Keli Gwyn's Blog, page 27

The Bookmark Decision: Nice, No-frills, or Nada?

The time has come when you're forced to tear yourself away from a book.

What do you do?

Some people simply close the book and remember where they left off.

Others dogear the last page they read.

Some readers, like me, who lack the RAM needed to store the page number and can't bring themselves to fold a corner, turn to bookmarks.

I'm a fan of bookmarks and have several with motivational sayings on them. The nice metal one below marks the place in my Bible where my daily reading will begin.

I rarely use a fancy bookmark when I'm reading a novel, though. My Bible stays in the same place, but the book I'm reading moves around with me. That way I can grab it and sneak in a few pages whenever I have time. I'm afraid a bookmark would fall out, and I would have no idea where I left off.

My solution is Post-it Notes. They come in such pretty colors, and they stay put. Another advantage is that I can stick the note anywhere on the page, so I know right where to begin reading when I pick up the book the next time

There are times I have to put a book down and I haven't taken time to grab a Post-it Note beforehand. In those cases, I'll use whatever is at hand. I've been known to use receipts, junk mail envelopes, or, if I'm really desperate, tissues or fast-food napkins.

What's most important is that I can find my place quickly, dive back into the story, and immerse myself in the fictional world the author has created. At such times, bookmark choices cease to be a concern. Finding out what happens next is my overriding goal.

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How do you mark your place in book?

Filed under: Reading Tagged: Bookmark Choices, Bookmarks, Keli Gwyn

Friday Fun California Style

Let's have fun seeing what you know about one of the highlights of California's history.

I'm a native Californian. Now that I'm writing historical romances set in the Golden State, my fourth-grade California history lessons are coming in handy.

One event my classmates and I studied was the Gold Rush. I listened with rapt attention as our teacher told us about James Marshall's discovery of the gold nugget that sparked a mass migration as people from around the world headed for California's gold fields.

James Marshall worked for "Captain" John Sutter, a man who played a significant role in the early days of California and forever left his mark on the state. A number of historic landmarks bear his name, including the one where Marshall discovered that chunk of gold.

At which of the landmarks pictured did Marshall find the nugget? Cast your vote below.

Sutter Creek

Sutter's Fort

Sutter's Mill

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To make this guessing game more fun, use only your current knowledge rather than performing a search on Google or making a dash for your reference books.

Take Our Poll

I'll update the post over the weekend to include the answer, so you could check back Monday. I'll also provide a link to this post at the end of next Friday's quiz. If you view that post, you'll be able to click the link and see which of the choices above is the correct one.

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Sutter's Fort photo from Wikimedia Commons. Others taken by me or my husband.

Filed under: Fun & Friends, Research Tagged: Californai Gold Rush, California history, California history quiz, Keli Gwyn

Romance Reciprocated

Are you a romantic person? I am.

I love thinking up ways to add a bit of romance in my relationship with my husband.

Since Gwynly is a logical thinker and I'm a sentimental feeler, my efforts don't always yield the expected results. Sometimes my attempts fall flat. Other times they're flat-out fun.

While grocery shopping recently, I came across a display of cute little critters. Some looked like bumblebees, others like ladybugs. I couldn't resist the latter and added one to my cart.

I took this cute little spotted fellow home, set him on Gwynly's place mat, slipped a note in the clip serving as a foot, and filled the hidden pouch inside with a bag of peanut M&Ms, one of my guy's favorite candies. Then I waited, unsure how he would react.

Gwynly got home, saw the toy on his place mat, and raised an eyebrow. He read the note, unzipped the secret compartment, and pulled out his treat. And then he grinned.

I done good! So good, in fact, that Gwynly took a real liking to the little fellow and awarded him the name Buggly.

Over the next couple weeks, I hid a variety of goodies inside Buggly. I'd found a way to show my hubby love in unexpected ways, and that made me happy.

One morning not long ago, I awoke, came to the kitchen, and found Buggly on my place mat. He held a note for me and was so full I wondered how Gwynly got the zipper closed.

Inside was a bag of raw almonds, one of the healthy snacks I like. Since I gave up most sweets years ago, Gwynly asked me several days before what I'd take on a hike in place of the M&Ms he puts in his pack. I gave him a few ideas and forgot about the conversation.

My hubby's thoughtfulness didn't stop there. As I examined the bag, I noticed some writing on it. He'd written a love note, one perfect for pun-loving me.

When I bought Buggly, I thought Gwynly might pooh-pooh my purchase. I had no idea he would like the little messenger as much as he does. And I certainly didn't expect him to reciprocate and use Buggly to bless me.

Romance is, as I learned, catching. But this is one bug I'm happy to share.

• • •

Have you made a romantic overture and ended up being the recipient in return?

What is one of the nicest little romantic surprises you've received?

Can you recall a case of romance reciprocated in a story or movie?

Filed under: Romance Tagged: Keli Gwyn, Men and romance, Romantic Gestures, Romantic surprises

Meet the Reviewers: Rel Mollet

I'm honored to feature Rel Mollet of Relz Reviewz. I've followed her blog for several years and been impressed by the number of books she reads, the quality of her reviews, and the tremendous support she shows for authors of Christian fiction.

Rel was born and raised in Australia and lives in Melbourne, which she refers to as the sporting and shopping capital of Oz. She's married to "Mr. Tall Dark & Handsome" and is mum to three beautiful daughters. She's a lawyer by day and book reviewer by night–and weekend and any time she can squeeze in a chapter or two. When she's not devouring books, she loves to snap photographs and spend time at the beach. She recently changed churches and is eager to get involved in women's ministry again. After leading a book club at her former church for over 10 years, she is starting a new one from her home in March.

I asked Rel three questions about her reading and review process. After that, you're in for a treat, because you get to learn three fun things about the woman behind the reviews.

Reading and Reviewing

When you began blogging in 2006, what was your vision? How has the site changed over time, and what can readers expect in the future?

Vision?! That is too big a word for what I imagined, Keli! I had been printing off hard copies of reviews I had written for my local Christian bookstore's e-magazine to keep a record of them when a friend suggested I start a blog. My thought was that maybe my mum might look at it from time to time. LOL! How things have changed!

From a physical perspective, my blog has had three transformations, and I'm saving money now as I would LOVE to give it a professional facelift sometime soon. As far as content goes, I've grown from just writing reviews to adding author interviews, previews of upcoming releases, giveaways, character spotlights and even character interviews from time to time.

Going forward, I anticipate many of those features will continue, as they are proving to be what my readers enjoy. Whatever I do on my blog, it is my goal to continue to highlight fantastic fiction (written from a Biblical worldview) and those who write it, while providing what I hope are reviews written with integrity (for my readers) and sensitivity towards the authors who have penned them.

If there's an aspect of a story you don't care for, you address it, but do so in a loving way. How do you balance a reader's desire for an honest review with your heart for the author of the work?

That's a good question, Keli, one often hotly debated by those critical (both constructively and otherwise) of Christian reviewers. When I review a book I believe my obligation is clearly to my readers, who are trusting me to write an honest opinion of the book. As I write a review, I do so with my readers uppermost in my mind, rather than the author. This contrasts with an endorsement, which is written with the express purpose of portraying a book and its writer in a positive light. I always note when I am writing an endorsement as opposed to a review.

That said, I still write both honestly, the difference being if I have been asked to endorse a book I end up not liking. In that case, I would let the author know and not provide an endorsement. A review of such a book would still be written unless I had absolutely nothing good to say about it!

When I write a less-than-stellar review of a book, I hope I do so with sensitivity and that I provide intelligent reasoning for my criticism. The great majority of authors put their hearts and souls into their stories, often spending months and even years of research and writing. For me to read their books in a couple of hours and then slam them, or only list the negatives I perceive without careful consideration, is unacceptable for me.

There are, on occasion, glaring errors, poor research or cheesy dialogue that I bring to my readers' attention, but after all, it is only my opinion, one opinion in a sea of many! Readers enjoy different aspects of books and even read for different reasons, and that often means that if I don't like it, there are plenty who will, and vice versa!

When and where do you do most of your reading?

Goodness, anywhere and everywhere! As a child, I even read a book while I was taking a shower, with my hand and book outside the shower door–it was awkward but possible! I haven't resorted to that for a long time, so I mostly read in bed at night, late at night as Mr. TD&H is not a reader and we might watch some TV together first. I always have a book on hand, and more recently a Kindle, which some kind and generous friends bought for me. It has been wonderful. I even have my Kindle read to me while I drive to work

Three Fun Facts About Rel

If you had unlimited time and money, what are three places you'd most like to go to snap photos?

Mmm…….Kakadu in the Northern Territory, Australia (the beauty of my country knows no bounds), Prague in the Czech Republic (it's such a beautiful city) and Ireland (those pubs are so photogenic!)

You enjoy the beach. I'm sure that if we spotted you there, you'd be toting a bag with a book inside, but what would you be wearing? Are you a bikini, tankini, or one-piece gal?

A bikini and I haven't shared space since my teen years. LOL! The Australian sun is ferocious, so covering up is a must at the beach these days, with skin cancer a huge issue in Oz. So, you'll find me in boardies (board shorts) and a rashie (rash vest), wearing a hat, with sun screen on any exposed skin! Not glamourous, but essential down under.

[From Keli: For those, like me, who have no idea what a rash vest or rashie is, I looked it up. It's a type of water wear: an athletic shirt made of spandex and nylon or polyester. These long- or short-sleeved shirts can be worn by themselves or under a wetsuit and help protect the wearer against rashes caused by abrasion. Think of sliding across a surfboard. According to Wikipedia, rashies are thought to have originated in Australia for use by those engaged in water sports.]

Suppose you won a shopping spree at your favorite mall. You have two minutes to spend in the store of your choice. Everything you can cram into a large freezer box is yours. Which store would you choose, and what items would fill that container?

This comes with the proviso that I'm not a shopper – I'm in and out as quickly as possible, so two minutes suits me just fine! Now, I do need a slight translation, as I'm thinking your freezer box would be what we would call an esky. Hope I'm right in my understanding.

[From Keli: Amazing how the meaning of words can differ between English-speaking countries, isn't it? I meant a box that a deep freezer the size of a refrigerator would come in. Rel is referring to a portable insulated cooler, such as one would take on a camping trip or to the beach. We'll go with Rel's definition, since it's her interview. ]

Gosh, this is hard for me! Maybe, Ted's Camera Store – I could fit a number of fabulous Canon lenses and other photographic equipment in an esky that I can only dream of otherwise.

Rel's Question for You

If you ever get a chance to visit Australia, what are three things/places/people you would hope to see?

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Connect with Rel on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Filed under: Reading Tagged: Christian Fiction Book Reviewers, Keli Gwyn, Rel Mollet, Relz Reviewz

Friday Fun Victorian Style

As you might expect, there were many rules regarding courtship during the Victorian era.

A lady who maintained the rigid strictures of Victorian society wasn't allowed to accept lavish or expensive gifts at the hands of a gentleman not related or engaged to her.

According to one etiquette expert of the 1870s – 1890s, Professor Thomas E. Hill, there were four items she could accept from a gentleman while still maintaining propriety.

Here are three.

A book

Confectionery (aka sweets)

Flowers

What do you think is the fourth item she could accept as a gift?

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Leave your guess in a comment. To make this more fun, use only your current knowledge rather than performing a search on Google or making a dash for your reference books.

At the end of the day, I'll update the post to include the answer and leave it in a comment. If you want to be sure and get the answer, you can subscribe to the comments on this post.

Have fun guessing!

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Filed under: Fun & Friends, Research Tagged: Keli Gwyn, Victorian courtship, VIctorian courtship gifts, Victorian etiquette

Romance His Way

My guy doesn't have the same idea of romance I do. Small surprise, huh?

For me, little can compare to an evening in front of the TV with a romance movie in terms of the ah factor. My guy indulges me and has watched many of them with me. There are  even a few he has honestly enjoyed, such as You've Got Mail or Letters to Juliet.

Many a night, though, Gwynly dozes off while I sigh my way through yet another chick flick. He's a good sport and doesn't complain. See why I love him so much?

We took a long walk this past Sunday and had a great time together. I surprised him at the end by asking him which of the action-adventure movies we own is his favorite. He didn't have to think too hard. He's a big fantasy fan and loves Lord of the Rings.

When I asked the question, I knew Gwynly would choose that movie. I also knew I could surprise him by offering to watch it with him.

You might be shocked, but I've never read the books or spent the many hours needed to view the three DVDs. All that has changed. Gwynly and I are watching the trilogy in one hour segments, and I'm enjoying the story more than I expected to.

What's far more important than seeing the movie, though, is the time I'm spending with my hubby doing something he enjoys. I asked Gwynly if he thinks watching Lord of the Rings with me is romantic, and he said yes.

I learned something from this. Guys do romance. They just go about it differently than we gals do at times. When we figure out what our fellows consider romantic, we can reap the rewards by doing things their way for a change.

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For those of you married or dating, if  you were to ask your guy what movie(s) he considers romantic, which one do you think he'd choose?

Are you a Lord of the Rings fan? Have you watched it with your special someone?

Without any spoilers, I'd love to know: does LotR contain any romance?

Who's your favorite character in LotR? I'm partial to Frodo so far.

Filed under: Romance Tagged: Keli Gwyn, Lord of the Rings, Men and romance, Romance and guys

Favorite Christian Fiction Book Reviewers

Book reviews. Readers rely on them when choosing which books to buy.

Book reviewers. Writers treasure them for taking time to share their thoughts.

In my post, The 3 Most Effective Book Review Locations, I published the results of a poll I conducted. Eighty-four percent of those who responded use book reviews some or all of the time when making their book buying decisions.

No one found it surprising that the top three places readers go to check out reviews are Amazon, Goodreads, and personal blogs.

It's pretty much a given for an author to ask influencers and reviewers to post their reviews on Amazon and Goodreads (if they are members), but how does one know where to find reputable reviewers who post helpful, honest reviews on their blogs?

They ask their friends, which is why I'm asking you.

I've long been a reader of the three blogs spotlighted in the graphics on this post (each image is a clickable link). I have come to trust Rel, Renee, and Casey to provide reviews I can rely on, but there are other reviewers of Christian fiction out there I've yet to discover.

Who are your favorite Christian fiction book reviewers?

I would appreciate it if you would take a minute to leave a comment and include the name of the sites you visit when looking for reviews–as well as the bloggers' names and URLs, if you have them handy.

I'll compile the information and add a new page to the blog where you can view the list.

• • •

I have a treat for you. On Monday, March 5, I'll publish my first Meet the Reviewers post. My scheduled guest is well-respected reviewer Rel Mollet of Relz Reviewz. Don't miss it!

Filed under: Reading, Writing & Promotion Tagged: Christian Fiction Book Reviewers, Keli Gwyn

Friday Fun Victorian Style

Gloves were an important accessory for both men and women in the Victorian era.

As was the case with most elements of Victorian life, there were many rules of etiquette regarding the wearing of gloves. Of those below, which one do you think is untrue?

1. Always wear your gloves in a theater.

2. Always remove your gloves in church.

3. Where dancing is expected to take place, no one should go without new kid gloves.

4. Neither ladies or gentlemen should ever wear gloves at table (when dining).

5. You may wear gloves at table if, for some reason, your hands are unfit to be seen.

6. Never offer to shake hands with a lady in the street if you are wearing dark gloves.

7. Do not remove your gloves to shake hands.

8. Great care should be taken to see that your gloves are well made and fit neatly.

• • •

Leave your guess in a comment. To make this more fun, use only your current knowledge rather than performing a search on Google or making a dash for your reference books.

At the end of the day, I'll update the post to include the answer and leave it in a comment. If you want to know the answer, you could subscribe to the comments on this post.

Have fun guessing!

• • •

The royalty-free image above comes from the Victorian Fashions book and CD-rom from Dover Publications that is part of my reference library.

Filed under: Fun & Friends, Research Tagged: Keli Gwyn, Rules regarding the wearing of gloves, Victorian etiquette, Victorian Guessing Game, Victorians and gloves

Great Covers Begin with Art Fact Sheets

After you sell a book (!) and the contract is inked, one of the documents you'll receive from your publisher is an Art Fact Sheet, which an author is asked to complete in order to help the publisher's design team create a cover that fits the story inside.

Not all houses refer to this document as an Art Fact Sheet. My publisher uses the term Cover Direction Questionnaire, an appropriate name since it's chock full of questions.

I'll use my Questionnaire as an example, since it's the only one I've seen.

The first questions dealt with the basics: release date, title, series, and author.

Six sections followed, some with subheadings. These may vary from house to house.

Background/Setting

In this section, I was asked to state the year and time period covered in the book and to give information on the locale, including such features as the lay of the land, the season(s), the vegetation, and other geographic features.

I provided information about the town of El Dorado and described the stores owned by Miles and Elenora, the hero and heroine, since they're important locations in the story.

Summary

What my publisher wanted was a 50-100 word blurb that gave the set-up of the story. I used the summary from my proposal, which was worded like back cover copy.

Character Descriptions

Because my book is a romance, I provided descriptions of Miles and Ellie, including physical features such as age and occupation, hair and eye color, hair and clothing styles.

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"Miles Rutledge"

In addition, I was asked for an overall description that could include height, build, personal style, and countenance. This is where I was able to include the fact that Ellie is determined and a bit feisty, elements my publisher captured so well on the cover.

[image error]

"Elenora Watkins"

I was asked to include information on up to two secondary characters. I listed Miles's mother and Ellie's nine-year-old daughter, since they appear in the story quite a bit.

Story Conflicts

I included two major conflicts in the story that could potentially be shown on the cover.

Tone

I was given several choices and asked to pick the one I thought best fit my story. I chose "romantic showing the heroine." I had the benefit of having seen the cover for the first two books in the line and knew they'd included just the heroine, so my choice was an easy one.

Symbols

In this section, I mentioned the silk flowers Ellie wears at her throat, an aspect of her shop that is very important to her, and her violin. I didn't expect to see the violin on the cover, as I said in the post where I revealed the cover of my book, A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California, so I was delighted to see it used.

Photos

Following the sections, I was invited to submit any photos of the characters or setting that would help my design team. I sent the historic photos of Miles, Ellie, Miles's mother, and Ellie's daughter that I'd used as the models for those characters.

I'd purchased reprints of two photos of El Dorado taken around the year my story takes place from our local museum and got permission to send them to my publisher.

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Do you work from photographs when you create your characters, or do you locate pictures of your characters to match the images in your mind after you've written the story?

Were you surprised by any of the elements requested in an Art Fact Sheet?

Filed under: Writing & Promotion Tagged: A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado Califonia, Art Fact Sheet, Author Input on a Book Cover, Cover Direction Questionnaire, Designing a Book Cover, Elements of a Book Cover, Keli Gwyn

Cover Love

Covers are important. I know we're advised not to judge books by them, but I do anyhow.

My publisher sent me the finalized version of my cover, which I'm now able to share.

I think Barbour's team did a great job. Why? Because it's my book, and I'm biased.

In all seriousness, I'm delighted with the cover, in part because it answers many of the questions I ask when I look at a book's cover.

Is it a romance? The use of the word "bride" in the title lets readers know it is, and the beautiful cover model reinforces that fact.

Is it a contemporary or a historical? Several factors show the reader that the book is a historical: the style of the model's dress, her hairstyle, the Old West town behind her, and the use of the Western-style font for my name.

Where does the story take place? The use of "El Dorado, California" in the title makes this quite clear. The number and sizes of the buildings show that El Dorado is likely a small town, which is true.

Is the tone of the story dark, funny, or sweet? This can be harder to determine, but I like to think the cover hints at the fact that the story is a sweet romance. What gives me this impression are the choice of colors, the light sky as opposed to a dark one, and the absence of a fearful look on the model's face. There aren't any obvious humorous touches, so I wouldn't expect an overly funny story. (I'll let you in on a secret. There are some fun places I hope make readers smile or maybe even chuckle a time or two.

As the author, I can look at the cover and see how Barbour's design team worked hard to add some important elements from the story.

The intent look on the model's face, coupled with her stance, do an excellent job of conveying Elenora's determination.
The tall building beside the model's left elbow is Ellie's shop, and it contains some important features that play a part in the story.
Ellie plays violin, and I'd hoped to see her instrument on the cover, although I didn't see how that would be possible, since her shop is the primary focus of the story. Barbour's design team figured out how to include it, using it as the icon between the title and my name.

I'd dreamed of seeing my name on a book cover for years and wondered what the cover would look like. Would I like it? The answer is yes. I'm delighted with the cover and am grateful to Barbour for doing such a good job.

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If you've had a book published, what was your reaction when you saw your cover?

If you dream of having a book published, what do you imagine your cover will look like?

If you are a reader, what questions do you like to be answered when you see a book cover?

Filed under: Writing & Promotion Tagged: A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado Califonia, Keli Gwyn