Joyce DiPastena's Blog, page 35

Summary Sunday

The end of Meg's story is in sight! Well, at least the first draft. Here are a few new sentences from this week:



Monday: “I like Meg. Heaven did not strike me down for kissing her, so perhaps it would not object if I married her.”
Tuesday: “I do not know what is so funny,” she gasped, even as she failed to curb her perplexing mirth.
Wednesday: "I vow, I will be quite proud of my pretty, plump wife.”
Thursday: (Another day out of town)
Friday: “Perhaps Christina could be content with a holy pilgrimage,” he said, apparently sensing his offer of a hair shirt had not been enough to persuade her.
Saturday: “If I were…different,” he murmured, his palms still over his eyes, “and could have my choice of all the women in the world, having spent this one night with Christina, I would choose her alone for my wife.”

Freedom to Read Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Freedom to Read Giveaway Hop, sponsored by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Mundie Moms! Here at JDP NEWS I'm giving away a copy of Killing Lincoln, by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. Here's the back cover blurb:

The anchor of The O'Reilly Factor recounts one of the most dramatic stories in American history—how one gunshot changed the country forever. In the spring of 1865, the bloody saga of America's Civil War finally comes to an end after a series of increasingly harrowing battles. President Abraham Lincoln's generous terms for Robert E. Lee's surrender are devised to fulfill Lincoln's dream of healing a divided nation, with the former Confederates allowed to reintegrate into American society. But one man and his band of murderous accomplices, perhaps reaching into the highest ranks of the U.S. government, are not appeased.In the midst of the patriotic celebrations in Washington D.C., John Wilkes Booth—charismatic ladies' man and impenitent racist—murders Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre. A furious manhunt ensues and Booth immediately becomes the country's most wanted fugitive. Lafayette C. Baker, a smart but shifty New York detective and former Union spy, unravels the string of clues leading to Booth, while federal forces track his accomplices. The thrilling chase ends in a fiery shootout and a series of court-ordered executions—including that of the first woman ever executed by the U.S. government, Mary Surratt. Featuring some of history's most remarkable figures, vivid detail, and page-turning action, Killing Lincoln is history that reads like a thriller.This is a hard cover copy, so USA entries only, please. Deadline for entries is midnight, July 5th. If you'd like to enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below, then hop along to the links below to find some more great giveaways!OFFICIAL RULES: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Entrants must be 18 years or older. Winners will be selected on June 6 and have 48 hours to respond to an email notifying them of their win. Prizes not claimed within 48 hours will be reawarded. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Questions? Contact me at jdipastena@yahoo.com.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summary Sunday

I struggled between writing and research this week, but I managed to come up with a few new sentences for Meg's story to share with you.
Monday: “I wish you had been freckled or homely or fat,” he said. 
Tuesday: She stared at his profile, so grateful for his forebearance that tears started to her eyes again.
Wednesday: He was still tall, his face still pleasant to gaze at, his brown hair still slightly wavy, his eyes still steady and grey.
Thursday: “I have sworn you no harm, Christina, but I will not let the shadows hide the truth from you."
Friday: She smiled again, this time so that she would not cry.
Saturday: She snapped her head back and glared at him, unsure which made her angrier, that he should insist on denigrating himself this way or that he had spoiled the afterglow of her first kiss.

Tuesday Teaser

Tuesday Teaser is a weekly bookish meme (rhymes with “cream"), hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. (I’ve borrowed it from LDS Women’s Book Review.) Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current readOpen to a random pageShare at least two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that pageBE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!
I'm adapting the rules slightly. I'll be quoting some random lines from the last chapter I read before I post a teaser. I'm a slow reader, so you may get multiple teasers per book from me. Here's a teaser from Zenobia: The Birth of a Legend :
"It seems to be a common thing, though, but why did you decide to tell me?"
"I wonder if growing into womanhood will slow me down as a warrior. What do you think?"
He laughed. "I'm just over sixteen, so I'm hardly an expert. In fact, I don't know anyone who is, since you are the only female warrior any of us has ever known."
From Zenobia: the Birth of a Legend , p 46
If you'd like to share a teaser from a book you're currently reading, I'd love you to do so in the comment section. And you don't even have to share it on a Tuesday! Be sure to include the title, author, and page number in case others would like to check out the book you're reading.

What Am I Reading Now?

Reading an old favorite is always fun, and The Conquering Family by Thomas B. Costain was no exception. But now I'm back to something new, a historical novel by Russ Wallace called Zenobia: Birth of a Legend . Here's the back cover blurb:


Young Zenobia dreams of becoming a warrior, a serious problem for a girl born into a male-dominated desert tribe. She has been forced to hide her gender to preserve her life. Her deception is unmasked, leading to an incredible turn of events.

Her wise mother envisions a different life for her daughter – that of a scholar – and takes her to Egypt for an education. Here a conflict of desires surges in Zenobia, for she finds that she loves both paths. As she feeds an emerging hunger for justice, the stirrings of a future political and strategic genius begin to manifest themselves.

Growing into young womanhood, Zenobia feels an awakening attraction to two very different males – a vibrant young warrior from her own tribe and a brilliant bachelor scholar whose analytical mind cannot help from feeling romantically drawn to the most intriguing female he has ever met. 

Meanwhile, Zenobia learns of the annual horse race in Alexandria. She decides to enter her powerful mare against the highly-bred stallions of the East. The power of a legend influences the surprising course of the contest to its thundering conclusion.


Okay, I'm making a confession. I was so intrigued with what I've read thus far that I sneaked a peek at the Wikipedia entry for Zenobia, which means that historically, I know how the story comes out. But that won't spoil my enjoyment of seeing how the author presents this fictionalized account of her life. Stop by later today and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you!

Summary Sunday

Here are a few new sentences from Meg's story this week:


Monday: She thought the corner of his mouth gave a quirk, but it may have just been a trick of the candle’s light.
Tuesday: What if the heavens smote her before she could strike these sins from her heart?
Wednesday: (Today was an out of town day. I wimped out on writing when I got home.)
Thursday: "‘Our lands will double in size when you are Burthred’s wife,’ my father never grows tired of reminding me."
Friday: How often had she come upon them conversing with frowns in low voices and caught her father mutter the name “Burthred”, followed by an impatient curse, before one of them looked up to see her and shushed the other.
Saturday: (My writing session turned into a research session. I discovered the Google Play Books app and downloaded it to my iPad, along with the free e-book, Saint Edmund, King and Martyr. Watch for a mention of Tolinus the sacrist if I ever finish this story.)

Summary Sunday

I'm taking a little hiatus from Emilie's story to work on an idea for a medieval Christmas short story. Yes, I know it's early and it certainly doesn't feel very Christmasy here at 100+ degrees, but I'm a slow writer, so I have to start now to have something by December. (I do hope to get a first draft finished well before then, though!)
My new little story is set in medieval England and is about a young woman named Meg. Here are some sentences I wrote for her story this week.
Monday: (Out of town, taking my sister to the airport, although I did make some starting notes when I got home.)
Tuesday: She stumbled back against her bed and screamed like a madwoman.
Wednesday: "I will not marry you and if I hear so much as a footfall, I’ll crack you over the head.”
Thursday: "Do you wish to spend eternity in a kettle of boiling water or roasting in a fiery oven or in a field of eternal lice while chattering, fork-tailed demons claw your flesh and laugh at your piteous cries?”
Friday: “If you try to harm me while these relics are in my hand, you will very likely drop down dead.”
Saturday: “Your former betrothed is dead.” 

My Favorite Reads Giveaway Hop: Winner!

Congratulations to Alivia, winner of the My Favorite Reads Giveaway Hop on JDP NEWS! Alivia has won a copy of one of my favorite historical novels, The Eagle of the Ninth, by Rosemary Sutcliff. I hope she enjoys it as much as I did!

Tuesday Teaser

Tuesday Teaser is a weekly bookish meme (rhymes with “cream"), hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. (I’ve borrowed it from LDS Women’s Book Review.) Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current readOpen to a random pageShare at least two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that pageBE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!
I'm adapting the rules slightly. I'll be quoting some random lines from the last chapter I read before I post a teaser. I'm a slow reader, so you may get multiple teasers per book from me. Here's a third teaser from  The Conquering Family , by Thomas B. Costain:
[King Philip of France], who had an arrogant way of speech, pretended surprise when they stood in front of him. He asked:
"Where is Arthur of Brittany?"
There was no answer they could give to that, so neither Englishman made any comment.
From  The Conquering Family , p 218
( The Conquering Family  is  a non-fiction book that tells the story of three kings of England: Henry II, Richard I (the Lion Heart) and John. This excerpt is from the section on John.)
If you'd like to share a teaser from a book you're currently reading, I'd love you to do so in the comment section. And you don't even have to share it on a Tuesday! Be sure to include the title, author, and page number in case others would like to check out the book you're reading.

My Favorite Reads Giveaway Hop

Welcome to My Favorite Reads Giveaway Hop, sponsored by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Rachelle Writes. I'm excited about this giveaway, because I get to share with you one of my favorite reads. My giveaway is a book I discovered last year, called The Eagle of the Ninth , by Rosemary Sutcliff. I'd read a few previous books by Sutcliff, enough to know that I wanted to read more, but this particular story captivated me. Even when I reached the end, I found I wasn't finished. I kept returning to favorite passages and reading them again and again. This isn't a romance. It's a historical novel. But there is a theme of friendship woven through the book that somehow touched me deeply. And even today, the closing lines of this book often return to my mind. I will never think of whistling in the same way again. :-)

Here is the back cover blurb to The Eagle of the Ninth :

In A.D. 119 the Ninth Roman Legion marched north into the wilds of Britain beyond Agricola's Wall and disappeared without a trace. Fifteen years later, Marcus Flavius Aquila, the son of the unit's commander, embarks on a quest to recover the lost eagle standard of the Ninth, symbol of a legion's--and his family's--honor.

This is technically a YA book, but can easily be enjoyed by adults as well. The winner will receive a print, paperback copy of this book. Deadline for entries is midnight EST, June 6. USA entries only this time, please.

If you'd like a chance to win this book, enter via the Rafflecopter form below, then hop on along to the links below to find some more great Favorite Reads Giveaways!

OFFICIAL RULES: NO PURCHASE NECESSSARY. Entrants must be 18 years or older. Winners will be selected on June 7 and have 48 hours to respond to an email notifying them of their win. Prizes not claimed within 48 hours will be reawarded. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Questions? Contact me at jdipastena@yahoo.com.
a Rafflecopter giveaway