Lynne Gentry's Blog, page 8

A Perfect Fit

Have your New Year’s resolutions driven you to your closet in search of your favorite pair of jeans?

As I tried to squeeze into my favorite pair, I marveled at how easily some things fit together. Bread and butter. Washer and dryer. Head and pillow. Key and lock. Donnie and Marie.

Huffing and puffing, I realized either the dryer had shrunk my jeans or too many pieces of chocolate fudge had put my thighs at odds with the denim.

Sometimes relationships can be as ill-suited as jeans after the holidays. But given a chance, both parties can discover they are A PERFECT FIT.

A Perfect Fit is the e-short prequel to The Carthage Chronicles series. This novella offers an exclusive look at the romance of archaeologist Lawrence Hastings and Dr. Magdalena Kader¬—parents of heroine Dr. Lisbeth Hastings from the upcoming novel Healer of Carthage—and how they stumbled upon a mystery thousands of years old and began the fateful journey to the Cave of the Swimmers.

Before Lawrence Hastings became obsessed with the Cave of the Swimmers and the mysterious disappearances surrounding it, he was just a young archaeologist excavating the Tophet of Roman Carthage. After an embarrassing on-the-job injury, Lawrence meets Magdalena Kader, a beautiful local doctor caught between her loyalty to her father and his traditions and what her heart truly desires.

Can they overcome their vastly different worlds to find that perfect fit?

The eshort, A Perfect Fit is the prequel to Healer of Carthage, releases January 7, but you can pre-order yours today for only 99 cents and begin The Carthage Chronicles adventure.

Birthday of the Unconquered Son

Roman Imperial repoussé silver disc of Sol Invictus (3rd century), found at Pessinus (British Museum); photo credit: Marie-Lan Nguyen

In order to meet a January 1 deadline for my second book in The Carthage Chronicle series, I had to go dark during the month of December. I became so engrossed in Roman culture that I forgot my own.

“What, no tree?” My husband’s brow wrinkled. “No Christmas lights?” He gently closed my computer. “Come on. The Romans can wait. We’re not going to miss Christmas.”

A few hours later our living room glowed. Light pierced the darkness that had been hounding me for weeks and the stress immediately lifted.

I had peace.

One of my favorite ornaments.

The darkness of winter solstice frightened people of the ancient world. They worried that the sun had deserted them. In a festival called Sol Invictus, they offered the sun god sacrifices to entice the sun to return and shine upon them again. Once the days brightened, they celebrated with a feast called the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun.

But the very next year, the darkness would return and rob them of their peace.

And then a strange thing happened. A Son, no bigger than a newborn, appeared that would forever conquer darkness.

St. Augustine, an early Christian theologian, said it best, “Let us celebrate this day as a feast not for the sake of this sun … but for the sake of him who created the sun.” (F. van der Meer, Brian Battershaw, G. R. Lamb, Augustine the Bishop: The Life and Work of a Father of the Church (Sheed & Ward 1961), pp. 292-293)

May the peace of the unconquered SON light your world.

Roman’s Plume

I named my rescue dog Roman.

Roman helmet

I named my dog Roman because his tail reminds me of the plume on a Roman legionnaire’s helmet or galea.

Only the helmets of Roman centurions and higher officers were adorned with a crest of dyed horse hair. (The Romans Life and Customs, Konecky&Konecky, p. 272) Red represented blood and the color was meant to intimidate the enemies of the empire.

The ideal height of a Roman legionary officer was 6 Roman feet (1.77m). However, skeletal evidence suggests that by the third century the imperial army was accepting short recruits into the ranks of the elite. (The Roman Army, Osprey Publishing, p. 151) The big red plume gave a short commander enough height to be spotted during a skirmish when the troops needed a rallying point.

Roman soldiers were fierce and innovative. But it was the high level of medical care the military offered to its soldiers that made the Romans stand apart from their opponents.

Did you know many of our modern medical procedures were first practiced on the battlefield by a medic equipped with a few rusty iron tools and a bag of herbs?

Roman helmet photo from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hel...

A Prayer for the Less Fortunate

I was busy stuffing the freezer with Christmas goodies when I heard this beautiful song by Jackie Evancho. The message of praying for the less fortunate realigned my prayers.

The disparity between the haves and the have-nots has been around since the dawn of civilization. In third-century Rome, they struggled with the same problems we do. Top-heavy government, the lack of accessible medical care, and a squeeze on the middle-class transformed free laborers into serfs. The growing gap between patricians and plebeians was made even greater by a devastating plague.

At first, the disease only affected the poor. But as the plague slowly made its ways into the homes of the rich, the future of the empire seemed bleak.

In a strange twist of fate, the have-nots began to pray for the haves. Their prayers changed hearts on both sides and made possible the selfless acts that changed the course of history.

Wonder what would happen if we prayed less for ourselves and more for others?

JFK: 50 Novembers

President John F. Kennedy

Pivotal points in history fascinate me, especially if they are shrouded in a bit of unsolved mystery. My mind goes crazy filling in the blanks. I’d love to rewind the clock to November 22, 1963 and become a fly on the wall in the Dallas hospital where secret service men rushed President Kennedy’s wounded body.

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting the surgical resident summoned to the Parkland emergency room fifty years ago today. This doctor remembers hearing the STAT page while eating in the hospital cafeteria. When he found out the President had been shot, he flew down the back stairs. He arrived at Trauma Room 1. A sea of black suits and fedora hats waited. The sea parted and there stood a stoic woman in a blood-splattered pink suit.

On November 22, 1963, the world changed for Dr. Ronald Jones. This respected surgeon has told his story to almost every major investigative commission and news outlet. People travel from all over the world to hear him every time he speaks on the slight chance he will remember another small detail.

For me, listening to this doctor’s account of that tragic day was like stepping back in time. I try to imagine what it would have felt like to be in this man’s shoes on that incredible day in history. Did Dr. Jones have time to be afraid? Or did his training kick in and override the fact that he was working on the dying President of the United States? What did he think when the day was over? If he could relive that day, would he do anything differently?

This insatiable curiosity for “the rest of the story” is why I have become a shade-tree historian. I write tales of modern characters launched into ancient adventures. I invite you to come behind the scenes of my newest epic, The Carthage Chronicles. We’ll travel to ancient ruins, learn the secrets of forgotten worlds, and work together to unravel ancient mysteries.

Easter Torture

As a drama director I confess I can fixate on clothes. I love to spend months combing fabric stores, thrift boutiques, and prop closets to assemble costumes that immediately communicate the role I’ve cast each actor to play.

Recently, my grown son reminded me that I had a tendency to take my costuming passion a bit too far, applying that same obsession to his Easter duds. He submitted this photo as proof along with this recent quote from Gordon Keith:

“When I was 6, my mother decided to hand-make my Easter outfit. The idea was that she would parade her brown-eyed boy into church on Easter Sunday draped in the irreplaceable finery of maternal love. I would look shiny, new and cherished. But reality answered, and I crossed the threshold of my Sunday school room dressed as an itchy Dust Bowl survivor who enjoyed pastels.”

Please tell me that I’m not the only one who allowed good intentions to permanently scar their children.

Body Language for Your Characters

One of my readers from OnLine Universities contacted me because she thought my audience might be interested in these body language tips for creating characters. I’m excited to pass this information on to you. Thanks, Allison Morris.

Whether you’re about to embark on a long-awaited college interview, a

nerve-wracking first date, or perhaps a highly-desired job interview,

making a good first impression goes farther than you may realize. The

amount of information that you perceive visually far outweighs what is

perceived by what you hear, and because of this, body language plays a

huge role in how people view you.  In fact, the little things you

do—with your hands, with your arms, your face, and even your feet—have

the power to present you as confident and engaged, or make you seem

nervous and uninterested. In order to properly express your level of

engagement in a conversation, from showing a date you’re into them, to

showing an interviewer you’d like the job, body language can make or

break how you’re perceived.  The following infographic offers you a

handy guide to some of the best tips and tricks in positive body

language.  Whether you’re prepping for a big event, or you’re simply

wondering what your current body language says about you, you’ll find a

helpful look into the complex world of how others perceive you, as well

as what their posture could be saying to you.

Be sure and click on this really cool graphic for a visual picture:

Attribution from OnLineUniversities.com

The Next Big Thing

The Next Big Thing blog hop is a giant game of tag to help readers discover authors who are new to them. For this hop, authors are answering 10 questions about what we’re working on now. This week, I’m it thanks to my dear, the talented friend Kellie Coates Gilbert. You can read my friend’s interview here, and I hope you’ll consider buying her brilliant new novel, Mother of Pearl.

Here is my Next Big Thing!

1: What is the working title of your book?

I’ve been offered a three-book deal from a major publisher, but until the ink is dry I’m not at liberty to announce the exciting details…and the waiting is killing me.

2: Where did the idea come from for the book?

I’m an avid observer of life, always hungry for an unusual or exotic adventure. Story fragments come to me from the strangest places. An article in the newspaper. A documentary on the History Channel. Eavesdropping on the conversations of strangers. For this story, I took a story idea from a 2008 Dallas Morning News article and an unrelated historical fact my kids were discussing and twisted them together into an epic adventure tale.

3: What genre does your book come under?

I think the poor editors are still wrestling with that question, but probably the closest would be historical.

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I love this question. As a professional acting coach, casting is one of my favorite parts of writing. Before I write a word on a new story, I create extensive character profiles, complete with photos of the characters that I see running around in my head. For my current manuscript, the beautiful Zooey Deschanel won the lead role. A handsome unnamed male model is my hero (I loved his smile…really, his smile is what did it for me).

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

I can’t disclose details yet.

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

I’m represented by MacGregor Literary and my agent sold this series to a big publishing house.

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I love research. Unfortunately, extensive research can eat up writing time. The first book in this series was nearly done and then it underwent a complete rewrite. The rewrite took six months.

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Readers who love stories packed with high stakes, exotic adventure, and wild romance will love my books.

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My husband says that if it weren’t for guilt trips I wouldn’t go anywhere. But I love to travel and look forward to the day when I can do more. Visiting the ancient world has become an obsession, but reaching this destination will require a journey of the mind … a skill at which I excel.

Below you will find the authors who will be joining the blog hop next Wednesday. Do be sure to bookmark them and add them to your calendars for updates on WIPs and New Releases! Happy Writing and Reading!

Carla Stewart

Leanna Ellis

What do you look for in a story?

In keeping with our family tradition, we went to the movies Christmas night. All of us were dying to see Les Miserables … okay maybe not ALL of us were looking forward to a musical … but it was my year to choose. After we bought the popcorn, I worried 160 minutes of actors bursting into song might send my family over the edge. But I didn’t need to fret for long. The power of Victor Hugo’s epic tale of an underdog’s journey to redemption captured our attention from the gritty chain-gang overature. By the victorious finale, all of us were swiping tears. Days later I’m still contemplating the extraordinary mettle of the hero Jean Valjean.

Has a story ever moved you so much you couldn’t forget it?

Here are FIVE story elements that move me:

1.  Big themes like love, mercy, justice, freedom, redemption.

2. Reluctant heroes struggling with their moral compass or a problem bigger than themselves.

3. Adventure that sweeps me into worlds I will only get to visit in my mind.

4. Humor.

5. And finally, romance. Who doesn’t long to love?

When I’m launching modern characters into ancient adventures, I work to incorporate these elements into my stories.

What do you look for in a good story? Escape? Adventure? Mindless fluff? I’d love to hear from you, dear readers.

Some of My Best Work

You might think that most of my acting students are extroverts, comfortable on stage and eager to garner the attention of the masses. Truth is, most of the kids I work with are shy, extremely self-conscious, and would rather clean their room than risk vulnerability … and I can spot the terrified the minute I open my studio door.

How? From their body language.

They give me a quick smile then drop their eyes. Their shoulders slump and their arms criss-cross in front of their torso. When I extend my hand in greeting, the color drains from their face.

If you’re not naturally comfortable on stage and your publisher is asking you to build a public speaking platform, don’t despair. Not only can you can learn to communicate confidence, I believe you might even learn to enjoy it. How? With practice and a few stage tricks.

My son was a shy child. Whenever an adult spoke to him, he’d duck his head and hide behind my legs. Where we lived my son’s unwillingness to respond was considered disrespectful behavior. I remember gently lifting his chin, encouraging him to make brief eye contact. With an abundance of praise and practice, he managed a few seconds more each time and sometimes even a smile. Today he preaches for a crowd of about a 1,000. He sent me this video and I thought … this is one confident guy.

I hope seeing this introvert’s comfort on stage encourages you.

Invest in some acting lessons. Sign up and follow SIX MINUTES. Regularly make eye contact with someone you trust. As your comfort level increases, try your new skill out on the grocery checker or the waiter at your table.