Cara C. Putman's Blog, page 88

If you like Tracie Peterson: 8 historical authors you should try

One thing I love about being an author and reader is to connect readers with new-to-them authors. I’m a voracious reader who reads across many genres. I’m often reading two or three at a time and finish at least a book a week. Tracie Peterson is a beloved historical author who is prolific with over 100 books written. Her stories are set fully in their historical time and location with characters that will pull you deeply into the story. It’s easy to understand why readers love her and consistently make her a best-seller. But maybe you’ve read all of her books or would like to discover authors like her.

If you like Tracie’s books, here are a few other authors to try in no particular order (I’ve enjoyed all of their books for varied reasons):

1) DeeAnne Gist is a best-selling author. In fact her debut novel A Bride Most Begrudging convinced me that Christian historical fiction could be fresh and new. Since then she has written many books. They have strong heroines, flashes of humor, and a richness of time period and detail that historical readers love. And the romances are heart-stopping. One of my favorites is Maid to Match, which is set at the Biltmore.

2) Tamera Alexander has written primarily in two areas. Frontier Colorado and Reconstruction Nashville. I ADORE the books set in Nashville. They are sweeping stories set in the midst of real people, places and events. I loved them so  much when we were in Nashville I had to go to Belle Meade to see the location of some of her books. The covers are GORGEOUS…who wouldn’t want to wear one of those gowns? Most important, the characters are deeply layered with spiritual threads we can all relate to. I love it when a book resonates with me at a deeper level.

3) Jody Hedlund writes books that are often set in real events. Several of her books are inspired by romances between historical characters, and I loved that I already knew something about the historical characters. I also admire her writing because she is constantly writing in different time periods. One book might be in Ye Old England, another on Ft. Mackinac in the early 1800s and another in Oregon later in the 18th Century. She’s a best-selling author because her characters are fully developed and the settings detailed and vibrant. The conflicts are historical and you might learn a thing or two in the process of reading.

4) Elizabeth Camden writes books set during the Gilded Age. I’ve read a couple, but really loved her latest, With Every Breath. This novel had elements of mystery combined with an interesting historical setting: the effort to cure tuberculosis in 1880s Washington, DC. And honestly, that’s what I love most about historical fiction is the chance to escape into a story that allows me to learn something while enjoying characters that are struggling through life in a way I can relate to. With Every Breath also has a wonderful cast of supporting characters — just imagine a boarding house in 1880s D.C. Judges, ambassadors and Congressman make meals very interesting.

5) Carol Cox has written several romantic mysteries set in Old West Arizona. A resident of Arizona, she brings a fun life to this location. I thoroughly enjoyed Love in Disguise. The sense of humor was so fun as the heroine played two different roles all in the effort to keep her job with the Pinkerton Agency. In the meantime she had to solve a mystery while falling in love with someone who could never know the real woman. Well worth the time to try — and if you like it, there’s a series!

6) Jen Turano has a fun voice for Gilded Age romances, and you can try her with a free novella Gentleman of Distinction. That’s how I discovered her. I loved the novella so much that my husband asked if we needed to stop and by the first book in the series — even though I already had it waiting for me at home. Even more fun, scenes in the novella are in the first novel from a different perspective. The stand alone novels are connected by characters, so I would read them in order, but you certainly don’t need to. There’s a fun pacing and series of events in each book, and the romances are frothy and light. So if you’re looking for a fun vacation read, try her books.

7) Kathleen Y’Barbo’s Secret Lives of Will Tucker is a fun steampunk series. I never imagined I would read let alone enjoy steampunk, but I flew through this series. Steampunk simply means that there’s a push on the science front…a push that could be fantastical — think the Sherlock Holmes movies. The characters are fun and show up in future novels, but each novel could be read alone. However, the Will Tucker thread continues through the three books. If you love reading series that go together, then this is a great series for you.

8) Jamie Carie has written primarily historical…and I love her historical. She sets them in various time periods, which requires gobs of research…something she does very well. Whether it’s early 1800s France, pre-Revolution colonial America or Alaska, I was swept into the story. These are rich stories worth your time.

This is only a beginning. Who are some authors that you would add to this list? I’d love to learn who you’re go-to historical authors are.

A Grand Design: Mackinac Island

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducing

A Grand Design

Abingdon Press (August 19, 2014)

by

Amber StocktonIf you’re like me and love Mackinac Island, you should check out this story set on the island.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Alyssa Denham, a single career woman, wins a fun getaway for two on Mackinac Island where her grandmother lives, she gives her carefree best friend a call. Together, they tour the old shops and hidden treasures of the quaint island while helping Alyssa’s grandmother piece together an heirloom quilt. Their quest gains them entrance into the homes of many longtime residents of the island, parts of the city that are otherwise off limits to tourists.

As the quilt’s story takes shape, Alyssa gains amazing insight into her grandmother’s life . . . and attracts the attention of the handsome Scott Whitman, an island resident in charge of hotel transportation. Will memories of her past keep Alyssa from letting go? Or will the quest to piece together the heirloom quilt restore Alyssa’s fractured heart—and bring healing to her entire family?

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Grand Design, go HERE.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Words from the author:

Hi, I’m Amber, but my friends call me Tiff, short for Tiffany, my first name. I am in my mid-30′s, married to the love of my life since July 2007, have a daughter and a son, and live in Colorado. Here, I am content to do what I love—write, speak, and offer virtual assistance.

Thanks to the gentle nudging of a fellow author — Tracie Peterson — in 2002, I joined the American Christian Fiction Writers and wouldn’t be published today without them. For those of you who are also fiction writers looking for a wonderful support group, check them out! My very first book, Promises, Promises, sold in December 2006 and released in February 2008. I’ve been going steady ever since.

 

Some fun Adventures in Odyssey videos

You know we love Adventures in Odyssey, so I thought you’d like to see some behind the scenes video answering questions like how old are the characters? If you’ve listened, there seem to be two timelines. Some characters age and others don’t.

If you love Adventures in Odyssey, be sure to check out the new Club.

 

The end of summer is in sight, and OAC is giving away an iPad Mini back-to-school bundle!

It might seem like summer just began for your kids, so if they need some added motivation to get their homework done, remind them they can jump on the Odyssey Adventure Club after their papers are written and their math problems are solved.

As members, your kids can also listen to Album 58 before the album is released to the public! Sign up today for just $5!

Here’s what part one is about (which you can listen to for free HERE):

It’s a time of surprises as Wooton becomes the celebrity guest at Comic-Connellsville and Whit finds himself in conflict over the upcoming “Let’s Get Together Festival” in Odyssey. Plus, hear an interview with writer-director Paul McCusker about the entire 14-part series.

Album 58 was inspired by Focus on the Family’s The Family Project, a 12-session small group experience that explores the theological, philosophical, and cultural underpinnings of the traditional family, and combines that information with inspiring stories and practical tools to help 21st-century families thrive.

Plus, here’s a sneak peek of a new episode called “The Lone Lawman”!

Jason, Whit, Red and the gang rustle up herds of fun while performing a new Kids’ Radio show set in the Old West. “The Lone Lawman” features a confused boy getting mixed up with a shifty band of bank robbers. Can a hero on horseback set things right? See just how wild the West can get in this action-packed send-up of old-time radio dramas.

NOW . . . on to the iPad Mini back-to-school bundle.

One grand prize winner will receive:

An iPad Mini

Hurry, the giveaway ends on August 27th. All winners will be announced August 28th on the widget on this page.

DON’T MISS A MOMENT OF THE FUN; ENTER TODAY AND BE SURE TO VISIT THIS PAGE AGAIN ON THE 28TH TO SEE IF YOU WON! (YOU’LL SEE THE WINNER’S NAME IN THE WIDGET.)

Call to Prayer

We are so blessed in America. The persecution we experience — if any — is small in light of what is happening to the church around the world. I wasn’t able to watch Friday night’s special, but I can’t stay silent. Isn’t it time for us to wake up and pray for our brothers and sisters around the world? What will we do?

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

Back-to-School Already? 4 reminders

One of the unique things about me is that I’m a second-generation homeschooling momma. That means I was homeschooled and now homeschool my kiddos. Yesterday morning, my heart was in my throat as I watched my baby girl board the school bus. She may be 13, almost 14, but this was the first time she’s stepped outside our homeschool to take classes. Let me tell you, it’s a big step.

And for this mom who went from homeschooling to a community college a lot smaller than her high school, it’s a wee bit daunting. So why are we taking this step?

1) I try to hold homeschooling with an open hand. It’s not who I am but part of what I do.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re still very much a homeschooling family. Our daughter is taking two classes at the high school and the rest at home. But about three or four years ago, a trusted friend asked why we homeschool if our lives were bordering on chaotic? That’s when I realized I needed to make sure my identity wasn’t wrapped up in homeschooling. My identity should be firmly rooted in who I am as God’s daughter, not one of my roles here on earth. That’s impacted how I walk this journey — even though we still homeschool.

2) Each child is different. Our daughter wants to be a flight nurse (think life flight helicopters). This takes a certain set of science skills I can’t necessarily give her. The high school has a 4 year bio-med program for students who want to go into medical fields. So for her, this makes total and complete sense. And…

3) This fills in my weaknesses with another’s strengths. There are many reasons I went to law school instead of medical school. Science is a leading one. Don’t get me wrong — I do well in science — but I made it through undergrad without dissecting anything that had blood pumping through its veins at any point in time. Shudder. Last semester our babysitter dissected all kinds of “fun” things with the kids while I taught at Purdue. I came home to a cleaned up house and candles burning. Of course my oldest two are headed into STEM fields. Yet God has provided avenues to shore up my weaknesses. And I’m willing to ask for the help. I’m so excited our daughter gets to take classes with the bio-med teacher. That woman is passionate and enthusiastic about science. The perfect antidote for me!

4)  Stretching is a good thing. My husband and I asked our 13 year old if she was excited or nervous. She said she’d been nervous all week, but was a good actress. I know she’ll do great. We wouldn’t let her go if we didn’t think she’d thrive. So this is a good time to let her stretch and learn that those stretching times are good and healthy.

As school starts all over the country, what tips do you have for kids that are launching into a new endeavor? What’s your favorite back-to-school advice?

Back-to-School Already?

One of the unique things about me is that I’m a second-generation homeschooling momma. That means I was homeschooled and now homeschool my kiddos. Yesterday morning, my heart was in my throat as I watched my baby girl board the school bus. She may be 13, almost 14, but this was the first time she’s stepped outside our homeschool to take classes. Let me tell you, it’s a big step.

And for this mom who went from homeschooling to a community college a lot smaller than her high school, it’s a wee bit daunting. So why are we taking this step?

1) I try to hold homeschooling with an open hand. It’s not who I am but part of what I do.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re still very much a homeschooling family. Our daughter is taking two classes at the high school and the rest at home. But about three or four years ago, a trusted friend asked why we homeschool if our lives were bordering on chaotic? That’s when I realized I needed to make sure my identity wasn’t wrapped up in homeschooling. My identity should be firmly rooted in who I am as God’s daughter, not one of my roles here on earth. That’s impacted how I walk this journey — even though we still homeschool.

2) Each child is different. Our daughter wants to be a flight nurse (think life flight helicopters). This takes a certain set of science skills I can’t necessarily give her. The high school has a 4 year bio-med program for students who want to go into medical fields. So for her, this makes total and complete sense. And…

3) This fills in my weaknesses with another’s strengths. There are many reasons I went to law school instead of medical school. Science is a leading one. Don’t get me wrong — I do well in science — but I made it through undergrad without dissecting anything that had blood pumping through its veins at any point in time. Shudder. Last semester our babysitter dissected all kinds of “fun” things with the kids while I taught at Purdue. I came home to a cleaned up house and candles burning. Of course my oldest two are headed into STEM fields. Yet God has provided avenues to shore up my weaknesses. And I’m willing to ask for the help. I’m so excited our daughter gets to take classes with the bio-med teacher. That woman is passionate and enthusiastic about science. The perfect antidote for me!

4)  Stretching is a good thing. My husband and I asked our 13 year old if she was excited or nervous. She said she’d been nervous all week, but was a good actress. I know she’ll do great. We wouldn’t let her go if we didn’t think she’d thrive. So this is a good time to let her stretch and learn that those stretching times are good and healthy.

As school starts all over the country, what tips do you have for kids that are launching into a new endeavor? What’s your favorite back-to-school advice?

Two Historicals with Heft and Humor

I don’t have time to read right now. Classes just kicked off again last weekend, and studying is filling my time. However, reading is like breathing…so I have to read…but only books that capture me will get finished in any kind of speed time. I am delighted that the last two books were exactly that type. You’ll notice I’m on a bit of a historical kick. I just need to convince my favorite suspense authors to write a wee bit faster! Come on, Lynette Eason and Randy Singer. Let’s crank out those books

Yesterday I finished Elizabeth Camden’s latest novel With Every Breath. Remember how I just mentioned that I have zero time and a book has to capture me? After reading a couple of Elizabeth’s earlier books, I knew this one would be good, but I fully expected it to be one I could walk away from and return to as I had time. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

With Every Breath is a gripping story set in the fight to cure tuberculosis in the late 1800s. I loved learning about the ways this terrible disease was treated over a hundred years ago and the passion to conquer it. But the book was so much more. Mystery, Romance, Faith. Each strand is woven together into a story that captured my imagination. It is a stirring story that is more than an-of-course-they-get-together romance. I’ve read a couple of her others, and this was the one I could not put down even though I didn’t have time to read. I had to make time. I highly recommend it for lovers of historical fiction.

The day before I finished Full Steam Ahead by the crazy creative and funny Karen Witemeyer. Karen is an author who’s books I know won’t disappoint. They are usually set in Texas in the 1800s and are so creative and fun I savor them as a treat. Full Steam Ahead did not disappoint.

This story is a frolic through the race to improve steam engines and end the explosions that led to terrible disasters in the mid-1800s. Funny that two of the last books I’ve read dealt with scientific advancements. I loved learning a bit about steam engines…but I adored the hero and heroine. The hero has an edge of the beast to him — a self-imposed recluse who is misunderstood because of his all-consuming drive to fix a horrible problem. And the heroine is a woman who can match mind and wits with him. (Very much like the arrangement in With Every Breath now that I think about it.) There is also a thin thread of suspense that doesn’t overshadow the story but adds a layer to it.

I highly recommend both of these novels for those who love historical fiction and a hero and heroine you can root for equally.

What have you read lately that you would recommend?

5 Reasons Breaking Away from Routine is a Good Idea

My family just got back from a long weekend in Nashville. This was something we had to fight to cram into our agenda. As recently as Tuesday (we left Friday) we talked about ditching the whole plan and staying home. Here are a few reasons we didn’t.

1) If you don’t step away, life will continue to move just as fast as it does at home. For us that might mean, we rush through the normal grind of activities, but don’t stop to do things together. We could have spent the same four days in different corners of the same house. Instead, we intentionally spent it together. That’s how memories are made.

2) It has to be intentional: that’s the key for our family. As in all things, if we value it, we will make space in our lives for each other. But it has to be an intentional choice. Otherwise, other things will encroach. And life is moving too fast as it is. Just over the weekend several people couldn’t believe how big our kids were getting. Some people had seen our youngest at a conference when he was a baby. Now he’s a tall toddler. Others remembered meeting our oldest a couple years ago when she was 11 1/2. Now she’s thirteen going on 30. These changes happen quickly even as it seems to take forever. So we have to choose today to make the time to be together as a family. Which leads to:

 3) Choose to build memories together. Even though we drove. Even though we packed meals so that we only ate out once a day, the weekend got pricey. But you know what? It was worth it. We spent four days building memories together. Whether it was the fourth time we’d listened to The Hidden Staircase as we drove. Whether it was walking through one more historic house because mom made us. Whether it was eating at the Aquarium Restaurant and later joking about eating fish while sharks and manta rays swam by. All of it was designed to build common experiences and memories. I took photos like this was our last trip together because I want the physical record of how cute our six and three year old looked holding hands on the paths at the Hermitage. I wanted to capture the silliness of my husband and ten-year-old enjoying the world’s best burgers at the Pharmacy.

Building that common body of experience and memory is important. It’s what makes us a separate entity … that great creation of a family. We will one day joke with our grandkids about the day we took a detour in Nashville and ended up in Greece.

Two summers ago we spent eight weeks in Germany and it reinforced the value of choosing to make these experiences that set you apart as a family. You can share them with others, but they didn’t experience it with you. So it’s still not quite the same.

4) In the planning, make sure there are events for everybody. We spent an ENTIRE day at the Adventure Science Center. Did I mention it was like SIX HOURS at a science museum? That is not necessarily my cup of tea. After all, I went to law school…not med school. But after two days of dragging the kids around the Hermitage and Belle Meade, we decided it was time to let them have fun. Boy, did they! There was the space walk simulation. And the flight simulator. Lifting a car with levers. And so much more. We literally had to drag the kids out right before the museum closed. And that was good. The kids will talk about that day and what they learned for years. And most of them didn’t even realize they were learning. Gotta love museums!

5) Include friends. I’m big on relationships though life often feels like it’s going too fast to maintain them. If you’re traveling, look through your address book and see who you can include in your time. We had ice cream with one acquaintance and her daughter. It was so fun to get to know her off the phone and in person. Then we stopped at a publishing house to say thank you to the team that’s worked so hard on one book. I shared tea with another friend. We learned too late about another friend and her family that were only a couple hours away. But you can bet the next time we’re in Nashville, we’ll plan to spend time with them.

In today’s world we spend so much time online, it can be hard to maintain real, honest-to-goodness friendships. Use trips to do just that.

Someday we may be able to do a stay-cation and actually break away. But until then, these are a few of the reasons I believe it’s important to break away if only for a long weekend. What would you add to this list?

Coffee Chat with Dawn Crandall

Today I’m delighted to introduce you to debut author Dawn Crandall. Her first book, The Hesitant Heiress, is available in ebook formats.

This novel is set during the Gilded Age in Boston. Told in first person it follows the reluctant journey of Amaryllis Brigham through the top echelons of society when all she wants to do is run away back to the wilds of Washington. To gain independence, she must marry…yet that is the last thing she wants to do. Amaryllis has a strong core she hides from everyone beneath the shell of a distant, protected woman. She has to choose to allow someone in…to see the real person. There’s a hint of intrigue, a dash of suspense, and a longing for love that will satisfy stalwart historical romance fans.

Dawn, how did you get the idea for  The Hesitant Heiress ? Why this timeperiod?

Honestly, I’ve been in love with history for as long as I can remember. When I decided to choose The Gilded Age, it had a lot to do the dresses of the time period, the neighborhood of Back Bay in Boston, and the way the elitists of the time would flock to the coastal towns of New England for the summers. And this book’s story came to me over a few years while I spent my evenings alone while my husband worked full-time and went to school to get his MBA. I wasn’t actually writing at the time, but studying other books of the Christian genre, trying to figure out what kind of book I wanted to write, as well as HOW! Somehow, it all came together in a rather unorganized fashion, pieces here and there. For this first book, I seemed to have learned along the way, one chapter at a time. It took me exactly two years to write (2010-2011), and I changed it up so much in those two years!

Your heroine has a difficult life—one filled with secrets and misunderstandings. How did she come to you? And why was this her story/journey?

I am so intrigued by stories about characters who struggle with their self-worth, partly because it’s a struggle I still face every day. I didn’t become a Christian until I was seventeen, and finding my true worth in Christ at that particular time created a huge turning point in my life. By the time I was finally thinking about writing the novel I’d “always wanted to write,” I was early-thirty-something, newly married and on the verge of finding out what I was made to do. Even while writing the story for myself, I knew that writing was going to be my favorite hobby ever. I could see how everything in ly life had worked together to take me to that place… and I knew that’s what I wanted to convey in this book about Amaryllis Brigham.

What do you hope will stay with readers long after the book is over?

I want readers to be encouraged that although there are times in our lives that don’t seem the greatest; He is using those instances to make us who He wants us to be. Amaryllis thought she knew what she wanted, she thought she knew what was best—but she was wrong. Through her journey, she found that God had been listening to the yearnings of her heart all along—even when she’d tried to ignore them because she didn’t believe she’d ever attain them.

What did you learn/what did God show you as you were writing this book?

That God really does care about our dreams. For over a decade after college I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with myself. I’d had all kinds of random jobs, but none of them were what I wanted to do forever. I’d always wanted to write a book. It was simply one of those things that I wanted to do, solely for myself. However, the moment my husband learned of my dream, he believed in it and me 110%. He talked about it getting published, and he was the one who sent me to my first ACFW conference in 2011 where I met, and soon-after, signed with my agent. So, in a relatively short time-period, God took my dream and made it a reality, despite my self-worth-problems, and the fact that I have ADD. He made this happen. And I don’t know why. I feel incredibly grateful every day, and sometimes have to remind myself that it’s actually, for real, happening.

Where can readers connect with you?

Facebook:  Book Review Blog:  GoodReads:  Pinterest:  Twitter:

{About The Hesitant Heiress} After being unjustly expelled from the Boston Conservatory of Music, Amaryllis Brigham sees her dreams of founding a music academy disappearing before her very eyes. Now the only way to achieve her goal comes with high stakes for someone set on avoiding men as much as possible: marry within the year to inherit her grandmother’s fortune. Amaryllis reluctantly takes part in her aunt’s society, intent on getting to the west coast on her own… and without a husband. Despite her own misgivings, she soon finds herself falling in love with the most unlikely of men, Nathan Everstone, whose father not only had a part in her expulsion, but whose ominous presence has haunted her dreams for a decade since her mother’s tragic death. Nathan turns out to be much more than he seems and everything she never knew she wanted. But just as everything Amaryllis has recently hoped for comes to fruition, it all falls apart when she finds that the real culprit who has been managing her life isn’t who she thought at all.

{About Dawn Crandall} A graduate of Taylor University with a degree in Christian Education, and a former bookseller at Barnes & Noble, Dawn Crandall didn’t begin writing until 2010 when her husband found out about her long-buried dream of writing a book. Without a doubt about someday becoming traditionally published, he let encouraged her to quit working in 2010 in order to focus on writing The Hesitant Heiress. It didn’t take her long to realize that writing books was what she was made to do. Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary. Apart from writing books, Dawn is also a first-time mom to a precious little boy (born March 2014) and also serves with her husband in a pre-marriage mentor program at their local church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Dawn is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, secretary for the Indiana ACFW Chapter (Hoosier Ink), and associate member of the Great Lakes ACFW Chapter. The Everstone Chronicles is Dawn’s first series with Whitaker House. All three books composing the series were semifinalists in ACFW’s prestigious Genesis Writing Contest, the third book going on to become a finalist in 2013.

2 Ebook Sales end this week

Today, I wanted to give you a quick reminder that two of my ebooks are on sale for 99 cents. This is the first time the publishers have dropped the prices, so wanted to make sure you knew about the sales. You can read the first chapter of A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island here. The sale on it ends July 31st.

And Stars in the Night goes off sale August 4th. You can read it’s first chapter here.

If you’ve read either book, would you consider leaving a review for it on any of the online sites including Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble and Christian Book?