what it is". He can't change what happens, but there's no reason to dig and uncover why it happened. When someone asks "why", it never turns out well, and it's usually none of their business anyway. Besides, he has all that he needs. His sister, his home, his work, his
faith. The four corners of his life make a very solid square, and that's pretty much what he is. Square. All edges and dull. Until an orphan uncovers a mystery that threatens to tattoo 'why' on the memo of his life in permanent ink. He'll have to stop her before curiosity kills the cat, but first, he'll have to decide he actually cares.So those are the first steps in my novel. Figuring out who I'm writing about. Their personalities, how they'll be at odds, and how they fit into the plot. Next, I'll build their quirks. Like I'm pretty sure my heroine chews on her hair when she's thinking, and my hero has a habit of giving one long blink right before he dismisses an idea or person to retreat to his well-crafted, square world.
My heroine will have a cat too. I mean, what more obvious way would there be to drawing out her personality? It will be a stray, just like her, with a bum rear-leg, so it only walks on three. I think she'll call him "Whiskey", 'cause he hobbles like a drunk man.
And that's what I do when I start a novel. Build, plot, plan, and imagine. It's possibly the best part of being a writer. When the voices start talking, you start listening.
What questions do you have about the writing process? I'd love to answer them!
_______________________________________
Professional coffee drinker and best-selling author, Jaime Jo Wright, resides in the hills of Wisconsin writing spirited and gritty turn-of- the-century romance stained with suspense. Her day job finds her working as a Director of Sales & Associate Relations. She’s wife to a rock climbing, bow-hunting Pre-K teacher, mom to a coffee-drinking little girl and a little boy she fondly refers to as her mischievous “Peter Pan.” Jaime completes her persona by being an admitted social media junkie and a coffee snob. She is a member of ACFW, has seen her work on both the ECPA and Publisher’s Weekly top ten best-sellers list for inspirational fiction, and has the best writing sisters ever!www.jaimejowright.comwww.facebook.com/jaimejowrighttwitter.com/jaimejowrightpinterest.co... @jaimejowrightGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13916081.Jaime_Jo_Wright
May 16, 2016
Readers Poll: Goodreads?
Readers:
Do you use Goodreads website to look for books and reviews?
Goodreads is like a virtual word-of-mouth book list.
The four of us here at CCC like to list our books, reviews, and to-be-read lists at Goodreads.
I'm just curious how readers like to use Goodreads most? Visit our sites, browse around, and share your thoughts. Link up with other readers and authors.
Each of us has very different lists. Though many of our books overlap, you'll see a lot more suspense of Jaime's lists.
Click the link to check: Anne's Goodreads.
You'll find a lot of variety: writing craft books, LLMontgomery, Brennan Manning, Francine Rivers, Corrie ten Boom, Cindy McCormick Martinusen, Leon Uris, J.R.R. Tolkien, Tamera Alexander, James Alexander Thom....to mention a few faves.
ANNE’S FAVORITE BOOKS
Click the link to check: Jaime's Goodreads
Jaime's page list her current published works, the reviews from our blog, and her latest reading list: (told you there was some suspense reading going on!)JAIME IS CURRENTLY READING
Jaime Jo Wright
is currently readingDawn at Emberwilde (Treasures of Surrey, #2)by Sarah E. Ladd (Goodreads Author)bookshelves: currently-reading Want to ReadRate this book1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
7 hours, 45 min ago · comment
Jaime Jo Wright
is currently readingMurder as a Fine Art (Thomas De Quincey, #1)by David Morrell (Goodreads Author)bookshelves: currently-reading Want to ReadRate this book1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Oct 18, 2015 06:15PM · comment
Click the link to check: Erica's Goodreads
It lists Erica's latest reads and a few ratings, as well as the long list of books she's published if you need a reference for all her books! You can also ask-the-author questions on Erica's page.
Erica Vetsch rated a book it was amazing
The Fifth Witness (Mickey Haller, #5)
by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)
Want to ReadRate this book1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 starsMay 02, 2016 12:50PM · like · comment · preview book Erica Vetsch has read
The Lincoln Lawyer (Harry Bosch Universe, #16; Mickey Haller, #1)
by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)
Want to ReadRate this book1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 starsMay 02, 2016 12:50PM · like · comment · preview book
Erica Vetsch finished reading
The Most Eligible Bachelor Romance Collection: Nine Historical Novellas Celebrate Marrying for All the Right Reasons
by Amanda Barratt
Click the link to check: Gabrielle's Goodreads
Gabrielle has a robust list of books on her wish list, and a list of her published works as well. Sometimes it's nice to know the authors who've influenced us by checking our list of favorite authors. Here are just a few:
GABRIELLE MEYER'S FAVORITE AUTHORS
Regina Jennings
author of
Sixty Acr...
Jody Hedlund
author of
The Preac...
Laura Frantz
author of
Courting ...
Julie Klassen
author of
The Apoth...
Kathleen Y'Barbo
author of
The Confi...
Katie Ganshert
author of
The Gifting
Want to ReadRate this book1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
YourReaders:
Your turn.
Tell us if you use Goodreads.
How you use it, and what you like about it.
-------------Blog post by Anne Love-
Writer of Historical Romance inspired by her family roots.
Nurse Practitioner by day.
Wife, mother, writer by night.
Coffee drinker--any time.
Find me on:FacebookFind me on: PinterestFind me on: GoodreadsFind me on: Twitter
Find me on: InstagramRepresented by Sarah Freese, WordServe Literary
Do you use Goodreads website to look for books and reviews?
Goodreads is like a virtual word-of-mouth book list.
The four of us here at CCC like to list our books, reviews, and to-be-read lists at Goodreads.
I'm just curious how readers like to use Goodreads most? Visit our sites, browse around, and share your thoughts. Link up with other readers and authors.
Each of us has very different lists. Though many of our books overlap, you'll see a lot more suspense of Jaime's lists.
Click the link to check: Anne's Goodreads.
You'll find a lot of variety: writing craft books, LLMontgomery, Brennan Manning, Francine Rivers, Corrie ten Boom, Cindy McCormick Martinusen, Leon Uris, J.R.R. Tolkien, Tamera Alexander, James Alexander Thom....to mention a few faves.
ANNE’S FAVORITE BOOKS
Click the link to check: Jaime's Goodreads
Jaime's page list her current published works, the reviews from our blog, and her latest reading list: (told you there was some suspense reading going on!)JAIME IS CURRENTLY READING
Jaime Jo Wright
is currently readingDawn at Emberwilde (Treasures of Surrey, #2)by Sarah E. Ladd (Goodreads Author)bookshelves: currently-reading Want to ReadRate this book1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars7 hours, 45 min ago · comment
Jaime Jo Wright
is currently readingMurder as a Fine Art (Thomas De Quincey, #1)by David Morrell (Goodreads Author)bookshelves: currently-reading Want to ReadRate this book1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 starsOct 18, 2015 06:15PM · comment
Click the link to check: Erica's Goodreads
It lists Erica's latest reads and a few ratings, as well as the long list of books she's published if you need a reference for all her books! You can also ask-the-author questions on Erica's page.
Erica Vetsch rated a book it was amazing
The Fifth Witness (Mickey Haller, #5)by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)
Want to ReadRate this book1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 starsMay 02, 2016 12:50PM · like · comment · preview book Erica Vetsch has read
The Lincoln Lawyer (Harry Bosch Universe, #16; Mickey Haller, #1) by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)
Want to ReadRate this book1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 starsMay 02, 2016 12:50PM · like · comment · preview book
Erica Vetsch finished reading
The Most Eligible Bachelor Romance Collection: Nine Historical Novellas Celebrate Marrying for All the Right Reasonsby Amanda Barratt
Click the link to check: Gabrielle's Goodreads
Gabrielle has a robust list of books on her wish list, and a list of her published works as well. Sometimes it's nice to know the authors who've influenced us by checking our list of favorite authors. Here are just a few:
GABRIELLE MEYER'S FAVORITE AUTHORS
Regina Jennings
author of
Sixty Acr...
Jody Hedlund
author of
The Preac...
Laura Frantz
author of
Courting ...
Julie Klassen
author of
The Apoth...
Kathleen Y'Barbo
author of
The Confi...
Katie Ganshert
author of
The Gifting
Want to ReadRate this book1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
YourReaders:
Your turn.
Tell us if you use Goodreads.
How you use it, and what you like about it.
-------------Blog post by Anne Love-
Writer of Historical Romance inspired by her family roots.
Nurse Practitioner by day.
Wife, mother, writer by night.
Coffee drinker--any time.
Find me on:FacebookFind me on: PinterestFind me on: GoodreadsFind me on: Twitter
Find me on: InstagramRepresented by Sarah Freese, WordServe Literary
May 13, 2016
Book Review: Mistress of Tall Acre by Laura Frantz
~~It's George MacDonald meets Jane Austen~~It's a classic Laura Frantz blend of nuance, scene, history, and romance.
~~"Triumph and Tragedy, Loyalty and Betrayal"
~~Charming and Colonial
~~A wonderful picture of post-Revolutionary American life--a time when traitorous attitudes still tainted everything from marriage, prestige, and land holdings.
The war had finished and the neighboring army general had returned, but the uprooting of anti-torrie sentiment and seizure of Tory land holdings had yet to be a thing of the past. Yet patriot Sophie Menzie's clung to hope that her brother would return to claim his rightful ownership over their family estate since her father's Tory allegiance had sent him back to Scotland.
General Seamus Ogilvy has returned from military battle to face another kind of battle--reentry to civilian life and the care of his motherless daughter and the management of Tall Acre estate.
When his daughter is drawn to neighbor and family friend, Miss Menzie's, the general is relieved to entrust her to Sophie's care from time to time. As the bond between them grows beyond the care of his daughter, and a women from his past returns without warning, the fledgling redemption of their new connection is threatened.
For Sophie, not only is her heart endangered by the return of the mysterious woman, but the future of her family lands, and the title of the rightful mistress of Tall Acre.
One of the things I love about reading historical romance is being transported back in time, not into a history lecture, but into the every day lives of people who lived before me and what it may have been like. Yes, it's a fictional representation. However, one thing I learned from reading Colonial Era works of fiction is that after 1776 Declaration of Independence--life took nearly a decade or more to recover. After we declared independence, our new government seized the land holdings of Tory loyalists, and it wasn't like Britain just gave up and went home on July 5th.
Readers:
Have any of you traced your Revolutionary War ancestor's history?
If so, please share a tidbit with us!
Are there things about the Colonial Era you've recently discovered, or would like to hear more about here at CC&C?
For those of you who have read Laura's previous works, which one is your favorite?
a Rafflecopter giveaway
If you've never read Laura Frantz's work, or been introduced to her, I'm delighted to bring you a taste of her excellent gift in story telling. Her writing is a masterful blend of setting, history, and transformation that draw readers in from the time you crack open the cover.
She is an "Award-winning author Laura Frantz is passionate about all things historical, particularly the 18th-century, and writes her manuscripts in longhand first. Her stories often incorporate Scottish themes that reflect her family heritage. She is a direct descendant of George Hume, Wedderburn Castle, Berwickshire, Scotland, who was exiled to the American colonies for his role in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, settled in Virginia, and is credited with teaching George Washington surveying in the years 1748-1750. Frantz lives and writes in a log cabin in the heart of Kentucky."
Blog post by Anne Love-
Writer of Historical Romance inspired by her family roots.
Nurse Practitioner by day.
Wife, mother, writer by night.
Coffee drinker--any time.
Find me on:Facebook Find me on: Pinterest
Find me on: TwitterFind me on: Goodreads
