Oky, here's the truth!

The truth is, that like many horse people, we spend the winter in Florida. It's easier to train and get the horses in shape, not to mention the owners.

As for the other posts, I have one brother, and four sons. I'm not afraid of horses, but I do have a tremendous respect for these big animals. The are very loving and smart, but when threatened, they can be quite dangerous. Always remember, that they are prey animals and can be spooked!!

I received a Creative Writer Blogger Award

Such fun!! Kathy Stempke honored me with a Creative Writer Blogger Award. Kathy, thank you, way cool!!

First the rules:

1: Thank the person who gave you the award and link to them.
2: Add the award to your blog
3: Tell six outrageous lies about yourself and One Truth.
4: Nominate six creative liars... I mean writers and post links to them.
5: Let your nominees know that they have been nominated.

Six lies about me and one truth! They lies are easy, now about the truth!

1: I have six children.

2: I live in Florida part of the year.

3: I have two sisters.

4: I'm a wonderful gardener.

5. I'm afraid of horses.

6: My cooking is right out of the French Connection (or do I cuisine?)

Here are my nominees:

1: Vivian Zabel: http://vivianzabel.blogspot.com

2: Elysabeth Ederling: http://elysabethsstories.blogspot.com

3: Stephen Tremp: http://stephentremp.blogspot.com

4: Heidi Thomas: http://heidiwriter.wordpress.com

5: Carolyn Howard-Johnson: http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com

6: Katie Hines: http://katiehines.blogspot.com

Please check out my nominees blogs! I'll post the answer to my truth tomorrow! Good luck! Shouldn't be hard to guess!

Nancy

Nancy Famolari

http://sites.google.com/site/nancyfamolari

Nancy Famolari's Place

Nancy Famolari's Author Spotlight

Write with Your Senses Wide Open

I don't have trouble putting down a book. I can do it for an hour, a day, a month, a year, or never pick it up again. Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger (available from Simon and Schuster in February) is different. I couldn't put down, not because of the tragic love story, the spunky heroine, or the honorable hero. Monniger's strong sensory images drew me into that world. I felt the fine spray of paddles dipping in the racing river, tasted the first bittersweet sip of hot coffee on a brisk morning, saw sunlight filter though the pines to awaken iridescent colors from a black bird wing.

To show rather than tell, we must use all five senses to draw the reader into the story. I love camping, so the images in Eternal on the Water, appealed to my senses stimulating emotion. Emotion drives the story. The more our senses are awakened to the emotions we once experienced, the more we feel a part of the story. Senses not only connect us to the story, they announce the emotion. Slimy things crawling on the floor hint at something unsavory afoot. Champagne bubbling on the tongue telegraphs happiness and celebration.

Fit the images into the story. Long paragraphs of description are unnecessary. The trick is to pick the exact image to bring the story to life. A shower of sparks erupting from the campfire when a pocket of sap in a pine log bursts, the murmur of the river drifting through the pines, the smell of bacon frying over a campfire on a windy morning, streams of water twisting like dark rope in the current: these images tucked into the movement of the story bring us into the world and make it ours.

Shelter from the Storm by Dianne G. Sagan

New Release

Dianne G. Sagan’s second release of 2009

Shelter from the Storm

ISBN# 978-1-934335-35-2

Price: $14.95

Brittany Camp flees to a short-term shelter for battered women when the worst snow storm in 50 years hits Seattle. She must draw hidden courage from within and fight for her family's safety but finds herself only one step ahead of her volatile husband who’s bent on killing her.

What makes this work of fiction different than most about domestic violence? Shelter from the Storm has very little actual violence and has an underlying theme of hope for a woman who is running for her life. Brittany Camp is not a woman of revenge, she is a woman who hopes to find inner strength for the toughest thing she’s ever done.

"Poignant and positively captivating, Sagan's latest, Shelter From the Storm, will have you reading far into the night. A must read!"

----Deborah LeBlanc, Best-Selling Author of Water Witch

Available at http://www.amazon.com

http://dgsagan.tripod.com

Synopsis

Brittany Camp flees to a short-term shelter for battered women as the worst snow storm in 50 years hits Seattle. She uses the judicial system to fight for her family’s safety but finds herself only one step ahead of her volatile husband who is bent on killing her. This story focuses on courage and hope for a better life rather than the actual violence. Brittany’s journey shows the development of her emotions and personality as she learns how to face the fear and navigate the courts. Can she survive and save her children? Will the authorities believe her? How can she win when her husband, Abel Camp, is so charismatic? What if she loses her children?

A work of fiction, it is based on several women’s experiences. Its purpose is not only to entertain the reader but to help raise awareness about the plight of the thousands of women who are abused every day. It helps those who never experience the terror to understand the victims, and shows victims that there is a way out that does not include taking personal revenge on their abusers.

Foreword written by well-known author Deborah LeBlanc.

For those readers who enjoyed her book released earlier in 2009, Rebekah Redeemed, a historical/Christian fiction novella, this is a contemporary story. It is mainstream/suspense with an underlying theme of overcoming difficulties and life struggles.

An Interview with Dianne Sagan on Shelter from the Storm

Your new book, Shelter from the Storm, is different from your novella, Rebekah Redeemed. What made you write such a different book?

I think that both these books are parts of who I am and what is important to me. I realize that “we’re here to make a difference” has become a rather trite thing to say, but I believe that what we learn through life experiences should be used to help others. We can help others get through challenges. I use my writing as an outlet as well as speaking with groups or organizations.

Tell us a little about what it was like to write this type of book.

Parts of it were hard to write and emotional, but because it is fictionalized I could remove myself somewhat from the plot. I kept thinking that if I could make it a page turner and focus on Brittany Camp, the protagonist that people could empathize with her.

This is your second book to be published. Is it as exciting this time as it was with your first book release?

It is just as exciting but it is tempered with what I’ve learned about what it takes to launch a book. It is a lot of work. However, I’m sure I’ll be just as excited when the first box of books arrives and when I look on amazon.com and see it there. I wanted to take a picture of myself by the book shelves at the book store the first time I saw my book on the shelf. I do admit that when I got the ISBN number, I felt like dancing just like with the first book.

Who is your favorite character in Shelter from the Storm?

Of course I feel an attachment to Brittany Camp, but I like her attorney. He is a compassionate and understanding person, but he is also focused and wants to help his clients believe in themselves again.

Do you have any other works in progress?

Yes, I’m working on The Fisherman’s Wife. It is the second book in the Christian fiction novella series. I also have a few other books that are still in what I call the incubation stage. I work in my head a lot on story lines and ideas before I start actually writing.

Who are your favorite authors?

I read a lot of different books, both fiction and nonfiction. Some of my favorite authors are Francine Rivers, Terri Blackstock, Jerry Jenkins, James Patterson, David Baldacci, Carol Higgins Clark, Janet Evanovich, Lillian Braun, and Deborah LeBlanc. Some of my favorite nonfiction authors are Beth Moore, Max Lucado, and Jennifer Rothschild.

You are also a ghostwriter. What is it like to write as a ghostwriter compared to writing your own books?

The books I’ve ghosted were nonfiction and included subjects like leadership, overcoming fears, becoming a better person, becoming successful and teaching children about handling their finances. The biggest challenge is to write in someone else’s voice. You are writing someone else’s message and you need to be sure you are saying what they want to say.

Writing my own books and stories is easier because it just flows out and I don’t have to be sure I stay in the correct voice. I can just let the story or content develop from my own imagination or research. However, I enjoy doing both kinds of writing. They both have their own challenges and feeling of satisfaction when you complete a project and it is ready to go to layout for printing and release.

It is pretty cool to see your name on a book that you’ve written and exciting when you have a book signing and people actually want to buy your books and enjoy reading them.