Remember that rejected manuscript I mentioned about a week or so ago? Well, I’m revising it to resubmit elsewhere. Since my current word count is similiar to the house I’m planning to target, I don’t have to do much to the manuscript. I only have to revise the synopsis. It’s time for me to
go fishing!
The Spinster Brides Of Cactus Corner
By: Frances Devine, Lena Nelson Dooley, Vickie McDonough, and Jeri Odell
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc (April 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1597895830
ISBN-13: 978-1597895835
From Amazon.com
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Historical Romance: Four Cactus Corner, Arizona, women-unmarried by choice or circumstance-find fulfillment in volunteering at the town orphanage. That is until romance changes the course of their lives. India Cunningham is happy running her father’s ranch until a childhood acquaintance arrives, trying to take over things. Can she trust him? Lawyer Anika Windsor is pitted in court against her first and only love. Elaine Daly has dedicated her life to caring for orphaned children and has no desire for a husband until a new doctor comes to town. Jody McMillan is determined to raise enough money to expand the overcrowded orphanage. Can she come to an agreement with the man who owns the next-door property?
I read this book over the Thanksgiving holiday and I really enjoyed it. I won this title a few months ago from commenting on the blog of another author. I enjoyed this title because it took me backwards in time, back when women were considered spinsters after they’d reached a certain age.
I enjoyed reading about women’s suffrage, which was the main conflict in one of the novellas which entailed the dispute between Anika Windsor and her old law-school love, Tucker Truesdale: he doesn’t believe in the suffrage movement, and she does. He is determined to seek out God’s word in regards to suffrage. I love the court scene where Anika is a voice for single women, women who are not allowed to own property, and they don’t have husbands or fathers to take care of them. Anika and Tucker go to battle over the issue of land and women’s suffrage.
I enjoyed reading about the kids in the orphanage, and about how these four women were determined to help the youngsters. One of the novellas focused on a medical epidemic that swept through Cactus Corner. Elaine Daly does not want the saloon girls to help in the orphanage during the epidemic, even though their help is needed. Her judgemental attitude causes Dan Murray, the doctor and love interest, to question whether they are suitably matched to one another. Dan has a secret of his own that he’s hiding, and he’s worried that the heroine will not accept him once she finds out the truth about his background.
The other two stories were good, also. I especially liked how Lena Dooley used one of my favorite romantic storylines: childhood sweetheart/romance. India Cunningham knows Joshua Dillilnger from her childhood, and he comes back to see if she can handle running the ranch on her own. She worries about his intentions: Did he come back to steal her ranch?
The last novella was about a woman who wants to purchase the vacant property to expand the orphanage, however, Aaron Garrett has beat her to the deal. She can’t trust him, however, unbeknownst to Jody, Aaron wants what’s best for the orphans. He says they should re-locate the orphanage, and Jody wonders about his intentions. Is he only suggesting relocating since he does not want to anger Jody about his recent property purchase?
I recommend this book to those who enjoy a good historical romance.
I won’t be blogging over the next few days since I’ll be out of town at a Thanksgiving celebration. You know, in my lifetime, I’ve never had to cook Thanksgiving dinner! I’ve always enjoyed the holiday with friends or family. I’ve never cooked a turkey before in my entire life!
However, I was asked to contribute desserts. Sweet potato pies are baking in the oven right now, and tomorrow morning, at the crack of dawn, I’ll be making one of my favorite treats, lemon pound cake!
I did sign the contract for Barbour and put that into the mail, so I was glad to get that done. I should be seeing some advance money shortly!
Here’s to all the people reading this blog entry: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Sticks and Stones (a Rachel Flynn Mystery) by Susan Meissner
(Paperback)
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Pub. Date: January 2007
ISBN-13: 9780736919159
300pp
From Amazon.com
Book Description
Critically acclaimed author Susan Meissners Rachael Flynn mystery series started with the popular Widows and Orphans. In the second serving of intrigue, Sticks and Stones, lawyer Rachael Flynn receives an unsigned, heart-stopping letter:
They’re going to find a body at the Prairie Bluff construction site. He deserved what he got, but it wasn’t supposed to happen. It was an accident.
When the body is uncovered, Rachael and Detective Will Pendleton discover that the fifteen-year old victim, Randall Buckett, had been buried twenty-five years before. Is the letter writer and the killer the same person? Why would someone speak up now? And why are they telling Rachael?
Susan Meissners ability to weave a fascinating tale will leave readers wanting more.
================================
To tell you the truth, I don’t believe I’ve ever read a cozy mystery. I’m not sure if this would be categorized as a cozy, but it reminds me a little bit of the way a cozy is defined.
This book was good, and it was suspenseful without being too scary. Also, although the characters were Christians, it wasn’t a very preachy book. I think people who read secular fiction would enjoy this book a lot, too.
One thing that happened in this story reminded me of the Brandilyn Collins novel, Eyes of Elisha – Rachael has a supernatural ability from God to sense danger, it’s an ability she realizes she’s received since the birth of her child.
As you read the story, you’ll find yourself sympathizing with the children Bucky tormented twenty-five years ago. You’ll find yourself drawn into the story, mesmerized, wanting to know who sent Rachael the three letters tipping her off about the death a quarter of a century later.
There are also some secondary characters that provide comic relief to this serious mystery. You have Trace, Rachael’s artistic husband, as well as Trace’s artistic cronies. Trace and his friends give their opinions using words and drawings to imagine what might have happened to Ronald Buckett.
Rachael’s uncanny ability is tested when she realizes that something dreadful has happened in the cellar of a house in Bucky’s neighborhood. The house has been burned down long ago, and is now replaced by another dwelling. However, although the serious crime happened long ago, Racheal can still sense that there was pain and anguish behind Bucky’s death.
This is a good read to grab for a rainy day, when you just want to curl up in front of the fire with an intriguing and suspenseful story.
The reason I’m blogging about this is because I’m just expanding on what I blogged about a few days (or was it a week?) ago about Marilynn Griffith (an African-American Christian fiction author) writing a novel with Asian characters.
I feel it takes a fair amount of talent to write a novel having main characters of another race.
I’m planning on reading through my contract over the next day or so and get that in the mail to my publisher. Only reason I haven’t gotten to it yet is because of the line edits I had to do for my manuscript. I’ve sent that in. Hopefully I won’t have to read the book again, but we’ll see.
Just received my copyedits today. These are for John’s Quest, the book that’s being released in March 2008! They’re due Thursday, so I won’t be blogging for the next few days!
Later!
I received the contract from my publisher today! Now I just need to read it over, sign both copies, and return to them! This contract is for Dollars And Scents (tentative title). The tentative release date is December 2008!
Yesterday, one of my local writers groups, Washington Romance Writers (WRW) hosted a workshop with screenwriter Michael Hauge. Although his techniques are for scripts, you can also incorporate these techniques into novels. I learned some really great stuff and I took PAGES of notes. I look forward to using the stuff I learned when I pen my next novel.
Since I received my rejection last Friday, I decided to go fishing.
The novel I sent off to Harlequin at the end of August got rejected yesterday. Oh, well, I guess it’s back to the drawing board!
I found some old books lying around my basement. This was one of them:
I enjoyed reading this book, and the others in the series. If you like a good suspenseful book then you should check out this series. The stories grabbed me, and didn’t want to let me go! I read them a long time ago, so I can’t give a full analysis like I usually do. Just suffice to say that there’s usually a murder or dead body in each story! So check out Terri Blackstock’s Cape Refuge Series. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!
Enjoy!