Not Just Romance but a Love Story...

2012-01-12T17:40:00.000+02:00

I've just discovered a great blog for lovers of regencies, particularly those with an inspirational bent. Right now there's a vote on for favorite books. Just take a look at all the beautiful covers and vote on your favorite! http://www.christianregency.com/

2011-12-24T20:27:00.001+02:00

Trust cats to find the perfecting hiding spots. Here's Crayton, whom we adopted from the local shelter 3 years ago. He's a cream-point mix with beautiful powder blue eyes.

Funny, I haven't had a cat in any of my stories lately. Must make a note to include one...

Here's wishing all our Love Inspired readers a blessed and joyous Christmas season, and a good things in the new year!

Ruth

Ruth Axtell Morren

Hometown Cinderella,

Love Inspired Historical, February 2012

Reconstruction Romance

2011-11-25T16:26:00.005+02:00

A Lasting Impression, another strong romance by Tamera Alexander, takes the reader from her Western settings to the war-torn state of Tennessee a year after the Civil War.
Plenty of conflict abounds in this absorbing novel, from the young lawyer who has lost everything from fighting on the wrong side to the young heroine who dreams of painting masterpieces, but who must hide her sordid past of painting forgeries once she begins a new life.
Claire Laurent, the heroine is saved from penury and worse when she gets the job of personal assistant to the wealthy owner of Belmont, where she seems to be given a new chance at life.
Sutton Munroe, the hero, fighting to regain his family's lands and his father's good name, cannot begin rebuilding his life as long as he carries around the guilt of having prevented his father from signing the Oath of Allegiance (to the Union). He is haunted by the knowledge that he caused his father's death and sentence of treason.
As the two hide their growing attraction, Claire knows time is against her. The past finally catches up with her and it is only by coming to the knowledge that God is on her side and cares for her that she is able to own up to it and face the consequences. The spiritual thread is deftly woven into the love story.
I would have enjoyed seeing Claire come clean sooner and read about the developing relationship between Sutton and Claire once he knew the truth than have a relationship built on her hiding so much of her past from him. That said, Alexander writes a powerful story about a young woman whose self-esteem has been badly destroyed by her father and who gradually comes to the knowledge of the Savior's love for her and that her talent is God-given.

Highlights from "A Kiss Is Not Just a Kiss" Workshop at ACFW (St. Louis) by Ruth Axtell Morren and Julie Lessman WITH a BOOK GIVEAWAY!!

2011-11-10T20:34:00.000+02:00

Highlights from "A Kiss Is Not Just a Kiss" Workshop at ACFW (St. Louis) by Ruth Axtell Morren and Julie Lessman WITH a BOOK GIVEAWAY!!

Wonderful Fairytale Romance

2011-11-09T19:14:00.003+02:00

I have a feeling Melanie Dickerson will become a new favorite author of mine. I loved this story; it had a wonderful fairytale quality to it, while at the same time sounding up-to-date enough for the contemporary reader. While technically a Young Adult book, it's the kind of romance that will appeal to any age. Dickerson has a heroine who appeals to the reader because she is a mixture of quiet/shy yet feisty. It's that underlying feistiness that catches the prince's eye. It's a medieval tale loosely based on Sleeping Beauty, and has an authentic feel to it. I especially enjoyed the hero and heroine's spiritual journey as each one is forced to grow in their faith. Wonderful ending. Some great *sigh* moments. Can't wait to read the next fairytale! And hope there are many more to come.

Run, don't walk, to get this historical!

2011-05-04T18:22:00.003+01:00

Shadowed in Silk will keep you up long past your bedtime—each time you want to put it down, you tell yourself, just one more page, just one more page…

Lindsay has written of two characters, Major Geoff Richards and Abby Fraser, who grab you from the beginning and don’t let go until the last page. They are in an impossible situation which only gets more difficult, but the reader roots for them from the moment they meet on board a ship bound for India, he to take up his old post after surviving the horrors of World War I and she to return to her childhood home.

You’ll fall in love with Geoff—the strong, silent hero with a tragic past, who proves to be a wonderful surrogate father to Abby’s young son, and a quiet protector to Abby when she is faced by more danger than she knows.

And you’ll feel for Abby, trying to do what’s right when her life seems to have ended before it has a chance to begin and coming finally to that place of acknowledging that she can’t do it on her own.

There’s a wonderful set of secondary characters, especially those Indian Christians who endure the loss of everything for their newfound faith.

The Indian backdrop with its sights, smells and sounds and the increasing turmoil under the British raj only add to the allure of this story. For those who love The Far Pavilions and The Jewel in the Crown, with the addition of a strong Christian theme and a wonderful romance, this book is for you!

2011-03-24T14:59:00.004+02:00

Wonderful story set on the mid-coast of America right before the War of 1812. Eakes knows her historical period as well as sailing. You can just imagine yourself in that time period, feel the spray on your cheeks as you skim the waves on a fishing sailboat.
You also get a good view of what led up to the war from the American side. I'm so used to studying it from the British and French perspectives.
But most of all, you get to read about a wonderfully charming British hero and his growing fascination with a tart, no-nonsense midwife, who, nevertheless, is enough of a free spirit that he finds himself falling in love before he knows it.
But it's a hopeless love as they see it, since he is not from her world, and she can never fit in his. Throw in a mystery plot, which the two join forces to solve, and you have the ingredients of a great suspenseful romance.

New Book

2011-03-07T00:47:00.002+02:00

My fourth Love Inspired Historical is out this month. A Gentleman's Homecoming is set in one of my favorite periods, Victorian England. I delved into the field of engineering for this one. I was interested in all the great projects being built in the second half of the 19th century: railroad bridges, tunnels, the first subways, skyscrapers, etc.
So, what if you have a prominent male engineer and a female who's always dreamed of being an engineer, an old crush, a child...
Mix it all up and you have A Gentleman's Homecoming.

2010-11-08T02:29:00.004+02:00

The Master's Wall

Sandi Rog has written an action-packed story taking place in the First Century. She creates a fascinating look at both the slave and upper level Roman world, Christian and pagan. I really enjoyed the young slave's interaction with his new mentor and trainer, fellow slave, Titus, who teaches him to fight.
Rog makes it seem like she was really there in ancient Rome, detailing all kinds of fascinating everyday details (especially the food) sprinkled with references to politics and things going on in the outside world (to the villa, where most of the action takes place).
I think the story between 11-yr. old Alethea and 15 yr. old David is great for Y/A's. Lots of emotion and character growth (especially for the heroine).
Nice, romantic development as the hero and heroine grow up.

New Book in Dutch

2010-05-07T15:08:00.007+01:00

I just found the cover of my newest book--a book that for now is only published in Dutch.

Originally titled In Your Eyes, this is a story of love, revenge and intrigue in the Golden era of the Netherlands, a time when great fortunes were made in the East Indies in the spice trade and at home on the newly created stock exchange. Tulips were the rage, and the painters of the Lowlands were beginning to vie with the Italian masters for preeminence.

Orphaned Francesca di Paolo dreams of becoming a portrait painter when mysterious, dashing, larger-than-life Dirk Vredeman walks into her life--a subject she longs to capture on her canvas--and who threatens to capture her carefully guarded heart.

But does he love her--or is she only a means to an end for him?

In Your Eyes translated to De Zee in Je Ogen will be available to Dutch readers in June.

This story was a finalist in Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart contest, the premier contest for unpublished romance writers.

Here's a glimpse of the write-up from Dutch publisher Mozaeik : De Zee in Je Ogen

Medieval Time Travel

2010-04-25T21:28:00.003+01:00

Want to travel back to mid-fourteenth century England?

You'll have a great visit and meet some very interesting people in Deb Kinnard's new book, Seasons in the Mist. Her heroine, Bethany, stumbles through some kind of time portal into a manor house in Cornwall. Luckily for her, she is a medieval scholar, so she can quickly make herself understood in Middle English. Explaining her jeans and t-shirt are a bit more challenging.

Once she has satisfied her hosts that she has lost her memory and was most likely set upon by thieves, she is taken to the nearby lord, Baron Michael Veryan, whom she must convince she is legit.

When the two lay eyes on each other, they don't realize it yet, but 21st century Bethany has met her destiny...

Medieval Scottish Romance

2010-04-13T16:04:00.007+01:00

For those medieval lovers, there will soon be a great Scottish highland romance out on the shelves: Highland Blessings by Jennifer Hudson Taylor. This is her debut novel. It features a great brawny hero and a petite heroine who is more than his match. He starts out quite insensitive and brutish but ends up putty in her artful hands. She is a strong woman of faith, a faith that she'll need when she is snatched from her home by the hero and taken away to his castle.
If you'd like to pre-order, you can do so on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Here's the link to the Amazon page: Highland Blessings.

Jane Austen Country

2010-02-13T16:38:00.005+02:00

I just wanted to let all of you know about a regency I just finished reading titled The Country House Courtship by Linore rose Burkard.

It was a very enjoyable read. So Jane Austen-esque! Burkard really knows her period and has a talent for making the characters sound like they are from the era. Not so much the regency which Georgette Heyer created or that of Pierce Egan's regency bucks, Tom and Jerry. Much more the gentle world of Jane Austen's gentry.
So many of today's regencies focus on the higher echelons of the dukes and marquises. This story is probably the more realistic sphere of gently bred ladies and gentlemen, squires and vicars.
There's lots of period detail and a wide circle of characters. A delightful curate who is very self-effacing yet endearing nonetheless. The heroine, Beatrice, has a lot of growing up to do. At 17, that's natural, so I was a little disappointed that she had to marry so young. She didn't "have" to, but she did end up falling in love and settling her future by the book's end.
Even though I hadn't read the two novels preceding this one, those characters reappeared and it was nice getting to know them. Makes me want to read their journey as well. I got caught up in the different story threads and found myself looking forward to taking up this book each evening adn it didn't take me long to finish.

A Bride of Honor

2009-10-14T15:54:00.002+02:00

If anyone's interested in reading an interview of me, head on over to author Lena Nelson Dooley's blog and look at Monday's post http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/
You still have a chance to win a copy of A Bride of Honor if you leave a comment.

Enter To Win!

2009-08-24T16:56:00.002+01:00

Regency Author Linore Rose Burkard is combining a book promotion with an opportunity for writers:
Here's a chance for you to get your manuscript before the eyes of a published author, AND a critque or edit to boot!

PROMOTION FOR WRITERS
ENDS SEPTEMBER 15:
Anyone who sends me (via email) proof of purchase for one of my books from Amazon or Christianbook.com, (or any other online bookseller) will be entered in a drawing to win a free edit/critique of their manuscript, up to 300 pages. The receipt must be dated from today through September 15th to qualify.

If you purchase more than one book, you will be entered more than once.
Each purchase is an entry.

My books are "Inspirational Romance for the Jane Austen Soul,"
(Regency Romance) and include
Before the Season Ends,
The House in Grosvenor Square,
and the upcoming release, The Country House Courtship,
all published with Harvest House Publishers.

I have attached the links to Amazon, but you may purchase the books
from any online seller and still enter the contest (with receipt).

YOU MAY ALSO ENTER by asking your friends or family to get a book. If they are not writers, you can enter with their receipt. Just state that you are doing so, with their permission. Or have THEM send me the email receipt with your name and email as the entering writer.

Likewise, you can enter FOR a writer you know! If you win, you get the pleasure of giving them the gift of a free edit or critique of their manuscript.

NO ONE LOSES. IF NOTHING ELSE, YOU GET A BOOK THAT HAS GARNERED MANY, MANY WONDERFUL REVIEWS,
and makes great escape reading.

You do not need to write romance to enter this contest. I can critique or edit any manuscript with the following exceptions:
NO gore, no horror, no hard-core sexuality.

SEND ALL RECEIPTS/ENTRIES TO:
Linore (@) LinoreRoseBurkard (dot) com

Thanks and GOOD LUCK!--

The new member of the family

2009-08-22T16:10:00.003+01:00

Just three months ago, my daughter and I visited the local shelter and adopted two grown cats. One, Alley Anna, had been at the shelter the longest, about 4 years, so my heart went out to her. She is a very sweet cat, about 6 years old, a dark tiger with beautiful emerald green eyes (I should have changed her name to Cleopatra since it looks like she has heavy black eyeliner on the way pictures of Cleopatra do). The other is a gorgeous cream point Siamese mix with powder blue eyes (slightly cross-eyed). He'd only been at the shelter a few months and is about a year and a half old.
Well, it took them a while to settle into our house. They were very scared and hid in my closet together most of the time. But a couple of months later, my daughter and I were driving out of the supermarket parking lot when she pointed out something in front of her in the middle of the lot. A small, dark thing. A huge black crow was hovering above it. Well, it was a tiny kitten, shaking with fear and meowing piteously. So, we scooped it up and brought it home. He became "Oreo," as you can see in the photo, because of his coloring. He is the most loveable, cuddly kitten imaginable and is already about 3x the size he started out.

Western Head

2009-06-10T01:18:00.003+01:00

If you'd like to read all about my family's recent adoption of two cats from our local animal shelter, head on over to fellow writer, Roxanne Rustand's blog, All Things Bright and Beautiful, http://roxannerustand.blogspot.com

Here are two photos of my lovely neck of the woods. On a clear day, Western Head hiking trail offers breathtaking views of Grand Manan Channel and Grand Manan Is., Canada. The day before yesterday was such a day. No fog on the horizon.

This is why we put up with the long winters...

May Flowers in a Teacup

2009-05-26T17:16:00.005+01:00

Aaahhh! The scent of lilacs. They truly signal May. Over the years I've planted several colors in our yard. This white bush is the first to blossom this year.

2009-05-19T14:48:00.003+01:00

Mid-May in Downeast May. Spring comes late, but one day you look out and everything is transformed into green. Here is a lovely sight outside my writing window. The daffs have just passed but others, a pale yellow, are going to blossom soon. The bluets and violets are carpeting many areas.
Slugs are attacking the pansies I put out. Every morning I have to do a slug search and destroy. Also on the young flower seedlings my daughter just planted out back in the flower bed bordering our deck.

My new book hits the shelves today!

2009-05-01T19:06:00.003+01:00

Just a reminder that my latest regency romance, A Bride of Honor, is released today. It is the sequel to last year's The Making of a Gentleman. But never fear, you don't have to read the first to enjoy the second. Both stories stand alone.

If your bookstore doesn't carry A Bride of Honor, make sure you request it. Only when bookstore managers see interest in a title will they begin to stock it on a regular basis.

A Must Read!

2009-03-27T15:17:00.003+02:00

I finished reading The Shack a few weeks ago and have only now gotten around to posting some comments about it.
Now, I understand what all the hype is about. An awesome story, one that will appeal to Christians and non-Christians--and non-traditional Christians alike. No wonder it's selling like hotcakes. It's the kind of book that hooks you from the beginning and wrings your emotions. As soon as you finish you want to share it with friends and strangers.
I'm not going to summarize it b/c that's been done enough already. Just want to encourage you to read it!

MY NEXT BOOK

2009-02-06T16:44:00.004+02:00

I just found the cover for my next book on Amazon. It's always exciting to see the cover of one's story--to see what an artist has come up with for one's characters. Are they anything like one imagined? Usually, the artist doesn't read the book, but they get detailed descriptions of the characters, as well as the story line, from the author and editorial team.

I have to say I like this one. It has a pretty lavender color scheme, and the placement of the hero and heroine matches that of its sister book: The Making of a Gentleman, my Aug. '08 book. For those who read that story about Florence, this is her brother, Damien, the parson's story. The costume (the white "preaching bands" collar) is historically accurate for the regency period). I just wish they'd made the waistline of the heroine's gown a trifle higher to be more in line with the empire waists of the regency period. The same goes for Florence's gown on the cover of The Making of a Gentleman; it should have been a little higher. Waistlines didn't start dropping until almost 1820 as the fashion styles transitioned into the romantic period of the 1830's.
But other than that, I really like this cover. I kind of like the "headless covers," so a reader can imagine the hero & heroine's face themselves. Usually, the artist's models are not exactly the people I've envisioned.

Twilight

2008-12-30T17:20:00.002+02:00

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read this book b/c my 15 yr. old daughter gave it high marks, as well as a respected Christian writer, so I wanted to see what all the hype was about.

It lived up to expectations, since I put aside my current reading to finish it in about 2 days. Let me also mention, I'm not into vampires or any paranormal romance. So, I thought this book would be an effort for me to get into.

In analyzing why it works, I would have to say personally (and my 15 yr. old agrees), is that unlike so many romances, this one has A LOT of interaction--mainly dialogue--between the hero & heroine, once they meet. He is also the quintessential hero, both dark, dangerous & brooding--to humorous, warm & caring. And good (as in a basically decent human being. But I think Meyer's strength in developing him is that combination of dark & funny to make an irresistible hero.

It also has good pacing, beginning with the heroine's curiosity about this strange young man, the personal hurdles they face to any kind of personal relationship, and then escalating to a gripping climax when the heroine faces personal danger.

View all my reviews.

Indian Summer Downeast Maine

2008-10-13T20:38:00.004+02:00

This is downeast Maine at its finest. No fog, crystal blue sky and water. I spent yesterday hiking Western Head, a large parcel of land bordering some spectacular coastline. I lay on a cliff half-dozing in the sun for a while. The horizon was so clear I could see some miles out to Seal Island and just make out its lighthouse.

My October Love Inspired release is in stores now. A Man Most Worthy is a Victorian tale set in London. What happens when a woman meets the young man she had a crush on as a teenager?

new post at long last

2008-08-09T03:46:00.007+01:00

Wow, I haven't posted anything since May 30. At that time I was under a pressing deadline to complete a book, and then in the midst of organizing things to travel to Maine from the Netherlands.

Now, I'm back on the downeast coast of Maine, one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places on Earth. The photo at the top of this blog shows one of the many small harbors along this coastline.

Here is the cover of my October book, A Man Most Worthy.

In the meantime, this month is The Making of a Gentleman, an English regency about a spinster and an escaped convict from the notorious Newgate Prison.

I've dedicated it to a woman who has had a prison ministry for a number of years. Little did I imagine when I was writing the story that she would have a prison romance of her own. When I saw her recently she told me she had married a former inmate!

Truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

Debut Author's Book, The Hunted

2008-05-30T09:26:00.007+01:00

I just wanted to let all my readers know about a blog tour featuring debut author, Mike Dellosso. In the midst of gearing up for the launch of his first book, Mike was diagnosed with colon cancer. Read the interview at the end of this post to see how he has risen to this challenge.

Mike Dellosso
THE HUNTED (rated 5 stars on Amazon)

A town’s deadly secret will drive one man to the edge of his faith…

After learning of the disappearance of his nephew, Joe Saunders returns to his childhood home of Dark Hills to aid in the search effort. When Caleb is found, badly mauled and clinging to life, Joe embarks on a mission to find the beast responsible. But the more Joe delves into the fabric of his old hometown, the more he realizes Dark Hills has a dark secret, shrouded for three generations in a deadly code of silence. As Joe unravels the truth behind a series of unexplained animal attacks, murder, and corruption at the highest level of law enforcement, he is led to a final showdown where he must entrust his very life into God's hands.

To read an excerpt of this book, just click on the link: Chapter One

If this whets your appetite, you can order a copy of Mike's book, by going directly to Amazon

If you'd like to read more about Mike and his road to publishing, here's an interview:

What do you do to pay the bills?
I’ve been a physical therapist assistant for 10 years.

Will you share a little bit about your family?
I’ve been married to my lovely and supportive wife, Jen, for 10 years. We’ve been blessed with three daughters ages 5, 6, and 8. All fun-loving, sweet-spirited, and of course always well-behaved (ahem).

What do you like to do when you’re not working, writing (which is work!), churching, or familysizing?
Read and fool around with my website. Oh, I also mow the lawn, trim the hedges, paint the porch, replace rotted boards, and all that other fun stuff homeowners do to pass the time away. Actually, I’m pretty boring (except when Toby Mac is in the CD player).

A full-time job, church involvement, family life, writing books: How do you do it all?
Very carefully. Seriously. God’s blessed me with time management skills and I make use of my time wisely. Of course, there’s the tendency to get over involved and that’s when I need to take a step back and re-evaluate what I’m doing. But careful management of time is key. Make the most of every minute.

Tell me about when you were diagnosed with cancer.
Yeah, cancer. Kind of a big thing. I was diagnosed on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day. Here I was getting ready to launch into trying my hand at promoting my new book and in the middle of negotiating a contract for a second book when the doctor dropped the bomb: You have colon cancer.

Funny thing is, I don’t remember ordering colon cancer. Not part of my plans at all.

How has that diagnosis affected your writing?
How has it affected my writing? Well, immediately, it’s halted my writing. With the exception of daily journaling on my blog, I haven’t written a lick since being diagnosed. I love to write, it’s my passion, but this cancer thing trumps it. I took this diagnosis as a nudge from God that I need to set writing aside for a little while and just concentrate on the most important things: my relationship with Him and my relationship with my family. Sometimes it takes something like cancer to refocus you, to get you to evaluate your life and do a little re-prioritizing.

In the long run, I think the experience of traveling through this valley will only enhance my writing, give it more depth, more texture, more emotion and passion. I know firsthand what it’s like to traverse that Valley of the Shadow of Death, to question Why me?, to be scared of dying, not for dying’s sake but for my family’s sake, to live with a monster inside me that wants to kill me (hey, that gives me a great story idea), to be poked, prodded, scoped, and stuck, to live a life that revolves around the next test result or the next doctor’s appointment. I’ve been there now and I can incorporate those experiences into my stories, into the life of my characters. It’ll be interesting to see how my writing changes once I get back to it.

What is one thing your diagnosis has taught you?
One other thing I’ve learned is to fully rely on God, to willingly submit myself and put my life in His hands. And of course, this carries over into my writing as well. We writers never know where the next contract is coming from or how much the next royalty check will be for, or even how the next story will unfold, if there is a next story. We are constantly at His mercy, and I’m learning that’s a good place to be.

The Making of a Gentleman

2008-05-27T12:27:00.002+01:00

I'm re-posting this entry, so that all my Amazon readers have a chance to view it.

Here's the cover of my next book, out in stores August.

This is the beginning of a new regency series (not part of my
Winter Is Past series). This begins the story of a brother and sister, Damien and Florence Hathaway. The Making of a Gentleman is Florence's story. It tells about her encounter with a prisoner from Newgate who narrowly escapes the hangman's noose.

Right now, I'm finishing her brother's story, A Bride of Honor. Damien Hathaway is a shy curate with a slight disability which makes him sure no woman will fall in love with him, much less a young lady of the London ton.

To pre-order The Making of a Gentleman, click here

The Making of a Gentleman

2008-05-23T19:22:00.004+01:00

Here's the cover of my next book, out in stores August.

This is the beginning of a new regency series (not part of my
Winter Is Past series). This begins the story of a brother and sister, Damien and Florence Hathaway. The Making of a Gentleman is Florence's story. It tells about her encounter with a prisoner from Newgate who narrowly escapes the hangman's noose.

Right now, I'm finishing her brother's story, A Bride of Honor. Damien Hathaway is a shy curate with a slight disability which makes him sure no woman will fall in love with him, much less a young lady of the London ton.

To pre-order The Making of a Gentleman, click here

Paris in May

2008-05-16T16:13:00.005+01:00

I'm in the process of rewriting my current manuscript, a process that I had dreaded because that first read-through can be a painful process. I hadn't read my manuscript since I'd started writing it, so I had no idea if what I had written would stink thoroughly. Was the pacing good? The characters' motivation? Was there anything salvageable?

Thank goodness, I've gotten halfway through the manuscript and my instincts tell me the story flows. I'm getting back into my hero and heroine's story, their angst and uncertainties. I'm rewriting, of course, tightening up things here and there; deleting unnecessary lines and paragraphs, but for the most part, I'm allowing their story to remain. The bones are good.

I've included a photo of a recent trip I took to Paris. Four days in Paris in May: bliss. The weather was perfect, the temperatures warm. The real tourist season hadn't started. The college students were all over the place. So many junior year abroad American and Canadian students wandering around the Left Bank. I was there twenty-nine years ago, rushing around from one end of the city to another going to classes at the different branches of the University of Paris including the Sorbonne. On this visit, I stayed with my former roommate. She met a Frenchman that year and came back to marry him after graduation.

Great Chat Yesterday on Writers At Play!

2008-05-02T11:28:00.003+01:00

Many of us Love Inspired Historical and other Harlequin authors had a great day on the Writers at Play blog, where Editor Melissa Endlich offered tips to aspiring writers.
Congratulations to Jenny in Australia for winning a copy of my latest book, Hearts in the Highlands! Hope you enjoy it.

Due to this all-day chat, Writers at Play received over 3500 hits yesterday! A heartfelt thanks to Love Inspired Historical author Carla Capshaw for organizing this promotional blitz.

Congratulations also to Renee and Teresa who also recently won copies of my books on my guest interview over at Linda Ford's blog!

TALK TO AN EDITOR & GET AN INSIDE LOOK AT ROMANCE PUBLISHING

2008-04-21T07:53:00.003+01:00

Mark your calendar and don't miss a unique opportunity to chat about romance publishing or the editing process with acquiring Steeple Hill editor, Melissa Endlich. For loads of editor insights into all the Harlequin lines, book giveaways and fun, visit: Writers At Play

I'll be dropping in along with lots of other Love Inspired Historical authors. There'll be drawings for our books if you leave a comment. There'll also be a grand prize.

If you are interested in writing your own romance, this is your opportunity to ask an editor what she looks for in a manuscript.

When: Thursday - May 1, 2008

Where: Writers at Play

Who: Steeple Hill Editor Melissa Endlich & loads of Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical authors

Time: All day

See you there!

Spring

2008-04-17T15:17:00.005+01:00

Don't you just love daffodils?
There are masses of them planted along the roadsides here in Almere, the Netherlands. Right now, they're at their peak.

Grape hyacinths with their little purple clusters are also in full bloom at the moment.

I think my stories are influenced by the seasons I write them in. My current WIP begins in spring but is now inching into summer. These nice (rare) sunny days we're enjoying this week are certainly helping.

Congratulations on book drawing!

2008-04-12T20:32:00.002+01:00

Congratulations to Renee & Debby for winning copies of my latest books on fellow author, Linda Ford's, blog.

Scavenger Hunt Resumed!

2008-04-07T20:25:00.003+01:00

Our February Scavenger Hunt--and a chance to win one of the 6 autographed books below--will officially end this Friday, April 11 at 3 p.m. EST. So, you still have a chance to enter!

Playing is easy. Get the list of clues at www.ChristianReviewofBooks.com. Then visit the links below to learn about the authors and their books—you’ll find the answers to the clues in the Q&A posted there! Once you have all 18 answers, send an email to review@ChristianReviewofBooks.com to be entered to win:

Six autographed books!

A Whisper of Freedom by Tricia Goyer

The Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen

A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman

The Sovereign’s Daughter by Susan K. Downs & Susan May Warren

The Rogue’s Redemption by Ruth Axtell Morren

On Sparrow Hill by Maureen Lang

***

My own story:

Tell us a little about your road to publication.

It was a long road! I started to write a historical romance (the kind of book I liked to read) way back in my 20s with a college friend. The writing team kind of petered out, but I kept writing and completed the manuscript. About that time, I discovered RWA and began learning the craft. Needless to say, that first manuscript was rejected, but my second placed in the 1994 Golden Heart contest. I was ecstatic, thinking this is it!

By that time, my husband I had moved overseas to Holland and begun a family. I felt really out of the loop, not being able to join writers’ groups or have critique partners. But I kept plugging away, between having babies, and managed to complete 3 manuscripts. Which kept getting rejected!

Six years after we’d moved to Holland, we decided to move back to the U.S. The Lord also started dealing with me then on a spiritual level. I began developing a deeper hunger for Him and gradually began receiving a conviction to write Christian romances.

We moved to Maine, and I wrote my first full-length inspirational historical romance. In the meantime, however, the Lord was asking something of me far more difficult than just writing Christian fiction.

Was I willing to put my writing on the “altar,” and hand this desire of mine completely over to Him, even if it meant never pursuing publication again? I received a clear answer to put aside all writing, even researching ideas, for two years.

At the end of those two years, though, I woke up with a dream, which became the inspiration for my first published book, Winter Is Past. After researching and writing that historical romance, which took another 2 years, and entering it in a couple of contests, I got a call from the conference coordinator of the second contest, telling me Melissa Endlich, the judge, was interested in seeing the entire manuscript because she thought it might fit the new line of women’s fiction they were starting up.

A few weeks later, I was offered a 3-book contract, and the rest is history!

Where did you get the idea for this book?

While I was writing the book before it, Dawn in my Heart, I had a bad guy. In one of the last scenes of the book, I suddenly realized this guy, Garrit, whom I hadn’t paid much attention to beforehand, other than making him a schmuck, was redeemable. I suddenly wanted to tell his story.

Visit these sites for the rest of the clues!

www.triciagoyer.blogspot.com
www.novelinspirations.com/blog
www.julielessman.com
http://sovereignsdaughter.blogspot.com
http://ruthaxtellmorren.blogspot.com
www.maureenlang.com

Chance to Win Either of My Latest Books!

2008-04-03T10:26:00.011+02:00

Fellow Love Inspired Historical author, Linda Ford, recently interviewed me and posted it on her blog http://www.lindaford.org/blog/

Stop by and enter a comment and you might win a copy of either The Rogue's Redemption, my single title regency, or Hearts in the Highlands, my first Love Inspired Historical which is just out this month.

Hurry on over; the drawing is for Wed. April 9!

line edits

2008-04-02T19:49:00.005+02:00

Here's a bit of spring from my front door in the Netherlands.

Today I finished a line edit of my Oct. 08 release, A Man Most Worthy, my second Love Inspired Historical. I finished this manuscript just before Christmas after laboring over the ending. Now, a few months later, and with my wonderful editor's suggestions (more for the beginning than for the ending), I read it over, and wonder of wonders, it actually works. Methinks, it's not bad! A little more tweaking, the addition of an epilogue, and I've sent it in.
Now, I have to return to the galleys of my Aug. book and then back to my current WIP. I've left that hero and heroine at a very critical moment.

Harlequin's 100,000 Book Challenge

2008-03-28T15:43:00.010+02:00

Harlequin Enterprises has a wonderful challenge going on right now. They are getting their eHarlequin Community to read 100,000 Books this year to benefit the National Center for Family Literacy. If they achieve their goal, they’ll be donating the equivalent number of books to this charity who have taken on the challenge to find solutions to the literacy crisis. This is equivalent to a $700,000 donation that will benefit women and their families and impact lives by helping to bring the love of reading home.

If you'd like to join in on this challenge, just take a few minutes to register at eHarlequin.com. No purchase is required. All you need to do is post a short review of each book you've read. That’s it! Read a book and create a book review and you’ve added one more book to the total. If 3,000 authors read 10 books each, then that's 30,000 books! So far, the tally stands at 6,500 books. You can participate individually or in teams by adding a team name to the tag list associated with your book review. It’s also a great opportunity to get to know what some of our most engaged and avid readers think and feel about the books you write.

All Harlequin requires is that 50% of the books read be published by Harlequin. That leaves a lot of selection, as they have dozens of imprints from NY Times bestsellers on their MIRA and HQN imprints to inspirational fiction to even non-fiction, their newest acquisitions.

If you read only ONE book this year, make it count!

Here is the link to the challenge rules and introduction.

Edits, proofs, first drafts

2008-03-27T22:17:00.005+02:00

I had just reached page 300 in the first draft of my current book when the UPS man rang my doorbell. A nice fat package with the galleys for my Aug.08 book for final proofing. I put aside my current WIP to begin reading a story I'd written about a year and a half ago, and which I'd edited for the final time about a month and a half ago. This will be the last time I read it before I see it again as a real book.

I had to wrench my thoughts from my current hero and heroine and get back into this other couple. Then this morning the doorbell goes again, and what? The UPS man again? Another fat package with a manuscript. This was my Oct.08 book, written about a year ago. My editor has just line-edited it, and now it's my turn to go over her changes and suggestions and do any final editing of my own, before seeing it as a galley.

By this afternoon, I was knee-deep (?) in the trials and tribulations of yet another hero and heroine.

I remember once reading an interview of an author who said he was usually working on about three writing projects at a time; he'd put one down and take up the other. I shook my head thinking at the time, I could never get out of my current story and into another at the drop of the hat like that...

Well, I guess you never really know till you try.

Getting there

2008-03-24T21:12:00.003+02:00

Almost to the three-quarter point of my current wip. Sometimes it feels like slogging; at others there's still a spark of inspiration. Mainly, just steady jogging along; getting words down; making progress, going from Point A to B to C to M to N to O, knowing this and this needs to happen before the climax, although not always quite sure what form it's going to take.

No idea what works and what doesn't at this point. That'll be to sort out later when I read and begin revising.

Palm Sunday

2008-03-16T20:57:00.003+02:00

A rainy Palm Sunday here in the Netherlands.
I preached my first sermon last Sunday in church. I was surprised when our pastor asked me if I'd like to bring forth the Word some Sunday. He gave me the sermon topic and some pointers and commentaries.
I decided to do it, even though I'm not a public speaker, because I never like to refuse to do anything in the Lord's work. You never know when He is opening a new door, a new opportunity in some fashion. Not that I'm thinking of taking up preaching, but if it got me to delve deeper into the Word, then it was a good thing.
I don't know if I liked the experience. I wasn't very comfortable throughout it, and I'll never know on this earth how much good it did, or were people bored to tears (I did see a few with closed eyes), but I guess that doesn't really matter.
This Sunday, our pastor preached. Later, when I was standing at the front with the pastor's wife, for anyone who cared to come up for prayer, an Iranian woman came up. We prayed then I went back to my seat to collect my things. She came up to me to thank me, touched by the prayer. We got to talking and exchanged emails. It was neat to think how the Lord brought us together. She will go back to her country and we might continue our exchange.

Some Interesting New Titles

2008-02-25T18:16:00.000+02:00

You might want to check out some of these new releases:

Sweet Caroline

By Rachel Hauck

When a Southern waitress inherits the Lowcountry cafe where she works,
she suddenly has to balance more than just her next food order.

Caroline Sweeney has always done the right thing--the responsible,
dependable thing--unlike her mother who abandoned her family. But when
her best friend challenges her to accept an exciting job adventure in
Barcelona, Spain, Caroline says "yes" to destiny.

Then, without warning, ownership of the run-down cafe where she's been
waitressing falls right into Caroline's lap. While she's trying to
determine the cafe's future, handsome Deputy Sherriff J.D. Rand captures
Caroline's heart.

But when her first love, Mitch O'Neal, comes back to town, fresh from
the heat of his newly-found fame as a country music singer in Nashville,
Caroline must make some hard choices about love and the pursuit of the
sweet life.

"Hauck's adorable novel contains the multi-layered characters
readers have come to expect from her books. The enjoyable story and
unpredictable ending entertains and offers much to think about." -
4.5 Stars, Melissa Parcel, Romantic Times Book Club

Every Secret Thing

by Ann Tatlock

Every Secret Thing is the story of a woman who returns home after many
years away. Beth Gunnar hasn't lived in Delaware since high school
graduation, but when she's offered a teaching job at Seaton
Preparatory School--her alma mater--she accepts. Once there, she's
faced with an unresolved loss that she and her friends experienced
during their senior year. She realizes that the suicide of a favorite
teacher has haunted her all her life, and she wants to find out the
truth about what happened that night. There's a little bit of
mystery and a little bit of romance, and ultimately it's a story of
faith and reconciliation.

"Intelligent, introspective, and beautifully, hauntingly
written…."

- Tom Morrisey, author of In High Place

Halfway Point! Yippee!

2008-02-22T13:12:00.004+02:00

Yesterday, I reached the halfway point in my current WIP. Ahead of schedule! What a good feeling. I've been whipping along, since I've had a lot of alone time in the last couple of weeks. Amazing what a difference that makes.

I've also given myself the freedom to write garbage. I told myself, relax, this is only the first draft. Just let the words flow, write what comes into your head, there'll be time enough later to sort out the chaff from the wheat.

I've also realized with this manuscript number, let's see...14th (not all published) that this is the most special time of my story, when it's the first time for my characters & me. I used to think the 2nd or 3rd rewrite was the best time to enjoy my characters. Their most obvious flaws were being smoothed out by then. By the time I get the published book, my heart is into other characters and I've read their story once too often in final edits & proofings to enjoy it as I once did.

But with my current manuscript, I'm beginning to understand that this virgin territory I'm treading is the most special time. The hero & heroine's words are being spoken for the first time. Their angst is my angst. Ohhhh. Will he win her? Will she succeed in breaking down those emotional barriers he's built up???

Stay tuned.

Contest to Resume

2008-02-19T11:25:00.002+02:00

Just to let you know, we will resume our Scavenger Hunt at a later date (hopefully, in a week or so). Our coordinator just had a baby, so has her hands a little full right now!
Blessings to Mommy & son.

It’s a Historical Scavenger Hunt!

2008-02-09T18:38:00.000+02:00

Playing is easy. Get the list of clues at www.ChristianReviewofBooks.com. Then visit the links below to learn about the authors and their books—you’ll find the answers to the clues in the Q&A posted there! Once you have all 18 answers, send an email to review@ChristianReviewofBooks.com to be entered to win:

Six autographed books!

A Whisper of Freedom by Tricia Goyer

The Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen

A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman

The Sovereign’s Daughter by Susan K. Downs & Susan May Warren

The Rogue’s Redemption by Ruth Axtell Morren

On Sparrow Hill by Maureen Lang

***

My own story:

Tell us a little about your road to publication.

A few weeks later, I was offered a 3-book contract, and the rest is history!

Where did you get the idea for this book?

Visit these sites for the rest of the clues!

www.triciagoyer.blogspot.com
www.novelinspirations.com/blog
www.julielessman.com
http://sovereignsdaughter.blogspot.com
http://ruthaxtellmorren.blogspot.com
www.maureenlang.com

Beginnings

2008-01-16T11:12:00.000+02:00

Beginning a new story...dipping one's toe into that uncharted water...

This time it's a new regency series. I use the term 'series' loosely, since my stories haven't really been series. I just frequently end up becoming interested in a secondary character and then have to go on and tell his or her story in another book.

So far, for this series, I only have two books in mind, one for the sister, and one for the brother. I've already turned in the sister's story, which is due out this coming August. Notes on that are in earlier posts; it's entitled The Making of a Genleman. The manuscript I'm just beginning this month is the brother's story; he's a curate in an outlying parish of London in 1815. I've tentatively entitled the story A Man After God's Heart, but that's only a working title, and I won't be surprised if it changes.

The wonderful thing about this story is that I already know pretty much where it's going. The Lord has given me a well-mapped out plot and fully-formed characters. Glory be! It can make all the difference in writing.

Still, there'll be blood, sweat and tears before it's through.

Debut of new Steeple Hill line

2008-01-14T23:08:00.000+02:00

It's kind of exciting to be part of the debut of a new line of fiction, in this case, Steeple Hill's new series of historicals: Love Inspired Historicals. Their previous Love Inspired lines (Love Inspired contemporaries & Love Inspired Suspense) have been so successful, that they are now taking the plunge and publishing a line of two titles per month of historical romances.

Time periods and storylines in the first few titles run the gamut from medieval to World War II. My own story, Hearts in the Highlands, is a Victorian setting, a time period which I love. This story takes place in London and in the Scottish Highlands. A woman who thinks she is safely a spinster and beyond all foolish romantic ideas has another think coming when she meets handsome Reid Gallagher, fresh from the archeological digs of Egypt. Imagine a combination of Indiana Jones & Denys Finch-Hatton (of Out of Africa fame).

I love the cover the Steeple Hill art department came up with for this story. It fits soooo well! The Scottish Highlands scene accurately portrays one of the scenes in the books, and the hero and heroine are perfect!

The line officially debuts in February with books by veteran authors Catherine Palmer and Jillian Hart. As part of the promotion, Steeple Hill is hosting a forum featuring LIH authors and editors. Come join us this month at www.eharlequin.com.

notes from the war zone

2007-12-31T17:30:00.001+02:00

The thirty-
first of December in the Neth-
erlands is a growing crescendo of bombard-
ments from mid-
morning until well after midnight when fire crackers go off on every street to ring in the new year.

The explosions have gone off intermittently all day long across our city of Almere. We've garaged our car and kept our cats safely indoors. Tonight we'll deep fry 'oliebollen,' the precursor of doughnuts, the traditional fried doughballs, filled with raisins and currants or plain and covered in powdered sugar, eaten on Dec. 31st.

The above photo is not of Almere, but of Groningen, a beautiful university town in the very north of the Netherlands not far from the German border. I recently visited it.

I wish you all a blessed 2008! Happy writing and reading.

Finished the Book!

2007-12-15T21:32:00.000+02:00

Whew! Another manuscript completed. Boy, did this one give me trouble. I just couldn't get the ending to work right. But, after numerous rewrites and overhauls of the entire manuscript, by George, I think I've got it!

We'll see after my editor has a chance to read it.

Now, to collapse for a few days and let my brain recover.

The good news is that in this time of fretting over a manuscript whose deadline was looming, I got some very strong ideas for two new books. The story arc just came flowing in the wee hours of the morning and I had to turn on my light and jot them down. It was like viewing a movie in a lot of ways. Praise God for that gift of inspiration. I rejoice in that gift.

triumph over the middle

2007-11-18T22:15:00.001+02:00

Whew! I've made it past the great chasm of the middle of the book. I knew (more or less) where I was going, but it wasn't always easy to fill in the blanks to get there. Some days it felt like climbing a cliff by my fingernails.

But the worst is over. Now, begins the building toward the climax. Events will move faster.

wordsmith

2007-11-05T23:30:00.000+02:00

I like the term 'wordsmith' to describe what I do. Storyteller and wordsmith.
I've been pondering the difference between those descriptions and loftier ones such as 'writer,' author,' and--most lofty of them all--'artist.

Right now, I am deep in the deepest part of a story...a few scenes beyond the halfway point. This is when it's the toughest. One cannot be objective at all about one's writing now. The trick is to keep writing, no matter what. Meditate on the storyline in the off hours, like during walks, so that there is some grain of an idea when one comes back to the keyboard, but come back to it.

This is where instinct takes over and one hopes it will not lead one astray by the time one emerges at the other end. I liken this process to diving into an Olympic size swimming pool and trying to make it across. I'm not a good swimmer and don't really like it, so this is a very daunting prospect for me. Right now, I'm smack-dab in the middle, too late to turn back, still a long way to the finish line.

Chugging Away

2007-10-18T15:41:00.000+02:00

I'm finally getting over that first hurdle in writing the first draft of a new story...getting beyond the first 50 or so pages of the proposal. Now, I'm almost at the 'first turning point,' where something dramatic must happen between hero and heroine.

It means really beginning to dig into these characters and become a little consumed with them day and night.

On a good day, after writing 10 pages, I am a happy camper.

What kept me from moving faster along on this story was that I suddenly got an idea for another story. When that happens, I have to let it run its course, and write everything down while the inspiration is flowing. I may not get to this new story for another year or so, but if I don't develop it now, it'll be gone.

Scene ideas would come to me, dialogue, a story arc. In a few days, I had a whole story (minus those pesky details that involve research) mapped out and most of the key scenes written out longhand in a spiral notebook (a lot of them at midnight or 5:30 in the morning). Now, I can put it aside with a peaceful mind, knowing the essence of it is there whenever I can get back to it.

I can also go back to my original story and concentrate fully on those two characters waiting for me to continue their story.

It's a crisp fall day in the Netherlands and the leaves are turning, although they don't turn as dramatically here as in the northeastern United States.

I'm going on a walk through the fields and forest edging one end of Almere and continue mulling on my characters' story. What next...

Thoughts on Branding

2007-10-07T21:45:00.000+02:00

I recently returned from the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference in Dallas, Texas. It was my first Christian Writers' Conference, and my first writers' conference as a published writer. (I think my last was the 1994 RWA conference in NYC when I was a Golden Heart finalist).

A lot of things have changed since then.

This conference was great. It was large enough to attract a lot of people in the industry, yet small enough to still be able to meet a lot of people and run into the same people over and over. There were almost 500 in attendance. It shows that Christian fiction is on the move.

I attended a 4-hour Early Bird workshop on branding. It was led by two people from Thomas Nelson Publishing and the design firm they work with. I learned a lot about the thought put into a book's presentation from the editorial, marketing and design end of things. For example, the different type of covers, including the size and script of the author's name, that are considered before a final choice is made.
Most importantly, I learned that the latest buzzword in publishing seems to be "branding," and that branding begins with you, the author. In other words, you, the author, must decide who you are, preferably in ten words or fewer.

It got me to thinking about a reviewer's quote about my books being not just romances, but more old-fashioned love stories....

More on Maine

2007-09-10T22:35:00.000+02:00

It is almost time for me to leave this idyllic spot. It's been a good almost three weeks here on the coast of Maine. I've completed the line-edits for my next book, The Rogue's Redemption (Feb.'08), and completed the proposal for my second Love Inspired Historical--no title, not even a working one yet, so I'm calling it Victorian II.

But most of all, I've been able to replenish the well, as some authors call stopping to take a breather and look around you...and imbibe that fragile, tenuous thing called...inspiration.

For any who have never travelled to this last bit of wild Maine coastline (you have to go beyond Bar Harbor), I wholeheartedly encourage you to come to Cutler and hike the Bold Coast and Western Head trails. They vary in lengths, so practically anyone can do them. But on a clear day, you'll never see such blue sky or sea. The cliffs are harrowing (the best part is you can sit right on top of them!) You can sit as long as you like and think about God.

August Fog

2007-08-24T18:57:00.000+01:00

August in downeast Maine means fog.

I arrived a few days ago to glorious weather. Nowhere are there skies as blue as in Maine. The black-eyed susans are in full bloom, the asters are just starting to come out, a few raspberries are still visible on the yellowing bushes.

But after a night and morning of rain, fog has set in. From my office window facing the front yard, I see puffs of the white vapors blowing in every once in a while. It's a good day to write.

I've been studying fashion plates of Victorian era teenage girls' outfits. With the exception of the occasional sailor-suit outfit, they dressed more like their mothers. The only difference are the calf-length skirts and hair worn down (just as frequently it seemed to be worn up).

I'm working on writing the first few chapters of a Victorian story, which will be one of Steeple Hill's new Love Inspired Historicals next year.

So, I'd better get back to work...

Return from Vacation

2007-08-13T20:50:00.001+01:00

Vacations are great.

We found what we were looking for in SW France and Spain. Sun and heat. The area is arid, with the Corbieres Range in the distance, the beautiful Mediterrean before us and olive groves and peachtree orchards in the intervening fields. And oh, yes, vineyards on every available space of land.

The beach at Port Leucate, France was wide and sandy, and NOT overcrowded. It was perfect.

Barcelona was large. Also hot and sunny. The best part was visiting a cousin and spending hours talking, especially about the Lord.

What Spells Relief?

2007-07-15T19:34:00.000+01:00

I am in that state of mental and emotional exhaustion that signals the end of a manuscript. The baby is ready to be emailed to my editor tomorrow. No more going over it anymore for now. It's leaving my hands and will await the eyes of my editor.

The wonderful thing about the editing and rewriting process is that with each successive reading and the changes that result from it, the stronger the characters' motivations start to come through. Dead wood is removed, things are streamlined.

My mind can now turn to vacation time. Hubby, two of our children, and I are heading to the south of France (from the Netherlands) for a week on the beach!!!! We are looking forward to sun, sun, sun. The Netherlands is a very rainy place.

We were blessed to find an apt. right on the beach at a reasonable price. We'll be half an hour from the Spanish border and will probably drive to Barcelona at the end of the week to visit a family member there for a few days.

My mind can take a break so that when we return I can begin researching my next book, a Victorian set in London.

I'm looking forward to some fun beach reading next week.

The Making of a Gentleman

2007-07-12T19:41:00.000+01:00

I have just finished the penultimate read-through of my current WIP: The Making of a Gentleman. Pleeeaaaasseee let them keep my title!!!! It's so right for this story.

This has been a grueling month and a half of revisions and self-edits. For some reason, this manuscript was more difficult to write. Was it because it was my tenth (counting all the unpublished ones snuggled among the dust bunnies) manuscript, or was it because I've just written 3 manuscripts back-to-back as deadlines have gotten closer together?

The fact is that I'm so grateful for my critique partner who pinpointed where the trouble spots in the manuscript were and helped me tighten the story, which at times felt like a great unwieldly lump of clay which refused to take the shape I wanted. Our new buzzword: TENSION!

Another challenge in writing it was the fact that at the end of May I was hit by a car while on my bike. I remember nothing about it except waking up on my back in the street, in terrible pain. I suffered a concussion and lots of facial cuts which have now healed. Anyway, suffering headaches for a month did not aid in the creative process.

The Making of a Gentleman is another regency era story set in London. It involves a 'beast' (as in 'Beauty & the Beast') and an ugly duckling, so I'm not sure what to call that combo: Cinderella meets the beast?