MISS SERENA'S SECRET, Regency Brides, A Promise of Hope by Carolyn Miller

Serena Winthrop, an artist of true merit and sensitivity, has suffered a terrible blow that causes her to abstain from using her God-given gift. Her struggles are relatable for far too many readers, and yet Carolyn Miller weaves heart, hope, and challenge—creating an engaging story that is beneficial.

I admire Serena, the main character, and her unpredictable hero, Viscount Carmichael. Both of these characters held my interest and caused me to cheer them on! I especially love the depth and familiar feel of how these characters could be modeled after someone I know for they are complex, endearing, and frustrating—sometimes at the same time! I luxuriated in the setting and the breath-taking vista of the Carmichael’s home. I love how Carolyn writes Regency and I’ve never been disappointed! This story, with amazing detail, delivers characters within their society, as well as the beautiful ambiance that I look for with any Regency novel.

If you are looking for an entertaining historical which allows you to emotionally invest in the character’s journey, this will be an excellent novel for you to peruse! I do so love a series that stays with many of the characters from the previous novel for I hate to leave a loved character behind! Don’t worry, I’m really not confusing my fictional favorites on the pages of a lovely novel with real life people—but still my curious imagination wants to know more of what has happened to those characters after I finished an excellent story.  
Thank you, Carolyn for MISS SERENA’S SECRET and the care you took to deliver a sensitive topic with class and encouragement! I highly recommend this second book in the A Promise of Hope series!

Questions for Carolyn:
Your main character, Serena, is shared so true to life and when did you begin to desire to write her journey?
I love Serena! I began writing her story as a NaNoWriMo project immediately after finishing her sister’s story in Winning Miss Winthrop, so I had the story world, characters and settings and themes pretty clear in my mind. This was actually the 4th historical I wrote, and I wrote it in 2015.
Have you been to the Carmichael’s home though maybe not called by that name? How did you keep track of writing the characters into the rooms and porches of this amazing home?
This home is an amalgamation of a few stately homes in England: Castle Howard (for the domed outward appearance - which I have not been to) and Chatsworth House in Derbyshire (which I have been to - simply glorious! - and Derbyshire is where this story is mostly set). The magnificent view is based on a grand hotel here in New South Wales, Australia, the Hydro Majestic in the Blue Mountains, which perches on a cliff and overlooks a beautiful valley with vistas for miles.
Keeping track of where characters were and the various rooms did involve drawing some maps and house designs - which wasn’t a chore at all as I once wanted to be an architect!
Do you paint or did you have to interview an excellent artist so that you could write with authenticity?
I have done some painting, but the descriptions here are mostly based on research. The materials used 200 years ago vary to today’s paints and brushes, so I had some fun trying to find the exact hues and colours used to give a true sense of that era.
What message do you wish to give to those afraid of developing, using, and or sharing their God-given gifts?
Do it! It’s too easy to live afraid, and hide away and live less than the potential God has for us - and I think that leads to a shrivelling of our hearts and souls. Jesus talked about using the talents for the sake of God’s kingdom, and while talents in this gospel story might refer to money, I think we can apply the same principle to the gifts God gives us. Use the gifts and talents God has given you, be brave and have a go, because doing so is a way of honouring our Father who made us. And we never know what awaits us on the other side of our obedience.
I see that I need to go shopping, for you have written a couple of other novels that I don’t have.  By the way—I love your website! You have interesting pages on there for your readers! What do you want to tell us about connecting with you on social media?

Oh, I so appreciate you! Yes, I try to post lots of behind-the-scenes details on my website (www.carolynmillerauthor.com) with photos and information about my England travels and book details. I love to connect with readers, and I post regular updates about my writing news via my newsletters, which people can subscribe to at www.carolynmillerauthor.com and my Facebook page, so please come follow me there and say g’day!
facebook | pinterest | twitter | instagram
 
Thanks so much, Susan Marlene - so appreciate you!
Happy reading!
Carolyn xx

Christy Award Winning "TRANSGRESSION", CITY OF GOD BOOK 1 by R.S. INGERMANSON

Transgression, Book 1, from R.S. Ingermanson’s City of God Series

What a unique and fascinating time-travel story, and the first of this genre I’ve read. But I’ve watched several time-travel movies in which to compare this novel too. Randy delivers excellent character depth and plot twists that are sprinkled with science in layman terms so that anyone can follow and enjoy.

The main characters, Rivka Meyers and Ari Kazan, are buffeted with challenges and dangers because of Damien West’s choices. This story is set in contemporary Jerusalem until a wormhole lands these brave souls in the middle of Ancient Jerusalem.

It was interesting to see Apostle Paul’s Jerusalem though Rivka and Ari’s eyes. Their struggles with belief, keeping history intact, as well as personal overcoming, make this a favorite read for me. I’d ordered this novel on my Kindle and once it was finished—I had to go and purchase the entire paperback set. LaDeda Books & Beans owner commented on the fine quality of these books!

By the way, Transgression sounds great on Kindle!

I was thoroughly entertained by Transgression this first of the City of God series and equally challenged to think about what could have been, as compared to contemporary life.

I’ve sat under Randy’s teachings and had a couple of conversations with him at writer’s conferences a few years ago, and found this man to be intelligent, yet down to earth. He is generous with information and shares his wonderful imagination between the pages of story. When you wrap those qualities up with his education, life experience, and faith, you come away with a memorable tale that stirs curiosity and hope and courage to move forward into the unknown!     

This is a novel that I would expect from a multi-award-winning author with a Ph.D. in theoretical physics and an amazingly active imagination! Well done, Randy Ingermanson! I highly recommend Transgression, Book 1 of the City of God series. 

Questions for Randy:

I’ve enjoyed reading about your archaeology dig site experience. Was this series birthed out of your first-hand knowledge?

It came out of my first-hand knowledge of the world of physics and the way physicists think. And I certainly read a lot about archaeology and the first-century world of Jerusalem before I wrote the books. But I only had a chance to actually work on an archaeological dig after I wrote the series.

I have now spent a number of weeks working and living exactly where my characters did in the first century. Based on that experience, I would change very little in the books. There are a couple of minor tweaks I would make, but nothing major.

I must ask this obvious question—how long have you been interested in time-travel?

Since the early 1990s, when I read Diana Gabaldon’s classic Outlander series.

Do you have a favorite time-travel author or movie that you can recommend?

Outlander and its sequels, by Diana Gabaldon. This is a romance series, which is somewhat out of my wheelhouse—I normally read suspense—but these are great novels that I really enjoyed.

I loved how you included how differently Christians lived in Apostle Paul’s days. I think many of us take our freedom and churches for granted. Did you purpose to add that personal element into this novel from the beginning, or did this story thread develop as you wrote Transgression?
Struggling over belief in God and Jesus—well, we all have been there or have someone or many we know with that important decision. Was this struggle modeled after someone you know or just a general observation?

You can safely assume that I’ve wrestled a lot with questions of faith, science, the meaning of life, and lots of other things. My characters aren’t necessarily clones of me, but they get some of their DNA from me.

I have and used your “how to write” books: Writing Fiction for Dummies & How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method, which were excellent. Do you have any more how to write fiction books in the making?

The next book on my list of how-to-write-fiction books has the working title How to Write Dynamite Action and Dialogue. Of course, that title might change, but it’s what I have planned.

And I should mention that my latest book, How to Write Dynamite Scenes Using the Snowflake Method, actually has the best reader ratings of any of my how-to books.

Do you have any new series planned that you would like to reveal to your readers and potential readers?

I’ve been working now for more than five years on a series of novels about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. This will be a four-book series, titled Crown of Thorns, and Book 1 is due to come out as soon as my cover designer finishes the cover.

Why have I spent five years on this project? Because I’ve been taking annual research trips to work on archaeological digs in Israel, and I’ve also been reading a lot. And thinking a lot. Book 2 is nearly complete in first draft form, and Books 3 and 4 are pretty clear in my mind.

So it won’t take another five years for each of the other books. I expect they’ll each take about a year. Mainly, it took a lot of work to develop the story world and figure out the cast of characters. That work is now done, and I have a clear vision of what the series will be like.
 
I’m glad that I signed up for your newsletter. How do you wish for your readers to contact you? 

For fans of my fiction (anyone who wants to go on an adventure to first-century Jerusalem), visit my personal website at www.Ingermanson.com.

For those who want to learn how to write fiction, check out my business website at www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.
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PENS OF PRAISE
CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP
November 19, 2019
Tuesday 6:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.
Manitowoc Public Library
                                      
707 Quay St, Manitowoc, WI 54220
Street parking and parking in rear available. Wheelchair accessible.
 
Franklin St. Room located on the first floor, to the left of the service desk.      
 
“Show and Tell” is our topic in November. Sarah Grosskopf will facilitate the meeting and here is what she has to say about her lesson—Authors are always told, “Show, don’t tell.”  This month, we’re going to look at the difference between “showing” and “telling,” what that really means, how to show rather than tell, and also when telling might be better than showing.

PROMPT: Pick one of the following situations and write two separate poems, prose paragraphs, or nonfiction explanations about it.  (Keep it short, no more than one or two paragraphs.)  In the first version, simply tell what happened.  In the second version, show the reader what it looks like.  Bring both versions to share and compare.  What did you do differently in each of the following: Camping, taking a walk, making an omelet, reading a book? 
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Let Susan Marlene know if you are attending so that she can save a seat for you and a handout. 

susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com
Inspired readers given excellent take-away = return readers!
We are a safe place to share and Pens Meetings are free.
 
As always, if you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to contact Becky McLafferty @ rebeccamclafferty@gmail.com or
Susan Marlene@ susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com
 

ENTER

 Enter His gates with thanksgiving. And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and bless His name.   Psalms 100:4

Step spritely into the new day dawning. Bumpy country roads, sleek highways, valleys, and mountains topped with snowcaps await your awe.  How Father God delighted in creating every crevice and sculptured rock formation, as well as hot sandy deserts, brush-stroked with copious color schemes reflecting off each unique terrain.

Oceans surge with power and life, reflecting its mood with each twist and turn of the weather or spin of the moon. Such stunning sights take our breath away, cause us to stand on tiptoe, and gasp at the immense sheer wonder of His creation. The measure of our fascination and appreciation cannot comprehend His colossal thrill over…our smile…

His ecstasy is not dampened by our limitations for God is JOY, LOVE, and PEACE in the extreme! He experiences the highest, most delightful, undiluted, and uncontaminated thrills over our praise and attention.

We offer so little. Father God bestows so much. Audaciously allow yourself to nearly burst with heart-pounding gratitude for all He has done. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the light (for the fruit of light consists in goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.  Ephesians 5:10

Do enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise, give thanks to Him and praise His name. Sure, we cannot imagine the thrill He experiences, but isn’t it wonderful to

TRY…

How much we have to be grateful for! 

Thank you Lord of Lords for this day that you have made!