R.J. Conte's Blog, page 18

30+10 – 1950s Lingo

There is a giveaway going on! Check out my Facebook page to participate. If you don’t have a Facebook account, you can leave a comment here to play. :-)

#30and10 Day 10
I heavily researched the clothing, language, and hip words of 1950s South Carolina. At first I was worried the authenticity of it would turn away the kids it was written for, but then someone gave it to their grandmother, who was a teen in the 50s, and she wrote me back saying, “You got the speech down perfectly! it was all th...

30+10 – Actress? No, Piano Teacher!

#30and10
Day 8!
One fact about me: Growing up, I actually always wanted to be an actress. I did some church productions and took voice lessons, but nothing ever really panned out, and God closed that door. Instead, a neighbor asked me to teach her sons piano, and my piano business was born! Before my first daughter was born, I had 43 students!
It funded my writing “hobby” and I taught piano (and then voice) for over 10 years while I wrote my books. [image error]

Some special students and me back from 2008...

30+10 – My Favorite Mystery Writer from Childhood

Day 7 of #30and10

My favorite mystery author, growing up, was actually not Carolyn Keene or Sherlock Holmes, but Joan Lowry Nixon. I read all of her books that I could get my hands on. Clean, fun mysteries. [image error]
She definitely inspired Dashwood Avenue. [image error]

Dashwood Avenue can be found here on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Dashwood-Avenue-formerly-Rachael-Thomas-ebook/dp/B00RT8U98Y?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc

30+10 – Loverboy George

To catch up for missing a day… Day 6 of #30and10! George was NEVER supposed to turn into the best friend/love interest. No offense to all my friends named Georgeout there, but I really didn’t like the name. He was supposed to be the antagonist/bully, and he showed me a side of him that was sweet, fun, and devoted to Kiralee, and my own heart melted right along with hers. Instead of naming him something different and “younger sounding,” I just kept him George Brishton, and let his cha...

30+10 – Kiralee’s Name

Day 5 of #30and10!
Kiralee, my main character, is the tomboy young-teenage version of myself. [image error] Also the oldest in her family, she is just a bit more boyish than this girly author. Kiralee’s name betrays a feminine side too. It’s pronounced KEER-uh-lay, like Renee at the end. I got the name from Gathering Blue, written by Lois Lowry. Gathering Blue was book 2 in my favorite The Giver trilogy. The Giver was my favorite book from age 15+, and I fell in love with Jonas. Gathering Blue was about...

30+10 – I’m a Backwards Person…

I’m late on my #30and10 post, but we have to start with the first of ten things about me!
I was going to write something mildly controversial, but I don’t feel like that any more, so maybe I’ll save that for another day.
Okay, so first thing about me is that I talk backwards. I nac klat sdrawkcab yrev tsaf dna neve epyt sdrawkcab 40 sdrow rep etunim.
What good this does me, I’ll never know. But it helped my spelling. I would memorize the words backwards and forwards and I would never forget h...

30+10 – Remembering Nana

#30and10Day 3

I visited my grandmother often in North Carolina, and loved the scenery, the nautical feel, and the Atlantic ocean. We drove all up and down the east coast, and setting Dashwood Avenue in South Carolina was simply nostalgic for me.
A pic of my grandmother, two of my siblings, and me – I’m the blonde! (she passed away almost four years ago, and I miss her tremendously. She was the epitome of a perfect grandmother in so many ways. Fun, great sense of humor, gracious, affectionate...

30+10 – Kiralee and Adalyn are Like Me

Fact #2 about Dashwood Avenue:
Kiralee is simply a more tomboyish version of myself. She’s also ESFJ.[image error] Most people commented that they felt like they were reading about me.
But the melancholy neighbor girl, Adalyn, had a little bit of me in her too – with my hatred of moving. God would teach me that out-of-my-comfort-zone lesson many times in my life.

Dashwood Avenue is available in paperback and ebook versions on Amazon, as well as the rest of my books! Middle grade Christian fiction, ages 8+...

30 and 10! Free Books and Celebration

Starting my countdown!!

On July 7, I turn thirty years old! And on July 21, my very first novel, Dashwood Avenue, turns 10, making me a published author for a whole decade!
Therefore, my #30and10 countdown begins today! (Watch for the hashtag on Facebook and Twitter :-)
For thirty days, I will tell you 1 thing about Dashwood Avenue, and every three days, I’ll tell you 1 thing about myself. 30 things about Dashwood, 10 about myself.[image error] Make sure you like the page to stay up on the fun. ALSO, for...

Pretty Pictures of Leading Ladies!

Thank you for rejoicing with me over this miraculous pregnancy!!!

I’ve got more exciting news for you guys soon, but today I want to share what I’ll be doing on my Facebook author page all month. July marks my thirtieth birthday as well as my 10th anniversary of being a published author. My first book, Dashwood Avenue, turns ten years old!

Therefore, I’ll be running sales and doing fun facts all month on the Facebook page. Make sure you like the page so as not to miss a thing. :-)

Also, I cre...