Tag Archives: Christian books

A Spark of Imagination

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Jodie Wolfe creates novels where hope and quirky meet. She’s been a finalist in a number of contests. Today, she reveals how one bit of quirkiness managed to get into her latest novel. It’s a fun read.  I think you’ll enjoy it.

It first started with a love of guinea pigs. When my sons were young, we had several furry pets. The first to join the family was Fluffy. We didn’t know a lot about raising guinea pigs at the time. We placed our new pet in a glass aquarium so we could easily watch the new addition to the family. Our standard poodle would sit for hours on end watching the guinea pig. We called it “‘Fluffyvision”.  🙂

Unfortunately, Fluffy wasn’t as healthy as we thought, and she didn’t last overly long. My sons were soon asking for a replacement. Next came Squeakers. When we were bringing her home in the van, she squeaked the whole way, which is how she got her name. She was an incredibly intelligent guinea pig who knew to run to the refrigerator, and when opened, which drawer held the carrots – one of her favorite treats. She lived for many years. When she made an untimely demise, we went to the pet store and found two more guinea pigs – Checkers and Cocoa. By this time my sons were in high school.

One day I had a photo frame on my entrance hall table. I’d recently purchased the frame and hadn’t decided what to put in it yet. The frame came with a photo of a woman in it. One of my sons asked me who it was, and I teasingly said, “That’s your great Aunt Gertrude. She lives in Texas on a guinea pig ranch.” We spun all kinds of stories about the factitious family member.

So, when it came time to write the third book in my current series, I told my sons that the heroine’s name was Gertrude. They immediately encouraged me to somehow add guinea pigs to the story. I didn’t know if it was a feasible option since my books are set in the 19th Century. I started researching to see if it was a possibility. I learned about Queen Elizabeth I who had a guinea pig when she was a little girl. Some sites even mentioned the exotic pet trade in Virginia as early as 1627. I had enough information to know I could in fact include guinea pigs into my story.

Here’s a sneak peek at the back cover of my new book, Wooing Gertrude:

Enoch Valentine has given up finding peace for his past mistakes. He throws everything he has into being the new part-time deputy in Burrton Springs, Kansas while maintaining the foreman position at a local horse ranch. But when trouble stirs on the ranch, he questions whether he’s the right man for either job.

Peace has been elusive for most of Gertrude Miller’s life, especially under the oppressiveness of an overbearing mother. She takes matters into her own hands and sends for a potential husband, while also opening her own dress shop. Gertrude hopes to build a future where she’ll find peace and happiness.

Will either of them ever be able to find peace?

Thanks, Jodie, for giving us a peek into how some “quirkiness” got into one of you novels.  And I must add, Wooing Gertrude is available now on Amazon.  And dear reader, please leave Jodie a comment, maybe on how some little bit sneaks into one of your novels.  Thanks.  jim

Here’s where you can find Jodie online:

Jodie Wolfe is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and Faith, Hope, & Love Christian Writers (FHLCW). She’s been a semi-finalist and finalist in various writing contests. When not writing she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, walking, and being a Grammie. Learn more at  .www.jodiewolfe.com

An Interview with Maggie DeLuca

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Today, I’m interviewing Maggie DeLuca, Father Frank’s sister.

JIM:       Hi, Maggie. First, just to get everything in order, are you Father Frank’s younger sister or older sister?

MAGGIE     Thank you for that question. I am his older sister.  Of course, sometimes I act like his kid sister.

JIM:       Okay, an older sister, but young at heart.

MAGGIE     You got it.

JIM:       But, sometimes you, ah, … well, as Father Frank says, let your mouth take control.

MAGGIE     (laughs) Yes, he does say that. And that my mouth precedes my brain. But, I’m an upfront person. I let you know who I am, what I do, what’s on my mind. He thinks I should be more private.

JIM:       But it does get you in trouble sometimes; at least, that’s what I’ve heard.

MAGGIE     True. But I probably would have gotten in that trouble anyway, so why wait? Let’s get this show on the road.

JIM:       The last time, or at least the last one I’ve heard about, had to do with the murder of that best selling writer, Rod Granet. That was pretty serious.

MAGGIE     It was. And I have to admit, I regretted some of the things I said, and the people that heard it.

JIM:       Got the sheriff on your case, right? He arrested you and I understand, he truly wanted to convict you.

MAGGIE     That is true. And to be perfectly honest, I was scared. I told Frank he had to get busy and find the real killer.

JIM:       But the sheriff told him if he investigated, he’d throw him in jail. Didn’t that worry you?

MAGGIE     Not as much as a murder conviction worried me. The sheriff wasn’t looking for anybody else. I mean, Rod was dead. The sheriff wanted someone in jail. And he was only looking at me.

JIM:       In the end, Father Frank did come through for you, right?

MAGGIE     He did. But between you and me – do not tell Frank this – I don’t think I’d be here today if it weren’t for that Texas Ranger, Dick Richards.

JIM:       He and Father Frank seemed to work well together.

MAGGIE     Yeah. Richards was smart enough to know what a great asset Frank is. He gets a bunch of pieces of information that don’t look like they go together. And Frank finds the way they fit, and what they mean.

JIM:       Okay. You aren’t going to jail. What’s your next adventure?

MAGGIE     Actually, two adventures. First, I’m going to finish a book I’m writing. And Rod won’t be here to steal this one. I now know I can be a USA Today best seller. I’ve earned an Austin B award for best plot, even though it had Granet’s name on it. So, this is going to be a great book.

JIM:       Sounds like an important goal.

MAGGIE     No, the important goal, and adventure is a new baby. In five months, I’ll be a Mom! That’s even better than being a USA Today best seller. (Maggie gets up.) Got to run. Doctor wants to check out the baby, and the mom.

JIM:       And she was gone in a second. I think she’s gotten a bad rap. It isn’t that her mouth is so fast. She’s fast about everything. But it was a pleasure visiting with her. And I’m glad I got to share it with you.

“From the first sentence, it captures your attention and carries you on an intriguing mystery-solving adventure.” From a review by Sharon S.

“I’ve read so many mysteries/suspense stories that all sound alike. A Plot for Murder is very distinctively and enjoyably different.” R. Bruner, Amazon review.

Rod Granet, award-winning novelist and womanizer, is the main speaker at a writers conference. But after the opening session and in front of a crowd, Maggie DeLuca, Father Frank’s sister, accuses Granet of stealing her story and says he will pay.

That night, Granet is killed.

The sheriff quickly zeros in on Maggie and she is hauled off in handcuffs. When Father Frank comes to her aid, the sheriff threatens him with jail if he interferes.

A Texas Ranger is assigned to the investigation. He sees Father Frank as a valuable asset. Even as the sheriff continues to harass Father Frank and interrogate Maggie, the Ranger pushes Father Frank to get more involved, telling him the sheriff considers Maggie his only  suspect. Father Frank is faced not only with his sister being the prime suspect in a murder case, but also threatening letters, a rifle shot through his car as he drives across a bridge, and the sheriff’s promise to put him in jail if he investigates the murder.

Can Father Frank stay out of jail and alive, and find the real killer?

If you’d like to order a copy of A Plot for Murder: Murder at the Writers Conference, use this link which will offer you a choice of formats and retailers.    https:books2read.com/u/mYAW2P

 

 

 

Right Brain, Left Brain

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In the summer of 2020, I had a major medical problem.  This is not a complaint.  Everything came out okay – eventually.  I was in the hospital for a month.  This included three surgeries, ten days in ICU, and four days when I was “unresponsive.”

After the month in the hospital, I spent the better part of the next month in bed.

But after those two months, I was at least beginning to think about a “more normal” life. My brain was functioning.

Sort of.

Prior to entering the hospital, I had A Plot for Murder almost finished and was looking forward to a fall release.  With the book nearly finished, that was still a possibility. But a strange situation occurred.

We had planned to remodel the kitchen, and I began to draw up plans.  Of course these went through several iterations as we refined what we wanted, and what would fit into the overall space available. Part of this had to deal with retrieving some “lost space” where the builder had left small areas empty behind walls.  We got the blueprints and decided to utilize some of those little bits. When combined with the space currently in use, this allows us greater freedom in our design.

All of this went along easily.

But, when I sat at the computer to work on finishing the novel, nothing happened. I could put down words, sentences. But I was having trouble concluding the book.  My imagination was gone.  And the words I put down, now at a critical part of the book, were flat. There was no feeling in them, no imagination, no rhythm in the sentences.

This situation continued for over a month.  Good work on drawing plans for the kitchen. Uninspiring words for the novel.

And then one day, I wrote a paragraph I liked. Over the next week, the way to handle the ending began to come into view. Paragraphs began to fit together. The ending worked well.

Sometime later, I realized what was happening. My left brain had come back to life first. My right brain lagged behind. Strange. My hospitalization had nothing to do with the brain. No head injury.

But it certainly appeared as if the left brain woke up and started to work faster than the right brain.

Perhaps there is a message for me here.

jim

“From the first sentence, it captures your attention and carries you on an intriguing mystery-solving adventure.” Avid reader Sharon S.

“I’ve read so many mysteries/suspense stories that all sound alike. A Plot for Murder is very distinctively and enjoyably different.” R. Bruner.

Rod Granet, award-winning novelist and womanizer, is the main speaker at a writers conference. But after the opening session and in front of a crowd, Maggie DeLuca, Father Frank’s sister, accuses Granet of stealing her story and says he will pay.

That night, Granet is killed.

The sheriff quickly zeros in on Maggie and she is hauled off in handcuffs. When Father Frank comes to her aid, the sheriff threatens him with jail if he interferes.

A Texas Ranger is assigned to the investigation. He sees Father Frank as a valuable asset. Even as the sheriff continues to harass Father Frank and interrogate Maggie, the Ranger pushes Father Frank to get more involved, telling him the sheriff considers Maggie his only  suspect. Father Frank is faced not only with his sister being the prime suspect in a murder case, but also threatening letters, a rifle shot through his car as he drives across a bridge, and the sheriff’s promise to put him in jail if he investigates the murder.

Can Father Frank stay out of jail and alive, and find the real

 

If you’d like to order a copy of A Plot for Murder: Murder at the Writers Conference, use this link which will offer you a choice of formats and retailers.    https:books2read.com/u/mYAW2P

 

The Story Behind the Story – with Giveaway

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Today’s guest blogger is Donna Schlachter, who also writes as Leeann Betts   Donna writes historical suspense. Double Jeopardy is her latest, due out in January, 2020. She and her alter ego Leeann have published more than thirty novellas and full-length novels.  They are active in American Christian Fiction Writers, Sisters in Crime and other groups.  She lives in Denver with her husband, Patrick. Today, she gives us the story behind the story, plus a chance to receive a free book.

The story behind the story is often told in the form of back cover copy on the book, but I think it goes way beyond that. Sure, that bit on the back tells us a little about the main characters, the overall plot, and perhaps some about the decisions the main characters must make, because always—let me repeat this—always the choices they are faced with conflict with each other. At first glance, it seems they cannot have everything.

So let’s delve a little deeper into the story behind the story.

Rebecca Campbell was born in New York City, the only child of wealthy socialite Matilda Applewhite Campbell and Robert Campbell. Her mother is everything Rebecca—Becky to her friends—wants to be. Beautiful. Poised. Confident. Instead, she seems doomed to inherit all her traits from her father, who she adores. Reckless. Impulsive. A daredevil.

Becky’s father is gone more than he’s home. When a year passes with no word from him, she sets out, on her own, for his last known location—Silver Valley, Colorado. On her arrival, she learns he has been murdered. Determined to make his mine a success—his last letter promised that as soon as he struck it rich, he’d send for her and her mother—and to find his killer, she settles in at the mine.

But somebody doesn’t want her to succeed. And after a series of accidents and near-misses, she admits she’s in over her head. And the only person she can trust is Zeke—or can she?

The hero is Ezekial Graumann. Most everybody calls him Zeke. Zeke and his family own a fairly large piece of land in southwestern Colorado near the town of Silver Valley. Zeke has two married brothers, as well as two unmarried sisters. In good years, with enough rain, their land can support the three families if they are diligent and careful with their stock. However, the last few years have seen droughts and not enough snowfall, and the grazing is poor. Zeke wants to build his own house, maybe get married and have his own family, but the land won’t support another household.

Unless he can buy water rights from a spread upstream. But he doesn’t have the money to do that. So he looks around town for some weekly work to earn enough to buy the water rights and receive his share of the family land.

And along comes Miss Rebecca Campbell. She is feisty, stubborn, and doesn’t know anything about mining. Yet her determination to find her father’s killer and her resolve to make his mine successful gnaws at Zeke’s heart. And soon he finds himself imagining what it would be like to have her at his side as his wife. Except she’s obviously not ranching material, either.

But when accidents happen at the mine that threaten her safety, he must acknowledge that his feelings for her are more than mere curiosity. Now he must choose between saving his ranch or saving this woman who has stolen his heart.

So what keeps them from getting what they want? The villain, of course. Suffice it to say, it is a man. This man is one of the longest-term residents of Silver Valley, a man of impeccable reputation. On the outside, he looks wealthy. Wears nice clothes. Speaks well. Sounds well-traveled and educated.

Except on the inside, he’s dark, greedy, and lazy. Well, lazy only in the sense he wants to get rich quick. He actually spends a lot of energy trying to cheat and steal his way into wealth. If only he’d use his superpowers for good.

 

I will randomly draw a name from all who leave a comment over the next nine days to win a print (US only) copy of Double Jeopardy. Which means, if you stop by every day and leave a comment, you’ll have nine entries.

Double Jeopardy is available at https://shoplpc.com/double-jeopardy/ Amazon.com, and fine booksellers in your area.

www.HiStoryThruTheAges.com Receive a free ebook simply for signing up for our free newsletter!

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq and Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2gZATjm

We’re All Two Halves of the Same Cookie

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Today, we’re hosting an eclectic artist and author, Carol McClain, who is also secretary of the Author’s Guild of Tennessee.  She’s a transplant from New York, but more on that later.  She has published five books and currently does a little blogging.  Welcome Carol McClain and read a little sage wisdom gained from her time in New York and her time in Tennessee.

 

You’ve seen black and white cookies, those giant confections whose frosting is equally divided between “chocolate” and “vanilla.”

As a child, I loved them. Being female, and a moody one at that, I always claimed the chocolate side when my mother bought them. (We had to share).

As an adult, I one day discovered a display of them. I indulged and bought one.

I nibbled the chocolate side—no need to share as I paid my grown-up money for it. I discerned no chocolate flavor. I chomped into the vanilla side. It tasted like the same—maybe with a slight variation. Both sides of the black and white cookie could’ve been one color.

One day, after several years of debating, my husband and I decided to move from northern New York to the warmer climes of East Tennessee. A writing friend became excited. “Write one of your funny books about the differences between the North and South.”

As I packed for my move, I envisioned the novel. With the animosity between the North and South, with geopolitical and social differences, I’d have an hysterical story.

We moved to Campbell County in the heart of the Cumberland Mountains and discovered, like the black and white cookies, with only slight variations, no differences existed.

There went my book idea.

Still, my friend nagged while I settled in.

Cornbread, a hill dialect, a culture of Christianity as opposed to a culture of agnosticism were about the only variations I found. It confirmed something I believed.

Liberalism mimics conservativism. It, too, excludes things it doesn’t believe in. Blacks/whites, Russians (my heritage)/Anglo Saxons, Baptists/Evangelicals, gay/straight, we all vary outwardly like the icing on the pastry, but as Mandissa sings, “We all bleed the same.”

In the end, I found my book. A New York Yankee on Stinking Creek explores the difference between the North and the South. And nothing’s as it appears, and the extremes of anything err.

We are human. We are sinners. We need redemption. We’re two halves of a black and white cookie.

Carol enjoys running, jazz, stained glass and, of course, writing.  She is the President of ACFW Knoxville.  The world in East Tennessee intrigues her from the friendly neighbors to the beautiful hiking trails and the myriad wildlife.

NOTHING GOOD COMES FROM STINKING CREEK

Alone, again, after the death of her fiancé, abstract artist Kiara Rafferty finds herself on Stinking Creek, Tennessee. She wants out of this hillbilly backwater, where hicks speak an unknown language masquerading as English.  Isolated, if she doesn’t count the snakes and termites infesting her cabin, only a one-way ticket home to Manhattan would solve her problems.

Alone in a demanding crowd, Delia Mae McGuffrey lives for God, her husband, her family, and the congregation of her husband’s church. Stifled by rules, this pastor’s wife walks a fine line of perfection, trying to please them all. Now an atheist Yankee, who moved in across the road, needs her, too.

Two women.Two problems. Each holds the key to the other’s freedom.

A New York Yankee on Stinking Creek, on Amazon in print and digital at  https://tinyurl.com/y2pxjt4a

The Story Behind the Story

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This week’s guest blogger is June Foster, an award-winning author who began her writing career in an RV roaming around the USA with her husband, Joe. She brags about visiting a location before it becomes the setting in her next contemporary romance or romantic suspense. To date, June has 17 novels published.

Dreams Deferred is inspired by the true-to-life story of my great grandfather and great grandmother. I chose to set it in contemporary times. Nevertheless, I borrowed many of the story elements from the true story.

Frances Mathew Halbedl grew up in the European Austrian Empire and followed tradition in which the oldest son became a priest in his family’s Catholic faith. After being ordained in Moravia, he immigrated to the United States in 1866 to serve in a parish in the state of Louisiana.

My aunt and mother always told the story of how one Sunday while saying mass, he spotted a young teen, much younger than my Mary Louise. He waited several years for her to grow up then stepped down from the priesthood to marry her. I wish I knew some of those rich details of their courtship, but since I don’t, I fictionalized their romance.

They later moved to San Antonio, Texas, and had five children, three girls and two boys—Ida, Mamie, Alice, Roy, and Clifton, who was my grandfather. Just for fun in one scene, I imagined that Matt had a dream he was riding in a car with Mary Louise and the three youngest kids. In my story, the dream helped him realize how much he loved Mary Louise.

Mathew taught music both in the public school and privately. Later he became the first principal of a high school in San Antonio. In December of 2005, my husband and I visited San Antonio and looked up Matthew and Mary Louise’s house. The large, two-story home is still there on Roseborough Drive. We weren’t able to go in because it’s a private residence. But I had so much fun envisioning Matt and ML’s lives as they lived there with their children.

We also visited Clifton Halbedl’s home, which I remember from childhood. I also had the address for Mamie’s home, and we were able to go inside. A gracious lady who spoke no English invited us in. I have tons of pictures and hope to share them on my blog.

In the story, Matt gets a job at Jefferson High School. This is patterned after Thomas Jefferson High School where my mother went to school. Her name was Mary Louise, as well, named for her grandmother.

If I’ve learned anything from writing this book, I wish I’d probed for more information when my mother and aunt were still alive, but I’m grateful for what I do know.

Brief Blurb on Dreams Deferred –

Father Matt Hall wants to serve the Lord. School teacher Mary Louise Graham needs freedom from her unforgivable past. They never expect to fall in love.

You can find June at:  junefoster.com.

You can find Dreams Deferred at:  https://tinyurl.com/y3g555tz

The Story Behind the Story

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Today’s guest is Donna Schlachter. She writes historical suspense under her own name, and contemporary suspense under her alter ego of Leeann Betts. She is a hybrid author who has published a number of books under her pen name and under her own … Continue reading →

When is a Lie Not a Lie?

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Today, Donna Schlachter talks about pseudonyms – and then about her new book.  Donna lives in Denver.  She writes historical suspense under her own name and contemporary suspense under her alter ego of Leeann Betts.  In addition, she ghostwrites, edits … Continue reading →

Bloom Where You Are Planted

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Our guest today is Lynn Hobbs. She is an award-winning authorof inspirational Christian fiction and biographies.  Each book in her first series, Running Forward, a powerful faith and family saga, won first place for Religious fiction in the Texas Association … Continue reading →

Attacked!

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Today’s guest is Ada Brownell, author of six books and hundreds of stories and articles. When she sat down to write her latest book, The Peach Blossom Rancher, she drew from her experiences growing up in Colorado’s Peach Country near Grand Junction, picking peaches … Continue reading →