Making a group work

About three months ago, I took the plunge and started my own group on Goodreads.  I wanted a place to talk about the older novels I read, and it seemed that there weren't a lot of groups that even talked about public domain novels at all, much less regularly.  I'm in a Christian fiction group that I love dearly, and wanted the same feel when talking about some other loves, the forgotten novels of the late 1800s and early 1900s.  

I'd put it off for awhile, not sure how many other people would be interested.  But I ended up emailing some friends to see if anyone was interested, and with a group of five people who were, I decided to go ahead and start it.

Above is one of the pictures I took for the design.  There are many beautiful pictures available online, but I did not have time to research the copyright status of each one, so I decided to take my own.  It was fun and simple to play around with books!  I couldn't quite get the angle I wanted just with books, but adding the teacup gave it a special little zing, and I added it happily.

So, three months in, I am having lots of fun.  My friends were very helpful giving tips and helping get some good books on the bookshelf.  There are now over 25 members, and so far it hasn't been more than a couple of days between activity.

It does require some time investment, naturally.  I set up several pages and spent a number of hours putting suggestive posts in, to give an idea of what each section was for.  It's so rewarding, though, to see people beginning to invest their personality, instead of just following mine!  

All said, I'm really glad I started the group, and so pleased with the people who have supported it and posted and brought it a step closer to being a thriving literary group like I hoped to find.  Thanks so much, guys!  Every single post, every book added to a shelf, warms my heart!  :)

May Musings

A dogwood from 

April and May have been very busy months for me.  I did Camp NaNo in April (this time I had a "cabin" with friends...much more fun!) and completed my modest goal of 10,000 words just under the wire.  

Reading has suffered some, but I've compensated this month by trying out some Librivox books more seriously than before.  I give any narrator about five minutes, and if it's enjoyable I listen on; if not, I've decided to give myself full permission to move on to the next one.  It's been a good way to get some stories heard while busy filing, etc.

On the last week of April, after much vacillation about whether or not to do it, I started my own group on Goodreads.  I called it "Vintage Gems" and it's all about the older books I've loved for so long.  Today the eighteenth member asked to join!  I'm so excited to see what comes of it.

What I'm Reading: With This Ring

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25822013-with-this-ring

Excuse me while I gush a bit. I thought this was going to be four novellas from some of my favorite authors. I had no clue that each story is connected to other series/books that I loved! It's officially my second five-star rating of the year.

Karen Witemeyer's comes first. For those of you who loved her latest, "A Worthy Pursuit," this is the tale of "Dead-Eye Dan" Daniel Barrett of one-time dime-novel notoriety and his boss's daughter Marietta. She is thoroughly smitten with him and is certain that she'll lose him forever if he leaves for his new ranch without her winning his heart. If you've read the book, you have a pretty good inkling of what he thinks of her, but there's a reason he can't speak of it. This short story tells their tale and is interspersed with hilarious excerpts from the Dead-Eye Dan dime novel.

Second comes Regina Jennings's. It's connected to the Ozark Mountain series and focuses on Josiah Huckabee, now all grown up and no longer quite so much a daredevil. I've devoured both books in the series and have promptly shared them with my sister, so it was a delight to find these familiar scenes again and meet the spunky Katie Ellen, who is quite sure she has something to prove to the world, and will be outdone neither by the mysterious guest nor by Josiah's eagerness to protect her.

Third is Mary Connealy's. This is connected to two series, Trouble in Texas and Kincaid Brides. Big John Conroy infuriates a villain who had planned on marrying Audra Kincaid's younger sister by stealing the lady in question right out of town, and the two (John and Carrie) flee into the night with Carrie's young brother in tow. While I often have felt that Connealy's strength is not in the novella form, this one was actually quite good, and I enjoyed the tale.

Last, definitely not least, comes Melissa Jagears's. Charlotte, better known as Charlie, has to save her parents' failing ranch after her father dies, her mother loses her grip on reality, and a ruthless neighbor sabotages her ranch in an attempt to get her land. She is ready to make a deal with the devil's family to save her home for her mother...until Harrison Gray rides back into her life just ahead of a tornado. His glasses get broken, and she ends up helping him teach until the new pair comes in...but can they understand each other in time? This story is connected to the upcoming Teaville Moral Society books, and introduces Lydia King—heroine of the first book, according to the synopsis. I definitely will be looking forward to August, when I can find out what happens to Lydia, and if she finds her Mr. Darcy!

Many thanks for my copy, provided by Melissa Jagears and Bethany House in exchange for my influence in promoting it. That is an exchange I am very happy to make!With This Ring on Goodreads

Catching up on things...

So, this year I managed to complete NaNoWriMo for the first time ever!  It was a delightful moment when I uploaded my work and got my badge.  Of course, the story is far from finished, but it is taking shape nicely.  It also is a new genre for me, so I am feeling the delights of stretching my wings a bit.  More on that later.

Christmas was quite busy, with a hurried trip to visit family out of state.  I also had the chance to meet a friend at my favorite used-bookstore, the Flagship location of Half Price Books, and take advantage of the after-Christmas sale.  I found two boxes of books, many of which are vintage novels, and some of those with the original dust jackets.  I have to add about fifteen of them to Goodreads' database on my own, so that gives you a sense of how rare they are.  And, of course, I have already read several of them.  This week's gem from the box was "A Daughter of Fife" by Amelia Huddleston Barr.

Check out each "What I'm Reading" post for favorite reads and reviews that I'm doing.  For more of what I'm reading, check out my Goodreads account at: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/17442587-hannah

Last week I attended the state Evangelism conference and heard some fabulous preaching.  I intend to share some notes on what I've heard in the next few weeks.  It does my heart good to see pastors going down to the altar and praying!!

In Which I Make a Beginning

So today I begin a new venture.  I've been intending to start a blog for several years now, and have simply been too intimidated by the idea of it to dare dip my toe in the water.  I finally decided to start simple and do nothing but share my heart and the things I enjoy.  I may not pick a certain specialty, though there will be plenty of the written word around here and hopefully a profound thought or two.  I'm going to shoot for posting once or twice a month, even if I am too busy; we will see how that works out.  I'd like to manage to make it a weekly thing.

My Goodreads friends can tell you how addicted I am to reading.  I'll most likely post some reviews here, especially of my favorites.  You'll find an odd assortment of Westerns, Historical fiction, History, Classic fiction, Sweet romance, Mysteries, Christian thrillers, and Christian nonfiction, with the occasional biography for good measure.  I'll only read clean books, and I've never had a good enough imagination to read much fantasy.

The name: to be truthful, part of what put me off for so long was picking a decent name.  Years ago, my special flower was the Double Delight rose: fiery pink-red outside, creamy pure within.  Passion and purity hand in hand.  It's the dream of what I'd love my spiritual life to be.  It is my prayer that this page be a place of pure thoughts and conversations: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." --Phil. 4:8

I am continually scribbling at writing, and will share some bits of the (currently mostly frustrated) writing life as my stories take shape and someday hopefully take wing.  Mostly I write historical fiction.  In November I'll be taking part in National Novel Writing Month, known affectionately as NaNoWriMo, which (for those who don't know) is the month in the year when a certain doubtfully-sane sector of American and worldwide society half-kills themselves in the headlong effort to create 50,000 words of original composition within thirty days.  I might try posting some snippets through the month of what I come up with in my own attempt. 

For those who don't like politics and theology, well...this is my page...and I can't promise to never mention politics, and I'll certainly be talking about theology.  So be forewarned!  :)

I look forward to entering the blogging world and making new friends!

Blessings and prayers,
Hannah