Review of Sarah Sundin's "In Perfect Time" by S. A. Black

Sarah Sundin’s World War II historical romance, In Perfect Time, is the final novel in the Wings of the Nightingale series.  Sarah expertly uses her talents to draw the reader into the World War II era with her penchant for detail. She manages to provide (in her words) “drama, daring and romance” into her books. Sarah skillfully weaves her story of the flight nurses efforts as well as the pilots who risked their lives to transport between Italy and southern France evacuating wounded and delivering supplies to hospitals.  She centers her story around the lives of two main characters: Army Air Force flight nurse Kay Johnson and C-47 pilot Roger Cooper.

Beautiful flirtatious Lt. Kay Johnson, driven by her memories of her father’s condescending words that she was unworthy of any love even from God, “he called her irredeemable”, collects men’s hearts across the European airfields. Kay is a good flight nurse and wants to pursue her career by attending the chief nursing school before the war ends, but her loose reputation as well as her inability to unify her group of six flight nurses could hinder her chances at being selected as a candidate.

Handsome daring pilot Lt. Roger Cooper, a musician at heart, dreams of making it big as a drummer in a Big Band after the war, but until that time he continues to fly C-47 planes flying the wounded, paratroopers, and supplies across Europe. Having given up his past life of being bad boy when he got saved, he is known as “preacher man” as he carries his Bible with him even on his flights. But his reputation for being “late all the time, writing sloppy reports, and pulling pranks on other pilots” doesn’t sit well with his squadron commander Major Bill Veerman, brother to Big Band Leader Hank Veerman. Roger determines to prove himself reliable, to gain the respect from his squadron commander and to receive a possible recommendation for a rehearsal with Veerman’s band in the states.

As Kay and Roger find themselves working side by side in their efforts to evacuate the wounded to safety, their relationship slowly develops. When Kay comes on strong to Roger, although captivated by Nurse Johnson, he avoids her advances, knowing her reputation of loving and leaving; although he can’t deny the respect he has for her skills and capabilities as an excellent flight nurse. 

I would very much recommend this book. It was very entertaining and informative of the WWII era. The plot was very well developed and kept me reading to the end. Future readings will most likely include her other novels prior to In Perfect Time.

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40 Tips for Polishing Your Manuscript by Author Anita Higman

Robert Louis Stevenson said, “There is but one art, to omit.” He obviously appreciated the power of polish. I call polishing powerful, because it has the ability to transform a rough draft into

something remarkable—something salable. After I complete a rough draft I go over it quite a few times, checking for problems, large and small. Here are 40 power-polishers from my personal list. 

1. Did I sprinkle in backstory like a fine spice or did I dump the whole jar in at the beginning? 
2. Do my characters have plenty of quirks and ticks like real people? 
3. If I repeated words are they beautifully rhythmic or just annoyingly repetitious? 
4. Is it clear which characters are talking, or will readers need to stop to figure it out? 
5. If I altered anything midway—a character’s hair color, the season of the year, etc.—did I make those changes all the way through the manuscript? 
6. Did I check each “was” and “were” as well as other potentially scrawny verbs? Do some of them need to be removed from the herd? 
7. Is the word “that” used so much that readers will become so weary of that that they’ll want to use my novel for kindling? 
8. Have I included literary devices such as sensory details, foreshadowing, irony, metaphors, and similes to give my story depth and delight? 
9. Did I dip so randomly and deeply into the barrel of limp and colorless adjectives and adverbs that my prose came out hopelessly anemic?
10. Are the elements of action, description, and dialogue balanced in my story? 
11. Is my point of view consistent, or will I confuse readers by head-hopping? 
12. Is the setting in each scene well-defined? 
13. Are my characters unforgettable and believable, or are they one-dimensional and uninspiring because I haven’t spent enough time getting to know them? 
14. Are my heroine and hero relatable and likable? Do they have enough noble and endearing qualities—along with their flaws—to make readers want to cheer them on? 
15. Will readers know the year, the season, and the time of day easily, or are these story elements too vague? 
16. Does my timeline have inconsistencies? 
17. Did I vary the length of sentences in my paragraphs so they’re eye-appealing and easy to read? Are my paragraphs so long they’re like a wall of words in need of mental climbing gear? 
18. How is my pacing? Is there a good rhythm to my storytelling? Are there passages I need to slow down or speed up for effect?
19. Do I have too many summary paragraphs? Do some segments need to be revised so I’m showing and not telling? 
20. Does my work have the fine brushstrokes of subtext dialogue?  
21. If I’ve written in first person does it look like there was an “I” explosion all over the manuscript?
22. If the professions and hobbies of the main characters are important to the story will the readers get a good look into this part of their lives? Was this material presented in a way that is organic to the story, and did I check the information for accuracy? 
23. Is my dialogue realistic and interesting or mind-numbingly boring? 
24. Do my characters have occasional and natural interruptions in their speech without being confusing?
25. Have I taken out unnecessary words, such as some, began to, just, rather, and all at once?
26. Does every scene have some element of suspense or conflict or intrigue? 
27. Is each and every scene important to the overall plot, or have I padded the novel to up my word count? 
28. Are some of my chapters too long?
29. Do all my chapters end with cliffhangers?
30. When my character presents a potent line of dialogue, do I use it later to make an arc that is memorable and effective? 
31. Do I have a sagging middle that’s in need of a few tummy tucks of story tension? 
32. Did I succumb to the temptations of authorial intrusion? 
33. Do my characters make gestures that reflect their personalities, and are those gestures fresh and unique? Or are my characters engaged in too much shrugging, sighing, lip chewing, nodding, brow furrowing, arm crossing, throat clearing and head shaking?
34. If I’ve added humor to my novel, does it fit the characters, and does it flow with the rest of the work? 
35. Do the elements of faith happen naturally in the story, or did I toss in some prayer and Scripture to make it sound Christian? 
36. Are the themes in my story memorable and effective? 
37. Are the character’s thoughts interesting and necessary, or are they merely repeats of what the character is saying? 
38. Do I have an overall story arc that is clear and memorable? 
39. Did I create a satisfying ending, or is it too predictable and rushed because I’m tired of the story? 
40. Have I read the work out loud to catch the errors that might be more obvious when heard rather than seen? 

I hope this mini version of my checklist is helpful in all your novel-polishing endeavors.

Anita Higman is a CBA best-selling and award-winning author. Among her many accolades, Higman has won the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award twice. She has written or co-authored more than 30 books, including fiction and non-fiction for adults and children, as well as plays. Higman has also been recognized for her contributions to literacy and has raised thousands of dollars with her book I Can Be Anything while serving on the board of directors of Literacy Advance of Houston.

Even though she’s written in many genres, Higman does have her favorite. “I love inspirational romance. There’s just nothing else like it for writing and reading. It naturally makes you want to curl up on an overstuffed couch and read the day away.” Her latest release is A Marriage in Middlebury. 

She loves good movies, exotic teas and brunch with her friends. Higman and her husband live in Houston, TX.

To keep up with Anita Higman, visit anitahigman.com, become a fan on Facebook (Author Anita Higman) or follow her on Twitter (@anitahigman).

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The Story behind The Lesson (Revell) by Suzanne Woods Fisher

In every novel, I try to weave some true-to-life elements from the Plain life into the plot line. In The Budget (an Amish-Mennonite newspaper), I had noticed references to Plain families fostering children whose mothers were serving jail terms. The Plain families weren’t trying to convert the children—they cared for them, took them to visit their mothers, and the result was a noticeable reduction in recidivism. I used that piece of information in the plot line for The Lesson, my newest novel. 

There’s something I hope sticks with a readers after reading The Lesson: the impact of love. There is a theme of unconditional love in this story that weaves its way through many characters’ lives and changes them forever.  

Amish fiction is all about good characters. The main character in this story is one of my favorites: Mary Kate (M.K.) Lapp. She is one of a kind. Bright, curious, amusing, with a nose for trouble. She means well, acts first and thinks later. We first meet M.K. as a young girl in “The Keeper” and “The Haven.” Fast forward to “The Lesson.” M.K. is nineteen and restless for adventure. It arrives on page one! Two young people with a mysterious past land in Stoney Ridge on the very day a sheep farmer is shot and killed. M.K., who fancies herself a part-time detective, decides the local sheriff needs a little crime-solving help. Naturally, she ends up creating all kinds of complications. Not exactly the “simple” life you’d expect in an Amish novel.  

I’m often asked why Amish fiction is such a “hot” genre. There’s probably a couple of reasons: the tragedy at the Nickel Mines one-room schoolhouse shone a national spotlight on the Amish, then the sub-genre took off as the recession hit in full force. The character-driven stories invite readers into another world, pastoral and uncomplicated, where one feels renewed and re-energized after closing a book. The very goal of inspirational fiction!  

But there’s a deeper layer to the Amish. Those buggies and the bonnets and the beards—they distract us. There’s so much more to learn from the Plain people than how to dress or drive. 

What has touched me in a deep way is the intentional forgiveness of the Old Order Amish. We just don’t emphasize that enough in our modern churches. To the Amish, it’s a daily attitude of “letting things go, big and small.” They place great importance on forgiving others because of Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount: “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:15). It gives one pause for thought… 
I enjoy writing Amish fiction because it’s a quiet way to point people toward a better life, using Amish characters as the illustration. The Amish are the first to say they aren’t perfect, and I try not to over-glamorize them, but at their best, they are close to the heart of Christ. They make choices that are counterintuitive to human nature (turning the other cheek even if you run out of cheeks, for example). It’s challenging and inspiring to take those moments of decision, common to all of us, and turn them into a story. A good one, I hope!

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Keeper, The Haven, ‘The Lancaster County Secrets’ series, A Lancaster County Christmas, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is fascinated by faith-based communities. Her interest in the Anabaptist culture can be directly traced to her grandfather, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is the host of Amish Wisdom, a weekly radio program, is a columnist for Christian Post and has a free downloadable app, Amish Wisdom, that delivers a daily Amish proverb. She lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

You can find Suzanne on-line at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com, at www.Facebook.com/SuzanneWoodsFisherAuthor and her twitter handle is @suzannewfisher.  

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