Jolly Days of Reading

And now...
The Jolly Days of Reading
a special Hop with the clients of literary agent Linda S. Glaz, of Hartline Literary

December 7, the Day After St. Nick's...

I belong to two local book clubs because I need to keep my reading habits expanded beyond me...like, if given a choice, I'd probably just eat chocolate chip pancakes for the rest of my life (although there are a lot of things one can do with a pancake....) and need to read some classics and non-fiction instead of a steady diet of fiction that includes dragons.

So, in the month of December in each club we're reading a different holiday book.

Fannie Flagg's Redbird Christmas, and
Eowyn Ivey's The Snow Child



I loved the Russian fable of the snow child, so I was excited to read The Snow Child, a story about Alaskan homesteaders in the 1920s who couldn't have children of their own, thier dreams and play, and the little girl, Faina, who shows up on their doorstep. It's new, published 2012 by Little, Brown, and Co.

And honestly, after I read it, this book is my favorite of the year. I read quite a lot...so that tells ya something. I don't generall recommend books, either: BUT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ONE.

Fannie Flagg has a different take on life, for sure...but we had a good discussion about her story, published 2004, about Oswald T. Campbell who leaves Chicago one winter after getting a stunning diagnosis, to head south to Lost River for what he believes will be his last Christmas. The book was sort of cute, probably set during the fifties, had nothing to do with Christmas and was rather two-dimensional. I liked it okay, don't get me wrong. It was okay to sit down and have someone tell me a story. There were not layers nor enchantment. It was just a little story.

Other favorites of mine include Charles Dickens's classic A Christmas Carol. I love all the different interpretations of it over the years on television and in the theater.

O Henry's Gift of the Magi is another one - irony, fable, warning...we're treating ourselves to a live performance of the play this year for our Christmas gift, to American Players Theater in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

And finally, besides, of course, Luke's version of the birth in a stable, I think often of the Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Little Match Girl. I remember being absolutely horrified and weeping when I first read it as a little girl, and my mother having to comfort me, but now, I think of it fondly as a lesson in reality and comfort in knowing what comes after this life.


Enjoy a couple of chapters from The Map Quilt

Map Quilt 2 chapters

Merry Christmas!

Two of my books are on sale for the season for $2.99 each

http://tinyurl.com/kindlemeanderscar

http://tinyurl.com/kindlesummerinoakville

And my co-conspirator on A Summer in Oakville has a very, very sweet Christmas novella for .99:
Grudges Not Included

Visit these sites to learn about other favorites!

6 - Linda Glaz -  http://lindaglaz.blogspot.com

7 - Lisa – http://livingourfaithoutloud.blogspot.com

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9 - Susan Craft – http://historicalfictionalightintime.blogspot.com
http://historicalfictionalightintime.blogspot.com
 

10 - Gail Kittleson –  http://gailkittleson.blogspot.com
http://gailkittleson.blogspot.com

11 - Linda Maran –  http://lindamaran.blogspot.com
 

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14 - Karen Wingate – www.graceonparade.com/blog
http://www.graceonparade.com/blog
 

15 - Karla Akins http://envisionpublishing.tumblr.com

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19 - Patty Wysong --http://www.pattywysong.com  

19 - Davalynn Spencer – http://www.davalynnspencer.blogspot.com
http://www.davalynnspencer.blogspot.com
 

20 - Tamara Lynn Kraft  - www.tamaralynnkraft.com

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop - following Carrie Padget

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

 

I’m following in the blogsteps of the fabulous Carrie Padgett, http://chocolatenonuts.blogspot.com/2012/11/wednesday-next-big-thing-blog-hop.html who posted about Against the Peace last week.

 

Today, I’d like to share a bit about my new mystery coming out in 2013, for which I just received a front cover design:

 

 

What is the working title of your book?

Meow Mayhem

Where did the idea come from for the book?
As I was writing my Buried Treasure cozy mystery series, I started researching cats and stumbled across this really intriguing breed of ancient cats, Egyptian Mau, literally domesticated by the Egyptians. Coffee, books, cats all just came together and I went from there.

What genre does your book fall under?

Cozy mystery

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Yeah…tough one for me, as I have a picture in my head of what my characters are like, but I don’t usually base them on people/characters I’ve seen. I think Ivy is much like a not-serious Juliana Margulies and True, her boyfriend, is on the wounded-Billy-Burke type.


What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Ivy Preston keeps other people’s secrets for a living.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

It was contracted by Whimsical Publications.

 

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I tend to write pretty quickly once I have all the research in place, though this book underwent a few re-writes. I think I spent about ten weeks on it.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Cozy mysteries by definition take place in smaller, intimate communities and have sleuths who are not professional law-enforcement or trained people. Meow Mayhem is somewhat like Deb Baker’s Doll Collector mysteries, and a bit like Mignon Ballard’s books.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
I love little quaint coffee and book shops, and cats, and small towns, so it was fun to come up with a story that used all of those elements.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
The breed of cat, Egyptian Mau, is unique, so people who like cats might enjoy the antics of these cats. Apple Grove is a small town trying to come back to life and filled with fun people who like what they know and have a bit of suspicion about anything new.

 

For your reading pleasure, please go visit my fabulous faithful friend next week, December 12:

Susan Baganz: www.susanbaganz.com

and new Whimsical writer friend,
Brieanna Denton at:

The Promise of Deer Run - a special gift for a history lover

JOHN 3:16 MARKETING NETWORK BOOK LAUNCH   Tuesday, December 4, 2011, Free eGifts Today Only When you purchase The Legacy of Deer Run http://deerrunsaga.com To Buy On Amazon ASIN: B0081984UK ISBN-10: 098388367X ISBN-13: 978-0983883678 by Elaine Marie Cooper     The Year is 1800. A young man makes weapons for the defense of America, still a fledgling nation. He also protects his heart from the allure of a young woman who seems so far above his station in life that he cannot win her. The lady fights her own war against loneliness and grief. Despite her finery and airs, she is drawn to the young armory worker, who is distant yet disarming. Love is the not the only entanglement. The nation's enemies are afoot. They creep within the very walls where America's defenses are being forged. Who are they? When will they strike? Who will survive their terrorism? Intrigue of the heart and intrigue of the times are only part of this compelling story-Book 3 of the Deer Run Saga. This series finale is a gripping mix of romance and deception, faith and forgiveness, transgression and trial.

What Readers Are Saying! This is a stellar read of the early American period. Elaine Cooper is a gifted wordsmith who brings the era to life vividly and leaves you wanting more. Bravo! --Laura Frantz, Author, Love's Reckoning "A plot to wound the baby nation of America, trusted friends who turn into enemies, death, faith, and life, all blend into a tragic yet beautiful tale of life and passion in 1800." -- Lisa J. Lickel, Author, The Map Quest "It's no wonder Elaine Marie Cooper is an award-winning author. Her writing shines with an artistic flair to blend deep-heart issues with light romance, love and adventure. Danny and Susannah capture the heart with their innocent love, yet honor and faith. Their story resonates with courage, commitment, faith and victory." --Janet Perez Eckles, Author, Simply Salsa Legacy of Deer Run is a truly beautiful, heart-warming tale that will appeal to readers who enjoy historical romantic Christian fiction. --Lynn Dove, Author, the Wounded Trilogy Elaine Marie Cooper is the author of The Road to Deer Run (Finalist in Next Generation Indie Book Awards for Religious Fiction, Honorable Mention in Romance at 2011 Los Angeles Book Festival) and The Promise of Deer Run (Romance Winner for 2012 Los Angeles Book Festival, Finalist in Religious Fiction for ForeWord Review Book of the Year). Cooper is also a contributing writer for Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home by Edie Melson. Look for her upcoming short story, "The Tea Set," that will appear in a soon-to-be-released Christmas anthology called, I Choose You (Dec. 2012) She is a wife, mom, Grammie to triplets, and a registered nurse. The Legacy of Deer Run is Elaine Marie Cooper's third book in the Deer Run Saga. She will be offering free gifts to those that purchase this book at Amazon on Tuesday, December 4 when they go to her page at http://www.DeerRunSaga.com. Be sure to save your receipt number from your Amazon purchase in order to obtain the free gifts offered! You can also purchase directly from Sword of the Spirit Publishing on December 4th at a special low price. See the above link for details. Contact: http://www.facebook.com/elainemariecooper http://www.facebook.com/ElaineMarieCooperAuthor Website: http://DeerRunBooks.com

Lost in the Woods: new preteen book free this weekend

Cheryl Rogers, author of a new series aimed at pre-teens, starting with Lost in the Woods, which you can get free today, Monday, and Tuesday on Kindle.

Lost in the Woods: A Bible Camp Mystery, a brand new mystery adventure for preteens and teens, is available for free this black Friday weekend in the Amazon Kindle Store.

The book set in the Florida backwoods is the story about a boys’ church group whose first-ever nature retreat turns into a nightmare. Problems begin early when the no-see-ums strike at dusk. And it’s downhill from there when 13-year-old Zack mysteriously disappears in the middle of the night, several of the campers become sick, and a hurricane threatens the Gulf Coast.

The story shares biblical principles and the message of God’s saving love in an action-packed plot with a cast of lovable characters. Readers encounter the nature-loving Zack, shy, video-loving Chang, tough and cocky Steve, and the reluctant chef, Bill.

The book is written by Cheryl Rogers, publisher of New Christian Books Online Magazine, a free publication with new book announcements, excerpts, author marketing news, digital book news, features and an online storefront.
“As a mom I’ve been privileged to work with school and church groups. I try to capture the realism of those experiences in a fiction account that shares my faith,” Rogers says.

Rogers, a Miami native who worked several years as a newspaper reporter, writes ebooks encouraging people of all ages to seek God and stay connected to his word. Among her books are Finding God: Biblical Answers to Questions About Our Maker and Fast Track to Victory, A Christian Guidebook.

She targets preteens and teens with Just Like Jonah Wail Tales, a collection of short stories teaching there is a price to pay when you disobey. A family book, the I Can See Christian Storybook Treasury aims to defeat doubts about God as a child grows.

Rogers came to know the Lord as an adult after suffering a devastating illness. “It is my hope to spare others the needless pain of not having God in their lives,” she says.

An experienced camper and native Floridian, Rogers has traversed the backwoods trails, swatted no-see-ums, paddled canoes, and pitched her tent on primitive campsites sans electricity.



The book retails for $2.99, but Get your free copy today. The giveaway runs Nov. 23, 24, and 25.
Exclusive details about the lovable Bible Camp Mystery characters will be published in the coming weeks at New Christian Books Online Magazine.

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop, following Linda Glaz

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

 

I’m following the fabulous Linda Glaz from http://lindaglaz.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-next-big-thing-day-late.htm , who shared about her prequel to her World War II novels, the romance that led up to the characters in those stories. Sounds like fun!

I’m sharing today about the next book in my Buried Treasure series, due out in 2013. Writing has finally become an okay full-time business for me, nine years after I said I'd give it a year and a half. Keep writing, keep producing, keep doing the best you can, network, like this, make friends, help others. Use common sense, and have fun!

What is the working title of your book?

The Newspaper Code

Where did the idea come from for the book?
The third in a series, this story clears up some leftover questions in the second book. Judy found an old quilt in a trunk in her attic that turned out to be stuffed with an old newspaper, one that had some letters circled in an article. The circled letters, were, of course a code. I came up with the idea from studying about the Civil War era in American history, how messages were created and sent during that time.

What genre does your book fall under?

Cozy mystery.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Ah…I don’t often think this way, so…Judy is kind of a sensitive Amy Adams-type; while Olivia is clueless but engaging Ellen Page-ish.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Judy Wingate’s NOT-BFF, Olivia Hargrove of the Robertsville Reporter, discovers a Civil War-era secret newspaper code that may lead to seven million dollars of missing city money.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It’s contracted by the publisher who picked up the mystery series from Barbour.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Four years – which is terrible of me; but I took a three-year break after I got half-way; in reality, less than six months. Brenda Hendricks (see below) was my supporter and loyal critique partner during the first half, and Gail Pallotta (also see beloe) has stepped in as chief accountability and critique partner during the second half. It’s been a joy and relief seeing my story unfold through the eyes of these wonderful authors.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
A little like the Cat Who mysteries, and Hannah Reed’s Queen Bee mysteries.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
The mysteries were initially inspired by Barbour Publishing’s Heartsong Presents: Mysteries book club. As I met other mystery writers and learned about the style of writing, I was inspired by people like Deb Baker and re-explored Agatha Christie with fresh eyes, reminded myself of the Nancy Drew-type stories and pacing for the coziness of approach.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The story is one of learning to fit in and make friends. Olivia is a bit clueless about how to deal with people, and Judy isn’t sure she wants anything to do with Olivia on a personal level, but the women come to respect and help each other, and to step away from their prejudices.

I encourage you to visit these authors who will post about their upcoming work next week:

Gail Palotta - http://www.gailpallotta.blogspot.com - whom I've had the pleasure of working with both at Other Sheep and Clash of the Titles (http://www.clashofthetitles.com), writes a lot like me, certainly a challenge to keep all our genres in order. I enjoy her sense of outside the box, as well as her vulnerability.

Shelley Wilburn - http://www.shelleywilburn.org - really, friends, just visiting Shelley's site and seeing the picture and reading about her and her husband's activities is worth the visit!

Brenda K Hendricks - http://www.myquotesofencouragement.com - who's working on a very, very cool story, one you won't want to miss: Maggie’s greatest worry is a leaky roof before her estranged niece Dawn shows up unexpectedly with more baggage than she could squeeze in the trunk of her Volkswagen bug.

 

Guest Post from Joanie Shawhan

Welcome, my friend, Joanie!

Joanie Shawhan is an ovarian cancer survivor and a registered nurse. She writes articles of encouragement for women undergoing chemotherapy and is available for speaking engagements. Two of her articles have recently appeared in Coping with Cancer magazine. Joanie enjoys designing jewelry, knitting, and playing guitar.

 

Swinging in a “Swing” State

 
            Swings. Swings conjure up memories of my carefree childhood. Higher and higher I flew. I grabbed the chains, pumped my feet and sang at the top of my lungs. But life in a “swing” state has violated this childlike innocence.

            A new kind of violence has emerged–political assassination. Traditional commercials bowed to scandalmongering campaign ads. Even Fact Check struggled to sift the truth from the lies.

            Debates replaced primetime shows, making the boxing ring appear to be a two-step. Shout. Sneer. Interrupt. Raise a fist. The match is on! Fight over, (oops, debate over). A winner declared.

            The presidential campaign trail led to my city not once, but twice! With two large lakes surrounding us, the traffic was rerouted to make way for the entourage of 18 police motorcycles, two black limos with darkened windows, followed by a train of white vans loaded with the press corps. We waited at stoplights while the lights changed from red, to green, to red… No alternate route. Streets barricaded. The 9-5 work force hindered. For security reasons, university classes cancelled.

            Robo callers barraged my voicemail with unsolicited political opinions. “Unknown Number” inundated my private phone line, overtaking the volume of personal calls. As the election approached the finish line, I performed the one act that any self-respecting person would do­–take the phone off the hook.

            Now, the election is over. Promises made only to be broken. The other driver, my only traffic hindrance. Verbal assaults and slander return to the soap operas, violence to primetime. The phone is silent. (Did I put it back on the hook?). Chili’s fired-up favorites, adventures in the F4 pick-up and the breakfast of champions have made a peaceful return to my commercial screen. With multiple reruns, education for the aging population is underway once again featuring Boniva, Ginkgo Biloba, Lifeline and Depends.

            Santa, snowmen and twinkling Christmas lights will soon replace glaring yard signs. Life is back to normal in the “swing” state.

 

Book Review: Hidden in the Heart by Cathy West

Hidden in the Heart

By Catherine West

 

 

Paperback: 248 pages

Publisher: OakTara (September 15, 2012)

ISBN-10: 1602903298

ISBN-13: 978-1602903296

 

From the publisher:

Everything Claire wants seems to be beyond her reach... After losing her mother to cancer and suffering a miscarriage soon after, Claire Ferguson numbs the pain with alcohol and pills, and wonders if her own life is worth living. Adopted at birth, Claire is convinced she has some unknown genetic flaw that may have been the cause of her miscarriage. She must find a way to deal with the guilt she harbors. But exoneration will come with a price. With her marriage in trouble and her father refusing to answer any questions about her adoption, Claire begins the search for her birth mother. For the first time in her life, she really wants to know where she came from. But what if the woman who gave her life doesn't want to be found?

 

My review:

Cathy West seems to excel at poking for your heart, cutting it into tiny little pieces, ripping out your guts and sewing it all back together with a little extra love and admiration added in.

 

No sophomore syndrome for this author, in my opinion. Right from the start of West’s new novel, Hidden in the Heart, I walked with Claire, who was completely out of control with grief and fear and loss of identity despite having everything most people only dream of. She certainly wasn’t likeable, nor could she even like herself. In her determination to find a cause or someone to blame for her miscarriage she sets out to find her birth parents.

 

West drew the threads of her story together tactfully. It wasn’t hard to figure out who was who, but, rather, the novel was more an exploration of who they became. Why do we abandon the things or people we love? Only from great depths can people rise to new freedom, and sometimes only when we are offered a second chance to revisit our past can we learn to forgive ourselves, let alone the people we wound.

 

Claire might have had everything from a husband determined to love her no matter how self-destructive and hatefully embarrassing she’d become, wealth and a loving home, but she threw it all away in order to search for answers to fill the hole in her identity, even if the rest of her birth family is determined to keep secrets or bent on revealing the worst of themselves. Readers shouldn’t be surprised at the real conclusions, but will certainly grieve and rejoice with Claire and her new-found sense of self and family.

West says her novel is very loosely on her own experiences of being adopted. I’ve come to admire this author for her realism, the depth of character and the beauty-in-the-face-of-ugliness of her story lines. Well done.

 

About the author

Catherine West is an award-winning author writing inspirational stories of hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda. Educated in Bermuda, England and Canada, Catherine holds a degree in English from the University of Toronto. Her first novel, Yesterday's Tomorrow, released in 2011, her second, Hidden in the Heart, in September, 2012. When she's not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or tending to her roses and orchids. She and her husband have two college-aged children. Catherine is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America, and is represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary. Catherine loves to connect with her readers and can be reached at Catherine@catherinejwest.com