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May 2018 Inspiration

May 3, 2018 Leave a Comment

And just like that, it’s the fifth month of 2018. I like 5. It’s nice and odd, kind of like me. Haha. Okay, sorry, let’s get to the inspiration part.

I love May. Why?

In Pennsylvania, the gristly bark of trees grows neon green buds. Neon. Somehow every color is brighter. It’s like my eyes have forgotten color while we lived in the winter shades of gray.

May is on the cusp of summer, where the sunny days of warmth tease us. If ever there was a month that could be interchanged with the word “hope,” it would be May. May promises new growth, hope for what is to come.

Blessings on your May, dear friends. And drop by the comments to share what’s inspiring you this new month!

What I’m Being Inspired By

Current Jam:

Music and I hang out. We’re past first names and on to pet names. But really, we do everything together. It’s pretty serious.

Okay, so when this song bomb-dived my music selection, I suddenly wanted to run a million miles, fly out a window, and just do ALL the things. (I am so not highly influenced by my surroundings *insert eye roll*)

Current Food:

May 2018 Inspiration — Three pancakes with house-made vanilla syrup. Girl, was it good!

While in Black Mountain, NC, I visited Louise’s Kitchen. You want a cute spot for brunch? That’s where you need to go. And the food is super yummy, too. Keep an eye for the cinnamon rolls (I caught sight of those my first time there and automatically changed my order)!

Current Read:

I “met” Courtney Walsh through her sweet little novella in the Just Where We Belong novella collection so I had to me Just Let Go when given the opportunity. It’s such fun to support authors!

So far, I’m getting a kick out of characters, Grady and Quinn. (P.S. aren’t those names just great?)

Pre-Order Just Let Go to receive it on June 5, 2018!

Current Obsession:

I love my circus family at Iron City Circus Arts. I don’t think there’s much more I can say than that. And yes, we’re obsessed with are muscles and our bruises.

Current Quote:

Sometimes friendships spring out of one chance meeting in a crowded room. A year ago, two of us introverted types bumped into one another on the first night of a conference. A couple of weeks ago, an email landed in my inbox, a sort of creative manifesto, and this email exchange has encouraged me again and again.

And this friend shared this quote. So today, I share it with you.

What’s Inspiring YOU?

Guest Post: Sometimes The Setting is the Seed by Olivia Rae

April 23, 2018 4 Comments

Olivia Rae and I connected over our mutual love of books. Surprising, right? I also got to interview her about Joshua’s Prayer and find out her favorite dessert and pet peeve!

When she told me that Adoration, the 5th book of The Sword and The Cross Chronicles was releasing April 12, I (travel lover that I am) wanted to travel to her setting. Of course, that’s a bit challenging since things have changed in the last 1000 years or so!

Anyway, I love what Olivia Rae shares about the setting of Adoration. Now I’m itching to travel to that time through her series!

Sometimes the Setting is the Seed

When Barbara asked me if I wouldn’t mind writing about the setting of my books, I paused. Not because I have never been to England, but because the idea of The Sword and The Cross Chronicles didn’t come to me when I was abroad, but when I was doing some research on the Crusades. There was a story about a golden knight that saved the Cross of Solomon from the Muslims. I don’t know if the story was true or not, but it got me thinking. So I began to write Revelation, which is the second story in The C & S Chronicles (Yes, the second story came before the first.).

However, the story did not have the depth that it needed until I went to London with my daughter and we went to the Temple Church. The Templars started building this church, which was their headquarters, in the 12^th century. Walking into the church, it didn’t take me long to realize just how powerful the Templars were back then. At one time, the Templars were even in control of the royal treasury. This might be the kernel of truth that started so many Templar rumors and myths you hear about today.

As fascinating as all those stories might be, it was the stone effigies that are found in the floor of the church that really had an impact on me. Now I had a clear visual of what a Templar knight probably looked like. Granted my stories take place before the oldest effigy (William Marshall 1146-1219) was ever put into the floor. Yet, I couldn’t get their images out of my head. These knightly effigies gave testament to a very tumultuous time in history. The Templars originally were a warrior monk order whose main goal was to offer protection to pilgrims going to the Holy Land. Many of these early pilgrims were the infirmed and ill looking for healing in the water of Bethesda, and in some cases, the Sea of Galilee. As more and more Europeans came to the area cultures began to clash. More importantly, who was going to control the trade routes from the East? Like now, back then, power was everything. There were saints and sinners on both sides during the Crusades and which may explain why some where immortalized in effigies.

An effigy never appeared in any of my book until, Adoration. No, I don’t have a grand one like those in the Temple Church. But I do have a few simple headstones placed into a floor of a chapel. And yes, they do hold a secret.

So you see, a setting can give you a lot more than descriptive words. It can open a world of intrigue, danger and dark secrets. Now that’s a setting worth writing about.

Do you choose books based on setting? Comment below!

About Adoration

A Deathbed Confession Forces A Wedding…

Sir Darrin de Longue is desperate to get his lands back from Lady Faith de Sainte-Marie, the woman who betrayed him and may have had a hand in his father’s murder. But when King Richard discloses a secret on his deathbed–that Lady Faith is the king’s daughter–and then issues an ultimatum, Darrin has no choice but to obey. In order to reclaim his lands, he must marry Lady Faith and get her with child in a year’s time.

Without Love, She’ll Remain a Wife In Name Only

Left on a doorstep as a babe, Lady Faith has always been grateful for the home she was provided. Since childhood, she has loved the rowdy and bold Sir Darrin, but cannot be a true wife to the bitter, angry man whom she has wed. In order to gain his trust and love, she vows to find the truth about his father’s murder. But when she stumbles upon some dark and deadly secrets, will she be able to prove her innocence–and his–to erase the past and win Darrin’s heart?

Buy a copy of Adoration

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About Olivia Rae

Olivia Rae is an award-winning author of historical and contemporary inspirational romance. She spent her school days dreaming of knights, princesses and far away kingdoms; it made those long, boring days in the classroom go by much faster. Nobody was more shocked than her when she decided to become a teacher. Besides getting her Master’s degree, marrying her own prince, and raising a couple of kids, Olivia decided to breathe a little more life into her childhood stories by adding in what she’s learned as an adult living in a small town on the edge of a big city. When not writing, she loves to travel, dragging her family to old castles and forts all across the world.

Olivia is the winner of the New England Readers’ Choice Award, Illumination Award Bronze medalist, Buyer Best Book Award Finalist, a Kindle Book Award Semi-Finalist, I Heart Indie Award Finalist, and Grab Me Award Finalist. She is currently hard at work on her next novel.

Connect with Oliva Rae:

Website: http://www.oliviaraebooks.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oliviaraeauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/oliviaraebooks

So lovely to have you on the blog today, Olivia Rae, and congratulations on the release of Adoration!!

Staying in Historic Eureka Inn in Jonesborough, TN

April 19, 2018 2 Comments

Stateside adventures can be just as exciting as oversea travels. I’m beginning to recognize the truth of this idea, and the Historic Eureka Inn in Jonesborough, TN, helped to seal this idea in my head. Despite being a world power, the United States is still so young compared to other countries.

The oldest structures in the USA barely brush the 1700s. The Historic Eureka Inn is one such place. Built sometime between 1798 and 1800, the inn still has a good portion of its original structure.

Quirky part of that is that nothing is level inside the inn. Is it TMI if I say that the first time I noticed the sloping floor was while, um, sitting in the bathroom?

Staying in Historic Eureka Inn in Jonesborough, TN — The town of Jonesborough. Do you see the Lollipop Shop??

In a brisk ten minutes, you can walk the whole of the thoroughfare in Jonesborough.

Fun Fact: Jonesborough has the International Storytelling Center and hosts the National Storytelling Festival in October.

But let’s focus on the Historic Eureka Inn.

Okay, so when I arrived to the Historic Eureka Inn, I took that side street next to it and parked in their little roundabout so I could check in (I then promptly forgot about my car for a solid 30 minutes) and bring my stuff in.

Blake and Katelyn are awesome. They remembered my name from hour 1 until I left three days later. Like, how cool is that?

As Katelyn showed me up to my room, explaining that it was pink, I wasn’t so sure I’d like the look of that. But when I entered The Cottage Room, it made me smile. For me, it wasn’t too much pink. Charming.

Staying in Eureka Inn in Jonesborough, TN — The wardrobe was so beautiful and hid a little TV inside, too.

Oh, hey, so the reason that I visited the Historic Eureka Inn was for the Novel Writing Intensive. The authors in charge of this intimate, learning time believe in the importance of setting so we met in a town where storytelling is important.

Side Note: While the Novel Writing Intensive is over for this year, they are doing a Character Intensive Writing Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Okay, it’s hard to take a photo that reveals how uneven the entire building is. Due to the age of the building, nothing is level. Yeah, scroll up to the above picture and admire the crookedness.

Although it made walking an adventure, I loved this quirky feature of the beautiful inn.

If you’ve read any of my book reviews, then you know: I love food. And goodness gracious, the Historic Eureka Inn definitely has some yummy food to offer.

As a yogurt addict, I particularly appreciated their cute yogurt parfaits. But I also love that I could order eggs as I wanted, and have waffles and syrup or biscuits and gravy for breakfast. I think one morning I had it all. ~~Not~~ (maybe a little) ashamed.

Jonesborough has all sorts of cute nook and crannies. They have The Corner Cup shop (mmm chai) and a bunch of sweet munchie places. If you love hiking, you’ll find that too.

If you’d like some cozy adventure, I think you need to book yourself a room in The Historic Eureka Inn.

Have You Ever Stayed in an Old Inn?

Tell me in the comments below! I’d love to hear about a new place to visit.