Book Review: Love Across Time by Anne Meredith

Book Review: Love Across Time by Anne Meredith

Traci Kenworth

 

376 pages        St. Martin’s paperbacks 1995

Hook line: In her dreams, the man calls her name.

Lindsey runs in fear of a portrait Jonathan showed her. It’s the man from her dreams

every summer she returns to Windsor Hall(Jonathan’s aunt owns, Lindsey’s Grandma brings her there.). The ghost haunts the grounds the keeper says. His granddaddy knew him and he was the saddest man alive. He was also a murderer.

Years pass and Lindsey is hiding from her father, Edward Quinn at Windsor Hall. She

doesn’t remember him. All he cares about is himself her Grandma says. His super model wife won’t have children. She thinks it’ll ruin her body. Grandma sends Lindsey to hide out with Joanathan and Irene. Lindsey hasn’t seen Jonathan in six years.

Jonathan finds her and hides her down passageway leading to the old room in which

Confederate soldiers had been hid from Union patrols. It had been the painting that kept her away. Her grandmother parted ways with her telling her to trust the legend of the Callahan women for it’s true.

“In saving his life, hers will be saved, and a new life be found.” The legend is that a

Callahan woman saved King’s life by betraying the man she loved. He granted one wish to her ever century. She asked for the man who tried to kill him, to be freed. They were banished from England forever.

A knock sounds on the door they came through. Her daddy knows she’s in there.

Jonathan is shot in a struggle with her father’s men. He tells her to make a good wish before he dies. She wishes to go back, to change the man who made Jonathan’s family unhappy. A peculiar woman appears telling her about three centuries, three wishes, the last to save the heir to the rightful throne. She leads Lindsey into fog and tells she must change a heart, to save a life, to fulfill a wish.

She finds Devlin Windsor and tells him it’s all right, she’s there. He lets go of her and

she finds herself escorted by Miss Cora Brody, Shannon Windsor’s great aunt. She’s there to be a governess to him by word of Emily Van Kirk, the wish granter. Shannon never knew his father (Devlin’s brother), he died in Civil War and his mother died giving birth to him. Agrees to one month trial or she leaves without pay.

Devlin rides in and looks up at her window with such yearning. She finds spiders in her

bed. Devlin enters. Miss Brody mutters about “that boy.” Shannon looks like Jonathan as a boy. Lindsey instantly loves. Lindsey learns from Cora that she expects Devlin to be engaged to Cynthia McKenzie in a month.

Lindsey takes Shannon for a ride and gets a hard-to-control mount. Devlin saves her from

cliff. She expects him to fire her after she kisses his throat on an intimate double ride but he doesn’t. Cora determines to fire her but Devlin hires her back. The copperhead penny she wears is a symbol of Southern sympathizers, Devlin tells her. She removes it. Kendrick was not Devlin’s older brother but his younger twin. He died not in war, but defending a woman of ill repute’s honor. He does care about Shannon. And he’s not at all anxious to marry Cynthia.

Devlin’s father was no blue blood. He was illegitimate. He married an Irish barmaid and

came to a new world. Devlin and Kendrick were on opposite sides of the war. Devlin, Union; Kendrick, Confederate. War changed Kendrick. Both suffered shrapnel to back. They fought and loved same woman since birth. Devlin murdered Kendrick over her.

Devlin shows kindness to Shannon and Lindsey gets her first glimpse of Cynthia. The

two seem intimate. Cora is angry over Devlin’s change in attitude and the fact that Lindsey doesn’t know Latin. Devlin says there’s a teacher in town. Devlin had forgotten how old Shannon is. He sends a new wardrobe Lindsey’s way for a ball for Shannon. He refuses to let her not attend. He says women are deceitful. She tells him a woman would be a fool to love him.

At the dance, Lindsey realizes she loves Devlin. When she returns to Shannon and he

opens her gifts, Cynthia McKenzie enters. Lindsey is shocked to see Cynthia is Shannon’s mother. Cynthia is very ill. The woman bids Lindsey to visit her. She lives on the landing. Lindsey dances with Cynthia’s brother, Colin, who is bitter about loses his family’s estate. Colin says Cynthia will never marry Yankee Devlin.

Devlin and Lindsey end up on a balcony in an alcove thanks to Shannon. They kiss and

more. The curtains open to an audience. Lindsey is mortified. Devlin believes Lindsey set up the scene with the help of a servant. Now he will marry her but it will be a bitter marriage he tells her, no love. She pleads her innocence, agrees because of Shannon, and tells him in the end he’ll regret that her love will never be his.

I just have to say that Anne Meredith is a superb storyteller. Her characters are haunting

and so larger-than-life. I’m a big fan of Time-Travel Romance and this is no exception. I loved it from cover to cover. Every time I picked up the book, I was transported back in time to a romance that is truly magical. It’s a tale about forgiveness and how love can heal even the darkest past. I like to think that’s true in real life as well. I am definitely going to look up other stories by Anne Meredith. I believe this was the third book in a series by her, but you don’t have to read the others to read this one. Although the legend wasn’t filled into detail as I’d have liked, I had no trouble following it. So, yes, I highly recommend this author and this book. Enjoy.

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The Confident Writer

Writer Wordart (Photo credit: MarkGregory007)

The Confident Writer

Traci Kenworth

 

When I first began to take this journey to write for publication, I still viewed it through

the lens of an unsure writer. I lacked discipline, a regular schedule, and knowledge of my craft. I was ready to grow, I just wasn’t sure how. That’s why writing in itself is so hard to teach to another. It takes a drive, a confidence in yourself that builds over time through experience. What works for me, might not work for you and vice versa.

Something happens as you practice putting all those words together, into forming

sentences, and developing your writing. There’s no style at first. The story part is not quite there. You have the passion, but not the know-how to breathe life into your stories. Don’t give up. There’s untapped magic there waiting to be brought to the surface. Each of us will approach the study part of writing just like the journey itself.

I started with craft books. Tons and tons of them. A writing course here and there. They

helped but I still wasn’t seeing what I wanted to in my stories. I studied my favorite writers, even first-time novelists to find the key. What I discovered was this: there is no key. No one can tell you how to do it. Because the trials and tribulations we all experience are like life: no two paths are alike. They diverge at points sure, but the getting there happens different for everyone.

The next part of my journey involved cps (critique partners). I had some bad and good

ones. Those were more lessons that helped me grow. I was still unsure of myself at this point, not trusting myself to go with my gut about things. Along came one of the best things to happen to me as a writer: I met a wonderful cp who introduced me to a writing group called yaff (YoungAdultFictionFanatics). These ladies took me under their wings and taught me how to write a story, queries, etc. Some of which I didn’t realize were necessary in my earlier efforts.

Under their tutelage, I have seen my writing go from shoddy to better. I won’t say I’m an

expert. I doubt any real writer ever thinks their work is good enough. But I have seen the potential for telling a good story emerge over the last year. I can look at something I wrote a long while ago and something current and see a vast difference. The growth I was seeking is there. I’ve learned that I don’t ever want to stop learning. Perhaps, in truth, there is a key to be learned after all. It comes in having a confidence in yourself, in seeing a truth to what you put down on your paper.

You have to learn to let go, to let your writing happen, to trust that you’re doing what the

story needs, when it needs it. Talk to your characters, build those settings, but don’t forget: everything begins with you. Your life lessons, the study of your craft, and building writing relationships. Don’t try and be some other writer. Be yourself. You’re unique. No one will ever approach the story you’re writing the way you do. That’s where you find your voice, that’s where your path widens to draw in the things you’ll need to continue your journey. Confidence will grow inside you and that will help you face the rejections, the pitfalls, and the bad breaks then when you reach the horizon, everything before you will be blessed. Good luck on your journey.

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To Wait or Not…

 

Writing (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

To Wait or Not…

 

Traci Kenworth

 

 

 

So, I’ve got this dilemma. Now that I’ve finished my first draft of my current wip, I’m

 

not sure how long to wait in-between drafts. I’ve gone a couple weeks already since writing “the end.” I’m wondering if I should wait another two, or perhaps longer. You see, when I start “tearing things apart” or as we like to call, “editing,” I tend to take a long time doing so. And before you know it, the holidays are going to be upon us. I’ve read that agents don’t like their e-mail boxes cluttered during that time.

 

I’m excited about this book. I think it could possibly be “the one.” The trouble is, I don’t

 

want to rush it. I get all butterfly-feeling inside when I think of doing things wrong. Yet, I know that I also tend to procrastinate when it comes time to query and hold myself back when I should be pressing forward. I don’t think there’s too much to be changed, as far as major plot points right now. Though that may change after I get the results back from my beta readers perhaps. I’ve already sent it the rounds through my cps.

 

This morning, I came up with a cool new idea for another short story(I’ve already

 

finished one.) I could start that while I’m doing the waiting game. It should be time to polish the finished short story after that. There’s things to do. It’s just a matter of whether I want to put aside LATWD longer or shove into the editing phase. The way things look, if I do wait and get caught in the holiday crunch, it may be next year before I can query it. I’m not sure I want to wait that long.

 

Opinions? How long do you usually wait before digging into edits? Has there ever been a

 

time you’ve felt you rushed it? Or taken too long to get back to it?

 

 

 

 

 

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High Gears in Writing

 

Image via CrunchBase

 

High Gears in Writing can be Grueling

 

Traci Kenworth

 

 

 

Sometimes high gears in writing can be great. You’re flying past the curves, staying on the road, headed in the right direction but things can quickly get out of control. There are times when slow processes are needed. Such as when you’re trying to transition a scene. You don’t want to drive all-out, you could go off the pavement. Instead, take your time, savor the scene, get the details just right. Give your reader a breather, so to speak. After all, you don’t want one race track from start to finish.

 

Everything has to be done in a step-by-step action. Introduce us to your characters. Bring on the inciting incident but don’t go speeding through it all. Readers like to linger by the roadside, enjoy the scenery, digest things. If you just rush through things, we’ll never get a chance to get to know the characters, understand why their goal is so important to them, cringe at the risks of tackling the obstacle.

 

But you say readers want the big bang up-front. Actually, they like to take their time and get to know you’re people, their hopes, theh dreams. I’m not saying to go on forever with these details. There has to be just enough. How do you know when you’ve reached that? By paying attention during your revisions. Do you yawn in some places? That’s where you need to step in and speed things up. Do you struggle to figure out what’s going on among the latest action dispersed on the pages? Slow it down and add breathers.

 

An obstacle course isn’t something most readers enjoy. If you want to get Sally and Joe across the raging river, show the fear, the struggles, the disappointment, but also include the moments when they break their progress to interact, to hug, to encourage each other. Danger keeps things hopping, sure. Give your reader too much of it though from page one to finish and you may send them dodging for the comforts of reality. So, yeah, use different gears when you write. Save the high gear for the climax and spurts threaded throughout your story. As you gain experience, you’ll know when to use each.

 

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Book Review: Happiness Is…

 

Happiness (Photo credit: baejaar)

 

Book Review: Happiness Is…

 

Traci Kenworth

 

 

 

The book is published by Word Publishing and has no author listed. 1995.

 

 

 

I ran across this little book on my shelf the other day and waxed nostalgic. This book was gifted to me about seven months before my marriage, by my sister. I miss little books like these sometimes. So positive. Uplifting. A treasure to find when you’re having a less than fantastic day. Oh, how I wish my then-self could have known more, realized what was going on in my life, but things happen for a reason and I would not have wanted to miss my children despite the pain and loss of the later years.

 

In any case, sometimes I think we forget to look inside ourselves at what’s going on in our lives and see the signs, the warnings. Books like this one make our eyes see what our heart must have and ignored. Here’s a verse from it that I love:

 

“The world’s joy glows brightly for a moment and then fades away. God’s joy is forever!”

 

How true for me. The things I’ve always wanted—and got—did not satisfy me for long. There was always something else to reach for, something more to gain. But when I come to God, in his presence, all things make sense. He instills a peace in me that I fought many years to find. Books like these are needed. To remind us to look, to realize, to inspire us to not settle for the lonely and the despair but to open our hearts to what God is for me: love and healing.

 

I encourage you to seek out little gifts like these, to become amazed when you look into your heart and see the truth. Happiness is believing in something greater than ourselves. It’s having the faith of a little child to begin again. And in doing so, persevere.

 

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Try, Try, Try Again

Louis L’Amour (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Try, Try, Try Again

Traci Kenworth

 

Rejection sometimes puts us up against a wall. It can be heartbreaking to get turned down on a story yet again. The doubts, the slips of self-confidence, the frustration. All take place. What we can’t let happen is the desire to just give up. We’ll never reach our dreams of publishment without facing the dreaded, “nos.” Good can come of this, however. It teaches us to persevere. And isn’t that a big lesson in life?

When you take your first step, you fall. It’s unavoidable. But what is avoidable, is the quitting mentality. You are going to face hurdles just like everyone else is/has. It’s okay. We’re all here for one another, all willing to give that boost up. The choice is whether we’re willing to accept it or not. Of course, I get discouraged, even cry sometimes. It’s all part of the battle.

If I turned aside and walked away from writing, it would be a big mistake for me. Because I’d miss the successes as well as failures. When I first started out, I focused on the goal of sharing my stories. If I could touch one person, I’d be happy. Well, that happened and I mad a new goal. Now, I want to reach as many people as possible with them. I want to know that my characters can inspire, reflect the drive of those around them, and make you fall in love with them.

I went from merely wanting others to read my books, to now wanting to be published. Dreams grow bigger with each step we take, so be prepared. I’ve been thinking about long-term goals too, lately. I’ve decided I don’t want to be a one or even five book wonder. I want to write continuously, and publish as frequently as possible. This doesn’t mean I won’t take off days here and there, but what I mean is I want to be a consistent writer. Louis L’Amour. Danielle Steele. Stephen King. These are all names of writers who beat the odds in the sheer numbers of books they have out there.

I don’t want to disappear in five years, or even ten. I want to be the steady storyteller I know I can be. Will I face rejection over that time? Sure. But I’m going to keep trying no matter what it takes or how much time passes. I will continue to try, try, try again. What are your goals at the moment? Long term? Are you hoping to be “steadfast” or would you rather hit it big and be happy with a moment’s success? All questions to ponder and decide on what we’re really doing this for.

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Book Review #7

Book Review 7: Love on the Range by Jessica Nelson

Traci Kenworth

 

A Love Inspired Historical                                 2012

Hook: Obsession was the way in which madness lay.

Gracelyn Riley can’t stop scanning the train platform for Special Agent Striker. Though her parents considered traveling alone unsafe even in 1918’s modern days, the threat of influenza loomed larger than their worries and encouraged them to send their daughter west. Once she learned Striker lived in Oregon, her plans changed. She’d wrangled a job with Women’s Liberator as a reporter and plans to do an interview with Striker to establish her independence.

A rancher sits down beside her. She plagues him with questions, mentioning Striker. He wonders if she always speaks to strangers. They argue about Striker, whether he’s the good man that Gracie believes. His name’s Trevor Cruz. She asks him about the wicked scar he has. It’s rumored that Striker has one. He says he got it on barbed wire when a kid. He lives in Burns where she’s going.

He admits he doesn’t believe in God. She’s shocked.

Trevor is business partners with Lou Riley, her uncle. He doesn’t want anything to do with Gracie but Lou insisted he follow her for safety concerns. A man had raised his suspicions but got off at an earlier stop.

Her mother doesn’t like Uncle Lou and her father has nothing good to say about him. She thinks he’s poor because he picked her up in a horse wagon instead of a car. She’s madly in love with Striker. Her friend, Connie, was rescued by Striker . The Mann Act of 1912 which was set up to protect young women from white slavery is being enforced by agents like Striker. Mary, Lou’s housekeeper, was rescued by Striker. Trevor is trying to keep her safe. Lou is his senior partner/agent.

None of the others put much stock in prayer either. Gracie discovers Trevor does believe in God, he just hates him. His father beat him unconscious, and his mother prostituted herself for drugs.

Gracie sneaks into town for word on Striker, but gets no help there. The town people protect Striker, they tell her. Meanwhile, Striker’s nemesis, Mendez is spotted nearby. Mendez is the one who kidnapped Mary and various other women and sold them to the highest bidder in Mexico.

Trevor’s father dies the same that he lived: mean as a snake. Gracie tells Trevor that God’s love is life to her. He goes to church with her and Mary. He is finding it hard to keep an eye on things and his Striker persona hidden. He felt a sense of community in the church.

Connie dies in Boston of the influenza. Trevor wonders if her death will change Gracie’s view of God. His mother arrives. Gracie mistakes her for an ex. Gracie doesn’t like or trust her. His mother arranged for Mary’s kidnapping. Trevor warns Gracie away from her.

After an altercation, Uncle Lou throws the mother out. He says she can stay with Trevor but is to stay away from Mary and Gracie. She spits on Gracie when Gracie tries to help her. When Trevor is thrown from his horse, Uncle Lou finds out he kissed Gracie. She admits she has feelings for him. Influenza has come to Oregon. The Great War is over. Lou warns Trevor away. He says her parents will be there tomorrow.

This is a nice, little read if you like inspirational. The story is straightforward and interesting. It deals with a time when women were just gaining the right to vote, work outside the home, and pursue their own choices. It was fun reading about a history that I didn’t know much about, how deadly the influenza was back then (super flu, anyone?), and characters that kept you rooting for them. I won this book from a website contest. The next book I’m about to read is also from another contest win. I find it lovely of the author/s to do these sorts of promotions, not only to help get the word out about their book/s, but to open up the opportunity to get to know a new writer.

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A Journal of Ideas

Journal of the History of Ideas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Journal of Ideas

Traci Kenworth

 

Do you keep one? Do you find it useful? I have both a journal and a jar filled with ideas. There basically just those that have come to mind either from dreams or jotting down notes and presto, they appear. The problem for me is I have so many continuous story thoughts that everything is brimming to the full. Does that mean that I’ve stopped writing things down? Not at all. Because today’s blast of notions might diminish or perhaps not even work out in the story I have in mind.

Yes, someday the well might dry up and if that happens, I want to be prepared. On that day, I want to be able to dip into the reserves and bring up gold. Not that I don’t skim through my concepts now, it’s just that with so many new ideas, I ration what I use of the old for now. Saving for that rainy day, perhaps. I believe I have so many possibilities because I try and write every day, at the same time, just like the pros do.

I think that continuous work toward my goal, inspires the ideas to open up and flow. Now, there might come a day when I face a dryspell, but that’s when I’ll reach for the jar or journal and plug away, doing my best to continue with a story. So how about you? Do you struggle with finding “enough” story elements? A bit of freehand writing might help turn that around. Just sit down and write what comes to mind no matter how silly or rough. Use that to develop your story.

One thing’s for sure: if you work your Muse, it will supply what you need. So keep a journal, a jar, even hints on a word document. They’ll be there when you need them, to help get the words down, to finish your story.

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Book Review 6

Book Review: Shattered Me by Tahereh Mafi

Traci Kenworth

 

Harper, an Imprint of Harper-Collins 2011     Science Fiction       338 pages
Hook: I’ve been locked up for 264 days.

 

Juliette has been a prisoner of the Reestablishment, the initiative that was supposed to help the Earth’s dying society. The same people that pulled her out of her home and put her in an asylum. Now, she’s getting a cellmate. She has no idea where she is, only that it took her 6 hours and 37 minutes to get there.

There are soldiers stationed below. The Earth has changed. There aren’t as many trees as there were before scientists say. The animals are gone. Weather and seasons have changed. People are starving to death and the Restablishment promises to fix everything. They came in and took over. They’re burning books, destroying evidence of life before this.

Her new cellmate is a boy. He reminds her of someone she used to know. She doesn’t allow anyone to touch her. Bad things happen. Dead things. When they are released into the showers, she decides to help him, protect him, to not be afraid of him. His name is Adam. It’s a name she’s always liked but she can’t remember why.

Her parents stopped touching her when she was old enough to crawl. Teachers made her work alone so she wouldn’t hurt the other children. She’s never had a friend, a mother’s hug, a father’s kiss. She realizes she knows Adam—but he doesn’t remember her. They went to school together. Adam is the only person who didn’t want to hurt her. Five soldiers burst into the cell and take her away, she thinks to kill her. She awakes to find Adam is one of the soldiers. She’s introduced to the leader of the Reestablishment in these parts, Warner. He offers her a proposition. He wants her to torture people for him. He makes her Adam’s charge.

The Reestablishment meant control. Only the healthy were kept, the sick, locked away. Adam shows her a room of the finest things. This is what Warner’s offering her. She’ll be free—but Adam’s prisoner. Adam is moving in. When she doesn’t eat or dress the way Warner wants, Adam is hurt because of her disobedience. She vows to be the perfect mannequin. She finds her notebook from the cell with a purple dress Adam suggests she wear. He has written in it: It’s not what you think.

She finds hope in his small communication.

Later, she finds him in the bathroom and sees his bruises. He didn’t betray her. She realizes he’s a friend. Adam can touch her without dying. He understands why Warner wants her now. Adam wants her. He says he’s going to get her out of there. He has a tattoo. It’s a white bird with streaks of gold like a crown atop its head. It’s flying. This is the bird she’s dreamed about since she was locked up.

A desperate run for freedom will begin…

This book was riveting. It was all that it promised and more. And I suspect that given how things ended there will be further books in this world. Juliette Ferrars makes one feel sympathy for her, despite the horrifying things she can do. Adam becomes a hero to root for. While Warner is creepily evil. He truly is one of the better villains I’ve run across lately. Running hot and cold, sane and insane, with a twinge of vulnerability—Tahereh Mafi did an excellent job of portraying his character.

I heard good word of mouth about this book beforehand and I’m glad I acted upon it. I’ve skipped recent reviews of it on other sites so as to not interfere with my own perception of it, but I’ve got to say, RUN to your nearest book store and pick up a copy of this. You won’t be disappointed. I have definitely found an author to watch for in the future and this book is going on my Keeper shelf.

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Reading

Cover of So Many Books, So Little Time

Reading: How Important is it to Writers?

Traci Kenworth

 

The more you read, the better you become as a writer. You’ve heard this before from other authors, people in the industry, etc. But the question is: how important is it?

Very.

When we read, we open our minds to knowledge, entertainment, and more. Some of this “more” is learning about character arcs and how to introduce them and sustain them throughout the story. We learn about the importance of plot, hooks, how to build a book and how to come up with a fantastic ending. We do this by studying what’s on the page.

If we don’t read, how can we know what’s out there? How can we grow to know and love characters that inspire us in creating our own? What adventures are we missing out on? It doesn’t have to be great literature at our fingertips. It just has to appeal to you. Comic/graphic books. Fiction. Non-fiction. This genre or that. There’s something to be learned from everyone.

Nor would I confine myself to reading just one type either. To read out of your area of expertise will broaden your horizon. I read almost everything I can get my hands on. There are a few that I have a hard time getting into—biographies, hard science fiction, and adventure novels. Although, recently, I picked up a copy of The Ice Limit by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, and was surprised by it. I usually don’t care for suspense, but give me a Linda Howard or Nora Roberts novel and I’m there.

You see, it all has to do with taste-testing. We do it with our food. We don’t take a lot of something we don’t like/if anything at all, but sometimes we find we like what we try. I can’t imagine sitting in a room surrounded by books and never pulling one from the shelves, never appreciating an author’s words. And with e-books today, there’s a whole new virtual library opening up for us all. Books of poems, horror stories, love stories, stories of hope and promise, it’s all in there. So don’t read a little, read a LOT, because with each book you’ve covered, you’re discovering and pushing boundaries into your stories.

Another book might inspire us to find a solution for something we’re working on. Albeit, I’m not suggesting stealing the exact same idea from someone else’s books but expanding on what we have in our own fictional worlds. How many authors out there have “borrowed” the vampire, werewolf, or Frankenstein image? How many more will? It all comes down to coming up with something original about them. And we do this by learning what’s out there.

Reading is so important in teaching our craft. It’s both a blessing and a curse. A blessing to open our imagination, a curse with so many books, so little time. But every minute spent in a page is so worth it. It sharpens our intelligence, sails us to faraway places, and grows something on the inside of us. So pick up that book and another after that. Go ahead, get inspired.

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