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Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Sara Fitzgerald
Sara Fitzgerald has a daughter with autism and was involved in getting the S.B 57 Autism Services Amendments passed. Sara was named Writer of the Year by the League of Utah Writers in 2006. She is also the author of the Christmas Story, Saving Savanna.
She lives with her husband and daughter in the Rocky Mountains. She enjoys spending time with her family.
A Miracle for Ann
Ann is two-years-old and was recently diagnosed with autism. Her parents are desperate to help her. Ann shows great promise. However, she needs early intervention at an expensive preschool.
Going to school could give Ann the life her parents always dreamed of for her. But paying for the school would take a miracle, and this Christmas season, miracles seem to be in short supply.
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| Get the Book at Amazon |
...Kate pushed Ann’s stroller inside the mall. It was a weekday and the mall had barely opened, so it wasn’t noisy or crowded. It was decorated with huge, beautiful gold ornaments dangling from the high ceilings. In the center of the mall was a cluster of Christmas trees where Santa sat by a glowing fire.
Kate swallowed. How would Ann react? This probably wasn’t a good idea. Kate wanted a picture of Ann with Santa. Kate reached in the stroller and undid the straps on Ann and lifted her. Christmas carols played in the background. No one was in line.
“Hi,” said a young teenage girl. “Would you like her picture taken with Santa or just to visit?”
Kate gulped. “Picture please.”
“What a cute little girl.” The teenager said.
Kate had dressed Ann in a darling red velvet dress. Her brown hair curled softly around her small face. She looked perfect.
The teenager waved her arm toward Santa. “Go ahead. He’s ready for you.”
Santa sat up straight. He looked the part. If this went well it would be a lovely picture.
“Ho, ho,” he said in a loud booming voice.
Oh no. Maybe Kate should have tried harder to get a hold of the mall to warn the Santa to be gentle and calm. Ann’s eyes went round, she covered her ears. When they reached the Santa, he began to pull Ann away from Kate. “Ho, ho, ho.” He laughed jolly.
He played the part so well, a typical child would love him, but Ann wasn’t typical. She covered her ears and began to scream. The Santa let go and left Ann in Kate’s arms. His eyes widened.
Kate’s eyes misted. This was going exactly the way she feared it would. Her heart sank. These were the times it hurt the most that Ann had autism.
Other Titles by Sara Fitzgerald
Saving Savanna
Mine for Keeps
Just What the Doctor Ordered
Yesterday’s Wish
Anything for Charity
Darkness Within
Magic Within
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Cindy A. Christiansen
Hello, Kathryn. I have been writing for some time now and have sixteen published books. I got started writing when I was diagnosed with an autoimmune illness and was bedridden. Writing and adopting my first rescue dog was what got me through that difficult period of time. Although I write sweet romantic suspense, I also add dogs, feature them on my covers and donate a portion of my proceeds to Community Animal Welfare Society (CAWS).
When easy-going Tanker Sutherland is jilted at the altar, he moves to Utah for a job on the ski patrol and to train a new avalanche rescue dog, Tobler. Tank is annoyed when he’s assigned to help a pretentious, well-to-do woman named Olivia find her brother instead of an official search and rescue. Never once did he dream it would involve criminal recyclers, kidnapping, an avalanche and serious danger.
After four years of not being able to write due to my youngest son's health issues, I am back with two new novellas--Christmas Spoons and Hawk Mountain Heist. Hawk Mountain Heist is my traditional style but Christmas Spoons is my first historical, holiday, family-life story. It's getting great reviews on Amazon!
Louise has been passed from one relative to another for years. Now, World War II has ended, she’s ready to graduate high school and wants to escape to Salt Lake City, Utah on her own. That is, until she meets Danny who has just returned from World War II.
Danny longed for two years to return to his small home town. Now that he’s home, nothing feels the same. He finds himself wishing for more out of life than working his family’s farm and turning his money over to his parents.
When friends decide to elope to Las Vegas, Danny and Louise find themselves along for the ride. With very few possessions, little money and limited jobs after the war, the two struggle to build a future with only their love, friends, optimism and faith.
This novella is a historical, holiday, family-life story suitable for young adults and up.
Buy Links: https://books2read.com/u/4XKAQv
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When easy-going Tanker Sutherland is jilted at the altar, he moves to Utah for a job on the ski patrol and to train a new avalanche rescue dog, Tobler. Tank is annoyed when he’s assigned to help a pretentious, well-to-do woman named Olivia find her brother instead of an official search and rescue. Never once did he dream it would involve criminal recyclers, kidnapping, an avalanche and serious danger.
Olivia is terrified of being buried alive, but it doesn’t stop her from going to the winter mountains during a huge storm to find her real estate developer brother when he doesn’t return her calls. Unfortunately, she’s assigned a ski patroller who doesn’t have his heart in the search.
Will Olivia and Tanker set their distrust aside long enough to rescue her brother from criminal recyclers?
This novella is a sweet (clean) romantic suspense suitable for young adults and up.
Buylink: https://books2read.com/u/4NGJxx
Bestselling author, Cindy A Christiansen, has combined her love of dogs with her joy of writing to create an award-winning combination. Her novels always include canine characters both in the pages and on the cover, an extension of the credit she gives to her extraordinary rescue dogs for their part in helping her overcome numerous challenges. In a reciprocal gesture for their love and devotion, a portion of the proceeds from her books is donated to assist abandoned and abused dogs.
She lives in Utah with her loving husband, two creative children with autism, and a pack of rambunctious dogs.
Fly into a good book!
You can contact her through her website at:
or by email at:
Saturday, December 9, 2017
The Gift: A Parable of the Key is FREE today!
For all of you readers of my Virginia Bean parable books, click over to Amazon today and get the final book in the series FREE!
Get the Book at Amazon
Saturday, November 18, 2017
Friday, December 23, 2016
Monday, December 19, 2016
It's Getting Close to Christmas!
The excitment of Christmas is growing!
How are you feeling about now?
Excited?
Overwhelmed?
Tired?
Making time to write?
I hope so. Writing, for me, is a sort of therapy anyway -- one I especially need during the holidays. I have been working on my first YA mystery novel and am up to page 70 or so.
New projects, especially trying out new genres, is pretty exciting, and I hope to get Tie Died out to my younger readers in the fall of next year.
Merry Christmas and, as always
Happy Writing!
Kathryn
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Monday, December 12, 2016
Feeling Frantic? Too Much to Do?
THIS IS MY FAVORITE SCRIPTURE.
MUCH NEEDED THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON.
Wishing you moments of quiet reflection and true joy.
Kathryn
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Anne Evans
Tell me about
yourself. What got you started in writing?
When I was a child,
my dad had a personal library of 4000 books. He got me hooked on the reading
addiction early. From there it was a natural step for me to start wanting to
create books of my own. As a middle schooler, I fell in love with Rosemary
Sutcliff’s juvenile historical fiction and at age 15 I finished my first full
length novel. The rest is history.
How do you
schedule your writing time? When do you write?
As the mom of a
preschooler and new baby, I write either before the kiddos get up, or after
they’re in bed. While on deadline, though, I’ve been known to attempt trying to
string sentences together while my 4-year-old “Joe-Joe” has his preschool songs
turned up to an ear-blasting amount of decibels.
How and where do
you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words
down?
I type 120 wpm so
trying to piece together thoughts on anything slower than a laptop keyboard
drives me crazy. Thumb typing on my phone is sheer torture.
What's your
favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?
My favorite part about
writing is getting people’s edits in my critique groups and seeing my story
through their eyes. My least favorite part about writing is getting people’s edits
in my critique groups and seeing all my mistakes through their eyes.
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How did you come
up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?
Several years
before I had written Hot Lead & Cold
Apple Pie, a romantic comedy set in the 1890s in the silver-mining town of
Gilman, CO. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a book contract for it. Then my
literary agent sent out a call for Christmas novella submissions. Using some of
the characters from my former novel, I came up with Plum Pudding Bride on a
whim and pounded out the entire manuscript in a month or so. Happily this year
I got a contract on Hot Lead & Cold
Apple Pie, so if you like Plum
Pudding Bride, you will be able to stay in Gilman, CO a little longer for
another love story full of adventure and comedy.
What types of
marketing do you do to promote your writing?
I do a little bit
of everything. Right now though, I just started a Facebook group connecting
book bloggers and authors. Unlike other groups, it’s blogger focused and
bloggers get to pick the books they want to request rather than having authors
contact them. Here’s the link. If you’re a blogger, please do check out the
group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/192888064470707/
What are you
currently working on? Do you have a new book out?
Rosemary Sutcliff
initiated my love of Ancient Rome and taking two years of Latin in college
cemented that love. The first novel I ever wrote was set in the Roman Empire
and finally I got a contract for novels set in that period. I have a four book
series set in Ancient Rome coming out next year and I am currently working on
edits. The Love & Warfare series follows a family of elite Roman
patricians, the Paterculis, through the first and second century A.D. Each book
is a love story, but there are plenty of villains, barbaric uprisings,
smuggling, and slave revolts as well.
Do you have a
project on the back burner? Tell me about it.
As soon as I get
edits out of the way, I will start in earnest on my contemporary romantic suspense,
From Harvard to Al-Qaeda. An atheist Harvard grad student ends up in
Saudi Arabia posing as a native under a fake passport for her Ph.D. thesis in
middle eastern studies. A Christian CIA operative falls in love with her and
they get tangled up in Al-Qaeda of the Arabian Pennisula in Yemen trying to
stop a terrorist plot. Still looking for beta readers if the premise intrigues
you.
What would you
tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has
enough talent?
Most writing lectures I’ve attended
start with a form of this quote: “If there’s a way you can convince yourself to
give up writing, do so, because writing will drive you insane.” It’s true. You
have to look far and wide to find as low paying, highly frustrating work as
writing. I personally have tried to give up writing on numerous occasions and I
just can’t. I need to write. Stories
jump at me and I can’t seem to push them away.
So don’t worry about talent. If writing is
in your blood, you’ll find a way to make your writing publish-worthy. One can’t
write all the time for years without getting good at it. And if writing isn’t
an all-consuming passion for you, do yourself a favor and find a job that pays
more. Your checkbook will thank you.
***
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Mary L. Ball
Tell me a about yourself.
What got you started in writing?
Kathryn, it’s great to be on your blog. I’m a
multi-published author and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. I
reside in the heart of North Carolina. When I’m not working on a story, I like
to reading, fish and singing with hubby at church functions.
I didn’t start writing until I quit working in
administration to keep my grandson full time. When he was a baby I began
writing Christian articles and from there branched into fiction.
How do you schedule
your writing time? When do you write?
Just like many I
have a busy life. I have parents in a nursing facility. I tend to their laundry
needs and other situations. I keep my grandson when my daughter is working, I’m
an associate pastor’s wife and we have a singing ministry.
I don’t have the luxury of being able to close the door to
my home office and write every day for 5 hours. But I enjoy crafting stories so
I keep at it as often as I can. I’m a morning person so early mornings is my
best time. I work on my writing until about 9:30 then most days I’ll go to the
nursing home. Later, after I’ve prepared dinner I’ll try to get a couple hours
of writing in before I retire for the night.
How and where do
you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words
down?
I prefer my desktop and in the mornings I use that. In the
afternoons or
evenings it is usually my laptop. If it’s nice
weather out I’ll go on my porch
and write.
What's your
favorite part about writing? Your least favorite
part about writing?
My favorite part of creating a story is having full
control over the outcome of my characters’ lives. My least liked part of the
writing process is the necessary evil in writing, the many edits and proof
reads.
How did you come
up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?
For most
of my novels I have a clear answer to that question and can go back to the hour
the idea flourished or the day that I felt a nudge from the Lord.
However, the
complete story of “Sparks of Love” was different. I knew I wanted to write
about a character that felt the Lord had turned away from her and she’d lost faith, but the plot of the story was a process that developed as I worked on
the character’s situation. Most of my novels take
about four to six months to finish the first draft.
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| Get the Book at Amazon |
What types of
marketing do you do to promote your writing?
I post to Facebook
on groups that fit my genre. I use twitter and have a few regular sites that I
often buy ads on. Promoting takes so much time away from writing and it’s a
struggle to find time to do it all.
What are you
currently working on? Do you have a new book out?
I have a
non-fiction in the works, “Moments with God’s Word,” soon to be released. My
current fiction work in progress is called “Awaiting Tomorrow.” It is at a
halfway stage.
And yes, I have
another release. J A novella titled “A Love Valley Christmas” it is part of Prism
Book Group’s Christmas Cowboy line coming out sometime in Nov. 2016.
Do you have a
project on the back burner? Tell me about it.
I have a fiction
story tugging at my heart about pearl diving. It’s resting in my mind until I
can complete my other projects.
What would you
tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has
enough talent?
Writing is a learning process. Anyone who wants to write and can form an understanding paragraph can tune their writing skills, and develop what
they need to become a published author.
***
A Question for Me:
Kathryn, It doesn’t take a published author
long to learn that writing and marketing the book goes hand in hand. How do you
juggle promoting and still have time to write?
Balancing marketing is tough, but I have found that if I give time every day to both, then I never feel as if I am writing and not marketing or marketing and not writing. Most days, I have from morning to late afternoon to work on my writing, and so I try to put aside at least a couple of hours of marketing per day and a bit more writing. It really depends on the day. The important thing is to be flexible; not all writers have the same amount of time to spend at marketing or writing, so make time for what works for you.
Another thing I have done to balance marketing and writing, is to have my marketing information in one place. I used to have emails, social media, contact names and so forth, all over my desk and in a messy binder. As of 2012, I created a book called, "Marketing Your Book on a Budget," that is updated and re-released every January. In this book I offer writers links to getting book reviews; even how to create book trailers on the cheap. You can find the book here.
Thanks!
***
To learn more about Mary:
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
What are you doing to keep sane this holiday season?
I couldn't resist writing about this topic today.
After all, we're almost to Thanksgiving, and then the real fun begins!
During the holidays, do you spend time reading a good book, or are you more likely to be racing around the stores for the best buys?
Do you shop online to avoid the rush?
Are you a Scrooge?
Do you love to decorate and spend time in the evening sipping hot cocoa by the fire?
As I thought about the things I do every Christmas season, I was actually surprised at some of the more worthy traditions our family has incorporated, many of which ease the stress of the holidays.
1. Reading children's Christmas books together. I have the opportunity to be with 2 of my 4 grandchildren every Christmas because they live with me. So that means I have ample time to read at night before bed or during the day.
2. I also invite my grandchildren to decorate the tree with me. I play Christmas music and enjoy the excitement that only children can bring.
3. We ususally take a drive and see the Christmas lights, stopping afterward to get scones and hot chocolate at a nearby country store. Unfortunately, this year there will be a little bit of stress choosing another location since our favorite place has closed down.
4. Some of the more practical things I do to turn down the volume, is to wrap my gifts and place them under the Christmas tree right after I've purchased them, rather than spending hours wrapping them on Christmas Eve.
5. I also choose one Christmas book I'd like to read during the month of December and make sure I get throughit before December 25. This year the book is O Little Town by Don Reid of the Statler Brothers.
What do you do to keep sane?
What are some of your holiday traditions?
I would love to hear!
Kathryn
After all, we're almost to Thanksgiving, and then the real fun begins!
During the holidays, do you spend time reading a good book, or are you more likely to be racing around the stores for the best buys?
Do you shop online to avoid the rush?
Are you a Scrooge?
Do you love to decorate and spend time in the evening sipping hot cocoa by the fire?
As I thought about the things I do every Christmas season, I was actually surprised at some of the more worthy traditions our family has incorporated, many of which ease the stress of the holidays.
1. Reading children's Christmas books together. I have the opportunity to be with 2 of my 4 grandchildren every Christmas because they live with me. So that means I have ample time to read at night before bed or during the day.
2. I also invite my grandchildren to decorate the tree with me. I play Christmas music and enjoy the excitement that only children can bring.
3. We ususally take a drive and see the Christmas lights, stopping afterward to get scones and hot chocolate at a nearby country store. Unfortunately, this year there will be a little bit of stress choosing another location since our favorite place has closed down.
4. Some of the more practical things I do to turn down the volume, is to wrap my gifts and place them under the Christmas tree right after I've purchased them, rather than spending hours wrapping them on Christmas Eve.
5. I also choose one Christmas book I'd like to read during the month of December and make sure I get throughit before December 25. This year the book is O Little Town by Don Reid of the Statler Brothers.
What do you do to keep sane?
What are some of your holiday traditions?
I would love to hear!
Kathryn
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE!
Scrambling to get your Christmas wrapping done?
Need to finish the Christmas baking?
Is company coming this week?
Want to write at least one line this week?
Never fear. Listen to this calming Christmas music and it just may give you an idea or two to write about:
Need to finish the Christmas baking?
Is company coming this week?
Want to write at least one line this week?
Never fear. Listen to this calming Christmas music and it just may give you an idea or two to write about:
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Friday, December 18, 2015
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Janina Rossiter
Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?
I wrote a few stories but it in the end it took another two
years until I decided to publish the first of the Tovi books. Really, it was
the birth of my daughter that motivated me to have the books out there in the
real word and not just on my
How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?
I tend to write in the evenings after a full day of work or
sometimes at the weekends, when my daughter is having her nap. I try never to
give myself any time pressures, so I won’t publish a book until I think it’s perfect.
How and where do you
write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down?
I write and illustrate at home on my desktop. I do a lot of the
illustrations on paper beforehand and then I scan them in and redraw them on
the computer.
What's your favorite
part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?
I love to be able to put the ideas that are going around in my
head onto paper and to create a story out of them that can reach so many
people. The only negative aspect of the whole process is that I wish I had more
time to dedicate to it, since it takes time to create and to write and as a mum
working a full-time job, it can be hard to find a spare minute!
How did you come up
with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?
My inspiration tends to come from my own experiences, which I
can then mould into a fun little story.
For the Christmas themed book, for example, the idea came to me
a few years ago when my family and I celebrated Christmas by blending our
different traditions. My husband is English and traditionally celebrates on the
25th, whereas my family and I are German and celebrate on Christmas Eve. For
me, the tradition has always been to exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, with the
25th and 26th being a holiday when we would visit our extended family. So when
we decided to do it the English way (on December 25th), it meant that we
enjoyed Christmas Eve simply having a nice dinner and taking more time to just
talk to each other without a thought for presents. For most people Christmas
has become a commercial event that is often associated with the stress of
getting the right gifts, so I wanted to focus on a story that was not about the
presents but about spending time with the people you love and having fun
together.
What types of
marketing do you do to promote your writing?
I only work with Bookbub and I’ve been fortunate in that it’s
been very successful each time. I do also post a lot on Facebook and Instagram
for my followers to see what Tovi is up to and when new books are coming up,
etc.
What are you currently
working on? Do you have a new book out?
I am currently working on Tovi’s next adventure: Tovi the
Penguin goes away to the Seaside. The inspiration for this book came last
summer when my family and I all went off to Britany for our summer holiday. I
am very excited about the book and I’m looking forward to publish it and
getting it out there for others to read!
Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell
me about it.
Not really. As long as I have new ideas I will keep writing the Tovi adventures.
What would you tell a
beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough
talent?
For me, writing and illustrating means doing what I love, so I would encourage anyone who is thinking about it to give it a try. There is no more satisfying feeling than to see your own creation come to life.
The best piece of advice I could give though is to remember that
while starting a project of your own will always mean putting a little of
yourself out there, you shouldn’t be scared of doing so as this is also what
will inspire you to keep going when it gets tough. One of the biggest lessons I
learned has been not to be embarrassed about what I create and to be proud of
it no matter what others may think.
Question for me:
What advice would you give a writer? Would you prefer the traditional publishing route or do you also believe in self-publishing?
Great question. I think the answer to the question depends on the writer. I started out in the traditional venue and sent out book requests until my fingers turned blue. When a local publishing house finally accept my work, I was ecstatic, though, as it turned out, I wasn't completely happy with my choice.
I had very little say on the cover and the price of the book was much higher than I thought it should be. In the end, and a few years later, my brother helped me by purchasing the rights back to my book and I have been on my own ever since.
Self-publishing has been the best choice for me. I have much more control on what I do including book covers, price and more. I have also been able to help other writers, through Idea Creations Press, to get their own dream book in print.
What advice would you give a writer? Would you prefer the traditional publishing route or do you also believe in self-publishing?
Great question. I think the answer to the question depends on the writer. I started out in the traditional venue and sent out book requests until my fingers turned blue. When a local publishing house finally accept my work, I was ecstatic, though, as it turned out, I wasn't completely happy with my choice.
I had very little say on the cover and the price of the book was much higher than I thought it should be. In the end, and a few years later, my brother helped me by purchasing the rights back to my book and I have been on my own ever since.
Self-publishing has been the best choice for me. I have much more control on what I do including book covers, price and more. I have also been able to help other writers, through Idea Creations Press, to get their own dream book in print.
***
Thank you, Janina!
Look for Janina and her books at the following sites:
Look for Janina and her books at the following sites:
https://www.facebook.com/ToviThePenguin/
Tovi the Penguin: goes
Camping (Volume 1)
by Janina Rossiter
Tovi the Penguin: goes
away for Christmas (Volume 2)
by Janina Rossiter
Tovi the Penguin: goes to
London (Volume 3)
by Janina Rossiter
Tovi the Penguin: goes
into space (Volume 4)
by Janina Rossiter
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