Kathleen Friesen

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No Secrets, Just Good Advice

2/24/2014

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Today’s Blog Hop subject is “Advice I’d Give A Newbie Writer.” That’s a bit of a problem for me, since I consider myself to be in that category. That’s good news for you readers – this will be short.

In no particular order, these are things I wish I’d been told at the beginning of my foray into the world of writing.

Expect to wait. The older I get, the more quickly time passes – except when it comes to getting published. Even when I submitted poems and articles for little or no payment, it took time to hear back from the publisher. Patience is a virtue, and working toward publication gives us ample opportunity to develop this virtue.

Don’t expect to get rich. I wasn’t quite so naïve as to think I was writing the next Pulitzer Prize winner, but I figured a few dollars here and there would be nice. They are, indeed, but writing is definitely not for the “get rich quick” crowd. Unless it is a calling, you may want to consider some other venture.

 Find some critique partners. On this one I would caution that more is not necessarily better. Writing and accepting critiques is one of my most valuable helps, but it does take time. When I joined a large group, I was quickly overwhelmed. Now I have a few critique partners, and when my next novel gets published, much of the credit will go to these wonderful ladies.

Pray. Before you start writing, while you are writing, while you do research – the whole experience can be a spiritual exercise that blesses you as well as your readers.

Take advantage of online groups. For you younger set, that’s probably a “duh” suggestion. For older ones like me, tackling social media and the vast world of the internet is a scary endeavor. So my advice is: don’t be afraid to try, and don’t hesitate to ask for help. I’ve “met” many wonderful writing friends online, and their generosity with their knowledge never fails to amaze me.

One more tidbit: if at all possible, attend a writers conference. This is one I haven’t yet managed, but it’s something I hope to do in the next year or two. From everything I’ve heard, this is one of the best uses of your time and money for contacts and learning experiences.

Well, that turned out longer than I expected. Thanks for hanging in there with me. I’d love to hear from you!


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Book Review: The Dream Dress

2/16/2014

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Big dreams take big leaps of faith . . . but what if you trip on the way?

A lowly seamstress at a swanky bridal boutique, Gabi Delgado dreams of doing more than ripping out seams and fitting dresses to doe-eyed brides. She wants to see her own original dress designs gracing the young women of Texas. But when Jordan Singer, reporter for Texas Bride magazine, visits the shop to do a feature, Gabi is humbled in his influential--and unnervingly handsome--presence.

Convinced she'll never get her dreams off the ground now, Gabi needs lots of encouragement--especially from her friend Bella Neeley--to take a chance and start her business. And as she gets to know Jordan, she discovers that she may have to take a chance on love as well.


Filled with drama, great truths, and a wonderful dose of humor, The Dream Dress is a delight to read. The heroine’s talent for design has been forcibly hidden for a long time, but events conspire to reveal it and push her into a decision she’s not sure she ready for. I don’t want to give away too much, but to be completely honest, I had only one complaint about this book. It held me so captivated, I forgot to make supper!

I loved this story and will definitely look for more from Janice Thompson


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Book Review: My Amish Boyfriend

2/16/2014

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Shannon's summer just got a whole lot more . . . Amish?

Shannon McNamara has exciting plans for the summer--getting her driver's license, a job, and more--and she can't wait to dive in. But her ill mother has plans of her own: to relocate them both to the heart of Amish country in Ohio where she has relatives who can help her.

Turns out a "simple" life is actually a lot of hard work. But when a hot young Amish guy named Ezra enters the picture, Shannon's ready to get an Amish makeover and even consider making it a permanent change. Will these plans come crashing down around her too? Or can she really make the jump into a whole new way of life?

Teen favorite Melody Carlson brings fans another surprising story of worlds--and families--colliding




Talk about culture shock. When sixteen-year-old Shannon and her sick mother arrive at her new-found relatives’ homes, Shannon has to adjust to much more than she’d expected.

This is a sweet story featuring an admirable young woman. For a girl of sixteen, Shannon shows a great deal of maturity, but that can be the result of caring for an ill loved one. Her Amish boyfriend is a surprisingly typical young man, full of angst at the decisions he has to make.


My Amish Boyfriend is perfect for pre-teens and teens, but this grandmother enjoyed it, too. The tension between the two cultures rang true, as did the characters. Melody Carlson is one of my favorite authors, and this book is a fine example of her writing skill.





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Book Review: Love's Sweet Beginning

2/12/2014

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TITLE:  LOVE’S SWEET BEGINNING

AUTHOR:  Ann Shorey

PUBLISHER:  Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

STARS:  ***1/2

 

It isn’t Cassie Haddon’s fault that she has reached the age of twenty-five without possessing any useful skills. Until the War Between the States, she always had servants. Since then, she and her mother have been forced to rely on family to care for them. But now the well of human kindness has run dry – and Cassie must find work to support them.

Unfortunately, leaving the past behind is easier said than done, and Cassie must summon all of her courage and wits to convince the local restaurateur and grocer Jacob West that she’s exactly what his business needs.

I have mixed feelings about this novel. The attitudes of post-Civil War America created difficulties for me, so that may be one reason I could not immerse myself in the story.

Cassie’s determination to support herself against all odds sparks admiration. She has to fight not only her own lack of experience but also strident opposition from her mother. The mother is a negative character is every way. I must admit that several times I wished someone would shake her.

Jacob seems to be mostly a background character for most of the story. He is not described other than having dark eyes, dusky skin, and a gravelly voice. We’re eventually told his age, but nothing more of his physical attributes. I could not envision him in spite of my best efforts. In spite of that, once his secret was revealed he became more appealing to me.

I intend to read more of this author’s work, but this one gets three and a half stars.


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Book Review: Rachel

2/12/2014

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TITLE:  RACHEL

AUTHOR:  Jill Eileen Smith

PUBLISHER:  Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

DATE PUBLISHED:  2014

STARS: ****1/2

Can true love overcome a legacy of betrayal?

Rachel wants nothing more than for her older half sister Leah to wed and move out of their household. Leah wishes her father would find a good man who would love her alone. Unbeknownst to either of them, Jacob is making his way to their home, trying to escape a past laced with deceit and find the future God has promised him.

But the past comes back to haunt Jacob when he finds himself on the receiving end of treachery. The man who wanted only one woman ends up with sisters who have never gotten along and now must spend the rest of their lives sharing a husband. In the power struggles that follow, only one woman will triumph…or will she?

Combining meticulous research with her own imaginings, bestselling author Jill Eileen Smith not only tells one of the most famous love stories of all times but will manage to surprise even those who think they know the story inside and out.

The Bible story was a familiar one, but the details the author brings to this fictionalized tale brings it to vivid life. The dusty desert, the sounds of the sheep, goats, and camels, the pitch-black night sky – it is all portrayed skillfully. I imagined myself a nosy neighbour, peeking into these lives I’d thought I knew.

I appreciated the way Jill Eileen Smith wove Jacob’s past with his present trials. She also brought to life the rivalry between Rachel and Leah so well I found myself thinking about their tangled relationship even after the story was finished.

The only complaint I had was the ending. I had to make sure that really was the end; it didn’t feel as though it should be. Perhaps I was so engaged in the story that I didn’t want it to end. So while I’d thought this story earned five stars, in the end I give it four and a half.

I will recommend this book to my friends.


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My (Latest) Hero

2/10/2014

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This is the third installment of the writers' blog hop started by Ruth Snyder, and it is a character sketch of our hero.

My latest hero (in my new romance novel, working title "Hayley's Choice") is still undergoing change, but here's his story at this point:


Trevor is tall, dark, and handsome – a younger, rougher version of Mel Gibson. His nose bends where it shouldn’t, and his shoulders are broader, but the resemblance is there.

Trevor understands redemption, since he was saved from a stint in Juvie by the couple who later adopted him. But even though he respects his parents’ faith, he’d rather live by his own rules. He knows God is real, but he’s not ready to commit. Not to God, not to anyone.

As a farmer, his adopted dad could fix almost anything mechanical, and Trevor was an avid student. He loved the freedom of farm life, especially when chores were done and he could take his latest rebuilt motorcycle out on the dirt road and see how fast he could go. The wind whistling by his helmet and the power beneath him thrilled him. It became the release he craved when his emotions threatened to overwhelm. His parents encouraged him, and with their support, Trevor opened his own motorcycle repair shop at age twenty-five. He paid off their loan in the first three years.

Now thirty, Trevor wants to expand his business into custom bikes and finds an investor who will back him in this venture. If he pursues this course, he will once again be in debt, a state he hates, and he won’t have time or money to help his parents with their farm. He can’t imagine life without the stability of the farm where he first felt loved. But his parents are getting old and want to move to the city. Now he has a decision to make and no one who understands his hidden needs and desires.

At least, not yet.

Thanks for letting me introduce my hero to you. For more heroes, click on the blog hop link above. (And don't forget, I LOVE to hear from you!)

 





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Book Review: You're Going To Be Okay

2/9/2014

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TITLE:  YOU’RE GOING TO BE OKAY

AUTHOR:  Holley Gerth

PUBLISHER:  Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

DATE PUBLISHED:  2014

STARS: *****

 

If your life isn’t perfect…If you’ve ever been disappointed…If you feel stressed or tired…

This is for you.

You really are going to be okay. And it truly is possible to live with joy, resilience, and strength no matter what life brings. Yes, there will be hurt and hard times. But God wants to help you find ways to survive, grow stronger, and even thrive – no matter what happens

With her trademark positive encouragement and probing questions for self-reflection, bestselling author Holley Gerth encourages you to spend less of your life stressing or regretting and more of your life truly living.

This author is new to me, but by the time I’d read half the book, I felt as though we were old friends. Holley speaks frankly and with humour, and I would love to meet her in person. She addresses many personal issues that can become blockades to joy, and she offers exercises to deal with them in a positive, Godly manner. I appreciated her explanation of the three areas of the brain and how they work to maintain homeostasis. No wonder it is so difficult to make permanent changes in behavior! But we aren’t left wondering how we can ever overcome. Holley is a life coach, and her experience is obvious in her practical encouragement.

I read this book as a download from the publisher in exchange for reviews, but it would be easier to use in hard copy form. It isn’t just a book; You’re Going To Be Okay is actually a workbook. The questions the author asks require mental digging as she leads us into truth about our behaviour and attitudes.

I highly recommend this book and will likely buy copies to give to friends. You’re Going To Be Okay earns five stars.


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Book Review: Shadows of the Past

2/2/2014

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TITLE:  Shadows of the Past

AUTHOR:  Patricia Bradley

PUBLISHER:  Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

DATE PUBLISHED:  2014

STARS: *****

While she’s stalking the truth…someone is stalking her.

Psychology professor and criminal profiler Taylor Martin prides herself on being able to solve any crime, except the one she wants most desperately to solve – the disappearance of her father twenty years ago. When she finally has a lead on his whereabouts, Taylor returns home to Logan Point, Mississippi, to investigate. But as she works to uncover the truth, someone else will do almost anything to keep her from it.

Nick Sinclair pens mystery novels for a living, but the biggest mystery to him is how he can ever get over the death of his wife – a tragedy he believes he could have prevented. Now that his estranged brother is the only family he has left, Nick sets out to find him. But when he crosses paths with Taylor, all he seems to find is trouble.

Join the chase as Taylor and Nick search the murky shadows of the past for the keys to unlocking the present – and moving into a future they never imagined.

 

From the opening lines of a haunting poem, this story grabbed me, and it didn’t let go until the very end. Taylor Martin is being stalked, and she believes it must be a former student who happens to be Nick Sinclair’s troubled brother. Taylor is determined to prove her theory, and Nick is desperate to prove her wrong. His brother couldn’t possibly threaten and hurt anyone. Or could he?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Patricia Bradley drew me into each scene from the misty mountain forests of Washington State to the heat and humidity of the Deep South. She uses all five senses plus premonitions to create layers of tension that carry the reader into the story with all its anxiety, desperation, and hope.

I give Shadows of the Past five stars and hope to read more by Patricia Bradley.


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    I’ve always loved music, even before the writing bug hit. Grace notes are little extras, not the actual melody. Just something that adds to the feel of the music. My desire for this blog is to encourage and bless readers, to share a little grace.

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