Good News! Announcing the Sale of My Second Novel

Hi Everyone!

I've been bursting at the seams for the past two weeks, wanting to tell everyone my exciting news but at the same time, needing to wait for details to be ironed out with my publisher.

Love Inspired Historical is going to publish a second novel from me. While I don't know what the official title will be, right now it's called Schooling the Cowboy. Here's a little more about the book:

Rancher Luke Hayes has no desire to leave his precious Wyoming ranch, but when his grandfather dies, he must travel to New England to settle the estate and retrieve his inheritance. This shouldn't be a problem. He'll sell everything off as quickly as he can, pick up his sister at her fancy prep school she's been attending, and be back home with his sister before the snow flies.  

But when Luke arrives in New England, he doesn't expect to inherit responsibility for a girls school on the brink of closing, or to meet a steel-spined mathematics teacher who's convinced Luke needs to stay out east and keep the school open.

As you may have guessed by the summary above, Schooling the Cowboy isn't related to my first book, Sanctuary for a Lady. It's a story that I started writing after I finished Sanctuary for a Lady in 2011, but before I learned Sanctuary for a Lady would be published. Schooling the Cowboy has changed a bit since this time last year, but I'm confident readers will love it. It will release either late next year (2013) or in early 2014.

So to celebrate my news about Schooling the Cowboy getting published, I've decided to offer a free copy of Sanctuary for a Lady. Be sure to leave a comment with your email address below to be entered into the contest. The drawing will close Saturday, August 25, at midnight.

And on Thursday, I'll be introducing you to the characters in Schooling the Cowboy.

Book Spotlight--Historical Romance Novels for April

Hey Everyone,

Did you all have a fabulous Easter Weekend? I know I did, and I'm hoping you enjoyed your own Easter as much as me and my family did. I wanted to kick off the week with our Book Spotlight, highlighting the novels available from my publisher this month. The first novel I'm going to introduce you to is . . . MINE!!! (I know, it probably surprises some of you, but I'm eager to give my book a shout out whenever possible.) Here's a little about the book:

The injured young woman Michel Belanger finds in the woods is certainly an aristocrat. And in the midst of France's bloody revolution, sheltering nobility merits a trip to the guillotine. Yet despite the risk, Michel knows he must bring the wounded girl to his cottage to heal.

Attacked by soldiers and left for dead, Isabelle de La Rouchecauld has lost everything. A duke's daughter cannot hope for mercy in France, so escaping to England is her best chance of survival. The only thing more dangerous than staying would be falling in love with this gruff yet tender man of the land. Even if she sees, for the first time, how truly noble a heart can be….

Obviously I'm excited to see Sanctuary for a Lady release, as it's my debut novel and will always be close to my heart, but did you know I'm not the only author debuting this month with Love Inspired Historical? Jessica Nelson also saw her book, Love on the Range, hit shelves for the first time last week. Here's more about the novel:

Any other socialite would view being packed off to a remote Oregon ranch as a punishment. But Gracelyn Riley knows that this is her opportunity to become a real reporter. If she can make her name through an interview with the elusive hero known as Striker, then she'll never have to depend on anyone ever again.

Rancher Trevor Cruz can't believe his secret identity is being endangered by an overly chatty city girl. But if there's one thing he knows, it's that Gracie's pretty little snooping nose is bound to get her in trouble. So he'll use her determination to find "Striker" to keep an eye on her…and stick close by her side.

We'll be spending next week with Jessica, here on Making Home Work. She'll be doing an interview and giveaway, plus and sharing a recipe with us, and I'm excited to have her. Jessica interviewed me on her blog last week? If you missed it, stop by to check out the interview. On Friday, we'll be hearing from our monthly blogger, Sarah Hamaker. And in the meantime, if you're wanting to try out a book by a new author to see how well you like it, I can think of a couple to recommend . . .

Celebrate Easter!

I'm stealing this lovely Easter image from Laura Frantz's blog. While I have much more to share with you about my debut novel, Sanctuary for a Lady, I'm going to take a break from that today and wish you all a wonderful Easter, full of both God and family.

For those of you interested in visiting me elsewhere, I'm guest posting today over on Seekerville. Seekerville is an awesome blog for writers, and I'll be discussing kissing and nearly kissing in a novel.

Also, were having a bit of an Easter Egg hunt over on Goodreads this week. Stop by the Love Inspired Historical discussion board to learn what all is involved.

And if you're interested in a really cool giveaway of Sanctuary for a Lady, be sure to stop by my critique partner's website, Inspirational Historical Fiction Index. She's giving away up to four copies of my novel!

But most importantly, step back and take a break from the business of life, and have yourselves a wonderful Easter over the weekend!

Sanctuary for a Lady--A Behind the Scenes Look at the French Revolution

One of the most common questions I hear once people learn about Sanctuary for a Lady, is "What possessed you to write a story set during the French Revolution?"

I wish I had an easy answer to that question, but in truth, I don't completely know. My dramatic mind has always latched on to interesting time periods, and I remember sitting in history class in high school thinking, What would it be like to be a French aristocrat, born with the world at your feet, and then suddenly lose everything you've ever known?

Needless to say, Sanctuary for a Lady answers that question. During the French Revolution, thousands of people fled the country, settling in places from England to America to Austria. But leaving wasn't necessarily easy.

Furthermore, as I studied the ideology behind the French Revolution, I found myself sympathizing with the peasant class and wanting a better type of life for them. Before the Revolution, the peasants were utterly oppressed by the church, king, and aristocracy, and this had been going on for centuries.

The French peasant class wanted to be treated fairly. They didn't want to pay half their income in taxes that the nobility and Church didn't have pay. They didn't want to see their tax dollars squandered on the lavish parties King Louis XVI threw at Versailles while they were struggling to come up with enough money to buy a loaf of bread. They didn't want to face starvation if they couldn't afford that loaf of bread.

Yet despite the good ideals at the beginning of the French Revolution, the Revolution quickly digressed into an angry power struggle between political factions, most of which never truly represented the needs of the peasants. Five years into the Revolution, France had angered nearly all of it's neighboring countries and found itself at war with England, Austria and it's territories, Italy and Spain. The inside of the the country was also a mess, caught in a bloody sort of political revenge known as the Reign of Terror.

So in the midst of all this turmoil, I created the character of Isabelle de La Rouchecauld, the daughter of a duke. Isabelle lost everything at the beginning of the Revolution and is now struggling to reach England, where she'll finally be safe. She obviously hates the Revolution and the changes happening to her country. She wants the pre-revolutionary France back. The France where she was safe, where her family hasn't been killed, where her life was free and easy.

Then I drop Isabelle into the lap of Michel Belanger, a peasant farmer who's family has suffered at the hands of the aristocracy for hundreds of years. A peasant who can blame the deaths of family members on the local aristocracy. A peasant who has found life just as difficult under the changes taking place as he found life before the Revolution. And a peasant who has every reason to turn his back on the aristocrat needing help.



It was a hard story to write, but also a rewarding story, as Michel and Isabelle are able to overcome their seemingly insurmountable differences, goals, and ideals. So for those of you planning to read the book, I hope you enjoy being immersed in the unusual setting of the French Revolution, and I hope you identify with the struggles common to all humanity that Michel and Isabelle face.

If you're interested in learning more about the French Revolution, I have a page devoted to it on my website, www.naomirawlings.com.

*****

Did you all enjoy the interviews posted around the Web? I must admit, doing the character interviews for Michel and Isabelle were two of my favorite. I hope you enjoyed them!

Today I'm being interviewed over at Jessica Nelson's blog on what it's like to debut a novel. Jessica and her blog are extra special to me, and Jessica's own novel, Love on the Range, is debuting this month with mine! (I'll be featuring an interview and giveaway with Jessica later in the month).

I also have an interview posted on Lena Nelson Dooley's blog. This interview is a mixture of some quirky personal information about me and some snippets from writing Sanctuary for a Lady.

Sanctuary for a Lady Releases!

It's here, book release time! And I've got a bit of a party for you. First, lets start with some cupcakes.



Then some coffee, the freshly ground, gourmet kind.



And maybe a few decorations.


It's super exciting to see my book live around the web, from booksellers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. My book is now ready to ship or download once you order it! And to help celebrate, I've decided to give away copy of my novel to one person who leaves a comment below.

I also want to share with you a few blogs I'm visiting this week:

If you're interested in learning about my heroine, Isabelle de La Rouchecauld, she's being interviewed over at Craftie Ladies of Romance. Here's a little picture if Isabelle's Hollywood lookalike, Kierra Knightley:



If you'd like to meet my hero, Michel Belanger, he's being interviewed on Tuesday over at Margaret Daley's blog. Here's a glimpse of Michel's Hollywood lookalike, Ben Barnes:


If you'd like to learn more about me and some of the struggles I face as an author, mom, and pastor's wife, I'll be visiting Overcoming Through Time all week long, plus giving away a copy of Sanctuary for a Lady at the end of the week.

I've got a second interview about writing Sanctuary for a Lady over at Through His Eyes Too, with another giveaway at the end of the week.

So let the party begin! Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope to see you around the web. To be entered in the giveaway, leave a comment below with your email address. The contest will end tomorrow, Tuesday April 3rd, at midnight.

April Fools--What's Your Best April Fools Joke?

As many you know, April 1st is just around the corner, only two days away! And while April 1st is rather significant for me this year, as it marks the official release of my debut novel, Sanctuary for a Lady, it also happens to be April Fools Day. (For the record, I keep telling myself that my novel releasing on April 1st is incidental and not because my editor thought my writing was a joke.)

So to celebrate April Fools this year, I thought I'd share with you a recent prank I fell for. Totally. Completely. Utterly.

I recently had my website redone, so it could look professional rather than homemade by the time my book released. (Go on, you can take a peek at my new website at www.naomirawlings.com) I used Casey King at Kings Royal Media to do my site, and he did a wonderful job, if any of you were wondering. But little did I know Casey is a bit of a prankster.

So Casey was in the middle of tweaking my site, and sending me a bunch of emails, asking details for little things, and I was in town doing errands and answering his emails via my smart phone. In one of these emails, I asked if he'd gotten the check I sent him earlier that week, as he should have received it. Then I got in my car and headed for home. My phone did its little "ding" signifying I had another email, so when I pulled up to our town's one and only flashing light, I checked my email.

More accurately, I read the first line first line of the email, which said my check bounced.

Now let me pause at this point of my story and encourage you all to learn two lessons from my tale of woe. First, don't check email while driving, as you tend to miss important pieces of information. Second, when you check email, be sure to read the entire thing and not just the first line.

Unfortunately for me, I did neither of these things. I saw the line that said my check bounced, and I turned the car around and headed to my bank, fuming and absolutely furious. You see, I KNEW I had money in my account to cover the check, or SHOULD have had money in the account. But living North of Nowhere as I do, and using our town's tiny little bank, we've had trouble in the past with the bank putting our money in the wrong account. This has happened twice actually, and yes we still bank there (though I'm not sure why).

So at this point, I was absolutely certain the bank messed up one of our deposits yet again. I stormed into the bank, which was about ready to close. Then I proceeded to tell the poor teller one of my checks bounced and ask for a print out of my bank statement as I started rummaging in my purse for my most recent deposit slip.

The teller so graciously accessed my account information and responded that I had money in the account and nothing should have bounced. Then she asked if I knew what check number I was talking about. So I gave her the check number, and she told me the check cleared.

I frowned and replied that that there must have been some mix up with the business associate who said my check hadn't cleared. Then I thanked her, turned around, and completely confused by this point, pulled out my phone to email my website guy. The phone screen came on, and before I started a new email, I glanced at the rest of his original email, which told me (ever so kindly) at the very bottom that my check HAD NOT bounced.

How about that for April Fools a month early!

So now you know the worst prank I've fallen for in the past decade, I'm curious about you. What's the worst prank you've ever fallen for? Or if you don't want to share that, why don't you share the best prank you've ever pulled?

First Blog Review for Sanctuary for a Lady & Weekend Assignment

I have such exciting news for everyone today! Though Sanctuary for a Lady hasn't officially released yet, my first review is up, over at Homemaking Through the Church Year. Go check out the blog, if you have a moment, and be entered in the drawing for a chance to win a copy of the book. Thanks Jessica Snell, for the review!

Now for our weekend assignment. With all that delicious food on the menu I shared earlier this week, I bet you can guess what your assignment is. That's right! INVITE SOMEONE TO DINNER!

Unforgetable Moments: How Do You Correct Them?

Last Friday, after two days of driving and nearly two weeks of taking care of my mother who was recovering from surgery, I walked into my house, saw two cardboard boxes sitting on the floor of the kitchen, and ripped them open.

What did I find? MY BOOKS. Those wonderful tomes I've been waiting to hold in my hand for nearly a year.

Thankfully, I didn't mess up this moment. I didn't trip over the box on the floor, fall on my head, and give myself a concussion. Nor did I accidentally cut some of the covers when I opened the box. Then I got an email from my agent, saying her husband and daughter stayed up reading my book rather than watch a movie.

So even though I messed up my perfect "first viewing of book" moment (see this post for the whole story), I still had a chance to make it right. What about you? Do you ever get to correct those times when you make mistakes or when life doesn't go exactly as you'd planned? I'm grateful for the chance to dive back in and have a second try, and I'd love to hear some of your stories.

*****

Winner: And the winner of my first-ever giveaway copy of Sanctuary for a Lady is . . . Rubynreba!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered. I'll be doing more giveaways, both here and on other blogs closer to the book's release date.

Valentine's Contest and Sanctuary for a Lady Excerpt

In honor of Valentine's Day, I'll be joining with author Noelle Marchand for her Fourteen Days of Love contest. There are activities running every day from now until Valentine's Day on Noelle's blog. On Wednesday, I'll be blogging about keeping romance alive in your marriage (always a fun topic for me!). Plus I'll be giving away my first ever copy of my book Sanctuary for a Lady!!! (Which I still haven't held in my hand, in case you were wondering. See this post for that story.)

So, with a post about real life romance and a giveaway of Sanctuary for a Lady on Wednesday, I decided to let you readers have a little sneak peek at my novel, which releases in April. Here's one of my favorite romantic scenes, pulled right from the middle of the book.

*****

“Go to bed,” he growled.

Hurt flickered in her eyes and held. His throat closed.Didn’t she understand his dismissing her now would save her from more pain when she left? He swallowed pathetically and stepped so close she shifted her head backward so she didn’t bump his chest, so close he need only lift a hand to tangle it in her hair. “Isabelle—”

“You arrogant oaf! I’m trying to help.” She spoke sharply but moisture glistened in her eyes. She shoved her palm against his chest. “You spent all night traipsing around in the cold and rain. You refused rest, barely ate and now you disdain my politeness. Why! You deserve to catch pneumonia for a month.” She all but sobbed the last words.

Being this close to her was a mistake. He couldn’t think, could barely breathe. A longing spread through him until his arms ached to hold her and his chest craved the feel of her slender form pressed against him. He clasped her wrist instead. “You don’t mean any of that. You’re just tired.”

She blinked, banishing the unshed tears from her eyes. “Unhand me.”

He would, but she was too near. Her cheeks too flushed, her mouth too soft, her eyes too defenseless. She stopped tugging on her arm, and like a drowning sailor locking his gaze on shore, his eyes fixed on hers. Rain pounded the ground. Wind whipped through trees and tore at their cloaks. Coldness circled them. But neither moved.

His gaze dipped to her mouth, the taste awaiting him there both explosive and sweet. She shifted subtly forward until her breath tickled his lips.

*****

Oh goodness, I get all sappy every time I read that scene. Bet you can't tell I love romance! So, be sure to stop back and leave a comment on Wednesday to be entered in the drawing.

Also, some Regency authors and I (I separate myself from this group because my novel is set in France a smidgen before the Regency period) got together and started a Christian Regency blog, Regency Reflections. I'm doing my first post today, and guess what it's about? Marriage and Weddings. Head on over if you're interested in seeing what all those folk living in Regency England had to go through to get married. Some of the laws were almost cruel.

Unforgetable Moments: Perfect or Bungled?

I woke up this morning to an email from my agent. IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! is written in the subject line. My debut book, Sanctuary for a Lady, arrived at her office yesterday and should be arriving at my house yesterday or today. Except I'm not home to get them! My mom had ear surgery at the beginning of the week, and I'm 600 miles away from my house--and my books--for eight days. So I'm sitting here wondering, "How on earth did I mess this up? I mean, I've been wanting to open that box and hold a book in my hand for FOREVER! I even have this vision of crying when I first see the book.

Then I remembered a little bit about myself figured out why I'm messing up my "first book moment." You see, I'm also the person who missed "the call" when my editor called to tell me her publisher originally wanted to buy the book. (My mom was visiting and took a message for me to call the editor back. Are you noticing a pattern here?)

And as if messing up my writing moments isn't enough, I'm also the woman who forgot to kiss her husband when he proposed. Seriously, he gets down on bended knee, pops out the ring, and asks the question. And what do I do? I say "Are you for real?" and then don't even remember to kiss him until we're walking back to the car.

So I've decided my personal life is probably part of the reason I like writing so much. I write all those perfect moments for my characters in my novels, because I can write them over and over again until they happen the way they're supposed to. On the flip side, I always seem to mess up the personal moments in my own life. Go figure!

What about you? Have you bungled any of your own "perfect moments?" I'd love to hear some perfect moment bloopers. Or are you the type to walk away from a proposal looking like a princess?

I'll post a picture of me holding my book when I get back home, just so all you wonderful readers can see it. Maybe since I have a week to plan out my hold-your-debut-novel moment, I won't bungle it quite so badly. Okay, that's probably a lie. I'll likely trip over the box of books, hit my head on the hard wood floor, and give myself a concussion. But I can still dream about that moment being perfect, right?