Scavenger Hunt #17
For the Christian Authors Network (CAN) Scavenger Hunt, I have the privilege of interviewing my friend and fellow CAN board member and president (I’m the v.p.), Angela Breidenbach. She’s the author of several historical fiction books, just like me. I hope you enjoy “meeting” her.
Susan: Angela, you’ve written quite a few short romances about true Montana history. Do you have a favorite so far?
Angela: Bitterroot Bride is one of my favorite stories I’ve written so far. There are so many parallels to my own life.
S: What kind of parallels?
A: The main character, Emmalee Warren, doesn’t know how to read as an adult. I learned to read at 4 years old. But I didn’t learn how to read people, as in social cues and connectivity, until I was an adult. So Miss Emmie is battling a sense of illiteracy and I was battling that same feeling, but in communication. Both of us do everything possible to learn how to “read” and put every ounce of our being into it as young adults. Now, 30 years later, I hope we both are fluent 😉
S: You use real history and people in your stories. It’s one of the signature elements for your historicals. But how do you write real history and real people into a fictional story?
A: I love learning true history through novels. When a fictional character is set in a real place, time, and life (or lives) of true history the story comes to life. So I research the settings, factual events, and people. Then I figure out what isn’t said. It’s in that gray area that I can squeeze my heroine and hero into story line. For instance, in the 3 books that come before Bitterroot Bride all are set in Helena, MT, in historically accurate iconic buildings with historically accurate people in the lives of my characters. But those people had a lot of employees and friends that weren’t named. So my characters became those employees and/or friends.
S: Then Bitterroot Bride is the 4th in this series? Are they all stand alone stories or do you have to read them in sequence?
A: That’s a great question! Bitterroot Bride is the 4th, but no you don’t have to read them all in order. Soon, I’m going to put them all together in one collection.
S: Tell us how it works for this series and where Bitterroot Bride comes into the history of Montana.
A: All the books are romance novellas that range 20-40K words. So they’re quick reads. It all started with Calista in The Debutante Queen and its placement into Snowflake Tiara as a two-in-one set in 1889-90 when Montana becomes a state. The Debutante Queen has been in a couple of very popular collections since then, and sold thousands and thousands of copies. Then Eleven Pipers Piping takes up where that left off in 1890-91—the newsies (reader favorites) are street children selling papers to stay alive. Still staying in the historical romance genre, Mirielle fights to help the street urchins get an education rather than be sent to military school or indenture. After that comes Taking the Plunge set in the Broadwater Natatorium in 1892-3 with our heroine, Delphina, who introduces synchronized swimming (but it was called scientific and ornamental swimming back then). And last is Bitterroot Bride set in 1894-5 where we meet Emmalee Warren, a reformed prostitute, who is not only abused and misunderstood but trying to find a way of life in a very judgmental world after being widowed.
Ultimately each book continues the story of Montana, reminiscent of the Centennial saga series from a few decades ago, even though these 4 books came out in a variety of ways from two-in-one to ten-in-one to ebook/audiobook versions. Characters from the previous stories do cameos in the next books, but they’re done in such a way that it won’t cause confusion. However, if you have read the earlier stories, then you’ll have a fun reunion with those cameo appearances 🙂
Each romance is now individually available in case a reader already read one in a collection, now they can pick up the others to fill out their experience. The 1st three are also already in audio and the 4th (Bitterroot Bride) is in production.
S: Tell us why you chose to write this story and series.
A: I love Montana, its history, and storytelling. But often history is a bit dry to learn. By enjoying a romance, I can share both true history and storytelling, but I can also include a Christ-centered, clean fiction experience for my readers. (Did you catch the clue? Christ-centered is my phrase for the CAN Scavenger Hunt sentence.)
S: How do we find you and your books? And, the next stop on the CAN Scavenger Hunt Tour?
A: Thank you for having me, Susan! My website is: http://AngelaBreidenbach.com
Please pop over and meet our next guest on the tour, Peggy Sue Wells! She’ll be on my blog. Here it is: http://angelabreidenbach.
Intergenerational Relationships
When I was growing up, older folks sat on front porches and welcomed us kids to stop by and visit. I remember going from house to house, chatting with several retirees. I would visit my neighbors and happily listen to their tales of earlier days. Sometimes they pulled a book off the shelf and read it to me, including an encyclopedia.
Back then, my grandma lived with us, and there were no such things as senior citizens or adult communities. There were few nursing homes, and grandparents often lived with their children and grandchildren. The grandparents gave the children time and wisdom, and the children gave the grandparents a sense of joy and lasting youth.
Since then, the generations have too often segregated, and I think it’s been detrimental to our society. The older generation has been separated into senior living subdivisions, housing, and senior care homes, far from the joy and exuberance of little ones. Little ones miss out on quality time and wisdom the older generation can offer. And the parents are caught in the middle trying to find babysitters to manage their busy schedules. All generations have lost in such a system.
In Scripture, the older generation is commanded to teach the younger generations about God’s ways. In turn, the younger generation is commanded to learn from the older generation. In a biblical model, all generations work, play, and worship together, and everyone wins. God really does know best, don’t you think?
So although my grandchildren are halfway around the world, in South Africa, my daughter and I make a point of connecting us grandparents with our grandchildren on a regular basis and everyone is blessed! The grandchildren enjoy story time, jokes, games, and conversation filled with love and care. We grandparents get I love buckets filled to the brim and sometimes overflowing with joy, laughter, and happiness. And the parents get a few moments of peace and quiet… sometimes.
We also have the blessing of a few friends and neighbors who share their little ones with us. Their grandparents live in another part of the country, so they’ve “adopted” us and we them. We get together often for meals or movies or reading books or just hanging out together, and we are all blessed because of it. We are grateful these young families include us in their lives, and I believe God would be pleased.
Just yesterday, I hired a nine-year-old boy to help me pull weeds to help pay for missions trip. We had a blast talking about all the little boy joys of life, and he had fun showing me how strong he was. It was a simple thing, but a special time nonetheless. I’ve enjoyed outings with this family, as well as babysitting, celebrating birthdays, going to story time at the library, and just plain hanging out with them. My life is greatly enriched by doing life with young families.
We are determined to bridge the gap, create a lifetime link of love and a lasting memories, and have many deep inter-generational relationships. I hope you will too. If you’re a parent, reach out to the older generation and invite them into your a busy family life. If you are a grandparent, reach out to a young family and become a part of their lives. Will be glad you did.
How do you build intergenerational relationships? I’d love to know!
Trust and Patience
“I believe that a trusting attitude and a patient attitude go hand in hand. When you let go and learn to trust God, it releases joy in your life. And when you trust God, you’re able to be more patient. Patience is not just about waiting for something… it’s about how you wait, or your attitude while waiting,” Joyce Meyer.
I’ve been chewing on this quote all week, and I am finding this to be true.
Through the pain, through the frustration of not being able to do much of anything right now, and through the journey of healing, I’m finding that some of the pain management tips I am learning are quite similar to the way we can grow in the virtue of patience. I thought they might be helpful to you as well.
- Just breathe. When I’m in a painful, tense, or impatient situation, a few deep breaths can help me focus on God and put the situation in his hands. The a song by Jonny Diaz called “Breathe” has been a special help to me. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnjeMwxFuBA
- Keep on learning. In this time of rest and and not being able to do much, I’m intentionally focusing on reading, praying, and learning all I can through this journey. When you’re in a tough situation, stop and look for what God is teaching you.
- Take a long-term view of things. When I feel impatient and want to get back to writing, playing, or just living, I need to look beyond the boredom and restrictions and see the end result. I need to trust that I’ll be better than ever and not have pain with each movement of my hand. As with anything, we can become impatient and forget that God has a plan for everything we go through. As one of my life verses says, “ For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” Jeremiah 29:11.
- Patience is the better way. It sure doesn’t help to become more and more impatient with my situation. It won’t make it go away, and it’ll only make it worse. So I’m learning to chill, relax, and let time and God bring the healing I need. I am reminded of my favorite life verse, Nehemiah 8:10b, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
- Think of others. If I become impatient, it not only affects my own attitude, it also affects those around me. Showing frustration. Being grouchy. Whining. Complaining. It simply doesn’t help. Being patient and selfless does.
I know that I’m not the only one who struggles with patience. I’m in a type “A” personality, I’m driven to get things done, and I’m a task-oriented person like so many of us are. The journey of being forced into being patient during this time of healing is reminding me to be still, to rest, and to trust in all that God is doing. And after all, that’s the most important lesson of all.
What tips do you have for learning patience? I’d love to know!
Contributing to The Spirit of America
About once a year I have had the privilege of being a contributing author to a book. In years past, I contributed to such books as Ready to Wed, Supporting Families Through Meaningful Ministry, The Christian Leadership Experience, and Spiritual Mentoring of Teens as well as others.
My latest contribution is in the new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Spirit of America. It releases today, and the stories within its pages are inspiring, to say the least. I think the timely nature of this book is important to many of us right now.
If you’re like me, this election cycle has been challenging, frustrating, confusing, and disheartening on many levels. Although our system seems to be terribly flawed, I have chosen to remain consciously aware that we are still a very great nation. We are still a country with so many freedoms, so many rights, and so many blessings that we often take for granted.
America truly is a great country, with people who are generous, patriotic, creative, industrious, and more. We are nation of heroes, a country who helps other countries and other people who are need help. We are a country of traditions and a culture that has a Judeo-Christian foundation at its roots. All this makes our country strong.
When I travel to other countries and see what they’re dealing with–the corruption, the excess or the lack of things we take for granted–its typical for me to breathe a sigh of relief when I get home to the United States of America and am again able enjoy all that we have. My husband and I have been to more than 40 countries, and we always return home with a new found appreciation for America.
But our flawed system can cause us to feel cynical, even disillusioned and angry at times. It is then we need to find a little encouragement, a little inspiration that can align our thinking back to center and give us a fresh and positive perspective once again.
My story in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Spirit of America is called “Summoned to Court.” It’s about an experience I had on a jury, a lesson that showed me what an amazing judicial system we really have. The other stories in this book can help realign our thinking as well, so I’m proud to be part of it.
So if you need a little inspiration about our country right now or in the future, pick up Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Spirit of America and be encouraged. Here’s the link.
What has helped you to keep your perspective on our great nation? I’d like to know!
Employing Patience
It sure is interesting how God works. Today I am having hand surgery, the kind where they take my thumb apart and put it back together. The recovery takes several months, so I’m going to need an extra measure of patience for the season ahead.
My new book, Lexie’s Adventure in Kenya: Love is Patience, teaches children to be patient. Now I’ll have to employ a good deal of patience—the very thing I taught in the book—while I have use of only one hand and heal. So to that end, and for all of you who need a bit of encouragement as you learn patience now or in the future, here are a few inspiring quotes that may help. God’s not finished with any of us yet!
“God’s way of answering the Christian’s prayer for more patience, experience, hope, and love often is to put him into the furnace of affliction,” Richard Cecil. Yup, I think surgery might be my furnace at the moment.
“We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world,” Helen Keller. What a woman she must have been!
“Patience is not simply the ability to wait—it’s how we behave while we’re waiting,” Joyce Meyer. Very true. I’ll remember that when I have physical therapy. Smiles.
“Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses, and disappointments; but let us have patience, and we soon shall see them in their proper figures,” Joseph Addison. Hmmm. Got to ponder this one.
“I have seen many storms in my life. Most storms have caught me by surprise, so I had to learn very quickly to look further and understand that I am not capable of controlling the weather, to exercise the art of patience, and to respect the fury of nature,” Paulo Coelho. Interesting.
“Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character,” Heraclitus. When all is said and done, may you and I be found with a new measure of patience and stronger, more godly character that will bless others, especially God.
How is God teaching you patience? I’d love to know!
For the Love of Books!
Several years ago I started a tradition of reading stories to my grandchildren over Skype, and it’s been fun. But the best of all is when they request my book, Lexie’s Adventure in Kenya: Love is Patient. Since the oldest was the model for it, she says it’s her book, but the other two enjoy it as well, and I can’t wait to have an entire collection of books written by their grandma. But it’s not just that book they enjoy; they love anything I read to them!
A recent study out of the University of Nevada at Reno discovered that a child who has more than 25 books in his or her home is equal to a year of education, and a child who has read or been read 500 or more books equals 3.2 years of education! I’m going to shoot for the 500 or more books, and I know my daughter would agree.
It’s easy to impart the love of reading to your preschooler. Reading books aloud builds vocabulary, comprehension, attention, and a love of books. Be sure to use a lot of drama, excitement, emotion, and inflection as you read to hold their attention. And ask lots of questions as your read through the book.
Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, or caregiver, always keep books handy. My daughter encourages reading by letting my granddaughters take books in the car and to their naps and quiet times, rather than toys. She’s a wise mom, and the girls look forward to “reading” books anytime they can.
Put books in the car, in your bathroom, in every room of your house. And when a child says, “I’m bored,” respond with “read a book” to help them know that they never, ever need to be bored if there are books around.
Model the love of reading by letting your child see you read…and not just on technology. Let them see you hold a book, flip a magazine page, or read a paper. And then talk about what you’re reading. And if you’re reading on your Kindle, be sure to tell them you’re reading a book and share a little about it. They won’t know unless you tell them. Why would a child want to read if she never sees you read?
Make reading a social event. Go to the library or bookstore regularly. Take your child to the library’s story time, or start one yourself. In your mom’s group, be sure to include a reading time, or if you have a play date with other moms, take time to read a book. And don’t forget to give books as gifts.
Read constantly. Read signs, posters, billboards, menus, recipes, instructions. Play games as you’re driving, like “Who can find the letter “S”?” Give your child notes, even if she can’t read them yet. Write letters to her. Create a reading culture, and your child will learn to love the adventure of reading.
What are other ways to impart the love of reading? I’d love to know!