Helen B. Henderson's Blog, page 91

Historical Research Tip - Land Records and Deeds

Researching is fun and there are always new sources to uncover. And here's a tip for a new one-- land records and deeds. Join land title expert Joseph Grabas as he combs through these all-but-forgotten stories of the pursuit of happiness and property in early New Jersey.

Monday August 3, 2015 @ 7:30pm Keyport Senior Center
Keyport (Monmouth County) NJ 

New Jersey's land records and deeds are unlikely sources for a thrilling tale but reveal little-known, fascinating history. A detailed story of the founding of the Garden State 350 years ago is preserved in these papers. The state's boundaries were drawn in such documents centuries ago, even if the authors never stepped foot in North America. The archives hide heroes, like the freed African Americans who fought for their right to own their piece of the state. And of course, there are the bizarre and mysterious tales, like the silk baron's castle and the assault against a sixteen-year-old maiden during the throes of the American Revolution. 

Info on other upcoming programs can be found here http://keyporthistoricalsociety.com/events/ 

~till next time, happy writing. Helen

Cover Contest, Hearth and Sand

There is an old joke about design by committee. However, I'm willing to risk fate. Hearth and Sand: Tales from the Front Lines to the Homefront is nearing production. Votes have been taken among friends and family, and the contributors. 

As sometimes happen with design by committee, there is no concensus. So I'm opening it up to my readers. Vote by leaving the name in a comment for the design you like best. Votes will be tallied and in the near future the selected cover unveiled. 

To encourage the voting. One (or possibly  more) lucky winner will receive a digital version of Hearth and Sand when it is released in the fall.

And so you can make more of an informed decision. Hearth and Sand is comprised of thirteen tales of those who served on the battle front, and the stories of the loved ones left behind who preserved the homefront. Yet there is a common unity, a sense of duty and responsibility, of service to country that spans generations and eons. Each author is related to a veteran or served overseas herself. The voices they heard came from that of their friends, their brothers in arms, or ancestors. Pen was put to paper on the homefront and overseas in the desert sands of Iraq to the jungle heat of the Philippines and Vietnam.



Chevron Title over Ghost Tags              Camouflage



Silver Dog Tags Khaki
Ghost Tags





Vote for your favorite title by leaving the name in the comments.
 

New Review Four Stars and A Great Comment

Help me celebrate a new review for Hatchlings Curse. It was a great surprise after a bad week (under a full moon, no less.

"Any fantasy lover would enjoy this epic tale!" Four Stars. 

Read the full review from InD'tale at http://ow.ly/Qilkz #MFRWauthor #fantasy

Click on the cover in the top banner for a blurb and free read of the first chapter. 

I'm off flying with the dragshi.

~Till next time. Helen

Free Read, Fire and Ice

Fire and Ice, a novella from the legends of the Dragshi Chronicles is a free read as part of thet Hither fantasy contest at inkit. Come, read, and vote for the latest tale from the world of the dragshi.

Mirabeesh was empress--until the day her token appeared in the lotteryand she was chosen as diovi. Her fate? Fire or Ice. 

And if you liked the story, don't forget to vote for it, then check out the rest of the dragshi chronicles.

Vote here  http://www.inkitt.com/stories/17901

~till next time, Helen

Tuesday's Title - My Hunted Highlander

Bound to the mast of a pirate ship, the Highlander plans to use its female captain to gain his freedom. When she helps him escape, the surprise is on him.    My Hunted Highlander
Book #3, Kilted Athletes Through Time Series
Genre:Scottish Time Travel
Publisher:  Nancy Lee Badger Buy Link: http://amzn.to/1GYQqpr

Blurb:

Plucked naked from the North Sea, bruised and nearly drowned, Niall Sinclair wakes bound to the mast of the pirate ship, The Black Thistle. Hiding his identity, and brutalized by the first mate and other seamen, their captain comes to his aid. Her identity, and gender, are a surprise, and his physical reaction to her makes him nearly forget his need to escape, and return to his clan.
When kidnapped from her shipbuilding business in modern day Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the last place Blair MacIan figured to end up, was at the helm of a pirate ship in 1603 Scotland. With her abusive husband dead, and the ship, the crew, and their people under her care, the last thing she needed was to fish a naked man from the sea. His ravaged face and ragged sandy hair could not detract from his magnificence, and she sensed in him, a means for her own escape.
About Nancy Lee Badger:Award-winning author, Nancy Lee Badger, loves chocolate-chip shortbread, wool plaids wrapped around the trim waist of a Scottish Highlander, the clang of broadswords, and the sound of bagpipes in the air. After growing up in Huntington, New York, and raising two handsome sons in New Hampshire, she moved to North Carolina where she writes full-time. A former EMT, volunteer firefighter, and 911 Dispatcher, Nancy writes about kilted Highlanders, heart-broken dragons, and romantic thrillers and is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, Triangle Area Freelancers, and the Celtic Heart Romance Writers.  
Find her on the web at:  Blog     Website    Twitter    Facebook    Goodreads    LinkedIn    Amazon Author Page
Sign-up for her newsletter at Where Happy Ever After Takes the Road Less Traveled 

You Know I'm A Writer By....

After a busy weekend that featured multiple events and commitments on the same day, I thought I'd take a few moments to sit down and relax. Of course, that lasted less than a heartbeat before it turned into capturing some of my thoughts. So out came the keyboard.


The biggest thing on the weekend was a street-wide yard sale. Eight neighbors got together to fill their lawns, driveways, and carports with everything from baby clothes to antique furniture. Taking over my mother-in-laws carport, our tables featured local items -- memorabilia, postcards, ceramics. Four boxes of history books were out, and front and center in the middle of the card table, my own two books on the town.

My husband, who became the official greeter for the day collected the interests of those walking up and directed them to the appropriate table. And those who expressed a local interest or were from the town, the first question was "Did you know about the books?" Or tell them what picture in them would be of interest. Each person would then look at me with reflective assessment. "You're the author?"

And in the midst of the discussions, strange looks, and once the surprise or mis- identification was corrected, one thought kept coming to my mind. How could they tell I was an author if not told.

One and only one answer yelled, "It's me." 

I was the only one with a folder full of a printed manuscript on my lap (had to use the time, have two books in final edits, a third being tidied up, and two stories still not finished for a Veteran's Day release.)

More often, however, I'm the person with the notebook in my hand, jotting down storylines, or during the yard sale, descriptions of those who stopped by, or just passed by from the early birds pounding on the door at 6 AM to the looky loos.

Or my personal favorites, the "Know-it-alls." They all had an identical line. "You have nice stuff. What are you asking for the entire collection/table/armfull of XXX?" And their response to the quoted price. "I"m a dealer and know the prices. They have come down." And they proceeded to counter with a penny on a thousand.

To be answered with a polite, "I"m sorry. I already have three organizations I can give the material away to for free. Thank you for stopping by."

And as far as the dealers, they left empty handed and the items they wanted for nothing went home with someone who really wanted it--and who having paid at least a little something, valued it more.

If so inclined, leave a comment as to how people know you're a writer.   

~Till next time, Helen

Tuesday's Title - A Brand New Address

Yardley is reserved, Marchand has communication issues, and in spite of their
mutual attraction, they struggle to work things out.
A Brand New Address (Book One of the Intervenus Series) 

Author:  by  Kathleen Rowland Genre: Futuristic sweet romantic suspense for Teens 
Date of Release:  May, 2014 
Publisher:  Kathleen Rowland 

Buy Links:  Amazon 


Blurb:  Yardley Van Dyke promised her dying mother she’d care for the family by growing
food in their Ice Age greenhouse.  Family dynamics change when her dad’s fiancé sells it.  Yardley signs up as an intergalactic gardener on Marchand LaFond’s shuttle.  Groomed for the space voyage, he calls the shots. In spite of his brazen exterior, she falls for him, but he can’t let
emotions get in the way of his mission.

Maneuvering through sun spikes and space junk is dangerous enough. Evil Vito Savage plans to annihilate his competition. 

Will Venus be Yardley and Marchand’s new address where they can fulfill their dreams?

About Kathleen:  Kathleen Rowland is devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high-stakes suspense with a sizzling love story sure to melt their hearts.  Kathleen used to write computer programs but now writes novels. She grew up in Iowa where she caught lightning bugs, ran barefoot, and raced her sailboat on Lake Okoboji. Now she wears flip-flops and sails with her husband, Gerry, on Newport Harbor but wishes there were lightning bugs in California.Kathleen’s genre is Romantic Suspense, running the gamete from sweet to ultra-spicy. All books, including her futuristic Intervenus series for teens and new adults, are set near water. Her grandchildren are allowed to read these books!

On futuristic habitable Venus, a creek bubbles from underground in A Brand New Address and Betrayal at Crater’s Edge. For adult readers Deeds of Deceit ignites Big Bear Lake.  A Key to all that Glitters and Falling Evermore scrape along SoCal’s Pacific shores.

Her work-in-progress for adults, Deadly Alliance, takes place in Lake Arrowhead, California and Malahide Village, Ireland.

Kathleen treasures time spent with the love of her life, Gerry.  While proud of their five children who’ve flown the coop, she has the luxury of time to write.   


Find Kathleen on the web at:  www.kathleenrowland.comhttps://twitter.com/rowlandkathleen https://kathleenrowland.wordpress.com/

Paranormal Love Wednesdays, Imprisoned in Stone, June 4 Hop

Magic imprisoned Dylan's soul, but not his will. Love released both.

A brotherhood thirsting for power.
Demands that cannot be obeyed.
A woman who stands to lose everything.

Follows is an excerpt that introduced two of the three men in Maerva’s life.

Maerva stood on the threshold of the hut while Colwynn prepared the arena. With each rune he sketched, her skin tingled from the gathering magic. The air sparkled with his power. When the torches flared to life, her body warmed as if she nestled in a bed of hot coals. She had never before felt such an attraction to a man. Was the firestorm in her veins the result of her magic calling out to his–or her womanhood responding to a magic as ancient as time?

A draft followed Gareth into the room and the chill returned Maerva to a semblance of control. Despite the ease with which he carried the canvas sack, it bulged from the weight within. He dropped it to the floor in a loud clank. His hands free, he stripped off his heavy garment and tossed it in a corner. Bowing to Tralin and Maerva he murmured, “I hope it won’t affront."

Additional waves of energy raced up Maerva’s back. But why? None of the other men of her acquaintance had ever affected her this way. Between swimming and sails on Wayward Bound, it was not as if she had not seen a man’s naked chest.

Gareth noted the way Maerva’s gaze shifted from him back to Colwynn. As he had numerous times since the mage appeared on Tralin’s doorstep, Gareth cursed his lack of powers. Maerva will be a great wizard one day. I will never be a suitable match for her. Frustration fueled the anger until it became a simmering rage.

“Gareth,” Tralin said, “are there any changes you want made to the arena?”

“No, thank you, Mistress Tralin. There is ample room to move, and the sawdust will provide good footing.”

Forcing a tight control over his emotions, Gareth laid out the weapons to be tested. A wave of his hand offered Colwynn first choice.

Colwynn made a show of selecting one of the lighter swords. “This weapon is nicely balanced.” Just the way Colwynn held the blade told a lot about the other man’s experience and training–or lack thereof.

Gareth’s lips tweaked in a smile. I might not be able to have Maerva, but I am under no compulsion to make it easy for Colwynn. Stooping down, he rose in fluid motion with a sword in his hand. He tipped the blade in salute, first to Tralin and then Colwynn. Three strides and he stood in the middle of the room. His muscles rippled from the weight of the blade as he twirled it through a series of one-handed figure eights.

All motion stopped, turning him into a grim-faced statue. Light glinted off the hilt that now hovered at shoulder height. The steel shaft pointed on a straight line to Colwynn’s head. “Your move, my friend,” Gareth said.

Colwynn rushed. His sword struck Gareth’s block. Again and again, the two men sparred. The sound of metal against metal mingled with the grunt of men. With each attack and counter, the fight grew more vicious. Gareth used his heavier weight to force Colwynn back. When the next blow landed, the flat of the blade struck bone not metal.

Maerva’s gasp cracked the control Gareth held over his anger.

Let’s see how much Maerva wants Colwynn when he’s bruised and bloodied.


Four paths--one destiny. With the power to bind souls and control all magic in the balance.

 ~ ~ ~
Imprisoned in Stone--available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Kobo and elsewhere. Excerpts, a free read of the first chapter, and buy links available here.

For the next stop on this month's hop and more tales of paranormal romance, click here.

For the prior visit of Imprisoned in Stone to Paranormal Love Wednesdays, click here.

National Doughnut Day

National Doughnut Day--June 5th. Whether you're partial to the cream-filled, glazed, jelly or chocolate varieties, the doughnut is something near and dear to so many of us. While there are several stories (or call them myths) about how the doughnut (or donut) came about, the Salvation Army established National Doughnut Day in 1938 to raise funds during the Great Depression and honor the women volunteers, who supported the soldiers on the front lines during World War I by serving them delicious meals, and of course, doughnuts. Approximately 250 "lassies" provided assistance to American soldiers in France in 1917.
Today, women's role has expanded beyond ones more traditionally related to the hearth, such as providing food, to more active military roles. But the tradition of National Donut Day continues with many national chains and smaller shops are offering free doughnuts to celebrate.

Doughnuts have a disputed history. One theory suggests they were invented in North America by Dutch settlers. According to anthropologist Paul R. Mullins, the first cookbook mentioning doughnuts was an 1803 English volume which included doughnuts in an appendix of American recipes. By the mid-19th century, the doughnut looked and tasted like today’s doughnut,
and was viewed as a thoroughly American food.

The story I like the most is not about the donut, but the donut hole. A sailor supposedly pushed one of the treats onto a ship's wheel. It eliminated the raw center and temporarily freed his hands. Now you know why I said, myths.

While donuts may be most commonly associated with police stories (and more than one author has had their character stop for a midnight jolt of sugar), that is not the only way an author could incorporate an event such as National Doughnut Day. If writing a historical, the character could be one of the lassies. Or for later years, the descendent of one or find a letter written by one where they talk about a doughboy (yes I couldn't resist that) who was leaving for battle.

For myself, I'm celebrating. Instead of cereal, eggs and sausage, or a bagel, I'm reading my morning emails with a donut in hand.

More information on National Donut Day can be found at http://donutdayusa.com/.

Thanks for joining me. Until next time. ~Helen

PS- some doughnut stores and organizations have giveaways.  

What's In A Cover, Summary

The parts of a book that go into marketing a work can be the most difficult for an author. Our hearts and souls, blood, sweat and tears went into the novel’s creation. Now we not only have to change gears, but read someone else’s mind… capture and interpret the thoughts of someone we’ve probably never met in person—our reader.
Besides the blurb, a good cover is critical. Do we want a simple title and author on a solid field of color, or a graphic that combines three elements into a single, coherent image.
 As authors, we may need to sublimate our own desires to reflect the expectations of the genre or the demands of a publisher. Both of which contradict the naturally possessiveness we’ve acquired in the days, months, or even years of writing the book. Even if you are independently publishing the book and have hired an excellent design artist, knowledge of what works and doesn’t as a cover is useful information.


Reality Check – I’ve always been a firm believer in corollaries of the Peter Principle. Just as you cannot please every reader with a give book, no single book cover will entice every reader. You do your research, come up with a visually pleasing design that looks good in both full-size and thumbnail, then cross your fingers and pray you were correct.


Different writers have different preferences for where to get their design ideas. Some like to scan the top-selling books on sites such as Amazon. Another research venue are cover contests such as Preditors and Editors. Some contests group by genre, others take a snapshot of books submitted that week or month. Another place to see what covers are popular are review and reader sites. Or follow blogs that showcase covers or have cover reveals on a regular basis. 

Hint – As an author you should already be a member of or at least familiar with several of the sites in your genre.

When you plan the book release events, be sure to incorporate places to show-off the cover. Imprisoned in Stone appeared in the Uncover Monday feature at Calissa Rhose’s Ranch. (Info on submitting your own cover can be found here.)

~Till next time. Helen