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Showing posts from May, 2008

How My Regency Heroines Hide Knives in Their Corsets

Historical research behind the stealthy fashion of my lady spies What would you do if you were a woman in 1811 and needed to carry a weapon, but had no pockets and couldn’t very well strap a dagger to your thigh? That was the challenge I faced while writing my Christian Regency Romantic Suspense series, Lady Wynwood’s Spies , where my heroines don’t just attend balls and sip tea—they also sneak around carriages, spy on dangerous men, and fight off attackers when necessary. In Volume 7: Spinster and Volume 8: Traitor , two of my heroines—Lena and Phoebe—retrieve hidden knives from secret slits in their gowns. The sheaths are sewn directly onto their corsets. Naturally, you won’t find that kind of accessory in the pages of Ackermann’s Repository of Arts or La Belle Assemblée , the fashion magazines of the day. But I wanted my heroines to be both era-accurate and armed. So I dug into fashion history to find a creative (and plausible) solution. The Idea Behind the Hidden Knife Shea...
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Book excerpt - WINTER HAVEN by Athol Dickson

WINTER HAVEN by Athol Dickson Christy Award-winning author of River Rising and The Cure Romantic Times: "Top Pick!" Library Journal: Starred Review Christian Fiction Review: Five Stars Athol Dickson's writing has been favorably compared to the work of Octavia Butler (by Publishers Weekly ), Daphne du Maurier (by Cindy Crosby of FaithfulReader.com) and Flannery O'Connor (by the New York Times ). To read an excerpt of these new titles go to Chapter-a-Week . If you don't belong to Chapter a Week, it's free and easy to join. Just click here . To join our deeper discussion go to Chapter-a-Week Chat at http://groups.yahoo.com/group /CAWChat/ where authors and readers discuss new titles together. If you enjoy Chapter-a-Week take the time to tell a friend how to sign up. It's easy and free and a great way to find books that fit each person's particular taste.
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Book excerpt - FINALLY A FAMILY by Carolyne Aarsen

Finally a Family Carolyne Aarsen Love Inspired – June, 2008 A Farm – A desire to atone for past wrongs – And two people caught in the middle. This is MY Farm: Arrogant Ethan Westerveld could scream that from the barn roof if he wanted, but half the place was now Hannah Kristoferson's. Not that she wanted one inch of the farm that reminded her of the only father she'd ever known- and his heartbreaking betrayal. Yet according to the terms of his will, she had to spend six months at Riverbend or forfeit the inheritance. Six months butting heads with too-handsome Ethan in order to make a quick sale and a new life far away? She'd do it. But Hannah didn't count on Ethan feeling like family…or that she'd want to stay forever. Top Pick – Romantic Times: . . .Carolyne Aarsen delivers a spunky heroine who keeps the story fun while a warm romance brews at just the right temperature. You'll be glad to read Finally A Family (4 ½)" To read an excerpt of th...
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Book excerpt – THE HUNTED by Mike Dellosso

Captain's Log, Stardate 05.31.2008 The Hunted by Mike Dellosso A town’s deadly secret will drive one man to the edge of his faith… After learning of the disappearance of his nephew, Joe Saunders returns to his childhood home of Dark Hills. With rumors spreading of a rogue lion roaming the woods, he embarks on a mission to learn the truth. As he peels away the layers of Dark Hills, he discovers a secret that has been shrouded for three generations in a deadly code of silence. Will his young faith be strong enough to battle the demonic forces behind it? Excerpt of chapter one: (You can also download a .pdf of the first chapter by clicking this link .) Chapter 1 Present day Caleb Saunders dashed through the woods, dodging low-hanging branches, jumping fallen trees, snaking around saplings and undergrowth. He had decided to trek along the untouched forest floor rather than the well-worn path that wove through the trees all the way to Hunter’s Creek. The path the others were on. His lun...
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Sorry about the long posts

Captain's Log, Supplemental While I know some of you weren't upset at all that I posted an excerpt from diva-extraordinaire FRANCINE RIVERS yesterday, I do apologize that the post was so long. From now on, my book excerpts will only be 2 or 3 screens long and then I'll link to the rest of the chapter if anyone wants to keep reading.
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Cranford

Captain's Log, Stardate 05.30.2008 I have just finished watching the BBC production of Cranford and I am COMPLETELY FLOORED!!! I love this miniseries more than North and South and as much as Pride and Prejudice !!!!! There is humor, there is love, there is tragedy. There is hope. I love how the story flows from person to person, and how despite hardships, the kindness and love of the residents of Cranford shine through. This is a wonderful script and excellent casting. These are some of the finest actors I have seen in any movie. Dame Judi Dench is amazing, as is Dame Francesca Annis. I can’t praise this miniseries enough. I have this saved on Tivo, but I am buying this DVD AT ONCE!!!!
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Book excerpt - A VOICE IN THE WIND by Francine Rivers

Today's Wild Card author is: Francine Rivers and her book: A Voice in the Wind Tyndale House Publishers (March 1, 1998)(Re-released June 2008) A Jewish slave girl uses the only weapon she has---the gospel of Christ---to battle the immorality of the crumbling culture around her. Torn by her love for a handsome aristocrat, Hadassah clings to faith in a living God for deliverance from the forces of decadent Rome. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Francine Rivers began her literary career at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Journalism. From 1976 to 1985, she had a successful writing career in the general market and her books were awarded or nominated for numerous awards and prizes. Although raised in a religious home, Francine did not truly encounter Christ until later in life, when she was already a wife, mother of three, and an established romance novelist. Shortly after becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Francine wrote Redeemi...
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A Room With a View

Captain's Log, Stardate 05.28.2008 I finally got a chance to watch the new BBC version of A Room With a View , and this is another instance of a movie’s ending totally ruining a rather good flick for me. SPOILER ALERT: Okay, I don’t remember this in the book, but did Lucy’s husband die in the end of the book? If he didn’t, why did the screenwriter ruin a perfectly good romantic movie with the reminisces of the heroine returning to Florence after the hero has died??? All through the movie, I kept hoping the hero would eventually appear and join her in Florence, maybe make up after some horrible argument or return from a trip or something. I had a suspicion he might be dead, which was why she was returning to Florence in the first place, but I certainly didn’t want to think about that while their love story is unfolding! And the stupid thing at the end where she’s holding hands with the creepy Italian guy? Come on! I’ve fallen in love with George during the movie, and I don’t want to...
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Book excerpt - RUBY AMONG US by Tina Forkner

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Ruby Among Us (WaterBrook Press May 20, 2008) by Tina Ann Forkner ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tina Ann Forkner writes contemporary fiction that challenges and inspires. Originally from Oklahoma, she graduated with honors in English from CSU Sacramento before ultimately settling in the wide-open spaces of Wyoming where she now resides with her husband and their three children. Tina serves on the Laramie County Library Foundation Board of Directors and enjoys gardening, spending time outdoors with her family, and works as a full-time writer. ABOUT THE BOOK Sometimes, the key that unlocks your future lies in someone else’s past... In Ruby Among Us , Lucy DiCamillo is safely surrounded by her books, music, and art─but none of these reclusive comforts or even the protective efforts of her grandmother, Kitty can shield her from the memory of the mother she can no longer remember. Lucy senses her grandmother holds th...
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Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Captain's Log, Stardate 05.27.2008 I got this one from my friend, Tina Russo: You've heard about people who have been abducted and had their kidneys removed by black-market organ thieves. Well, this kind of cruel theft is happening with other body parts as well! My thighs were stolen from me during the night a few years ago. I went to sleep and woke up with someone else's thighs. It was just that quick. The replacements had the texture of cooked oatmeal. Whose thighs were these and what happened to mine? I spent the entire summer looking for My thighs. Finally, hurt and angry, I resigned myself to living out my life in jeans. And then the thieves struck again. My Butt was next. I knew it was the same gang, because they took pains to match my new rear end to the thighs they had stuck me with earlier But my new butt was attached at least three inches lower than my original! I realised I'd have to give up my jeans in favour of long skirts. Two years ago I realized my arms ...
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Six random things meme

Captain's Log, Supplemental My friend and romantic suspense author Debby Giusti tagged me! Six random things about me: 1) I just made the most fabulous pizza modeled after this seafood pizza at Pizzeria Uno’s. Recipe: I sautéed garlic and green onions in butter, added bay shrimp and imitation crab, and then added a couple tablespoons of cream. I made pizza dough in my bread machine, laid it out on a pizza stone, and spread the seafood toppings on it. I had to let the dough rise a third time, so I did that in a 170 degree oven, then cranked the heat to 400. I added fresh thyme leaves and mozzarella cheese and baked for 25 minutes. It wasn’t quite as good as Uno’s, but it had a lot less fat, and I thought it tasted marvelous. 2) I’m allergic to real crab (which is why I used the imitation in the pizza). I don’t get hives, nor does my throat swell up, but I do get a really nauseated stomach if I eat even a tablespoon of the stuff. My dad is worse, he gets hives. I’m also mildly aller...
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