Romance - Hey, It's Spring!

I don't know if you can tell, but this sailor is on board a ship. The girl being lifted up, in my mind is his date whom he missed kissing because of a mean-tempered sergeant or letting the time get away from him, or both.

Source: popurls.com via Marji on Pinterest

This romantic shot started the gears churning in my imagination.

I'm sure there were some words exchanged before the "1, 2, 3, up!" I can imagine her bracing herself against the hull so she wouldn't lose her balance before she reached him.

Totally romantic. While it probably wasn't the most comfortable position to be in, it was easily the most unforgettable kiss either of them ever experienced. I wonder what happened to them when he got back home - if he got back home.

Shoot-fire, I'm drawn into this story and I don't even write historical fiction.

But right after I pinned this photo, I found another just like it. I couldn't resist nor ignore the easy comparison between the two shots, although the second one is lacking a few of the details like the ship. Oh and the friends.

Curious?

Scroll down a couple more times.



Yes, this is really good - terribly ... ahhhh ...

Rabb-mantic!

Source: cutestpaw.com via Marji on Pinterest

Romeo, Romeo, where you at, boy?

All this picture needs is an ivy covered trellis and a rosebud peaking out behind the lady's ear.

Which one is the lady? Hmmmm. If this is Romeo and Juliet, she's on the balcony. But I prefer the picture above - less tragic. Or at least it would be if I wrote the story. So she's the one stretching up.

Have I told you how much I adore Pinterest?

What is the most romantic thing you've ever done or been involved in?

Author Interview with Mary C. Findley

Today, the author of The Baron of Larcondale is visiting. Mary C. Findley is another member of Grace and Faith Author Connection that I've been blessed to get to know. My first query, as always, goes for the big picture.

Marji - What inspired you to become a writer?

Mary - I started out wanting to be an artist, but everything I drew was characters from a story. So around Junior High, with the encouragement of some teachers, I began to write the stories. God had a hand in this. I don't have the discipline to create the level of art required to be successful in that field, but I still use my artist's "eye" in the graphic designs I make for our books and videos.

Marji - So did you ultimate goal in writing stem from the artistic realm, or was it something else?

Interview with Erica Vetsch

Yes, Erica's favorite color is red.

I'm so blessed to have Erica Vetsch visiting with me! In case you missed my article last week where I trumpeted the wonder of her new book, A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas, you can find it HERE.

Erica's book is also firmly ensconced on my Reading Recommendations page. Five chocolate kisses worth!

So when I suggested this interview with her, I was as impatient as a three-year-old. (I didn't have terrible twos at my house!) I didn't give her a whole mess of questions, but I just had to know what inspired her to create this amazing story. I confess, I suspected it was Bat Masterson, but I was totally wrong. She had

Interview with Author, Shawn Lamb - The Huguenot's Sword

I've been blessed with connections to a new group of talented authors called the Grace and Faith Author Connection. Together, these folks are helping each other share their books and their dreams. 

Okay, so I don't have a book to share, yet. I love the premise of making a little effort to assist with someone else's dream. So today, I get to welcome Shawn Lamb to Faith-Driven Suspense to tell about herself and her new Christian Historical Fiction, The Huguenot Sword. Okay, just the name alone intrigues the tar out of me and I was dying to know a little more about Shawn and about her book. 

Awesome New Book!

I'm having so much fun reading A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas by author, Erica Vetsch. My own writing has delayed my reading a little, so I'll have a review by next week, (LOVE the spunky main character!) but for today, I wanted to share all the information that I learned about this historical fiction. I was chomping at the bit to read it!

This summary was taking directly from the author's website. You can find it HERE.

Quench your craving for good fiction with this wonderfully written Old West adventure. Hoping to leave the shadows of her shady yesteryears behind, Adeline Reid is focusing on her photography career. But when her ex-boyfriend’s compatriot in crime shows up in Dodge City her entire past is threatened by exposure. Can Addie keep her secrets while helping to catch a killer? Deputy Miles Carr’s investigation into a shopkeeper’s murder leads him to Addie’s door. Will his attraction to this female photographer keep him from catching the true culprit? Or will Addie lead him off course in more ways than one?

Deputy Miles Carr has his hands full trying to keep the peace in Dodge City and find a local shopkeeper’s killer. When his inquiries lead him to the door of Addie Reid’s photography studio, he finds himself more than a little distracted. Does this beauty hold the clue to the killer’s identity?

(I swear the model on the cover reminds me of Alyssa Milano, the gal that starred as Tony Danza's daughter in the sit-com "Who's the Boss.") And, for as much as I've gotten to read of it, the heroine in the story has some of the same personality traits as Milano's character, like her strength and willingness to take a risk. I look forward to putting more reading time in!


You can purchase a copy of this great book for yourself at this link for Christian Book Distributors. Come back next week for my review!

Interview with Author, Jody Hedlund

Author, Jody Hedlund

Today you're in for a treat with a visit from Author, Jody Hedlund! 

I've gotten to enjoy a few treats from this amazing lady. The first was when I happened onto her blog, FULL of ideas, advice, and insight into the writing and publishing biz. I've learned so much!

The second treat was when I decided to take the plunge and read a historical fiction. I hadn't read anything historical since Jane Austen's books started being made into movies, but that was over a decade ago. I chose Jody's debut book, The Preacher's Bride and learned that I like historicals! Who'd have thought?

The third treat was getting to prepare for this interview. I've gotten the chance to know a bit more about Jody and have enjoyed peeking into her world. But the book itself was the biggest treat of all. Okay, so I LIKE

The Doctor's Lady - Pure Delight

9-18-11 Update - After re-evaluating some of my reviews, I wouldn't change a thing on this one! It is an amazing book!

View the trailer for this book - short, and very well-done! 

The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund, isn't quite a PURE delight, despite my title. It also proved insightful,

The Preacher's Bride

I'm so excited! I get to interview Author, Jody Hedlund in a few weeks over her new novel, The Doctor's Lady. Well, I want to do a good job, to give you plenty of insight into the world of this amazing lady, so I decided I'd better get to know her writing a bit. I bought her debut novel, The Preacher's Bride and finished it off in a very late night/early morning reading session.

What a remarkable book. Instantly it swept me into 1659's of Puritan England. I had read Pilgrim accounts of the era, but I never

Where Does This Take You?

Can you imagine how this building stood out in 1931?

We stayed in the most amazing hotel in Cincinnati. It was the Historic Netherland Plaza, now owned by Hilton. Romance and intrigue leaped from the walls and danced across the ceiling of this beautiful example of 1930’s architecture. I had a field day with my camera. The angles and details offered one piece of eye-candy after another.

I loved the history of the building, too. I’m a bit of a history buff--not an expert by any means, but I love the stories behind the buildings. This place had tons of stories:

Review - Deep Trouble by Mary Connealy

This historical novel was given to me and I intend to give it away to one of you next Tuesday! To enter, simply follow my blog and make sure you have an accurate email address attached to your "follow." Following on the "Networked Blogs" works, too, as long as I have a way to reach you in case you win.

Anyway, I read Deep Trouble by Mary Connealy during the first leg of my trip last week. What a delight, as I journeyed across the country, to read about a similar journey

Mystery Writes Itself - Where Does This Take You?

Skeletons of a medieval knight and a female companion were found under the floorboards of a chapel in a castle in Scotland. Further info proves that the knight had several old injuries, doubtless from battles, but the killing blow was struck as the man was lying on the floor, by a sword through his face. There were no details about the cause of death of the woman. Does this just beg to have its story written?  

Now the attached article takes a little of the romance out of the story as I read on, but with just that much information, my mind went wild! 

First thing that caught my mind’s eye was the fact that the knight was found under the floor boards of a chapel.  Nice outta the way place to hide a body that someone didn’t want found.  

I was just starting to deliberate on why he might have been killed when I a second thing caught my mind’s eye: the skeleton of a woman was found beside him. Well, that makes it juicy! I could just see the lord of the manor bursting in the room full of jealous rage as he witnesses his wife in an intimate conversation with another man.

Third interesting thought is the origin of this man; there is some speculation that he was French, so the husband intrudes on this heathen from a foreign land, who not only infiltrates his home, but seduces his wife.

Oh, the places my mind goes!

I could see a political plot to overthrow the lord be squelched by the murder of the man; maybe the Frenchman was a spy, settled into the role by an opposing ruler who wanted to gain the land. Maybe the Frenchman was a messenger from that ruler, bringing a letter from the opposition in hopes of wooing the wife and gaining that power. 

What if the knight wasn’t killed by the lord at all!  Suppose the lord was blamed all along for the disappearance of his wife and the knight, but since no bodies turned up, nothing could be proved.  Maybe the knight’s family took out their vengeance on the lord, because he had been the only one, on the surface, who would benefit from the man’s death.

I don’t think the lord killed the spy-knight at all. I think he was killed by the opposition because he betrayed them.  His great love for the lord’s wife wouldn’t allow him to put her into any danger.  I think she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and was killed to cover up the original murder.  As for hiding them beneath the foundation of the chapel that the lord was having built, that was just making the most of the opportunity!

Well, that’s the way it all looked in my mind anyway.  Truth be known, the chapel was built much later over a small cemetery – plot killer!                  

Here’s the whole story! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1279306/Face-mystery-medieval-knight-finally-revealed-modern-day-CSI-skills.html