First Wild Card Tour - "Chosen" by Ginger Garrett

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books.  A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured.  The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between!  Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Ginger Garrett

and the book:

Chosen

David C. Cook; New edition (March 1, 2010)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, of The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Focusing on ancient women’s history, critically acclaimed author Ginger Garrett creates novels and nonfiction resources that explore the lives of historical women. In addition to her writing, Garrett is a frequent radio and television guest. A native Texan, she now resides in Georgia with her husband and three children.


Visit the author's website.


Chosen, by Ginger Garrett from David C. Cook on Vimeo.


Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition (March 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1434768015
ISBN-13: 978-1434768018

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Prologue

Fourth Day of the Month of Av

Year 3414 after Creation

If you have opened this, you are the chosen one.

For this book has been sealed in the tomb of the ancients of Persia, never to be opened, I pray, until G-d1 has put His finger on a new woman of destiny, a woman who will rise up and change her nation. But we will not talk of your circumstances, and the many reasons this book may have fallen into your hands. There are no mistakes with prayer. You have indeed been called. If this sounds too strange, if you must look around your room and question whether G-d’s finger has perhaps slipped, if you are not a woman with the means to change a nation, then join me on a journey. You must return with me now to a place without hope, a nation that had lost sight of G-d, a girl with nothing to offer, and no one to give it to.

I must introduce myself first as I truly am: an exiled Jew, and an orphan. My given name was Hadassah, but the oppression of exile has stripped that too from me: I am now called Esther,2 so that I may blend in with my captors. My people, the Hebrew nation, had been sent out of our homeland after a bitter defeat in battle. We were allowed to settle in the kingdom of Persia, but we were not allowed to truly prosper there. We blended in, our lives preserved, but our heritage and customs were forced underground. Our hearts, once set only on returning to Jerusalem, were set out to wither in the heat

of the Arabian sun. My cousin Mordecai rescued me when I was orphaned and we lived in the capital city of Susa, under the reign of King Xerxes.3 Mordecai had a small flock of sheep that I helped tend, and we sold their fleece in the market. If times were good, we would sell a lamb for someone’s celebration. It was always for others to celebrate. We merely survived. But Mordecai was kind and good, and I was not forced into dishonor like the other orphans I had once known. This is how my story begins, and I give you these details not for sympathy, but so you will know that I am a girl well acquainted with bitter reality. I am not given to the freedom in flights of fantasy. But how can I explain to you the setting of my story? It is most certainly far removed from your experience. For I suspect that in the future, women will know freedom. And freedom is not an easy thing to forget, even if only to entertain an orphan’s story.

But you must forget now. I was born into a world, and into this story, where even the bravest women were faceless specters. Once married, they could venture out of their homes only with veils and escorts. No one yet had freed our souls. Passion and pleasure, like freedom, were the domain of men, and even young girls knew the wishes of their hearts would always be subject to a man’s desire for wealth. A man named Pericles summed up my time so well in his famed oration: “The greatest glory of a woman is to be least talked about by men, whether they are praising you or criticizing you.” Our role was clear: We were to be objects of passion, to receive a man’s attention mutely, and to respond only with children for the estate. Even the most powerful woman of our time, the beautiful Queen Vashti, was powerless. That was my future as a girl and I dared not lift my eyes above its horizon. That is how I enter this story. But give me your hand and let us walk back now, past the crumbling walls of history, to this world forgotten but a time yet remembered. Let me tell you the story of a girl unspared, plunged into heartache and chaos, who would save a nation. My name is Esther, and I will be queen.

1 Out of respect for God, Jews write the name of God without the vowels, believing that the name of God is too holy to be written out completely by a human. God is referred to as either “G-d” or “YHVH.”

2 The name Esther is related to the Persian name of Ishtar, a pagan goddess of the stars.

3 Esther refers to the king by his Persian name. In the Hebrew texts of antiquity, he is also referred to as Ahasuerus.


1

Eleventh Day of Shevat

Third Year of the Reign of Xerxes

Year 3394 after Creation


Was it today that I became fully awake, or have I only now begun to dream? Today Cyrus saw me in the marketplace haggling gently with my favorite shopkeeper, Shethana, over the price of a fleece. Shethana makes the loveliest rugs—I think they are even more lovely than the ones imported from the East—and her husband is known for his skill in crafting metals of all kinds. When I turned fifteen last year, he fashioned for me a necklace with several links in the center, painted various shades of blue. He says it is an art practiced in Egypt, this inlaying of colors into metal shapes. I feel so exotic with it on and wear it almost daily. I know it is as close to adventure as Mordecai will ever allow.

But as Shethana and I haggled over the fleece, both of us smiling because she knew I would as soon give it to her, Cyrus walked by eating a flatbread he had purchased from another vendor. He grimaced when he took a bite—I think he might have gotten a very strong taste of shallot—and I laughed. He laughed back, wiping his eyes with his jacket and fanning his mouth, and then, oh then, his gaze held my eyes for a moment. Everything in my body seemed to come alive suddenly and I felt afraid, for my legs couldn’t stand as straight and steady and I couldn’t get my mouth to work. Shethana noticed right away and didn’t conceal her grin as she glanced between Cyrus and me. I should have doubled the price of her fleece right then!

Cyrus turned to walk away, and I tried to focus again on my transaction. I could not meet Shethana’s eyes now—I didn’t want to be questioned about men and marriage, for everyone knows I have no dowry. To dream of winning Cyrus would be as foolish as to run my own heart straight through. I cannot dream, for it will surely crush me. And yet I can’t stop this warm flood that sweeps over me when he is near.

I haven’t told you the best part—when Shethana bought her fleece and left, I allowed myself to close my eyes for a moment in the heat of the day, and when I opened them again, there was a little stack of flatbread in my booth. I looked in every direction but could see no one. Taking a bite, I had to spit it out and started laughing. Cyrus was right—the vendor used many bitter shallots. The flatbread was a disaster.

©2010 Cook Communications Ministries. Chosen by Ginger Garrett. Used with permission. May not be further reproduced. All rights reserved.

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The Quiet Place

Sometimes a writer needs a quiet room, a place without distractions, a place of comfort surrounded by inspiring things to bring out the motivational creativity lurking within them. So how is it that a writer can take a laptop to a busy cafe such as Starbucks, or some other public place that is loud and busy with people and get heaps of writing done? 

My answer to that is simple. More than the outside location and environment, a writer must find that quiet place inside himself or herself to initiate the creative muse within them and to be guided by the Holy Spirit to write what must be written. Now, getting oneself to this quiet place isn't always easy or simple. 

Writers often wrestle over guilt of not spending time with family, missing out on family events, fatique from other jobs, other responsibilities, etc. We need a healthy balance in our lives to find that quiet place inside us that allows us to do the best writing we can do. If we cannot find that quiet place, we will still force ourselves to write. We may scrape and scratch at the words as we dig them out of our hearts rather then allowing the words to pour from us when the writing muse hits, but we will keep writing because that is what we are born to do, conditioned, and trained to do just like any other profession. All the while we know that what we're writing will need to be heavily edited or rewritten--but on we go!

For a seasoned writer, I believe it is at these times that writers often make their worst mistakes. This is where loop holes are created in the storyline, characters may lack a dimension of development, a plot twist might be ignored that would greatly improve the sagging middle, an ending may be rushed and feel forced as if it's missing something. How does a great writer who has written some major best sellers, plop and fall flat in their delivery of a fourth or fifth novel? I believe this is how.

Just like anyone else, we can suffer burnout, grieve for loved ones we've lost, struggle with health issues, family issues, fight spiritual battles, etc. All these things can affect our writing muse, just as it might affect someone else's performance on their full-time job. 

Two things seem to be key to my inside quiet place where I tap into my writing muse: prayer and decent sleep. 


If either one of these two things wiggle out of balance for me, I lose that quiet place inside me.


What about you? What advice to you have for struggling writers trying to find their quiet place?

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Win a copy of Highland Blessings!

First, I want to tell you about an opportunity to win a free copy of Highland Blessings!

Visit A Pen for Your Thoughts Blog where Shirley Connolly will draw one winner from those who leave a comment. Don't forget to leave an email so she can contact you if you win. She has offered a wonderful interview, not because I'm interesting, but because she has asked some thought provoking questions. I hope you'll join us!

As for today's post, I was going to provide an historical account this morning, but I haven't finished researching my topic. It's on a less than bright subject, but nonetheless, a true accounting of what happened to many across Europe and America. Specifically, I'm researching the persecution of innocent souls who were condemned to be witches or demonically possessed in 15th century Scotland. Even though Scotland is known to be a nation that was once deeply rooted in Celtic Paganism, they participated in these persecutions due to the influence of the Christian movement throughout Europe at that time.

Even though I'm a Christian, I concede that we don't always get it right. Some of our history is proof enough of that, but nor should we give up. We must learn from our mistakes and make our future better. I hope it will be an eye-opening post, and good research for others who are writing in this time period.

I'll post winners of this week's contests, this evening. So stay tuned!

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Thursday Trivia - Southern Plantations

Trivia Question: What SC plantation does Author Jennifer Hudson Taylor have a family ancestry connection to? (Hint: Answer is under Historical Research on the author's blog).

Be the first person to answer this question correctly and you get one point for the month. The person with the most points will win a surprise at the end of the month. View the official rules here.

All answers must be provided in the comment section of my blog post on my blog at: http://jenniferswriting.blogspot.com. No answers on Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere else will count.
____________________________________

Congratulations to Regina!

You are correct, my 4th great-grandfather, Jesse Hudson, married Ann Coker, daughter of Caleb Coker. His estate became known as the Caleb Coker Plantation. Her brother was Captain James Lide Coker in the Confederate Army, and the family later helped start Coker College. However, I do not descend from Ann Coker. I descend from Jesse's first wife, Elizabeth Galloway, another Scottish connection. It is because of this bloodline that I belong to the MacFarlane Clan, of which Galloway is a sept.

This photo is of my daughter and I in front of the Caleb Coker house where my 4th great-grandfather, Jesse Hudson would have visited and attended family events. It's so fun imagining what they looked like and what it must have been like back in the day.

Trivia Winning Totals for April
2 points - Buttercup (April 6th, 13th)
1 point - Amy Jo Lavin (April 8th)
1 point - Michelle V (April 15th) 
2 points - Regina (April 20th, 22nd) 

We now have a tie!

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Author Interview - Roseanna White

I would like to welcome my friend and fellow author, Roseanna M. White. I've heard some great things about her new novel, A Stray Drop of Blood, categorized as biblical fiction. Roseanna has agreed to give away one copy from a random drawing of those who leave a comment with an email for contact purposes.

Of all the characters you’ve created, which is your favorite and why?

I'd have to say my favorite is one that will probably never see the light of day. Her name is Carman Kennedy, and she has been carefully hewn into the ultimate femme fatale. But deep inside lurks the desire to be something else, something unassociated with the man who took over her life when she was fifteen. Her story is one of falling as far as a woman possibly can, to finally be lifted up by love—of God, friends, and a man—when she thought she was all out of hope. Carman's story may not have a place in today's publishing world, but it has a special place in my heart. I set out to write it wanting to redeem an unredeemable character, and I love how she developed. I loved getting inside her head until I understood what made that kind of person tick—and what might bring them to a crashing halt.

What are you currently writing?

At the moment I'm toying with another Biblical fiction, though we'll see where it goes. It's a new spin on the familiar Esther story, using Herodotus's History for stories of Xerxes as much as the Biblical account. Putting the two together leaves a lot of holes and a lot of questions . . . all of which are answered by the existence of my heroine, Kasia, who is both Esther's childhood friend and Xerxes' favorite concubine.

Tell us about your latest book.

A Stray Drop of Blood is the story of Abigail, a Hebrew slave in a Roman house in Jerusalem.  Her master and mistress love her and raise her as a daughter, educating her in Greek and Roman texts as well as the Law of Moses, but when their son returns from Rome, he isn't inclined to view her as a sister. Through twists of fate that lead her into the darkness of bitterness and despair, Abigail's story is one of love growing in soil thought too hard for it and colliding with the power of forgiveness that soaks her along with a stray drop of Jesus' blood when she ends up at his crucifixion.

What kind of planning do you do before writing a novel?

Ideas usually burst into my head and become fully formed within a day—at least the good ones, LOL. They also totally possess me during that phase, so if it's a historical that requires research, I'll sit down and undergo a blitz of looking-up-this and finding-out-that for the bare bones, then will generally jot it all down in a rambling sort of summary with lots of question marks and “or something”s peppered throughout. Then when I can actually write it, I'll do any more intense research that needs done. I can usually only stand so much non-fiction reading at a time—not to mention I can't do anything without interruption from my 4- and 2-year-olds, ha ha—so I'll write a bit as I'm researching. I usually have the first few chapters finished by the time my research is complete and my outline whole, so I can send that much off to my agent and critique partners for thoughts while I work on the rest.

Do you edit as you go or wait until completing the first draft? How many drafts?

I'm mostly an as-you-go person.  I'll send chunks to my critters as I finish them so that I can integrate their critiques as I go and make sure my development answers their questions. After finishing my first draft, I'll then do another read-through, change anything that needs it (generally the first and last chapters) and then send it off to my agent. If she gives the thumbs-up, we submit. If she sees a problem, I do another go-through to fix it. But as true drafts go, it's really only 1 . . . or maybe 1.5. With lots of little tweaks as I go.

In your opinion, what is a writer’s greatest struggle?

Judging by my own story and those of my friends, I'd have to say it's bridging the gap between that vision we have of our books and what their place really is in the world. For a writer, it's generally all about the story, about putting it to paper. Yes, our dream is publication, but it's only something we pursue because we so love writing. But then once we're facing rejections, marketing, sales, and reader feedback, we're forced to separate ourselves from our stories a bit. We have to sell it, we have to accept bad opinions, we have to come to a place where we can trust the Lord that this story, whatever it may be, is doing His work even if we don't see how—even if that work is personal growth that doesn't end in publication or big sales. It's hard to turn our babies over, be it to God or to the publishers. It takes trust, and it's a hard thing to learn.

Thank you, Roseanna, for joining us!

You can find out more about Roseanna at: http://www.roseannawhite.com.

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CFBA Blog Tour - "Wildflowers of Terezin"

The


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


Wildflowers of TerezinAbingdon Press (April 2010)by


Robert Elmer



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert Elmer is a former pastor, reporter, and a copywriter who now writes from the home he shares with his wife Ronda in northern Idaho. He is the author of over fifty books, including eight contemporary novels for the adult Christian audience and several series for younger readers. Combined, his books have sold more than half a million copies worldwide. Like his popular Young Underground youth series, Wildflowers of Terezin was inspired by stories Robert heard from his Denmark-born parents and family. When he's not sailing or enjoying the outdoors, Robert often travels the country speaking to schools and writers groups.


ABOUT THE BOOK:

When nurse Hanne Abrahamsen impulsively shields Steffen Petersen from a nosy Gestapo agent, she’s convinced the Lutheran pastor is involved in the Danish Underground. Nothing could be further from the truth.

But truth is hard to come by in the fall of 1943, when Copenhagen is placed under Martial Law and Denmark’s Jews—including Hanne—suddenly face deportation to the Nazi prison camp at Terezin, Czechoslovakia. Days darken and danger mounts. Steffen’s faith deepens as he takes greater risks to protect Hanne. But are either of them willing to pay the ultimate price for their love?

To read the first chapter of Wildflowers of Terezin, go HERE.

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The Issue of Sales Tax on Books

Over the years I've seen posts on writing blogs regarding sales tax issues for writers. The issue is how one should pay sales tax if hosting a book signing at a church, community fairs, or places that aren't bookstores where the author must personally handle the transactions themselves. The problem for a writer is we are all from different states, we never know where we might be invited, or when we might get a chance to do a book signing. Each state has different laws. In fact, each county within each state may have different laws, at least that is the case here in North Carolina. 

Then there is the issue of website sales. How does one charge sales tax over the Internet when buyers can be from anywhere? It's a huge dilemma and one that I was recently faced in resolving. I'm getting requests for signed copies, but I needed to know how to handle this situation and stay in the good graces of the IRS and my local state. After all, my first priority in my writing career, is my readers. If they want a signed copy, and I'm not going to be anywhere near their area, or they can't make it if I am, I feel they should have a signed copy if they want one. The best way for me to provide that, is the option to purchase it directly from me through my website.

Therefore, I needed to arm myself with real information, so I made some phone calls to the NC Department of Revenue Service. I discovered some interesting facts that I wanted to share with you, whether you are selling books or some other product. 

Here's the deal for the federal IRS
You do not pay sales tax to the federal Internal Revenue Service. You only pay income tax on your earnings. This can be done once a year when most people file by April 15th for the previous year, or on a quarterly basis April 15th, June 15th, September 15th, and January 15th.

Here's the deal for local sales in your state



Here's what happens when a person makes a purchase at a large store like Barnes & Noble, Borders Books, or Books-A-Million, they are charged sales tax at the time of purchase regardless of where the customer lives. They have no idea where each customer is a resident. Plus, these store chains are operating in multiple states and are covering their expenses from every angle because their sales tax fees can range from hundreds of thousands to millions. Most are registered businesses to operate in multiple states where they have a local store.

Individual authors will not have those kind of sales volumes. If you choose to sell books at an event in your local state where you have to manage the money and sales yourself, you must pay sales tax on the revenues you make. Whether or not you choose to charge your customers sales tax is up to you. Either you pass on the sales tax fee to your customers or you eat the cost and pay the difference yourself. The choice is yours. 


Here's the deal for sales outside of your state
Most consumers are not aware of this, but according to the NC Department of Revenue service, the consumer is responsible for reporting purchases they make outside of their state to their state and paying sales tax to their state for those purchases they are bringing back home to their state. It isn't a problem if you are making small purchases at a store that has already charged you sales tax. 

If you are carrying your books to another state and holding a book signing, you may not have to charge or pay sales tax to that state, especially if your sales are under a certain dollar amount. Traditionally, you are not required to pay sales tax to a state you do not live in. This is why lots of fairs and festivals and Internet purchases may not charge you a sales tax for some purchases. If you are not registered to do business in that state, it will be hard for the state to prove how many books you sold at a fair or a local church. Of course, there is always the moral obligation of knowing how many you sold then getting the proper paperwork filled out and filed to pay the sales tax. Sometimes it is a "use tax" rather than a "sales tax". It varies, as do the laws, from state to state. Some states will require you to fill out a form for a one-time sales event in their state.


Some states have started passing individual laws based on the nexus factor of a physical presence within the state. In that case, you are physically there and may be liable for sales tax in that state--even for a one-time event. Do your homework carefully if you hold a book signing in another state, and you will be responsible for managing the funds yourself.


Here's the deal for Internet sales tax
You must pay local state sales tax for any consumer that buys from you who lives in your state. Also, you must pay a separate county sales tax for the county in which that consumer lives. This is traceable through the address to which you are mailing the product if you are ever audited. 

You do not have to pay a sales tax for out-of-state consumers. Once again, consumers are technically and legally responsible for untaxed purchases they make outside their state to their state. 


Selling products over a website or by catalog and shipping them to a state does not trigger a sales tax collection obligation because such activity does not constitute a physical presence. The U.S. Supreme Court confirmed that such activities do not create nexus in 1992 in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota (504 U.S. 298).

My reflection and personal decision
Most consumers aren't even aware that they are responsible for reporting these out-of-state purchases, and I questioned this as there are lots of unpaid sales tax--especially over the Internet and at local fairs and festivities. I was informed that state governments are aware of this and are working on a solution. In the meantime, this is the way it is. So my advice is to pay attention to new laws as they are passed in regard to sales tax and do your research on book signings outside your state.


I would love to sell hundreds of thousands of copies of my books--even millions, but the reality is that I probably won't. Therefore, for the time being, I will not charge a sales tax  to my consumers at local events or through the Internet. I will simply pay the sales tax fees as they are likely to be minimal for the first few years. Most of my sales will be through chain books stores and online places such as Amazon. I felt it gave an unfair impression to NC residents who might want to purchase a signed book from me if they had to pay a sales tax and anyone outside of NC didn't--especially since most of them wouldn't (know to) report the sales tax to their own state.

If, however, I find that my sales volume is much higher than I anticipated through the Internet, I may change my decision based on affordability.

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CFBA Blog Tour - "She Walks in Beauty"

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
She Walks in BeautyBethany House (April 2010)by
Siri Mitchell


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Siri Mitchell graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived all over the world, including in Paris and Tokyo. Siri enjoys observing and learning from different cultures. She is fluent in French and loves sushi.

But she is also a member of a strange breed of people called novelists. When they’re listening to a sermon and taking notes, chances are, they’ve just had a great idea for a plot or a dialogue. If they nod in response to a really profound statement, they’re probably thinking, “Yes. Right. That’s exactly what my character needs to hear.” When they edit their manuscripts, they laugh at the funny parts. And cry at the sad parts. Sometimes they even talk to their characters.

Siri wrote 4 books and accumulated 153 rejections before signing with a publisher. In the process, she saw the bottoms of more pints of Ben & Jerry’s than she cares to admit. At various times she has vowed never to write another word again. Ever. She has gone on writing strikes and even stooped to threatening her manuscripts with the shredder.


ABOUT THE BOOK:

For a young society woman seeking a favorable marriage, so much depends on her social season debut. Clara Carter has been given one goal: secure the affections of the city's most eligible bachelor.

Debuting means plenty of work--there are corsets to be fitted, dances to master, manners to perfect. Her training soon pays off, however, as celebrity's spotlight turns Clara into a society-page darling.

Yet Clara soon wonders if this is the life she really wants. Especially when she learns her best friend has also set her sights on Franklin De Vries.

When a man appears who seems to love her simply for who she is and gossip backlash turns ugly, Clara realizes it's not just her marriage at stake--the future of her family depends on how she plays the game.

If you would like to read the first chapter of She Walks in Beauty, go HERE.

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Getting Back into the Writing Muse

Are you having a difficult time getting back to your writing after a holiday or are you recharged with fresh energy and zest? All of us operate differently, but sometimes getting back into the muse of things after a holiday or a vacation can take some time for the rest of us who depend on consistent schedules.

You might try jumping right into it and pushing through the first 500 words or so until you get rolling. That has worked for me in the past, or you might need to pray, pace, and meditate on your story before getting back into it. Reread the last scene you wrote, but ignore the need to rewrite it or revise sections of it. The point is to only read enough of it to get back into the story so you can write new words. 

Over the holiday weekend, I typed in over 6,000 new words on my manuscript, but each word was painstakingly written. The story isn't pouring from me like a deep well as it has in the past. I'm reaching far into the recesses of my heart, digging deep, to get what I've written onto the screen, and still I fear it isn't good enough. I'm going to have a lot of editing to do when I'm done with this first draft. For this reason, getting back into the writing muse is even harder for me, because I was already struggling. 

I'm at a point where I am going to push through. What about you?

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Standing Through the Financial Storm

With all the job layoffs, salary and hourly cuts, budget cuts, healthcare issues, and the whole economic downturn and its trickling effect on you, your household, and your checkbook, I felt led earlier in the week to do something I've never done on my blog--a Financial Devotion. I'm not sure how many posts I would do, but I thought I would post them on Fridays in place of my historical posts. Once the series is done, I would go back to my regular historical posts. 

Would something like this be helpful to you? 

If not, and I don't receive any feedback, I'll just stick to the history posts. 

I'm not a financial wiz, but just as Jesus called common people from the field and all walks of life to teach and carry out his ministry, I've walked the journey of surviving financial stress--to the point of having to walk away from almost every material thing--before the recession hit. I'm here, standing on the other side of the financial storm, as a testimony that you can make it. You WILL make it. Perhaps we endured our season before the recession so we would have some experience to share with others. 

Let me know if you would be interested in a Financial Devotion.

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