For fun I thought it would be great if we all shared what we’re reading right now with a sentence or two from the first page.
It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured. I realised, somehow, through the screaming in my mind, that even in that shackled, bloody helplessness, I was still free: free to hate the men who were torturing me, or to forgive them.
These are the first two sentences of Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, a 933 page novel that mirrors his own life.
So what are you reading right now and can you share a sentence or two from the first page? Any time of book works for me 🙂
This is my first of many (I hope) interviews with authors I enjoy. Every Friday I’ll be asking 9 questions of an author gracious enough to answer them. I reviewed Sweet Caroline last year (review here) and its author, Rachel Hauck, answered these 9 questions for me. Thanks Rachel! You can visit Rachel at her website, www.rachelhauck.com
Rachel Hauck is a best selling and award winning author. A graduate of Ohio State University, she lives in central Florida with her husband and pets. She is currently writing her twelfth novel.
1. I loved your book,Sweet Caroline. What made you choose to set it in the South Carolinalow country?
RH: To be honest, I looked at books set in the south and saw how well received lowcountry were and thought, why not set a book in South Carolina? But before that, a friend of ours wrote a worship song called Praise House. I asked where the idea came from and he showed my husband and I his home video of a spontaneous trip he and his wife took to Beaufort, South Carolina looking for a Gullah praise house. As soon as I saw his video, I knew I wanted to set a book there.
2. This YouTube clip promoting Love Starts With Elle is great. Can you tell us how it was done and more about your Diet Coke addiction?
RH: Diet Coke addiction? What Diet Coke addiction. Okay, yeah, I do enjoy my daily Diet Coke. It’s my drink of choice rather than coffee. When I was in college, I was a Diet Pepsi fan, but several years ago while at my corp job, everyone drank Diet Coke like it was going out of style and I switched because several people had office mini-fridges stocked with Diet Coke. The rest, as they say, is history.
The Love Starts With Elle trailer came to me one night out of the blue. I wanted a book trailer, but they are all the same and I wanted to do something different. I thought, “What if I talk to Elle like she’s real?”
I called a good friend who used to work at Pixar. We agreed on the project and price, I wrote a script and we filmed it a few days later. It was fun and easy. Despite my bad hair day, it turned out well. 🙂
3. You attended Ohio State (Go Bucks!) and earned a degree in journalism. What drew you to writing inspirational fiction as a career choice?
RH: Yes, Go Buckeyes! I always wanted to be a writer which was one reason I majored in Journalism. After graduating and working in the corp world for awhile, I thought about writing but knew the publishing road to be daunting. Finding an agent, etc.
In the early ’90s I started reading Christian fiction. I enjoyed the stories and liked the aspect of weaving in a spiritual theme if I wanted. On ’94, I started my first book, a WW2 epic. Excerpts from it made it in Love Starts With Elle.
I went to my first writers conference in ’97 where I began meeting people and learning about the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA.) In those days, you didn’t need an agent. A writer just submitted to the publishers, but even by the late ’90s, fiction was making huge strides.
I don’t think I purposefully set out to write Inspirational, it just came out of the books I was reading and the excitement I had in my heart over a life in God.
4. Do you have a local writing group or fellow writers that you look to for support and advice or is writing a solitary endeavor for you?
RH: Writing is always solitary. No way around it. But I do have a great support network. My brainstorming buddy and great friend, Susan May Warren, is a phone call away. She’s a fabulous and award-winning author who really helps me out when I’m stuck in the middle of writing. I do the same for her. We laugh about how clearly we see each other’s stories, but are so blind to our own.
My good friend and award winning Christine Lynxwiler also provides support. Many times, a writer needs someone just to listen to the struggle. And of course, if something good happens, they are the first ones I call.
I am a member of Romance Writers of America which has a local chapter. I attend monthly meetings with those writers and receive a lot of encouragement. I learn something every meeting.
And, I’m on the Advisory Board for American Christian Fiction Writers. Part of the organization is run by a member based email loop, so there’s always writers an email away. Such a great resource for all kinds of information.
Last, but not least, I’m a member of published author organization and we provide a lot of support to each other. I feel surrounded sometimes.
My husband and non-writer friends, and my family also provide support. They listen to me go on and on about a book issue. Bless them!
5. What was your favorite childhood book?
RH: I loved to read biographies, but far and above, The Little House books were my absolute favorite. I’ve read the entire series a dozen times.
6. I love quotes. Do you have a favorite quote or scripture?
RH: I have one of each. My favorite quote is from Michael Jordan.
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
My favorite Scripture is Song of Solomon 4:9.
“You have made my heart beat faster, my sister, my bride;
You have made my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes,
With a single strand of your necklace.”
7. What are you reading right now?
RH: I just finished “To Kill A Mockingbird.” Next book, not sure yet.
8. If you were placed in the life of one fictional character who would you choose?
RH: Hmm, good question. Maybe Ebenezer Scrooge or Elizabeth Bennett of Pride and Prejudice fame. Mostly to see what their world was really like. I’d like to see Ebenezer’s change and watch Elizabeth fall in love.
9. And finally, what are you working on right now?
RH: I just finished a book with country artist Sara Evans. The book releases sometime this spring along with her new album. I’m excited about it. We’re doing several fiction books together. They are stories we made up. Nothing autobiographical.
Thanks Stacy! Great questions. I appreciate this opportunity!
Books by Rachel Hauck– Love Starts With Elle, Sweet Caroline, Diva NashVegas, Lost in NashVegas, Georgia On Her Mind, Lambert’s Peace, Lambert’s Pride, Lambert’s Code, New Hampshire Weddings, Windswept Weddings
“We have a responsibility to stand watch over one another, we are watchers, all of us, watchers, guarding against the darkness. You’ve taught me that we’re all needed, even those who sometimes think we’re worthless, plain, and dull. If we love and allow ourselves to be loved…well, a person who loves is the most precious thing in the world, worth all the fortunes that ever were.” -Chapter 9
A top secret lab in California has created two new weapons for the US government – a gentle golden retriever and a savage best, both astonishingly intelligent. One night they both escape and the NSA mounts a search, but before either can be found one is taken in by a lonely man and one begins killing at will.
Cursed Travis Cornell was looking for some happiness and found the golden retriever, who he named Einstein because of his human-like intelligence. Through Einstein he found an equally lonely woman, Nora, and the three became inseparable. The three found happiness together, but danger lurked because not only was the government still looking for Einstein, so was the beast and a crazy assassin.
This is the ultimate book for dog lovers. Einstein was nothing short of a miracle and I fell in love with him, just as you will. He was playful, a protector, a source of comfort, and also possessed the intelligence to communicate fully with Travis and Nora. The vision of Einstein lounging on the floor reading novels is one that warms this book lovers heart. I confess that my dog received a lot of extra love and a few extra treats as I was reading this book.
Koontz writes books that move at lightning speed, but also have heart, three dimensional characters, and a range of storylines that all move together perfectly. He can do it all and with this book he does. In the Afterward of my edition Koontz admits that this is probably his favorite book and that should be recommendation enough.
This is a suspenseful thriller, but also addresses some big issues like good vs. evil and the government playing God. There is DNA mixing going on right now, but this was written 20 years ago! This book will entertain you, make you think, and definitely encourage you to look at your dog and wonder how much of Einstein is in there.
” I grieved to think how brief the dream of the human intellect had been. It had committed suicide. It had set itself steadfastly towards comfort and ease, a balanced society with security and permanency as its watchword, it has attained its hopes-to come to this at last…There is no intelligence where there is no change and no need of change. Only those animals partake of intelligence that have to meet a huge variety of needs and dangers.” Chapter 10
The Time Traveller built a time machine that can travel back to the past or race to the future, much to the skepticism of his friends. They did not believe him even after one night he came home, disheveled and heartbroken, and told them mankind’s fate 800.000 years in the future.
The Time Traveller had met and been accepted by the carefree and loving Eloi, who spent their days dancing and laughing. He rescued one from drowning, Weena, and they became companions. He discovered his machine was moved and in his searching found another people, the Morlocks, who lived under ground and were as dark as the Eloi were light.
The Time Traveller was there eight days and his views changed daily, allowing Wells to expound on his own world view and the state of the human condition. The story, while being interesting, also had real depth.
I am surprised at how well this novel has aged. This is the original time travel book and the sheer imagination and possibilities are impressive. It is a short classic, well worth the time and suitable for all ages, although the vocabulary could be challenging for younger readers.
I want my first quiz of 2009 to be special, so the first person to leave a comment with the correct answers to all of the questions will receive a$9 gift card from Barnes & Noble🙂 If no one gets them all correct by Wednesday night the person with the highest number will win the gift card, so guess as many as you think you know, you could win! Feel free to Google if you need to. Start guessing!
And the winner is …. Deborah! Visit Deborah at her blog.
1. What is the ninth word of the Bible? the
2. What is Dante’s Ninth circle? treachery
3. In the Lord of the Rings, who received Nine rings? mortal men
4. In JD Salinger’s Nine Stories, what is the ninth story? Teddy
5. From Jeffrey Toobin’s book The Nine, name two of the nine. Roberts, Stevens, Scalia, Kennedy, souter, Thomas, Ginsberg, Breyer, Alito
6. What is the title of Janet Evanovich’s ninth Stephanie Plum novel? To the Nines
7. Name two of the Nine Muses of ancient Greece. Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, Urania
8. What Curious George book has nine in the title? Cecily G. & the Nine Monkeys
9. What was this blog’s ninth post OR a book from my top 100 list with nine in the title? On Writing by Stephen King or Cloud Nine by Luanne Rice
Julia has just found out that Joe, her Golden Globe nominated husband of many years, is cheating on her. She decides not to confront him (she knows he is a good liar) and goes about her daily life taking care of her two kids, teenager Ruby and preschooler Sammy. She becomes obsessed with checking Joe’s cell messages and listening to the woman’s sexy voice repeatedly, looking for the owner of that voice in Joe’s life. She surprises him on set and lurks on the celebrity websites spreading lies about her clueless husband. When the time for confrontation comes the fallout begins with the Golden Globe ceremony as a backdrop.
I was prepared to enjoy it based on the good reviews on other blogs, but I didn’t. I never connected with Julia and the only time I really liked her was when she interacted with Mr. Mom because she showed some depth. I understand that this was the point being made, that she lost herself in the marriage, but there was so little spark to the character that I was bored with her botox, hair extensions, and recollections of better times with Joe. There was no real sense that the story was going anywhere and the end proved that true, in my opinion.
The one thing I thought was fun was Julia’s dad identifying a person’s character by his or her first name. Neds are thoughtful, Jakes sly, Davids smart, and Jacks funny. Joes, she learned from her father, are a handful.
I woudn’t recommend this book, but it has received good reviews elsewhere.
“There was no one else to blame anymore…And there was no place to hide-no place across any river for a boatman to take us. Our life would be what we made of it-nothing more, nothing less.” -Chapter 15
High School sophomores John and Lorraine like to play phone pranks, but one such call leads them to Angelo Pignati’s front door. Mr Pignati, aka Pigman because of his collection of pigs, is a lonely old man who has been forgotten and visits his best friend the baboon at the zoo everyday. Soon the two teenagers become more comfortable at Mr. Pignati’s house than their own more judgemental homes.
Greed and mischief led them to Mr. Pignati’s home and his generosity kept them there, but John and Lorraine gain valuable life lessons through their friendship with the old man. They are just kids and yet they are faced with the realities of aging, the fragility of life, peer pressure, magic, and the destruction of youth.
I think this book is wonderful. I like the alternating chapters between John and Lorraine. The language and the story are so vividly real that even though this was published in the 1960’s it is still relevant for teens today. It is brutally honest and doesn’t sugarcoat anything, and yet it isn’t without hope. John and Lorraine are flawed teenagers caught up in misfortune of their own making and Mr. Pigman is a sad man who gains happiness before losing it again.
I recommend this as a young adult novel, although as a ‘not so young girl’ I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I’m cleaning off my bookshelves again and am ready to offer these books I’ve already read to you, free of charge.
Leave a comment, tell me which book you want and I’ll get the book to you for FREE either by mail or personally if I’ll see you soon. The first one to request each book wins.
Once you’ve ‘won’ the book I can get your shipping address if I need it. Also, you can come back and get a free book every month if you want.
1. Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, trade paperback, read once. Read my review here.
2. Promise Me by Harlan Coben, oversize mass market paperback, read once. Review here. If you’ve never tried a Harlan Coben thriller, you should! for Heather
3. Cloud Nine by Luanne Rice, mass market paperback, read a few times. Review here. This book convinced me never to buy down pillows again. for Sarah
4. Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati, mass market paperback, read a few times. Review here. This is one of my favorite books (it’s on my 100 list). If you like epics, romances, native american culture, or early America. You’ll get lost in its 876 pages.
5. 3rd Degree by James Patterson, mass market paperback, read a few times (cover has a water ring, must have used the book as a coaster once, sorry). My review here. for Katie
It is my goal every year to read a book a week. Last year I completed only 40, so I’m hoping this blog will keep me honest.
This was my first blog post last January. I feel like I’ve come so far since then. I have become more comfortable in putting myself out there, which was one of my reasons for starting the blog in the first place. I have a hard time showing my writing to anyone unless it is perfect and complete (you can guess how often this happens!) and this has been a great opportunity for me to write a ‘first draft’ on the fly and send it out to the masses.
This year has brought some surprises. I have also learned that it is possible to make friends on the internet. I ‘see’ some of you more often than I see some of my best friends. I did not realize that blogging would be as addicting and as time consuming as it is. And I found even more book obsessed readers out there than me! I am not alone 🙂
As for my initial goal of reading a book a week, well, my final count is 96, so obviously, blogging works. I’ve decided to make my 2009 goal 130 books, at least 30 of those non-fiction. I did sign up for one challenge and you can keep track of my progress on under 2009 Challenges.
There are a few things I’m going to try and make happen in 2009 (I’m avoiding the word resolution or goal). The first thing I’d like to accomplish blogwise and lifewise is getting myself organized. If I can do this the rest of this will easily follow. I’d like to host a giveaway and a few author interviews. I like that you participate in my quizzes, so I might offer prizes here and there just for fun! I’m going to try an improve the look of my blog-I still haven’t taken the time to figure some of this stuff out.
I think that’s enough. Thanks for sharing 2008 with me. I look forward to a great 2009 and hope the year is a great one for you too 🙂
Stacy's Books 