Please Welcome my Friend and Critique Partner, Roseanna White!

I'm thrilled to have Roseanna here on my blog again. Make sure to leave your comments and email addresses for a chance to win her book!

Tell us about your latest release. The cover looks fantastic!

Thanks, Carole! Very pleased with the cover myself, LOL. =) JEWEL OF PERSIA is a combination of the book of Esther and Herodotus's HISTORIES, the Greek account of the Greco-Persian war. I combine the accounts through my fictional heroine, Kasia, a passionate Jewish girl who is the true love of Xerxes, king of Persia and Media. But because of her choices to love her Lord more than her king, she ends up turning the court against her people . . . setting the stage for her childhood friend, Esther.

What was the hardest part to write?

The hardest parts were the historical accounts I really wished I could ignore, LOL. Xerxes was sometimes . . . well, a monster. He did things no CBA hero should ever do, so it was a challenge to write those into his character in a believable way, yet keep him a sympathetic character.

We all have choices of items that help us write. What’s yours? Can you give the readers a glimpse into your writing space? What’s your favorite writing reference tool?

Coffee!!! ;-) When we set up a schoolroom for my daughter this summer, I put my desk in there, right under a shelf that holds homeschool material and beside the window. I adore this space. It's bright and cheerful, and nowhere near a TV, LOL. I've taken to taping a calender of my story to the wall, maybe a character picture, and of course my Jane Austen action figure keeps watch over me. =) My favorite reference tool . . . hmm. Probably, boring as it sounds, the internet. I have a hard time writing when I can't tab over to do searches for simple questions.

If you had to choose one person to go with you for encouragement to a secluded cabin, who would that be?

My hubby, for sure. =) He brainstorms with me, he reads my books as I write them (which often keeps me writing fast, since he demands a new chapter every morning), and he can often give me insights into my characters I may have overlooked.

What are you working on now?

At the moment I'm polishing and trimming my next release, Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland, which will be coming out this December from Summerside Press. It's set in Annapolis of 1783-4, for that brief 6 months when it was the nation's capital and peace with England was still uncertain. When I'm between edits on that, I have several other projects I'm eager to finish up.

What is one of the happiest moments of your life or an accomplishment that you’re especially proud of?

Hmm . . . going through natural childbirth twice, without the aide of drugs? ;-) Can't think of anything more impressive than that, LOL, and of course it came with an awesome reward at the end. =)

How do you choose names for your characters? Do you do a lot of research on them?

I do, yes. Since most of my stories are historical, my choices are limited by what names were actually around in my time period. With my more exotic settings, I'm often tongue-tied by some of the names, so I pick ones I can pronounce, LOL. I'll also choose by meaning, or whether they just sound like my characters. =)

Can you tell us some of your favorite books or characters that you cherish?

Oh my—I am such a book lover! I love the classics, but I'm also a sucker for romances. Some of my favorites include all things Francine Rivers, Julie Klassen's The Silent Governness, Trish Perry's The Guy I'm Not Dating, Orson Scott Card's Enchantment and Pathfinder, Laurie Alice Eakes' Lady in the Mist . . . I could go on. And on. And on. =)

Any fun things about yourself that the readers might enjoy knowing?

Deep dark confession time—though my grandparents own a produce farm, I hate all but a handful of vegetables. And then I wonder why I can't get my kids to eat them, LOL.

Is there one piece of advice that’s been especially valuable to you?

Well, to paraphrase a lot of advice and put it through a recently polished lens, “Give it all to God—hopes as well as fears.” I always try to seek His will, of course, and when I'm afraid of something I give it to him regularly. But recently I realized I also have to entrust him with my hopes, not just my fears.

Please share information where readers can check out and buy your books:

A Stray Drop of Blood and Jewel of Persia are both available from most online retailers and can be ordered through your local stores as well, though they're not likely stocked. (Well, JoP's paperback won't release until June, but . . .) Digitals are available through Kindle for both, and Jewel of Persia is also available through all the other digital retailers. Plus if you want signed copies, you can order (or pre-order as the case may be) through my family's online store, http://www.crosspurposesbooks.com/

You can find links on my website (http://www.roseannamwhite.com/) and my blog (http://roseannamwhite.blogspot.com/)

It's been such fun to have talented Roseanna here this week! You'll not regret reading any of her books. She's that good!

Comments and email addresses, my friends.

Blessings!