Writer Wednesday with Amanda Cabot

Today I bring to you the wonderful, multi-published author Amanda Cabot.

From the age of seven, Amanda Cabot dreamed of becoming a published author, but it was only when she set herself the goal of selling a book by her thirtieth birthday that the dream came true.  A former director of Information Technology, Amanda has written everything from technical books and articles for IT professionals to mysteries for teenagers and romances for all ages.  She’s delighted to now be a fulltime writer of Christian historical romances.  Her Texas Dreams trilogy received critical acclaim; Christmas Roses was a CBA bestseller; and a number of her books have been finalists for national awards, including ACFW’s Carol award.

Comfort in Unexpected Places

by Amanda Cabot

  

It was January of 2000, and the last thing I wanted to be doing was driving from New Jersey to Western New York.  Oh, it wasn’t the threat of bad weather that made me so reluctant to be on the road.  It was what waited at the end.  My mother had developed Alzheimer’s, and as the oldest child, I had the responsibility for some tough decisions.  The goal of this trip was to select an assisted living facility for her.  To say the least, I wasn’t looking forward to anything about the visit.

Halfway along the route was the Welcome to New York visitor’s center on Interstate 81 near Binghamton.  My husband and I had stopped there a number of times over the years, but since we were only passing through, we’d never gone into the small room filled with tourist information.  This time, though, as I was riding down the escalator, I noticed a carousel horse inside that room.  Intrigued, I went over to it, looked at it for a few seconds, then picked up a brochure.

That was the beginning of what became a full-fledged case of carousel fever.  As I read about the six carousels in the Binghamton area and how they had been commissioned by George F. Johnson, my mind began to whirl.  Although I’d heard of Endicott-Johnson shoes, I hadn’t known that George F., as he was referred to, had grown up poor.  When he made his fortune, he was determined to make life a little happier for other children, and so when he donated the carousels, it was with the stipulation that the towns could never charge for a ride.

That story both touched my heart and sparked my imagination.  I started thinking about a poor boy staring through the iron fence that separated him from a carousel, wishing he could ride it.  I began to imagine the men who carved those beautiful painted ponies and what their lives had been like before they started carving carousel animals.  My thoughts leapt forward to modern times, and I pictured the men and women who painstakingly restored the antique horses to their former glory.  And, all the time I was thinking about them, I wasn’t dwelling on the real reason for the trip.

I know it was no coincidence that although the carousel horse had been in that room for years, that was the first time I saw it.  We’ve heard so often that God’s timing is perfect, and it was.  He knew I needed comfort on that particular trip, and He gave it to me.  He also led me to a wonderful church-run assisted living facility that was able to give my mother the 24/7 care she needed. 

That chance encounter with a carousel horse is the reason the hero of “One Little Word,” my novella in the Sincerely Yours novella collection, is a carousel carver.     

Sincerely Yours

A Novella Collection

Jane Kirkpatrick, Amanda Cabot, Laurie Alice Eakes, and Ann Shorey

Four unexpected letters. Four intrepid women. Four lives changed forever.

Spanning a century and a continent, these romantic novellas will lead you on a journey through the landscape

of love. Four young women find their lives altered after each receives a letter that sets her on a new path. From a Hudson River steamboat to a lush drawing room, from a carousel carver’s workshop to a remote hospital, you’ll be swept into the lives of women who are making their way in the world and finding love where they least expect it.

Moonlight Promise by Laurie Alice Eakes

Camilla Renfrew is a highborn English lady fleeing false accusations when she runs smack into love on a steamboat bound for the new Erie Canal. But can this unexpected attraction survive the treacherous journey?

Lessons in Love by Ann Shorey

Marigold Montgomery Bentley writes marriage advice for Kipler’s Home Weekly even though she is single. Everyone assumes from the initials that “M. M.” is a man. When the editor asks to meet Mr. Bentley, can Merrie come up with a ruse to keep her writing job?

One Little Word by Amanda Cabot

Lorraine Caldwell will lose her family fortune to a reckless cousin if she doesn’t marry quickly. When she learns her long lost brother is alive, she hopes she’s found the answer to her problems. What she finds instead is a mysterious carousel carver who turns her life upside down.

A Saving Grace by Jane Kirkpatrick

Grace Hathaway must rescue a dear friend from a remote and notorious clinic that promises healing but delivers only heartache. In a place laced with deceit, where lives hang in the balance, whom can she trust to help her?

You can find out more about Amanda at the following sites:

www.amandacabot.com

http://amandajoycabot.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Amanda-Cabot/110238182354449?v=wall

My review of Sincerely Yours.

Sincerely Yours is available at Amazon and other fine retailers.

Thanks for joining me today, Amanda.

Blessings,
Ginger

Friday Reviews - Coffee, Correspondence, and Coming Home

It's been a few weeks since I've posted reviews, so here is a variety for your perusal.

Murder Simply Brewed was a great romantic suspense. Vannetta Chapman outdid herself by giving us not one but two romances. I enjoyed reading about Amber and Hannah as they grow in their unusual friendship, as they solve the Village mystery, and as they each fall in love (not with each other LOL).

You don't have to be a coffee drinker to enjoy the book. :)

Blurb:

Spring has arrived in Middlebury, Indiana, and Amber Wright can see profits in sight for her collection of Amish artisan shops—until she receives a call that Ethan Gray is dead. Hurrying over to A Simple Blend, she finds a single hole in the front window and Mr. Gray dead from an apparent heart attack. All the money is still in his register. Hannah Troyer takes over the shop’s duties, and she and Amber become fast friends as well as amateur sleuths. The police believe Gray’s death to be a by-product of vandalism, but Amber and Hannah aren’t so easily convinced.

Old Testament clues that don’t add up, a neighbor who is pulled into the midst of the investigation, a town with secrets to hide, and blossoming romance—all will combine to push Amber and Hannah into unfamiliar roles in order to solve a mystery and bring peace to the Amish community.

Rating: 5 roses

Available at Amazon and other fine retailers.

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Sincerely Yours is a romance novella collection from four great writers-Jane Kirkpatrick, Amanda Cabot, Laurie Alice Eakes, and Ann Shorey. Within its pages you will find four love stories each instigated by a letter, which takes each heroine of a journey of a lifetime. Each reminds us that things are not always as they seem, and God ALWAYS has a plan. I especially loved the carousel horses.

Blurb:

In this collection of brand-new historical novellas from four outstanding storytellers, four young women find their lives altered after each receives a letter that sets her on a new path toward a changed life--and perhaps lifelong love. From a Hudson River steamboat to a lush drawing room, from a carousel carver's workshop to a remote and controversial hospital, readers will love being swept into the lives of four young women who are making their way in the world and finding love where they least expect it.

Rating: 5 roses

Available at Amazon and other fine retailers.

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I've long enjoyed Mary Ellis's books, and A Plain Man is no different. Caleb's story is a touching story of a wayward son coming home. Except it's not an easy transition. With a little help from his sister's best friend, Josie, Caleb discovers some things about himself that threaten his future. I hate spoilers, so I won't tell you more; you'll have to read it to find out the good stuff.

A Plain Man is a quick look into the life of an Amish man who stepped away from his upbringing and has much to regret about his life. Upon returning to his roots, he is determined to do the right thing.

Blurb:

Bestselling author Mary Ellis offers an engaging new standalone Amish romance about a prodigal seeking to find his way home.

Though Caleb Beachy lived in the Englisch world for some years, he is a Plain man at heart. When he decides to return to the Amish lifestyle, he moves back home and goes to work for his father. Soon these two strong-willed men find themselves at odds. Caleb discovers there's more to embracing his faith and reconnecting with the community than merely driving a horse and buggy and giving up Levis.

Josie Yoder was just a girl when he left. All grown up now, she gives Caleb hope for the future. She soothes his frayed temper and is determined to remind him that while his faith may have wavered, God never left his side. Caleb is tempted to return Josie's feelings, but the choices he made while away are a heavy burden on his conscience. Will past mistakes end up destroying their fledgling romance? Or will she be able to break through the wall around his heart?

A Plain Man is more than just a sweet romance centered in Amish beliefs. It's the ever-fresh story of a wounded heart finding joy, health, and healing in God's infinite grace. 

Rating: 5 roses

Available at Amazon and other fine retailers.

I hope you found something to read and enjoy.

Blessings,
Ginger

Weekly Reviews: Autumn, Beginnings, and Balance

Blurb:

Elizabeth Harding arrives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to establish her medical practice thanks to the wooing of her two older sisters who extolled the beauty of the land. She's certain she'll have a line of patients eager for her expertise and gentle bedside manner. However, she soon discovers the town and its older doctor may not welcome a new physician. Even more frustrating, the handsome young attorney next door may not be ready for the idea of a woman doctor. For his part, Jason Nordling has nothing against women, but he's promised himself that the woman he marries will be a full-time mother.

Despite their firm principles, Elizabeth and Jason find that mutual attraction--and disdain from the community--is drawing them ever closer. And when the two find themselves working to save the life and tattered reputation of a local woman, they'll have to decide how far they're willing to go to find justice--and true love.

Review:
I loved this book from the beginning. The characters were real and invited me into their lives and one by one, I became invested in the outcome of their story. Elizabeth, the tough as nails doctor, soon becomes Elizabeth, the vulnerable woman. We watch her grow into her own as she suffers trials and tribulations that go along with being a woman doctor and starting a practice in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

5 Roses

With Autumn's Return

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Blurb:

It wasn't Cassie Haddon's fault that she had managed to reach the age of twenty-five without possessing any useful skills. Until the war, she had always had servants to wait on her. Since then, she and her widowed mother had moved from place to place, relying on family to care for them. Now she's forced to find work to support them both. What isn't in her plans is falling for Jacob West, a local restaurateur and grocer. She needs a job and he needs help. But what they both need is love.

Review:
I loved Cassie's growth into a woman with her own mind, and her willingness to learn new things in order to provide for herself and her ungrateful, overbearing mother.

I'm sad to say I didn't really care for this novel. It seemed slow to me at the beginning, and I had a hard time getting into the character's lives.

I did find the writing to be excellent. I didn't get stuck wondering what was going on, and while it won't be one of my most loved books, I did finish it, which is more than I can say for some other books I've read recently.

I found the end to be quite satisfying. I just love a good HEA (happily-ever-after).

4 Roses
Love's Sweet Beginning

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Blurb:

Working at home while raising kids and juggling a career and family responsibilities is no easy feat. Author and homeschooling mom Tricia Goyer shares her tips for finding balance among all your many hats as a mom.

Review:
Ms. Goyer has definitely given me something to think about. My schedule is out of balance, and not in a good way. This is one book that I'll be reading over and over as a reminder that my husband and my children are far more important than clean windows or a little dust. God and I have a lot to discuss. *smile*

I highly recommend this book if you are a mom/dad and work from your house (or attempt to). While Ms. Goyer applies her theories to being a writer, the basic premise works for anyone.

5 Roses
Balanced: Finding Center as a Work-at-Home Mom


Enjoy and blessings,
Ginger

Waiting for Spring by Amanda Cabot - Review

Would spring ever come? Haven't you felt that way a time or two? I certainly have and I live in a southern state where winter is rarely harsh enough to keep me tucked away inside for days at a time. (I sometimes long for this. Except, in my dreams, I'm alone.)

Spring is a time of promise. The promise of all things new. In "Waiting for Spring", Amanda Cabot solidifies this fact. It's not a promise of growth in plants, which we expect from the season, but in people. New prospects. New life. New love.

But before we get to spring, we have to go through the drought that is called winter. Both Charlotte and Barrett experience this as life bombards them and makes spring look forever away.

"Waiting for Spring" was a pleasant read. I hate sometimes that I'm not flowery with words. I want to write a great review and when I sit down to type it out, the words escape me.

I can say, without reservation, that Amanda Cabot is definitely one of my favorite authors. I have read a number of her works, and have yet to find one that I have not enjoyed.

***I received this book from the publisher/author for purposes of review. The above is my honest opinion.***


Back cover:

A new identity may protect her family--but can it protect her heart?

After the loss of her husband and the birth of her baby, Charlotte has had a long, hard year. But she can find no rest from the ghosts of the past and flees to Cheyenne to put the pieces of her life back together.

Wealthy cattle baron and political hopeful Barrett Landry must make a sensible match if he is to be elected senator of the soon-to-be state of Wyoming. He needs someone with connections. Someone without a past. Yet he can't shake the feeling that Charlotte holds the key to his heart and his future.

Will Charlotte and Barrett find the courage to look love in the face? Or will their fears blot out any chance for happiness?

Review: 5 stars

Amazon link to purchase "Waiting for Spring" and help support this blog.

Blessings,
Ginger

The Art of Cover Art by Amanda Cabot

I would like to welcome Amanda Cabot back to A Bed of Roses...Thorns Included. She's written a great article for us about cover art.

From the time that she was seven, Amanda Cabot dreamed of becoming a published author, but it was only when she set herself the goal of selling a book by her thirtieth birthday that the dream came true. A former director of Information Technology, Amanda has written everything from technical books and articles for IT professionals to mysteries for teenagers and romances for all ages. She’s delighted to now be a fulltime writer of Christian historical romances. Her Texas Dreams trilogy received critical acclaim, and Waiting for Spring, the second in her Westward Winds series, was just released.

The Art of Cover Art

We’ve all heard the adage that you can’t judge a book by its cover, but reality is, we do. A good cover will make us at least pick up the book, and if the back cover copy and first couple pages are as intriguing as the cover itself, we may buy it. So, how are those covers created? I asked Cheryl Van Andel, Revell’s Art Director, that question. I already knew that it was a collaborative process, but her answers revealed just how much effort goes into a cover design at Revell. (Please note that other publishers may have very different processes.)

It starts with the author. Sounds intuitive, doesn’t it, but some publishers do not involve authors in the cover design process. Revell does. Each author is asked to complete a questionnaire, describing not just the main characters’ physical attributes but also their personalities. This helps in selecting models and gives the photographer guidance for the model’s expression. If you look at Waiting for Spring, you’ll see that Charlotte appears pensive, perhaps a bit weighed down by life. That’s exactly her state of mind at the beginning of the book.

The type of clothing the characters would wear and landmarks or other background suggestions are also part of the questionnaire. Since the Westward Winds books take place in real locations, I sent photos of those places instead of simply describing them. I was shocked but also thrilled when Revell used one of my photos for the background of Summer of Promise, so I sent another for Waiting for Spring. Cheryl used that one, too!

No work on the cover begins until the book has been titled. If you thought that authors chose their titles, you’d be only partially correct. Although each author is asked to suggest possible titles and the reasons for choosing them, the final decision is made by a committee which includes Sales and Marketing as well as Editorial.

Once titling is complete, Marketing and Editorial discuss cover direction based on the information they’ve acquired from the author and/or from reading the manuscript. This determines the market and what “look” sells best to those book buyers. Final title and cover direction is then given to the art director to be assigned to a cover designer who specializes in that particular line of fiction; e.g., contemporary, Amish, historical, Western. If the designer does not do his or her own photography, the art director hires a photographer for the shoot.

Based on the author’s info, model and clothing options are gathered and emailed to the art director, who finalizes the selection with the marketing director and acquisitions editor. Many times, clothing options are sent to the author to verify that the style is correct for a certain time period. I can’t speak for other authors, but I’ve enjoyed being part of this process. I was able to select the dresses for each of the Texas Dreams books, which was fun, but the real thrill was choosing the gown for Waiting for Spring. The designer could not find an appropriate gown, so he had one custom made. Cheryl sent me a number of possible designs and allowed me to pick not just the design but the color. That was definitely a highlight of 2012 for me!

Once the gown and model have been chosen, the photographer often shoots several hundred photos, which the art, marketing and editorial directors narrow down to two or three for the designer to use for creating initial cover options. The designer then provides three or more options which follow the initial cover direction; e.g., size of model, color scheme, background. He or she selects the fonts, design elements like the fancy ribbon on the Texas Dreams books and the position of type and images, unless otherwise specified by the art director.

For Revell fiction, the art, marketing and editorial directors tweak one or two designs until they believe the covers are ready to be shown to others. These covers are emailed to the rest of the Revell team, meaning all Revell editors and the marketing staff, and narrowed down to one design. This design is sent to all of Baker’s sales reps for feedback. If the majority of reps are okay with the design, the cover is sent to the author and agent for feedback.

And even then the process is not complete. Sometimes the feedback doesn’t help. When I saw the first design for Summer of Promise, it had a pale blue sky. I pointed out that a Wyoming summer sky is a deep blue, so Cheryl had the designer change the cover. Wrong move. The sky was authentic, but the vivid blue drew attention away from the model and the title. Fortunately, Cheryl knew exactly what was wrong. The final version, with its sunset sky, is simply gorgeous – the result of weeks and weeks of work by Cheryl and the rest of the team.

As you can see, designing cover art truly is an art.

Thank you, Amanda, for visiting A Bed of Roses...Thorns Included. I found your post to be enlightening. 

Did you all know there was such an "art" to the beautiful covers we see?

Monday, January 7th I will be posting my review of Waiting for Spring. You can see my review of Summer of Promise here .

Blessings,

Ginger

Review: "Christmas Roses" by Amanda Cabot

I have read a number of Amanda Cabot's books before and have loved them all. This one is special to my heart and it will be a book that I keep to reread repetitively, for a lot of reasons.

I, like Celia, love roses. Can you tell by my blog background and picture in the heading? No? What about the title? Or perhaps the quote? And I love Christmas. Nothing on my blog right now Christmas related (except this book, and it's not all centered around the holiday either), but soon (check after Thanksgiving).

Anyway, I knew as soon as I saw the title I wanted to read this book. Roses at Christmastime in 1882? How is that possible? It is and Amanda made me a believer. I'm not going to give it away as I hate spoilers. You'll just have to read it to believe it.

Back cover:

Celia Anderson doesn't need anything for Christmas except a few more boarders, which are hard to come by in this small mining town. She certainly doesn't have a husband on her Christmas wish list. But when a wandering carpenter finds lodging at her boarding house, she admits that she might remarry if she found the right man--the kind of man who would bring her roses for Christmas. It would take a miracle to get roses during a harsh Wyoming winter. But Christmas, after all, is the time for miracles . . . 

Purchase it at Amazon and help support this blog.

Blessings,
Ginger

"Summer of Promise" by Amanda Cabot - review

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you have a choice - ignore it and hope for a ball or swing and hope for a hit. Summer of Promise by Amanda Cabot is a prime example. Writers write for the pleasure of writing, but each one has the hope that their manuscript is "good enough" to be a hit. This one is. I enjoyed reading about Abigail's impulsiveness, Ethan's growing feelings and frustrations, Oliver's crushes, and Puddles' antics. Ms. Cabot's writing took me to the Wyoming frontier with her descriptions of the heat, dust, and mud.

Take away from this book: a safe and predictable life is boring. Change is the spice of life.

Book blurb:

Though she had planned to spend the summer in Vermont with her sweetheart, Abigail Harding cannot dismiss her concerns over her older sister. Charlotte's letters have been uncharacteristically melancholy, and her claims that nothing is wrong ring false, so Abigail heads West to Wyoming. The endless prairie seems monotonous, but when her stagecoach is attacked, Wyoming promises to be anything but boring. Luckily, the heroics of another passenger, Lieutenant Ethan Bowles, save the day. 

When circumstances--and perhaps a bit of matchmaking--put Abigail and Ethan together, there's certainly attraction. But Abigail is planning to marry another man and return to life in Vermont as soon as she is finished attending to her sister. And Ethan loves his life in the Army and the wilds of Wyoming. When summer ends, will Abigail go back East? Or will she fall in love with this rugged land herself?

To purchase this book, please click here to help support this blog.

Happy Reading