Saturday, November 28, 2015

Character spotlight + NaNo finished!

Hey everyone, I'm back! Hope y'all had an amazing week! I did! I know, I say that just about every week, but it's true! This week was especially amazing in that there was Thanksgiving, of course, but a few other awesome things happened as well! Oh, and don't ever let your younger siblings talk you into Christmas decorating the day after Thanksgiving. Ever. It's insane. Well, at least in our house it is. Mom was tired and not feeling well, so she was resting and they wanted to decorate the house to surprise her. I never realized just how much work it was to oversee it all. Or how tiring it is. We usually wait till December to decorate. Of course, on the bright side, the interior of our house is fully decorated for Christmas! (Now we just have to see how long we can keep it that way. . . ;) )
Okay, here is this week's character spotlight! Just as a side note, I finished the first draft (and NaNo) on Wednesday! A Question of Honor is officially finished!!! Which means I also completed my goal of writing 50,000 words in the month of November. And the completed draft is 65,844 words.
So, yeah. I'm just a little excited! :D  Of course, the re-writing and editing comes next. Which takes me a loonnnggg time. But for now I'm just happy I finished it. :)

David Sullivan:
David is twenty-five years old and the second oldest of seven children. He grew up on a farm in Kansas, yet instead of following in his fathers footsteps he became a pilot. David is tall with dark brown hair and brown eyes. To a stranger he appears he appears serious and confident, but those who know him are well aware of his teasing side. He is kind and caring, yet often appears distant; he doesn't always know how to put his feelings into words and often doesn't attempt to.

“Oh, David. Thank goodness you’re alright!” Gil’s worried voice met him as he entered the base.
David grinned. “Thought you could get rid of my already, ehh? Sorry my friend, but I’m tougher than that.”
“I’m just glad you’re safe. We were hit by a bunch of fighter pilots escorting the bombers. When we finished, everyone checked in but you. You didn’t even answer your radio.”
Yeah, about that, I’m sorry. I got hit a few times and I think it busted the radio receiver and transmitter. In fact, the whole plane was pretty badly damaged. I ended up crash-landing in a field without my landing gear or my brakes.”
Gil laughed, “sounds like a pretty normal day to me. How'd you get here?”
“The farmer. At first he came after me with a pitchfork; thought I was a German. Then I got stuck in the house for a while because his wife insisted that I was hungry and that I eat. “
“He thought you were a German? In a Spitfire?” Gil asked in disbelief.
David nodded, “Yeah. Said something about his eyes no being as good as they used to be.”
“How’d you manage to eat after that? I’d be staying away from food for a while.
David grimaced. “Same here. But I couldn't refuse, it would have been rude. I managed to eat a plate or two of potatoes and eggs. They actually weren’t so bad. Once I got myself settled down I enjoyed them right nicely!”
Gil grinned as he shook his head. “Only you, David. Only you.”
“Only me? Trust me Gil, you would have done the same. That woman was insistent and I did not want to try and go against her!”
Gil nodded, “Alright. Well, the planes are being checked and repaired. You’re the only one who managed to crash on the first time up. Just think about it, David. You’re my most experienced pilot and you're the only one who crashed. “
“Yeah, I know. What can I do to make up for it, sir?”
“Oh, get out of here, David!” Gil grinned as he threw a flight helmet at David. “Drop the sir and get out there and find yourself a plane.”
“Yes, sir. Right away, sir.” Before Gil could reply, David hurried outside. He heard Gil’s laugh behind him. Well, he needed a laugh, David smiled to himself. And perhaps I did too.

Friday, November 27, 2015

Black Friday book sale!

Hey everyone! Yes, my post today is a bit different. . .but it's awesome! :) I mean, books on sale? Yes please! I'll have a more "normal" post up tomorrow. I hope y'all had an amazing Thanksgiving!

Smiley
It's that time of year. The time for buying presents, making wish lists, and planning New Year’s Resolutions. If any of those activities involve books for you, Indie Christian Authors has a perfect event for you. From Nov 27 (that’s today!) through Nov 30th, more than 70 independent Christian books are on sale. You can find free shipping, $0.99 ebooks, package deals, and more! And if your budget is depleted from Christmas shopping, they’ve got you covered with some freebies Think 70 books is overwhelming? Narrow it down and find the perfect books for you or someone on your Christmas list by using this quiz to generate a customized book list.
 What awesome reads of 2015 are you grateful for? What books are you looking forward to reading in 2016?
A note on the Ebooks Only page. All books are listed as “Sold Out.” This only refers to paperback copies of these titles. Please click onto the product pages to find descriptions and links to discounted or free ebooks.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Leah E. Good for her work organizing this sale, Gloria Repp for completing the time consuming job of uploading book info to the sale website, and Hannah Mills for her fantastic design work on the website graphics. Hannah can be contacted at hmills(at)omorecollege(dot)edu for more information about her design services.
Also, just as a side note, I have not read all the books, so I can't say I exactly recommend them all, but the ones I heave read have been really, really good! :D 

Friday, November 20, 2015

Character spotlight--Joyanna and Erich

Okay, I'm back with the character spotlight I promised! :) I hope you all have had an amazing week so far! My week's been busy, but good. Here are the first two character spotlights. Enjoy! 

Joyanna Stein:

Joyanna is a eight-year old Jewish girl who lives in Aaras, France. With the coming of the Germans, Joyanna's father is killed and her mother and sister taken to a concentration camp. Joyanna, though, catches the eye of a local German Lieutenant who sees her as a means to get information he needs.So, Joyanna is "saved" from the fate of her people, although she often wonders if it would be better to die then to have to live under Erich's watchful eye. 

Nadetta glanced uncertainly at Joyanna. “I hate to ask since I have no idea if you are supposed to be doing this, but with Geneva not here. . .” her voice trailed off. “Can you help with the gravy? Just be careful not to spill it. Heaven help us if you burn one of the soldiers,” she muttered.
Joyanna nodded, “I promise I’ll be careful.”
“Alright, you stay here then,” she put a stool next to the counter and Joyanna stepped up on it.
Nadetta handed her a small ladle, then turned and hurried toward the coffee pot.
“You just had to put her there, didn’t you?” Truda exclaimed.
Nadetta gave her a look, "It’s better then having her pour the coffee.”
The men began to come through the line and Joyanna carefully started ladling the gravy over the biscuits.
The soldiers began to chuckle, “Got yourself some new kitchen help, eh Nadetta?”
Nadetta glared at them, “That I do. At least for breakfast. Now leave her alone and mind your own business.”
“Hey, I bet it’s the girl Erich’s got himself,” a different soldier joked. “I heard he went out and adopted a daughter to get him out of the rest of his duties.”
There was a general laugh and Joyanna looked up, eyes sparkling with anger as she met the eyes of the man who had spoken. ‘“I bet you wouldn’t dare say that if Lieutenant Erich was here.”
“Woah, she’s got a stubborn streak,” the soldier winked at her.
It was all Joyanna could to to keep from flinging hot gravy all over the front of his neatly pressed uniform.
But what if it was an accident? The thought came to Joyanna suddenly. She braced herself on the counter with her left elbow and dipped the ladle into the hot gravy, then reached across the counter, just a little too far. The stool slipped on the wooden floor and the ladle flew from her hand, spilling the hot gravy down the officer's jacket.
Joyanna, fought to keep the smile off her face as the man sputtered and took a step back.
Their was a general laugh and the soldier next to him nudged him, “yeah, I’d say she’s got a stubborn streak a mile wide.”
The officer looked up at Joyanna, his eyes furious. He took a step towards her and grabbed her roughly by her shoulders, "Why you little--”
“That’s enough, Sergeant Steiner.” The commanding voice rang out across the breakfast room.
Joyanna knew that voice, she glanced across the room and in that split second her eyes met those of Lieutenant Erich. A sinking feeling washed over her as she realized he had been standing there in the shadows the entire time.
The man dropped Joyanna as though he had been burned. She landed on the stool and winced, rubbing the side of her head where she had hit it on the counter.
“Why, Lieutenant Erich. I-I didn’t see you there.”
Erich walked forward until he stood in front of the man, towering over him at least a good six inches, “I gathered as much. I will thank you to keep your words and your hands to yourself,” he reached around the Sergeant, picked up his plate and handed it to him. “Be sure and finish all your food and,” a brief smile crossed his eyes, “Be sure to clean your uniform.”
The breakfast room filled with laughter as Sergeant Steiner scowled and took his plate, hurrying to a table.
Joyanna glanced up at Erich. Their eyes met and Joyanna shrunk away from him. Oh, boy. I’m in trouble.


Erich Essler:


Erich Essler is a Lieutenant in the Third Reich.(Yes, the picture is of a Major, sorry!) He is strong a stubborn and what he says is what happens. He takes his responsibility seriously and has learned that cruelty can sometimes be the greatest motivation.

“Do you understand what I am trying to tell you, Joyanna?” Erich glanced back at her over his shoulder. Her face scrunched up as though she was thinking and he nearly smiled. Sure gotta watch myself with her.
“You’re telling me to lie and say that you’re my brother and if I tell anyone the truth, you will kill me,” Joyanna replied in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice.
“Yes, that is exactly right.”
“Whatever happened to 'the truth will set you free,'" she huffed in an undertone, apparently assuming he wouldn't hear her.
At that, Erich did smile. Yeah, she’s smart alright.The irony of the verse she quoted hit him again and he chuckled quietly. Now will come the hard part, trying to keep up with her once we get to London.
He set his face in its usual scowl and turned back towards her. “The truth will not set you free this time, Joyanna. Unless you want to be free to die. Then, yes, it will set you free.”
“So you’re telling me that I can't die right now?”
Yeah. . .and she's only seven--eight, He corrected himself. That’s another thing. She should probably know her birthday was last week. “Yes, Joyanna. That is what I’m saying.”
To his extreme annoyance, Joyanna grinned impishly up at him. “Not even you can keep me from dying. Only God can.”
Oh, and theologian too. Another thing to add to her list of accomplishments. But, what else should I expect? Her father was a Jewish rabbi. “True,” his lips twisted into a devious smile. “But then, what God would take a young child in the prime of life away from her lovely place on earth?”
“A God who wants her to be free.”
Freedom. We’re back at that subject again. Why out of all the random little girls in Arras did I have to choose her? Erich’s thoughts raced on while he said nothing. He tapped his riding whip on the desk in a rhythmic manner, a habit he’d long since stopped thinking twice about. Probably because if she were any less feisty, you would have killed her,a second voice reminded him. He smiled at the thought. He couldn’t be expected to have a whining, crybaby around all the time, could he? Of course not. Yet he still couldn’t understand what made Joyanna so different. He had done his killing of Jews in the few years he had been with the Reich. It was easy. Raise the gun, pull the trigger, and the world had one less Jew. So why was he so taken with Joyanna? She should be the same way. Yet for nearly a month, he had protected one of the Jews he had vowed to kill. She’ll be killed in the end, he reminded himself. Yes, Joyanna’s life was being preserved for the moment, but in the end, she would be just the same as everyone else.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Update! :)

Hey everyone! I hope y'all are having an AWESOME week so far! I am. Well, my week is busy, but it's still awesome. And it's about to be made awesomer on Saturday because of the fact that we're headed off to see a WWII battle reenactment! :D I'm really excited for that!
Okay, in other news ... ;)
The Silent Blade has been sent off to my test readers! So right now I'm taking a break from it since I sure there will be plenty of things to do when my test readers are finished. :)
Also, NaNoWriMo (national novel writing month)  is this month! Basically what that means is you try to write 50,000 words in the month of November, which is 1,667 words per day. So far I'm having fun, but we're only on day three. *smiles*.
The book I'm working on is one I started a while ago, but I haven't really dedicated much time or work to it. The title is A Question of Honor and it is set in 1940s Britain and France. Here's a brief synopsis I typed up to kinda give you an idea. :)


David is just a normal American pilot who has decided to leave the comfort of home to fight in the Battle of Britain. While most american men are rejoicing that they don't have to get caught up in the war, David willingly leaves everything behind to fight for a cause he believes in. 
Joyanna is a normal 7-year old girl who catches the eye of German Lieutenant Essler. But she is Jewish and kept alive only to get information that might be of use to the Reich. She still doesn't understand exactly why she has been taken away from her mother and sister, and life is not easy under the cruel watch of Lieutenant Erich Essler.
When a defining moment comes into David's life, will he choose vengeance? Or will he let his life be ruled by a higher standard? A standard of Honor. 

Pre-NaNo status is 15,000 words, so hopefully there will be around 65,000 when it's all finished! Right now I'm tentatively planning it as the first book in a trilogy, but we'll see! :)
Also, since I'll be spending most of my writing time working on A Question of Honor, I'm going to take a break from No Greater Love. I have't written anymore of the parts and there are some ideas I'm still toying with. So on Fridays I'll try and post a scene or two from A Question of Honor and maybe a character spotlight or two. Excited? I am!
Have an amazing rest-of-your-week! :)