Books

Just a quick note today to let you know that hardcover, large-print editions (AKA library binding, so tell your library!) of both Wedded to War and Widow of Gettysburg are now available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and ChristianBook. It looks like Yankee in Atlanta will be the next to appear in large print, this December, and my guess is that Spy of Richmond will follow a few months after that. The covers look QUITE different from the original editions, but the inside content is the same. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1305", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-3435", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"400", "height":"313", "alt":"weddedandlp"}}]][[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1306", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-3436", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"400", "height":"313", "alt":"widowandlp"}}]]   OK, I'll just say it. These large print edition covers aren't really doing it for me, but hey. No one asked me this time around. (It's a different publisher who bought the rights to make the large print editions.) I'm happy if the inside will be easier on the eyes for folks who otherwise wouldn't be able to read them. A final note--I know many readers who get really upset when the picture on the cover doesn't match the physical description of the hero or heroine inside the book. Since this happened in the large print edition of Widow of Gettysburg with the wrong hair color, I'll just point out that many times (including this time), authors are not consulted prior to or during the cover design process. And designers don't read every book they create covers for. So, it's OK for readers to be upset because really, it wouldn't be hard to get the details right, but just don't blame the author. I am positive that the author is even more upset than the reader when this happens.

Today I'm thrilled to be sharing an interview with the very talented Laura's Voice, who brings Widow of Gettysburg to life in audio book format. I hope you'll enjoy learning about it from Laura as much as I did. Jocelyn: How do you choose which books you want to lend your voice to? Laura: Whatever I do, I want to help share a message that is inspiring, edifying, or juicily entertaining--or all three! Tell us about your process once you've contracted to do the narration. I like to print the manuscript and I still use a pencil--creating a character list of each one's first appearance and first speaking part, along with any notes from the text that describes his/her personality, voice, tone attitude, etc. In the margins, I make notes of any kind that occur to me--typos (as a former English teacher and technical writer, I simply can't help myself!), and other corrections, moments where I want to emote in a certain way--then I may add a smiley face, a sad face, exclamation points, etc. After an entire read-through, I'll go back to the author/publisher with any questions I may have. I create a sample for the client to listen to and get their approval and, if necessary, will also include a character sample to ensure he/she likes the voices I create for each character. Once we have final agreement on tone, character voices, pronunciations, and any corrections that alter the text, I record and edit the text, creating .mp3 files for the listener! [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1289", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3349", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"550", "height":"366", "alt":"This markup picture shows where I had to switch from Harrison to a commanding officer to the young soldier who overstuffed his rifle and kept chanting to himself."}}]] This markup picture shows where I had to switch from Harrison to a commanding officer to the young soldier who overstuffed his rifle and kept chanting to himself.   I see you've noted Harrison's voice as deep but clear. That's exactly how I imagined it, too! How do you create the different voices and accents for the characters? In addition to what I described in the answer to Q2, when a character is said to be from a particular region, I study that region's accents (by listening to folks on YouTube) and practice, practice, practice! I love how you captured the various accents in Widow! How else do you mark up the text? I like to underline lines or phrases I especially like--just in case I have the chance to tell the author--it's always nice to hear what someone likes about your work! I have also printed pictures of places and maps of regions to have with me as I read the manuscript in order to get to know the content better. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1290", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-3351", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"550", "height":"489", "alt":"LaurasVoicetext2"}}]] Take us behind the scenes on a recording day. How much time do you spend in a recording session, and how many times do you typically read the same passage? I like to have everything done to avoid interruptions--wait until the kids are on the bus, make sure the dogs have gone potty, wait at least a half-hour after brushing my teeth and have been drinking plenty of water so my mouth isn't dry, etc. I like to break the reading up into chunks--most easily by chapters, but if a chapter is particularly long, I find a good stopping point within the chapter. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1291", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3353", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"550", "height":"310", "alt":"LaurasVoicestudio"}}]] Where the magic happens!   Now, if the section I'm working on has a lot of difficult voices--male, gruff, deep, or perhaps a character is sick, wounded--anything that would cause strain and take extra energy to act out--I may be limited to only about half an hour of recording. It could take several hours or even another day before I can return to recording! If a passage is difficult, it may be due to long sentences, multi-syllabic words, older style of speaking, or a number of character voice changes. Those may require several takes--so I'll stop, wait a couple of seconds, say "Take Two" (or sometimes three, four, five, six, grrrrr . . . . (and restart from a moment when there was a natural stop because of a paragraph break, punctuation, or breathing. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1292", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft wp-image-3208 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"300", "height":"300", "alt":"widowaudible"}}]] I'm sure that different projects require you to strike different tones, from upbeat and energetic to slow and thoughtful. How would you describe the tone (or tones) you employed for Widow of Gettysburg? Widow of Gettysburg required a lot of different tones--from memories, life-changing considerations, guilt and regret, longing, love and loss, renewed love, evil and lust for power. There were times I had to read a passage to myself before recording to get into the right mood--maybe even practice the passage a bit to get just the right amount of remorse Silas felt, or anger and frustration both Bella and Libbie had with each other--especially as Bella kept her secret. Amelia was one of my favorite characters to capture her various tones depending on her audience the moment and the events and how they altered her perception--or clarified her position. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1293", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3360 size-medium", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"300", "height":"200", "alt":"LaurasVoiceheadshot"}}]] Laura   Amelia was really fun to write! What do you think would surprise the rest of us about your work as a voice actress? Perhaps the people I've consulted in an effort to get the correct pronunciation for a town. A lot of terms I can Google--but not all! Taneytown, as it's pronounced, cannot be found ANYWHERE on the Internet! I ended up calling the Adams County courthouse and asked the first person to pick up the phone how she pronounced it! For other projects, I've consulted scientists for help with nine-syllable chemicals and related formulas; a banker and our local economic development corporation for help in reading aloud the acronyms for various programs and forms needed to obtain the correct licenses. That may be one of the most fun tasks is tracking down the pronunciation or accent that a story requires and once I've had success--! I usually have to call my mom to tell her I did it! My dogs just aren't quite enthusiastic enough. I think the other thing is that, locally, people are quite surprised someone in a town of less than 9K is the voice for books they very well might listen to--it's always nice to see the wonder on a person's face. :) That is so neat! Thank you so much for being with us and sharing how you do your job! I found it fascinating! Listen to the first scene of Widow by clicking "Sample" beneath the audiobook cover on this page. If you enjoyed this "behind the scenes" post, you may also enjoy: Behind the Scenes: The Making of a Book Trailer (Wedded to War) Revealed: Evolution of a Book Cover (Widow of Gettysburg) The Writing Life: A Single Scene in the Making (Yankee in Atlanta) The Making of a Book Cover (A Refuge Assured) Why Does It Take So Long? Book Publishing from Conception to Publication

On this day in 1863, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, shed its small town tranquility as the most famous battle in the entire Civil War began. For three days, war would rage in fields and orchards, with farmers and townspeople alike caught in the crosshairs. Today I'd like to share with you one woman's perspective. The following is excerpted from my nonfiction book, Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front: Suspense in the Cellar [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"677", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft wp-image-228 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"124", "height":"179", "alt":"BB-homefront-cover_125"}}]]While Sarah Broadhead’s husband stayed in their Gettysburg home to protect it, Sarah and her child fled to a friend’s cellar in a “safer” part of town to ride out the fighting on the first day. There they remained huddled together all day, only emerging when the firing ceased. She recorded in her diary at the end of July 1: How changed the town looked when we came to the light. The street was strewn over with clothes, blankets, knapsacks, cartridge-boxes, dead horses, and the bodies of a few men, but not so many of these last as I expected to see. . . We started home, and found things all right. As I write all is quiet, but O! how I dread tomorrow. The next two days of battle, the Broadheads stayed together in their own cellar. Staying in the dark for hours at a time while the battle raged, the suspense was nearly unbearable. On July 3, Sarah wrote: Nearly all the afternoon it seemed as if the heavens and earth were crashing together. The time that we sat in the cellar seemed long, listening to the terrific sound of strife; more terrible never greeted human ears. We knew that with every explosion, and the scream of each shell, human beings were hurried, through excruciating pain, into another world, and that many more were torn, and mangled, and lying in torment worse than death, and no one able to extend relief. . . Who is victorious, or with whom the advantage rests, no one here can tell. It would ease the horror if we knew our arms were successful. As Christians, we are in spiritual battles of our own, and we see the physical evidence of sin in every corner of the globe. Man’s inhumanity to man is often incomprehensible, and natural disasters from floods to fires cause tremendous heartache and destruction. But unlike the Gettysburg citizens hiding in their cellars, we don’t have to live in suspense about who holds the ultimate victory. Jesus had victory on the cross, and He is victorious in the end. When you feel attacked, remember that you are fighting on the winning side! Prayer: Lord, I praise You that You are victorious—the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Alpha and Omega, Almighty God! “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.” ~Revelation 19:6 ___________________________ [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"771", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft wp-image-891 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"125", "height":"193", "alt":"Widow cover 3 125"}}]]Sarah survived the battle and offered her nursing help to the wounded soldiers being cared for at the Lutheran Seminary building. Her diary of the weeks during and after the battle has proven to be one of our most valuable eyewitness accounts of the civilian experience. Stories like Sarah's inspired me to bring these women's voices to life with my novel, Widow of Gettysburg, in which Sarah plays a small but important role. I am so pleased to report that just last month, a marker was dedicated at Sarah Broadhead's grave to honor her contributions. If you liked meeting Sarah, you may also enjoy 3 Heroines of Gettysburg. Learn more about Widow of Gettysburg here, or view the one-minute trailer below for a taste of the story.

  In honor of Memorial Day, I'd like to share the following excerpt from Stories of Faith and Courage from Home Front.  A knock at the door early one January morning in 1943, brought Thomas Sullivan face-to-face with three men in naval dress uniforms. “Which one?” Thomas asked. “I’m sorry,” replied one of them. “All five.” George, Francis, Joseph, Madison, and Albert Sullivan had enlisted in the Navy upon hearing that a friend had been killed at Pearl Harbor. The one condition of their service was that they be allowed to serve on the same ship. Their request was granted, and all five served on the U.S.S. Juneau. And now the Navy declared all five missing in action in the South Pacific after a torpedo sunk their ship on November 13, 1942. The following week, a letter arrived that answered all their questions of their sons’ fates. The letter, reprinted in the Waterloo Courier shortly after it was received, read: All hope is gone for your boys being found alive. George got off the ship, as his battle station was on a depth charger, but he died on a life raft I was on. The other four boys went down with the ship, and were killed immediately, so they did not suffer . . . I know you will carry on in the fine Navy spirit. The surviving Sullivans did carry on. Their sister Genevieve joined the Navy Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) on June 14, 1943, and by 1944, Thomas and his wife, Alleta, had spoken to more than a million workers in war-production plants in sixty-five cities, urging them to maximize production so the war might end sooner. “People ask me and Mother and Father too, ‘How do you manage to keep your chins up and keep going?’ We just do,” Genevieve told a reporter for the Waterloo Courier. “There’s a job to be done, a big one that means the lives of many. So we must keep working hard.” The Sullivans were carrying on for the cause for which that their sons had given their lives. In the same way, we as believers must carry on for the cause for which Christ gave His life, as well. Christ died so that we might be truly free, not just from other men, but from sin itself. Our job is to share the Good News, and it “means the lives of many.” Prayer: Lord, help me to carry on your kingdom work. “We must do the work of him who sent me. ” ~John 9:4 May you have a meaningful Memorial Day!

[[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"796", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft size-full wp-image-1073", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"204", "height":"336", "alt":"FaithDeployedAgain_cover204"}}]]Welcome to the Faith Deployed...Again online book club, Day 21! (Not sure what this is all about? Click here.) Today is our final day of book club! In Your Book: Before we begin, please turn in your copy of Faith Deployed...Again to page 240 and read "Wait Training" by Kathy Guzzo. (If you don't have a book, don't go away! We'd love to have you join us for this discussion anyway!) This devotion and blog post fall under the "Blue Star Mom" category, but I'm sure military wives can also apply the truths found here. Now Let's Talk: Today's discussion is led by Kathy Guzzo. We're getting close to January, the month of resolutions and one topic we hear a lot about is losing weight and getting healthier. We’re told that to accomplish optimum health, we need to eat better, and exercise to increase our stamina, to tone our muscles and strengthen our hearts. Many people each year make this their goal. However, most of them don’t realize that a huge part of training is the waiting to see results. So when they don’t immediately see changes they tend to get discouraged. The same is true in our Christian lives. When God’s answer to our prayer is ‘wait’, we lose hope. We don’t want to hear that our unanswered prayers may be God training us, or that our faith will grow stronger because of the wait. “Biblically, waiting is not just something we have to do until we get what we want. Waiting is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be.”~ John Ortberg [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1102", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignright size-full wp-image-2453", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"347", "height":"346", "alt":"Grandma"}}]]When our son enlisted in the Marines, I had no idea that waiting would become part of the mixture of everyday emotions. It first became apparent during boot camp when I waited daily for contact from him. But I learned later that waiting was minimal compared to the waiting I endured when he was deployed. Because of his unit’s mission, we knew we wouldn’t have much contact with him but on his 2nd deployment, other than a quick email saying he had arrived, we had no contact with him at all for the first 53 days. It was agonizing. My heart needed more than just to know he was okay; I needed to hear his voice. During this time of silence I prayed earnestly, but God’s answer was ‘wait’. As I said in Wait Training when God’s answer is “wait”, I need to remember that waiting for God’s timing allows His perfect plan to fully develop and not be short circuited by impatience. I’ve always hated waiting so I had to choose to allow God to strengthen me while I painstakingly awaited news during my son’s deployments. I held on to God’s promises especially Isaiah 40:31 “They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up with wings as eagles.” These words encouraged me when the waiting seemed overwhelming and I felt depleted of all energy. During those long days and even longer nights, I cried out to God from the depths of my soul. At first in the majority of my prayers I asked for peace, hope and the strength to endure the unknowns and uncertainties of my son’s deployment. Then gradually I noticed the focus of my prayers shifted to praising Him for who He is, and His plan for my life as well as my son’s Also, since I’m a visual learner, something I’ve always done is to write out Bible verses on sticky notes and put them in obvious places throughout the house. During my son’s enlistment I made sure the verses were focused on trusting Him. Reading and reciting these verses throughout the day helped me focus on Him. I realize now that both praying and meditating on verses were part of my training to increase my faith. “If any are inclined to despond, because they do not have such patience, let them be of good courage. It is in the course of our feeble and very imperfect waiting that God Himself, by His hidden power, strengthens us and works out in us the patience of the great saints, the patience of Christ Himself.” ~ Andrew Murray Possibly you’re a mom in a state of despair over life. You may feel you’re always waiting for God to answer your prayers. Not just your prayers for your child’s safety, but prayers for joy to replace despondency, hopes to replace fear, or your prayers relating to health and finances. Believe me, I’ve waited for answers to all of the above, and I assure you that He’s listening and because he loves you, he will answer your prayer in the way that he knows is best. You will eventually see that his answer will fulfill his perfect plan for your life as well as that of your military child. Allow your time of waiting to be your time to strengthen and train your heart, soul and mind to be closer to Him. Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.” Discuss: In what area of your life are waiting for an answer from God? What training can or do you do to strengthen your faith to keep the waiting from overwhelming you? Share with us a Bible verse that helps you when God’s answer is ‘wait.’ Thank you all so much for joining us in the Faith Deployed...Again online book club! I hope you've been encouraged during these last several weeks. May you have a truly blessed Christmas!