Angela D. Meyer

N. L. Sharp has been writing for children for more than 20 years. Her first book, Today I’m Going Fishing with My Dad, was a Nebraska Golden Sower nominee. In 2003, Sharp created her own publishing company, Prairieland Press, to publish and market her books. Her debut book under that company, Effie’s Image, was a Nebraska Golden Sower nominee. Her second book, The Flower Girl / The Ring Bear: A Flip-Over Book, was a Nebraska Center for the Book Award winner. Sharp’s first novel for middle grade readers, Keeping Captain, was a winner in the children’s category in the 2017 Nebraska Center for the Book Awards.

Nancy will be teaching the workshop Writing for the Children’s Market. Visit the workshop page to learn more.

We asked Nancy a few questions to help you get to know her better.

Do you set goals for the new year? If so, does it help you produce more? I have found that yearly goals are too long for me–and make me think I have more time than I really have! I do much better setting quarterly goals and then dividing those goals into weekly and monthly mini-goals and projects. These seem to allow me to be more accountable and stay on track better, and, in the long run, more productive.

What or who inspired you to become an author or singer or preacher? I was fortunate enough to have attended a one-room country school, where our teacher read to us every day. That was my favorite part of the day. When our teacher read the book THE LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE to us, and I realized that you could be an author by just writing down the stories of your own life, I was hooked and knew that someday, I wanted to be a writer, just like Laura Ingalls Wilder!

How do you deal with writer’s block? Because I am a teacher, I have found the best way for me to overcome “writers’ block” is to give myself an assignment and a deadline–and the smaller the assignment (and the shorter the deadline) the better I will do. It is much easier for me to think about writing a scene or a character description than a novel–so I work on small steps–and try not to worry about the entire project at one time.

Do you have a favorite scripture, if so, how has it helped you? One of my favorite scriptures comes from Galatians 6: 1, 4-5, taken from THE MESSAGE. These words remind me that God calls us to do the creative best we can with the gifts we have been given and leave it to him to decide where those gifts will take us. //”Live creatively, friends. Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”

What is your favorite part of a writing conference? Networking and talking shop with other writers–something I don’t get to do at home!

Visit N.L. Sharp on her website to learn more about what she writes.

Tosca Lee is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of The Line Between, Iscariot, The Legend of Sheba, Demon: a Memoir; Havah: the Story of Eve, The Progeny, Duology, and The Books of Mortals series with New York Times bestseller Ted Dekker. (FORBIDDEN, MORTAL, SOVEREIGN).

Her books have won the Gold Medallion, the Christian Retailer’s Choice Award, Forward Magazine’s Book of the Year Silver and Bronze, and have finaled for numerous others, including a second Gold Medallion and two Christy awards. You can find Tosca at ToscaLee.com, on social media, or hanging around the snack table. Be sure to check out ISMENI, the free e-short prequel to THE LEGEND OF SHEBA! Find it on Amazon.

Tosca will be teaching a two part workshop: Writing Unforgettable Characters. Visit the Workshop page to learn more.

We asked Tosca a few questions to help you get to know her a bit.

Tosca Lee What or who inspired you to become an author or singer or preacher? Reading books by great authors. I remember thinking, “Wow. That was awesome.” And not being able to stop thinking about the story or story world for hours or even days.

All of us have faced rejection, how do you (did you) deal with it at the time and now that you look back upon it? Rejection used to make me cold and clammy, but these days I consider it more a sign post than anything, pointing the way down the road—at least for this stretch of it—and to my ideal readership.

What is your favorite part of a writing conference? The people. Conferences are great for learning about the market and the craft. But one of the most valuable things you can take away from a conference is connections to new people to take the journey with you. I met so many of the authors I call “friend” today that way, and we’ve been able to encourage one another and weather the road together.

Visit Tosca’s website to learn more about Tosca and her books.

Patricia Durgin at Marketers on a Mission interviewed Jeanie Jacobson
about Wordsowers upcoming writers conference.

We are thrilled that so many registered during our half price special. We are now taking registrations at our new special rate of $65. Still a great deal. Share about Wordsowers conference with your friends.

Use #wordsowers2019 when you share the news about Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference.

Special Announcement

Because of interest in previous years, we have added an option for non-writing spouses who don’t wish to take in the local sights or hang out at their hotel, to attend our conference with our $50 spouse special –half off the full price registration. The price remains the same regardless of date of registration.

This price DOES include Friday night sessions, the keynote address as well as the workshops and snacks and coffee provided for paid registrants. It does NOT include one on ones or any of the add ons available for an extra charge to attendees.

If your spouse is also a writer, they will need to pay the normal rate for the conference. Thank you for your understanding and helping us to keep the overall cost of the conference at a reasonable price.

If you have already registered, and would like to take advantage of this special, feel free to use the short form to register you spouse. However to complete the purchase, you will still need to use the PayPal button on the registration page and choose the non-writing spouse special.

We are excited to see you all at the 7th Annual Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference!

Are you ready to come and be inspired? To connect with other writers? And to go home equipped to move to the next step on your writing journey?

Stop by our conference page and discover what we have planned for you at the conference or go directly to the Conference Registration page to claim your ½ price special.

We are looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones April 26-27, 2019, in Omaha, Nebraska. The conference will be held in the same location as last year, at Grace Central Church.

Help us spread the word. Feel free to save the image below and share to wherever you hang out on social media!

Register now for the 2019 Wordsowers Conference!

See you soon!

Coming soon! Our Conference Half-price special!

Mark your calendar April 26-27, 2019 for Wordsowers 7th annual writers conference!

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Interviews with workshop leaders, editors and publisher will be posted shortly!

Who is coming to the 2019 WCWC? Leave a comment below and tell us what you are looking forward to the most.

Today we welcome Dee Dee Lake as she shares

her thoughts about writing during Christmas.

I have learned to never, never ever, set a writing deadline during the holidays. As an author, I am an observer and keeper of history in the making. My job is to capture moments and honor traditions of God, family, friends, and community.

If my mind is on editing and meeting writing deadlines, I miss the life stories happening around me. I need to be available. I need to be present in the moment as we celebrate.

Christmas is a time to

watch babies experience their first of many Christmas celebrations;
meet shy new significant others and introduce them to crazy, loud, busy family;
see Great Uncle Joe pretend to be gruff when he truly is a teddy bear at heart;
hear children shriek with joy as they begin their own journey, story, and generation of new traditions and experiences;
welcome new people into the family and make strangers feel like family;
remember the reason we have this Christmas season, the birth of Christ, our Redeemer.

Conversations are a vital part of being family and close friends. We recall and laugh about our past celebrations, burnt feast, and disagree over which of Grandma Mattie Lou’s desserts should be “the best in show”. There may be tears, laughter, and raised voices all in the same conversation. During this season we take time to remember those who are with Jesus and those who are out-of-touch. These conversations bind us as family.

Being an author is what God created me to be. He wants me to capture the joy, love, and family.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds me to stay in the moment because there is a time for everything. “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every ^[^a^]event under heaven—” NASB

As my family’s scribe, I’m the story-keeper, the one who remember the details and scribbles in journals the precious recollections for future generations. Soon enough it will be time to say good-bye to the out-of-town family and friends and begin to write down all the experiences.

My advice author friends take the time to experience the life around you and then capture the moments with words for the generations to come.

DeeDee Lake is the Marriage Expert, although, she’s only be married for thirty-five years. She speaks and writes about taking your marriage and relationships from ordinary to extraordinary. DeeDee also works with CrossRiver Media as their Author Relations Coordinator. A job she loves because she connects and encourages other authors.

Connect with Dee Dee

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Today, one of our leadership team, Jeanie Jacobson, shares one of her recent

Chicken Soup for the Soul stories about seeking perfection at the holidays.

The kitchen’s mustard-yellow oven mocked me from its 1970’s built-in perch. I glared at the offensive appliance, roughly the size of a child’s easy-bake oven. Next week our entire family would arrive for Thanksgiving dinner in our new home. I wanted everything to be perfect, but there was no way to fit a turkey in that tiny oven. Who lived here before us? Elves?

My husband Jake shuffled into the room. “It’s midnight. What’s wrong?”

“Why did the builders put a miniature stove in a large home?” I fumed. “I can’t make a perfect Thanksgiving turkey in this stupid thing.”

Jake rubbed his eyes and yawned. “Let’s replace it.”

My heart did a momentary happy dance before reality crashed in. “We just moved. We don’t have funds for a new one.”

Jake wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “We’ll buy a used one.” He gestured to my nemesis. “We can rip this out now if you want.”

At midnight, the idea made perfect sense. We grabbed tools, removed the old built-in appliance, and cleaned the decades of greasy dirt left behind.

The next morning we found an online ad proclaiming, “New stove for sale. $60.”

Hopping into our pickup, we drove over for a look. A friendly young couple met us at the door and led us around back to large shed. The husband said, “We bought this stove back home in Iowa, but there was already one here when we moved in last year. This one’s just been sittin’ in the shed, so we figured to sell it.”

I swiped a layer of dust off the appliance with my finger. Underneath it the white stove gleamed. It looked perfect. Since sixty dollars comprised our entire remodel budget, we bought it. The two men loaded it into the truck, and Jake and I drove home congratulating ourselves on finding a bargain.

Once we maneuvered the stove into the kitchen, we notice an odd smell.

“It probably just needs a good cleaning,” I said. We scrubbed every inch we could reach, inside and out, but the odor increased.

As the stench permeated the entire house, Jake shared his horrible realization. “I think a dead mouse is stuck in the insulation, but I can’t get to it without ripping the stove apart.”

“Holiday guest expect aromas like pine boughs or gingerbread. Our house reeks of rodent carcass. We need to do something,” I whined.

So we ran the self-cleaning feature repeatedly every day.

By Thanksgiving the stink had dissipated. Mostly. I felt confident that by the time our guests arrived, the delectable scent of perfectly roasted turkey would cover any lingering odor.

Humming, I stuffed the turkey, slid it into the new range and inspected the side dishes. Ruby colored cranberry sauce, potatoes waiting to be mashed, pumpkin pies from the bakery all passed the perfection inspection.

The freshly cleaned house looked perfect, so I dressed, put on makeup, and did my hair. I wanted to look perfect too. Or as perfect as possible despite wrinkles and acne.

As family members arrived we greeted them, gave the house tour, then sat together, chatting and laughing. After a time Jake pulled me aside. “Honey, the turkey isn’t cooking.”

I hurried to the kitchen and opened the stove door. The huge raw turkey perched sadly in the cold oven.

Agh! Had I burned out the stove with repeated mouse cremations? I stood paralyzed, dismay tap dancing across my brain.

My eagle-eyed mom glided into the kitchen and within seconds pointed out the problem. “Sweetheart, it will cook faster if you turn on the oven.” She tapped the knob, firmly fixed in the “off” position.

Panic set in. “What are we going to do? There’s a house full of people and nothing to feed them except raw turkey!”

Jake sauntered downstairs and brought up large ham from the basement fridge. At my questioning look he winked. “I wanted it on hand just in case.”

And he was perfectly right, as usual.

That Thanksgiving our family ate ham sandwiches. And ribbed me unmercifully about not turning on the stove.

Although far from what I’d envisioned, that Thanksgiving was perfect in its own way. While munching my sandwich, I realized I didn’t need to strive for magazine-perfect food presentations or a picture perfect house.

My focus didn’t need to be on perfection, but rather gratefulness. I looked around the table and thanked God for the people in my life.

My husband who showed me love in unexpected ways, like ripping out a stove because it bothered me. And having the foresight to tuck away an emergency ham.

My mother who still taught me cooking basics–like flipping the knob to the “on” setting.

And our precious daughter and grandson, siblings, cousins. I silently thanked God for the perfect blessing of having family together.

We invited everyone back for Christmas. This time, rather than trying to make everything perfect, we decided to skip the fancy turkey dinner and offer crockpots of soup instead.

I even made sure to turn the dials onto the “high” setting so the soup would cook in time for Christmas dinner.

Only one thing would have made those crockpots of soup more perfect.

If I’d remembered to plug them in.

Jeanie Jacobson is on the leadership team of the Wordsowers Christian Writers group. Her writing shares hope, humor, and Godly encouragement. In addition to her book, Fast Fixes for the Christian Pack-Rat, she’s published in the best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul releases, magazines like Focus on the Family and Live, and various compilations.

Connect with Jeanie

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Photo Credit: Wirdefalks via Pixabay

Winter's Silence, Clarissa Ruth, Christmas poetry

Today, we welcome Wordsower Clarissa Ruth.

Clarissa Ruth is a storyteller, adventure-loving healer, and an undeserving bride of Jesus Christ. The outdoors may find her star-gazing while whispering a prayer, or weaving a morning dance of praise barefoot on the grass. Indoors, words are her playground. When this world becomes boring, she travels, via her Scriptorium, to Cheled and all the adventures her fantasy world contains. She’s written one of these epic tales down, and more books are to follow. Though writing stories of freedom is her passion, she is lost for words without Jesus.

Connect with Clarissa: Website Facebook Twitter

Enjoy Clarissa’s Christmas poetry…

Thank you for stopping by today! If you enjoyed Clarissa’s poetry, please share this post with your friends.

May the peace of this season fill your home.

Photo Credits: Pixabay

Writing, writing during the holidays, Brenda Anderson

Today, we welcome Brenda Anderson, author of life-affirming fiction. She has some great tips to share with us about writing during the holiday season.

When considering writing on this topic, admittedly, I doubted I could do it justice. After all, writing during the holiday season has been very difficult over the years. Yet, I’ve always met my deadlines.

This year I’ve got a few different deadlines. My first draft of my current work-in-progress needs to be completed by the end of November. And then I’ll need it back from my critique partners by the end of December when it goes to my editor. In the meantime, I should begin my next book which has a first draft deadline of April 1. Eek! So, no resting in December.

The question then is, How can I get writing in and make the holidays special? Here are a few suggestions that help me:

Make a To-Do List: Include everything that you’d like to accomplish on this list. Don’t worry about time constraints … yet. And don’t forget to include some R&R and maybe a Hallmark Christmas movie or two to help you wind down.

Check Your Calendar: Don’t forget about church and concerts and sporting events and family celebrations and other time-fillers.

Establish Your Priorities: What absolutely needs to get done? How many words per day? Work? Shopping? Decorating? Cleaning? Cooking? Serving? Wrapping? What’s less important? What can be set aside or done last minute?

Set Specific Goals: I want to write a 70,000+ word first draft by April 1, 2019. If I start on December 1, that gives me eighteen weeks. To write 70,000 words, I would have to average 3889 words per week. Considering I typically type 1000+ words per day, that means I should spend four days per week writing. As I like to reserve weekends for family that gives me one full day each week to focus on other tasks.

Be Prepared for the Unexpected: Unplanned events, problems, list additions always crop up. Go into the holiday season knowing that they will happen, so you’re not completely taken aback when they do show up.

Give Yourself Grace: If you don’t mark off everything on your list, that’s okay! If your goal was a thousand words a day and you “only” wrote 900, that’s still fantastic! Give yourself the grace to say you did your best, and don’t beat yourself up over it. Rather, applaud yourself for what you did accomplish.

Spend Time Praying and in the Word. I’m uncomfortable adding this to the To-Do List as then it becomes something that you just tick off on a box and then it becomes all about religion and not relationship. But if you get nothing else done this season, when you pray and read God’s Word you’ve gotten the most important things done.

Remember What’s Important: It’s so easy getting caught up in the busyness of the holiday season that we forget what it’s all about: Celebrating Jesus Birth! Faith, Family, and Friends are far more important than any item you can cross off on a list, so make them your focus.

Hope you all have a very blessed Christmas!

Brenda S. Anderson writes gritty and authentic, life-affirming fiction. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and is Past-President of the ACFW Minnesota chapter, MN-NICE, the 2016 ACFW Chapter of the Year. When not reading or writing, she enjoys music, theater, roller coasters, and baseball, and she loves watching movies with her family. She resides in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area with her husband of 31 years, their three children, and one sassy cat.

Connect with Brenda: Website Facebook Twitter Pinterest Goodreads

Sign up for Brenda’s newsletter

For the holiday season, enjoy Brenda’s book, Hungry for Home A Different Kind of Christmas Story…

Hungry … Homeless … Heartbroken

After a troubling encounter with a pregnant teen, Sheila Peterson-Brooks hurries from the crisis pregnancy center into the frigid Minnesota winter where she is mugged and left for dead. After a frantic search, Richard, her husband, finds her, and the police quickly nab the mugger …

A hungry, homeless teen.
The brother of the pregnant girl Sheila had just counseled.

The girl pleads for her brother, and Sheila and Richard choose not to press charges. Instead, they open their home to the boy, a move that could cost them their possessions, and their hearts.

And, in the process, teach them the true meaning of home.

Get your copy today on Amazon Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

The Little Things by Catherine Brakefield

The little things are what get a chuckle out of me and inspire me during a crazy day. The wet kiss plastered on my cheek by my three-year-old granddaughter. The toothless grin generated from a full tummy and dry diaper from my three-month-old granddaughter. Then there’s that spontaneous review which not only generates a smile, but truly inspires my day!

Why is a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads so inspiring? Because you, dear readers, are every writer’s employer, and a review is like an unexpected bonus check.

Writers can feel inspired to reach unfathomable heights by our fictional characters. Now don’t call in the psychiatrists just yet, first here me out.

Writers live a unique life. We spend countless hours in what we could label “solitary confinement”. Yes, in our padded world of make-believe, the only voices we hear are those in our imagination of our characters. Strange to say, a writer does not feel alone while in the company of their characters’ antics.

We tap away patiently on our keyboard and pour in the hours, days, and months of research so our fictional novel sings with realism. We want our imaginary characters to walk and talk with vitality, vividness, and validity. Then, like a mother caressing her newborn child, we eagerly await the debut of our new creation to the world.

The writer’s key desire is to make historical and modern-day romances sound like the characters live. That they are sitting in the next room, waiting to hear your questions. Check out Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice; Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind. After eighty plus years, people continue to speak about these awesome novels. Talk about imaginary characters coming alive!

A writer knows that they have achieved their ultimate goal in creating a superb novel, through readers communicating their emotional experience to others. Readers can either verbally communicate this to the writer or take time to write their review on Amazon and other search engines.

Would you enjoy preparing for an Easter pageant, pile on the hours in rehearsals for weeks and months, and—then play to an empty auditorium? A writer’s applause comes in the way of reviews. Readers, as I mentioned before, are the writer’s employers, and they convey to the writer if a particular novel has accomplished its goal, by giving out a bonus, telling others about your emotional experience.

Yes, it is the little things in life that inspire us to meet each day with enthusiasm. Our grandchild’s first steps, the antics of make-believe characters, or the finished product of years of work framed in a provoking cover and bound with the author’s prayer.

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season

we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9 NKJV

Inspiration can come in many forms, but the best is a hug, a kind word,

and for satisfied readers to take time to give out bonuses. God Bless!

Catherine says, “My readers inspire my writing!”

She is the author of three faith-based historical romances; Wilted Dandelions; a four book Destiny series, Swept into Destiny, and Destiny’s Whirlwind scheduled for April 17, 2018 release. She has written two pictorial history books: Images of America: The Lapeer Area, and Images of America: Eastern Lapeer County.
Her short stories have been published in Guidepost Books True Stories of Extraordinary Answers to Prayer, Unexpected Answers and Desires of Your Heart; Baker Books, Revell, The Dog Next Door, Horse of my Heart, and Dogs/Rescue scheduled for October, 2018 publication; CrossRiver Media Publishers, The Benefit Package and Abba’s Promise; Bethany House Publishers, Jesus Talked to me Today.

She enjoys swimming and horseback riding and lives in Addison Township with her husband and their Arabian horses. Her children now grown and married, she and Edward are the blessed recipients of two handsome grandsons and two beautiful granddaughters!

Connect with Catherine on her Website and on Facebook

Releasing April 17th: Destiny’s Whirlwind

Collina McConnell is thrust from adolescence to adulthood shortly before the Spanish-American War erupts when she promises her dying father she will manage their estate in Emerald, Kentucky. But her father dies before disclosing the mystery behind his legacy for Shushan.

Rough Rider Franklin Long offers his help till that fateful day he leaves for Cuba, then a disgruntled in-law and a vindictive lawyer places the McConnell clan in the clutches of life’s tangled web of deception and greed. The words of Esther 8:6 ring in Collina’s thoughts. “How can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people?”

Get your copy today on Amazon

A Wordsowers review by Clarissa Ruth

Destiny’s Whirlwind is a tale of heart and grit straight out of post-Civil War Kentucky. Likable characters face their challenges with faith and courage, but at times enjoy the beauty of a glittering backdrop, sometimes of natural splendor, other times of the shared luxury of wealthy friends. With frequent nods to Scripture and examples of sustaining faith, this novel is overtly Christian in a way that generally does not preach. Though romantic, unexpected twists, engaging drama and a bit of action add extra layers of interest to the tale. From the beginning, the story caught my attention, drawing me into the world through its details: from simple farm life, to the exploits of patriots. At times I struggled to follow the flow of individual conversations or events, as if part of the picture were missing. A more thorough process of writer editing with reader input would cure many a hiccup in the story’s flow. Still, the narrative is strong enough to pull a reader around these issues as the unconventional romance unfolds. Along the way, you may find yourself rooting not only for the hero and heroine, but also for the country in which they, and we, live. Patriotism flavors this book with a vibrant taste of why we can be proud to be Americans.

Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher for a fair and honest review.

About our reviewer:

Clarissa Ruth is a storyteller, adventure-loving healer, and an undeserving bride of Jesus Christ. The outdoors may find her star-gazing while whispering a prayer,or weaving a morning dance of praise barefoot on the grass. Indoors, words are her playground. When this world becomes boring, she travels, via her Scriptorium, to Cheled and all the adventures her fantasy world contains. She’s written one of these epic tales down, and more books are to follow. Though writing stories of freedom is her passion, she is lost for words without Jesus.

Connect with Clarissa on her WEBSITE.

Swept into Destiny by Catherine Ulrich Brakefield

Catherine says, “My readers inspire my writing!”

Catherine is the author of three faith-based historical romances; Wilted Dandelions; a four book Destiny series, Swept into Destiny, and Destiny’s Whirlwind scheduled for April 17, 2018 release. She has written two pictorial history books: Images of America: The Lapeer Area, and Images of America: Eastern Lapeer County.

Her short stories have been published in Guidepost Books True Stories of Extraordinary Answers to Prayer, Unexpected Answers and Desires of Your Heart; Baker Books, Revell, Th

e Dog Next Door, Horse of my Heart, and Dogs/Rescue scheduled for October, 2018 publication; CrossRiver Media Publishers, The Benefit Package and Abba’s Promise; Bethany House Publishers, Jesus Talked to me Today.

Connect with Catherine on her Website and on Facebook

Swept into Destiny

One brave decision leads to serious consequences.

Maggie Gatlan is secretly educating the slaves at Spirit Wind Manor. But the manor’s serenity is soon threatened by abolitionist John Brown. A new republic looms ahead with Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, and her countrymen’s anger escalates as secession spreads across the southern states.

With the fires of civil war glowing on the horizon, Maggie is swept into its embers, realizing she is in love with the manor’s hardworking, handsome Irishman Ben McConnell.

Ben joins the Union Army and Maggie is forced to call him her enemy. An unexpected chain of events leads her into choosing where her loyalties lie. Conscience and consequence – did she care more for Ben or for her beloved South?

As the battle between North and South rages, Maggie is torn. Was Ben right? Had this Irish immigrant perceived the truth of what God had predestined for America?

Review by Angela D. Meyer:

Ushered into life around the time of the Civil War, you will experience the joys, heartache, and emotions of the era through the eyes of Maggie Gatlan. Written with great attention to details that bring this time alive, Swept into Destiny will give you a greater understanding into the hearts of those who loved the south and struggled with the reality of the Civil War that tore families apart and divided friend from friend.

Meet, the author, Catherine Brakefield

Why did you choose to write historical novels? I choose to write historical fiction because of my love affair for anything history. During my school years, my attention was American History. I remember thinking of it as America’s love relationship with God and His Savior, Jesus Christ.

I was reared when public schools recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang all stanzas of “My Country ’tis of Thee”. A picture of George Washington kneeling in the snow next to his dapple-grey Thoroughbred hung in our school auditorium. We were taught our founding fathers declared their sovereign pledge to God, and we sang songs in our music classes like “God Bless America” and the “National Anthem.” Through my novels, I hope to give this generation the experience of patriotism I felt while growing up.

Where do you do your research? I start my research reading old history books: Freedom’s Frontier, copyright 1948, Backgrounds of American Freedom copyright 1953, based on The Past Lives Again, copyright 1937. These history books were written before political correctness. I have a better chance of knowing how people thought and felt during America’s earlier years. I interview people who lived or knew someone who lived during the era of my books. I check on their facts and have always found what they told me to be correct.

How do you incorporate your research into your story without making it sound like a history lesson? When I incorporate these facts into my book, I recall my interviewees, their expressions, their chuckles, their tears, and their fears. History is about people, and I want foremost to make sure my readers see those people first and the history that molded their lives and our beloved country in the background, not the foreground.

With this attitude in mind, you never bore your reader. You lift your reader up and plop them right inside your action, sort of like time travel, only your reader becomes the main character, laughing, scared out of their wits, and immersed in the romances of that era.

What is your favorite part about researching a historical novel? My favorite part about researching is the field trips. With Wilted Dandelions, my husband and I traveled the pathway my characters Rachael and Jonathan took through the wind tossed Nebraska plains, the Devil’s Gate of Wyoming, and the steep Red Canyon Mountains of South Pass.

With Swept into Destiny, we traveled to Maryville, Tennessee, where we drank in the mystique of the Smoky Mountains, the wisdom of Mr. Greatheart, and the stamina of the Irish immigrant. I have to admit, I opted out on the swamp experience!

In Into Destiny’s Whirlwind, I felt I had come home. My mother’s people embedded their roots in the rich soil of those blue grass hills where Thoroughbreds thrived and the grit of its people was measured by their determination. And where the Gibson Era continues to inspire and romance a new generation.

Do you have any tips for the author researching a historical novel? Believe Matthew 7:7 “…seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” Seek God’s will for your lives. It might not be what you wanted—“what you what men to do to you, do also to them”—but it will be rewarding. Our forefathers left an imprint of blood upon the stairway leading to heaven for us to follow.

Other books by Catherine

Wilted Dandelions

High-spirited Rachael Rothburn is eager to leave her luxurious life in Buffalo, New York, to share the gospel with Native Americans in the Oregon Territory. But the missionary alliance requires their missionaries to be married and Rachael has no husband or suitors.

When Dr. Jonathan Wheaton, another missionary hopeful, learns about the restriction, he is desperate to find a wife. He offers Rachael a marriage of convenience and she agrees.

After a hasty wedding the pair sets off for the west knowing little about each other. Together they battle raging rivers, hostile Indians, sickness, treacherous mountain trails, and more. But as the seeds of love begin to grow, Jonathan’s jealousy and pride threaten to be an even greater danger than anything they find in the west. Can they overcome the challenges and discover a true and lasting love?

Wordsowers Christian Writers Group

Inspiring Christian writers to grow, connect, and thrive in their craft.

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Author: Angela D. Meyer

We asked Nancy a few questions to help you get to know her better.

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We asked Tosca a few questions to help you get to know her a bit.

Like this: