What’s in a Home?

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Castle

Welcome to my newly designed website and new blog home. It may not be a castle, but there is plenty of room for people to drop by for a visit. 😉

This is my first time writing in WordPress so I’m still feeling my way around, but I’ve found these cool faces. 🙄

I’m going to have lots of fun playing with those!

I invite you to wander around and explore. One cool new feature, especially for those not on Facebook, is my Facebook posts now stream to the blog. This month I’ve been posting about a lot of one-day free Ebooks as I discover them, so if you have an Ereader, you might like to check it out from time to time.

If you find anything broken or difficult to navigate, please let me know. I have a week to ask my web designer for any changes, so please don’t be shy. And be sure to get lost, you’ll discover the pages I had the most fun creating.

Click here to see what I mean. 😆

Oh, and please test out my comments below. The first time you comment on the blog, it won’t appear right away. I have to moderate all first-time comments to help fight spam. But once you’ve been cleared once…you’re in. 😎

Didn’t I tell you I’d have fun with all those cartoon faces?!

Okay, I need to get back to work, because…I have line edits due tomorrow on Fatal Inheritance and copy edits due Boxing Day on Deadly Devotion. Thankfully they are all minor tweaks, but I like to give each manuscript a final read through since this is my last chance to make any major changes–changes that could be critical to future books in my Port Aster series. For example, I discovered that a character I named Zoe in book one, I started calling Maria in book two. Not good! 😕

Your Turn: What are you up to this week?

 

Image courtesy of Matt Banks at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Season of Joy

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Can you believe there are less than two weeks until Christmas?!

I love to indulge in lots of Christmas reading this time of year, and today, I’d like to tell you about a November Love Inspired book I read last week. 

Season_of_JoySeason of Joy, by debut novelist Virginia Carmichael, received a 4 1/2 star review from Romantic Times and has been nominated for a Reviewer’s Choice Award.

I agree with the reviewers. This is a great book.

Here’s the back cover blurb:

As the holiday season approaches, wealthy CEO Calista Sheffield wants to give instead of receive. So she volunteers at a downtown Denver shelter, never expecting that her own scarred heart will be filled with hope and healing. The mission’s director, handsome Grant Monohan, has devoted his life to helping those in need. But his harrowing past—and what he sees every day—makes him wary of Calista. Unless she shares her painful history, he’ll never believe they can have a future. But a future with Grant at the shelter is the only Christmas gift Calista truly wants.

Read an excerpt of Season of Joy by clicking here.

I really liked how Carmichael portrays the lingering effects of one’s upbringing on one’s life choices and perspective about God and sense of worth, as well as the obligation to take personal responsibility for moving past them.

Your Turn: The novel raises lots of great topics for discussion. Here’s the one I’d like to discuss today:

Calista’s father was cold and unloving toward her, but warm and friendly to others. How can hypocrisy do more damage than domestic violence? Do you think it’s sometimes easier to be loving to strangers than to those whom we live with day in and day out?

P.S. My Christmas newsletter will go out this week, too. No new Christmas story this year, unfortunately, but…every newsletter, I do give away a complimentary book to a randomly chosen subscriber. If you’d like to subscribe click here.

Christmas Countdown Giveaway

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Good day, faithful blog readers!

Can you believe it’s December already?!

December_Calendar

By this time next week, I hope to have my newly designed website up and running, and… have this blog transitioned to it. If all goes smoothly, even if you type in the old blog address, it should automatically take you to my website’s blog page.

To celebrate I’m giving away a copy of one of my Love Inspired Suspense books to a randomly chosen commenter on today’s blog. If you already have all my books and your name is chosen, thank you for being such a devoted reader! I will send you an advanced copy of my upcoming Revell book when it becomes available, or… I can gift one of my LIS books to a friend of your choice. Might even get there by Christmas!

I will announce the winner in the comments Tuesday morning, and…provide a link to another blog where I will give away another copy on Tuesday. Please stop by to check if you’ve won, especially if you don’t leave an email address (which isn’t required).

Your Turn: What’s your favorite Bible story?

What Makes a Villain Powerful?

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

A Powerful Villain is the One you Hope will Survive, according to my special guest, Jennifer Orchard. (Yes, we’re related ~grin~)

Take it away, Jennifer…

Part way through “Snow White and the Huntsman” we discover the back-story of the evil Queen and why she is the way she is.

Watching it, my brother scoffed, “Great, now they’re going to try to make us feel sorry for her.”

Which got me to thinking…

Why should we feel empathy for the villain? Shouldn’t villains be dark, ultra-evil beings, incapable of being loved? Shouldn’t they be the epitome of everything we hate? Wouldn’t that be more formidable for us and our characters than a sympathetic villain?

But think about it. Why do we root for our hero? Why do we want him to win?

We love the hero because he’s sympathetic. We follow him because he faces great trials.

So what happens when your villain is sympathetic?

Suddenly it’s harder for your hero to do the morally right thing and defeat them. Suddenly both you and your hero are, so to speak, torn.

The most compelling stories are the ones with high costs. What if your hero doesn’t really want to destroy the villain but knows he must in order to save the world?

Does a sympathetic villain draw attention away from your hero?

I suppose, if not handled carefully, you could turn your antagonist into the star of the show, but if done right they become a more formidable enemy to your hero. The hero sees part of him/herself in the villain. Your hero sees what they could become and it terrifies them but it also makes them want to believe there is hope for the villain because they need to believe there would be hope for themselves in the same situation. (A compelling example is Frodo and Gollum’s relationship in The Lord of the Rings).

Your hero’s moral compass is his strongest weapon.

Make him question his own morals in defeating the villain, and your villain will have immense power over him.

Innately we know the villain must go, but because a little bit of our heart wants them to survive, the cost will be high.

You want to make your villain unbearably hard to defeat? Make a small part of us root for him, too.

Jennifer Orchard writes freelance articles and the travel blog What Tourists Miss  Her short story, The Rain Sequence, won the Athanatos J.R.R. Tolkien Award, and was published in the anthology Swimming Blind. She is an aspiring fantasy novelist and screenwriter.

Deadly Devotion ~ I’ve got a cover!

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Over the next couple of weeks my blog posts may be put on hold as my web designer transitions my blog to my website. Hopefully everything will transition smoothly and those who receive the posts by email or RSS feed will continue to do so after the transition without a glitch.

If weeks go by with no new post…you’ll know it didn’t, and I hope you’ll stop by my website and reconnect. In the meantime, I am sooooo excited to share the cover for the first book in my upcoming series with Revell~June 2013.

What do you think? Does it make you want to take a second look?

Here’s the blurb:

Research scientist Kate Adams and her colleague Daisy are on the brink of a breakthrough for treating depression with herbal medicine when Daisy suddenly dies. Kate knows that if it hadn’t been for Daisy’s mentorship, she wouldn’t have the job she loves or the faith she clings to. So when police rule Daisy’s death a suicide, Kate is determined to unearth the truth.

Former FBI agent Tom Parker finds it hard to adjust to life back in his hometown of Port Aster. Though an old buddy gives him a job as a detective on the local police force, not everyone approves. Tom’s just trying to keep a low profile, so when Kate Adams demands he reopen the investigation of her friend’s death, he knows his job is at stake. In fact, despite his attraction to her, Tom thinks Kate looks a bit suspicious herself.

As evidence mounts, a web of intrigue is woven around the sleepy town of Port Aster. Can Kate uncover the truth? Or will Tom stand in her way?

Hooked yet? I hope so. ~smiling~

I’m working on the second book in the series now…

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends!

Winners & For Writers

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Writers, please join me at Seekerville today, where I’m sharing a suspense writer’s technique for adding new layers to your story–whatever genre you write. Of course, everyone is welcome to stop by and leave a comment whether you write or not…there is a giveaway. ~smiling~

Now…before I tell you who won copies of Lynette Eason’s Danger on the Mountain, I want to share a picture from my trip to Niagara Falls.

Isn’t that beautiful? My daughter and I had a fun time doing the tourist things you never seem to do when you live in the area.

Okay…enough dawdling…the winners of Danger on the Mountain are:
Shatara Byrd, Lee Carver, and Aria100…please email me (SandraOrchard (at) ymail (dot) com) your snail mail addresses so we can get your books out to you.

Congratulations to our winners! And a big thank you to everyone who joined the conversation.

Guest Post ~ Introducing Cherish This Christmas

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Christmas is coming! Do these words fill you with joyful anticipation…or dread at the thought of approaching chaos and clutter?
On December 31st do you wonder what happened instead of wondering at Christ’s birth?

I (Paula) invite you to cherish Christmas as never before. Journey back in time as you get to know those who were there, and bring new meaning to your own holiday. Cherish This Christmas helps each of us discover our unique role during this precious time of year as we get to know the One whom we celebrate differently…maybe a little better.

This year let’s cut through the chaos and choose to… Cherish This Christmas! This collection of daily devotions will take you back to the days of Jesus’ birth and help bring more meaning to the chaotic days of December. Through scriptural insight and personal reflection, Paula will help you to Cherish This Christmas.

You can purchase the book here at Amazon, the Kindle edition here, or at Paula’s CreateSpace store.

 About the Author: Paula Davis’ writing encourages her readers to apply God’s Word to everyday life. When years of searching for “Mr. Right” left her heart empty, she turned to God for comfort and found so much more. Paula now knows firsthand that completeness and contentment is only found when her eyes are focused on Jesus. She wants others to know this truth as well. Paula loves to share with others what she’s learning about the depth of God’s Love. At Christmas time, you’ll find her in Central New York reading, baking or cuddling her little dog, Lucy, while sipping a good cup of coffee. You can follow her blog at www.pauladavispeace.com.  

The Giveaway To jubilate the release of her debut book, Paula is celebrating and you’re invited to join along with her giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive:

  • Two copies of Cherish this Christmas, one to keep and one to give to a friend
  • A $25 Amazon Gift Card

Enter today by heading over to Paula’s blog and jumping on the Rafflecopter. But hurry, the giveaway ends on December 15th. Winner will be announced at Paula’s website, December 16, 2012.

Note from Sandra: I’ve turned comments off for today’s blog. Please visit Paula’s blog if you wish to ask her any questions. Have a great weekend everyone!

Danger on the Mountain ~ Discussion & Giveaway

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

What a pleasure it has been to once again be working my way through my to-be-read pile! Last week, I read fellow LIS author, Lynette Eason’s newest release, Danger on the Mountain. 

I can always count on a fast-paced suspense with a satisfying romance when I pick up one of Lynette’s books, and Danger on the Mountain didn’t disappoint. It started with a shoot-em-up-bank-holdup-near-kidnapping and tensions remained high straight through to the explosive finale.

The hero Reese is a new deputy in the small town of Rose Mountain–a man still trying to heal from the loss of his wife and child.

I asked Lynette what inspired her to write his story. Here’s her answer:

Well, he needed one. 🙂 Reese was a character in a previous story, Holiday Hideout. I just loved his character in that book and decided he needed his own story. And sure enough, as soon as I started writing it, and brought a woman into his life, he just came alive. I really like Reese’s story and hope readers will too!

Lynette and I first got to know each other when we roomed together at the 2010 Writer’s Police Academy. We’re the ones on either end, and in true cop form, we’ve smudged out the faces in between to protect their identities. ~grin~

For those readers not familiar with Lynette, she’s the award winning, best-selling author of several romantic suspense novels, including Too Close to Home, Don’t Look Back, and A Killer Among Us. She writes for Revell as well as Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Lynette graduated from the University of South Carolina and went on to earn her master’s degree in education from Converse College. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children.

And…did I mention she’s very generous?

Lynette is giving away THREE copies of Danger on the Mountain. Just join the conversation below to be entered, then come back next Monday when the three winners will be announced.

Your Turn: Reese is determined to get the person who’s after Maggie and her baby. He couldn’t help his wife and daughter, but this is something he can do. He can catch the bad guy for Maggie. What does this tell you about Reese’s personality? Yes, I’m making you think to be entered in the giveaway. 🙂

Fun Friday ~ We have a title!

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Sorry I’ve been AWOL this week, I’ve been working on proposals for more books ~grin~

To all those who helped me brainstorm titles for the Love Inspired Suspense I submitted last week…my editor emailed to let me know they’ve chosen:

Fatal Inheritance
It wasn’t one of the titles suggested by anyone on the blog, but your input was invaluable in getting to it. Thank you!
Fatal Inheritance will be released August 2013. Next, I look forward to seeing what kind of cover the talented members of the art department come up with for it. 
In other Fun News…
Critical Condition has been nominated for the
Monday, I’ll be back to regular blogging with a chat about Lynette Eason’s newest LIS, Danger on the Mountain…and a giveaway.

Help! What do you love or hate on websites and blogs?

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Can you believe it’s already November?!

The Fall weather has gotten me in the mood for some serious reorganizing, including revamping my web presence.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be working with a web designer to create a totally new look for my website and to integrate my blog into it. I’d love to get your input!

I’ve been trolling the web looking for things I like, and things I don’t, so that I can give the designer a good sense of how I’d like the site to work.

For example, my new publisher would like my site to have more of a romantic suspense feel than it’s current romancey lilac colors. I love the suspense look of a white-on-black site, however, I can’t read them. I mean that I literally can’t read white on black for more than a paragraph or two. My vision starts to go hazy with white lines floating across it and I get a headache.

Do you have any experiences like that? Color combos you love or hate?

What do you currently like about my Sandra Orchard website? How about this blog?

I’m talking about anything from content, to the location and type of page tabs, to the amount of white space, to one- versus two- versus three-column formats.

What do you go to an author’s website for? Book extras? Writing tips? Resources? To learn more about books or upcoming ones?

What do you wish more authors would have on their websites? Feel free to share links to your favorite examples.

Any pet peeves about websites, blogs?

My biggest frustration with some blogs is figuring out how to leave a comment if someone hasn’t already left one. Sometimes the icons or words are so small that if you’re not familiar with the blog template, the button is impossible to find. If you’ve found a blog that is not like that, please share the link, I’d love to check it out.

My designer will be using a template, which limits me somewhat over the html design I’m currently used to, but it’s a lot more economical way to go in terms of design time, and hopefully he’ll have the expertise to mold it to my preferences.

Your Turn: I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of the above!