Author Anita Higman reveals what it's like - "A Day in the Life" (2-book Giveaway)

Just what is it like to be an author? Do they sit at a computer all day pecking away composing thousands of words with ease? Do they have to clean house? Do they take out the trash? Graciously Anita Higman has shared a bit with us.

 A Day In the Life

I have been a morning person my whole life. I’m up at 5:30 every weekday morning—sharp—and after I eat a breakfast of granola, Greek yogurt, and fresh berries, I usually have a short devotion time with my husband. This sets the right mood for the day and this also gives us the spiritual strength to deal with all the many tasks and problems that invariably come up during the course of an average workday.

After my husband leaves for work, I go upstairs to my office to get started for the day. Once at my desk, I answer all my emails—which usually takes an hour or two—and then I occasionally allow myself a few minutes to read a few of my reviews.

Huge mistake.

I would not recommend this ritual, especially at the beginning of the day. If the reviews are gushy then you might get the idea that anything and everything you write will be like laying a nest of golden eggs. Even though reading the honeyed reviews can give you quite the swoony rush, it’s not an honest emotional place to be when you start on your manuscript. Why? You’ll get the feeling you no longer have to try so hard.

But.

If you read even one ugly review, well, those words will paralyze your spirit like a frog in frozen mud. You know I’m right. So, my advice? Start your day with prayer, not reviews.

If I’m working on a rough draft I try to meet a word-count target of about 2,000 words each day. When I hit my goal or nearly there, I can play for a bit, which means I’ll run errands or do some marketing work on my latest release.

There are some days when I don’t get all my work done by the end of the day. When that happens, I don’t usually treat myself to a fun movie or the chance to settle into my cozy den and read one of my favorite authors, such as B.J. Hoff or Jenny B. Jones. It means I’ll have to tromp right back upstairs in the evening and write some more.

Needless to say, it takes a great deal of discipline to be writer. You have to show up every workday—bum securely fastened to the seat of the chair—no matter what. Even if you don’t feel awake or well or motivated.

Or alive.

So, I stay put in that chair even when that rosy halo called the muse isn’t glowing around my head.

Yes, novel writing can be relentless, tedious effort. Can we say boring? But it can also be deeply satisfying. All the way to your soul. Especially when someone tells you that her life was changed for the better because she read one of your stories. It makes all the tedium, all the sacrifice, all the muscle aches and pains as well as the exhaustion, worthwhile.

Okay, after I finish an evening of writing I head to bed about 9:30. Of course, by then the muse is heated up and is now as bright as a street lamp shining in your bedroom window—which means I’m not going to sleep. My imagination as well as my next-day ta-do list can’t turn itself off. So, after I’ve gone to bed, many times my husband will see me pop right back up again to write something down.

After one or two or more of those rounds, I finally settle into slumber. Then, of course, my dreams take it from there. Rarely, though, have I dreamed scenes or concepts that I could use in one of my novels. That’s a shame, really, but I’ve heard other authors say that have incorporated pieces of their dream world into their books. I only wish that were the case for me.

Well, as you can tell, the life of a writer isn’t easy. The life of a writer doesn’t always include a good night’s sleep. But the life of a writer does mean they’ll be days—and sometimes nights—that will be filled with that inimitable and imaginative and miraculous thing called story!

Thank you, Anita, for such a good "share" with us. That gives those of us who are on the receiving end of your labor (your readers) some really good food for thought.

GIVEAWAY: Thanks to the generosity of Anita Higman, two of Chat With Vera's readers have the opportunity to win their own copy A Marriage in Middlebury.  Begins January 15 & ENDS February 5 @ 12:01 a.m. Open to those in USA mainland addresses only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author: Best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has over thirty books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She’s been a Barnes & Noble “Author of the Month” for Houston and has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends. 

Chat With Vera's reviews of Anita Higman's books:

A Marriage in Middlebury

Winter in Full Bloom
Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe

Texas Wildflowers

A Merry Little Christmas

Heart Failure by Richard L. Mabry, M.D. (Review & Giveaway)

My thoughts: The opening action of Heart Failure has lead characters, Dr. Carrie Markham and Adam Davidson, leaving a movie and suddenly they are victims of a drive-by-shooting. And then the action moves from one action shot to another. Carrie and Adam are both professionals. Carrie is a medical doctor and Adam is a paralegal.
 
The drama unfolds in the emergency room, the streets, and the buildings where they live and work involving complex individuals whose stories are revealed piece by piece as each layer of the story unfolds. It is revealed that Adam is in the Witness Protection Program and he fears that is the reason behind the danger in which they find themselves embroiled.

Author Richard Mabry, M.D. uses his knowledge and experience to write medical suspense thrillers laced with a clean romance and plenty of human interest. Gleaning from his experiences and observations, Dr. Mabry has been gifted to develop believable characters whose own experiences seem to parallel real people in real places and involved in real drama.
 
Heart Failure is Published by a Christian publishing house, Thomas Nelson, and the reader can enjoy this suspenseful and entertaining story without the author’s having resorted to the use of explicit immoral behavior and language.  Yet there is enough action to keep the reader on edge anticipating the next page turn.
 
Medical suspense is a genre that requires knowledge and skill in the medical arena and the author certainly has an abundance of such.  I share my Richard Mabry, M.D. books with my daughter-in-law who is a highly skilled nurse and she devours them highly anticipating each new release.
 
About the author: (Note: I have taken the liberty to copy the author information directly from his website because his experience just amazes me and I want my readers to get to know him just a little.)
 
In addition to the practice of medicine, my past includes a stint overseas in the US Air Force, several periods as an interim music minister, and an all-too-brief experience as a semi-pro baseball player. In other words, there’s more to me than “M.D.” covers. Let me share a little about myself.

Education: My BA is from the University of North Texas (which was North Texas State University at the time). I graduated with an MD degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, then obtained my specialty training in otolaryngology (that’s “ear, nose, and throat” to most folks) at two major teaching hospitals in Dallas: Parkland and the VA Hospital.

Air Force: I served for almost three years as a Captain in the US Air Force at Lajes Field, in the Azores, a Portuguese possession in the middle of the North Atlantic. I’ve forgotten most of the Portuguese I learned there, but will never forget the friendships I made. Because I was involved in saving the life of a little Azorean girl whose airway was obstructed by a coin, I was written up in Stars and Stripes and received the Air Force Commendation medal. When there’s a recognition on Veteran’s Day, I’m proud to stand beside all the others who’ve served.

Religion: I’ve been a Christian for six decades. For almost forty years, I was a Deacon in the Baptist church, serving as a Sunday school teacher and singing in the choir. After a recent move across the city, I’m proud to be a member of the Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, where I get to hear Dr. Chuck Swindoll preach regularly.

Medicine: During the 36 years I spent in medicine, I wrote or edited eight textbooks, authored over a hundred professional papers, and was an invited guest speaker all over the world. I held the presidency or vice-presidency of three professional societies, and was privileged to receive a number of awards and honors. But if you asked my greatest reward in medicine , it would be in seeing patients get better under my care.

Hobbies:  Primarily golfing, usually once a week with the same golf partner for the past ten years or so. We don’t keep score (heresy to purists, I suppose) and we enjoy the fellowship. I’m also a voracious reader, mainly fiction, although I do read non-fiction books.
 
NOW FOR THE FUN! - GIVEAWAY TIME:  Dr. Mabry has reserved a copy for one of Chat With Vera's readers. Just use the Rafflecopter entry form below - some of the entries may be done DAILY so you get more opportunities to win. Begins January 14 & ENDS February 5 @ 12:01 a.m. ET. Open only to contiguous USA.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sign up for Dr. Mabry's blog - Click Here
Sign up for Dr. Mabry's NEWSLETTER - Click Here

DISCLOSURE: I received my copy by winning a contest and am happy to share a review with my readers. The author will mail a copy of Heart Failure to the winner. 

"Animal Helpers - Zoos" by Jennifer Keats Curtis (Review & Giveaway)

Paperback $9.95
ISBN: 9781607188506 

About the book:   Zoos are amazing places to see and learn about the many native and exotic of animals that inhabit this world. Some animals are plentiful while others are threatened or in danger of extinction. Zookeepers not only feed and care for these animals, they may also be helping to conserve and protect whole species through breeding and “head start” programs. Follow the extraordinary duties of these unusual animal helpers in this behind-the-scenes photographic journal.

My thoughts: Award-winning nature author Jennifer Keats Curtis has created another in her series of “Animal Helpers” - Zoos -  that is spot-on with its text, illustrations, and educational pages at the back of the book.

Animal Helpers: Zoos inquires of the reader whether they could do certain things for the animals in the zoos.  It asks the reader could you do….. while picturing a zoo worker scrubbing a rhino’s foot or giving a baby moose a bottle – all daily incidentals that occupy a zoo worker.

The book presents facts in a subtle way – “Zoos are safe, permanent homes for native and exotic animals.” – letting the child understand that there are many types of animals housed in the zoo.

The interest level of this book can span preschool through middle elementary grades.  For the older child, the “For Creative Minds” section at the end of the book can present ideas and facts that will engage him. This is a book that examines the zoo employee’s work and also gives information that will intrigue and inform on different levels. Example: Occupations of Zookeepers, Zoologists and Veterinarian are described with enough detail that a child can comprehend that there are differences while they all deal with the care and/or understanding of animals.

GIVEAWAY: Enter to win one copy of Animal Helpers Zoos provided by SylvanDell Publishing for that child in your life. Begins January 14 & ENDS February 4 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT. Open to contiguous USA.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy of Animal Helpers Zoos was provided by Sylvan Dell Publishers in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed are solely my own. The winner’s complimentary copy is also provided directly to them by Sylvan Dell.

"The Dancing Master" by Julie Klassen (Review & Giveaway)

ISBN: 9780764210709
Bethany House $14.99

About the book:  Finding himself the man of the family, London dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire, hoping to start over. But he is stunned to learn the village matriarch has prohibited all dancing, for reasons buried deep in her past.

Alec finds an unlikely ally in the matriarch's daughter. Though he's initially wary of Julie Midwinter's reckless flirtation, he comes to realize her bold exterior disguises a vulnerable
soul---and hidden sorrows of her own.

Julia is quickly attracted to the handsome dancing master---a man her mother would never approve of---but she cannot imagine why Mr. Valcourt would leave London, or why he evades questions about his past. With Alec's help, can Julia uncover old secrets and restore life to her somber village . . . and to her mother's tattered heart? 

My thoughts:  The Regency novel presents the reader with word pictures that capture the imagination and fill the mind with visions of loveliness, gentility, culture, customs, and drama. Julie Klassen has done this in her novel The Dancing Master.  
We meet delightful characters whose individual voices and actions are well-crafted so that the story evolves revealing multiple stories intertwined with the end result a beautiful tapestry.
 
The leading lady, Julia Midwinter, is a bit spoiled and a mite flirty. She desires to leave the small community and the village matriarchal family home in which she has grown up and sally forth into the bigger world to discover wonders and delights.
 
The leading gentleman, Alec Valcourt, is a dancing master recently of London and now settled in the village with his mother and sister. There is a cloud hanging over them and Alec must establish himself as a dancing master in the village, in spite of the cloud, to support his family. He is challenged by the flirtatious Julia Midwinter and the wholesale ban on dancing in the village.
 
While dancing, or the subject of dancing lessons, is a primary focus of the story, the other characters’ lives, histories, and interactions with each other lend dimension and depth to life in the village. The climax of the story has some surprises for the reader other than the anticipated sweet romance between Julia and Alec.

I found The Dancing Master an enjoyable read and encourage those who enjoy Regency novels to indulge.

GIVEAWAY:  I have the wonderful opportunity to host a giveaway of Julie Klassen's book The Dancing Master for one of Chat With Vera's readers to win. Just use the handy-dandy Rafflecopter entry form below and enter as often as possible. Begins January 13 & ENDS February 5. Open to continental USA addresses only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Other Julie Klassen book reviews by Chat With Vera:  The Tutor's Daughter  The Maid of Fairbourn Hall   

About the author:  Julie Klassen loves all things Jane--Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. She has won the Christy Award: Historical Romance for The Silent Governess (2010) and The Girl in the Gatehouse (2011) which also won the 2010 Midwest Book Award for Genre Fiction.

DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy of The Dancing Master in exchange for an honest review which I have given. No compensation was received and opinions expressed are solely my own.

Brenese™ Ageless Rejuvenating Cream (Review)

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

About the product: Brenese™ Ageless Rejuvenating Cream has the power to transform the skin. Firmness improves, lines, wrinkles and the look of pores become less visible, skin looks virtually ageless.
 
Ultrarich Cream:  Even the driest complexions are renewed and rejuvenated. With the nutrient-rich Ageless Rejuvenating Cream, you receive profound powers of transformation, skin is immersed in moisture, sensitivities soothed, radiance     restored. ...
 
Brenese™ Ageless Rejuvenating Cream is an extraordinary formula. The secret to activating its renewing power and enjoying its profound benefits lies  in a soothing ritual. Brenese™ Ageless Rejuvenating Cream must be warmed for a few seconds between the fingers until it becomes translucent, then rubbed gently into the skin. (Ingredients: Shea butter, Cocoa butter, Jojoba oil, Aqua, White Petroleum, Stearic acid, Epsom)  (The above information was acquired from the Brenese™ website.)

BFR-50ml
Sale: $32.90

My thoughts:  I found this to be a very dense, stiff cream. It does not have a perfumed fragrance, but has a hint of an oil fragrance essence. I did not care for the dense, stiffness of the cream as it was so different from any face product I have previously used. However, I found that placing a dime sized portion on the palm of my hand and massaging it to get it more liquified, the denseness was negated and it spread nicely onto my face. Once applied, the hint of oily fragrance was diminished and quite o.k. I did feel that it was right much "oilier" than I like for my skin.

I shared a portion of this cream with my daughter and her response was that she did not care for the heavy, oily cream for her face and feared that repeated use would clog her pores.

After using the Brenese™ Ageless Rejuvenating Cream for a week - day and evening - my skin was soft. I did not notice any problems with skin irritation or pore clogging using this cream for this short period of time. I can recommend it for anyone that prefers a natural product with heavy oily properties.

DISCLOSURE: I was provided a jar of Brenese™ Ageless Rejuvenating Cream in exchange for my honest review. No compensation was received for this review. Opinions expressed are those of myself and my daughter. I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

"Carolina Gold" by Dorothy Love (Review & Giveaway)

About the book: The war is over, but her struggle is just beginning.

Charlotte Fraser returns to her late father's once-flourishing rice plantation on the Waccamaw River, determined to continue growing the special kind of rice known as Carolina Gold. But Fairhaven Plantation is in ruins, the bondsmen are free, and money is scarce.

To make ends meet, Charlotte reluctantly accepts a position as tutor to the young daughters of Nicholas Betancourt, heir to the neighboring Willowood Plantation. Then Nick's quest to prove his ownership of Willowood sends Charlotte on a dangerous journey that reveals an old family mystery---and threatens all that she holds dear.

Inspired by the life of a 19th century woman rice planter, Carolina Gold continues Dorothy Love's winning tradition of weaving together mystery, romance, and rich historical detail, bringing to life the story of one young woman's struggle to restore her ruined world.

My thoughts:  The ruination of the South was rampant following the Civil War  and the landed families suffered greatly. Prior to the war they were possessors of land that was their primary source of income through the venue of cotton and rice crops. They were mostly self-sustained in that they also produced their own food. Their ability to work the land was based on the use of slaves to labor in the fields. Slaves were fed, clothed, and housed on the property of the owner. Some were well cared for and others were mistreated gravely. The Civil War emancipated the slave. But the slaves' emancipation did not resolve all their problems, but it did thrust upon the freed slave and the former slave owners problems of equally as great a magnitude.
 
In Carolina Gold, a South Carolina plantation is now owned by the daughter, Charlotte, and she is determined to resume growing the plantation’s crop of rice – called “Carolina Gold.” She engages freed slaves  to work for her and agrees to their payment terms.  The hired laborers prove to be undependable and do not honor their agreement. Some of this problem is based on their attitude toward a former plantation owner being the one for whom they are working and one of the problems most likely stems from their not desiring to work for a woman. Charlotte is definitely moving in uncharted territory as she works to bring her plantation back to productive status.
 
Charlotte is resourceful and secures a bank loan to purchase seed and to pay salaries of former slaves engaged to now work the land as freedmen, and she also undertakes the tutoring of two young daughters of a neighbor. But as with many farming endeavors past and present, disaster in the form of weather strikes and most of the crop is lost. But Charlotte continues to persevere. 

This story provides the reader with a historically accurate glimpse into post-Civil War South Carolina. The characters present some of the still-intact grace the Southern landed class had prior to the war and how they endured the hardships placed upon them as a result of war. It also gave a glimpse into the freed slave and how they began to establish themselves in the labor market as free men and women.
 
Having grown up in a Southern coastal city and knowing that area once had a rice producing plantation, the story Carolina Gold (the rice and the production of it) was not entirely foreign to me and it shed interesting history on the demise of rice as a crop in the South. I found the story an interesting read and enjoyable. I especially found the two girls Charlotte tutored to be delightful. The sweet romance that eventually blossomed between Charlotte and Nicholas was pleasant.

About the author: A former journalist, free-lance writer and college professor, Dorothy Love explores the intersection of history and human relationships to create novels that speak to the hearts of women everywhere. She is the author of the acclaimed Hickory Ridge novels set in her native state of Tennessee.

After earning a masters degree and Ph.D, she authored dozens of magazine articles before breaking into book publishing with a number of award-winning novels for preteens and young adults. The Hickory Ridge series marked her adult fiction debut. Currently she is working on several stand-alone historical novels set in the South.

GIVEAWAY:  Begins January 9 & ENDS February 2 @ 12:01 a.m. ET. Open to Continental USA only. One copy of Carolina Gold will be sent to one of Chat With Vera's readers by Litfuse Publicity Group on behalf of the author.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

To keep up with Dorothy Love, visit www.dorothylovebooks.com, become a fan on Facebook (Dorothy Love Books) or follow her on Twitter (@writerDorothy).

Read more reviews of Carolina Gold  


DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of Carolina Gold in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed are solely my own and I received no compensation for this review.

"If Jesus Came To Visit Me" by Jill Roman Lord & illustrated by Amy Wummer- 2013 edition) (Review & Giveaway)

ISBN-13: 978-0824919085
Board book: $6.99

About the book:  An excellent tool to introduce little ones to Jesus, this board book is the perfect size for small hands to handle. Featuring warm illustrations and paired with a simple, rhyming text, kids will see for themselves what could happen if Jesus came to visit for the day. This book is helpful in starting conversations between parent and children about Jesus and can help bridge the gap in explaining the many ways a child can come to know and love Jesus.

My thoughts:  From the very first page, the sweet words of this rhyming book touched my heart.....

If Jesus came to visit me,
I know just what I'd do.
I'd wrap my arms around him tight
And say, "I'm glad it's you!"

How often have we as adults wished we could just wrap our arms around Jesus and have Him enclose us in His ever loving arms? Well, what do you think about a child? They naturally reach up and love. And then we turn the page and see the child asks, "May I serve you, please?"

And then the rhymes take the child/children through their day with Jesus asking Him questions and sharing their day and play with Him. Oh what a lesson for we adults.... we need to ask Him and we need to take Him with us throughout our day.

And then Jesus and child walk hand in hand back home and Jesus answers (or so the child asserts) all his questions so I will understand. Well, God has answered all our questions in His Word and if we dwell in His word we'll understand.

Lastly, the child wants to give Jesus something - maybe his favorite toy. But then he decides the best thing to give Jesus is his heart. Oh what a wonderful lesson and it is told so that the small child will understand and is presented in a beautifully designed and illustrated little board book for the young child to keep close to himself.  I think you know already, but I'll say it anyway, I recommend this book for you and the young child in your life.

GIVEAWAY:  Candy Cane Press, an imprint of Ideals Publications is providing one of Chat With Vera's readers the opportunity to win a copy for that special child in their life. Begins January 7 & ENDS January 28 @ 12:01 a.m. ET. Open to USA mainland addresses only

a Rafflecopter giveaway DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of If Jesus Came To Visit Me from Candy Cane Press an imprint of Ideals Publications A Guideposts Company in exchange for my honest review. The giveaway winner's copy is also provided by Ideals Publications and will be shipped directly to the winner by Ideals. No compensation was received for this review. Opinions expressed are solely my own.