Blog - Page 7 of 30 - Roxanne Rustand

Border collies & the Old West

Posted on September 17, 2014 by RoxanneSeptember 17, 2014

Guest blogger Louise Gouge

Have you ever come across an interesting piece of information that didn’t serve any particular use at the moment, but you enjoyed it? Maybe it was something you saw on television or in a magazine or maybe while you were on vacation. Then later, you found that bit of information was the perfect piece to fit into a puzzle in your life.

In my case, I can’t remember where I first heard that border collies have been used not only for herding sheep, but also for herding cattle. Imagine those cute little dogs telling those big old cows and steers what to do! But I seem to recall seeing the dogs in action, so it must have been a television documentary.

Anyway, when I started writing novels set in the Old West, I was excited to have cowboys for my main characters. And if you have cowboys, you must have…drumroll, please…cows! As we know, in addition to cattle, ranches have all sorts of other animals, including chickens for eggs and frying, barn cats to keep down the mice population, and dogs to keep the coyotes away. For my fictional Four Stones Ranch in my fictional Esperanza, Colorado, I wanted to do something a little different, so I scoured my memory for that tidbit of information about dogs that herd cattle.

Thank goodness for the Internet. Although I didn’t discover that border collies were actually used to herd cattle in the Old West, I did learn that they’re used by American cattlemen today. (See them in action at www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbLE72rMgcU .)

Because my book is fiction (Merriam-Webster definition of “fiction”: written stories about people and events that are not real: literature that tells stories which are imagined by the writer), I decided to make these little critters an important part of my story, as you can see from the cover of my new September release. I hope you’ll take time to read about all the trouble these cute puppies cause my hero and heroine in Cowboy to the Rescue, in which Love finds a Home out West.

Here’s the story:Though Georgia belle Susanna Anders agrees to accompany her father on a silver prospecting trip to Colorado, her heart belongs to the South. Then charming cowboy Nate Northam saves her father’s life and gives them shelter at his ranch. Feeling gratitude is only natural, but falling for a Yankee? Both of their families would be outraged. While Susanna’s father recovers at the Northams’ home, Nate can’t help being drawn to the sweet Southern beauty…and wishing he were free to think of courtship. That is until shocking revelations compel both Nate and Susanna to choose where their loyalties lie—fettered to the past or to the promise of a bold new love….

Do you have a pet? Do you have a service dog? Tell us about your favorite critter who lives in your house. I’d love to give away a cope of Cowboy to the Rescue to a resident of the U. S. Please leave your pet comment below to be entered in the drawing.

Here is an Amazon link for her new book! Cowboy to the Rescue (Love Inspired Historical\Four Stones Ran)

Cowboy to the Rescue
Louise Goudge
Harlequin’s Love Inspired Historical,
September 2014.

Praise for Cowboy to the Rescue: Gouge’s characters are so relatable, I feel like I’m walking right beside them as they go through trials, joys, and fall in love. There are also important topics addressed, prejudices against the South after the Civil War, how easily we can misread a situation and judge others, the tenuous relationship with fathers and sons… I could go on. In the end, as you turn the last page, I guarantee you’ll smile and feel completely satisfied. MaryLu Tyndall, author of the Legacy of the Pirate Kings series.

Award-winning Florida author Louise M. Gouge writes historical fiction for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Historical imprint. In addition to numerous other awards, Louise is the recipient of the prestigious Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award for her 2005 novel, Hannah Rose (first place), and her 2011 Regency novella, The Gentleman Takes a Bride (second place). In 2012 she placed third in the Laurel Wreath contest with her novel A Proper Companion. Louise has e-published five of her out of print novels, one original novel, Escape from Kikwit, and one original novella, Daughter of Destiny. With her great love of history and research, Louise has traveled to several of her locations to ensure the accuracy of her stories’ settings. When she isn’t writing, she and her husband love to visit historical sites and museums. Please visit her Web site at http://blog.Louisemgouge.com

A Dog Wanting To Go Home

Posted on September 12, 2014 by RoxanneSeptember 12, 2014

by guest blogger Gail Gaymer Martin

Jinx came to us as a puppy and looked very much like the terrier, I grew up with named Spike. He was a small beige and white terrier and was a faithful friend always staying in the yard. But as he aged, he became more addled and hard of hearing and one day, he followed our Samoyed down the street, and though Teddy returned, Jinx didn’t. We drove around the neighborhood, posted photos, called the dog pound, and received calls from people who said they spotted him, but after two weeks, I looked at his doggy dish and his toys with tears running down my cheeks and knew it was time to put them away.

Before I did, my phone rang. our veterinarian called, whose office was many miles away from us. He asked if we still owned Jinx. I told him our story, and he said, “I think he’s here. The receptionist saw him hanging around outside the building this morning and he’s still here. Do you have his dog license number handy?” My heart pounded as I read him the numbers, then held my breath. “We have him. He’s dirty, but he’s fine. You can come and get him.”

We were amazed that he had wandered that far away and found the one place he would know besides home…the veterinarian’s office, and I could hear him think in his doggie mind all he wanted was to go home.

We jumped in the car and drove the ten miles to the vet’s office and I cried as I held Jinx in my arms. He was filthy and smelled like garbage, and the pads of his feet were raw, but I didn’t care. All I cared was my Jinx had been found. We kept a closer eye on him after that, and he lived with us until age 20 (the same as our cat Waifer). Jinx too died at home and was buried in our backyard.

Wanting to go home reminds me of my older novella, Yuletide Treasures, available again as part of An Old-Fashioned Christmas Collection published by Barbour. The story came to me when I recalled an incident my mom experienced as a child. Mom was the youngest of ten children, and when her mother had a stroke just before Christmas, she was sent to a city many hours away to spend the holidays with affluent relatives. Mom recalled how sad and frightened she was being that far from family, but later in years, she remembered a few events that she enjoyed. One was on Christmas Eve when the formal parlor was opened to display a huge decorated Christmas tree lighted with real candles. She was awed and noticed the pails of water nearby in case a limb caught on fire.

This event triggered a story idea and rather than a girl, I created young Davy who was sent to visited well-to-do relatives at Christmas and he experienced some of the same things my mom did. Yuletide Treasures is a romance with a thread of mystery involving a package Livy, the heroine and the woman who accompanied Davy, is asked to deliver in secret. I loved writing this book in honor of my mom who is now in heaven.

If you would like to read Yuletide Treasures, it is included in An Old-Fashioned Christmas Collection from Barbour Publishing along with nine other Christmas novellas by various novelists.

Read the Back Cover Blurb:
Many of us have a secret picture of Christmases past—a time when windows shimmered with lacy frost and candlelight, fireplaces kept a home warm and snug, ladies’ skirts swirled and gracefully skimmed the floor, and gentlemen were gallant and true. Experience Christmases spanning over one hundred years through nine inspiring historical romances, beautifully and economically packaged for you and all your gift-giving needs.

Look for An Old-Fashioned Christmas Collection at Wal-Mart, Kmart, in bookstores and wherever books are sold, or you can find it online: Click here for more details of authors and purchase price.

And here’s an Amazon link where you can read more about the book, and buy it! Old-Fashioned Christmas Romance Collection: 9 Stories Celebrate Christmas Traditions and Love from Bygone Years

Peppermint Patties, A White Christmas, & Laura Hilton

Posted on September 9, 2014 by RoxanneSeptember 9, 2014

guest blogger Laura Hilton

This is a new recipe we discovered. If you like York Peppermint Patties, you’ll love these. While not featured in my book, this is a recipe Mercy would’ve made.

The stacked peppermint patty tree is shown here–and this is Nanook, who was eyeing this treat and wishing it was his!

Christmas Peppermint Patties
3 ¾ cups powdered sugar
3 T butter (not oleo) softened
2 or 3 t. peppermint extract
½ t vanilla
¼ c. evaporated milk
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 T. shortening

Combine first four ingredients, add milk and mix well. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Chill for about 20 minutes. Flatten with a glass to 1/4 –inch thick; chill for 30 minutes. Melt chocolate chips and shortening. Dip patties; place on waxed paper to harden. Yield: About 5 dozen.

Here is a link to Laura Hilton’s book! White Christmas in Webster County

A White Christmas in Webster County
(September 2014, Whitaker House)

Wanting to relocate from Shipshewana to somewhere new, Mercy Lapp answered an ad in The Budget to work as a mother’s helper for Matthew and Shanna Yoder in Seymour, Missouri. Mercy relocated from Shipshewana to give herself space and time to heal after the death of her beau in a fishing trip on Lake Michigan. Abner Hilty fled Shipshewana to Montana to work on a ranch after he and his twin brother witnessed a murder.

Now that the killer is safely behind bars, Abner decides to visit his brother Abram in Missouri where he’d settled with his bride of one month. Mercy is surprised to see Abner there, and equally surprised by how much he’d changed physically since she’d last seen him. Even though the two live in different districts they occasionally see each other in town and form a fledging friendship.

As Christmas approaches, an unexpected heavy snow lets Abner and Mercy spend a lot of time together in wintertime fun. Abner hopes to interest Mercy in a more permanent relationship. But then Mercy has a potentially life changing discovery. Will she return to Shipshewana to answer the summons of the past? Or settle in a new place?

A Christmas Romance. A chance for a new beginning. Then her past is resurrected.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Award winning author, Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and their five children make their home in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas. She is a pastor’s wife, a stay-at-home mom and home-schools three of her children. Her two oldest children are homeschool graduates and are in college. Laura is also a breast cancer survivor.

Her publishing credits include three books in the Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House: Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts (winner of the 2012 Clash of the Titles Award in two categories), and Promised to Another. The Amish of Webster County series, Healing Love (finalist for the 2013 Christian Retail Awards). Surrendered Love and Awakened Love. A nonAmish book Swept Away will release November 2014 from Abingdon Press. She is contracted for another three book Amish series with Whitaker House, The Amish of Jamesport series, begins in November 2014 with The Snow Globe, The Postcard in June 2015, and The Bird House in September 2015, and A White Christmas in Webster County (Amish) releasing in September 2014. Laura is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a professional book reviewer for the Christian market, with over a thousand book reviews published at various online review sites.

http://www.amazon.com/Laura-V.-Hilton/e/B004IRSM5Q
visit my blogs: http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/ & http://lauravhilton.blogspot.com/
twitter: @Laura_V_Hilton

Dogs, and Obeying the Master’s Voice

Posted on September 5, 2014 by RoxanneSeptember 4, 2014

by guest blogger Cindy Thomson

I actually used to think I wasn’t a dog person. That seems so silly to me now. I grew up with dogs, although they were kept outside. When my boys were young I didn’t want a dog, and that’s probably because I felt so overwhelmed raising three boys and working. (No matter what the kids say, the mom takes care of the dog, right?)

We did get a dog when the boys were older, our sweet Sheltie named Cody.

He was so loving and never meant to be any trouble at all. If you know Shelties, you know how they follow you everywhere just so they can plop down on the floor beside your feet. He’s been gone a few years now, but we have “granddogs” who visit, and that’s a lot of fun. So it didn’t surprise me when a dog entered the novel I’m currently working on.

In my story everyone thinks this dog looks just like the Victor dog, the one on the record labels. He’s going to have an important part in the story, teaching my characters about faithfulness and obedience and unconditional love. I can’t think of a more fitting example. This fictional dog—his name is Luigi—charms children, is obedient to his master, is a constant and comforting companion, but also is smart and intuitive, making up for what is sometimes lacking in his owner.

My inspiration is the story about the real Victor dog, Nipper. Nipper was a terrier mix that lived in the late 1800s in England. He belonged to Mark Henry Barraud and upon Barraud’s death became the companion of his brother Frances. Sometime after Nipper died Frances created the famous painting of Nipper listening to his departed owner’s voice on a gramophone. Eventually this painting was purchased by The Gramophone Company and some years later became the Victor advertising image His Master’s Voice. The U.S. trademark was registered in 1900.

Anyone who has seen a dog twist his head at an odd angle while trying to understand something you’ve said to him instantly understands the image Barraud painted. I know Cody used to do this a lot. But I was also intrigued by the fact that the dog in the painting was hearing a voice that he had long listened to and obeyed, and although the voice was gone from this earth, he still listened.

Obeying the Master’s voice is not easy, but we can be trained to listen. Listening is almost a lost art these days. Those are the themes I hope to explore in this novel I’m currently working on. If you’d like to follow me on my journey, sign up for my email newsletter on my website: www.cindyswriting.com or follow my Facebook page www.facebook.com/cindyswriting for updates.

What’s the greatest lesson you learned from your pet?

Here is an Amazon link for Cindy’s newest release! Annie’s Stories (Ellis Island)

Annie’s Stories, Book Two in The Ellis Island Series
Cindy Thomson
Tyndale House Publishers
July 1, 2014

The year is 1901, the literary sensation The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is taking New York City by storm, and everyone wonders where the next great book will come from. But to Annie Gallagher, stories are more than entertainment—they’re a sweet reminder of her storyteller father. After his death, Annie fled Ireland for the land of dreams, finding work at Hawkins House.

But when a fellow boarder with something to hide is accused of misconduct and authorities threaten to shut down the boardinghouse, Annie fears she may lose her new friends, her housekeeping job . . . and her means of funding her dream: a memorial library to honor her father. Furthermore, the friendly postman shows a little too much interest in Annie—and in her father’s unpublished stories. In fact, he suspects these tales may hold a grand secret.

Though the postman’s intentions seem pure, Annie wants to share her father’s stories on her own terms. Determined to prove herself, Annie must forge her own path to aid her friend and create the future she’s always envisioned . . . where dreams really do come true.

About the author…
Cindy Thomson’s love of history and her Scots-Irish heritage inspired much of her writing, including her new Ellis Island series. Cindy is also the author of Brigid of Ireland and Celtic Wisdom: Treasures from Ireland, and is co-author of Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story. Cindy has written on a regular basis for numerous online and print publications and is a mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild.

Why I write about service dogs by Margaret Daley

Posted on September 3, 2014 by RoxanneSeptember 3, 2014

Guest blog by Margaret Daley

When I taught students with special needs, I occasionally had the chance to also work with a service dog. They are amazing animals. Dogs are used to help people with various problems, not only with different disabili

ties (like blindness, epilepsy, diabetes, physical, post traumatic syndrome disorder) but also with helping law enforcement with bomb detecting, drug detecting, suspect apprehension, tracking and cadaver retrieval.

Their scent of smell is keen compare to ours. For example, they can smell a dead person buried in the ground or deep under the water. They can sense things in us that we aren’t even aware of.

My vet told me about a service dog that was with his owner who is diabetic at the airport. The service dog indicated a passenger who was forty feet away had plummeting blood sugar, which was the case. Many animals can sense when someone is in need of emotional support, whether in grief, depression or pain.

Have you known a service (or therapy) dog or seen one in action? What kind of dog was it?

About author Margaret Daley
Margaret Daley, an award-winning author of ninety books (five million sold worldwide), has been married for over forty years and is a firm believer in romance and love. When she isn’t traveling, she’s writing love stories, often with a suspense thread and corralling her three cats that think they rule her household. To find out more about Margaret visit her website at http://www.margaretdaley.com.

Here’s a link to Margaret Daley’s new book! Her Hometown Hero (Love Inspired\Caring Canines)

Her Hometown Hero
Book 3 in Caring Canines Series
by Margaret Daley
Love Inspired

Home to a Cowboy
In a split second, a tragic accident ends Kathleen Somers’s ballet career. Her dreams shattered, she returns home to the Soaring S ranch…and her first love. Suddenly the local veterinarian, Dr. Nate Sterling, goes from her ex to her champion. With the help of a lively poodle therapy dog, the cowboy vet sets out to challenge Kathleen’s strength and heal her heart. He’ll show her there’s life beyond dance, even if it means she leaves town again. But maybe, just maybe, he’ll convince her there’s only one thing in life worth having…and he’s standing right in front of her.

Caring Canines: Loving and loyal, these dogs mend hearts.

Lessons from Muggs…the Himalayan Cat

Posted on September 1, 2014 by RoxanneSeptember 1, 2014

How My Himalayan Cat Enriched My Life, by guest blogger Nicola Furlong

This is a painful post to compose. I am facing every pet owner’s worst fear: zero day is looming for Muggs, my adored Himalayan. He arrived over ten years ago, found abandoned and catnapped by friends.

Age unknown, emaciated, and near death, he was hobbled by a concrete Mohawk running up his bony back, suffering from damaged kidneys, but blessed with a sweet and forgiving personality.

After a massive shot of anti-biotics, a buzz cut and a couple of days sucking tuna juice from a syringe, Muggs darted up and down the carpeted hallway completely unafraid of my astonished Australian terrier. His hilarious saucer face, spectacular daily gymnastic cleaning routine, and startling empathetic manner became a decade of life treasures.

Now, my sweet little guy is eating less, rickety in action, and I have to inject him with subcutaneous fluids every second day to support his faulty kidneys. The dreaded decision will have to be made, way too soon.

While I ponder this terrible responsibility, I’d like to share six essential Muggisms gleaned from living with and loving my six pound feline:

1) Regal Rules: Ask gently, accompanied by a soft pad to the face, and you shall receive.

2) Face Failure: When you are defeated, yowl once, and then stalk right back into the game.

3) Be Bold: Walk softly and always hold a haughty attitude.

4) Manage Emotions: Surrender to claw-ripping anger only as a last swift resort, and then pose triumphantly.

5) Don’t Dwell: A hairball is not the end of the world, and anyway, somebody else will clean it up.

6) Daily Musts: Purr, wash, play, knead and gaze, not necessarily in that order.

I know my heart soon will be broken, but as a writer, I have the ability to bestow the gift of immortality.

In HOMEFIRES, Book 2 of my new series called the SISTERHOOD OF SHEPHERDS, I’ve introduced an abandoned Himalayan who is found and immediately cherished by the Shepherd family.Though he has a different name, little Phoenix’s rise to life guarantees longevity to the singular spirit of my beloved cat. Thank you for letting me momentarily ease my anguish by sharing the joy of living with Muggs.

Here is an Amazon link to buy Nicola’s book! Heartsong: Sisterhood of Shepherds

HEARTSONG
BOOK 1 SISTERHOOD OF SHEPHERDS
published in trade paperback and ebook by Mantle Rock, May 2014.

Award-winning author Sandi Rog says HEARTSONG will “reach right in and take hold of your heart, seizing it until the very last page.”

Have You Ever Thought — There Must be More to Life?

Thirty-something Oregon plant nursery owner and single mom, Charly Shepherd has. She knows the joys and sorrows of digging in the dirt, but discovers she yearns for more in HEARTSONG, a charming cozy novel of family, forgiveness and forgotten promises.

Everyone has regrets. Sometimes we wish we had the chance and the courage to make amends. These Cold Cases of the Heart are at the center of the bestselling family saga series, the SISTERHOOD OF SHEPHERDS. When Faith, Hope and Charly, three quirky Oregon sisters, reluctantly delve into family secrets to help their ailing father fulfill a promise, their lives change forever as they pursue a new path of discovery, heartache and humor.

If you like Debbie Macomber, Jan Karon or Fern Michaels, you’ll love Nicola Furlong.

Nicola pens mystery & inspirational novels, creates interactive iPad books, podcasts about genre writing (The Novel Experience), & teaches e-publishing, when not playing Old-Timer’s hockey, growing blossoms & bamboo or eating chocolate fudge. Her first contemporary women’s series, the Sisterhood of Shepherds, debuted with HEARTSONG, in June 2014 (MantleRockPublishing).

Nicola’s swinging whodunit, TEED OFF! (republished in February 2014 by OakTreePress), features professional golfer and coroner Riley Quinn.

Her other novels include a psychological thriller (A HEMORRHAGING OF SOULS), six novels in The Church Choir Mysteries series and a multimedia online thriller, UNNATURALSTATES.

In addition, Nicola has published three how to ebook primers, TOP TEN GARDENING TIPS, YOUDUNIT WHODUNIT! HOW TO WRITE MYSTERIES & SELF-PUBLISH YOUR E-BOOK IN MINUTES! She’s recently released her first musical interactive children’s book for the iPad, Saving Grape-Jelly Cheeks.

Nicola gardens in a small seaside town on southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. For more information, visit http://www.nicolafurlong.com or http://www.quillr.com.

Author Gail Gaymer Martin asks: Did you lose a kitten?!

Posted on August 27, 2014 by RoxanneAugust 27, 2014

by guest blogger Gail Martin

My latest novel includes a cat named Whimsey, and she’s one of the most memorable characters in the novel along with her owner, Aunt Winnie. Neither is a main character, although they are unique and special people, but I love animals and enjoy them in my novels. I’ve always had pets, and one, like Whimsey, is still in my heart.

Many years ago while camping, my husband and I heard a rustling noise outside. Assuming it was a critter in our camping gear, my husband opened the camper door and let out our dog. But instead of a critter, we spotted a tiny little tabby kitten staring at us.

Who could resist? We brought her in, gave her something to eat and drink and kept her until morning when we could try to find the owner. We headed for nearby homes, and after being laughed at by the first two families who told us people always brought unwanted pets into the woods, we gave up. Since the humane society was sixty miles away, we called people we knew, trying to find a good home for the kitten. No one was interested. So along with two dogs, we returned home with a kitten. And you can probably guess who ended up taking her in. We did. We named the poor little stray Waif but added an e and r at the end, so she became Waifer.

Waifer was one of those characters whose favorite trick was to bat at my knitting needles and knock the ball of yarn across the floor. She loved to climb on my desk when I was working and lay across the top of the papers. She gave us laughter and love. As she aged, she became ill, and though we took her the vet and gave her medication, she lost weight and looked bad. Selfishly, I didn’t have the heart to put her to sleep.

When we had a month long trip planned for Europe and had no family who could care for her, reality finally sank in. It was time to say goodbye and do the unthinkable. With one week to go, we made plans to take her to the vet’s office on the Saturday before our trip. The Wednesday before as I passed the rocking chair where Waifer loved to lie, I saw her there but something looked strange. My heart skipped, and a sob left my throat. I called my husband. When he looked, he agreed, She was gone. Though I cried, I also knew the little sweetheart gave us an amazing gift. We didn’t have to take her to the vet. She left on her own terms. What a blessing.

When I added Whimsey to my romance mystery, Treasures of Her Heart, I couldn’t help but think of Waifer. Whimsey is also a tabby and one who loves many of the same antics as Waifer.

Saying goodbye to a pet is as hard as saying goodbye to family? Have you had to say goodbye and make that difficult decision, or were you blessed as we were?

Here’s an Amazon link to buy Gail’s latest book! Treasures of Her Heart

Treasures of Her Heart
A Forget Me Not Romance
June, 2014

Nikki Townley a fashion-buyer, looking for a life with deeper meaning, leaves her career and moves to a small, tourist town in northern Michigan to assist her ailing great-aunt Winnie in running her floundering antique business. There she finds herself caught in a mystery searching for her aunt’s missing fortune, facing an investment company in pursuit of her aunt’s property, and hoping to save long-distance romance with her faithful male friend Rob Moore, while struggling to escape her attraction to an exciting, smooth-talking womanizer. Can she overcome temptation, locate the missing fortune and find the truth to the treasures of her heart? Will Rob wait for Nikki to make up her mind?

What are people saying?
Romance, and mystery come together in perfect harmony. You will delve into Nikki’s heartfelt journey from beginning to end. I highly recommend this wonderful author and this wonderful novel. Naomi Anderson, Amazon Review

I have to say that this book (by Gail Gaymer Martin) is now one of my favorites. I highly recommend this book. If you want a very sweet romance with a good mystery included, you will love this book. I know I really did. M. A. Young, Amazon Review

I quickly fell in love with this engaging story of romance and mystery. I found it hard to put the book down from chapter one to the final word in the last chapter. Gail Gaymer Martin has written another winning story that will warm your heart. J Pobst, Amazon Review

Treasures of Her Heart, a Mystery Romance available as a paperback and eBook. Click here to read an excerpt on Amazon.

Multi-award-winning novelist, Gail Gaymer Martin is the author of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and women’s fiction with 55 published novels and nearly 4 million books in print. Her novels have received numerous national awards, including: the ACFW Carol Award, Booksellers Best and RT Reviewer’s Choice Award. CBS local news listed Gail as one of the four best writers in the Detroit area. She is the author of Writer Digest’s Writing the Christian Romance and is a cofounder of American Christian Fiction Writers where she serves on their Executive Board. Gail is a member of Advanced Speakers and Writers (ASWA) as well as Christian Authors Network (CAN) and is a keynote speaker at women’s events at churches, civic and business organizations as well as a workshop presenter at conferences across the U.S. Gail lives in Michigan with her husband. Visit her at: Website: www.gailgaymermartin.com

Of Cletuses, Herbies and Golden Retrievers

Posted on August 25, 2014 by RoxanneAugust 25, 2014

by guest blogger Fay Lamb

I’m not one to read a story that has an animal in it. I’m always afraid that it will die and rip out my heart along theway. When I have to read such a story in edits, I usually recommend that the animal survive unless I can see clearly why the author has chosen to write the story in such a way. After all, every character, even a pet, must have a purpose for being in a story, and that purpose might be fulfilled in the death of that “character.”

Tennager boy in the park with a dog

Because I don’t like to read books with animals in them, when Cletus came bounding into my first novel in the Ties that Bind series, Charisse I couldn’t believe that the overgrown Golden Retriever would dare invade my written page.

Cletus did more than that. He showed himself necessary to the story. Instead of breaking a heart, Cletus was there to heal the hearts of a mother and son deeply entrenched in grief. From the start when Cletus literally helps the hero and his owner, Gideon Tabor, run into Charisse, he had me giggling along with VJ, Charisse’s son.

And that laughter captivated me.

Throughout the story, Cletus appears, and each time, he seems to have the soul of an angel, knowing when Charisse or her little boy needed him.

I’ve thought long and hard about where Cletus came from, and I think my imagination had to make him as large as the heart that my Chihuaha, Herbie, had within him.

Herbie was given to me by my father. The dog chose his name because he wouldn’t answer to any name my dad called him. As a joke, I called him “Herbert,” and he perked up and looked at me. You see, Herbert was my father’s given name, and he was a precious gift from my dad.

In 2002, I became very ill. I couldn’t get out of bed for four months. Beside me, the entire time, Herbie snuggled against me or on top of my pillow, always letting me know he was there to comfort me.

Like Cletus, he just knew he was needed. He had a reason for being in my life story.

Herbie lived to an ancient old age of twenty-one. He left us last year, and he is missed, but he lives on every time I think of Cletus, his big heart, and the way he helped a hero heal the hearts of a heroine and her little boy just by being there when they needed him.

Here is an Amazon link to Fay’s book! Charisse (Ties that Bind Series Book 1)

Charisse
By Fay Lamb

He wants a family. She wants retribution.

Charisse Wellman’s husband has been gone a year, and she’s about to lose the only home her son, V.J., has ever known. She’s quit law school but the money just isn’t there. Her only option is to work as a law clerk for her ex-friend, Gideon Tabor. The only problem: Gideon is the judge who let her husband’s killer go free, and Gideon doesn’t know the connection.

Gideon Tabor can’t believe that the woman interviewing for the job is the girl he loved in high school. Charisse is hesitant about accepting his job offer, and when she does, Gideon makes every attempt to apologize for his relationship-ending blunder in high school. Charisse accepts his apology, but she keeps him at a distance. When Gideon learns that Charisse’s anger actually stems from his release of the man who ran down her husband, he tries to explain, but Charisse doesn’t want Gideon’s excuses or the love he has to offer. She wants her husband’s killer to pay.

About the author…
Fay Lamb’s emotionally charged stories remind the reader that God is always in the details. Fay has contracted three series. Stalking Willow and Better than Revenge, Books 1 and 2 in the Amazing Grace romantic suspense series are currently available for purchase. Charisse and Libby the first two novels in her The Ties That Bind contemporary romance series have been released. Fay has also collaborated on three romance novellas: The Christmas Three Treasure Hunt, A Ruby Christmas, and the newest A Dozen Apologies. Her adventurous spirit has taken her into the realm of non-fiction with The Art of Characterization: How to Use the Elements of Storytelling to Connect Readers to an Unforgettable Cast.

Future releases from Fay are: Everybody’s Broken and Frozen Notes, Books 3 and 4 of Amazing Grace and Hope and Delilah, Books 3 and 4 from The Ties that Bind. Also, look for Book 1 in Fay’s Serenity Key series entitled Storms in Serenity.

Fay loves to meet readers, and you can find her on her personal Facebook page, her Facebook Author page, and at The Tactical Editor on Facebook. She’s also active on Twitter. Then there are her blogs: On the Ledge, Inner Source, and the Tactical Editor. And, yes, there’s one more: Goodreads.

Come back to The All Creatures Great & Small blog on December 15, when Fay will be visiting again and featuring LIBBY, another wonderful book!

Author Mary Ellis: Horses during the Civil War

Posted on July 30, 2014 by RoxanneJuly 17, 2014

The Role of Horses during the Civil War by guest blogger Mary Ellis

Many have said that the horse was the backbone of the Civil War. It wasn’t until I began researching my current book, The Lady and Officer, that I realized how true that statement was.

When you think about horses during nineteenth-century warfare, you think of the cavalry—those soldiers who fought while mounted with rifles, pistols, and swords.

But horses also moved artillery and ambulances filled with wounded, carried couriers and generals where they needed to go, and pulled wagons that brought food, munitions, and clothing to our boys in blue and grey.

It is estimated that more horses lost their lives during the war than men, in excess of one million. It didn’t take long before horses were in short supply on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line.

In my historical romance, my heroine breeds and raises horses outside of Cashtown, Pennsylvania. Many of you will remember that town is just a stone’s throw away from Gettysburg. When the war arrived on Madeline Howard’s doorstep, it brought along two armies desperate for replacement mounts. It was common for unscrupulous soldiers to steal horseflesh for their own use or to sell to quartermasters at a profit.

My character’s pride-and-joys were soon stripped away, leaving her without a livelihood or a means to flee the carnage of battle. Of course, my resourceful equestrienne was able to rise above her circumstances and thrive in a world gone mad. But I hope you’ll never underestimate the invaluable role that the noblest of beasts has played in our nation’s history.

Here’s a link to buy Mary’s new book! The Lady and the Officer (Civil War Heroines Series)

The Lady and the Officer
Lady and the Officer, The by Mary Ellis
August 1, 2014
ISBN 978-0-7369-5054-1
Category: Fiction—Romance

Love, Loyalty, and Espionage…How Does a Lady Live with All Three?

As a nurse after the devastating battle of Gettysburg, Madeline Howard saves the life of Elliot Haywood, a colonel in the Confederacy. But even though she must soon make her home in the South, her heart and political sympathies belong to General James Downing, a Union Army corps commander.

Colonel Haywood has not forgotten the beautiful nurse who did so much for him, and when he unexpectedly meets her again in Richmond, he is determined to win her. While spending time with army officers and war department officials in her aunt and uncle’s palatial home, Madeline overhears plans for Confederate attacks against the Union soldiers. She knows passing along this information may save the life of her beloved James, but at what cost? Can she really betray the trust of her family and friends? Is it right to allow Elliott to dream of a future with her?

Two men are in love with Madeline. Will her faith in God show her the way to a bright future, or will her choices bring devastation on those she loves?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary Ellis is the bestselling author of many books, including A Widow’s Hope and The Quaker and the Rebel. She is an active member of the local historical society and Civil War Roundtable, where she served as secretary for several years. She has enjoyed a lifelong passion for American history. Shes has written twelve bestselling novels set in the Amish community. Before “retiring” to write full-time, Mary taught school and worked as a sales rep for Hershey Chocolate. Living in Harmony, book one of her last series won the 2012 Lime Award for Excellence in Amish Fiction. Love Comes to Paradise won the 2013 Lime Award.

She is currently working on a three-book series of historical romances set during the Civil War for Harvest House Publishers. The Quaker and the Rebel released in January and The Lady and the Officer releases in July.

She can be found on the web at:
www.maryellis.net or www.maryeellis.wordpress.com or
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mary-Ellis/126995058236

Author Eleanor Gustafson

Posted on July 25, 2014 by RoxanneJuly 25, 2014

Guest blogger Eleanor Gustafson

I was pet starved as a child, so I sort of adopted a friend’s dog. Nancy housed and fed Pokey; I took him for walks—or runs. He didn’t do well with walk. Worked fine until he started having seizures. Sadly, the day came when Nancy and I said a tearful goodbye to our friend as he was driven off to dog heaven. HOWEVER, 15 minutes later Pokey came tearing into the yard, delighted to see us! But the truck came back, and Pokey was recaptured and marched to the gallows.

The only other dog I had was a German shepherd named Beowulf. A beautiful dog, but fearful and less than welcoming to visitors at the parsonage. The only non-family person he greeted warmly was the breeder who had given him to us. “How ARE you, my friend?” Beowulf would say with excited doggy smiles, knowing this man had lady dogs at his house. Let the party begin! Everything that could go wrong with Beowulf, did, from porcupine quills and skunk encounters to broken bones. The first bone was a nuisance, but he no sooner got out of the cast when a second leg broke—prompting an immediate trip to the undertaker.

Anolis_carolinensis_(male&female)_by_Robert_Michniewicz

No more dogs, but we acquired a pair of anole lizards, Speedy and Spooky, that required live flies, spiders, and home-grown mealworms. I got to know where flies hung out—church windows were the mother lode—and our cellar was full of spiders. We gave the lizards away after a while. Enough, already, of flies and spiders!

Then there was Jenneau, a baby raccoon I found at the base of a tree—its mother dead on the road. Took it home, learned how to feed it, then built a wire cage behind our house and covered it with plastic. One afternoon, a storm came up and rattled that plastic—a tornado to that poor raccoon! I ran out, and as I opened the cage door, the baby leaped onto me, clinging for dear life. Never had I felt more like a mother!

Horses, though, became the passion of my life in my teens, when people down the street bought a pony for their granddaughter.

Once I learned to manage that contrary beast, not only had I learned to ride, but to do life, as well. I dedicated Dynamo to Lydie, the woman who shaped my life during those years. She shared not only horses, but flowers and birds and time, freely given.

Dynamo
Which leads directly to my novel–Dynamo!

Here is a link for Eleanor’s new book ! Dynamo

DYNAMO
by Eleanor Gustafson

Dynamo is a five-gaited stallion with a nasty disposition. His trainer Jeth has his work cut out for him before this gorgeous creature can possibly be shown, but that work must be done in his spare time. Jeth’s real job is training show jumpers for competition in horse events.

Jeth’s boss is a Christian; Jeth is not. But when his girlfriend, Janni, slaps him really hard after he refuses to go to bed with her, the door of the Kingdom suddenly opens to Jeth.

Jeth finds God to be totally inscrutable and unpredictable. Only his new friend Maybelle can interpret this strange, new venue. For instance, he wins classes where he deserves to come in last. He does amazing things and ends up in the hospital.

Maybelle, a bit of old lace, is something else. Mentor, yes; spiritual goad, yes; but tower of strength when Jeth desperately needs one. And he does—on two devastating occasions of life and death.

This novel walks you through the high-stakes horse world, but more importantly, it draws you into the world of a sovereign God who pulls and shapes and lifts Jeth into the unfathomably rich fellowship of suffering servanthood.

“Packed with the fascinating world of show horses, Dynamo is a rich tale of redemption, renewal, and hope. Readers will appreciate the fast-moving plot, and root for the life-like characters. May God “hug your soul” as you read this story.” Alice J. Wisler, author of Rain Song (Christy Finalist 2009), How Sweet It Is (Christy Finalist 2010) and Hatteras Girl

Dynamo
Recent review:

D.M. Webb rated it 5 of 5 stars: “….Powerful, gripping, and gritty…these are only a few words to try to describe the wonderful story brought to life by Eleanor Gustafson.”Jeth Cavanaugh may be raw and rough, but he knows horses. One decision to travel down a road led him on a journey for which he wasn’t prepared.Little by little, Jeth comes to know Jesus and His sacrifice for us all. Little by little, his soul is revealed, mirrored by the beautiful stallion, Dynamo. The dialogue in Dynamo is real and at times gritty (never overstepping the boundary of Christian morality). The emotions are straightforward and yet complex. The characters’ involvement with each other contributes to their growth….

I cried when a beloved character died. I cheered when a character was saved. I moaned when trouble came.All in all, Dynamo is great Christian literary fiction. The growth and journey of the character made a strong impact upon this reader. It stayed with me long after I turned that last page and closed the book.I encourage all readers of general and literary fiction to immerse themselves in this story and to take the ride of their lives.Superb, Eleanor Gustafson, superb!

www.eleanorgustafson.com
http://www.eleanorgustafson.com/blog/
https://www.facebook.com/ellie.gustafson.7
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1969775.Eleanor_Gustafson