101 Reasons to Love Chicago!

More fun facts:

The world’s largest commercial office building is Merchandise Mart located at 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza

The world’s largest illuminated fountain is Buckingham Fountain located in Grant Park

The world’s largest public library is Harold Washington Library Center located at 400 S. State St.

The Lincoln Park Zoo, one of only three free major zoos in the country, is the country’s oldest public zoo with an attendance of three million people.

The world’s tallest masonry building is Monadnock Block located at 53 W. Jackson Blvd.

The world’s largest free-admission food festival is the Taste of Chicago located in Grant Park

The world’s largest convention facility is McCormick Place located at 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive

The world’s highest steeple above ground is at the United Methodist Church, 77 W. Washington St.

The world’s busiest futures exchange is the Chicago Board of Trade located at 141 W. Jackson Blvd.

The Chicago Park District has the nation’s largest municipal harbor system.

The world’s largest stand-alone theater is the Uptown Theatre located at 4810 N. Broadway

The world’s largest parochial school system is the Archdiocese of Chicago

The world’s largest water filtration plant is the Jardine Water Purification Plant located at 600 E. Grand Ave.

Chicago produced the first Roller skates in 1884

Chicago produced the first Elevated railway in 1892

Chicago produced the first Cracker Jacks in 1893

Chicago produced the first Zipper in 1896

Chicago produced the first Steel-framed skyscraper in 1885

Chicago produced the first Window envelope in 1902

Chicago is home to eleven Fortune 500 companies, while the rest of the metropolitan area hosts an additional 21 Fortune 500 companies.

McCormick Place, Chicago’s premier convention center, offers the largest amount of exhibition space in North America (2.2 million square feet).

The first Ferris wheel made its debut in Chicago at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Today, Navy Pier is home to a 15-story Ferris wheel, modeled after the original one.

The game of 16-inch softball, which is played without gloves, was invented in Chicago.

In 1900, Chicago successfully completed a massive and highly innovative engineering project – reversing the flow of the Chicago River so that it emptied into the Mississippi River instead of Lake Michigan.

Chicago was one of the first and largest municipalities to require public art as part of the renovation or construction of municipal buildings, with the passage of the Percentage-for-Arts Ordinance in 1978.

The Chicago Cultural Center is the first free municipal cultural center in the U.S. and home to the world’s largest stained glass Tiffany dome.

When it opened in 1991, the Harold Washington Library Center, with approximately 6.5 million books, was the world’s largest municipal library.

The Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere at 110 stories high. Its elevators are among the fastest in the world operating as fast as 1,600 feet per minute.

The first steel rail road in the United States was produced here in 1865.

The first mail-order business, Montgomery Ward & Co., was established here in 1872.

The world’s first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Company, was built here in 1885.

The first televised U.S. presidential candidates’ debate was broadcast from Chicago’s CBS Studios on September 26, 1960, between John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Richard Milhous Nixon.

**This Field Trip Feature was brought to you by The Borrowed Book and Mary Nealy, author of Ten Plagues (Barbour Books, 2011). Check out ALL of Mary's books, and visit her at A Season of Suspense.

Interview with Carol Award Finalist, S. Dionne Moore

S. Dionne Moore started writing in 2006. Her first book, Murder on the Ol’ Bunions, was contracted for publication by Barbour Publishing in 2008. In 2009 she moved on to writing historical romances as an outlet for her passion for history. In 2010 her second cozy mystery, Polly Dent Loses Grip, was a 2010 Carol Award finalist and she was also named a Barbour Publishing 2010 Favorite New Author. In 2011 her first historical romance, Promise of Tomorrow, was nominated a 2011 Carol Award finalist.

For more information, visit her Website at www.sdionnemoore.com. 
Follow her on Twitter: @sdionnemoore 


Tell readers about your newest release: 

I have two this month, which is really exciting! Promise Brides, my first 3n1 historical, is available EVERYWHERE (rather than just the Heartsong Presents book club). A Shepherd’s Song is available through Barbour Publishings, Heartsong Presents Bookclub. A Shepherd’s Song is the first book in a new historical romance series set in Wyoming. 

Renee Dover made a foolish decision. . .

When fiery Renee Dover seeks adventure and searches for a gang of outlaws, she never expects she’ll find them. Captured by the gang and certain her recklessness has gotten her brother killed, she escapes right into the arms of Tyler Sperry, a quiet sheepherder with a mysterious past.

Compelled to accompany him on his journey leading sheep to summer pasture, Renee finds it impossible to return home. She must endure the silence of this man and the solitude he’s chosen. And Tyler must decide what to do with Renee as every option he sees risks her life or challenges his.

Along the way, Renee discovers there’s much more to this shepherd who keeps his history hidden. Something he’s found that she desires. But when Tyler’s past comes back to haunt him, it just might get them both killed.


Promise Brides, is a compilation of three historicals, Promise of Tomorrow (a 2011 Carol Award finalist), Promise of Yesterday and  Promise of Time, set in 1889 Johnstown, PA., Mercersburg/Greencastle, PA, and Gettysburg, PA, respectively. 


Love never comes without sacrifice.


Promise of Tomorrow
Alaina Morrison loves Jack Kelly. So why won t he realize that all she wants is to get married and begin their new life together? She doesn t need a large home or new clothes or other things. She only needs him to actually spend time with her and to show how much he loves her. As dangerous floodwaters threaten their home of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, will Alaina and Jack allow God to bridge their growing differences with His unifying love?


Promise of Yesterday 
Escaping the horrors of slavery, Chester Jones returns home after many years. After meeting the enigmatic Marylu, sparks fly as he gently pushes his way into her heart. As love blossoms, secrets from Marylu's past arise, causing her to question her newfound feelings. And then what about those rumors linking Chester to a murder. . .? Will Marylu allow God to heal her heart or will it be shattered again?


Promise of Time
Ellie Lester sees time stretching endlessly after the death of her husband in the war. She manages to find some purpose in helping slaves escape through the Underground Railroad. When her husband's cousin arrives, however, time seems to stand still. Is her heart awakening to something new? Theodore Lester is determined to reach his cousin's widow in the North with the truth of her husband's death, even if he must flee from the Confederate Army. Seeing her again sparks something in his heart and makes him want to stop running. But he can t escape from his dreams. . .or himself.

What made you choose the setting for A Shepherd's Song? 

I became fascinated with the Johnson County Wars. Early on, I read that much of the tension was between sheepherders and cattle barons, though that was later discounted. But the career of herding sheep intrigued me and I knew it would make a good story. Using Psalms 23 as a parallel, I rediscovered and came to better understand why God used that particular analogy in that first verse. And I read. . .

A book on a woman's adventures as a sheepherder which helped shape some of the tragedies and challenges inherent in those who undertook the career. And the loneliness. Many men of Basque descent came to the states to be sheepherders. If you ever get the chance to see some of the carvings the Basque sheepherders left on Aspens in the high elevations during the lonely months of herding sheep, it's an interesting glimpse into the psyche of the men as they worked to overcome the terrible separation from family and friends as they fulfilled their contracts.

What does your office look like?

Oh dear. Messy right now, but here it is in all its glory. For those who might be interested, I'm working on editing the third book in the Wyoming series.

Parting words for those interested in become published?

Writers write. They don't talk about it or imagine it, they do it! That might seem over simplistic, but you wouldn't believe how many people have said, "Oh, I'd love to write a book one day." But they never do. LOL! Maybe it's not their calling, and that's fine, but if you truly want to pursue publication, you'll have to discipline yourself to make the time for writing and learning about writing.

Comment to win an autographed copy of A Shepherd's Song. 

Book Review: The Girlfriends Guidebook

About the Book:

"While there are ample books for women on dating, career, marriage, and motherhood, less prevalent are thoughtful writings about the everyday handling of female friendships. Inspired by the highs and lows of a backpacking trip across Europe with four gals pals, Marian Jordan’s The Girlfriends Guidebook charts a winning pathway through 'jealousy, competition, control, anger, manipulation, and resentment, just to name a few less-than-cuddly aspects of our personalities.'

Informed by her faith, Marian encourages deeper friendships built on Christ-like honesty and love, emphasizing the development of such qualities as loyalty, trustworthiness, compassion, and forgiveness. Jordan also makes it clear that The Girlfriends Guidebook should be read first with one’s self in mind...recognizing that when we are freed form our won emotional baggage, we will really be able to enjoy the journey!"

Amber's Review:

Friendships can certainly take us through some rough and rocky terrain. The Girlfriends Guidebook is an encouraging companion for the journey - a fun book with a serious message about being a good friend. It comes with a great note that this book is for us and not for our friends. That is to say, this book isn't meant to be used as a magnifying glass to examine our friends' problems (despite the temptation), but rather as a mirror to examine our own issues and see how we ourselves can be better friends.

From Jordan's anecdotes sprinkled throughout the book, it seems like she's quite the globetrotter! While some of her parallels are a bit of a stretch, the overall "travel" theme keeps the pages flowing. Jordan's tone is light and conversational. Although the book isn't overly deep, it's still a good read for Christian women who want to learn how to develop healthy friendships and be God-honoring friends.

Overall, with important tips and some food for thought, The Girlfriends Guidebook is a sweet and yet convicting "guidebook" for the journey to understanding what makes lasting and meaningful friendships.

*With thanks to the publisher and PR by the Book for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

About the Author:

"Today Marian is the founder of Redeemed Girl Ministries. She is an active speaker, guest lecturer, and published author. She is a graduate of Southwestern Seminary and lives in Houston where she serves at her home church, Second Baptist Church of Houston, when not on the road at speaking engagements. Though she is a Texas girl at heart, she feels at home in destinations all over the world. Australia, Costa Rica, Italy, England, Lufkin, New York, Magnolia... she finds God’s beauty in every country, city and small town that she happens upon."

Learn more about the author and her book at the author's website.

*This week's review doesn't include a giveaway, but you can purchase a copy of The Girlfriends Guidebook now at Amazon.com!*

Winners!!

Happy Saturday, BB fans! Thanks to everyone who participated in our "puzzling" Friday giveaway! Keep all those facebook and Twitter notifications, coming!

This week's winner of Three Cups by Tony Townsley and Mark St. Germain is...Bluerose!

Bluerose, please use the button in the upper right side of this page to email me with your mailing address so I can forward your information to the author. Then, sit back and wait for your book to arrive.

Thank you all so much for stopping by The Borrowed Book!

Weekly Drawing

It's fun Friday at The Borrowed Book, and you have several chances to win. Here's how - instead of leaving a comment, leave the time it took you to complete the puzzle in the comments section. Winners will be drawn from ALL of the times, so the person with the fastest time may not be the actual winner, but by leaving your time, you double your chances.

Want another entry? Tweet your puzzle time and mention The Borrowed Book, get another entry.

Post your puzzle time on BB's Facebook wall and...you guessed it...get another entry!

Post it on your OWN Facebook wall and you could get as many as FOUR entries.

It's all a way to spread the word about the great giveaways on BB. So c'mon! Help us spread the word, and have a little fun at the same time. :-)

This week's puzzle feature is brought to you by Tony Townsley and Mark St. Germain, and their new release, Three Cups.

A Poem for Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving, the day set aside each year to count the many blessings God has given us. It isn't a day for stuffing ourselves with food. It is a day when we should do as God commands us--Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Psalms 1-2.

Instead of spotlighting a book today, I would like to share a poem with you that touches my heart. It speaks of how those who have been blessed are called upon to praise His name by showing love to others less fortunate than ourselves. 

Oh, God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer;
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.

-Samuel F. Pugh

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy your family and the bounty of your table. But in the midst of celebrating, don't forget to give praise to the provider of all our blessings.

Enter into His gates with Thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations. Psalms 100:4-5

10 Things I Forgot I Knew About Thanksgiving

All of us here at The Borrowed Book would like to wish you and yours a VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! In recognition of all we have to be thankful for, we thought we'd share this informative video by everittjames on Thanksgiving History Myths and Facts. For the full video and TONS of historical information and tidbits on this All-American holiday, visit Scholastic's Thanksgiving website by clicking here. Enjoy!

Inside a Blog Tour

More from Bonnie S. Calhoun ~ Founder and Publisher of Christian Fiction Online Magazine

Okay so you’ve decided that you are going to take the plunge, gather up a large group of book reviewers, and put on a blog tour for your latest novel. Okey dokey smokey…how hard could it be?

Well let’s see…first you need to decide if you want actual book reviewers or do you just want influencers. There is a world of difference in the two, and never the twain shall meet. 

Influencers are the friendly souls that know and love you and want to help get the word out about your latest book. They sign on to “influence” others to pick up your work and read it.

Where as actual book reviewers…do just that. They review the book. Now sometimes that turns out to be a great thing…and sometimes not. Everyone has their own personal perception of what they read. (This goes back to my first post about “target audience”) Usually when people sign up for a blog tour, they are are genuinely hoping to like the book.

So okay…you’ve spent the time gathering the reviewers, setting the time frame for them to post, getting the books into their hands. What could go wrong? This sounds easy.

There is an old adage…when something can go wrong it will. Let’s say you have 40 people posting for your tour. I bet I can find at least 40 things to go wrong *snort-giggle*!

Let’s look at some of the recent serenity sappers that I’ve encountered…

1. Several tours where the books didn’t get delivered on time for the reviewers to read them before needing to post. (Now sometimes that’s not always a killer. A lot of people are willing to post an introduction about the book, and add a review later.)
2. Several people went to the hospital for unexpected surgeries. Fortunately they all turned out fine, but you can hardly demand for someone to post from their hospital bed…even when the hospital does have WiFi!
3. And personal problems galore!
4. A new baby decided to show up 3 weeks early…the little guy just couldn’t wait!
5. Floods, tornadoes, and wildfires…oh my! And let’s not EVEN get into the winter season and major snowstorms. Yanna…I found out that the Post Office doesn’t always deliver in bad weather like they used to in the old days *snort-giggle*
6. And let’s not even discuss one recent book that was published by a Christian publisher…and had NUMEROUS cuss words in it! That one REALLY gave me a headache…and quite a few people who refused to post for it (which I totally understood)
7. And then horror upon horror…don’t even think about the people that for one reason or another don’t like the book. I prefer for people to tell the truth about how they feel about a book without attacking the actual author, but a lot of times Christians are loathe to say anything negative about another Christians work, so they just don’t post…what are you gonna do?

And then sometimes the blog tour fairy smiles upon you and everything goes absolutely right! Auhhh…the feeling doesn’t usually last too long. So enjoy it while you have it. And happy blog touring…it can make you old before your time, and it’s not for the faint at heart!

About the Author...

Bonnie S. Calhoun is the Founder and Publisher of (CFOM) Christian Fiction Online Magazine. She is also the Owner and Director of the (CFBA) Christian Fiction Blog Alliance which is the parent organization for the magazine. And she serves as the current President for (CAN) Christian Authors Network. She is the Northeast Zone Director for (ACFW) American Christian Fiction Writers, and won their Mentor of the Year Award for 2011.

In addition to her passion for spreading the word about Christian fiction, Bonnie is also an author of snarky suspense. Her novel Cooking The Books (A Sloane Templeton Novel) will release from Abingdon Press in April 2012. It is presently available for digital e-reader download if you are a book reviewer. Go to NetGalley.com, Abingdon Press as the publisher.

Children's Book Spotlight: Three Cups

"Teaching children how to save, spend and be charitable
with money is as easy as one, two, three."

About the Book:

"As new parents, my wife and I wanted to find a way to teach our children about money, so we agreed on using a weekly allowance to accomplish this. We thought it equally important to teach our children good values as related to money (saving, spending and charity) to help them develop positive habits early on that would last them the rest of their lives. This was when we came up with the idea of using three cups. We've tried to teach our children that it is not how much money you have that is important, it's how you use it. The three cups we have given them have led us on many wonderful adventures together and have brought our family a lot of joy. We hope you will experience the same joy, excitement and success using three cups with your children... and will share the Three Cups story with others."

- Tony Townsley, CPA

Mark St. Germain - author

"This endearing, true story of love, responsibility and charity is retold tenderly by Mark St. Germain whose stage, television and screenwriting credits include: Camping with Henry and Tom, Gifts of the Magi, The Cosby Show, and the critically acclaimed motion picture Duma."

April Willy - illustrator

"Three Cups is illustrated by award-winning painter April Willy, whose children's book credits include: Have You Ever Seen A Moose Taking A Bath?, Have You Ever Seen A Moose Brushing His Teeth?, Why is Mommy Sleeping? and Full Moon Maxi."


Want to learn more about the book? You can watch a video, read testimonials, and more at the Three Cups website!

*Stop by on Friday to put together a puzzle and learn how to gain extra entries in the drawing for a copy of Three Cups!*

Winners!!

Good morning, BB fans! Thanks to everyone who participated in our "puzzling" Friday giveaway! Keep all those facebook and Twitter notifications, coming!

This week's winner of A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander is...Ginger Vaughan!

Ginger, please use the button in the upper right side of this page to email me with your mailing address so I can forward your information to the author. Then, sit back and wait for your book to arrive.

Thank you all so much for stopping by The Borrowed Book!

Weekly Drawing

It's fun Friday at The Borrowed Book, and you have several chances to win. Here's how - instead of leaving a comment, leave the time it took you to complete the puzzle in the comments section. Winners will be drawn from ALL of the times, so the person with the fastest time may not be the actual winner, but by leaving your time, you double your chances.

Want another entry? Tweet your puzzle time and mention The Borrowed Book, get another entry.

Post your puzzle time on BB's Facebook wall and...you guessed it...get another entry!

Post it on your OWN Facebook wall and you could get as many as FOUR entries.

It's all a way to spread the word about the great giveaways on BB. So c'mon! Help us spread the word, and have a little fun at the same time. :-)

This week's puzzle feature is brought to you by Tamera Alexander, and her new release, A Lasting Impression.

Journey of Grief

I remember Sunday afternoon, September 10, 2006 well. My family had come to our house after church for lunch, and we'd had a wonderful time. As my sister was leaving toward the middle of the afternoon, I walked outside to wave goodbye. Suddenly a loud clap of thunder shattered the quiet. It startled us so because it came out of nowhere. There were a few clouds in the sky, and I supposed we were in for a storm. I had no idea, though, how life had suddenly changed for many of us with that one rumble from the heavens.

Several miles down the road from my home, my cousin's precious granddaughter Madison Fagan had just leaped from the porch of a friend's house and headed to the car where her mother was waiting. As her mother watched in horror, the lightning bolt from that thunder struck Madison in the chest.

Madison Fagan, the child who was loved by everyone who ever came in contact with her, lived for a week in a Memphis hospital, but there was nothing that could be done to save her. Of all the family members who kept a vigil during those days, none were more heartbroken than Sheila Turner, Madison's grandmother.

After Madison's death, Sheila held onto her faith to try and cope with the grief that came from losing a child who had been such a vital part of her life. As Sheila searched for books to help her understand and heal from the agonizing loss, she found them too clinical and turned instead to writing.

Her book Journey of Grief  chronicles the first year without Madison, reflects on her own grief, and tells how Madison touched everyone with whom she came in contact. Madison's loving spirit shines through in this tribute to a remarkable little girl.

The following is from the back cover:
This deeply personal yet universally human account not only speaks to the heart but also reveals surprising insights. Turner's journey is ultimately one of hope, as she moves from searing grief to the certainty of God's hand at work. Whether you're in the depths of your own grieving or want to understand the experience of a loved one suffering from loss, you can find a renewed faith and sense of purpose in Sheila and Madison's story.

As a person who loved Madison, I have been touched by the journey Sheila has traveled in coping with the overwhelming grief in her life. Maybe you, too, are grieving right now. Sheila would point you to the One who has carried her through the depths of despair. She says, "The miracle of God's unending love and providential care is just amazing."

All of us suffer grief at one time or another in our lives. How has God ministered to you during a time of loss?

Field Trip Feature

Inside a Blog Tour

More from Bonnie S. Calhoun ~ Founder and Publisher of Christian Fiction Online Magazine

Okay so you’ve decided that you are going to take the plunge, gather up a large group of book reviewers, and put on a blog tour for your latest novel. Okey dokey smokey…how hard could it be?

Well let’s see…first you need to decide if you want actual book reviewers or do you just want influencers. There is a world of difference in the two, and never the twain shall meet. 

Influencers are the friendly souls that know and love you and want to help get the word out about your latest book. They sign on to “influence” others to pick up your work and read it.

Where as actual book reviewers…do just that. They review the book. Now sometimes that turns out to be a great thing…and sometimes not. Everyone has their own personal perception of what they read. (This goes back to my first post about “target audience”) Usually when people sign up for a blog tour, they are are genuinely hoping to like the book.

So okay…you’ve spent the time gathering the reviewers, setting the time frame for them to post, getting the books into their hands. What could go wrong? This sounds easy.

There is an old adage…when something can go wrong it will. Let’s say you have 40 people posting for your tour. I bet I can find at least 40 things to go wrong *snort-giggle*!

Let’s look at some of the recent serenity sappers that I’ve encountered…

1. Several tours where the books didn’t get delivered on time for the reviewers to read them before needing to post. (Now sometimes that’s not always a killer. A lot of people are willing to post an introduction about the book, and add a review later.)
2. Several people went to the hospital for unexpected surgeries. Fortunately they all turned out fine, but you can hardly demand for someone to post from their hospital bed…even when the hospital does have WiFi!
3. And personal problems galore!
4. A new baby decided to show up 3 weeks early…the little guy just couldn’t wait!
5. Floods, tornadoes, and wildfires…oh my! And let’s not EVEN get into the winter season and major snowstorms. Yanna…I found out that the Post Office doesn’t always deliver in bad weather like they used to in the old days *snort-giggle*
6. And let’s not even discuss one recent book that was published by a Christian publisher…and had NUMEROUS cuss words in it! That one REALLY gave me a headache…and quite a few people who refused to post for it (which I totally understood)
7. And then horror upon horror…don’t even think about the people that for one reason or another don’t like the book. I prefer for people to tell the truth about how they feel about a book without attacking the actual author, but a lot of times Christians are loathe to say anything negative about another Christians work, so they just don’t post…what are you gonna do?

And then sometimes the blog tour fairy smiles upon you and everything goes absolutely right! Auhhh…the feeling doesn’t usually last too long. So enjoy it while you have it. And happy blog touring…it can make you old before your time, and it’s not for the faint at heart!

About the Author...

Bonnie S. Calhoun is the Founder and Publisher of (CFOM) Christian Fiction Online Magazine. She is also the Owner and Director of the (CFBA) Christian Fiction Blog Alliance which is the parent organization for the magazine. And she serves as the current President for (CAN) Christian Authors Network. She is the Northeast Zone Director for (ACFW) American Christian Fiction Writers, and won their Mentor of the Year Award for 2011.

In addition to her passion for spreading the word about Christian fiction, Bonnie is also an author of snarky suspense. Her novel Cooking The Books (A Sloane Templeton Novel) will release from Abingdon Press in April 2012. It is presently available for digital e-reader download if you are a book reviewer. Go to NetGalley.com, Abingdon Press as the publisher.

Picture from Andy Eklund's Creative Streak.

Where the Past Meets the Present: Stepsisters

Saturday night I watched our school's production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. I loved it! Everything was wonderful - the sets, the music, the acting, the singing. And while Cinderella and the Prince were quite charming, two of my favorite characters were the evil stepsisters. (Hats off to the actresses - they did a marvelous job!)

Sometimes the secondary characters really can steal the show in our stories, as well. While we still want our hero and heroine to win over our readers, we also want authentic secondary characters. Last week we talked about the villain - this week, let's talk about how to make our secondary characters shine!

What we can learn from the evil stepsisters (at least in the play I saw!):

• Personality - Boy, did these two girls have this in spades! Whether our secondary characters are jokesters, drama queens (or kings), or wise old (or young) men/women, they ought to have a personality that distinguishes them from the other characters. Names can also help with this. In Rodgers and Hammerstein's version of Cinderella the two stepsisters are named Portia and Joy. If you've read Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, you might see the irony in a rather less intellectually endowed girl being named after the smart Portia who pretends to be a lawyer to save a man's life. And Joy - well, there's certainly irony in a name like that for a sour stepsister like her!
  

• Presence - Over at Seekerville, author Mary Connealy recently wrote a post entitled "Who is that guy?" Her point in the post is that we ought to make sure all our characters are actually necessary. If we take out a secondary character, will it make a difference to the story? The stepsisters in the play added so much humor and contrast that it wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable without them. In the same way, the secondary characters we create should have such a presence that the story wouldn't have the same impact without them. And if they don't? Well, you might want to consider killing one off... *Gasp!* OK, maybe just make them disappear or something! ;)
  

• Power - Just as we discussed regarding our villains last week, our secondary characters shouldn't be cardboard cutouts. They should have some sort of power - an important role in the story and a voice that will stick with the reader. It's hard to do this with every secondary character, but as much as possible we ought to have stories populated with "real" people whose lives are woven together to present a piece full of meaning. The evil stepsisters have a song that asks, "Why would a fellow want a girl like her?...Why can't a fellow ever once prefer a usual girl like me?" While it's a funny song, it also contributes to the other songs in asking important questions as to why people fall in love and what true love really means.

Here's where the past meets the present! (Let's just say that Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is a piece of the past that's found its way to the present... After all, the Cinderella story has been around for quite a while!) Could your secondary characters use a makeover? What secondary characters from movies and books have inspired you to give your secondary characters more personality, presence, and power?

Winners!!

Good morning, BB fans! Thanks to everyone who participated in our "puzzling" Friday giveaway! Keep all those facebook and Twitter notifications, coming!

This week's winner of Gun - A Visual History is...Evangeline Han!

Evangeline, please use the button in the upper right side of this page to email me with your mailing address so I can forward your information to the author. Then, sit back and wait for your book to arrive.

Thank you all so much for stopping by The Borrowed Book!

Weekly Drawing

It's fun Friday at The Borrowed Book, and you have several chances to win. Here's how - instead of leaving a comment, leave the time it took you to complete the puzzle in the comments section. Winners will be drawn from ALL of the times, so the person with the fastest time may not be the actual winner, but by leaving your time, you double your chances.

Want another entry? Tweet your puzzle time and mention The Borrowed Book, get another entry.

Post your puzzle time on BB's Facebook wall and...you guessed it...get another entry!

Post it on your OWN Facebook wall and you could get as many as FOUR entries.

It's all a way to spread the word about the great giveaways on BB. So c'mon! Help us spread the word, and have a little fun at the same time. :-)

This week's puzzle feature is brought to you by DK Publishing, and their great resource book, Gun-A Visual History.

From a Book to a Movie

I'm delighted to welcome Lisa Grace to The Borrowed Book today. Although Lisa writes for adults, she has a heart for teenagers, and her mission in life is to reach unsaved teenagers through her young adult books. When I heard that Lisa was in the process of having her Angel series optioned for the movies, I asked her to share her experience with our readers. She agreed to do that.

Welcome to The Borrowed Book, Lisa. We're all eager to hear what you have to tell us.

Thank you, Sandra, for having me on The Borrowed Book. As an author, I've always wondered how an author went about turning their book into a movie. I'm lucky enough to be knee-deep in the process. How do you find the mysterious creatures called movie producers? What makes them pick your book from all the others available? The contract? How do you begin to understand all the legalese and what's normal or what's unreasonable?

I can't mention names or amounts as the contract is not finalized, but there are some important considerations that I can pass along.

My angel series is a young adult supernatural series with a Christian bent. You are either saved or unsaved, and there is only one way to get saved. While not a popular book genre, (forty-third according to Sally Stuart's Christian Writer's Market), teen supernaturals make great movies.

So the first thing you must be honest about is the appeal of your book as a movie. Sites like Numbers have a service where they rate the projected profitability of your book as a movie project.

You have to write a good book, have some buzz going so your book makes it to some bestseller list, (mine was in the top ten for teen horror on Amazon for over three and a half months), then have a movie producer read it, like it, and want it as a project. The next thing they will do is hire a company (like The-Numbers) to see if it meets certain criteria to be profitable.

Okay, let's say you have some producers interested in your book, what's next?

They offer you an option/purchase agreement. Here is one I found online so you can see what it might look like, or not. Cypressfilms

Mine looks nothing like this one! My contract is twenty pages long, but they don't have to be. I recommend you hire an entertainment lawyer like I did. The following is not legal advice, but merely my opinions:

• Caps are normal, so they can figure financing. Percentage on backend is all well and good, but usually small and depends on the movie being successful. Your best bet is to get as much up front money as you can (just like an advance on a book project)as it may be the only money you see.
• Keep your copyright and all rights to your characters for future books you may write. You can give/sell the production company a license to merchandise off your characters.
• Producers, if they are small, may buy your option and then try to resell it to a larger production company.
• Large production companies may budget a couple of million a year to buy twenty books in a genre and then only make one of them into a movie, but since they own the option for a period of time, they cut down on the movie's competition. And if it's successful, they can choose another they bought and then produce that one.
• Going with a mid-sized company, your book is their next project. They can't afford to tie up too much money in options, but they have enough money/investors to go forward.
• Options last from one to one and half years. They pay you for tying up your book at this point. If they exercise the option (plan to move ahead with the movie), they pay you again. You can request backend, but they can say no.
• These are just the basics. You should hire an entertainment lawyer who has represented authors on book to movie deals. A lawyer will most likely charge you a per hour fee to review the contract, but you can write into the contract for the production company to reimburse you your attorney fees.

And finally, specify an on screen credit, because the only thing cooler than seeing your name on a book cover is seeing it on the big screen.

Wow, Lisa! I can't imagine seeing my name on the big screen, but it's something to hope for. Thanks for stopping by today and giving us this information, and good luck with your Angel series. I know our readers have enjoyed this look at what all authors hope will happen to their books.

What are your thoughts about the chances of a book making it to the big screen? 

Field Trip Feature

I write historicals, so of course, I’m always on the lookout for good resource materials. Imagine my surprise, and great pleasure, when I discovered a book showcasing more than 300 guns, rifles and pistols! It’s called Gun – A Visual History. From machine guns and grenade launchers, to wheellock pistols and Annie Oakley’s .22 caliber rifle, this 800-year visual history was, for me, like striking oil.

FUN FACT: Did you know that in most states, it is still legal for citizens to carry a concealed handgun, so long as they have a permit? In fact, they aren't required to have a permit from the state where they are traveling, if they have one from their home state. These are called reciprocal states--and it works like a driver's license. Click here to read more...

Back to my field trip. Perhaps I should explain why I was so excited to stumble on a book with “gun” in the title.

See, all of my books have some kind of action in them—whether historical or contemporary—but especially the historicals. I write scenes where the “smell of gunpowder” lingers in the air, or the “report of a pistol” splits the air. But until I browsed the pages of this book, I really wasn’t too sure what all of that meant, and I never had the courage to write with much confidence about the kind of weapons my characters carried.

No more!

Want to know when manual repeater rifles were used? Turn to page 176. Need information on the kind of weapon used by Israel’s Special Operations Unit (Mossad)? Find it on page 88. I could go on…but I won’t. This is a Field Trip Feature, after all. So, for today, I’d like to take you along with me to the gun range, where I fired a variety of weapons, but hit very few targets. :-)

And after you watch the video, I hope you’ll check out this book. It’s the perfect gift for anyone interested in firearms.

Ear to the Experts: Define Your Target Audience

Writing a novel is literally creating your own business. And that business model has to be treated just like any Fortune 500 business would create their business plan. One of the most important elements of a business plan is defining who the target audience is for the particular product.
 
So let’s talk about something we all know and understand but don’t always grasp. Target Audience. We all have a target audience that we write for. And, no, no matter how badly we want it to be everyone, that’s never gonna happen, chickypoo!

Why? Because as someone famous (everyone argues about who that exactly was) once said, “You can please ALL of the people SOME of the time, and you can please SOME of the people ALL of the time, but you can’t please ALL of the people ALL of the time.”

First you need to decide what your target audience looks like. A target audience that reads mainly suspense/mystery is not going to be the same target audience that reads Amish fiction, and for the most part, a target audience that adores reading about vampires and werewolves is not going to be the target audience for biblical fiction. 


Ask yourself this: “What kind of audience am I writing for?” “What are they looking for in the books they read?” “What kind of read am I trying to give them?” You can sometimes further define this by using comments you get in reviews. But once you get this defined, you are not going to deviate from the plan.

Are they looking for warm-fuzzies? Or are they looking for a thrilling suspense ride? A friend of mine, Brandilyn Collins, has created a sub-group of her most-likely-reader, the “Big Honkin’ Chickens Club.” They are friends of hers who are too afraid to read her books. This was a great strategy. They were her friends…LOL…but not part of her target audience.

Start with a sentence like, “The perfect reader for my books would like…” Now fill in the blank with several hundred words.

Remember…when someone gives you a bad review, the first thing you must teach yourself to understand is, “Well that person is obviously NOT part of my target audience.” And move on!

Many times too much energy is wasted on lamenting that you can’t be all things to all people. Stop wasting energy that you could be using to write your next great book. Focus on the audience you are gathering!

More on this next time! Later gator!


Bonnie S. Calhoun is the Founder and Publisher of (CFOM) Christian Fiction Online Magazine. She is also the Owner and Director of the (CFBA) Christian Fiction Blog Alliance which is the parent organization for the magazine. And she serves as the current President for (CAN) Christian Authors Network. She is the Northeast Zone Director for (ACFW) American Christian Fiction Writers, and won their Mentor of the Year Award for 2011.

In addition to her passion for spreading the word about Christian fiction, Bonnie is also an author of snarky suspense. Her novel Cooking The Books (A Sloane Templeton Novel) will release from Abingdon Press in April 2012. It is presently available for digital e-reader download if you are a book reviewer. Go to NetGalley.com, Abingdon Press as the publisher.

Picture from Andy Eklund's Creative Streak

Where the Past Meets the Present: The Villain

Welcome to the place where the past meets the present! This is a new weekly feature (most Mondays) where I'll be comparing classics with Christian fiction, sharing some writing advice from the classics, and/or sharing interesting historical facts that could be catalysts for new story ideas. I'm allowing myself some creative license here. ;)

Today we're talking about the villain.

What's the classic we're discussing? None other than Shakespeare's Othello!

Now, I'm sure most of you writers out there aren't working on tragedies. We're very much a happily-ever-after bunch, I'm thinking - or at least a satisfying, warm-feeling conclusion. Not so keen on the everyone-dies-and-no-one-is-happy ending.

So what does Othello have to offer us aspiring and/or published authors?

Well, while this isn't true of all books, sometimes the villains just aren't complex. They're evil, sure. But sometimes the villains we create are lacking a certain depth. Cue Iago.

Iago is a dastardly villain if ever there was one. So if you're looking for some ways to make your villain more...well...villain-y, look no farther than Iago! He's definitely "bad to the bone." Let's take a look at what makes him so terrible (in a good, villain-y way):

• He's intelligent. Let's face it. We've all read those books with the incompetent villains who are just asking to die. Seriously. Iago is not that guy! In fact, Iago's got all the other characters in the palm of his hand - playing them off of each other, getting into their minds, deceiving them completely, all while still maintaining an innocent facade. Unless we're writing tragedies, we don't necessarily want the bad guy to win...but we do want him (or her) to be a real challenge to the hero/heroine, right? We don't want no cardboard cutouts! (Excuse the double negative...)

• He's intriguing. Iago has his reasons for seeking to bring everyone down around him. Of course, some of those reasons can be debated since we aren't given all the specifics. However, he's a motivated man. And he has a wife, which certainly adds some interesting dynamics! So, when we're creating our villains, we should keep in mind that they have a past, family and/or friends, and a depth to them that leads to their thirst for revenge, etc.

• He's indisputably evil. My first draft of my first manuscript is missing a villain. (My second WIP has one right now, but that's beside the point right now...) A close relation of mine suggested to me that perhaps a villain is in order. While I don't think all books need a villain - sometimes the villain isn't a specific person - I think they can add a lot to a story. It's the classic good vs. evil theme, where readers are cheering on the good guys. In Othello, we still cheer on the good guys, despite the fact that it's a tragedy, and that means there isn't a happy ending... (Although happy endings are not required for meaningful stories!) But I digress... The point is that while we want our villains to be three-dimensional and authentic, my close relation reminded me that having an obviously "evil" figure really involves the reader. When you read Othello, you really, really want Iago to get his comeuppance and to leave all those other poor characters alone!!
  

So let's connect the past to the present! Do you have a villain in your current work-in-progress? Is there anything you can learn from Iago (or other notable classic villains) that might help you create a more believable, dastardly villain?

Winners!!

Good morning, BB fans! Thanks to everyone who participated in our "puzzling" Friday giveaway! Keep all those facebook and Twitter notifications, coming!

This week's winner of Valley of Dreams by Lauraine Snelling is...Gina Conroy!

Gina, please use the button in the upper right side of this page to email me with your mailing address so I can forward your information to the author. Then, sit back and wait for your book to arrive.

Thank you all so much for stopping by The Borrowed Book and thank you, Lauraine Snelling, for your generosity in providing a book!

Weekly Drawing

It's fun Friday at The Borrowed Book, and you have several chances to win. Here's how - instead of leaving a comment, leave the time it took you to complete the puzzle in the comments section. Winners will be drawn from ALL of the times, so the person with the fastest time may not be the actual winner, but by leaving your time, you double your chances.

Want another entry? Tweet your puzzle time and mention The Borrowed Book, get another entry.

Post your puzzle time on BB's Facebook wall and...you guessed it...get another entry!

Post it on your OWN Facebook wall and you could get as many as FOUR entries.

It's all a way to spread the word about the great giveaways on BB. So c'mon! Help us spread the word, and have a little fun at the same time. :-)

This week's puzzle feature is brought to you by Lauraine Snelling, who is celebrating the release of her latest book, Valley of Dreams.

HarperCollins Buys Thomas Nelson

In case you haven't heard by now, HarperCollins, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., announced earlier this week that it would finalize a deal to buy Thomas Nelson by the end of the year. Since HarperCollins already owns Zondervan, they will now own both of the the largest publishers in Christian publishing. This will make the company the single biggest stakeholder in Christian publishing.

It was reported that the news was received favorably by employees at Thomas Nelson when the announcement was made. Mark Schoenwald, president and CEO of Thomas Nelson, said that the company was excited to be joining HarperCollins. "We believe this transaction represents an attractive strategic fit for our company. With HarperCollins' resources and capabilities to draw on, we will capitalize on the many opportunities in this rapidly changing world of publishing."

Changes in publishing have been the topic of discussion on every blog and at every writers' conference in the past few years. We've seen bookstores close, and many wonder how digital publishing is going to affect print books in the future. Publishers are looking to the future and are beginning to prepare for what some see as a total digital age of books. HarperCollins has already developed a global print and digital platform, and some see this as an advantage for Thomas Nelson. With e-book distribution of print-on-demand, digital-to-print, and marketing on a worldwide scale into more than 175 markets, Thomas Nelson authors can expect to expand their readership.

HarperCollins Vice President, Corporate Communications Erin Crum told Christian Retailing: "HarperCollins will continue to publish both Thomas Nelson and Zondervan books, Bibles and products. The two companies have distinct and complementary missions, and we intend to keep these missions intact."

Whatever the future holds for publishing, it's going to be interesting to see how this latest deal plays out. What are your thoughts on the purchase?

Author Interview ~ Lauraine Snelling

Lauraine Snelling is the award-winning author of more than sixty books, with sales of over 2 million copies. She also writes for a wide range of magazines, and helps others reach their writing dreams by teaching at writer’s conferences across the country. Lauraine and her husband, Wayne, have two grown sons, and live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a cockatiel named Bidley, and a watchdog Basset named Winston.

Did you see yourself becoming a writer as a child? If not, what did you dream of being?

I thought my dreams of writing horse stories for girls started in High School but going through my mother’s things, I found a brown notebook, pre wire binding with a story in it, divided into chapters. Must have been 5th or 6th grade. I was really surprised. So I guess I was a writer before I thought I wanted to be. I did dream of being a veterinarian for a while, then knew that I would major in education and teach, planning on High School English and drama, probably public speaking and writing too. I still love teaching, now at writing conferences.

How long did you write before you sold your first book?

About a year and a half. I started out at a writer’s conference and decided to learn all I could about all phases of writing so I tried magazine articles, newspaper articles, devotionals, short stories, anything that caught my attention, but when Mt. St. Helens erupted I started my first horse story which became Tragedy on the Toutle. On the advice of my teacher at that same conference again, Warner Pacific, Colleen Reece is her name, I sent a query to Baker Publishing. They asked for a proposal, then the complete ms and then bought it. The second book took longer to sell. I think God knew I needed the reinforcement. Tragedy has been re-released, now titled, What About Cimmaron?

Many of the people who follow our blog are aspiring writers themselves. Can you share your favorite writing tip with them?

Keep your butt in the chair and your fingers on the keyboard or pencil. Don’t give up.

Now for the readers…many times, it’s easy for them to connect with the characters in a book, but not so much the authors themselves. Share something about your day-to-day life that might help a reader to feel as though they know you a little better.

My husband and I live in the mountains of So California, where the sun shines a lot. I love to garden, flowers not so much vegetables, I would rather read than about anything, I always have books close at hand, we are bird enthusiasts, Humming birds my favorites. We travel quite a bit, a long time dream of ours, we have a 42’ coach, our home away from home. I had always dreamed of water color painting someday and a few years ago, I got to paint and fell in love with it. But everything revolves around my writing deadlines, as to how much I get to enjoy all my side past times. We have a basset hound named Sir Winston ob de Mountains. I have interesting characters in my life and add to that wonderful realm on Facebook.

Now that you are published, do you still experience rejections? If so, how are these rejections different or similar to the ones you received before becoming published?

Back in the beginning I set a goal of so many query letters out a week. I have a log of all my writing, queries sent, responses, articles, books etc. It is interesting to look back in those early years and see the red circles, meaning sold, gaining in numbers. Like other writers, I could have papered a wall with them. Now rejections come more in the idea stage as I run ideas past my editors or agents. A friend, Kathleen Wright and I proposed a children’s series four years ago and it was finally sold. Agent tried and tried but no one could see it. Someone finally did. Persistence pays off. I am still not real patient in the waiting game. The four book series for middle readers is SAVE Squad, book one is titled, Dog Daze which will be released in March. Fun and funny, four girls who get involved in animal rescues. Would you believe a basset puppy stars in the first one?

Tell us a little about your latest release:

My latest release, Valley of Dreams came out in October from Bethany House, my long, long time publishing home. This is a new series with Cassie Lockwood, a trick rider, shooter in a wild west show circa 1906. When the show goes belly up, she and a select group of misfits heads south from Dickinson ND to find her father’s dream valley in the Black Hills of SD. I love writing city mouse comes to the country tales, as Cassie learns what life can be like outside her experiences.

If you could only share one line from Valley of Dreams, which one would you choose and why?

I always try to come up with one liners to start a book, well and most chapters. One of my favorites was from an early Blessing book, I think it was Reaper’s Song. The line “he’s dead,” created many questions in the reader, that’s the goal of an opening line. Get that reader hooked from the first line.

Writers often put things in their books that are very personal—like a funny story that happened to them, a spiritual truth they learned through difficulty, or even just a character trait that is uniquely theirs. Is there something in Valley of Dreams that only people close to you know is about you or someone you know?

Readers comment that they know a lot about me from reading my books. A writer has to weave parts of herself into every book. We draw upon our life experiences to build our characters and create our stories. Some books more than others are based on major happenings in our lives. I am no exception. Readers realize my love for gardening, animals, birds, because I include them in my novels. The Healing Quilt is really based on the death of our daughter from cancer before she turned twenty-one. I think it was sixteen years after she died, that God said it was time to write that story.

Readers often talk a lot about the hero and heroine of a story, but today I’d like to know something about your villain. Does he or she have a redeeming quality? Why or why not?

In The Way of Women, Mt. St. Helen’s was the villian but so often, the villian that is so hard to overcome is the one within us and that is often a major part of my stories. In the Blessing books, Ingeborg’s arch rival is Mrs. Valders. She is a good woman but really critical and wants to run everything. If I wrote mysteries, I would have to work harder at building villians.

What kind of research did you have to do for this book? Can you share some articles or website links you found particularly helpful?

I always go to the places I write about so we have spent time in the Black Hills, a truly beautiful part of creation. I read all the books I could find about Wild West Shows, others of the flora and fauna of the region, early South Dakota history. I always look for books by local authors when I go to a region. This time I couldn’t find enough info about the Rosebud reservation so I posted my questions on Facebook and got all the info and the resources that I needed. Come to find out, I was calling the reservation by the wrong name. Well, duh! My favorite research is always talking with people. One of my favorite places in the research was the Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City. What a treasure trove for historical writers.

Tell us what new projects you’re working on.

I just finished the rewrite of the rewrite on Reunion, a contemporary of a family in trouble, and now I am writing Whispers on the Wind, book two in the Wild, West Wind series. Valley of Dreams was number one, so I am getting to know Cassie and crew better all the time. She’s a pretty spunky heroine who is about to have another big fall.

The most common thing I hear when people learned I’ve published a book is, “I’ve always wanted to do that.” Faced with this statement, what advice would you give to someone just starting out in this business?

“No, I am not really interested in telling your story.” (I hear that a lot. “Boy do I have a story for you.”) But if you will start getting it down on paper or the computer, and keep working at it, learn to write for publication, I can tell you that this is a mighty rewarding calling. If God is calling you to write, you better get on it. People don’t realize how hard our work is, until they try it. But isn’t that the case in everything? Those who are good at something make it look easy. I never dreamed of being an Olympic athlete. I think God gives us dreams to go along with the talents he has given us.

What is the one question you were afraid I would ask…and how would you answer?

This question stumped me. I never gave it any thought. I just answer the questions to the best of my ability. I try to keep my life as an open book, not really hoarding secrets. Guess that is why I like writing about people who get hung out to dry by their secrets. Hmmm. This bears pondering.

Lauraine is giving away a copy of her book, Valley of Dreams. Be sure to stop by on Friday for your chance to win!