Writer at Random

Welcome back author Allie Pleiter!

I’m pleased to have Allie Pleiter visit my blog again today as she talks about her upcoming release, Homefront Hero (Love Inspired Historical). I was even more excited about her visit when I realized her story is set during the Great War, an era I’ve grown increasingly fascinated with since starting work on my own historical romance series, recently contracted by Abingdon Press. Homefront Hero is definitely a book I’ll be looking forward to reading!

Please welcome Allie:

I wish I could say I seek to write a certain story, but it is probably more truthful to say that stories seek me.

Author Allie Pleiter

I'll admit that I set out to write a Carolina story because my daughter is attending school in Charleston and I was looking for reasons for multiple visits. I was inspired, however, by the pervasive sense of history South Carolinians have. Preserving history and a strong reverence for the past are integral to that charm of the region.

When I stumbled upon a WWI airmen's leather helmet, and read a story of the owner's heroic act, the concept of heroes--celebrated and otherwise--began to intrigue me. What if an arrogant man finds himself celebrated for reasons he considers false? What happens to a man haunted by the very thing that makes others admire him? These things slowly wove themselves into the character of Captain John Gallows.

When I discovered the Red Cross "Knit Your Bit" campaign to knit socks for soldiers, I knew I'd finally found the right book to utilize my passion for knitting. Knitting socks brings out the best in Leanne and the worst in John. The self-possessed captain is forced to learn in the spotlight as a publicity campaign to convince boys to join the ranks of volunteer knitters. Leanne is ready to see her worth in the world and her place in the war effort back home. They are God's perfect partner for each other, but it takes danger, conflict, and struggle for them to see it. If I've done my job right, you as the reader see them fall in love long before they see it for themselves.

About the book:
Dashing and valiantly wounded, Captain John Gallows could have stepped straight out of an army recruitment poster. Leanne Sample can't help being impressed—although the lovely Red Cross nurse tries to hide it. She knows better than to get attached to the daring captain who is only home to heal and help rally support for the war's final push. As soon as he's well enough, he'll rush back to Europe, back to war—and far away from South Carolina and Leanne. But when an epidemic strikes close to home, John comes to realize what it truly means to be a hero—Leanne's hero.

About Allie:
An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, buying yarn, and finding new ways to avoid housework. Allie hails from Connecticut, moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing has produced two parenting books, fourteen novels, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing. Visit her website at www.alliepleiter.com or her knitting blog at www.DestiKNITions.blogspot.com

Lost in Translation???

My retired schoolteacher sister-in-law sent me some hilarious language bloopers this week. Thought I'd share a few.

Cocktail lounge, Norway:
LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR.

In a Nairobi restaurant:
CUSTOMERS, WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE, OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER. 

In a Cemetery:
PERSONS ARE PROHIBITED FROM PICKING FLOWERS, FROM ANY BUT THEIR OWN GRAVES.

In the lobby of a Moscow Hotel, across from a Russian Orthodox Monastery:
YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT THE CEMETERY, WHERE FAMOUS RUSSIAN AND SOVIET COMPOSERS, ARTISTS AND WRITERS ARE BURIED DAILY, EXCEPT THURSDAY.

Airline ticket office, Copenhagen:
WE TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SEND THEM IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

On the main road to Mombasa, leaving Nairobi:
TAKE NOTICE: WHEN THIS SIGN IS UNDER WATER, THIS ROAD IS IMPASSABLE.

Granddaughter #1's birthday cake

My #1 granddaughter will celebrate her 7th birthday in a few days. So her mom, who's planning a party at the park for a lively bunch of first-graders, called the other day asking if I'd decorate the cake.

See, I haven't done any cake decorating in . . . well, a really, really long time! I still have most of my Wilton supplies, but the frosting bags were so old that when we moved last year, they had to be thrown away.

Anyway, I asked what GD#1 had in mind for her cake and was told . . . FLAMINGOS!!!

So my daughter baked a big chocolate-chip cookie cake and brought it over today after she picked up the kids from school. She even made the frosting for me. So all I had to do was dig deep into my ancient memories of cake decorating skills (such as they were!) and somehow . . . come up with pink flamingos. GD#1 made a few suggestions along the way, and here's how it turned out (GD#1's name removed for privacy's sake):

TA-DAAAAA!

Thank you for not laughing.

Are you doing Speedbo?

In case you haven't heard, the Seekers are hosting Speedbo this month. If you need motivation to power through that first draft or complete revisions on a project, Seekerville is the place to be!

My goal this month is to polish and turn in the third book in my Heartsong Presents series, which I've dubbed "The Horsemen of Cross Roads Farm." This book, titled A Horseman's Hope, completes the trilogy begun with A Horseman's Heart and the soon-to-be-released A Horseman's Gift.

Then I hope to get a good start on my next book project so that it will be well under way by summer.

If you're doing Speedbo, what are your goals for the month of March? Are you making progress?

Winter brings East Coast library events

I’m halfway through my first East Coast winter, and I have to say it’s been a fairly pleasant one. More days in the 60s than I’ve enjoyed since we left Texas almost six years ago.

Jennifer, Dora, and Myra

And not one snowflake so far--YES!!!

One exciting aspect about life in a new part of the country is making new friends--especially authors Dora Hiers and Jennifer Hudson Taylor, whom I’ve gotten to know through our local chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers.

Thanks to Dora’s contacts with area libraries, the three of us have joined together for an inspirational romance authors’ speaker panel. Our first shared program was last week at the Cleveland County Memorial Library in Shelby, NC. Many thanks to the Friends of the Library for their generous hospitality!

Next on the agenda is “A Night of Inspirational Romance” at the Kannapolis Branch Public Library on Tuesday, February 7, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

From the Kannapolis Library promotional flyer:

Looking for warm reads this Valentine’s Day?  Three authors of inspirational romance will be here to talk about their writing experiences and their books.  Join Dora Hiers, Myra Johnson, and Jennifer Hudson Taylor at the Kannapolis Library for an evening of romance and books.  All three authors will answer questions and books will be available for purchase.

This is a free event and is sponsored by the Friends of the Kannapolis Library.

Hope to see you there!

A visit with author Allie Pleiter

Allie, it's great to have you visit my blog today! By the way, I love your tag line, "The Adventure Starts Right Where You Are." What are some of your favorite "adventures" from the novels you've written?

Thanks for the kudos on the tag line. I worked hard to find something that encompasses all my fiction, non-fiction, speaking ministry, and knitting blog. I see all of those--in fact I see all of life--as an adventure to be launched from the present circumstances. As for adventures, I certainly have had my share. “Live” (my term for non-book) research has a great appeal for me, and I’ve done all kinds of unusual things to get ready for books. Let’s see...I’ve taken tightrope walking lessons and been backstage at the circus for FACING EVERY MOM’S FEARS. I was taught to work the world’s most expensive espresso machine by a world-class barista, got a crash course in rugby, and experienced the Chinese Kung-Fu Cha Tea Ceremony for THE PERFECT BLEND. I took fencing lessons and learned to crack a bull-whip for MASKED BY MOONLIGHT. I learned to make soap (and acquired my passion for artisan soaps) for BLUEGRASS HERO. Those are just a few of the adventures I’ve had in the name of book research. My travel-knitting blog DestiKNITions is all about fun adventures in American cities. Writing is a great job for a naturally curious person like me. I find most people love to share their expertise if they know you’re trying to get it right for your book or are just genuinely interested.

Wow, exciting stuff, Allie! Your “live research” adventures are impressive! You've written both contemporary and historical fiction. Which do you find more challenging, and why?

I find them both challenging. It’s easier for me to dream up high-stakes stories in historical scenarios, but it’s harder to achieve the wit I want for my contemporaries. Still, the beauty of historical language is great fun to write. Contemporaries are slightly easier to research. I wouldn’t want to stop doing either. Each one has a particular appeal for me. Perhaps I should write a time travel so I can do both at the same time--although I’m not sure the inspirational market is ready for that, even from me.

What was the inspiration for your upcoming release, Falling for the Fireman? Did the story require any special research? Any interesting facts you discovered along the way?

The seed for the story came from my personal experience. My son was very sick in 2010 (he’s fine now, but that was an adventure of a whole different kind) and I needed some way to let all that maternal angst out in my writing. It would have been too close to home to write a medically threatened child, so I chose a child recovering from a trauma. The idea to write about firemen was a suggestion from my editor at the time. I did a lot of research on juvenile fire-starters and discovered some outstanding programs for kids in trouble. And just because I know you’ll ask...no, I didn’t ride a with a firefighting company for research. I spoke to several, but had no desire to climb in a truck. I have enormous respect for firefighters now, however. They put so much on the line and most people in a community never give it a second thought.

That’s so true. They’re on call day or night, ready to go from relative calm to high-stakes tension at a moment’s notice. According to your bio, you're an "enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two." What's your best advice for moms who aspire to a writing career?

Lots of really strong coffee? Actually, I think it’s hugely important for your children to watch you pursue a dream. I want my children to believe anything is possible for them. I do work hard to schedule my writing at unintrusive times--one of my rules when they were little was to try and never let the phrase “not now, Mommy’s writing” leave my lips. That meant a lot of late nights. It’s much easier now that they’re teenagers. They remain, however, completely unimpressed by what I do. Keeps a gal humble, you know?

Been there, done that! Now the juggling act for me is making sure I allow plenty of “grandparent time.” Anything else you'd like to add?

Just that I hope you’ll enjoy FALLING FOR THE FIREMAN and look for my next historical HOMEFRONT HERO in May.

Thanks so much for this peek into your writing life, Allie. Hoping your book is a huge success!

About Allie Pleiter:

An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction.  The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, buying yarn, and finding new ways to avoid housework.  Allie hails from Connecticut, moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois.  The “dare from a friend” to begin writing has produced two parenting books, fourteen novels, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing.  Visit her website at www.alliepleiter.com or her knitting blog at www.DestiKNITions.blogspot.com

About the book:

Falling for the Fireman
Harlequin Love Inspired February 2012
ISBN #978-0-373-87725-6

There's something achingly familiar about the look in fire marshal Chad Owens's eyes. Widowed mom Jeannie Nelworth knows firsthand what it is: loss, hurt and yes—bitterness. Ever since the fire that changed their lives, Jeannie's young son has borne that same look, pushing everyone away. So she's grateful when Chad tries to get through to the boy with the help of his trusty fire station dog.

But the man who's all about safety and prevention keeps himself protected—from loving and losing again. Seems as if Jeannie will have to add his kind, guarded heart to her rebuilding efforts.

Catching up . . . again

Is it 2012 already? Where did the time go?

All I can say is, 2011 was one busy year. The big move is behind us, we’re settling into life in our new community, and the daily routine is gradually approaching “normal.”

Normal being a relative term, naturally.

The year ahead promises to be full of even more exciting opportunities. Since last fall I’ve signed two new book contracts. One of those manuscripts is already complete and in the editorial pipeline. I’m making good progress writing the next one and should have it turned in by mid-March.

For anyone in the Shelby, North Carolina, area, I’ll be joining Dora Hiers and Jennifer Hudson Taylor at the Cleveland County Memorial Library for a Christian fiction authors panel and book signing. Please join us on Tuesday, January 24, 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Also, be sure to stop in at my blog next Friday, when author Allie Pleiter comes for a visit. She’ll be introducing her latest release, Falling for the Fireman.

How is your New Year shaping up so far? Hope it’s a good one!

A Moving Story: Chapter 10, “Prayers Answered”

As my good friend Ruth Logan Herne of Seekerville would say . . .

Oh. My. Stars!

Has it been over a month since my last installment?

I do have a good excuse. Following the ACFW conference in St. Louis the end of September, I received a contract to write the next book in my “Cross Roads Farm” series for Heartsong Presents. The manuscript deadline is December 1, so I’ve been writing like crazy for the past several weeks! I finished the draft yesterday, so now I’m taking a breather before diving into revisions.

So. Where did we leave off?

It’s probably time to draw this saga to a close, so I’ll try to sum up the last stages of the move in this post. And “Prayers Answered” is exactly what we experienced.

The biggest prayer we needed a quick answer to was selling our house back in Oklahoma, and finally we got the call we’d been waiting for. The offer came in very low, however--even less than we’d paid for the house five years prior. The prospective buyers had all kinds of complaints--the carpet, the kitchen tile, outdated light fixtures, ad infinitum. We had done some updates before listing the house, but apparently not enough to get our asking price in a super-tough buyer’s market.

We finally came to terms without having to take too big a loss. But then, thanks to mortgage company snafus, the closing date we’d agreed upon came and went. By then we’d already completed the “big move”--bringing everything we’d left behind and moving it into our new home, which became available two weeks earlier than expected (another blessing, because now we wouldn’t have to pay storage costs).

Our next huge prayer was that we’d at least close in time to repay the money we’d borrowed from our IRA for the down payment on our new home. Otherwise, we’d be hit with a big income tax bill. But the mortgage company came through just under the wire, and we were able to pay back the loan with only a day to spare!

At the end of June, we moved out of the apartment and fully into our home, and we’ve been enjoying it ever since. Sure, there have been adjustments to make, especially since we downsized a teensy bit. But being here to watch our three youngest grandchildren grow up and to offer help and babysitting as needed makes all the worries and struggles of moving totally worth it.

Yep, I’m confident we are exactly where we are supposed to be!

A Moving Story: Chapter 8, “Messages from a ‘Dove’”

So there we were, enjoying our cozy apartment and spending time with the kids and grandkids, especially that darling new baby girl!

But each day that passed without a phone call from our Realtor with a contract offer was one more day I would ask myself if we’d done the right thing.

And eat chocolate. Ever since the news came out that eating dark chocolate is good for your health, my husband and I have made sure to eat some every day, usually a small piece after lunch and after dinner. For medicinal purposes, of course. (Yeah, right!)

While living in the apartment, we ate a lot of Dove chocolates, the kind in the little foil wrapper with a clever saying inside. Things like “Enjoy the moment,” “Live your dreams,”  and “Smile! It’s contagious!”

Then one day when I was particularly anxious about the fact that our house hadn’t sold, I opened up a Dove chocolate to find this message:

YOU ARE EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE.

Okay, some may think I’m weird or crazy or both, but there have been a couple of noteworthy times in the past when I felt certain God was speaking words of encouragement to me in fortune cookie messages. The wording, the timing...just too “coincidental” to be anything but God’s doing. So that day at the apartment I was positive He had sent this message in a Dove chocolate just for me.

For a couple of weeks I lived in this assurance, and it helped. But when circumstances don’t change, discouragement has a way of creeping back in. As we sat down to lunch one day, my doubts and worries were as high as they’d ever been. After finishing my sandwich, I picked up my Dove chocolate and prayed silently, Lord, I could really use some confirmation. If you meant it before, could you maybe give me that same message again?

Trying not to get my hopes up, I unwrapped my chocolate and smoothed out the foil. My heart climbed into my throat when I read:

YOU ARE EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE.

Interestingly, I have never seen that particular message before or since--just those two occasions. But I thank God for sending His words of hope exactly when I needed them most!

Coming up next: Chapter 10, “Prayers Answered”

A Moving Story: Chapter 7, “Timing is Everything”

Things have gone crazy again since my last installment. Following the annual American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in September, I came home to a new book deadline and have been pretty much locked in my “writing cave” ever since.

Okay, I think we left off with a contract on a house and a partial move ahead of us. We had already packed several boxes with items we didn’t use that often, but now we had to get serious about deciding what we’d most need in an apartment for three months and what could remain behind.

So the first weekend in April, several friends from church got together and helped us load a Penske rental
truck. With my husband driving the truck and our parakeet, Sprite*, riding shotgun with him, I drove our car with Gracie and Shadow camped out in the backseat. With the help of our son-in-law and a couple of his friends, we moved into our apartment on a Sunday afternoon.

Then...four days later...our new baby granddaughter was born!!! Talk about perfect timing! While “Grandpa” kept the two older kids, I went to the hospital and was so blessed to be right there in the delivery room for the baby’s arrival--what a precious memory!

Then came the waiting and praying for our other “delivery”--a contract on the house we left behind. In order to make the down payment on our new home and be able to cover two mortgages temporarily if necessary, we made arrangements to borrow against our retirement account. The main stipulation was that if we paid back the money within 60 days of withdrawal, it would be as if we never took it out. If not, it would count as income. Not a big deal, but definitely an extra expense we hoped to avoid.

So things were tense as we prayed for our house to sell. I wondered many times if we had done the right thing by going ahead with the move, but then I’d think back to the scripture verse from Proverbs that had come up so frequently: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” 

But with our house taking so long to sell, I couldn’t help worrying. And (besides leaning on the Lord) what’s the best antidote for worry? CHOCOLATE!

Next time: Chapter 8, “Messages from a ‘Dove’”

*Sadly, Sprite became ill in early September and passed away. He was part of our family for nine years, and we really miss the little guy!