Book Buzz: A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund

Recently widowed Annalisa Werner has the feeling her husband was murdered but can’t prove it.

Alone with her young daughter in 1881 Michigan, she has six months left to finish raising the money needed to pay back the land contract her husband purchased, and the land is difficult to toil by herself. She needs a husband. With unmarried men scarce, her father sends a letter to his brother in the Old Country, asking him to find Annalisa a groom.

For nobleman Carl von Reichart, the blade of the guillotine is his fate. He’s been accused and convicted of a serious crime he didn’t commit, and his only escape is to flee to a small German community in Michigan where he’ll be safe. He secures a job on Annalisa’s farm but bumbles through learning about farming and manual labor.

Annalisa senses that Carl is harboring a secret about his past, yet she finds herself drawn to him anyway. He’s gentle, kind, and romantic–unlike any of the men she’s ever known. He begins to restore her faith in the ability to love–but her true groom is still on his way. And time is running out on them all.

Read an excerpt here.


REVIEW

A Noble Groom is Jody Hedlund's best novel yet  In this her fourth book, Hedlund tells the story of a widowed peasant farmer who meets an escaped fugitive, a nobleman passing himself off as a farmer.
 during the the early settlement of Michigan.

Annalisa Werner is in need of help following the tragic, unexpected death of her husband--a well-meaning but ill-fated farmer and gambler.  Carl Richards, nee Carl von Reichart, son of the insidious Baron von Reichart, has been accused of a crime which he did not commit and sentenced to death.  When he flees Europe, he lands in America and onto Annalisa's farm.

The love story that develops between Annalisa and Carl is poignant and touching.  She has no idea who Carl truly is, and he has no intention of staying to help any longer than it takes her intended groom to arrive.  Except she is drawn to Carl in ways she was never drawn to her husband, and he can't quite bring himself to leave.  The danger of Carl's identity being discovered as well as of Annalisa possibly losing her farm to an unscrupulous businessman trying to get his hands on her land loom ever present.  The romance and suspense both move at a steady pace, drawing the reader in and keeping the pages turning.  The unique setting and theme, that of the noblemen of Europe vs. the immigrant settlers of the U.S., particularly in Michigan, makes for an interesting historical lens through which to enjoy Hedlund's increasingly fine prose.  I especially loved that even when I thought I knew how the story would play out, Hedlund added additional twists, at least one of which I suspect few readers will foresee, heightening the reading pleasure.

I've read all of Hedlund's novels because she never disappoints and I look forward to the next one.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jody has written novels for the last 20 years (with a hiatus when her children were young). After many years of writing and honing her skills, she finally garnered national attention with her double final in the Genesis Contest, a fiction-writing contest for unpublished writers through ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers).

Her first published book, The Preacher’s Bride (2010 Bethany House Publishers), became a best seller and has won multiple awards.

Since then she’s gone on to publish numerous best-selling and award-winning books. To read more about her writing journey click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

 Learn more about Jody Hedlund and her books at her website, http://jodyhedlund.com/  While there, check out her highly respected blog for those interested in knowing more about the publishing process and a behind-the-scenes look into a relatively new author's life.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- May 18, 2013

Join me in congratulating the Emma Award winners from the 2013 Romance Slam Jam!

The Lee & Low 2013 Award is open for entries.  This award is given annually for a children's picture book manuscript by a writer of color. The contest encourages writers of color to submit their work to a publisher that takes pride in nurturing new talent. Past winners include Bird by Zetta Elliott and It Jes' Happened by Don Tate.

Looking to improve how you write dialogue?  Dr. Dennis Hensley offers several ways to punch up story dialogue.

Layering Conflict.  The four layers of conflict and how using them can help you through the middle and end of your story.

How will you protect your intellectual property after death?  Who Will You Trust?  Wills in Author Estate Planning from author Susan Spann

Scandal has come to a season's end-oh, yes, I'm a HUGE fan--but So You Think You Can Dance is underway.  On deck for this weekend is a little reading, a lot of writing.  No baking--did that for this week already, having made a cheesecake from scratch for my son's 18th birthday, my first ever cheesecake.  If I can take a picture before the family starts devouring it, I'll post it.

Happy Readin' N Writin'!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Teaser Tuesday: Poison by Jordyn Redwood

"Keelyn's stomach squirmed like an octopus trapped in a fishbowl.  Its slimy, cold tentacles slithered out and seized her heart and lungs, making it painful to inhale. John backed up, a sneering smile on his face, as he approached her on the landing.  " -- from Poison  by Jordan Redwood (Kindle version)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page (in the comments or via link to your own blog)

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Reading anything interesting? (Even if you don't post the meme, psot a comment to tell us what you're reading!)

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- May 6, 2013

A few quick tidbits to share...

RT Booklovers Convention took place last week in Kansas City.  Workshops ranged from "Re-inventing the Modern Day Romeo" to "The Pros and Cons of Digital Self-Publishing."  RT's website has a series of blog posts summarizing each workshop which can be found here.

4 Reasons Why You Still Need a Printed Book, Even If You Have an E-book.  Obivous answer to me, is that although it may feel within the writer community as if everyone is reading ebooks, they're not.  I'll let author Monica Carter Tagore shed light on the other three.

How Many Copies Make a Self-Published Bestseller?  Author Denise Kim Wy goes "Behind The Story: Interview from 20 Self-Published Authors Who Made It BIG".

B&H Publishing announced a new direction for their fiction line requiring a tie-in to other B&H brands.  Author contracts have been cancelled and the executive editor is leaving.  Agent Steve Laube provides an interesting perspective on the changes at B&H--and what all traditional publishers require in order to continue to survive.

Did you enjoy Cinco de Mayo?  I'm told Americans are more into this celebration than Mexicans.  Mother's Day, a couple of mom birthdays, my oldest turns 18...lots of stuff on the horizon this month.

And I'll be "speed pitching" again on Wednesday.  Say a prayer!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- April 29, 2012

It's time for Brenda Novack's Annual On-Line Auction for Diabetes Research.  Novack and her supporter auction things for readers, writers, others...whatever you might imagine.  Along the way there are daily special auctions and prizes for auction buyers.  It's a huge event that grows more successful every year.  Check it out and bid on everything from a basket of books to a full manuscript critique to a once-in-a-lifetime, dream experience.

eChristian, a new source for Christian media--books, audiobooks, videos, and more.

Looking especially for a short read?  ThinReads, a new online source for e-singles, offers reviews and author interviews to go with bestseller lists pulled from Amazon.

Can a man write historical romance?  Author James Scott Bell did, and discusses his process and co-authoring journey.

Zondervan has launched a new YA imprint, Blink.

We've just come through tax season, and with spring in the air, you might be motivated to get your papers in order.  How Long Should I Keep Old Documents?  I'm always asking this question, and this article provides the most comprehensive advice I've seen.

What does e-reading do to your brain?  There have been articles on this before, but Scientific American recently examined this question.  Seems e-reading might inhibit reading comprehension.  I know I retain way less about what I read on my Kindle than I do of what is read in print format.  Don't know why, just know that it's true.

Author James Scott Bell illuminates "How to Write A Short Story"--what is it and what is it not?

Cover Bands Don't Change The World

Harlequin Blaze is sponsoring a writing contest. Editor Kathyrn Lye talks about How to Become a Harlequin Writer.

Amazon has sold over 5,000,000 Kindle singles since 2011.  Read more to find out what makes this particular Amazon publishing program successful.

What NOT to Do When Beginning Your Novel: Advice from Literary Agents -- This is one I've definitely bookmarked for help with my editing clients.  Sometimes they need to hear it from someone other than me.

Finishing up an editing job, then heads down writing for the next month.  Trying to find a rhythm between editing gigs and writing my own stories, but I enjoy both. I'm reading a lot less which means I'm more picky.  Fewer book reviews.  Used to operate like time was forever, but since this last birthday, I've gained clarity.  Trying to fill my time with things I truly deem important. And I'm longing for a day at the beach, something uber important to my psyche.

What's on your reading or writing agenda?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

The Reader as Co-Writer?

One theme that permeates writer conversations today is that of bad reader reviews.  Books are awarded 1- and 2-star reviews from readers sometimes for seemingly no rational reason.  The price was too high.  A short story or novella mislabeled as a novel.  Wrong genre.

What does any of that have to do with the quality of the writing and whether it was an engaging story?

But then, there are times when readers say, "It wasn't believable" or "This would never happen in real life" or "The characters/setting/plot (fill in the blank) weren't likable."

When writers get feedback like that, more thoughtful even if still not completely transparent, is the reader's dissatisfaction the writer's fault?

Or is it, at least in part, the reader's fault?

Way back when in elementary school, I learned about something called "suspension of disbelief".  I thought that was the coolest concept.  It meant anything, anything could happen in fiction because fiction wasn't real. It didn't have to be realistic, it just had to make sense within the context of the story.

Some of the best stories, films and TV shows I know required a complete suspension of disbelief, e.g. The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Frankenstein, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,  Jurassic Park, The Twilight Zone, I Dream of Jeanie, Bewitched, etc.

Look at some of today's biggest hits:  Twilight, Harry Potter, Walking Dead, Revolution and every action-hero, comic book-based flick you can name.

So when readers say a story isn't "believable", are they saying they want their fiction to be more realistic--in which case, maybe they should read more true stories or non-fiction--or are they saying  the writer didn't make the story threads believable within the context of that story?

Author K. M. Weiland wrote a blog post, "Helping Writers Become Authors:  Why the Reader Is Your Co-Writer", that touches on this notion just a bit and inspired me to write this post.

Do today's readers seek a tad too much realism in their fiction?  Are they less willing to suspend disbelief and accept something otherwise unbelievable within the context of a fictional story?  Is it harder to suspend disbelief depending on the genre, like more realism required in romance and less in science fiction?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

What Makes for Good Women's Fiction?

NovelCrossings interviews five women's fiction authors--Susan May Warren, Beth Wiseman, Deborah Raney, Katie Ganshert, and Denise Hildreth Jones--to explore the definition of women's fiction, favorite themes, favorite settings, and these writers' favorite women's fiction authors.

Here's an excerpt:

NOVEL CROSSING: What to you is the definition of “women’s fiction”?

DEBORAH RANEY: I always think of there being two definitions of “women’s fiction.” The broader definition is simply any novel that is written to an audience of mostly women––romance, romantic suspense, historical romance, etc. may all fall into this broader arena. But narrowing it down, women’s fiction is contemporary fiction that explores the many facets of a woman’s life and relationships, and the issues women face today.

 Read more in "Women's Fiction: 5 Talented Women Who Write and Love Fiction."

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.