Friday, December 16, 2011

Black Eyes and the Perfect Heroine


Image from piddleville
I got this idea a couple days ago to do a sort of series highlighting some of my favorite movie heroines and what makes them so great. McLintock! is one of my favorite movies, and having recently watched it for the umpteenth time—and never tiring of it—I studied the character of Katherine “Katie” McLintock and wondered why I am continuously so drawn to this red-headed hussy!
So what do black eyes have to do with the perfect heroine? Well, in Maureen O’Hara’s case in her portrayal of feisty Katie, quite a lot! After a muddy mess of a fight, alongside hero John Wayne--er, G.W. McLintcok-- when asked by the hired help (played by the lovely Yvonne De Carlo) if the man himself gave her the black eye, she replied in her fiery tone, “No, nobody gave it to me. I won it!" 
Katie is often, so... well, so petulant. So why do I find myself time-after-time, smiling at the Irish lass's spitfire temperament, know-how, confidence, and cockiness? She is my quintessential version of Scarlett O'Hara, with so many more layers...

The back story to Katie's and G.W.'s relationship says a lot about who she has become; a woman separated from her husband, who has taken up heirs, determined to protect her heart from anymore wounds. The tension continues to build until G.W. finally has it out with his leading lady.

"You came home from Denver..." Katie finally breaks out, shaking her finger at him.

"...with lipstick on my collar," G.W. finishes.

"And I've got the shirt to prove it!" she fires back triumphantly.

Though we never know what really happened in Denver (Hey, maybe he tripped and a nice lady clad in lipstick broke his fall. It could happen!), it is evident the encounter left a much slighter affect on our hero than our heroine.

So all of this petulance (watch the movie to see why I keep using that word!) stems for a source of fear on Katie's part, a feeling of inadequacy. This well-thought, enormously felt mixture of vulnerability and sprightliness bubble in a volatile chemical combination until the tension brought forth in Katie's character reacts with that of G.W.'s leaving us breathless as we watch this turbulent, passionate romance.

So, here is to Katherine Gilhooly McLintock! One fine heroine in my book!

Oh, and to find out if these two had a happy ending, well... I won't say a word.


Monday, December 12, 2011

Great Expectations

Photo from deepho

As writers, don't we all have such great expectations? Great expectations to be the best "me" we can, to be successful, published authors, to write original work, win awards?

I entered my first contest night before last, Great Expectations. Perhaps a lofty contest for a first, but hey, I like to aim high. As Anne Shirley would say, “I can't help flying up on the wings of anticipation. It's as glorious as soaring through a sunset... almost pays for the thud.”

Yes, I can't help but have secret hopes of finaling, but my realistic side is looking forward to the valuable comments from the judges. And I do hope they are valuable. lol.

While I'm waiting for my scores, I'm hoping to write a lot. Perhaps have a finished, or pretty darn close, manuscript by the time I hear from the contest. Also a lofty ambition. Oh, Anne, you're such a kindred spirit!

Until next time...

Whitney


Sunday, October 16, 2011

This Week's Best Cover

A Whisper of Peace
by Kim Vogel Sawyer


This cover is beautiful for many reasons. The scenery, the model, the pose, and the colors all combine to create anticipation for a story that promises to be rustic, romantic, maybe even dangerous. This book has been on my TBR list for a long time now. Released the first of last month, here's the blurb via Amazon.com for Kim Vogel Sawyer's A Whisper of Peace.

Ostracized by her tribe because of her white father, Lizzie Dawson lives alone in the mountains of Alaska, practicing the ways of her people even as she resides in the small cabin her father built for her mother. She dreams of reconciling with her grandparents to fulfill her mother's dying request, but she has not yet found a way to bridge the gap that separate her from her tribe.

Clay Selby has always wanted to be like his father, a missionary who holds a great love for the native people and has brought many to God. Clay and his stepsister, Vivian, arrive in Alaska to set up a church and school among the Athbascan people. Clay is totally focused on this goal...until he meets a young, independent Indian woman with the most striking blue eyes he's ever seen.

But Lizzie is clearly not part of the tribe, and befriending her might have dire consequences for his mission. Will Clay be forced to choose between his desire to minister to the natives and the quiet nudging of his heart?


Have a wonderful Sunday!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Dear Blog...

October 1, 2011
Dear Blog,
It has been a long time. Somewhere in the spinning hands of the clock, you have gotten buried beneath dirty dishes, laundry, jobs, school work, errands, moving, and dare I add “stress” in general?
Please do not be mad at me, as I will try to find more time for you—maybe even multiple postings a week! (Maybe).
To make up for such a short post, here are a couple pictures, and poem, in honor of autumn (though it’s raining here right now!), for inspiration.

Shades of Autumn
Judith A. Lindberg





A tangerine and russet cascade
Of kaleidoscopic leaves
Creates a tapestry of autumn magic
Upon the emerald carpet of fading summer
.




The golden memories of sunsets and twilight
Hover in the backdrop of the peek-a-boo patch
Of silver skylight.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

This Week's Best Cover

This Week's Best Cover is
The Lightkeeper's Bride
by Colleen Coble
This book exudes mystery and intrigue. Romance. It's on my list of books to read, too. I've read the first book in the series The Lightkeeper's Daughter, and it is very good. There is also a third book in the series (also with a beautiful cover), so I have some catching up to do.

Also, here is a great link to a web site called Cover Cafe. It has a lot of good information, as well as giving readers, writers, and artists the chance to nominate and vote for their favorite cover art. Miss Nancy sent me the link and I am still exploring the web site! Happy viewing. : )

Friday, May 13, 2011

This Week's Best Cover

This Week's Best Cover is
A River to Cross by Yvonne Harris

This week's best cover is actually a pre-order, available August 1st on amazon.com. This cover makes me think of Zane Grey: strong cowboys with tender hearts, awesome horses, a value for women, and the knowledge that right always overcomes wrong.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Recipe for a Character

I got up the other morning with my mind on using the pre-afternoon hours to bake. At my house, we love home-made, whole wheat muffins, and I find myself whipping up a few batches and freezing them every few weeks.
It is a labor of love, making me think of the pioneer women who cooked all day, slaving over the stove, proud of the perfect biscuits they pulled from the oven after hours of work, only for them to be gone; eaten up by their husbands and several children.
Anyway, I was wondering about a recipe for a character. Or even a recipe for plot, motive, back story. How do you make a good character? This list may need tweaking according to your story, setting, historical era, etc: an extra teaspoon of pride or one part cornhusk eyes, two parts manly swagger.
For one of my current stories (that is another post in itself, as I begin just about all of my story ideas in hopes of one day successfully and satisfactorily ending them), the recipe might look a little like this for my hero and heroine:
For One Wyoming Hero, Approximately Six Feet Tall, MIX:
1 cup stubbornness
¾ cup tender heart
½ cup well tanned, defined muscled cowboy
Sprinkle of green eyes, flecked with gold
Dash of mystery
Pinch of denial sifted together with broken heart
3 Tbsp. faith
One pinch plaid shirt
One dollop cocky grin

For One Adventurous Nomadic Heroine, Approximately Five Foot Seven Inches Tall, MIX:
½ cup broken heart
¾ cup adventurous spirit
¼ cup searching soul
½ cup wild-raven-haired-beauty
½ cup stubbornness
2 heaping tbsp. faith

Interesting exercise, n’est-ce pa? What’s the recipe for your work in progress -or one of them, if you’re like me?
Mix two recipes together, let rest in refrigerator overnight, knead and bake at 400 degrees for 2 hours. When timer goes off, remove from oven and set on cooling racks for fifteen minutes. When you return, you will have this:
This might look A LOT like Andrew McCarthy in a sweet movie called Straight from the Heart, but it’s really Mitch Brent, one of my work in progress’ heroes.






And this—well, this might look A LOT like a picture I found while surfing the net sometime ago and saved it because it just begged to be a character in a story, though I can’t remember where I stumbled across it now, BUT it’s really Jessica Kinsley, Mitch’s heroine.









Don’t be shy. Share your recipes here at Recipes-For-Jam-Up-Good-Characters also known as Recipes-For-Characters-That-Are-Lip-Smackin’-Good.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

A Mother's Love...



I remember my mother's prayers
and they have always followed me. 
They have clung to me all my life. 
~Abraham Lincoln


One good mother is worth
a hundred schoolmasters. 
~George Herbert
A little girl,
asked where her home was, replied,
 "where mother is." 
~Keith L. Brooks


 As is the mother, so is her daughter.
-Ezekiel 16:44

The tie which links mother and child
 is of such pure and immaculate
strength as to be never violated. 
~Washington Irving


Being a full-time mother
is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field,
since the payment is pure love. 
~Mildred B. Vermont


A mother is a person who
seeing there are only four pieces of pie
for five people, promptly announces
she never did care for pie. 
~Tenneva Jordan

 



I love you, Mom!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

This Week's Best Cover

This Week's Best Cover is
The Gathering Storm
by Bodie and Brock Thoene


From the first time I saw this cover, I loved it. They use this cover for this book as it portrays a story in itself. Adventure, romance, intrigue, danger, a cause: they all come through in this image. I love how the woman is curled up in that super handsome guy's arms; his cheeks against her head, his nose in her hair. An emotion-packed cover to draw a reader in.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Exciting Pre-Orders!

NOTE: Before the pre-orders, I would first like to make mention of a wonderful man of God who this past Wednesday, April 27, finally got to meet face-to-face the Love of his life. David Wilkerson. If you don't know the inspiring story of Pastor Wilkerson, you can visit the World Challenge or Times Square Church web sites. Our prayers are with his family. You will be missed, Pastor Wilkerson.


Do you mark your calendar on the date when a book you're looking forward to is set to be released? There were so many to mention, but alas, that would be the blog post that never ends, so I’ve compiled a small list of the many soon-to-be-out arrivals. Get your red pen now and circle the dates for when these upcoming releases are due out. 

The pictures are clickable and take you to the precise page where they can be pre-ordered from amazon.com, so reserve your copy today. Available product descriptions taken from amazon.com. And by the way, aren’t the covers lovely?!


May 24, 2011Small-Town Hearts by Ruth Logan Herne
Securing a location for his family's chain of sweet shops is big-city businessman Danny Graham's secret mission. But Grandma Mary's Candies will mean the end of Megan Russo's little shop—and the end of her dreams. How can Danny put a quaint, small-town candy shop out of business? Especially one owned by a kind young woman who's lost too much already? Still, here he is, trying to romance his sweet rival…although Megan doesn't know who he really is. Seems like Danny needs to look into his own heart and discover what matters most.

July 12, 2011Love by the Book by Cara Lynn James

Melinda Hollister's sister and Nick Bryson's brother tragically die in a train wreck, leaving behind three-year-old daughter Nell. Much to Melinda's surprise, she and Nick become co-guardians of the child. The three of them spend July and August at Summerhill, a seaside mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, where they try to get better acquainted and work out a solution to their dilemma with the help of missionary friends. 
Though neither loves the other, Melinda and Nick marry to provide a stable home for Nell. But when Nell is kidnapped, they put aside their differences to search for her. Their emerging feelings for each other soon strengthen as they focus their attention on the rescued child they mutually adore.
Although Melinda and Nick are both Christians, they've never before taken the Bible as a serious guidebook for their lives. But now they admit they love each other and that their love is based "on the Book." Following principles written in the Bible they've both learned to put each other's needs ahead of their own. "Let no man seek his own good, but the good of every other man." Accepting this precept gives them much more in common and the hope of a passionate future grounded in mutual love.
August 1, 2011A Most Unsuitable Match by Stephanie Grace Whitson
An unlikely attraction occurs between two passengers on a steamboat journey up the Missouri River to Montana...

She is a self-centered young woman from a privileged family who fears the outdoors and avoids anything rustic. He is a preacher living under a sense of duty and obligation to love the unlovable people in the world. She isn't letting anything deter her from solving a family mystery that surfaced after her mother's death. He is on a mission to reach the rejects of society in the remote wilderness regions of Montana. Miss Fannie Rousseau and Reverend Samuel Beck are opposites in every way... except in how they both keep wondering if their paths will ever cross again.


August 1, 2011Out of Control by Mary Connealy
Julia Gilliland has always been interested in the natural world around her. She particularly enjoys her outings to the cavern near her father's homestead, where she explores for fossils and formations, and plans to write a book about her discoveries. The cave seems plenty safe--until the day a mysterious intruder steals the rope she uses to find her way out.

Rafe Kincaid has spent years keeping his family's cattle ranch going, all without help from his two younger brothers, who fled the ranch--and Rafe's controlling ways--as soon as they were able. He's haunted by one terrible day at the cave on a far-flung corner of the Kincaid property, a day that changed his life forever. Ready to put the past behind him, he plans to visit the cave one final time. He sure doesn't expect to find a young woman trapped in one of the tunnels--or to be forced to kiss her!

Rafe is more intrigued by Julia than any woman he's ever known, but how can he overlook her fascination with the cave he despises? And when his developing relationship with Julia threatens his chance at reconciliation with his brothers, will he be forced to choose between the family bonds that could restore his trust and the love that could heal his heart?


August 1, 2011The Colonel’s Lady by Laura Frantz
In 1779, when genteel Virginia spinster Roxanna Rowan arrives at the Kentucky fort commanded by Colonel Cassius McLinn, she finds that her officer father has died. Penniless and destitute, Roxanna is forced to take her father's place as scrivener. Before long, it's clear that the colonel himself is attracted to her. But she soon realizes the colonel has grave secrets of his own--some of which have to do with her father's sudden death. Can she ever truly love him?

Readers will be enchanted by this powerful story of love, faith, and forgiveness from reader favorite Laura Frantz. Her solid research and deft writing immerse readers in the world of the early frontier while her realistic characters become intimate friends.


September 1, 2011The Doctor’s Lady by Jody Hedlund
Priscilla White knows she'll never be a wife or mother and feels God's call to the mission field in India. Dr. Eli Ernest is back from Oregon Country only long enough to raise awareness of missions to the natives before heading out West once more. But then Priscilla and Eli both receive news from the mission board: No longer will they send unmarried men and women into the field.

Left scrambling for options, the two realize the other might be the answer to their needs. Priscilla and Eli agree to a partnership, a marriage in name only that will allow them to follow God's leading into the mission field. But as they journey west, this decision will be tested by the hardships of the trip and by the unexpected turnings of their hearts.


September 1, 2011Tall, Dark, and Determined by Kelley Eileen Hake

 Product description currently unavailable.
September 1, 2011A Heart Revealed by Julie Lessman

Ten years ago, Emma Malloy fled Dublin for Boston as a battered woman, escaping the husband who scarred her beautiful face. The physical and emotional wounds have faded with time, and her life is finally full of purpose and free from the pain of her past. But when she falls for her friend Charity's handsome and charming brother, Sean O'Connor, fear and shame threaten to destroy her. Could Sean and Emma ever have a future together? Or is Emma doomed to live out the rest of her life denying the only true love she's ever known?

Filled with intense passion and longing, deception and revelation, A Heart Revealed will hold readers in its grip until the very last page.

October 1, 2011 - The Lady's Maid by Susan Page Davis
Lady Anne Stone is determined to find the new Earl of Branwell who disappeared into America’s Wild West. Her maid, Elise Kleinschmidt, has resolved to be her chaperone, no matter where Lady Anne goes. Will these women succumb to the dangers of their quest or survive to find dreams fulfilled on the trail?


October 1, 2011 - Love on the Line by Deanne Gist

In 1904 Texas Ranger Luke Palmer arrives in Brenham, Texas, with one goal--to capture the gang of outlaws led by Frank Comer. Undercover as a telephone repairman, he uses his days on the range to search, not realizing there's another pair of eyes watching him.

Georgie Gail, switchboard operator and birder, heads out on a birding expedition, but instead of sighting a painted bunting, her opera glasses capture her telephone man, armed and far away from telephone lines. Palmer is forced to take this alluring troublemaker into his confidence and unwittingly puts her in harm's way. The closer he comes to the gang, the further she works her way into his heart--and into trouble. Soon it's more than just love that's on the line.




I apologize for any disorderly formatting as pictures, fonts, summaries, etc. insisted on being discombobulated as I put this post together.

Time to grab a nice glass of lemonade or iced tea, find a favored patio chair or nook beside a window, and enjoy the upcoming summer reads.

Friday, April 29, 2011

This week in review

Wow. Lots of things have happened this week. A super storm (i.e. horrible, scary, extremely severe weather) swept across the south setting new records, not of the good kind. Living in the deep south as I do, I am thankful that my family and I (dogs included!) are alive, and that in the aftermath, besides several fallen trees, washed-out roads, and some flooding, we suffered only a less-than-forty-eight-hour power outage. Praise be to God! Those towns and people who got the worst of it are in our thoughts and prayers.

On a lighter note, the beautiful Royal Wedding took place today (yesterday for them!) and the handsome and charming Prince William and lovely and regal Princess Catherine Middleton married. We wish them the best with continued love and happiness. Princess Diana is surely a very proud mom.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

This Week's Best Cover

This Week's Best Cover is
The Preacher's Wife by Cheryl St. John
Isn't this cover charming? It reminds me of what Catherine Marshall's Christy must have looked like. The scenery is lovely.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

That Special Something

What is it about a book that grips you and makes you pick it up, buy it, read it? Is it the blurb on the back? The title? The picture on the cover? Word of mouth or previous gems by the same author lining your shelves?
Despite the saying about never judging a book by its cover, people do it all the time. Though the author often doesn’t have a say in the cover design, or at least not a final say, covers can go a long way in promoting a book.
I’m guilty of picking up a book or clicking on a book’s picture on amazon.com because of the attractive cover. That, along with the title, are what first pique my interest. Then comes the blurb on the back. That’s the make it or break it deal for me. And sometimes those do as little justice for the actual story as a poorly crafted cover.
It’s also known that covers are just as important to the author as the reader and probably more so. I can’t help but think of Anne and her beloved story-turned-Rollings Reliable Baking Powder Advertisement:
“What do you think a mother would feel like if she found her child tattooed over with a baking powder advertisement?” (Anne of the Island)
But, as I digress, I wanted to pay tribute to some of the many beautiful covers out there in the “This Week’s Best Cover” section to the right. I have such a list of covers that I think are simply lovely enough to frame and mount as art. Everyone invloved in making such book covers are artists. The first week’s “best cover” is Second Chance Bride by Jane Myers Perrine.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

DETOUR – When Things Get In The Way Of Writing

Hooooold up. Rein in that pony, partner. So you think you’re going to write today, huh? What about that sink full of dirty dishes? Or the overflowing laundry hamper with clothes-moat around it? And then there’s that college class that has you folding paper origami-style in your spare hours away from your full-time job.
Then there’s your car that has something wrong with the transmission and that’s taking up time because you’re worrying about it. Where’s the money going to come from? Will it be worth it to get it fixed? How will you get to work in the mean time? Hope you have enough toilet paper until you can get back to the store…
Let’s face it. It can be HARD to find time to write. It’s no longer about procrastinating. When will you get time between dawn and dusk to sit down at the computer and peck out a few pages of your current work in progress?
Writing has to be a priority. It’s a relationship and commitment. You have to “meet” with it daily and spend time really working to understand it. Sometimes the best time to write is in the wee hours of the morning when everything is at rest. The day is still slumbering with all of its distractions. Put the coffee on, listen it to percolate while its fragrant scent swirls around you in the newness, and hush, of the day. If not then, pick a time when you can close the door on the commotion of daily tasks and spend some focused time on your current story.
If writing it is important to you, treat it as such. Make time for it like you do American Idol. I once read something that encouraged new writers to write for ten minutes a day. Just ten minutes. The idea behind that logic is that you are making a conscious effort to find time to write, and you’re getting in practice. You will soon find that the original ten minutes easily turns into thirty minutes, or an hour. Sometimes writing in short intervals works best for a busy schedule, or just as a means to brainstorm about plot. So try to work in a minimal time frame to write. You may find that you have a little time after all.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

The Journey Tryst


The Appalachian Mountains

It is said, “The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step” (Lao-Tzu). As an aspiring writer, the journey towards finishing a novel with hopes of future publication is an arduous one. It takes determination and hard work.
Like many hopeful writers, I’ve been writing stories since an early age. During the second grade my teacher would give the class a random photograph of an animal, landscape, or object in which we were to write a story about it. I still have those construction paper bound early works.
In a way, that first step for me was at the age of seven, while in another way, as I become more serious about making this love into a livelihood, I feel that first step is a much more recent one.
In writing, peak after mountainous peak must be reached with celebration as you crest each one. For there you are, with many steps behind you, a lesson learned, a skill better harnessed, and for a moment, a clear view of where you are going. So as aspirants begin to descend into another writing valley, remember the single step that began the journey of your tryst with writing.

Photo taken from free-extras.com