What's New in the Writer's Thesaurus?

In my last post, I mentioned The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. This little book proved so useful, I decided to Google the authors and find out more about them. Am I ever glad I did!

Ackerman and Puglisi host a blog called the Bookshelf Muse at http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/ . On this amazing blog, the authors post all kinds of writing helps, including a number of "Thesaurus" links. If you're not acquainted with The Emotion Thesaurus, you've got to visit the Bookshelf Muse! You'll come away with a totally different view of the term "thesaurus."

Listed in the right column are links to numerous Thesauruses on subjects like symbolism, character traits, weather and earthly phenomena, color, textures, shapes, and settings. Click on these links and step out of the "thesaurus box."

I did. And picked up a marvelous tool to assist in my quest to deepen POV.

 What helps have you discovered recently? I'd love to hear from you.

A Couple of Great Resources for Fiction Writers

The past couple of months, I've enjoyed critiquing and sharing with several author friends. The Farmington Cafewriters meet once a month and share weekly offerings for online critiquing. It's been a wonderful experience, and we've all learned bunches.

One of the highlights for me has been the opportunity to share new ideas. We're currently reading and sharing any and all information we find on Point of View and Deep POV. Two books I recently purchased are Jill Elizabeth Nelson's Rivet Your Reader with Deep Point of View and The Emotional Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. I recommend both books for any serious writer, especially if you write fiction.



Nelson's book challenges writers to add depth and life to their characters, while The Emotion Thesaurus describes body language, actions, internal sensations and mental responses of 75 emotions. Both books have become an integral part of my writer's library.

What books have you added to your library recently?

The Giving Basket

 

 

I recently entered a drawing on author Connie Stevens’ blog and won! When I received a beautiful gift basket – compliments of Connie – last week in the mail, it was a bit like Christmas as I unpacked the box in my little country kitchen. 

The basket was stuffed with wonderful goodies, including five of Connie’s books! Unfortunately, I barely had time to unpack it before packing my bags for the annual Write for His Glory conference in Hesperus, CO. With regret, I set the books and other lovely items aside for a few days. 

Now, in the afterglow of a wonderful conference, I’ll enjoy some of Connie’s thoughtful gifts. Perhaps a cup of Vanilla Chai as I review conference handouts and my new writing goals. Or a bit of chocolate along with a mug of International Café’s coffee while I enter my prayer list in the neat journal she sent. This evening, I just might settle with a cup of hot chocolate – she also included packs of Ghirardelli’s hot cocoa mix – and read Connie’s Revealing Fire, a finalist for ACFW’s Carol award.

Whatever the activity, you can be sure Connie Stevens won’t be far from my thoughts, as the gifts she sent will enrich many an evening evening during the upcoming winter months. I truly appreciate the beautiful gift and hope to meet her some day! If you’d like to know more about this great author, you can visit her website at:   conniestevenswrites.com

 

August TBR List

August has been a busy month so far...farmwork, yardwork, housework and a bit of gardening, although I didn't raise much besides flowers and a "cuke" or two this year. In between it all, I've been doing some Bible Study and tackling my to-be-read stack. Since I can't seem to stick with just one book at a time, I'm presently immersed in three books: Dale Cramer's Paradise Valley; Dan Walsh's The Deepest Waters, and Kathleen Morgan's A Heart Divided.

Cramer's book, Book One in The Daughters of Caleb Bender series, is a fictional story based on true events that involved several Amish families in Ohio  accused of violating the Bing Act of 1920 - a law that required all children to attend public schools. After spending several nights in jail and having his children removed from the family home, Caleb Bender, Amish husband and father in Cramer's story, decides to move his family to Paradise Valley, Mexico to protect them and their Amish way of life from outside influences. Can't wait to see how a family used to living without most "modern" conveniences (in the 1920's) learns to live with even less. God often uses adversity to bring us closer to Him, and I'm sure Cramer will deliver that message beautifully.

The heroine of Morgan's book truly deals with a heart divided when she falls in love with -according to her father and brothers - the enemy! A decades-long feud between the Caldwell and Wainwright families is making Sarah Caldwell miserable, yet she can't help the fact that she loves all the men involved. Hmmmm. How will this one end?

Tragedy strikes in the first chapter of Walsh's book when the steamship carrying John and Laura Foster sinks in the Deepest Waters of the Atlantic. Laura survives, but where is John? Once again, the story is based on true events, with much added to make the story. I perused the author's notes at the end of the book before reading the first chapter. Spoiler alert! Don't do it. :) I peeked because of my interest in stories based on true events, but there's a reason those notes are at the end!

Must add: Since I so enjoyed Nicole Seitz's book last month, I also read her The Inheritance of Beauty. Wonderful story. I'll be reading more of her books, I think.

Others in my tbr stack:

Spirit of the Red Candle Journal of Mary Magdalene  by Betty Slade
The Heart's Frontier  by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith
A Great Catch  by Lorna Seilstad
The Captive Heart by Dale Cramer (book 2 in The Daughters of Caleb Bender series)
Come Home by Lisa Scottoline



What have you read this month? I'd love to hear recommendations from your just-read stack!

Recent Favorites

I've enjoyed the past several weeks of travel and relaxation. Classroom planning and activities gobble up so much of a teacher's time...no time to read, unless it's a professional book! Sooo... I made time to read in July. Here's a list of my favorites!

A Wedding Transpires   by Cara Putman
Song of My Heart           by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Beyond Molasses Creek by Nicole Seitz
The Accidental Bride     by Denise Hunter
Blue Moon Bay              by Lisa Wingate
Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings
Wonderland Creek         by Lynn Austin

I absolutely loved Lynn Austin's book! Wonderfully penned story with the perfect mix of mystery and romance. I so admire authors who can successfully write in first person.

I always enjoy Kim Sawyer's books. Perhaps it's because she thinks like I do...well, she WAS a teacher in her former life :).

Putman and Wingate's books are among the few contemporary stories I've enjoyed. I slave at writing contemporaries. Like 'em, but I truly enjoy historicals.

What are your recent favorites?

AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH ANNALISA DAUGHETY

Please welcome Annalisa Daughety, my guest author for the month of August. I'm so excited that she agreed to interview here on the blog, and that she wants to give away a free copy of one of her books to a lucky reader. Don't forget to leave a comment on the interview to get your name in the hat!

 I met Annalisa at the ACFW Conference last year. We sat at the same table over dinner one evening, and I was struck by her grace and humility. She visited with several at the table, asking each about their writing experiences, but said little about herself. After the meal, however, we learned a bit more about this talented young woman when Barbour Publishing presented Annalisa with the first copy of Love is a Battlefield, Book One in her Walk in the Park Series.


An Arkansas native, Annalisa won first place in the Contemporary Romance category at the 2008 ACFW Genesis Awards. After graduating from Freed-Hardeman University, she worked as a park ranger for the National Park Service. This experience inspired her to write the Walk in the Park series. Each book in the series is set in a different national park. Annalisa currently lives in Memphis with two spoiled dogs, Arnie and Buster.

Let’s begin the interview with a couple of questions about you, Annalisa. Could you share a few  interesting facts about yourself that might interest your readers?

Okay, here goes:

I’m named after a character in a book. My mom read Airs Above the Ground by Mary Stewart while she was pregnant with me, and there was a character named “Annalisa.”

Last summer, I was in a Domino’s Pizza commercial for Memphis Barbecue Pizza. I played the role of a pizza delivery girl.

I collect aprons, especially vintage aprons—but I haven’t figured out a good way to display them yet.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. When I was in elementary school, I would write and illustrate stories and fold them up like books. I kept journals throughout high school and college where I documented every small detail of my life and my analysis of it. Reading and writing have always been a huge part of my life.

How many of your titles are published?

I have 3 books currently published and another releasing later this year. Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio, which is an Amish story, released last September. Love is a Battlefield, the first book in the Walk in the Park series, came out last October. It is set at Shiloh National Military Park—a Civil War battlefield. Love is Monumental, which takes place at the Washington Monument and along the National Mall, is my latest release. Love is Grand, set at the Grand Canyon, will release in October.

Wow! Sounds like you've been busy writing! What would you hope readers will take away from your books?

I want to write stories that people connect with. I hope readers will identify with the characters and the themes. My characters aren’t perfect and they always have a lesson to learn. I also want to entertain and offer a bit of an escape—especially with the Walk in the Park series, I hope each book feels like a mini-vacation to a national park.

What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Don’t give up! And read—I think it is so important for writers to be readers. But probably the best thing I did was joining ACFW--the Genesis contest and the annual conference taught me so much.


Where do you get ideas for your characters?

Everywhere! Friends, family, people on TV…the possibilities are endless. When I create a character, I try and come up with quirks and personality traits that will make for an interesting character—and lots of times I have a particular person in mind. And I always joke that since I’ve been dating for more than half my life, I’ve gone on lots of bad dates--so I have an array of characters that will somehow find their way into books. Names changed, of course!

Please tell us about your latest release.

Love is Monumental is the second book in the Walk in the Park series. Here’s the blurb from the back cover:

Park ranger Vickie Harris loves living in the nation's capitol. She loves working at the Washington Monument. But she's never been in love. In fact, her personal life is non-existent. On her thirtieth birthday, shy Vickie impulsively promises her friends that she’ll ask out the next eligible man she meets. Professor Thatcher Torrey has had enough heartache to last forever. Through with love, he’s spent years building his life around work. So when his longtime rival sets out to make a historic find, Thatcher is hot on his heels. But he can’t do the research alone. Intellectual Vickie is the perfect research partner and he'll stop at nothing to convince her to help him with his quest. Just as these polar opposites form a bond, a secret from Thatcher’s past pulls them apart. Will they go their separate ways? Or will they come to realize that when it’s with the right person, Love is Monumental?

I really enjoyed Love is a Battlefield and look forward to reading Love is Monumental, Annalisa. Thanks so much for being my guest, and I wish you the very best in your writing career.


Thanks for having me, Barbara! If any of your readers want more information about me and my books, they can visit my website at www.annalisadaughety.com. I also have an author page on Facebook and am on Twitter—and I love to connect with readers in those places!

And don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of one of Annalisa's books!

WINNER OF LAST MONTH'S DRAWING

The winner of the free copy of Susan Page Davis's Crimson Cipher is Kirsten Denetclaw. Kirsten, if you would please email or message me with your address, I'll see that you get your book!