Art In Life

This week I am talking about a movie instead of a novel. If you haven’t seen October Baby, I insist that you see it soon 😉 I recently went out on a date with hubby. We intended to see The Hunger Games but the showtimes were sold out. I didn’t want to wait a couple of hours for the next available showtime so hubby suggested the next available movie: October Baby.

I never heard of the movie and I was disappointed that I wasn’t going to see my first choice, but as I sat in the theater, I knew God had set up a divine appoinentment for us to watch the October Baby, especially after recently giving birth to our daughter.

I left the movie deeply moved and in tears. (It could’ve been postpartum hormones LOL) But I had a deeper sense of the importance of parenthood and the value of a single, human life.

Here’s a blurb of the movie:

As the curtain rises, Hannah hesitantly steps onto the stage for her theatrical debut in college. Yet before she can utter her first lines, Hannah—unscripted—collapses in front of the stunned audience.

After countless medical tests, all signs point to one underlying factor: Hannah’s difficult birth. This revelation is nothing compared to what she then learns from her parents: she was actually adopted … after a failed abortion attempt.

Bewildered, angered, and confused, Hannah turns for support to Jason, her oldest friend. Encouraged by his adventurous spirit, Hannah joins his group of friends on a Spring Break road trip, embarking on a journey to discover her hidden past … and find hope for her unknown future.

In the midst of her incredible journey, Hannah finds that life can be so much more than what you have planned.

Here’s are links to the movie trailer and a scene snippet:

The Story Behind Writing Saving Hope

When I started plotting Saving Hope, I had to research human trafficking and was astonished about what I discovered. This problem isn’t only in other parts of the world, but also in the United States. In fact, it is a growing concern. It is a $32 billion dollar a year business in the world. The risk of detection is less than for trafficking weapons and drugs, therefore more attractive for people who want to make money. (Check out this article at: http://www.asi-mag.com/.)

Many of the humans taken against their will end up in forced prostitution. I read stories from teens who were caught in this trap with little hope of getting free.

One of the organizations I was intrigued by was the Children of the Night (http://www.childrenofthenight.org/) in the Los Angeles area. It gives young teens, who were trapped in a situation they couldn’t find a way out, a second chance at a better life.

Another part of my research–the ways young girls were lured away from their homes–led to a plot point in my story. I wanted teens and parents to see how a child could be drawn into a situation they aren’t prepared for.

I worked with teens for years as a teacher. They are tempted with many things–sex, drugs, and alcohol. I don’t want becoming a victim of human trafficking one of those temptations that goes very wrong for them.

As a writer for more than thirty years, I have learned a lot while researching a book. Some research was informative, some fun, some tragic but good to know. I scoured the Internet for articles. I talked to people involved and I read several books to help me make this book realistic. But even in the middle of a tough issue, I still strived to make the story entertaining and suspenseful. And I especially wanted a sense of hope when the reader finishes the book.

About Saving Hope:

When a teenager goes missing from the Beacon of Hope School, Texas Ranger Wyatt Sheridan and school director Kate Winslow are forced into a dangerous struggle against a human trafficking organization. But the battle brings dire consequences as Wyatt’s daughter is terrorized and Kate is kidnapped.

Now it’s personal, and Wyatt finds both his faith and investigative skills challenged as he fights to discover the mastermind behind the ring before evil destroys everyone he loves.

Today’s Fiction Friday interview is with award winning author, Anne K. Albert. Anne writes stories that chill the spine, warm the heart, and soothe the soul…all with a delightful touch of humor.

Welcome, Anne. Before we talk about your books, tell us a little about yourself. 

I’m an art college and university graduate who taught junior high and high school for seven years. I also sold display advertising for a small town weekly newspaper, then worked alongside my self-employed husband, both were for a seven year stretch. Next, I worked at a national brand water company–and yes, that was for seven years, too.

Do you see a pattern emerging here?

While all of these various occupations were interesting and rewarding, none can hold a candle to writing. I now write fulltime, and am proud to say I surpassed the seven-year mark as a writer ages ago! J I expect to be a writer until I take my last breath.

How much character and plot detailing do you plan out before you begin writing a novel, or are you a “pantser” (fly by the seat of your pants)?

I’m very much a pantser. I start with a vague idea, most often a crime, but the who, when, why, and where are never clear. That unknown of both plot and character is why I write. I’m my first reader. I write to find out what happens next, and to whom!

 What are your favorite books to read?

I read the type of books I write–sweet, romantic suspense and cozy mysteries. As a reader, I want a fast-paced story. I want good to triumph over evil. I expect the villain to get his comeuppance. I also believe love conquers all, and that should be shown in the ending.

As a writer, my goal is to sweep the reader away with a hero they’ll love, a heroine they identify with, and a mystery or puzzle to solve. I tell stories of ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations. There are challenges and tribulations, of course, but the happily-ever-after ending makes it all worthwhile!

Tell us about your books.

For those who enjoy cozy mysteries, http://www.amazon.com/Frank-Incense-and-Muriel-ebook/dp/B004CLYDRO/ the first book in the Muriel Reeves Mysteries, takes place the week before Christmas when the holiday season is enough to rattle anyone’s nerves. Add a missing woman, Muriel’s eccentric family, and it’s seasonal mayhem at its best. I’m very proud that FRANK, INCENSEAND MURIEL received the 2011 Holt Medallion Award of Merit.

DEFENDING GLORY, http://www.amazon.com/Defending-Glory-ebook/dp/B0045JL61E/ is book one of the Piedmont Island Trilogy series. This fictional community in northeasternMinnesota is a perfect location for these sweet romantic suspense stories. Surrounded by majesticLake Superior with rugged terrain and volatile weather, this island community has more troubles than residents.

PROTECTING HOPE, book two of the series, features Deputy Jeremy Abbott. A hero in every sense of the word, he first made an appearance in DEFENDING GLORY. From the moment he walked onto the page, he insisted he deserved a story of his own, as well as his own happily-ever-after. PROTECTING HOPE is a stand alone book, (a reader does not need to read the series in order). It will be released this spring. Check my website and blogs for details.

  Where can readers reach you online?

At my website: http://www.annekalbert.com or blogs: http://anne-k-albert.blogspot.com, http://piedmont-island-trilogy.blogspot.com, http://muriel-reeves-mysteries.blogspot.com. I’m also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anne-K-Albert-Fan-Page/167338756619836 and Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/AnneKAlbert

It’s been such fun visiting you today, Preslaysa. Thank you so much.

In this second in the award-winning Saddler’s Legacy series, Rosslyn Elliott has written a stirring novel of hope and faith inspired by real historical people and events. With Ben Hanby, a genius composer, Kate Winter, one of the first female college graduates in America, and John Parker, an ex-slave who risked his life time and again to help fugitive slaves, Sweeter than Birdsong is full of real heroes to inspire us. “I hope readers will find a renewed sense of strength in their own lives,” says Elliott, “knowing that change is possible, and our efforts matter. I want them to remember these unique, brave people in history who left us a shining example of what it means to live out one’s beliefs with passion and commitment.”

So to celebrate the music in all of us, Rosslyn and Thomas Nelson are hosting this “sweet giveaway”.

One fortunate winner will receive:

• A Brand new iPod Nano (Winner’s choice of color!)
• Fairer than Morning by Rosslyn Elliott
• Sweeter than Birdsong by Rosslyn Elliott

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on February 28th. Winner will be announced at Sweeter than Birdsong Author Chat Facebook Party on 2/28. Rosslyn will be chatting with guests, sharing a sneak peek of the next book in the series, hosting a trivia contest, and more! She’ll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, season 1 of DowntownAbbey, and a book club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club AND a LIVE Author Chat for your group with Rosslyn.)

So grab your copy of Sweeter than Birdsong and join Rosslyn and friends on the evening of the 28th for an evening of fun.

Don’t miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 28th!

My Review: Sweeter Than Birdsong is a beautiful story. I was completely engrossed in the story world and the characters kept me turning the pages. I highly recommend it!

About Rosslyn:

Rosslyn Elliott is the award-winning author of Fairer than Morning, the first in the Saddler’s Legacy series. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and a Ph.D. in English from Emory University. Her study of American literature and history inspired her to pursue writing fiction. Elliott lives in Albuquerque, where she homeschools her daughter and works in children’s ministry. For more about Rosslyn, visit her website: http://rosslynelliott.com

The Story Behind the Story by Loree Peery

Every writer has a particular process. Mine only works when I put myself aside, pray that I reach that creative zone where my soul spills out, inspired by a power much greater than I. My dear Lord covers my inadequacies with His grace.

For me, the story begins with character. When I was writing Moselle’s Insurance (my first published novel), I determined that Moselle’s mother, Geneva (Rainn on My Parade), and aunt Lanae deserved their own happily-ever-after. That idea was reinforced by writer friends who loved all three characters. The series is centered around Frivolities, a kooky shop in fictitious Platteville, Nebraska, created by the Geneva and Lanae.

I needed to come up with a reason for Moselle to return to Platteville. My sister Renée’s courage as a hepatitis C survivor inspired me. I thought of how sick and tired she was while Renée went through her treatment for hep C, her determination to overcome, all wrapped up in a visual of Jamie Lee Curtis as I wrote the first two stories. And, I pulled in some of the like qualities sisters may have. Our familial green-hazel eyes and similar mannerisms crept in along the way.

A montage of several ideas jelled together during and after I wrote Moselle’s Insurance and Rainn on My Parade. I really like country music. Tim McGraw’s, “Live like You were Dying” exemplifies how I believe we should face illness in our lives. Those words fueled Lanae’s tenacity, and her spunkiness. Going along with the country theme, I placed Lanae on a ranch in western Nebraska as part of her back story, where she tried to survive after her husband died.

Lanae’s creative contribution to Frivolities is crocheting and baking cheescakes. She embellishes her own clothing with rosettes or touches of embroidery on denim. And she pushes everyone around her to live with gusto, not holding back.

I pictured Sage as a cowboy who keeps to himself. How would Lanae meet her cowboy? My family discovered love letters in baker’s recipe box that belonged to my husband’s uncle, written back in the thirties and early forties. Part of my writing process is utilizing a piece of my life in my stories. The idea of a secret stash of letters found after Lanae buys the vanity from Sage was born.

Also in the story thread for Sage and Sweetgrass, I had one of those aha moments tying into the plot thread of the letters. A secondary character, the town gossip, is redeemed. And that’s what I always try to incorporate in my stories, God’s redeeming grace.

About Sage and Sweetgrass:

Survivor Lanae Petersen finds a moving love letter in an antique and seeks to discover the writer. Sage Diamond is holding on to the memory of his deceased wife. The last thing he needs is a tenacious woman who threatens to uncover his family secret.

Ways to capture writing ideas:

1) Notepad

2) Email it to yourself.

3) Save it on a flash drive.

4) Voice recorder

5) Make a mental note (not such a good idea for me)

What are some ways that you capture ideas to write?

About the Book:

Three lives are bound by a single book . . . and the cleansing waters of Molasses Creek.

Having traveled to the ends of the earth as a flight attendant, Ally Green has finally returned to the Lowcountry to bury her father as well as the past. But Vesey Washington is still living across the creek, and theirs is a complicated relationship—he was once her best friend . . . and also part of the reason she’s stayed away so long. When Ally discovers a message her father left behind asking her to quit running, it seems her past isn’t through with her yet.

As Ally’s wandering spirit wrestles with a deep longing to flee again, a young woman on the other side of the world escapes her life of slavery in the rock quarries of Nepal. A mysterious sketchbook leads Sunila Kunari to believe there’s more to her story than she’s ever been told, and she’s determined to follow the truth wherever it leads her.

A deep current intertwines the lives of these three souls, and a destiny of freedom, faith, and friendship awaits them all on the banks of Molasses Creek.

My Review:

What a beautiful story. The characterization was top notch. And since the Lowcountry is a favorite spot of mine, I loved this book even more! I highly recommend this book wonderfully written story about faith and second chances.

About Nicole:

Nicole Seitz is the author of several critically acclaimed novels – The Inheritance of Beauty, Saving Cicadas, A Hundred Years of Happiness, Trouble the Water, and The Spirit of Sweetgrass. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism, and also has a degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Her paintings are featured on the covers of her books. Visit her at @NicoleSeitz, Facebook and www.nicoleseitz.com for more information

A Contest!

Nicole is celebrating the release of Beyond Molasses Creek with a fabulous “Friendship” Facebook party! She’ll be giving away a ton of great stuff (KINDLE TOUCH, some of her own beautiful artwork, a Book Club Prize Pack (10 copies of the book for your small group/book club and a Live Skype Chat with Nicole), and more!

Save the Date! 2/16!