I just finished reading Miranda Warning (A Murder in the Mountains – Book One) by Heather Day Gilbert. I thought it would be a straightforward mystery, but it turned out to be a multi-faceted introduction to what I expect will be a long series. NOTE – This kindle book is FREE on Amazon right now, and when you buy it (for FREE), you can get the audible version for $1.99. I highly recommend it, and I think you will want to follow up with the next in the series, “Trial by Twelve.” The author has created a refreshingly original world. I wouldn’t classify the book as “Christian Fiction.” Instead, Ms. Gilbert writes from a Christian worldview, and her setting includes a realistic mix of Christians and nonbelievers in community. None of them are perfect, and they live naturally according to their convictions. The heroine is a unique character. She bears some scars from a dysfunctional childhood, but she went to college, married into a healthy family and doesn’t wallow in angst. As a mother-in-law, I was pleased to see the loving relationship between Tess and Nikki Jo. The politically conservative characters are portrayed as intelligent and sensible instead of rednecks Read More
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Life in the Castle
My family and I have always lived in rural – some remote – places, but we made the difficult decision to move to town ten years ago, when the two youngest boys were finishing high school, in college, working and active in our church and community. My husband was working in the city, too. When we did the math, we realized that the four of us were driving a combined total of 1000 miles per week. We moved to town. They dragged me, kicking and screaming and sulking, away from the farm with my chickens and goats to a lovely Victorian farmhouse in a very nice part of Burlington. There was no space outside; it was on a corner lot, and there was a parking lot on the other two sides of it, but it was a beautiful place, big enough for our ever-changing family and frequent houseguests. I hosted a ladies’ Bible study, and there was room for all of their little ones to run around and play while we studied. I had a large sewing studio and office, four bedrooms, a living room and dining room, a sitting room off the master bedroom, a large attic and basement, Read More
Bite Size Book Reviews
I’m not feeling romantic this week. When I am stressed, instead of reaching for something lighthearted, I usually pick up a mystery or (slightly)romantic suspense novel. We moved two weeks ago, unexpectedly, and I listened to audiobooks while I worked on packing and cleaning. When in Rome is an old favorite, and I always enjoy Kristen Heitzmann, but the others were new to me. Dangerous Passage by Lisa Harris is a FREE KINDLE BOOK! (Price may change without notice, but it’s free right now!) We are starting to settle into our new home – did I mention that it is an apartment in a Tudor castle? – but I’m still not ready to snuggle up with a romance. Expect more murder and violence next week… When in Rome, audiobook by Ngaio Marsh, read by Nadia May Retro Read! This classic detective story from 1969 is an old favorite. Ms. Marsh writes so clearly that the reader experiences the story more like a movie than a book. She researched Rome, its history and its legal system for this tale of blackmail and drug smuggling. Her characters are varied, each drawn with realistic attitudes and behaviors, and each has his or her Read More
Salsa & Speedbumps ~ an Author Interview with Susan Baganz
I met Susan Baganz at an American Christian Fiction Writers meeting. It was my first experience with a writing group, and Susan went out of her way to make me feel welcome. She has the best kind of bubbly personality – the kind that hints at a deeper, more thoughtful nature. Her books are the same way. They are delightfully fun to read, but they touch on serious issues with compassion and sensitivity. Her other books include Pesto & Potholes and a Christmas novella, Fragile Blessings. Her new book, Salsa & Speed Bumps (Prism Book Group), is a contemporary inspirational romance novel being released TODAY, January 22! Hi Susan! I’m looking forward to your new book! Is Salsa & Speed Bumps part of a series? Yes! It is the second in my Orchard Hill Romance series. Book 1 is Pesto & Potholes (April 2015). Book 3, Feta & Freeways, is due out later this year and the next three are contracted: Root Beer & Road Blocks, Bratwurst & Bridges and Donuts & Detours. The individual novels stand on their own. You don’t have to read them in order to enjoy them. What made you decide to set your series Read More
Carpe Diem – My New Erin Condren Life Planner!
My good friend (and fabulous author) Chautona Havig gave me a new planner for Christmas. I’ve used planners in the past, off and on, but these are special. I just finished my first one; it was an 18-month life planner from Erin Condren, starting in July of 2014. I enjoyed it very much. (You can see pictures of some of the weekly spreads HERE. ) There is an important difference in this new planner: it’s a horizontal layout instead of a vertical layout. Now, that’s not exactly earth-shattering, in the grand scheme of things, but it is significant. It’s like choosing between the iPhone and a Samsung. Both phones have ardent proponents, critical of the “other side,” but they both make calls, text and take pictures. People without a preference are just glad to have a nice smart phone. That would be me. The vertical format looks like this: It worked and I liked it just fine, but I approached the new format with an open mind, and I am enjoying it so far. The text boxes are bigger, or at least not broken up into smaller units, which gives me more space for writing, even after I decorate. It Read More
Do what you love – as long as you love doing it
I recently published an article – Quitting Quilting – on my GloryQuilts blog, explaining why I was restructuring my business. It explained the quitting part, but it didn’t really address the “art as career” aspect of the change. Through this experience, I am persuaded that if I am ever forced to support myself financially, I must not do it by making a career from the things I love doing. It sounds good, but it can end up sucking the joy from the creative heart and leaving only resentment. For more than 20 years, I have been teaching quiltmaking as well as sewing and quilting professionally as GloryQuilts. At first, I sold class samples and pattern prototypes as well as some things I made just for fun. I did some juried art shows, and then some that were less selective. I had to make quantities of items for the shows, on a strict deadline, and be ready to set up displays and manage sales. I started selling things on eBay and then Etsy. Instead of selling unique and creative quilts, I began creating quilts specifically to sell, in trendy fabrics and styles. As my reputation grew, I was offered and accepted Read More