Research and Being There by Author Christine Lindsay

RESEARCH AND BEING THERE

by Award-winning author Christine Lindsay

Being born into Great Britain—Northern Ireland to be precise—naturally the history of British Colonial India fascinates me. I grew up on the block-buster novels by MM Kaye and the British Raj. So when it came time to write my novels, I wanted to follow in MM Kaye’s grand, romantic, adventure epic style but from a Christian viewpoint.

I love a book that is steeped in history, swashbuckling heroism, romance with a capital ‘R’, danger, suspense. I loved books where big things happen. So that’s what I aim to write.

Adding to my fascination of India were the stories my mother told me about my ancestors who served in the British Cavalry during the Raj. So my first fictional hero had to be a Cavalry officer, just home from WW1 and suffering from shell shock.

I did a huge amount of research while writing the multi-award-winning Shadowed in Silk, reading more than 40 books. There were biographies on Gandhi, the Viceroys of the Raj, missionaries, military families, even cookbooks by Englishwomen living in India. That’s how I learned that a favorite treat a British memsahib would give her growing English child was a chapatti spread with marmalade.

In my desire to be historical and culturally correct, I hired an Indian lady in Bangalore with a PhD in literature, to read over Shadowed in Silk. She wrote back saying, she was shocked that I had never been to India because from my writing it seemed I had.

Just goes to show that good research is always the best way to go. Your local library is unbeatable.

However, when I actually got a chance to visit India it was a thrill to see my research come alive.

Being there—feeling the heat, smelling the spices, being with the vibrant Indian people—gave me the strangest feeling that I was living in my own dream, being in my own book.

One of my most treasured memories was taking a six-hour train trip. The missions group I was with wanted to use the ordinary Indian train accommodations. Nothing first class. As I sat on the hard, straight up seat on the train, looking out through open windows, no glass, only bars, I kept feeling as though I were seeing India through the eyes of one of my heroes of yesteryear, Dr. Ida Scudder, a medical missionary. This true-life missionary features in Captured by Moonlight, which I affectionately refer to as my rendition of the famous classic Love in the Time of Cholera.

Never did care for the novel Love in the Time of Cholera, but I sure like the title.

Seeing India, smelling it, feeling it, only made the writing of Book 2 Captured by Moonlight come alive that much easier. I have walked along the very beach in Chennai (what used to be Madras) that my character Laine—a nurse with the Queen Alexandra Nursing Corps—walks along. I’ve seen the bazaars, the cows, flocks of goats, the red dirt, banana and mango groves. It was wonderful.

The final book to my series Twilight of the British Raj will take the reader up to the Partition of India and birthing the new country of Pakistan. Book 3 will be called Veiled at Midnight and will include many characters from the first 2 books, to be released 2014.

You can tell from the title of the series that the theme is the beginning of the end of the 300-year-old British rule of India.

That twilight began with a terrible massacre in the city of Amritsar in 1919. Due to rising political tension within the Indian people, a British general went off half-cocked one day and ordered his troops to shoot into a huge crowd of innocent demonstrators. Somewhere around 400 to 600 people were killed that day in the Jallianwalla Bagh. They are unsure of the actual numbers. This was a terrible blight on England’s history, and stirred the Indian population, especially Gandhi, to work towards Indian independence.

To this day, old-timers in India remember with a shudder that awful event, and how current it is in British mentality as well. Only a few months ago British Prime Minister David Cameron expresses regret at Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

The ties between Britain and India are not that long ago. When I visited India in 2010, the flavor of the British Raj could still be seen in many old buildings, especially the train stations in large cities like Mumbai or Chennai. Those train stations were built in Victorian times and reminiscent of stations in England.

As my series on India comes to an end—at least in the writing aspect—I look forward to what is next on my agenda.  

I’m just starting a brand new series set in England during the Edwardian era. This will include my own spiritual and emotional journey—that of relinquishing my first child to adoption. The spiritual theme for that will be the motherly aspect to God’s love in that He never forgets us.

That’s what’s so amazing about God—getting to know Him is the greatest adventure of all.

Christine Lindsay

Christine Lindsay writes historical inspirational novels with strong love stories such as her debut novel SHADOWED IN SILK which is set in India during a turbulent era. Christine's long-time fascination with the British Raj was seeded from stories of her Irish ancestors who served in the British Cavalry in Colonial India.

SHADOWED IN SILK is currently the recipient of two awards and a finalist in a third. SiS won the 2009 ACFW Genesis for Christian Historical, and the 2011 Grace Award. In June 2012 SiS became a finalist in the Reader's Favorite Award. Adding to Christine's Irish pride is the fact that her great-grandfather and her grandfather both worked as riveters in the Belfast shipyard and one of the ships they built was the Titanic.

An interesting note about the front cover of SiS, is that the model is Christine's daughter, Sarah, whom she relinquished to adoption and was reunited with 20 years later.

The Pacific coast of Canada is Christine's home. It's a special time in her life as she and her husband enjoy the empty nest, but also the noise and fun when the kids and grandkids come home. Like a lot of writers, her cat is her chief editor.

For more about Christine, visit her website/blog and connect with her through social media - Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest. For more information about Christine's new release, "Captured By Moonlight," click here. See the book trailer here.

Captured by Moonlight

Prisoners to their own broken dreams...

After a daring rescue goes awry, the parched north of India grows too hot for nurse Laine Harkness and her friend Eshana. The women flee to the tropical south...and run headlong into their respective pasts.

Laine takes a new nursing position at a plantation in the jungle, only to discover that her former fiancé is the owner...and that Adam has no more to say to her now than he did when he crushed her years ago. Why, then, is she still drawn to him, and to the tiger cub he is raising?

Eshana, captured by her traditional uncle and forced once more into the harsh Hindu customs of mourning, doubts whether freedom will ever again be in her future, much less the forbidden love that had begun to whisper to her. Is faith enough to live on? Or is her Savior calling her home? 

Amid cyclones and epidemics, clashing faiths and consequences of the war, will the love of the True Master give hope to these searching hearts?
 

Shadowed in Silk

First place winner of the 2009 ACFW Genesis award for Historical
She was invisible to those who should have loved her.

After the Great War, Abby Fraser returns to India with her small son, where her husband is stationed with the British army. She has longed to go home to the land of glittering palaces and veiled women . . . but Nick has become a cruel stranger. It will take more than her American pluck to survive.

Major Geoff Richards, broken over the loss of so many of his men in the trenches of France, returns to his cavalry post in Amritsar. But his faith does little to help him understand the ruthlessness of his British peers toward the Indian people he loves. Nor does it explain how he is to protect Abby Fraser and her child from the husband who mistreats them.

Amid political unrest, inhospitable deserts, and Russian spies, tensions rise in India as the people cry for the freedom espoused by Gandhi. Caught between their own ideals and duty, Geoff and Abby stumble into sinister secrets . . . secrets that will thrust them out of the shadows and straight into the fire of revolution.

NASCAR, military and murder? Interview with Jodie Bailey

Freefall

With one accusation, Army officer Cassidy Matthews's name, reputation--and life--are on the line. A Special Forces soldier insists that Cassy's Fort Bragg-based unit is smuggling drugs. And the accuser? It's Cassy's handsome, stubborn ex-husband, Major Shane Logan. 

Shane knows Cassy is innocent, which is why he's sure she's being set up to take the fall. Proving it, though, means working together...and trying to ignore the feelings they still share.

The closer they get—to the truth and to each other—the more the danger grows from a ruthless criminal who'll stop at nothing to destroy them both.

Jodie Bailey

Jodie Bailey is Tarheel born and bred. After fifteen years as a military spouse, she's proud to be a retired military spouse settled in North Carolina with her husband and daughter.

She is the author of the military suspense novels Freefall and Crossfire (coming January 2014), from Love Inspired Suspense, and is a contributor to Edie Melson's devotional for military families, Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home.

While not working on her next novel, she teaches middle schoolers to love writing as much as she does (if she's lucky that day and they're actually listening...). Jodie loves to bake, ride the Harley with her husband, and fish the Outer Banks with their daughter. You can find her on the web at www.jodiebailey.com or on Facebook or Twitter.

Ten Questions with Author Jodie Bailey

What should readers know about your latest release? Does it differ from your past books, offer a new perspective on a familiar topic, or shed light on a unique situation?

Freefall is my first book. What makes it different? I wanted a heroine who matched the hero’s abilities in every way…but still needed him. The question in my mind was, “What happens when you’ve always been tough, always handled things yourself, and you’re suddenly in a situation where you need help?”

As an Army wife, I also knew I wanted my protagonists to be soldiers and to touch on how constant separation affects relationships, and how God at the center can make those times apart a good thing.

What was the main inspiration for the new book? Had the idea been on your mind for a while or just popped into it one day?

My agent asked me if I’d ever considered writing suspense and I said no. A couple of days later, I had this picture of a woman coming home, opening her closet door, and finding a man there. The problem?  He was there to help not harm, but the last thing she wanted was his help. The image wouldn’t leave me alone, so I wrote that scene. Then another. And another. Oh, to get visions that clear all of the time!

Why do you feel compelled to write—in your genre or at all?

I can’t change the fact I have hazel eyes. I can’t change the fact I have brown hair. I can’t change the fact that God made me a writer. Honestly, I don’t know what else I would do.

Even when I wasn’t writing “for real,” I was constantly writing. It’s impossible to stop!  I wander around like I’ve lost something when I’m not writing, and nothing else gets down, because I feel like there’s something else I should be doing. :)

How has travel been involved in your writing and/or research? What’s been your most memorable research experience?

I once read a popular CBA author’s description of my favorite place on earth, and she got one major, major detail wrong that let me know she’d never been there and had probably never even bothered to look at a picture either. I never read another one of her books. That’s something I don’t ever want to do, insult a place someone loves by getting it wrong.

I try to set books in places I’ve been. If not, I visit. Freefall is set on the military base near where I grew up. Crossfire, which is coming out in January, is on a military base where we once lived. I have two unpublished books that take place in NASCAR, so we took a long weekend and went to Mooresville, NC to visit the race shops. I want the details to be right. 

Probably my most memorable experience was researching the unpublished NASCAR book. I emailed a few race shops to ask questions, and the only one to answer was one of the biggest dogs out there. I nearly fell over. 

I exchanged a few emails with their Director of Communications and then, one day, he said, “Hey, come down to Atlanta and I’ll let you shadow one of our PR people for the day.” I wound up all over the “behind the scenes” of NASCAR, absolutely floored by God’s provision in getting me places I would never have dared ask permission to go. That was definitely memorable!

For Freefall specifically, I went to the rigger shed and met the man who does Cassy’s job. It was a day off for him, but he invited me and took me to see everything I needed to see, walked me through his schedule and his duties, and let me talk to a few of the riggers.

But the craziest part? I had a handful of guys sitting in that office helping me figure out how to realistically portray the crime in the novel. Obviously, we didn’t go into national security details, but it was enough to make it “real.” And it was awesome.

Who has inspired you the most on your writing journey—a loved one, fellow author, favorite teacher?

Honestly, “it takes a village.”  There would be too many to list here.  It would be a seven-part blog post.

What surprised you the most about the writer’s journey—publication, representation, platform building, the writing itself?

Everything. I was so ignorant when I started. I thought, “If you write it, they will come.” Write a book, publish it… Uhm, no. I had no idea about agents and submission processes and marketing! I finished my first book, edited it with a Beta reader, went online and went, “Oh boy.”

But I think it was necessary for me to do it that way. If I’d known all of the rules ahead of time, it would have paralyzed me, and I’d have never finished that first novel. It’s never been published and may never be, but my agent saw something in it that she liked.

My biggest lesson? Trust God. He’ll take you places you never dreamed.

If you could rewind time to when you began your pursuit of publication, what would you tell yourself?

Writing-for-fun Self: You have always loved writing. It’s been an outlet and a joy, because you did it for fun. You’ll always love it, but when it becomes your job, you will realize that some days, writing is a sheer act of sweat-inducing willpower.   

At some point, you will hate, loathe, and despise your book. Push past that, because that’s when amazing things happen. That’s when the sacrifice of self happens and God takes over. 

There will be days when it will be just you and Him, and the only reason words will get on the page is because He says they have to. What you will hear from readers is that the words written on those days are the ones that resonate most. Trust God. Even when it feels like the words aren’t there.

Now to have some fun with travel…

What’s your favorite place you have visited?

I love, love, love the southern end of Hatteras Island, NC. I may not live there, but something about it screams home to me. I know God is everywhere, but I almost feel like the veil is a little bit thinner on a certain strip of beach where Jesus and I walk together. 

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be? Or would you return to somewhere you’ve already been?

Y’all, I’d be right back on Hatteras. Hands down. Every time. Tell me I can go anywhere, and I’ll plant myself right in that sand. Though if you forced me to choose somewhere else, I’d like to see Scotland and Ireland. My family’s roots run deep there. 

And now a fun tidbit—if there was one special travel destination just for writers and you were the founder of it, what would the name be and would it be located?

My uncle used to have this great house down at (guess where!) the southern end of Hatteras. It was on the narrow part of the island, so you could see surf and sound. The sunsets? My word, the sunsets. Windows everywhere. Porches galore. No spot without a view.

There was a great, conversational den with a fireplace that just invited talks. And every time we went down there, I’d look at the dining room, windows on three sides, sunlight abounding, with a humongous square table that felt like it would seat twenty. I’d always think, “Man. What an awesome place to plant a group of writers and just write and talk and brainstorm together.”

I’d buy that house back, build an identical one next to it, name it “Inspiration,” and never, ever leave. Come one, come all! My aunt is a gourmet cook who never met a recipe she didn’t try. I’d hire her. The men in my family would take you fishing if you needed to get out of the house. My other aunt would lead you on kayaking expeditions if you needed some exercise. There is no way you could walk through those doors without feeling the itch from your spirit straight down to your fingers.

I had a BLAST! Thanks, Morgan!

Historic Meal along the famed Mississipp

Gorgeous Rosalie antebellum mansion in downtown Natchez

Natchez, Mississippi is not only a truly historic city set along the famed Mississippi River in the Southern United States, but it's also my birthplace. I always liked to say I was born near the "Mighty Mississipp."

I've never lived a day in MS though. I was raised across the river in Louisiana and I still live within an hour's drive of Natchez, which is the reason my Mom, her co-worker and I recently headed to this historic city for a special dining night out - a progressive dinner.

This trip was a spur-of-the-moment excursion. Mom and her co-worker had mentioned just going to eat somewhere and then I threw out the idea of a progressive meal. They were sold. The most fun part for me though was that each location was a surprise. I’d set the culinary boundaries in downtown Natchez and the restaurants within a few blocks of each other.
 

The first stop on the three-part dinner tour I had organized was the perfect kick-starter for this trip – Biscuits and Blues. The restaurant, located at 315 Main Street, is not only a place of finger licking good biscuits but also live blues music on Friday and Saturday evenings from 7:30 to 10 p.m.

Crawfish-Mushroom Beignet, Biscuit & BLT Potato Skins

We parked on the street and walked into the small but busy place a little after 6:30 and were seated at a nice little table near where the night’s musician sang soulful ballads by Norah Jones and similar artists.
 

Our waitress brought over the complimentary basket of biscuits and apricot butter, which paired with the biscuits is a little slice of Southern-style paradise. This stop was for appetizers only and I had to get the place’s other starter specialty – the Crawfish and Mushroom Beignet.
 

The dish consists of crawfish tails and mushrooms sautéed in a light garlic cream sauce and served over a warm beignet. According to their menu, this dish was actually made famous by Natchez Author Greg Iles in his novel, “The Quiet Game.” A new appetizer I hadn’t tried before was our other dish – BLT Potato Skins, which were potato skins topped with cheddar, bacon, lettuce and tomato with Ranch dressing. It was all quite delicious and my two other eating companions agreed.
 

Our main course stop for dinner was at nearby Pearl Street Pasta – 105 S. Pearl Street. We were seated right away near the entrance. I had actually never eaten there before, though I’ve heard rave reviews from others.

Pearl Street Pasta and Crab Cake with homemade Remoulade

During these types of progressive dinners, I like to sample the best of the venue, so we split their signature entrée - Pearl Street Pasta with a side of crab cakes served with housemade Remoulade and a basket of garlic bread.

The main dish was superb with angel hair pasta, sliced grilled chicken breast seasoned with lemon pepper and served with pearl onions, mushrooms and a rich cream sauce.
 

Our third and final stop for dessert actually surprised me. Two years ago, I had enjoyed its unique atmosphere reminiscent of a quaint bistro in the heart of the New Orleans French Quarter. Since then though, the Cotton Alley Café has moved to a more prominent location at 208 Main Street (not too far from Biscuits and Blues) and it’s atmosphere has risen in uniqueness and elegance.
 

Lovely front of the Cotton Alley Cafe

At this point in our food journey, we were becoming quite full, so we opted to split two desserts at the café with its lovely glass front with a wrought iron bench and its lovely little tables with tablecloths, plants and art-covered walls. I definitely would like to return to eat a sole meal there.  

Delicious Brownie & Tropical fruit cake

The waitress showed us to their dessert case to make our selections, which were a double caramel and chocolate brownie and a slice of homemade tropical fruit cream cake. The cake had three layers of soft, spongy lemon and orange cake with a light kiwi icing in between and over the top layer, which was sprinkled with green grapes and a slice of kiwi. Both selections were fantastic.
 

It was the perfect end to a nice evening in downtown Natchez. I would recommend paying a visit to all three of these establishments and if a progressive dinner is the goal, keep the party count down to four or less, be flexible and be willing to skip one place if you have to. Just enjoy the company, the experience and the atmosphere in this historic city.

For more info about Natchez, check out their official website here.

Have you had a progressive meal? Where was it? Have you been to Natchez? What did you do there? I'd love to hear about it below in comments.  :)

The Penning Board 2013-18

The Penning Board

 

Items of the Week

Movie: “Tom and Huck” (1995) – Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Brad Renfro and Rachael Leigh Cook

A mischievous young boy, Tom Sawyer, witnesses a murder by the deadly Injun Joe. Tom becomes friends with Huckleberry Finn, a boy with no future and no family.

Tom has to choose between honoring a friendship or honoring an oath because the town alcoholic is accused of the murder. Tom and Huck go through several adventures trying to retrieve evidence.

In honor of spending some time by the Mississippi River, I picked this childhood favorite movie of mine. I was the girl that had Jonathan Taylor Thomas—known as JTT—posters splattered across my bedroom, so naturally I loved this movie. It is cute and I have a special link to it since my great-aunt was an extra in it. J

Cute take on two classic tales by Mark Twain. If you haven’t seen it, check it out.

News: “Want to visit Mars? Applications being taken”

At least 20,000 really adventurous people have applied for a crack at a permanent trip to the red planet. After only one week, submissions to the Mars One project are pouring in—600 from china alone.

Although the trip and training sound daunting, the requirements for candidates are wide open. If you show resilience, adaptability, and curiosity, you might qualify. Scientific and astronaut's skills, however, are not required.

We might add that patience is a plus, since this particular one-way ticket to the red planet, offered by the Dutch organization Mars One, won't be available until 2023.

Is this a one-way trip you'd ever want to take? In fact, is there anywhere you'd take a one-way ticket too? I choose Heaven.

http://travel.yahoo.com/blogs/compass/want-visit-mars-applications-being-taken-205216264.html

Book: “Writing the Breakout Novel” by Donald Maass

Take your fiction to the next level!

Maybe you're a first-time novelist looking for practical guidance. Maybe you've already been published, but your latest effort is stuck in mid-list limbo.

Whatever the case may be, author and literary agent Donald Maass can show you how to take your prose to the next level and write a breakout novel - one that rises out of obscurity and hits the best-seller lists.
 

Maass details the elements that all breakout novels share - regardless of genre - then shows you writing techniques that can make your own books stand out and succeed in a crowded marketplace.

Then, using examples from the recent works of several best-selling authors - including novelist Anne Perry - Maass illustrates methods for upping the ante in every aspect of your novel writing. You'll capture the eye of an agent, generate publisher interest and lay the foundation for a promising career.

This now classic fiction writer’s handbook is a must-read for aspiring authors. It’s jam-packed with great insight and interactive ways to strengthen your writing.

Highly recommended. Check out more about the author here and the book here.

Travel Quote:

“Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert

Bible Verse:

“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” - 2 Timothy 4:3-8

Song: “A Picture of Me without You” – George Jones

In honor of the legendary country singer’s recent passing, I thought I would pay tribute to him by featuring my favorite song he sang. It’s a lovely and sweet song.

If you haven’t heard a song from the “Possum” before, check this one out here.

Drug, alcohol abuse = wrecked family? Interview with Author Jo Huddleston

Beyond the Past

An Inspirational Southern Historical Romance Novel

Jim Callaway looks forward to 1951 but he’s sidetracked when his sister and his best friend need his help. His baby sister, Emmajean, skids into jail on drug charges in Atlanta. She struggles to recover physically and spiritually with her lawyer’s help as he champions her inside and outside the courtroom.

Jim’s nephew, Art, is one step ahead of the truant officer, wrecks his car, and officials suspect alcohol is involved. Art awaits his fate at the hands of the juvenile court judge. Jim and Caroline continue their bumpy journey as they seek realization of their dreams.

Emmajean Callaway’s life plummets from bad to worse. Can big brother, Jim, hold the imploding Callaway family together?

Jo Huddleston

Jo Huddleston is a multi-published author of books, articles, and short stories. Her debut novel, That Summer, released in December 2012, as the first book in The Caney Creek Series. Book 2 in the series, Beyond the Past, has just released and book 3 is scheduled for release in September 2013.

For more information about Jo, click here, the book here, visit her blog here and connect with her on Facebook, Shoutlife and Goodreads.

Ten Questions with Author Jo Huddleston

What should readers know about your latest release? Does it differ from your past books, offer a new perspective on a familiar topic, or shed light on a unique situation?

I was published in nonfiction with traditional publishers in the early 1990s. In the late 1990s a story began to percolate in my mind. Beyond the Past is the second novel of that Caney Creek Series. The three books follow the Callaway family in their triumphs and failures, and their brokenness and faith.

What was the main inspiration for the new book? Had the idea been on your mind for a while or just popped into it one day?

Beyond the Past is the second of a series and is a continuation of the storyline of the 3-book Caney Creek Series. The idea for the series had been in my mind a long while. Once the first book was completed, the subsequent books’ plotlines fell into place.

Why do you feel compelled to write—in your genre or at all?

It’s trite to say this but I write because I believe it pleases God when I do. This series is His story of mercy and forgiveness.

How has travel been involved in your writing and/or research? What’s been your most memorable research experience?

My series takes place in the Southern Appalachians of East Tennessee. My ancestors and I grew up in that region. The only travel involved in writing this series was trips to family reunions since I was a child. I listened to the older relatives tell their stories of days without telephones or TV. I wanted to write about those early days.

Who has inspired you the most on your writing journey—a loved one, fellow author, favorite teacher?

When I began writing, I kept it to myself. Many people describe writers as introverts. That was me—truly a closet writer. So my inspiration came solely from God. Then I met Karen Ball and she is a great inspiration to me now. So, to answer the question: God and Karen Ball.

What surprised you the most about the writer’s journey—publication, representation, platform building, the writing itself?

Nothing surprises me anymore. I was disappointed that many publishing houses now require an author have agent representation. When I published with Tyndale in the 1990s having an agent was not required.

If you could rewind time to when you began your pursuit of publication, what would you tell yourself?

Expect it to take a looong time. Develop your patience muscles.

Now to have some fun with travel…

What’s your favorite place you have visited?

My favorite place I have visited is England.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be? Or would you return to somewhere you’ve already been?

I would return to England. This time I would also take in Scotland.

And now a fun tidbit—if there was one special travel destination just for writers and you were the founder of it, what would the name be and would it be located?

I probably would name it Paper and Pencil/Pen because all attendees would handwrite while they were there. We would get back to basics. It would be located on a beach. No electronic gadgets would be allowed because they would disturb the serenity of the setting.

The Penning Board 2013-17

The Penning Board

Items of the Week

Movie: “Remember Sunday” (2013) – Alexis Bledel and Zachary Levi

A lonely waitress meets a handsome, quirky jewelry store clerk who had a brain aneurysm and thus has short-term memory loss.

This new TV movie was really cute – though it reminded me a little bit of a cleaner version of “50 First Dates.” For a cute movie to watch with your significant other or just the girls, check it out.

News: “Tatum and Gordon-Levitt in Talks for ‘Guys and Dolls’ Remake” 

If you liked Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Channing Tatum's brief turns as songs and dance men at the Oscars last February, the good news is there are plans to cast them together in a splashy big screen musical. 

20th Century Fox has struck a deal to make a new film version of "Guys and Dolls," the classic Broadway musical by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, with songs by Frank Loesser. Reports have it that Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Channing Tatum are in talks to play the leading roles, good-natured gangsters Nathan Detroit and Sky Masterson.

 “Guys and Dolls” is not only a classic Broadway musical-turned-film in 1955 but one of my favorite musicals of all time.

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/channing-tatum-joseph-gordon-levitt-talks-singing-dancing-175449216.html

What is your favorite musical? Has it been made into a film?

Book: “The Distant Hours” by Kate Morton

It starts with a letter, lost for half a century and unexpectedly delivered to Edie’s mother on a Sunday afternoon. The letter leads Edie to Milderhurst Castle, where the eccentric Blythe spinsters live and where, she discovers, her mother was billeted during World War II. 

The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives caring for their younger sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiancé jilted her in 1941. Inside the decaying castle, Edie searches for her mother’s past but soon learns there are other secrets hidden in its walls. 

The truth of what happened in “the distant hours” has been waiting a long time for someone to find it. In this enthralling romantic thriller, Morton pays homage to the classics of gothic fiction, spinning a rich and intricate web of mystery, suspense, and lost love.

If you have not read bestselling author Kate Morton, you are a bit behind on the times. :) She is a superb writer and storyteller and weaves intricate tales that are reminiscent of du Maurier’s Rebecca. (Plus don't you love that book cover!)

At times, haunting, romantic, mesmerizing, a bit depressing, there is no doubt that Morton is consistent as one of today’s most prolific fiction authors. I definitely recommend this book or her second novel, “The Forgotten Garden” to see what you think of these international bestsellers.

For more information about the author click here and about the book click here. 

Bible Verse: 

“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” – Hebrews 7:25 (NIV)
 
Travel Quote:

“A well composed book is a magic carpet on which we are wafted to a world that we cannot enter any other way.” - Caroline Gordon

Song: “Pioneer” – The Band Perry

I’m a big fan of The Band Perry and their new album has been happily stuck in my CD player for days now. Definitely worth listening to in its entirety, but this song is especially amazing—makes me think of the great men and women who founded and settled my home—the United States of America.

Check it out here. 

Penner's Spotlight - Max Elliott Anderson - India

Pens on a World Map

Penner's Spotlight

Name: Max Elliott Anderson of Illinois

Location: Bangalore, India

Project India: Cobras, Caves, Chimps and more

Several years ago, I traveled to Bangalore, India, to shoot a dramatic film for children called, Mark of the Red Hand. We had a local committee that had set up the shooting locations and arranged for all the cast of characters…including a snake charmer. I remember traveling back from a remote location, late one night. 

Because of my long legs, I sat in the front, and the snake charmer sat in the back with three woven baskets; each containing a cobra. The tops were secured with flimsy string. All the way back to town in the darkness, I was sure I could feel one of those rascals slithering around my feet and ankles.

In one location, we filmed at a zoo. I was allowed inside the habitat where two young tigers lived. To say they were aggressive would be an understatement. They’d trot away from my camera position, turn, get up a full head of steam, and continue running. The name of this game was called, Knock over the Cameraman if You Can.

Wild monkeys seemed to be everywhere in Bangalore. Each morning I fed them snacks out my hotel window before leaving for the day’s shooting.

One afternoon, a man stopped by where we were filming. A cute chimpanzee rode along on his motorbike. We became fast friends.

A central location for the film, with a number of sequences to be shot, took place in a cave. We shot the exteriors of a cave out in a remote location. Then, for all the interior scenes, we built an elaborate set, made to look like a cave. I’m sure no one, watching the film today, would notice the difference.

After a lifetime of travel, and shooting films like Mark of the Red Hand, I find it easier to visualize characters, locations, and sequences for the action-adventures & mysteries I write for young readers today.

Have you been to India? Do you have a story to share about finding interesting animals along your travels? Please join the discussion below.

Max Elliott Anderson

Max Elliot Anderson writes action-adventures and mysteries for readers 8 and up. Using his extensive experience in dramatic film, video, and television commercial production all over the world, in locations like this, he tries to bring that same visual excitement, and heart-pounding action, to each adventure and mystery he writes.

At this point, 10 books are published and 10 more are contracted. A free catalog is available in a PDF file by emailing mander8813@aol.com.

To learn more about Max and his travels and books, check out:

Books for Boys Blog http://booksandboys.blogspot.com

My YouTube Videos http://www.youtube.com/user/Maxbooks100?feature=watch
Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Max-Elliot-Anderson/e/B002BLP3EE