Beverly Nault's Blog, page 6
September 30, 2013
The Turning Point, a novel based on the Prodigal Son
The Turning Point, a novel based on the Prodigal Son
If we look at life as a journey we will see that along the path we encounter many crossroads. Depending on the side we decide to walk when we encounter those forks on the road will determine how our journey will continue.
Making the right decision at those times can be quite challenging. We may feel external or internal pressures to pursue either side of the path. We have to always remember that at the end of the day it is us and only us who will either suffer the consequences or reap the benefits of our final decision.
I know that at the same time sometimes we sit at that fork, thinking that no decision is better than the wrong one. This cannot be further from the truth. Staying stagnant will always make us more miserable that any pain that we can encounter.
I once heard Joyce Meyers say, “You have to make the best decision with the information you have at the moment. Even if it’s the incorrect one God will give you Grace because he knew you were trying to do the best with what you knew” Those words have stayed with me for a long time and when I know that I need to make a decision, that may constitute a risk I remember these words. Obviously I research, seek counsel because I need that portion of the best information possible to assess the elements of my decision, but at the end of the day I have decisions to make to further my growth and to fulfill my purpose.
In my new book, “A Brother’s Vow” Randall has made a promise that he never thought he would need to fulfill. Then he’s face with having to make a life changing decision in order to fulfill it. Join my journey and find out if he did and if so how it turned out.
Let’s chat with Naty:
BEV: What inspired you to write this book?
NATY: I am always inspired by the Parable of the Prodigal Son and that’s part of what inspired this story. There were times where decisions are clouded by condemnation or rebellion; so I decided to write a story from that standpoint.
BEV: How did you come up with the title?
NATY: To be honest my first title was “My promise to keep” Because the story centers around a promise that Randall, the main character, makes to his twin brother Brian and the events that follow him trying to fulfill that promise. I found that there were too many books with that title already so I changed it to “A Brother’s Vow” as it is more fitting to theme in the book.
BEV: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
NATY: That no matter how far gone or deep in trouble we think we are, God always welcomes us with open arms and there’s always the chance for new beginnings.
BEV: How much of the book is real?
NATY: Nothing, this is a pure work of fiction.
BEV: What book are you reading now?
NATY: I just finished “Waking up Married” by Mira Lynn Kelly a few weeks ago which I truly enjoyed. I’m about to start “Until Forever” by Darlene Shortridge
BEV: What are your current projects?
NATY: I have a powerful book on the subject of domestic violence titled, “Breaking Free” that is at the second draft revision and a Christmas romance novella, “Lost Love on Christmas Day” which is also at the second draft revision level. I’m hoping to be able to release those next year.
BEV: Do you have any advice for other writers?
NATY: Never give up and keep on writing. Be open to correction and feedback.
BEV: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
NATY: Open yourselves to the opportunity of supporting indie authors. You will find that some traditionally published books are great and some are not; the same is true for the indie books. I have recently been watching some indie movies and found some great ones. It is time to open our minds to the concept that quality doesn’t always come behind a corporate label. Happy reading!
Naty writes Christian fiction and non-fiction. She maintains a blog on Christian Living Topics at www.therisingmuse.com
About Naty Matos
Naty Matos was born in the city of New York. She grew up in the beautiful Island of Puerto Rico and now lives in the city of Atlanta. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Clinical Psychology
E-mail- therisingmuse@gmail.com
Website www.therisingmuse.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Naty-Matos/172298772847562?ref=hl
Twitter https://twitter.com/NatyCMatos
September 20, 2013
New Mystery – “On the Buckle” by Candace Carrabus
New Mystery – “On the Buckle” by Candace Carrabus
Y’all know I grew up riding horses, and that’s why they appear so often in my stories. So when I found Candace Carrabus’ books, I was thrilled to know she is both an experienced rider and a talented writer. If you like horses, or just love of a good mystery, I totally recommend her mystery, On the Buckle. (PG-13…it is for grown-ups, y’all)
Here’s a great line from the book that describes the allure of riding; “When I get in the saddle, some channel opens that is closed to most others…it put me in a zone of some kind where nothing could touch us-if I was on a horse I knew was ready, a horse that could do it.”
Aha! What she said!
The main character, Viola Parker, is sassy, funny, hooked on whipped cream straight from the can, and shares what we all feel about a good ride. And then finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery that had me chomping at the bit to find out who-done-it until the end.
I chatted with Candace recently about her research for the mystery (no spoilers, but you’ll be intrigued), her writing, and riding.
BEV: I know you did quite a bit of research for On the Buckle. What was the most unusual topic you looked into?
CANDACE: This is impossible to answer fully without giving away an important part of the story, but I’ll tell you that I read Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. Also, I called the famous University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility known as the Body Farm. When I asked what I needed to know, the person I spoke with paused, then said, “Hmmmm…I don’t think we’ve ever tried that.” I asked them if they would, but they never got back to me. Yet.
BEV: Reader, when you read On the Buckle, you’ll discover what…ahem…process of decomp Candace was inquiring about. I wouldn’t be surprised if “the Farm” is undergoing the research even as we speak! Candace, what’s next in the series?
CANDACE: Dreamhorse Mystery #2 will pick up almost where On The Buckle leaves off. Vi is settling in to her new life when her parents come to visit. But is this just a social call? All I can say is, Vi better stay on top of her whipped cream inventory.
BEV: What’s the funniest/most ironic thing that’s happened to you while writing?
CANDACE: When I was writing the first draft of Raver, (the first in her Fantasy series) I had a minor character to introduce, a walk-on with one scene who might occasionally have a role later in the story. At least, that was my plan. Ha! How naive!! She roared onto the page with a bang, insisting on a more major role, impossible to ignore. I’ve had characters talk to me before, but this was the first time I’d had one be so forceful.
BEV: HAHA! Characters can be as head strong as a young colt, right? Thanks for sharing, Candace! Write on, and ride on!
CANDACE: Thanks for having me, Bev!
Candace is on Facebook, you can buy her books on Amazon or from her website, Writing the Ride.
More about Candace: I’ve been writing stories and riding horses-frequently simultaneously-for as long as I can remember. I grew up on Long Island and spent my formative years in the saddle-just imagining. After high school, I traveled to Ness, England and studied at a British Horse Society training school. This was an all-around amazing experience. When I left, I clutched a certification to teach riding in my hot little hand, and I enjoyed instructing riders for many years. Who am I kidding? We know it is the horses who do the teaching. All we can do is try to remain open to what they have to say. Not surprisingly, my fiction and non-fiction are both frequently infused with the mystery and spirituality horses have brought to my life.
L-R Candace’s daughter Rianna, Bev, and Candace
Bev out!
September 3, 2013
More ways to Read a Book, Save a Horse
More ways to Read a Book, Save a Horse
Last week I told you about a great way to combine reading great books with helping out a good cause. Here are two more titles from the talented Candace Carrabus to do so ( in the spirit of full disclosure, I have been pestering Candace since I read her first novella, Man, Dog, His Owner and Her Lover to write.more.books. PESTERING!! So you have me to thank LOL) I’m halfway through On the Buckle, a mystery tale led by feisty, frisky, Vi Parker.
As a rider, I know I can trust Candace’s thoroughly accurate and interesting details about riding. As a writer, I’m equally impressed with her storytelling skills. Win-win!
When you buy her books, for a limited time, Candace is donating all her royalties to Amaryllis Farm Equine Rescue and Horse Sanctuary. Details following.
I’m telling you, Candace has game. Seriously talented writer. Now back to my Kindle so I can find out whodunnit. Get her books! (In case you missed it, here’s last week’s title: Raver is Contemporary Fantasy.)
Here’s Candace:
In On The Buckle, we meet Vi Parker, who might be the best show-jumper rider around, but whose smart mouth keeps landing her out of work. Now, all that’s between her and a surprise trust fund, is keeping a job for a year and a glowing letter of recommendation.
It’s supposed to be a relaxing—boring!—year of riding “on the buckle.” Between the dead horse visiting Vi’s dreams and the dead bodies piling up, the question isn’t whether she can keep her mouth shut long enough to earn a reference, but whether she’ll live long enough to get it.
Much as I love horses, life wouldn’t be complete without the dogs and cats in it, too. One day, I was looking deeply into the eyes of our black lab, Carlo, and I thought, what if… Well, if you’re a writer, you know what those two little words mean!
The Man, The Dog, His Owner & Her Lover is a novella available in ebook format from Amazon only. Meet Stephanie O’Hanlon. She’s a 40-something workaholic for whom a blank to-do list is crazy-making. When she gets laid off and rescues a huge, smiling dog from a shelter—a dog her friend insists is inhabited by Steph’s lover from a former life—she discovers the true meaning of crazy.
Gabe Fagen is Steph’s handyman, and he’s been crazy-in-love with her since they were teenagers. Steph losing her job might be his chance to finally get to know her better. But will she notice he’s alive with a mysterious dog acting as her guardian angel?
But I digress. Back to the business at hand. Horses. It is with great joy that I am able to further connect my two passions with the Buy a Book—Help a Horse fundraiser for Amaryllis Farm Equine Rescue and Horse Sanctuary.
W.C. Fields famously said, “Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people.”
This non-profit sanctuary’s owner, Christine Barrett-Distefano, works tirelessly on behalf of horses, mules, and ponies as well as some chickens, ducks, goats—you name it—who are no longer wanted by their owners. Owners who often promised to love them forever. Circumstances change, children grow up, horses get old and lame and are too often discarded as easily as yesterday’s news.
But people like Christine are all that stand between a once beloved horse and the misery of neglect and even slaughter. All too often this is also the fate of successful racehorses.
Christine and I go way back. A long time ago in what seems like a different life, she worked for me at a stable. Now we have teamed up for you to enjoy a good read and help horses at the same time. All you have to do is buy one—or all three!—of my books between August 25th and September 8th. My author royalties will be donated to Amaryllis Farm. You can get them in print from Amazon or Barnes & Noble and for Kindle, Nook, or Kobo.
And, as if that weren’t good enough, you can also enter a contest on Facebook for giveaways such as
A $20 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card
A fabulous hand-crafted horse hoof necklace
Gumy ear buds
Horsehair bracelet
Tablet pillow sleeve
Pony Pizza Company’s pizza-shaped horse treats
www.facebook.com/promotion… Winners will be announced September 9th.
The horses thank you! See ya on the trails!
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCandaceCarrabus
Buy a Book—Help a Horse photo by Streetsidephoto@gmail.com
Now trot on over and get yours! Bev out!
August 25, 2013
Horse stories for a good cause? Yes, please!
Horse stories for a good cause? Yes, please!
Today I’m thrilled to host my friend and fellow author, Candace Carrabus, and tell you about how buying her books will help a nonprofit animal rescue facility.
Candace I met through a mutual horse-loving friend-hi Pam! and were amazed at how many things we have in common. Both Candace and I trained in the British Horse Society certificate program-different stables, different times, and we’ve both lived on Long Island, and of course we share a love for writing, and horses. (Oh, and we even drive the same kind of car!) All my books end up having horses in them, and so do Candace’s. And we both care about helping out animals in need. More about that in a moment.
Candace’s second fantasy, Raver, is a grown-up’s horse story, and I totally recommend it, she’s a fantastic writer. Top that off with a great fundraising opportunity, and buying a copy for yourself is a win-win.
Here she is to explain how she writes, why horses are so compelling to us all, and what you will find in her great books.
Hi Candace!
Candace and Remi
Hi, Bev, thanks for having me!
What is it about horses? From the avid rider to the long-distance admirer, everyone agrees their beauty, power, and grace stirs deep emotions.
Author Jane Smiley said, “I discovered that the horse is life itself, a metaphor but also an example of life’s mystery and unpredictability, of life’s generosity and beauty, a worthy object of repeated and ever changing contemplation.”
Ah, that explains it! And in literary terms no less. All I know is I love them and can’t live without them. They have made me who I am, and who I am is way better than who I would have been if horses hadn’t helped raise me and continue to mentor me. I’m a lifelong horsewoman and author. I haven’t been writing as long as I’ve loved horses—mainly because I couldn’t connect pencil to paper soon enough—but I’m not sure I can live without that, either. Now, come ride with me, which is where I do a lot of my story development.
W.C. Fields famously said, “Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people.”
Images, characters, and snippets of conversation flow naturally during long trail rides. On the undulating back of a horse you can be anyone, you can go anywhere, you can fly. Imagination awakens, stretches, and flexes its muscles. When I started pulling ideas out of my head and writing them down—at around age 12—horses were as inextricably entwined in my stories as they are with my heart. Writing romantic adventures centered around horses is still rewarding. The seed that grew into Raver began in a dream of a trail ride on my old thoroughbred, Smirnoff. Raver tells the story of Lauren Gallagher, a woman who longs to simply be left alone with her horses.
When a strange man arrives at the stable seeking a particular rider, Lauren and her mount, Pindar, find themselves transported through the Ravery to Cirq, a dying land bereft of its beloved steeds. In Cirq, Lauren is proclaimed the long-awaited Horsecaller and she’s expected to find the lost horses and return Cirq to greatness. No pressure.
Click here to go to the fundraiser FB page
So it is with great joy that I am able to further connect my two passions with the Buy a Book—Help a Horse fundraiser for Amaryllis Farm Equine Rescue and Horse Sanctuary. This non-profit sanctuary’s owner, Christine Barrett-Distefano, works tirelessly on behalf of horses, mules, and ponies as well as some chickens, ducks, goats—you name it—who are no longer wanted by their owners. Owners who often promised to love them forever. Circumstances change, children grow up, horses get old and lame and are too often discarded as easily as yesterday’s newspaper.
Some of Amaryllis’ success stories.
Sometimes, people like Christine are all that stand between a once beloved horse and the misery of neglect and even slaughter. All too often this is also the fate of successful racehorses.
How you can help.
When you buy one—or all three!—of my books between August 25th and September 8th, I will donate all my author royalties to Amaryllis Farm. You can get them in print from Amazon or Barnes & Noble and for Kindle, Nook, or Kobo.
And, as if that weren’t good enough, you can also enter a contest on Facebook for giveaways such as
• A $20 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card
• A fabulous hand-crafted horse hoof necklace
• Gumy ear buds
• Horsehair bracelet
• Tablet pillow sleeve
• Pony Pizza Company’s pizza-shaped horse treats www.facebook.com/promotion… Winners will be announced September 9th. The horses thank you! See ya on the trails!
Links & Credits
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCandac...
Buy a Book—Help a Horse photo by Streetsidephoto@gmail.com
Horses Grazing photo by Cynthia Roysden Photography
Next time we’ll tell you about Candace’s next title, On the Buckle, another horse story. The world can never have too many of those, right? And to help out an author, if you enjoy our books, please leave a fair and kind review on any site like Amazon, Goodreads or Barnes and Noble, they really do help spread the word.
Bev out!
August 6, 2013
A Farm Fresh Romance – fun new series breaks ground
A Farm Fresh Romance – fun new series breaks ground
Since we’re all about fresh starts here, when I saw this unique series, I knew I had to invite the author, Valerie Comer, and find out more.
FARM FRESH ROMANCE - This unique farm lit series follows the adventures, romantic and otherwise, of three college graduates who move onto a reclaimed farm where they plan to take the rural area by storm with their sustainable lifestyle and focus on local foods.
The debut title:
Breaking ground with the Farm Fresh Romance series, RASPBERRIES AND VINEGAR finds Josephine Shaw and her friends renovating a dilapidated farm with their sights set on more than just their own property. Transforming the town with their sustainable lifestyle and focus on local foods is met with more resistance than they expected, especially by temporary neighbor, Zachary Nemesek. Jo needs to learn that a little sweet makes the tart more tasty.
Putting the “Fresh” in Fresh Start
Have you noticed—or maybe been a part of—the resurging interest in fresh food? Buying from farmers’ markets or direct from the farm is a growing trend. The number of North Americans planting a vegetable garden and cooking with fresh herbs is growing. Real food. Local food. Organic food. Seasonal food. Fresh food. All these are buzzwords in today’s foodie culture. The popularity of fast food chains and prepackaged mixes seems to be waning as we rediscover our taste buds—as well as our health and our consciences! Back in the 1970s there was a “back to the land movement,” strolling along hand-in-hand with hippies and peace freaks. Disenchanted folks flocked to log cabins in the hills and tried their hand at pottery. They made a fresh start, all right, but lots of them gave it up and returned to urban corporate life.
Making a living off the land isn’t that easy. It wasn’t then, and it isn’t now. Don’t tell that to the characters in my new novel, Raspberries and Vinegar. Josephine Shaw and her two best friends are renovating a dilapidated farm with their sights set on more than just their own property. Transforming the town with their sustainable lifestyle and focus on local foods is met with more resistance than they expected, especially by temporary neighbor, Zachary Nemesek. Jo needs to learn that a little sweet makes the tart more tasty. Jo, Claire, and Sierra are determined, though. Even a trailer full of mice isn’t enough to deter them, though it comes close.
Raspberries and Vinegar is the first in my new Farm Fresh Romance series, called Farm Lit with sweet simplicity and a bit of zing. Sound interesting? You’re in luck! From August 6-9, anyone who orders a paperback copy of Raspberries and Vinegar can receive the digital versions as a thank you gift. We’re also offering a bunch of other fun downloads: digital art, a podcast with interviews about the intersection of food and faith, a video of me making Raspberry Vinegar, and more.
What do I know about a fresh start? God’s been preparing me for this leap into Farm Lit for years. Both my mom and my mother-in-law were country women who gardened, cooked from scratch, and preserved food for long, cold Canadian winters. Being as Jim and I didn’t have a lot of money in our early years, following the traditions we already knew was helpful in feeding healthy fare to our little family. We bought the family farm in 2000 and are actively farming, gardening, and beekeeping, plus staying involved in our local food action coalition and farmers’ market. Watching our adult kids and their spouses examine food issues has been fun to see. Our son moved his little family back to the farm, where they live across the yard from us. (Yay! I get to see my 1-year-old granddaughter every day.) Our daughter loves to cook and experiment. Her little girls love food, are learning where it comes from, and enjoy watching the piggies and chickens when they visit the farm. It’s my kids’ generation I’m writing for. Many college students and 20-30-somethings are unsatisfied with urban options, feeling disconnected from humanity’s roots. Many seek a way to get their hands in the dirt, but the price of land has skyrocketed since the 70s. It’s tough to buy a farm and, if you should be so lucky, it’s even harder to make a go of it. We work off the farm as well as on it in order to sustain our lifestyle. What kind of fresh start are you yearning for? Are you taking steps to make it a reality? Life is too short to sit back. Ask God what He wants for you then reach out and grab hold of His promises. Go get it!
Valerie Comer’s life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their creation-care-centric church. She only hopes her characters enjoy their happily ever afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.
Valerie writes Farm Lit with the voice of experience laced with humor. Raspberries and Vinegar, first in her series A Farm Fresh Romance, released August 1, 2013. Visit her at these social sites.
Website: http://valeriecomer.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/valeriecomer....
Twitter: http://twitter.com/valeriecomer http://twitter.com/towritestory
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/valeriecomer
Blog: http://valeriecomer.com/blog
Writing Blog & Free eCourse: http://towriteastory.com
What is FarmLit?
A little about Choose Now publishing
Choose NOW Ministries, founded by Nicole O’Dell, is dedicated to working with parents and teens to battle peer pressure, face the Hot Button issues, and commit to good choices.
Today’s choices have lasting impact on your tomorrows.
I’m grabbing my copy and a glass of iced tea, see you on the porch swing.
Bev out!
August 1, 2013
Keeper of Reign – .99 download!
Keeper of Reign – .99 download!
Today I’m welcoming Emma Right, author of an exciting new YA Fantasy series. Here’s the first, Keeper of the Reign, .99 for a limited time on Kindle.
Here’s a synopsis:
Books written in blood. Most of them lost, their Keepers with them. A curse that befell the people of Reign and their surrounding neighbors who blame them for this. A Kingdom with no King. Life couldn’t get more harrowing for the Elfies, a blend of Elves and Fairies. Or for sixteen year old Jules Blaze. Or could it?
Something in the air is brewing and Gehzurolle, the evil lord, and his army of Scorpents will invade and destroy the Kingdom of Reign and the Elfies. Already Gehzurolle’s agents, secreted in Reign, are ready to do their master’s bidding.
But for Jules his nightmare has only just begun. Especially since he and his family have inadvertently invoked the interest of Gehzurolle. But why?
In his quest to find answers, and to locate the Ancient Books, Jules loses control over his situations, faces one dilemma after another to save his family, and his Kingdom, and uncovers a family secret that could save his family, and possibly reverse the curse Reign was under. If Jules doesn’t get himself killed first.
From a review by Sunshiny Daze:
“Besides the great story that kept me page-turning with excitement, I loved the interaction of the Blaze children. I grew up in a large family and recognized a lot from my own childhood. The characters are well-developed and I felt like I knew them well, and they became friends as I read. I even found myself mourning with them. I’m not giving any plot twists away, but there are some doozies in there! I wasn’t quite sure who to trust.
And now some thoughts from the author. Welcome, Emma, tell us a bit about yourself, and why you are writing this series.
As a homeschool mother of five, with kids with me the entire day, and a husband who travels a lot, the greatest challenge was trying to get at least a ten minute block of time without being interrupted by some comment, or ‘Help! Mommy! The cat’s scaring the dog!” or “Where is…” or a loud crash coming from somewhere, or a fight between the cat and the bunny…the list continues.
In all this, I had to remind myself that much as I enjoy writing, my kids always come before my book. But some days I struggled to remember that. I share this because I know there are many moms out there who might have this struggle and because the work of a mom seem endless (and sometimes mundane,) but our real gems are the children. We need to remind ourselves, and each other this. They are truly God’s gift to us.
Why did I write Keeper of Reign?
I wanted to write an allegorical fantasy about the fall of man and the redemption story set in a fantasy setting that’s filled with danger and adventure. Something young readers can enjoy but still have a Christian message.
What I hope Keeper of Reign accomplishes:
I hope my readers can see that with the power of the gospel, we can overcome our problems and difficulties. I want to empower young readers with this message, that if they seek the truth (the Ancient Books, in Keeper of Reign) they will find wisdom and answers to life’s problems. It doesn’t mean the answers are going to come easy, but persistence will pay off, and the BIble has the answers.
How readers can connect with me?
Please visit my webpage: www.emmaright.com, or my Facebook emma.right.author, and follow me on twitter. If you sign up for my newsletter on my emmaright.com page I will give you book and contests updates.
Emma Right is a happy wife and homeschool mother of five living in the Pacific West Coast. Besides running a busy home, and looking after too many pets, she also enjoys reading aloud to her children and often has her nose in a book. Right was a copywriter for a major advertising agency during her B.C. years. B.C.meaning “Before Children,” which may as well have been in the B.C.era, as she always says. Please feel free to contact Emma. She’s always happy to hear from her readers.
Or follow her on twitter @emmbeliever.
You can also see the world and characters of Reign on pinterest.com/emmaright/.
- See more at: http://www.emmaright.com/AbouttheAuth...
June 20, 2013
Get your lanyards ready, rediscovering summer camp with my guest T. Greenwood
Get your lanyards ready, rediscovering summer camp with my guest T. Greenwood
Today I’m thrilled to host Tammy Greenwood, author of so many titles it’s hard to list them all here, but I highly recommend you check them out. Tammy’s also a writing teacher and editor, and has been helping me with my latest WIP, THE KALEIDOSCOPE, so if you’re an author, I suggest you find out more about her uber helpful editing services and classes as well. Her lengthy summaries of good and >cough< not so good parts of my submission to her are keeping me busy making changes, and I know will make the book SO much better. I’ve posted her bio, photo and links at the bottom of this post. She’s graciously allowed me to repost her list of some books I’ve already added to my list of TBR’s, let us know if you find one you’d like to read, or want to, or perhaps another you’d recommend.
Here’s Tammy!
(Originally posted on May 26th, 2013 on Tammy’s blog.)
It’s Memorial Day weekend, which even here in sunny southern California, signals the advent of summer. And so I begin compiling my list of summer reads. And what better books to complement the season than novels set at summer camps?
Here are some I can’t wait to read and re-read (blurbs are from goodreads.com):
“The Last Summer of the Camperdowns, from the best-selling author of Apologize, Apologize!, introduces Riddle James Camperdown, the twelve-year-old daughter of the idealistic Camp and his manicured, razor-sharp wife, Greer. It’s 1972, and Riddle’s father is running for office from the family compound in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Between Camp’s desire to toughen her up and Greer’s demand for glamour, Riddle has her hands full juggling her eccentric parents. When she accidentally witnesses a crime close to home, her confusion and fear keep her silent. As the summer unfolds, the consequences of her silence multiply. Another mysterious and powerful family, the Devlins, slowly emerges as the keepers of astonishing secrets that could shatter the Camperdowns. As an old love triangle, bitter war wounds, and the struggle for status spiral out of control, Riddle can only watch, hoping for the courage to reveal the truth. The Last Summer of the Camperdowns is poised to become the summer’s uproarious and dramatic must-read.”
“It is 1930, the midst of the Great Depression. After her mysterious role in a family tragedy, passionate, strong-willed Thea Atwell, age fifteen, has been cast out of her Florida home, exiled to an equestrienne boarding school for Southern debutantes. High in the Blue Ridge Mountains, with its complex social strata ordered by money, beauty, and girls’ friendships, the Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls is a far remove from the free-roaming, dreamlike childhood Thea shared with her twin brother on their family’s citrus farm—a world now partially shattered. As Thea grapples with her responsibility for the events of the past year that led her here, she finds herself enmeshed in a new order, one that will change her sense of what is possible for herself, her family, her country.
Weaving provocatively between home and school, the narrative powerfully unfurls the true story behind Thea’s expulsion from her family, but it isn’t long before the mystery of her past is rivaled by the question of how it will shape her future. Part scandalous love story, part heartbreaking family drama, The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls is an immersive, transporting page-turner—a vivid, propulsive novel about sex, love, family, money, class, home, and horses, all set against the ominous threat of the Depression—and the major debut of an important new writer.”
“Late on a warm summer night in rural Missouri, an elderly camp director hears a squeal of joyous female laughter and goes to investigate. At the camp swimming pool he comes upon a bewildering scene: his counselors stripped naked and engaged in a provocative celebration. The first camp session is set to start in just two days. He fires them all. As a result, new counselors must be quickly hired and brought to the Kindermann Forest Summer Camp.
One of them is Wyatt Huddy, a genetically disfigured young man who has been living in a Salvation Army facility. Gentle and diligent, large and imposing, Wyatt suffers a deep anxiety that his intelligence might be subnormal. All his life he’s been misjudged because of his irregular features. But while Wyatt is not worldly, he is also not an innocent. He has escaped a punishing home life with a reclusive and violent older sister.
Along with the other new counselors, Wyatt arrives expecting to care for children. To their astonishment, they learn that for the first two weeks of the camping season they will be responsible for 104 severely developmentally disabled adults, all of them wards of the state. For Wyatt it is a dilemma that turns his world inside out. Physically, he is indistinguishable from the state hospital campers he cares for. Inwardly, he would like to believe he is not of their tribe. Fortunately for Wyatt, there is a young woman on staff who understands his predicament better than he might have hoped.
At once the new counselors and disabled campers begin to reveal themselves. Most are well-intentioned; others unprepared. Some harbor dangerous inclinations. Among the campers is a perplexing array of ailments and appearances and behavior both tender and disturbing. To encounter them is to be reminded just how wide the possibilities are when one is describing human beings.
Soon Wyatt is called upon to prevent a terrible tragedy. In doing so, he commits an act whose repercussions will alter his own life and the lives of the other Kindermann Forest staff members for years to come.
Written with scrupulous fidelity to the strong passions running beneath the surface of camp life, The Inverted Forest is filled with yearning, desire, lust, banked hope, and unexpected devotion. This remarkable and audacious novel amply underscores Heaven Lake’s wide acclaim and confirms John Dalton’s rising prominence as a major American novelist.”
“In a West Virginia forest in 1963, a group of children at summer camp enter a foreboding Eden and experience an unexpected rite of passage. Shelter is an astonishing portrayal of an American loss of innocence as witnessed by a mysterious drifter named Parson, two young sisters, Lenny and Alma, and a feral boy called Buddy. Together they come to understand bravery and the importance of compassion.
Phillips unearths a dangerous beauty in this primeval terrain and in the hearts of her characters. Lies, secrets, erotic initiations, and the bonds of love between friends, families, and generations are transformed in a leafy wilderness undiminished by societal rules and dilemmas. Cast in Phillips’ stunning prose, with an unpredictable cast of characters and a shadowy, suspenseful narrative, Shelter is a an enduring achievement from one of the finest writers of our time.”
“The summer that Nixon resigns, six teenagers at a summer camp for the arts become inseparable. Decades later the bond remains powerful, but so much else has changed. In The Interestings, Wolitzer follows these characters from the height of youth through middle age, as their talents, fortunes, and degrees of satisfaction diverge.The kind of creativity that is rewarded at age fifteen is not always enough to propel someone through life at age thirty; not everyone can sustain, in adulthood, what seemed so special in adolescence. Jules Jacobson, an aspiring comic actress, eventually resigns herself to a more practical occupation and lifestyle. Her friend Jonah, a gifted musician, stops playing the guitar and becomes an engineer. But Ethan and Ash, Jules’s now-married best friends, become shockingly successful—true to their initial artistic dreams, with the wealth and access that allow those dreams to keep expanding. The friendships endure and even prosper, but also underscore the differences in their fates, in what their talents have become and the shapes their lives have taken.Wide in scope, ambitious, and populated by complex characters who come together and apart in a changing New York City, The Interestings explores the meaning of talent; the nature of envy; the roles of class, art, money, and power; and how all of it can shift and tilt precipitously over the course of a friendship and a life.”
“Every secret has a price.For most girls, sleepaway camp is great fun. But for Amy Becker, it’s a nightmare. Amy, whose home life is in turmoil, is sent to Camp Takawanda for Girls for the first time as a teenager. Although Amy swears she hates her German-immigrant mother, who is unduly harsh with Amy’s autistic younger brother, Amy is less than thrilled about going to camp. At Takawanda she is subjected to a humiliating “initiation” and relentless bullying by the ringleader of the senior campers. As she struggles to stop the mean girls from tormenting her, Amy becomes more confident. Then a cousin reveals dark secrets about Amy’s mother’s past, which sets in motion a tragic event that changes Amy and her family forever. Camp is a compelling coming-of-age novel about bullying, mothers and daughters, and the collateral damage of family secrets. It will resonate with a wide teenage readership. Camp will be a strong addition to school recommended reading and summer reading lists, and it is appropriate for anti-bullying programs. Mostly, though, Camp is a mother-daughter story for mothers and daughters to share.”
About my guest:
T. Greenwood is the author of seven novels. She has received grants from the Sherwood Anderson Foundation, the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and, most recently, the Maryland State Arts Council. TWO RIVERS was named Best General Fiction Book at the San Diego Book Awards in 2009. Five of her novels have been BookSense76/IndieBound picks; THIS GLITTERING WORLD was a January 2011 selection, and GRACE is an April 2012 selection. Her eighth novel, BODIES OF WATER, will be released this fall.
She teaches creative writing at for San Diego Writer’s, Ink. She and her husband, Patrick, live in San Diego, CA with their two daughters. She is also an aspiring photographer.
More information on T. Greenwood can be found at her website: http://www.tgreenwood.com and her blogs: http://www.mermama.blogspot.com andhttp://www.ephemerafiles.blogspot.com
June 17, 2013
One Writer’s Encouragement for Hearing God’s Will
One Writer’s Encouragement for Hearing God’s Will
Welcome fellow Texas girl, Jayna Morrow, who’s got a great message of encouragement from a time when she experienced a fresh start in her own writing. (Love the bluebonnet cover, Jayna!)Thanks, Bev!
For me, writing is therapy. Upon completing any project, I reflect on what I learned and anchor it to Bible scripture. My debut novel, Garrett, was a last-ditch effort to jumpstart a writing career that was going nowhere. Like Garrett, I was at a point in my life where I was ready to give up. The plan I had for my life just wasn’t working out. That’s when I stumbled across this scripture:
“You can make plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.” Proverbs 19:21
And that’s when it hit me that I hadn’t consulted God about what was in the plan for my life. All I knew was that I had the urge to write around the clock and there was nothing I could do to make it go away. I know. I tried to quit writing for an entire year and couldn’t. Garrett Hearth felt the same way. An injury had ended his athletic career and he believed that his life held no purpose beyond that.
But Garrett Hearth is a fictional character?
There’s a saying that goes, “art imitates life far more than life imitates art.” Oscar Wilde wrote those famous words. So can we learn and grow through our art? I believe so absolutely. But more importantly, can God speak to us through our art? YES!
In my novel, Garrett finds an entirely different purpose than the one he had in mind. In my case, it was all a matter of turning my gift of writing over to God. Until that time, I had been writing traditional romance and going nowhere. A small voice told me I should be writing inspirational romance. Then a Christian friend told me the same thing at about the same time. That solidified things for me. I completed a Christian romance novel, and that’s when things started happening.
A double lesson from one scripture.
Sometimes the plan you have yourself isn’t the one God intended. And sometimes the plan matches up, but you’re not doing things for the right reason or in the right way.
One solution for both lessons.
Pray, pray, pray, PRAY! Turn your life over to God. Whatever your purpose, whatever your talent, whatever your interest or hobby. Find a way to glorify God in all things.
About Jayna:
Texas romance author, Jayna Morrow, has been creating imaginary worlds since a young age. As an elementary school teacher, Jayna juggles the demands of molding young minds, raising two precious daughters, and spending time with her husband/best
friend…while making time for her passion of writing romance novels.
Find Jayna at www.jaynamorrow.com or www.facebook.com/JaynaMorrow,
on Twitter @JaynaMorrow
~ Sweet Life, Sweet Romance, Sweet Home ~
*GARRETTAvailable now from Prism Book Group*
*GABRIEL – Coming soon from Prism Book Group*
*HOLDEN – Coming soon from Prism Book Group*
June 11, 2013
Fresh Start Summer-now an Audiobook!
Fresh Start Summer-now an Audiobook!
Read to find out how to enter to win an audible.com* copy of:
Perfect for summer trips, walking the dogs, or working in the garden, the entire family can listen in as Hollywood arrives in small town Cherryvale. When two worlds collide, they learn how to accept each other when fires break out, and a townie goes missing. Are the new arrivals the culprits or the cure to helping mend a friendship in need of repair? With themes of friendship, prejudice and forgiveness, the fun abounds with lots of fun characters, pets and a delightful setting.
All the action takes place in Cherryvale, a friendly town where neighbors care, gardeners share, and God allows do-overs. Built around the CherryPath, the folks look out for each other, meet life and rely on their faith to face life together.
Selected as one of realsimple.com’s Great Summer Reads of 2011 and recipient of the San Diego Christian Writer’s Guild Excellence in Writing award, all ages are in the cast including Grace, the bike riding, muffin baking town organizer, and TIffany Lane, the movie’s pocket-dog-toting teen diva, to the handsome leading man who’s looking for a home where he can start life anew for he and his daughter.
We’re celebrating summer here, and I’d love to know how you plan to spend yours, so leave me a comment below and I’ll enter you to win a free copy of FRESH START SUMMER‘s audio version read by the talented Connie Ventress.
*available for download only, no DVD or tapes
I will announce the winner on JUNE 21st, the official first day of summer! Get your headphones ready!
June 4, 2013
5 Authors Share Lighthearted Moments and Insights about their Process.
5 Authors Share Lighthearted Moments and Insights about their Process.
This is part II of a post I started last month talking shop and having fun with published authors about their process. I know you’ll find their answers as interesting as I did. And when you’re finished, check out their books and blogs, especially if these excellent authors are new to you. Here are Dona Watson, Ashley Ludwig, Dineen Miller, Nancy Farrier and Joanne Bischof. Welcome ladies!
First, here are the questions:
1. What’s something funny or ironic that happened to you while writing/researching one of your books?
and
2. What’s one thing you find most helpful when developing a character?
Welcome Dona Watson, who writes, reads and breathes fantasy fiction. Her most recent release, Deathchaser, is in the online magazine, Sorcerous Signals. Hey, Dona!
Hi! First of all, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share. Writing can be an intriguing adventure.
1. While researching for a science fiction novel that I’m working on, my main character needed to break into the computer network of a corrupt government. However, in order to make it believable, I needed to know how the technology works. I searched Google diligently, and when my son, the technology guru in our house, ran diagnostics on our home network, he noticed that we had become the target of someone with very advanced technology trying to break past our extremely secure firewall—and succeeded. We traced the incoming signal and realized it was very likely we had become the target of the NSA, who had flagged my searches!
2. When I’m developing a character, I try to mentally put myself in their shoes to imagine how they would respond emotionally to certain circumstances. Another way is to imagine I’m the interviewer and ask my characters what their story is, then record their answer. As long as they’re talking to me, life is good. Like they say, “Writer’s block is when your imaginary friends stop talking to you.”
Ashley Ludwig writes sweet romance, and her stories will sweep you away, I guarantee! I love Ashley’s writing voice. You’re up, Ash!
Ironically, my answer to question 1 dovetails into question 2! I love writing sweet romance, but have always been a huge fan of romantic suspense. While veering from it (
2. When I sit down with a new story, I let my characters bounce around a bit. I start at the meet, and they usually whisper their names, and their names gives me clues as to their personalities. I read that you can put the same two people in MANY different situations, and see how they play off of each other. Everyone has weaknesses and strong points, even villains. The most challenging is making my heroines likable, and my villains truly evil.
Inspired by an author friend, I developed a worksheet called “Creating 3D Characters” which is available on my site. This worksheet asks in-depth questions from the high level (eye color, height, birthday, place, etc.) to favorite foods, habits, etc. By the time I’m halfway through, I know exactly who each character is, what phraseology they lean toward, and how they will respond in any number of situations!
Dineen Miller‘s debut fiction, The Soul Saver, had me turning the pages until late into the night. She also writes nonfiction for families in unequally yoked situations. Here’s Dineen!
HI Bev! 1. When I started planning The Soul Saver, I knew Lexie and Hugh Baltimore has lost their toddler daughter to a brain tumor. I also knew Hugh was a physics professor at Stanford University. A few months later we found out our youngest daughter’s worsening headaches were due to a malignant brain tumor. Then after her successful surgeries to remove the tumor, we found out her radiation treatments would be designed by a physics professor from Stanford! God is always in the details and we ARE His details!
2. Motivation. I’m fascinated by what drives us to do the things we do. Is it a lie we believe of ourselves or the world? What a character wants most—is it rooted in a rejection from the past? Or a past failure and a need to prove he or she can succeed? Amazingly, I’ve found that when I was able to identify the lies I held onto in my own life and give them to God to replace with His truth, that creating these premises became much easier to create for my characters. LOL! How funny is that? Yes, motivation is crucial in so many ways. Good and bad.
Nancy Farrier writes sun-drenched, Southwestern fiction, and it feels so real you’ll need sunblock and a cold lemonade while you’re reading! Look for her novella in Immigrant Brides, releasing July 1st. Go for Nancy!
1) After finishing the final draft of a book and sending it to my editor, having them return the galley for my perusal can take a few months. During that time, I will be working on another book, researching other stories, or writing more proposals. The book that is already written is often completely out of my mind as I focus on a new work.
With one of my novels, at the time I received the galley, I was going through a difficult circumstance in my life. I’d been praying for guidance. As I began to read the galley of my book, I was amazed at how God’s answer to prayer came through the spiritual teaching in that novel. I had put from my mind what happened in the story, and now found myself facing some of the same angst my heroine faced. The words I’d prayed about and penned months ago, now spoke to my heart and helped me through a tough time.
2) Characterization has always been tough for me. I usually have a general idea of what the character is like, but that isn’t enough. I find a picture and write up a short description: hair, eyes, height, weight, notable features, etc. Then I write a few pages of background, depending on the importance of the character. If this is a main character, I will begin with their birth, the family they are born into, siblings, family status and location. Then I write major events in childhood that would have shaped them into the person they are at the beginning of the story. If I “lose sight” of my character, or think they aren’t acting like they should, I can go back and reread the character background to get a renewed feel for who they are, what they believe, and how they might change through the book.
And here’s Joanne Bischof, the author of the Christy nominated, Be Still My Soul, the first book in the Cadence of Grace historical series set in Appalachian. Hey, Joanne!
Hi, everyone. I like to do a lot of hands-on research into the Appalachian way of life in the early 1900′s. This involves baking bread to keeping chickens and all sorts of odds and ends. There are a handful of details in BE STILL MY SOUL that revolved around moonshine. Fear not, I didn’t make moonshine, but I did ask some friends to bring some home from Tennessee. I’d been hoping to test a recipe I did for Moonshine Pecan Pie, and as I was baking that day, the researcher in me couldn’t completely resist. I think I tasted about a teaspoonful, and that was quite enough research for me!
And the last question about characters–Great question! One thing I really find crucial to developing a character is digging for their “humanness.” Developing characters goes beyond finding nearly-perfect people but allowing the raw and incomplete pieces to come forward. I think not only can we relate to them more, but the character can grow– giving that person something we can root for. To see those changes come full circle for a character from beginning to end is always one of my hopes as a storyteller.
Thanks, ladies, this has been so much fun!
