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 is Mary Preston - Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden! 

Congratulations, Mary! Please email me with your address so I can send you your book.

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

Read More

Weekly Drawing

The editorial staff at The Borrowed Book regrets to inform our readers that we have had to make a change in this week's featured puzzle. Instead of giving away a copy of Wind's Aria by Tessa Stockton, we are hosting Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden. Thank you to all of you for your readership and support!

It's Fun Friday at The Borrowed Book!
To enter:

Leave the time it took you to complete the puzzle in the comments section as well as your email address for notifying you if you've won. 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. RETWEET our Tweet, get two entries!

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 FIVE 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 Elizabeth Camden and her newest release, Against the Tide.

Read More

Meet the Multitalented Tessa Stockton

Author Tessa Stockton is a veteran of the performing arts and worldwide missions, having come from a long line of musical arts professionals. She loved seeing the world and absorbing the beauty of other cultures . . . an enriching life full of dance, music, faith, and interesting cuisine. Over the years, she also contributed as a writer/editor for ministry publications, ghostwriter for political content, and headed a column on the topic of forgiveness. Today, she writes romance and intrigue novels in a variety of genres.

It's our pleasure to interview her today.

1) Have you always wanted to be an author? If not, what made you decide to write, and how long have you been at it?

I think I’ve always wanted to be an author, yes. I worked in the performing arts world as a choreographer, dancer, and musician for over two decades. Although my schedule was demanding with rehearsals, touring, and such, I managed to freelance here and there as a writer. It was always my intention to become a novelist after a good run in the musical arts, at least strive for that. It took about ten years to progress to a published status. What was an eye-opener for me was how difficult it is to get your foot in the writing industry door. For some reason, I expected it to be easier than in the world of dance. Boy, was I naïve!

2) Are you a plotter, a pantser, or a combination?

A pantser. I may have a rough outline in my head, or a general idea or direction in which to take a story. But I’m somebody who really likes to ride the wave of creative flow. I do find it strange that I’m ultra-organized with everything else in life, but in-depth story plotting seems to stifle me. Hum.

3) What do your kids think about your being a writer?

I have one young son, and he thinks it’s grand. He’s such an over-the-top social bug, whereas I’m an introvert. Whenever we bump into people, it always flies out of his mouth, “My mommy makes books!” I find it endearing that he’s proud of his mama, but the heat of embarrassment fills my cheeks. We’ve had “talks” about trying to remedy this uncomfortable (for me) predicament. He’s also strong-willed. Sigh.

Incidentally, he also loves to read and write and has already created his own book of poems. He has quite a philosophical mind for such a little guy, and an extroverted one at that. I’m proud of him, too.

4) Do you have any rituals you like to go through before you start writing, such as make yourself a cup of coffee or tea? Do calisthenics to get the blood flowing? Lock yourself in a room and warn your family not to disturb you upon pain of death? Read something inspiring? Pray?

I drink my first cup of coffee in my special chair, which is in the quietest tucked-away corner of the house next to a window where I can watch nature, which inspires me, and I muse. Then, when I can gather myself enough to gravitate into my office with a second cup (my quota), I begin the day.

5) Writing is a sedentary occupation. What do you do for exercise?

I’m bored easily with routines, so I change them up quite a bit. One day, it might be dance related warm-ups at barre (I still have one mounted in my work space), another day it might be kickboxing or Zumba. Lately, I’ve been enjoying Hula, or just taking walks to breathe the fresh air which is sometimes the most invigorating experience.

If I’m on a tight deadline, I’ll take a periodic ten-minute break to rest my eyes from the computer screen and at the same time jump on the elliptical machine—just to feel the blood pumping through my legs again. I tend to sit with legs tightly crossed while I write. Not a good habit, it cuts circulation. Exercise is vital for me to feel balanced.

6) Do you have any pets? Do you own them, or they you?

I used to have horses, goats, guinea pigs, mice, dogs and cats—all at the same time. Now I just have a small dog and two cats. Oh, and a large Black Rat Snake that seems to have adopted my garage as a den. I don’t mind. He keeps the rats away, since my Rat Terrier and cats are worthless as hunters.

I miss the horses and goats.

At all times, with every creature, they have always owned me. I don’t mind. They’re therapeutic. Apparently, I need them!

7) What fun fact would you like your readers to know about you?

I used to play in a paintball league.

Wind's Aria, a fantasy romance, is Tessa's latest release. You can find it at

Soul Mate Publishing, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.

Want to connect with Tessa? Look her up on her website, meet her on Facebook, sent her a tweet, link up on LinkedIn, or find her on Goodreads.

Read More

Did You Know? ~ Gardener Museum Art Heist

On March 18, 1990, two men committed the largest art heist in history. Millions of dollars’ worth of art disappeared and haven’t been seen to this day. And until yesterday, the men who committed the crime were unknown.

In brief, this is how it happened:

In the wee hours of March 18, 1990, many of the good people of Boston were still celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. No one thought much of two men sitting in a car idling outside the Isabella Steward Gardener Museum. At 1:24 a.m. the two men walked up to a side entrance of the Museum and pressed the button. 

“Police!” one of them said. “Let us in. We heard about a disturbance in the courtyard.”

At the time, two security guards worked inside the four story building. One of the guards, a college student, sat at the main security desk. He believed they were the police and buzzed the uniformed men inside. Once they reached his desk, one of the intruders looked at the guard and said, "You look familiar...I think we have a default warrant out for you."

By accusing the guard, they tricked him into stepping out from behind his desk and away from the only alarm button in the museum. They ordered him to face the wall and handcuffed him. When the second security guard arrived minutes later, he was also handcuffed.  He asked them why he was being arrested.

"You're not being arrested," one of them replied. "This is a robbery. Don't give us any problems and you won't get hurt."

The thieves wrapped duct tape around the guards' hands, feet, and heads, leaving nose holes for breathing. Then they took the guards to the museum's basement and handcuffed them to pipes.

For the next eighty-one minutes, the thieves went through the museum picking and choosing art. Eighty-one minutes is a long time for a crime in progress. Some of what the men did during that time is still a mystery. A step-by-step map of the thieves’ progress through the museum can be found here:

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/article/2013/03/18/infographic-a-minute-by-minute-look-at-the-gardner-museum-heist/



The Storm on the Sea of Galilee

Priceless works of art were taken that night. This is a list of the pieces that were stolen: Vermeer's The Concert, which is the most valuable stolen painting in the world; two Rembrandt paintings, The Storm on the Sea of Galilee (his only known seascape) and Portrait of a Lady and Gentleman in Black; A Rembrandt self-portrait etching; Manet's Chez Tortoni; five drawings by Edgar Degas; Govaert Flinck's Landscape with an Obelisk; an ancient Chinese Qu; and a finial that once stood atop a flag from Napoleon's Army.

For more than two decades, this crime was unsolved, but yesterday the FBI announced it believes it has found the identity of the thieves. The heist was possibly carried out by a criminal organization based in the mid-Atlantic and New England. The stolen paintings were moved by that organization through Connecticut and the Philadelphia area in the years following the theft. The whereabouts of the artwork is still unknown. The FBI believes some of the art may have been sold in Philadelphia in the early 2000s. No specifics are being given about the crime, including names. The men who committed the crime may never be arrested because the statute of limitations has been reached. But the feds are casting a wide-net across the New England-area to find the art by publicizing the paintings through posters, videos, and setting up special hotlines and social media channels.

Many wonder why the crime hasn't been solved before now. The uniforms the men wore were obviously fakes. They didn't wear masks. They'd been seen in the idling car. And what happened to the art work? Things like that can't be sold in public, although I'm sure there is a large underground market for such things.

Just goes to show you that reality often reads like a work of fiction. 

If you want to read more about the crime, here is a Boston Globe article:

http://www.boston.com/news/specials/gardner_heist/heist/

If you want to read more about the FBI’s recent announcement just Google Gardener Museum Art Heist. It’s all over the news.

Read More

Literary One-Eighty by Author Tessa Stockton

Have you ever began a literary journey writing one thing, single-focused in style and voice, only to perform a one-eighty and suddenly you’re heading in the opposite direction? And what if you hadn’t determined to play things out as they did? Do you create a pseudonym, scrap any notion of change, or embark on what seemed natural all along?

I began my writing path with articles and short stories yet harbored the desire to become a novelist one day. Odd thing, the first four manuscripts I’d completed weren’t anything like the first two novels I had the opportunity and delight to actually see published. My debut, and the title that trailed, fell into the political intrigue/suspense thriller line. I can’t say that this type of genre/sub-genre isn’t also in my blood. Why it took the “debut” seat, I have no idea but God does. Maybe I’ll ask him one day.

It was during the midst of marketing the first politically edged title that I began feeling the nudge to return to another set of deep roots; that of fantasy. 

As a young girl, I adored fantasy novels. The genre suited me, for my mind often lingered in the clouds, daydreaming about magical realms, unusual creatures, curious communication with plants and animals, and romance. In those early days, however, unless you enjoyed romantic fantasy seductive or worldly, anything sweet and symbolic proved difficult to unearth as a reader.

Not that long ago, I asked myself a transformational question. If I was so influenced by fantasy back then, why couldn’t I begin this journey as a writer now? Why couldn’t I have one foot in one genre, and another foot in the other? If I am as God made me, and he did the wiring, then surely I can put to paper or computer screen the images and descriptions I see, feel, and need to express at the time they’re given to me. 

Some in the trade had tried to discourage me from venturing into fantasy. Well, in political intrigue, too, for that matter. Both have narrow markets. Although, I believe the markets are ever broadening. Then it was suggested I utilize a pseudonym. But having worked for a stint as a ghostwriter, I no longer wanted to pen for someone else or conceal and/or alter my identity—even for branding or platform sake. I am who I am who God made me and this is what I do. That’s my new motto.

Maybe I have split personalities. Who knows? For now, it works, because I love what I do! I enjoy it. It feels oh-so-right for me. Life is too short not to travel down the path(s) that brings you joy as you take each step. Perhaps the trail looks a little unused or rugged, but that doesn’t have to be a deterrent. A rough road doesn’t mean no. Besides, that kind of traveling can bring about better fitness.

I love authoring political intrigue and did it. I also love fantasy romance. So I pulled a one-eighty. Strange thing, I received a contract right away and have been celebrating the release of my first fantasy romance novella, Wind’s Aria, and the commencement of a series. Inspired by Song of Songs 2, Wind’s Aria is sweet, symbolic, and sacred—just the way I think it should be. Laced with the bloom of first love, you’ll also meet one they call Lily of the Valley.

A neat thing I’ve discovered along the way, whatever directions I’m steered in, even if they seem like opposites, the Lord has guided me to the moral of forgiveness as a central theme. That’s what ties it all together. All things work together for good, after all.

Done any one-eighties lately?

BIO: Tessa is a veteran of the performing arts and worldwide missions, having come from a long line of musical arts professionals. She loved seeing the world and absorbing the beauty of other cultures . . . an enriching life full of dance, music, faith, and interesting cuisine. Over the years, she also contributed as a writer/editor for ministry publications, ghostwriter for political content, and headed a column on the topic of forgiveness. Today, she writes romance and intrigue novels in a variety of genres.

Social Media links:

www.TessaStockton.com 

https://www.facebook.com/tessastockton

http://twitter.com/TessaStockton

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tessa-stockton/29/553/222

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4639560.Tessa_Stockton

Purchase Wind's Aria

Soul Mate Publishing: http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/winds-aria/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Winds-Aria-ebook/dp/B00B1FEC2A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358964244&sr=8-1&keywords=wind%27s+Aria 

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/winds-aria-tessa-stockton/1114146612?ean=2940016000206 

Come back Thursday when Tessa is again featured. Friday she is giving away an e-novella not yet in print!

Read More

May I Borrow From Your Book? ~ Ring of Secrets

About this Feature: Writing letters to characters and/or authors is nothing new, but here's the twist: these letters will be all about borrowing, in keeping with our blog title. They can be funny or serious, sweet or sassy, short or more in-depth. My hope is that the letters will be entertaining or inspiring to read and will show appreciation to authors - and to the Lord for giving us creativity! (You can click the button and then scroll down to read previously posted letters.)

I'll plan on sharing a letter every other week. If you'd like to submit a letter of your own to be posted here, feel free to e-mail me at amberstokes@corban.edu.

Today's letter is for Roseanna White, author of "The Culper Ring" series:

Dear Roseanna,

You write in a genre that I love to read and write in, myself! (Yay for historical romance!) And you bring everything together so well - an intriguing cast of characters, subtle suspense, inspiring thoughts to ponder, interesting historical details/characters, and some swoon-worthy romantic moments. I really enjoyed your latest stories, and it sounds like you have some great ones coming!
 
I'm currently participating in Speedbo (a writing challenge hosted by Seekerville), with hopes of finishing my current WIP by the end of March. Then it's on to editing, and - dare I hope? - self-publishing later this year! Would you mind if I borrow some of your talent for excelling in writing for this genre? I know you've got a lot of current projects you'll need that talent to complete, but even a small portion to assist me through the coming months would be fabulous!

I wish you the best in your writing endeavors - keep those great historical romance books coming!

Sincerely,
Amber 

You can purchase Ring of Secrets now at Amazon.com, and you can also pre-order Whispers from the Shadows (releases August 2013)!

And here are links to my reviews of those two books: Ring of Secrets and Whispers from the Shadows

Read More

Sunday Devotional: Humble Myself

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 2:10)

Humble myself?

What in the world does that mean?

I find myself being humbled all the time—good intentions gone awry, a snarky comment I regret the moment it leaves my lips, my children spilling some juicy piece of our life story to total strangers. There seems no end to the situations God provides for me to learn humility. Why do I need to go to the trouble of doing it for myself?

But that verse tugged me by the heart a few years ago and whispered for me to pay attention, there was something deeper to be learned.

It’s one thing to accept those little (or not so little) humbling moments as they come, something else entirely to maintain an attitude of humility before the Lord. Easy, too, to speak of maintaining that attitude, then refusing to consciously take the path of humility when more subtle opportunities present themselves for it ...

... like, when I’m taken to task for something I don’t necessarily think was my fault. Humble myself.

Or when a stray comment by a friend hits a tender area inside me, and I’m struggling to not be offended. Humble myself.

When someone else reaps a blessing that I’ve prayed, waited, and/or worked for ... humble myself.

When I come across a lesson I’m sure I’ve learned a hundred times before ... humble myself.

It all boils down to choice. Choosing to overlook an offense. Choosing to consider that I just might have something God wants to correct in me, even if I don’t see it, because He’s the only righteous Judge. Choosing to ... humble myself.

Only God knows the whole picture of why blessings are bestowed here, and seemingly withheld there. (He IS God, after all!) And only He knows the ultimate purpose of whatever lesson or process or experience is laid in my path.

He is God, and I am not.

But in that is reassurance. Who better to leave the management of the universe to—or of my own small life? And if I choose to humble myself, whatever that may look like, then He promises when the time is right, He will lift me up.

That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting

That there is none besides Me.

I am the LORD, and there is no other.. (Isaiah 45:6)

Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel:

I am the Lord your God

And there is no other.

My people shall never be put to shame. (Joel 2:27)

But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,

My glory and the One who lifts up my head. (Psalm 3:3, all NKJV)

Read More