Allison Bruning's Blog, page 28

#History in the Making: William Booth and the @SalvationArmyUSA. #faith #Christian #stewardship #PayItForward

Salvation Army Crest
Public DomainWe shop the Salvation Army stores and may even donate to help their cause. We hear about them in the news when disasters strike and during the holiday season we hear their bells toll. Yet, many people don't realize that the Salvation Army is more than a movement. It's a church.

The Salvation Army began in 1852 when William Booth, a British Methodist preacher, began ministering in the streets of London to the poor, homeless, hungry and destitute. William Booth was born on April 10 1829 in Sneinton, Nottingham, England. He was the second son of five children born to Samuel and Mary Booth. The struggles he faced in his childhood would influence him into a life of ministry that would spark a movement.

It All Began With His Father

Samuel Booth was a speculative builder who had been born into poverty. He worked as a nail builder but found the work mundane. Samuel was a difficult man. He was often described as cold hearted, unemotional and cold minded. He was attracted to money and he was driven to acquire as much as possible. Samuel married Sarah Lockitt, nine years his senior, on November 13, 1797 in Nottingham and resided with her there. Sarah gave birth to their only child, William Adcock Booth, either in 1799 or 1800. Sarah died on January 13, 1818 or 1819. Samuel wrote and had the following poem placed upon her gravestone.

With deepest thoughts spectator view thy fateThus mortal pass to an immortal state;Through death's dark vale we hope she's found the way.In those bright regions of eternal day. 
Although he wrote the poem Samuel was not a churchgoing man. William Adcock Booth described his father as "religiously blind" and claimed he could "never remember him in a place of worship." 
The British Industrial Revolution began in 1770 and ended in 1850. It was during this time England's economy shifted from an agricultural to industrial. The change did not occur overnight but was created by technological advances in several fields. Although it was hard for the society to change, some men took advantage of the opportunities the Industrial Revolution allowed. Samuel Booth was one of these men. He left his life as a nailer behind him and embarked on a new one as an architect. The funds were significant enough to afford him a comfortable life. Samuel was a shrewd business man who was able to convince many he has more wealth than he actually had. 
William Adcock Booth married Catherine Edwards on November 14, 1822 and died of tuberculosis on July 26, 1824. While Samuel had done well throughout his widowhood without many abrupt changes it was the death of his son that caused the most significant change in his life. 
Soon after his son's death, Samuel visited Ashby-de-la-Zouch in hopes the spas would heal him of his rheumatism. It was here he met Mary Moss, sixteen years his junior, and was smitten by her. Mary was often described as a proud woman with piercing eyes like a duchess. She was also describes as a woman of very few words that had an air of mystery about her. Like Samuel, was of Jewish descent. Samuel proposed marriage but Mary refused. He returned to Nottingham heartbroken but determined. Samuel continued to visit upon Ashby-de-la-Zouch and proposed to Mary every time until she eventually submitted to his cause. The couple were married November 2, 1824 in Ashby-de-la-Zouch and lived in Nottingham where Samuel was an architect. Mary gave him five children - Henry, Ann, William, Emma and Mary. Henry died when he was three years old leaving William the only son with an elder and two younger sisters. 
Although Samuel was not involved in his children's lives he did insist that they go to church. William William Booth's Childhood Home
Sneinton, Nottingham, Englandand his sisters faithfully went to Sunday School every week. Life was a series of financial ups and downs for the family.  Samuel was considered a gentlemen when William was born yet it would not remain. Bad times came, as so often they do, and Samuel struggled. There were a series of unfortunate financial transactions but Samuel pressed on. William had claimed the biggest part of his father's financial situation came when his father had taken employment as a bondsman. The employer went bankrupt and Booth was left to pay the debt on his own. He paid every last farthing and left his family in debt. Another bad financial decision came when Samuel pored his entire life's savings into the cottage his family was living in. In 1837, the economy crashed nationwide. William was eight years old. The circumstances plunged the family further into debt and poverty.

The stress of raising four children and her husband's financial struggles laid heavy upon Mary's heart during William's early years. William once stated of his mother during this time, "She had no time to attend to me." William had a very unhappy childhood. His father ignored him and his mother never encouraged him. When asked of his early years, William often declared is was, "a season of mortification and misery."
William was sent to the Biddulph's Academy in Nottingham, which was owned and operated by a Methodist minister, when he was six years old. Not much is know of his education except that he studied here for seven years. William's father was forced to declare bankruptcy and could no longer afford the luxury of sending his children to a private school. In 1842, Samuel withdrew his son from the academy and was sent to be an apprentice pawnbroker in the poorest area of Nottingham. William hated the job. William had known poverty from his own experience but here he was a witness to starvation, homelessness and other symptoms of extreme poverty. It was an experience that would forever change his life. 
Don't forget about the giveaway I am having on my blog this week. Five lucky winners will win copies of Bailey's Revenge. Bailey's Revenge tells the story of Calico's grandmother in Ireland. It's currently on the Amazon Bestsellers Top 100 List for Irish Historical Fiction.

#ExpressYourself: A caring woman and #family secrets #Shawnee #IamWriting #Calico #TurnerFamilySaga

Express Yourself: My Favorite Character

Welcome back to my blog. This week I was asked "Name one favorite character you have written or read about." That is SO HARD. I have so many stories and characters it's hard to pick just one. I'm actually sitting here right now trying to figure out who I am going to write about today. LOL!


Time's Up. 
Alright. Of all the characters I have written. I would have to say my favorite so far has been Calico Marie Turner Lutree from the book, Calico. 
Calico is the daughter of François and Anna Marie Turner Lutree (Dubious). She and her twin sister, Rose, were born in a Shawnee village during the French and Indian War. Calico's parents and uncles have lied to her since the day she was born because they all want to escape from their past. Their lies eventually endanger Calico and Rose. Calico is a very interesting character to me because of all the characters I have ever written I can relate to her the most. She doesn't quite feel like she fits in with her family and would rather be a member of a culture she wasn't born into. She's idealistic and has a good heart. She loves to help to others. She's intelligent, a leader in her own right, and spiritual. Calico believes the lies her family tells her and loves them unconditionally. Through that unconditional love she has touched the hearts of not only her white family but her Shawnee one as well. 


In the harsh northwestern frontier of Ohio and Kentucky, a prophecy has been told. A man whose heart appears pure shall deceive her. The power he holds over her will lead her to evil. She shall denounce the ways of Our Grandmother. Another man comes, whose pure heart beats for her alone, and who has a pure spirit devoted to the goddess, Our Grandmother. He shall defeat the evil and set her free. 
Calico Marie Turner, a white woman raised by the Shawnee and destined to become a great medicine woman, must trust the one man who hates her the most. How can she trust Chief Little Owl Quick as the Wind to save her from his best friend and village shaman, Hunting Bear?
http://amzn.to/1fZDePc
Don't forget about the giveaway I am having on my blog this week. Five lucky winners will win copies of Bailey's Revenge. Bailey's Revenge tells the story of Calico's grandmother in Ireland. It's currently on the Amazon Bestsellers List for Irish Historical Fiction. 

http://amzn.to/1i9vg8p

I won! #Lighthouse #Blog #Award: Giving Back to the Community. #kindness #PayitForward

Great things are happening in my writing career right now. My book, Bailey's Revenge, hit the Top 100 Bestsellers List the day after it was released and sat there for a day. Yesterday it fell and when I woke up this morning I found it had made it's way back up the list again. I'm having a giveaway on my blog this week where five lucky people will win a copy of Bailey's Revenge. Just click the word giveaway for more information.

I want to thanks Krystol Diggs for nominating me for The Lighthouse Award. I have never nor heard of this award before. The Lighthouse Award is given to bloggers who like to help others. I LOVE helping people. Most people have described me as having a "servant's heart." The rules of the blog award are simple enough.

• Display the Award Certificate on your blog.• Write a post and link back to the blogger that nominated you.• Inform your nominees of their award nominations.• Share three ways that you like to help others.• Nominate as many bloggers as you like.

How Do I Help Others?
I like to help people in all kinds of different ways. I believe in giving back to my community in order to  to make it a better place. I love the Pay It Forward concept. If I help you then pay it forward. I'm only supposed to limit my answer to this questions to three, though. So here it goes. 
1) I will buy extra food to help someone in need. 
2) I offer advice to new authors. 
3) I use to drive my Amish neighbors around when I lived in Kentucky. 




We can change this world one kind act at a time.
Bloggers I nominate  It's time to pass the award on to a few kind bloggers. 
I nominate:
Ellie Mack  
Aya Walksfar 
Tammy Young Cote
Alisha Guenzel
Doc Pruyne
K.R. Morrison
and Sumi Mukherjee

#FREE #Irish historical fiction. #SaintPatrick's Day #blog hop.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
It's a great day to be Irish. Saint Patrick's Day isn't just a day to wear green and drink beer. To the Irish it's just as important as Christmas. It's a day you spend with your family and friends celebrating all things Irish. Saint Patrick is an important figure in Irish culture because he brought Christianity to Ireland.

In honor of Saint Patrick's Day I am taking part in the Leaping Leprechauns and Frolicking Fairies Giveaway hosted by Candace's Book Blog and Gin's Book Notes. Five lucky people will win a copy of Bailey's Revenge. 


Born into poverty by parents who once ruled over Kilmore, Kathleen McGillpatrick never longed for an affluent life just a peaceful one. Death and destruction follow her as her older brother, Bailey, leads Irish rebels to depose Earl Isaac Turner and reclaim his birthright as heir of Kilmore. Kathleen's chance encounter with Earl Turner gives Bailey an idea. Since the English Earl is so smitten by Kathleen, she should seduce him and reclaim the estate through marriage. There's only one problem. Kathleen loves Isaac and despises Bailey. Torn between her love for the English noble and her family loyalty, Kathleen must chose to honor one of the other in order to stop Bailey before he destroys everything. 

The contest will run until midnight of March 25th. You will have four chances to enter. All you have to do is press the buttons on the table below and do what it says. I'll announce the winners on March 25th. a Rafflecopter giveaway



YOU CAN WIN MORE PRIZES! 

#Irish #Blessings: God Bless the Irish.

This week has been a very busy and productive week for me. I have so many small blessings that have happened to me. It seems like everything is happening all at once for me. I love it!

The small blessing I chose to feature this week is the release of my book, Bailey's Revenge. Bailey's Revenge is the first book of the Irish Twist of Fate series. My publisher decided to release Bailey's Revenge this weekend because Monday is Saint Patrick's Day.


Born into poverty by parents who once ruled over Kilmore, Kathleen McGillpatrick never longed for an affluent life just a peaceful one. Death and destruction follow her as her older brother, Bailey, leads Irish rebels to depose Earl Isaac Turner and reclaim his birthright as heir of Kilmore. Kathleen's chance encounter with Earl Turner gives Bailey an idea. Since the English Earl is so smitten by Kathleen, she should seduce him and reclaim the estate through marriage. There's only one problem. Kathleen loves Isaac and despises Bailey. Torn between her love for the English noble and her family loyalty, Kathleen must chose to honor one or the other in order to stop Bailey before he destroys everything. 

http://amzn.to/1i9vg8p

#Historical Changes - My new #blog schedule #fiction #author #Iamwriting

It's time to change the historical topics on my blog again. I have been blogging about Progressive Era America on Tuesdays and Irish history on Thursdays. With the release of Bailey's Revenge this weekend I am removing the Progressive Era topic on Tuesday and replacing it with the series on Irish history. 




My next novel, Field of Grace, takes place in 1919 Marion County, Ohio. Next week I will start a new series on Thursdays about WWI, Ohio history, and the Salvation Army. 

So here's the new blog schedule.

Sunday - Author Spotlight

Tuesday - Irish History
                  Express Yourself

Wednesday - (1st) Insecure Writer's Group
                     (2nd) Indie Life

Thursday -  WWI, Ohio History and the Salvation Army

Friday -  Count Your Small Blessings

Saturday - Author Spotlight

#IndieLife Oh, that #blog: #authors does and dont's #IamWriting

Welcome back to my blog. This week I wanted to write about blogging. Some authors dread it while other authors love it. The blog can be your best friend if you use it properly and can be one of your best tools in keeping your readers happy. If you readers have read one of your books and are left craving more from you but you don't have anything new to offer them you may loose them forever. That's where your blog comes into play. But you need to carefully manage your blog. The blog is a tool to keep your readers not sell them your book. So how do you properly use a blog?

1) Make a schedule and keep to it. 
You readers want to know if they read someone one day they can come back the same day a different week and get new content. Here's how I manage my settings.

Sat/Sun - Author Spotlight
This section is where I invite authors to blog about their latest release.

M - No blogging

T - I blog about historical or cultural events that are related to my most recent release. For example, I have been blogging about Progressive Era America lately because my book Elsa takes place during that time period. I also have blogged about Marion, Ohio, discrimination and Aspergers because they all related to my book.

I also participate in a weekly blog called "Express Yourself" every Tuesday.

W - I participate in two blog hops. On the first Wednesday I blog for the Insecure Writer's Group and on the second Wednesday I write for Indie Life. You generally do not want to write about writing too much on your blog unless you are trying to attract other writers.

TH - I blog about historical or cultural events that are related to my next release. For example, I have been blogging about Irish history lately because next book, Bailey's Revenge, takes place in Ireland.

F - I participate in the "Celebrate the Small Blessings" weekly blog tour.

So if my blog is about historical fiction then why do I participate in the weekly blog hops? Because your blog not only is a place for your target market to find information relating to your book but is also a great place for your readers to get to know more about you. Readers want to feel like they are friends with the author.

2) Participate in Blog Hops
This is the best way to gain more attention to your blog. You want to be careful when choosing which
blog hop to participate in. There are A LOT of blog hops out there. You want to chose the ones that will bring more exposure to your blog from your target market. For example, my blog is geared towards history, anthropology and writing. I do not need to participate in a sci-fi or fantasy blog hop. That's not my genre. Next month I will be participating in an alphabet blog tour. Each of my daily posts will be centered around an historical event, person, or place. Why? Because I write historical fiction.

3) Don't think your blog is going to sell your book
Blogs are great tools. They are the perfect place for your readers to keep reading your work while you are working on your next release. NEVER EVER post something on your blog that tells your readers to go out and buy your book. If your readers want a blog where they can find a book then more than likely they are going to check out a reviewers blog not an authors. They visit an author's blog to read more work by that author not to buy anything. You can advertise your books just as I have done on the side of the blog. I'm starting to get to the point where I have more books out than I can put on the side so I created separate pages on the top of my blog where readers can go and view all of my books.

4) Cover Reveals
Cover reveals are a great way to announce your next book release. I generally try to do my cover reveals a week or so before the release of the book and then when the book is out I will do another blog post that announces the book. I'm getting read to do an announcement this weekend for Bailey's Revenge.

5) Interact with other bloggers
You never know who is following another blogger because not everyone who visit a blog will sign up to follow it. For example, my blog on average receives around 500 visitors a day but if you look to the right Google says I only have 103 followers and Networked Blog says I have 86. These people have chosen to follow my blog and receive updates in their email whenever there is a new post.
How do I get more followers or visitors?

A) I'm participating in blog hops. Every time I sign up for a blog hop my blog name and address are posted on a list. Blog Hoppers can go to that list, click on the link and visit my page.

B) I'm hopping on days I don't post content and leaving comments on other people's blogs. Every time I leave a comment using Google it will leave my information for other visitors. They can click on my profile and Google will show them my blog address.

C) Register your blog with Networked Blogs, Blog Lovin' and Blog Nation.
These registers offer their members the opportunity to follow your blog on their sites. It's free to join for bloggers and readers. Every time you blog something new it will send out a tweet and post to your Facebook site. Just be careful when it does this because you can get three announcement on your twitter and Facebook. You just need to decide which one you want to be on your Facebook and delete the other two. I generally delete all three and then cross promote it myself.

D) I cross promote. Which brings us to #6

6) Cross Promote
We've covered a little bit about cross promoting. But here 's where I will go in depth. Cross promoting your blog is great because not everyone is going to see your blog post just by coming to your blog. Whenever I have a new post I will copy the link of that posting and then post it in on my Facebook Author Page. Once I have it there I will share it with my personal page, some groups and/or the book page. For example, when I wrote about Irish history last week I posted in the Irish Twist of Fate series Facebook page and then share it to my author page, my personal page and couple of Irish groups.

Another way to cross promote is to include links in your blog posting. In the above paragraph I have linked my author page and my Irish Twist of Fate Facebook Pages. This way anyone who clicks on it will be redirected to that page. Other bloggers love it when you link their page to yours because your followers will be exposed to their blog. Also anytime you use mention someone or something they did go ahead and tweet about it to them on twitter or send them a message on Facebook about it. Don't be afraid to connect with other artists even if they are famous. I have met some wonderful people just by doing that. You can also link their website to your blog and tell them you have done so.

7) NEVER EVER delete your old posts
You just never know who has bookmarked something you have written or have linked it in their blog. I have an instance where someone read one of my historical pieces, liked it so much she included my blog in her historical database with a link to that posting. That means more followers for me.

8) Let your audience know before time if you change something
Your readers expect consistency. If you are going to change a topic then blog about it a week before you do so. For example, I will be changing the topics next week because Bailey's Revenge will be released this week. That means on Tuesdays I will be blogging Irish history and on Thursdays I will be blogging about the Salvation Army, WWI and Marion County, Ohio. Why? Because those topics are issues that have to deal with my next release, Field of Grace. So tomorrow I will be introducing the changes to my readers.




MOST OF ALL HAVE FUN!
The blog can be your best friend. It's a great way to keep you writing and your readers reading. 

The Spring Fling Winners!

I have a wonderful time participating in the Spring Fling Blog Hop hosted by Books To Go. Books To Go will announce the winners of the kindle and the $25 Amazon Gift Card via email no later than March 15th.

I am pleased to announce the winners of the giveaway I was hosting on my blog. There were four tasks you could chose to from in order to enter the giveaway. I have used Rafflecopter to chose my four winners. Each of these winners have won a copy of Calico, Elsa and Bailey's Revenge. If you didn't win don't worry I will be having more giveaways this year. Thank you for visiting my blog.

I blog historical topics on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Saturday and Sundays I host guest authors who talk about their new releases. These releases don't have to be historical fiction.  I also participate in a number of blog hops. You can find more information about my weekly and special events on the left hand side.

AND THE WINNERS ARE..............................

Be the #Dreamer: #Dreams Do Come True #Writing #Author #Art

The Dreamer
I am a day late posting this because I was participating in the Spring Fling Blog Hop. I will announce the winners of the giveaway on the next post. Express Yourself is a weekly blog hop where bloggers throughout the world answer the same question on their blog from the weekly express yourself graphic shown below. Any blogger can participate. Just go the Express Yourself badge on the left side of my blog, press and read the instructions on that site. 

This week I was asked, "What saying or catchphrase do you say ALL the time?" That is a great question. I am very well known for inspiring others to dream and give all that they have to reach their dreams. I don't want anyone to live a life where they regretted not achieving their dreams. I believe God has given everyone a calling in life and it is usually something that you are passionate about. He equips us with the talents and abilities we need in order to achieve the dreams he has placed inside our hearts. When we do not achieve them we are miserable because we are not doing what we were made to do. I would never steal anyone's dreams or stomp on them. To do so would be cruel and uncalled for. 
Sometimes, as an artist, we will stomp on our own dreams because we think if we are given the opportunity to do something we must be stealing an opportunity from someone else. What we don't realize is that God has infinite resources. He is not going to take from someone and give to another. He is the source of all creativity and his resources are more bountiful than we can imagine. So if he has give us an opportunity or a resource and we reject it we are only hurting ourselves and not helping anyone else. Who knows what your book, movie, or any other form of art will inspire someone else with or teach someone a lesson?
Artists are very sensitive creatures and another way we stomp on our own dreams is by believing we are not worthy enough to have them. There's this little voice in our head that came from any number of negative experiences or people in our lives. That little voice tells us we're not good enough. We don't have enough money. We'll never make in our chosen fields. Etc. The best artist is able to ignore that voice and move forward towards their dreams. It's hard to do that sometimes but what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. BE STRONG, MY CREATIVE FRIEND. 
So what is my catchphrase?
Well I actually have two. 
I was teaching Vacation Bible School at Crestwood Baptist Church in Crestwood, Kentucky and came across my personal reminder. At the end of the week the VBS director handed out a picture frame she had decorated to all the teachers. She had written the following phrase "Stand Strong." I keep that in my living room to remind me that whatever I am going through I need to stand strong. 
My second catchphrase is something I am known for. I write it in all of my books whenever I am doing a book signing and it has been known to pop up on my social media a time or two. I tell it to all new authors and to my fans. 

CONTEST: Cover Reveal. #Win 3 #AllisonBruning #books, a #kindle or $25 #Amazon giftcard

Spring is here and I'm excited about the Spring Fling Blog Hop. I want to thank my friend, Danica Winters, for inviting me to participate.

I am very excited to reveal the cover of my next book to everyone today. Bailey's Revenge is the story of Calico's grandmother in Ireland and is the first book in the Irish Twist of Fate series. Calico is the main character of my series, Children of the Shawnee.




Born into poverty by parents who once ruled over Kilmore, Kathleen McGillpatrick never longed for an affluent life just a peaceful one. Death and destruction follow her as her older brother, Bailey, leads  Irish rebels to depose Earl Isaac Turner and reclaim his birthright as heir of Kilmore. Kathleen's chance encounter with Earl Turner gives Bailey an idea.  Since the English Earl is so smitten by
Kathleen, she should seduce him and reclaim the estate through marriage. There's only one problem. Kathleen loves Isaac and despises Bailey. Torn between her love for the English noble and her family loyalty, Kathleen must chose to honor one of the other in order to stop Bailey before he destroys everything.


YOU COULD WIN A KINDLE, $25 GIFT CARD or THREE OF MY BOOKS!
Here how it works. Just follow the directions on the rafflecopter to enter into the giveaway for my three books. If you are interested in the kindle or the $25 Amazon gift card just answer the following question in the comments below with your email address.

How do you plan to celebrate Spring?
Danica, Jennifer and Sharon will be choosing a grand prize winner from everyone who commented on one of the blogs.

GOOD LUCK!


a Rafflecopter giveaway