Cara C. Putman's Blog, page 99

What are Your Goals for 2014?

So I’m trying something new. Enjoy the video greeting And if you like it, let me know. I may do more of these in 2014.

Shadowed by Grace: Fact or Fiction?

I love history. I always have. That’s one reason I minored in history at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It’s also why I love writing historical fiction set during World War II. I also have a great respect for the men and women of the Greatest Generation. I want to tell their stories well and honor what they did.

That leads me to do an abundance of research as I write. I want to incorporate as many true-to-events details as I can – even as I write fiction.

For Shadowed by Grace, I relied on numerous nonfiction resources. But the best resource I found was Florentine Art Under Fire written by Frederick Hartt, one of the Monument’s Men stationed in Italy. He published it in 1949, and I relied on it heavily to get the timeline for the last third of the book as accurate as possible. I also learned how the Monuments Men responded to the devastation in Florence.

But many other books added color to the novel. For example, from Assignment to Hell, I learned how the newsroom in Rome responded to the word that Normandy had been invaded. That’s in a scene with Rachel, who is a war photo-journalist. Because more people will read fiction than non-fiction, I strive to make my novels as true to what happened as possible.

When you read Shadowed by Grace, I hope you’ll see the scope of history contained in the pages of a novel.

You can read the first chapter here and learn more about the book here.

Happy Birthday, Shadowed by Grace!

Today is officially release day for Shadowed by Grace. I am reminded just how good and gracious God is. When I started writing, I hoped one book would be published. Today marks novel #17 + 1 non-fiction title. God is so good!

Celebrate with me. I’m putting together Rome Honeysuckle Amore Lotion and Shower Gel with a copy of Shadowed by Grace. Will you help me spread the word? There are many ways to enter below.

In addition to the print version now being available — WOOT! — the eversion is still $2.99 at Amazon and Lifeway. It is available in print everywhere including ChristianBook (which has free shipping today), Barnes&Noble, Amazon, and other bookstores. And my six homefront stories are still 99 cents at Amazon and ChristianBook. Perfect time to load up that new e-reader! Finally, I noticed Stars in the Night is on sale for $1.49 in print (Makes a great gift!) at ChristianBook. Classic Hollywood glamour in WWII with a touch of murder on the Orient Express. What’s not to like?

I can’t wait to see what 2014 has in store. As the New Year begins, let’s take a moment to look back. How has God exceeded your hopes and expectations?

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Living Monuments to WWII: Aegidientorplatz

One of the things the Monuments Men when they arrived in a village or city was to look for thei historical landmarks and assess them for damage.

When we were in Germany during the summer of 2012, we discovered that a tradition in some cities was to leave one of the destroyed churches as a living monument to those killed by WWII. Today I want to share with you a post I wrote while we were in Germany about our discovery of that church in Hannover.

Yesterday, as we were dodging raindrops, we headed off on the tram system to find a church I’d heard rumors about. As Germany rebuilt after World War II, one of the things many of the larger cities did was leave one church in its damaged state as a memorial to the war and its losses. Someone had mentioned that Hannover had such a church and I thought I knew which stop it was, but that was it. Since the rain had stopped (temporarily) we decided to dash across town to see if we could find it.

Aegidientorplatz is kind of the center of the financial district. As we got off the tram, I saw many tall buildings, but nothing that looked like a church. We kind of took off blindly in what we hoped was a good direction. After a couple blocks and a detour past a 14th century wall, we found the church…as raindrops started falling. After huddling under an awning across the street for about ten minutes, that cloud passed, and we crossed to the church.

My favorite feature is the artistic impression of the stained-glass that must have filled the shelled windows.

The alter area…

 

Approaching the church









First impression of the windows

 

 

view from inside the church









looking up toward the bell tower

 

What is your word for 2014?

It’s almost January 1st and that means it’s time to think about our words for 2014.

I’d love to hear what you’re thinking and praying your word might be.

Right now, I’m praying about whether my word is grace — or if that is too easy in a sense.  Grace is in the title of my book, but Grace is such a difficult concept to grasp…and to live.

Grace: unmerited favor. It’s not something I can earn. It’s something I accept and extend to myself and others. I want 2014 to be colored with a grace for my kids. I want them to know they are loved for who they are. It doesn’t mean we don’t have to work on character issues and other things, but the idea that they are accepted as they are.

I want to extend grace to myself. To let go of the expectations I have or feel placed on me that aren’t from God. If they aren’t His, I want to discard them.

I want to live a life of grace toward my husband. That he would experience a grace that allows him to be the man God has called him to be.

So what’s your word?

Merry Christmas!

As we celebrate Christmas this year, my prayer is that you would put it all together. How the baby Jesus, became the Jesus who lived among us and later became the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He is all of this and so much more. May we give our lives to Him as our present as He gave His life for us beginning with that birth in a stable.

Merry Christmas!

This Christmas I Give You Grace

This Christmas, I extend to you the grace to let go of the one thing that is overwhelming you. Why? Because I was talking to my friend Nicole O’Dell on her radio show, and this theme came up for both of us.

Can you think of a Christmas where you have felt as harried? Where life has felt like a grind that just won’t let up? When if you have to do one more thing, you just might curl up in a corner and cry?

I don’t know about you, but that’s not what I want for Christmas. This do-it-all Mom is calling a truce on living up to the expectations of past years or my own mind.

But that means choosing to back away from expectations. The expectations we place on ourselves or accept from others.

For me, this meant deciding I couldn’t make the seven different kinds of cookies I usually do. It was a stress instead of a joy. I love gifting my neighbors with treats, but this year I adjusted what those treats would look like. This year they’re getting homemade Chex Mix. Equally yummy but not as stress inducing for me.

What would you let go of if you could? Over on Facebook a host of things came up. Christmas cards. Gifts. A program. A project. So many things that way us down and pull our focus from the reason for the season.

So this year I give you permission to do just that. Let go of one thing that weighs you down. Reclaim the joy of Christmas. Remember why we celebrate!

Do We Dare to Dream Crazy Dreams with God?

Last summer my family had a crazy adventure. For awhile the longing for a shared adventure had grown in my heart. Because my husband spent seven of his growing up years in the Far East, I’ve harbored a desire for our children to share a similar experience. The more I thought and prayed about it, the crazier it seemed. Yet the longing never left. So I tucked it close to my heart and prayed.

Let’s face it – this was one of those crazy ideas. Children can have wonderful lives without spending weeks in a foreign country. Still…I clung to the idea and prayed.

God sometimes smiles on those crazy dreams we have for our kids that we hardly dare to articulate. Last summer through a miraculous series of events, we spent eight weeks in Germany. Yes, eight weeks! Just because God loves to delight His kids – while we were in Germany my daughter, a competitive gymnast, trained with a gymnastics team – one training future German Olympians.

I can hear what you’re thinking. That’s great for you, but what about me? What about my dreams for my family and children that seem mired in the grime of impossibility?


I honestly don’t know why God decided to grant this desire…but I have a few ideas. My life verse has been Psalm 37:4: delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Sometimes, we latch on to the idea we’ll get our desires while ignoring the first part of the verse.



First, we’re to delight in the Lord. I believe as we delight in Him, He changes our hearts so that they mirror His. We are moved by what moves Him, and we delight in what delights Him. He also promises in Matthew 6:33, that if we seek Him first, He will add everything else to us. Again, in the process of seeking Him, we are changed.


As we journeyed along the road to deciding whether to take a crazy step and journey to Germany for the summer, I was careful to let the kids see the process from my side. I’ve taught a class at Purdue University for six summers…periodically, they’d ask if I’d consider teaching the same class in Germany. Each time my reaction was sure I’d consider it. Then they asked a year ago if I would actually do it.


Examine your heart behind the dream. I want my children to understand that the world is much bigger than the corner they live in. I long for them to see other people through God’s eyes. And I want them to experience what it’s like to be the outsider so their hearts will be open to those they meet.


Be willing to be uncomfortable. We knew klein Deutsch before our plane left the States. Even going to the grocery store can be exhausting. I didn’t know zucker was the word for sugar…or that there are about twelve words that go in front of zucker to change the type of sugar. I’ve had to humble myself often to ask for help. My children are there watching and learning.


We lived in a two-bedroom apartment instead of a two-story home. We gave up our friends and schedules for the chance to meet new people and stretch our experiences. My four-year-old asked often if the swimming pool would still be open when we get home as we added yet another layer of jackets before heading outside.

Yet even with the stretching, it’s clear God orchestrated the timing of this adventure perfectly…my husband had exactly the right number of vacation days banked so he could join us. His team met their annual goals early. I had a writing break and my 2012 releases came out in January, April and May providing another window to teach and then enjoy the experience. Even when there were bumps in the road to Germany, we took it as an opportunity to see God’s hand guiding us.

Recognizing God’s provision is only half the process…then my husband and I had to peel back the curtain so the kids could see the ways God has provided.  We even developed a phrase for it: “God just killed another cow for us.” (Making reference to Psalm 50:10). For example, that gym in Germany? Before we arrived I couldn’t get an answer on the cost, so I grit my teeth and prayed it would be something we could afford. Then when we got the bill, it was only dollars more than we would have paid at our usual gym. And God in His goodness provided a student to slide into my daughter’s slot, so our home gym wasn’t affected by our absence.
He also blessed us with a neighbor who has family in Germany. Family that welcomed us into their homes and became friends as they shuttled us around parts of Germany. Our experience was so much richer as we spent time in their homes and got to know their hearts and thoughts.
Our European adventure is one we still talk about and one I would seriously consider undertaking again. Yes, it was inconvenient to leave our busy lives for eight weeks. But it was also been a huge blessing. While immersed in a country where we understood every 20th word, we learned to depend on each other. We spent oodles of time together…something that even in a homeschooling family can feel rushed. And we experienced God providing for us in so many ways. Experiences I pray each child will remember for a lifetime…even if the 18 month old remembers them from pictures.

Why Write about the Monuments Men?

Books are born many ways. Shadowed by Grace started when I walked by a display at our local library the summer of 2010. There a new non-fiction book stood cover out.

The photo on the front piqued my interest: a clearly WWII soldier standing with a large painting. The stories I read in that book, Monuments Men, by Robert Edsel, intrigued me and made me want to learn more. Before long, characters and story ideas filled my mind, and I began fleshing out the story that became Shadowed by Grace.

The idea of an elite, tiny group of soldiers who were tasked with saving Western civilization fascinated me. Their task was compounded by the fact that WWII was the first war that involved constant aerial bombardment.

What challenges would they face?

What would they fear?

Then I started looking for unique roles American women filled on the European front. The idea of a war correspondent who was a photo-journalist seemed the perfect fit. An artist in her own right, she would understand the importance of saving art. Rachel Justice and Scott Lindstrom were born and became the heroine and hero in Shadowed by Grace.

You can read the first chapter here.

Quirkiest Christmas Gifts?

Hey everyone, meet my author friend, Katie Ganshert. She lives in Iowa with her hubby, their five-year old son, their goofy black lab, and are awaiting the day their daughter from the Congo will join them. Katie writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction. You can learn more about her and her books on her website. In fact, she’s giving two of her books away on her blog this week as a Christmas present to her readers! So make sure and hop on over (click on her “blog” tab) for a chance to win! For our Christian Fiction Christmas giveaway, she’s chipping in both copies of her books, as well as a $5 gift card to Starbucks.

The Christmas question Katie wants to know from YOU is….what’s the quirkiest Christmas gift you ever received? Her answer? A jar of green olives. There’s a picture of her as a little kid unwrapping the gift, and she looks like she just won the lottery. I guess Katie really likes olives.

I remember my Grandma giving me underwear for Christmas. That strikes me as the quirkiest gift I received. How about you?

Don’t forget to enter to win the Christian Fiction Christmas basket!a Rafflecopter giveaway

Because I’m in the Christmas mood, I’m giving away two bonus copies of Shadowed by Grace, my novel that releases January 1st. You can read the first chapter here. There are two ways to enter. Leave a comment here or join my newsletter!

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