Friday, March 16, 2012

Guest Post - The "Biography" of Lisa Herbert

The “Biography” of Lisa Herbert
by Robert Collins


Lisa Herbert is the main character of my novel “Lisa’s Way.” She’s a smart young woman trying to rebuild society. An event called the “Savage Rain” isolated her colony planet. She turns on her planet’s 
hyperspace gate and starts traveling.

That’s her story as it plays out in the novel. Lisa has another story. It’s how she came to be the main character of the novel. I hope you’ll find it an interesting story.

In the beginning a high school friend and I had the idea of casting ourselves as the heroes of a post-apocalyptic novel. We and our friends in school would be the actual characters. We’d gain cool powers, fight bad guys, and have adventures.

After high school I took over the idea, since I was the only one trying to be a writer. I decided to fictionalize the characters. I was even able to write a first draft of a novel. It wasn’t very good, and I never sent it out.

The basic idea of rebuilding society was still a good one. I tried to figure out how to turn what I had into a workable story. That’s when one of the group of characters emerged: Lisa Herbert. She was based on 
someone I knew, but as the story went through more drafts she took on a life of her own.

She was always an intelligent character. She quickly became a well-read one. She was always passionate about the cause of rebuilding. Early on it was because she’d had children. Later the idea of her children became something for her future, but the passion remained.

Lisa’s wits also changed the story. It had to be less about fighting to get her way and more about using her intelligence. She had to be smarter than her enemies, instead of stronger. She had to plan, reason, and use her knowledge to help people.

The novel turned into short stories, then back into a novel. As that was happening I began publishing travel booklets about the counties around where I live. The booklets had history in addition to listing the sights. Some of those counties were on the Santa Fe Trail. The Trail was a commerce route connecting the American frontier with Mexico (later, the Pacific Coast).

That research showed me how important trade was to developing the West. It also gave me an idea about Lisa’s story. Trade would be the way that she would try to rebuild society. Trade would allow her to 
travel. Her adventures would revolve around tying communities together by restoring trade routes (and by building new routes).

The final piece of the puzzle came when I decided to set her story in space in a more distant future, than on Earth in a closer future. I  wouldn’t have to try to figure out how real places might change. 
Instead I could make up colony worlds and place them where I wanted. I could also have the mystery of why Lisa’s region of space lost contact with Earth. With all the elements in place I wrote “Lisa’s Way” in the version that’s now available.

That is how Lisa Herbert came to be in this novel. It took fifteen years to go from that initial idea to finished novel. It took several more years to get published. It took a few more years for the contract to expire and to have it in the form it’s in now. I feel that in that time I was able to get Lisa written right. I hope that you’ll agree.

About the Author:

I've had three SF novels published: "Monitor," "Lisa's Way," and "Expert Assistance."  I've also had a coming of age novel published called "True Friends." I've had stories and articles appear in periodicals such as Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine; Tales of the Talisman; Space Westerns; Sorcerous Signals; 
Wild West; and Model Railroader. I've had two biographies published, one of "Bleeding Kansas" leader Jim Lane, and the other of a Kansas Civil War general. I've had six Kansas railroad books published by South Platte Press.

Blog: http://robertlcollins.blogspot.com/

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/RobertLCollinsAuthor

The Friday 56 - The Return to Finkleton





 
Robert noticed people hurrying past the large shop window.
He could hear people screaming, and others yelling.
He looked through the enormous window to see
what was causing the commotion. Then he saw it.

page 56, Return to Finkleton by KC Hilton

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Review & Giveaway - Song of My Heart

Song of My Heart
BY: Kim Vogel Sawyer
PUBLISHED BY: Bethany House
PUBLISHED IN: 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0786-0
Pages: 352


    I am a fan of Kim Vogel Sawyer’s writing, so I was more than eager to review her new historical romance, Song of My Heart. Set in 1895, Sadie Wagner leaves her family’s home in Indiana and travels to Kansas. Times are tough and her stepfather is out of work because of health issues. Sadie’s cousin, Sid, had promise her a job as a clerk at the mercantile in Goldtree, Kansas, and there was possibility of another job - as a singer at an opera house. Sadie has always dreamed of being a great singer and now her dream may come true.

    The hero in this tale is Thad McKane, a man who also has a dream. He wants to become a minister, but does not have the money for the training seminars. He arrives in Goldtree after hearing reports of bootleggers in the county. Goldtree is lacking a proper sheriff and Thad volunteers for the job. He is sidetracked by the gorgeous young singer, Sadie, who is performing at Asa Baxter’s mysterious opera house. Thad and Sadie are attracted to each other and romance starts to blossom, but Thad wonders how innocent Sadie is.

    Song of My Heart is a fast-paced, well-written novel. Sadie Wagner is a sweet and innocent character, who is tangled into the wrong situation. Thad is very likable and the character steps outside the generic hero type, making him more realistic. Since this is a Christian romance, I was surprised that the author added the plot of Sid, who attempts to court his own cousin. Overall, I enjoyed the book and I loved that it was set in Kansas, as I am from Missouri. Song of My Heart is one of Kim Vogel Sawyer’s best books.


*I would like to thank Bethany House and Litfuse for sending me a copy to review. 

About the Author: 

 
Kim Vogel Sawyer is the author of nineteen novels, including several CBA and ECPA bestsellers. Her books have won the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is active in her church, where she leads women's fellowship and participates in both voice and bell choirs. In her spare time, she enjoys drama, quilting, and calligraphy. Kim and her husband, Don, reside in central Kansas, and have three daughters and six grandchildren.



She invites you to visit her Web site at www.kimvogelsawyer.com for more information.


Buy the Book: http://ow.ly/9uLOD



Blog Tour Schedule: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13461539/kimvogelsawyer

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Review: Cynthia's Attic: The Missing Locket by Mary Cunningham

Cynthia’s Attic: The Missing Locket
BY: Mary Cunningham
PUBLISHED BY: Echelon Press
PUBLISHED IN: 2005
ISBN: 978-1590804414
Pages: 150
Reviewed by Billy Burgess  

            In the summer of 1964, two twelve-year-old best friends Cynthia and Augusta (everyone calls her ‘Gus’) decided to explore Cynthia’s family attic. Her parents are planning on cleaning it out soon and the girls want to check it out to see if they can find anything they want to keep. The girls come upon an old trunk and are memorized by it. Mysteriously, the girls are swept fifty years into the past, where they try to unravel what happened to Cynthia’s great-great Aunt Belle, who vanished years ago without a trace. While on their adventure, the girls take a ride on the seven seas and they must also try to find a locket that was thought to be lost.

 “The Missing Locket” is the first book in the series that follows in the footsteps of the Nancy Drew, and the Boxcar Children. I can’t believe I let this book sit around in my eBook reader for several months before making time to read it. Being an amateur genealogist myself, I found the premise of traveling back in time to help your ancestors to be intriguing. Now of days, the tween market is full of “Twilight” clones, so it was a bit of fresh air to find an exciting adventure written for kids that doesn’t involve creatures of the night. The main characters are two twelve-year-olds, so I was a bit surprised to see kids at this age to be excited about finding old family heirlooms to be thrilling, but Cynthia’s Attic is set in a more simpler time, before cable, cell phones, video games, and the internet. Despite being a mystery with a bit of a science fiction twist, the book offers great humor between the two girls as they try to change the past. I recommend Cynthia’s Attic: The Missing Locket to readers of all ages.

*I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy to review.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Review & Giveaway - Sixty Acres and a Bride

Sixty Acres and a Bride
BY: Regina Jennings
PUBLISHED BY: Bethany House
PUBLISHED IN: 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0990-1
Pages: 368


In Regina Jennings’s debut historical romance novel, we, the readers, meet a strong-headed Rosa Garner, who recently lost her husband and father-in-law while hoping to strike rich in the silver mines of Mexico. Along with her grieving mother-in-law, Louise, Rosa arrives at their Texas family ranch, which they had leased out in their absence. To her surprise, she learns that the renters had abandoned their farm and stopped paying the taxes on it. The family owned one hundred and sixty-six dollars, which was a whole lot of money back in 1878, and with only three months until the payment is due! While staying with other relatives of her late husband, a cousin, Weston Garner, returns to Caldwell County and he may be her only savior.

    Sixty Acres and a Bride is a well-written novel and a great first outing for newcomer Regina Jennings. Rosa and Weston are believable characters, but they are not perfect. They do have their flaws, which makes them more realistic. I simply loved how Rosa adapted to her new surrounds and learned the lifestyles of her new family while staying faithful to her own customs and beliefs. I find that romance novels can become stale and predictable, but the author has constructed an original romance. It is a great read and I recommend it to everyone.

*I would like to thank Bethany House and Litfuse for sending me a copy to review.


About the Author:



Regina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a history minor. She has worked at The Mustang News and First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She now lives outside Oklahoma City with her husband and four children. Meet Regina here.

Friday, March 9, 2012

The Friday 56 - Cynthia's Attic: The Missing Locket

the Friday 56 is hosted by  Freda's Voice


 

As I casually glanced up, I caught a reflection
in the ornately carved mirror that was sitting on
top of the antique dresser, and what I saw took my breath away.
I quickly turned toward Cynthia and, to my relief, I saw my friend
of twelve years. But when I looked back into the mirror, I saw a face 
that wasn't mine - a face I recognized as that of my grandmother when she was a young girl.

page 56, Cynthia's Attic: The Missing Locket by Mary Cunningham

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Friday 56 - Sixty Acres and a Bride








Already determined she wouldn't leave the ranch without Rosa,
Molly strained her eyes at the empty road and waited 
for the lumber wagon to appear on its way back to the mill.
The sooner she got them separated the better. Weston's deep
lullaby wrung her heart, and she wasn't nestled against him 
like Rosa manged to be.

page 56, Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings