Monday, September 30, 2013

At Home in My Library by Berry Simpson

 What part of your house feels most like home? In which room do your obsessive tendencies come alive? For me, it is my library.

I used to keep most of my books in banker’s boxes in a rental storage unit because we didn’t have room in our house. Fortunately the storage unit was close to where we lived; I made the trip often, flashlight in hand, looking for a particular book.


So when Cyndi and I designed this house where we now live, having a library was one of three personal requests I made (the other two: I wanted my own closet, and I never wanted to mow the lawn again).

I’m writing about my library because with the feel of fall in the air I’m converging toward the project I’ve put off all summer - reorganizing my books.
I put it off until the weather got too cool to work around the house outside, not that I have worked around the house outside that much this summer. Now, the time to hesitate is through.

I need to reorganize is because some of the categories have outgrown their original shelves. And when I say “reorganize my library,” I mean it like I might reorganize my garage. I have no intention using any of the really cool new software programs for home libraries. I don’t want to add another activity to my life that must be constantly maintained or updated. If other people used my library I would have to be more organized; but they don’t, so I don’t.

In preparation, I’ve begun to thin my shelves a little, donating a few books to Friends of the Library, and moving some upstairs to my backup shelves. Unfortunately this stage looks random and disorganized with unrelated stacks of books everywhere.

In fact, during a recent Sunday School party at our house, a friend and fellow engineer asked, “Do you organize your books? Do you have a system?” He asked because he knew I did, but it wasn’t obvious at the time.

I organize my library in broad themes: spiritual, writing, humor, running, cycling, hiking/backpacking, adventure, travel, politics, history, science and math, modern thinkers, books I’ve taught, etc. On my Bedroom shelves I keep to-read books and certain influential books that are close to my heart. Upstairs, I store the books I seldom use but feel I need to keep just because I need to keep them.

The secret to having a home library, besides physical space, is you have to read a lot. A lot. I always have at least two books going: one on my nightstand and the other in my black backpack in my pickup. The pickup-book idea started when the kids were young and I was continually waiting for soccer practice, or swimming practice, or dance rehearsal, to end. Having a book to read turned the wait into a treat.

I’ve loved to read since elementary school. I was the kid who tried to sneak one more chapter after his mom told him turn off the light and go to sleep, even during the summer.

School and college assignments took over my reading list for several years. The first books I read for my own enjoyment were The Chronicles of Narnia after I found a copy of The Horse And His Boy in a study carrel in the basement stacks of, you guessed it, the University library, and I read the entire book in one sitting instead of finishing my thermodynamics homework.

My first book after graduating from college was American Caesar, a biography of Douglas McArthur. Cyndi gave it to me for Christmas in 1979.

Jim Rohn taught me to keep a list of books I read as part of gathering wisdom, and as you might guess, my list is in Excel and dates back to 1986. (I will send it to you if you’re interested.)

I don’t necessarily treat my books well. I often take the paper jacket off while reading, but that is my only concession. Books are made to be used rather than cherished and I freely use a highlighter or write notes and questions in the margins. Another thing I learned from Jim Rohn was that my margin scribblings were the most valuable thing I’ll hand down to the next generation.

I get asked often, by people standing in my library, “Have you read all these?” It’s a fair question. I don’t expect other people to read as much as I do; we each have our own compulsive hobbies.

My answer is, “Yes, at least 90% of them.” Again, not to be snobbish, but I seldom buy books I don’t intend to read. On occasion a book won’t capture my attention and I’ll put in on the shelf without finishing, but that is rare.

Cyndi and I used to go to dinner parties at a friend’s house and I was always directed to his extensive library. Only all the books were literary classics and all the covers matched, telling me he bought them as a set. And none of the bindings had creases, telling me they were for show and were never read.  He was a gracious and friendly host and I liked him, but he wasn’t the sort of book guy I am. Mine don’t match, and there are lots of creases.

So back to my original design criteria for our house. I wanted no yard to mow because I was tired of keeping a lawn that no one played in, and I wanted my own closet because the dividing line in a shared closed moves. Both of those were about simplifying life.

But having a library is not simplifying, it’s enriching. I simply love books, and reading books has made me a better man, and having my own library makes me happy.

How about you?


“I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free.” Psalm 119:32

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Thanks
Berry Simpson


Hello, Readers, from Juanita. Berry is one of my son's friends. They have been on several hiking trips together. I've been reading his blog for awhile and wanted to share with you his love of reading. I'd love to hear comments. Hope you will take the time to leave one.



“I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” Psalm 119:32

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Courting Miss Amsel by Kim Vogel Sawyer


Kim Vogel Sawyer writes a delightful tale set in 1882 Nebraska, chronicling a year in the life of a town and its new schoolmarm, a woman with unusual ideas, according to the farmers in the rural community. She uses new methods to instill a love of learning in her students. She is far ahead of her time and the townspeople revel in repeating and embellishing things they hear about her.

 

Living with a local widow keeps her properly chaperoned as various bachelors vie for Miss Amsel’s attention, but she will have none of it. She is determined to do her job as a proper lady and do it well. Her heart has other ideas, however, when the meets the unmarried uncle of two boys in her class.

 

We meet characters one by one with personalities that come to life in Sawyer’s crisp method of writing. As readers are introduced to the various children, either they endear themselves to the reader or cause her to want to see them punished for their antics. One boy causes her no end of grief, but Miss Amsel has promised not to use “the stick” and she will not go back on her promise. The previous teacher had the children scared to death, and she is determined the children will want to come to school, so she stands by her guns and uses other methods to control her class.

 

The conditions in early American schools is authentic and the life of early farming communities is clearly presented. Hardships through the year are presented realistically. Miss Amsel is not a Christian when the book begins, but she learns to lean on God before the book is done.

 

A page turner, one that will keep you interested to the end.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Book Winner--and other Thoughts

Congratulations to Diana from Indiana! She's the winner of Meg Moseley's book Gone South. Hope you enjoy it, Diana, and I know you will. Meg will be sending it to you.

I'm not posting an essay this week. Hope you'll all be here October 7 for an interview with Miralee Ferrell, author of western women's fiction. I ordered her book Blowing on Dandelions, which will be give-away for that interview, and I was hooked on the first chapter. I've been busy studying this week to teach a Sunday School lesson, so I haven't had much time to read for myself. But I'm looking forward to this week when I can really get into it.

The lesson I taught was about Hagar, the woman in the Old Testament who was the maid to Sarai, wife of Abram (before his name was changed to Abraham).  The class today was well-attended by 22 ladies and we had a great time of study in Genesis, beginning in chapter 16 and going through chapter 21--not all the verses, but just the one that told Hagar's story.

I enjoy reading, writing, and learning about the women in the Bible. They all have lessons for us. In this lesson, Sarai came up with the idea that Hagar, her maid, should have a baby with Abraham, who would then belong to Sarai. God had promised an heir to Abram, but they were getting old and no baby was in sight. We learned in our lesson that this was a wrong decision. God wanted his line to continue with the child of promise--Isaac, and it did. But God made a nation with Ishmael's line, too, the child of Hagar. What an interesting lesson we had today.

If you have not heard of Hagar I hope you will go to the book of Genesis and read about this.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Gone South by Meg Moseley


Tish McComb never planned to move from Michigan to Alabama, but somehow life just worked out that way. Her dad’s great-great-grandmother’s Civil War era home was there, it was for sale, she made an offer, and suddenly she was a misplaced Yankee living in Noble, Alabama. Bringing her antique photo of her namesake, she moved in with all her earthly goods. Hence the name of the book--Gone South--Tish has gone south for the duration. No matter what may come, this is her new home.

But when she set out to find a job, open a bank account, and turn herself into a Southerner, she found she had cut off more than she could chew. In the little town of Noble, people remembered the first McCombs. They called them carpetbaggers and cheaters, and generations later, they still resented the long dead people. The bank manager, the people at the garden club, even the managers of the local bar-be-cue restaurant, snubbed her. Everywhere she went, she met people who turned away when they heard her name, which was the same as her great-great-grandmother’s—Letitia McComb.

Another black mark against her, in the town’s estimation, was that she befriended Melanie, a 20-year-old whose family had turned her out of their home. So these two outcasts set out to make their way in the town, one that does not want to show mercy, love, and forgiveness to a new resident, Tish, or to one that just wants to come home, Mel.

 Tish’s neighbor, George Zorbas, and his uncle, Cal, ran an antique shop near Tish’s new home. It's fun getting to know these characters, as they are two of the few who will interact with Tish and Mel.

Tish is willing to give Mel a home and help her overcome the problems that caused her to leave home in the first place, while she keeps on trying to become acquainted with her new neighbors. There is a lot of humor in this book, amid the problems that Tish and Mel try to overcome. Author Moseley spends a lot of time developing these characters in their new setting, and she does a good job of making them people the reader wants to know.

I hope you will read Gone South and enjoy the development of the characters as much as I did. Ms. Moseley’s first book, When Sparrows Fall, was just as delightful, but with a totally different premise. This is Meg Moseley’s second novel.

 

Monday, September 16, 2013

Hello to Meg Moseley!


 Juanita:  Good morning, Meg. It’s so nice to welcome you to my blog. I’m excited that we get to talk with you today and find out a little more about one of my favorite authors. I noticed from reading about you that you grew up in the Lutheran church. Tell us a little about your faith, and why you chose to write Christian books.

Meg: Thanks for hosting me, Juanita! Yes, I grew up in a Lutheran church. I remember learning about God’s love from kind teachers in Sunday school and VBS. Then, when I was a thirteen-year-old in confirmation class, the pastor assigned large chunks of Scripture to memorize. I believe that getting God’s word into my heart at a young age was instrumental in helping my faith grow. Since then, I’ve been in several other denominations.

I’ve always had a hard time with the label of “Christian books,” because as far as I know, books can’t become believers and go to heaven. J Seriously, though, because I’m a Christian who happens to write, my books will come from a Christian perspective. 

Juanita: After growing up in California, how hard was it to live in the cold state of Michigan for many years? How did you keep yourself busy? Did you write then, or were you too busy raising your children?

Meg: The climate was quite a shock. My first winter in Michigan, I was sorely disappointed when spring didn’t arrive in January like it always did in California. But I have lots of great memories of cross-country skiing, the kids’ snow forts in the yard, and the wonderful, laid-back people up there. But boy, did I stay busy. We homeschooled, and we also ferried the kids around to a lot of extra-curricular activities like 4-H, sports, and church events. Plus we had a huge garden and animals. I started playing with ideas for novels long before I actually had time to sit down and write them.

Juanita: Sounds like you adapted well and kept busy! What part did books play in your life while you were growing up, and when did you first realize that writing was your calling?

Meg: I grew up in a family of booklovers, within walking distance of the library and surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of books that my father inherited from his parents. His mother had helped support her family through the Great Depression by selling her children’s stories, magazine articles, and poetry, and my parents always held her up as an example of someone who’d studied the craft of writing and put her talents to good use. From early childhood, I firmly believed I was already a writer, both because of my parents’ encouragement and because I truly loved to write.  

Juanita: What is your most difficult obstacle, and how did you overcome it to become a published author?

Meg: Probably my biggest obstacle has been my introverted personality. I was a shy kid, and as a teenager I had a terrible stutter that often kept me from participating in class or even from telling the cafeteria ladies my choices for lunch. I got over the stutter, for the most part, but I still stutter when I’m nervous. Fortunately, I love my readers, and when I get a chance to meet with a book group, I see them as friends and I’m able to enjoy visiting with them.

Juanita: When I learned about your debut novel, When Sparrows Fall, I couldn’t wait to read it, and I was certainly not disappointed. Tell us a little about how you got your idea for this book, how you chose your setting, and what you hope readers will take away from it.  Did you know a person in this situation, or was it something from the news headlines that drew your interest, or was it just an original thought with you?

Meg: I’m so glad you enjoyed it. The idea for When Sparrows Fall came from my years as a homeschooling mom. I think the idea of homeschooling started out as a wholesome and sensible alternative to traditional schools, but some strange beliefs crept into the fringes of the movement. When those beliefs began to tear apart some families I loved, I decided to write the novel as a way to point out the absurdity of the extremists’ beliefs and to encourage people trapped in legalism that they don’t have to stay there. Galatians 5:1 is the linchpin of the story: “For freedom Christ has set us free.”

We had moved to Georgia by then, and I set the story in the North Georgia mountains, partly because they’re so beautiful and partly because a lonely mountain town was the perfect setting for a story about people who live almost as if they’ve gone back in time to a “safer” way of life. Or at least they think it’s safer, but it’s not.

Juanita: I loved that setting. It was perfect for your story. Please tell us something about yourself that readers would be surprised to learn.

Meg:  You might think that as an author, I would own some kind of e-reader. Nope. I love having real books on real bookshelves. My favorite books are like old friends, and they’re shelved where I see them every time I walk into my office.

Juanita: What are your hobbies, besides reading and writing? Who is your favorite author?

Meg: I enjoy gardening, birdwatching, and my very amateurish photography. I also love to go on motorcycle rides with my husband. (On his bike. I don’t care to be anything but the passenger.)

I don’t know if I can choose just one favorite author, but Frederick Buechner is very high on my list. He has written some fantastic novels as well as devotional books and memoirs.

Juanita: Your recent novel, Gone South, has some quirky characters in it. How do you determine who your characters will be and what is the progression as you write?

Meg: I usually start with a mixture of a premise, a setting, and a couple of characters, but those elements change as I play with the basic ideas. Although I always try to come up with a solid plot before I start writing, my brain doesn’t seem to work that way. As the characters come to life, the plot starts to form around them. It’s always a messy process.

Juanita: If you could give some advice to a beginning writer, what would it be?

Meg: Writers’ groups can be a wonderful way to learn from each other and encourage each other. Writing conferences are great too. They’re expensive, but they provide opportunities to meet editors and agents, and to learn what they’re looking for. There are many resources online and at bookstores, too. Most of all, I think that to be good writers, we need to read good books, to absorb the craft by osmosis, and we need to write and rewrite on a regular basis.

Juanita: What is next for you? Have you started a new novel or do have a new idea for one?

Meg: My next novel, A Stillness of Chimes, will come out from Multnomah in February 2014. Here’s a brief summary of the story:

When teacher Laura Gantt comes home to Prospect, Georgia to settle her recently deceased mother’s household, the last thing she expects to encounter is a swirl of rumors about the father she lost to the lake twelve years ago—that he has reportedly been seen around town. Elliott Gantt’s body was never found and he was presumed dead.

Reeling from the sharp loss of her mother, Laura must now grapple with painful memories surrounding her father’s disappearance and the sense of abandonment she experienced after his death. Life-long friend and former beau Sean Halloran wants nothing more than to protect Laura from the far-fetched stories of Elliott’s resurrection and to care for her, but he has his own reasons, troubling echoes from his childhood, to put Elliott’s disappearance to rest. Working together, Laura and Sean begin to uncover the truth, one mired in the wooded peaks and deep waters of the Blue Ridge Mountains surrounding Prospect. 
 
 
Juanita: That one sounds as good as your first two, and I can't wait to read it. Thank you, Meg, for taking the time to answer these questions for our readers. I wish you well in your next endeavor and I hope I get to be one of the first readers for your new book. 
 
Meg: Thank you, Juanita. I've enjoyed getting to know you through our respective blogging efforts. The wonderful guest post you wrote for my blog made me want to dig into some of the hobbies I've been neglecting!
 
 
OK, bloggers, now it's your turn. You can win a copy of Gone South! Comment here, on Facebook, or send me an email (mjnobles{at}charter{dot}net) to get your name in the drawing! Winner will be chosen on September 21 and announced on my blog on Monday, September 23. I'll notify the winner by email, same as always. Some of those who commented on previous interviews did not get their name in the drawing because they forgot to leave an email address. Please don't forget.

And thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Hello to Meg Moseley!


Juanita:  Good morning, Meg. It’s so nice to welcome you to my blog. I’m excited that we get to talk with you today and find out a little more about one of my favorite authors. I noticed from reading about you that you grew up in the Lutheran church. Tell us a little about your faith, and why you chose to write Christian books.

Meg: Thanks for hosting me, Juanita! Yes, I grew up in a Lutheran church. I remember learning about God’s love from kind teachers in Sunday school and VBS. Then, when I was a thirteen-year-old in confirmation class, the pastor assigned large chunks of Scripture to memorize. I believe that getting God’s word into my heart at a young age was instrumental in helping my faith grow. Since then, I’ve been in several other denominations.

 

I’ve always had a hard time with the label of “Christian books,” because as far as I know, books can’t become believers and go to heaven. J Seriously, though, because I’m a Christian who happens to write, my books will come from a Christian perspective. 

Juanita: After growing up in California, how hard was it to live in the cold state of Michigan for many years? How did you keep yourself busy? Did you write then, or were you too busy raising your children?

Meg: The climate was quite a shock. My first winter in Michigan, I was sorely disappointed when spring didn’t arrive in January like it always did in California. But I have lots of great memories of cross-country skiing, the kids’ snow forts in the yard, and the wonderful, laid-back people up there. But boy, did I stay busy. We homeschooled, and we also ferried the kids around to a lot of extra-curricular activities like 4-H, sports, and church events. Plus we had a huge garden and animals. I started playing with ideas for novels long before I actually had time to sit down and write them.

Juanita: What part did books play in your life while you were growing up, and when did you first realize that writing was your calling?

Meg: I grew up in a family of booklovers, within walking distance of the library and surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of books that my father inherited from his parents. His mother had helped support her family through the Great Depression by selling her children’s stories, magazine articles, and poetry, and my parents always held her up as an example of someone who’d studied the craft of writing and put her talents to good use. From early childhood, I firmly believed I was already a writer, both because of my parents’ encouragement and because I truly loved to write.  

Juanita: What is your most difficult obstacle, and how did you overcome it to become a published author?

Meg: Probably my biggest obstacle has been my introverted personality. I was a shy kid, and as a teenager I had a terrible stutter that often kept me from participating in class or even from telling the cafeteria ladies my choices for lunch. I got over the stutter, for the most part, but I still stutter when I’m nervous. Fortunately, I love my readers, and when I get a chance to meet with a book group, I see them as friends and I’m able to enjoy visiting with them.

Juanita: When I learned about your debut novel, When Sparrows Fall, I couldn’t wait to read it, and I was certainly not disappointed. Tell us a little about how you got your idea for this book, how you chose your setting, and what you hope readers will take away from it.  Did you know a person in this situation, or was it something from the news headlines that drew your interest, or was it just an original thought with you?

Meg: I’m so glad you enjoyed it. The idea for When Sparrows Fall came from my years as a homeschooling mom. I think the idea of homeschooling started out as a wholesome and sensible alternative to traditional schools, but some strange beliefs crept into the fringes of the movement. When those beliefs began to tear apart some families I loved, I decided to write the novel as a way to point out the absurdity of the extremists’ beliefs and to encourage people trapped in legalism that they don’t have to stay there. Galatians 5:1 is the linchpin of the story: “For freedom Christ has set us free.”

We had moved to Georgia by then, and I set the story in the North Georgia mountains, partly because they’re so beautiful and partly because a lonely mountain town was the perfect setting for a story about people who live almost as if they’ve gone back in time to a “safer” way of life. Or at least they think it’s safer, but it’s not.

Juanita: Please tell us something about yourself that readers would be surprised to learn.

Meg:  You might think that as an author, I would own some kind of e-reader. Nope. I love having real books on real bookshelves. My favorite books are like old friends, and they’re shelved where I see them every time I walk into my office.

Juanita: What are your hobbies, besides reading and writing? Who is your favorite author?

Meg: I enjoy gardening, birdwatching, and my very amateurish photography. I also love to go on motorcycle rides with my husband. (On his bike. I don’t care to be anything but the passenger.)
I don’t know if I can choose just one favorite author, but Frederick Buechner is very high on my list. He has written some fantastic novels as well as devotional books and memoirs.

Juanita: Your most recent novel, Gone South, has some quirky characters in it. How do you determine who your characters will be and what is the progression as you write?

Meg: I usually start with a mixture of a premise, a setting, and a couple of characters, but those elements change as I play with the basic ideas. Although I always try to come up with a solid plot before I start writing, my brain doesn’t seem to work that way. As the characters come to life, the plot starts to form around them. It’s always a messy process.

Juanita: If you could give some advice to a beginning writer, what would it be?
 
Meg: Writers’ groups can be a wonderful way to learn from each other and encourage each other. Writing conferences are great too. They’re expensive, but they provide opportunities to meet editors and agents, and to learn what they’re looking for. There are many resources online and at bookstores, too. Most of all, I think that to be good writers, we need to read good books, to absorb the craft by osmosis, and we need to write and rewrite on a regular basis.

Juanita: What is next for you? Have you started a new novel or do have a new idea for one?

Meg: My next novel, A Stillness of Chimes, will come out from Multnomah in February 2014. Here’s a brief summary of the story:

When teacher Laura Gantt comes home to Prospect, Georgia to settle her recently deceased mother’s household, the last thing she expects to encounter is a swirl of rumors about the father she lost to the lake twelve years ago—that he has reportedly been seen around town. Elliott Gantt’s body was never found and he was presumed dead.

Reeling from the sharp loss of her mother, Laura must now grapple with painful memories surrounding her father’s disappearance and the sense of abandonment she experienced after his death. Life-long friend and former beau Sean Halloran wants nothing more than to protect Laura from the far-fetched stories of Elliott’s resurrection and to care for her, but he has his own reasons, troubling echoes from his childhood, to put Elliott’s disappearance to rest. Working together, Laura and Sean begin to uncover the truth, one mired in the wooded peaks and deep waters of the Blue Ridge Mountains surrounding Prospect.

 
Juanita:  Thank you, Meg, for taking the time to answer these questions for our readers. I wish you well in your next endeavor and I hope I get to be one of the first readers for your new book.

Meg: Thank you, Juanita. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you through our respective blogging efforts. The wonderful guest post you wrote for my blog made me want to dig into some of the hobbies I’ve been neglecting!

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OK, readers, it's your turn. Leave a comment and your email address and you will be entered in a contest to win a cop of Meg's newest book. Please tell me which state you live in when you comment. You can also send me an email at mjnobles{at} charter{dot}net, if you have trouble getting your comment on here.


 

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Historical Fiction Series about the Railroad


Historical fiction series: Ribbons of Steel by Judith Pella and Tracie Peterson



Distant Dreams – 1997 Bethany House

A Hope Beyond—1997 Bethany House

A Promise for Tomorrow – 1998 Bethany House

This 3-book series about the beginnings of the railroad in America is also a story about a family. The story begins in 1835 with the first trip for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, a small railroad company owned by the Adams family which only ran between those two towns. As the book progresses, I learned that many small railroads began in that way, all individually owned and operated by a group of independently wealthy men.

The family of Margaret and Joseph Adams with their children named for the states: Virginia, Carolina, Pennsylvania (Penny), Georgia, Maryland, Maine and York, watched the enormous machine as it chugged toward its maiden voyage. Fifteen-year-old Carolina was overcome with curiosity about the railroad and wanted to know all about it, even though at that time in history, women were thought to be too “delicate” to understand such things. The basis of the book is how Joseph Adams helps his daughter, Carolina, learn about the railroad and even be involved in its evolution through the years. Of course, his special attention to one daughter causes friction with one of the others, Virginia, and this family rift carries on throughout the three-book series over a number of years. Virginia tries to squelch Carolina at every turn, no matter what the occasion.

The Adams family ran a plantation with slaves, and slavery was a major issue throughout the three books. The reader is introduced to the slaves and they are treated as part of the family, until the third book, when a son-in-law starts treating them cruelly.

Sickness and death and the primitive treatment by doctors is another theme. The reader learns that Margaret gave birth to two children, Hampshire and Tennessee, who died very young with a fever. This causes Margaret to have a deep depression which turns up occasionally to hinder her raising of the other children.

The main conflict throughout all three books is between Carolina and Virginia, and Carolina’s dreams to be a part of the railroad, even though she is a female. All in all, the books progress from 1835 to 1853 and many social issues of those years are depicted. I read the first book as a free download on my Kindle, then found the other two in our local library. The railroad grows from a small operation with a single owner to the beginnings of the transcontinental railroad. I found these books to be interesting, and compelling and I read all three of them in a period of about a week. Judith Pella and Tracie Peterson’s combined efforts brought this historical to life with a great storyline.

A sweet and consuming love story also dominates the three-book series. Though Carolina finds her love early, time and events prevent her from realizing her dream, but eventually she finds true love.
These books held my interest throughout, and I could not wait to go from one to the other. Of course, when they were over, I wondered what happened next in this family saga.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Memories of Days Long Ago

Thanks to all of you who visited my blog last week when Ann Gabhart so graciously visited with us about our love of books. The winner of Ann's book Small Town Girl is Jenny from New York. Congratulations, Jenny!

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We are visiting this weekend in a church where my husband was pastor 50 years ago--Bogard, Missouri, near Kansas City where he was attending seminary. He was honored to be asked to bring the message at the church's 150th celebration of its beginning. So on Saturday we drove for five hours and Sunday we drove back home. That's no small task for people our age, but we are thankful for our health and ability to still travel (as long as it's daylight!)

This essay was written and posted on my blog in February, when our oldest son was here for a visit. I'm reposting it because it seems to fit today. We are back, remembering, and here are some of our memories.

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Our home was never in one place. We lived in twelve different places, serving Baptist churches in Texas, Missouri, and Florida during our almost fifty-year ministry. Our children do not have a "home" where they all grew up. Our homes were parsonages in many different towns where we served.

Our son, Steve, is here for a visit from his home in Cologne, Germany, and he wanted to go back to a couple of those places and see where he grew up. So Monday morning we left early for a road trip to visit two of those places, Sedalia, and Bogard, Missouri.

We stopped first in Sedalia at the New Hope Baptist church. A man stepping out of his car immediately noticed that we were not regular church members, so he welcomed us, asking if he could help us find anything. My husband put out his hand and said, "I'm Marvin Nobles", and the man clapped him on the shoulder and yelled, "Charlie and Juanita!" as he enveloped him in a bear hug.

We discovered out that this 60-year-old man had been a teen-ager in that church when my husband was pastor there. His mother baby-sat our children, and both of us remembered his father's sweet smile. We went inside, visited with him and the pastor and secretary for a while, and had a great time of fellowship. Even though the church was meeting in a new building since the time we were there, we felt the sweet spirit that remained.

We drove around in Sedalia, recognizing schools and other places we remembered during our stay there: the home of the lady who taught Steve to play the piano, the State Fair grounds where we went many times during the summers, the houses of friends of our children, the local library where Steve began his love of knowledge, businesses-- just remembering.

We drove on to Bogard. We had not called ahead to see if anybody was at the church; we did not even know who the current pastor was, and when we got there, nobody was available at the place where we had lived from 1960 to 1965. So we drove around the town awhile, finally ending up talking to the postmistress, the only person we could find in this small town.

None of the stores and businesses we remembered were there, only the shells of the old buildings on Main Street, where we used to shop for groceries or do business at the bank. Even the body shop that did a lot of business when one of our church members ran it was shut down. Sometimes we saw open doors, but the old buildings were filled with trash. Not a soul could be seen anywhere. Even the school across from the church had been torn down. All that remained was the old ball field, the fence still intact around an overgrown plot of ground.




We saw vacant lots where houses used to stand, houses in which friends and church members had lived. The streets that we remembered as black-topped or paved were now dirt roads. Even the farm land around the town had eroded. It looked like Bogard had been forgotten. A loaf of bread or a jug of milk could not be purchased there. The postmistress told us the only thing you could buy would be a can of soda at the only gas station left in town, and you would have to stand outside to buy it.
We did not get to go into the church, since nobody was around, but we hope some people remain to worship there. We noticed the outside of the building had been recently refurbished, though, and it looked like people still cared about it.

We sadly drove away. Seeing that place reminded us of  the results of time. The population of the town had decreased to only 164, according to the roadside sign. The people left to get better jobs and better opportunities, and those who remained were left with nothing. Any kids living there were bussed to school in Carrollton, the county seat town about ten or fifteen miles away because the school our kids attended has been torn down.

Bogard's opportunity seems to be gone. Where there was once a thriving community, now there is only desolation. A church that used to have 100 or more in attendance now seems to have a dwindling congregation. People who live there have to go somewhere else to earn a living or to get things they need.

We passed an old, long-forgotten place where I used to buy gasoline. The Phillips sign was still on the side of the building, but the door was locked. The broken window showed years of neglect. The gas pumps were long gone, and the driveway was broken up and filled in with grass. I remember that station because it was there, during our stay back in the 1960s, when I first recognized that age was creeping up on me, just as age has crept up on that little town through the years.

Site of the old service station at Bogard
People always called me "Miss" in my younger days, but that day, with four little ones in the car, as I drove in to get gasoline, the attendant said, "What can I do for you, Ma'am?" I remember the shock when I heard that word. Only older women were called "Ma'am." I used that term in respect when talking to older women. Now I was the older woman, even though at that time I was still in my 30's. I thought, "This is the end of my youth. I'm a matron now!"

It is sad and shocking to see what time and change bring to a town or a person. But that day has come for the little town of Bogard, Missouri. What a difference fifty years has made.



Our family when we served in Bogard. Two of these children are now grandparents, which makes us great-grands to two sweet babies!












Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Book Review--Small Town Girl


Hello, bloggers, here is the review for the book that is being offered as this week's free book. It is Ann Gabhart's newest novel. After you read it, please scroll down to the interview, read it and enter your comments for the drawing. The winner will be chosen on Saturday of this week and announced next Monday on this blog. Remember to leave your email address with your comments. If you win, you will receive an email from me on Sunday. Thanks to all those who have already entered the contest.



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Author Ann Gabhart revisits the small town of Rosey Corner and the Merritt sisters that we met in her offering Angel Sister several years ago. Little Leona Birdsong has become a ten-year-old and the Merritt sisters are all grown up too, and ready for their destinies. Many of the people we met in the previous book make appearances here, too. But if you didn’t read the first book, you will still enjoy this one. It can be a stand-alone story as well as a sequel.

Kate, the middle sister, is the main character.  We meet her while she gets ready to stand up with her sister Evie as she marries Mike, the preacher at the Rosey Corner Baptist Church. Kate has to swallow her hurt because she loved Mike, too, and wanted to marry him, but he has eyes only for Evie. Mike invited his friend Jay Tanner to come and be his best man, and as soon as Jay sets eyes on Kate, sparks begin to fly,

Kate is not interested in love and marriage, though, so she keeps Jay at arm’s length, even though Leona’s crush on Jay is evident. So Jay tries to get to Kate through Leona, whom he calls “Birdie.” He takes them on walks and to movies, the way couples courted in the 1930s.

The book is full of homespun wisdom, interesting dialogue, and sub-plots that crop up here and there. The time is the beginning of World War II when people listened to the radio and cranked their cars to get them to start. Kate works in her parents’ establishment, an old variety store which stocked most anything people would need and kept a tab for people who didn’t have money to spend every time they needed an item from the store. It is so reminiscent of the old days. Many people will not remember these days, but they will learn how people lived back them by reading about it.

When Pearl Harbor interfered with everybody’s life, big decisions had to be made. Kate had to decide whether she loved Jay. As the author describes life in the Army camps, we can see the hardships the men had to endure. Jay became a Paratrooper, jumping out of airplanes, while Mike was a Chaplain.

This book was so good, I didn’t want it to end. I hope you will get a copy and read it, too. Ms. Gabhart is an excellent author and a master at dialogue.

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Scroll down to interview and comments.........

Monday, September 2, 2013

Ann Gabhart is here for a visit


Q: Hello, Ann, I understand you are a country girl. Tell us about your animals, and why you love the country so much.

A: As Barbara Mandrell used to sing, I was country before country was cool. I like living in the country because I love nature. To me, the air just feels better out here in the sticks. I like being able to walk on the farm and see the flowers, trees, and birds along with the occasional skunk, raccoon or deer. I do try to keep my dog away from those skunks. My husband has beef cows, but that’s the only stock we have. I’m down to one dog of my own now. That’s Oscar, my lab mix. He’s a great dog and is always ready to go walking with me. He’s very photogenic and often makes appearances on my Facebook page. Everybody loves Oscar! Two Heinz 57 little neighbor dogs spend a lot of time on my deck. I think they’ve forgotten where their home is except they must go home to eat because they don’t look hungry. Then another neighbor dog, Roxie, a big St. Bernard, goes for walks with Oscar and me if she sees us starting out down the road. She has also made a few appearances on my Facebook page from time to time.

Q: So you started writing when you were ten. What part did books play in your life as you were growing up? Did you always have characters and storylines going through your head?

 
A: I think I was around ten. I don’t remember for sure. I just know that as soon as I could write in cursive, I was writing stories in my notebooks. I’ve always loved books. I got to go to the library when we went to town, and I remember the feeling of being in a treasure room with all those books around me. I suppose my own stories and characters have always been in my head, but lots of other fictional characters created by various writers hang out there too. I love stories.

Q: How did you feel when you got your first paycheck for writing? What was the hardest part of getting people to recognize you as a writer?

A: I didn’t frame that first check for $44.00 I received way back in 1971 for a story published in a Sunday school leaflet for teens. We needed every dollar in those days, but it did feel good to actually be paid for something I wrote. It was almost a year before I got another check. That one was $3.00 for a little poem in Home Life magazine. My first novel was published in 1978 and even then I was hesitant to tell anybody I was a writer. So I don’t think the hardest part was getting others to recognize me as a writer, but the hardest thing was me claiming out loud that I was a writer. I guess I was afraid somebody would laugh at my high hopes. Or expose me as the imposter I felt as though I was sometimes when I thought about being a writer. 

  
 
Q: How did you get started writing your Shaker novels and how many of them have you written?

A: That’s a long story and in many ways an amazing one that proves everything in its own time. So settle back and remember, you asked. I wrote a book about the Shakers that I titled The Gift of Knowing in 1980 after Warner Books published my first two historical romance books. Theypassed on my Shaker novel as not right for their needs. My agent at the time sent the book around to several publishers over the next couple of years. My most favorable rejection (if a rejection can be favorable) was from Harlequins who claimed to like the story but that it was too religious for their line. Eventually my agent gave up and stopped submitting the manuscript. I put the Shaker novel on a shelf in my closet and moved on to other stories and other hopes.

Fast forward about twenty-five years. After some ups and downs in my writing career, I finally wrote a book I loved, Scent of Lilacs, about a preacher and his family in a small town during the 1960’s. Even better, an editor at Revell Books also loved the story, and I was on the way to being published again after a long dry spell. That editor, Lonnie Hull DuPont, decided to pay me a visit way out here on the farm. I had never attended any type of writers’ conference so she decided if she was going to meet me face to face, she’d have to come to Kentucky. We had a nice chatty visit about books and whatever, and then as she was getting ready to go out the door and head on to some sort of meeting in Tennessee, she asked if there wasn’t a restored Shaker village near where I live. When I said there was, she said she wished she had time to visit the village because she’d always been fascinated by the Shakers. In an offhand way, I sort of threw out the fact that I’d written a story about the Shakers once. I was surprised when she said she would like to read that story.

So after she left, I dug around on my closet shelf and pulled out the manuscript. I had written it prior to having a computer so I had to type it into my computer. That gave me plenty of opportunity to do some rewriting. I added a few faith journey threads for the main characters and polished my words as best I could before sending it off to Lonnie. Months passed while she tried to decide if the story was one her company could use, but finally they made an offer on it. After all those years, The Gift of Knowing became The Outsider and found readers. In fact the early sales were so good for the story that Lonnie called and asked if I would write more stories about the Shakers. That wasn’t something I had given any thought to doing. I didn’t want to be a “Shaker writer,” and not be free to write other stories set in different places. But she dangled the carrot of perhaps gaining more readers, not just for the Shaker books but for any other books I might publish in the future. That convinced me to revisit my fictional Harmony Hill Shaker village and write The Believer and The Seeker. Then I had this character, Lacey, who kept whispering in my creative ear that she had a Shaker story to tell. So I wrote her story, The Blessed. That was followed by another character I enjoyed, Jessamine, in The Gifted. Now, coming in September, Christmas at Harmony Hill will be my first ever Christmas novella. So now you know the whole story and maybe much, much more than you wanted to know. LOL.

The Shaker books are all stand-alone stories that can be read in any order. They are set in the same Shaker village, but with new characters each story and in different time periods. But if you want to read them in the order I wrote them, here’s the list:  The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker, The Blessed, and The Gifted with Christmas at Harmony Hill coming in September 2013. I am beginning work on a new Shaker novel tentatively titled The Innocent.

Q: Angel Sister was a great book. I love Depression-era stories and thought you did a wonderful job with this one. You will have a new book published this summer that will continue with these characters five years later. Tell us a little about Small Town Girl and what readers will take away from this book.

A: I’m so glad you enjoyed Angel Sister. That’s a book of my heart since the echo of my mother’s memories of growing up during the Depression are threaded throughout that story. I moved a bit away from my mother’s experiences when I wrote a follow-up story about the people in Rosey Corner. Small Town Girl came out in July. As you say, the story picks up the Angel Sister characters’ lives five years later as World War II is raging in Europe and ominous war clouds are darkening America’s horizon. Yet life is going on in Rosey Corner as the Merritt sisters are heading down some romantic pathways. Kate is ready for love, but she’s not sure she can trust her feelings. I really enjoyed writing about Jay Tanner and about Kate too as an adult searching for what next with her life.

I would hope that those who read Small Town Girl will first and foremost enjoy the story and live it with the characters. Many of my stories have an underlying theme of forgiveness and that’s true with this story too along with the need to give people a second chance. I would hope readers would be encouraged in their own faith journeys as they read about Jay’s and Kate’s. Then it would be nice if the reader is swept away by the romance too, of courses.



Q: I thought Words Spoken True was an excellent piece of historical fiction, taking place in Louisville in the 1850’s. Some exciting things happened in this book, and the competition between the two newspapers was similar to the competition we see today. Tell us how you make historical fiction so believable and exciting.

A:  I did a lot of rewrites on that story before it found a publishing home with Revell Books. It was another story that spent some time on my reject shelf. So I got to know the characters really well. Blake was a great hero and Adriane was a spunky heroine. I do quite a bit of research for my novels. In this one, I was so amazed when I read Louisville’s history for that volatile summer of 1855 that I couldn’t wait to drop my characters down into the history of the day to tell the story. I also loved learning about the newspaper business. Newspapers were how people got the news in that era prior to radios. Editors used their ink to advance their personal ideologies and fire up their readers.

I enjoy delving into history and finding places and events where I can see my characters living out their stories.  

Q: And I'm sure that quality is what makes your stories so read. Tell us about Christmas at Harmony Hill that debuted in October, just in time to be purchased as Christmas presents.
 
A: I love giving books as Christmas presents. It’s a tradition in my family that all my kids, kid-in-laws, and grandkids get a book from me for Christmas–whether they want one or not. LOL. That’s a double bonus for me because I get to shop for the books. Love bookstores. But back to the question now that I’ve inserted this little ad for buying books as gifts.

When my agent and my editor suggested I write a Shaker Christmas book, I had no idea whether I’d be able to do that or not. In my Shaker research, I’d found very few mentions of Christmas, but I like challenges in writing. So I agreed to give it a try. Once I had my characters and my historical period in mind, I was on my way.

Here’s the back cover copy. “It is 1864 and the nation is still torn apart by civil war when Heather Worth discovers she is with child. She has been working as a laundress with her husband’s army unit, but when the army gets orders to march south to Tennessee, Gideon insists Heather go home to have their child under safer conditions. Heather agrees, but returns home to another kind of devastation–deaths in the family and a father who refuses to forgive her for marrying a Yankee. With nowhere else to turn, Heather seeks refuge at the Shaker village of Harmony Hill, where her great aunt Sophrena lives. There, after many peaceful years as a Shaker sister, Sophrena is having doubts about her Shaker path. Both women are in need of love and forgiveness–whether given or received. With Christmas coming, can the miracle of new life fill their hearts with unexpected joy?

Q: Please tell us something about yourself that readers would be surprised if they knew.

A: Surprising, hmm? Not sure how surprising this might be, but I did marry very young. By the time I was nineteen, I had two children. My husband and I often struggled to make ends meet, but when a financial crisis came up, somehow the Lord always showed us a way to get through it. Nothing surprising about that. But some people are a little surprised to find out I never attended college. That is, unless you count the College of Experience. That’s an educational opportunity open to all and one that’s been very useful in my writing. My first book was published thirty-five years ago. A lot of words under the bridge since then.

Q: Do you have any advice for a new writer to help them in his or her quest to be known and published?

A: Perseverance. That’s a good word to hang onto while you’re working toward being published. Believe in your stories, but be willing to work to improve your writing skills. Don’t fasten all your hopes and dreams to one story. Write the story on your heart. Then turn it loose and write another.

Probably the best advice I ever read was from Dorothy Unthank, a mystery writer. She said she wrote her first novel and started sending it out. In those days you packed up your manuscript in boxes and mailed it to the publishing companies, one at a time. Then you waited for some kind of response. If the response was no, you mailed it to the next possible publisher on your list. Unthank said that by the time her first manuscript landed back on her doorstep after being submitted and rejected a dozen or more times, she had the second story ready to begin making its rounds to the publishing houses. Persistence pays off if you’re working to improve as well.  So the best advice is simply to write and then write some more. And don’t forget to read. That somehow helps the words accumulate and stand at ready for your own stories.  

Q: Thank you, Ann, for taking the time to answer questions for readers of my blog. I look forward to reading many more of your books in the future. And now, readers, it's your turn. Post your comment on here, on facebook, or send me an email, and I'll enter your name to win a copy of Small Town Girl, signed by Ann. I will review this book on Wednesday of this week on my blog. It is a great read.
 
A: Thank you, Juanita, for inviting me over. I’ve enjoyed my visit. I do appreciate you taking the time to read some of my stories and I hope your readers here will give one of my books a try. I enjoy meeting new reading friends.

One of the questions I answered was what part did books play in my life as I was growing up? So I’m turning that question back to you readers. What part did books play in your life as you were growing up? Have you always loved books and stories? You’ve read my answers. Now, I’d love to hear yours.
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OK, readers, it's your turn now. Comment here, on facebook, or send me an email (mjnobles{at}charter {dot}net) and I'll enter your name to win a copy of Ann's new book Small Town Girl. I've read several of her books and you're going to love them. And I hope you'll answer Ann's question about books. She'll be checking to see what you said!

Oops! Ann's download of The Blessed for $2.99 was on until yesterday!  Today it's back to it's normal price. Sorry-- I didn't realize that special price was not still good. :(