Aftermath

What an emotional week! For the past several months, the American people,have been bombarded with television commercials, candidate debates, news stories, and telephone polls all leading up to the election on November 4th . Now, the decision has finally been made, and with it, a monumental moment in American history.

I can't imagine what it must feel like for a person of African American heritage to see an African American elected to the presidency of the United States. The pride must be beyond measure. The success of President-elect Barack Obama in winning the majority vote speaks to millions throughtout the country of the reality of accomplishing one's dreams.

Despite his triumph, many Americans felt a grave disappointment on the evening of November 4th because the candidate they had voted for did not win. I was overcome with sadness for Senator McCain when he made his concession speech. I believe he is a man who loves this country deeply. He has proven that through years of service to America, not to mention a sacrifice few Americans are asked to give and the endurance of unspeakable suffering.

I felt I did my part to encourage the Republican ticket to those who were undecided. I talked to coworkers and friends, presented them with facts and statistics, based on information I had read with validated documentation. Some listened, some didn't. That's fine and that's the beauty of the American way of life, to be able to express one's opinion without fear of recrimination.

However, to be met with ridicule and sarcastic disdain for everything I believe in makes me angry. When I approached one family member in particular with what I believed and what I had learned, I was labeled an extremist who is easily influenced by the things I read. Never mind that what I did read was written by people who know a whole lot more about politics than I do.

Another family member, on the other hand, who supported Senator Obama as well, took the time to listen to my opinions, respected my views, and understood my concerns. Interesting how two people with the same blood can be so different. I'm grateful the more rational - and considerate - person also happens to be the younger one! It restores my faith in the potential of our youth.

I'm new at this political game. I never cared much before about who won an election. I voted, sure, but if the opposing party lost, it was not a big issue for me. This time, there was so much at stake, the very essence of what I believe in, that it became extremely important to me.

I believe in this country and will support our new president with prayer, just like I did our past presidents. I probably won't agree with many of his policies, but I will trust that our country is in God's hands and that whatever fate He holds for us will come to pass. I like to think that voters looked to their Creator for guidance before going to the polls, that they searched their hearts and cast their ballot for the person they truly believed would do the best possible job of leading our country into a bright and prosperous future.

However, I fear many responded to the current financial crisis, feelings of animosity toward our current president, and a simple lack of knowledge of where President-elect Obama stands on certain issues that should touch the heart and soul of every citizen.

I sincerely hope that our 44th president is the best president America has ever had. I pray that he restores economic balance to our nation, that he has the diplomatic ability to face down our enemies and that he can bring our educational system back to a high standard. Most of all, I pray he is humble enough to look to God for guidance through the tumultuous storms he will face these next four years.

I'm in that stage now of forgiving all those things that were said pre-election. For one thing, it's what Jesus tells us to do. For another, I never was the type who could stay angry for long. However, I can't help but feel a tiny bit of satisfaction as I wonder: did all that resentment of my view come, maybe, from a fear that I knew what I was talking about?

God bless America!

A Look at Marcia Gruver and Diamond Duo

I first heard about Marcia Gruver's book, Diamond Duo, on a post from the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) email loop. Two things jumped out at me. 1877 and Texas. I love stories that take place in the 1870's in any state west of the Mississippi, so I knew Diamond Duo would be my kind of story. I was not disappointed. First, let me introduce Marcia.

Marcia Gruver is a full time writer who hails from Southeast Texas. Inordinately enamored by the past, Marcia delights in writing historical fiction. Her deep south-central roots lend a Southern-comfortable style and a touch of humor to her writing. Recently awarded a three-book contract by Barbour Publishing, she’s busy these days pounding on the keyboard and watching the deadline clock.

Marcia’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW); the Christian Authors Network (CAN!); Faith, Hope, & Love (FHL)-the Inspirational Outreach Chapter of the Romance Writers of America; Fellowship of Christian Writers (FCW); The Writers View; and a longstanding member of ACFW Crit3, her brilliant and insightful critique group.

The following interview speaks to Marcia as a person, Marcia as a writer, and Marcia's wonderful book, Diamond Duo.

Please tell us a little bit about who Marcia Gruver is.

Which Marcia? Like everyone else, who I am depends on the hat on my head. I’m wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, granny, and just recently, great-granny to a little sprite of a girl who seems well qualified to carry our legacy into the future. Even more recently, I’m a published author of inspirational fiction. How about that? Marcia Gruver is content, well loved, fulfilled, and grateful to God for every second of her life.

Learn more about Marcia at her website and her blog.

Tell us about your first contract.

Each year, at the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference, Barbour Publishing awards first contracts to lucky recipients. In 2007, they thrilled me out of my skin by awarding me the first three-book contact ever awarded at the ACFW conference. I’m trying very hard to live up to the confidence Barbour has placed in me.

Has being a published novelist differed from your expectations?

Yes. I’ve discovered that when you do it right, it’s actually work.

Do you plot your novels out or are you a so-called seat-of-the-pants writer?

I used to fly by my seat from start to finish. My first experience with working a plan came after discovering Randy Ingermanson’s snowflake method for plotting a novel. After working through Karen S. Wiesner’s First Draft in 30 Days, I’m a born-again plotter. These days, I don’t think I’d do it any other way. I sort of like knowing where I’m going when I sit down to write.

Has being a writer brought you closer to God and if so, how?

Not really closer. More in tune, maybe? I just know there’s no step in the writing/marketing process that I could pull off without His guiding hand. That teaches you to report on a regular basis for your marching orders.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process?

The first draft. Once you’ve developed characters, tweaked the plot, and come up with a satisfying ending, that’s when the fun starts. You can let your fingers fly while you flesh out the story. At this stage is when the surprises come. One of your characters gets a mind of their own and takes off in a direction you didn’t have the vision or the foresight to predict. Or your heroine gets sassy and insists on having her way on some minor detail that winds up the most important scene in the book. I love this part. The first draft is when the magic happens.

Tell us about Diamond Duo.

Bertha Maye Biddie’s in love. Trouble is, she’s not sure the object of her affection feels the same. He seems to be interested, but something’s holding him back. So when opportunity rides into Jefferson on the northbound train out of Marshall, young Bertha leaps at the chance to learn a few tricks. A charming, charismatic stranger offers to take Bertha under her wing and teach her the art of wooing a man. But when the woman is unable to keep her promise, Bertha realizes their chance meeting held far more eternal significance.

Where did the idea for Diamond Duo come from?

On a trip to Jefferson, Texas, I heard the true story of the unsolved murder of the infamous Diamond Bessie, aka Annie Monroe. In 1877, a flashy, well-dressed couple rode a train into town for a short visit. They checked into a hotel as A. Monroe and wife. The woman seemed to go by more than one name, one of them Bessie Moore. Because she wore several large diamond rings, supposedly gifts offered in exchange for immoral favors, the locals soon dubbed her “Diamond Bessie.”

On the last day of Bessie’s life, she and her companion, Abraham Rothschild, took a picnic basket into the woods. He came out alone, wandering the streets of Jefferson by himself for several days. When asked about Bessie, he said she was staying with nearby friends, and would return in time for their departure. However, he left by himself two days later, carrying Bessie’s luggage along with his own.

A local woman discovered poor Bessie’s body in the woods several days later. Jefferson officials went after Abraham Rothschild and tried him for her murder, but due to his money and considerable influence, he was acquitted.

While standing over Diamond Bessie’s grave, assuming her eternal fate, I found myself wondering: “What if?” Maybe history had been unkind to Bessie. What if she wasn’t as bad as some claimed? Suppose God had arranged a surprise finish for her—a loving, merciful end that no one would’ve expected?

How did you become interested in the real life murder of Annie Monroe?

It’s hard to visit historic Jefferson, Texas without tripping over Annie’s story. Diamond Bessie has become a tourist attraction, and the locals seem more than eager to tell the account. The shops abound with books on the topic, one penned by Jefferson historian, Fred McKenzie. Every year, during Jefferson’s annual Pilgrimage Festival, the residents perform in a play entitled “The Diamond Bessie Murder Trial.” The play is derived from court transcripts, and it’s really quite an event!

You have several themes woven into Diamond Duo. Could share them with us?

Young Bertha Biddie schemes to win the affections of Thaddeus Bloom, a man bound by honor to his father’s dream. She gets a lesson on honor herself when God asks her to risk her future with Thad to help a stranger.

Thad learns the importance of listening to his mama the hard way, but wonders if it’s fair to expect him to sacrifice his happiness in obedience to his father’s plans for his life.

Sarah King is used to better treatment from her fellow man regardless of race, but forgets her husband deserves the same regard. Her unbridled temper and acrid tongue threaten to drive him away, until the pure heart of a tragic stranger teaches Sarah a lesson in colorblind acceptance.

In Diamond Duo, Bertha feels solely responsible for leading Annie Monroe out of her lifestyle and into a believer’s world. Have you ever had a similar experience in your life?

I think every Christian feels a strong compulsion to share God’s grace once they’ve had a taste. If you think about it, given the Great Commission, we’re all solely responsible for leading those in our paths to God.

How do you research a historical project for accuracy?

Actually, I begin most of my research on Amazon.com. They have books on every imaginable topic. No, I don’t own shares of stock, but I should by now.

After I pore over written material to get a visual of the period, I plan a visit to the area where the book is set. For my Texas Fortunes Series, I spent a week in Jefferson, Texas researching Diamond Duo, book one. Book two was easy. I live just a few miles from Humble Texas, the setting for Chasing Charity. My family all work in the oil patch and have for generations. My contractor husband is currently on a job in South Texas, so I was fortunate to spend several months in Carrizo Springs researching book three, Emmy’s Equal. There’s no substitute for walking the streets, exploring the sites, haunting the libraries, and talking to the locals. However, I’ve discovered the little details that provide historical accuracy need constant verification. I do my best, but I don’t know if it’s possible to get all the facts right. I use the Internet some, but you have to be careful with information gleaned from the web. Not every source can be trusted.

You have so many wonderful and unique characters in Diamond Duo. Which of the characters do you identify with and why?

This question makes me smile. I’ve been accused of being the inspiration for Bertha Maye Biddie—a free-spirited rebel with an aversion to shoes. I think that’s me on the inside.

Patti's review of Diamond Duo

Bertha Biddie loves Thad Bloom, but does he love her in return? When the biggest moment of her life is about to take place, the moment when Thad may just declare his love for her, Bertha must forego the meeting with the man of her dreams to fulfill a promise made to a friend. Broken-hearted and with no clue as to why Bertha would run out on their last chance to be together, Thad leaves for college. Determined to prove himself a man, he makes some poor decisions that teach him hard lessons.

Annie Monroe is a lovely, charming young lady, but different from anyone Bertha has ever encountered before. Bertha is thrilled when Annie offers the hand of friendship, When Bertha gets a peek into the dark past that surrounds her new friend, she feels called to help save her from the depths of despair, both emotionally and spiritually.

Marcia Gruver has developed deep emotional ties between her characters that speak to the heart. The struggles and heartaches they experience are played out against a backdrop of romance, murder, and social injustice. She takes the reader on a journey that explores love, loyalty, racial inequality, and the obligations we have to help others in their time of emotional and spiritual need.

As we move into the winter months, be sure to look for Diamond Duo on Amazon.com. You'll find it's a great read that will warm your heart against the cold winds, or a wonderful gift for the reader on your Christmas list who loves historical inspirational fiction.

vote America!

Welcome back to Patti's porch. It was a warm day here in SE Colorado, and I've been taking a walk for the past three or four days. There's been snow in the mountains, and I heard even a few flurries sifted out of the sky here the other day. I wonder what this winter holds in store.

My thoughts turn more seriously to the "storm" that is sweeping our country. Although hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, and all manner of other destructive forces have ravaged our land over the past few years, the decision the American people will make within the next week may have much more far-reaching implications.

Perhaps it won't. I don't know enough about politics to understand how much one party's dominance in the White House will affect the daily life of the average person. I only know that I have been more involved in researching the candidates and the issues than ever before.

This year, my husband and I opted for mail-in ballots. Since Colorado has one of the longest ballots in the country this election, it took me a couple of hours out of the past two days to cast my votes. At least I was able to take the time to read the "blue" State Ballot Information Booklet and study the pros and cons of each ammendment before making my choices. Had I been standing in a ballot booth, I probably would have made some ill-informed and hasty choices. I do have the satisfaction of knowing I weighed the facts and based my decisions on what I thought was best for our state.

I have prayed harder during this election than any other year I have ever voted. I'm still participating in the praying for America initiative and that's exciting. As I pray for oeach individual state and the various needs of our country mentioned on the prayer map, I realize that I am not alone in this endeavor. Thousands of other Americans are praying with me, and that incites a great deal of hope and optimism for our great nation.

Some other things have been different for me this election year. Normally, I would ignore the political calls, but this time I have responded to every survey and poll, of which there have been several. I realize they don't determine a true picture of what the final outcome will be, since no poll can predict voter turn-out. Still, I find it exciting to have input into the whole process.

I have only heard one person make the statement that they don't care about the election, don't intend to vote, and really don't want to hear anything about it. Just about everyone has an opinion about this presidential race, and most of them are very strong.

Reminds me of an impending storm. I always feel a touch of excitement when there are severe thunderstorm warnings in our area. The lightning gets so intense sometimes that it looks like it's striking not a foot away from the front door. The wind picks up, the trees sway, rain pelts the windows, and you wonder what else lurks out there. A tornado maybe? We'd never see it coming.

That's the kind of feeling I have about the election. There is an electric charge, packed with power, and on its heels hovers the fear of what if? What if the American people choose the wrong man? What if our next president isn't competent to handle the financial crisis, the Iraq War, the War on Terror, or our growing crime rate, and any number of a hundred other problems that threaten our country?

I've been hearing over the past couple of days that Senator McCain is gaining, if ever so slightly, on Senator Obama's lead. The "swing" states continue to hang in the balance as both candidates put all their last ditch efforts into winning those states. The number of undecided voters is unknown, and, as the newscasters say, an awful lot can happen in five days.

Both of our presidential candidates have publicly proclaimed their Christian beliefs. They express different approaches to accomplishing the common goals of repairing the nation's weaknesses, meeting the needs of each individual citizen, and maintaining the delicate relationship between allied and hostile nations around the globe.

John 12:13 tells us that Jesus sought the counsel of His Heavenly Father in the face of an important decision. ".....Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated apostles." The decision to choose those who would carry on His work must have weighed heavy on Jesus heart. He knew what was at stake and He held Himself accountable for the choice He would make.

We, too, must hold ourselves accountable as we cast our votes for the future leaders of our nation. It is not a responsibility to be taken lightly. Make the time, before casting your vote, to do as Jesus did and seek the wisdom and discernment that only the Lord can give.

God bless America!

Thanks for reading my blog!

Review of First I'm Nobody

Good morning, everyone! Its' getting cold here on Patti's porch and there has even been some snow in our state. Even though it's not unusual to see it in the higher elevations at this time of year, there were reports that Colorado Springs saw some of the white stuff last evening.

It is my pleasure today to post a review of "First I'm Nobody" by Kasandra Elaine. The book is currently available in e-book format, and the print version will be available on December 19th of this year.

Skylar McRae's life is about to change in ways she would never have imagined when a hit and run accident occurs close to her Texas ranch. The man who enters her life is totally unkonwn, even to himself. Her Good Samaritan personality prompts her to take in "Duke Green", the name given to him by the hospital staff, while he recovers from multiple injuries, despite his amnesia and the fact there is no way to track his past.

Clues that help Duke put together the pieces of his forgotten past also serve to lead him and Skylar on a journey spawned by deception and headed straight into danger. Is Duke the man Skylar thinks he is, or has he succeeded in covering up a criminal past with cunning and skill?

The writing team of Kassy Paris and Elaine Powell has created real characters who face betrayal, forgiveness, and spiritual awakening. This story takes the reader on an adventure packed with action and romance that culminates in a satisfactory ending, bringing both main characters to a deeper understanding of who they are as children of God.

Refer back to my post of 7-14-08, where I interview Kassy. She talks about her book, the pros and cons of writing with a collaborating author, and her thoughts about E-book format.

The winter months are almost upon us, time to curl up with a good inspirational romance. Order a copy of First I'm Nobody from The Wild Rose Press today!

Thanks for reading my blog!

My Adirondack Vacation Part Two

Friday, my sister and I went to Tupper Lake to spend the day at The Wild Center. Click on the link to watch the three short videos that give you a glimpse of all that we saw. The inside exhibits were great and the selection provided a look at many aspects of the Adirondacks, from the time the region was encased in glaciers to the present. Having grown up on LOng Island and around water, i've always been fascinated with fish. They had plenty of aquariums with many colorful fish there.

There was a light rain that day, but it didn't deter us from hitting the trail. It is one of my favorite activities in the Adirnodacks. We found a "playground", and of course, being a kid at heart, I had to "play". Man, this was so easy back in the day when I was a kid, but as the years go by, so does my sense of balance. I was doing pretty good while Terry took pictures, but all of a sudden, I was fallng off the log and found my nose in the dirt! Oh, well, it was fun while it lasted.


I feel such a strong attachment to this Adirondack country every time I'm there. Even though I grew up on Long Island, my dad was born and raised in the Adirondack country, and we spent most of our vacations there. We were very fortunate in that my uncle served as caretaker for one of the large camps on St. Regis Lake when we were young. . We enjoyed swimming, boating, water skiing in the summer, skiing, ice skating, and snowmobiling in winter.

Even though I've lived here in Colorado for over thirty years and love the magnificent Rockies, theAdirondacks hold their own special spendor. It's strange to think that Mt Marcy, the Adirondacks highest peak at an elevation of 5344 feet, is less than 1500 feet higher than the town where I live on the Colorado plains. Yet, each mountain range holds its own unique beauty. The Rockies awe the observer with a rugged terrain that towers well above timber line, while the Adirondacks with their gently rolling greenery offer a more serene display of nature's majesty.

The Rockies can't compete with the Adirondacks when it comes to fall color. We have our aspen with their yellows and golds, but one seldom sees the bright reds and oranges that adorn the Adirondack north country.

It was great to be back there again, but the connection with family was what I treasured the most. My sister, being my only sibling, is also my best friend. We don't get to see each other often enough. Distance, our jobs, and the responsibilities in our lives allow us to get together only about once every two years, sometimes not even that often. I'm grateful that my mom is still in good health and can enjoy spending time with us as well.

It was an added bonus to have my son and daughter-in-law there as well, and to see my son participate in the marathon. (Refer to my previous post - My Adirondack Vacation Part One). Makes me even entertain thoughts of walking the half marathon myself sometime in the future.

Vacations are great, but I have to admit, it's always nice to get back home to my own bed, my own shower, my own refrigerator, my own worn out couch. There is something comforting about returning to the familiar routine of daily life, even going to work!

Thanks for reading my blog.