Cara C. Putman's Blog, page 78

Fiction Fridays: Dawn Crandall on the setting for Captive Imposter

Today I’m delighted to introduce you to my friend Dawn Crandall, the author of the amazing Everstone Chronicles. I have thoroughly enjoyed her series set during the Gilded Age on the East Coast particularly Maine. You can read my review of her latest novel The Captive Imposter  here. Bottom line? It’s my favorite of hers so far!

Wonder how authors pick book settings? @Dawnwritesfirst shares at @Cara_Putman
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If you’re like me, you love learning some of the whys behind the story. I asked her if she’d come share some background, and she has graciously agreed. I think you’ll love learning why she picked the setting she did as much as I did — I can’t imagine this book anywhere else.

Selecting the setting for Captive Imposter

As sad as it is, the setting of the high-class resort situated in the rugged mountains of Maine in The Captive Imposter is fictionalized. I debated about doing this since all of the locations in the first two books of The Everstone Chronicles series were very accurately true to real life. However, there was only one hotel I knew of that resembled what I imagined Everston to appear like. For some reason, the idea of setting the story at Mt. Kineo within the heart of Moosehead Lake, central Maine, just didn’t feel right. I think it mainly had to do with the fact that the hotel at Mt. Kineo was now long gone, burned to the ground, and shoved into the lake. Add to it the three predeceasing hotels built upon the site suffered very similar fates. I didn’t like picturing the eventual destruction of such a beloved place as I was about to write about. I liked to instead, think of Everston as one of the very few grand hotels left from the era of the Gilded Age. Still, much about the hotel is very much like Mt. Kineo House—the floorplans, the extracurricular activities for the hotel guests, and the situation of the hotel to a nearby enormous slab of stone. In The Captive Imposter that slab is called Iron Mountain.

I’d thought about using this location for years before actually beginning to write Estella’s book. It was actually while I was still finishing up The Bound Heart that I started researching the next book—I always need to have at least a toe into the next book in order to fully come to grips with finishing the current one. This is the first and best website I found about the area while doing my research:

The summer after deciding this was the place I would set The Captive Imposter, my husband and I decided to visit Moosehead Lake (while we were in Maine anyway to visit his family) so we could experience it ourselves. It was absolutely gorgeous, and everything I’d hoped it would be! We weren’t able to stay on the peninsula (another reason I wanted to avoid using the “real life” locale!—you had to take a ferry to get to it from a town named Rockwood… which is also the name of the Everstone family’s mansion on Mount Desert Island.) While we were there, we even climbed Mt. Kineo so I could experience a little of Estella while I was there—much in the same way I was able to experience a little of Amaryllis and Meredyth while visiting Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island a few years before.

A little known fact? As we climbed that mountain, I was so incredibly tired! And I’d been on plenty of other more rugged hikes than that one before! It ended up that I was just days pregnant with my baby boy (who just turned one this month) at the time!

The Captive Imposter

Sent away for protection, hotel heiress Estella Everstone finds herself living undercover as a lady’s companion named Elle Stoneburner at one of her father’s opulent hotels in the mountains of Maine—the one she’d always loved best and always hoped to own one day, Everston. The one thing she doesn’t like about the situation is that her ex-fiancé is in the area and is set on marrying someone else. Reeling from her feelings of being unwanted and unworthy, Estella reluctantly forms a friendship with the gruff manager of Everston, Dexter Blakeley, who seems to have something against wealthy young socialites with too much money, although they are just the kind of people Everston caters to.

When Estella finds herself in need of help, Dexter comes to the rescue with an offer she can’t refuse. She sees no other choice aside from going back home to her family and accepts the position as companion to his sister. Throughout her interactions with Dexter, she can’t deny the pull that’s evidenced between them every time he comes near. Estella realizes that while she’s been hiding behind a false name and identity, she’s never been freer to be herself than when she’s with Dexter Blakeley. But will he still love her when he finds out she’s Estella Everstone? She’s not entirely sure.

4 Tricks for Living in the Moment

Yesterday morning, the KLOVE morning show was talking about the “this is your brain, this is drugs, this is your brain on drugs” commercial. Some of you remember that commercial quite vividly. Others have no idea what I’m talking about.

Some days it feels like: this is my life, this is my life on steroids, this is my life on the edge of chaos, this is my life barely hanging on. Anyone else ever feel that way?

Need help living in the moment? @cara_putman shares 4 tricks.
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Here are four tricks for living in the moment:

1) Celebrate the moment. Yesterday we had a bizarre situation arise when my husband was taking bids on home insurance. I won’t get into the silliness, but I will say that in the midst of it, he hopped on social media with this picture of our pooch. It so perfectly captures her inquisitive soul and sweet spirit. It also captures the beginnings of spring. A spring that many of us wondered if it would ever really, truly come. It’s here! So I’m going to celebrate: a family that loves me, a dog that adores me, a God who sent His son for me, and a world that travels from season to season each year. 

2) Remember what’s most important:  Today my 4 year old read me half of this book. As a homeschooling mama, my heart sang as he got so excited about reading PAGES of the book with very little help from me. He’s discovering the joy of learning, so sitting on the couch and listening to his sweet voice was important. Spending time at the gym grading tests while my 14 year old had a private was important so she feels prepared for state this morning. Stopping to talk with my husband, give him spontaneous kisses while we connect is important (I’m trying to get better at that, Eric. Really!)

3) Enjoy the simple things. For me right now that’s making coffee with my French press. It’s making sure I drink enough water. It’s taking the PIYO and Kettlebell classes as I can, so I feel good about me. It’s celebrating the details, finding the silver lining on the cloud, dancing in the puddles with my children. It’s savoring the tear-off quotes in a calendar.

4) Learn how to capture the items you must do and prioritize. Some days I excel at this. Other days I fail. I forgot to post a blog post on a group post. I could find excuses. The reality is I remembered 12 hours too late. So now I’m adding a reminder to my phone’s calendar. Why? Because I hate disappointing people or letting them down. When I know I have a system that is working, it frees braincells from worrying about what I’m forgetting. Ever had those moments or realities? Please tell me I’m not the only one.

These are a few techniques I try to use to stay in the moment. What do you do?

4 Tips to Finding Peace as a Perfectionist Loving Mama

From my earliest days, I knew I wanted to be a mom. I also knew I wanted to take Katie Couric’s spot on The Today Show – hasn’t happened. Wanted to take Sandra Day O’Connor’s spot on the Supreme Court – also seems highly unlikely. And wanted to be the youngest state senator in Nebraska history – my college friend did that while I moved to Washington, D.C. So I guess you could say my penchant to do it all started early and has never left.

While I’ve never done any of those things, I have worked full time, finished law school, clerked for a judge, and worked with a law firm. I’ve developed a teaching career at a Big Ten University and I’ve developed the beginnings of a writing career all while welcoming children one through four into our family. I wish I could say I do it with grace all the time – I don’t. There are days I wish Wonder Woman would give her bracelets back. But here are some things I’ve given up in the drive to do it all:

1)   Control TV time. This actually started in law school before kids. When working full time and going to school five nights a week, there is zero time for endeavors like TV. So I allowed myself one show a week – in law school it was ER. That 10 p.m. slot on Thursday nights worked great. When I started writing in 2005, something had to give from my schedule. Now I let myself watch one show a week (plus football). At the moment it’s CASTLE – so the weeks it’s not new, I get an extra hour back, too! It also means we try to control what our kids are watching and how much. I want them outside playing, reading a book, or creating.

2)   I gave up my desire for a perfect house. It doesn’t mean I don’t still long for a maid…that would truly be the best gift EVER. But I have recognized that I live in an active household where the kids rarely leave. Because of homeschooling, the goal of a perfect house is really illusive. I also decided a long time ago that I didn’t want my house to be a museum. I want it to be a place where my children’s friends are comfortable coming…a good reminder to stock the snack cabinet!

3)   My husband and I have involved the kids in chores. This serves a couple purposes. One, their spouses will thank me later. Two, they are part of the family and need to contribute to the running of our house. While it doesn’t mean they’ve miraculously gained vision to see every out of place item, it does mean they help clean up the chaos they generate. Three, I’m training them to be productive adults. Sometimes they are MAD when I tell them to reclean something, but there will be times they will need to do thorough work for their bosses. This is preparation for an attention to detail. At the same time, I’ve had to be willing to let some of my standards slide as they learn and grow into jobs.

4)   Try to control the activities. Some would claim I fail at this. My two girls are competitive gymnasts, so the other kids have taken gymnastics. We’re already there. Our oldest son is on a swim team, which means our four-year old will be a swimmer or gymnast. I can only get so many places. We do soccer through a community faith program where the practice and game is immediately back to back on Saturdays. That way they can play the sport, but we can still keep some margin in our lives. It also means my husband and I are trying to coordinate when we say yes to leading different things. Reality is we can only be so many places at the same time.

What strategies have you developed as you try to balance the dream of perfection with the reality of life?

Fiction Fridays: The Captive Imposter

The Captive Imposter  is a sweeping love story set during the Gilded Age by my friend Dawn Crandall. The heroine is impersonating a lady’s companion for the heroine’s protection after her brother is killed in a prior book. When her lady decides to visit a hotel in the middle of the Maine woods, Elle is thrust into the middle of a hotel that her family owns and she’s always wanted. It’s harder to keep up the charade — especially when the manager of the hotel begins to spend time with her. Dexter is enigmatic, but as Elle gets to know him she is pulled to his heart. The only problem is he doesn’t know who she really is.

Love heart-stopping #historical #romance? @cara_putman says try @dawnwritesfirst Captive Imposter.
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This story is told in first person and it works so well. I was completely entranced with Elle and wanted to know how her story would unfold. The writing is vivid, absolutely sucking me into the story. And the characterization is rich. There are some great secondary characters who seem superficial when first introduced, but then their backstory is revealed bit by bit adding further depth to the story.

The Captive Imposter is perfect for readers who love a historical set in the late 1800s who love a strong romance with a thread of mystery. This is first and foremost a romance — and one well worth reading.

Saying Yes or No: Can I be Intentional

I’m in a season of questions.

What does the future hold for me after the M.B.A. is finished?
Where should I invest my time and energy in the next months and years?
Where do I find my passion in this season of life?

So many questions. And so much silence. It feels like I’m in a holding pattern with the end of this season seven weeks away.

I’m battling a book proposal that won’t end.
I’m waiting to move into our new house, waiting for our current house to sell.
I’m longing for a fresh passion to rise up.

And in this season, I long to develop the skill of saying no so I can say yes to God’s best.

Lysa Terkeurst highlights this in her book The Best Yes. And Holley Gerth addresses it in her latest release You’re Loved No Matter What.

Don’t we all have a heart felt need to matter, but also to spend our years wisely? To invest in things and people that have eternal meaning?

These questions guide me in this new season.

Through it all I keep coming back to my word of the year…BRAVE. This is a season of being brave enough to wait. Brave enough to say no when I’m not sure which way to turn. Brave enough to be intentional rather than saying yes to everything.

It’s hard.

Every no is a #yes to something that might just be better. Let’s live with #intention.
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Maybe you’ve been there. You get asked to do something and say yes because you can do it. You know you’d be good at it. You know it would be done well and with relative ease.

But with every yes, I’m saying no to something else.

With every no, I say yes as well. The question is what am I saying yes to?

I want to say No (and YES) with intention. With a clear eye on what the end result is. Am I saying yes to time for what matters to me? Am I saying no to the things I can do but that aren’t fueled by my passions? Do I even know what my passions are anymore?

This is a new lens for me but one I want to adopt with intention.

Life moves too fast. Time with my children is too fleeting. I want to know Eric when we’re on the other side of this season of life.

How about you? What’s one thing that helps you say “no” to what’s good so you can say “yes” to God’s best?

Holley Gerth’s new book You’re Loved No Matter What: Freeing Your Heart from the Need to be Perfect looks like one that will be a huge help in realizing we don’t have to say yes to everything or please everyone. After all, I serve an audience of one.

5 Things You Never Heard a Homeschool Mama Say

 

It’s nearing the end of the school year. Spring break is behind many of us. And looming in front of us is the question: what will we do next year. This is the point where many mamas (and most of their kiddos) are ready for anything else.

Winter has been long.

It feels like spring will never arrive.

Still the cycle of homeschooling and education continues. So for fun, here are five things I don’t think you’ll ever hear a homeschool mama say:

I have arrived. For most homeschooling mamas, they are doing the very best they can with very little feedback. Many days are a struggle because you wonder if you are doing well. Have you met each child’s needs? Are you missing something crucial? Will a child be hampered for life?
There’s too much time in our schedule. Just like many other families, homeschoolers are active…sometimes too active. Yet when we look for ways to cut back and simplify, it’s hard. We want our kids to learn…and they’re frankly interested in so much it’s hard to know where to cut back. There is so much to do! The question is where we should focus our time and energy.

5 things this #homeschool mama doesn’t say.
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I don’t have enough options. A corollary to #2 is the reality that opportunities abound for homeschoolers. And the curriculum options can be downright overwhelming. I’m pretty zoned in on the curriculum that I like. Even so, I find myself pouring over catalogs and websites wondering if I’m making the correct choices for each child. Just because X worked well last year doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try Y this year, right? Everybody has the curriculum that’s their favorite, and what if it’s not mine? Am I limiting my kids if I don’t explore other options? Ack!
I don’t see enough of my children. Okay, this may be me alone But most homeschoolers do so at least in part because they want to have time with their kiddos. They want to develop strong family bonds that will last a lifetime. It also means that there are times I like to break away from my kids. Whether it’s for a movie with friends, an hour to work out, or a piece of time to develop and use my talents and skills, it’s important to remember that homeschooling parents are more than just that hat. It’s one of many that we wear.
Other schooling options are inferior. They aren’t inferior, they are simply different. In Lafayette, we are blessed with many educational options. There are three public school systems, multiple faith-based schools, and many other choices. Homeschooling is one way that parents can choose to educate their children. I have been grateful that it doesn’t have to be our only choice. And as our oldest takes a couple classes at one of the high schools, I’m grateful for the way the schools can provide some experiences it’s hard to duplicate here at home. So just because we homeschool doesn’t mean we believe other options are inferior…it just means this is the best choice for our family.

What would you add to this list?

An Unexpected Adventure

Einstein and Me

Life is an adventure.

We can probably all agree on that.

Sometimes it takes some unexpected twists and turns. I just got back from one of those. It was a good twist, but one I never expected to find myself taking.

I spent all of last week in Brazil. When you ask me where I want to travel, what I what to see, what I hope to experience, Brazil never hit the list. In fact, traveling south of the border doesn’t really hit my bucket list.

When life sends an unexpected adventure, how do you respond?
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But through the weekend MBA program at Purdue, I found myself on an 8 day adventure in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

The rest of this post is over at Inspired by Life & Fiction. I hope you’ll join me there…

How has God taken you on adventures you didn’t anticipate?

The view from Sugar Loaf

Slums near Sao Paulo

Rio Operations Center

Collage of Rio sites from one day sightseeing tours

 

From the Start: Sweet Romance with lots of Heart

I adored this story of two people who are both trapped by their past relationships and a future that is uncertain. Kate Walker wants to do something that matters with her life. Colton Greene doesn’t know where his life is going. Then they both arrive in Kate’s hometown and spend the next weeks working together on bringing the town back to life after a tornado tore through. At the same time they’re working on Colton’s memoir and finding there’s much to like about the other.

Love romance w/ works? Try @Melissa_Tagg From the Start + @Julie_Klassen #Giveaway from @cara_putman
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From the Start  is about finding love, but more than that it’s about taking risks. It’s about stepping into an unknown future and really seeking God and His plan for you. The story doesn’t suggest that the plan will be crystal clear, but it does show that in the uncertainty, there’s the ability to find peace and something that makes your passions sing.

This book is one I will read again. I can’t wait for the next book. And if you haven’t read Three Little Words yet, be sure to do so — it’s free on Kindle right now. It’s the perfect introduction to the town and the Walker family.

And because it’s my birthday and I adore books, I’m giving away a copy of Julie Klassen‘s The Secret of Pembrooke Park. Just enter below.

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5 blogs that encourage me

From time to time we all need encouragement or a shot in the arm. We need a place we can stop for a few minutes, read a post that challenges, encourages or uplifts us, and maybe find a moment of truth and grace with our Heavenly Father. In a blogosphere that is so cluttered with everybody talking, here are a few of the blogs I like to stop by and visit from time to time:

A Holy Experience: there is a music, a resonance, a realness to these posts that keeps me coming back. Not every day. My life can’t handle that. But I come back. Again and again. The images speak to my soul. The words make me smile and feel. And they leave me longing for more. More simplicity. More depth. More of God.

Holley Gerth: Then there are the days I simply need to be reminded that I am loved. Simply. Completely. Wholly. Holley has also captured that perfect voice for feeling like you’re sitting down across the table from your best friend. And in the midst of it pearls of truth and wisdom are spilled out over cups of coffee, mugs of tea, glasses of water. And in that is sweet encouragement.
The GROVE Story: Some of you may wonder if I can choose a blog I’m a part of. Remember, I only write one post a month. So that hardly counts But at the Grove, I’ve partnered with some pretty amazing women. Because the posts are only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I am getting to know these women in a deep way. And really, isn’t that what we all long for? A place of community? A place to be? A place to grow?
Living Proof Ministries blog: I have learned so much in my faith through Beth Moore Bible studies and I love the challenges she extends via her blog. I’m not faithful, but when I pop over there, man am I challenged to dive deep into the Word. That is a good thing!
Jennifer Rothschild’s Thought Closet: for many of the same reasons I love popping over to Jennifer Rothchild’s blog. This woman has a heart for God and her posts read like you’re talking to her. They are real. They are challenging. And they are grace-laced.

Where do you turn for encouragement and inspiration? Maybe a dose of reality laced with grace? I’m eager to see which blogs you read.

7 Verses that Remind Us to Rest

Ever run across something and think, “Thank You, God, for the reminder,”?

That’s what I thought when I was scrolling through my creations and stumbled upon this one.

Enough. It’s such a struggle for women. And I needed the reminder of the prayer I’d typed on there. That’s what I want to be: enough to accomplish His purpose.

And sometimes that means finding a place of rest.

Longing for rest? Here are 7 verses to help you find rest. #wisdom
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How can we focus in on the truth the Bible says about us? How do we beat back the misconception that we have to be everything in ourselves? Here are a few verses to encourage you (and me) when we feel the strain of being enough in our own strength and need to remember to rest:


Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Mark 6:31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Psalm 4:8 I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Exodus 33:14 The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Psalm 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Hebrews 4:9-11 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.


Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

What verses would you add to these?

And if your curious about how I try to balance what I do, listen to this podcast with The Productive Woman. I’d love your thoughts and strategies.