Mary Ellis's Blog, page 13

The Minds of Animals

Happy Monday, readers!

Before I get started, I wanted to choose my winner from last week’s contest. Mary Preston, you’re the lucky winner of The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman by Carole Brown. We’ll be contacting you privately to send your copy.

Have you ever noticed that animals sometimes know who likes them and who doesn’t? I have been amazed how often they can tell friend from foe, or who happens to be afraid of them. Too bad we as humans don’t possess the same sixth sense. In my latest book, A Little Bit of Charm, my character has just moved to her cousin’s organic chicken farm. Although Rachel adores horses and takes a job working with Thoroughbred race horses, she has never met a chicken she liked—except fried on her dinner plate with a side of coleslaw. Her cousin, Sally, loves her job and has several pet hens following her around the barnyard, clucking merrily. One of those chickens takes an immediate and irrational dislike for Rachel. The bird torments my heroine any time she comes near. Never enter the free-range enclosure with bare shins becomes Rachel’s hard-learned lesson.

In real life, my aunt had a wild crow that followed her around the neighborhood when she was a child. From telephone pole to treetop, “Blackie” would keep tabs on my aunt while she rode her bike, picked blackberries, or waded in the creek. Often he sat on her shoulder if she walked slowly and fed him cracked corn. However, my aunt’s girlfriend disparaged all birds as “dirty, disease carriers.” This friend didn’t fare so well when caught in Blackie’s territory. The crow often chased her down the path and once tangled his talons in her hair.

In my personal experience, I once invited eight ladies for a summer luncheon and game of croquet on the lawn. My neighbor, who decided to join the party late, arrived with her hundred-and-fifty pound dog. As you might guess, one of the croquet players was deathly afraid of dogs. And of course, Wolfgang ran straight for this unfortunate woman, causing a major case of anxiety.

How did he know? A better question might be how is it we don’t know when fellow humans have evil intentions. Perhaps we have something to learn from chickens, crows, and man’s best friends.

Win a copy of Carole Brown’s debut novel

Happy Monday, readers. Today we welcome Carole Brown to Home Thoughts along with her brand new book about cults.

Here’s a summary: Caralynne Hayman is angry and bitter over the abuse and death of her eleven-year-old daughter at the hands of a radical religious cult—The Children of Righteous Cain. So when her husband, a founding member of the cult, suffers a massive heart attack, Caralynne allows her husband to die. Caralynne’s secret seems safe until Dayne MacFarland returns, determined to learn the truth about the cult. His investigation and his rekindled love for Caralynne lead the

pair toward a confrontation with the group’s elders. Can Dayne’s love for Caralynne bridge the gulf of anger and bitterness that divides the community? Or will Caralynne’s deadly secrets prove too high a price for her redemption?

What was your motivation to write The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman?

My husband and I love to keep up with interesting current events. Awhile back, the cult in Texas caught our eyes. We began a “what if” session.�  What if a woman rebelled against the teachings of the cult?�  What would make her determined enough to go against the doctrine she’d been taught about all her life?�  How could I show her anger and bitterness and yet make her likeable and sympathetic?�  What kind of cult would it be?

Answering these questions helped develop the plot and captured my inspiration to write this novel. I hope it stirs many hearts with sympathy toward those who suffer abuse. We ministered and encouraged those with differing degrees of abuse in their lives so we know some about the topic, and our hearts are always tender to the hurting. It’s a tough topic, but a good one for me to write about.

What are you working on now?

I’ve been busy marketing, editing two different books and working on a Companion book for The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman, besides planning and plotting a sequel. I want to finish a historical set in the late 1800s, a fun, lighter story than TRofCH. I also continue to write on the second books in two different suspense series, one set in Montana–a contemporary and the other, a suspense set in WWII. I never run out of ideas!

Nor should you, Carole! I am eagerly awaiting my print copy of The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman, which I cannot wait to read. If you prefer your books on Kindle, it is available for 2.99 at Amazon. Here’s the link: http://www.amazon.com/Redemption-Caralynne-Matchbook-Contemporary-ebook/dp/B00FY2ZH66/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1382989739&sr=1-1&keywords=the+redemption+of+caralynne+hayman

Please leave a comment for Carole here on my blog to encourage a new writer with an awesome book! I will pick one comment next Monday to win a copy of her book. here’s how to find Carole:

Blog: http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/CaroleBrown.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/browncarole212

For visitors from Carole’s blog who are participating in her scavenger hunt…here is your clue:

 

 

We’ve a winner…and new contest on Home Thoughts

Happy Monday, Readers,

Jorie–you’re our lucky winner of Carolina Reckoning by Lisa Carter. Congrats! I will contact you privately for your address. Today we welcome Tamera Kraft who’s debut novella releases tomorrow (October 1st) on Amazon, Kobo & B&N Nook. I found her story set during the Civil War to be right up my alley. We’ve all heard of PTS syndrome in regards to the Gulf War or Iraq, but did you know it can be traced back to mid-nineteenth century?

Here’s a blurb about Soldier’s Heart. Noah Andrews, a soldier with the Ohio Seventh Regiment can’t wait to get home now that his three year enlistment is coming to an end. He plans to start a new life with his young wife. Molly was only sixteen when she married her hero husband. She prayed every day for him to return home safe and take over the burden of running a farm. But they can’t keep the war from following Noah home. Can they build a life together when his soldier’s heart comes between them?

Bio: Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction because there are so many stories in history. Tamera has recently celebrated her thirty-fourth anniversary with her loving husband. She has two grown and married children and two grandchildren. Tamera has been a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist. She is also a writer and has curriculum published including Kid Konnection 5: Kids Entering the Presence of God published by Pathway Press. She is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry. You can contact Tamera online at these sites.

Website: http://tameralynnkraft.net Word Sharpeners Blog: http://tameralynnkraft.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TameraLynnKraft 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tamerakraft

What was your motivation to write Soldier’s Heart? I researched the Ohio 7th Regiment from the Civil War for another novel and was fascinated by them. The Ohio 7th fought in most major battles during the war and was considered by most historians to be the most heroic regiment. Although they had many losses throughout the war, their most devastating losses were during the last battle they fought. Because they signed up for three years, they came home before the war was over. I started thinking about what these men went through returning to civilian life. For the town setting, I chose my hometown, Ravenna. I grew up there. Ravenna and surrounding Portage County had two companies in the Ohio 7th Regiment, so it seemed like a good choice. It was fun finding out that most of the buildings I was familiar with had been around since before the Civil War.

What are you working on now? I have a few projects in the works. I’m editing the second novel of a Civil War series, the one where I originally researched the Ohio 7th. I’m also co-writing a post World War 2 novel about a war widow in West Virginia who gets mixed up in Cold War espionage called Alice’s Notions. I just finished a novel about a couple affected by a tornado that hit Western Ohio on Palm Sunday, 1920. It will be part of an anthology called Made in Ohio. The anthology will be out later this year. And I have a Christmas novella, A Christmas Promise, coming out Dec. 1 about a family of Moravian missionaries at Schoenbrunn Village, Ohio, circa 1773.

Question for Drawing: I’m giving away a digital copy of Soldier’s Heart to one person who can answer this question. The Ohio 7th Regiment had a nickname because of a noise they made when they charged into battle. What was it? If you have the answer email me at tkrafty [at] sbcglobal.net. I’ll choose one person with the right answer as the winner.

 Have a great week, readers! I’m so glad it’s officially fall and yet still 70 degrees! Mary