WELCOME AUTHOR EILEEN HINKLE RIFE

I’d like to welcome author Eileen Hinkle Rife to my blog.



An alumna of Christian Writers Guild and member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Eileen has published several non-fiction books, written newsletters, a marriage column, and over ten church dramas. Her byline has appeared in magazines, such as Discipleship Journal, Marriage Partnership, Mature Living, Christian Home & School, Drama Ministry, and ParentLife, as well as other print and online publications. Her fiction works include Journey to Judah, Restored Hearts, and Chosen Ones in the Born for India trilogy, and a stand-alone novel, Second Chance. She and husband, Chuck, conduct marriage seminars in the States and overseas. Her favorite pastime in this season of life is dancing with hubby, spending time with her daughters and sons-in-law, and playing with her six grandchildren.



ABOUT SECOND CHANCE:

Mave Robertson, a recent empty nester, wants the fire back in her marriage, but her husband, Jerry, remains aloof. Is he having an affair? A midlife crisis? When a neighbor suggests she “get a life,” Mave accepts the challenge and volunteers at an inner-city teen ministry where she is thrown into a culture of drugs, gangs, and unwed teen moms. She soon discovers someone she can help, but might he also be the cure for both her stale marriage and her crumbling relationship with her father?

Dareece Jackson, a teen from the projects, wants something in Mave’s purse…and he’ll stop at nothing to get it.

“Gently unfolds the truth that sometimes, the best is yet to come, from unexpected people, and places, and hearts.”
—Sandra Byrd, author of To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn

“Transcends race and reaches the extremes—from suburbia to the ghetto, from guilt over a loved one’s murder to a marriage gone dull. With a dash of humor for balance, Second Chance will speak to your heart, no matter your station in life.”
—April W. Gardner, author of the Creek Country Saga; Sr. Editor of the literary site, Clash of the Titles

“Refreshing and thought-provoking.”
—Jennifer Slattery of Novel Reviews and Clash of the Titles

“Transports readers into the worlds of two very diverse characters. With laughter, tears, and sighs, you’ll enjoy every turn of the page.”
—Fay Lamb, author of Because of Me, Treble Heart Books

“Lovingly crafted imagery and dialog will carry you into the lives of two very different families and show you what forgiveness really looks like.”
—Lisa Lickel, author of Meander Scar

Second Chance: A poignant story of middle age, surprising friendships, and unexpected places. Inspired by Eileen’s own journey through the empty nest and her daughter’s and son-in-law’s work with inner city teens.

www.eileenrife.com
www.eileen-rife.blogspot.com
www.guardyourmarriage.comwww.christianspeaker.com
www.oaktara.com

Let it snow, let it snow, let it NOOOOO.

I really thought we'd missed the huge snow falls this year. With March almost upon us, I'd put away the boots and snow pants. I guess God had other plans.





Just one of God’s amazingly beautiful miracles in the world.



I’m not a huge fan of snow, but I can’t deny it’s beauty.

THE BEST WRITING BOOK YET

Title: Stein on Writing
Author: So Stein
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (January 25, 2000)
Pages: 320

STEIN ON WRITING by SOL STEIN is clearly to date the most impactful book on writing I’ve read. If you were to glance inside my copy you’d find dog-eared pages, highlights galore, asterisks, and notes written throughout.

STEIN ON WRITING is precise information, right to the point with useful examples. The language isn’t over the top. A must read for writers at any stage of their journey, but especially for those new to the craft and unpublished.

Here are a few notes I took pertaining to specific areas of the book:

Page 8 – Feelings, no facts.

Page 20 – Must grasp/shock in first sentence and or paragraph.

Page 36 – The first paragraph should contain:
Trigger curiosity.
What will they see.
Focus on an individual.
Visible characteristics of the individual.
Individual doing or saying something.
Startling or odd fact to grab attention.

Page 42 – Readers insist on seeing what they are reading because of TV.

Page 43 - Description needs to be part of the storytelling, not static.

Page 45 – Storyteller, not an interior decorator.

Page 49 – If characters are alive, they become the story. You must know and be attached to the characters in order for the plot to work, not the other way around.

Page 57 – Talk and act, not tell.

Page 54 – Good examples of showing not telling.

Page 55 – Show with eyes, not just state color. How/what are they expressing.

Page 55, 56 – Words need to not be just informative, but evoke something. Need to stir feelings in readers, even in description.

Page 62 – What makes a character.

Page 71 – Individualize minor characters through main characters eyes, not narrative.

Page 75 – Separate our lives/beliefs from characters.

Page 81 – Character questions to ask.

Page 197 – Get rid of the flab!

Page 260 – Need to visualize each paragraph/scene first to get a sense of the surroundings to give great detail.

If I had to pick one thing that stuck out the most that I learned from STEIN ON WRITING, I would have to say to cut out the flab. After reading about eliminating flab, I went to work on my own manuscript, getting rid of the words that clog our writing and hinder our reading experience.

A PROMISE OF LOVE

Title: His Steadfast Love
Author: Golden Keyes Parsons
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (November 1, 2011)
Pages: 336

Amanda Belle takes the responsibility of raising her siblings seriously, a promise placed on her before her mother passed away. When her brother heads off to war, Amanda’s responsibilities increase.

Captain Kent Littlefield, with the Union troops, and his men are forced to take refuge in the home of a family from a Confederate State. When he sets eyes on Amanda Belle, he is instantly drawn to her.

When Amanda’s father discovers his daughter has feelings for a man their state if fighting against, he demands she never see him again. When her brother learns of this, he forces her to make a decision. Amanda’s family or the man she loves.

What I liked about the book:
-The history.
-Well written.
-The well thought-out plot.
-The unique storyline.
-The low key, yet sold faith.
-The choices the author made in revealing some of the horrors of war.
-How the story progressed over several years.

What I didn’t like about the book:
-The slow pace.
-The lack of interaction between the main characters, Amanda and Kent.
-The lack of drama between the main characters.

I loved how the author started each chapter with the month and year, along with non-fiction script. Though the story read at a slow pace, I was captivated by the lives of the characters as they lived through a war.

If you’re looking for a novel filled with romance, HIS STEADFAST LOVE by GOLDEN KEYES PARSONS will not fit the bill.

If you’re looking for a wonderful story set in Texas at the beginning of the Civil War, laced with romance, suspense, history, and faith, then HIS STEADFAST LOVE is for you.

A MIX OF EMOTIONS

Title: A Town Called Valentine
Author: Emma Cane
Publisher: Avon (January 31, 2012)
Pages: 384

Emily Murphy returned to her mother’s hometown for one reason and one reason only. For a quick sale on the building willed to her. But as life often goes, another plan started to materialize.

Nate Thalberg is a real ladies man. Not that any woman got past his ten date rule. Nate has wounds, and refuses to hurt another woman…or himself for that matter.

Emily discovers something she never imagined. As her mother’s secret unravels, so does Emily’s heart. Nate learns to live life, and in the process discovers he may have found the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with.

If there ever was a book that stirred up mixed feelings, it’s A TOWN CALLED VALENTINE by EMMA CANE. The cover is what originally caught my eye like it so often does. The back cover blurb was intriguing. I’ve never read one of MS CANE’S books in the past, so after starting it, I looked to see what other books she wrote on Amazon. I was surprised to discover this was her first, it was that good.

The first half of the book read at a steady pace, had a good plot, and was well written. So well written I searched the internet for more information on MS CANE. It was then that I discovered this was not technically her first book. Just her first under this genre, and using the name EMMA CANE.

What I didn’t like about A TOWN CALLED VALENTINE:

-The second half of the book contained repetition and telling.
-Lack of peaks.
-Lack of tension between any of the characters.
-The characters casual sex.
-The foul language.

What I loved about A TOWN CALLED VALENTINE:

-The words the author chose.
-The characters.
-The plot.
-The fictional Town of Valentine Valley.

Though I would have preferred no sexual encounters between the characters, the author didn’t get as detailed as she could have, and for that I was grateful. I also prefer no foul language, and again MS CANE didn’t go overboard with that as well.

I loved the plot, though I felt she could have stepped it up. There were many opportunities for amazing tension filled scenes. I felt everything was kept on an even-keel. The characters were well thought-out, with such great goals and motivations; the potential for some amazing conflicts was overlooked.

For the first time ever I kept paper and pencil nearby as I read this novel to markdown evey word or phrase I came across that intrigued me. One of my weaknesses as a writer is my limited vocabulary, I found MS CANE’S brilliant. Her choice of words never felt forced or misplaced. For that alone this books was worth reading.